Town-Crier Newspaper March 20. 2009

VILLAGE DECLARES LAND SURPLUS

THE BEST BURGER AT WESTFEST

Opinion

County Made Right Call In Slowing Down The Landfill Decision The western communities celebrated a small victory this week after county commissioners voted to postpone a decision on choosing a new landfill site. The commissioners now have six months to gather as much information as possible — from all sides — and make an informed choice. Page 4

Features

Lots Of St. Patrick’s Day Fun At Gypsy’s Horse In Wellington As it does every year, the Gypsy’s Horse Irish Pub in the original Wellington Mall hosted a St. Patrick’s Day Celebration on Tuesday. In addition to live music in the mall center court, there was plenty of traditional Irish food and beer — and nonstop fun. Page 5

Decision On Landfill Site Postponed Six Months

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Solid Waste Authority postponed a decision on a new landfill site Wednesday for six months to see if other opportunities arise from the South Florida Water Management District’s negotiations to buy land from U.S. Sugar as part of an Everglades restoration effort.

The SWA is seeking a site on which to develop a new landfill because its current facility, located at Jog Road and 45th Street near Palm Beach Gardens, is expected to reach capacity in 2015. Although the authority already owns a landfill site it purchased in 1996, it is seeking another because the current site is along the western side of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and is opposed by environmental groups.

The SWA currently is considering two privately owned parcels as potential landfill

sites: the “SR 80/US 98 site” at the corner of State Road 80 and U.S. Highway 98 five miles west of 20-Mile Bend, and the Hundley site, on the north side of County Road 880 about four miles west of 20-Mile Bend.

The Palm Beach County Commission, which sits as the SWA Governing Board, postponed a choice on a site in January and allowed staff to gather more public input at forums in Wellington, Royal Palm Beach and Belle Glade.

SWA Executive Director Mark Hammond told the board Wednesday that some residents at the forums raised objections to the 80/98 site, primarily over visibility from SR 80. He said most attendees favored either of the two alternate sites over the site the SWA currently owns.

“They could see that the life-cycle costs, also the fact that these sites were more removed from the Loxahatchee

Wildlife Refuge, clearly made the other two sites under consideration more advantageous,” Hammond said.

The SWA has had only sparse contact with the SFWMD regarding negotiations to buy some 180,000 acres of U.S. Sugar farmland, Hammond said. “I understand the complexity of the deal that they are trying to put together,” he said. “It made it extremely difficult for them to commit anything as far as where they might make property available out of the 180,000 acres they are trying to purchase, or to really give us a definitive timetable.”

Hammond said it is not clear whether any of the property owned by U.S. Sugar would be appropriate for a landfill. “We really don’t see anything that has clear advantages over what we are looking at now,” he said. “We are also very concerned about

See LANDFILL, page 14

Folke Peterson Wildlife Center Pleads For Help

Town-Crier Staff Report

Staff at the Folke Peterson Wildlife Center announced this week that the refuge will close by the end of the month

if it does not receive immediate, significant financial support from the community. The organization, located near the intersection of

Southern Blvd. and State Road 7, cares for and rehabilitates injured and displaced native Florida wildlife. It is the only such organization in the area, according to Director Heather Landstrom. Some donations have come in since the center sent out a plea for help this week, Landstrom said. “The community is rallying to our cause, but the fact is that the center is in jeopardy,” she told the Town-Crier Wednesday. “We are encouraged by the outpouring of support.”

Landstrom said the Miamibased Batchelor Foundation has offered to match all donations up to $300,000. Besides cash donations, the center seeks in-kind donations including volunteers or supplies such as newspapers for lining cages, sheets, towels, blankets, dried cat food, pro-

Lease Terms Irk Some Wellington Council Members

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Wellington Village Council members said Thursday that Palm Beach Community College needs to present a more aggressive and detailed plan — and a more amenable lease contract — for its proposed campus on the village’s K-Park property than the latest version submitted to the village.

Council members attended a workshop with village staff Thursday evening to discuss the status of negotiations with the college on a proposal to allow construction of a campus on village-owned property along State Road 7.

The proposal has stirred controversy because PBCC would be paying only a token sum to lease the land, which the village bought in 2003 for about $8.5 million.

A new appraisal of the land puts its value, at its current Community Facilities zoning, at $14.7 million. Commercially zoned, it would be worth twice that amount, according to the appraisal.

The village and the college have been trading draft versions of a lease agreement for months. At the workshop, Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz described the college’s latest revision as “not that ambitious,” offering a more prolonged timeframe than the one the village proposed.

“Originally, when this was discussed in April, people were hopeful that we would be underway and the master plan in process, done sometime this year, and construction would commence thereafter, and you would have something by 2011,” he said.

Kurtz said that in the most recent discussions, college officials were still of a mind that they would be securing funding in the late summer, with the master planning to commence afterward.

Kurtz pointed out that what will be built during the phases has yet to be defined, but the first phase would have a commencement date no longer than five years after the approval of the master plan; that is, by 2017. The first phase would have to be completed by 2022. The second phase would have to begin 10 years after the master plan approval, and the third phase 25 years after, which would be 2037.

“My kids will be grown up and have kids of their own,” Councilman Matt Willhite said.

Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto agreed and said she expected “a more aggressive timeline.”

Kurtz said the timeline stretches out too far, especially because the phases are not well defined, but said he heard the college is working on models that would clarify what it intends to include in each phase.

“You may recall that that phasing and those elements were part of the conceptual planning that had been done in the summer of last year, so that’s a big issue,” Kurtz said.

Another issue, Kurtz said, was the question of how

much K-Park land is still available for consideration in the lease, the entire 67 acres as the college had in its draft, or 62 acres, which is what the council had discussed as being available, or something less, such as 45 acres proposed by Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore, with the remaining 22 acres possibly to help retire the remaining debt on the land.

Councilman Howard Coates said he would probably support any educational institution, but had deep concerns about the lease. Coates, a lawyer, said PBCC had included so many dropout clauses that it made him wonder if the college is willing and able to do the project.

“There was probably not a single change made in this lease that benefited the village that I could tell,” he said. Coates said the college’s extension of its due diligence period regarding the master plan to 18 months would be unacceptable. “I would want to see this due diligence put back to six months,” he said. Kurtz said he also had problems with a change that said the village has to pay the college for any uncompleted work if the college defaults on the agreement.

“Why would anybody commit to that?” Coates asked. “We are prepared to commit land on a very beneficial basis to the college, and at the same time we’re going to have to assume the risk that if they do not complete the project as planned, we can get the land back but we have to pay for the improvements? To me, there is something wrong with that setup. There have got to be some risks that the college is taking.”

Village Manager Paul Schofield said college representatives had told him it was a worst-case scenario version of a lease and not something they intend to stand hard by. Willhite said he expected better from the college’s latest version of the draft lease. “You’re striking things, then underlining things that say the same thing,” he said. “It just doesn’t make sense. You’re trying to muddy the water.”

Willhite said he also objected that the village’s original proposal had given the figure of 62 acres and the college’s version had 67 acres. Willhite further questioned that the original proposal coming from the village had seven phases, and the college’s has only three, with no defined accomplishments.

“Are they still going to put 8,000 students there in three phases, which means they’ve got to be a heck of a lot more quicker in building this thing if they’re going to build in half as many phases,” he wondered. “They were building in phases, I thought, to get some funding, and get some students in there, and get our kids in classes… I understand it’s a tough economy. But you know what? It wasn’t the best when they came in front of us just a year ago… We’re talking 10 to 12 to 14 years

See PBCC, page 20

Stacey Quiñones Named Binks Forest Principal

By Mark Lioi Town-Crier Staff Report

Binks Forest Elementary School will welcome a new principal next week. Stacey Quiñones, formerly assistant principal at Royal Palm Beach Elementary School, is replacing Dr. Julie Hopkins, who will open the as-yet-unnamed Elementary School 06-D on Stacy Street at Haverhill Road in West Palm Beach. On Thursday, Quiñones told the Town-Crier she had been informed of her new job

only a week earlier, having interviewed for the position in late February after Hopkins’ transfer had been announced. Her first day as principal at Binks Forest is Tuesday, March 24. Settling into her new position near the end of a school year offers some advantages, Quiñones said, as the school’s plan for the present year is already set and she can familiarize herself with her new home.

one because we’re at the end of the school year, so it’s a good time to go in and get to know everyone. The plan’s already in place for this school year, and you go in and carry out the plan that’s currently in place.”

Quiñones is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in education in 1998. She earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University in 2003. She has worked for the Palm Beach

County School District for 11 years, preceded by two years teaching at a private school in Broward County. This school year marks Quiñones’ third as assistant principal at Royal Palm Beach Elementary. She helped open Morikami Park Elementary School in Boca Raton in 1998, and won the Teacher of the Year Award there in 2002.

trict’s headquarters on Forest Hill Blvd.

“When I was at Morikami, I was an SAI teacher,” Quiñones said. “So it seemed a natural progression to go from an SAI teacher to managing the program. I was familiar with the program, absolutely understood the program. You’re working with the struggling readers and providing the reinforcement and remediation to them, and I had a great passion for that.” Quiñones grew up in Pom-

“I hear this is a good time for that to happen to some- See QUIÑONES, page 20

Afterward, she worked two years as the supplemental academic instruction (SAI) specialist at the dis-

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce held its annual WestFest Land & Sea Festival on Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15 at Okeeheelee Park. Now in its 16th year, WestFest featured musical acts, green-themed activities, food, amusements for children, crafters and much more. One highlight of the event was the Battle of the Burgs, in which local dignitaries competed in a burger-cooking contest. Pictured here, Battle of the Burgs winner Loxahatchee Groves Mayor David Browning (center) with Russ Benblatt of Whole Foods Market, Dave Unversaw of Republic Services of Palm Beach, State Sen. Dave Aronberg and Chef Manfred Schmidtke of the Florida Culinary Institute. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 7

PHOTO BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

By Ron Bukley

Saving The Animals — Folke Peterson Wildlife Care Manager Vered Nograd with a recovering pelican.

PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

WILDLIFE, page 20

Wellington To Put Lake Worth Road Land Out To Bid

By Mark Lioi Town-Crier Staff Report

Members of a local Jewish congregation were pleased to hear the Wellington Village Council declare a villageowned property on Lake Worth Road as surplus last week.

Members of Temple B’nai Avraham are seeking the site, a 2.82-acre parcel on the south side of Lake Worth Road just west of Barefoot Lake Drive, as a site for a new synagogue. They voiced frustration with council members last month for hesitating on the disposal of the property, saying they have been ready to purchase it from the village for months.

But at its March 10 meeting, the council took the step of declaring the property surplus and directed staff to invite bids on the property, appraised at $675,000.

Village Manager Paul Schofield told the council that while staff has drafted a surplus disposal policy, it deserves more review.

“We have worked on a surplus policy, which council did not have an opportunity to look at until yesterday,” he said. “There are elements of the policy that even staff is not completely comfortable with, specifically parts of it requiring us to ask other government entities if they are interested in parcels before we could dispose of them.”

Schofield noted that the village in the past has used the Lake Worth Road parcel for hurricane-related emergency staging and debris collection, and that council members had offered suggestions to keep the site for use by firerescue or police, or as the site of a memorial to public safety personnel, but acknowledged that the village has no pressing need to keep the land.

“At this point, my recommendation is we’re in the wrong market time to sell it,

but if you are a mind to do so, my recommendation would be that you request sealed bids and you put it out with a limitation on the number of uses,” he said. The recommended uses included a park, school, daycare center, religious institution, government offices or a fitness center.

Several council members voiced the desire to spend more time digesting the text of the disposal policy. Mayor Darell Bowen said the council could still proceed with the surplus declaration and deal with disposing of the parcel at hand.

“I think we could declare this surplus property,” he said “We also could determine the methodology ourselves tonight. I don’t think we have to wait on that.”

Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore made a motion to declare the property surplus, which was seconded by Councilman Howard Coates. The motion passed unanimously.

Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto suggested that fitness centers be omitted from the usage limits on the property and that school usages be more carefully considered because of the potential traffic impact on Lake Worth Road.

Councilman Matt Willhite asked Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz why the village couldn’t simply sell the land directly to any particular party.

“With respect to the certain individuals you were talking about, a church or a place of worship, the problem is there’s a Florida constitutional provision that prohibits local governments from directly or indirectly financing a place of worship or religion,” Kurtz said. “So what you have is a situation where if you only offer it to one entity, the sale could be potential-

See LAND, page 20

Shoplifting Among Top Crimes Reported In RPB

By Don Brown Town-Crier Staff Report

The Royal Palm Beach Village Council received its annual report briefing on crime Thursday from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office revealing a significant spike in larceny over the past year but favorable rates in other categories.

Newly promoted Capt. Eric Coleman, since 2006 executive officer and now commander of the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach, delivered the briefing, saying there were 1,057 larceny incidents reported in 2008 compared to 850 the year before, a 24.4-percent increase.

Among other categories in the report, the village experienced no murders last year compared to one in 2007, a decline of 63.6 percent in forcible sex offenses (eight in 2008 and 22 in 2007), a small decline in robberies from 43 in 2007 to 40 last year, a slight increase in aggravated assaults from 97 last year to 94 in 2007, and a 12-percent drop in motor vehicle thefts, from 75 in 2007 to 66 last year.

Coleman said larcenies account for 71 percent of all crime in the village. “It is our number-one concern,” he said.

Shoplifting accounts for 40 percent of all larceny crimes, Coleman said, with the “lion’s share” occurring at the Wal-Mart store on State Road 7. He pointed out that many

of the arrested shoplifters live outside the village. The number of traffic citations issued to errant motorists also increased substantially with 12,680 tickets issued last year compared to 10,467 the previous year. However, road patrol deputies also issued more warning tickets in 2008 (9,327) compared to the previous year’s 8,393. The number of DUI arrests remained fairly constant, up slightly from 2007’s 96 arrests to last year’s 103. On the positive side, the number of shoplifting arrests increased a whopping 95 percent last year from 249 in 2007 to 487 last year. Of those, 75 percent were adults. In another positive category, Coleman said the major crime clearance rate was a higher-than-average 32 percent.

Factors affecting village crime, according to Coleman, included: significantly increased training of deputies, community outreach initiatives, numerous community special event programs, Citizen Observer Patrol participation and better equipment used by road patrols.

Housekeeping chores preceded the Thursday’s council meeting, including the swearing-in of council members Fred Pinto and Martha Webster for new two-year terms. The council appointed Matty Mattioli as vice mayor for the year.

Swearing In — Royal Palm Beach Councilwoman Martha Webster (left) and Councilman Fred Pinto (right) were sworn in to new two-year terms by Village Clerk Diane DiSanto at Thursday night’s council meeting. Pinto began his fourth term, while Webster started her first full term.

No Injuries Following House Fire In Wellington’s Paddock Park

Firefighters work to extinguish the blaze.

Neighbors gather to check on the situation.

BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

About a dozen Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue trucks responded on Friday, March 13 to a fire at 14764 Paddock Drive in Wellington.

PBCFR personnel received the call at 6:34 p.m., and the fire is believed to have started in a bedroom. When the first trucks arrived, the fire was well advanced, requiring the dispatch of ad-

ditional units, according to a PBCFR report. The fire spread to the attic, requiring firefighters to open the roof in order to extinguish the blaze, which was put out by 7:26 p.m., according to PBCFR officials. All occupants escaped safely, although the Red Cross was contacted for two people who required housing assistance, according to the report.

Dinerstein: Republicans Must Fight Big Spending THANK YOU, BOB

By Don Brown Town-Crier Staff Report

Palm Beach County Republican Party Chairman Sid Dinerstein told members of the Palms West Republican Club on Wednesday that the GOP is the “last line of defense” between an economically sound America and the poorhouse.

“The fiscal can we’re kicking down the road is going to hit us in the head,” he told about 25 Republicans who attended the club’s meeting at the Players Club restaurant in Wellington.

Dinerstein placed the current round of federal spending and corporate bailouts squarely on the shoulders of President Barack Obama, saying it amounts to “generational theft,” which he called a “sin against our children”

who would be left to pay off the mounting national debt. Obama’s spending plan is destined to increase $2 trillion in each of the four years of his current term, Dinerstein said. “There is only one major political topic over the next ten years,” he said. “It’s our 9-11” Dinerstein’s address was an outline version of his recently published book Adults Only, which he autographed for members and guests following his speech. The book expands on his solutions to a range of problems he said Americans will face over the next several years. Subtitled “For People Who Love Their Country More Than Their Party,” the book advocates economic, health insurance and Social Security reform while offering solutions to

issues involving education, crime, immigration and terrorism.

Dinerstein, the native of a working-class neighborhood in the Crown Heights area of Brooklyn, characterizes himself a lifelong Republican. He came to Palm Beach County in 1990 and became chairman of the county GOP six years ago.

Dinerstein blames the onslaught of bad mortgages for starting the economic crisis in the U.S. “The next generation will be the first worse off than the generation before,” he said. “Politically, we’re blowing up the world. The bricks will come back down, but they won’t be in the same place, leaving it for the next generation to rebuild.”

Dinerstein said the future of the Republican Party “will

be about young people being protected by tax-takers. We need to be the protectors of those who are younger than us and broaden our party to young people.”

He had some pointers for fellow Republicans: the party faithful should stay focused on alternative ideas, maintain better manners, swear off Congressional earmarks, recruit quality young people as candidates and be patient as changes take place.

While the dates haven’t been announced yet, future speakers at the Palms West Republican Club will include Florida Senate President Jeff Atwater and newly elected U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney. Both were specifically mentioned by Dinerstein as part of the future leadership of the Republican Party.

The Wellington Village Council honored former councilman Bob Margolis on March 10 for his service to the village. Margolis, who has worked with Procter & Gamble for more than 25 years, served on the council from April 2003 until the start of this year. The council’s proclamation noted that Margolis’ “sense of humor, tenacity and a genuine desire to improve the quality of life for the residents in the Village of Wellington has left an indelible mark on our community.” Shown here is Margolis, holding a copy of the proclamation and his commemorative plaque, flanked by his wife Linda and members of the council and village staff.

PHOTOS BY RON

OUR OPINION

County Made Right Call In Slowing Down Landfill Decision

The western communities celebrated a small victory this week after county commissioners voted to postpone a decision on choosing a new landfill site. Sitting as the Solid Waste Authority Governing Board, the commissioners put off the decision for six months to explore the possibility of using land currently owned by U.S. Sugar if that company’s negotiations with the South Florida Water Management District pan out.

Only three months ago, western communities leaders were gearing up for yet another fight with the powers that be out east, this time in the form of the SWA. At issue was the SWA’s favored site for a new landfill and the way in which agency heads seemed to make up their minds without input from the western communities. Local officials were concerned that the SWA had decided the landfill should go on a tract of land then known as the “Smith site” (now called the “State Road 80/US 98 site”), located directly along Southern Blvd. at the intersection of Route 98 — right at the gateway to the Glades communities, which could suffer economically from having a landfill at their front door. Fortunately, all it took was a little public prodding by some of the more outspoken critics of the plan, such as Wellington Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto, whose steadfast objections helped garner support for the western communities’ point of view.

Transparency In Government

Many important issues, decisions and ideas will be discussed legislative session, but I want to begin by placing a magnifying glass on government operations in an effort to reinstate Floridians’ faith in our state government and its spending decisions.

Elected officials are merely individuals whom their neighbors have chosen to entrust with the responsibility of making decisions for their family and community. With that responsibility comes an obligation of accountability to those who have trusted in their officials. Honesty and transparency stand as the foundation of that very trust.

Speaking forthrightly is essential to passing real, longterm solutions. Portraying a rosy picture, while Florida is facing unprecedented challenges, leaves false impressions on Florida’s families. Floridians must have access to factual information regarding their government’s operations and decisions, and must be provided with a method to make meaningful suggestions based on that very information. It is for that reason that the Florida Senate is crafting legislation to enhance transparency in state spending. After all, the money we allocate to services and programs is not our money. It is your money, and we are mere stewards.

This new-age means of accountability will be introduced in an online, userfriendly manner where Florida’s budget will be posted line by line, with in-depth information on agency, office and program spending. Every state expenditure needs to be visible in the light of day — open to scrutiny. If an expenditure is not legitimate, it should be eliminated. Details regarding Florida’s spending decisions will no longer lie in the shadows.

This legislation is one of many steps to ensure that every function of government is held to the highest standards of performance and the most rigorous tests of scrutiny.

State Sen. Jeff Atwater Senate President

Don’t Open Connection

As a resident of The Acreage, I oppose the connection of the Acreage reliever road/ State Road 7 extension to Madrid Street in LaMancha. This two-lane road will be over capacity the day it is finished. The Acreage has finally gotten something from the county for our years of taxes, and we should not have to share it. I am for the extension of Roebuck Road from Jog Road to SR 7. I drive from my house in The Acreage to the Jog Road entrance to Florida’s Turnpike en route to my business in Boca Raton every day. If the gated communities along Okeechobee Blvd. want to renege on their 1994 promise to allow Roebuck to be built, the county should revoke their ability to access Okeechobee Blvd. A deal is a deal. It will be a pleasure to never have to drive on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. and Okeechobee Blvd. again.

Peter Begovich The Acreage

Resident Enraged Over Parking Ticket

Editor’s note: The following letter, addressed to the Village of Wellington, was sent to the Town-Crier for publication.

Dear Village of Wellington:

I cannot believe that my son was written a citation for parking on the swale of my street. Have you ever been here when the boy down the street has a party every Friday night and even during the week, sometimes three times a week until 5 a.m. with people screaming at the top of their lungs all night?

I have lived in this neighborhood for 21 years and have never been given a citation for parking on my own property for one night. It is not a habitual thing; we had friends in from out of town and there was not enough room. While you are at it, did you go around the block and give citations to everyone on the street whose car was blocking the sidewalks? Oh, and by the way, while

When the SWA held its public input hearings in late February, Benacquisto was not alone in her opposition to the SR 80/US 98 site; more than 50 residents turned out to the forum in Wellington to challenge the proposal. Apparently, that public input made a difference. According to SWA Executive Director Mark Hammond, the agency’s staff now favors a different site, which is more set back from Southern Blvd. and will be less of an eyesore here in the western communities. The new preferred site is the Hundley site, on the north side of County Road 880 about four miles west of 20-Mile Bend. We congratulate the county for taking its time and rethinking this decision. The commissioners now have six months to gather as much information as possible — from all sides — and make an informed, deliberative choice. While creating a new landfill out west is an unfortunate necessity, there are ways to build it with minimal impact to the environment and the local economy. It is more than just a matter of not wanting an eyesore in one’s back yard (not to mention its negative effect on the nose). As long as there are possible options that preclude putting a landfill along the western region’s main thoroughfare, then we should explore those possibilities. Once the landfill’s there, it’s there for decades. The county can wait another six months to make sure the right decision is made.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

your officer was writing the citation, did he see any of the derelicts who live across the way breaking into any of the cars on the street? Where were you in November and December when my son’s car was broken into twice within six weeks of each other?

How dare you write a citation for parking when I have helicopters flying over my house once a week, looking for who knows what kind of criminal... I think the officers of this community need to put their time to a more critical area, like the crime of Wellington that has gotten out of control.

The articles in the TownCrier are about crime in the White Pine area. What about the Yarmouth Court area of town? Within the last year, I have had a bicycle and wakeboard valued at over $1,000 stolen from my property. I have had two attempts at stealing our car or belongings ending in $600 in damage to vehicles. I was harassed at Yarmouth Park by four derelicts while I was walking my dogs one evening. What has happened in Wellington? And they think the problem is the other side of Wellington?

Wake up, it’s the entire community. After 21 years, I’m ready to get the hell out of this crime-infested neighborhood. But I’m sure that giving my son a $25 parking citation will make everything better. They should be out finding the real criminals of this city. I was truly shocked at the ticket. Aren’t there other things for them to be doing besides giving the honest people of this community parking tickets for parking on their own property?

Paula E. Bernstein Wellington

The American Spirit Lives

Let’s extol the American spirit! Through the years, it has triumphed over all types of horrific adversities to include: the fight for independence, civil war, depression, slavery, two world wars and most recently, the 9/11 attacks. We still have pressing problems to confront such as world economic recession

and international terrorism, but our indomitable American spirit will carry us through all these tribulations, and we’ll emerge a much stronger people.

Let’s join hands and meet these cataclysmic challenges head on. If we don’t, our country’s foundation will crumble beneath us and our hopes and aspirations become nothing but distant dreams. Moving forward, let this be our battle cry: “we are saddened that we only have one life to give for our country. But while we live, we dedicate every fiber of our being to this nation and won’t let our beloved America be trampled on by anyone, anyplace, anytime.”

Behold the American spirit for as long as it soars we will prevail!

Mario Casuga Royal Palm Beach

Howard Sohn Responds

I am happy to respond to George Unger’s comments (Letters, March 13) regarding my recent letter to the editor addressing the pending KPark land donation to Palm Beach Community College and the crime problem in the Village of Wellington.

Although Mr. Unger stated in his letter that Wellington is “a pretty safe place to live” and “one of the best in the county,” the crime statistics compiled by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) show just the opposite. Had Mr. Unger taken the time to review these crime statistics as I did, he would have learned that in 2007, police in Wellington reported 1,403 larcenies/thefts to FDLE. This is more than the 1,367 reported larcenies/ thefts in Riviera Beach and 876 in Belle Glade.

In 2007, Wellington had 316 reported burglaries, 112 aggravated assaults, 36 robberies, nine forcible rapes and one murder. These 2007 numbers are all higher than the 2006 numbers for these same offenses, with the exception of forcible rapes, which decreased in 2007.

Additionally, 2008 has further shown an increase in Wellington for several violent

crimes. In just the first six months of 2008 there were 29 reported robberies, compared to 36 for the entire 12 months of 2007, and 63 cases of aggravated assault. Also, please remember these are only those crimes reported by the victims to police and police to FDLE. The actual numbers are most likely much higher. While Mr. Unger prefers to hide his head in the sand regarding our crime problem, these numbers and statistics do not lie. Let Mr. Unger tell the residents of the 12th Fairway, White Pine Drive and other neighborhoods that there is no crime in this community.

Mr. Unger also questions my comments concerning the council and particularly Mayor Darell Bowen’s unparalleled focus on the K-Park land donation to PBCC at the expense of other more pressing issues in this village. So that we are clear, I did and continue to question the motives of the mayor in regard to this land donation. As Mr. Unger has apparently forgotten, the K-Park land donation first became public and was placed on the council agenda in April 2008, as soon as Darell Bowen was elected mayor. The proponent of this PBCC proposal was Kathy Foster, the wife of Mike Nelson, the outgoing president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, whose prior president was Darell Bowen. Curiously, this K-Park donation to PBCC was never mentioned or addressed in the mayoral campaign, particularly where Mike Nelson and his sister Francine Nelson from Patriot Games ran Darell Bowen’s campaign. Since this proposal surfaced in public in April 2008, Mayor Bowen has steadfastly supported this donation, has never sought the need to publicly question any aspect of this donation, and went out of his way to attack his fellow council members Dr. Carmine Priore and Lizbeth

Benacquisto when they suggested that more information and investigation was needed and appropriate.

Mayor Bowen’s unwavering support has continued even when it was finally uncovered that we, the residents, are paying for this property at the rate of $40,000 per month through 2013 and will be only recovering $.83 per month if the lease with PBCC is approved by council.

Finally, unlike Mr. Unger, I have repeatedly offered solutions regarding this K-Park property and have addressed this donation on several occasions before council. I have consistently asked council why this K-Park property has been handled differently than all other properties that have come before it in the past. The council has never declared KPark surplus property, has not sought any other proposals from any and all interested parties in regard to this property, and only recently requested an appraisal, which Mayor Bowen, not surprisingly, opposed. Why these steps have not been followed and the speed at which the mayor and council have attempted to give this property to PBCC is obviously a major concern... I am truly sorry Mr. Unger resents anyone questioning government, but I would rather question and address this now rather than wait until it is approved and the village’s most valuable remaining piece of property is gone forever. Unfortunately, it is easier for Mr. Unger to attack me than to face reality, that crime in this community is and has been rising at an alarming rate and the K-Park land donation to PBCC is a looming financial disaster for all of us. Maybe Mr. Unger should follow his own advice and offer solutions and learn the facts before proceeding to attack someone else.

Howard Sohn Wellington

The Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep letters brief (300 words). Submit letters, with contact name, address, and telephone number (anonymous letters will not be published), to The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414; fax them to (561) 793-6090 ; or you can e-mail them to letters@goTown Crier.com

Problems At ACS Office Threaten Local Relays For Life

Internal personnel turnovers and a few notso-user-friendly staff at the local chapter of the American Cancer Society have had a sad effect on the dozens of volunteers working on three Relay for Life events in the western communities.

I’m writing this column not to trash the ACS, but to let the agency know that it needs to do some housecleaning before we can help it help the cancer victims we all want to help. I don’t need to extol the virtues of the ACS. Everyone knows about the tens of millions of dollars the society raises each year for researching the cure. My own near-death experience with AML leukemia two years motivated me to get involved in helping others by raising money for research. At the same time, we don’t need the local ACS office shooting themselves in “our” foot.

By Don Brown

years. The local relay representatives have changed three times in just the past year, sending volunteer efforts into chaos. In at least one instance, a local ACS rep’s personal behavior and lack of people skills threatened the entire relay in one of the three communities.

the survivors of my family and friends,” an Acreage volunteer said.

Don Duchateau, regional director of all South Florida ACS offices, told me Tuesday that the staff turnover has wreaked havoc on the local West Palm Beach office. However, the problem would be resolved soon, he said. Mr. Duchateau is a Wellington resident, so the problem hits him right at home.

I’ve talked with volunteers in Wellington, Royal Palm Beach and The Acreage, and virtually all gave similar accounts: ACS management has turned over twice in the past two

The disarray of the local branch has created similar conditions for the local relay events. With the ailing economy added into the mix, this year the relays are seeing fewer teams and contributions.

Some volunteer leaders told me they are expecting about half the contributions they raised last year. In some instances, pledges have been retracted. A volunteer told me about a Royal Palm Beach fundraiser who collected as much as $10,000 in checks only to rip them up in disgust. “He told me that he’s going back to the people he got the checks from and ask them to make them out to another charity,” the volunteer said.

The volunteer managers of the three community relays, while disappointed and dismayed, still haven’t given up hope. They know the effort is for a good cause, and they hope the ACS personnel problems will be solved soon. “I’m still going to work hard for

Another in Royal Palm Beach echoed that sentiment. “I’m going to do the best I can and be satisfied with that,” she told me. I hope my friends and readers remain solidly behind this community-wide program. There are many distractions to contend with, such as personal economic circumstances and other conflicting events. I’m hoping that my Don’s Team supporters repeat their contributions from last year even though I didn’t have the time to form another virtual team through this column. I told a caller the other day that if she can’t afford to contribute this year because of economic circumstances, find someone else to help in her place. The Acreage and Wellington will hold their relays on April 17-18 at Acreage Community Park and Palm Beach Central High School. Royal Palm Beach will hold its event at Royal Palm Beach High School on April 24-25. Let’s all go whip cancer.

As it does every year, the Gypsy’s Horse Irish Pub in the original Wellington Mall hosted a St. Patrick’s Day Celebration on Tuesday. In addition to live music in the mall center court, there was plenty of traditional Irish food and beer — and nonstop fun. For more information about the Gypsy’s Horse, call (561) 333-3700.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

It’s

Tracy Channing and John Ferris, a.k.a. Irish John.

Morgann and Cody Kornprobst, Cornelius Theron, Melody Kornprobst and Tiffany Theron.

Gino Zwiretki, Karinna Hafft, Colin Jackson and Chris Ryan behind the bar at the Gypsy’s Horse.

Ken Lewis and Melody Farley-Lewis, Kimberly Reinman, and Shawn and Shannon Lewis.

Members of Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue enjoy St. Patrick’s Day.

Ed Portman takes a break from serving food.

Tom Wimber gets a birthday kiss from Nadean Anderson and Kathy Bourque.

Mike and Kathy Bourque.

RPB Crash Leads To Arrest For DUI

By Jason Budjinski Town-Crier Staff Report

MARCH 14 — A Loxahatchee woman was arrested last Saturday night following a traffic collision in Royal Palm Beach. According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation responded to a traffic accident at the intersection of Okeechobee and Royal Palm Beach boulevards at approximately 9:30 p.m. Upon arrival, the deputy noticed that one of the drivers, 39-year-old Beverly Nadal, appeared to be impaired. An investigation was conducted to determine if she had been driving while intoxicated. The results of Nadal’s blood-alcohol tests were .215 and .220. She was placed under arrest and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail.

• • •

which were placed into evidence.

MARCH 16 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched Monday night to the Dillard’s store in the Mall at Wellington Green regarding a grand theft. According to a PBSO report, store security observed 27-year-old Katherine Acevedo select two Ed Hardy pocketbooks and pass all points of sale without paying for the merchandise, which was valued at $525. Acevedo was apprehended outside the store, and the pocketbooks were recovered. Acevedo was placed under arrest and transported to the county jail.

MARCH 12 — A Royal Palm Beach man was arrested on drug charges last Thursday following a traffic stop at the intersection of Okeechobee Blvd. and Wildcat Way. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation was on routine patrol, traveling eastbound on Okeechobee Blvd. when he observed a brown van traveling at a high rate of speed. After clocking the van at 50 miles per hour in a 35-mph zone, the deputy initiated a traffic stop. Upon making contact with the driver, 54-year-old Kenneth Koleos, the deputy smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the van. The deputy proceeded to fill out and issue Koleos a traffic citation for speeding. The deputy then gained consent to search the van and found a clear plastic baggy containing marijuana, along with several more that were stored inside a black bag, and a silver scale. Koleos was charged with possession of marijuana over 20 grams and possession of narcotics equipment.

MARCH 14 — A resident of Barnstable Road called the PBSO substation in Wellington last Saturday regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 10:45 p.m. last Friday and 9:14 a.m. the following morning, someone smashed the front passenger window of the victim’s 2004 Chevy Venture. Her iPod Nano was taken off its charging port in the front of the van. The deputy took a DNA sample from the front passenger door handle. There were no known witnesses or suspects at the time of the report.

MARCH 15 — A Madison Green resident called the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach last Sunday regarding an attempted home burglary. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 8:30 a.m. the victim discovered that someone had placed a patio chair below the upstairs balcony in an attempt to gain entry to the open sliding door upstairs. According to the report, the suspect never gained entry but instead left traces of a chalky white substance that enabled the deputy to obtain latent prints,

MARCH 16 — An employee of the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Belvedere Road called the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach on Monday regarding a pair of shoplifters. According to a PBSO report, the employee witnessed 31-year-old Lucila Perez of West Palm Beach and 28-year-old Michael Mertes of The Acreage select miscellaneous swimwear items and bras from the women’s department. Perez then took the merchandise into a fitting room. When she returned, the items were no longer in plain view. The fitting room was checked and found to be empty. The employee further observed Perez and Mertes remove tags from the swimwear items and place them in Perez’ handbag. Mertes concealed the bras and swimwear in his pockets and inside his shorts. Perez and Mertes proceeded to exit the store without paying for the items. They were apprehended and taken to the loss prevention office, where the merchandise was recovered. The total amount of stolen items was valued at $232.36. Perez and Mertes were placed under arrest and taken to the county jail.

MARCH 17 — A resident of Shower Tree Way called the PBSO substation in Wellington early Tuesday morning in reference to a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 8:20 p.m. on Monday and 5:45 a.m. the following morning, someone smashed the rear passenger window of the victim’s 2002 Mitsubishi Galant. Stolen from inside was an attaché containing a Dell laptop computer valued at approximately $600. There were no witnesses at the time of the report, and the case is inactive pending further investigative leads.

MARCH 17 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded Tuesday to a home on White Pine Drive in reference to a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim left her home at approximately 8:30 a.m. At 2:40 p.m., she received a phone call from a neighbor, who notified her that her home’s back window had been pushed in. The victim then called the PBSO and returned home to discover that her Toshiba laptop computer had been stolen from the family room. The deputy attempted to obtain latent prints but was unsuccessful.

Finotte Baptiste

THE WESTFEST LAND & SEA FESTIVAL RETURNS TO OKEEHEELEE PARK

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce held its annual WestFest Land & Sea Festival on Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15 at Okeeheelee Park. Now in its 16th year, WestFest featured musical acts, green-themed activities, local artists, food, amusements for children, crafters and much more. One highlight of the event was the Battle of the Burgs, in which local dignitaries competed in a burger-cooking contest. That was followed up by a battle between representatives from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. State Sen. Dave Aronberg was on hand to help with the judging. For more information about the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, call (561) 790-6200, or visit www.palmswest.com.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER & STU ULRICH/TOWN-CRIER

Indian Trail Improvement District Vice President Ralph Bair gets ready to cook.

Royal Palm Beach Councilwoman Martha Webster cooks up a storm.

The Battle of the Burgs judges watch the competition.

Greenacres Mayor Sam Ferreri with his food creation.

Loxahatchee Groves Mayor David Browning served up the winning burger in Saturday’s competition.

State Sen. Dave Aronberg interviews burger contestants.

Peter Wein interviews Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen.

The Chili Chicks keep the crowd entertained.

Battle of the Burgs contestants are hard at work.

Members of the PBSO and PBCFR teams before the Battle of the Burgs competition.Charles and Carson Rush.

Winners in the three-to-five-year-old group in the Princesses competition were Kelisiti Pinkney, Mackenzie Lee Goodhue and Sierra Skye Velazquez.

Folks at the Eco Advisors booth.

Sheriff Ric Bradshaw with some of the WestFest Angels from the Glades communities.

Princess contestants Savannah and Sierra Velazquez and Emily and Jennifer McFarland.

Winners in the three- to five-year-old category in the Pirates competition were Keon Hoffman, Luke Tummeraas, Dominick Smith and Vinny Smith.

Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, Greenacres Mayor Sam Ferreri, David Unversaw and State Sen. Dave Aronberg.

Players Club To Host ‘Inspirit Idol: Karaoke For A Cause’

Inspirit, a Palm Beach County non-profit that takes live music to people who can no longer get out and enjoy it on their own, invites the public to its 2009 fundraising event “Inspirit Idol: Karaoke for a Cause,” which will take place on Saturday, April 25 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Players Club restaurant, located at 13410 South Shore Blvd. in Wellington.

According to Inspirit founder and Executive Director Ginny Meredith, the organization wants participants to “raise your voices for a good cause.” The event will include as many as 20 competitors who will try to outsing each other for first place and a fabulous grand prize before a panel of celebrity judges. To compete, each contestant will have raised a minimum of $1,000 in charitable contributions through their circle of friends and/or local business and organizational sponsorship.

The grand prize package is an “Inspirit Idol Weekend,” which includes a six-hour recording session at Elegbaland Studios in Lake Worth, plus mixing and mastering of the finished product by noted area recording engineers John and Bill Storch, and a stay at the Jupiter Beach Resort.

You can’t carry a tune in a paper bag? Or perhaps you can only sing in the shower?

Not a problem, according to Inspirit President Rose Clements. “There are many ways to participate and support the important work of Inspirit,” she said. “You can enter as a contestant, help sponsor the event or just enjoy a fun night out at a beautiful venue as an audience member.”

The evening will also include a raffle, with one lucky winner taking home a largescreen flat-panel television.

Tickets to the event, which include a complimentary drink and hors d’ouvres, are on sale now for $15 each or $25 for couples. To purchase tickets, or learn more about the event and available sponsorship opportunities, visit www.inspiritlive.org.

Inspirit was incorporated as a non-profit in 2000 by Ginny Meredith (then Ginny Williams), a breast cancer survivor who said she found her chemotherapy treatments “almost worse than the cancer itself.”

It was only after a friend recorded some of her favorite songs and put them on a portable cassette player for her that she was able to tolerate the treatments.

“The music just seemed to make everything better,” Meredith recalled. “So I decided that when I got through all of this, I would find a way to bring the healing power of music to others who were in a similar situation.”

That led her to form Inspirit, whose mission has been to bring live music directly to people who can’t get out and experience it on their own — such as those in veteran’s hospitals, cancer clinics, shelters, nursing homes, Alzheimer facilities, rehabilitation centers and pediatric wards.

In its nine-year existence, Inspirit has held close to 800 performances at various facilities around Palm Beach County, bringing the healing power of music to more than 24,000 people ages two to 102. Inspirit was recognized as a 2008 Muse Award nominee by the Palm Beach County Cultural Council for its outstanding achievement in improving the quality of life in Palm Beach County.

Performers are paid a small stipend, usually around $50, for their performances, but participants agree that the musicians gain almost as much from their involvement as do the people who hear the music.

“If we make one person smile more today than yesterday, it has made my day because we touched someone,” Grammy-nominated percussionist and Inspirit performer Michael Moses said.

For more information, call Inspirit Marketing Director Karen Antonucci at (561) 889-4388, e-mail k.antonucci @comcast.net or visit www. inspiritlive.org.

Wellington Spring Egg Hunt April 11

The Village of Wellington will host its annual egg hunt for children ages one to ten on Saturday, April 11 at Village Park.

The event will begin promptly at 10 a.m. and will be divided according to the

following age groups: ages two and under, three to four, five to seven and eight to ten. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early because this event may cause heavy traffic. The event will take

Karaoke For A Cause — Inspirit Idol committee members (L-R) Ginny Meredith, Carrie Frazer, Bill Maronet, Karen Antonucci, John Pauly, Cynthia Maronet, Sheldon Robertson and Karen Roberts.

Lox Groves Supports RPB On Roebuck Road Extension

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council voiced support Tuesday for a petition being circulated by the Village of Royal Palm Beach and the county asking state agencies to have the City of West Palm Beach remove language in a proposed comprehensive plan amendment opposing the extension of Roebuck Road. West Palm Beach opposes the westward extension of Roebuck Road together with residents of the Baywinds, Andros Isle and Riverwalk communities on Okeechobee Blvd. The extension would run along the northern boundary of those subdivisions, which were permitted for development in 1994 only after West Palm Beach agreed that the extension would eventually go through. On Tuesday, Loxahatchee

CAFCI Picnic

April 11 At Okeeheelee

Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement

(CAFCI) will hold its annual picnic on Saturday, April 11 from 11 a.m. to sundown at the Micanopy Pavilion at Okeeheelee Park. The cost of admission for adults is a $15 donation; the cost is $5 for children under 12. For more information, call Henworth Ferguson at (561) 784-8804.

Na’amatSharon Club Meeting

The Na’amat-Sharon Club of Royal Palm Beach will hold its annual Passover meeting on Tuesday, April 14 at 11:30 a.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). The guest speaker will be Dan Hirschon of the Yad Vashem Names Recovery Project. The project seeks the names of those who perished in the Holocaust but are not yet recorded at the Yad

Groves Town Attorney David Tolces told the council he received a phone call and documents the previous day from Royal Palm Beach Village Attorney Trela White asking the town to join the village and Palm Beach County in a petition to be filed with the state’s Division of Administrative Hearings. The petition objects to the Department of Community Affairs’ announced intent to find the West Palm Beach comprehensive plan amendment in compliance. The issue centers on West Palm Beach’s comments in a proposed comp plan amendment concerning the city’s reluctance to support the construction of Roebuck Road, Tolces said. While the city includes the Roebuck extension in its traffic improvement map, the draft amendment states that it “is included in the table solely for the

Vashem Hall of Names. Only three million of the six million who died are listed there. While there are still survivors and relatives left to give names and/or testimony, the project is reaching out to gather these names. To commemorate Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), six candles will be lit in memory of the six million who died. A light Passover lunch will be served, followed by a short business meeting. There will be a small fee for lunch for non-members. For more info., call Cecile Millman at (561) 795-5811.

Garden Club To Meet April 3

The Wellington Garden Club will hold its next meeting on Friday, April 3 at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). The meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a light buffet lunch provided by the members. The business meeting will start at 12:15 p.m., followed by the speakers. Speaking will be the team

purpose of consistency with the county’s comprehensive plan,” Tolces said.

An earlier comp plan amendment proposal sent to the DCA from West Palm Beach had deleted the Roebuck extension entirely, but the DCA had the city put it back in, according to White.

West Palm Beach’s rewrite of the proposed comprehensive plan amendment states that inclusion of the planned extension does not reflect the city’s position on future development of Roebuck Road nor restricts the city’s right to amend it if environmental permits for such roads are not issued.

“It is my understanding this road was added to alleviate traffic impact associated with certain developments on the north side of Okeechobee,” Tolces said. “We’ve been asked to join in the proceedings due to the potential ad-

of Bob Haehle and Jesse Durko. Haehle is a horticultural consultant and gardening writer, and Durko owns a tenacre tropical nursery in Davie. Together they are writing a book titled Unusual Plants for Florida, to be published in 2010. They will speak on the topic “Best New Plants for South Florida” and promise to bring many specimens for members to view and purchase. Guests are welcome, and there is no admission fee. Guests must RSVP to Mary Anne at (561) 968-1062.

Feed Store

Grand Opening

Wellington’s Edge Feed & Supply will hold a grandopening celebration Saturday and Sunday, March 28 and 29 at the corner of B Road and Southern Blvd. in Loxahatchee Groves. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Everything is free, including pony rides, food and drink from local restaurants, and more. For more information, call Marni at (561) 315-2129.

verse impacts to traffic if Roebuck Road is not constructed as provided for in the county’s comprehensive plan as well as in the city’s comprehensive plan.”

Tolces said failure to build the extension and alleviate congestion on Okeechobee Blvd. would certainly affect Loxahatchee Groves, which didn’t exist as a municipality when West Palm Beach originally agreed to the plan. “While the town wasn’t around back then, the potential impacts are here now if that road is not constructed,” he said.

“This has been going on for a very long time,” Councilman Dennis Lipp said. “Roebuck Road was supposed to be paid for by those developments along there. Every one of them paid huge impact fees to the City of West Palm Beach to put in this road, and then once the

Weedoo

Demonstration In Wellington

Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen will join Palm Beach Aquatics representatives on Monday, March 23 at 3:30 p.m. to demonstrate the electric, eco-friendly skimming vessel the Weedoo in the Wellington canal system. The demonstration will launch a water craft that is totally free of fossil fuel use and is one of two that exist. The demonstration will take place at the Wellington Municipal Complex at 14000 Greenbriar Blvd. For more information, call Palm Beach Aquatics at (561) 719-8900 or visit www.pbaquatics.com.

Emerald Cove Health Fair

In an effort to promote healthy food choices through the increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, the School District of Palm Beach County’s Food Service Department has organized an education-

road was supposed to be built, all of a sudden they couldn’t come up with the money to pay for it. [County Commissioner] Jess Santamaria has been fighting for everyone out here so we can have access to the City of West Palm Beach when we need to, and getting this road done is an important part of taking all the pressure off of Okeechobee. With the growth that is going to come here, we need to see this go through, and I would encourage everyone to vote in favor.”

Councilman Dr. Bill Louda said the communities had been built in the knowledge that Roebuck Road would be built on their periphery. “That condition was part of the permitting process,” he said.

West Palm Beach’s proposed comp plan amendment states that the city is challenging the Roebuck extension on

environmental grounds, but Louda said that argument is without merit.

“With proper drainage and landscaping, Roebuck Road could easily be built as a beautiful rural parkway without endangering the West Palm Beach Water Catchment Area or the Pond Cypress Natural Area,” he said.

“Roebuck Road is long overdue,” Councilman Ron Jarriel agreed. “As a reliever road, we needed it four or five years ago, so I’m in support of Royal Palm Beach and Palm Beach County. One thing I frown on is when people make an agreement and try to back out on it, and West Palm Beach had no right to do that.”

Lipp made a motion to direct Tolces to write a resolution on behalf of the town supporting the petition, which was seconded by Louda and passed unanimously.

al health fair to be held at Emerald Cove Middle School in Wellington on Thursday, March 26 from 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The health fair will provide all students, staff and participants with an opportunity to view exciting health and wellness displays, and receive educational materials, prizes and free samples of colorful and tasty fruits and vegetables.

A variety of educational booths will be set up to target specific aspects of health and

wellness, which include: the School Food Service Department; Emerald Cove physical education teachers and school nurse; Emerald Cove’s jazz band, step team, chorus and dance team; Palms West Hospital; the school district’s employee wellness coordinator; the Palm Beach County Beekeepers Association; the Palm Beach County Health Department; and more. For more information, call Paula Triana at (561) 3832026 or (561) 253-5583.

&

& Scrapes Strains & Sprains

& Sinus Infection

The Weedoo comes to Wellington on Monday.

CASPEREY STABLES IN LOXAHATCHEE GROVES HOLDS OPEN HOUSE

Casperey Stables in Loxahatchee Groves held an open house last Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. With an emphasis on affordable family fun, the event included horse-riding lessons for children and adults, pony rides, a drawing for free lessons, tours of the barn and riding areas, and discounts on spring break and summer camps. Located at 2330 D Road, Casperey Stables features two and a half acres of natural preserve and a one-mile riding trail, and offers professional horse-riding instruction. For more information, call (561) 792-4990 or visit the Casperey Stables web site at www. caspereystables.com.

BY

DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

PALM BEACH ZOO CELEBRATES PANTHER COLIN PATRICK’S BIRTHDAY

Last Saturday, the Palm Beach Zoo celebrated the birthday of its resident panther Colin Patrick and recognized Save the Florida Panther Day, calling to attention to the species’ endangered status. Colin was born 14 years ago on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day. Colin’s cake included meat tidbits and small fish hidden in three decorated cardboard boxes. He had as much fun playing with the boxes as he did eating the treats. Other animals received enrichment treats throughout the day. The Palm Beach Zoo is located at 1301 Summit Blvd. in West Palm Beach. For more info., call (561) 547-9453 or visit www.palm beachzoo.org.

Dave Quavillon and Glen Morphew prepare Colin’s “birthday cake” of ground beef and fish in boxes.Colin sniffs treats in the

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

PHOTOS

box.

Casperey Stables owners Lori Cooper with her daughter Carrie, husband Chuck and Lori’s horse Air Jordan.

Riding instructor Robin Johnson signs up Kendall Hill for summer camp while her mom Karen looks on.

Carrie Cooper grooms her Arabian horse Phantastic.

Emily Dicks of Wellington takes a pony ride atop Beau while volunteers Marinna Haley and Jessi Dwyer assist.

Volunteers Marinna Haley and Jessi Dwyer give Arabian mares Dancer and Rory some treats.

CLIFFORD VISITS PRESCHOOLERS

St. Peter’s United Methodist Preschool in Wellington hosted its first Scholastic Book Fair during the week of March 9-14. The biggest surprise for the children was when Clifford the Big Red Dog decided to pay them a visit. He heard what excellent readers the children are and how much they love to read books — his in particular. Pictured above with Clifford are Nathan Greetham, Ryan Portell and Emma Greetham.

Extraordinary Minds

Honored By Dream Middle School In RPB

Dream Middle School presented seven exemplary students with the Extraordinary Minds award at the Palms West Chamber of Commerce Leadership Day on Jan. 29. The recipients of the fall 2008 Extraordinary Minds Award were Alex Blue, Samantha Bodner, Andrew Borell, Libby Brumfield, Jake Gallagher, Melanie Servido and Tristan Wheeler. Dream Middle School believes that every student has the ability to be extraordinary in his or her cognitive and emotional intelligences. Each term, Ideal and

Dream School staff members select students who exemplify this mission statement on a daily basis. These students reachs their academic potential and practice emotional virtues throughout the school day. These extraordinary students are dedicated to both learning new information and to being compassionate people.

Ideal Elementary and Dream Middle School are privately owned non-profit schools located in Royal Palm Beach offering preschool through eighth grade. For more information, visit www.idealelementary.com.

Area Teachers Earn Board-Certification

The Palm Beach County School District recognized and rewarded five teachers from the western communities on Feb. 18 for having earned national board certification. The teachers are: Risa Suarez, a third- and fourth-grade SAI teacher at Pierce Hammock Elementary School in The Acreage; Jennifer Eddy, who teaches third-grade inclusion at Frontier Elementary School in The Acreage; Ann Gormley, who teaches the fifth grade at Binks Forest Elementary School in Wellington; Carol Shahin, who teaches the first grade at Royal Palm Beach Elementary School; and Helen McBride, who teaches autistic students at Royal Palm Beach Elementary School.

National board teachers are highly accomplished educators who met high and rigorous standards through intense study, expert evaluation, self-assessment, and peer review.

National board certification was recently recognized by the National Research Council as having a positive impact on student achievement, teacher retention and professional development.

Florida leads the nation in the number of public school teachers gaining national certification. The voluntary certification process takes one to three years to complete. National board certification is the highest credential available in the teaching profession and is a symbol of teaching excellence.

H.L. Johnson Hosts ‘Fancy Nancy’ Night

Feathers were flying in the H.L. Johnson Elementary School media center recently — feather boas, that is. There were plenty of boas, beads, bangles and bows as kindergarten and first-grade girls arrived all dressed up for the Fancy Nancy party hosted by media specialist Sandy Trujillo.

The event was inspired by the Janet O’Connor Fancy Nancy children’s book series. The bedazzled young girls traipsed from center to center in the balloon-filled media center practicing good manners and learning how to be “fancy.” The petit femmes visited the boutique of teachers Amber Pittman and Deb-

bie DeMinico, creating their own designer purses and bracelets. They learned how to set a proper table and dined on heart-shaped tea sandwiches of peanut butter and jelly, cupcakes and pink lemonade provided by school Chef Beth Riibner. Merci!

Nicole Foster and Janet Parenti held an ecole for the lovely ladies to learn real fancy “ooh, la la” French words. Mentors for the fete included Principal Sharon Hench, Assistant Principal Donna Eldredge, the girls’ classroom teachers and the school’s after-care staff.

At the end of the evening, the H.L. Johnson PTO presented a beautiful tiered Fan-

cy Nancy cake created by mom Cristina Perry. Martha Stewart had nothing on this soirée, which was made possible by the behind the scenes hands of Cassandra Margarian, Becky LeBlanc, Danielle Cole and Karen Loebig. A “boys only” Nate the Great evening is planned for later in the school year.

• Reading Night At WinnDixie — A total of 40 secondgrade students from H.L. Johnson enjoyed a recent night out on the town at the Winn-Dixie supermarket in Royal Palm Beach. The event was an evening of learning and fun shared with parents, siblings and teachers. Students searched

through the aisles of the grocery store to complete a scavenger hunt. The hunt’s activity sheet focused on reading and math skills which had been taught in the classroom during the month of February. Royal Palm Beach branch librarian Kara Firestone was on hand issuing library cards to interested students. The students’ hard work was rewarded with educational treats of books, bookmarks, pencils and homework passes furnished by the school PTO. Winn-Dixie Manager Steven Lee presented a small bag of toys to each student plus a $5 gift card and a recycle bag for parents.

Binks Forest Student Stars In Concert DVD

nation and around the world.

Breauchy was featured reading his essay, “I imagine...” in the 2009 World’s Largest Concert, a sing-along event sponsored by MENC. The 2009 World’s Largest Concert took place on Thursday, March 12 in schools and communities throughout the

Joshua Breauchy, a fourth grader at Binks Forest Elementary School in Wellington, was chosen as one of the top finalists in the National Association for Music Education’s (MENC) recent “Music! Just Imagine...” essay contest. The contest challenged music in kindergarten through the sixth grade to write about the ways they were inspired by music, starting with the phrase “I imagine…”

All of the school district’s elementary schools had access to the broadcast through the Education Network. For more information on the World’s Largest Concert, visit www.menc.org/wlc

“I’m so proud of Pam Campbell and all the outstanding teachers that instructed Joshua at our extraordinary school,” music teacher Karen LaFrance said. “I feel like we won the Academy Awards.” Breauchy’s writing teachers at Binks Forest have been Patsy Lynn (kindergarten), Elaine Gismondi (first grade), Arline Moore (second grade), Karin Haligas and Karen Carney (third grade), and Pam Campbell (fourth grade).

Board Certified — Teachers Risa Suarez, Jennifer Eddy, Ann Gormley, Carol Shahin and Helen McBride.

Seminole Ridge Student Artwork On Display In Boca Raton

The work of six Seminole Ridge High School students is on display as part of Women in the Visual Arts’ annual exhibit “Spring Celebration of High School Art.” The exhibit runs through Sunday, April 5 at the Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S. Military Trail (off Yamato Road) in Boca Raton. The Hawk artists and their featured pieces are: Katie Aucoin, Oh, Yellow Ball; Lindsey Cheek, Withered Love; Alex Davis, Crossroads ; Amy Minker, Pinecones and Brushstrokes; Ptah Quammie, Strange Little Girl; and Steven Wong, Portrait of Your Heart . In exhibition judging, Cheek’s entry received the Morty and Gloria Wolosoff Foundation Award for $500.

• Debate Chalks Up Victories — Competing in the Palm Beach Catholic Forensic League grand finals tournament recently, the teams of Paige DiPirro and David Sleeth, and of Kayla Molina and Lucas Ortiz, each qualified for the grand national championship tournament in Albany, N.Y. this May. These four represented SRHS with dignity and will now represent the district nationally.

On another proud note, Devon Arnold broke to octofinals in extemporaneous speaking at Harvard University’s tournament two weeks ago, ranking in the top 50 debaters and missing the quarterfinals by a single point.

The SRHS National Public Policy Forum team of Devon Arnold, Stephanie MacInnes, Ashley Richey and David Sleeth ranked third in the National Forensic League district this year, missing the “break” rounds by only two points with their argument against alternative energies.

Finally, on Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8, Devon Arnold competed in two categories at the Florida Forensics League varsity state tournament held at Royal Palm Beach High School. Arnold broke to semi-finals

in original oratory with her ten-minute speech “Life’s a Squeeze.” She then went on to win the state championship for international extemporaneous speaking — students receive a question on international economic, political and social issues, and they have 30 minutes to research, write, prepare and memorize a speech to perform before a judge and observers. Arnold represented Seminole Ridge with poise and with grace under pressure. Congratulate her on a job well done — if you can find her behind her giant trophy!

• Chorus Hits High Notes in Competition — On March 7-8, the Florida Vocal District 10 high school music performance assessments took place at Forest Hill High. Seminole Ridge — the only high school in the county to take five choirs to the competition — received a Superior rating and now moves on to state assessments in April. The men’s chorus, as well as the combined women’s chorus and Musagetes chamber choir, all received Excellent ratings. The SRHS mixed chorale will join alreadyranked SRHS soloist Devin Tassi and the Musagetes men’s show choir in Coral Gables next month for their state assessment.

• Winter Guard Earns First Regional Appearance — The SRHS band’s junior varsity winter guard triumphed at their second performance March 7-8 in the South Florida Winter Guard Association circuit. They performed extremely well — and their judges thought the same: the guard’s season ends with two first-place finishes in the Scholastic Novice Class and a Superior rating at the Florida Band Masters Association solo and ensemble assessment. Also March 7-8, the varsity winter guard delivered their best performance to date, bringing home their third first place award among a class of tough competitors. In Orlando last month, this group performed at the Winter Guard International Pow-

er Regional in the Scholastic A Class, making it to finals with a great performance. Congratulations to junior varsity winter guard members Sirena Bainter, Michelle Bohl, Cassidy Carmichael, Alexandra Davis, Alicia LaBella, Shannon Lewis, Ronit Lieberman, Sara Madiedo, Breanna Miller, Samantha Morales, Nicole Nezbed, Samantha Ocello, J’Nae Poe and Alexus Schwartzberg; and varsity members Cierra Allen, Courtney Baker, Ally Bobinchuck, Jackie Bryant, Dominique Cinilia, Kellie Cochrane, Chelsea Eppenbaugh, Breanna Garcia, Samantha Jordan, Christina Karimi, Tiffany Massey, Tori Thomas, Tiffany Welsh and Cassidy Yerkes.

• SECME Wins at Olympiad — The SRHS SECME club — which includes students interested in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology — competed in the district’s “Thinking Out of the Box” engineering Olympiad against 13 other high schools on March 7 at John I. Leonard High School. Seminole Ridge would like to congratulate the club for its victories. In the “Communications: Banner” competition, third place went to Natanya Robinson, Charleen Thome, Emily Rattray and Frank Desanti. In the “Communications: Poster” competition, honorable mention went to Frank Desanti.

In this annual Olympiad, students square off in engineering contests to design and build mousetrap-powered cars, water bottle rockets, and balsa wood bridges; in general knowledge games with “Brain Bowl,” and in literary and artistic competitions with essays, mission patches, banners and posters.

In the category of Balsawood Bridge Building, William Hoppell’s structure held 3.6 pounds before breaking. In the category of Water Bottle Rocket, the Red Team launched their rocket, which was airborne for 6.5 seconds; the Silver Team’s was airborne for five seconds. In the

category of Mousetrap Vehicle, A.J. Fandrey’s car went 15 feet. Fandrey, Stephaine Rodgerson, and Kyle Shippley showcased their VEX robotics engineering projects “Tumbler” and “Protobot.”

SRHS SECME captain Kaitlin Kilpatrick and coordinators Mr. Erich Landstrom and Mr. Edward Batchelor thank the club for a great job.

• NOPE Presentation for Parents, Community Seminole Ridge will host a powerful and sobering NOPE (narcotics overdose prevention education) presentation for parents on Wednesday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium. NOPE delivers personal, high-impact lessons that save lives by speaking from the perspective of those directly affected by the drug-related death of a child. All SRHS parents and community members are welcome to attend this event, which is guaranteed to make the consequences of young adult drug abuse hit home. For more information, visit the organization’s web site at www.nopetaskforce.org.

• Booster Club To Nominate Officers — The SRHS Athletic Booster Club Nominating Committee is now taking names of people interested in the following executive board positions for the 2009-10 school year: president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and three director positions. The members of the nominating committee are Martha Hunton, Cindi Walker and Sue O’Rielly. The role of the nominating committee is to review all letters of interest and suggest a slate of officers. If you are interested in any of the above positions, submit a letter addressed to the nominating committee and get it to the front office by hand or via mail by May 8. Letters should include any information that will help the nominating committee make an informed decision. The voting of officers will take place at the committee’s May 13 meeting, which will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the media center.

PBCHS STUDENTS VISIT SCRIPPS

Six research honors students from Palm Beach Central High School were invited to the Scripps Florida grand opening on Feb. 28. Students Lindsay Roth, Ashley Sgaliardich, Phuong Nguy, Matt Davidson, Alex Berliner and Ryan Naum presented their award-winning science fair projects to the public and met with Dr. Harry Kroto, winner of the Nobel Prize in 1996. The students are anticipating competing in the state science fair in April.

(Above) Lindsey Cheek’s Withered Love is on display at the Sugar Sand Park Community Center. (Below) Hawk SECME students at the “Thinking Out of the Box” engineering Olympiad at John I. Leonard High School.

P.W. CHAMBER HOSTS GREEN ENERGY AND CLIMATE CONFERENCE

The 2009 South Florida Green Energy and Climate Conference Expo took place March 9-12 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. The conference, hosted by the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, included a number of workshops, keynote speakers and breakout sessions geared toward many different topics, including alternative energy sources; LEED construction in commercial, residential and other facilities; green transportation; green energy economic development opportunities; and other topics. The conference concluded March 12 with a Palm Tran eco bus tour of Palm Beach County “green initiatives,” which included visits to the Ecoplex at Centrepark West, the Quantum Foundation, Pine Jog Elementary School and the EcoCentre.

FPL’s Carmine Priore III moderated two panels during the conference.County

Waste Management President and CEO Larry O’Donnell III talks about green energy.

PALMS WEST CHAMBER WELCOMES KONTIKI

Located in the Wellington Courtyard Shops at 13860

Wellington Trace near Publix, Kontiki Wine & Raw Bar offers fine Asian, sushi and Thai cuisine every day in a relaxing, warm, comfortable atmosphere. Decorations include cushioned chairs, sofas and red velvet booths. Lunch is offered daily and is served beautifully. Kontiki has a full liquor bar and a large wine selection as well. For more info., call Kontiki Wine & Raw Bar at (561) 2960404. Hours of operation are 11:30 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Tuesday and 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Pictured above are sisters Vanida Coquin and Sue Porter with Palms West Chamber of Commerce ambassadors.

FranchiseMart in West Palm Beach will host a free business owners education seminar on Tuesday, March 24. Lecturers will be giving advice on franchising, buying a new business, business law, payroll outsourcing, and life and term insurance. Registration will start at

5:30 p.m. The seminar will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. FranchiseMart is located at 8480 Okeechobee Blvd., Suite 5. For more information about FranchiseMart or the March 24 seminar, call Angel Wrona at (561) 333-4228 or visit www.franchisemartwpb.com.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Commissioner Shelley Vana says a few words.

CITIBANK REWARDS CUSTOMERS WITH CHECK WELLINGTON CHAMBER HOSTS RIBBON CUTTINGS

Awilda, Kerianne and Jordan Desruisseau came to Citibank in Royal Palm Beach last Thursday to collect a $1,000 check they won by filling out a customer satisfaction survey. Whenever a customer comes to the bank to do their banking, they can fill out the survey for a chance to win $1,000. Citibank is located at 11091 Southern Blvd. in the Southern Palm Crossing shopping center. For more info., call Citibank at (561) 753-5307. Pictured above are (front row, L-R) Assistant Branch Manager Sabine Labossiere; Area Director Cyndi Bungardner; and Awilda, Kerianne and Jordan Desruisseaux; (back row) Branch Manager Margaret Brown and Area Operations Director Margaret Hall.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Domb, Mercer To Chair Flavors 2009

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce is delighted to announce that Alec Domb and John Mercer will serve as chairmen of the 2009 Flavors of Wellington event. The Host Committee will include chamber ambassadors Mark Bozicevic, Steve Vlahakis, Bob Wolff, Denise Carpenter, Darlene Curti, Jonathan Porges and Don Gross. On Friday, May 8, at the International Polo Club Palm

Beach in Wellington, more than 20 of Wellington’s finest dining establishments will offer up their most tasty samplings. This fifth-year tasting event is honored as the Wellington Chamber of Commerce’s “signature event” and will take place from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Attendees will enjoy an evening of dining and dancing to the Music Masters International 20-piece stage band as well as the opportu-

nity to bid on exceptional auction items. Celebrity judges will be announced soon.

“This is our biggest social event of the season, and we are proud to boast this will be our sixth year hosting this event,” Wellington Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michela Perillo-Green said. “Each year, this event gets bigger and better attended. And with the announcement of Alec Domb and John Mercer as our chairmen, this

year will no doubt exceed all our expectations.”

In addition to hosting the event, the International Polo Club Palm Beach is also the Gold Sponsor this year. Tickets for Flavors 2009 are on sale now. The cost is $25 in advance and $30 at the door. VIP reserved tables begin at $250. Call the Wellington Chamber of Commerce at (561) 792-6525 for more information. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

Macy’s To Host Breast Cancer Benefit

Intimate apparel manufacturer Wacoal will continue its battle against breast cancer with its annual Fi(GH)t for the Cure on Thursday, April 2 from 11 to 5 p.m. at the Macy’s store in the Mall at Wellington Green.

Show up at Macy’s and receive your complimentary fitting in a Wacoal or b.tempt’d bra from a Wacoal fit specialist. Women can also sign up to receive a monthly e-mail

reminder to do a self breast exam. For every woman who participates, Wacoal will donate $2 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for breast cancer research and community health programs. Wacoal will also donate an additional $2 for every Wacoal bra, shapewear piece or b.tempt’d bra purchased at these events.

Research shows that eight out of ten women are wear-

ing the wrong-sized bra. Women should be professionally fitted for a bra once a year to ensure their bra size has not changed as a result of fluctuations in their body.

Through its landmark Fit for the Cure program, Wacoal has surpassed $2 million in donations over the past ten years to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for research and outreach programs.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American women and accounts for 26 percent of all cancers among women. By keeping women on track through monthly breast exam reminders, the “Wacoal promise” helps women stay committed to their health.

To contact Macy’s in the Mall at Wellington Green, call (561) 493-2112.

PBCC Annual Job Fair Set For April 2

More than 50 Palm Beach County employers will be recruiting for full-time and part-time jobs as well as internships at the Palm Beach Community College Job Fair 2009 on Thursday, April 2. In addition, local public and private colleges and universities will be available to share information about their programs.

The event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Elisabeth W. Erling Gymnasium at PBCC’s Lake Worth campus (4200 Congress Avenue). PBCC students and graduates as well as the public are invited to bring their résumés and meet area employers. Banks, hotels, healthcare,

law enforcement departments, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, retail services, nonprofits and a variety of businesses are among the employers who will be attending the Job Fair 2009 sponsored by the PBCC Career Center.

To view an updated list of employers and colleges, watch an informational vid-

eo on how to prepare, read tips and questions to ask, access a résumé writing wizard and other valuable information, visit www.pbcc.edu/ jobfairs.xml.

For more information, call the Palm Beach Community College Career Center at (561) 868-3066 or visit www.pbcc.edu/career. xml.

Palm Beach Primary Care Associates — Palm Beach Primary Care Associates has been serving patients in Palm Beach County for the last 19 years. Dr. Shekharv Sharma is a board-certified member of the American Board of Internal Medicine and a member of the American Medical Association. Palm Beach Primary Care Associates opened a new facility in Wellington last July. It is fully equipped with the latest medical equipment to serve your needs. PBPCA also has a location in the new Palomino Park Medical Complex at 3347 State Road 7, Suite 200, Wellington. For more info., call Sharma at (561) 795-9087 or visit the PBPCA web site at www.pbpca.com. Pictured above are Palm Beach Primary Care Associates staff with Wellington Chamber of Commerce ambassadors.

Devine Bistro & Bar — Located at 2465 State Road 7, Suite 300 in Wellington, Devine is a modern-style American bistro and bar. It offers food that is fresh, natural and has no MSG. Devine utilizes an exciting “open kitchen” concept. All soups, sauces and breads are made fresh daily with only the finest handpicked ingredients. For more info., call Sara Palmateer at (561) 2045432. Pictured above are Devine Bistro & Bar employees with Wellington Chamber of Commerce ambassadors.

LOCAL CLERGY TO HOST DISCUSSION

Clergypersons representing seven Christian denominations are gearing up for the panel discussion “Christianity’s Family Tree” on Sunday, March 22 at 7 p.m. at St. Michael Lutheran Church (1925 Birkdale Drive, Wellington). The public is invited to attend. Conversation and refreshments will follow. Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen will serve as moderator. Pictured above are Presbyterian Pastor Gary Cecil, Methodist Pastor Rainer Richter, Lutheran Pastor Marjorie Weiss and Pentecostal Pastor Calvin Lyerla.

Armory To Reprise Bob Montgomery Timeline Exhibit

On behalf of Mary Montgomery and her daughter Courtnay Montgomery, the Armory Art Center is announcing a reprise timeline exhibition of the life and accomplishments of Robert M. Montgomery Jr. The exhibition, which was originally on display in September 2008, will again be on view at the Armory’s Colaciello Gallery from March 30 through April 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The exhibition includes photographs, articles and memorabilia from Montgomery’s remarkable life. It includes contributions from the archives of many of the charities that the Montgomerys so graciously supported, such as the Palm Beach Opera, the Norton Museum of Art, the Kravis Center for the Per-

forming Arts, the Children’s Place at Home Safe, the Urban League, National Public Radio, the Palm Beach Cultural Council and of course, the Armory Art Center. The timeline traces his legal career, showing many of the groundbreaking legal cases and settlements that Montgomery was responsible for, as well as the many awards he received during his life’s work.

Montgomery was a loving husband, father, attorney, philanthropist and friend and his life influenced many. The Armory invites the public to celebrate Montgomery’s life. For additional information, or to contribute articles for the timeline, call Ilene Adams at (561) 832-1776, ext. 21 or email ilene.adams@armory art.org.

Wellington Honors Middle School Artists

At the March 10 Wellington Village Council meeting, the council recognized seven students from Emerald Cove Middle School for their participation in the village’s Student Art Program, which is coordinated by the Wellington Art Society.

The artists, all studying under art teacher Kim Kovacs, were presented with certificates by the village. In addition, their work will be on display through May 6 on the lower level of the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.).

Since its inception in 2006, the program has presented three exhibits per year of exceptional artwork from students ranging in age from elementary through high school.

The Wellington Art Society coordinates the program

for the village as part of its educational mission. Any student who would like to participate in future exhibitions, or any parents or teachers interested in helping as volunteers, can contact program coordinator Susan Rose at (561) 795-1691.

The Wellington Art Society is open to artists of all media and patrons of the arts, providing both local and regional artists the platform to share their work, learn more about their craft and serve the community through their art. A charitable organization, its mission is to educate and encourage originality and productivity among its members and area youth.

For more information, visit www.wellingtonartsociety. org, or call President Adrianne Hetherington at (561) 784-7561.

Acreage Authors Publish Book On Gardening

Acreage residents Jim and Colleen Wiggins recently published their new book Gardening for the Soul, which contains dozens of quotes from early philosophers to Martha Stewart. It also contains colorful photos that illustrate the beauty to be found in the garden.

Gardening for the Soul is not about gardening in the usual sense. Rather, these pages provide a glimpse of the garden as a healing and inspirational tool. The authors share their experiences in discovering that their garden helped to take care of them during the grieving process in the loss of two children to cancer. Not only did they take care of their garden, but the garden also helped to take care of them. This book is designed to assist anyone in their search for tranquility and peace of mind — whether it be the loss of a job, home or loved one. The words speak in a meaningful way to the stress felt by so many peo-

ple during these difficult times.

Colleen retired after teaching for 30 years in Palm Beach County and started a business, Butterflies on Wheels, that took her into 70 percent of the elementary schools to teach conservation with the use of butterflies, including “hands-on” activities and singing with the use of her guitar. She has contributed to several national magazines, including The American Butterfly and The Butterfly Gardener.

Jim, a fourth-generation Floridian, was a columnist for The Observer in Royal Palm Beach for six years, writing on Florida history. He is the author of seven books, including Glimpses of Florida’s Past, More Glimpses of Florida’s Past Manatee County Florida and World War II, Troubled Waters Ellenton: Its Earliest Years, and Cracker Boy. Jim is a contributor to numerous magazines, including Florida Gardening, Florida Wildlife, Birds and

Acreage Authors Jim and Colleen Wiggins.

Blooms Tide American Butterfly, The Butterfly Gardener and several other publications. Jim and Colleen Wiggins have several book signings in

March and April. For more information, or to purchase a copy of Gardening for the Soul, call (561) 791-9473 or e-mail flyingflowersok@ comcast.net.

Send Palms West People items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.

Art Prodigies — Susan Rose of the Wellington Art Society congratulates Emerald Cove Middle School students Genesis Gonzalez, Bari Miller, Clarissa Zaide, Delaney Harrison, Alexandra Rydberg and Kristina Cooney. Not pictured: Giovanna Alvarez.

COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR

Saturday, March 21

• The West Palm Beach Home & Garden Show will continue Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22 at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds. The show will feature more than 500 exhibitors under one roof. Enjoy a great day out and gather ideas, investigate new products, learn from the professionals, and meet home and garden celebrities. For more info., call (561) 7912573 or visit www.south floridahomeshow.com.

• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach) will continue its presentation of Legally Blonde: The Musical through Sunday, March 22. For more info., call (561) 832-7469 or visit www.kravis.org.

• Wellington’s Cub Scout Pack 125 will hold its annual Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, March 21 from 8 to 10 a.m. at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church (12200 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington). Tickets cost $6 for adults and $3 for children. Call Lois Spatz at (561) 797-1056 for info.

• The Loxahatchee Groves Garden Club will participate in the Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful Adopt-aRoad Program on Saturday, March 21. Meet at Loxahatchee Groves Elementary School for cleanup work on Okeechobee Blvd. from 8 to 11 a.m. Call Marge Herzog at (561) 791-9875 for info.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will feature Traditional Passover Favorites on Saturday, March 21 at 11 a.m. Chef Stacey Web will share her most popular Passover dishes. To register, e-mail funchefs@hotmail. com or call (561) 676-8716. The cost is $20, which will be accepted at the beginning of class.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present Storyteller Linda Spitzer on Saturday, March 21 at 11:15 a.m. for ages three and up. Come hear the storyteller everyone is talking about as she captivates listeners using puppets, magic, voices and more. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present Meet the Author: Mitchell Graham on Saturday, March 21 at 2 p.m. for adults. Chat with this fantasy and mystery author, ask questions and get the scoop on his novel Majestic Descending. A book signing will follow. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Best of the West Car Show will be held every Saturday beginning at 5 p.m. at the Wellington Plaza (southwest corner of Forest Hill Blvd. and Wellington Trace). Car clubs and enthusiasts from around the area will show off their custom cars, motorcycles and trucks. Call Mike Briggs at (561) 282-8920 or e-mail mbriggs@bainbridgere.com for more info.

• The Wild West for MS Party will be held on Saturday, March 21 at 6 p.m. at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington during the $400,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix Jumping event. Tickets range in price from $150 (cocktail tickets) to $2,500 for VIP table seating. For more information, or to buy tickets, visit www.mscure fund.org.

• The Rotary Club of Wellington will present its Art of Giving Gala on Saturday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Armory Art Center (1700 Parker Avenue, West Palm Beach). There will be many artsy surprises throughout the evening. Tickets cost $175 per person. For more info., call Karen Hardin at (561) 324-1149 or e-mail kjhsedona@aol.com.

Sunday, March 22

• The Seminole Ridge High School Hawks baseball team will present its Third Annual Bunko Night fundraiser Sunday, March 22 at 2:30 p.m. at Beef O’Brady’s restaurant in Royal Palm Beach. There will be food, prizes and raffles and bunko. The cost is $20 per person and includes food. Proceeds will go to Hawks baseball. Call Janice Aponte at (561) 906-6784 for info.

• St. Michael Lutheran Church (1925 Birkdale Drive, Wellington) will host a comparative denominations panel discussion on

Sunday, March 22 at 7 p.m.

Clergy members representing seven Christian denominations will be part of the panel discussion Christianity’s Family Tree. Moderated by Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen, the discussion is designed to be a respectful exchange of ideas and beliefs. For more info., call (561) 793-4999.

Monday, March 23

• St. David’s-in-the-Pines Episcopal Church will host its Annual Charity Golf Tournament, Dinner & Auction on Monday, March 23 at the Binks Forest Golf Club. The event will start at 10 a.m. with registration and lunch, followed by a noon shotgun start. The tournament will benefit St. David’s outreach projects and the Child Life Institute. For more information, call Event Chair Tim Hadsell at (561) 439-4607 or visit www.saintdavidsinthe pines.org.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will present “How to Increase Your Energy by 300 Percent” on Monday, March 23 at 6:30 p.m. Learn the science behind maximizing your energy through proper nutrition and supplements with Dr. Tim DeCanio, a board-certified chiropractic neurologist. Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register.

Tuesday, March 24

• The Wellington Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Business Excellence Awards and installation of officers at noon on Tuesday, March 24 at the Binks Forest Golf Club. RSVP to (561) 792-6525.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host its Poetry Discussion Series on Tuesday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. for adults. Engage in a provocative discussion of published poems. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

Wednesday, March 25

• The 2009 polo season will continue Wednesday, March 25 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach with the start of the 26-goal U.S. Open Polo Championship. The 105th edition of the U.S. Open will continue until Sunday, April 26. The International Polo Club is located at 3667 120th Avenue South in Wellington. For more info., call (561) 2045687 or visit www.inter nationalpoloclub.com.

• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will host an After-Hours Mixer on Wednesday, March 25 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at BleachBright Smiles, located at 10300 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 177 in Wellington. Tickets are $10 for members and $20 for non-members. Call Catherine Engel at (561) 790-6200 for info.

Thursday, March 26

• The 24th Annual Palm Beach Boat Show will be held Thursday, March 26 through Sunday, March 29 on the Intracoastal Waterway along Flagler Drive in downtown West Palm Beach. This is one of the topten boat shows in the country, featuring more than $300 million worth of boats, super yachts and accessories from every major marine manufacturer. For more info., call (954) 764-7262 or visit www.showmanage ment.com.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present What the Chelm? on Thursday, March 26 at 2:30 p.m. for adults. Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe will relate stories about the fictional town of Chelm, known as the city of Jewish fools where the people act funny. Call (561) 790-6070 to preregister.

• The next meeting of the Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association will be held Thursday, March 26 at 7 p.m. inside Classroom 1 at Palms West Hospital. For more info., call Marge Herzog at (561) 791-9875. Friday, March 27

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “From Yellow Dog Democrats to Red State Republicans: Florida & Its Politics Since 1940” on Friday, March 27 at 2 p.m. for adults featuring University of Florida Professor David Colburn. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@gotowncrier.com.

No Shortage Of Talent On This Year’s Wolverine Track Team

Wellington High School athletic teams are constantly an ideal example of the word team Camaraderie and cohesion within its athletic department is one tradition that WHS deeply values. In many cases, one or two individuals stand out as “all-star” players on these teams and pave the way for the rest of the roster.

This year’s boys track-and-field team consists of a handful of “all-star” caliber players from a variety of WHS sports; together they have come together to form one impressive group. With the team having been consistent top-ten finishers at the state championship, Coach John Rejc hopes the new array of talent will be enough to get the Wolverines over the hump.

From the cross-country team, seniors D’Ar Adams, John Best and Ondra Wilson serve as the more experienced members of the group. Adams, the team captain, is one of the topranked pole vaulters in the state and is currently working on eclipsing the highest height achieved in Florida at this point of the season. On March 11, the senior took first place at the Royal Palm Beach Invitational, clearing a bar set at 12’0”. He then raised the bar to 14’1”, but failed on his attempt. Rejc, a pole vaulter in high school and college, believes Adams can reach his goal rather soon. “He needs to know when to shut off his brain and avoid distractions,” Rejc said. “He just needs to have fun.”

Wolverine Watch

By Josh Hyber

Also competing in the 110 meter hurdles, Adams set a WHS record of 15.99 seconds.

Although he fell short of the time set by Atlantic High School’s Jamie Harris, Adams had an overall impressive day. He finished third in the 300 meter hurdles with a time of 42.35 as well. Another pole vaulter, senior Chad Lutz, has also been a strong performer, finishing in second place in every competition. “He’s been one of our best all season,” Rejc said. John Best, running the mile and two-mile events, and Ondra Wilson, running the 800 meter, are probably two of the more polished runners on the team. Best was a consistent top finisher during the cross-country season.

Senior shot putter Rahiem Smalls and senior triple jumper Milton Cook add athleticism to the team. The two played key roles on the varsity basketball team, which finished with its best season in seven years. Smalls, the Wolverines’ captain, regarded by many as the school’s top male athlete, averaged 17 points and six rebounds this season.

WRHA Sharks Shine At Game Against Stuart

The Wellington Sharks from the Wellington Roller Hockey Association won their first road game, beating the Stuart Training Division by a score of 4-3.

Luc Croteau tallied two goals, while singles were added by Kasan Holme and Mathew Dosch.

Royal

Although known for recent struggles and lopsided losses, the football team is making an effort for resurgence. This is proved by the five varsity players participating in track and field.

Starting running back Nestor Lantigua runs the 4x100 meter, and wide receivers John Long and Derik Madorma do the long jump and triple jump respectively. Freshman Tyler Vanacore, an all-around athlete, is also one of the football players conditioning this spring. Along with Lantigua and Long, an intriguing four-man relay team is completed with senior Kendon Harrell and junior Jovaniel Paisley. Filling in occasionally is senior Eric Lawson.

Juniors Hunter Zatorsky, Josh Adametz and Dylan Hillman, as well as sophomore Max Underhalter, have all had respectable starts to their seasons. In years past, WHS has been one of the top track and field teams in the state. But with the growth of talented athletes from “other” sports, the team may be looking at sending more players to the state championship this year.

“We don’t just want a piece, we want the whole pie,” Rejc said jokingly. “We are two athletes away from taking everything.”

FLAG FOOTBALL

In all honesty, with utmost respect for Coach Chris Romano and the WHS football program, the most hyped event of homecoming week may be the girls’ powder puff games. It’s a chance for the females to show off their

football skills and, well, to see the males try to be cheerleaders. Although the games are intense, it’s not enough for them. Trust me, as the coach of the sophomore team, I know about the girls wanting to play more. With the soccer season now over and a vacant Wolverine Stadium, the girls can look forward to more time on the field with the flag football season now beginning.

On Tuesday, March 17, the varsity team opened its season with a 7-6 loss against Park Vista High School. The game was called short in the third quarter due to rain.

Taking place before that game, the junior varsity team played its season opener. Led by sophomore quarterback Courtney Dobkins, junior running back Nicole Owens and sophomore safety McKenzie Doll, the girls easily defeated Park Vista 21-0.

Owens opened the scoring with a hookand-latter reception, thrown by Dobkins to sophomore Jennifer Eboli, and then flipped to Owens as she took it across the goal line. Doll, who led the team with two interceptions, and sophomore linebacker Victoria Torregrosa were the team’s standout defensive players.

Both teams played Thursday night at Seminole Ridge High School, but results were not available at presstime. The varsity team continues its play with a home game on Tuesday against Pahokee High School. On Thursday, the JV team plays a home game against Okeechobee High School.

Palm Twins Are All About Athletics

Twin 12-year-old athletes

Alexys and Alyssa Rodriguez of Royal Palm Beach have a knack for everything sports — especially swimming.

On Saturday, March 14, at the FGC North Division II Championships in Jupiter, Alexys had a time of 1:14:94 in the 100-yard butterfly. This earned her a place to compete in USA Swimming Junior Olympics in Coral Springs on March 27-29.

Stuart will visit Wellington on March 28 at 10 a.m. at Village Park on Pierson Road for a rematch.

Although the Sharks were outsized, they were relentless and were able to outskate their opponents. Stuart got an early lead in the first period, but the Wellington Sharks prevailed with a come-from-behind victory, scoring two goals in the first period and adding additional goals in the second and third period.

Wellington Wrestlers Compete In Orlando

Two Wellington Wrestling Club members traveled to the USA National Wrestling Championships in Orlando last weekend and both returned home with medals.

Fifth grader Luke Ready finished 3-1 and took home a second-place medal after losing to the returning national champion in his weight class. Eighth grader Cody Walker also finished with a 3-1 record and took home a thirdplace medal.

The Wellington Wrestling Club meets for practice at Village Park on Pierson Road from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday and Wednesday (grades kindergarten through five), and Tuesday and Thursday (grades six through 12).

Cody Walker

Call Coach Gray at (561) 827-8595 or e-mail graytra@ palmbeach.k12.fl.us for more information about the team.

Alyssa sustained an injury last October that kept her out of the water for two months, and she was in a cast for three months. Alyssa came back and fought hard to obtain her Junior Olympics cuts last weekend. However, she missed it by a second off the cut while improving her times to be better than before she was injured.

Alexys and Alyssa have been swimming since July 2007. The girls are part of the Lake Lytal Swim Club in West Palm Beach. Their Coach Mike Horgan has taught them that hard work and perseverance pay off, and so it has.

This year the girls swam for Berean Christian School’s 1A varsity swim team. They competed in the FHSAA District 1A division swim meet in Fort Pierce last November. Alexys was first alternate (17th) out of 53 female swimmers in the 100-fly with a 1:15:22. Alexys held 2008 school records in the 50-yard freestyle at 31:93 seconds,

and part of the 200-yard medley relay, 200-freestyle relay and 400-yard freestyle relay records. Alyssa held the 2008 school record for the 100yard freestyle at 1:09:22, 100-yard breaststroke at 1:35:70, 200-yard medley relay and 200-freestyle relay. These records were set at the Palm Beach County High School Swimming and Diving Championships last October.

If you were to ask Alexys about the key to her success, she would say, “practice makes perfect.” Alyssa’s response would be, “what the mind believes, the body will achieve.” What lies ahead for the twins… breaking the oneminute mark in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard freestyle?

For Alexys, this will be the second time she attends the Junior Olympics. The first time was with Alyssa in 2004 at the AAU Junior Olympics in Des Moines, Iowa. Alexys and Alyssa represented the states of Kansas and Missouri as black belts in tae kwon do, enduring the rigorous process of competing in districts, divisionals and regionals. The twins brought home two silver and two gold medals in Traditional Forms and Sparring. In the meantime, they participated in other sports for Berean such as basketball (district champs for two seasons), softball and volleyball. Alexys and Alyssa started

five. They started dance, ice skating and tae kwon do at age four. Other

sports they would love to try include fencing and archery. Alexys and Alyssa are also on the AB honor roll at school.

Swimmer Of The Week: Fabiana Ingram Royal Gemz Will Host Spring Break

While maintaining a 4.0 GPA at Wellington Landings Middle School, Fabiana Ingram still manages to make time for swimming. “My father influenced and supported me in my decision of picking a sport,” Ingram said.

At the age of ten, Ingram took 11th place in the Florida Gold Coast Top 16. Two years later, she made the AAA time in the 100-yard backstroke.

Ingram said what gets her motivated to swim is “the thrill of competition, excitement of winning a race.”

In her two and a half years of swimming, Ingram has

competed in four Junior Olympics. And she has many more goals for the future. Ingram hopes to make the varsity team as a middle school student and state finals as a freshman. Her long-term goals consist of competing in a triathlon and an Iron Man, running a marathon, and breaking Rebecca Adlington’s 800-meter freestyle world record.

Education is still at the top of Ingram’s priority list. She plans on keeping up her honor roll status in hopes of earning an athletic/academic scholarship to an Ivy League school.

The Royal Gemz all-star cheerleading squads will host a cheer camp during spring break. Taking place the week of March 30 through April 4, the camp will teach the latest techniques in cheering, jumps, stunts, pyramids and dance.

Boys and girls ages four to 12 are welcome to take this camp. In addition to cheerleading, there will also be plenty of

Wellington Swimmers Perform Well At Division 2

Wellington Swim Team attended the FGC Division 2 championship meet March 13-15 in Jupiter. Twenty-nine swimmers achieved personal best times while six members qualified for the Junior Olympic Championships for the first time. In addition, 32 new cuts were made by swimmers by the end of the meet Sunday evening.

“The team members dominated this competition,” Coach Rich Whalen said. Patrick Costan won the 400-individual medley with a time of 4:40.24. He also won the gold in the 100 freestyle in 52.30 seconds, swam five personal best times and posted four of the fastest times in the meet.

First-time Junior Olympic qualifier eight-year-old Roberto Guerrero won two silver medals while achieving two Junior Olympic cuts for the

ten and under division. Guerrero was joined by another first-time qualifier, Camilla Gonzales, a bronze medalist in the 100 fly with a time of 1:15.57.

Two groups of siblings made their cuts as well. Firsttime qualifiers in their new age groups, Irene Plaza (13) took the silver medal in the 100-fly with a time of 1:07.07, and her sister Fabolia Plaza (11) took the bronze in the 100-back with a time of 1:14.44. Grace Cozad (10) and Monica Cozad (11) earned an additional seven new Junior Olympic cuts for the upcoming meet in Coral Springs.

Cody Cline continued to shine this meet with nine out of ten personal best times and winning gold, silver and two bronze medals. Cline’s winning time of 29.40 seconds in his 50 freestyle was his first

major win in his swimming career. He qualified for five events in the upcoming Junior Olympics Championships. Courtney Knoblauch and Timmy Maris added to their events for the Junior Olympics. Knoblauch by qualified in three additional events and won a gold medal in the 50yard fly with a time of 31.95 seconds, and Maris added

spring break camp, visit the Royal Gemz web site at www.royalgemz. com.

four events and won two silver and two bronze medals.

playing basketball and softball at age

Fabiana Ingram

Dominque Olivio

Micky Kennedy, Sean Ramos and Jorge Plaza.

Alexys

Alyssa Rodriguez

Wellington-WEF Web Site: Great Resource For Horse Lovers

A few years ago a friend recommended a local a web site to me. “It’s great,” she said. “You should check it out.”

“Yeah?” I replied. “What’s on it?” “Everything.”

She wasn’t kidding.

The web site, www.wellington-wef.com, is based in Wellington and run by stable owner and trainer Jill Townsend and Dominique Coffman. Although the main focus of the web site is all things equestrian, unrelated local topics often turn up, including questions about local matters such as changes to the Solid Waste Authority’s policies on trash pickup, alerts about dogs available in the pound, people seeking advice about bothersome tenants, house cleaners looking for clients, chickens looking for new homes, and notices of upcoming yard sales. It promotes the whole Wellington community.

Coffman moved to Wellington from California about six years ago. She’d had horses as a kid, but then life and a family came along and the horses sort of fell away. After she moved to Wellington, the itch to ride returned.

“I saw horses here every day,” Coffman said. “Every time I went out or drove anywhere, there were horses. I knew it was time to get back into them.”

Coffman’s two children don’t ride. Her daughter did take a few lessons, but then lost interest. Coffman, however, stuck with it. She now owns a horse she just rides for pleasure and is doing some lower-level dressage training — not for shows, she’s quick to say, but just for trail riding and fun.

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg

“Brego is an eight-year-old Paint, and I call him my little pony, because he’s a small horse, just 15.2 hands,” Coffman said. “I’ve had him three years. He had a lot of issues when I got him, but he’s better now. He’s my pet.”

About two years ago she discovered the Wellington-WEF site and got in touch with Jill. She began helping out with the site, and eventually became the message board’s moderator.

“I really liked this site,” she said. “It was popular and doing well, a well-run site, and a great resource for the community.”

Coffman loves working on the site. She said it’s easy to do and is a great way to work from home while her two children are in school.

The popularity of the site has grown tremendously, mainly through word of mouth, and it now gets over two million hits each month. She updates the site daily, typically spending a few hours each day reading each new post to make sure everything’s on the up and up.

The site allows members to join and post for free. The site’s revenue comes from the ads placed for businesses, real estate for sale, horses for sale, local farms, and trainers.

Members can post an ad about anything, including horses, services and items for sale or wanted, but they can only post once about each topic.

“I like that the site is often used to help out good causes,” Coffman said. “Sometimes people need help, especially in this economy. There are frequent posts about free dogs and free horses, because people have fallen on hard times financially. It’s very informative about a wide range of topics that people need to be aware of.”

For example, during a recent recall of horse feed, members posted up-to-the minute information on which lot numbers were included in the recall. This was really important to know, and potentially life-saving information for many horse owners.

The horse-related topics on the board encompass a wide range of subjects. There are show results, upcoming show dates, prize lists, and comments and concerns for judges and competitors. You can find housing for people and/or horses near the show grounds, new and used riding clothes and boots for sale, saddles, bridles, and a variety of training equipment, horse services such as a laundry that will pick up and clean your horse blankets and saddle pads, grooms, stable help, riders, braiders, recommendations about farriers, vets and equine dentists, questions about the normal fees for trainers and horse agents, clipping services, and suggestions about where to find the best local deals on feed, hay and shavings. Some of the most helpful postings are from people shipping horses from

one area of the country to another who have room for another horse heading in the same direction. Even though it’s based in South Florida, people from all over log in regularly. On a recent “just for fun” location check thread querying where people were from, there were respondents from Massachusetts, South Carolina, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Wyoming, Alabama, Montreal and even Finland. Many Florida towns were represented, including much of Palm Beach, Broward and MiamiDade counties, Tampa, Port St. Lucie, Hobe Sound and Ocala. Some are former residents, some are people thinking of moving here, some are show gypsies, and some are just interested in joining a very friendly and wellinformed community.

Water, Environment Among Topics At Santamaria Forum

Town-Crier

By Ron Bukley

Staff Report

Water, roads, growth and landfills were among the topics residents brought up during County Commissioner Jess Santamaria’s community forum held Wednesday at the original Wellington Mall.

While Santamaria typically sets the agenda and speakers for the monthly forums on a particular theme, this month, local residents were allowed to sound off on topics of their own choosing.

Audubon Society Conservation Chair Rosa Durando spoke about population growth and the ability of the land and the water supply to sustain the growing human population.

Durando quoted Santamaria as once saying that growth does not pay for itself. “That’s one of the truest things I’ve ever heard, and you ain’t seen nothing yet,” she said.

Durando regularly attends and speaks at South Florida

Wildlife

Folke Peterson Needs Help

continued from page 1 duce, insects, gauze and QTips.

“You name it, we need it,” Landstrom said. “A donation of rolled gauze is something we don’t have to buy, and it helps us stay afloat.”

A complete wish list of items is online at www. fpwildlife.org. The center also has a thrift store where items can be donated.

Folke Peterson, which opened in July 2004, is funded primarily through founda-

continued from page 1 out to get phase one even going.” Willhite raised some other objections he had to the draft lease, including the college not necessarily having to use insurance refunds to rebuild damaged buildings and not being held accountable for anyone being injured on the property.

Land Declared

Surplus

continued from page 2 ly attacked and potentially voided, so you would not be doing a favor to the village or to the temple or any other church that was interested.”

Kurtz laid out the recommended terms for inviting bids on the property. “If you are going to sell the property,” he said, “that you would offer it out and that the offers would be sealed, they would have to come in within 45 days, they would have to be open for at least 60 days, there would have to be no financing contingencies, and that they would have to include a description of what

Water Management District meetings. “They have open comment every single board meeting,” she said, also noting that the district’s staff of more than 1,000 turns out volumes of reports every year. “I read every one of them.”

One the most telling reports came out 1989, predicting severe water shortages because South Florida relies on the shallow Biscayne aquifer for most of its water, she said.

Durando castigated the Village of Wellington for its history of water practices, beginning when the Acme Improvement District started pumping stormwater runoff into the rim canal of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.

Environmental groups challenged Acme’s discharge into the refuge and were able to get the SFWMD to make Wellington reroute its runoff north to the C-51 Canal and then west to stormwater treat-

tion grants, which have dwindled with the lagging economy, Landstrom said. The center currently receives no government funding. A grant was received from Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control in 2007, but officials there cite budget cuts as the reason funding was not continued. Other sources of funding include donations from individuals and fundraising events. Folke Peterson received a grant from the Bachelor Foundation, which helped keep the center going for the past three years, Landstrom said. When donations started dwindling, Folke Peterson contacted the foundation again last year, and they came up with the strategy of the matching grant. So far the center has raised

Kurtz said staff understood what the council expects they should make as a counteroffer.

“Don’t come back to us with a contract that has everything against us,” Coates said. “This is a classic delay tactic. I wonder why they presented this to us in the first place.”

Schofield said the council would have the opportunity to review another draft sometime in April.

they were proposing.” Benacquisto made a motion to direct staff to prepare a request for proposals under the terms Kurtz outlined. Priore seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. Temple trustee and Wellington resident Gary Scher thanked the council for its progress, and said he recognized that the relationship between the council and temple is not adversarial in nature. “All we want is the opportunity to build our permanent religious home here, and I think the council has taken a great step this evening to push forward the process,” he said.

Another religious group, a Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation currently based in Greenacres, has also courted

ment areas at the north end of the refuge.

Durando said pesticides have been detected in the rim canal including dieldrin, which is now illegal. One of the biggest fish kills in the rim canal was attributed to the pesticide lindane, she said.

Durando called attention to signs posted in the refuge and elsewhere advising pregnant women and children under 12 not to consume fish from the canals because of their mercury content.

“A dead panther they found south of the refuge wasn’t shot, but his liver was loaded with mercury,” Durando said. “The quality of our water supply is totally ignored. We are poisoning our water and depleting the aquifer.”

Durando also talked about what she feels was a power play on the part of Wellington to expand westward. “One of the biggest, disgusting things I’ve ever seen was when Wellington got in touch

$120,000 since the grant began Sept. 1. They have a year to raise the $300,000, and while the Bachelor Foundation is paying the matching money as donations come in to the center, the income has not been enough.

“We’re about to run out,” Landstrom said. “We need to raise more money to keep going so animals we have don’t die.”

The center keeps two types of animals: those being rehabilitated for release and permanent animals whose injury renders them unreleasable. Those animals are used in educational programs.

If the center has to close, Landstrom said they would try to release as many animals as possible and send others to other licensed rehabilitation facilities. “The problem is no one else can take on additional mouths to feed,” she said. “They are also stretched to the limit.”

The other option would be to euthanize the animals, Landstrom said.

Animals at the center include threatened wood storks and a bald eagle. There are also several gopher tortoises, which are considered a species of concern.

Landstrom estimated that without Folke Peterson, 6,000 wild animals a year

the council on the parcel, and a representative reiterated his group’s interest in the land Tuesday. James Carter noted that his congregation, unlike the temple, would not establish any school on the property.

“So there will never be a traffic problem when it comes to us constructing a kingdom hall there on that parcel,” he said. “With that being said, we heard there are other parcels you are considering surplus, and if somehow we’re not able to have this particular parcel, we would certainly be interested in the other parcel, I think it’s just south of the mall and State Road 7. Other than that, we’d thought we’d just let you know that we are still interested in that particular parcel.”

with the SFWMD and talked them into giving them the STA-1 East,” she said.

The motivation for Wellington, she said, was getting access to the Everglades Agricultural Area.

Dr. Bill Louda, an environmental chemistry professor at Florida Atlantic University and a Loxahatchee Groves councilman, spoke about Everglades restoration plans, which he said are under assault by mining interests, county landfill plans and Florida Power & Light.

The Everglades needs to be maintained to hold back saltwater intrusion, but mining, a proposed landfill and the FPL power plant construction at 20-Mile Bend run counter to those efforts, said Louda, who urged placing a new landfill nearer to the urban areas, where the larger portion of the county’s garbage is generated. Locating these projects in the middle of what is to eventually be a great water flow way does not

would die, including 350 pelicans brought in each year with fishhooks in their beaks or injuries from fishing line entanglements. The nearest other centers are in Jupiter and Fort Lauderdale, she said.

The center also partners with Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission when necessary.

About 40 percent of the injured wildlife is brought to Folke Peterson via Animal Care & Control. Fish & Wildlife is not as involved with the center, except for special cases. Landstrom recalled one such case involving an eagle that had been shot. It recovered but could not survive in the wild and eventually found a home in the Brevard Zoo. The bald eagle currently at the center has a broken wing that did not mend properly.

The resident animals are used for education, which Landstrom said is not a secondary mission, but a goal that is equal to rehabilitation, so young people will think twice before they harm a wild animal. In 2008, the center opened the Findlay Educational Trail and has educated more than 6,000 young people about Florida native wildlife, environmental issues and

Quiñones New Binks Principal

continued from page 1 pano Beach and makes her home in Boca Raton with her husband, five dogs and two college-age children. She laughed that the new assignment would shave only five minutes off her commute. Still she said her daily journey on State Road 7 is pretty much hassle-free. “The turnpike, if there’s an accident forget it — you’re stuck there,” she said. “But 441, smooth.”

Quiñones said she is excited to have the chance to contribute to the established tradition of educational excellence at Binks Forest. “I feel

make sense, he said.

“Can we buy U.S. Sugar? Can we put in a flow way?” Louda asked. “The alternative is not to have any water. I ask people in my classes what wars are going to be fought over. Energy? No, water.”

Loxahatchee Groves resident John Oakley complained about the lack of adequate roads in his community. “I have lived in Loxahatchee for five years, and I travel back and forth to West Palm Beach,” he said. “When I wake up, to go east takes me about an hour.”

Royal Palm Beach resident Barbara Lord asked about burglar alarm fees in her village. She said she has lived in Royal Palm Beach for 20 years and has had a burglar alarm all that time. But recently she received a paper from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office informing her she would now be charged $25 a year for an alarm permit, otherwise the

department would not respond to the alarm.

“I pay county and village taxes like everybody else,” Lord said. “They respond to domestic violence calls to the same house three or four times a year and they aren’t charged.”

Wellington resident Morley Alperstein spoke against the proposal to create a Palm Beach Community College campus on land owned by Wellington.

“We are in the throes of a recession,” Alperstein said. “Funding for education has been hit hardest. The money has dried up. It will be impossible for Palm Beach Community College to pay for this. My main point is it is fiscally irresponsible for the Wellington Village Council to go along with this giveaway.”

Alperstein said the college would not pay taxes, and instead favored a medical arts district whose tenants would pay property taxes.

humane values. For more information about the Folke Peterson Wildlife Center, or to make a donation, call (561) 7932473 or visit www.fpwildlife. org.

so fortunate to be joining them because they’re focused on student learning, they have a commitment to high expectations, innovation and collaboration,” she said. “It’s a staff that works very closely together to meet the needs of all the children.”

But she also noted that she’ll miss Royal Palm Beach Elementary, its students and “a great bunch of teachers.” She expressed gratitude to Principal Suzanne Watson for mentoring her.

“She’s been very giving, and from the time I joined Royal Palm Beach Elementary, has really taken me under her wing and made sure I had wonderful experiences and responsibilities that prepared me to move on with my career,” Quiñones said.

Jill Townsend and Dominique Coffman

New Binks Boss — Stacey Quiñones takes over next week as principal of Binks Forest Elementary School in Wellington.

Feeding Time — Wildlife rehabilitator Glenna Bolton feeds a baby squirrel Wednesday at the Folke Peterson Wildlife Center near Wellington.

PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

Why You Should Rule Your Laundry Room With An Iron Fist

Socks — they may not seem important to you, but they’re important to me. When I first moved here from Wisconsin, someone actually asked me, “what are those things on your feet?” That was my first clue that people dressed differently in Florida. But socks are important. Who wants to slide a nice, clean foot straight from the shower into a dusty old shoe? Feet need that buffer. Of course, I raised my children to wear socks. And men seem to understand the business function of socks, wearing them most of the time. So you put all those socks together and what do you get? — laundry!

Now my son will tell you I’m obsessivecompulsive, but there is a certain way to treat freshly laundered socks. I call it the Sockapalooza.

The Sockapalooza begins when you separate the white socks from the colors; the large

Deborah Welky is The Sonic BOOMER

from the small; and the Nike swooshes from the gray-toes. That done, you pair them up, but you never, ever put a worn sock with a new sock because your goal is to have everything wear evenly — when one Nike goes, so goes the other. Stray socks are the enemy. Once, when I was sick, my husband sorted the socks for me. At first, I thought this was a kind gesture — until I saw the results. In his effort to “help,” he had thrown together any

old white sock with any other white sock, paying attention only to size! Can you believe it? It was going to take me months to get everything straight again.

“Did you do this?” I asked, addressing him in an accusatory tone and holding up two white socks that were rolled together but were obviously not what we in the laundry biz call “a pair.”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Do you not see that one of these has a Nike swoosh and one does not?”

He shrugged. “So?”

“So?! So where’s the other Nike sock?”

“In the laundry? In a drawer? On my foot?” He held up his feet and, sure enough, there it was — the other Nike sock. I pulled off his shoe and hurled it across the room, yanking the offending sock from his foot at the same time.

“Does this go with that gray-toe?” I screeched. “It does not!

I went to my secret stash of singles and pulled out a gray-toe. “This is the sock you should be wearing!”

I struggled to get it onto his foot while he just sat there with a bemused yet concerned expression on his face. “Are you all right?” he asked. “If it causes you this much distress, I could start wearing sandals.”

Oh, it was obvious he was trying to kill me.

“Do it and you do it at your own peril, Buster! Do you even know what’s lurking out there? Do you?”

“In the living room carpet?”

Everyone’s a smart aleck. But I kept an eye on him for the next few weeks, making sure he had his socks on — the correct socks. And he did. No need to call the authorities.

‘Teaching To The Test’ Is Not Such A Bad Concept For The FCAT

We managed to survive another FCAT season. Years ago, children were scared by stories of bogeymen. Now we have something even more threatening: our standardized tests. The school year is built around them. Teachers are warned that they will be judged on the results, and children quickly learn that they too will be evaluated, and some will be found wanting. Why make up something scary when we have the real thing at hand?

It is important to know whether students are actually learning. Administrators are not able to be in every classroom every minute of the day. Is a teacher concentrating on the skills required or is the class having a discussion about a popular TV show? Are all the students actually participating?

Standardized testing does allow the administrators and the citizens who purportedly are their bosses to evaluate whether or not teaching and learning are happening. Ralph Tyler,

‘I’

On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

one of the founders of educational evaluation, wrote that good tests should be based on whether they actually test the specific objectives of a course, and that educators should make certain that the objectives are the ones they really want before creating the test.

If the goals are good ones, then “teaching to the test” is exactly what should be going on. I get cynical when I hear educators denying the validity of a test that measures, for example, the ability of students to understand

what they have read. Every year, some students are not able to demonstrate that ability. It is not the fault of the test.

What should the testing do? First, it should be able to evaluate student performance. In a rough way, it succeeds. Some students are set apart from others because they are unable to pass. The test does, however, provide a more detailed diagnosis of what went wrong, not just for the weaker students, but for those who have passed. Teachers can get it online. Unfortunately, they get it so late it will probably be of little use.

Teachers should have the reports of the previous year’s testing for all their students before the school year begins. It only takes a bit of software to do the rearranging. The teacher should not only have detailed information on each student, but a summary of the class’s strengths and weaknesses to help in planning.

Administrators should have results quick-

ly so they can assign classes based on learning issues. For example, if a particular fourthgrade teacher is expert in math, he or she might get a class of students who are particularly weak in the area. And all teachers should know, even before they report for the school year, which specific skills are lacking in their new students so they can focus on those. Administrators should also discuss results with the teachers and plan how to overcome problems.

We also need to understand the results in a more focused way when evaluating schools. Students with learning disabilities (and some schools have a large number of these, many of them not officially considered part of special education) will not do as well as students who seemingly have no limits. Promises that smaller class size will overcome learning disabilities should be relegated to the realm of “the check is in the mail.”

Need A Few Laughs? A Visit To Traffic Court Is Just The Ticket

The other day I had made plans to meet one of my friends (yes, I still have some) in beautiful downtown West Palm Beach for lunch. Nothing unusual about that, because every now and then that is what I do.

I expected to sleep in late that day, but as usual, my wife Sharon had a different idea. When her alarm went off, guess who else got up. As much as I tried, there was no way I was going back to sleep. Once I am up, I am usually up for the day.

So I got out of bed, watched some news on the boob tube, made myself a cup of coffee, took a shower and got myself dressed. It was only 7 a.m. I didn’t have to meet my friend ’til high noon.

Wondering & Wandering

By Ernie Zimmerman

I decided to check my e-mail. As usual there was nothing important in my account. I then proceeded to play my favorite game on the computer, Free Cell. This kept me busy for about 15 minutes. Suddenly an e-mail came in from one of the police organizations I belong to. A light bulb went on above my head. I started talking to my best audience, “me.”

I said to myself, let’s go back to our police roots and spend the morning in traffic court. I had not been to traffic court in over 25 years. Finally myself and I agreed on something I could do ’til lunchtime. I remember in my younger days finding traffic court very funny. So off to traffic court I went. I arrived at the courthouse at about 8:20

a.m. I had to go through some very heavy security just to get inside. I had a chain on my wallet that attaches to a belt loop on my pants. The square badges (police term for security guards) at the courthouse decided this could be used as a very dangerous weapon. I had to hand over my chain (all six inches) for safekeeping. The next thing they took away from me was my key chain. Attached to it was an old P-38 army can opener. It had been on my key chain since I was in Vietnam. It was decided the P-38 could not go to court with me. I don’t know why — it made it to Alaska with me a couple of years ago. OK, I guess better safe than sorry. Inside there were at least 50 cops and an equal number of civilians waiting for their cases to be called. I was amazed at how the cops and civilians had segregated themselves in the courtroom. All the cops were on one side of the room, and the civilians were on

the other side. I was torn as to which side I should sit on. After all, I was just a “buff” (police term for folks who like to sit in court and watch the proceedings). I sat on the cop side. I felt very comfortable with my seat selection.

Most of the stories were exactly the same ones I’d heard while I was a cop in the NYPD: “I couldn’t have been going that fast” … “The officer stopped the wrong car, the car he should have stopped looked exactly like my car” … “Of course I stopped at the stop sign. Even if it’s 2 a.m., I always stop at the stop sign” … “The officer’s radar is broken,” etc. It went on like this for almost three hours. It was better than being at a comedy club, and a lot cheaper (free, except for parking) So if you ever find yourself with nothing to do one morning and need a good belly laugh, a trip to traffic court may be “the right ticket” for you.

Learn about the wide range of surgical and nonsurgical treatment options that help ensure a faster recovery and optimal outcomes.

Wednesday, March 25, 6:30 PM Wellington Regional Conference Center Refreshments will be served CALL 561-798-9880 TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE. A discussion of common conditions of the foot and ankle, from tendon injuries to bunions, from ankle pain to heel problems.

Everglades Youth Conservation Camp

American Camping Association Accredited Send Your Child for 5 Nights & 6 Days of Sleep-Away Camp. Boys & Girls Ages 8 -14

6 Fantastic Weeks of Camp Starting June 28

$325 - $420/Week

Environmental Education • Outdoor Adventure • Fishing • Hiking Archery • Canoeing • Swimming

Pine Jog Day Camp

9 Weeks of Full - Day Camp

June 8 - August 7 • 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Breakfast, Lunch & Snacks Provided Full Summer or Weekly Options

$25 - Registration Fee • $150 - $175/Week

Weekly Environmental Themes & Activities Low Student-to-Instructor Ratio

For More Information Call 561-686-6600 or visit www.pinejog.fau.edu

GROWING ALLSTATE INSURANCE AGENCY IN WELLINGTON

Looking for experienced Sales Help/Customer Service. 440 Lic. & Bilingual Preferred. Salary negotiable. Call 561-790-0558 or Fax resume 561-790-0566

With the tough economic challenges America is facing today, AVON can be the answer. Take control today. 561-236-8228. Jannette.

2 ND ANNUAL COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE — THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 21st 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Over 40 Homes! Stonehaven Estates ½ mile North of Forest Hill Blvd. on State Road 7.

1182 Periwinkle Place in Wellington just blocks from schools and shopping -- cottage style 2 bedroom/2 bath home Recently remodeled with faux painted walls, beadboard, glass-paned cupboards, top-of-theline appliances (fridge with water purifier, stacking washer/dryer, air/ heat, etc.), satellite TV hookup, lots of closet space, full size pantry. For info or to arrange a home tour, call Markat (561) 722-6444.

WANTED COIN COLLECTIONS

GOLD OR SILVER — Highest prices. Call Jim 386-9167

4 BEDROOM, 2 BATH HOME - For rent, $1,900 per month. Available March 1st. For more information call (561) 385-3605

FULLY FURNISHED SINGLE FAMILY HOME ON PRIVATE CANAL LOT — Sparkling pool & lawn service included $2,200/month. Bob Faske with Illustrated Properties 561 –346-6267

HOUSE FOR RENT — 14593

BUY OR SELL WATKINS PRODUTS — Monthly specials low prices. www.VanillaGourmet.com 561-512-9876. Associates wanted. The Leader in Natural Products since 1868.

Horseshoe Trace, Wellington

$3,800 monthly furnished. $1,700 unfurnished includes pool and yard service 3 bedroom/2 baths on a canal. 305-226-7321 or 305-3234493

EQUESTRIAN COUNSELING SERVICES

Counseling for "Horse People" by a licensed professional therapist and "Horse person."Offering Traditional and Equine Assisted Therapy to help horse people overcome Anxiety, Depression, Relational Conflict, Addictions,Substance Abuse, Adjustment Disorders, Transitional Issues and more. www.sagrising.com/ECS 561-791-8939

JOHN C. HUNTON AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION, INC. —Service & new installation

FPL independent participating contractor. Lic. CAC 057272 Ins. "We are proud supporters of the Seminole Ridge Hawks" 561-798-3225. Family Owned & Operated since 1996. Credit Cards Accepted

SeaBreeze Air Systems, Inc. — for Air Conditioning and Heating Indoors and Outdoors. Let us heat your pool for year round enjoyment. Call 561-964-3817

ARE YOUR TREES READY FOR A HURRICANE? — Florida Arborists has highly trained professionals to provide superior and quality services. 561-568-7500

JJJ AUTOMOTIVE, INC. - "We're Looking Out For You!" Complete Auto repair, foreign & domestic. We'll beat any written estimate. Free Oil Change with any service. ASE & MITSUBISHI Certified Master. 561-309-9098. Lic. MV 52657

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. 561-7922666

MEDICAL AND PROFESSIONAL BUILDING CLEANINGS SPECIALISTS — • Pressure Cleaning • Office Cleaning • Residential Cleaning • Parking Lot Maintenance • Concrete Coatings. Call for Free Evaluation. 561-714-3608

HOUSECLEANING - Reliable with long term clients. Over 12 years experience. References available. Karen 561-632-2271

AMERIKANA INC. — Commercial and residential cleaning services. Half price special for residential customers (You pay 3 cleanings and get the 4th for ½ off the regular price)

561-628-0653

PWTW CLASSIFIDS 793-7606

D.J. COMPUTER — Home & office, Spyware removal, websites, networks, repairs, upgrades, virus removal, tutoring. Call Jeff 561-3339433 or Cell 561-252-1186 Lic’dWell. & Palm Beach

COMPUTER REPAIR — We come to you! After hours and weekends services available. Spyware/ Adware/Virus Removal, Networking, Wireless, Backup Data, Upgrades. Call Anytime. 561-713-5276

MOBILE-TEC ON-SITE COMPUTER SERVICE — The computer experts that come to you! Hardware/ Software setup, support & troubleshooting www.mobiletec.net. 561-248-2611

STAFF PLUS — Looking to fill full and part-time positions in customer service. For more info. Call 1-888333-9903

HIGH QUALITY LAMINATE FLOORING — at affordable prices. Hardwood floors. No deposit until delivery. Contractors welcome. Western Communities resident. Family owned and Operated. Licensed and Insured. Se Habla Español 561-568-6099

GUARDSMAN FURNITURE PRO — For all your furniture repair needs including finish repairs, structural repairs, upholstery services, chair regluing, antique repairs, kitchen cabinet refurbishing. 753-8689

XTREME CONSTRUCTION LLCSpecializing in all your construction needs. Kitchens/baths, remodels, tile, painting, plumbing, additions. Raymond M. Surdi/Owner-Contractor 561-252-9743

CAN FIX IT — build it, move it, plant it, and more. Call Bruce, 793-2494. TFN

BILLY’S HOME REPAIRS, INC. — REMODEL & REPAIRS Interior Trim, crown molding, rottenwood repair, door installation, minor drywall, kitchens/cabinets/countertops, wood flooring. Bonded/Insured U#19699. 791-9900 Cell: 370-5293

HANDYMAN SERVICES -No job too small or large. Prompt and professional service. Reasonable rates and Quality work. Licensed and ins. #CGC-032834. 561-202-7044

ANMAR CO. —James’ All Around Handyman Service. Excellent craftman Old time values. Once you’ve had me! You’ll have me back! Lic. Ins. Certified Residential Contractor CRC 1327426 561-2488528

MCA CUSTOM WOODWORKING, INC. — “Make your home standout from the rest” Call us for all your home improvement needs. Kitchen & bathroom remodeling, custom wall units, design your home office, cabinetry, tile & drywall repair. Lic. #U-19564. Bonded & Ins. 561-7235836

WWW.GARABAR.COM

Discount pricing. Remodeling & Repairs •Kitchens • Baths •Additions • Painting • Doors • Windows. No Deposit Until Permit • Credit Cards Accepted. 561-337-6798 Lic. #CCC1327252 & GC1510976

HOME INSPECTIONS — Mold inspections, air quality testing, US Building Inspectors mention this ad $20.00 Off. 561-784-8811

A Personalized Lawn Care Service that you can afford. Call Dave for a free estimate 561-262-4623 or email tomtonkin@bellsouth.net Monarch Lawn Care

DAVID A. CLAUD, MS, LMHC, CAP - Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Certified Addictions Professional. Caring for Individuals with Substance Use Problems, Anxiety & Depression, Life Adjustment Issues, and Stress Related Concerns. (561) 398-5132

ANIMAL PALACE — “Where Your Pets are Treated Like Royalty” — Pet sitting, dry baths/specialty shampoos. de-shedding treatments. All sizes/cats too! 561-3835000 or visit our website at www.animalpalacepetgrooming.com

Mold & Mildew Inspections — Air Quality Testing, leak detection. US building inspectors, mention this ad for discount. 561-784-8811

ARMENTO PAINTING & SONS,

INC. –– Painting, Interior, Exterior. Pressure cleaning. Custom painting, faux art. Lic. No. U14736. 7988978. BD

JOHN PERGOLIZZI PAINTING INC. ––– Interior/Exterior, artistic faux finishing, pressure cleaning, popcorn ceiling, drywall repair, & roof painting/cleaning. Free est. Call 798-4964. Lic.#U18473

LET US AD A LITTLE COLOR TO YOUR LIFE — Residential/Commercial. Licensed • Bonded • Insured. Owner/Operator. Ask for Paul 561-309-8290.

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.

PAINTING — HOME PAINTING Interior - Exterior. $1290 +tax up to 2500 sq. ft. (walls area) 561-674HOME(4663) Masterpiece Painting Contractors Inc. CC U#21111 Lic./ Ins.

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. Lic. #U-18337 • Bonded • Insured Owner/Operator George Born. 561-686-6701

BRITT PHOTOGRAPHY — Wedding invitation photos, Valentine photos, Special events. Steve 561317-5813

Waterheaters, garbage disposals, faucet repair & replacement service. New construction. Licensed. Bonded. Insured. Wellington Resident 25 years. 561-601-6458. Jeremy James Plumbing, Inc.

ELITE POOL CLEANING —"You dealt with the rest now deal with the best" All maintenance & repairs, salt chlorinator, heaters, leak detection. 561-791-5073. Inquire about 1 months free service.

J&B PRESSURE CLEANING — Established in 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.Call Butch 561-3096975 BD

GRIME STOPPERS - Pressure cleaning, commercial & residential, houses, driveways, patios, screen enclosures, sidewalks. References available.561-779-1081

AFFORDABLE PRESSURE CLEANING AND PAINTING Licensed and Insured Call 561-498-3227

PROPERTY CLEANOUT & MAINTENANCE SERVICE - Lawn Care/ Pressure Cleaning. Ins/Lic/Bonded Commercial/Residential. 561-3338388 Foreclosure Cleanout Solution Corp.

MINOR ROOF REPAIRS — Roof painting. Carpentry. License #U13677.967-5580.

ROBERT G. HARTMANN ROOFING — Specializing in repairs. Free estimates, Bonded,insured. Lic. #CCC 058317 Ph: 561-790-0763.

ROOFING REPAIRS REROOFING ALL TYPES — Pinewood Construction, Inc. Honest and reliable. Serving Palm Beach County for over 20 years. Call Mike 561-309-0134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC-023773 RC0067207

WWW.GARABAR.COM — Now is the time for the Best Prices. Re-roof & Repairs. No Deposit Until Permit Credit cards accepted. Free Estimate. Call 561-337-6798 Lic.#CCC1327252 & CGC1510976

IDEAL ROOFING SYSTEMS — Residential/ Commercial • Licensed Bonded/Insured. New Construction Reroofs • Repairs • Roof Tile • Shingles Metal Roofs • Flat Decks Maintenance Contracts visit us at info@idealroofingsystems.com. Palm Beach/Broward Office: 561753-7663 Fax: 561-753-7696. St. Lucie/Indian River. Office: 772-2886440. Fax: 772-287-9008. 11101 S. Crown Way #6, Wellington, FL 33414. Lic. #CCC1326453

HORIZON ROOFING QUALITY WORK & SERVICE — Free estimates, No Deposits. Pay upon completion, residential, commercial, reroofing, repairs, credit cards accepted.561-842-6120 or 561784-8072 Lic.#CCC1328598

JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio rescreening. Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed! CRC1329708 798-3132.

Gutters, downspouts, vinyl/aluminum siding, windows & doors, aluminum railing. Screen enclosures (Repaired & Replaced), carports, porches, and patios. Lic. U17189. P&M Siding Contractors. 561-7919777

ROLL DOWN SHUTTERS — Accordion shutters, storm panels and rolling shutters...prices that can’t be beat. All shutters Systems, Inc. 8630955

AFFORDABLE HURRICANE PROTECTION — 2 - 4 wks. Installed Guaranteed! 10% deposit . Will get you started. All products, Dade County approved. We manufacture our own product. 561-568-6099, 772-342-8705 Lic. & Ins. CGC 1511213

AQUATIC SPRINKLER, LLC — Complete repair of all types of systems. Owner Operated. Michael 561-964-6004 Lic. #U17871 Bonded & Ins. Serving the Western Communities Since 1990

INSTALLING TILE IN SOUTH FLORIDA FOR 25 YEARS — Free estimates, residential/commercial, bathroom remodeling, floors, walls, backsplashes, custom design GOLDEN TILE INSTALLATION 561-662-9258

WE DO IT ALL! — Stump Grinding Dead Pine Removal. All Phases of Tree Services. Lic. and Ins. 561373-6117

SAT TUTORING, MATH & FCAT NOW AVAILABLE — in the Western Communities. Palm Beach Prep, Inc. 561-512-8441

PAPERHANGING & PAINTING BY DEBI — Professional Installation & Removal of Paper. Interior Painting, decorative finishes, clean & reliable. Quality work with a woman’s touch. 26 years experience. No Job too big or too small. Lic. & Ins. References available. 561-795-5263

WATER CONDITIONERS FROM $499.00 —- Reverse osmosis units for the whole house. Mention this ad for equipment checkup and water analysis $19.99561-6896151