ROYAL PALM HOLDS VISIONING SESSION SEE STORY, PAGE 3
ITID TO TEST DUST CONTROL ON 130TH SEE STORY, PAGE 4
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TOWN-CRIER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
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Lox Groves Prepared As The 2015 Hurricane Season Gets Underway
Volume 36, Number 25 June 19 - June 25, 2015
Serving Palms West Since 1980
CAR WASH FOR VINCEREMOS RIDER
Loxahatchee Groves has way more trees than people, but its hardy residents are ready to take on any hurricane that dares cross the community’s path. Page 3
Wellington Campers Enjoy Ceramics Painting
It was ceramics painting day on Friday, June 12 at Wellington’s summer camp at Village Park. Plaster Time was on hand to help the campers with the project. Many different designs were available, but horses, eagles and hearts were among the favorites. Page 17
Armory Art Center’s Summer Camps Offer Plenty Of Artistic Fun
The Armory Art Center is currently offering weekly summer camps with drawing, painting, sculpture, music, dance and more, with art shows in July and August. Page 19
OPINION A Few Simple Steps Can Protect You From Summer Property Crime
Usually the summer spike in property crime isn’t large, say officials from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, but it is there. And the best you can do to protect yourself is not be an easy victim. To that end, law enforcement experts in the area encourage homeowners to follow some simple steps that will greatly reduce the likelihood of having to file a police report. A little bit of forethought and some common sense goes a long way in making sure you don’t become the next victim. Page 4
DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 12 OPINION.................................. 4 CRIME NEWS.......................... 6 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 8 PEOPLE................................. 13 SCHOOLS.......................14 - 15 COLUMNS...................... 16, 23 BUSINESS......................24 - 25 SPORTS..........................31 - 33 CALENDAR............................ 36 CLASSIFIEDS.................38 - 41 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center volunteers held a car wash on Saturday, June 13 at Palms West Presbyterian Church to benefit riding student Christina Cooney. Cooney is headed to Los Angeles in July to participate in the Special Olympics World Summer Games in trail equitation and dressage. Shown here, Libby and Leigha Schilling wash a van. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Lox Groves Council Will Seek Bids For Management Firm
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report By a 3-2 vote, the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council approved a request for proposals (RFP) for a new town management firm Tuesday. The current management firm, Underwood Management Services Group, had indicated in discussion during previous council meetings that it would not participate in an RFP. Under its current contract, the council has the option to extend the town’s arrangement with Underwood for one year. This decision comes amid budget preparations, the conversion to a new financial accounting computer program and the move into a new town hall building. Councilman Jim Rockett placed the item on the agenda and made the motion to advertise for proposals to replace Underwood Management. The motion was
seconded by Councilman Ryan Liang. “Unless the council has no doubts about extending the current management contract… I think we should avail ourselves of all the information and options to allow the council to make the best decision possible,” Rockett said, adding that the RFP would need to be done next month because the timing is tight. Vice Mayor Ron Jarriel provided the third vote. During discussion, Jarriel said the $350,000 contract was an expensive item in the town’s budget and that an invitation for new bidders should be put out. Jarriel brought up the resurfacing of Marcella Blvd., Bryan Road and Compton Road in April 2014, which he had advocated being done without an RFP but by a piggyback contract. It had drawn See LOX COUNCIL, page 7
Controversial Canal Project On DONNA TUCCI’S RECITAL Hold Pending New Alternatives
By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report After a public meeting last month where residents were highly critical of the project, the Village of Wellington has put its controversial canal clearing project on hold for at least several months. In an announcement made June 11, village officials noted that the pause will allow the village to work with surveyors on the canals and look into the costs of alternative maintenance methods. Before the pause, Wellington was working on Phase VI of a years-long canal cleaning project that not only aims to dredge and rehabilitate the village’s canals, but also remove encumbrances, such as trees, fences and landscaping, from the canal bank easements. While dredging the canals and fixing the canal banks is not controversial, removing the trees and landscaping has repeatedly met with anger from residents who feel that it harms the aesthetics of their neighborhoods. The most recent controversy erupted when the project got to the Paddock Park and Sugar Pond Manor neighborhoods.
The circumstances are complex. It is part environmental, part safety, part presentation, part semantics and part consistency in areas where the canals are long overdue for maintenance. For residents who live alongside a canal, the land between the water’s edge and their property line is owned by the village. Residents often mow, plant and clean the land, which is a 25-foot right of way that sits between the canal’s edge and the residential property line. A village presentation from a May 27 public forum included data showing that in the current phase of the project, of the approximately 300 homes along canal banks, approximately 140 have something blocking the path in the right of way. Village officials have said that they need unobstructed access to excavate the bottom of the canals, removing layers of sediment and dirt to allow stormwater to flow through as designed. The village notified residents that the obstructions had to go, setting off the current uproar. A similar outcry occurred when the project moved through the East-
wood neighborhood in an earlier phase. “I think the public outcry was overwhelming. We did see the same thing when we started in Eastwood, but it was a smaller group of people,” Councilwoman Anne Gerwig said. “I think the overwhelming outcry from the public made us take a step back and try to determine what absolutely had to be done, and if there’s another way to do it.” Gerwig emphasized that the issue is not political in nature but, rather, that the council is trying to work with residents and its engineers to find the best solution. According to last week’s announcement, the village is working with members of the Florida Association of Special Districts on alternative canal maintenance methods and their relative costs. In addition, Mock Roos & Associates is performing an engineering evaluation of the alternative methods for canals rehabilitation and maintenance. The project was a jolt for residents who either didn’t realize where the property line was or who See CANALS, page 7
Summer Property Crime Spike? There’s No Need To Be A Victim
By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report Summer season often sees an uptick in property crime, but following some simple advice from experts at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office can keep residents — along with their homes and vehicles — secure. The man entrusted with public safety in Wellington, PBSO District 8 commander Capt. Jay Hart, said his advice is applicable year-round, but especially when school is out. Vehicle burglaries are Wellington’s typical crime, Hart said. “It’s a crime of opportunity,” he said. “The vehicles get left unlocked.” During the summer, he said, youths (typically) will go creeping around and checking car doors, especially at night. If one’s unlocked,
they’ll take what’s available and then walk away. People can prevent this by simply locking their doors. “We are working on a program where we can get magnets that people can put on their refrigerators that remind them to secure their vehicle,” Hart said. “So that way, before they go to bed, it’s just a little reminder to go out and make sure their car doors are locked.” Living in a gated community does not make one immune to such crime, either, Hart said, explaining that such residents often have a false sense of security. “In fact, it’s the kids living within the community that are doing the stealing,” he said. One community where this crime has been prevalent lately is Olympia, where the PBSO now
is using undercover methods and extra deputies to trap thieves. The PBSO also has a “Walk and Talk” program, he said, and during those events, PBSO representatives point out to residents that their doors are unlocked. “If we could get people to lock their doors,” Hart said, “99 percent of the car burglaries would just go away.” Another way to minimize the chance of becoming a victim is to not leave valuables in plain sight. “We ask people that if they go to a park, if they go to the tennis center [or] someplace and leave their car, they need to put their purse and any valuables in the trunk,” Hart said. One common bit of advice, though not always practical, is to See CRIME, page 18
Donna Tucci’s School of Dance students performed in the Palm Beach Central High School auditorium on Saturday, June 13 as part of Donna Tucci’s 21st anniversary celebration. Shown here, Sofie Zapata and Jade Mei perform “My Favorite Things.” MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 12 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Wellington Charter Panel Sends Final Wording To Council
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington’s Charter Review Task Force made last-minute tweaks to six proposed referendum questions in its final meeting Wednesday. The proposed referendums will now be sent to the Wellington Village Council for consideration. The task force has been meeting for the past year to consider possible changes to the charter, which was originally written in 1995. Task force members attending the final meeting were Chairman Ken Adams, Victoria McCullough, Michael Napoleone and Francine Ramaglia. The first question is on allowing the council to approve compensation for themselves by a simple majority vote, with the change to take effect following the next regular election. The current charter permits the council to approve a raise for itself by a super-majority of four votes. The ballot question
asks voters to amend that, allowing council compensation to be increased by a majority vote. The second question is about the filling of vacancies for the mayor and council members. The ballot summary points out that the charter currently treats the filling of vacancies in the offices of mayor and council members differently. The language is different because having a mayor elected by the public, rather than by council appointment, was approved by voters several years after the charter was written. The proposed amendment would fill all vacancies in the same manner by providing that vacancies will not be filled if the unexpired term is less than 180 days, and would require a special election if 180 days or more remain. It also provides that the vice mayor would serve as mayor until a new mayor is elected. The ballot question asks specifically whether the vacancies of council members See CHARTER, page 18
Former Town-Crier Editor Jason Budjinski Dies At Age 38
Longtime Town-Crier employee and noted South Florida musician Jason Budjinski died Tuesday, June 16 after a long health battle. He was 38 years old. Jason fought the rare liver disease primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and later Crohn’s disease for the better part of two decades, eventually succumbing to them after fighting in true warrior style. Born in West Palm Beach, on Oct. 8, 1976, Jason grew up in the western communities, moving with his family to The Acreage in 1979. He often spoke of his early years as a pioneer in what was then a sparsely populated hinterland. The family moved to Wellington in 1986. After attending several local elementary schools and Wellington
Landings Middle School, Jason was a graduate of the first class of the Palm Beach County School of the Arts, forerunner to what is now the Dreyfoos School of the Arts. He received his bachelor’s degree in communications from Florida Atlantic University. “Jason was a soft-spoken, modest guy, who never talked about himself, but I want people to know how talented he really was,” said his mother, Maureen. That talent first took the form of being a skateboarding enthusiast, and later emerged in his writing and musical abilities. His passion for writing led to a newspaper and magazine career. He was a longtime employee of the Town-Crier newspaper, first as a reporter, and then as an editor.
“Jason first arrived at the TownCrier in 2001, not long after he graduated from FAU,” Publisher Barry Manning recalled. “He quickly proved himself to be an amazing writer. While government writing might not have been his passion, he excelled at it, providing readers with a unique insight into the inner-workings of The Acreage and Royal Palm Beach.” In the mid-2000s, Jason left the Town-Crier for the Broward/ Palm Beach New Times, working his way up to music editor there. He returned to the Town-Crier in 2007 in an editorial position and continued as a key leader at the newspaper until his illness forced him to cut back his hours. “As late as last fall, Jason was still doing some work for the
newspaper and spoke of a time in the future when he hoped to return full time,” Executive Editor Joshua Manning said. “He will be deeply missed by everyone here, as well as all the people he worked with in the western communities.” His time with the Town-Crier included editing work for Wellington The Magazine and Okeechobee The Magazine. While many in the western communities knew him from his work with the newspaper, Jason was also a talented musician, performing under the name of his alter-ego, Billy Boloby, in various bands. He developed quite a following throughout the South Florida music scene and beyond. “He was an incredible, loyal and See BUDJINSKI, page 18
Jason Budjinski