
Wellington’s Hometown Newspaper
Volume 29, Number 11
Volume 29, Number 11
Wellington voters voiced a call for change Tuesday, electing a new mayor.
Wellington Chamber of Commerce President Darell Bowen defeated longtime incumbent Mayor Tom Wenham at the polls. Bowen garnered 2,792 votes (60 percent) to Wenham’s 1,854 (40 percent).
Also Tuesday, Wellington Councilman Dr. Carmine Priore won another four-year term, defeating challenger Duane Christensen. Priore took 2,550 votes (56 percent) to Christensen’s 2,033 (44 percent).
In the race to succeed retiring Councilwoman Laurie Cohen, attorney Howard Coates (1,819 votes, 40 percent) and firefighter Matt Willhite (1,549 votes, 34 percent) emerged as the top contenders in a fourperson race. Dr. Tim Shields (664 votes, 15 percent) and Dr. Fred Van Dusen (521 votes, 11 percent) were eliminated. However, neither candidate took more than 50 percent of the vote, which will lead to a runoff elec-
By Don Brown, Ron Bukley, Denise Fleischman, Lisa Keeney, Carol Porter and Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report
tion on Tuesday, March 25. Candidates stood at polling places across Wellington all day long, braving a late-day shower clutching umbrellas while greeting last-minute voters before heading off to campaign wrap parties to await election results.
MAYOR’S RACE
The mood was festive at the Bowen home after the polls closed, where the candidate and his wife Sherry gathered with family, friends and supporters to await the results. While early returns showed Bowen ahead, it did not become clear until about 9:30 p.m., two and half hours after the polls closed, that Wellington would have a new mayor. When the results became official, Bowen thanked his family for their support. He also had
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report
The Town-Crier newspaper will host a televised candidates’ forum on Wednesday, March 19 at the Wellington Community Center featuring the two candidates advancing to a March 25 runoff election for Wellington Village Council Seat 4.
Attorney Howard Coates and firefighter Matthew Willhite will appear one on one starting at 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend, and questions will be solicited from the audience.
“Hopefully, this event will help increase awareness of the March 25 runoff election and increase voter turnout in what have historically been elections marked by very low voter participation,” Town-Crier Publisher Barry Manning said.
In the race to succeed retiring Councilwoman Laurie Cohen, Coates garnered 1,819 votes (40 percent) and Willhite took 1,549 votes (34 percent) to emerge as the top contenders in a four-way race. Dr. Fred Van Dusen and Dr. Tim Shields were eliminated. However, no candidate took more than 50 percent of the vote, which set up the runoff election.
The March 19 forum will be-
gin at 7 p.m. sharp. First candidates will be given three minutes for opening statements, followed by a series of questions posed by the moderator, Town-Crier Executive Editor Joshua Manning. Each candidate will have two minutes to answer each question. This format will continue for about 45 minutes.
During the first half of the forum, the Town-Crier will solicit written questions from the audience, which will be asked by the moderator during the second half of the forum. The candidates will answer as many questions as possible during the next 45 minutes. At the end of the forum, each candidate will have two minutes for closing statements, with the forum ending at approximately 8:30 p.m.
“If we manage to help raise awareness of the runoff election while also helping voters learn more about the two remaining candidates, we will have achieved our goal,” Barry Manning said. The forum will be broadcast on Channel 18, Wellington’s public-access cable station.
The Wellington Community Center is located at 12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd. For directions, call (561) 753-2484.
words of thanks for everyone who helped him in his campaign.
“This has been the most humbling experience I have ever had, and I can only say thank you to you all because it could never have happened if it had not been for you guys,” Bowen told supporters. “You guys have all stepped up and did anything that I asked you to do. It’s a tribute to all of you and to my family. It’s a great feeling. It’s a tremendous feeling.”
Among the visitors who showed up to greet the new mayor were former vice mayor Al Paglia, horse show promoter Mark Bellissimo, businessmen Bobby Ewing and Wally Sanger, Myles and Diana Tashman, John and Saundra Mercer, Bowen’s campaign manager Francine Nelson, longtime friend Mike Nelson and his wife, Wellington’s first mayor, Kathy Foster. Bowen also said he would
work well with Priore, the other incumbents and whoever is finally elected to Seat 4.
“I’ve known Carmine for over 20 years,” Bowen said. “That will be fine. We will be fine together. Those guys [running for Seat 4] were all so good. I could work with any of them.”
Asked whether he wished to speak about his plans for the village, Bowen said he wanted
See ELECTION, page 14A
By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report
Martha Webster hasn’t spent the past five weeks basking in the glow of her January victory for Seat 2 on the Royal Palm Beach Village Council. Instead, she has spent the time meeting with Royal Palm Beach officials, including Village Manager David Farber, to learn as much as she can about village operations.
Webster defeated political newcomers Tinuade “Tinu” Pena and David Dangerfield for the council seat in the Jan. 29 election. She’ll be sworn into office along with Mayor David Lodwick, Vice Mayor David Swift and Councilman Matty Mattioli at the Village Meeting Hall on March 20.
Webster’s term will only last one year because she’s taking the seat vacated by Barbara
Isenberg last July. Lodwick, Swift and Mattioli each ran unopposed for their seats and will serve two-year terms.
“I took a tour of the village and saw the parks and also took a look at the State Road 7 extension,” Webster told the Town-Crier. “I think that’s very important to the village.”
Webster said she has also visited with officials at the Palms
page 7A
Denise Alexander and Stacey Hetherington. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 17A
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report
With the National Horse Show leaving Wellington, Mark Bellissimo’s Equestrian Sport Productions is developing an equestrian entertainment holiday spectacular to occupy its facilities during the show’s early-December dates.
Organizers of the National Horse Show, which came to Wellington in 2002 after more than a century in New York, announced this week that they would be moving it to Syracuse, N.Y. for its 2008 edition.
Bellissimo said Equestrian Sport Productions, in turn, will be producing “Celebration of the Horse” Dec. 3 through 7 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, offering a family-geared combination of equestrian events and a carnival atmosphere of jugglers, face painters, shopping and other entertainment.
Bellissimo said the “AA” horse show coupled with the holiday celebration will feature a broader variety of equestrian events than the National offered. In addition to a World Cup qualifier for jumping, Equestrian Sport
Productions has applied to hold a World Cup qualifier event in dressage. Plans are also underway for demonstration events in driving, eventing, vaulting and reining, Bellissimo said.
The event is also expected to include a jumper Grand Prix, puissance, six-bar competition, dressage quadrille as well as a derby class, Bellissimo said. There will be other entertainment events centered on equestrian sport, including drill teams and other specialty acts.
Bellissimo said he has been working on staging the show for several months with Simon
Brooks-Ward, organizer of the London International Horse Show, a world-famous indoor Christmastime extravaganza that draws spectators from around the world.
Meanwhile, the 125th National Horse Show will become part of the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament in Syracuse and will run from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2. Long held indoors at Madison Square Garden in New York City, its six-year run in Wellington as an outdoor event was a sore point for many of the show’s traditionalists.
According to a press release from National Horse Show chairman Mason Phelps Jr. released Monday, a search committee had been formed after the 2007 National in Wellington to find a better date and location for the show, allowing it to return to an indoor arena and reunite the National with one of its main events, the Maclay National Championship, which did not move with the show to Wellington.
Phelps said he is looking forward to the new venue. “Syracuse is the logical place, and there is a keen willingness from
See NATIONAL, page 7A
By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report
Four local teachers have made the short list of 25 candidates for this year’s William T. Dwyer Awards for Excellence in Education.
Each year the Economic Council of Palm Beach County and the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County honor one educator for excellence in each of five categories: Elementary, Middle and High School Education, and Special Programs and Career Education. Nominees are selected by their peers.
Pat Klammer of New Horizons Elementary School, Stacy Nussbaum of Binks Forest Elementary School and Bonnie Rossa of Elbridge Gale Elementary School are all among the five finalists in the Elementary
Education category. Sandra Coster of Wellington Landings Middle School is a nominee in the Career Education category.
Klammer has been at New Horizons since 1988, where she first taught physical education before moving to language arts and reading in 1999.
Klammer taught for six years in Pennsylvania before moving in 1985 to Wellington, where she and her husband Ken, currently a football coach at Seminole Ridge High School, raised a son and a daughter. While her daughter is also a teacher, her son works in sports management at Virginia Tech.
“My kids are products of the Wellington community,” Klammer said. “They did well. They went to Wellington Elementary, Wellington Landings and Wellington High School. There are four of us in the family, and
three of us are teachers.”
Klammer said she knew she wanted to teach even in grade school. “It was something in my blood,” she said. “I am glad I took that route. You feel you’re helping kids, and giving back to society. You are a counselor, a nurse, a teacher, a psychologist. It’s wonderful. I have taught many children that are out of school now. I have many say they want to be teachers.”
At New Horizons, Klammer is an enthusiastic reading teacher and introduces her students to books that reflect multicultural and racial themes on a variety of levels. The students are also led to do community service projects under her guidance, she said, because even at such a young age, it is very important to give back to one’s community.
“Student council is one of the
things we do,” Klammer said. “We do a lot of community service projects such as Food for Families and Toys for Needy Families. We help the community that way. I try to teach the kids about community involvement. It’s very important that we give back to the community. That’s what I teach the kids. Don’t just keep taking, give back.”
Klammer was a Dwyer finalist in 1990 when she was a physical education teacher and was nominated again in 1994. She said the nominations are themselves an honor. “I am very humbled and flattered at the same time,” she said. “There are so many good teachers teaching here.”
Elbridge Gale Elementary School music teacher Bonnie Rossa was one of the original
See DWYER, page 11A
“Come visit us, we are now open!”
“Come visit us. We are now open!”
Palm Beach County Commissioner Jess Santamaria invites you to the March 2008
Wednesday, March 19th
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the “original” Wellington Mall
•PALM BEACH COUNTY CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
Jorge Pesquera, President & CEO
•PALM BEACH COUNTY FIRE RESCUE
Steve Delai, Deputy Fire Chief
•OTHER CURRENT TOPICS OF INTEREST
LOCATION: The “original” Wellington Mall (Center Court) is located at the southeast corner of Forest Hill Boulevard and Wellington Trace.
Coffee and cookies served
The Palm Beach County School District might need to take a class in logic. Judging by their recent plans, the best way to improve an existing school is to build a new one. That seems to be the case regarding Cypress Trails Elementary School in Royal Palm Beach. Built in 1989, the school was put on schedule for renovations over a decade ago, yet none were made. But the school district has decided the best solution to the problems at Cypress Trails is to construct a new school several miles outside of the village, on Marginal Road just east of the Okeeheelee Golf Course.
While it is true that overcrowding is a major issue at Cypress Trails — a 600capacity school serving 865 students — it isn’t the only problem. The facility is nearly 20 years old, after all; it takes only a little imagination to understand where general upgrades would be necessary.
The other problem with the logic of adding a new school is the fact that it would serve as a reliever not just for Cypress Trails, but for three other schools as well. Students who would attend the new school would benefit from its up-to-date facilities, unlike the majority who would remain at Cypress Trails. Those students
Grace is the magnificence of a running horse, the stride of a cheetah, the soaring flight of an eagle and the seemingly effortless movement of a dolphin gliding through a tranquil sea.
Yet there is another type of grace as I define it — the first words out of the mouth of a losing sports team, a politician losing office or just one’s reaction responding to a “no” issued by another human being.
Tom Wenham served gracefully as our mayor, much re-
would be able to stay in Royal Palm Beach, albeit in an aging school. It’s a winlose situation either way.
In the 1990s, the mantra heard throughout the western communities was that more schools should be built here, that way our children aren’t bused out of the area. More recently, though, the concern has been maintaining our older schools to the standards by which newer facilities are built. It seems the school district is trying to fix a new problem by bringing back an old one.
If plans for the new school are approved, construction will begin in July. By that time, the school board should have come up with some plans for improving Cypress Trails. While we’re glad to see that major renovations are underway at Wellington Elementary School — the western communities’ oldest public school — there’s no reason to deny needed renovations to other aging schools. The time will come when the western communities reach build-out, and school population growth isn’t the big issue, but rather decaying facilities. The school district needs to start planning now for that time, and older schools such as Cypress Trails are the place to start.
spected by most Wellingtonians. But when the majority of Wellingtonians chose to move in another direction, our mayor responded, “the residents wanted change and they got change, and I hope it’s for the better.”
I believe that this was/is not like the Tom Wenham of the past, and perhaps the election results were the results of the public’s acumen!
Since Tom didn’t say it, I will: we are moving into hard times, requiring difficult choices, but Darell Bowen and the council cannot be effective unless all of us, all Wellingtoni-
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ans, are willing to sacrifice, to give up something for the common good. This is the time that will try us, not only financially. Mayor-elect Bowen will have his hands full, and as much as we need his business experience, he needs our support as well.
Inevitably, democracy should not be about our leaders but rather the citizenry. And the “passing of the baton” of office should be effortless, even though it may hurt; therein lies the greatness of humility and grace. Tuesday, it was absent! George Unger
Wellington
On Aug. 19, 2006, the TownCrier conducted a poll to see if residents supported the idea of having a Wellington trolley. The result of that survey was that 75 percent of the 176 respondents to the poll said yes, they would support having a Wellington trolley.
lacking citizens of Wellington, teens and seniors, who have been waiting long for some help in coping with lacking public transportation, and the impending increases in fuel and insurance? Many towns and cities a lot less prosperous than Wellington have created public community transport systems to ease these burdens. West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, Coconut Creek and many others have instituted community transit systems, and it’s high time for our community. It’s just not enough to say that budget cutbacks are the cause. Budget cutbacks have been imposed on all communities, but these services so necessary today have not been cut elsewhere. Perhaps Mayor-elect Darell Bowen can see the urgent need is met.
Sampson Nebb Wellington
like “fee” or “charge” goes to the phone company and not the government. The FCC charge is the most infamous of these fees, which make you think they are taxes when in fact they are just extra cash for the phone company.
So if The Acreage had a fiber optic utility, the homeowner could shop around for a phone company with better rates. That company would pay The Acreage fiber optic utility a bandwidth lease fee for its use. The same would be true of Internet and cable TV companies. When all these lease fees are added up, it means that The Acreage as a community will make money and taxes will not go up as much. That is why taking advantage of the water main installation is so very important. If we wait, installing a fiber optic network will cost much, much more. In this digital age, it’s not a matter of if we install a fiber optic network, but when
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A survey of Wellington’s seniors (55 and over) had also brought transportation needs as one of the two highest-selected requests. The Senior Task Force appointed by the village council came back with a unanimous vote favoring transit for the many Wellington seniors who felt trapped in their homes by not having any available public transit other than the Palm Tran bus running along Forest Hill Blvd.
Wellington parents with teenagers saw a trolley as a way their teens could get home from school and around town without worry of buying additional automobiles, with burdens of insurance and worries of accidents on our crowded streets and full driveways. County school buses had eliminated rides for children and teens living less than three miles from their schools. All of this when the price of gas was not yet over $2.50 per gallon.
Now, with gasoline heading swiftly for the $4 mark, there is still no way for transportation handicapped seniors, who no longer drive or cannot afford taxi service, to get around Wellington. It is ironic that people from other areas can all catch a bus to our mall and any Wellington resident who wants to get there must beg for a ride to the mall from others, or have money enough and driving skill enough to get there.
We spend millions of dollars for perimeter horse paths, multiple parks and recreational areas, new roads and traffic signals. Can’t we find some funding for all the transportation-
The Acreage needs a fiber optic network. Even though a lot of people are against having city water in The Acreage, it is possible to take advantage of the situation by installing a fiber optic conduit in the same trenches that are dug for the water mains.
Doing this at that time cuts out a major portion of the costs of installing such a network. I spoke with a representative from the county, and he said that if the Indian Trail Improvement District wanted to do this, he was certain the county would cooperate.
A fiber optic network can carry lots and lots of digital information to and from people’s homes. If [ITID] were to create a fiber optic utility, they could lease out bandwidth on this network to individual companies that provide such services as telephone, cable TV and Internet.
What you may be wondering is why we need such a thing when we already have working cable, DSL and phone. The answer is that what exists now are monopolies, and installing a fiber optic network would end that. Right now, you have only one choice for these services. With a publicly owned fiber optic network, any number of companies could provide your service. This means fair competition and in short, means lower phone, cable and Internet bills. Most would probably be in the neighborhood of half of what they are now.
Take a close look at the extra charges on your current phone bill. Unless it explicitly says “tax,” it’s not a tax. Anything
Dennis Hawkins The Acreage
Editor’s Note: The following letter refers to a March 7 Palm Beach County Planning Commission vote to remove E Road/140th from the county’s Thoroughfare Identification Map.
Congratulations to all on the giant step forward in achieving the goals of the Town of Loxahatchee Groves’ E Road/140th resolution. This resolution, proposed by Councilman Bill Louda, was the second resolution presented in our town’s short history and was the first of any political impact.
It has only been one year since we’ve been able to function with the strength of a recognized municipality, and we’ve made substantial headway on a cause we could not accomplish in the last 20 years prior to incorporation. Things like this are the real “payoffs” of being a municipality.
Mayor Dave Browning’s, Vice Mayor Marge Herzog’s and Louda’s years of dedication to our community goals, Dave Autrey’s tireless behindthe-scenes efforts, coupled
I got caught in a sting last Friday at the federal courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach. No, I’m not wearing an ankle bracelet, but I was bobbing and weaving a bit since I’m usually the person dishing out the sting.
Let me set the stage: I was there for the sentencing of Dan Miteff of Wellington who was caught up in a real estate scheme with former (now imprisoned) county commissioner Tony Masilotti. Following the sentencing hearing, I approached Assistant U.S. Attorney John Kastrenakes and asked him for a business card, a common practice among journalists with newsmakers we might want to reach.
“Who are you?” demanded Mr. Kastrenakes (all questions by people in his position seem like demands to me).
“I’m Don Brown,” I responded. “I write a column for the Town-Crier newspaper in the western communities.”
“Oh,” said the toughest prosecutor we’ve seen around here for a long time. “You’re the guy who called me out,” he said, without cracking even the tiniest of smirks.
He was referring to a January column in which I poked some fun at him for declaring that politicians raising money for charity could be construed as committing the crime of “theft of honest services,” the offense which landed both Mr. Masilotti and former County Commissioner Warren Newell in prison. In the column, I compared his logic to
Whenever Walt Disney World sets out to create something new, they tell their creative team of their vision; listen while the team upgrades, enhances and improves upon that vision; then crunch the numbers to see how close they can get to implementing the very best ideas. They nurture the spirits of their creative people and the talents of their accountants — all this while constantly expanding the park.
I say, “if they can do it, we can do it.”
“Back in the day” (a term I never thought I’d get old enough to use), the Friends of the Western Communities Center for the Arts (FWCCA) decided to form a group to build a theater, hopefully big enough to house a “black box” rehearsal area, a gallery and some classrooms, too. My husband was the group’s first president, I was (as always) the secretary, and we were joined by other like-minded souls who felt it was time for Wellington to have a performance center. Francesco Pace, for one, needed a venue for his operas. The Wellington Art Society needed gallery space. The Harlequin Players and West End Theatre
charging an elected official with a federal crime because a developer bought Girl Scout cookies from his daughter.
“No, I wasn’t calling you out,” I quickly responded. “I was just having a little fun on your behalf. I only do that with people I like,” which was sort of like breaking down during interrogation and begging for mercy. I used that strategy after I looked inside the courtroom gate and saw what looked like an army of U.S. attorneys, marshals and FBI agents.
“What the hell am I even doing here?” I asked myself.
Mr. Kastrenakes then gave me a quick lecture about how soliciting money for politician’s charities could be construed as theft of honest services under some circumstances, such as raising large sums of money for their favorite charities from persons doing business before their public boards. Of course I believed every word he said, while also looking around to see if Mr. Miteff’s defense attorney was still there and wondering how much he charged. I had never heard about theft of honest services before Mr. Masilotti was charged with the offense, and who knows what else I had never heard of. Then, gratefully, I realized the politicians’ most feared lawman was smiling at me. Whew!
“Don’t worry,” he said. “Tell me how to send a contribution to Don’s Team for Relay for Life,” which I formed to raise money for the American Cancer Society.
I’m sure Mr. Kastrenakes was pretty smug when I walked out of the courtroom after my dressing-down. But the joke is still on him. I would have shined his shoes for a contribution to Don’s Team.
Back to my reason for being in court: Mr. Masilotti and Mr. Miteff were accused of shaking down the Palm Beach Diocese to sell some of its Royal Palm Beach property to Mr. Miteff so that he could flip it to a developer. Both Mr. Miteff and his partner, Masilotti crony Jeffrey Lee, allegedly profited by nearly $500,000 each on the deal. Mr. Miteff then went to the Bahamas to give Mr. Masilotti some $50,000 in casino chips, allegedly for his help in greasing the skids on the deal.
Mr. Miteff was sentenced to five years in federal prison after a tearful, halting apology to his family, federal investigators and the court. I have known him for more than a decade and I was sorry for him, as I was for Mr. Masilotti, but not surprised. Some insiders thought he might receive a much longer sentence, but in the end U.S. District Judge Kenneth Ryskamp, who also presided over Mr. Masilotti’s case, thought the two alleged partners should receive the same sentence. Mr. Masilotti is serving his sentence in Miami and Mr. Miteff requested that he be sent to Pensacola (where, I suppose, he might team up with Mr. Newell as bridge partners).
Mr. Miteff’s crime and punishment is
Point of View...
By Don Brown
bittersweet for me. I have known him for over a decade, nearly as long as I have known Mr. Masilotti. Both have contributed much to our communities. However, I understand that what they did was wrong and they had to pay for it. Hopefully, when they pay their debt, they will return a bit more humble, as my mother would have said, and we’ll welcome them back.
Now, a note to all you elected officials: if sending a contribution to Don’s Team for Relay for Life is good enough for the assistant U.S. attorney, I hope you will agree that it’s good enough for you. Please make out your check to the Relay for Life and send it to Don Brown, c/o the Town-Crier newspaper, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. It’s for a very good cause. The Relay for Life events will be held April 25 at Palm Beach Central High School for the Wellington and Royal Palm Beach communities and May 2 at Acreage Community Park for Loxahatchee Groves and The Acreage.
needed somewhere to perform. We had meetings and drew up plans.
But there were several problems — our name was too long, our budget too short, our contacts too limited. The fundraisers we could afford were less than stellar and poorly attended. We were in the black, but we were thinking too small. Community theater is one thing — an arts center, another.
Enter Manuel Bornia annnnnnd — action! FWCCA became the Cultural Trust of the Palm Beaches… fabulous performers were hired… a surprisingly ambitious sculpture biennale was held… the jazz festival rocked… and people were talking.
Manny’s artistic abilities, coupled with a real talent for marketing, elevated the perception of the Cultural Trust. His arts knowledge, natural enthusiasm and cando attitude were infectious. He knew that we in the west deserved an arts center and also that there were people out there who would help us.
In short, he reminded me of the area’s earlier movers and shakers, working on a wing and a prayer — the ones who
‘If allowed to continue, this general feeling of mistrust will ultimately jeopardize the very arts center that Wellington so sorely needs.’
started up the Palms West Chamber of Commerce by paying its bills out of their own pockets, who dipped into their corporate tills to help fund the July 4th fireworks and who reciprocally attended each other’s fundraising events.
Now Manuel Bornia is under attack on several fronts — for being young, for being inexperienced and for making donors skittish regarding the true state of the trust’s finances. If allowed to continue, this general feeling of mistrust will ultimately jeopardize the very arts center that Wellington so sorely needs.
Yes, he’s young — but not as young as he was last year. Yes, he’s inexperienced — but he’s a quick learner. Yes, yes, yes, the board of governors must have access to the books. But Manny is doing all he can with what he has to work with. There’s nothing wrong with the trust that a multi-million-dollar donation and a name on the building wouldn’t fix. That, and a dedicated chief operating officer. The kid’s heart is in the right place — he just needs help! (Admit it, Manny, because it’s true.)
A chief operating officer for the Cultural Trust would have to be dedicated — and “dedicated” in two ways:
1) this person would have to want the center very, very badly — as much as we do; and 2) this person would have to figure
By Deborah Welky
out a way to earn their own salary as well as getting the building built — difficult, but it can be done.
For the good of the trust (and its ultimate goal of an arts campus), Manny needs to be freed up from the nuts-andbolts workings of the operation so he can focus on using his panache, his creative side and his marketing skills to bring glitter, glitz and excitement to the project. In my opinion, we’ll never find anyone as talented as Manny. He’s simply irreplaceable as an artistic director — but someone else needs to keep a very dedicated eye on the balance sheet. Money owed must be paid, even if in increments. I love going to the Kravis Center, but it’s a hassle to get there. We who live west of the turnpike will have our own arts center — it’s merely a matter of time. If you want to speed things along, write a check. And if you’re a COO with an altruistic side, well, “we want you!” (Old age and experience evidently preferred.)
By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report
MARCH 1 — A Royal Palm Beach woman was arrested Saturday, March 1 for assaulting a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputy on Mikado Lane. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 10:20 p.m., a deputy from the substation in Royal Palm Beach was called to investigate a hit-and-run incident believed to involve a vehicle that belonged to 45-year-old Rhonda Burchard. According to the
report, she responded to the questioning by saying, “I don’t have to tell you a **** thing” and pushing the deputy in the chest with her left hand. Burchard was arrested for battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest. She was transported to the Palm Beach County Jail.
MARCH 4 — A Wellington man was arrested on drug charges last Tuesday while
Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives:
• William Bennett is a white male, 5’7” tall and weighing 175 lbs., with brown hair and hazel eyes. His date of birth is 06/14/68. He has tattoos on both arms, his left hand, left shoulder and chest. Bennett is wanted for failure to appear in court on the charges of grand theft over $20,000 and dealing in stolen property. His occupation is landscaper. His last known addresses were Pine Avenue in Lake Worth and South Stuart Circle in Greenacres. Bennett is wanted as of 03/13/08.
• Eulanda Dawkins, a.k.a. Eulanda Parker, is a black female, 5’5” tall and weighing 140 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. Her date of birth is 07/24/80. She has a tattoo on her left arm. Dawkins is wanted for failure to appear in court on the charge of neglect of a child. Her occupation is unknown. Her last known address was 32nd Lane North in The Acreage. Dawkins is wanted as of 03/13/08. Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to $1,000 reward. Call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crime stopperspbc.com.
THE INFORMATION FOR THIS BOX IS PROVIDED BY CRIME STOPPERS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY, WHICH IS WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.
driving near the intersection of Royal Palm Beach Blvd. and Sandpiper Road. According to a PBSO report, at 11:25 p.m., a deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach stopped 18-year-old Jesse Leonard for traveling 52 mph in a 30-mph zone. Leonard admitted he had marijuana in the back seat of the vehicle, according to the report. A search of the vehicle turned up a plastic bag containing 6.1 grams of marijuana. Leonard was transported to the county jail.
MARCH 5 — A traffic stop near the intersection of Crestwood Blvd. and Park Road North last Wednesday led to the arrest of a Wellington man on drug charges. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the substation in Royal Palm Beach stopped 23-year-old Jason Westrick for speeding at approximately 10:30 p.m. Upon making contact with Westrick, the deputy noticed a clear plastic baggie filled with white powder sitting on the driver’s-side armrest. The powder tested positive for cocaine. Westrick was taken to the county jail.
MARCH 7 — A resident of Headwater Circle called the PBSO substation in Wellington last Friday regarding a stolen boat. According to a PBSO report, the victim said he tied the eight-foot, 11-inch boat to a dock near his house at approximately 6:30 p.m. last Thursday night but found the boat missing the next morning. The ropes that tied the boat to the dock were still intact. The boat, with its gasoline-powered engine, is valued at $2,500.
MARCH 7 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded last Friday to a burglary on Folkstone Circle. According to the victim, she discovered an attempt was made to pry open a sliding glass door. Also, a bedroom door was broken, and food, jewelry and a Playstation were missing.
MARCH 7 — A man was arrested last Friday on a retail theft charge at the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Belvedere Road in Royal Palm Beach. Accord-
ing to a PBSO report, a store security officer observed 56year-old Victor Carranza of The Acreage select two CD players from a shelf at 4:14 p.m. Carranza stashed one of the CD players in the hardware department and paid for the other. According to the report, Carranza left the store but returned a few minutes later, retrieved the second CD player (worth $69.64) and attempted to leave the store without paying. Store security officers restrained Carranza until a PBSO deputy arrived. Carranza was given a notice to appear in court.
MARCH 8 — A man was arrested last Saturday on a retail theft charge at the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Belvedere Road. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 2:30 p.m., a store security guard observed 26year-old Jerry Cole of West Palm Beach select a car battery worth $60.13 from the automotive department and take it to the service desk where he received a full refund. Cole was arrested and given a notice to appear in court.
MARCH 10 — A resident of White Pine Drive called the PBSO substation in Wellington on Monday to report an armed robbery that occurred several weeks prior. According to the victim, he was robbed at gunpoint by two black males in his parking lot at approximately 10 p.m. on Feb. 29. According to the victim, the men put a silver handgun to his head and demanded his wallet. The victim said they took his Mexican ID card and $400 in cash.
By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report
The Wellington Equestrian Committee approved an application Wednesday by the Tavern on the Green Equestrian Club to extend its operating hours to midnight.
In January, the Wellington Village Council approved an ordinance extending Sunday night operating hours for restaurants serving alcohol to 3 a.m. That ordinance was prompted by a request from the Players Club, a Wellington nightspot that argued that equestrian competitors that patronize the restaurant and bar stay out late on Sundays because Monday is their day of rest.
Tavern on the Green did not benefit from the change because that establishment, housed in the former Equestrian Club Estates clubhouse, is within the village’s Equestrian Overlay Zoning District. EOZD rules forbid businesses from operating beyond 10 p.m. except in emergencies.
Committee members voted unanimously to recommend approval of the request with the
continued from page 2A the Syracuse group headed up by John Madden to join forces,” he said.
Madden said hosting the National Horse Show would be a great honor for the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament. “I’m very pleased that now hunters, jumpers and equitation will have a year-end event that will be the culmination of their seasons, all in one location,” he said.
Bellissimo told the Town-Crier Thursday that his firm, which bought and renamed the former Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club show facilities in Wellington last year, is interested in attracting a more diverse crowd to an event that is more than the “black-tie presentation” of the National.
Bellissimo said the departure of the National would have little
continued from page 1A West Chamber of Commerce, attended the WestFest Land & Sea Festival on March 1 and 2, and even participated in the event’s annual “Battle of the Burgs” contest with other local leaders. Webster, by the way, finished second.
“I really wanted to win,” she said with a laugh. “I thought the trophy was great.”
exception of Carol Coleman, who abstained because she is a resident of Equestrian Club Estates. Coleman is one of several Equestrian Club Estates residents who have protested the unorthodox parking arrangements at the club and its perceived special treatment by village authorities.
Three residents did voice concerns about the club’s operating hours Wednesday, but stressed that they did not want to see it shut down, according to committee chairman Don Dufresne, who added that club investor Mark Bellissimo had been meeting with local residents.
“The residents desire to have some balance there,” Dufresne told the Town-Crier Thursday. “I think that is achievable. I did ask if Tavern on the Green had met with the homeowners’ associations. Mark said that he met with some representatives last Saturday, and they are working on the parking issues and the drainage issues.”
Noise is also a concern, Dufresne said. “One resident wanted to discuss additional buffering there,” he said. “Having an
impact on equestrian competition in Wellington. “It was a mutual decision,” he said. “We believe we can create a huge holiday experience with holiday theme entertainment, food and shopping. We can still do grand prix but with more entertainment experience. We will make it someplace everyone in the village, the county and the country can see great equestrian sport, and we will spend millions developing this product.”
Bellissimo called the relocation of the National “a great move by the National Horse Show board” and wished the show’s presenters success in their new home. “We are focusing our efforts in the Celebration of the Horse, which we believe will be a world-class event, and we are confident this will accelerate interest in horse sport and greatly benefit the Village of Wellington and all of Palm Beach County,” he said.
Bellissimo added that the PBIEC will present “Gladiator
Webster said she is ready to help any way she can in the village’s quarrel with the City of West Palm Beach over the Roebuck Road extension. West Palm Beach leaders, including Mayor Lois Frankel, have joined with residents in developments along Okeechobee Blvd. in trying to block the extension over what they claim to be environmental concerns.
While not wanting to escalate the dispute, Lodwick has said the village only wants the City of West Palm Beach to abide by
establishment like that is a double-edged sword. We did voice our concerns to staff. We trust staff to make its own adjustments.”
Attorney Dan Doorakian, representing Tavern on the Green Club landlord Far Niente Stables IV, said equestrians and polo players who frequent the club told the committee their responsibilities are often not finished until well into the evening, making a 10 p.m. closing time unfeasible for them.
“The extended hours, if ultimately approved, will not create a club or late-night bar,” Doorakian said. “It will allow for the community to reasonably experience a five-star dining experience without being rushed out the door. The principals and operators of Tavern on the Green, including Jenny Oz Leroy and Mark Bellissimo, spoke very candidly about their desire to create a reasonable balance with the surrounding residents.
Doorakian said the request would go before the village’s Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board for review on April 3.
Mark Bellissimo Polo” under the lights this Saturday at 7 p.m. with a live band and a range of entertaining events, including a six-bar competition, match race and grand prix.
The 2008 CN Winter Equestrian Festival continues through April 8 at the PBIEC. For more info., visit www.equestrian sport.com.
its 1995 agreement that allowed development of those homes. As part of the agreement, Lodwick said, West Palm Beach has collected mitigation impact fees to help fund the Roebuck Road extension.
“I think it’s very important we get together and get that road done,” Webster said. “I’m certainly ready to step up and voice my opinion to the City of West Palm Beach for the needs of the village. But I want to work as part of a team with everybody else.”
The Wellington Parks & Recreation Department is taking registrations for two new afterschool programs for specialneeds children.
Coach Yale David will introduce children to a wide variety of sports in his Super Stars program and basketball clinic. The programs are formatted for children in kindergarten through the fifth grade. Both
programs will build self-confidence while improving social and motor skills in a safe and fun environment.
Super Stars will be held on Tuesdays from April 1 through May 27, and the basketball clinics will take place Thursdays from April 3 through May 29. Both classes are held from 3 to 3:45 p.m. at Village Park and cost $111 for residents and
The Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) will host their Annual Easter Picnic on Saturday, March 22 at the Micanopy Pavilion at Okeeheelee Park. The picnic will take place from 11 a.m. to sundown. The cost is a $15 donation for adults and a $5 donation for children under 12; this includes meal and a beverage. Music will be provided by DJ VIN Elliott’s Soul Power. Other entertainment will include games and raffles, prizes and surprises, pony rides, egg hunt, bake sales and other fun items. For ticket information call Marjorie at (561) 333-8841, or Lena or Fergie at (561) 784-8804.
The Wellington Art Society will host its annual fundraising event “Art in the Afternoon” on Sunday, March 16 at the Breakers West Country Club.
Starting at noon and lasting until 4 p.m., the event will feature lunch, music, a silent auction and a live art auction. Auction items include award-winning paintings, sculpture, photography, pottery and much more by area artists.
The afternoon will begin with an opportunity for attendees to meet the artists and view their work. Other highlights include a buffet lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. and a silent auction featuring merchandise and services from area businesses. Proceeds will benefit the Wellington Art Society. Tickets cost $40 and must be purchased in advance. To purchase tickets, call (561) 795-1691 or visit www.wellingtonartsociety.org. For more information, e-mail info@wellingtonartsociety.org.
The American Association of Kidney Patients invites the public to participate in its second annual Walk in the Park on Saturday, March 29 at John Prince Park in Lake Worth. Registration begins at 8 a.m. at the Smythe Pavilion; the walk begins at 9 a.m. The cost is $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under; the price includes a T-shirt. For more information, contact Stacy Nussbaum at godfry@palmbeach.k12.fl.us. For more information about the association, visit www.aakp.org.
Registration is now available for the Aquatics Spring Break Camp at the Wellington Aquatics Complex. The camp will run Monday through Friday, April 7-11 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Campers will enjoy lessons in kayaking, snorkeling and swimming, as well as excursions to the Everglades for an airboat tour, Okeeheelee Nature Center and Lion Country Safari. The cost for the camp is $200 per child. Space is limited to the first 13 children between the ages of eight to 13 years old. Basic swimming skills are a requirement for this registration. For more info., call the Aquatics Complex at (561) 753-2484, ext. 2836.
$138.75 for non-residents. For more information, call Julie Strow at (561) 753-5262 or the Wellington Community Center at (561) 753-2484. If you are registering for the first time, be sure to register in person at either the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) or the Village Park Gymnasium (11700 Pierson Road).
By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report
It’s not often a community meeting comes with its own laugh track, but that appeared the case when Palm Beach County School District planning board officials met with residents last week to discuss plans for a new elementary school on Marginal Road.
Marginal Road is directly east of the Okeeheelee Golf Course and Florida’s Turnpike and south of Southern Blvd. in unincorporated Palm Beach County.
The school district organized the meeting at Palm Beach Central High School to present a preliminary site plan for the school, intended to relieve overcrowding at four area elemen-
tary schools: Royal Palm Beach and Cypress Trails in Royal Palm Beach, Equestrian Trails in Wellington and Cholee Lake in Greenacres.
Most of the approximately 50 citizens who attended the 90minute meeting, however, weren’t interested in hearing about the district’s plans for athletic fields, a media center and “going green.” They wanted to know the district’s plans for dealing with the potential traffic problems on Marginal Road, which they said is not equipped to accommodate vehicles the size of school buses, let alone the construction equipment to build the school.
“We’re a small neighborhood,” Marginal Road resident Carmen Candiano told the officials. “You’re going to ruin our
community. We really don’t need a school in there.”
Others said they believe it’s better to renovate existing schools than spend the $39.4 million budgeted on the new school. “I don’t think we got any good answers,” Royal Palm Beach resident Jim McIntire said. “I don’t think they came here wanting to give us any answers. They just wanted to tell us ‘this is what’s happening and you have to live with it.’”
Several of the answers from the officials were met with indignation, disbelief and chuckles. For example, when Angela Usher, the planning board’s manager for inter-governmental relations, told the attendees “the reason we’re here is safety,” the room erupted with laughter. School Board Vice
Chair Paulette Burdick also was in attendance but did not speak. After the meeting, Burdick declined to comment on plans for the school.
Randall Granberry, the planning board’s senior planner, told the audience the design work for the school is expected to be complete in April. Granberry said if the School Board approves, construction on the school would begin in July. Projected to serve 822 students, Granberry said the school is scheduled to open in August 2009.
Usher said the school is part of the district’s five-year plan and must be open by the start of the 2009 school year in order to meet concurrency.
That schedule was a major part of the discussion — sometimes a very loud discussion —
regarding what the attendees perceived as a done deal. In fact, the school’s location on Marginal Road is a done deal, Granberry said. What is still to be determined are the traffic patterns around the school and surrounding neighborhoods. “All options are still on the table” in that regard, Granberry said.
Granberry told the Town-Crier he wasn’t surprised at the ferocity of the meeting, given his conversations with concerned residents in the past few weeks. “Everybody is taking pride in their neighborhood and that’s only right,” he said.
Granberry said school district officials will read the comment cards turned in by residents “and we’ll see what the concerns are and try to adjust. Nothing has been approved.”
By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report
U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney joined local education and business stakeholders at CalleryJudge Grove in The Acreage on March 7 to promote an alternative energy industry in Florida.
Mahoney touted the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act (H.R. 5351), which the U.S. House of Representatives passed late last month. The bill is intended to provide tax incentives for the production of renewable energy and energy conservation, while reducing subsidies provid-
ed to major oil producers. It still awaits U.S. Senate approval.
“This congress has finally stepped up to foreign oil by pushing through responsible energy legislation,” Mahoney said. “I am proud that my work on the farm and energy bills lays the foundation for South Florida to become the biofuel capital of our nation. Cellulosic ethanol will give new opportunity for our rural communities who suffer from high unemployment and high school dropout rates that approach 40 percent.”
Mahoney said the new “green” industry would generate thousands of high-paying
jobs, steer the economic focus away from construction and attract new research and development centers, if the necessary investment capital is available. Mahoney said emphasis on producing crops for ethanol production would help sustain Florida’s agricultural heritage as well as boost its economy. “This is a great opportunity,” he said. “It will expand our tax base, and it reflects our values. It will be a great opportunity for us to give our kids a different type of economy in the future. We can make this happen.”
Mahoney also stressed the
See ENERGY, page 42A
Biofuels — (Right) Rep. Tim Mahoney discusses alternative energy last week at CalleryJudge Grove. (Above) RPB Councilwoman Martha Webster and Callery-Judge General Manager Nat Roberts listen.
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report
The Palm Beach County Commission unanimously approved an agreement with the Indian Trail Improvement District on Tuesday to purchase the district’s water utility rights and existing infrastructure.
The commission also approved a staff recommendation to dismiss counterclaims on a lawsuit filed by ITID that has gone on for several years at a cost to the district of more than $2.5 million in legal fees.
The commissioners also approved an accompanying resolution stating that the purchase of the ITID water system is in the public interest.
The ITID Board of Supervisors approved the agreement in
a 4-1 vote last month despite the objections of several dozen residents.
On Tuesday, ITID President Mike Erickson encouraged the commissioners to approve the agreement and resolve the longrunning “water war” between the district and the county.
“Indian Trail and Palm Beach County are finally working together to resolve a lot of the various issues that are out west,” Erickson said. “It has taken a year and a half since the new board came on to get through this process. A lot of this was more time delays. But I think what we have today is a compromise that, depending on if you’re a pessimist, it’s a loselose, if you’re an optimist, it’s a win-win proposal for both sides.”
Supervisor Michelle Damone thanked county officials for their cooperation in forging the agreement. “I think we’re doing a good service to both of our constituents,” she said.
But Acreage resident Alex Larson, a vocal opponent of the agreement, told commissioners she had filed a lawsuit to stop the proposal.
“The residents of Indian Trail have not been informed of what we’re doing here today,” Larson said. “I don’t think they’ve been informed of a lot of things. Telling the constituents it’s going to cost $338 a year to run water and sewerage is a myth.”
Many Acreage residents have voiced fears that county control of the water supply would eventually lead to forced hookups, while most households rely
on well water at present. Larson charged that the agreement would set residents up for costly connections to the system. “Our own engineer, when we were going to have water out there, said it was going to cost the residents $9,000 to $13,000 per house,” she said. “Please postpone it. Let it go back. Let them survey the people and ask them what they want.”
County Utilities Director Bevin Beaudet told the commissioners what they were reviewing was only a settlement agreement and transfer of utility rights. “This does not set the policy for what the hookups would be out in The Acreage,” he said. “We have consistently said there are no requirements for hookups. There are no mandatory hookups on the water system. Un-
der this agreement, Indian Trail controls the policy, the timing and the assessments that are going to be done out there, or whether the assessments are ever done.”
County Commissioner Jess Santamaria said he supported the agreement.
“There has been long, extensive negotiation with full public disclosure this past year, so there’s really not much more that we can do,” he said. “I certainly thank the Board of Supervisors of Indian Trail. They have also worked with us in a cooperative manner, and I fully support this agreement.”
County Commissioner Jeff Koons said he was glad the lawsuits would be put behind them and both entities could work in-
By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report
All five Indian Trail Improvement District supervisors went to Tallahassee last week to urge state lawmakers to approve funding for an extension of State Road 7 to Northlake Blvd., and said they were pleased with their reception.
The supervisors, as well as District Administrator Chris King, were in the state capital for Palm Beach County Day on March 5, an annual event in which local government officials meet with state legislators to discuss their goals.
Getting State Road 7 extended from its current northern terminus at Okeechobee Blvd. to Northlake Blvd. has long been sought by ITID to ease traffic in The Acreage. Impatient with state delays in considering the extension, Palm Beach County has been building an extension of the road to 60th Street in The Acreage.
The supervisors said they urged state lawmakers to fund a planning and environmental impact study on building the road, which they said would cost about $6 million.
On Monday, ITID President Mike Erickson said he hadn’t
encountered any legislators opposed to the proposal, despite the current budget-cutting climate in Tallahassee.
“Everyone supported it,” he said. “Of course, the theme of this session is that the budget has to be cut. But I will be back next week for the meetings of the Florida Association of Special Districts to speak with them again, and our lobbyist Frank Messerschmidt will be working with them as well.”
Supervisor Sandra Love Semande said a major selling point of the project is the ability to provide a north-south evacuation route, while vocal opposi-
tion to the proposal has come from residents of the Ibis Golf & Country Club northeast of The Acreage, which lies near the projected path of the extension.
Semande said the one legislator least enthusiastic about the extension was Rep. Carl Domino, whose District 83 includes much of The Acreage. “But I told him that The Acreage has 17,935 votes,” she said, “and that Ibis, which is opposing the road, has only 2,336. We need this road in an emergency.”
Supervisor Michelle Damone said many legislators were receptive to assertions by ITID representatives that Ibis had
been built on environmentally sensitive land. “And they are trying to block off one road while pretending suddenly that they have become environmentalists,” she said. Damone said her conversations with legislators went very well, including talks with State Sen. Jeff Atwater, who has spoken out against the westward extension of Roebuck Road to the western communities. “Sen. Atwater went out of his way to tell us that he believes the two road projects, the Acreage reliever road and the Roebuck extension, are two very differ-
See SR7, page 42A
By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report
Cooperation was the theme of the day at a community meeting hosted by County Commissioner Jess Santamaria on Wednesday evening to gather public input on an overlay area in the western communities.
The public meeting, one in a series on a western communities overlay plan, was held at Indian Trail Improvement District headquarters.
The county is developing an overlay to guide development in an unincorporated area of approximately 43,000 acres, generally located west of Royal Palm Beach between Northlake and Southern boulevards. The overlay would replace the failed Central Western Communities Sector Plan, which the county abandoned after it could not muster approval from the Florida Department of Community Affairs.
Santamaria brought county staff members to the meeting, which was attended not only by ITID supervisors and members of the public, but also representatives of developers and large landowners in the area.
Santamaria told attendees that Acreage residents should have the greatest amount of say in the overlay because they would be the ones most affected by it.
During the course of the meeting, Santamaria urged cooperation between the county, ITID and Callery-Judge
Grove to find an acceptable level of commercial and industrial development in the sprawling citrus groves, which will not be subject to the overlay because of a pending development application.
Callery-Judge owns 4,000 acres of citrus groves and worked for over a year to gain approval for a “new town” of 10,000 homes and other development.
After the Palm Beach County Commission rejected the plan last year, Callery-Judge began seeking approval to build a 2,999-home development, which would match the density of the surrounding area and is allowed under the state’s Agricultural Enclave Law.
On Wednesday, Santamaria suggested that the various parties work together to find a level of development in Callery-Judge that would be mutually acceptable, and proposed that his staff work more closely with the ITID board and residents to identify areas appropriate for commercial development.
Barbara Alterman, director of the county’s Planning, Zoning & Building Department, said her department would be glad to send representatives.
ITID President Mike Erickson suggested a charette to discuss commercial development and other issues.
Representatives of GL Homes and EB Developers said they would join the discussions on any issues involved
in the overlay or planning in general, and Callery-Judge General Manager Nat Roberts volunteered space for the meeting.
Alterman suggested that large property owners in the area take part because many of them had grown frustrated over the long delays on county decisions regarding the future of their properties.
Regarding the overlay area, Santamaria said he would support residential density no greater than .8 units per acre, meaning average lot size would be 1.25 acres. “We might make it less dense,” he said, “but that is the most dense I would support, and I will not support any bonuses to allow more housing. We need to keep the area rural in nature.”
Santamaria said any developments in the overlay would require at least 60 percent “external open green space,” meaning usable open space outside of the developments themselves, although there may be some negotiations over water management tracts since they would actually create environmental benefits.
Santamaria also said he would press developers to meet concurrency requirements.
“I made it clear when I ran for office that I will demand concurrency from every developer,” he said. “Any future development must have schools, utilities and roads before it opens.”
‘Do we want more traffic along Northlake Blvd.? Or do we push it into Loxahatchee Groves? There are infinite combinations. The devil in the details is concurrency.’
— County Engineer George Webb
GL Homes Vice President Larry Portnoy said his company would be willing to allow some of its property to be used to increase drainage outfall.
“We’ve already had informal discussions with [ITID Engineer] Jay Foy,” he said, “and although it would take a lot of work, we would be willing to discuss it.”
Portnoy also said concurrency does not work.
“At build-out for most projects at least 25 percent of roads will fail to meet standards,” he said. “The need for concurrency means that developers need more density to pay for it because they also have to pay for a lot of back charges where earlier developers and residents have not done work that should have been done. Let’s agree on what makes sense. Look for good alternatives.”
Several Acreage residents spoke out against development in the area, either saying they wanted no development at all or demanding strict adherence to an existing rural density of one unit per ten acres.
Santamaria told the audience that Roberts has Florida’s Ag-
ricultural Enclave Law on his side and the only way to fight the density in Callery-Judge Grove would be to go to Tallahassee.
County Engineer George Webb noted that GL Homes and EB Developers would not be able to take advantage of that law.
Webb said his department faces problems in planning roads particularly when budgets are very tight.
“We know it is going to be painful when we have needed road improvements that will have to be cut back,” he explained.
Webb said one small benefit of the weakened economy is that some building costs are lower.
“But we may have to live with a bit more congestion,” he said. “And maybe more than that. But we have to look at a lot of possible futures. Do we want more traffic along Northlake Blvd.? Or do we push it into Loxahatchee Groves? There are infinite combinations. The devil in the details is concurrency. Who is going to pay and how overloaded the roads are going to be is a key issue.”
continued from page 2A faculty at Waters Edge Elementary School west of Boca Raton ten years ago. She later helped open Elbridge Gale. A Lake Worth resident, Rossa said family influences started her on her career path.
“My mom was a concert pianist,” Rossa said. “My uncle played the trumpet. I went into teaching after a couple of my good friends got me into it. I was performing, and they showed me another outlet for my music. I really like giving back. My parents are unbelievable people. Their whole philosophy of life is giving back to the community and helping others. For me to become a teacher was a dream of theirs. This occupation is totally giving. They were happy I chose it.”
Besides teaching music during the school day, Rossa organizes other creative activities after school such as a recorder club, a singing club and acting classes. Rossa said she draws on experiences from her own childhood, when children had to make their own fun.
“When I was their age, I used to get all the neighborhood kids together. We’d choreograph shows and perform,” she recalled. “It’s creativity. That gets lost these days with the Playstations and the video games.”
Rossa said her students are currently preparing for a jazz show, studying jazz musicians, learning to play jazz songs on recorders and xylophones, and how to dance to swing music.
“They know how to do it already,” she said. “I was very surprised. I thought I would have to teach each couple how to do it. They came up with the moves by themselves. They love it. It’s one of my favorite things in my job, doing the shows with the kids.”
Rossa previously received a Dwyer nomination while at Waters Edge. “But I never made it to one of the five finalists,” she said.
Stacy Nussbaum started at Binks Forest Elementary School teaching second grade four years ago, and has taught fifth grade reading and language arts for the past three years.
Nussbaum incorporates material about the Nazi holocaust into her lessons, including reading assignments, movies and visits from death camp survivors. “We have a Holocaust speaker who comes in,” she said. “It’s real life, it’s history and it’s what I teach my kids. It might not be pleasant to learn about, but it’s important.”
Nussbaum also said she teaches her students to practice tolerance, a quality she said people are not born with. The lesson became a practical one with the presence of a student who has Asperger syndrome, a form of autism.
“I want to make them good citizens,” Nussbaum said. “Respect is not a gift. You have to earn it. I want them to think about what they do when people aren’t watching. How do you act when people aren’t with you?”
Rather than just reading books, Nussbaum said she also likes to engage her students in
the reading process with activities like publishing their own books. She said one exercise involved having students write letters to themselves 20 years distant.
“They have to write a letter to themselves as if it was the year 2028,” she said. “It will be interesting when they read them 20 years from now. They see who they had a crush on. They wrote the names of the people whom they were sitting with. It’s a fun project.”
Nussbaum said it is a pleasure and honor simply to be nominated for a Dwyer Award. “When you listen to the Hollywood stars, they say that just being nominated is enough,” she said. “When you find out that your peers respect you in that way, that’s enough for me.”
Sandra Coster of Wellington Landings Middle School, a Dwyer finalist in the Career Education category, is originally from Huntington, West Virginia but has been here for 19 years.
“I lived in one of the largest cities in West Virginia, but it was nothing like West Palm Beach,” she said. “When I came to Wellington, I thought hey, I have found West Virginia in Wellington. It’s more like a small town. People are friendly, and people are nice. I love having brothers and sisters of my students because you really get to know the families.”
As the school’s family and consumer services teacher, Coster teaches students skills ranging from balancing a checkbook to cooking a meal. “It’s fun,” she said. “We apply math skills and science skills every time we cook. It’s a
Dwyer Finalists — (Above) Sandra Coster of Wellington Landings. (Above right) Stacy Nussbaum of Binks Forest. (Right) Pat Klammer of New Horizons with some of her students.
chemical experiment. We do financial things. We have a lot of guest speakers from the community. It’s a nice way for the kids to get a different viewpoint from someone other than their teacher.”
Coster said reality TV shows have inspired many students to become chefs. She noted that Stephen Asprinio, a onetime contestant on TV’s Top Chef, is a former Wellington Landings pupil. “He has opened a restaurant on Clematis Street,” she said. “He’s made quite a name for himself. I think the Food Channel has made quite a difference. They get to see all the people cooking. They like to cook. They are seeing younger people move into this and do things. I think they can relate to it a whole lot more.”
Coster also noted that the boys in her classes are enthusiastic about sewing. “That’s like a machine to them,” she said. “They catch on to how to work
it. None of them have told me they want to be a clothing designer, but everyone needs to know how to take care of themselves. They need to know how to mend something. They can make something if they want to.”
Coster has been nominated for a Dwyer several times, and this is the third time she has been chosen as a finalist, she said. “It’s very exciting,” she added. “I really appreciate it so much. That’s the nicest thing about our whole community. People want to work together. It’s not only the school, but the whole community. They want to do what’s best for the kids and for the community. That’s fantastic. That’s what makes it so important for me to be a part of this area. Everyone seems to be working to make it better and to make it good.”
Winners of the 2008 Dwyer Awards will be announced at the awards dinner on April 21.
Wellington Regional Medical Center is supporting DVT Awareness Month throughout March, joining a national effort to raise awareness of deep-vein thrombosis, a serious yet preventable condition that could lead to a fatal pulmonary embolism.
According to the American Heart Association, up to two million Americans are affected annually by DVT, and pulmonary embolism causes approximately 300,000 deaths in the United States each year — more than AIDS and breast cancer combined. Still, a national survey found that 60 percent of Americans have little or no awareness of DVT.
DVT occurs when a blood clot forms and partially or completely blocks blood flow inside a deep vein, typically located in the calf or thigh. A pulmonary embolism occurs when the blood clot breaks free and travels to the lungs. This may obstruct the pulmonary artery or one of its branches, blocking blood flow to the heart.
“Providing patients with the best quality care possible is a top priority,” WRMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jeffrey Bishop said. “By heightening awareness of the risk factors and ensuring appropriate preventative measures are taken, we can reduce the incidence of this condition.”
The Coalition to Prevent DVT, a national organization funded by SanofiAventis U.S. LLC, is composed of more than 45 members from medical societies, patient advocacy groups and other public health organizations. It has spearheaded DVT Awareness Month efforts since its launch in March 2003. Since the coalition’s formation, more than one billion educational messages have been delivered.
Melanie Bloom, widow of NBC correspondent David Bloom and the coalition’s national patient spokesperson, along with the coalition and its member
organizations, have turned to the healthcare community this year to ensure that proper care and treatment of DVT is provided for at-risk patients. Bloom’s personal commitment to this cause has had tremendous impact in awareness raising efforts both in the national media, as well as the public policy forum.
“DVT Awareness Month provides an excellent opportunity for the general public and healthcare community to learn about this disease and how to reduce the risk of a DVT blood clot,” Bishop said. “We encourage both the public and healthcare professionals to be aware of all the risk factors associated with DVT, so that patients can be treated appropriately.”
In recognition of the DVT Awareness Month, Wellington Regional is designating one day each week throughout March for a lobby display and hands-on employee activities to provide community education on DVT and stroke. To join in, visit the hospital Monday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 26.
For more information about DVT Awareness Month, visit www.prevent dvt.org or www.dvt.net.
DVT Awareness — (Above) Sanofi Aventis representative Kimba Williams demonstrates the injection technique for
vents blood
at a
take a chance at the “Killer Legs” contest.
Wait? Avoid Unnecessar y Surger y!
Spor ts Injuries
Spinal Injec tions
Spinal Cord Stimulators
B otox Injec tions
Chronic Pain Management
Stroke Rehabilitation
Spinal Cord Injur y Rehabilitation
Traumatic Brain Injur y Rehabilitation
Outpatient D etox Program
Dr. C harles S. Huang
continued from page 14A to enjoy the evening with family and friends but vowed to get to work for the people of Wellington over the next few days.
Wenham, who had gathered with supporters at the Hampton Inn, called Bowen at about 9:15 p.m. to offer congratulations.
“I called Darell and wished him good luck, and I offered to help him in any way I can,” Wenham said. “Residents wanted change and they got change.”
While the mood was somber, a redeyed Wenham calmed his longtime supporters, saying that “life goes on.”
“I’ll go home with my wife tonight,” he said. “The sun will come up tomorrow, and I’ll still be with Regis. Life isn’t over. I’ll just get to spend more time with Regis.”
Bowen supporters were quick to praise Wenham for his service to the community. “It was time for a change,” Foster said. “Darell worked really hard. He will be a great community leader. He will do an outstanding job as mayor. Tom and Regis, however, both deserve our thanks and appreciation for all they have done over the years.”
Change was also the theme for Ewing. “We are in a transition period in the village,” he said. “I think Darell is the person who could take us through that transition.”
The mood was one of cautious optimism as incumbent Councilman Dr. Carmine Priore awaited election results with supporters at the newly renovated Binks Forest Country Club. Early in the evening it become clear that Priore would likely keep his seat. However, the longtime councilman did not comment until all the returns were in.
Priore thanked the Wellington community for its continued support. “This was
a time that the community expressed a desire for change, and I was fortunate to not be part of that mentality,” he said. “I think the majority got my message, and I was successful in being able to relay that. It’s a humbling experience, to say the least.”
A negative campaign waged by his opponent Christensen backfired, Priore said. “I have always attempted to carry out the will of the people,” he said. “I think the people who had questions accepted the answers I presented. My opponent went to the negative campaigning. It was evident in every way in the mailings and the statements he made. When I had the opportunity, I refuted the statements because they weren’t true. They were based on a supposition made by an individual. I believe the majority saw through that.”
Priore added he feels his decisions have always been based on sound, good judgment. “I have always voted for what the majority of the community wanted,” he said.
He said he will continue to do just that, working to curtail over-development. “I will continue to preserve as much open space as possible,” Priore said. “We have the highest proportion of open space of any place in Florida. There are people who came here 10 years ago who have seen dramatic changes, but it was all planned in advance.”
Over the next four years, Priore said, he looks forward to tackling some issues that will allow the village to maintain its quality of life while improving neighborhoods, roadways and landscaping.
One way to make up for revenue shortfalls, Priore said, is public/private partnerships and that is one thing he said he intends to pursue.
“How can we continue to provide services we have with the tax cuts?” he wondered. “It’s not going to be the same as it was. I’ll do everything I can and find ways to be innovative.”
Priore’s opponent gathered with supporters at the Players Club. Christensen, a second-time candidate who also lost to Wenham in 2006, was conciliatory at the end of what was perhaps the most bitter of the three council campaigns.
“I would like to congratulate Carmine Priore,” Christensen said. “I think he ran a great race. He obviously has a lot of followers after his many years of service to the community. They stood behind him. He was a very worthy opponent.”
But Christensen said he would continue to speak out on his signature topic of over-development. In his campaign, he took Priore to task for a series of council votes Christensen disagreed with.
“I didn’t embellish at all. I simply stated his voting record as it was,” Christensen said. “I don’t think he liked all that, but nevertheless, a vote is a vote. You can’t change that vote. And that’s all I did. I didn’t attack him; I was simply exposing his actual voting record, which in my opinion — not in the opinion of others, apparently — were just the wrong votes to make with respect to overbuilding, cars on the road, budgeting and fiscal responsibility.”
Christensen also thanked his supporters. “I had a good group of volunteers,” he said. “It wasn’t as large as [Priore’s] group, but they were dedicated. We tried very hard and generated a lot of support. Just not quite enough to beat Carmine.”
While the other two races have been decided, the remaining candidates in the Seat 4 race — Coates and Willhite — still have another week of campaigning to do before a March 25 runoff election. Coates also greeted supporters at the Players Club. The top finisher, he was upbeat about his prospects.
“We are finishing the first half and entering the second half,” Coates said. “I am happy where we are because I won a plurality. That tells me that more peo-
ple are receiving my message, and they like what they are hearing.”
Coates said he will spend time before March 25 reaching out to supporters of other candidates “trying to convince them my message is something that will work for them as well.” The campaign will remain focused on Wellington’s quality of life. “The overriding message has always been as an advocate to preserve the quality of life in Wellington, keeping the traffic congestion down, and basically making Wellington a great place to work and play. That’s not going to change,” Coates said.
Willhite, who ran a campaign backed by strong support from the politically powerful firefighters union, held court at the Gypsy’s Horse in the original Wellington Mall as the returns came in. Like Coates, he was upbeat about his March 25 chances. “My message resonated with the people,” he said. “They saw what I was about. My message was family, family values and quality of life in Wellington. We’re going to work hard the next two weeks. Our message is going to stay the same.”
Willhite thanked not only his supporters, but the other candidates in the race. “It was a great, spirited campaign,” he said. “I think we got a great dialogue between all of us, and I hope to work with all the candidates again. I hope they stay involved.”
Van Dusen, who finished fourth in the race, spent a quiet evening at home with his wife and daughter. “Money was the key to my loss,” he said. “I came into the race late, and I didn’t have the money to spend to get my message across. I found that those people who listened to my message liked what I was saying, but I just did not have the resources available to reach enough of them to win.”
The Town-Crier will host a televised candidate’s forum on Wednesday, March 19 at the Wellington Community Center at 7 p.m. between Coates and Willhite, the candidates in the March 25 runoff.
The American Red Cross Greater Palm Beach Area Chapter celebrated its 18th Annual Polo Luncheon & Auction on March 9 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington. Honored guests included Helen Boehm, polo-enthusiast and sponsor of the Boehm Polo Team, Palm Beach Polo founder Bill Ylvisaker and former Mexican president Vincente Fox. Denise and Brad Alexander chaired the event; Carlos Gracida served as honorary polo chairman. For more information about the Red Cross, call (561) 833-7711 or visit www.redcross-pbc.org.
I have been trying to read one newspaper article for two and a half days now. I’d have finished it, but I keep getting interrupted by the cacophony of sounds that means my family is in town. Their exuberance runneth over.
It started with, “hey, Debbie! Read this newspaper article!” then much rustling of paper as it was handed from person to person over to me. The minute I had it in my hand, they started up a fascinating conversation. I tried to concentrate on my reading, but my sister Pam started off with, “I’ve decided to switch from writing plays to writing romantica.”
“Romantica?!” my 78-year-old dad bellowed. “What’s that?”
“It’s like romance but smuttier.”
“You mean erotica, then,” Mom corrects.
“No,” Pam said, “it’s a new brand of erotica — kinder and gentler.”
“But still set in Victorian England?”
“More like Victoria’s Secret.”
Dad’s perplexed. “Who’s going to
make out in Victoria’s Secret? There’s no privacy!”
I put the paper down. I had read exactly one paragraph. “You’re not really going to use the name Victoria’s Secret, are you? I think they could sue.”
“Let ’em! I’m going to be rich!”
Dad again: “I don’t see how anyone could get it on in Victoria’s Secret.”
Pam: “In the dressing room.”
Dad: “They don’t let men in those dressing rooms.”
Mom: “They would in Pam’s book.”
Me: “It would be neat to have the guy crawl under the door.”
Pam: “And his ex could be in the next stall!”
Dad (laughing): “With a tape recorder!”
Me: “Ooh! Ooh! I’ve got it! His ex arrives when the store calls security… These days, she’s a cop!”
Pam (delighted): “A threesome!”
Mom (horrified): “Do either of you girls still go to church on Sunday?”
Dad: “What in hell ever happened to
literature?”
Pam: “They don’t even print these books, Dad. You download them from your computer.”
Dad: “You’re kidding.”
Mom: “Make sure you don’t use your real name. Make up a name.”
Me: “But it has to sound French... Lavinia LaSmut or something.”
Dad: “Debbie, aren’t you done reading that paper yet? I want to do the crossword.”
I shake my head and quickly get back to the article. That lasts three seconds, until the next interruption. “Did I ever tell you about the time Frank Smith ate a razor blade?” Dad asked.
“It wasn’t a razor blade, Emmett, it was a light bulb,” Mom replied.
“No, he ate the light bulb later. First he ate the razor blade.”
Pam: “I thought you said he ate a fly!”
Me: “…because someone gave him 50 cents.”
Dad: “No, that was Jack Kingston.
Anyway, 50 cents was worth a lot more then! I’ll figure it out for you. Where’s your calculator?”
I put down the paper in order to look for the calculator, and Mom picks it up. “Are you done with this? I want to do the Sudoku.”
That was Wednesday. But I’ve found the paper again, and in another five minutes and I’ll have that article fin—
“Hey, Debbie! I just tried to start your car and it’s making a funny sound. When’s the last time you had that thing serviced?”
Fox has a good new detective show on Mondays called New Amsterdam
Most people who know me know I am a science-fiction fan. I love many of its varieties and read it constantly. When something remotely sci-fi comes to television, I will probably watch it, and as soon as I heard the main idea behind the show, I was interested.
The new show has a premise that is certainly different. A Dutchman in New York in 1642 rescues an Indian woman shaman and is given a blessing/curse that he will live without aging until he meets his one true love. Nearly four centuries later, the man, now called John Amsterdam, is still carrying on and looking for his love.
Working as a detective, he chases a suspect into the subway when he suddenly has a heart attack. He is declared dead by a pretty emergency room doc-
tor, and then wakes up in the morgue and walks away. Although interesting as a not-quite plot device, there seemed little point to it as part of the regular find-thebad-guys plot. Amsterdam started checking the faces on a subway security camera and discovered that it probably was the doctor who had set him off. Could she be The One? Wow, that’s a tough one, isn’t it? I began to wonder if the show would get off the ground.
But things improved rapidly in the second episode as we saw a lot more about the main point of the show. As is the norm on these shows, Amsterdam has a sidekick, an older black man named Omar who knows his secret. In the second show, we learn that Omar is Amsterdam’s son, despite looking a generation older, and elements of the plot revolve around Amsterdam’s romance with a black woman during World War
II as he uses a different identity, John York. Another child of Amsterdam’s, a middle-aged woman, acts as his secretary at that time. The racism of the time and Amsterdam’s openness are all revealed, at the same time we watch Omar make him baby-sit his own great-grandson, who he’s never met before.
There are a couple of particularly interesting elements in this show that sets it apart. One is the spectacular time-lapse photography that shows Manhattan growing up around Amsterdam. The first time I saw it, I was actually stunned. The second time I was able to appreciate the work going into it.
A second element is the show’s interesting use of history. Amsterdam, at one point, tells his detective partner Eva that he knows one possible hiding place because it had been a speakeasy during Prohibition. Of course he had been there
at the time, although he never mentions it to her.
Amsterdam himself is an interesting character having lived so long and seen so much. The element I particularly liked was the mixed blessing and curse of immortality. It has been an element in many science fiction stories. The great master Robert Heinlein wrote a brilliant novel called Time Enough for Love about the tragedy of an immortal in love with a
The United States Postal Service has decided to give us all a surprise. In May, they are raising the price of a First Class stamp by a penny. This may not sound like a lot of money, but just last year they raised the price a whopping two cents. I know just about everything else is going up, so I guess (maybe) the post office needs this increase to handle the upward trend in the cost of living. I feel bad because I have been a loyal supporter of the post office for more than 43 years. I feel like I’ve been stabbed in the back by my best friend (if I had a best friend, that is).
When I got out of high school, I started going to college during the daytime and working for the post office at night. I felt it was the best of both worlds. I was starting to get a real education and
learning what it was like to work in the real world, all at the same time.
I stayed with the post office longer then I stayed in school. When my Uncle Sam called me to go and do my thing in Vietnam, I left the post office behind. But I left it in good hands: my father and brother stayed behind to take care of the mail.
When I got out of the Army and back to the world (almost in one piece) the post office wanted me back, but I decided I’d rather be a New York City police officer. But I always kept a soft spot in my heart for the post office. When I heard the post office was having financial problems, I got myself on every junk mailing list I could. I figured the more mail I got at my house, the more money the post office would make. I tried to
talk anyone who would listen to me to join the junk mail list. I am sorry to say I had very few takers.
I then had another bright idea. When junk mail comes to my house, I open all of it. I would never throw it away without looking at it first. When I find postage-paid return envelopes inside some of the junk mail, I drop them into the mailbox. I do whatever I can to help keep the post office afloat. To this very day I get tons of junk mail, and I still mail back the postage-paid return envelopes. I encourage everyone out there to do the same. We must help (despite poor management) the post office make money. I know that in today’s world a lot of people pay their bills on line. I refuse to do that. I want to touch all of my bills. I also want to put them in an envelope along with my 41-cent stamp. I do all I can to support the post office and its hardworking people.
Now you know why I feel like I was stabbed in the back by my best friend. The post office has the right to raise its rates every May. I hope this is the last May they raise their rates for a very long time. I will be doing everything I can do help support the post office. Will you?
By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report
Varicose and spider veins are more than unsightly — they are a symptom of vein disease. However, many sufferers do not have them removed because they fear a difficult and painful procedure. Vein Specialists of the Palm Beaches in Royal Palm Beach uses modern technological breakthroughs that make treatment far easier.
Dr. Thomas Kirchner of Vein Specialists said doctors customarily employ a procedure called vein stripping to treat the problem.
“Doctors open a leg up at the groin to tie off and cut the greater saphenous vein, and then strip it out of the leg through an incision at the knee,” he said. “It is performed under general anesthesia, and it takes up to two weeks to recover.”
But Kirchner and his partner Dr. Jonathan Huber instead use state-ofthe-art laser therapy, which takes about an hour and is performed in the office under local anesthesia. “People put on a compression bandage and walk out of here in an hour and a half,” Physician’s Assistant Stephanie Hamilton explained. “They go back to work the next day and the procedure provides immediate relief.”
Huber will conduct a free seminar at Vein Specialists of the Palm Beaches on Thursday, March 20 at 7 p.m. for those interested in learning more about the procedure.
Kirchner and Huber, part of the Independent Imaging practice, are vascular and interventional radiology specialists. Both are certified by the American Board of Radiology and have completed fellowships to gain very specific training. Huber, who has done all his studies in Florida, did his fellow-
ship in diagnostic and intervention radiology at the University of Miami. Kirchner, who has a certificate of added qualification in vascular and interventional radiology, did his studies at Boston University Medical Center.
Hamilton said the two doctors have the necessary specialized skills that suit them perfectly for this kind of surgery.
“They specialize in ways of treating vascular problems through modern imaging techniques,” she said. “They’re used to putting in stents and wires in our vascular systems using ultrasound to guide them. They use thermal imagery to insert a laser that will effectively close the vein. They’ve got 30 years of experience between them in this field.”
Kirchner said Vein Specialists benefits from its connections with Wellington Regional Medical Center. “We work with many of the region’s best physicians,” he said, “and we learn from them, and in turn they learn from us. We have gotten referrals from many of our colleagues.”
Although many people become aware they have varicose veins because of their appearance, leaving the problem untreated can lead to pain, swelling, dermatitis, skin thickening and skin ulcers.
Kirchner said removal of the veins has a liberating effect on many patients. “People feel a lot better about themselves because they feel they’ve been able to overcome something that set them apart from everyone else,” he said.
Kirchner added that patients at Vein Specialists have excellent odds of successful treatment.
“Our success rate is higher than 98 percent because the process is minimally invasive and modern technology is so precise in creating the images we
PHOTO BY LEONARD WECHSLER/TOWN-CRIER
need in order to do the job,” he said. “The surgery is done quickly without general anesthesia. And within a week, our patients begin to really feel better about themselves.”
Vein Specialists also provides more cosmetic procedures.
“Foam sclerotherapy works very well on spider and varicose veins,” Hamilton said. “We inject foam into diseased veins, which helps to close them down.”
Vein Specialists of the Palm Beaches
works with most insurance providers and also accepts credit cards. The firm is located in the Independent Imaging Building at 11337 Okeechobee Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach and is open from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Those interested in Thursday’s free seminar should call the office to make a reservation by the close of business on Monday, March 17.
For more information, call (561) 204-4808 or visit www.vsopb.com.
The Wellington Runners Club met at the Village Walk clubhouse last Friday for an end-of-season party. Club members celebrated their race successes with food, drink, music and lots of dancing. For more information about the Wellington Runners Club, visit www.wellingtonrunners.org. Shown above are (front row, L-R) Bruce Wundrack, Carol Ferraris, Laura Kelly, Loree Reilly, Kelly
a move on the
The Acreage Landowners’ Association hosted its annual Huck Finn Family Day last Sunday at the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area Youth Camp. The event featured a petting zoo, a wildlife exhibit provided by McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary, a pinewood derby for homemade wooden model cars, fishing, canoeing, a variety of rural-style activities and music provided by DJ Mark Thomas.
Michael C. Angotti, originally from New Jersey, moved to Wellington, Florida in 1993 and attended Lynn University in Boca Raton to study Funeral Services. He received his Funeral Directors & Embalmers License in 1996 and has since been serving South Florida communities. Always wanting to do more and help, Mike turned to the Florida Lions Eye Bank & Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, where he became a Certified Eye Enucleator. The eyes, used for research, have brought immeasurable new data in helping to restore sight to the blind. Still wanting to do more, right after 9-11, Michael joined D.M.O.R.T. (Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team) and F.E.M.O.R.S. (Florida Emergency Mortuary Operational Response System). These are teams of people from around the nation and state who respond to mass fatality disasters and identify all the victims.
D.M.O.R.T. was placed into The Department of Homeland Security, and Michael became one of the founding members. He is also part of the U.S. National Disaster Medical System, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Florida Department of Health. In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Mike was one of the first responders and spent numerous weeks in the 3 coastal counties of Mississippi helping the families find, identify, and care for their loved ones that were lost.
In April of 2007, Michael brought all his knowledge and experience to Palms West Funeral Home. Since that time, he has been serving our local families and offers comfort to them in their most inconsolable times. “I have learned from my parents not only the value and importance of quality work, but also ethical standards and the meaning of a family. I take great pride in serving your family and I will treat you as a part of mine”
Ask About Pre-Arrangements - In-Home Appointments Available! 110 Business Park Way - Royal Palm Beach - Florida 33411 561-753-6004 - www.palmswestfuneralhome.com
Palms West Presbyterian Church in Loxahatchee Groves hosted its sixth annual talent show on Saturday, March 8. The show featured church members displaying their various talents, from singing and dancing to piano and guitar playing. The event is a fundraiser for the church’s middle and high school youth groups. The church is located at 13689 Okeechobee Blvd. For more info., call (561) 795-6292.
CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER
PHOTOS BY
By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report
Victories have been hard fought for the Royal Palm Beach High School baseball team this season. The Wildcats’ home game against the King’s Academy on Tuesday night was no exception. Royal Palm Beach (5-6) blew a five-run lead in the top of the sixth inning before coming back with a run in the bottom of the sixth to defeat the Lions 9-8.
The nine runs were the Wildcats’ second-highest total this season. They beat Palm Beach Lakes 10-1 on Feb. 22, thanks in large part to seven Rams errors. RPB managed only three hits against Palm Beach Lakes but got a season-high nine hits against the King’s Academy.
“We swung the bat OK, but we left a lot of men on base,” Royal Palm Beach coach Carey Bush said.
Swinging the bat well has been a struggle for the Wildcats this season. They went into Tuesday night hitting only .190 as a team. “We’re just not consistent,” Bush said. “If they start hitting, we’re going to have a good year.”
After a slow start in which they fell behind 3-0 in the top of the first inning, the game unfolded as if it would be an easy night’s work for the Wildcats. Royal Palm Beach jumped on Lions starter Steve Snider for five runs in the bottom of the first to take a 5-3 lead. The Wildcats added one run in the third inning and two more in the fourth for an 8-3 lead.
Royal Palm Beach starter Rob Marcello coasted after his troubles in the first. During one stretch, the senior left-hander retired seven consecutive Lions
hitters before he walked two batters in the fifth with two outs. Marcello made it out of the inning unscathed when he got Lions catcher Kevin Stypulkowski to ground out.
On a 60-pitch limit, the fifth inning was Marcello’s final one of the night. After Wildcat rightfielder Julian Landrom was thrown out at the plate for the third out in the bottom of the fifth, right-hander Philip Davis came on to pitch for Royal Palm Beach. Davis got in trouble immediately when he hit Nick Maniotis and then gave up a single to Chris Fahey.
Davis appeared as if he might get out of the inning when Stypulkowski lined out for the first out. But John Carpenter singled to load the bases, and Davis threw a wild pitch to Shane Bussey that allowed Maniotis to score, making it 8-4. Bussey grounded into a fielder’s choice to bring the Lions (2-7) to 8-5,
and Alex Maniotis made it 8-6 on a run-scoring single.
TKA shortstop Taylor Kaprive’s triple then tied the score at 8-8. Kaprive was stranded on third base when Davis struck out Joe Babrick to end the inning.
Catcher Joey Sharkey started the Wildcats’ rally in the bottom of the sixth with a one-out walk. Joe Dye then hit what should have been a double-play ball to Kaprive, but his throw sailed over Fahey’s head at first base, and allowed Sharkey to go to third and Dye to second. Wildcat right-fielder Seth Karbal’s single scored Sharkey and put RPB up 9-8. Freshman Jordan Brinson closed out the Lions one-twothree in the seventh. A hardthrowing freshman, Brinson threw 16 pitches — 11 for strikes. “He can play anywhere, so we’ve got to find out what we can do with him,” Bush said.
“He’s played DH for us, played the outfield and has been a catcher on the JV team. He’s a heck of a catcher. As he gets stronger he should be a good pitcher.”
Despite their struggles at the plate, the Wildcats have scored 20 runs in their past three games and went into Wednesday’s game at John Carroll with a two-game win streak; the Wildcats lost that game 3-2. Royal Palm Beach hosted Centennial Friday night, though scores were not available by press time.
Also on Tuesday night, Palm Beach Central bounced back from its 5-2 defeat to Royal Palm Beach last Friday with a 10-0 victory over Palm Beach Lakes. John Magner homered for the Broncos (6-4), who banged out nine hits, including two doubles and a triple by Alex Bello. PBCHS starter Zach Todd went the distance to improve his record to 3-0.
By Lisa Keeney Town-Crier Staff Report
The Palm Beach Central High School girls varsity softball team topped visiting Wellington 4-1 on Tuesday afternoon.
The Broncos opened the district game with a run in the first inning when Brandy Grenauer knocked in Christina Robbs. The score remained 1-0 until the fifth inning when Grenauer
earned a second RBI as Robbs scored again. Palm Beach Central’s Samantha Murray smacked a triple in the fifth inning to score Ashley Hammond. Murray also crossed home plate before the close of the inning for the Broncos. Ali Lowe scored Wellington’s only run. Palm Beach Central will trav-
el to Seminole Ridge on Monday, March 17, followed by Royal Palm Beach High School on Wednesday, March 19. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m. The Wolverines have three home games coming up. The girls will host Palm Beach Gardens on Monday, March 17 at 5:30 p.m. The next day, the Wolverines are scheduled to play Dwyer at 7 p.m. They will host Glades Central on Thursday, March 20 at 6 p.m.
RPB Basketball — The Royal Palm Beach Basketball Junior Division Phoenix Suns blew through the 2008 season with a 14-0 record, including two wins in the playoffs that brought home the championship. Pictured here are (front row, L-R): Brandon Mangual, Patrick Moreland, Alex Molina and Evan Sagar; (back row): Coach Larry LaRosa, Daniel Beckwith, Quinten Tracy, Brandon LaRosa, Marshall Riddle, Kevin Levine and Coach Darren Levine.
RPB Youth Baseball League
Standings as of 3/7/08
The 2008 National Bicycle League Gator Nationals will take place March 14-16 at Okeeheelee BMX.
The Gator Nationals feature two War of the Stars pro events and the last two UCI Continental Series races of the season. This means that all of the U.S. Olympic hopefuls and many of the top male and female stars from around the world will be in attendance.
The Gator Nationals schedule is jampacked full of activities and contests for the whole family including a Friday Night Pennant Race, the Intense Build-a-Bike Contest, the BAWLS Bunnyhop Chal-
The Wellington High School girls flag football team had two exciting games Monday night at Park Vista. The junior varsity team started out hot, scoring two quick touchdowns, one on a run by Stacey Joseph and another on a pass interception by Kodie-Ann Walcott, giving the girls a quick 13-0 lead. Park Vista came back with a touchdown on a longpass play a minute later to bring the score to 13-7. Both teams’ defenses clamped down the rest of the game. The final score was 13-7.
The varsity team had difficulty with nerves, footing and the wind. After a 60yard pass completion, Park Vista scored on an interception. The pass was intended for a Wellington receiver who slipped and fell; that gave Park Vista a 6-0 lead. Park Vista scored again on the final play of the first half to go up 12-0. In the second half, defense toughened up and offense started to execute. The girls scored late in the third quarter to close 12-7. Things went back and forth for a bit until the Wolverines’ defense made an interception at the Park Vista 20 yard line with less than two minutes left in the game, setting the girls up with a chance to
lenge, UGP Open Series, a pro autograph session and tons of prize draws. Events continue to attract national media attention, and once again USA Today Live will be onsite filming for their upcoming show Gotta Get Gold. CBC TV from Canada will be shooting footage for their upcoming Olympic feature Samantha Cools, and a handful of national and local sports writers will be buzzing about. The Gator Nationals will be available via webcast at www.go211. com.
For more info., call (561) 333-5231 or visit www.okeeheeleebmx.com.
score. Wellington scored in dramatic fashion on a pass that went through a Park Vista defender’s hands to fall into Geena Milho’s eager hands for the goahead touchdown. Park Vista frantically attempted to score in the time left but was outmaneuvered by the Wellington defense, which added two more interceptions, one by Christina Brown and the other by Jessica Paparella.
The Palm Beach Central High School girls varsity lacrosse team fell 16-2 to Cardinal Newman in a home game Tuesday. Broncos Morgan Nicola and Melissa Boulbol each scored a goal in the first half of the game. Cardinal Newman’s lead scorer Chessy Ricca managed to score four goals, all in the second half, while Newman’s Katie Bruno scored one goal in the first half and two more in the second.
The loss gives the Palm Beach Central girls a 4-2 record so far this season. Their next home game will be the Senior Night game against Spanish River High School on Wednesday, March 19.
Young Skiers — (L-R) Danielle Dumala, Katie Krigbaum, Samantha Dumala and Ashley Stevens ready to perform at WestFest.
The Ski Club of the Palm Beaches joined the Palms West Chamber of Commerce’s two-day WestFest Land & Sea Festival, which took place March 1 and 2 at Okeeheelee Park.
The club staged six water skiing demonstrations both days, which included barefooting, jumping, tricks and slalom skiing.
The shows opened with demonstrations of both front and back barefooting by Brad Henderson and Zenon Bilas. The club’s youngest skiers then hit the water, with Katie Krigbaum on two skis, while Ashley Stevens and Samantha and Danielle Dumala performed on slalom.
Next in the fast-paced event was
jumping. Dennis Longo and Joe Luzoro hit the bright yellow and red ramp, despite little practice in the off season.
This was quickly followed by Frances Woofenden on tricks, graceful and not at all showing her 80-plus years.
Head-to-head slalom was next, with female and male contingents battling it out. The events concluded with a parade of boats and skiers, all brandishing American flags. Throughout it all, the announcer explained the many facets of the sport, and stressed the safety precautions and equipment.
For more information about the Ski Club of the Palm Beaches, visit www. okeeski.com.
Roger Dean Stadium recently announced that the Dog Days of Summer will be returning for a seventh year during the 2008 Minor League Baseball season. This summer, the Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Cardinals have once again partnered with Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League for their monthly salute to man’s best friend. Dog Days of Summer will take place April 12, May 17, June 28, July 26 and Aug. 23.
On each of these nights, dogs will be admitted into the stadium with a $5 purchase of a “Peggy Pass.” The pass is good for all five Dog Days of Summer dates. All proceeds from the Peggy Pass will benefit the Peggy Adams Animal
Rescue League. Game tickets for dog owners cost $8.50 plus tax. For those evenings, in addition to watching exciting Minor League Baseball, dog lovers will have their very own sections of the stadium and many dog-related businesses will be on hand throughout the concourse.
Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League is a non-profit organization, receiving no state or federal funding.
Games start at 6:05 p.m. with gates opening at 5 p.m. For more information on the Dog Days of Summer, call the stadium at (561) 775-1818. For information on sponsorships, call Garrett White at (561) 630-1839.
The
in a tournament held March
includes (front
L-R):
and Lindsey Fisher; and (back row): coaches Paul Smith and Mike Dampier.
The bright lights of the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington showcased three teams in two rounds of competition on a chilly Saturday, March 8, with Team USA Purina Mills emerging as the winner of the 2008 Challenge of the Americas.
The USA team claimed second place in the High Jump and first place in the Musical Quadrille, which counted 40 percent and 60 percent respectively, giving the eight-member squad the victory after a spectacular dressage performance to a “Blue Angels” themed soundtrack.
Betsy Steiner of Team USA, who has participated in the event every year since its inception seven years ago, exclaimed “I can’t believe it’s seven times already! We were so excited to win it because though we’ve won the overall team, this is the first time we’ve actually won the quadrille. We were very committed this year to do the very, very best we could, so it’s a thrill to really come out winning this one. It’s a good feeling.”
Team USA Purina Mills show jumpers Todd Minikus and Emily Williams notched the team’s first set of scores in the High Jump, placing second, which translated to a value of four points. Steiner, with teammates Lynda Alicki, Pamela Goodrich, Chris Hickey, Susan Jaccoma and Bent Jensen, earned an additional 10 points for the team with their quadrille victory. George Williams was the quadrille team coach and Terry
Gallo of Klassic Kur created the choreography and soundtrack.
Team USA Purina Mills finished the night in the Gold Medal position with the winning total of 14 points.
Team Can/Am SSG Gloves, the defending champions of this event, placed second this year. Canadians Ainsley Vince and Martin Hoygens won the High Jump phase, giving their team a starting score of six points. Simone Williams, Jacqueline Paxton, Kayce Redmond, Chris Saunders, Jackie Brooks and Gary Vander Ploeg notched five points for their third place finish in the Musical Quadrille. EvaMarie Pracht coached the quadrille riders. Team Can/Am SSG Gloves claimed the Silver Medal in the final standings with a total of 11 points.
Team International Morgan Stanley earned third place. Darragh Kerrins of Ireland and Eduardo Salas of Mexico completed the High Jump phase in third place, delivering two points for their team. Marco Bernal, Patrick Burssens, Mikala Munter Gundersen, Karen Lipp, Cathy Morelli and Silke Rembacz captured seven points for their second place finish in the Musical Quadrille. Beth Zimski was the quadrille coach and choreographer, and Marlene Whitaker of Custom Freestyles created the soundtrack from Zimski’s music selections. Team International was awarded the Bronze medal for its overall score of nine points.
“I am very grateful to these talented riders and the owners
of their wonderful horses for donating their time and efforts to help the challenge raise funds for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. They were all simply phenomenal,” said Mary Ross, founder and chairman of the Challenge of the Americas. “The quadrille coaches, choreographers and soundtrack creators provided outstanding productions. All the teams were a thrill to watch, and I am grateful to have such fabulous people involved.”
The spectacular evening of sport and entertainment kicked off with opening ceremonies featuring two solo dressage exhibitions setting the scene before a sold-out crowd in the International Club and a cheering section of general admission fans in the blue seats. Olympian Steffen Peters riding Fantasma owned by Deborah and Rex Howe, a Selle Francais stallion shown in Grand Prix by Rick Silvia, performed one of his award-winning freestyles as a “Salute to America.” Pan American Games team gold and individual silver medalist Lauren Sammis rode Sagacious HF owned by Al Guden in a tribute entitled “In Memory of Judy,” honoring her mount’s owner, Judy Guden, who died of breast cancer last year.
Pan Am teammates Chris Hickey and Susie Dutta stood ringside during her wonderful freestyle to Billy Joel tunes, and after the final halt they presented Sammis with a bouquet of flowers in honor of Mrs. Guden.
Ashley Holzer led the victory gallop once again at the 25th Phelpssports.com Palm Beach Dressage Derby with an astounding 77.45 percent, including two scores of 79 percent or higher, in the Grand Prix Freestyle. The derby was held Feb. 28 through March 2 at White Fences in Loxahatchee.
Holzer, a Canadian Olympic medalist, also claimed Saturday’s Grand Prix with her 11-year-old KWPN gelding Pop Art. The duo has had an impressive Florida showing with several other wins this year as they prepare for the Olympic Games in Hong Kong. “I feel extremely proud of my horse,” Holzer said. “It just came together.”
The pair danced to a combination of music from the Epcot Center fireworks show and the
soundtrack from the movie National Treasure, which was selected by Holzer’s daughter Emma. Holzer commended coach Evi Strausser for helping her fine-tune the warm-up. Holzer was quick to praise her entire team for helping Pop Art stay calm and relaxed. The flashy chestnut received an early morning walk around the show grounds to aid in his relaxation. The plan worked, as Pop Art commanded the arena. Holzer was pleased with her horse’s focus and loved the feel of his piaffe.
Jane Hannigan and her KWPN gelding Maksymillian finished second with a 72.85 percent. Although an official announcement hasn’t been made yet, most likely Hannigan will get to
See DERBY, page 42A
The West Palm Beach Senior Expo took place Tuesday and Wednesday, March 11 and 12 at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds. The expo featured health screenings, more than 100 booths of product information, entertainment, giveaways and more.
Saturday, March 15
• The 2008 CN Winter Equestrian Festival continues through April at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (14440 Pierson Road, Wellington). For more information, visit www.equestriansport.com or call (561) 793-5867.
• Israeli Art Month at the Armory Art Center (1700 Parker Ave., West Palm Beach) continues through April 5 featuring unique works created by leading Israeli fiber artists, artist-led workshops, lectures and more. For info., call (561) 832-1776 or visit www.armoryart.org.
• The National Cloverleaf Invitational Volleyball Tournament continues Saturday and Sunday, March 15 and 16 at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds (9067 Southern Blvd.). More than 150 teams from all over the country will compete. For more info., call (561) 7930333 or visit www.southflorida fair.com.
• The Arthur R. Marshall Foundation will hold an outing for volunteers on Torry Island near Belle Glade to plant native pond apple trees on Saturday, March 15 from 9 a.m. to noon. The outing is appropriate for ages five and up. Wear closed-toed shoes, hats, sunglasses and sunscreen. Refreshments will be served. RSVP to (561) 805-8733 or plantcypress@aol.com.
• A fruit tree sale sponsored by the Rare Fruit Council will be held Saturday, March 15 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the South Florida Fairgrounds AgriPlex (9067 Southern Blvd.). Admission is free. For more info., call (561) 793-0333.
• The Acreage Horseman’s Association will host a “Play Day” on Saturday, March 15 at Hamlin Equestrian Park. All skill levels and ages of riders are welcome. Registration for the daylong event starts at 9 a.m. with games and events starting at 10 a.m. The South Florida Mustang Club will have horses available for adoption. The event will feature many vendors, particularly those who sell equestrian products, and the AHA will raffle a saddle. Hamlin Equestrian Park is located on Hamlin Blvd. just east of Hall Blvd. For more info., call Brenda Riol at (954) 648-3803 or visit www.acreagehorseman.com.
• Celebrate National Craft Month by making a leprechaun craft on Saturday, March 15, 10:30 a.m. at the Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way). The program is for children ages five and up. To preregister, call (561) 790-6030.
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “So You Want to Write a Nonfiction Book” on Saturday, March 15 at 11 a.m. Manny Luftglass will discuss the necessary steps. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.
• Pure Thoughts Horse and Foal Rescue (19181 Capet Creek Court in Loxahatchee) will host its annual fundraiser Barnboots & Baubles Carnivale on Saturday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $100 per person and can be purchased at www.pthr.org or by calling Jennifer Swanson at (561) 254-0415.
• CityPlace Saturday Nights will present Tony Alexander and his Bowery Boys playing oldies rock on Saturday, March 15 from 7 to 11 p.m. in downtown West Palm Beach. For more info., call (561) 366-1000.
Sunday, March 16
• The Wellington Art Society’s fundraiser Art in the Afternoon will be held Sunday, March 16 from noon to 4 p.m. at Breakers West Country Club. The lunch event will be highlighted by a live art auction and a silent auction of art and non-art items. Tickets are $40. For more info., call Susan Rose at (561) 795-1691 or visit www. wellingtonart society.org.
• Florida Atlantic University’s Jupiter campus (5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter) and the Lifelong Learning Society will host a concert featuring musical selections by students and faculty from FAU’s School of the Arts on Sunday, March 16 at 3 p.m. in the Lifelong Learning Auditorium. Admission is $10 for the general public and free for FAU students with ID. Proceeds from the concert will benefit FAU’s Department of Music scholarship fund. Light refreshments will be served after the concert. For reservations and more info., call (561) 7998667 or (561) 799-8547.
• The Crestwood Performing Arts League (C-PAL) will present A Tribute to West Side Story on Sunday, March 16, 7:30 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach High School Performing Arts Theatre. The cost is $13 for adults and free for youths. For more info., call C-PAL President George Peltzmacher at (561) 793-6897 or Vice President Dolly Hughes at (561) 7932984.
Monday, March 17
• The first session of Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) survival lessons will take place Monday, March 17 at the Wellington Aquatic Complex (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Certified instructor Deby Dahlgren will conduct the lessons, geared toward infants and children ages six months to six years old. For children ages six months to one year, lessons cost $425 for a five-week course. For ages one to six, the cost is $595 for a sevenweek class. Each class is 10 minutes long, five days a week. For more info., call (561) 7532484, ext. 2836 or visit www. infantswim.com.
• Royal Palm Beach will offer Floral Arrangement Classes at Veterans Park (1036 Royal Palm Beach Blvd.) on Mondays, March 17, April 25 and May 9 at 10 a.m. The cost is $25 for residents and $30 for non-residents. For more info., call Noel Vasquez at (561) 7917080.
• The Gypsy’s Horse Irish Pub in the original Wellington Mall (12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 20A) will host a St. Patrick’s Day Celebration on Monday, March 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. For more info., call (561) 333-3700.
• BankUnited’s Wellington branch (11924 Forest Hill Blvd.) will host an event for their clients titled “We’re Lucky To Have You as a Customer” on Monday, March 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Refreshments will be served. For more info., call (561) 204-3573.
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “Luck of the Irish” on Monday, March 17 at 3 p.m. Children ages two to five can dress in green for stories about leprechauns and Ireland. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.
• More than 100 students, teachers and area professionals will perform a free concert on Monday, March 17, 7 p.m.
at the Harriet Himmel Theater at CityPlace in downtown West Palm Beach. Many of the participants are from local schools, including Crestwood Middle School, Emerald Cove Middle School and Cypress Trails Elementary School. The concert will include a multi-cultural section, as well as a complete version of John Rutter’s Requiem for choir and orchestra. For more info., call Richard Andreacchio at (561) 882-3427.
Tuesday, March 18
• The Wellington Teen Council will host its second “Fuddraiser” benefit dinner on Tuesday, March 18 at Fuddruckers restaurant (10880 Forest Hill Blvd.). Show up with a flier between 5 and 10 p.m. Fliers are collected at the time of payment and are required for Fuddruckers to track the proceeds generated. The council will receive 20 percent of proceeds. Money raised will go to the Village of Wellington’s teen concert “The Mix” and the Western Communities Relay for Life. For more info., call Julie Strow at (561) 753-5262.
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present Anime Grab Bag on Tuesday, March 18 at 6:30 p.m. Youth ages 12 through 17 can get a sneak peek at some of the coolest new anime titles. Call (561) 790-6070 for info.
Wednesday, March 19
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “Celebrate Yourself and Others” Wednesday, March 19 at 3:30 p.m. for ages six and up focusing on different themes, using books, stories, music and artwork to discover themselves and the world while celebrating similarities and differences. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.
• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will hold a Business After-Hour Mixer on Wednesday, March 19 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Brass Ring Pub (10998 Okeechobee Blvd., Royal Palm Beach). Call (561) 790-6200 for info.
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present Author Talk: T.J. MacGregor on Wednesday, March 19 at 6:30 p.m. The Kill Time author will discuss how to begin writing your own novel. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.
• The Town-Crier newspaper will host a Televised Candidate’s Forum on Wednesday, March 19 at 7 p.m. at the Wellington Community Center between Howard Coates and Matthew Willhite, the two Wellington Seat 4 council candidates advancing to a March 25 runoff election. The public is invited to attend. Questions will be solicited from the audience.
• County Commissioner Jess Santamaria will host a Community Forum on Wednesday, March 19, 7 p.m. at the original Wellington Mall (12794 Forest Hill Blvd.). The topic will be county departments. Featured speakers will include Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Chief Herman Brice. For more info., call (561) 355-6300. Thursday, March 20
• Join Chabad Children’s Masquerade Balloon Purim at the center court of the original Wellington Mall (12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) on Thursday, March 20 at 6 p.m. Each child in costume will receive a prize. The activity is free. For more info., call Rabbi Mendy Muskal at (561) 333-4663 or e-mail rabbim@bellsouth.net.
Children diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis will be modeling for the Arthritis Foundation’s Magic of Caring fashion show and luncheon on Saturday, March 15 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Cohen Pavilion.
Stuffed bunnies dressed in various costumes will be auctioned off, as well as a variety of gifts and certificates. The bunnies represent the magic of “pulling a rabbit out of a magician’s hat,” with money raised from the auction showing the caring of supporters of this event — thus, the title “Magic of Caring.”
For more information, call the foundation office at (561) 833-1133.
Temple Beth Torah in Wellington will host several special events in March.
On Saturday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m., the Volunteer Parent Organization of Temple Beth Torah’s Leonie Arguetty Preschool cordially invites you to “Denim and Diamonds,” a glamorous evening of extravagant food and dancing to benefit the preschool featuring Contemporary Caterers. The cost is $100 per couple.
On Sunday, March 23 beginning at 10 a.m., Temple Beth Torah will present its annual Purim Shpiel “A Sesame Street Purim.” Billed as the “wackiest, craziest, loudest celebration of the year,” the day will feature a Megillah reading followed immediately by the temple’s famous Purim Carnival.
On Thursday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m., the Sisterhood of Temple Beth Torah will hold their annual event “Two Rabbis, One Book,” featuring the temple’s Rabbi Stephen Pinsky and Rabbi Anthony Fratello of Temple Shaarei Shalom, Boynton Beach. Organizers urge attendees to
read this year’s book, Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky.
On the weekend of March 28 to 30, the temple with hold a very special Scholar-Artist-in-Residence Weekend. Friday evening will feature Cantor Dreskin’s “Can You Hear Me Now: The Efficacy of Prayer,” a musical and inspirational look at the prayers, which starts at 7:30 p.m. A Shabbat lunch will take place Saturday at 12:30 p.m., sponsored by the Torah Study Group. Cantor Dreskin will present the lecture “Introduction to Jewish Mysticism: Revelation and Relevance.” The cost is $10 per person; reservations are required. On Saturday evening, March 29 the Havdalah program “Shabbat’s Sweet Sorrow” will take place at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, March 30 a Board of Trustees and Avodah Committee Session will take place at 10 a.m.; it is open to the entire congregation.
For more information on any of these events, call (561) 793-2700.
On Saturday, March 22, New Beginnings Chapel invites you to join in the Easter fun with egg hunts every half hour, incredible inflatables, great music, prizes and more. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the chapel grounds, located at 8431 Lake Worth Road, just west of Florida’s Turnpike.
New Beginnings Chapel will celebrate Easter week with a Good Friday service on Friday, March 21 at 7 p.m. Rise and shine on Easter Sunday, March 23 for a yummy pancake breakfast at 9:30 a.m. A four-week sermon series of “Forgivin’ Livin’” will kick off on Easter Sunday. The public is invited each Sunday for a free continental breakfast 10:15 a.m. and a contemporary worship service at 10:30 a.m.
For further information, call Pastor Mike Arnone at (561) 967-3149 or visit www.nbchapel.com.
• CASPEREY STABLES HORSE CAMP — Casperey Stables is a small, funfilled day camp for children ages 7 to 14. With four riding opportunities each day, arts & crafts and outdoor games, our campers find little time to be bored. Our low counselor/child ratio ensures your child will receive individual attention. There are camp sessions for spring and winter school breaks, and during the summer, each two-week session has a theme, such as Indian Days, Circus Days and Medieval Days. We have a weekly swim party and end each session with a horse show and family BBQ! Call soon — this small, quality program fills quickly! To learn more about our camp, located at 2330 D Road in Loxahatchee Groves, call us at (561) 792-4990 or visit our web site at www.caspereystables.com.
• VILLARI’S SUMMER CAMP — The staff members at Villari’s of Wellington are pleased to offer a full nine-week summer camp. Villari’s summer camp will improve your child’s focus, fitness and confidence and communication skills through interacting with their peers. We will focus on flexibility, coordination, listening skills, personal fitness and improved social awareness. Martial arts is not just kicking and punching, it’s about having fun! Call (561) 792-1100 to reserve your space.
• PLANET KIDS — Planet Kid is family owned and operated with trained, experienced counselors all with First Aid/CPR training. The camp has the coolest playground in town, continual learning programs in house, exciting field trips three days per week, hands-on science, educational outings, scrapbooking, cooking, swimming, roller skating, bowling, wildlife sanctuary, Jungle Queen Cruise and more. Two separate camps are offered: Junior camp for ages 2 to 5 and Super camp for ages 5 to 12 years. Planet Kids is open daily from 6:15 a.m. to 6:15 p.m., Monday through Friday at five convenient locations. See our ad for locations and phone numbers.
• SUMMIT CHRISTIAN SCHOOL — An independent non-denominational Christian school serving children from six weeks to 12th grade, Summit Christian School features exciting summer camps. Junior Camp (K through first grade) and Senior Camp (second grade through fifth grade) from June 9 through Aug. 1, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Experienced SCS summer staff supervise children in daily devotions, field trips, arts and crafts, swimming, tennis, karate, lunch and much more. Early bird special: register your family before May 2 for $30 ($50 after May 2) and receive a free T-shirt. For more information, call (561) 686-8081, ext. 326 or visit www.summitchristian.com.
- Ages 5-7 Adventures in ART - Ages 8-11
Send your young artist on an adventure in the visual arts! While studying past and present works of the world's arts and cultures, students will rotate between studio areas daily, completing creative projects in painting, drawing, mixed media, ceramic, sculpture and more!
Session 1: June 9-13 Art of Storytelling
Session 2: June 16-27 (2 wks) Art of the Wild
Session 3: July 7 - 11 Art That Makes No Sense
Session 4: July 14 - 25 (2 wks) Art & Science
Session 5: July 28 - August 8 (2 wks)Art From Around The World
Session 6: August 11 - 15 Art That’s Magical
(561) 832-1776 www.ArmoryArt.org
• SPORTS BROADCASTING CAMP — Boys and girls 10 to 18 will have an opportunity to learn from the pros and meet sports celebrities. Campers will record play-by-play, reporting, sports anchor and PTI tapes. Campers will tour a pro stadium/arena and make reporting tapes at the stadium. Kids will participate in mock sports talk radio and PTI (“Pardon The Interruption”) style shows, trivia contests and much more. The camp runs June 9-13 at the FAU Boca campus. For more information, call Sports Broadcasting Camps at (800) 319-0884 or visit our web site at www.playbyplaycamps.com.
• WELLINGTON CHRISTIAN SCHOOL — Come join us once again for our Summer Camp Eagle. Programs available for children four years to fifth grade. Camp runs June 9 through Aug. 1, 2008 (no camp Friday, July 4). Join us for Jump Start Academics (morning hours only) or Summer Camp Eagle until 3 p.m. Aftercare is available. Activities include arts and crafts, cooking, Bible, swimming and field trips. Jump Start Academics in reading, math and writing (ages 6-12). Look for our ad in this section. Call (561) 868-2225 for more information or stop by and see us at 1000 Wellington Trace in Wellington.
• FAME DANCE & PERFORMING ARTS STUDIOS Fame Studios offers summer camp and intensive workshops. We offer Fun Camp where no experience is necessary; Performance Camp for those with a bit of experience; and our Intensive Workshop for experienced dancers. Visit us at our Wellington location at 3080 Fairlane Farms Road, Bay 4 (just west of the Mall at Wellington Green) or call us at (561) 795-9992.
• CAMP EXPLORATIONS Camp Explorations is located on the beautiful campus of JFK Medical Center Charter School. Join us for 10 weeks of fun-filled summer days. We have a new heated swimming pool on site, which we will use for daily swim lessons. Campers will enjoy our computer lab, air conditioned gym, crafts, science fun, sports and more. Register by May 1 to receive $10 per week discount. Call (561) 868-6105 for info.
• ST. DAVID’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL SUMMER CAMP St. David’s Camp is open to children ages three to eight. Children can sign-up by the week and can pick two days, three days or five days. Each week has a theme, with activities such as arts and crafts, cooking, outside play and learning activities. All activities are on-site with our trained, loving staff. We are located at 465 W. Forest Hill Blvd. on the northwest corner of Forest Hill Blvd. and Wellington Trace. For additional information, call (561) 793-1272.
• ARMORY ART CENTER GET CREATIVE SUMMER ART CAMP — Jump Start for ages five to seven; Adventures in Art for ages eight to 11; and Studio Art Shops for teens (middle & high school students). An adventure in the visual arts for your young artist! Six sessions starting June 9. The center is located at 1700 Parker Ave., West Palm Beach. For more information, call (561) 832-1776 or visit www.armoryart.org.
• PALM BEACH ZOO SUMMER CAMP The Palm Beach Zoo’s 2008 Summer Zoo Camp offers great adventures for children ages five to 14. Zoo campers will gain a better understanding of a variety of animals and the habitats in which they live while enjoying a full schedule of daily amusements. Handson animal encounters, fountain play, crafts, hands-on science, zoo tours, games, scavenger hunts and, of course, zoo keeping duties are included. Each week the program introduces a new wildlife adventure, so parents may want to consider more than one week of zoo camp. Camp hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Before and after care and lunch are available for an additional fee. All programs are on Palm Beach Zoo grounds at Dreher Park in West Palm Beach. Weekly sessions are from June 9 through Aug. 22. For more information and registration forms, visit www.palmbeach zoo.org or call (561) 547-WILD.
• TEMPLE BETH TORAH LEONIE ARGUETTY PRESCHOOL ENRICHMENT CAMP Runs June 16 through Aug. 8. Designed to meet the needs of children ages two to five, our program features arts & crafts, cooking, science, nature, water play, computers, music & movement, sports, gymnastics and weekly shabbat celebrations; weekly entertainment such as puppet shows, carnival day, magic, library time, and more! We are also offering summer and fall VPK. We are a licensed and NAEYC-accredited school. For more information or a tour of the facility, contact Director Ann Parades at (561) 793-2649.
• WELLINGTON SHOW STABLES “RIDING CAMP” — An introduction to the world of horses and ponies. Our summer program runs eight weeks in one-week sessions for all ages, five to seven and eight to 16. The camp provides safe school horses and ponies carefully matched to each rider. Your child will spend his or her day learning about horsemanship, including learning about feeding, grooming, proper care, riding and general veterinary care. We also include a classroom for arts and crafts, lectures and reading. We train the English style of riding, which includes learning how to jump based out of a large showing facility. We have been here for 20 years and have been training and teaching to a high quality, and we have trained many champions! To obtain a pre-class packet with registration forms, call Wellington Parks & Recreation at (561) 791-4005.
• TEMPLE BETH ZION PRESCHOOL & CAMP — A camp where children of all faiths learn and play together, offering a fun-filled summer program in a safe, loving environment. We have a strong academic program with small classes during the school year. Registration is now ongoing for fall sessions of religious school and preschool. We are located at 129 Sparrow Drive in Royal Palm Beach. For more information, call (561) 798-3737.
The Wellington High School debate and forensic team will be represented by eight members at the 2008 National Catholic Forensic League “Grand Nationals” championships in Appleton, Wis., Memorial Day weekend, May 24-26.
Senior Sloan Shaffer will be making a return visit to the NCFL Nationals, but in a different event, Original Oratory; she qualified in Extemporaneous Speaking last year. She is the only Wellington debater making a repeat appearance at Grand Nationals.
In Student Congress, junior Amanda DeStefano advanced to the Wisconsin tournament, making it six years in a row that Wellington will have a legislative presence at a national championship tournament.
Three sophomores will be competing in Declamation: Evan Baumel, Victoria Davy and Kodie-Ann Walcott. This is the first time since 2003 that Wellington has been represented at Grand Nationals in Declamation.
Three novice freshmen students will represent the Wolverines as well. In Dramatic Performance, Christine Simmons will compete. In addition, the Public Forum Debate team of Jeffrey Sall and Jeff Townsend will be in attendance.
Four debaters recently earned the National Forensic League “Degree of Excellence,” bypassing the 150-point mark: Victoria Davy, Haley Passeser, Jeffrey Sall and Jack Townsend. The Wellington High School debate team is coached by Paul Gaba.
The Wellington High School National Public Policy Forum Debate team has advanced to the “Final Four” single-elimination round of the national debate tournament hosted by the Bickel & Brewer law firm.
Wellington’s team of Chelsea Fitzgerald, Hayley Kolich, Raquel Kraushar and Michael Stechschulte defeated the team from Lakewood, Colo., on a 30 vote to advance to the Final Four.
In doing so, the quartet received an all-expenses-paid trip to the finals April 25-27 at New York University, where they will compete against Colleyville Heritage High School, Texas in the national semifinals. Wellington will handle the negative side of the topic, whether the United States federal government should substantially increase its AIDS/HIV public health assistance to sub-Saharan Africa.
The winner of this round will go against either Kahuku High & Intermediate School in Hawaii or Bellaire High School in Texas.
After completing written and oral arguments, finalists will be honored during a special banquet and awards ceremony.
The Bickel & Brewer Foundation awards the winning team a $10,000 grand prize, presented in the form of individual cash awards for scholarships.
National City is launching a new scholarship program called Banking on Your Future, which will award $52,000 to more than 100 deserving high school se-
niors in 52 Florida schools.
The scholarship will recognize the well-rounded students who achieve good grades, participate in competitive sports and volunteer in the community. Two seniors who exemplify the criteria from each of the participating schools will receive a $500 scholarship.
The Banking on Your Future
scholarship includes Atlantic, Lake Worth, Palm Beach Central Royal Palm Beach, Seminole Ridge and Wellington high schools. Students must be graduating during the 2007-08 school year. They need to have completed 100 hours of un-paid community volunteer work during the past two years, maintained a 3.0 grade point average
and participated in a competitive team sport for two consecutive years. Applications must be submitted to the student’s guidance counselor by April 15.
The Alliance for Excellent Education has released an up-
dated Florida State Card, which provides a summary of vital data regarding the state’s high schools.
Available online at www. all4ed.org/about_the_crisis/ schools/map, the Florida State Card is also distributed directly to Florida’s U.S. Congressional delegation, governor and state legislators.
Wellington High School students and staff held a pep rally Monday in preparation for FCATs that included games, pies in the face, singing and general silliness to work off some steam after hard preparation for testing, which took place on Tuesday.
The Outback Steakhouse Dinner, sponsored by the Seminole Ridge High School Athletic Boosters, will return this year on the evening of Tuesday, March 25. Proven to be another highly successful fundraiser for sports programs, this annual event is a great dinner for a great price — sirloin steak or chicken, green beans, salad and a roll. Like last year’s dinner, it’s a drive-through, where you pick up your meal at the SRHS bus loop from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10 and half goes directly to the sport of your choice. The remaining $5 goes to the Booster Club for its support of all the athletic programs. The price is low because the 400 dinners are donated by the Palm Beach Gardens Outback Steakhouse. All the dinners are cooked at the school by the Outback staff and come to you piping hot and fresh.
In addition to the steak or chicken dinner, your ticket offers free admission, with an Outback stub, to a Seminole Ridge athletic event that week. Last year the boosters sold 500 dinners, and they expect these 400 to go quickly. Contact SRHS Athletic Director Scott Parks at (561) 422-2611, or see any of the coaches or athletes to purchase a ticket.
Chorus Takes the Gold at WestFest — The Seminole Ridge chamber choir competed March 2 at the WestFest Land & Sea Festival’s “Battle of the High Schools” to receive an overall first-place finish. That honor comes with a trophy and a check for $500.
Seminole Ridge won first place in the Brain Bowl. Team members were Nicholas Bland, Sarah Mathews and Melissa Schupp. The SRHS team defeated Palm Beach Central, Royal Palm Beach, Summit Christian and Wellington high schools. Seminole Ridge took second place in Karaoke; Palm Beach Central edged out SRHS singer Kali DeCarlo.
In Spirit Cheer, Seminole Ridge won
first place. The team consisted of captain Karista MacRostie and members Kali DeCarlo, Courtney Hubbell, Anthony Hurtado, Taylor Lawson, Melissa Schupp and Scott Smith.
Seminole Ridge’s Anthony Hurtado won fourth place in the Frozen T-shirt Contest.
Six Debaters, Four Wins — The Florida Forensics League Varsity State Championship Tournament is one of the most difficult in the country. Forensics coach
Mrs. Mierka Drucker took six students to the tournament, and they came home with four awards.
The public forum team of Haaris Rosario and October Reid went 3-2. Reid was voted second-best speaker for preliminary rounds. Stephanie MacInnes earned the ninth-place speaker award in Lincoln-Douglas debate preliminaries.
The public forum team of Devon Arnold and Edward O’Hara made it to the final round on a 3-0 decision. They
dropped to one of the highest-ranked teams in the country on a 2-1 decision, making Arnold and O’Hara the numbertwo team in Florida.
“To fully comprehend the magnitude of their accomplishment,” Drucker said, “you must also understand that the competition in this event is extremely steep. For Devon and Eddie, this is a phenomenal triumph! I am truly overwhelmed with happiness by their achievements.”
Cypress Trails Elementary School held its sixth annual Jump Rope for Heart (JRFH) on Thursday, Feb. 28 during the school day.
JRFH is a fundraiser for the American Heart Association, similar to a walk-athon in which students jump rope instead of walking and secure donations for their efforts.
All students at Cypress Trails participated by jumping rope for 30 minutes to exercise their hearts. About 120 students secured sponsors and collected donations totaling over $5,700 for the American Heart Association, which fights heart disease and stroke, the nation’s numberone and number-three killers.
During February, American Heart Month, the students had several heart health lessons in PE class. They learned basic anatomy and physiology of the heart, signs and symptoms of a heart attack, signs and symptoms of a stroke, risk factors for heart disease and specific ways to take care of their hearts. The students spent two weeks learning a variety of jump rope skills including short ropes, long ropes and doubledutch.
Jump Rope for Heart is an educational and fun way to teach the students to
begin to take the steps toward living a heart healthy life, perhaps prolonging and saving their own lives in the future.
Many teachers and parents also participated in JRFH by twirling ropes and/
or jumping themselves. Every classroom teacher who participated received a prize to use during recess. Contest winners also received their choice of play equipment.
Seven-year-old Julie Cesta of Wellington and her mother Jeanette traveled to Washington, D.C. last week to be part of the Washington Days program sponsored by the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF). During that week people with bleeding disorders traveled to Washington to meet with legislators and discuss issues that directly affect them.
Appointments were arranged by the NHF for the 200 lobbyists, including the 10-member Florida group, who spent last Thursday on Capitol Hill focusing on three primary issues: increased access to Medigap insurance policies; increasing lifetime health insurance caps; and addressing the needs of women with bleeding disorders through specialized healthcare, education and support of hemophilia treatment centers.
Although they did not have any meetings scheduled with the actual representatives, Cesta asked if she could get pictures taken with them. At that point she had an opportunity to tell Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Rep. Tim Mahoney her story, which resulted in the Florida group having 15 to 20 minutes with each of them to discuss the issues.
Cesta told how she missed her first days of first grade because she had to go to the hospital to get a baby tooth removed because her health insurance company would not authorize a bloodclotting factor drug. Instead, her dad had to give blood so they could get the clotting factor she needed from him. Cesta had to sleep in the hospital a couple of nights and get transfusions.
With the help of the local Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC), the family — four out of five of them have bleeding disorders — is now set up with home healthcare and clotting-factor drugs in the refrigerator when they need them and the insurance company covers the cost.
Jayden Jennae Rudd — daughter of Amanda Jean and Alan William Rudd of West Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on Feb. 15.
Aubrey Elizabeth Griffis — daughter of Jennifer Taylor and Pryson Wayne Griffis of Royal Palm Beach was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Feb. 18.
Ryan Anand Ganesh — son of Yogemani and Richard Ganesh of Royal Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on Feb. 19.
Gavin Richard Galloway — son of Holly and Scott Galloway of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Feb. 19.
Howard Anthony Mitchell II son of Sandy Belcher and Howard Mitchell of West Palm Beach was born
at Palms West Hospital on Feb. 20.
Mia Isabella Lesko — daughter of Jessica and David James Lesko of Royal Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on Feb. 20.
Victoria Josephine Albert — daughter of Renee and John Albert III of Wellington was born at Palms West Hospital on Feb. 20.
Ayleen Salazar — daughter of Laura and Edel Salazar of Lake Worth was born at Palms West Hospital on Feb. 21.
Mario Antonio Miller — son of Nataly and Jason Miller of Loxahatchee was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Feb. 21.
Alexander Constantino Regalado — son of Gina and Constantino Regalado of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Feb. 21.
Regan Renee Sarria — daughter of Renee and Carlos Sarria of
was born at Palms West Hospital on Feb. 22.
Anthony Patrick Pederson — son of Amy and Patrick Pederson of Wellington was born at Palms West Hospital on Feb. 22.
Brea Nicole Holmes — daughter of Bonita and Vincent Holmes of Wellington was born at Palms West Hospital on Feb. 22.
Chloe Brooke Anishia Williams daughter of Shadelle and Camron Williams of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Feb. 23.
St. Michael Evangelical Lutheran Church hosted a panel discussion on world religions Sunday, March 2 at the Wellington Community Center, which was attended by 125 people. Pictured above are the panelists from Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and Christianity respectively: Pundit Baldath Maharaj, Sajack Hussain, Chris Rothman, Rabbi Stephen Pinsky and Pastor Marjorie Weiss.
Donald Dufresne of Wellington, an attorney with the law firm Greenspoon Marder, has been re-elected president of the Palm Beach County Sports Commission.
The first president with an equestrian background, Dufresne’s primary areas of prac-
tice include residential and commercial real estate, general business law, planning and zoning, and equine law. He also assists his clients in domestic and international transactions.
Dufresne received his bachelor’s degree from Florida Atlantic University and his juris doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law. He is a member of the Florida and Washington, D.C. bar associations.
Active in many civic, charitable and political organizations, Dufresne is a former member of the Palm Beach County Planning and Zoning Commission, chairman of the Wellington Equestrian Preserve Committee and the chairman of WESTPAC. He is also a member of the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches and a graduate of Leadership Palm Beach County.
Douglas Allen Horn of Wellington was named to the dean’s list for the fall 2007 semester at Washington University in St.
Louis, Mo. Horn is a graduate of Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach and is enrolled in the university’s College of Arts & Sciences.
To qualify for the dean’s list in the College of Arts & Sciences, students must earn a semester grade point average of 3.5 or above and be enrolled in at least 14 graded units.
Washington University is counted among the world’s leaders in teaching and research. It draws students and faculty to St. Louis from all 50 states and more than 125 nations. More than 13,500 undergraduate, graduate and professional students enroll each year.
The university offers more than 90 programs and almost 1,500 courses leading to bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in a broad spectrum of traditional and interdisciplinary fields, with additional opportunities for minor concentrations and individualized programs.
Anna Malefatto of Wellington has been named to second honors on the Clark University dean’s list. This selection marks outstanding academic achievement during the fall 2007 semester. Malefatto is a member of Clark University’s Class of 2010 and studies communication and culture. Malefatto is a graduate of Wellington High School.
To be eligible for second honors, students must have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher of a maximum of 4.3, which is all A grades.
Clark University in Worchester, Mass., is a private, coeducational liberal arts research university with 2,200 undergraduate and 800 graduate students. Since its founding in 1887 as the first all-graduate school in the United States, Clark has challenged convention with innovative programs such as the International Studies Stream, and the accelerated bachelor’s and master’s programs with the fifth year tuition free for eligible students.
Logan Completes Air Force Basic Air Force Airman Andrew Logan has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He is the son of Lance and Toine Logan of Loxahatchee and a 2007 graduate of Seminole Ridge High School.
During the six weeks of training, Logan studied the Air Force mission, organization and military customs and courtesies; performed drill and ceremony marches; and received physical training, rifle marksmanship, field training exercises and special training in human relations.
In addition, airmen who complete basic training earn credits toward an associate’s degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Send Palms West
Town-Crier 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@
At Barrett-Jackson Event
Cars and SUVs driven by the famous TV mobsters on The Sopranos will be sold at no reserve during the Sixth Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event March 26-30 the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
A total of eight vehicles from the award-winning HBO series will cross the block, led by Tony Soprano’s 2003 Cadillac Escalade ESV, with net proceeds benefiting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. SPEED will once again bring the action home with 19 hours of TV coverage during the auction as approximately 600 of the finest collector vehicles are sold at no reserve.
The signature piece of The Sopranos collection is the white Escalade driven by mob boss Tony Soprano during the final three seasons of the series. Scheduled for sale during SPEED’s primetime coverage on Saturday, March 29, the fully loaded Escalade has only 11,000 miles on the odometer and features clear, untinted windshields for exterior camera shots of the show’s leading character.
Another high-profile car headed to Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach is the champagne 2003 Cadillac CTS utilized by one of Tony’s top soldiers, Paulie Walnuts. The CTS is infamous for its demolition of Christopher Moltisanti’s new front yard in the Season 6 episode “Kennedy and Heidi.” Two more vehicles that played key roles in Season 6, a red 1997 Mercury Villager minivan driven by Tony and Paulie and a black Cadillac Deville driven by crew member Vito Spatafore, will also be sold.
A pair of blue Lincoln Town Cars, utilized by rival gangster Phil Leotardo and the New York-based Lupertazzi crime family, will be sold as a pair in Palm Beach. The two cars were featured in numerous episodes of The Sopranos, most notably in the climactic Bada Bing shootout scene in the Season 6 episode “The Blue Comet.” Additional cars from
that high-energy scene that will be auctioned include two 1993 Cadillacs driven by Patsy Parisi, which will be sold together.
For more information about BarrettJackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com or call (480) 421-6694.
On Saturday, March 15, the Palm Beach Zoo will celebrate not only Save the Florida Panther Day but the birthday of their own Florida panther, Colin Patrick, which was born on St. Patrick’s Day 13 years ago.
When George, a Texas cougar, and Tayke, a Florida panther, began living together in December 1994, no one expected anything unseemly to happen. After all, George had received two vasectomies. But on March 17, 1995, zoo officials found the surprise of their life — Tayke had given birth to Colin Patrick. Thirteen years later Colin Patrick is still calling the zoo his home. He can be seen in his habitat, located in the Florida Pioneer exhibit.
The day’s activities will include Florida panther keeper talks, children’s games and crafts, and giveaways with the highlight of the day occurring at 11:30 a.m. when Colin Patrick will be presented with his “birthday cake,” made by his keepers — created by using cardboard boxes, decorated with frozen fish candles and filled with meat.
In 2007, Gov. Charlie Crist designated the third Saturday in March as Save the Panther Day. Crist’s proclamation emphasizes the fact that the Florida panther is a representation of the remarkable natural legacy Floridians treasure and that all such creatures should be protected for generations to come.
Regular admission is $12.95 for adults, $9.95 for seniors 60 and up, $8.95 for children three to 12, and free for members and ages three and under. For more information, visit www.palmbeach zoo.org.
continued from page 28A pack her bags for Europe and the World Cup Finals.
Finishing in third was Courtney King and the KWPN stallion Idocus, who represented the U.S. at the World Cup Finals last year in Las Vegas.
The high freestyle scores capped off an incredible weekend of top quality dressage at the derby. “This year was a celebration of 25 years of great dressage at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby,” Show Manager Evelyn O’Sullivan said. “And what better way to celebrate than with record entries, high scores and so many Olympians!”
Nearly 50 entries in the CDI Grand Prix, plus 14 entries in the regular Grand Prix, on top
Canadian Ashley Holzer won the largest Grand Prix in North American history when he claimed the CDI Grand Prix at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby this month.
PHOTO COURTESY PHELPSPHOTOS.COM
continued from page 8A need to free the country from dependence on foreign oil, and to end the federal government’s subsidy of oil companies. “They have enough money already,” he said. “They don’t need any more. They are still making profits. We can take the dollars and invest them elsewhere. We are going to get off of foreign oil. Our need is to move away from dependence on foreign oil. Everyone has given it lip service since the Carter administration. We can’t have our economy continue to be held hostage.”
Among those in attendance at the meeting was Dr. George Philppidis, associate director of the Applied Research Center at Florida International University,
continued from page 9A ent projects,” she said. “Sen. [Dave] Aronberg was very supportive. Of course, everyone is saying there’s no money, but no one we met actually opposed the road.”
Supervisor Carol Jacobs said the presence of all five ITID supervisors and King showed legislators in Tallahassee that the fractious nature of the previous board was a thing of the past.
“Seeing us all together made it clear we have a united board,”
of huge Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire classes gave dressage fans limitless opportunities to watch great dressage.
Exhibitors and spectators to the derby have always been drawn in by its incredible hospitality and friendly atmosphere. This year was no exception. A sold-out VIP tent benefited the United States Equestrian Team Foundation. And an art show reception honored several of the artists whose work has been featured on the derby program covers. “As the 25th derby, we wanted this year to be extra special,” Executive Director Mary Anne McPhail said.
Other anniversary celebrations included an Olympic tribute that acknowledged 16 Olympic riders, which may be the largest gathering of Olympic equestrians in North America, and the Taste of the Derby, a shopping extravaganza hosted by the boutiques at the Derby in which each shop offered hospitality. The vendors really put on a show; chocolate-covered strawberries and a chocolate fountain were just a few of the goodies.
This special atmosphere encouraged Phelpssports.com to sign on as a two-year title sponsor of the derby. “I’m thrilled to be part of this event,” founder Mason Phelps said. “Mary Anne and Walter couldn’t be nicer people, and we’re always happy to support their efforts.”
Exhibitors and winners at the derby received a variety of prizes from Phelpssports.com, including complimentary subscriptions to the site that features daily news, interviews and videos of the world’s most important equestrian events. Exhibitors received many other prizes, including halters, saddle pads, coolers and more.
A complete list of sponsors, results, photos and more can be found at www.pbderby.com.
who said the school is partnering with a major sugar producer to pursue alternative energy production.
“To make our state a frontrunner in cellulosic ethanol, FIU has formed a public-private partnership with Florida Crystals Corporation, the country’s largest biomass renewable energy generator, to produce ethanol from Florida’s plentiful agricultural residues, such as sugarcane stalks and wood waste,” Philippidis said.
“In addition to cutting-edge ethanol research, FIU is committed to preparing its students to become the future leaders of this new technology, assisting the U.S. private sector to test their biofuel technologies and move them into the marketplace, and educating the public about biofuels.”
she said. “They saw we were willing to work together and to cooperate with them.”
Supervisor Ralph Bair said officials assured him there would be no problems getting the study funded, and noted that even if the extension fails to get funded, the report itself would be useful if the county decides to continue its extension work.
“I spoke to some representatives of people on the Transportation Appropriations Committee, and they were supportive,” he said. “And even if there are problems down the road, we would still have the environmental studies done.”
By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report
The South Florida Water Management District approved a variance this week allowing its canal levels to be maintained at higher levels than current water restrictions permit.
The SFWMD Governing Board met Thursday to discuss the variance, which was requested by the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District. Members of the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council have been vocal in their support for the variance.
In his March 7 request to members of the SFWMD Gov-
continued from page 18A woman who would die and leave him behind to mourn.
Survivors often hold on to love, of course, but what happens when the survivor goes on for centuries? Chances are that Amsterdam has buried many loves and many children,
continued from page 9A stead on plans to conserve and reuse water in the Acreage, as part of an overlay for the area.
“I made specific comments on the overlay district for a larger water strategy out there to be able to capture water, store it, reuse it, recharge the aquifer out there,” Koons said. “Palm Beach County Utilities with
continued from page 4A with Councilman Dennis Lipp’s wonderful grassroots organizational skills have combined to achieve a long-sought-after goal.
We also need to be thankful that we now have the backing of the Indian Trail Improvement District, an organization that in the past fought vehemently against the Groves on this issue for years. Special thanks to ITID President Mike Erickson, who I’m sure realizes that we will continue in this fight until 140th is also removed. Three cheers for our town council!
Howard Voren
Loxahatchee Groves
We finally received the weight restrictions from the Acreage Athletic League for youth football. From what I read on their web site, not much has changed; we will still have 60-pound kids playing football with 140-pound kids.
These are the guidelines for AAL weight restrictions:
• Prep Division (nine and ten)
— Sixty to 120 pounds any position, 121 to 140 pounds offensive/defensive line and 141plus pounds offensive line only
• Collegiate Division (11-12)
— Eighty to 140 pounds any position, 141 to 160 pounds offensive/defensive line, 161-plus pounds offensive line only
• Pro Division (13, 14 and 15) — Unlimited as before
Let me begin by saying I’m
erning Board, LGWCD Supervisor John Ryan reiterated that the district’s variance request was only for “as needed” backpumping from the C-51 Canal to maintain sufficient water levels for firefighting purposes.
“While Loxahatchee Groves has been blessed with four times the January-February rainfall compared to the same period last year,” Ryan wrote, “and the LGWCD used less than 50 percent of our recently restricted back-pumping from the C-51 Canal, no responsible party can escape the risk of the remaining dry season and possible wildfires.”
SFWMD hydrologist Cynthia
and has seen them all die. Amsterdam is an interesting character, and that makes this a good series. The cases are good and tricky, as is the norm in most good police shows, but the extra elements, as well as a particularly good cast, make it a really good must-see, particularly at a time when the regular shows are in reruns and the reality shows have scraped the bottom of the bar-
these drainage districts out there should, on a collaborative basis, go forward. Water being stored at Palm Beach Aggregates and pushing it north to Loxahatchee is one of my goals.”
Koons said he wants to work with water control districts to recharge the overall water system. “We need to reach interlocal agreements and move forward so those water districts become water resources,” he said.
Under the agreement, the
glad they did something. But is it enough? Are there any real changes? I am saddened that my initial review of their web site (www.acreageyouthfootball.com) and new weight restrictions are disappointing. I believe that you will still have nine- and ten-yearold kids who weigh 60 pounds playing with kids who can possibly weigh 140-plus pounds. It does appear that they will limit the amount of contact between the weights. I don’t know how well this can be implemented on the field. I was especially saddened to see that nine- and tenyear-old kids weighing less than 60 pounds cannot play, nor can 11- and 12-year-old kids less than 80 pounds. There is no mention on their web site of kids who are older/lighter being able to play in a lower division. Hopefully, the AAL board will address this, as I am sure there are many kids who fall into these categories. It does look like the board alleviated any concerns of parents with kids falling in the heavier weights, for they will all still be allowed to play with their peers. It also appears they are penalizing the kids who fall to the lower ends of the weight groups by not having any older/ lighter guidelines.
As a parent of two boys who love to play football, I have to advocate safety first. With this in mind, I have come to the hard decision of choosing another league for my kids to develop their skills and enjoy the game.
Unfortunately, the AAL waited to announce their interpretation of weight regulations after many other local communities have already held their signups
Gefvert wrote members of the LGWCD and town council Wednesday to confirm that the SFWMD would likely approve the variance the following day, but also directed the LGWCD to “work with the Town of Loxahatchee Groves to develop a more reliable manner of fire protection” and stressed that “the variance is only for this water shortage.”
Councilman Dennis Lipp told the Town-Crier the town and water control district would be challenged to develop other sources of water. “The town and the district need to continue to work together to protect the residents of the Groves.”
rel. Try the show. It has those marvelous extras that make viewing a real pleasure.
Also, for those who like a mixture of science fiction and detective stories, there is a new book of short stories that was just published by Baen Books called The Dragon Done It, edited by Eric Flint and Mike Resnick.
Many of the stories are marvelous!
county will be the exclusive provider of bulk and retail potable water, reclaimed water and wastewater service in The Acreage. The county will pay ITID $6.1 million for utility assets, current and future customers, stabilization of roadways damaged by county work crews and settlement of ongoing litigation. The county will pay ITID an additional $2.2 million to terminate its existing bulk service agreement with the City of West Palm Beach.
for 2008 tackle football. This leaves many parents who do not agree with the AAL’s weight regulations scrambling to find someplace for their kids to play football this year. I have been working the phones in hopes of finding alternative leagues for kids and parents who wish to go elsewhere this year. You can e-mail me at gregginpalmbeach @aol.com, for I have some information regarding a local community league that wants to try to accommodate Acreage parents and kids who would like to play elsewhere. Additionally, Palm Beach Gardens Youth Football is still holding registration as well as the Western Communities Football League in Wellington. If your kids want to play somewhere other than The Acreage, I encourage you to go to their web sites to learn about signups. If you are interested in playing in Royal Palm Beach, which currently does not have any more registration dates, then go to their web site at www.rpbwildcats.com and contact them to see if they can accommodate you.
I am disappointed with the weight regulations implemented by the AAL board and fail to see how their program will promote safety, fairness, fun and balanced competition. I am further disappointed that they announced the changes to their program after dates for registration in other communities had already passed, which ultimately is unfair to those parents and kids who choose to play in a safer environment and now cannot sign up.
Gregg Webb, The Acreage
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report
Jane and Bob Bloom of Wellington founded Ink & Toner USA in West Palm Beach on the premise of saving people money on their printing supplies.
“It’s pretty much sticker shock when people buy these things,” Bob Bloom said. “You often pay more for the cartridge than you do for the machine itself. Most of what we do is offer after-market products, meaning we fill a lot of cartridges for customers right here in our store. They bring in their cartridges, we fill them, they’re in and out.”
People who want to fill their own cartridges usually try it only once, Bloom said. “Ink is an extremely messy liquid, but it’s also a matter of cleaning the cartridge right, testing them and doing all the things that need to be done,” he said. “That’s what we do here. Our quality and our policies are, I think, what sets us apart. The way we test cartridges, there’s no such thing as an almost-passes-the-test cartridge in our business. Either it passes the test or it doesn’t before it goes back to a customer.”
The business does not limit
itself to refilling customers’ cartridges, Bloom said. “We offer brand-new products, brand names, compatible products and remanufactured products,” he said. “We don’t have everything, but we offer a way to save money on virtually everything.”
Wellington residents for 25 years, the Blooms raised their two daughters in the community, and both have joined the business. Oldest daughter Jacy, 27, handles outside sales, while Dara, 24, teaches an accounting program to Ink & Toner licensees.
“We have two businesses here,” Bloom said. “We have the store, and we offer licenses to other people. It’s kind of like a franchise, but we call it ‘the unfranchise’ because it’s a different program.”
Bloom said the idea was to offer an affordable business opportunity and the training that goes with it. “It has all the benefits of a franchise, but a different structure,” he said. “In terms of training and support, we put up our program against any other in the industry or any business. We collect modest fees on an annual basis for support and for the licensing of our trademarks, and we are very proactive with our support.”
Ink & Toner USA has six outlets open in Florida so far and five in other states: Georgia, Kentucky, New York and Texas.
“We have stores that we don’t own in North Palm Beach, Jupiter, Boynton will open soon, Boca will open soon, Atlanta, two in Louisville, Kentucky, all with different owners,” he said. “We have a man coming in from Brownsville, Texas next week for training.”
Bloom said his training program covers all aspects of operating an Ink & Toner USA outlet.
“We have an extremely comprehensive training program on how to run the business,” he said. “We cover everything from business planning to technical aspects of the business to QuickBooks; Dara is a QuickBooks certified pro advisor,” Bloom said. “Jacy joined us last May to do outside sales. We had never had an outside salesperson. We have grown to be a very successful business.”
Bloom established his business four years ago after investigating the potential of an ink and toner enterprise.
“After much research, we decided to open our doors here as the first retail ink and toner
supplier in the county, other than your big-box stores,” he said.
“We’ve grown to be not just the largest, but one of the of the most successful stores in the United States. We’re very much in touch with our industry. We’ve developed a really good reputation.”
The company was recently featured in Recharger magazine, the primary trade publication for the office products recycling
industry. Ink & Toner USA has been featured several times in other general business publications.
“That’s my strength; my background is in marketing,” Bloom said. “For a little company based in West Palm Beach, we’ve developed a pretty widespread reputation. We’ve even been printed in the Chinese edition of Recharger, so we’ve ac-
See INK, page 6B
By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report
A senior Palm Beach County official gave members of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce an update Monday on the development of the Scripps Research Institute facility near Jupiter and its effect on the local landscape.
Assistant County Administrator Shannon Larocque-Baas was the featured speaker at the chamber’s monthly business luncheon, held at the Bamboo Club in the Mall at Wellington Green
Larocque-Baas said there have been plenty of exciting developments since construction started at the Jupiter campus of Florida Atlantic University in November 2006.
“It is so exciting,” LarocqueBaas said. “We already have a ribbon-cutting date of Feb. 26, 2009. It will be a three-day event with scientists from all over the world coming to see the opening of the Scripps facility.”
Larocque-Baas said Scripps has accomplished much in a short time. “We had to get the buildings under construction in a very short period of time,” she said. “You can see these facilities, and it’s not even a year that has passed when this is happening. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you let the private sector do what it does best.”
The Scripps project is being developed in two phases, Larocque-Baas said, the first phase focuses on construction
of the buildings, while the second is when county taxpayers get to see a return on their investment. Construction involves creation of 364,000-square-foot permanent facilities to house three components of the industry: drug discovery, biomedical research and advanced technology, she said. The second phase, Larocque-Baas explained, involves the development of surrounding land for bioscience and related research supplemented by commercial and residential uses. The county will see a Development of Regional Impact application later this year, she said.
“Palm Beach County also purchased 70 acres of land within the Briger parcel, which was also controversial,” Larocque-Baas said. “It is located just across from the FAU property, and it will be for another 1.6 million square feet of bioscience development. The Lester family dedicated 100 acres for an additional 2.4 million square feet. Between the two properties, we are going to have almost four and a half million square feet in this vicinity. I think we are the only DRI currently being contemplated because of the downshift in the economy. We anticipate the DRI to be submitted in the fourth quarter of this year. There was always a vision that this would be a 30-year program, but based on what we are seeing, and the rewards we are reaping now, it will take a lot less time.”
Larocque-Baas said Scripps
has so far successfully applied for 38 grants that will bring over $23 million in federal money to Palm Beach County and struck a $5.6 million funding agreement with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and collaboration agreements with several Florida universities. Three local teachers and six students have so far taken part in intern programs on the campus, she said. Scripps is also getting involved in ethanol research.
“We are trying to pair what’s happening with Florida Crystals and Scripps with the [county’s] Economic Development Department,” Larocque-Baas said. “They are talking about a whole building devoted to studying alternative energies and transferring it into actual applications.”
Getting approval for facilities for the Max Planck Institute, Larocque-Baas said, was a much harder sale than Scripps during an economic slowdown.
“The Board of County Commissioners has given us the OK for $87 million,” she said, “and the State of Florida has stepped up and matched it for $94 million. It could have gone elsewhere. That’s tremendous for us. We are working on the grant applications that have to go before the Board of County Commissioners. It is possible that the board won’t approve it, but I believe it would be a bad thing for the county to pull out at this point in time.”
The Germany-based Max Planck Society has established 72 institutes worldwide in Europe and Asia. Max Planck is also very interested in getting
involved in secondary and college education in Palm Beach County.
“Max Planck wants to get fully engaged in the K-12 and university system,” LarocqueBaas said. “They are so engaged in the community in Germany already. To me, having institutions here in Palm Beach County working on important medical discoveries will benefit us as citizens, and obviously the expansion of the bioscience cluster would be important in capturing the international business market. Before this, we were known from a tourism standpoint. Nobody knew Palm Beach County from a business standpoint. I assure you that all eyes today are on Palm Beach County from a business standpoint, and we need to be on the map internationally.”
Monday’s luncheon was sponsored by Comerica Bank and its Florida Region president and regional managing director, Randy Nobles. Comerica Bank, established more than 150 years ago, has locations in Florida, Michigan, Arizona, California and Texas and is one of the largest banks in the U.S. Comerica specializes in wealth management, personal banking, small business, corporate banking and commercial lending. For more information, call Comerica Bank in Wellington at (561) 804-1400 or visit www.comerica.com.
The Palms West Chamber of Commerce’s next business luncheon is scheduled for April 14 at Breakers West, with County Commissioner Jess Santamaria as featured speaker. For more info., call (561) 790-6200 or visit www.palmswest.com.
By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report
American Shutter Designs has been doing business in Palm Beach County since 1940, so the company has a wealth of experience in outfitting local homes with plantation-style wooden interior shutters.
Gerry Swensen has owned the business since 1973. His father founded American Shutter Designs in Greenacres in 1940, and the company has been going strong ever since, providing high-quality interior wooden shutters to customers from Fort Lauderdale to Vero Beach. The company moved from its original location to its current home in Riviera Beach in 1985.
“We also offer window treatments such as wood blinds, duets and silhouettes, but no draperies,” Swensen said. “My dad’s business was originally building specialties. He got into the wood shutters as a sideline. It just blossomed and became a major part of the focus, so the rest of the business was dropped and he just focused on the interior shutters.”
Swensen said wood shutters can be applied to almost any kind of window.
“They’re the best insulator you can put on a window. Wood is a natural insulator,” he said. “They’re very clean and easily repainted, and made to look brand new. We’ve had people come back 20 or 25 years after their purchase, and we’ve repainted and refinished their shutters.”
Shutters also offer versatility,
Swensen said. “They’re becoming a lot more popular because with the louvers, you have the ease of use,” he said. “You have privacy, yet you have light and views at the same time. We can do pretty much any size window. Small windows are easy, but we’ve done openings that were 23 or 24 feet wide. Probably the tallest we did was 16 feet high.”
Swensen said American Shutter Designs works with new construction homes as well as homes that are being remodeled. “Primarily it’s new when designers are involved,” Swensen said. “But when homeowners are doing their own redecorating, we work with them. When somebody takes down verticals or Venetian blinds and puts in shutters, it makes a big difference in appearance. That’s also true when they remove heavy cloth draperies and put up shutters.”
Swensen said his company provides free cost estimates covering the options that best fit the windows and the home.
“We get ideas of what they’re looking for and tell them whether it can or can’t be done,” he said. “There are many times when it can’t be done, but sometimes the client wants something that shouldn’t be done. We won’t do it. For example, if they have an eight-foot sliding-glass door and just want it to hinge and clear, with no tracks, we can’t do that. It can’t be done.”
Swensen said his company can provide solid shutters with raised panels instead of louvers,
as well as arched shutters to fit radius windows. The louvers, which control the amount of sunlight emitted, can also be built to custom specifications. The average time from order to installation is between six and eight weeks, he said.
“Slightly longer if it’s something custom,” Swensen said. “A large arched opening with a stained finish would be custom — or something with a unique wood. We’ve made shutters out of oak and mahogany. We just
got done doing a bank with something called afromosia. It looks very similar to black walnut. It’s very heavy and very expensive.”
While afromosia, found primarily in west and central Africa, costs up to $70 per square foot, standard interior wood shutters are made from poplar and basswood and cost between $20 and $40 per square foot, Swensen said. “Nowadays there are synthetics too,” he said. “But they can’t be stained.
PHOTO BY STEVE PIKE/TOWN-CRIER
They only can be painted.”
However, Swensen said, synthetic interior window shutters can be used in conditions that are unfavorable for natural wooden shutters. “If you have a window in a shower, for example, that’s where you would use a synthetic,” he said.
American Shutter Designs is located at 3520 Consumer Street, Suite 6, in Riviera Beach. For more information, call (561) 848-5446 or visit www. americanshutterdesigns.com.
By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report
Nick Massimo, who operates American Blue Pool Supplies in The Acreage with his wife Noreen, said he is proud to be running a family business. And for his customers, Massimo’s business in the Grove (Winn-Dixie) shopping plaza on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road means avoiding a long drive to pick up pool supplies.
“Both Noreen and I spend a lot of time here to make sure that we give the right service,” he said. “And we do everything for pools. We carry all needed supplies, we do repairs and we perform maintenance. We also have a subsidiary company, America Blue Pool & Spa Inc., which builds pools and spas.”
Massimo, an Acreage resident, is licensed by the state as a residential swimming pool contractor. “I’ve been in the business for 18 years, and I’ve learned to do pretty much everything that has to be done,” he said.
American Blue Pool Supplies performs a complete water analyses for its customers.
“We check for pH balance, which is acidity, as well as for chlorine, phosphate, copper and iron,” Massimo said. “We make sure the pool is properly balanced chemically. If the water is not right, it can damage both the pool and the swimmers.”
Massimo said his company keeps records of test results from each pool to create an effective baseline of a pool’s condition.
“We recently started a regular maintenance service for customers out here, and we want to make sure that every one of our customers is happy,” he said. “We sell all sorts of supplies, rings, filters and pumps. We also have PVC fit-
tings, automated heating systems and automatic pool cleaners.
Massimo noted that more people are interested in owning saltwater swimming pools. “Also we are doing a good business selling salt systems,” he said. “Many new pools use salt because it creates a softer water, and it makes its own chlorine so it’s even purer.”
In a few weeks, with the beginning of the swimming season, American Blue Pool Supplies will be featuring more popular pool toys. “We’ll have floats and water guns and all sorts of extras,” Massimo said.
While the company performs some repairs of motors on the premises, Massimo said he also does frequent house calls. “I just went out today and put a new light in someone’s pool,” he said.
Because of the weak housing market, Massimo said, many homeowners looking to sell are improving their pool’s setting. “We are putting in more waterfalls as well as spas, and they’re going into existing pools to make the experience much more enjoyable,” he said.
Massimo invites pool owners in The Acreage and beyond to visit his store. “We want everyone to come in and get to know us,” he said. “Our prices are competitive with all other local sellers, and we really know The Acreage. Come in and visit!”
American Blue Pool Supplies is located in the Grove Market (Winn-Dixie) Shopping Center at 5046 Seminole Pratt Whitney Road in The Acreage and is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.
For more information about American Blue Pool Supplies, call (561) 5141801.
continued from page 1B tually developed a reputation around the world.”
Bloom said he does his best to provide what customers want.
“We have a wide variety of products in stock. What we don’t have in stock, we can get very quickly,” he said. “We service customers throughout the greater West Palm Beach area.
We offer free delivery, and that’s very important, especially for our business customers.”
While Ink & Toner USA does not typically deliver to private residences, many customers mail in their empty cartridges for refill, which Bloom said are mailed back promptly.
Ink & Toner is located at 1355 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach and is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more info,, call (561) 2964465 or visit www.inkandtonerusa.com.
John Mercer of Wellington recently joined Cypress Financial Group, an office of MetLife, in Fort Lauderdale as a financial services representative. Mercer had been with AXA Equitable since 1998; prior to that he worked as South Florida marketing director for Pepperidge Farm Inc.
Mercer and his wife Saundra moved to the Wellington area in 1999 from Pompano Beach, where they had lived for 26 years. Mercer has served on the Wellington Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since 2000. He chairs the Ambassadors Committee, as well as the chamber’s flagship event Flavors of Wellington.
For the past four years, Mercer has served as sergeant-atarms of the Wellington Rotary Club and on the Save-a-Pet Foundation Board of Directors.
Both John and Saundra are past board members of the South Florida Opera Company.
They were instrumental in bringing a performance of Peter and the Wolf to the western communities. The Mercers belong to St. Therese de Lisieux Catholic Church in Wellington, where they have served as instructors in the CCD catholic education program for children for the past eight years.
MetLife is a subsidiary of MetLife Inc., a leading provider of insurance and financial services with operations throughout the United States and the Latin American, European and Asia Pacific regions.
Through its domestic and international subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife Inc. reaches more than 70 million customers around the world, and MetLife is the largest insurer in the United States based on life insurance in effect. The MetLife companies offer life insurance, annuities, auto and home insurance, retail banking and other financial services to individuals,
as well as group insurance, reinsurance, retirement and savings products, and services to corporations and other institutions.
For more information, visit www.metlife.com.
The Cultural Trust of the Palm Beaches recently announced the appointment of Cardinal Electric Inc. President Robert Trepp to its board of directors. Trepp is a resident of The Acreage and has been an electrical contractor since 1996.
Trepp is an active member in the community as a Palms West Chamber of Commerce trustee, Leadership Palms West graduates, as a member of Business Network International and as a business partner with Seminole Ridge High School. Trepp was recognized as the 2007 Palm Beach County Schools Partner in Education Bronze Award recipient and 2006 Palm Beach County Schools Business Partner of the Year for Adult & Community Education.
Trepp understands the importance of community involvement and mentoring youth. He has sponsored local events such as the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and the Acreage Landowners’ Association’s annual Huck Finn Family Day. Trepp
is a regular speaker at Seminole Ridge High School, where he offers real-world scenarios and conversation for the students.
“All of us at Cardinal Electric are deeply honored and grateful to be invited to join such a wonderful group of people and help realize the goal of bringing a world-class cultural facility to our community,” Trepp said.
In addition to naming Trepp to its board of directors, the Cultural Trust appointed Cardinal Electric Inc. as its official electrical contractor. Cardinal Electric provided the electrical work for the temporary site of the Grand Marquee, located on the Cultural Campus near the Mall at Wellington Green.
Founded in 1996, Cardinal Electric provides multi-family new project services statewide as well as electrical service work in Palm Beach, Broward and Martin counties. Cardinal Electric has come to be recognized as a company that truly does put the customer first.
“We are grateful to be associated with Cardinal Electric and appreciate their expertise in the electrical contracting world so that together we will accomplish our goals for the community,” Cultural Trust Marketing and Development Coordinator Paul Mammolito said.
For more information about the Cultural Trust, visit www. culturaltrustpb.org.
Executive Women of the Palm Beaches will host its 25th Annual Women in Leadership Awards on Friday, May 9, 11:30 a.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach.
The Women in Leadership Awards will recognize Palm Beach County’s most inspirational female leaders who serve to motivate others and influence positive change.
The guest speaker of this highly anticipated luncheon will be Allison Levine, team captain of the first American Women’s Everest Expedition and founder of the Climb High Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of jobless women in third-world countries by training them to be trekking guides in their local mountains.
Deborah Jaffe will chair the luncheon, while Charlotte Pelton and Monica Manolas will serve as co-chairs. Tickets are $100 for members and $125 for nonmembers. For more information about the Women in Leadership Awards, or to obtain tickets, call (561) 833-4241.
Celebrating its 25th year, Executive Women of the Palm Beaches helps women advance professionally and personally through networking, sharing resources and encouraging leadership. The organization inspires, promotes and recognizes women throughout Palm Beach County by providing financial support for scholarships and community projects, and hosting the annual Women in Leadership Awards. For more information, call (561) 833-4241 or visit www.ewpb. org.
Sugar production fell short of estimates due to the lingering water shortage that has affected the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), the primary sugarcane-growing region in South Florida. Growers received 77 percent average rainfall (a deficit of 11.5 inches); the region set a record for the lowest rainfall in any two-year period recorded.
During the 128-day harvest season, grower-members of the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida produced 2,599,516 tons of sugarcane grown on 58,000 acres in Palm Beach County. This yielded 300,157 short tons raw value (STRV) sugar and 16 million gallons of blackstrap molasses. This compares to last year’s production of 2,759,192 tons of cane, producing 323,327 STRV and 15.9 million gallons of blackstrap molasses. Sugar yields dropped to 11.3 percent from a high of 11.73 percent in the 2003-04 season and below last year’s yield of 11.48 percent.
“Growers were fortunate to receive rainfall at crucial times, and the crop
in the ground looks pretty good,” Cooperative President George Wedgworth said. “However, we are not out of the woods yet. Lake Okeechobee hit a record low last July and remains at an all-time low for this time of year. We’ve been operating under severe water restrictions for the last year and are quite concerned about not having adequate irrigation water this spring, as well as for next year’s crop. We’re praying for rain and the ability to store excess water in Lake Okeechobee during the wet season.”
The cooperative is made up of 47 grower-owners and employees 640 people during the harvest season. The primary functions of the cooperative are the harvesting, transporting and processing of sugarcane, and the sales of raw sugar to American Sugar Refining Inc., which is owned by the cooperative and Florida Crystals Corporation. Refined sugar is then marketed nationwide through Domino Foods Inc.
For more information, visit the cooperative’s web site at www.scgc.org.
General Motors’ senior executives were in New York City last week to present this year’s “GM Dealer of the Year” winners with the 2007 Jack Smith Leadership Award.
Only 115 GM dealers out of 6,700 nationwide were recognized for their exceptional sales performance and superior customer service. Among those were Michael E. Maroone of Maroone Chevrolet in Greenacres and Charles A.Schumacher of Schumacher Saab in West Palm Beach
The Jack Smith Leadership Award
is named after the retired GM chairman and chief executive officer who founded the Dealer of the Year program.
The award, a Steuben crystal obelisk, represents excellence and high achievement, and was presented to each of the winners.
On hand to congratulate the honorees were senior General Motors leaders, including GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner.
For more information about GM, visit www.gm.com.
Flood Zone Correction Inc., the nation’s first flood zone correction company, invites property owners and bloggers with an interest in flood insurance regulation and practices to chime in at www.fairnessforfloodrisk.blogspot. com.
Flood Zone Correction Inc. launched the blog “Fairness for Flood Risk” to provide a forum for opinions, commentary, advice and feedback on issues related to flood risk, including map modernization, flood-risk analysis and floodzone correction, as well as issues related to the imposition of flood insurance requirements.
The blog allows Flood Zone Correction Inc. to quickly post and share information and encourages visitors to provide suggestions for improving the National Flood Insurance Program. In conjunction with the Flood Zone Correction Inc. web site (www.floodzoncorrection. com), the blog is a strong vehicle for flood-insurance reform.
“Once again, as Congress reconvenes for the second congressional session, flood-insurance reform resurfaced at the top of the legislative list,” Flood Zone Correction President Dan Freudenthal said. “If the past is any indicator, we can ill-afford, three years after Katrina, Rita and Wilma, to not have a national flood insurance program that is fair to all property owners in all flood risk categories. The Fairness for Flood Risk blog is the beginning of a national movement to mandate change.”
Headquartered in West Palm Beach, Flood Zone Correction Inc., is the leading advocate for accuracy in the evaluation of flood risk and fairness in the imposition of flood insurance requirements. Company clients own and/or operate well over two million multifamily units and over 7,000 shopping malls, retail plazas, office buildings and industrial properties,
as well as single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums.
For more information, call (877) Flood Zone (1-877-356-6396).
Dutch government representatives visited Palm Beach County officials recently to discuss business and watermanagement opportunities. The delegation, led by Vice Minister Tineke Huizinga, State Secretary for Transport, Public Works and Water Management, also visited Gov. Charlie Crist in Tallahassee during their trip from March 2 to March 6.
“We are delighted that a prestigious 36person inbound trade mission from the Kingdom of the Netherlands is joining the World Trade Center Palm Beach and the South Florida Water Management District to discuss global commerce this week,” Palm Beach County Director of Economic Development Kevin Johns said.
During their first visit in June 2007, Dutch and Floridian water management experts concluded that there are many opportunities for exchange of knowledge and ideas regarding business and ecological cooperation.
“With 60 percent of their country below sea level, the Dutch have learned to live with water,” Johns said. “The Dutch are back in Palm Beach County to identify concrete subjects and projects for collaboration on water management. We appreciate their historical expertise in environmental engineering and can learn a lot from each other on how to better work with nature.”
The delegation was accompanied by Richard van Rijssen, Deputy Ambassador to the Royal Netherlands Embassy; Lucita Moenir Alam, the Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Senior Policy Advisor Dale Morris of the Royal Netherlands Embassy; Eric De-
Groot, President of the Holland Chamber of Commerce in Atlanta; and Heleen Paalvast, a reporter with the Netherlands national news agency.
The visit focused on integrating water and flood management, as well as incorporating environmental, economic, safety and recreation into water management.
“The Dutch are world-class environmentalists,” said World Trade Center Palm Beach Chairman Al Zucaro, principal organizer of the ongoing relationship. “As part of the Everglades Restoration effort, we are learning how to keep rainwater from flowing out to the sea, and there are many opportunities for the exchange of knowledge and expertise.”
The Internal Revenue Service recently moved to set the record straight on several issues surrounding administration of the 2008 economic stimulus payments. Approximately 130 million taxpayers will receive payments of at least $300 beginning in May.
“The most complete and up-to-date information is at www.irs.gov,” IRS spokesman Michael Dobzinski said. “However, there is still some confusion and taxpayers need to know the facts.”
• Myth — The stimulus payment will reduce a taxpayer’s 2008 refund.
Fact — The payment will not reduce refunds nor increase the amount owed when a 2008 return is filed.
• Myth — The stimulus payment is taxable.
Fact — It is not taxable, but taxpayers are encouraged to keep a copy of the IRS notice they will receive later this year listing the amount of payment. In the event a taxpayer does not qualify to receive the full amount this year but does next year, the notice will be a record of the previous amount received.
• Myth — Taxpayers needn’t do anything in order to receive a stimulus payment.
Fact — Taxpayers must file a 2007 tax return in order to be eligible for a payment. After filing a 2007 return, however, the taxpayer is set and the IRS will do the rest.
• Myth — Everybody is eligible for a check.
Fact — At the minimum, a taxpayer must have at least $3,000 of “qualifying income” to receive either $300 (single) or $600 (married filing joint). Qualifying income includes Social Security benefits, certain Railroad Retirement benefits, certain veterans’ benefits and earned income, such as income from wages, salaries, tips and self-employment. For taxpayers filing joint tax returns, only a total of $3,000 of qualifying income from both spouses is required to be eligible. Also, for those who don’t normally file, a tax return (form 1040A) will be needed this year to get a check.
• Myth — A taxpayer can file with any taxpayer ID number and get a check.
Fact — All taxpayers (both spouses on a joint return) must have a valid Social Security number in order to be eligible.
• Myth — Only paper checks will be issued.
Fact — Direct deposit is available and encouraged. Eligible taxpayers who choose direct deposit for their 2007 tax year refund will receive their stimulus payment the same way. Taxpayers who owe money are encouraged to fill out the appropriate information on the tax return so they get can their payments direct deposited as well.
• Myth — The IRS will contact taxpayers either by phone or e-mail about their payments.
Fact — Watch for scams! IRS will not contact taxpayers by phone or e-mail about stimulus payments or refunds. Complete details are available at www.irs.gov.
Comerica Wealth Management in Wellington hosted its one-year anniversary party on Thursday, March 6 to thank existing clients and get new referral sources for expanding business. The event featured food and drink, music, magic and even palm reading, all inside Comerica’s recently renovated offices. Comerica is located at 1037 State Road 7, Suite 117. For more info., call (561) 804-1416.
James Changefield turns one-dollar bills into hundred-dollar bills for Laura Tindall.
The Wellington Antique Show & Heritage Festival took place Saturday and Sunday, March 8 and 9 at the Grand Marquee on the Cultural Campus near the Mall at Wellington Green. Scores of vendors were on hand, as well as appraiser Vivian Highberg of Antiques Roadshow fame. Proceeds received from $5 parking fees will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Wellington.
South Florida Parenting Magazine’s Spring Extravaganza was held Saturday and Sunday, March 8 and 9 in Yesteryear Village at the South Florida Fairgrounds. The event was geared toward youngsters, with activities ranging from paddle boats, a rock-climbing wall and an Easter bonnet contest to a demonstration by the South Florida Air K-9s team. Even the stiff wind didn’t deter the team of high-flying border collies and Australian shepherds from entertaining the large crowd.
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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. RJA PAINTING & DECORATING — interior, exterior, custom colors, faux artwork, all work guaranteed. Lic. Bonded & Insured. 561-616-2255
PAINTING — HOME PAINTING Interior – Exterior. $1290 +tax up to 2500 sq. ft. (walls area) 561-674-HOME(4663) J&C’s Faux Painting Service, Inc. Lic./Ins. U14092
CREATIVE PAINTING SYSTEMS, INC. — Interior • Exterior • Residential Specialists. WE DELIVER WHAT WE PROMISE. All work guaranteed. FREE ESTIMATES. Family owned & Operated. Over 23 years experience. License #U-18337 • Bonded • Insured Owner/Operator George Born. 561-686-6701
C. HUNTON
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
SERVICE — Accounting Professional available to provide accounting support to back office operations. Specializing in record keeping, tax compliance, planning, improving productivity and growth. Utilizing the most advanced Accounting software and spreadsheets such as,QuickBooks, DacEasy, Solomon and Excel. For information call: 561-693-4345 or 386-793-4543 Email: Visionsandconcepts@comcast.net.
ADULT FAMILY HOME CARE 561-753-4863
FRED LADWIG ARCHITECT, P.A. - Specializing in custom residential architectural design for over 20 years. New construction, renovations and additions. FL. Registration AA 2706, 561-333-3353.
The only non-profit petting zoo in the area. - featuring parrots, mini horses, ponies, pony rides, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, and Llamas and more and farm club. 561-792-2666
CAN FIX IT — build it, move it, plant it, and more. Call Bruce, 793-2494. TFN BILLY’S HOME REPAIRS, INC. — Interior Trim, crown molding, rottenwood repair, door installation, minor drywall, kitchens/cabinets/countertops, remodeling, wood flooring. Bonded/Insured U#19699. 561-791-9900 Cell: 561-370-5293 THE HANDYMAN CAN! - Craftsman with years of experience. Repairs, water damage, painting, wall/ceiling, texturing, moldings, flooring, organizers, plumbing, tile. Remodeling bath/kitchens. Big Savings on outdoor kitchen & bar using your grill or just hang a fan. Make your repair HONEY DO LIST. I show up & want your return business. References. Hourly/job. Call Greg 561531-3141
“You dealt with the rest now deal with the best” maintenance and repairs. Inquire about 1 months FREE service. 561-791-5073 ELITE POOL CLEANING
J&B PRESSURE CLEANING — Established in 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.Call Butch 561-309-6975 BD
PRIMROSE PROPERTY MANAGMENT FULL SERVICE RESIDENTIAL HOME CARE — Weekly inspections, repairs, & maintenance. Monthly reports, Reasonable rates. 561-602-6857. or email primrosepm123@aol.com