Town-Crier Newspaper June 7, 2013

Page 1

WILL CLERK’S OFFICE TAKE OVER OIG? SEE STORY, PAGE 3

COUNTY TO REVIEW RED-LIGHT CAMERAS SEE STORY, PAGE 7

THE

TOWN - CR IER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE

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INSIDE

Volume 34, Number 23 June 7 - June 13, 2013

FOOD TRUCKS AT RPB COMMONS

June 15 Fundraiser For Miss Rodeo PBC

To assist fourth-grader Sierra Lyn Rush on her journey to capture the Miss Rodeo Florida title, Miss and Mr. Rodeo P alm Beach County will host a fundraising event, dubbed Sierra’s Sweet Tea Party, at Nicole Hornstein Equestrian Park on Saturday, June 15. Page 3

Lox Council Gives First OK To Code Change Requested By Big Dog

The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council granted preliminary approval Tuesday to an ordinance that would allow Big Dog Ranch Rescue to locate on a site in the community, offering veterinarian services and dog boarding as accessory uses. Page 3

La Petite Academy Students Graduate

La Petite Academy held a graduation ceremony for its preschool students Friday, May 31 at Royal Palm Beach Elementary School. Page 5

Water Safety Day Event

The Wellington Aquatics Complex hosted a free water safety event Saturday, June 1. Make A SPLASH (Safety and Prevention Leaves All Swimmers Happy) featured informational displays and lifeguards demonstrating techniques. Page 11

OPINION Time To Prepare: Get Ready Now For A Busy Hurricane Season

Andrea, the first named tropical storm of the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season, formed in the Gulf of Mexico on June 5 as this week’s Town-Crier went to press. While we have no way to know if Tropical Storm Andrea will develop or fizzle, it serves as a reminder that now is a good time to get prepared. Page 4

DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS ............................. 3 - 11 OPINION .................................4 CRIME NEWS ......................... 6 SCHOOLS ............................ 12 PEOPLE ............................... 13 NEWS BRIEFS..................... 15 COLUMNS .................... 21 - 22 BUSINESS .................... 23 - 25 ENTERTAINMENT ................. 31 SPORTS ........................ 35 - 37 CALENDAR ................... 40 - 41 CLASSIFIEDS ................ 44 - 47 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

Royal Palm Beach Commons Park was invaded by food trucks Frida y, May 31. Despite the rain, hungry people came out to enjoy a variety of food and sweet treats. The food trucks will return to the park Friday, June 28. Shown here, Kimberly Kenski st ops by Taco Fresh. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

ITID Could See Increase In Water Discharge Allowance By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Indian Trail Improvement District’s request to get approval for more stormwater discharge is moving forward, but could be held up due to leadership changes at the South Florida Water Management District. Although ITID has been fighting for more discharge rate for years, the issue became crucial after Tropical Storm Isaac dumped about 18 inches of rain on The Acreage last year, leaving residents flooded for more than a week. Attorney Ruth Clements told the Indian Trail Improvement Dis-

trict Board of Supervisors on Wednesday that she has met several times with SFWMD staff to discuss ITID’s permit for peak discharge into the C-51 Canal. “We’ve gotten very affirmative response to our request,” she said. “We’ve gone over a lot of global solutions, not just discharge into the C-51 Canal.” However, last month’s sudden resignation of SFWMD Executive Director Melissa Meeker has thrown a wildcard into the negotiations. “We are in a very delicate position right now,” Clements said. “They are in an interim period without a leader in place, and we are

going to be having our proposed permit modification undergoing review when we have a lot of intense negotiations with the district.” Clements said she wants to keep a strong negotiating team intact to continue talks with the water management district. Clements also reported on improvements planned to the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area berm. “Based on the ongoing deterioration and this board’s action authorizing emergency repairs to that berm, I drafted a letter for [ITID District Administrator Tanya] See ITID, page 16

Auditing Firm Slams Wellington Staff For Obstructing Process By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Members of the Wellington Village Council heard concerns last week from an auditing firm hired last year to scour Wellington’s books for waste and mismanagement. But the concerns were less about financial matters than staff response to auditors’ concerns. Auditor Antonio Grau of Grau & Associates told council members that he felt “uncomfortable” with the response from management during the process. “[The audit] ended up being more difficult than we anticipated,” Grau said. “What I found a little unusual was the pushback based on what we found. We’re trying to do our job. We’re here to help the city. I think the response to our findings, I don’t agree with them.” Councilman John Greene asked Grau to elaborate. Grau noted that during the audit process, management is kept up to date on any inconsistencies found. “We point them out immediately,” he said. “We don’t just put it in the report without management knowing about it. In many cases, management may not agree with

some of the facts included in the finding, so we try to work that out. It’s a negotiation. They don’t want anything in there that makes them look like they weren’t doing what they were supposed to do.” Though Grau said it is common to negotiate the significance of the inconsistencies, he said he felt uncomfortable with the response from management. “I’m used to these situations, discussions and negotiations, but this was at a higher intensity,” he said. “We were going through it over and over again. I’ve been doing this for 30 years with hundreds of clients, and I felt it was a little over the top. It made me uncomfortable.” Grau stressed the importance of the audit being independent to effectively help Wellington. “We can’t feel like we’re being pressured,” he said. “It’s unacceptable for us to feel like we’re being pushed down. I will never back down on anything I feel is a significant problem. I try to look at each issue from all points of view, and I try to be as fair as possible.” Grau said it was not his findings that were of great concern but the response to them. “I don’t think the situations

were that bad here,” he said. “I think the reaction to our findings was bad.” Village Manager Paul Schofield asked whether Grau had addressed his concerns with upper management. “At any time did you communicate [your concerns] to me?” he asked. Grau said he had not. “I think I probably should have raised more issues,” he said. “But I didn’t realize how uncomfortable I felt until the very last day when I went to sign the report. I wasn’t uncomfortable with the numbers, but more uncomfortable with the process.” Greene asked whether Grau felt any of the issues merited reporting to a higher authority, but Grau said he did not. “I just think there were some issues that could have been avoided,” he said. “I’m not saying we did everything perfect, but I just didn’t understand why there was this push-back to these findings. I think it wasn’t necessary.” The firm found two notable areas of concern stemming from the 2012 fiscal year, auditor Racquel McIntosh said. One was the way Wellington’s utility system billing is handled, and the other was an See AUDIT, page 4

Serving Palms West Since 1980

Fred Pinto And Kathy Foster Announce For County Commission By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report The race for the Palm Beach County Commission District 6 seat got off to an early start this week when two candidates announced they’re running to replace termlimited County Commissioner Jess Santamaria in November 2014. Former Wellington Mayor Kathy Foster and Royal Palm Beach Councilman Fred Pinto will seek the Democratic nomination for the open seat in the August 2014 primary election, though more candidates are expected to emerge. Foster is a 34-year resident of Wellington who helped shape the village in its infancy. “I have toyed with the idea [of running for the Palm Beach County Commission] for several years,” Foster said. “It seemed like the next logical step, and it is an open seat.” In 1990, Foster became Wellington’s first directly elected public official when she won a seat on the Acme Improvement District Board of Supervisors, Wellington’s pre-incorporation government. She served as president of that board from 1993 to 1995. When Wellington sought to incorporate, Foster was one of the leaders in the movement. In 1996, she was elected to the inaugural Wellington Village Council and was appointed Wellington’s first mayor, serving two years in that role. She is also a founding board member of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce. “I’ve lived and worked in the western communities for 34 years in multiple roles,” Foster said. “I’ve participated in the community through the chambers and with my own small company, through serving in public office and nonprofit work. I have a really diverse background of experience to bring to the table, and I think that crossover knowledge would be very beneficial.” Foster holds a bachelor’s degree in textiles and design from Brooklyn College in New York and owns K. Foster Designs, an interior design studio. She said that her experience will help her work with other commissioners to build consensus. “I

Kathy Foster

Fred Pinto have a reputation as a consensusbuilder,” Foster said. If elected, Foster said she would continue to be a supporter of the Office of the Inspector General. “I think it’s absolutely necessary,” she said. “I would help to resolve the conflict with several municipalities and let the inspector general do the job she was appointed to do.” Foster would also focus on the Glades, working to help move along the planned inland port. “I’m fascinated with the opportunity the inland port presents to the Glades communities, which need an economic engine,” she said. “I would work with developers looking to build it, and put safeguards in place to make sure the people of the Glades get jobs first.” Foster also said she would focus on building employment skills See DISTRICT 6, page 16

Plan Now As Storm Season Begins By Anne Checkosky Town-Crier Staff Report Officials are worried that Palm Beach County’s good fortune over the last eight years — no hurricanes since Wilma in 2005 — may have lulled residents into complacency. And that could be dangerous, because experts are predicting an active hurricane season this year: 18 named storms, nine hurricanes and four intense hurricanes. “We’re concerned,” Assistant County Administrator Vince Bonvento said. But those charged with protecting the area during storms have been busy in recent weeks holding disaster drills and training sessions, and in one case, setting up a ham radio station. This Friday, a ham radio station at the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District will become active,

District Administrator Stephen Yohe said. It’s just another way for the district to be able to communicate with residents should phone and cell service be interrupted or become intermittent during or after a storm, he said. In addition, the LGWCD has reviewed and updated its hurricane preparation manual, made sure its generators are working and replaced batteries in radios and flashlights, Yohe said. He has also made sure his contacts are in place for disaster recovery, so that when it comes time for cleanup after a storm, the district will simply be able to call Bergeron Emergency Services and get started. Both the district and the Town of Loxahatchee Groves have contracts with the company, Yohe noted. The Indian Trail Improvement See STORM SEASON, page 16

Educational Youth Programs At Libraries This Summer

Jonathan and Josiah Jocewicz create paper owls after story time Tuesday at the Wellington branch library. PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA ANTONOPOULOS/TOWN-CRIER

By Alexandra Antonopoulos Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington, Royal Palm Beach and Acreage branches of the Palm Beach County Library System have plenty to offer children and teens while school is out this summer. Over the next few months, each branch will offer its own calendar of events with programming that will keep children and teens entertained while they are enjoying their break, helping keep their minds sharp and brains active. Leah Lewandowski, head of youth services at the Wellington branch library, said her location will host a regular Summer Story Time program, which begins June

10 and runs through Aug. 2. Summer Story Time is not only a fun way to pass the time, but aims to broaden children’s experiences and stimulate creative thought. With classes for children from infants to toddlers and story time for teens, there is a program designed to include every Wellington child. “Our summer reading program kicks off this weekend,” Lewandowski added. “Kids and teens can sign up and record the number of hours that they read in a log. After they complete the program, they can turn in their log to receive prizes.” Other recurring events at the Wellington branch include a Lego

building class for children ages 8 and older, which also runs at the Acreage branch; Pajama Tales, where kids ages 2 through 6 can bring their Teddy bears and wear their favorite pair of jammies while they wind down for the evening; and Teen Game Night for children ages 12 through 17 to relax, play Nintendo Wii and board games in a safe, supervised environment. Beyond the recurring programs, the Wellington branch always has something planned to please youngsters and their parents. “We also have some cool programs going on, such as baseball story time with a visit from one of the Rodger Dean Stadium mascots See LIBRARY, page 16


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