its annual installation gala last Friday at the Binks Forest Golf Club. Frank Young was installed as the new club president, and outgoing president Don Gross was honored. Page 3
Features
PBSO Hosts ‘Beat The Heat’ At The Raceway South Florida residents were invited to Beat the Heat with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday, June 13 at the Palm Beach International Raceway. The event is part of a series of races that will take place in an attempt to bring young people to the track to educate them on the dangers of street racing. Page 18
Richter: Wellington Crime Perception Is Not Reality
By Carol Porter
Town-Crier Staff Report
Wellington’s village manager and top cop offered members of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce some insight into the village’s Safe Neighborhoods Initiative and local criminal activity at the chamber’s monthly business luncheon Wednesday.
In March, the Wellington Village Council approved the half-million-dollar launch of a major program intended to stem the spread of crime and blight in declining neighborhoods. The Safe Neighborhoods Initiative involves increased law enforcement and code enforcement efforts as well as infrastructure improvements and community advocates working in those neighborhoods, beginning with the White Pine Drive/ 12th Fairway area near Birkdale Drive and Wellington Trace.
During Wednesday’s luncheon, which took place at Kontiki Wine & Raw Bar, Village Manager Paul Schofield told chamber members that while Wellington has a very low crime rate, it is not without problems, some of them stemming from aging neighborhoods and the economic slump. The Safe Neighborhoods Initiative is designed to “identify the social and economic problems that are leading to neighborhood decline,” he said.
Schofield said that through the program, the village
hopes to engage residents in confronting those problems and encourage their sense of ownership. “It is really designed is to create a community effort to return a safe, family environment into those neighborhoods where it has been lacking,” he said.
Capt. Greg Richter, commander of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office District 8 covering Wellington, told chamber members that the perception of crime in Wellington contrasts with reality. He noted that mistaken perceptions often overshadow reality, and crime in Wellington is a good example due to some recent high-profile incidents.
“That is very important to us,” Richter said. “If you have a perception of a problem, that is as significant as the reality of the problem.”
One of Wellington’s distinctions is the rate of crimes solved, the highest in the county. “We have a 33 percent solvability rate, which means one in three crimes reported to us, we do make an arrest,” Richter said. “That is very significant considering only one percent of crime occurring in Wellington is crime of a violent nature.”
Richter also stressed the PBSO’s policy of good relations with village residents and its philosophy of community policing, in which residents work hand in hand with deputies.
“We also have a very good
relationship with this community,” Richter said. “We have a community policing philosophy. The deputies are assigned to a particular sector. They know the people who live there. They know who the criminal element is in that neighborhood.”
Richter also contrasted the law enforcement situation in Wellington with that of the similar municipalities of Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens and Boca Raton. Members of the business community want the biggest bang for the buck, he noted, and the cost of having the PBSO look out for Wellington compares quite favorably to other communities, some of which have their own law enforcement agencies.
“What’s important to you is this is done properly at a
Planned RPB Golf Course Delayed
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report
The Royal Palm Beach Village Council decided Thursday that it would be better to delay the planned golf course at Commons Park due to the current economic climate.
The first phase of development has begun at Commons Park on Royal Palm Beach Blvd., site of the old Tradition Golf Course. The first phase involves sculpting the 160-acre park’s basic landscape, including that of the golf course.
But on Thursday, a golf course consultant told the council that golf courses are feeling the negative effects of the slow economy.
National Golf Foundation representative Ed Getherall did a previous feasibility study for the village four years ago to explore what type of golf course might work on the site. “What we found then was an oversupplied golf market with courses operating at ground levels under capacity,” he said.
The council had settled on a nine-hole, par-34 course, shorter than full size but longer than an executive course, Getherall recalled. At the time, the $3 million course was projected to generate a negative annual cash flow of
about $70,000 not including debt service.
Getherall said there are many positive indicators for a golf course in the area, including higher-than-average incomes, population growth and a significant population of young adults and seniors. However, he said, a bad economy and low rounds played at nearby courses make the construction of a new course a questionable proposition.
“Unemployment is rising and people’s discretionary income and discretionary time is falling,” Getherall said. “In general, it has affected the golf industry very negatively, as it has all industries.”
Participation in golf has remained flat from four years ago, Getherall said. About 90 percent of the National Golf Foundation’s work is annual operation reviews for municipal golf courses, which are reporting fewer rounds and lower income, he said.
“It has definitely taken a turn for the worse,” Getherall said. “Municipal golf courses are still highest in terms of activity levels, but they generally have lower fees and the highest cost in terms of labor.”
Getherall said he sees eight
See COMMONS, page 18
COPELAND DAVIS BENEFIT CONCERT
Johnson: ‘Corruption County’ Image Hurts All
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report
C.
D. No, it is not necessary and will cost too much! Cast your vote by visiting www.goTownCrier.com and scrolling down to the poll question at
Assistant State Attorney Alan Johnson discussed the findings of the Palm Beach County grand jury report on corruption in local government Wednesday at County Commissioner Jess Santamaria’s monthly community forum at the original Wellington Mall.
Johnson, a Wellington resident, leads the newly created Public Integrity Unit of the State Attorney’s Office in Palm Beach County. The unit was formed to investigate government corruption and led the grand jury investigation.
The report, published May 21, concluded that an independent county governmental “watchdog” is needed to sniff out waste, fraud and abuse in Palm Beach County. It urges the formation of an investigative agency similar to the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General (OIG).
Three county commissioners and two West Palm Beach city commissioners have been convicted on corruption-related charges and sentenced to prison terms in recent years. The grand jury report said Palm Beach County’s reputation had “deteriorated to the point that Palm Beach County is derisively referred to as ‘Corruption County.’”
Johnson said the image of corruption itself can pose problems for public officials.
“There is a problem in Palm Beach County with regard to, if not the reality of corruption, the public perception which follows along, and that’s very detrimental to people being involved in government,” he said.
The erosion of public trust in government has undermined the legal, political and economic pillars of the community, the report found.
“Does that mean your government is corrupt? Absolute-
ly not,” Johnson said. “Does that mean that 99.999 percent of public servants are as honest as can be and public-service-minded? That is true.”
The grand jury spent three months examining matters such as county bond underwriting, land transactions, discretionary funds, ethics laws and criminal statutes, Johnson said. Their findings were the result of reviewing thousands of documents for possible corruption. “Believe me, they complained about volumes and volumes of documents that we pored through,” Johnson said.
The grand jury report was not an indictment, but a presentation of facts, Johnson said. “It was not a criticism of anybody,” he said. “It was a thoughtful look at where we are in the county and where we can be to make things better.”
The Miami-Dade OIG was created as the result of that county’s corruption battles in
the 1990s. Johnson said such an independent set of eyes in Palm Beach County would have the power to conduct forensic investigations of the misuse or waste of public funds.
The Miami-Dade OIG started as a $200,000-a-year operation sharing office space. In the first year it uncovered a vendor fraud that returned more than $12 million to the county, Johnson said.
The program is now a $5 million annual operation, but only seven percent of its funding, $350,000, comes from county general revenue. The majority is revenue generated by departments such as transit, utilities, the airport authority and the school district.
“They have memos of understanding that they get money in from these revenueproducing departments,” Johnson explained.
The Palm Beach County grand jury found some errors
in bond underwriting but no corruption, Johnson said. It also found no criminal misuse of county commissioners’ discretionary accounts, although criticism has been leveled at them.
“Remember [former county commissioner Tony] Masilotti with the big check?” Johnson asked. “That was from discretionary funds. There was criticism that it was being used for political help.”
The grand jury also found no indication of anything illegal involving the county’s land transactions, but called for more transparency in those dealings to maintain public faith. A review of several land deals found that the county’s procedures lack transparency and accountability, and that the county frequently buys at prices far above a property’s assessed value without presenting much justification.
“If we’re going to pay peo-
The benefit concert “An Evening with Copeland Davis and Friends” was held Sunday, June 14 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. The event, a fundraiser for My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper Charitable Trust, featured a piano performance by Davis, live and silent auctions, and guest performances. Shown here, Davis signs a CD for fan Dolly Filley.
MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5
PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Capt. Greg Richter
Lynn Takes Job In Broward County
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report
Wellington’s former village manager Charlie Lynn has landed a new job as administrator of the Town of Southwest Ranches in Broward County.
After Lynn retired from his post in Wellington a year and a half ago, he took a job as assistant manager for six months in The Villages retirement resort near Ocala. He enjoyed the community, but the flagging economy made the sale of his Wellington home unlikely, and the long commute took its toll as well.
“With the collapse in the economy, it just wasn’t any fun, so I came back to Wellington and did some consulting,” Lynn told the Town-Crier on Tuesday. “I also taught at Barry [University] on a part-time basis. I have to say I had a lot of fun doing that.”
But the lack of steady employment offered a lot of fun as well. “I’ve had a lot of adventures in the year and a half since I retired,” Lynn said. “I did things that I’ve always wanted to do. I went to spend time with my family. I spent a lot of time up in Kentucky. I went fishing. I traveled all over. I visited old friends.”
He also spent time with his mother, the Rev. Shirley Lynn, who is a minister with the United Methodist Church in Memphis.
“I’ve had a wonderful time off,” Lynn said. “Teaching college has been great. It was a great opportunity to keep my mind focused and sharp
and stay current with my profession.”
Lynn began his current job as the town administrator at Southwest Ranches on May 4, but his present job is not nearly as hectic as his previous one in Wellington. Southwest Ranches has a population of about 7,200 and is much more laid-back, he said. “Wellington was so dynamic and a really wonderful place, but I was looking to slow down a bit,” Lynn said. “This is in keeping with my philosophy.” Southwest Ranches employs a mix of contracted and in-house municipal staff, he said. Police and fire-rescue services are contracted from Broward County. The clerk, financial services and attorney are contracted, he said. But in many ways, the municipality is similar to Wellington. “Southwest Ranches is like a lot of the other cities in Florida facing the same challenges,” Lynn said. “We have declining tax revenue because of the recession. It has the same challenges, but on a smaller scale. They are a microcosm of Wellington.” He said there are also a lot of similarities with the Town of Loxahatchee Groves, so much so that Loxahatchee Groves officials recently visited Southwest Ranches to see its form of government. “It’s an equestrian type community, lots of nurseries,” Lynn said. “Their position is to preserve their rural lifestyle, but they want basic urban services.”
Mother Collecting Data For Area Cancer Study
By Kristina Webb Town-Crier Staff Report
In response to inquiries made by parents of four Acreage children who were diagnosed with cancerous brain tumors last year, the Florida Department of Health is conducting a cancer research study in the area.
Jennifer Dunsford, whose son Garrett is one of the four children affected, is organizing the study in The Acreage. “All four had brain surgery at Miami Children’s Hospital, and three of us used the same neurosurgeon,” Dunsford wrote in a document she has e-mailed throughout the area. “All of our families live less than two miles from each other.”
In order for the FDOH to conduct the study, it must cover all forms of cancer. That is where all residents of The Acreage come into play, according to Dunsford. The FDOH asked Dunsford to distribute a patient listing form, a consent form that al-
lows researchers with the FDOH to search the statewide cancer registry database and use the information gathered in the study. The form asks for basic information, such as gender and race. However, it also asks for specific information, such as the site and type of cancer, as well as the date of diagnosis. Smoking history, length of residency in The Acreage and occupation are also requested.
“I have six weeks to gather as many patient listing forms as possible,” Dunsford wrote. “At the end of six weeks, they will study all the data gathered to determine if we have any ‘cancer clusters’ in our area. If they decide we do have cancer clusters, they will conduct studies on the water, soil and air to determine if environmental factors are involved.” For more information, contact Dunsford at (561) 5124554 or braintumorinfo@ bellsouth.net.
Leatherman for making 25 arrests in the village this year on charges of federal housing assistance fraud.
continued from page 1 fraction of the cost that other municipal police departments charge their constituents,” Richter said. “Wellington pays $7 million a year for police services to the sheriff, which we contract back to you. That is ten percent of Wellington’s budget. Palm Beach Gardens pays $20 million, which is 29 percent of their budget. Jupiter pays $17.8 million, which is 21 percent of the budget. Boca pays $34 million, which is 20 percent of the budget. Not only are we doing just as good a job, but we are doing it at a fraction of the cost.” Richter said the PBSO is making an effort to stay in front of problems and be proactive rather than reactive. He praised Deputy Michael
“So many people have abused this program and kept it away from those who truly deserve it,” he said. “He has 35 ongoing cases. He has arrested people for stealing over $750,000 of your tax dollars. We really applaud his efforts.”
While in reality Wellington has a low crime rate, Richter stressed that no amount of crime is acceptable. He said he and his staff are willing to visit local businesses and work with them to make their environment more resistant to criminal activity.
“How can we help you create an even lower crime rate in Wellington?” he asked. “It is not the reality of crime, but the perception of crime that causes fear and anxiety. People who take steps to make themselves safer are much less likely to be afraid of crime.”
Wellington Chamber of Commerce officials thanks Capt. Greg Richter and some of his staffers for their service to Wellington.
WELLINGTON ROTARY INSTALLS NEW OFFICERS, PRESENTS AWARDS
PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Rotarian of the Year Karen Hardin.
Rotary board members display the sets of inscribed wine glasses they received.
Outgoing president Don Gross passes the gavel to incoming president Frank Young.
Randy and Leslie Pfeiffer receive the Award of Excellence and Best Friend Award from Don Gross.
Outgoing president Don Gross receives a plaque from Deby Dahlgren.
Maggie Zeller, Julie and Judy Tannehill and Karen Hardin.
Don Gross and Wellington Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore present Joanna and Ben Boynton the Frank T. Gladney Community Service Award.
OUR OPINION
Make This Father’s Day About Spending Quality Time
In one more year, the Father’s Day holiday — celebrated this year on Sunday, June 21 — will have entered its second century as an American tradition. Of course, when it was first celebrated, the family unit was a much different entity. Nowadays, spending quality time is a challenge, what with all the high-tech gadgets distracting us. And while it is easy enough to just buy dad a card and call it a day, there are more thoughtful ways to express your appreciation and spend time together.
What says Father’s Day more than a round of golf? There are many top-notch public and semi-private golf facilities in the western communities, including the Binks Forest Golf Club, the Village Golf Club in Royal Palm Beach, the Links at Madison Green and the Okeeheelee Golf Course. Not only does a game of golf get dad out of the house, it will allow the two of you to spend some quality time together while enjoying some beautiful scenery.
Many dads love to barbecue, and Sunday’s dinner will likely consist of burgers, hot dogs, ribs and steaks fresh off the grill. Why not offer to take over? Great grill recipes can be found on www.food.com. You can sharpen your cooking skills while giving dad a chance to get off his feet for a while. For those on a budget (and who isn’t these days?), a day in the park is a costeffective and fun idea. Grab your bikes and head to Okeeheelee Park for a ride,
Golf Courses
Over The Residents
Having seen the recent article regarding the village’s position on the golf course issue, once again I must respond. I am disappointed, but not surprised by the vote. I have lived in Wellington since 1991 and knew our mayor and council would place their interests before the residents. I knew they would not offend the golf course and would not want to jeopardize their tee times for next season nor invitations to gala events.
I did, however, have some optimism that they might have at least had the golf course remove some of the shrubs, to perhaps give us back even a small fraction of the view they took from us.
Again, the issue with the Wanderers Club is not like Binks Forest, and I daresay I doubt if one resident on the Binks course who supports the course would feel the way they do if their backyard golf course view that they paid extra for was taken away by a large barrier, as Wanderers did to us. It would have been nice (although unrealistic, apparently) to have hoped for just a little reciprocity. I assume that many people, including our council, do not appreciate this issue, since no one has accepted my invitation months ago to visit my property and observe firsthand.
Again, those of us who live on the Wanderers Club are not reaping any benefit from the course; rather our property has suffered by no long-
er having a view and open yard that many of us foolishly paid extra for. We maintained harmony for many years with the prior club, for I believe that if you move to a golf course, you must accept their need to operate, and in return we gain a backyard/ view that we chose to purchase. That is the issue with the Wanderers Club, and for them to continue to suggest we are somehow gaining a benefit from their course is blatantly incorrect.
Tony DiMatteo Wellington
Rabin Headline
Inaccurate
I was concerned when I read the headline of last week’s Jules Rabin column “KBR’s Electrical Engineering: A Beacon Of ‘Stunning Incompetence.’” As an electrical engineer, I take pride in our profession, and the goal of all engineers is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. As I read the column, though, it became apparent that the incompetence that Mr. Rabin was referring to was not that of an electrical engineer, but of the military in Iraq whose responsibility it is to provide safe quarters for the soldiers who are stationed there. Sen. Byron Dorgan’s quote of “stunning incompetence” was referring to the Pentagon’s performance, not about an electrical engineer as alluded to in the headline. It cannot be determined from the column if the breakdown of safety occurred in the design, the construction or the
pack up a picnic and find a table at Wellington Village Park, explore the unique offerings of Veterans Park in Royal Palm Beach, or rent a canoe or kayak at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge. With the variety of parks and recreational facilities in the area, you can fill your day with inexpensive activities that are fun for the whole family. For more information on recreational facilities in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, visit www.ci.wellington.fl.us or www. royalpalmbeach.com. Information on county parks can be found at www.pbcgov. com/parks.
And if you’re looking for a way to document this Father’s Day, you can create a scrapbook of pictures you take while you celebrate. Walgreens, Ritz Camera and CVS have inexpensive one-hour photo developing labs where you can take your film or memory card and get your prints almost instantly. A simple scrapbook is the way to go; supplies can be found at many area craft stores. This idea is excellent, and for those who don’t get to spend a lot of time with their fathers, a scrapbook will remind him how much you care.
On Father’s Day, the most important thing to remember is that you let dad know how much he is appreciated. Even if you aren’t able to spend time with him this weekend, a phone call is a good way to let him know you’re thinking about him — and a way to make plans to get together.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
inspection of the electrical system that resulted in the tragic death four soldiers, but obviously the construction and inspection phases were a failure.
Mr. Rabin then points out that it was an electrical engineer who determined that 90 percent of the contractor’s work in Iraq was substandard. The safe installation of any electrical system depends on three factors: electrical design by a competent engineer; good workmanship and the knowledge of the proper codes, which apply to the installation by the electrical contractor; and complete inspection by the proper authority having jurisdiction prior to energizing the system.
The public generally does not understand what engineers who design buildings and structures do. The next time you drive across a bridge, thank a structural engineer. When you walk into a cool building on a hot day, thank a mechanical engineer. When enter your office in the morning and turn on the lights, or know that a building has a fire alarm and other life safety systems, thank an electrical engineer. When you drive down the street, or drink clean water, thank a civil engineer. And thank all of the hardworking contractors who really do take pride in their professions, and the building officials and inspectors who make sure that the buildings you occupy are safe.
When newspapers print columns, make sure that the headlines are clear and accurate. It is all some people read before they form an opinion. James Gillespie Wellington
Americans Don’t Want Hybrid Cars
Your editorial about alternative energy vehicles sounds just wonderful until you consider that the American public does not want these tiny European cars. We have the Smart Car on sale here, and they are not going out like pancakes due to the safety factor. Can you imagine being hit by a Tahoe in one of those? We have on sale now a large number of cars that get very good mileage, but they are not the big sellers.
The public transportation in this country does a poor job of getting folks to and from their work, so most people depend on cars. This president has said Iran needs nuclear power to survive. Iran is sitting on one of the largest supplies of oil and gas in the world, so why do they need nuclear? Of course, America is also sitting on probably the largest amount of oil and gas in the world, but the present man in the White House and this Congress has stopped most attempts at drilling. But this president and Congress do not think this nation needs new nuclear plants, so why Iran?
The point is that all this nice talk about gas mileage will not sell a car. Cars sell due to a customer wanting that particular car, and not because Obama decides that Americans should drive some shoebox imported from China.
All the car companies you mention have built hybrid cars, and they cost a lot of
money. Most people cannot afford to buy one, and most don’t even want one. We in America really like our gaspowered cars, and no manner of crying about earth warming and greenhouse gases will change our minds. If and it is an if, the greenhouse people can convince the citizens that there really is a problem with greenhouse gases, then maybe we will want these cars. However, other than newspaper writers and Al Gore, most Americans believe that the earth warming thing is a way for a few to get rich off the many. Archie Paul Wellington
Lox Groves
Not Protecting Rural Nature
The “ex-urban” Indian Trail Improvement District in the 33470 Loxahatchee zip code allows agricultural land use (horses) on 1.4-acre lots, but the adjacent “rural town” of Loxahatchee Groves doesn’t anymore?
The town has made agriculture on less than five acres non-conforming, incompatible and non-compliant, thus affecting the sale and use of more than 450 parcels between one and five acres. Like many cities, “grandfathered” policy, death, land sales, complaint code and invasive regulations will grad-
ually phase out land for small family farms in Loxahatchee Groves.
For 31 years under the county, I had a 1.4-acre family farm with no regulations, fines or citations, and “rural town” government promised to preserve and protect this lifestyle for future generations. But instead, the town made my pre-existing land use non-conforming, which prohibits me from passing it to my children or the equestrian/family farm real estate market.
Whoever thought small family farms would be incompatible in Loxahatchee Groves? Which representatives will submit policy to the Department of Community Affairs for the “little guys” so agricultural land use on preexisting smaller lots can remain a permanent part of the town? None of the councilmen have less than five acres, so writing and enforcing regulation against pre-existing smaller lots doesn’t affect their families or their property value. Before incorporation, Loxahatchee Groves had already balanced unique socioeconomic equity and opportunity with well-established conformity of agriculture on preexisting lots of all sizes. Now city government can cherrypick who gets lifestyle, land use and property value?
Rita Miller Loxahatchee Groves
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 them to letters@goTown Crier.com
Nine People, Six Years... And 2,678 Emergency Room Visits!
From all the media sound bites and all the Sunday morning television punditry, it is pretty easy to see that the number-one political discussion in America is “fixing the healthcare system.”
Now factor into this raging debate the tale of nine people in Texas who in the past six years have racked up an incredible 2,678 visits to hospital emergency rooms. One of the nine went to emergen-
Corrupt State Law
Needed
continued from page 1
ple triple the assessed value of a piece of property, let’s get the county commission to say we’re going to do this and we’re going to do it for this reason, as opposed to pushing it through under the radar,” Johnson said.
The grand jury found that state ethics laws regarding unethical practices such as nepotism, conflict of interest and failure to report gifts offer little deterrent, Johnson said, unlike federal laws. That is why indictments of commissioners came through federal investigations, he said.
“It was a surprise for some of the commissioners when they found out that while the
Footloose and...
By Jules W. Rabin
cy rooms 100 times a year over a four-year period.
This astounding research discovery, unearthed by the group Integrated Care Collaboration, was reported in a
state has no honest services fraud statute that’s going to look at ethical behavior, there’s a federal statute,” he said.
“That’s how the prosecutors came about it, in the federal system.”
The grand jury found that training is more important for public servants than state or local laws, although it did recommend that the state adopt its own “Theft or Deprivation of Honest Services” statute, Johnson said. Johnson said the Palm Beach County Commission has shown an honest effort in rectifying ethical issues. “You have to be willing to get ahead of this curve and be willing to lead or be at risk of being left behind,” he said. “I think that the county commissioners are stepping up to the plate and showing that kind of leadership.”
recent edition of the AARP bulletin. While only sparse information is available about the nine, it is known they are all middle-aged, speak English and are almost equally divided between male and female. Some have had issues of substance abuse and mental health problems.
Because the average cost of an emergency room visit is calculated at approximately $1,000, it would seem
State Attorney
The report is available online through the State Attorney’s Office web site at www.sa15.state.fl.us. Click on the “Grand Jury Reports” link at the top of the page. The Palm Beach County Commission is scheduled to review the report when it meets July 21.
these Texas folks accumulated about $2.7 million in costs.
There is a key lesson to be learned, according to ICC Director of Clinical Research and Evaluation Anjum Khurshid. “If we have a coordinated system, we can prevent these kind of numbers,” he said.
The 200 million affected Americans certainly hope so. Obviously, we all want to help those in need of medi-
cal attention. And obviously, we hope the nation’s heavily overburdened emergency rooms can be controlled.
“The results of the Texas survey are no surprise,” Caroline Steinberg of the American Hospital Association said.
“Uninsured people don’t get primary care, so they end up going to emergency rooms for things that could have been prevented had they access to primary care.”
The escalating Congressional battleground over healthcare and its endlessly ballooning costs will be lively and lengthy, and its eventual resolution will never satisfy everyone. However, with our pocketbooks straining and screaming for help, and the specter of 2,678 emergency room visits by just nine people over six years looming large, hopefully Washington will get this one right.
Wellington Honors GIS Expert As ‘Employee Of The Month’
By Mark Lioi Town-Crier Staff Report
The Village of Wellington has named Jason Griffin as its Employee of the Month for May 2009.
Griffin maintains the village’s geographic information system, an interactive mapping system that is utilized by village staff and can be accessed through the village’s web site.
The Wellington Village Council honored Griffin at its June 9 meeting.
“He has worked very hard to make sure that everyone in the village has all the access to GIS they need,” Village Manager Paul Scho-
field said. “There is an innovative program that he put together called Webmap. It’s a tool that allows everyone to put banners on maps throughout the vil-
lage. Jason’s work has saved us about 20 hours a week in GIS functions, and we congratulate Jason and thank him for his dedication to the village.”
of
with members of the
Employee
the Month — Jason Griffin (fourth from left)
Wellington Village Council.
Assistant
Alan Johnson
RPB COPELAND DAVIS CONCERT BENEFITS MBSK CHARITABLE
Justin and Veronica Merrell with Jill and John Merrell.Rev. Mike Rose, Copeland Davis and Anthony Taitt.
Members of the My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper Charitable Trust board gather for a photo.
Gary and Martha Webster with Copeland and Mary Davis.
Sheldon Davis and Nancy Stanley of
the Lord’s Place accept a donation from County Commissioner Jess Santamaria.
Temple Beth Zion’s Rabbi Bertram Kieffer joins Copeland Davis to sing a song.
John and Nancy Marshall (seated) with Al and Marcia Berwick.
Copeland Davis plays a tune for the audience.
Adrienne Ferrin and Dr. Farokh Jiveh look over silent auction items.
Vehicle Burglary Leads To Credit Card Fraud
By Kristina Webb Town-Crier Staff Report
JUNE 17 — A man called the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in Wellington on Wednesday to report that his wallet had been stolen and his credit cards had been used fraudulently. According to a PBSO report, the victim’s black wallet was taken from the center console of his van while he was working at a client’s home on Sailboat Circle between 5:30 and 7:40 p.m. The victim did not realize his wallet had been stolen until he received a call from his bank advising him of activity on his credit card. According to the report, charges were made using the victim’s various credit cards at various gas stations. A fifth charge was attempted at the Office Depot in Royal Palm Beach for $905.24 but was declined. The victim cancelled his credit cards and was informed by his bank and credit card companies that any charges made by the suspect will be removed from his bills. Surveillance footage is being obtained from the stores.
JUNE 11 — A West Palm Beach man was arrested last Thursday at the Spencer Gifts store in the Mall at Wellington Green. According to a PBSO report, the store’s manager saw Jonathan Walmer attempting to steal a banner worth $15. Walmer dropped the merchandise when confronted by the manager, then pushed her away and ran. A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington later arrested Walmer for shoplifting and simple battery and transported him to the Palm Beach County Jail.
JUNE 12 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched to a home on Sturbridge Lane last Friday following an attempted burglary. According to a PBSO report, two men attempted to break into the house around 7 p.m. by cutting through a screen on the porch and then trying to pry open a sliding glass door. An off-duty private investigator noticed the men and confronted them with his gun drawn. The witness told the responding deputy that after he identified himself, the two men ran toward the White Pine Drive area, dropping two screwdrivers as they fled. The homeowner reported that nothing was missing or out of place. The two screwdrivers were collected and placed into evidence.
JUNE 12 — A Royal Palm Beach woman was arrested for shoplifting last Friday at the Macy’s store in the Mall at Wellington Green. According to a PBSO report, a store security officer noticed Rac-
• • • JUNE 7 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded to a home on Carlton Street last Sunday morning regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim noticed her 2007 Ford Focus had been broken into between 10 p.m. last Saturday and 8 a.m. the following morning when she went outside and saw the driver’s-side door ajar and the glove box open. Taken from the car was an Apple iPod with a gray case, a black GPS device, a Belkin FM radio converter and a garage-door opener. DNA samples were collected and placed into evidence. A canvas of the area did not return any leads. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.
PBSO is seeking the public’s help in identifying this man in connection with business burglaries.
MAY 30 — The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance with identifying a suspect wanted for a business burglary that occurred on Saturday, May 30 in Royal Palm Beach.
According to a PBSO report, at approximately 11:20 p.m. a white male burglarized the Espinoza Optical store located at 1240 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. in the Crossroads Shopping Plaza. This subject used a hammer to break the front glass door. Once inside he removed assorted eyewear. This subject is also suspected of breaking into the Tokyo Café the same night. Anyone who can help identify this suspect is urged to contact Detective McCranels at (561) 904-8273 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 458TIPS. See BLOTTER, page 18
known address was Hyacinth Place in Wellington. Paula is wanted as of 06/18/09. 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.crimestoppers
Nicholas Bowers
A WEEKEND OF CELEBRATION MARKS RPB’S GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY
The Village of Royal Palm Beach marked its 50th anniversary with two days of celebrations last weekend. Friday events included the unveiling of a sculpture at the corner of Royal Palm Beach and Okeechobee boulevards, followed by a birthday party at Veterans Park, a Royal Palm Beach Community Band concert and a free screening of the 1959 movie classic Some Like It Hot. Saturday activities included a 5K run/walk race starting at Camellia Park; a time-capsule opening; a chili cookoff, cupcake bakeoff and pie-eating contest at Veterans Park with entertainment; a concert featuring Hot Brass Monkey Evolution at the Veterans Park amphitheater; and a fireworks display.
PHOTOS BY RON BUKLEY AND DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Artist Mark Fuller (fourth from left) with RPB Village Council members at the sculpture dedication.
Former Royal Palm Beach council members Carmela Starace and Gary Colecchio.
County Commissioner Jess Santamaria with RPB Councilwoman Martha Webster and husband Gary.
Royal Palm Beach Education Committee members Klemie Christie and Una James.
Elijah and Samuel Ross enjoy the water park.Sue and Leonard Urban.
Maya Ford with son Tommy and daughter Izzy.
Palms West Chamber of Commerce CEO Jaene Miranda with her predecessor Vivian Palmer.
RPB Mayor David Lodwick, former mayor Sam Lamstein and Councilman David Swift.
County Commissioner Jess Santamaria, Loxahatchee Groves Vice Mayor Dennis Lipp and Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen enjoy Friday’s activities.
Barry Manning, Lou Recchio, Robert Trepp, David Farber and David Swift with the Chili Chicks.
Alvaro Gordillo of Entertainment Connection’s Premier DJs busts a move for the crowd.
Town-Crier founders Bob Markey II and Bob Markey Sr. with Royal Palm Beach Vice Mayor David Swift and his wife Nixie.
Cathy and Michael Cheatham of the Public Works Department with samples of their chili.
Paul Webster and Kevin Backer of the Public Works Department bury a new time capsule.
“Hillbillie Chilliee” maker Tim Delp and “27-Cent Chili” maker Chris Marsh.Andrea Newell decorates cupcakes for the contest.
Chef Chris Paul Falci tastes a Black Forest cupcake made by Linda Schot, who won first place.
Councilwoman Martha Webster with a 1984 Town-Crier buried in a time capsule opened last weekend.
Village Council Recognizes Student Artists
The young artists hold their certificates of appreciation.
Fourth Of July
In Wellington
The Village of Wellington will present an exciting patriotic lineup for the entire family on the Fourth of July. The event schedule is as follows:
• Noon to 5 p.m. — A Patriotic Pool Party will be held at the Wellington Aquatics Complex (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). There will be music, games, giveaways and more. Regular pool entrance fees apply.
• 6 to 9 p.m. — The Family Fourth Celebration will
take place at Village Park (11700 Pierson Road), featuring traditional games, inflatable rides, face painting, bingo (sponsored by Humana Inc.), fun foods for purchase and a live musical performance by Rumour Hazit. There will be shuttle transportation service available from the Palm Tran bus stop near the Mall at Wellington Green.
• 9:15 p.m. — A fireworks extravaganza will be presented by Zambelli Fireworks at Village Park that will be visible from surrounding areas as well. No personal fire-
At the Wellington Village Council meeting June 9, the council officially recognized 23 students from local elementary schools for their participation in the village’s Student Art Program, which is coordinated by the Wellington Art Society.
The artists were introduced at the meeting by program coordinator Susan Rose and presented with certificates of appreciation by Wellington Art Society President Adrianne Hetherington. The students’ work will be on display through Sept. 16 at the lower level of the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.).
The students are: Marianna Flores, Sophia Upshaw, Lauren Webb, Alyssa Gates,
works, alcoholic beverages or pets are allowed at Village Park. For more information, call Community Projects Manager Nicole Evangelista at (561) 791-4733.
RPB To Host Firecracker Golf Tourney
Royal Palm Beach’s Firecracker Golf Tournament will take place on Saturday, July 4 at the Village Golf Club. The scramble-format tournament will begin with a shot-
Talia Fradkin, Jailine Cano, Carlie Shapiro, Julianne Dragunat, Tina Arena, Ashlee Maher, Morgan Geck, Christian Culp, JeanPierre Cuestas, Danae Rojas, Eric Nguyen, Michael Arbocco, Gabrielle Berman, Rachel Berman, Martha Gutierrez, Joshua Rosner, Kinsy Schorr, Ashley Stevens and Nicholas Thompson.
The Wellington Art Society is open to artists of all mediums and patrons of the arts, providing both local and regional artists the platform to share their work, learn more about their craft and serve the community through their art. For more info., visit the society’s web site at www.wellington artsociety.org.
gun start at 8 a.m. and will include cart and green fees, a 50/50 raffle, prizes, a longestdrive contest, a closest-tothe-pin contest and a barbecue lunch. Golfers can preregister at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way), the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center (100 Sweet Bay Lane) or the Village Golf Club (122 Country Club Drive). Businesses and organizations are encouraged to reserve tee sponsorships in advance for $100. Costs are $60 per player or $240 per foursome. For
more information, call (561) 790-5149.
VOW’s Safe Neighborhoods Office To Open
The Village of Wellington, in partnership with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, is hosting an open house at the new Safe Neighborhoods Office located at 1100 Wellington Trace on Saturday, June 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Residents will have an opportunity to meet neigh-
During a luncheon on Monday, June 8 at Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Royal Palm Beach, the Palms West Chamber of Commerce awarded Vice Chair of Economic Development Susan Giddings the Chairman’s Choice Award in honor of her service to the chamber. Pictured above, Giddings accepts the award from past chairman John Spillane (left) and current chairman Kevin DiLallo.
PHOTO BY KRISTINA WEBB/TOWN-CRIER
PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER
Charlie Darcy, Rodney Hudson, Carol Verdigi and Barbara Hardy enjoy the event.
Col. Mike Gauger and his wife Phyllis watch the action.
Ric Bradshaw with his wife Dorothy and grandson Landon.
Pictured are Romero (above) and Abruzzo (below).
Former sheriffs Richard Wille and Charles McCutcheon with Wille’s wife Sherri.
Clint Ethridge and Dena McCracken.
Lou Sessa, Roseanne Young and Fred DeLoreto.
Gene Saunders, Sherri Kendall and Richard Wille.
TD Bank Supervisor Karen Paredes with Branch Manager Danny Singh.
Jessica Clasby and Catherine Engel of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce.
Generations: A Hair Salon owner Monica Hoffman with stylist Jackie Zuric.
held by Democrat Dave Aronberg, who is
Lizbeth Benacquisto flanked by Cheri Coates and her husband, Wellington Councilman Howard Coates.
Toy and John Wash, Benacquisto and Joe Maguire. Dr. Scott Swerdlin introduces Benacquisto.
Palm Beach Gardens Councilman Hal Valeche, Jay Goldfarb and Greg Orenstein.
Lizbeth Benacquisto with Stacy Somers, Mercedes Kelly and Norman Gitzen.
Lizbeth Benacquisto with her family members.
COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR
Saturday, June 20
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold a Father’s Day Concert on Saturday, June 20 at 11 a.m. for ages three and up. The Clarion Handbell Choir will perform songs and stories about famous and infamous fathers. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.
• The second annual West Palm Beach Carnival presented by the Palm Beach County Multicultural Organization, will be held on Saturday, June 20 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the South Florida Fairgrounds (9067 Southern Blvd.). Part of the proceeds will benefit the Palm Beach School of Autism. Admission costs $20 including parking. Children ten and under will be admitted free. For more info., call (561) 793-0333.
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Mark Salona & Pam Wyman on Tour” on Saturday, June 20 at 2 p.m. for adults. Enjoy songs and piano/guitar instrumentals. Call (561) 790-6070 to preregister.
• Giselle’s Dance Studio invites the public to a wonderful evening of classical ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop and modern dance performed by the talented students from Giselle’s Dance Studio in Royal Palm Beach on Saturday, June 20 at 5 p.m. The presentation, titled “Variations 2009,” will be held at the Wellington High School performing arts auditorium. Call Zaida at (561) 7539543 for more info.
• The Cuillo Centre for the Arts in downtown West Palm Beach will continue its production of Back to Babylon on Saturday, June 20. The critically acclaimed oneman show is written, performed and directed by Gregg Tome. For more info., call (561) 835-9226 or visit www.cuillocentre.com.
• Harriet Himmel Theater at CityPlace will host the Stonewall Ball on Saturday, June 20. The annual social event connects the Palm Beach County gay and lesbian community to community leaders. Call (561) 5339699 or visit www.compass glcc.com for more info. Sunday, June 21
• The Florida Trail Association will hold a bird watching stroll in the Wakodahatchee Wetlands on Sunday, June 21 at 7 a.m. Participants will meet at the entrance ramp. The Wakodahatchee Wetlands is located on Jog Road about three miles south of Boynton Beach Blvd. For more info., call Paul at (561) 9639906.
• The Palm Beach Kennel Club (1111 North Congress Ave., West Palm Beach) will hold a Father’s Day Celebration on Sunday, June 21 at 11:30 a.m. The club will salute all men with free admission and giveaways. Other activities include the Father’s Day race featuring eight top male greyhounds, food and drink specials. Admission for ladies is $1. Call (561) 683-2222 or visit www.pbkennelclub.com for more info.
Monday, June 22
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold “Baby Story Time” on Mondays, June 22 and 29 at 9:30 a.m. for under nine months and at 11:15 a.m. for 10 to 18 months. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Centennial Sue” on Monday, June 22 at 3:30 p.m. for ages five and up. Celebrate Palm Beach County’s birthday with a trip back 100 years to visit Centennial Sue, a turn-of-thecentury schoolteacher. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.
Tuesday, June 23
• The Wellington Village Council will meet at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) on Tuesday, June 23 at 7 p.m. Call (561) 7914000 for more info.
Wednesday, June 24
• The Wellington Chamber of Commerce will hold a special meeting to discuss State Senate Bill 360 on Wednesday, June 24 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Grand Cypress Room of the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). There is no cost to attend, but reservations are required. The meeting will discuss how the bill will
meet the economic challenges facing Florida while preparing the state for future population growth. For more info., call (561) 7926525.
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host its “Poetry Discussion Series” on Wednesday, June 24 at 6:30 p.m. for adults. Engage in a provocative discussion of several published poems. Pick up copies at the information desk. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.
Thursday, June 25
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Teen Game Night” on Thursday, June 25 at 6:30 p.m. for ages 12 to 17. Play Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero and board games. Snacks will be provided. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.
Friday, June 26
• The Rock and Rebels Tour will visit the Cruzan Amphitheatre at the South Florida Fairgrounds on Friday, June 26 featuring Kid Rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Call (561) 795-8883 or visit www.livenation.com for more info.
• The 2009 TORHS Nationals will be held at Palm Beach Skate Zone (8125 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth) June 26 through July 5. This major roller hockey championship will feature approximately 220 teams and 3,000 athletes from across the nation in different age groups. Call (314) 779-7755 or visit www. torhs.com for more information.
Saturday, June 27
• Grace Fellowship will host a Community Yard Sale and Clothes Closet Swap on Saturday, June 27 from 8 a.m. to noon at its Acreage campus (corner of 75th and Seminole Pratt Whitney Road). Come and find what you need and sell what you don’t. Monetary donations will be taken for a benevolent fund and/or non-perishable grocery items to be sent to the community food pantry at Agape Church. Other needed items include new and gently used clothing of any size, shoes and other accessories for men, women and children, and baby items. Setup is at 7 a.m. Contact Cindy Potts at (561) 827-5990 or cindy_potts@bereanwpb. org to reserve a space.
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold “Drop-in Story Times” on Saturday, June 27 at 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. for ages two and up. Participants will get physical and explore books about getting up and moving. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold “Scrapbooking for the Family” on Saturday, June 27 at 2:30 p.m. for ages five and up. Learn new techniques and create your own designs. Bring pictures and memorabilia. Basic supplies will be provided. Call (561) 7906070 to pre-register.
• O’Shea’s Irish Pub will close off the 500 block of Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach for its 15th anniversary celebration on Saturday, June 27. Beginning at 3 p.m., the festivities include live music, food and drink specials, traditional Irish dancers and more. For more info., call (561) 833-3865.
• The Palms West Amateur Radio Club and the West Palm Amateur Radio Club of West Palm Beach will host the American Radio Relay League’s Field Day on Saturday and Sunday, June 27 and 28. The event will take place at the Osceola Pavilion at Okeeheelee Park (7715 Forest Hill Blvd.). The clubs will have a station set up for anyone to go live on air to make contacts with other locations across the U.S. and Canada. For more info., call Jerry Grant at (561) 3097272 or e-mail jgrant2@ earthlink.net.
• Toby Keith and Trace Adkins will be featured in “America’s Toughest Tour” on Saturday, June 27 at the Cruzan Amphitheatre at the South Florida Fairgrounds. Call (561) 795-8883 or visit www.livenation.com for more info.
Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@gotowncrier.com.
PALMS WEST PEOPLE KIDS CRAFT CARDS FOR DAD AT WHOLE FOODS
Whole Foods Market in Wellington kicked off its monthly “Whole Art” series last Saturday. The program, designed for children ages five and up, allowed children to create a Father’s Day card using shaving cream and all-natural dye. Proceeds went to benefit ArtStart, a non-profit organization that provides art education opportunities to underprivileged children. Those who attended learned the Japanese technique of paper marbling from ArtStart founder and President Jeannette Parssi. For more information about the Whole Art series, call (561) 904-4000. For more information about ArtStart, visit www.artstartinc.org.
Folke Peterson’s Landstrom Visits Rotary
The Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club had a very special guest at last Thursday’s breakfast meeting when Rotary members were visited by Smokey, a screech owl, and his human handler Heather Landstrom, the executive director of the Folke Peterson Wildlife Center.
Smokey was rescued from a barn fire and brought to Folke Peterson, where he enjoys a tremendous amount of attention as the “spokes-owl” for the wildlife center.
Landstrom explained to the Rotarians that Folke Peterson is one of the few rescue centers that features a full-size aviary for injured birds to rehabilitate, and that many other species are also on the grounds.
The center offers its “Wild Wednesday Evening Speaker Series,” which spotlights several species including the purple martin and owls. The speakers will share proven techniques to attract these birds and teach how to help in the conservation of these species.
To find out more about helping the local population of native birds, call the Folke Peterson Wildlife Center at (561) 793-2473 (793-BIRD) or visit www.fpwildlife.org.
The Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club features guest speakers almost every Thursday during its breakfast meetings at the Village Golf Club in Royal Palm Beach. For more information, call Keith at (561) 333-6228.
Shane Fisher Wins College Book Award
Shane Fisher, son of Kenneth and Lori Ann Fisher of Lake Worth and a student at Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach, was named the 2009 recipient of the Saint Michael’s College Scholarship and Service Book Award. The award recognizes students who demonstrate a commitment to volunteerism and leadership through community service.
Saint Michael’s, located in the Burlington area of Vermont, was founded on the belief that serving others is part of its Catholic tradition and through the award seeks to honor those who demonstrate the true spirit of volunteerism.
Award recipients, named at schools throughout the country, are high school juniors who are inductees of the National Honor Society or an
equivalent school-sponsored honors organization. They must demonstrate a commitment to service activities in high school or community organizations, taking leadership roles in these activities. Fisher was presented the book First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers (HarperCollins 2000) by Loung Ung, a 1993 Saint Michael’s College graduate who has become a widely acclaimed author.
Saint Michael’s College, established in 1904 by the Society of St. Edmund and headed by President John J. Neuhauser, is identified by the Princeton Review as one of the nation’s 368 best colleges. For more information about Saint Michael’s, visit the college’s web site at www.smcvt.edu.
PHOTOS BY KRISTINA WEBB/TOWN-CRIER
Dawson Dando works on his card.
Jeffrey Ehrlich (right) looks on as his twin brother Ryan creates a card for their dad.
Morgan Wummer holds up the card she made for dad.
Christina Gaskins and her brother Caleb work together as they make cards for their father.
Joan Scherer and Heather Landstrom with Smokey. PHOTO COURTESY SCOTT SNYDER
In anticipation of the Fourth of July holiday, Eddie T. Bone posed for this patriotic picture. The four-and-a-half-yearold Jack Russell terrier is owned by Lori and Larry Steele of Wellington. According to the Steeles, Eddie likes to play ball every day at Pooch Pines Park at Okeeheelee Park.
Area Students
Graduate Quinnipiac
Jason and Robin Sider of Wellington graduated from Quinnipiac University on May 17.
Quinnipiac is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution located 90 minutes north of New York City. The university enrolls 5,600 fulltime undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students in 52 undergraduate and 19 graduate programs of study.
Quinnipiac consistently ranks among the top universities with master’s programs in the northern region in U.S. News & World Report ’s America’s Best Colleges. The 2009 issue named Quinnipiac as the top up-and-coming school with master’s programs in the north. For more information, visit Quinnipiac University’s web site at www. quinnipiac.edu.
Boswell
Completes
Navy Training
Navy Seaman Apprentice
Megan Boswell, daughter of Mindy and Rick Boswell of West Palm Beach, was recently promoted to her current rank upon graduation from recruit training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill.
Boswell received the early
promotion for outstanding performance during all phases of the training cycle. Training included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, and shipboard and aircraft safety. An emphasis was also placed on physical fitness.
The capstone event of boot camp is “Battle Stations.” This exercise gives recruits the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the fleet.
Battle Stations is designed to galvanize the basic warrior attributes of sacrifice, dedication, teamwork and endurance in each recruit through the practical application of basic Navy skills and the core values of honor, courage and commitment. Its distinctly “Navy” flavor was designed to take into account what it means to be a sailor.
Boswell is a 2008 graduate of Seminole Ridge High School.
Samantha Cohen Makes Dean’s List
Wellington resident Samantha Cohen was named to the dean’s list at the State University of New York at New Paltz for the spring 2009 semester. Cohen is a junior majoring in visual arts.
Dean’s list designation is reserved for students who excel academically and earn
Thank-You Gifts — On June 12, the Wellington
and the Wellington
Pyure Salon manager Karen
Center director Barbara Crawford, Jack Van Dell of Van Dell Jewelers and Riverside Bank manager Alicia
(Above left) Van Dell with his gift. (Above right) National
Pyure Salon, Garden Club President Barbara
at least a 3.3 grade point average in a semester with a full-time course load.
The State University of New York at New Paltz was named “Hottest Small State School” in the 2008 Kaplan/ Newsweek How To Get Into College Guide, which identifies America’s 25 hottest schools.
New Paltz is a highly selective college of about 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students located in the MidHudson Valley between New York City and Albany. Degrees are offered in the liberal arts and sciences, which serve as a core for professional programs in the fine and
performing arts, education, healthcare, business and engineering. For more information on the State University of New York at New Paltz, visit its web site at www.new paltz.edu.
Two Graduate Army Training
Army National Guard Pvt. Stephen Prochilo and Army PFC Nicole Hardy recently graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C.
During the nine weeks of training, they studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physi-
cal fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, the military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field-training exercises.
Prochilo is the son of Sylvia Prochilo of Wellington and a 2007 Wellington High School graduate.
Hardy is the daughter of Michael Hardy of Shreveport, La. and Renee Hardy of Wellington. She is a 2006
graduate of Palm Beach Central High School.
Thomas
Garden Club presented Kalanchoe thyrsiflora plants to businesses
Community Center in thanks for their generosity and support of the club. Recipients included
Marazzita, Mark Bellissimo of Wellington Equestrian Partners, Wellington Community
Foster.
Garden Week Chair Jayne Kiesewetter, Karen Marazzita of
Hadsell and 2010 Garden Walk Chair Joan Kaplan.
Students Awarded Wellington Women’s Club Scholarship
The Wellington Women’s Club awarded scholarships to five area high school students at its final meeting of the season on June 11 at the Binks Forest Golf Club. The recipients were: Martha Elmore, a graduate of Dreyfoos School of the Arts who will be attending Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.; Sarah Grunder, a graduate of Seminole Ridge High School who will study at Emmanuel College in Boston, Mass.; Ash-
ley Hurme, who graduated from the King’s Academy and will be attending Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.; Jason Lesnick, a Palm Beach Central High School graduate who will study at the University of Florida in Gainesville; and Andrei Santalo, winner of the Linda Penta Memorial Scholarship, who graduated from Wellington High School and will be going to Duke University in Durham, N.C.
Send school news items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.
SRHS Students Semifinalists In Contest
Seminole Ridge High School Science teacher Erich Landstrom received out-ofthis-world congratulations in May. NASA e-mailed to say that his physics students were semifinalists in a national contest for an interplanetary mission. At least one of his students’ essays passed the first round of selection in the Cassini Scientist for a Day essay contest, and they were invited in June to teleconference with scientists studying the planet Saturn remotely by robotic spacecraft.
The Cassini Scientist for a
Day contest challenges students to become NASA scientists studying the planet Saturn. Participants examine three target images taken by Cassini and choose the one they think will yield the best science. This choice must then be supported in a 500word essay.
Landstrom used it as teaching opportunity for his students to practice their FCAT Writes persuasive essay skills, and encourage excellence in FCAT Science. Juniors Anthony Bass, Alex Cohen, Kris Hansen and Jessie
Twigger are now invited to teleconference with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Using the distance learning classroom in Seminole Ridge’s Biotechology Academy, they can participate in a scientific debate by deciding which imaging target brings the most scientifically interesting results. In his essay, Twigger wrote, “Not every satellite we launch or every telescope we point toward the sky is searching for another Earth, but if the chance to learn
more about Earth-like planets presents itself, why not seize this opportunity? That is the reason we should be photographing Dione. No, that is the reason we should be exploring space. Dione is worth all its scientific merit just for the smallest chance that we will discover something that we never even dreamed possible, just for the sheer enjoyment of discovering that a distant moon is similar to Earth, and most importantly just for the challenge it presents in understanding such a mystery.”
BINKS PTA INSTALLS NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Poinciana School Chess Club Competes In First Tourney
Members of Poinciana Day School’s fledgling chess club participated in their first chess tournament last month at Diamond View Elementary School in Greenacres.
Three members of the club — Dylan Gordon of Jupiter, Dylan Scroggins of West Palm Beach and Kagen Thomas of Greenacres — participated in the tournament and placed fifth overall in their age group. The students were very excited to have done so well. “It was fun because I learned some new moves,” Gordon said.
All three members were successful at winning some of the five matches that they played that day. The club has ten members at Poinciana Day School under the direction of parents Cliff Gordon of Jupiter, Kevin Thomas of Greenacres and Simon Lester of Wellington. Cliff Gordon and Kevin Thomas served as referees during the tournament. In addition, Casey O’Melia, a junior at Suncoast High School and a member of the Suncoast Chess Club, volunteers his time with the Poinciana
Day School Chess Club. The club was started through parent interest. “We are very fortunate to have parents volunteer to provide this activity for our students,” Head of School Nixie Swift said. “The children have been very excited to participate in the Chess Club, which is a wonderful developmental activity.”
Located at 1340 Kenwood Road in West Palm Beach, Poinciana Day School is a small, independent private school for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
FULL CASINO ACTION
The Binks Forest Elementary School PTA recently named its new board of officers. The board will serve a two-year term, ending in 2011. (Above left, front row) Treasurer Joann Kapsos, President Shauna Hostetler and Secretary
Amy Mattessich; (back row) Co-Vice President of Volunteer Services Kate Reagan, Co-Vice President of Ways and
Means Pam Gilbert, Co-Vice President of Ways and Means Robyn Gasso, Co-Vice President of Volunteer Services
Lisa Weger and Vice President of Student Services Lisa Shields. (Above right) Former PTA president Kimberly Sundook with Hostetler at a recent volunteer luncheon.
(L-R) Jason Lesnick, Andrei Santalo, Sarah Grunder, Ashley Hurme and Martha Elmore.
Chess Club — (Left) Cliff Gordon helps Dylan Scroggins and Dylan Gordon practice. (Right) Kagen Thomas, Dylan Scroggins and Dylan Gordon with their fifth-place trophy.
McKeehan Awarded ABWA Scholarship RIBBON CUTTING FOR FLASH SIGNS
With more than 30 years of experience in business, Flash Signs can provide the best possible service, support and quality for your job. The company has state-of-the-art equipment to produce vinyl signs and digital printing, including large-format printing. With S&P Graphic Designs as its own in-house printing department, Flash Signs can help your business grow with banners, magnetic signs, trade-show displays, vehicle graphics, fullcolor brochures, business cards and all types of printing. Flash Signs is located at 3121 Fairlane Farms Road, in the Wellington Business Center near the Mall at Wellington Green. For more information, call (561) 7917525. Pictured above are Flash Signs staff with Palms West Chamber of Commerce ambassadors.
ARC Loans Available To Small Businesses
The Small Business Administration is now accepting loans for a temporary new program called America’s Recovery Capital. ARC loans of up to $35,000 are designed to provide a “bridge” for viable small businesses with immediate financial hardship — to keep their doors open until they get back on track.
“These ARC loans are another tool in the SBA toolkit which will provide critical support to small businesses struggling to make it through these tough economic times,” Administrator Karen Mills said. ARC loans are deferredpayment loans of up to $35,000, available to established, viable, for-profit small businesses that need short-term help to make their principal and interest payments on existing and qualifying business debt. ARC loans are 100-percent guaranteed by the SBA and
have no SBA fees associated with them. ARC loans will be disbursed over a period of up to six months and will provide funds to be used for payments of principal and interest for existing, qualifying small business debt including mortgages, term and revolving lines of credit, capital leases, credit card obligations and notes payable to vendors, suppliers and utilities. SBA will pay the interest on ARC loans to the lenders at the variable rate of Prime plus two percent. Repayment will not begin until 12 months after the final disbursement. After the 12-month deferral period, borrowers will pay back the loan principal over a period of five years. ARC loans will be made by commercial lenders, not SBA directly. For more information on ARC loans, visit www.sba.gov.
The Northern Palm Beach Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association recently announced Donna McKeehan as its 2009 scholarship recipient. McKeehan has been the recipient of two ABWA scholarship/grant awards in the past.
“The assistance has been tremendous and allowed me to continue my education when I was uncertain of whether I could continue on my own,” she said. A full-time student at Florida Gulf Coast University, McKeehan will be a senior seeking a bachelor’s degree with a career objective of becoming a paralegal/attorney. Her expected completion date is spring 2010.
McKeehan is currently
employed at Avis & Avis PA in Palm Beach and resides in Loxahatchee. In addition to work and school, McKeehan finds time to volunteer three to four hours each week as a facilitator for a local recovery support group.
The mission of the American Business Women’s Association is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking, support and national recognition.
For more information on the American Business Women’s Association, call Chapter President Marianne Kollmer at (561) 741-4912.
Clerk To Close RPB Office Due To Cuts
Due to severe budget cuts, the Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller’s mid-county branch in Royal Palm Beach will close to the public on June 30 at 5 p.m.
The branch, located in the Midwestern Communities Services Center at 200 Civic Center Way, assists about 1,000 customers a week with a variety of court and county filings, including traffic citation payments, marriage licenses, Value Adjustment Board petitions and passports.
The five employees who serve the public in the midcounty branch will be reassigned to perform critical core services at the main courthouse or other branch locations suffering from recent budget cuts.
County Clerk Sharon Bock announced May 30 that 66 of her employees would need to be cut to meet a state-mandated $7.1 million, or 18 percent, reduction in the office’s budget by July 1.
The office has lost a total of 101 positions this year. The passage this legislative session of Senate Bills 2108 and 1718 slashed $46 million from clerk budgets statewide.
“With the budget cuts, the legislature has forced us to eliminate several practices focused on customer convenience,” Bock said. “Unfortunately, any cut we make affects the public in some way. We’re trying to make cuts that have the least impact.”
The mid-county branch
does not offer court proceedings, and therefore is the only location that can close without affecting the rest of the judiciary. There are no plans to close any other locations. The clerk previously announced the elimination of front-counter windows designed to expedite transactions for attorneys and sameday payment for cash bonds.
With an annual loss of more than 210,000 work hours due to layoffs, longer lines and case filing backlogs are also anticipated. The office no longer has funding for overtime, which was used to clear out heavy backlogs such as those caused by the skyrocketing increase in foreclosure case filings.
After the mid-county branch location in Royal
Palm Beach closes, clerk’s office customers may visit the main courthouse in West Palm Beach or other branch offices in Belle Glade, Delray Beach and Palm Beach Gardens. Many services, such as traffic ticket payments and VAB petitions, can be done on the Clerk & Comptroller’s web site, www.mypalmbeachclerk.com. While the clerk’s office is closing in the Midwestern Communities Services Center, other government agencies located within the building, such as the offices of the Tax Collector and Property Appraiser, will remain open. The Clerk & Comptroller’s office will evaluate reopening the mid-county location in the future.
TD Bank Supports Community Development Intiative
TD Bank, through the TD Charitable Foundation, recently donated $5,000 to the Business Loan Fund of the Palm Beaches as part of the bank’s commitment to giving back to the community. Business Loan Fund of the Palm Beaches works to improve the economy of distressed communities in Palm
Beach County. Money from the TD Charitable Foundation will support the Business Development Incubator program, which offers a comprehensive series of classroom sessions to prepare micro-entrepreneurs for ownership and profitability. A staunch commitment to active involvement in the lo-
cal community is a vital element of the TD Bank philosophy.
TD Bank provides financial and other support to educational, community, human service, arts and healthrelated programs, many of which focus on improving the welfare of children and families.
TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. and Portland, Maine. The bank operates more than a dozen locations in Palm Beach County. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation, including an online grant application, is available at www. tdbanknorth.com or at www. tdbank.com.
Scholarship — ABWA President Marianne Kollmer with 2009 scholarship recipient Donna McKeehan.
LIVE IT IN WEST PALM BEACH
MONDAY NIGHT MOVIES
Every Monday, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
West Palm Beach Public Library
View first-run blockbuster movies for free. Call 868-7700 for details.
ROCK & ROLL KARAOKE
Every Monday, starting at 9 p.m.
Roxy’s Irish Pub, 309 Clematis St. Call 296-7699 for details.
CLEMATIS BY NIGHT
Every Thursday, 6 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Centennial Square
Call 822-1515 for details.
CUILLO UNCORKED
Every Thursday, starting at 7 p.m.
Cuillo Centre, 201 Clematis St.
Live music at 7:30 p.m. with headliner starting at 9:30 p.m.
Enjoy 2-for-1 drink specials from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Call 835-9226 for details.
FREE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
Every Friday & Saturday, 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.
CityPlace Plaza
Call 366-1000 for details.
DOWNTOWN DOWNTOWN
FREE YOGA CLASSES
Every Saturday, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
West Palm Beach Public Library
Call 868-7700 for details.
O’SHEA’S IRISH PUB
15TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY
Thursday, June 25, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
500 block of Clematis Street
Free block party featuring three stages of entertainment, plus bagpipe performers, Irish dancers, live music, food and drinks, and more! Call 833-3865 for details.
SUNDAY AT THE MEYER
Sunday, June 28, 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Meyer Amphitheatre
Free concert by The Fabulons. Call 822-1515 for details.
4TH ON FLAGLER
Saturday, July 4, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Flagler Drive, between Fern St. and Lakeview Ave. Free 4th of July celebration featuring a spectacular fireworks display, live music by national recording artist Kevin Rudolf, food and beverage vendors, an interactive children’s area, and much more! Call 822-1515 for details.
BASTILLE DAY CELEBRATION
Saturday, July 11, 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.
100 block of N. Clematis Street
Free Parisian-themed street party hosted by Pistache French Bistro, featuring special menus, wine tastings, cooking demos, art exhibits, live music and more! Call 833-5090 for details.
PREMIERE OF NOËL COWARD’S PRIVATE LIVES
July 17 – August 16
Palm Beach Dramaworks, 322 Banyan Blvd. Call 514-4042 for details.
For a complete list of upcoming events, visit www.wpb.org/citycalendar.
USGA SOUTHEAST QUALIFIERS AT WYCLIFFE
Wycliffe Golf & County Club hosted the United States Golf Association (USGA) southeast qualifiers for the U.S. Girls
Junior Championship that will take place at Trump National Golf Course in Bedminster, N.J. July 20-25. Of the girls competing, three moved on with set places in the championship. Two alternates were also selected. For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.
Wycliffe residents Steve and Nancy Davidson volunteer at the event.
WARRIORS POST TOURNAMENT WIN
After playing together for only six months, the boys and girl from the Wellington Warriors 10-U purple team won a travel baseball tournament in Lake Worth, beating PLO in the championship game 11-2. Pictured above are: (front row, L-R) Alec Mendez, Chris Gardner, Hunter Prescott, Christian Vasquez and Lucky Gilman; (second row) Morgan Mendez, Koby Stroub, Peyton Brooks, Nick Shumilla, Alex Rodney, Emmanuel Fernandez and Brandon Clark; (back row) Manager Miguel Mendez, Coach Travis Brooks, Coach Earl Gardner, Coach Robert Gilman and Noah Gilman.
WILD RUNNER-UP AT BRIANA COX TOURNEY
The Wellington Wild 8A travel softball team continues on the road to success, finishing runner-up in the Second Annual Briana Cox Memorial Tournament. The girls played outstanding defense and contributed with solid hitting throughout the two-day tournament. The Wild has had a great season, winning first or second place in four out of their seven tournament entries. Pictured above are: (front, L-R) Nicole Rohr-Sussman, Kerstin Castro, Skylar Hagan, Ally Deleon, Megan Froehlich, Bailey Cain, Sydney Brooks, Tia Drew, Katie Schmidt, Amia Davis and Jessie Curley; (back) coaches Jeff Drew, Ric Hagan and Dave Froehlich. Not pictured: Jenny Schmidt.
Thunder Wins Triple Crown Championship
The 9-U West Boynton Thunder has added the Triple Crown’s Summer Slam Championship in Kissimmee to its trophy case by beating Miami’s Big Red Machine 15-3, Cape Coral’s South Florida Swamp Rats 11-1 and Coral Springs’ South Florida Sandlot 7-3 in a triple header last Sunday. The Thunder’s 5-0 record for the weekend was the best in the tournament for all age groups, and the team outscored their competition 69-16.
Early on Sunday morning, the Thunder backed up the weekend’s excellent pool play by securing the numberone seed over the only other undefeated team, the Big Red Machine. Stellar pitching by Brett Kaplan limited the Big Red Machine to only three runs while the Thunder’s offense exploded for 15 runs. In the semifinal elimination game, the Thunder was fired up early against the fourthseeded Swamp Rats after four of the Thunder’s first six
players were hit by pitches, leading to a five-run first-inning rally. After the first inning, the Thunder benefited from timely hitting by Chance Shepard in the second inning and a triple by Shane Tomlinson in the fourth. The game was closed out by strong pitching from southpaw Tyler Townsend. In the afternoon’s championship game, the Thunder’s dynamic pitching duo of Josh Dubinsky and Zack Brundage spearheaded the defeat of third-seeded Sandlot. The Thunder’s two aces shut down the potent Sandlot offense, limiting them to only three hits over six innings. The pitching was assisted by outstanding defensive gems from Justin Anglin at third, J.J. Gonzales at second and Peyton Harmon at catcher. Extra base hits by Gonzales (double) and a triple from Brundage keyed the offensive attack. With the championship win, the Thunder qualified
Thunderstruck — (front row, L-R) Conor
Josh Dubinsky, Zack Brundage, Tyler
JJ Gonzales and Justin Anglin.
Brett
Peyton Harmon, Chance Shepard, Shane Tomlinson and Carson Warrix; (back row) Ryan Anglin, Chris Townsend, Mike Kaplan and Chris Warrix.
for the Triple Crown Fall Nationals in St. Augustine.
The Thunder includes players from the Boynton Beach, Wellington and Lake
Worth areas. The team is managed by Mike Kaplan and is assisted by Ryan Anglin, Chris Townsend and Chris Warrix.
Wellington Travel Basketball Golf Classic Aug. 29
The Wellington Travel Basketball Association has announced plans for its inaugural WTBA Golf Classic fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 29 at the Binks Forest Golf Course in Wellington. Proceeds from the tournament will help raise money for the program.
The WTBA is a non-profit organization whose mission is to create an environment for the youth of the western communities in which the fundamental skills, strategy and history of the game of basketball are taught, enabling the participants to have successful middle and high school careers. The WTBA is privately funded through participation fees and the generosity of sponsors in the community. Funds raised by the WTBA Golf Classic will pro-
vide the program with the money needed to function during tough economic times.
The 18-hole tournament begins at 7:30 a.m. with a complimentary continental breakfast, followed by a putting contest and a 9 a.m. shotgun start. There will be four closest-to-the-pin contests, one long-drive contest and a chance to win a new car with a hole in one. There will be complimentary beverages provided during the tournament courtesy of Cheney Brothers, Presidente Beer and Coastal Wine & Spirits.
In addition to participating as a golfer, various sponsorship opportunities are available. These include: Title Sponsor ($5,000 includes two foursomes, a logo on all
shirts and printed materials, etc.), Putting Green Sponsor ($2,500 includes one foursome), Breakfast Sponsor ($1,000) and a Hole Sponsorship ($100). Additional special sponsor packages are available starting at $250.
The tournament will be followed by an afternoon buffet lunch and prize ceremony for the top three teams. The event will also include a silent auction and a large collection of raffle prizes.
The WTBA Golf Classic is an opportunity for residents and friends of the western communities to enjoy a morning of golf followed by a great meal while supporting a great basketball program in Wellington.
“Events such as this are only possible through the participation and sponsor-
Despite harsh weather, the Acreage Athletic League’s Team Lightning went 5-0 at a girls flag football tournament in Palm Springs, defeating Palm Beach Gardens 21-0 in the title game. Team Lightning includes: (front row, L-R) Aley DeCesare, Charlene Thome, Coral Collum, Taylor Ehrlund and Daryl Fuentes; (back row) Coach Chuck Thome, Brianna Demarest, Kelsey
PROWLERS FINISH SECOND IN TOURNEY
The Wellington Prowlers 14-U inline hockey team placed second in a recent tournament at Skatezone in Lake Worth. After round robin play, the Prowlers were second seed going into the playoffs and faced a much bigger and stronger team, the Chamba Cyclones from Daytona Beach. The Prowlers defeated the Cyclones to advance to the championship game against the Florida State AAA Team. The Prowlers, with only a half hour to rest before facing Florida State AAA, could not keep up in the final period, ending up in second place. Coach Tomi Lahti and Mike Gifford were very proud of the Prowlers in their first tournament and are expecting a bright future for the team. Pictured above are: (front row, L-R) Brendan Gifford, Austin Lahti, Cassidy Bell and Jordon James; (back row) Coach Mike Gifford, Eli Gorgevski, Ryan Jaffe, Dominic Frost, Abraham Lorreategui, Cody Bryant and Coach Tomi Lahti.
WHS HOSTS SUMMER BASKETBALL CAMP
Wellington High School held a summer basketball camp June 15-18 in the school gymnasium for boys and girls ages six to 14. Hosted by Coach Matt Colin, the camp included stations, contests and games that focused on teaching the basic skills of the sport. Colin also focused on the fundamentals of the sport by doing drills to work on proper shooting, moving and defense. Pictured above and below, campers work on their basketball skills.
ship of generous individuals and organizations,” Tournament Director and WTBA Board Member Chris Fratalia said. “The individual participant fee of $150 includes green fees, cart, breakfast, lunch, oncourse refreshments/libations, goodie bag, Wellington Wolves golf shirt and plenty of prizes. For $15, non-golfers can attend the luncheon and bid on the many silent auction items and raffle prizes. This is one of the best values out there — you can enjoy a great day of golf, on a great golf course for a great cause.” For more info., visit www. wellingtontravelbasketball. org, e-mail wellingtontravel basketball@yahoo.com or call Chris Fratalia at (561) 252-9530.
Schultz, Kelsey Strickland, Candice Macroste, Lauren Flynn and Coach Wade Collum. Not pictured: Cathy Wilsnack.
The Royal Palm Beach Pinto A All-star team won the championship game at Lake Worth’s All-star Tournament against the Okeeheelee All-stars on Sunday, June 7. Pictured above are: (front row, L-R) Dillon Lloyd, Christian Adams, Ryan Lange, Austin Houk, Tyler Bolletter and Tyler Retzler; (middle row) Gio Richardson, Dylan Connley, Ramon Molina, Nick Kauper, Jacob Connley and Ethan Kramer; (back row) Manager Darrell Lange, Coach Pat Retzler and Coach Bryan Connley.
Smith,
Townsend,
(middle row)
Kaplan,
PHOTOS BY MORGAN PIVEN/TOWN-CRIER
PHOTOS BY KRISTINA WEBB/TOWN-CRIER
Victoria Trapani, Melissa Edmonson and Samantha Smolen post their scores.
Tournament winner Stephanie Meadow with her parents Robert and Louise.
Golfer Ashley Alzate of Royal Palm Beach with her caddy Nelson Perez.
Hard Work Pays Off For Spur Of The Moment Drill Team
Spur of the Moment is part drill team, part extended family. The drill team was formed in 2006. Coach Kim Hall was there at the beginning. Her daughter Amber, now 20, was riding with a different drill team. Hall realized that although she and Amber shared a passion for horses, they rarely spent much time together riding. That’s when they started talking about starting their own drill team. When some of Hall’s nieces also expressed interest, they took the plunge and began Spur of the Moment.
The team competes in four different categories: Youth, with riders under 18; Open, riders of any age; and Quad, which is limited to only four riders. Their winningest drill so far has a NASCAR theme, which they use in the Open division. They also have a ’50s poodle skirt ride for the Youth, and a cheerleader ride for the Quad. They’re currently working on a new drill for a 12rider team. This may be something involving cowgirls, but no one knows for sure: it’s a work in progress.
When the team wants to create a new drill, Hall said, first they all get together and decide on a theme. Then they work on the music, and last, they build the drill to fit the music. The team really enjoys doing a movement they invented called the racing weave. It’s based on NASCAR cars passing each other on the track. In this maneuver, all eight horses rotate around, passing in a synchronized way at a canter while weaving in and out.
“I love doing this with my family and the rest of the team,” Hall said. “It’s really timeconsuming, but it’s all worthwhile.”
Organizing everything and all of the prep-
Tales From The Trails
By Ellen Rosenberg
aration takes a lot of work, Hall said. The three drills each require different costumes for both horses and riders. Some of the younger members need a bit of help getting everything together, but everyone pitches in to make sure no details are overlooked. Hall also credits Assistant Coach Krissy Lindstrom with helping keep everyone on track.
“Krissy is a great help, and a lot of the credit goes to her,” Hall said. “She’s also in charge of organizing all of our music.”
There are currently 13 members, ages eight to 20. The group practices every Tuesday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center. Two weeks before a competition, they throw in an extra practice or two. All of the members own their own horses, and about 90 percent of them also compete in barrel racing shows, some well enough to qualify for the world championships in Oklahoma. In addition to doing demonstrations, they enjoy hauling their horses up to Hutchinson Island for beach rides.
They regularly compete at the South Florida Fair and at the State Championships in Tampa. So far, they’ve won the Youth State Championship in 2006 and 2007, and the Open Division at the South Florida Fair in January of this year.
Last April, Spur of the Moment and another drill team, the Outsiders, hosted a state qualifying competition at the Jim Brandon facility. Any teams that want to compete in the State Championships must attend at least two qualifiers, and Hall and the team thought that holding a meet close to home would be a great way to save a little on travel expenses. It’s a little easier than an actual competition, in that the teams don’t have to wear their full costumes, even though they perform the full drills. The judging is the same, and trophies are presented.
Loxahatchee resident Jeanie Philbin, 12, recently joined the team. Her mother Marrianne is very pleased.
“Jeanie has only practiced with the group three times, but already she feels like she belongs,” Marrianne said. “I think this will help her a lot in many different ways, in terms of her riding and also as a great way to be with other kids who love horses. This drill team is one of the best.”
Jessica Rheney, 19, said she loves being a member of the team. She has been a member
since it first began. Before that, she rode with the Appaloosa Drill Team. “I really enjoy the way we all get together and make our own decisions,” Jessica said. “It’s not like someone comes along and tells us what we should do. We’ll get together and talk about what the ride should be, how it should look. We think about it a lot, the movements, figures, costumes and music. We do a lot of discussing, and everyone is free to throw in their ideas. We all really get along well, and it pays off in the end.”
Jessica said that riding on a drill team is a lot different from just riding alone or going on trails with friends. “You have to learn how to stay together, move the horses together and listen to each other,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun, especially when we win a big competition.”
“We really are here for each other,” Hall said. “We’re always ready to help out anyone, to donate time or do an exhibition ride. We’re just one large family.” For more information about Spur of the Moment, call Hall at (561) 248-5546.
PBSO HOSTS ‘BEAT THE HEAT’ AT PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
South Florida residents were invited to Beat the Heat with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday,
June 13 at the Palm Beach International Raceway. The event is part of a series of races that will take place in an attempt to bring young people to the track to educate them on the dangers of street racing. Participants were given a chance to race against one of several PBSO vehicles. The Beat the Heat team participates throughout the state. For more info., visit www.bthpbc.com.
Commons Course Delayed
continued from page 1 to ten e-mails each day about imperiled golf courses across the nation.
There are 56 golf courses within a 25-mile radius of the Commons site, including 23 municipal courses, Getherall said. In the past four years, the Binks Forest course in Wellington re-opened and the semi-private Wellington Country Club became the private Wanderers Club and closed its 18-hole executive course, he said. The Village Golf Club recently invested over $2 million in new greens and its clubhouse, he added. Elsewhere in the area, the county-owned Park Ridge course opened in Lantana, causing the number of annual rounds played at the Okeeheelee Golf Course to drop from about 80,000 to 70,000.
“This is a good example of over-capacity or oversupply in the market,” he said.
Opening a golf course at Commons Park would place more economic strain on nearby courses that are already struggling, Getherall said. The cost of a passive park on the golf course site would be about $1 million, he said.
Mayor David Lodwick said the council had herd public calls for maintaining a golf course at the park, but said he is skeptical of putting a new golf course on the site of a failed one.
Lodwick said he had high regard for the critical analysis in Getherall’s report, coming from an organization tasked with promoting golf.
“The level of uncertainty means higher risk and not lower risk to do this,” Lod-
wick said. “I, for one, am not a fan of big risk when I’m dealing with the public’s dollars.”
Vice Mayor Matty Mattioli said building the course would be too risky in the current economy. “It’s a crapshoot I’m not willing to take for our residents,” he said.
Councilman David Swift said they had decided on the course on the urging of a small group of residents. “I was very lukewarm about it then, and I’m really colder now with the economic climate,” Swift said.
Councilman Fred Pinto said he shared the other council members’ view. “This is not the right time,” he said.
Village Manager David Farber asked for direction on whether to develop the course site as a passive area or continue with the basic form of the course, pointing out that the contractor had set the 330-day construction timetable in motion on Monday.
Lodwick said he thought the consensus was to have the form of a course, but not a finished course. “I think the consensus is not to rule it out forever but in the near future, maybe at a minimum three to five years out,” he said. “Yes, we want open space with an option down the road, should a future council decide that the time is right.”
Farber said the sculpting of the course features is already being undertaken and that they would have the depressions for bunkers and hills for greens, as well as irrigation put in place.
“All they would have to do is change the grass to a more park-like grass,” Farber said.
The council by consensus directed staff to proceed with the shaping of the course, but to cover the area with basic park grass for the time being.
Tyler McLellan Foundation
Benefit June 27
The inaugural Tyler’s Day fundraiser will be held Saturday, June 27 at Palm Beach Central High School from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event, a benefit for the Tyler McLellan Foundation, will feature a football player autograph session and basketball with the players, a 50/50 raffle and silent auction, live music, face painting, interactive children’s games, bounce houses, a clown and other activities. In addition, there will be a classic car show at 2 p.m. Making an appearance will be the Miami Hurricanes’ Antonio Dixon, Baltimore Ravens’ Lionel Dalton, Min-
Blotter
continued from page 1 quel Williams select two dresses valued at $119 and take them into a fitting room. The officer followed Williams and saw her rip the sensors off the dresses and put the dresses in her purse. After leaving the fitting room, Williams left the store without making any attempt to pay for the items. She was stopped by store security officers and later arrested by a deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington and taken to the county jail.
JUNE 12 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington detained two women for shoplifting at the Macy’s in the Mall at Wellington Green last Friday. According to a PBSO report, 19year-old Alexis Rose Day and 20-year-old Samantha Nichole Ottoway were seen entering a fitting room around 2:45 p.m. and removing the tags from a blouse. They placed the blouse into a purse
nesota Vikings’ Anthony Carter and Indianapolis Colts’ Pierre Garcon.
Tyler McLellan was killed in a plane crash in Tampa on Thursday, July 17 as he accompanied a family friend on an Angel Flight for cancer treatment. The foundation is a non-profit organization that supports youth sports teams in their need to be successful. The mission is to reward perseverance and not allow a family’s finances to hold youth sports players back. The foundation is designed to help lower-income families cover the cost of items not paid for by registration or the school, such as cleats and camp fees.
The cost for the June 27 event is a suggested donation of $5; children six and under
and then attempted to leave the store without making any attempt to pay. Day and Ottoway were issued notices to appear in court.
JUNE 13 — A West Palm Beach man was arrested last Saturday afternoon for driving under the influence and driving without a license in Wellington. According to a PBSO report, an off-duty deputy noticed a green Mazda driving in the wrong lane around 1 p.m. and called the PBSO’s Wellington substation while continuing to follow the car. After being pulled over by an on-duty deputy, Frederico Gonzalez was unable to pass a roadside sobriety test and had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. The responding deputy also noticed three empty beer cans on the floor of the car. The driver was arrested and taken to the county jail.
JUNE 14 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded Sunday to a call of a stolen vehi-
are admitted free. For more information, call (561) 2153717 or visit www.tyler mclellanfoundation.org.
VITAS Needs
Volunteers
VITAS Innovative Hospice Care is in need of volunteers to offer their time, talents, a caring heart and a listening ear to terminally ill patients and their loved ones.
Volunteer opportunities suit all abilities and interests.
VITAS volunteers visit patients in their homes, nursing homes or assisted-living facilities; provide support to veterans; cut and style hair or give a massage; play a patient’s favorite tune; crochet blankets, lap robes or booties; or run errands for the patient
cle on Polo Gardens Drive. According to a PBSO report, the victim locked her orange 1998 Ford Crown Victoria the previous night around 7:30 p.m. using the car’s remote control, but the car was missing the following day when she went to get something out of it around 1:30 p.m. There was no glass found in the area or any indication of how the car was stolen. The car was equipped with two small TV monitors, 10- and 12-inch speakers, two amplifiers and 22-inch wheels. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.
JUNE 15 — Deputies from the PBSO substation in Wellington were dispatched to investigate a burglary at the Wellington Boys & Girls Club on Monday. According to a PBSO report, $1,099.50 had previously been stolen from the safe inside the building. Someone broke into the building sometime between last Friday at 6 p.m. and Mon-
and the caregiver. Among other responsibilities, volunteers spend time in VITAS offices, helping with administrative duties and bring their four-legged friends in to be part of the Paw Pals therapy program. Bereavement volunteers help make phone calls and visits to loved ones, sew memory bears or help with memorial services. Training will take place in a one-day orientation, and assignments are made according to the volunteer’s preferences and location. VITAS volunteers are as diverse as its patients, covering all ages, nationalities, ethnic backgrounds and lifestyles. For information on volunteering, call Christie Geltz at (561) 733-6332 or e-mail christie.geltz@vitas.com.
day at 7:30 a.m. and left the money with a note on a counter. The note stated the suspect had caught their son counting the stolen money and was returning it. According to the report, a perimeter check found everything secure and the building’s alarm had not been disarmed since the building had been closed for the weekend on Friday. It is unknown how the suspect gained entry to the building without setting off the alarm. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.
JUNE 16 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched to investigate graffiti at the Wellington Plaza on Tuesday. According to a PBSO report, the complainant stated that he believes it is gang graffiti and is having ongoing problems with young people tagging that area of the plaza. Photos of the graffiti were taken and forwarded to the gang task force for investigation.
PHOTOS BY KRISTINA WEBB/TOWN-CRIER
Rick Costanza of Rick’s Rods & Custom Fabrications, one of the primary sponsors.
Deputy Al Loudermilk with Beat the Heat’s ’68 Chevelle.
Palm Beach Gardens Police Department K-9 Officer Mark Zakian with a Ford Mustang.
Amanda Alonso, Amanda Lowe, Megan Zabawa and Alexa Alonso help promote the event.
Christina D’Elosua of Gordon & Doner hands out free merchandise.
Tequesta Police Corporal Chris Broedell with his 2004 Ford Mustang.
The Spur of the Moment drill team in action at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center.
The Small Things That Keep Me From Losing It Completely
Lately I’ve been thinking about small things. Not things like pins, thimbles and chocolate sprinkles, but like naps, snacks and mini-vacations.
Take the nap. The whole charm of a nap is that it’s stolen time — a break taken in the middle of the day to sleep! Who ever was allowed to sleep in the middle of the day? Babies? Ronald Reagan? Certainly not anyone in the nine-to-five workforce.
For a while there was the fad of the “power nap,” touted heavily in business seminars across the land. There is no doubt in my mind that a power nap boosts the productivity and mood of workers. Everyone at the seminar agreed. Of course, then we all went back to our offices, among people who hadn’t gone to any seminars (and were, in fact, sort of resentful about it) and we were afraid to put
Deborah Welky is The Sonic BOOMER
our heads down on our desks. At best, it would be, “Jason! Jason! Are you all right?!” At worst, an overworked coworker who had been covering for us while we were at the seminar might plunge a pair of scissors into our back. So the power nap was stuffed back into the closet where it remains (look for Jason there, too).
Another small thing — also somewhat il-
licit — is the mini-vacation. While everyone enjoys a three-day weekend dictated by the government (ah, the glory of the always-unexpected Columbus Day!), only the bravest would declare to fellow drones on a Thursday, “see you on Monday! I’m off for a threeday weekend!” While everyone smiles and slaps him on the back, secretly they can’t help but be jealous: “A three-day weekend! Why didn’t I think of that?” If it didn’t upset the office apple cart so much, I think everyone would take ten three-day weekends a year instead of two weeks all in a lump. I don’t know about you, but I can get pretty far away in that amount of time. It’s therapeutic. Snacks. Need I even go into it? If it were up to me, I’d snack instead of eating three square meals a day. And I’m not talking about “grazing,” praised by experts as the proper
way for humans to eat. Better for one’s digestion, grazing consists of having a slice of toast for breakfast, then maybe an egg later on, two or three salads throughout the day, a piece of fish for dinner and a handful of almonds an hour before bedtime. Forget that. A professional snacker like myself has four Pop Tarts for breakfast, the last of my chocolate bunny a few hours later, a hearty lunch, two candy bars from the snack machine in mid-afternoon, an ice cream cone on the way home from work, a few cookies while dinner is prepared, a full dinner, then a blissful night of soda pop, chips and salsa in front of the television. Ahhh
While one may argue that ducking out of work and living on junk food may constitute an “unhealthy lifestyle,” I have my own opinion of how to stay sane. I simply start small.
A Seagoing Vacation Is A Great Idea For South Floridians
Going on a cruise is wonderful fun, particularly if you live in South Florida. It’s just a short ride by car to the docks in either Fort Lauderdale or Miami — no waiting around for plane connections. That may be why we kept running into so many people from the area on our recent cruise.
We sailed on Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas. While some fellow passengers had begun traveling at 3 a.m. the day of the cruise just to reach the ship, we left home at about 1 p.m. and got to the docks in Fort Lauderdale a bit more than an hour later. In theory, check-in is supposed to be instantaneous, since almost all the passengers enter their information on the ship’s web site in advance. Things never quite work out that way, but check-in was still basically painless. We noticed that more people are just bringing their bags on board with them. Wheeled luggage is one of the most useful inventions of the past century. Not only do you make
While
I Don’t
A couple of days ago, I decided to call Social Security to get a few of my very important questions answered. Calling the 800 number was mostly a good experience, even though I had to call twice.
‘I’
On CULTURE
By Leonard Wechsler
sure your bags actually get to your room quickly, you can disembark at the end very quickly and with a minimum of fuss. On past cruises, we would sit around in a lounge for hours while luggage was unloaded. This time we were already back in Wellington an hour and a half before we would previously have been allowed to leave the ship. When we arranged for the trip, the friendly person with the cruise line recommended we sit at a larger table for dinner. “You can meet people from all over the country, maybe all
over the world,” he said. So we waited breathlessly to meet these newcomers at our first dinner. People from around the country? Nah. Our travel companions were Mark and Debbie Plaxen from Wellington. With good companions, great entertainment, friendly gambling contraptions and exceptional food, what isn’t there to like about being on a cruise? Almost all your needs are taken care of, you can enjoy the sun and some amusing tourist traps, and on a good ship, you can walk away feeling that the crew really does want you to have a good time. Running around in the morning, followed by a nice lunch, followed by sunning in the exceptionally nice solarium on board (particularly nice because it was adults only, which meant it was actually quiet, very different from some other cruises), followed by a nice walk along the deck, followed by dinner and a show.
We visited Key West, one of our favorite spots. Of course, we took time out from shop-
ping for souvenirs to enjoy some key lime pie dipped in chocolate and served on a stick. Right now, it’s a Key West specialty. How soon until someone sets up a factory and we buy some in Publix? We were the first ship returning to Cozumel after the unofficial flu quarantine. Were we all that brave? No. Most of us thought we were headed to Nassau, but the captain knew his own mind. And Cozumel is fun. Particularly if you understand Spanish. Negotiating lower prices in Spanish works very well. Maria, who speaks it fluently, was quickly surrounded by Mexican women in a silver shop who kept finding ways to give her special discounts. That was the nice part. A few shopkeepers seemed to spend a lot of time insulting customers under their breath while overcharging them. Oh well, that’s a problem for Cozumel’s chamber of commerce. Take a cruise. It’s a wonderful way to live as if you have all the money you wish you had.
Surf The Web, I Recommend It Very Strongly
Wondering & Wandering
By Ernie Zimmerman
The first time I called, I knew right off the bat I was talking to someone who didn’t have a clue. I knew the answers to my questions better then the Social Security person did. He tried to tell me about a law President Ronald Reagan signed about 20 years ago that would affect how much money I would be able to collect from Social Security. I am familiar with this law and knew it would not affect me. But the guy on the phone said it would, and he was going to send me some material to prove his point. I figured it was useless talking to him any longer, so we said our goodbyes. After I hung up, I called Social Security again. This time I got a very understanding person in Seattle who basically agreed with everything I said. She also recommended I call my local office and make an appointment to see them. She went on to tell me where the Social Security office is located in West Palm Beach. She also gave me the phone number, (561) 697-5155. She treated me so well I decided write a letter to her boss about how nice she was. People usually only talk to your boss when they are not happy. They rarely tell your boss when you do something good. Trust me; I know this for a fact. I include the telephone number of the local Social Security office here because maybe you
want to check it out for yourself.
The first time I tried calling, the line was busy for more than half an hour. The next day I tried again. This time a machine picked up and left me on hold for more than 45 minutes listening to an interminable looped voice telling me I’d be better off going through the Social Security web site.
The next morning I called as soon as the office opened. Once again a machine answered, but this time I only had to wait about 20 minutes for a real, live human. I told her I wanted to make an appointment to discuss my future. She told me the only opening she had was a month away. I took it even though I wasn’t a happy camper.
I decided to go down to the Social Security office in person the next day anyway. When I got there, I thought I had made a big mistake. There were well over a hundred folks in the office. As you walk in the door, a machine gives you a number, sort of like at the deli
department at Publix. My number was about 30 on from the one being called. I said to myself I would be there for at least two hours. Wrong. Much to my surprise, my number was called in 20 minutes.
When I was interviewed, it felt like visiting day at the local jail. You do not go to an office for this interview — you go to a large window and talk. The person talking to you is on the other side of the window, talking via a mike. When I finished, I had to go to another window for another interview. All in all, I have to say the experience wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I was only at the Social Security office for about an hour. And the best part of all was that I got all my questions answered. But of course I could’ve avoided this entire ordeal if I knew how to surf the Internet and visit the Social Security web site. So my advice to you, if you must contact the local Social Security office (and you will): online is the way to go.
Camp Shalom Jr. West at Temple Beth Zion in Royal Palm Beach — Camp Shalom offers preschool children (ages 2-5) a fun-filled summer in a safe, loving and engaging environment. Campers will enjoy art, science and nature, music and sports. The camp is also a bus stop for Camp Shalom in WPB. For more information, call (561) 253-6030.
Future Stars Basketball Camp — Held in Summit Christian School, Future Stars is a fun and instructional camp for boys and girls ages five to 15 of all ability levels featuring basketball drills, competitions and games. Campers are grouped by age and ability. All campers will receive a camp t-shirt. Awards will be presented the last afternoon of camp for team winners, competition winners and special recognition. The instructional staff is comprised of high school coaches who are teachers. Lunch may be bought or brought. There will be three weekly sessions available running from June 22 through July 6. Hours are 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Call (561) 400-3397 for more information.
Loxahatchee Country Preschool — The Loxahatchee Country Preschool has been here for 19 years and provides a safe environment with small ratios for our summer campers, which means our children are well supervised. Throughout the summer, our camp program offers arts and crafts, field trips (which our management team attends), swimming lessons in our swimming pool, Spanish lessons, movies, a bounce house, golf, bowling and more in-house activities. A free pizza lunch will be provided on Fridays. Our school provides a safe environment for our children, while providing an excellent educational program! In a letter sent to our school, the Kings Academy said, “What preschools are better prepared for Kings? Loxahatchee Country Preschool was mentioned with enthusiasm!” Call (561) 790-1780 for additional information.
Palm Beach County 4-H 2009 Summer Day Camps — Palm Beach County’s 4-H Youth Development Program is again offering educational, fun day camps for youth this summer. The camps are a five-day experience in specialty areas, challenging campers through hands-on experiences. Camper to staff ratio is 4:1. You can learn more about the camps and obtain registration forms at www.pbcgov.com/coopext/4h.
Palm Beach Riding Academy — Palm Beach Riding Academy will be offering spring and summer camps for 2009. We are proud to offer a unique equestrian experience including riding lessons and instruction in horse care, as well as games for children. There will be trips to the horse show and polo grounds. We will also be able to offer adult sessions. The academy is located at the corner of Pierson Road and South Shore Blvd. Recently featured events have included the Palm Beach Steeplechase and the Palm Beach Jumper Derby. Times and dates to be announced to accommodate school schedules. For more information, Call Kate Turner at (561) 644-7179.
Pine Jog Environmental Education Center/Florida Atlantic University — Pine Jog offers parents several summer options. The Everglades Youth Conservation Camp provides week long, sleep-away sessions focusing on environmental education and outdoor adventures including archery, fishing, canoeing, swimming and hiking. The Pine Jog Summer Camp provides full-day/all-summer or full-day/weekly options. Each week has a different environmental theme with outdoor exploration, nature crafts, recreation and more. All programs provide low child-to-instructor ratios, qualified staff and a safe environment for your child to engage in new ex-
periences and learn more about our natural environment. For more information, call (561) 686-6600 or visit www. pinejog.fau.edu.
St. Peters Child Enrichment Center (CEC) VPK & Summer Camp — There is still time to enroll in summer VPK or camp! Conveniently located on Forest Hill Blvd. just steps away from the Wellington Community Center, St. Peter’s offers a learning environment backed by over 20 years of teaching Wellington-area children and a Gold Seal certification. St. Peter’s offers VPK-eligible four- and five-year-olds an educational summer June 8 through Aug. 14 of themed week classes full of reading, mathematics and more all taught by a certified teacher. The VPK program is a great way to get your child ready for Kindergarten this fall. A few VPK spots are still available, but you must register by Tuesday, June 9 to be eligible for the program. For VPK enrollment information, call School Director Pat Banks at (561) 798-3286. If you are just looking for a great summer activity to keep your three-year-old through entering first grade child active and learning, enroll in the summer camp at St. Peter’s, offering camp sessions with all on-site activities — no buses and no additional activity fees! Campers remain on-site for themed week events with arts and crafts, indoor/outdoor games, creative play and more. Four two-week sessions are available. Two-, three- and five-day options are available with a choice of 9 a.m. to noon or 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. St. Peter’s first camp session starts Monday, June. Enroll children in camp for as few as two days a week and for as little as $40 per week. Even a couple of days a week will keep your child active and learning and give you a chance to run errands or just relax! For a camp information, call (561) 798-3286. See St. Peter’s ad in this publication to get half off the registration fee per camp session if you enroll by June 8. Zolet Arts Academy — Come and have fun this summer at Zolet Arts Academy, located in the original Wellington Mall for 18 years. Register now for separate weekly sessions offered Monday through Thursday, June 15-18, June 22-25 or June 29-July 2. Classes are held from 1 to 4 p.m. and all supplies are free. Professional, individualized instruction in all media with rotating subject matter is offered. The total fee is $150 per week, per child. Registration for the Zolet summer program is Tuesdays at 6 p.m. or Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Call (561) 793-6489 for more information.
THIS WEEK’S BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Masterpiece Painting Offers
Quality Workmanship, Service
Masterpiece Painting Contractors Inc. offers more than simply painting. The company’s goal is 100 percent customer satisfaction. Masterpiece strives to perform beyond the expectations of customers and is personally on each and every job to assure customer satisfaction.
Masterpiece has been known to drive 50 miles to paint a doorframe, but is a large enough company to handle four 2,500 square foot homes each day. Regardless of the size of task at hand, Masterpiece assures its customers that it will be performed with dedication and pride in workmanship.
When you hire a professional, the workmanship, experience and advice should speak for itself. But you also deserve the use of the highest quality material. Since Masterpiece only uses the best products on the market, the company can offer an unprecedented manufacturer’s five-year warranty on any painting work. Masterpiece believes it can strike a balance between high-quality, complete satisfaction and competitive pricing.
Here are just some of the reasons to consider Masterpiece for your next painting project:
Reputation — Over half of the company’s business is generated by referrals from customers served in the past, the finest compliment a business can receive.
Employees — Masterpiece employees care about your project. They are professionals who have been trained to assure the best workmanship quality and safety in every job.
References — Masterpiece will gladly
provide references. Upon completion of a project each customer is asked to complete a client satisfaction questionnaire. In this questionnaire, clients are asked about service, from how employees treated customers to how they treated furniture, landscaping, etc.
Quality — A paint job is not just applying paint to a surface. Each surface offers a unique challenge that must be addressed. Masterpiece gains an understanding of the current conditions of the project, then develops a plan on how to properly prepare the surfaces for painting. Only after the surfaces are prepared is paint applied. Painting without proper preparation is like only adding a quart of oil to your car, when a complete oil change and oil filter is required!
Credentials — Masterpiece is certified and licensed with Palm Beach County. It carries liability insurance, is bonded and belongs to the Better Business Bureau.
Colors — The colors applied by Masterpiece are the choice of customers. However, the company is happy to provide samples and offer color consulting. The paint used is premium, 100 percent acrylic, latex or urethane, mildew resistant and UV resistant.
Value — Masterpiece maximizes the value of your paint job by properly preparing the surfaces to be painted and by only using superior materials. Your painting investment will increase the value of your property and maximize the life of the paint.
Call Masterpiece Painting Contractors for a personalized review of your painting project at (561) 674-4663 or (954) 592-1918.
The Phantoms Visit Wild Ginger Restaurant In CityPlace
When two well-known restaurateurs come together, the result is Wild Ginger!
There is a new restaurant in town, Wild Ginger Asian Bistro located next to City Pizza in CityPlace. It’s the inspiration of Lirim Jacobi, owner of both City Pizza and Opa Taverna in CityPlace, and Dixon Li, owner for the past 25 years of a popular Chinese restaurant in Lake Worth. With this combination of talent in America’s number-one industry, something is going to taste very special.
Wild Ginger is where Bangkok meets Hong Kong and offers an outstanding combination of Oriental delights prepared exclusively by five Thai chefs who are experts in their native cuisine. We love Asian food, and Wild Ginger offers an array of incredible selections with huge portions served hot and timely.
In today’s economy, everyone is looking for value for their money, and Wild Ginger has a very affordable menu with delicious offerings large enough to share. Their eight choices of soup are excellent. Miso, hot and sour and tom kha coconut
milk soup are our three favorites. But we will go back and try the tom yum with lemongrass, tomato, mushroom and scallion; wonton with chicken dumplings and bean sprouts; and udon with beef balls, bean sprouts and basil, and enjoy each and every one of them!
Salad lovers will find a new home at Wild Ginger with nine generous salads from which to choose: seaweed, ginger or peanut salad, Oriental chicken salad and Thai salads with choice of seafood, beef, shrimp or chicken. (Note: you get soup or salad free with any entrée!)
Egg rolls, spring rolls, lettuce wraps, edamame, Thai chicken or beef satay, and shrimp or soft shell crab tempura are some of the outstanding starters ($3 to $8), but we must mention the Thai chicken and shrimp dumplings, which were scrumptious. If you’re in the mood for tempura rolls, there are six combinations of crab, shrimp, tuna, salmon, veggie tofu and Hawaiian papaya/pineapple/shrimp combo ($7 to $10).
Entrees are endless and priced from only $10 to $20 — one of the best meal deals anywhere!
When you are overwhelmed as to what to select, remember the golden rule: order any dish named after the restaurant. We ordered the “Wild Ginger Special” with a choice of stir fried veggies and teriyaki sauce, add a choice of chicken ($12), shrimp ($15), scallop ($15) or the seafood combo ($18). Perhaps you’re in the mood for authentic red Thai curry, pad Thai, lo mein noodles or General Tsao’s Chicken.
There is something for everybody on this extensive menu, including seven beef selections, including our favorite, Mongolian beef, cooked in a sweet garlic soy sauce and peppers, all for only $13!
Last but not least is the tastetempting seafood specials. Try the Crazy Seafood ($20) consisting of shrimp, scallop, calamari and mussels in a shrimp and peanut sauce, or the Hong Kong Crab ($18), a soft-shell crab lightly fried, served with broccoli, baby corn and snow peas. All the entrees are served with a large portion of white or brown rice.
Make room for desserts such as chocolate cake, cheesecake, fried
banana, tiramisu (there is a little Italian in every good restaurant) and Wild Ginger’s special Tuxedo Bomb Chocolate Cake, infused with warm chocolate sauce. All desserts are only $4 each!
Wild Ginger is located at 632 Hibiscus Street, West Palm Beach. It is open for lunch 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
(another great value, with 20 selections priced at only $8 to $9), and dinner from 4 to 11 p.m.
For reservations or takeout — a great idea for your next dinner party — call (561) 832-8883 and tell them that Joe and Kathryn, the Phantoms, highly recommended you dine at Wild Ginger!
Joe & Kathryn, the Phantoms, are featured writers for the Town-Crier newspaper, This Week Shopping Spree and www.YourNews.com... comments and recommendations are welcome at ThePhantomDiners@aol.com.
FAU Presents Quilted Books Competition
The Arthur and Mata Jaffe Center for Book Arts at Florida Atlantic University’s Boca Raton campus is hosting “Quilted Books: Gold Coast Quilters Guild Book Arts Competition” now through Tuesday, July 28 at the Wimberly library. The exhibition features books made by members of the Gold Coast Quilters Guild for the Jaffe Center’s biennial quilted books competition. Two books from the competition were selected by the jury for the Jaffe Purchase Prize. Previous award-winning entries will also be on display.
The exhibition can be viewed 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Wimberly library is located at 777 Glades Road, second floor east. To arrange a group tour of the
exhibition and the Jaffe Center for Book Arts, contact Programs Coordinator John Cutrone at (561) 2970455 or jcutrone@fau.edu. For more info., visit www.jaffe collection.org.
Houbrick Artwork At Boca Museum
Loxahatchee artist J.R. Houbrick was honored to be selected as one of the artists whose work is now on display as part of the 58th Annual All Florida Juried Art Competition at the Boca Raton Museum of Art. The exhibit runs through August and features the work of artists from around Florida.
An oil painting by Houbrick titled Trouble was selected along with the work of 48 other artists from a total of almost 1,400 entries. “It’s an honor to be selected,” Houbrick said. “As an artist, you want nothing more than to have your work out there where people can see it and hopefully enjoy it.”
The Boca Raton Museum of Art is located at 501 Plaza Real. For more information, call (561) 3922500 or visit www.bocamuseum. org.
The kitchen staff at Wild Ginger.
Trouble by J.R. Houbrick.
World Connected by Quilters by Jane Gavlick
Buca di Beppo gets to the heart of fresh Italian cooking with our new summer menu featuring Mozzarella Caprese, Linguine Frutti di Mare, Oven-Roasted Salmon, Apple Gorgonzola Salad and Gelato della Casa. At Buca, we serve family-style meals in two portion sizes. Buca Small™ feeds two to three and Buca Large™ feeds an average-size country. Well, actually it feeds four to six.
TEEN COMMUNITY SERVICE -
HELP WANTED - Are you 14 and over? Looking for something meaningful to do this summer? Join us at the Good Earth Farm. JuneAugust 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Mon. - Fri. Call for more info. 792-2666.
CARETAKER/TENANT WANTED
— Live on small estate in the Acreage (Western Palm Beach County) June, July, and August, possibly September. To care for and live on property. Rent $175.00 per week. References required. 561-862-8581
1997 GREY SEBRING JXI CONVERTIBLE — new a/c, clean & well maintained. Engine & transmission in excellent condition and new top. Feel free to take it to a mechanic & check it out. Mint condition. $3500 (561) 793-5569 (917) 494-3422
1990 RED MAZDA MIATA CONVERTIBLE — mint condition incl. hard top. New clutch, tune-up in excellent condition. Great on gas. (561) 793-5569 (917) 494-3422
$2,500
1976 Mercedes 450 SL - Light blue w/navy leather interior. 3 cars in one. Convertible, soft top & hard top included. 83,000 Original miles. Good condition. Asking $7,500 Call Bob 561-758-9938
ROOMS FOR RENT — (3) ROOMS IN LARGE HOME FOR RENT - includes use of all amenities - pool, boat dock on lake- No Smoking! Royal Palm Beach - La Mancha Community $550 per room. Includes utilities. 561-667-3475
FOR RENT: Great Location in Royal Palm Beach. 2/2 Villa in a 55+ community. Tile floor, enclosed porch, accordion shutters, vertical blinds on all windows. Pool and clubhouse. Contact Maria @ 561-7932549 for more information. \
4 BEDROOM, 2 BATH HOME - For rent, $1,900 per month. Available March 1st. For more information call (561) 385-3605 FOR RENT 4BR/3BA/2CG SINGLE FAMILY HOME - Curb appeal, light, bright. New tile, A/C, paint (11/08). Huge enclosed, private patio. $1,850 (561) 319-1292
LOST YELLOW LABRADOR — in Eastwood development on Sanderling Drive. Answers to BUCK Terrified of thunderstorms. Family and Puggle companion heartbroken. Please call Candy at (561) 6444489.
JUNK CARS, TRUCKS WANTEDTop prices paid. Call Now for FREE pick-up. 561-512-9606
JOHN C. HUNTON AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION, INC. —Service & new installation 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
SeaBreeze Air Systems, Inc. — for Air Conditioning and Heating Indoors and Outdoors. Let us heat your pool for year round enjoyment. Call 561-964-3817 Lic.
ARE YOUR TREES READY FOR A HURRICANE? — Florida Arborists has highly trained professionals to provide superior and quality services. 561-568-7500
MEDICAL AND PROFESSIONAL
BUILDING CLEANINGS SPECIALISTS — • Pressure Cleaning • Office Cleaning • Residential Cleaning • Parking Lot Maintenance • Concrete Coatings. Call for Free Evaluation. 561-714-3608
HOUSECLEANING - Reliable with long term clients. Over 12 years experience. References available. Karen 561-632-2271
RESIDENTIAL CLEANING SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!- Cleaning supplies furnished. Over 16 years - references available. Call now to secure your space. Call Hope 561-502-6607
ANN MARTIN & ASSOCIATESMeticulous House Cleaning & Property Management year round or seasonal (We'll open & close your home). Equestrian Cleaning Special! References available. 20 Years experience.Wellington/Palm Beach. 561-791-3700 PLACE YOUR AD HERE! AND GET RESULTS TODAY! CALL 793-3576
HIGH QUALITY LAMINATE FLOORING — at affordable prices. Hardwood floors. No deposit until delivery. Contractors welcome. Western Communities resident. Family owned and Operated. Licensed and Insured. Se Habla Español 561-568-6099
GUARDSMAN FURNITURE PRO — For all your furniture repair needs including finish repairs, structural repairs, Leather repairs, chair regluing, antique repairs, kitchen cabinet refurbishing. 753-8689
BILLY’S HOME REPAIRS, INC. — REMODEL & REPAIRS Interior Trim, crown molding, rottenwood repair, door installation, minor drywall, kitchens/cabinets/countertops, wood flooring. Bonded/Insured U#19699. 791-9900 Cell: 370-5293
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 561-2488528
PLACE YOUR AD HERE CALL 793-3576
MCA CUSTOM WOODWORKING, INC. — “Make your home standout from the rest” Call us for all your home improvement needs. Kitchen & bathroom remodeling, custom wall units, design your home office, cabinetry, tile & drywall repair. Lic. #U-19564. Bonded & Ins. 561-7235836
HOME INSPECTIONS — Mold inpections, air quality testing, US Building Inspectors mention this ad $20.00 Off. 561-784-8811
A Personalized Lawn Care Service that you can afford. Call Dave for a free estimate 561-262-4623 or email dmtonkin@bellsouth.net Monarch Lawn Care
JOHN PERGOLIZZI PAINTING
INC. Interior/Exterior, artistic faux finishing, pressure cleaning, popcorn ceiling, drywall repair, & roof painting/cleaning. Free est. 7984964. Lic.#U18473
COLORS BY CORO, INC. — Interior/Exterior, residential painting, over 20 years exp. Small Jobs welcome. Free estimates - Insured. 561-383-8666. Owner/Operated. Lic.# U20627 Ins. Wellington Resident.
CREATIVE PAINTING SYSTEMS, INC. — Interior • Exterior • Residential Specialists. WE DELIVER WHAT WE PROMISE. All work guaranteed. FREE EST.Family owned & Operated. Over 23 years exp. Lic. #U-18337 • Bonded • Ins. Owner/Operator George Born. 561-686-6701
ELITE POOL CLEANING —"You dealt with the rest now deal with the best" All maintenance & repairs, salt chlorinator, heaters, leak detection. 561-791-5073. Inquire about 1 mo. free service.
J&B PRESSURE CLEANING — Established in 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.Call Butch 561-3096975 BD
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS — Roof painting. Carpentry. License #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
WWW.GARABAR.COM — Now is the time for the Best Prices. Re-roof & Repairs. No Deposit Until Permit Credit cards accepted. Free Estimate. Call 561-337-6798 Lic.#CCC1327252 & CGC1510976
HORIZON ROOFING QUALITY WORK & SERVICE — Free estimates, No Deposits. Pay upon completion, residential, commercial, reroofing, repairs, credit cards accepted.561-842-6120 or 561784-8072 Lic.#CCC1328598
AQUATIC SPRINKLER, LLC —
Complete repair of all types of systems. Owner Operated. Michael 561-964-6004 Lic. #U17871
Bonded & Ins. Serving the Western Communities Since 1990
INSTALLING TILE IN SOUTH FLORIDA FOR 25 YEARS — Free estimates, residential/commercial, bathroom remodeling, floors, walls, backsplashes, custom design GOLDEN TILE INSTALLATION 561-662-9258
PAPERHANGING & PAINTING BY DEBI — Professional Installation & Removal of Paper. Interior Painting, decorative finishes, clean & reliable. Quality work with a woman’s touch. 26 years experience. No Job too big or too small. Lic. & Ins. References available. 561-795-5263
WATER CONDITIONERS FROM $499.00 —- Reverse osmosis units for the whole house. Mention this ad for equipment checkup and water analysis $19.99561-6896151
ON-SITE COMPUTER SERVICE — The computer experts that come to you! Hardware/ Software setup, support & troubleshooting www.mobiletec.net. 561-248-2611
COMPUTER REPAIR - We come to you. Spyware/Virus Removal.
RIDING MOWER & SMALL ENGINE REPAIR — All Brands – Reliable – Service. Also Push Mowers & Generators. 561-685-0170
Mold & Mildew Inspections — Air Quality Testing, leak detection. US building inspectors, mention this ad for discount. 561-784-8811
ROLL DOWN SHUTTERS — Accordion shutters, storm panels and rolling shutters...prices that can’t be beat. All shutters Systems, Inc. 8630955
AFFORDABLE HURRICANE PROTECTION — 2 - 4 wks. Installed Guaranteed! 10% deposit . Will get you started. All products, Dade County approved. We manufacture our own product. 772-342-8705 Lic. & Ins. CGC 1511213
