LOX DISTRICT HOLDS ANNUAL MEETING SEE STORY, PAGE 3
HIGH MARKS, RAISE FOR RPB’S LIGGINS SEE STORY, PAGE 7
THE
TOWN-CRIER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
Your Community Newspaper
INSIDE
Wellington Council Will Not Release Transcripts
Volume 35, Number 26 June 27 - July 3, 2014
Serving Palms West Since 1980
AMERICAN LEGION OPEN HOUSE
Members of the Wellington Village Council directed village staff Tuesday not to release two transcripts from closeddoor sessions discussing the Equestrian Sport Productions and Jacobs family lawsuits. Because one lawsuit is still pending, council members said they did not want the litigants gaining an advantage. Page 3
Acreage Jam, Food Trucks Return To Park
Hundreds showed up for the Acreage Community Park Music Jam on Saturday, June 21 to listen to local musicians, enjoy snacks from the food trucks, look at classic cars, learn about local organizations and have a great time. Page 5
The Village of Wellington hosted a Veterans Open House on Thursday, June 19 at the Wellington Community Center. American Legion Chris Reyka Memorial Wellington Post 390 board members were installed at the event. Shown here is Post 390 baseball team manager and coach Anthony Viscusi with Jack Stengal, Matt Brewster and Mike Viscusi. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 10 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Wellington Charter Task Force Gets Down To Work
By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington’s Charter Review Task Force conducted its first meeting on Wednesday and began to lay out a plan of attack for reviewing and recommending changes to the village’s charter. Task force members agreed to meet once a month, narrowing down the issues and requesting feedback from the public on recommended changes. “My understanding is [the council is] looking for you to go piece by piece through the entire charter and determine if things need to be updated,” Village Attorney Laurie Cohen said. “I’m not aware of any particular item they’d want looked at, except for issues surrounding certification of election results.” Members of the Wellington Village Council created the task force last month, hoping to address any issues in the charter and put any changes on the March 2016 ballot. One such issue is that of certify-
ing elections, which was a central point of debate in the contested 2012 election. Council members hoped to clear up confusion about the certification process. The task force has an initial run of six months in which it will examine and make recommendations to the council. “If, at the end of six months, you think you need more time, I don’t see the council having a problem granting an extension,” Cohen said. “You’re going to make a presentation to the council with your recommendations and any proposed revisions. The council will discuss it, debate it and adopt an ordinance to put it out to a vote of the electorate.” Task force members include former County Commissioner Ken Adams, who was elected chairman, former Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz, former Assistant Village Manager Francine Ramaglia, equestrian activist Victoria McCullough and Education CommitSee TASK FORCE, page 4
Seven Candidates Seek Three SUMMER BLOCK PARTY Seats On Indian Trail Board
Women’s Group Hosts Board Installation And Scholarship Awards
The Women of the Western Communities held its installation and awarded scholarships to local seniors on Thursday, June 12 at the Wanderers Club. The keynote speaker was Dr. Maria Vallejo, provost of Palm Beach State College. A large donation was also made to Mary Cauthen, director of the YWCA Mary Rubloff Harmony House. Page 13
OPINION Have A Great Fourth Of July, But Leave The Fireworks To The Pros
The Fourth of July is the highlight of the summer season across the nation. The kids are out of school, parents are out of work and our nation comes together to celebrate its independence. Much like any other holiday, it’s an opportunity for us to kick back and enjoy the day with family and friends. Whether you’re planning a barbecue, a day at the beach or attending one of the area’s great Independence Day celebrations, plan to leave the fireworks to the pros. Page 4
DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 10 OPINION.................................. 4 CRIME NEWS.......................... 6 PEOPLE................................. 11 SCHOOLS.............................. 12 COLUMNS.......................14, 21 NEWS BRIEFS....................... 15 BUSINESS..................... 22 - 23 SPORTS..........................29 - 31 CALENDAR............................ 34 CLASSIFIEDS................ 36 - 40 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Seven candidates are seeking three available seats on the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors this year. Several candidates filed to run shortly before the qualifying period ended last Friday at noon, including a former ITID supervisor seeking a return to office. The race for Seat 3, currently held by Supervisor Ralph Bair, is now a three-way race, with Alan Ballweg and David Bradley both challenging the incumbent. That race will start with a primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 26. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two candidates will advance to the general election. The races for Seat 1 and Seat 5 have two candidates each and will be held at the general election in November.
Former Supervisor Mike Erickson has thrown his hat into the ring for Seat 1, challenging the incumbent, Supervisor Jennifer Hager, who is seeking a second term. The race for Seat 5 had a late switch when candidate Enrique Bassas dropped out of the race, replaced by Betty Argue, who is now the sole candidate challenging ITID President Carol Jacobs in her bid for a third term. SEAT 3 — Ballweg, who has been involved for the past year with a flood protection task force organized by County Commissioner Jess Santamaria, said he was driven partly by that to get involved. “Tropical Storm Isaac first motivated my involvement in community affairs,” he said. “I believe the flooding we experienced did not have to be as severe as it was. More recently, I have been involved in opposing development
in the area, in particular what I call ‘traffic storm Minto,’ as well as other large local projects.” Since Isaac, Ballweg said he has regularly participated at ITID meetings, as well as dozens of other top-level meetings with county and South Florida Water Management District officials and engineers focused on both drainage and development. He believes that key issues in the race are honest government, preservation of the quality of life and the freedoms that Acreage residents enjoy, and flood prevention. Ballweg, 54, who is married with no children, has lived in The Acreage since 2000. Prior to that, he spent much his younger years living in Europe. “I speak four languages,” he said. “I am a graduate of Stanford University. I worked mainly in electrical engineering on large international projects, and See ITID VOTE, page 16
The Learning Experience Academy of Early Education held a summer block party on Saturday, June 21 at its new location at 8474 W. Lantana Road. To celebrate its grand opening, there were many child-friendly activities, such as a bounce house, face-painting and games. Shown here, Lily and Tyler Evans enjoy coloring. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 17 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
SR 7 Stays, Roebuck Road Removed From Wellington Crime Trends Down, Five-Year MPO Plan Despite High-Profile Incidents
By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Despite several recent high-profile incidents, crime in Wellington is down overall. Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office District 8 Capt. Jay Hart told members of the Wellington Village Council on Tuesday that Wellington has continued to see a decrease in crime, although traffic crashes continue to be an issue. “Crime is down in Wellington 32 percent since 2009,” Hart said. “I’m very proud of our deputies, and I think the numbers speak for themselves. You can still have one bad week, or one bad month, and the numbers will spike back up, but crime is down overall.” But several recent cases — the shooting death of a gas station clerk and bomb scares at a bank — have put Wellington in the headlines.
“It seems like everyone has a feeling of uneasiness,” Councilwoman Anne Gerwig said. “I want you to let us know what you’re doing to change that. I’ve heard people say, ‘That’s the way it is now,’ and that’s not acceptable. I know it’s not acceptable to you.” On Friday, May 30, an unknown suspect shot and killed 22-yearold clerk Shihab Mahmud during an armed robbery at the Chevron gas station on Forest Hill Blvd. Gerwig noted that high-profile incidents like this are rare in Wellington. “It was sort of a random occurrence,” she said. “It’s not something that happens here a lot.” Hart said detectives are hard at work trying to solve the case. “We have put hundreds if not thousands of hours into this case,” he said. “We have a suspect, but it’s still an ongoing investigation.
That’s all I can say about it. But we are doing something.” Gerwig asked what could be done to prevent future incidents. “Are there any safeguards?” she asked. “Have you gotten the word out to other businesses that may be vulnerable?” Hart noted that businesses such as gas stations must have at least two employees working or the doors to the business locked overnight. He said deputies are alerting business owners and more heavily enforcing the law. “It’s unfortunate that he was alone that night,” Hart said. “Our deputies are going around and checking. If they go in and there’s only one employee working, they are making sure the door is locked or having them call someone else in. I assure you, our deputies are out there every night working hard See CRIME, page 7
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The City of West Palm Beach has continued in its efforts to stop the State Road 7 extension to Northlake Blvd. City representatives on the Palm Beach County Metropolitan Planning Organization made a motion at the MPO’s June 19 meeting to take the extension off the fiveyear Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). While the motion was seconded, it eventually failed to pass. Although that motion failed, MPO members opposed to the Roebuck Road extension to SR 7 were successful in removing that project from the TIP, although it is slated to be a county-financed roadway, according to Royal Palm Beach Councilman Fred Pinto. Pinto is RPB’s liaison to the MPO. He reported on the MPO’s actions at the Royal Palm Beach Village Council meeting, also held June 19. According to Pinto, West
Palm Beach Commissioner Keith James was behind the attempt at last week’s MPO meeting to have the SR 7 extension removed from the TIP. “At the meeting, there was a concerted effort by Commissioner James, who actually made the motion to have the State Road 7 project removed from the TIP,” Pinto said. “He had a very lengthy, prepared presentation as to why it shouldn’t go forward.” James and other opponents made an impassioned plea over what they said were water issues as to why the SR 7 extension should not be built on its planned route plan, Pinto said, although Florida Department of Transportation officials have reported that the route, which runs along the western edge of the West Palm Beach Water Catchment Area, has already been approved and funded. At the Indian Trail Improvement District meeting June 11, FDOT See ROADS, page 16
Danielle Hutton Places Well At USA Special Olympics
By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report Danielle Hutton recently placed first in the 800-meter walk, second in the 400-meter walk and sixth in the 100-meter relay at the Special Olympics 2014 USA Games. Hutton has been involved with the Special Olympics since she was 10 years old. Now 22, she has long been a dedicated athlete. Track and field, bowling and equestrian activities are Hutton’s events of choice. Since discovering that she had qualified for the national Special Olympics last year, Hutton increased her training schedule with longtime coach, Karen Woods. Woods has been involved with the Special Olympics since the 1970s, when she helped establish
a program in Venezuela, a country she was familiar with because of her work with the Peace Corps. Previously, Woods was the head coach at Western Pines Middle School, but since retiring, she is the assistant coach and the walking coach. Qualifying for the Special Olympics is not an easy task, Woods explained. First, Hutton had to compete at county events. Then, there are the area events. If you don’t compete at a county event, you cannot compete at an area event. For a chance at the state games, you must place first at the area games. After qualifying at the area games, there is a random lottery to compete at the state games. For those who compete at the
state games, their names are then placed in a second lottery to compete at nationals. The system is designed to give everyone an equal chance. Hutton was chosen twice, with the second time earning her a plane ticket to New Jersey, the 2014 Special Olympics location. Instead of the typical weekly practice, Hutton, along with friends Robin Talbert and Matthew Cherry, began a twiceweekly training regimen with Woods, who often brings along her Yorkshire terrier, Little Boy Wellington. Hutton and Talbert met as preteens and became close friends. Cherry later joined the two friends to form a close-knit trio, and they See HUTTON, page 7
Danielle Hutton (center) with friends Robin Talbert and Matt PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER Cherry, and coach Karen Woods.