WESTLAKE GETS ALL-RESIDENT COUNCIL SEE STORY, PAGE 3
HAWAII POLO LIFE WINS WOMEN’S TITLE SEE STORY, PAGE 13
THE
TOWN-CRIER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
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INSIDE
One Dead, Three Injured Following Crash In RPB
Volume 43, Number 6 March 25 - April 7, 2022
Serving Palms West Since 1980
BROOKE WHITE PARTY GOES GREEN
One Royal Palm Beach High School student is dead and three more have been hospitalized with injuries following a tragic accident Tuesday, March 22 near the intersection of Crestwood Blvd. and Cypress Lake Ave. Page 3
Buck Off Challenge In Wellington Raises Money For Honor Flight
The fourth annual AmberWay Equine Buck Off Challenge was an overwhelming success, raising a record amount of money to benefit Southeast Florida Honor Flight. After a one-yearhiatus, the family-friendly mechanical bull-riding event was held Friday, March 18 at the Wellington Promenade behind the Wellington Community Center. Page 5
Temple Beth Torah Honors Todd And Debra Barron At Annual Gala
Temple Beth Torah’s Denim & Diamonds Celebration was held Saturday, March 19 at the Wellington Community Center’s Lakeside Promenade. The evening honored Todd and Debra Barron as the temple’s 2022 Gala Service Award winners. Page 8
Wycliffe Residents Learn How Tennis Is Helping Kids In Israel
On Thursday, March 10, a group of athletic, young ambassadors from Israel — all talented tennis players — visited the Wycliffe Golf & Country Club for the “Playing for Peace & Beyond” tennis exhibition. During a 90-minute “show-and-tell” tennis presentation on Wycliffe’s stadium court, the group of Israeli visitors provided personal testimonies about the positive power, influence and impact of their experiences as children with the Israel Tennis & Education Centers (ITEC). Page 21 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 18 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 7 SPORTS..........................21 - 24 PEOPLE................................. 25 SCHOOLS.............................. 27 BUSINESS............................. 29 COLUMNS............................. 30 CLASSIFIEDS.................31 - 32 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
Brooke USA’s White Party Goes Green, presented by Lugano Diamonds, was held on St. Patrick’s Day, Thursday, March 17, at the Wellington National Golf Club. Attendees enjoyed great food and drinks, along with casino games, to benefit the Brooke USA Foundation, which helps working equines (horses, donkeys and mules) around the world. Shown above are Suhail and PJ Rizvi, Paige Bellissimo, Brooke USA Chair Katherine Kaneb, Matthew Bellissimo, Michelle Farmer and Marilyn Lakin. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 13 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
ITID Athletic Fields Face Weed Problems And Unauthorized Use
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Indian Trail Improvement District is in a battle with weeds and the unauthorized use of its athletic fields, Parks & Recreation Director Kenny Lawrence told the ITID Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, March 23. Lawrence was giving a presentation on athletic field maintenance and plans for the future. “The purpose of this presentation is to make you aware of the challenges the Parks & Recreation Department faces on a day-today basis and discuss some possible solutions,” Lawrence said. “Throughout the years, the department has faced many challenges with weeds.” Many of the areas were previously treated with spot spraying, fertilization and aeration, and cut-
ting the fields back twice a week, he said. “As of today, we have completed 100 percent weed eradication,” Lawrence said. “There is some missing grass due to weeds being eradicated in areas.” The department also addressed about 60 irrigation issues at Acreage Community Park and completed aeration on the north and south end, overseeded and fertilized both areas, as well as treating for ants. However, the southern end of the park still faces an issue with turf maintenance and the spread of weeds. Lawrence explained that some are spread by lawnmowers. “Some are from natural causes, and this is one of the big things that started everything over at the park, was the spread of weeds basically coming from the outside
areas into the fields themself,” he said. “Other factors could be wind, wildlife and people.” He showed the board pictures of the park’s sports fields, showing how weeds surrounding the sports fields are spreading into the fields themselves. “What happens when the guys are out there cutting, and they pick up the weeds, it spreads from the cuttings,” he said, suggesting a 6-foot mulch border separating the fields. He said another issue is unauthorized groups using the fields, such as a recent incident with an equestrian riding on the fields, practicing barrel racing. Another issue he discovered was that the planting of rye grass during the winter actually contributes to weed growth because See ITID FIELDS, page 4
Publix Could Replace Fresh Market At Wellington Green Square Near Mall
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report A Publix grocery store could replace the Fresh Market store at Wellington Green Square in front of the Mall at Wellington Green, according to documents filed with the Village of Wellington’s Planning & Zoning Department. The petitioner, Shawnick Wellington LCC, has requested approval for a site plan amendment to replace the existing Fresh Market at 10600 W. Forest Hill Blvd. with an expanded grocery store. The timeframe for the change has not been specified. Wellington Director of Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs Robert Basehart said the application would be reviewed at the administrative level since the remodeling would not require major exterior modifications. According to the justification statement filed by Miller Permit-
ting & Land Development, the proposed improvement is aligned with current zoning codes. The net additional square footage proposed for the current 20,400-square-foot building is 7,291 square feet. The front wall of the proposed grocery store is about 4.5 feet forward of the existing grocery store’s front wall. However, the proposed front wall is about six feet back from the face of the existing grocery store building vestibule. The net increase in building area in the front sidewalk is about 100 square feet. The updated building elevations are designed to enhance and blend with the remaining shopping center’s design and level of finishes. The parking area within the proposed grocery store parking field will be overlayed and restriped with double striping to have a minimum 10-foot width. The balance of the parking field
will be sealed and re-striped with double striping at parking spaces. The site is surrounded by multifamily residential to the north, a hotel to the south, a restaurant to the west and a bank to the east, according to the applicant’s justification statement. The proposal is considered consistent with the village’s comprehensive plan and public facility standards, and the amendments have no impact on environmental standards previously approved and is consistent with applicable neighborhood plans. The justification statement asserts that the proposed architectural drawings are consistent with neighborhood aesthetics and regulations set forth under the original development and complies with county health and fire standards, maintaining on-site circulation and clearances for fire-rescue around the building.
Royal Palm Beach License Plate Readers Go Into Operation Soon
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Cameras will soon be operational at major intersections in Royal Palm Beach, monitoring and recording every vehicle license number that enters and leaves the community. Village Manager Ray Liggins said that Village Engineer Chris Marsh has a contractor working on the license plate readers, which are already in use in several Palm Beach County municipalities, including Wellington, Palm Beach and West Palm Beach. “It should be done soon,” Liggins said, adding that the project has been criticized as being expensive and an invasion of privacy. “You know what’s expensive?” he said. “The police department is expensive.” The camera project is expected
to cost about $400,000, compared to an overall cost of the village’s Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office contract at about $8 million per year and $145,000 per deputy. “These things catch criminals,” Liggins said. “This is how you catch criminals stealing cars. This is how you catch people breaking into homes. The number of people who used to come into the community from all over, north, south, east and west to rob us to break into our cars and steal, this solves that problem. You’re not going to be able to get into or out of the village without passing one of these cameras. These license plate cameras catch bad guys, they really do.” He said that whenever the PBSO has a report of a stolen car or a crime, one of the first resources See CAMERAS, page 4
JUSTWORLD GALA
The 19th annual JustWorld Gala, held Friday, March 11, returned to its traditional in-person setting at Belle Herbe Farm in Wellington. With tremendous support from the equestrian community, new records were set for attendance, auction proceeds, and funding raised to support JustWorld’s life-changing projects for impoverished children in Cambodia, Guatemala, Honduras and the United States. Caryl Philips and Frank Zeiss returned as presenting sponsors, joined this year by Jennifer Oz LeRoy and her new Wellington restaurant, Maxwell’s Plum. Shown above are Event Co-Chair Maria Newman, Pedro Cebulka and Event Co-Chair Evelyn Treacy. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 18 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Wellington Council Negotiating New Contract With Village Attorney
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report On Tuesday, March 22, the Wellington Village Council appointed Councilman Michael Napoleone to serve as the point person negotiating the renewal of Village Attorney Laurie Cohen’s contract. Cohen’s current contract expires on April 28. While the council agreed that Cohen, who once served on the council herself, should remain as the village’s top legal advisor, some concerns were raised with the pace of litigation efforts.
Vice Mayor John McGovern said he was concerned that some village issues are not being litigated to conclusion the way the council has directed. “In 2016, there was a clear mandate, I believe, from the voters, and I believe it’s still here, that litigation with the Village of Wellington should begin and end, and not go on and on and on,” McGovern said. “I’m becoming concerned that some of these issues are not being pushed forward and not being litigated to conclusion in See ATTORNEY, page 4
ITID Public Road Meeting Set For Tuesday, April 5
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Indian Trail Improvement District will hold an informational meeting regarding roads, sidewalks and traffic calming, along with the upcoming R-3 Road Plan and a proposed bond issue of up to $22 million. The meeting will be held at the Acreage branch library on Tuesday, April 5 at 6:30 p.m. The library is located at 15801 Orange Blvd. The Palm Beach County Engineering Department will also be on-site to explain ongoing projects to the county’s roadway system in the local area, including Seminole
Pratt Whitney Road, 60th Street North, Royal Palm Beach Blvd., Orange Blvd., Coconut Blvd. and Northlake Blvd. ITID officials will discuss project proposals for the Transportation Alternative Program and Local Initiative Program that have been submitted to the Transportation Planning Agency for consideration of federal funds to improve eligible roadways with such features as traffic calming, sidewalks and enhanced safety features. The Federal Highway Administration has classified several ITID road sections as eligible for
federal funding, including 140th Avenue North from Orange Blvd. to Northlake Blvd., Hall Blvd. from Orange Blvd. to Northlake Blvd., and Temple Blvd. from Coconut Blvd. to Seminole Pratt Whitney Road. ITID Executive Director Burgess Hanson said the district will have ITID Traffic Engineer Joe Capra and District Engineer Jay Foy there to answer questions. “We’re going to have different tables set up where participants can go from table to table to learn about the different topics, which will also include millings,” Hanson said. “One table will include
Jason Lester and one of his supervisors to talk about the millings for the roads. Another table will be discussing the R-3 Road Plan and the proposed bond issue, which is for paving roads and traffic calming.” Another table will be discussing the TAP and LI programs submitted to the TPA. “Those are a combination of both traffic calming and multiuse trails on what they call DOTdesignated roads,” Hanson said, explaining that those projects are primarily on 140th Avenue North, Key Lime Blvd., Hall Blvd. and Temple Blvd.
There will also be a table where Hanson and ITID board members will discuss what the district does and the difference between activated and inactivated units, the legislative boundaries, how people are assessed and how those relate to local roads. The ITID Board of Supervisors and staff will be available to answer questions about the R-3 Road Plan and other road projects, as well as maintenance projects for road millings on quarter-mile and half-mile sections in the district. Palm Beach County Engineer David Ricks will also be on-site to discuss the county road projects.