The Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) and the Village of Royal Palm Beach presented Cultural Diversity Day on Saturday, May 10 at Veterans Park in RPB. As the name suggests, the event featured a potpourri of world cultures, from Chile and Jamaica to Ireland, Africa and the Philipines. Shown here are Friends of Koto:
MORE
and
By Leonard Wechsler
Town-Crier Staff Report
The Village of Royal Palm Beach will create a barrier across the cut Palm Beach County has made in a high berm along the east side of the La Mancha neighborhood, village officials said Thursday.
The berm separates La Mancha from the county’s northward extension of State Road 7. The county has cut the berm to provide space for a turnout of the extension to Madrid Street in La Mancha, but the village has long said it will not permit a connection from the extension into the subdivision.
“We told people years ago that we had no intention of connecting at Madrid,” Mayor David Lodwick said. “We still have
no interest in connecting there.”
Village Engineer Ray Liggins said the village would fence the area. “We will put a fence on our property where the county has left a gap in the berm,” he said. “It will not become a connection.”
Lodwick said that he would not be surprised if some concrete barricades show up on the village’s side of the gap.
The village’s uncompromising position on the La Mancha connection may exacerbate relations with the neighboring Indian Trail Improvement District.
The county’s extension work on SR 7 provides for three outlets to the new road: at Madrid Street in RPB and at Orange Grove Blvd. and Persimmon Blvd. in The Acreage. ITID officials
have said they will refuse the county permits for the Acreage connections if the La Mancha connection is not established.
Also Thursday, the council passed a resolution accepting a site-plan modification expanding the size of the Southern Mills Business Park. The development is located about a half mile west of SR 7, just north of the South Star Storage Facility on 103rd Street.
The site plan modification increases the overall square footage of the planned industrial development from 340,105 square feet to 351,250 square feet and allows developers to combine four of its currently approved buildings into a single structure, reducing the total
See RPB COUNCIL, page 20
In honor of National Nurses Week, Wellington Regional Medical Center hosted a “blessing of the hands” ceremony on Friday, May 9 in the hospital lobby. Clerics participating in the blessing of nurses and other staff members included Rabbi Bertram Kieffer of Temple Beth Zion in Royal Palm Beach, Father Brian Lehnert of St. Therese de Lisieux Catholic Church in Wellington, Rev. Jacqueline Leveron of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in West Palm Beach and Madaline Lawrence, a licensed teacher at Unity Church of Delray Beach and chaplain at WRMC. Shown here, Luis Rodriguez receives his blessing from Leveron while Sandy Stegall looks on. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 9
By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report
The Wellington Village Council approved the concept of a volunteer citizens’ service group Tuesday. The organization, modeled after a similar effort in Fort Lauderdale, would engage in community service projects focused on improving the quality of life and public safety.
Leisure Services Director Jim Barnes told the council that Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto was a driving force in the conception of the Wellington Volunteer Corps, an idea generated by a group of Wellington mothers who want to make an organized effort to tackle some of the problems they see around the village. He introduced one member of that group, Stacy Somers.
“Stacy Somers represents the initial group that was the impetus for this project,” Barnes said. “They were concerned about safety, crime prevention and other issues.”
Somers said the group began to take shape last fall.
“A group of us moms who had gotten together saw different things in the community we were not happy with,” Somers said. “There were some crime issues… There were some foreclosed homes. We began talking with Councilwoman Benacquisto. There were several meetings, and we decided we would like to get together as a cohesive organization where we could spearhead different projects.”
Somers said the group’s undertakings could help supply Wellington students with volunteer community service hours. “We’ve spoken to the people at the high schools and the children who need volunteer hours,” she said. “We can find ways to make our community safer. We are also talking about different parks and making things green, and also gearing toward different things for teens to do.”
Barnes said the group has identified two potential pilot projects suggested by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office: creation of a “tot lot” playground for the 12th Fairway area and a crime watch program for the Sugar Pond Manor neighborhood.
Capt. Greg Richter, commander of the PBSO’s Wellington substation, offered enthusiasm for the volunteer effort. “We always want to stay in front of the crime problem,” he said. “A tot lot will provide a safe area that is monitored by police officers, and there will be a place for them to go with their children. Violent crime is very rare in this community. It’s very low, but we want to keep the crime low. We have received an excellent amount of cooperation from the Village of Wellington and Wellington residents. I appreciate this effort.”
Councilman Bob Margolis praised Benacquisto and the group of mothers for their endeavor. “This is a phenomenal effort,” he said. “Congratulations, Lizbeth. I’ve been talking with the PBSO for a number of years about some of the issues we have been facing in Wellington. My concept was to go about
it differently. I did not have the residents involved.”
Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore said he was excited about the proposal and grateful that the group had offered to do something worthwhile for the community. “People need to take charge of their communities and take ownership of their communities,” he said. “This is a good way to begin. I would hope it would be successful.” The presentations made reference to the PBSO’s Community-Oriented Policing (COP) effort, where citizen volunteers provide limited law enforcement with “extra eyes and ears” by patrolling local neighborhoods. Councilman Matt Willhite said members of the COP unit must go through training and classes before they could work in the neighborhoods.
Richter said members of the volunteer corps would not need that sort of training. “For anyone who wants to get involved,” he said, “it would not be so intense that they would need the training like our COPs have.” Mayor Darell Bowen also supported the proposal. “It’s pretty tough to be opposed to such an initiative,” he said. “You are building the tot lot. It will help you build some momentum. It will help you get started and get more people involved to do more projects. I wish you all the best.”
Village Manager Paul Schofield said his staff needs direction to proceed, including a resolution to form a steering committee, a staff liaison, establishing potential funding sources and financial control, and also providing for council oversight. Benacquisto made the motion for approval, seconded by Willhite. It passed unanimously. In other business, the council suggested that Schofield and his staff prepare a “state of the village address” to sum up issues the village is currently facing for the benefit of the council and the public.
Margolis told fellow council members he had a habit of talking to Schofield every Friday about different issues, and it seemed a lot of new information is being presented. He suggested Schofield and some of his senior staff members present such an address to the council to update them on new information and issues of interest. Members of the community could also tune in and be kept abreast of the information, he said.
“I would like for Paul to take ten or 15 minutes, and maybe have some of the senior staff make some presentations to try to give us an overview on what we have today and what we need to focus on in the future,” Margolis said.
Benacquisto supported the concept. “I think it’s a good opportunity to hear about things on the horizon that may be coming up but are not on an agenda,” she said. “If things are happening on an interim basis, I do know that [Schofield] does his level best to address these situations. I do support the concept.” Schofield said he would draft an address with such issues in mind. “I understand consensus when I hear it,” he said.
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report
Three Republicans have qualified for the ballot and will compete in a primary election for the right to challenge Congressman Tim Mahoney for the Florida’s District 16 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Mahoney, a first-term Democrat, does not face a primary. The deadline to qualify for the ballot was May 2. The primary election will be held Aug. 26. State Rep. Gayle Harrell, a former teacher and resident of Stuart; attorney Tom Rooney of Tequesta; and Palm Beach Gardens City Councilman Hal Valeche all want to fulfill Republi-
can hopes of recapturing the seat Mahoney won in the wake of Republican Mark Foley’s resignation amid accusations of improper conduct involving congressional pages.
All three candidates advocate staunch conservative views. Harrell, who has served in the State House since 2000, claims endorsements from conservative leaders including Newt Gingrich and Florida State Senate President Ken Pruitt, according to her web page www.gayle harrell.com. Rooney, a lifelong Republican, Army veteran and former criminal prosecutor, upholds the GOP’s declared position of cut-
ting spending, reducing taxes, promoting family values and strengthening homeland security, according to his web page www.tomrooney.com.
Valeche, an investment banker and former Navy pilot with a bachelor’s degree in American studies from Yale University, claims a proven conservative track record on the Palm Beach Gardens City Council, where he has served since 2004. According to his web site, www.hal valeche.com, he recently received the endorsement of the Reagan-Republican-touting Citizens United Political Victory Fund, which he claims is the first endorsement from a major con-
servative group for any candidate in the race. All three are scheduled to participate in the Palms West Republican Club debate scheduled for June 16 at the Players Club in Wellington. Club President Charlie Fetscher said he has met all three candidates on separate occasions at club and executive committee meetings. “We have three excellent candidates,” he told the Town-Crier Wednesday. “Gayle is a State House rep, so she certainly knows the legislative process. Hal Valeche is a city councilman in Palm Beach Gardens and also has experience there. Tom
Rooney is new to politics but not new to community activities. He worked with Child Safe and stuff like that. They’re all extremely qualified.” Fetscher said some have expressed regret that three Republican candidates have emerged to seek the seat because they will spend more time campaigning against one another than against Mahoney, but Fetscher said that does not bother him. “I’ve talked to all three candidates and all pledge full support to whoever wins,” Fetscher said. “That’s going to be absolutely necessary, because the [primary] election will only be
See DISTRICT 16, page 20
By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report
Indian Trail Improvement
District President Mike Erickson delivered a lengthy presentation Wednesday criticizing the levels of service provided by Palm Beach County in return for Acreage residents’ taxes.
“Just give back our fair share of the very high taxes we pay,” Erickson said at ITID’s monthly business meeting. “County Engineer George Webb likes to show figures that show we have paid in $18 million in impact fees the past five years and that the county is spending $70 million on roads. Of course, he doesn’t account for what our 55,000 residents pay in sales taxes, utility franchise fees and ad valorem taxes based on a $3.2 billion tax base.”
During a 45-minute slide presentation about the needs of The Acreage, Erickson said the district should demand an investigation into whether Palm Beach County is providing required levels of service. He also said that ITID should consider more effective ways of funding its capital improvements and regular services.
“It’s crazy asking people to pay to build or improve a park and ask for all the money this year when people will be able to use the park for the next 20 years,” he said.
Erickson said long-term investment in the district’s capital improvements would be the most effective way to finance them. “First of all, it lets us hold taxes where they are,” he said. “Even though ITID taxes are only 13 to 14 percent of each resident’s tax bill, many people have problems paying them. We need to make decisions on a businesslike basis, looking for alternative approaches that will ease the budget and look for outside funding.”
Erickson noted that long-term bonds are a better way to fund major improvements. “Assessments are lower, and you get your improvements right away at a lower cost than they would be years from now,” he said.
The district is looking at ways to improve its own services, Erickson noted. “We need a semi-annual newsletter to give out important information,” he said, “and our new web site will be up and running in another month or so. We also can use new technology for improved records management and updating our GIS [geographic information system] for better management. We can also videotape our meetings and run them on the new web site.”
Erickson suggested asking Palm Beach County to either provide funding for the expansion of Acreage Community Park or return it to the district. ITID gave the park to the county in 2003 so it would qualify for county funding for expansion. Due to ensuing disputes with the district’s former board, the county has not paid for any of the park’s expansion. Erickson also suggested developing teen facilities, and perhaps a veterans memorial on retention ponds being built by the county for drainage on the widening of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road.
A two-lane reliever road to Northlake Blvd. is of the highest priority, Erickson said. “The state took $629 million from roads,” he said. “Any chance for funding of the State Road 7 extension by 2013 is a joke. Right now 2018 has a better chance, and if more money is taken to fund Tri-Rail, we could be talking another five years beyond that. We should focus on a smaller road, one that would cost less and could come from county funding.”
Erickson drew applause from the audience when he said he opposes giving ITIDowned land to the county for a library.
“I would be willing to trade it for like value,” he said. “If we got land for a fire station or for parks, I would do it. But the county owes us a library under its required levels of service.”
Likewise for emergency ser-
vice, The Acreage has one ambulance for 50,000 people, Erickson asserted. “They have four of them with advanced life support equipment in Wellington,” he said. “If our ambulance is out on a call, and there is another emergency, we have nothing to send.”
The other supervisors applauded Erickson’s presentation and said they supported his ideas. Supervisor Sandra Love Semande was particularly vehement in her demand for better emergency equipment. “We have only 3,000 fewer people than Wellington, and they get treated far better by the county,” she said. In other business:
• The board dissolved its Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee and Trailways Advisory Committee and created a combined committee called the Recreation Advisory Committee. The board appointed four members of the Trailways Committee to the new group: Celeste Hathhorn, Brenda Riol, Helmut Schmitt and Linda Renna. They named three members of the Parks Committee to the group: Cliff Battles, Lisa Seltzer and Mike Chase. All members of ITID advisory committees will have to apply for reappointment in the fall.
• The board decided to separate a planned budget workshop from its June regular business meeting. The budget workshop will be held June 3 at 6:30 p.m., and the regular meeting will be held June 4 at 6:30 p.m.
• The board approved a special permit for Sunsport Gardens, a naturist resort that borders ITID in Loxahatchee Groves, to hook up to the county’s force main that runs along 140th Avenue North with a four-inch pipe to transport its wastewater. Sunsport will connect to the county line just north of 40th Street North, which puts the connection inside ITID. Sunsport agreed to allow complete inspection on its properties and to allow ITID the right to place additional facilities if they are required because of the hookup on Sunsport property.
• The board approved a resolution supporting the construction of sidewalks on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road from Orange to Northlake boulevards and requesting funds from Palm Beach County for that purpose. The resolution noted that sidewalks in that stretch of the road are not included in the county’s fiveyear road program adopted last November and asserted that children walking to school and to bus stops are endangered by traffic on the busy street.
• The board approved a resolution supporting the construction of a sidewalk on Hamlin Blvd. from 180th Avenue to Samuel Friedland Park to protect children who walk to the park along that road. The road is an ITID R-2 improved roadway and is limited to a 40foot roadway easement, far narrower than normal. It also is a mono-pitched roadway with swale drainage on the north, limiting the needed right of way. The district is willing to build the sidewalk itself but requires approval from Palm Beach County and the Palm Beach County School Board for rights of way.
• The board directed district staff to draft a resolution in support of the Nicole Hornstein Act, which would require any equestrian under the age of 16 to wear a helmet while riding in a public area. The bill, which failed to gain approval in the state legislative session just ended, is named after a 12year-old Acreage girl who died two years ago as the result of a horse-riding accident. Semande made the motion to direct staff to draft the resolution, which was seconded by Supervisor Ralph Bair. It passed unanimously, and the board is expected to review the resolution in June.
MAY 10 — A Loxahatchee Groves man was killed following a traffic collision last Saturday near the intersection of A Road and 161st Terrace North.
According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, a 1996 Nissan pickup truck driven by 32-year-old Pascual Vail was traveling southbound on A
Road when Vail lost control and drove over the dirt embankment and into the canal. According to the report, the vehicle overturned and landed on its roof. Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue responded, and Vail was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. — Jason Budjinski
By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report
The Wellington Village Council gave the nod to further planning Tuesday for a “barrier-free” playground to accommodate special-needs children in the village. A “barrier-free” playground is a specialized play area that reduces or eliminates obstructions for children with special needs such as physical disabilities or cognitive disorders, and can accommodate kids of all abilities.
Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto, who proposed the project, has been working with Wellington residents Barbara and Del Williamson, who lost their sons to cerebral palsy several years ago. The couple have offered the village $250,000 for construction of the park and are committed to raising an additional $150,000.
Leisure Services Director Jim Barnes said the site for the playground has not yet been selected but the design would be patterned after the Picower Playground developed by Palm Beach County at John Prince Park. “Included in the report is a design that was set at John Prince Park which sits on four acres,” Barnes said. “We proposed that information as a basis for discussion and review.
What we have conceptually developed from a private benefactor is a commitment to raise funds. The county project is scalable, and since you are looking at multiple pieces of equipment, it is more appropriate for
a smaller budget. With the funding available to us, we would be looking at two acres.”
Benacquisto said the final design of the playground will depend on the location selected. “We will design a playground in the site we choose,” she said. “I hope we will be able to offer this playground for generations to come.”
Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore said he supported the proposal, but did not want further planning to be site-specific. He suggested that staff come back with recommendations for alternate sites and of various sizes.
Village Manager Paul Schofield said staff would come back with that recommendation for council approval. Benacquisto made a motion for approval, which was seconded by Councilman Matt Willhite. It passed unanimously.
In other business, the council directed staff to craft a measure in support of requiring young equestrians to wear helmets.
State legislators tried but failed this year to win passage of the “Nicole Hornstein Act,” which would require riders under the age of 16 to wear a helmet when using public trails and roads, but supporters of the bill vow to try again. The bill is named after a 12-year-old Acreage girl who died two years ago as the result of a horse-riding accident.
Council members were split on the nature of the measure — whether to seek a resolution in support of a helmet requirement,
or a village ordinance making helmets compulsory.
Benacquisto proposed that the council take action on the issue. “I reached out to the equestrian community,” she said. “They were overwhelmingly supportive of us… I would like council to bring forward a resolution or an ordinance to encourage children to wear helmets when they ride, for this little girl.”
Priore said he was in favor of the idea, but he was concerned about the language to be drafted. The concept of a resolution does not require the same enforcement as an ordinance, he said. “How would you enforce it?” Priore asked. “The ordinance would require enforcement. I would support a resolution, and we would give it as much advertising as possible.”
Benacquisto said she would support whatever is drafted, but that an ordinance would be the best means to get young riders to comply. Parents would be able to say, “Sweetheart, it’s the law,” Benacquisto said. “If the ordinance is the best thing to do, let’s do it.”
Wellington’s top law enforcement official, Capt. Greg Richter of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, was present at the meeting. Councilman Matt Willhite asked him what his deputies do when they meet youngsters on bikes without helmets, and if this new idea is something the PBSO could enforce.
Richter said the PBSO enforces the bike helmet ordinance, even to the point of giving hel-
mets to kids who cannot afford to buy one. However, he noted that riding helmets are much more expensive than bike helmets. Still, lives could be saved. “I would see a similar thing happening with the horses,” he said. “The helmets are expensive, but they save lives.”
Mayor Darell Bowen asked for the consensus of the council. Benacquisto said she supported an ordinance, but would consider a resolution. Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz said he and his staff would draft both for review. The wording will go before the Wellington Equestrian Committee and the Public Safety Committee for their consideration before council review.
The Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association will meet on Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m. inside Classroom 1 at Palms West Hospital.
The guest speaker will be Port of Palm Beach Director of Communications Carl Baker. He will discuss the concept of an inland port. He will discuss how one of the distribution sites being proposed in the Belle Glade area would probably affect Southern Blvd. Truck traffic will use Southern Blvd. as one of the routes to haul items from the Port of Palm Beach to the Belle Glade location. Some items may
For Palm Beach County high school seniors preparing to graduate over the next week, now’s the time to reflect on their past four years of accomplishments and look ahead to life after graduation. The stability and security of being a high school student is over. Those planning to attend college face much tougher decisions than whether to take painting as an elective class. And, unlike in public high school, money will be an issue. To help make the transition from high school senior to college freshman a little easier, the Town-Crier offers the following advice for those continuing their education:
• Think long term — The whole point of higher education is to pursue a field in which you are truly interested, something you’d be happy spending the majority of your waking hours doing. Some careers require a master’s degree to get started, and some require even more than that. Hopefully by then, you will not have lost interest in your major. That is why it is important to constantly ask yourself whether it’s something you really enjoy. If you have any doubts, there’s no harm in staying “undeclared” for another semester.
• Staying local isn’t a bad thing — Attending an out-of-area college isn’t the most
PBCC Not
A ‘School Of Last Resort’
Please allow this letter to serve as a response to the recent letter by Steve Haughn (“Don’t Rush PBCC Plan,” Letters, May 9). If memory serves me, Steve worked for Palm Beach Atlantic at one time and his son, who turned out to be a great guy and works for the village, was lucky enough to attend and graduate from PBA and did not have to attend a “school of last resort” as Steve categorized Palm Beach Community College. Steve stated that many who attend PBCC do so because of academics or finances. Is that bad? People with less-than-stellar grades and low incomes should not have a shot at an education? Let me tell you just how important what Steve calls a “school of last resort” can really be to people. When I grew up in Miami, college was never an option to me. I had no family to support that concept. I always had trouble in school. I failed and had to repeat seventh grade and as a result was called one of the “leftbehind kids.”
Anyone who has lived through that as a kid will remember the stigma. I almost did not finish high school for both academic and financial reasons. At 20, I was married with a baby girl and I sold auto parts at Sears and parked cars at night to make a living. At 25, still selling auto parts and parking cars, I finally realized how limited my life was going to be without an education. I started nights and weekends at one of those “schools of last resort” named Miami Dade
Junior College, now Miami Dade Community College. They made it both affordable and flexible, and in two years of working full time and taking a full-time load of classes, I graduated with my AA degree in business with a 4.0 GPA. This from the stupid kid who had to repeat the seventh grade — talk about having help in turning your life around. I went on to Florida Atlantic University for my BA in business, still working full time, and in another 18 months I had a four-year college education. That gave me the confidence I never had growing up — confidence that I could really do something with my life. And here I am, living in a place as wonderful as Wellington with two very successful grown daughters that I could afford to send to major universities — Kelly, who went to Florida State University and ended up being [football coach] Bobby Bowden’s PR person and is now an English professor and college administrator, and Kim, who went to the University of Florida and is a highly respected occupational therapist working with burn victims in Washington, D.C. And I owe it all to what Steve refers to as a “school of last resort.”
That is why this PBCC in Wellington effort is so important to me. I do not want to see any left-behind kids stay left behind.
Mike Nelson Wellington
Editor’s Note: Mr. Nelson is the current president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. His wife, Kathy Foster, was the first mayor or Wellington is a vocal supporter of a PBCC campus in Wellington.
Tick-tick-tick-tick…
This week on 60 Minutes we bring you a special investigative report about issues brought to our attention by a former elected official and others in the community of The Acreage in an unincorporated area of Palm Beach County, Florida. I’m Don Brown and I’m sitting in this week for Morley Safer, Steve Kroft and Lesley Stahl. My colleagues here at 60 Minutes received an email earlier this month from Christopher Karch, who identified himself as former president of the governing body of the Indian Trail Improvement District in The Acreage. He alleged several examples of shenanigans going on in the community. He also sent the e-mail to Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, several members of the Florida Legislature, some area newspapers and a host of others. I guess he wants us to investigate.
Mr. Karch was displeased with a few issues in the community, and he apparently assumes that residents, who booted him out of his elective ITID office 18 months ago after leading The Acreage perilously to the edge of the bankruptcy cliff, still believes what he has to say. And, he apparently believes our national TV audience ratings would receive a huge boost if we air his Acreage grievances.
He explained that “we” (he didn’t identify “we”) are opposed to the Callery-Judge Grove bill (in the Florida Legislature) that would allow the citrus grove to develop its property at the same density as neighboring communities, including The Acreage. “This has been a subject of numerous public hearings held within our community whereby over 300 people attended,” Mr. Karch wrote. “At one of these meetings, we took a count of those in favor of density changes to their land and those who were not. The count was only one in favor with the remainder vehemently opposed.” We did some checking on this and we came up more or less empty-handed. There were several public meetings on the Callery-Judge issue — most of them hosted by the grove to explain their development plans for the proposed “New Town” concept on its 4,000-acre property. Some 1,000 people attended those meetings and filled out com-
practical choice for everyone. Many decide to save money and live at home while commuting to school, and there is nothing wrong with that. It may not be the most socially acceptable situation, but that really shouldn’t matter. Public perception should never play a role in something so important. This isn’t like clothes shopping — choosing the right college is a life-altering decision.
• Be responsible — Don’t waste tuition money if you’re not serious about getting an education. Despite what you may have seen in National Lampoon’s movies like Animal House and Van Wilder, campus life isn’t one big frat party. Failing class because of irresponsible behavior is the equivalent of throwing money away. It is possible to have a healthy social life while maintaining your studies. The trick is finding the right balance. Area high schools will hold their graduation ceremonies on the following dates: Royal Palm Beach High School, Monday, May 19; Wellington High School, Tuesday, May 20; Palm Beach Central and Seminole Ridge high schools, Wednesday, May 21. The TownCrier congratulates all those who will be donning their cap and gown this week... good luck in the future!
Last week’s Wellington Village Council workshop on the proposed land donation to Palm Beach Community College was productive in the sense that it brought out more questions than answers.
The delegation from PBCC committed to very little and gave just a general overview of what they have planned for a western communities campus. But [PBCC President Dr. Dennis] Gallon did confirm several facts and answered some questions that didn’t seem to please some on the council.
Dr. Gallon said his vision for the location was a comprehensive campus dedicated to getting more students prepared for their associate’s degree and a campus that offered a lot of general courses for a broad range of students. At no time did he mention or agree to any specialized training or curriculum. He also indicated that many of our Wellington students would still have to travel to the other campuses if they were enrolled in specific programs, since that is where those programs would stay.
The current site proposed, K-Park, is actually smaller than what the PBCC staff would have liked, and would necessitate buildings being built to six or seven stories to accommodate their needs. In addition, Dr. Gallon indicated because of the limited bonding capacity and current commitments, they would anticipate building one structure in the next three years, and maybe
Don Brown
ment cards overwhelmingly supporting the project. Our investigation showed that residents’ main concern was finding solutions to roads and traffic in the community. However, there was a public meeting hosted by Mr. Karch as president of ITID and two other former board members at a local school. Several residents who were at that meeting acknowledged that far fewer than 300 residents showed up and the sentiment count was taken late, after nearly everyone had already left.
“We are all aware of the manipulative methods imposed on the legislature and crafty language that is so apparent in the bills set forth by this developer and their attorneys,” Mr. Karch implored. “With respect to all of those 50,000 residents [who live in The Acreage], do not pass this bill.”
Manipulative? Crafty? Those words made us wonder whether Mr. Karch was speaking for those 50,000 residents. We sent our researchers to check the results of the 2006 primary election and found that Mr. Karch garnered only 575 votes. That amounts to only one percent of the 50,000 residents he claims he is representing.
In any event, the Callery-Judge agricultural enclave bill died on May 2, perhaps even as Mr. Karch was writing his e-mail.
We’ll be right back after a time out for this public service announcement from the Florida Citrus Farmers’ Association.
Hurricanes and freezes were bad enough, but we were able to take some precautions and account for them in our business plans. That was before citrus canker destroyed our trees and greening disease damaged our crops. It isn’t easy being a citrus farmer in Florida today. That’s why many of our producers and processors have
one other in the following two years.
Although he couldn’t commit, Dr. Gallon thought that 25 jobs might be produced in the first three years, possibly doubling that after the second building is constructed.
Mayor [Darell] Bowen directly asked Dr. Gallon about economic impact on the area, which Dr. Gallon replied the college does not do local impact studies, only as it pertains to Palm Beach County.
In response to a council question on placing athletic fields at the site, there was no commitment or mention of that by the PBCC staff. But since the site is small, and buildings would have to be taller to accommodate the needs of the college, why would they put large expanses of open space on the site? Besides, PBCC only has two outdoor sports — baseball and softball — and they are located at the main campus.
Councilman [Matt] Willhite was correct to state that this issue could be extremely divisive to the community, and we need to proceed very carefully and make sure we have all the questions answered and concrete plans in front of us. Perhaps even have Councilwoman [Lizbeth] Benacquisto again approach Florida International University or Barry University with a similar offer — schools that might bring more impact and secondary business than PBCC.
Let’s not give away a $25 million piece of property, especially one we might have to replace, until we have real facts, real answers, real plans on the table.
Steve Haughn Wellington
Having been out of town, I just reviewed my past issues of the Town-Crier and feel the need to respond to several letters to the editor in the May 2 edition. These all refer to the paving of roads in Loxahatchee Groves with open graded emulsified mix (OGEM).
First, in the letter by [Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Supervisor] John Ryan, he states “appropriately, the town’s council recognized the district’s determination that the road segment surface improvement should continue.” Actually, I changed my motion to request the LGWCD to delay until the comp plan was finished to a motion of no action since it was apparent that the LGWCD would not even consider the request if made. There was nothing “appropriate” about that vote as it had nothing to do with pave or no pave — just a request for potential delay in order to plan the town’s future in a comprehensive manner.
Second, Councilman [Dennis] Lipp’s letter, as well as Mr. Ryan’s, both tout their view that paving with OGEM will be voted on by the residents and not
result in a “second mortgage.” The second mortgage terminology was originally mine and is meant to point out that once a simple majority of the by-acre votes on a road segment vote to pave, then the full cost is spread over all of the acres abutting that segment. Thus, it is entirely possible that 48 percent of the acreage, which might be a great majority of the actual residents, will have to foot the bill. If they cannot put it up out of pocket and they want to avoid a lien on their property — guess what? Second or third mortgage time — period!
A much better system would be to require a super majority — say 85 percent-plus of the acres affected. Even that will hurt lowincome families, retirees and others on fixed incomes. If the large landowners are willing to pay their fair larger share, so what, if it ends up hurting the “little guy”?
I am not against an equitable solution to road stabilization and dust control, but as a public official, I worry a lot about the will of a potential few financially burdening many. Such is the realty of the by-acre vote. It is not democratic, it is terracratic, or maybe even feudalistic. Bill Louda, Councilman Loxahatchee Groves
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@goTownCrier.com
turned to China to help keep us supplied with oranges and grapefruits. Other farmers have decided to meet the Sunshine State’s need for additional housing on their property after years of operating in the red and struggling to stay afloat. The next time you see an orange stamped “Made in China” inside a box stamped “Packed in Florida” or a can of orange juice marked “Made in China and processed in Florida,” you’ll get the picture. And when you see homes replacing citrus trees, you’ll realize the depth of our citrus growers’ dilemma. If you see someone on a street corner with a sign, “Citrus grower. Will work for food,” throw him a Chinese orange and tell him to get another job.
Welcome back to this special edition of 60 Minutes
Another complaint Mr. Karch made was more confusing. He said “we” (our investigators still haven’t figured out who “we” are) opposed an ITID bill in the legislature pertaining to boundary changes to the special district. He said the boundary changes near 112th Street and the Bayhill Estates subdivision were sought by landowners who contributed heavily to the campaigns of four of the five current ITID supervisors.
Once again, we sent our researchers out and they couldn’t find any campaign contributions to the ITID supervisor candidates during the 2006 election linked to those property owners. Mr. Karch further claimed that one of the property owners seeking to be included inside ITID boundaries hired a former ITID administrator, now an elected official outside the district, as an unregistered lobbyist to help push the bill through the legislature. Our investigative team learned that the bill, required by the legislature under the rules establishing the improvement district, was in response to a request by vacant landowners to be included in ITID because it covered drainage that their previous special district did not provide. It also turns out that Mr. Karch might have erroneously assumed that the property owner who he says hired someone to help him was included in the bill. We could not determine that he was included, but apparently he was not.
Mr. Karch also called for an investigation into a water-utility issue that we determined he actually created himself. We at 60 Minutes are assuming that we’re now investigating the investigator. He said that residents are “waging a legal battle against ITID for stripping them of their referendum rights,” related to the district sale to Palm Beach County of utility assets. A house bill that also failed on May 2, possibly at the time that Mr. Karch was typing up his e-mail, has to do with special district referendums that ITID addressed on behalf of residents in its contract with Palm Beach County. We also learned that the legal battle with Palm Beach County began, at Mr. Karch’s behest, when ITID hired an Atlanta lawyer to sue Palm Beach County over water rights in The Acreage. The result was nil. Mr. Karch’s previous board spent some $2 million in legal fees and $1 million in engineering fees. The current board received about $8 million for simply dropping the lawsuit that Mr. Karch’s board had already lost in court several times on various issues.
Finally, Mr. Karch made an excellent point. He said the “people of Palm Beach County have been subjected to unscrupulous activity by elected officials resulting in federal convictions and indictments, and the investigations continue.”
To wit: we would ask Mr. Karch when he is going to repay the district for the $6,607.29 he allegedly owes the residents for unpaid health insurance policy premiums.
We’ll be back next week.
And now a word from Andy Rooney:
“I love my 1984 Ford LTD Crown Victoria LTD. It has comfortable seats, cruise control, a really good climate-control system and an engine that will get you up to 55 miles per hour on any interstate highway in nearly a heartbeat. But after driving around Acreage roads during our last investigative report, a mechanic told me to trade my car for a pickup truck. ‘There are just too many bumps on the dirt roads for my car,’ he said. I think I’ll just go back to New York City. I’m not ready for a pickup.”
Tick-tick-tick-tick…
By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report
The Royal Palm Beach Village Council awarded $1,000 scholarships to six deserving high school seniors Thursday. “These are wonderful nights where we can reward students who have worked hard and know what they want,” Mayor David Lodwick said. “God bless you!” The scholarship committee of the Royal Palm Beach Education Advisory Board interviewed 13 applicants for the scholarships. Vice Mayor Fred Pinto, the council’s liaison to the board, praised their work in selecting the recipients. “They put in a lot of time,” he said. “It was not easy doing all the interviews with so many deserving students. A lot of hours went into this.”
The honorees include:
• Daniel Barber of Summit Christian High School, who plans to study pharmacology and then return to Royal Palm Beach where he hopes to practice as a pharmacist and mentor young people on the positive
and negative effects of drugs. He credits his mother with reinforcing the “five Ds” — determination, dedication, discipline, dependability and diligence.
• Maria Barros of Royal Palm Beach High School, who plans to attend Florida Atlantic University to major in pre-law and minor in political science as part of her goal of becoming an attorney. She is a member of the Spanish Honor Society, the National Honor Society, Royal Palm Beach Speech and Forensics, Future Business Leaders of America and the DECA marketing club. She is active in the Palm Beach County Youth Court where she has held the position of head attorney and jury member.
• Karla Clarke of RPBHS, who demonstrated leadership by being president, vice president or member in good standing of 11 organizations. She interned at the Palm Beach County School District in 2006 and received hands-on training in architecture, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering. Her major goal is to “go into the
transportation industry and eventually open my own transportation company, since advancements in fuel technology, vehicle transportation and selfdriving vehicles will revolutionize the transportation industry and our world.”
• Sarah Connolly of Suncoast High School, who helped create the school’s girls varsity lacrosse team, on which she serves as co-captain. She will attend the University of Florida focusing on chemical engineering. She has been on the honor roll all through high school with a 3.5 GPA. She contributed poetry to the Syzygy literary magazine, placed third in the Palm Beach County Science Fair, is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars, received an Excellence in Spanish award and has had her work published in Florida Atlantic University College of Engineering’s ESP Journal
• RPBHS student Melissa Germain, who has been accepted to the University of Central Florida and plans to major in mathematics. Her scholastic
By Carol Porter
Town-Crier Staff Report
Congressmen Ron Klein and Tim Mahoney held a press conference on Friday, May 9 in front of a West Palm Beach agency that might serve as a model for foreclosure rescue on a national level. The Foreclosure Assistance Center off Okeechobee Blvd., the location of the press conference, was created by the City of West Palm Beach to help families facing foreclosure. The center is the first of its kind, said the congressmen, who were asking for support for housing legislation passed last week in the
House that was on its way to the Senate, which President George W. Bush has threatened to veto.
The legislation is designed to save middle- and lower-class Americans from foreclosure in the face of a deepening mortgage crisis. The congressmen and local officials called on President Bush to sign legislation to help homeowners.
The American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 has several measures that would help families become first-time homebuyers, assist existing homeowners, help other families facing foreclosure keep their homes and
help stabilize property values in neighborhoods harmed by high foreclosure rates.
Klein and Mahoney serve on the Financial Services Committee, which developed the legislation. “We’re here on behalf of a federal effort tied into a local effort that the City of West Palm Beach is working on to help our community with the foreclosure problems in South Florida,” Klein said. “They are creating a model for the state and the country.”
Klein said the sub-prime mortgage crisis is affecting homeowners in Florida and across
See KLEIN, page 20
County Commissioner Jess Santamaria will host a community forum on Wednesday, May 21 at the original Wellington Mall at the corner of Wellington Trace and Forest Hill Blvd. The forum will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. in the mall’s center court.
The topic for the evening will be “Uniting the Western Communities.” Guest speakers will include Indian Trail Improvement District President Mike Erickson and Loxahatchee Groves Mayor Dave Browning. Pat Rutter, chief planner with the Palm Beach County Planning
Division, will provide an update on infill redevelopment. Members of the Binks Forest Elementary School choir are scheduled to perform.There is no cost to attend.
For more information about the May 21 forum, call Santamaria’s office at (561) 355-6300.
awards include being a 2007 Pathfinder nominee in Academic Excellence, a United States National Achievement Academy Award winner in Science, among the top five percent of the Class of 2008, English III honors and perfect scores in the 2006 FCAT writing exam. Germain wants to become a biostatistician so she can work with scientists and researchers to provide the mathematical analysis necessary to help find a cure for some of the many diseases that plague the world.
• Alena Carrera Horwitz of Suncoast, who will attend the University of Virginia to study environmental science. She received a certificate of participation from the Great American Coastal Cleanup, which she began by working to clean up Okeechobee Blvd. She is a member of Mu Alpha Theta, the Mathematics Honor Society, a member of the fifth-place team
of
By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report
The Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Commission approved a color change for the Royal Plaza Medical Office Building on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. on Tuesday.
Dr. Albert Endruschat, representing the owners of the building, told the commission they wanted to change the color of the building from beige with orange accents to “Dover White” with a custom creambeige trim.
“The owners of the building want to do this because it will make the building look newer,” Endruschat said. “This is an older building, and it will look far better with the more modern look. The building is on the edge
of the village, right near the Royal Inn, and the owners want to paint it and upgrade it.”
Commission Member Leonard Urban thought a different color pattern might be better.
“The colors are fine,” he told Endruschat, “but you might want to create more of a contrast by changing the colors of the columns for more contrast.”
Endruschat replied that with 11 condominium-style owners of the building, getting agreement on changes might be difficult.
Commissioner Darrell Lange made a motion to accept the colors as proposed. Commissioner Genevieve Lambiase seconded the motion and Vice Chairman John Frontroth Jr. also voted in support, with Urban opposed.
By Mark Lioi Town-Crier Staff Report
MAY 13 — Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigators arrested a Royal Palm Beach man who crashed through the entrance gate arm of the Madison Green subdivision in Royal Palm Beach while trying to avoid apprehension on another charge early Tuesday morning. According to a PBSO report, 19-year-old David Valdes was fleeing deputies when he drove though the closed gate of Madison Green’s Lexington community. Investigators learned that Valdes’ license had been suspended five times since November. The PBSO arrested Valdes later that day and booked him into the Palm Beach County Jail on a host of charges, including assaulting a police officer, fleeing and eluding, contempt of court for violation of a domestic violence protective order, drug possession, burglary, larceny and traffic offenses.
•
•
•
tigator noted that the screen was off the window the victim proposed as the entry point, the bed was right next to the window and nothing appeared out of place. When interviewed, the victim’s daughter said she was home the entire night and did not hear anything. The daughter said her mother had been acting strange lately, and she was under the impression her mother had gotten rid of the safe two months previously. According to the report, the victim could not produce any withdrawal slips for the missing cash, which she said she had withdrawn two months earlier to help another daughter buy a house. The investigator reported no success in either contacting the second daughter or recovering evidence at the scene.
MAY 8 — Three men were arrested May 8 on drug charges in the parking lot of the Mall at Wellington Green. According to a PBSO report, mall security video surveillance identified a drug deal in progress in the parking lot at approximately 6 p.m., and an unmarked PBSO vehicle approached the scene. Three men were arrested in the interrupted oxycodone deal: 30-yearold Michael Paul Murtagh of West Palm Beach, 26-year-old Michael Neinast Jr. of West Palm Beach and 27-year-old Nicholas Rutherford of Boynton Beach. According to the report, Murtagh was charged with possession of oxycodone; Neinast was charged with trafficking in oxycodone, possession of alprazolam (Xanax) and possession of morphine; and Rutherford was charged with possession of oxycodone with intent to deliver. All three were taken to the county jail.
MAY 10 — A Royal Palm Beach man was arrested on traffic charges in Royal Palm Beach in the early hours last Saturday morning. According to the PBSO report, a deputy on patrol on State Road 7 near Okeechobee Blvd. at about 12:50 a.m. stopped a green 1997 Ford Aerostar van after a registration check revealed that its tag belonged on another vehicle. After making contact with the driver, 42-year-old Edward Bovender, a check of his license revealed that it had been suspended approximately 13 times since 1993. According to the report, Bovender was arrested and charged with improper registration and knowingly driving with a suspended license, and taken to the county jail.
MAY 10 — A resident of the Counterpoint Estates subdivision in Royal Palm Beach reported a burglary last Saturday morning. According to the PBSO report, a Pinafore Lane resident told investigators that someone had entered the house through her bedroom window sometime between 1 and 8 a.m. and stolen a safe containing $15,000 in cash and $9,500 worth of jewelry, and took a complete set of china from the kitchen and a decorative owl from the living room. The inves-
MAY 10 — A West Palm Beach man was arrested after punching the door of a Palm Tran bus on State Road 7 in Royal Palm Beach last Saturday morning. According to a PBSO report, 63-year-old John Addison became agitated after being denied entry to the bus and in return punched the glass on the entry door of the bus. A computer check revealed three active warrants for Addison, who was arrested for those as well as for criminal mischief regarding the bus incident.
MAY 12 — A Wellington man was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop in Wellington on Monday night. According to a PBSO report, a deputy patrolling in the parking lot of the Publix supermarket on Wellington Trace at about 8:19 p.m. spotted a black 1996 Lexus that appeared to have an illegally dark shade of tint on its front and rear windows, which was confirmed with a PBSO-issued tint meter. The deputy asked the driver, 23-year-old Andrew Dereniuk, if he had anything illegal in his vehicle. Dereniuk replied that he did not and gave the deputy consent to search the vehicle, according to the report. The deputy also asked if he was carrying any weapons, and patting him down detected an object in the right-side cargo pocket of Dereniuk’s pants. According to the report, Dereniuk said it was a marijuana pipe that he had forgotten. Dereniuk was issued a citation for the illegal tint and a notice to appear in court on the drug paraphernalia charge.
MAY 13 — A Wellington man was arrested in Royal Palm Beach for shoplifting Tuesday morning. According to a PBSO report, a produce manager at the Albertson’s supermarket observed 76-year-old James Gekas putting grocery items in a supermarket shopping bag at approximately 8:40 a.m., and also reported having observed Gekas shoplifting on previous occasions. According to the report, Gekas admitted having shoplifted at the store on other occasions, but insisted it was in small quantities and that his accusers were overreacting. The shoplifted items included a bottle of salad dressing, sports drinks and a six-pack of beer. The PBSO deputy refused to release the suspect with a notice to appear in court because he “adamantly See BLOTTER, page 20
Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives: • Frank Mendoza is a white male, 5’9” tall and weighing 150 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. His date of birth is 03/29/88. He has tattoos on his left shoulder and arm. Mendoza is wanted for violation of probation on a conviction for grand theft and false verification of ownership to a pawnbroker. His occupation is unknown. His last known addresses were Royal Cardigan Way in Royal Palm Beach and Hatteras Circle in Greenacres. Mendoza is wanted as of 05/15/08. • Lamar Nixon, a.k.a. Samuel Nixon, is a black male, 5’2” tall and weighing 180 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. His date of birth is 08/17/56. He has scars on his neck, face and both shoulders. Nixon is wanted for failure to appear in court on the felony charges of grand theft and grand theft of a motor vehicle. His occupation is unknown. He is reported as being at large. Nixon is wanted as of 05/15/08. Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward. Call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimestopperspbc. com.
By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report
Palm Beach Tax Collector
Anne Gannon spoke to Palms West Chamber of Commerce members Monday to offer a look at recent developments in her office.
Speaking at the chamber’s monthly business luncheon at the Wellington Community Center, Gannon said her office of about 250 employees operates six branch offices around the county as well as a mobile unit that goes between Palm Beach Gardens and Boca Raton.
“We are currently evaluating whether that service is efficient to the public and are looking into other options,” Gannon said.
“We want to hopefully provide better service for the folks out in the far western part of the county and in the eastern part also. We are going to be making an announcement in the next couple of months. We just completed a location analysis here in Palm Beach County. We want to look at where our customers are coming from and where they go for service.”
Gannon said her office is also undergoing a state-supported
review and evaluation known as the Sterling process in order to run more efficiently and effectively. This year, she said, the office is taking a look at improving its healthcare plan while decreasing the cost of it.
“Our healthcare product will go up by 27 percent this year,” Gannon said. “We need to look at ways to reduce the costs. Government healthcare is not only very reasonable, it’s cheap compared to the healthcare providers you have to use in your business. We are looking at some of those services.”
A few months ago, Gannon said, her office rolled out a statement about its core mission and values, and said all her employees believe in the credo that the customer comes first.
“We all believe that,” she said.
“You, the customer, are the most important thing. You go into a department store sometimes and you can’t get good service. We want to provide it. There will be some limits on the funding options we have, but our goal is to move forward and to make your trip to our office as pleasant as possible. When you write a check, I know that’s hard.”
Gannon concluded her pre-
sentation by talking about what happens when people cannot afford to pay the tax on their homes.
“Last year, we had about 23,000 properties that did not pay their taxes. What we do is sell their taxes to these large investment firms. They bought up a lot of property,” Gannon said. “We have seen that figure go up to 42,000 properties [this year]. These are properties of people who cannot afford to pay their taxes. If you don’t pay your taxes the first year by a certain date, we are allowed under Florida Statutes to sell that tax… After you don’t pay the taxes, the clerk can sell your property. There are very specific guidelines you have to follow to do that.”
One option for people who find it hard to pay their property taxes is making quarterly payments. Gannon encouraged those who want to learn more about the process or have other questions to visit www.tax collectorpbc.com.
Monday’s lunch was catered by Chick-fil-A in the Mall at Wellington Green and was sponsored by the Wellington Institute for Wellness & Aesthetic Medicine and Dentistry.
The institute, located on the campus of Palms West Hospital on Southern Blvd., specializes in medical and dental aesthetics and anti-aging medicine. The institute’s president Juan Gonzalez noted that the aging process cannot be stopped, but it is up to each individual as to how that process will go.
People who come to the institute, Gonzalez said, complain of various problems that are part of the aging process: fatigue, inability to lose weight, memory loss, not sleeping well, decreased libido, dry skin, losing muscle mass and tone, and grinding teeth at night. While most people approach healthcare with a view to fixing problems when they occur, he said his institute is geared toward preventing the problems in the first place.
“You can choose to go to the optimum level,” Gonzalez said. “When you take that step, the Wellington Institute will come to the plate. It’s a multidisciplinary system of doctors and disciplines. It’s about prevention. It’s not about curing. It’s about improving on the aesthetic side of yourself. We enhance the looks, face, smile, skin tone.
It’s a multidisciplinary approach to medicine.” Gonzalez introduced various partners on his team who were present at the event, including Dr. Nilsa Toledo, her daughter Dr. Jennine Cabanellas and Dr. Lynn Lafferty, who each have a different area of expertise.
Cabanellas said she does her best to help turn back the clock in the aging process and strives to insure that patients who look good are also able to feel good. Cabanellas said everyone runs a risk of obesity, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, gastrointestinal problems and Alzheimer’s, and looking good is not enough in light of these factors of aging.
“I am very honored and glad I can do anti-aging medicine,” Cabanellas said. “A lot of the people I am taking care of, they See CHAMBER, page 20
•
By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report
The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors gave preliminary approval Monday to an assessment increase of more than nine percent in the coming fiscal year.
The board approved the increase of 9.3 percent as part of a preliminary draft budget for fiscal year 2009. However, the LGWCD board has in previous years considered an increase in the draft budget, then dropped it before adopting a final budget.
District Administrator Clete Saunier said he was recommending the assessment rate increase based on a variety of revenue issues, including statewide shortfalls and a significant decrease in gas tax revenues. Over the last six years, he said, the district had raised its assessment rate from $126.95 to $137.95 per acre, which equated to an average annual increase of only 1.4 percent.
“During the same period, the consumer price index has increased an average of 3.0 percent annually,” he said. “The assessment rate would either need to increase proportionately with inflation or a reduction
in service delivery will need to be considered. Items of particular concern that have increased in cost are fuel, road materials and utilities. Budgeted expenditures in these categories have increased an average of 100 percent over the last three years. Our reserves also continue to be precipitously low, well below the level recommended by our financial auditors for the last six years.”
Based upon projected gas tax revenues and the likelihood of a continuing trend of higher expenses, Saunier said, “an assessment increase as high as $12.80 per acre or 9.3 percent may be required to maintain current levels of service.”
Saunier said the assessment increase may be less depending on gas tax revenue projections for 2009. The proposed budget would include an assessment increase from $137.95 to $150.75 per acre, he said.
Saunier stressed that the increase is still only under consideration and not a final determination. Notices about the proposed increase are slated to go out no later than May 19, and the board will have further discussion at its June 9 meeting.
Vice Chair Don Widing said
he disagreed with the increase. Reading a list of cuts going on at different agencies and in different municipalities around the state, he said he hoped to see some data from the Town of Loxahatchee Groves before he could consider any increase. He called 9.3 percent “a little bit hard to swallow.”
“Personally, I could support an increase which would be more representative of the rate of inflation,” he said. “I have a little bit of a harder time with that. The town will work with us to get this information to us as soon as they can.”
Supervisor Ron Jarriel made a motion to support the recommended increase, which was seconded by Supervisor John Ryan. It passed 3-1 with Widing opposed and Chairman David DeMarois absent.
In other business, the board approved the purchase of a new water truck through an interlocal agreement with Palm Beach County. The truck is needed to replace one of the two the district owns, which has been undergoing continual repairs.
Saunier told the board the LGWCD entered into an interlocal agreement with the county providing for $60,000 in
funding for the purchase of a new water truck to maintain the district’s unpaved roads, and the agreement would expire at the end of September. The least expensive quote, from a Tampa dealership, totaled $113,935, he explained, and subtracting the $60,000 in county funding, the agreement would yield a net price to be financed of $53,935. If approved, Saunier said, the documents would be presented to the supervisors for final execution in June. He was just asking for approval of the terms to enter into negotiations for purchase and financing of the truck, and it was best to get the deal done soon, as the agreement will expire at the end of September.
Jarriel asked Saunier if it is possible for the district to negotiate with a dealer in Palm Beach County rather than having to buy from someone in Tampa. When it came to warranties and repairs, it might be easier to deal with a closer company.
Saunier said the district has dealt with Atlantic Ford in Pompano Beach as part of a state contract, but their bid had come in quite a bit higher than the bid he was recommending.
Supervisor Robert Snowball said he had some issues with the
cost but did not have time to review the documents before the meeting. As someone who builds trucks for a living, Snowball said, he would like to research the quote to make sure the district is getting the best deal possible. Snowball said he had never seen so high a quote for such a truck. It’s especially troubling, he said, given that the board is considering an assessment increase.
“I have a hard time recommending the borrowing of $53,000 when we are trying to raise taxes,” Snowball said. “When we got the $60,000, I knew darn well that the $60,000 wouldn’t cover the truck. Something just doesn’t compute to me. I need to see where this money is coming from.”
Snowball said it looked like they only had one quote to consider. Saunier said another competitive quote had been submitted, but it was about $1,000 more. “All I am asking you to do is allow us to go forward with this contract,” Saunier said, “and the contract we are waiting to prepare would not be fully signed off on until next month. There are a lot of legal forms that [LGWCD Attorney] Mary [Viator] will have to produce and
put together in a package for your approval. If you have any questions or concerns, I would be happy to answer them in the interim.”
Widing wanted to know what the district is averaging for maintenance on the current truck, which had been purchased during the 1999-2000 year. Saunier that the district spends anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 a year on that truck. Currently the frame on it is being replaced, he said.
“We are down one water truck in a drought, and we need water,” Widing said. “This has been budgeted. We’ve had since Oct. 1 to consider this in our minds.”
Widing asked if the item could be delayed a month, but Snowball said he was OK with going forward with the paperwork, and that while that is happening, he could research the item and resolve any concerns. “I am going to see what these pumps cost,” Snowball said. “That’s an easy thing to do.” Snowball made a motion to go forward with the paperwork, which was seconded by Ryan. It passed 4-0 with DeMarois absent. The board will review the finalized contract in June before their final approval.
By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report
Members of the Indian Trail Improvement District’s Trailways Committee were disappointed to learn Monday that the district’s equestrian trails are not being included in an effort to create a regional trail system. Committee members have been discussing the possibility of having the district’s equestrian trail system connect with that of the Northern Everglades Natural Area (NENA), a collection of natural areas covering more than 145,000 acres in northern Palm Beach County and Martin County planned as a major ecotourism destination.
But a presentation by two representatives of Palm Beach County’s Department of Envi-
ronmental Resource Management (ERM) quickly demonstrated that none of the existing or planned NENA trails connect to The Acreage.
ITID President Mike Erickson, who attended the meeting along with supervisors Michelle Damone and Carol Jacobs, asked the ERM representatives why ITID had been left out.
“We’ve been looking at your vision statement,” he said. “I downloaded it just last month. And 60th Street was a trail listed on it, and we had other trailhead connections there. We’ve talked about aligning our vision with yours, and now we’re not even mentioned in yours. What happened?”
NENA Implementation Coordinator Sally Channon replied
that current plans focus on just the specific trails they had presented, all outside The Acreage. “Most of these trails have been blazed by the Florida Trails Association,” she said. “We are simplifying the system and will be working for the next few years on these major routes.”
Environmental Program Supervisor Ginny Powell assured the committee and the supervisors that the department’s brochures and web sites would note The Acreage as one of two equestrian communities in the area, and she asked that the district send ERM a map of all ITID’s existing trails.
Powell also said NENA did not provide funding for trails, although it works with the Metropolitan Planning Organization
and uses grants from that group.
“They’ve spent money on some of the bridges in your plans,” Erickson replied. “But we want some of the funds here, to help us on our system.” Erickson asked that NENA list ITID trails in its literature.
Powell said her agency had already requested that ITID provide a list of all its official equestrian and multi-modal trails but never got a response. “We did not want to list anything on our map that did not have your blessing,” she said. In other business:
• Parks Director Tim Wojnar said he had checked on a horse staging area supposed to be located at Northlake and Grapeview boulevards that committee
See TRAILS, page 10
In honor of National Nurses Week, Wellington Regional Medical Center hosted a “blessing of the hands” ceremony on Friday, May 9 in the hospital lobby. WRMC invited several clergy members to join in the ceremony. Clerics participating in the blessing of nurses and other staff members included Rabbi Bertram Kieffer of Temple Beth Zion in Royal Palm Beach, Father Brian Lehnert of St. Therese de Lisieux Catholic Church in Wellington, Rev. Jacqueline Leveron of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in West Palm Beach and Madaline Lawrence, a licensed teacher at Unity Church of Delray Beach and chaplain at WRMC. Leveron called the blessing a consecration of the work hospital staff members do daily. During the ceremony, blessings were given individually or in groups of two, where clergy prayed and anointed staff members’ hands.
RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER
BY
PHOTOS
By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report
Property owners along four roads in Loxahatchee Groves will get to consider the costs involved before committing to the stabilization of their roads.
The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors voted Monday to survey the property owners and advise them of the expenses involved with stabilizing their roads with open graded emulsified mix or OGEM, a pervious asphalt-like substance that minimizes the dust, erosion and maintenance involved in unpaved roads.
Over the last several years, the district has stabilized roads when a majority of landowners petitioned to have the work done and used discretionary funding from Palm Beach County to pay for it. With purse strings tightening at the county level, residents must now consider paying assessments to fund the improvements to their streets.
LGWCD Administrator Clete Saunier, speaking to the supervisors Monday, noted that evaluations of earlier road-stabilization work with OGEM revealed the road surface performed reasonably well and that no complaints had been received from the public. He said many landowners had called and written to commend the district for constructing the road and to express gratitude for the benefits it provided. The installation of speed tables also had calmed traffic and reduced vehicle-in-canal accidents.
Saunier asked if he could proceed with stabilization on four roads that had been petitioned for improvements by a majority of the residents living on North A Road, North C Road, South B Road and North D Road. District staff had processed the petitions and confirmed the authenticity of the signatures.
Saunier recommended the board authorize staff to send letters to all affected landowners within the petition sections requesting their response within 30 days. Included in the letters would be a proposed assessment rate they would pay
continued from page 8 members had mentioned at their previous meeting in April. Wojnar agreed that the site offers little accommodation to riders trying to cross Northlake Blvd. “There really is no room for mounted people to wait,” he said. “Furthermore, there is terrible visibility right there. But we do have a right of way there, although part of it is fenced off, and we can ask ERM to help us.”
Hathhorn said the district now has options because property owner George Elmore is part of a developer-driven plan for the Northlake corridor and is willing to negotiate. She said the walk signal button at the intersection does not work on weekends.
Committee member Helmut Schmitt said fixing the button would go a long way toward solving the problem. “If the button were working on the weekends, it would make the intersection much safer, not only for riders but for kids crossing the street there.”
• Wojnar also reported that he had researched different types of equestrian gates. “The best kind is a ‘V’ horse gate that is also wheelchair-accessible,” he said. “I’ve given the design to a professional welder to do a template so that we can be certain the design works.”
Wojnar said the district would put up one gate at the 94th Street/Seminole Pratt Whitney Road entrance to the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area as soon as it is ready.
“I’m going to bring out one of our mowers as well as other equipment to the gate we want at the L Canal crossing to make certain there’s enough width to put it in,” he said. “We need a gate wide enough for our equipment to pass through.”
In response to a question from Schmitt, he said the gate would be made of circular tubing with no edges that might injure a horse.
• The committee unanimous-
over a fixed period of time to cover the initial construction costs, land acquisition costs if required, administrative expenses associated with special taxing units and an estimated maintenance cost for the OGEM surface after its construction. The maintenance costs would include resurfacing every seven to ten years. The initial construction, land-acquisition costs and other fees associated with creating the special taxing unit would be included in a debtservice assessment that would expire upon satisfying the loan, Saunier said. The maintenance assessments, including the resurfacing costs, would continue over the entire 20-year period.
Saunier also said LGWCD Attorney Mary Viator checked that the district’s enabling legislation, revised in 2004, did not prevent the district from surveying affected landowners to determine whether a referendum on OGEM stabilization would be favorable, and that the cost to survey the affected landowners could be considered part of the maintenance costs covered by special assessments.
“That’s my report,” Saunier said. “I’m just asking you to confirm or have consensus for the process. We would present this in a survey letter to the petitioners. I would think we could do them all at once.”
The board, by consensus, gave Saunier approval. Supervisor Ron Jarriel also brought up East Citrus Drive and its connection to Southern Blvd. and F Road, and how he wanted to talk with County Commissioner Jess Santamaria to see if he could get stabilization funds from the county for the roadways connecting to Loxahatchee Groves Park.
“We must have 100 or more soccer players tearing up and down East Citrus and Tangerine Drive,” Jarriel said. “That is a county park. I will find out before the next meeting if the commissioner might be able to expend some funds to do the roads around the park. It would make it better for the citizens who live there. It would be a benefit.”
ly voted to recommend that the district begin work to cover a canal that separates Hamlin Equestrian Park from newly acquired adjacent land for the park’s expansion. “We need to do a site plan that uses the whole property,” Hathhorn said.
Wojnar warned that moving forward is not as easy as “here’s the site plan. “What’s the vision for the park?” he asked. “The park has to be surveyed. We have to identify areas where things will be built. We can’t just go in and start building. We have to work within the budget we get from the district, and then we will need permits and a landscape plan. All of that takes time and money.”
Riol suggested that the district hold a visioning workshop on a Saturday. “We need a lot of people, other equestrian groups involved,” she said. “The supervisors should be there. We need a lot of public input.”
Damone agreed, noting that additional direction from the ITID board is also needed.
Riol responded by noting that the district has budgeted $120,000 for park improvements in the current fiscal year. “We should see how much will be allocated in next year’s budget and join the two as part of our vision,” she said.
Wojnar suggested it might be more efficient to plan the park in phases. “Phase one could be our fill and fence,” he said. “Phase two next year could be building an extra ring. Phase three later could be a small stadium. Remember, we have to create plans and bring them to the county, and all of their demands must be met.” Hathhorn said the park is the district’s trailhead, a multimodal one that connects to other places throughout the area. “We should look to get funding for this,” she said. Erickson said while most elements of the park require a survey and permits, covering the canal does not. Committee member Linda Renna made a motion that the committee ask the district to begin work as soon as possible. The motion passed unanimously.
•
•
• Most
•
•
•
• Prescriptions filled immediately
• Same co-pay as other providers
Palm Beach Central High School held its senior awards ceremony on Monday, May 12 in the school’s auditorium. A variety of scholarships were presented by different community, civic, social and other agencies. Academic excellence was recognized in a number of fields. Principal Butch Mondy officiated the ceremonies with music provided by the Bronco jazz ensemble and chorus. PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER
Friday, May 2 was an exciting evening for 14 Wellington families. Fourteen students from Binks Forest and Wellington elementary schools were among the 120 Palm Beach County elementary chorus students chosen to perform at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts’ Spotlight on Young Musicians Concert. The annual event showcases the progression of music education in the School District of Palm Beach County. Student performers represent vocal and instrumental music programs from elementary, middle and high schools.
Students chosen to participate in this event were selected for their vocal talent, musicianship and outstanding citizenship.
Binks Forest music teacher
Karen LaFrance and Wellington Elementary music teacher Beth Smalling each chose seven talented students to represent their respective schools. The students learned the choral literature dur-
ing after-school rehearsals, and then attended five Saturday morning rehearsals to rehearse with the other Elementary Honor Choir students. In addition, these 14 students were part of the Orff Ensemble.
Chorus Director Lee Bugeja held solo auditions for the song “American Tears.” Although many students tried out, the three chosen were Valerie Spanier of Binks Forest, and Abby Skinner and Cara Young of Wellington Elementary. All students received certificates and trophies for their participation in the program.
The 14 participating students were Corey Crickenberger, Marina Garber, Rebecca Gomez, Lisa Melamed, Deanna Mirra, Rennicka Pert and Valerie Spanier from Binks Forest, and Brittany Baro, Katie Buzzanca, Lauren Ebert, Francesca Lappin, Monica Neuparth, Abby Skinner, and Cara Young from Wellington Elementary.
First-grade teacher Mrs. Donna Murphy and second-grade teacher Ms. Debra Wilhelm of Royal Palm Beach Elementary School recently organized a Family Math Night for the school’s kindergarten through second-grade (and ESE) students. It was designed to incorporate real-life math experiences with Florida State Standards, as well as provide the opportunity for parents to actively participate in the enhancement of their own children’s math practices. Several teachers from RPBES volunteered their time to help make this a fun and successful evening of math. The Publix supermarket in the Crestwood Square hosted the evening in their store, providing free cookies and a pencil to each participant. Shown above and below are students and parents during the event.
The Western Pines Middle School Parent Boosters and Seminole Ridge High School Volunteer Services held teacher and staff appreciation luncheons Tuesday, May 6 and Wednesday, May 7 respectively. Cindi Walker and Sue O’Reilly coordinated the Mexican fiesta-themed event at Western Pines. Walker also coordinated the fiesta at Seminole Ridge along with Zori Mickle. Set designer Paulette DeCarlo helped transform the Western Pines media center and the SRHS teachers lounge for a day of fun, food from La Fogata in Wellington and relaxing massages by Beauti-Control spa expert Deb Balducci. Walker and Mickle said, “we love all of our teachers and staff members at both schools, and this is just a small way for us to show how much we appreciate them for their hard work throughout the year.” Shown here are parent volunteers DeCarlo, O’Reilly, Walker, Mickle and Sandra Love Semande.
Acreage Pines Elementary School art teacher Ray White said he is excited that three of his students won at the 38th Annual K-12 Community Student Exhibition held recently at the Lighthouse Center for the Arts in Tequesta. First grader Rachel Pipkin won the “Silk Wildlife Award” at the Elementary Level with her artwork titled Fox at Play. Fifth grader Chad Bonincontri won first place for Individual Projects in his grade level for his piece Man-Man Made. Second grader Mathew Gairala won two awards for his artwork titled Fisherman. He won second place in his grade level for Individual Projects, and he won the “North County Artist Association Awards” for the Elementary Level. The students received their awards at the opening reception on May 7. The exhibit runs through May 30. Pictured above are Gairala, Bonincontri and Pipkin.
Kathy Stackhouse, the literacy coach at Crestwood Middle School in Royal Palm Beach, was recently named Palm Beach County’s Reading Coach of the Year. At Crestwood, Stackhouse serves as reading department head, teaches seventh grade language arts, oversees the schoolwide programs Writing Wednesday and Manic Math Monday, and coordinates the school’s publicity.
The Crestwood faculty recently nominated Debbie Still
for the Palm Beach Post’s “I Make a Difference” award. Still is a sixth-grade reading teacher and the team leader of the Encore team, which includes all 14 elective teachers. She directs the very successful school-wide program the Sunshine State Young Reader’s Award. Both teachers are also members of the Professional Development Committee. The Crestwood Middle School family is proud to honor these two professionals.
At the American Cancer Society’s Acreage/Loxahatchee Groves Relay for Life held overnight May 2 at Acreage Community Park, there was plenty of participation from the Pierce Hammock Elementary School Pink Panthers Team. The team included parents, students and staff members, and raised $250 through the generosity of popcorn sales donated by the PTO to the American Cancer Society. The PTO also sponsored the sale of snow cones and coffee during the relay, and students donated money on school spirit days. With the generous donations of money and supplies from the PTO, parents and staff, Pierce Hammock helped raise approximately $650. Pictured here, patrols Amanda Alonso, Daniel Gouge and Giana Schutzer help make popcorn.
The alumni of Wellington High School’s Class of 1998 will be holding its 10-year reunion on July 19 aboard the Palm Beach Princess
In 1998, WHS graduated its last class containing students from Wellington, Royal Palm Beach and The Acreage. In 1998, these students of different communities and varying backgrounds worked together to leave an enduring legacy for each and every student to follow.
Today, the alumni seek to leave a different type of legacy — one that benefits the schools and communities that helped in their development. The 98 Fund is a non-profit corporation formed under the name Wellington High School Class of ’98. It was created to give the class an opportunity to celebrate its tenyear reunion and to give back to the institutions and community.
In the 98 Fund’s first year, all proceeds will be distributed among three worthy recipients — Wellington High School, My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper Charitable Trust, and a third charity chosen by the community and alumni. The hope is that of the 600-plus alumni that graduated, at least 300 will join in the effort to raise and donate $15,000 to worthy charities. For more information, or to donate, visit www.98fund.org or e-mail wellington1998@gmail. com.
Acreage Pines Elementary School will host its annual Kindergarten Roundup on Tuesday, May 20 at 8:30 a.m. in the school cafeteria. Important information will be discussed and registration packets will be available at that time. If you are unable to attend, stop by the school after May 20 to pick up the registration packet. For more information, call (561) 7954994.
At H.L. Johnson Elementary School in Royal Palm Beach, reading really does count. The regular and inclusion students in second grade classes of Melissa Garey, Pat Horner and Patrice Fletcher were encouraged to read 100 books within a month’s time for the Reading Counts incentive program. These books, labeled “pink dot” books, were based on each student’s Lexile reading level, which puts reading ability and text difficulty on the same scale.
Principal Sharon Hench challenged the students, saying she would be “tickled pink” if they could reach their reading goal — and they did. To show their admiration, Hench and the second-grade teachers agreed to turn their hair pink in honor of this achievement. The management at Moda Hair Design & Spa in Royal Palm Beach teamed with the school to give Hench and the teachers hair extensions.
On April 30, Seminole Ridge High School hosted the inaugural Palm Beach County Advanced Placement Academic Psychology Bowl between the Hawks and Wellington High School. Dr. Eric Schoenfeld of SRHS and Nicole Weston of WHS created the bowl after psych students expressed an interest in competing against neighboring schools.
A total of 20 students participated in the four-hour competition — planned to be an annual event — having fun, encouraging peers to study for the national exam on May 13 and demonstrating their mastery of psychology.
The Hawk team showed a tremendous amount of school spirit, wearing their class designed T-shirts, but Wellington took first place, while Seminole
Ridge took home second-, thirdand fourth-place trophies. “Next year we intend to have more schools compete in this scholastic event,” Schoenfeld said, pleased with the bowl’s success.
Mirage Lit Mag Now on Sale
— Smoke and Mirrors, the second annual issue of the SRHS literary magazine, is looking great and is now on sale. The Mirage staff is particularly pleased with the look and quality of this year’s publication, which features stories, poetry, photography and artwork from a wide range of Hawk students. Get your copy of the lit mag for $10 in Room 7-118. Boys Volleyball District Runner-up — The boys volleyball team coached by Ali Mitchell was the district runner-up this week. After defeating Suncoast
(Above) Members of the SRHS psychology team participate in the Psych Bowl. (Right) Mirage editors said they are pleased with the new lit mag Smoke and Mirrors
three straight in the semifinals April 30, the squad fell to topranked Jupiter in the finals. The Seminole Ridge varsity squad — seven freshmen, three sophomores and three juniors — finished the season 17-8 and ex-
pects to have a bright 20082009. Football Seniors Sign College Scholarships — Seminole Ridge High School linebacker Curtis Griswold, defensive running back Allen Lopez and de-
Osceola Creek Middle School recently announced the recipients of its Scholar-Athlete Award for April. The award is sponsored by the School Police and honors varsity athletes who excel in academics, effort, behavior, school spirit and serve as role models for others. This month’s honorees all carry high grade point averages and also play varsity sports.
Eighth grader Daniel Specian was honored by boys volleyball. “Daniel has been an asset to the team this year, bringing with him past experience from previous years,” Coach Shayne Sanderford said. “I look forward to watching him play at the high school level.”
Daniel has a 4.78 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, via honors and advanced-placement courses. He hopes to major in computer science at Ohio State University and pursue a career in the information technology profession.
Girls track and field honored eighth grader Yanisa Montour. “Her dedication, determination and sportsmanship have shined through this season. She always gives her team her best,” Coach Michelle Vidal said. “She not only excels on the track but also in the classroom. Maintaining grades during a busy practice and game season seems second nature to Yanisa. She is a posi-
tive role model and a joy to work with.” Yanisa has a 4.0 GPA and wants to attend Florida Atlantic University.
While she hasn’t picked out a major yet, Yanisa does have a career goal of being a business owner. She currently holds the second fastest time in school history for the girls 100m dash. She is working hard to break the record during the remaining meets this year and has unofficially broken it during practice. Boys track and field hon-
ored Jacob Hawkins. “Jacob Hawkins has an excellent work ethic that is contagious to students and athletes alike,” Coach Pete Drolet said. “He is a natural leader in the classroom and on the track. This athlete is our number one sprinter and anchor of our 400 relay team. Jacob has recently broken the school records in the boys 100m dash and long jump. We look forward to seeing great things from this young man.”
Jacob plans to attend the University of Florida as a criminal justice major and pursue a career in law enforcement. Supporting Osceola Creek’s Student-Athlete program are Moroso Motorsports, which donated free passes to the honorees, Subway and Burger King (located at SeminolePratt Whitney Road and Orange Blvd.) and Dairy Queen (Royal Palm Beach and Okeechobee boulevards), which donated free food coupons.
fensive lineman Derek Roth have all signed to play football with Minnesota West Community College. In addition, Hawk split end/wide receiver Devyn Pierson has signed to play football with Ferrum College in Vir-
dream of playing college ball since the day I met him, and I’m thrilled to see him reach that dream,” Head Coach Matt Dickmann said.
Under the guidance of art
other
and Mathematics Fair held April 2124 at the South Florida Fairgrounds for his science fair project titled “Pop That Cork!”
Michael Patterson has joined the Palms West Hospital staff as chief operating officer. Patterson comes to Palms West Hospital from a local affiliate HCA facility, JFK Medical Center, where he has been vice president of operations since 2006. He has more than 15 years of healthcare experience, 11 with HCA, and has a proven track record of demonstrating operational improvements, strong physician relations and strategic planning. Prior to his job at JFK Medical Center, Patterson worked in various HCA facilities handling day-to-day operations for many medical practices and clinics. Patterson received his bachelor’s degree in health services administration from the University of Central Florida and master’s degrees in business administration and healthcare administration from Georgia State
Michael Patterson University. “We are happy to have Mike complete the executive team,” Palms West Hospital CEO Bland Eng said. “He brings with him a wealth of knowledge from his experience working with physician practices and hospital operations.”
She became an American citizen in her 90s after moving to Boston to be with her daughter. (Front row, L-R) Nurse Elena Torriente, Albina Wolk and her daughter Olga Herrero; (back row) Gardenia Team Supervisor Maria
and social worker Lourdes Guerra.
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Stroud Todd Jr. and Mr. and Mrs. Mark Grandusky, all of West Palm Beach, announced the engagement of their children Kelly Elizabeth Todd and Kyle Dunn Grandusky. Kelly is a graduate of John I. Leonard High School and holds a bachelor’s degree in dance education from Florida International University. She is the owner and artistic director of Movement Arts Dance Academy in Royal Palm
The Seminole Ridge High School Athletic Booster Club held its inaugural “Ridge Classic” golf tournament on Sunday, May 4 at Iron Horse Golf & Country Club in West Palm Beach. The event had the support of 65 golfers and raised more than $6,500 for the Seminole Ridge Athletic Department.
The Booster Club thanks all of its sponsors and volunteers for helping to get the event off the ground. The club appreciated the assistance of Iron Horse Director of Golf John Quinzi, Membership/Catering Director Brigette Muglia, and their staff for a fantastic tournament and a delicious banquet dinner.
The club thanks Maroone Lincoln Mercury General Manager T.J. Tjomstol for sponsoring the hole-in-one event and recognizes Enchanting Events event planner/co-chair Nicole Love Weber and co-chair Sandra Love Semande for organizing the successful event.
Members of the Athletic Boosters Committee are President Greg Williams, Vice President Tammy Young, Treasurer Ellen Neilsen, Secretary Pam Cook and directors Cathryn Collier, Martha Hunton and Artie Falk.
than 190,000 Americans this year. For more information, visit www.fbta.info, www.ultima fitness.com or call (561) 7952823. A donation of $25 is suggested. The event is being coordinated by brain tumor survivor Gary Kornfeld.
The opening of the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum was the celebratory theme of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County’s annual membership meeting in the Jan Claire Kemper Gymnatorium at St. Ann’s School on April 29.
At the opening, several students from the western communities were recognized for their participation in the art contest.
More than 200 people attended the meeting, which was followed by a reception at the new museum inside the restored 1916 courthouse.
“One year ago I stood before you anticipating an exciting year for the society, one which would bring many changes, challenges and opportunities,” said Harvey Oyer, chairman of the society. “We delivered on our promise. We opened a new museum inside one of the most historically significant buildings in the county, and in our first six weeks we’ve welcomed over 3,100 visitors and 23 groups — a feat that only ten years ago would have been unimaginable. Thank you all for contributing to our success.”
Oyer presented chairman’s awards to the Junior League of the Palm Beaches for their participation in the museum’s docent program, Tom Pearson and Karen Bradley with the School District of Palm Beach County for their support of the society’s education programs, the Rev. Dwight Stevens and county archeologist Chris Davenport for his important work in Lake Okeechobee.
The society’s two highest honors were also presented at the meeting. The prestigious 19th Annual Judge James R. Knott Historical Contribution Award was given to the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners in recognition of their role to save and preserve the 1916 courthouse. In April 2002, the commission voted to preserve and share the building with the public, committing to pay the estimated $18.5 million required to restore the building to its original, neoclassical grandeur. The opportunity paved the way for the Historical Society
to request space for the county’s first history museum inside the restored courthouse. In February 2003, the commissioners voted unanimously to grant space to the organization to house its headquarters and the museum inside the building.
The Historical Society presented Lantana City Manager Michael Bornstein with its Seventh Annual Fannie James Pioneer Award for his achievement in preserving and sharing the pioneering history of Palm Beach County. Originally from Jacksonville Beach, Bornstein moved to West Palm Beach in 1988 and worked for the county. He was part of the original group that rallied to save and restore the 1916 courthouse, and in 1992 he formed Save the Old Courthouse Inc. Bornstein has also taken a high-profile role in preserving an important aspect of South Florida’s pioneer history – the legendary Barefoot Mailmen. He has made it his personal initiative to ensure that the story of the group of men who carried mail from Lake Worth to Miami in the late 1880s by walking along the beaches is
shared with future generations. He often dresses in period costume to teach students and residents about the area’s rich history and even posed for the bronze cast of the Barefoot Mailman statue that is part of the “Explore” exhibit at the museum.
The historical society’s annual meeting also served to recognize 18 talented Palm Beach County students who were named winners and runners-up in this
and state history. The contest, co-developed by the organization and the School District of Palm Beach County and sponsored by National
was open to all
tary, middle and high school students in Palm Beach County. Winning artwork is now on display in the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum. For more information about the Historical Society, call (561) 832-4164 or visit www.historicalsociety pbc.org.
The 25 members of the host committee have completed merging their lists of requested invitees resulting in nearly 500 invitations going out this week.
What’s the big event? The “Distinguished Citizens of the Year” dinner will take place on Friday, May 30 at the Players Club restaurant in Wellington. The honorary dinner will be held in recognition of the community service of former Wellington mayor Tom Wenham and his wife Regis. The couple was named 2008 Distinguished Citizens of the Year by the Gulf Stream Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
“We are requesting that any-
795-1404
one who has not received their invitation give the Boy Scouts a call so they can mail one out,” Event Chair Dennis Witkowski said. “We don’t want to overlook anyone.”
Mike Kiel of the Boy Scouts looks forward to the fundraising opportunity. “The event committee has set itself a fabulous goal of raising $100,000 for this worthwhile cause,” he said. “That money will go to help fund programs for the 34,000 youth served by the Gulf Stream Council.”
The evening will begin with cocktails at 7 p.m. and dinner at 8 p.m. State Sen. Jeff Atwater will serve as guest speaker and Tim “the Byrdman” Byrd from
105.5 KOOL FM will be master of ceremonies. It is the first time the council has elected to honor a couple rather than an individual, and the event is expected to be a sellout. Individual tickets cost $100 with a limited number of sponsorship tables for 10 available for $1,300 and tables of 12 available for $1,500. Platinum, gold and silver sponsorships — as well as advertisements in the program — are also being offered.
In addition to being able to call the Boy Scouts for an invitation, those who wish to attend may also get one from any of the following committee members — Witkowski, Atwater, State Sen. Dave Aronberg,
To
Palm Beach County Sher-
iff’s Office Lt. Jay Hart and his wife Laura recently hosted a party for three astronauts who were on the STS-123 space shuttle Endeavour at their home in Wellington on Sunday, April 26.
“It was awesome,” Lt. Hart said.
Michael Foreman, Robert Behnken and Richard Linnehan — three of the seven astronauts on the March 11-26 mission to the International Space Shuttle — stayed at the Harts’ residence. Lt. Hart is based at the PBSO substation in Wellington; Laura Hart is a college professor. Lt. Hart met Foreman several years ago at a conference, and they’ve been friends ever since.
When the space shuttle took off for its mission in March, Lt. Hart was at Cape Canaveral at 2:30 a.m. for the departure and was also there for the return. He had breakfast with Foreman several hours after returning from space. Lt. Hart noted that Foreman seemed a little tired and he still didn’t have his earth feet yet; Foreman said it takes a couple of days before they become acclimated with gravity again.
In honor of the returning astronauts (who are based in Houston, Texas), Lt. Hart decided to hold a party in their honor. Foreman and Behnken flew in on a T38 jet, and Linnehan flew on a commercial flight. Approximately 150 people attended the party. A highlight of the party was
My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper Charitable Trust will host “A Memorable Evening with Copeland Davis and Friends” on Sunday, June 8 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). The event will feature live music and delicious dining, all to support a great cause. The cost is $40 per person. To reserve tickets, or for more information about the event, call (561) 7937606.
The Village of Wellington’s Parks and Recreation Department welcomes you to check out
a presentation by artist Paul Moody, a retired Illinois state trooper from Springfield. Moody, who plans to move to Florida, created a portrait of each of the three astronauts. Lt. Hart said his parents flew down for the event, and he actually had to put them up in a hotel because with the astronauts staying at his house, he ran out of room. Lt. Hart said they didn’t mind; they just enjoyed the chance to meet the men and to hear stories about life in outer space.
the soothing jazz of Sound Affects on Saturday, May 17. The free concert starts at 7 p.m. on the front lawn of the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Guests are encouraged to bring blankets and/or lawn chairs to this family friendly event. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. For more information, call Dwayne Hetherington at (561) 791-4773.
Community children ages four through grade six are invited to participate in Vacation Bible School to be held at St. Michael Lutheran Church in Wellington from Monday, June 9 through Friday, June 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. The theme is
Along with the portrait presentation, Lt. Hart was presented with a PBSO patch that Foreman took into space as a gift to the PBSO. A certificate of authenticity also accompanied the patch, indicating the patch had flown more than 6.6 million miles on the space shuttle Endeavour Lt. Hart’s guests learned that an astronaut’s suit weighs 300 pounds, and the temperature outside the space station is approximately 200 below zero. They sleep in sleeping bags
“Power Lab,” which uses a science and experiment focus to help children discover the miraculous power of Jesus.
“Each day kids will sing catchy songs, play teamworkbuilding games, nibble themeoriented snacks, take on a daily challenge to let God’s love grow in their homes, experience electrifying Bible adventures, collect Bible memory buddies to remind them of each day’s theme, and create Bible Point Crafts they’ll take home and play with all summer long,” Pastor Marjorie Weiss said.
The cost is $10 per child and $5 per additional sibling. There will also be an offering received each night for orphaned children in Africa, who will also be receiving soccer balls decorated by the children.
To register your child, call (561) 793-4999 or e-mail pastorweiss@bellsouth.net.
by the Israel Defense
are Carl Margulies, Rabbi Bert Kieffer, Ari Hagen, Rebecca
Lee Berk, Eric Auerbach, Scott Brunner, Matthew Zagoory, Congressional candidate Edward Lynch and Elisa
marching in the Yom Ha At’maut parade.
strapped to the ceiling, floor, side or just about anywhere there is room. If the sleeping bags are not tied, the astronauts will float out and end up somewhere else in the space station or space shuttle. While Foreman was in space, he called the Hart’s home and left messages on the answering machine. Foreman also e-mailed Lt. Hart while in space. Despite the important tasks in front of them, the men wanted to know details about the upcoming party.
The Village of Royal Palm Beach invites the public to join its Memorial Day observance on Monday, May 26. The event begins at 9:30 a.m. at RPB Veterans Park, located at the corner of Sparrow Drive and RPB Blvd. The observance will be led by members of the American Legion Post #367 Honor Guard, Ladies of the American Legion Auxiliary #367, Boy Scout Troop 111, Brownie Troop 515, Lou Galterio and local dignitaries. Refreshments will be prepared by Wild Orchids Café and served by Young at Heart volunteers following the 21-gun salute.
For more information, call the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center at (561) 790-5149.
Wellington
Summer Camp
Starts June 9
The
Guests at the Second Annual New Hope Charities Spring Fiesta had reason for celebration, for 2008 marks the 19th year New Hope Charities has been providing exemplary community programs and services to the western Palm Beach County communities of Pahokee, Belle Glade, Canal Point and South Bay.
The Spring Fiesta fundraiser took place on Saturday, April 26 at the lovely estate of Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Poole in Wellington, and featured Latin cuisine by Sandy James Fine Food & Productions, libations courtesy Bacardi, coffee by Pilon and music by Spanish Grammy nominee Carlos Sarli, a former DJ for Gloria Estefan.
In addition, guests who attended the celebration were able to bid on luxury items in the silent auction, purchase raffle tickets for fabulous prizes — including a four-day/ three-night vacation to the beautiful Casa de Campo Resort in the Dominican Republic — and were treated to a preview of New Hope Charities’ new video, which was produced by Parallax Productions, narrated by news anchor Juan Carlos Fanjul and highlights the amazing work being done by the not-for-profit agency.
“We created the Spring Fiesta in order to introduce New Hope and its mission to the extremely generous and socially conscious community of Wellington,” New Hope Charities’ Executive Director Lyanne Azqueta said. “After receiving an incredible response last year, we persuaded our board of directors to add this event to our annual fundraising calendar, and we are so glad that we did; for once again the residents of Wellington proved just how big their hearts are when it comes to assisting those less fortunate than themselves. We are certain that this is the beginning of a tremendous relationship between New Hope and the community of Wellington that will continue for years to come.” That commitment was certainly evident by the list of
guests that attended the evening’s festivities, It included many of the western communities’ most influential residents, such as former Wellington mayor Tom Wenhan and his wife Regis, and County Commissioner Jess Santamaria.
The evening was conceived and planned by co-chairs Michele Poole and Milagros Rivera, as well as committee members Maria Becker, Aggie Stoops, Susan Warmington, Blanca Mackrey and New Hope’s most steadfast volunteer, Berta Pons. “As we enter our 20th year of service, we are rejuvenated and ready to meet the ever-changing needs of the children and families living in western Palm Beach County,” Pons said.
Money raised at this year’s Spring Fiesta will allow New Hope Charities to expand its vital programs and services while continuing to increase the number of clients successfully served.
Among the services New Hope provides are health and education classes, ESOL classes, after school programs, summer camp programs, economics and literacy programs, a computer lab, a fully functioning lending library (operated in collaboration with the Palm Beach County Library System) and the highly successful food distribution program which meets the needs of 250 families each month.
The new health clinic is run in collaboration with local physician Dr. Pedro Sanchez and provides free healthcare to the community. The facility will soon expand its services to include pediatric dentistry in conjunction with Nova Southeastern University.
Spring Fiesta sponsors included Dixon Boardman and the Optima Charitable Foundation, Bacardi, Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Stoops, Dr. Kishore Dass, Dr. Ben Han, Palms West Hospital, Palm Beach Urology Associates and Florida Crystals Corporation. For more information about New Hope Charities, call (561) 366-5093 or visit www.new hopecharities.org.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street slices its way into West Palm Beach through Sunday, May 18. This is a bittersweet time in Palm Beach theater, as an era comes to an end with all the grace and glory that has prevailed over the past 15 years.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Stephen Sondheim’s groundbreaking Broadway musical masterpiece, has ironically severed the ties between the Kravis Center and Broadway Across America… this being their final production, as the Kravis Center will produce its own Broadway shows next season. However, the good news is Broadway Across America will continue their productions at both the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, which closes this season with Jesus Christ Superstar (June 13-19), and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, now presenting Avenue Q (May 13-18) and closing with the children’s favorite Go Diego, Go Live! (June 14 and 15). All good things must come to an end… and what a way to go. This exciting and innovative new production features a multi-talented ensemble of ten talented actor/musicians, five from the 2006 Tony Awardwinning company. The Wall Street Journal said, “the greatest musical of the past half-century has returned in a staging of the utmost force and originality!” The New York Times hailed it as “one helluva show, thrilling and ferociously inventive,” and Time Out New York calls the revival “the most addictively delicious dish on Broadway in years!” Sweeney Todd is based on the 19th-century legend of a London barber driven to a life of crime after a malevolent judge takes his wife and child from him. Sweeney’s plan for revenge includes a cutthroat partnership with Mrs. Lovett — an enterprising businesswoman — who is soon producing the tastiest meat pies in London. After seeing the movie ver-
sion with Johnny Depp, we could not wait to see the show and compare. And the winner was… the show… this is Broadway. We were extremely impressed with the 10 multitalented cast who were: actors, singers, the orchestra and, when they had a second or two, they were also the stagehands, rearranging the set for the next scene.
Judy Kaye (Mrs. Lovett) and David Hess (Sweeney Todd) are joined by John Arbo (Jonas Fogg), Diana DiMarzio (Beggar Woman), Benjamin Eakeley (the Beadle), Benjamin Magnuson (Anthony), Lauren Molina (Johanna), Elisa Winter (standby for Johanna and Pirelli) and Jessica Wright (standby for Mrs. Lovett and Beggar Woman), who all appeared in the Broadway production of Sweeney Todd. Also joining the touring cast are Edmund Bagnell (Tobias), Keith Buterbaugh (Judge Turpin) and Katrina Yaukey (Pirelli).
Remaining performances are Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $25 to $71, not including applicable service and handling charges. Orders for groups of 15 or more may be placed by calling Broadway Across America at (800) 6GROUPS (647-6877). Tickets are also available in person at the Kravis Center box office, by phone at (561) 832-7469 or online at www.kraviscenter.org or at www.broadwayacross america.com.
By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report
At a May 8 meeting of the Palm Beach County Democratic Party, local Democratic state legislators summed up the 2008 Legislative Session in Tallahassee that recently ended, deploring cuts in funding while acknowledging their success at stopping certain Republicanbacked bills from being passed and looking ahead to the November election.
Speaking at Temple Torah in Boynton Beach, the group of legislators included State Sen. Ted Deutch and state representatives Richard Machek, Shelley Vana, Susan Bucher, Mary Brandenburg, Maria Sachs and Kelly Skidmore.
Machek said Republicans brought up many wedge issues that prevented important issues such as property tax reform and the unstable insurance market from being discussed. “We also have a system of public education that leaves millions of children behind, and a health and safety net that is about to rupture,” he said.
The $66.2 billion budget passed was $4.2 billion less than last year and many necessities were left out, Machek said. But there were some good things for Palm Beach County, including Everglades restoration and other water projects around the state, as well as Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program grants for Palm Beach County parks. “These things were good for the environmen-
tal part of the state,” Machek said, “but we did not get as much as we wanted. I felt bad that we had to go up there and take the beating that we took this year.”
Machek noted that Democrats in the State House were outnumbered 77 to 43 in Tallahassee, but that the opportunity is there to change the balance. “We will have 61 new legislators in Tallahassee next year,” Machek said.
Vana said she was concerned about education funding, which was not supposed to have been hurt by the recently passed property tax reform amendment. Education cuts had been passed, as well as cuts for teacher certification, but the leadership found $30 million extra to fund vouchers.
Sachs said she regretted that the Nicole Hornstein Act did not pass. Named after a 12-year-old Acreage girl who died two years ago as the result of a horseriding accident, the bill would have required horse riders under the age of 16 to wear a helmet when using public trails and roads. Sachs said that Vana pushed hard to get the bill through the House, but it died in the Senate.
Bucher, who is running for Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, compared the environment in Tallahassee to that of a “frat house.” The doors were locked down during one session, and the Democrats retaliated by having all the bills read word for word.
Bucher said she was disap-
Council Business Park
continued from page 1 number of buildings on the site from seven to four. The application also called for the abandonment of a special exception use granted in 2006 of “automobile and/or watercraft repair and/or service” in favor of another, “manufactur-
Blotter
ing, limited processing and assembly.”
The agent for Southern Mills, Jon E. Schmidt of Schmidt & Associates of West Palm Beach, said his team had met with neighboring Bella Terra residents and agreed to increase the amount of buffering on the property.
The council members were concerned primarily with a request to have lights in the development’s parking lot 25 feet
continued from page 6 refused to accept the seriousness of his crime,” according to the report. He was taken to the county jail. MAY 14 — Two Wellington homes in the vicinity of Greenview Shores Blvd. and Wellington Trace were reported burglarized Wednesday. According to one PBSO report, a Lily Court resident said he left his residence at about 11 a.m. and returned at about 9 p.m. to find a sliding glass door leading from the patio to a bedroom had been smashed with a garden brick, a VCR missing from the living room and more than $300 cash taken from a bedroom closet. In another case, a Morning Glory Drive resident reported that she had left her residence at 4:45 p.m. and returned by 7 p.m. to find that someone had entered her home and taken her checkbook and driver’s license, $250 in cash, miscellaneous jewelry, a DVD player and six DVDs. Investigators determined that entry was gained by a west side bedroom window that had been left unsecured, and the suspect or suspects exited via the front door. Attempts to gather fingerprint evidence at the scene were unsuccessful.
16
continued from page 1 10 or 11 weeks, no more, to the general election.”
Fetscher said the positive side of a long primary is that the winner will be battle-tested. “They go to clubs; they go to meetings in all the counties,” he said. We’ll end up, whoever wins, with a better candidate through this process because it’s been going on already for six months.”
Nevertheless, Fetscher said he wishes the primary were in June so whoever wins would have more time to go head to head with Mahoney.
“With the primary on Aug. 26, you have the Democratic Convention and the Republican Convention and Labor Day, and it’s going to be the second week of September before people start focusing, so it’s going to be a whirlwind campaign,” he said. “I certainly hope there will be debates between whoever wins and Tim Mahoney. Tim, as a freshman Democrat, has towed Nancy Pelosi’s line. A magazine showed that he was middle of the road, but I don’t believe it.
pointed that the legislature passed a bring-your-gun-towork bill. She said a five-percent raise approved for Florida Highway Patrol troopers wasn’t enough and criticized legislators for not increasing funding for the transportation disadvantaged and decreasing funding for the foster care program.
Bucher said there is a huge problem with the municipal funding pool, which collapsed this year and a portion of which was frozen for a time due to subprime mortgage repercussions. Eventually, the good was cut away from the bad so the funding could continue, but a fullscale investigation will take place.
“I believe some folks are going to jail,” Bucher said. “Alex Sink, the state’s chief financial officer, decided we might be able to sue some brokerage houses.”
Brandenburg said some bad things did not happen because Democratic legislators fought to keep them from happening, including a bill that would have forced a woman to view the ultrasound of her unborn fetus. Some bills she favored did not pass, including one she filed that would have allowed adoption by gay and lesbian couples, which did not get a hearing this session. A bill failed that would have allowed rape victims emergency contraception.
Brandenburg said more Democrats need to run for office, but the ones who represent Palm Beach County now are a tough bunch. “We had some successes,” she said. “We prevented some of the worst things from happening. Sometimes that’s all we can do.”
Skidmore said there were some troubling cuts to the budget for healthcare and hospitals, and that she was worried about healthcare for the elderly, the working class and the poor, and for people with disabilities.
“We cut so much money out of healthcare, it was a crime,” Skidmore said. “There were many times that we stood up on the House floor and said, ‘this budget will kill people.’ We are in for some dire, dire straits. We are going down a treacherous road.”
above the ground instead of the 15 allowed in the village’s building code. However, Schmidt said the lights involved would be connected to the business park’s fire alarm system and would only be activated if the fire alarm goes off. The council agreed that as long as the lights only went on in emergencies and still met the lighting standards of the village, the condition was acceptable.
Schmidt and Southern Mills Vice President Tom Bruce requested a change from the requirement that sod had to be planted in open areas, asking that the owners be allowed to plant grass seed to see if that would work as well. The council agreed to allow seed as an immediate temporary solution, but another variance would need to be approved on a more permanent basis, particularly if the grass did not take hold. “We don’t want to see a whole brown area,” Lodwick said.
Councilman Matty Mattioli made a motion to approve the application including site plan modification, the special exception use, the architectural approval and landscaping modifi-
Deutch said Democratic legislators offered voucher amendments to extend the same opportunities to public schools, but they were ignored.
“The answer we got was, ‘we are not committed to helping kids,’” he said. “It’s to create competition for our public schools. I feel that if we give the money back, we won’t have any competition.”
Deutch said the legislature passed compulsory sex education in the schools, which was long overdue because abstinence-only education is not working. He also said the debate in the upcoming election should not be about what the Democrats would do and what the Republicans would do.
continued from page 5 the country. “Parts of the country such as California, Nevada and Florida have been dramatically impacted by this,” Klein said. “Fort Lauderdale is number eight and West Palm Beach is up there as well. This is a very significant issue.”
People are scared and do not know where to turn, Klein said, which is where agencies such as the Foreclosure Assistance Center come in.
The Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act would protect some homeowners from being forced out and keep the number of foreclosed homes from multiplying in neighborhoods, he said. “This is a way of keeping homes that are going potentially into foreclosure,” Klein said. “We’re giving the homeowners a break and making sure they can stay in their home.”
Mahoney thanked representatives of the City of West Palm Beach for their support, including Mayor Lois Frankel and City Commissioner Bill Moss, who were in attendance.
“This has to be a collaborative effort,” Mahoney said. “We have a toxic cocktail of high property taxes, out-of-control homeowners’ insurance rates
cation. Councilman David Swift seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
In other business:
• Village Manager Dave Farber told council members that the developers of the long-delayed Cypress Key mixed-use project along the north side of Southern Blvd. are about to move forward. “They will begin road work the first week in June so they can do it with a minimum disruption of traffic since school will be over,” he said. “They will begin their improvements this summer, doing roadwork and landscaping.” Lodwick was pleased that the
“It’s about how to provide good public education in the state, how to take care of seniors and how to avoid massive giveaways to corporations,” Deutch said. “If that is
and high housing costs, and coupled with $3.50 gasoline prices and food going up, Florida families are struggling like they haven’t in decades. Just here in Palm Beach County and slightly beyond, we have 8,193 homes in foreclosure. This is fiscally responsible legislation that keeps families in their homes.”
the way the debate is, we will all win. We will win in the legislative races, we will win in the congressional races, and we will win in the presidential election.”
Emelda Johnson, the center’s executive director, said the center has saved more than 60 homeowners from foreclosure in Palm Beach County. Johnson said she was pleased to see the support from the legislators for something that would help homeowners. She encouraged people to contact their legislators and President Bush to push for the legislation to be passed.
work will begin. “I was becoming concerned because I expected work on the residential part of the project would be slow because of the housing market,” he said. “But I wanted a buffer to help residents in the area, to show that the development is going to be a good neighbor.”
• The council approved a variance application by Automotive Group Realty to allow the Nissan dealership being constructed on Southern Blvd. an additional wall sign on the front of the property. The council had previously decided to allow the three dealerships more signage than the norm. Schmidt, acting
as agent for Automotive Group Realty, said even though Nissan would have an extra sign they still would be using fewer square feet than permitted under the code. Mattioli made a motion to approve, seconded by Vice Mayor Fred Pinto. The motion passed unanimously. • The council unanimously approved the appointment of Tinuade “Tinu” Peña, a civil engineer who ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for the village council earlier this year, as an alternate on the Planning & Zoning Commission. Mattioli made the nomination, which Webster seconded.
He has been doing what he’s told, and I don’t think he represents the views of the district… It’s quite a large district. I think it’s a conservative district.”
Fetscher said the more liberal-leaning Palm Beach County is only a small part of the district. The rest is in the less populated Martin, Hendry, Charlotte, St. Lucie, Glades, Okeechobee and Highlands counties.
“If you look at the political views of District 16, they’re not like even countywide Palm Beach County,” he said. “It’s a right-of-center district with more conservative views, and we wind up with a very liberal congressman.”
Fetscher said he feels Mahoney got elected because he simply happened to be at the right place at the right time. “He ran for the job, and lighting struck with the unfortunate Foley thing,” he said. “But I think the key to it is that even after the Foley scandal, [former state representative] Joe Negron came within a couple of points of beating him with his name not even on the ballot.”
Fetscher asserted that the district stands a better chance to fall into Republican hands if Sen. Barack Obama emerges as the Democratic presidential candi-
date, because of what he called “Reagan Democrats” who would cross over and vote Republican.
“Another advantage is that as a conservative district, a McCain-versus-Obama has to be a huge plus for the winning candidate, because a lot of it is very rural,” he said. “If it was Clinton, I don’t think we would have the advantage.”
The club’s June debate will feature Town-Crier columnist Don Brown, Palm Beach Post columnist George Bennett and a representative from the SunSentinel putting questions to the candidates. Beth Kigel, vice chair of the Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee, will serve as the moderator.
“It will not be scripted, no questions ahead of time, and it’s not going to be 12 candidates where it takes you 40 minutes to get through one question. It will be interaction between the candidates,” Fetscher said.
The debate begins at 7 p.m., preceded by a reception with the candidates at 6 p.m. Refreshments will be provided. There is no admission and all are welcome, Fetscher said. For more information, e-mail fetschers@ bellsouth.net or visit www. wellingtongop.org.
continued from page 7 say, ‘I look so good, but I don’t feel as good.’ That’s what got me into anti-aging medicine. This is a combination of the best of traditional medicine with biomedical, hormonal, nutritional and other methods. It turns out there are a lot of issues involved such as not being able to lose weight or not having as much energy as you used to have. You do not have the diseases yet, but you are going toward that point. These are the things we can do to prevent the diseases from coming in.”
Nutrition specialist Lafferty stressed the need to do things naturally. Many of her patients, she said, want to cut back on their medications. It’s important that people understand that if
cutting back on prescribed medications, there are still ways to do things naturally, and there are ways to make people feel better and do better health-wise without these medications.
Dr. Toledo, who specializes in dentistry at the institute, talked about the advantages of maintaining good teeth and misconceptions about cosmetic dentistry. “All of us need the intervention of good dentistry,” Toledo said. “Cosmetic dentistry has been given a notation that it is being done for beauty. It’s mostly for function. It’s all for the well-being state. It’s not just for beauty.”
The Wellington Institute for Wellness and Aesthetic Medicine
or
400 Avenue of the Champions, Palm Beach Gardens (561) 627-2000 • www.ironwoodgrille.com
A new restaurant and sophisticated lobby bar is part of PGA hotel’s multi-milliondollar renovation program… you must see!
Wow — were we impressed as we entered the lobby of the PGA National Resort. Everything is new and updated. The lobby overlooks a spectacular new swimming pool, and the whole concept was nothing short of breathtaking!
For starters, there is the iBar, a chic new hotel lobby bar; very sophisticated, very contemporary décor and a perfect meeting place before or after dinner at the adjacent Ironwood Grille. The i-Bar offers a generous bar menu alongside innovative cocktails including the i-Bar’s signature Eco-tini, made with Vodka 360, the world’s first ecofriendly vodka.
The Ironwood Grille offers up equal portions of charm, flavor and ambience with an innovative culinary concept; an inspired menu of modern, contemporary American cuisine with an eco-friendly twist alongside striking contemporary décor settings.
Ironwood’s menu offers a variety of choices ranging from steaks, seafood and pasta dishes to organic and lighter healthier cuisine. Ironwood has adopted a philosophy that to find quality ingredients, you need not look far, and they aim to put local and regional vendors to good use, utilizing the incredible local food resources available. Ironwood Grille’s allure also extends to their wine list, boasting a 3,000-bottle floor-to-ceiling wine room with 40 to 50 wines offered by the glass and more than 200 bottle selections.
PGA and golf being synonymous, Ironwood was a great name selection. Keeping with that thought, we started our incredible evening with a bottle of Petit Syrah ($27) a full-bodied wine from golf legend Greg Norman’s vineyards. Then again, there were also wine selections from Arnold Palmer, local favorite Nick The
Faldo and Ernie Els’ Stellenbosch Bordeaux had the highest score at $169. The menu seemed a dream come true, starting with our favorite soup in the world: She Crab ($8) a creamy delight with lots of jumbo lump crab served with a touch of sherry… perfect. It is everything a soup should be, but better, and the best we have ever tasted — a must try! Lobster Chopsticks ($16) is one of the house specialties, and it should be: a four-ounce tail cut in half, cooked tempura-style and served with a tantalizing dipping sauce. Other great appetizers were the grilled shrimp and scallops, jumbo lump crabcake, ahi tuna, fried calamari, oysters Rockefeller and baked artichokes (all priced from $9 to $12).
For a lighter starter, our guest selected the signature Ironwood Salad ($10), a wonderful fresh and colorful mix of crisp spring mix lettuces, apples, raspberries, spiced walnut and goat cheese dressed with house balsamic vinaigrette. Salads equally worthy of your consideration are: the iWedge, Steakhouse Caesar, Caprese and the favorite: PGA Champion Salad ($23) with grilled filet mignon, chicken, shrimp and brie cheese over mixed greens.
Entrees at Ironwood kept our dream alive with an array of butcher-block selections like: filet, New York strip and bonein ribeye steaks. Our son-in-law David raved about his 16-oz. sirloin ($36), while our daughter Jackie’s whole broiled Maine lobster ($35) was the hit of the table. Our granddaughter Abby smiled from ear to ear enjoying the finger-licking Colorado Lamb Chops ($42) served with
delicious sweet potato fries. Other menu offerings are wild Alaskan salmon, fennel seared red snapper, mahi-mahi and grilled ahi tuna, garlic herb scallops, farmhouse chicken, grilled veal flank steak, off the bone baby back ribs, I-Burger and the Ironwood Duckaroni & Cheese, the adult gourmet version of macaroni and cheese with wild mushrooms, duck meat and a rich sauce (from $12 to $27).
Desserts were a continuation of the tastebud delights. Our two favorite desserts in the world are Bananas Foster and Tiramisu, but never did we expect a combo of Bananas Foster Tiramisu ($8) — what a treat! Other desserts that seemed to disappear seconds after they arrived were the Ironwood Mortal Sin ($8), a rich fudge brownie, vanilla ice cream with added toppings, fried strawberry cheesecake, warm apple-almond tart, chocolate blackout cake, and warm berry bread pudding.
A great restaurant requires great atmosphere, great food and great service. Ironwood has it all and much more! The location is second to none (PGA and the turnpike), the menu, food preparation and presentation was artful, and our server Ashley added the fourth star with her overall knowledge and friendliness.
Now the good news: Chef Ken Baker and General Manager Jeff D’Amico have decided to open for lunch due to popular demand. So, if you are looking to have a power lunch or great meal before or after golf, this is the place to be. For further information or reservations, call (561) 627-2000 and tell them that Joe & Kathryn, the Phantoms, highly recommended their four-star locale as the best new restaurant of 2008!
Joe & Kathryn, the Phantoms, are featured writers for the Town-Crier newspaper and www.yournews.com. Comments and recommendations are welcome at thephantom diners@aol.com.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office held a ceremony last Friday to honor the
in
I’m feeling lazy this week, and that’s good news for the planet. I won’t be using any water to wash anything... I won’t be using any fertilizer to make anything grow... and I certainly won’t be driving anywhere.
No, I’m going to sit right here on this couch and help Mother Earth by not consuming an iota of energy — except for that used by the TV set.
Part of my laziness is due to the fact that it’s getting hot outside — not the warm, sunny glow you see in print ads for vacationing in scenic Florida, but the steamy, armpit-dripping, hellish hot that sends snowbirds scurrying and has helped the state retain its charming moniker “sub-tropical.” Soon the rains will start.
Oh, the rains. For years after I moved here, I would do my wash in the morning and hang it
outside on a line in the afternoon. I still consider this practice occasionally when I’m trying to “green up” my life or I’m missing the smell of air-dried cotton sheets. This is madness. Because, despite what you see in the postcards, it is going to rain every afternoon between 1 and 4 all summer long and you are going to end up doing the
same laundry load over and over again. Maybe you can have nice sheets in the fall. In the meantime, you can while away the time by calculating which is more upsetting to the third rock from the sun — using megawatts of electricity to run your dryer or using megawatts of electricity to run the dehumidifier because you’ve strung up your clothesline inside. No matter. Today I am doing none of that. Today I am flipping randomly through the channels and trying to breathe as little air as possible. At 5 o’clock I’ll start dinner. This used to be kind of fun, but now I am plagued with guilt. Was that a free-range chicken? Did the cow die inhumanely? Was the air polluted with noxious exhaust fumes while the vegetables were being trucked in? Will my grandchildren pay the price
if I use the oven for half an hour?
It’ll be too much. I will once again retreat to the couch, maybe with a box of crackers. The crackers will be good, but the box will taunt me. How many trees died to keep my saltines from getting broken during shipping? How much ink gave up its life to glorify the box? And how many dinosaurs did it take to make the protective plastic sleeve? I’ll inevitably fold the sleeve up and return the crackers to the pantry. Dandelions are edible. Maybe I’ll weed my lawn and stave off hunger at the same time. But when I open the door and am hit in the face with sunny South Florida’s blast furnace type welcome, I’ll retreat to the couch once again. That is where they’ll find me, alone and emaciated — and green.
I just read on the Internet that many of the toprated television series are hemorrhaging viewers. That means not just that the shows are not good (we already know that just by looking at them), but that more viewers are taking action by simply not turning to former favorites. Viewing is down by about nine percent from last year, and that was about six percent lower than the previous year, according to the Associated Press.
‘I’ On CULTURE
By Leonard Wechsler
quality, but the regular shows have not changed that much. Yes, a lot of people have wearied of the relationships on this year’s Grey’s Anatomy, but CSI has also declined, and although it spends more time on personal relationships than older whodunit series ever did, the focus is still on solving the crime.
did not continue but stopped once the strike began? Are people going to remember shows that were on for a few months and then disappeared for almost a year? Who knows? We do know already that quite a few shows are being cancelled because of poor ratings.
I would guess that the reason no one bothers to measure how many people watch the show on DVR is that the advertisers already know that viewers skip the commercials, as do people who download the shows on their computers.
But why has the number of people actually tuning in dropped? Of course, anyone who has read this column knows of my jeremiads about poor
A great example is the famous match-up at 9 p.m. on Thursdays. CBS has CSI and ABC has Grey’s Anatomy running at that time. (Fox has Don’t Forget the Lyrics where idiot savants worry about dropping important words from songs like “Ho” and NBC, which once ruled Thursday nights (remember the glory days of Cheers and Seinfeld?), has The Office, which always trails the big two and occasionally even the Fox show. But each of the two big shows has lost a million viewers per episode since the start of this TV season. Why have they lost so many viewers? Of course, the explanation (excuse) given by the networks is that people record the shows on DVRs and play them later. Of course, if you really like the show, why would you play it later? What happened to appointment television?
One major problem these series are facing is that the writer’s strike that stopped production. Serial television requires getting people involved, building their interest so they want to watch. Every summer, the networks go through a season with almost nothing worthwhile showing and hope people remember the good shows the following fall. The “will you love me tomorrow?” theme is very strong leading to all the ads hyping the shows. This past fall we barely had time to really get into new series before they shut down. It took years for baseball to lure fans back after its big strike in 1994. Only the McGwire-Sosa home run race in 1998 brought them back. What is going to happen with those series that
Even worse, there are not nearly as many shows as usual being planned to replace them. Some of the big names in television are back, but we will be watching more reality shows. It is not surprising fewer people tune in. Yes, they watch the box, but they’re watching old movies that were shown yesterday at 3 a.m. but doing it whenever they want. In some ways, it is like iPods. Some now listen to just the music they like, whenever they like. They’re doing the same with television and can skip commercials as well. Will television recover fully? I doubt it. Does anyone really want to watch most idiot reality series? That seems to be what the networks are now specializing in. What a shame! They cooked their own golden goose.
By Ernie Zimmerman
A couple of weeks ago my son Ronnie took most of his family to a Florida Marlins game. The event was sponsored by the Acreage Athletic League. All the kids wore their uniforms (about 161 of them). By wearing their uniforms, they were allowed to march on the field about an hour before the game was to start. What more can a kid want, being on a Major League field surrounded by Major League ball players? OK, the ball players were the Florida Marlins, but the last time I checked they were still considered Major Leaguers. This event brought back memories of my youth (yeah, I was young once) in good old Brooklyn. The Dodgers had “Happy Felton’s Knothole Gang.” Happy bought Little League kids on to Ebbets Field before Dodger games. Days before my son went to the game he decided not to take his baby. He figured one-yearold Jackson would not be able to sit through a nine-inning baseball game. Hey, most of us can’t sit through a nine-inning Marlins game. I was asked if I could come to my son’s house at 9 a.m. on game day. Without hesitation I said I would. After all, what could be better than having my youngest grandson and myself bond all day long? I looked forward for this assignment. When Sunday arrived I was at my son’s house 9 a.m. sharp. When I walked through the door, everyone greeted me. You could feel the excitement in the air in my son’s house. The twins and their sister Grace had never been to a Major
League game. Only their big brother Max had had that honor.
As I walked through the house, my daughterin-law Ashley asked, “where is Grandma Sha Sha”? I explained to her that I could handle Jackson all by myself. I went on to tell her that while it has been at least 30 years since I had changed a diaper, I didn’t think diaper changing had changed that much over the years.
I told her that Grandma Sha Sha, a.k.a. my wife, would be joining me in about two hours. I don’t know why, but smiles came across my kids’ faces. When my son’s family left for the game, I really didn’t know what Jackson’s reaction would be to have the honor of being alone with me. I was hoping he wouldn’t cry when he saw everyone walking out the door. This was the first time in Jackson’s short life on Planet Earth that it was just him and me.
Much to my relief, Jackson was very happy to be alone with me. He didn’t shed one tear when
his family left. We did everything a grandfather and a one-year-old grandson could do. We even shared a banana. That will be another story for another time.
I felt kind of disappointed when my wife showed up; now I had to share my grandson. If truth be told, Jackson didn’t mind that he now had two of us to play with.
It was now time to watch the baseball game. My son called and told me where they would be sitting. He said they had great seats, 12 rows behind third base (how did we ever live without cell phones?). Much to my surprise, Jackson watched most of the game. He is used to baseball, because he is at the Little League fields almost every day, watching his brothers play and or practice. And for those who are interested, my record of going 30 years without changing a diaper is still intact. (Are the recordkeepers listening?) My wife showed up just in time. It turned out to be another great day in the life of Ernie Zimmerman.
The Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) and the Village of Royal Palm Beach presented Cultural Diversity Day on Saturday, May 10 at Veterans Park in RPB. As the name suggests, the event featured a potpourri of world cultures, from Chile and Jamaica to Ireland, Africa and the Philipines. Performances included live music by Alfred “Obediah” Colebrook with Accents One & Two, doo-wop singers Belen & Gabi, Friends of Koto, Positively Africa and more. For more information about CAFCI, call Elet Cyris at (561) 791-9087.
Representatives from Kid Finders Network dropped by Royal Palm Beach’s Veterans Park on Thursday, May 8 to photograph and fingerprint kids for ID cards. Such cards provide police valuable information in case there is a kidnapping or other emergency. For the cost of $5, parents got two laminated ID cards. The event was organized by Loxahatchee Groves resident Darcy Dean Murray, who wants to spread the word about Kid Finders Network. Based in Loxahatchee, Kid Finders Network is a nonprofit organization that searches for missing, abducted or runaway children throughout the United States.
The event also promoted Safety in a Flash, a USB emergency personal information-storage device that contains a program that allows users to store information about their home, health, automobiles, kids, pets and belongings in one place. For more information about Kid Finders Network, call (561) 333-2779 or visit www.kidfindersnetwork.com.
PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
PHOTOS BY DENISE
5 to 12 years. Planet Kids is open daily from
through Friday at five convenient locations. See
tions and phone numbers.
• CASPEREY STABLES HORSE CAMP — Casperey Stables is a small, fun-filled day camp for children ages seven to 14. With four riding opportunities each day, arts & crafts and outdoor games, our campers find little time to be bored. Our low counselor/child ratio ensures your child will receive individual attention. There are camp sessions for spring and winter school breaks, and during the summer, each two-week session has a theme, such as Indian Days, Circus Days and Medieval Days. We have a weekly swim party and end each session with a horse show and family barbecue. Call soon — this small, quality program fills quickly! To learn more about our camp, located at 2330 D Road in Loxahatchee Groves, call us at (561) 792-4990 or visit www.caspereystables.com.
• RAVENWOOD RIDING ACADEMY — Ravenwood Riding Academy has been located in Wellington for 20 years. Proprietor and instructor Judie Jenner has been professionally involved with horses for over 30 years. Learn to ride at Camp Giddy-Up! Meet new friends and have fun all summer long learning about horses. The summer program consists of weekly sessions from June through August for children six years and up, with a focus on fun, and an emphasis on safety. Lessons daily, groups are limited to 10 to 12 campers per week and grouped by skill level. All riding equipment and safety stirrups are provided. The program features demonstrations with veterinarians, blacksmiths and equine dentists. Call (561) 793-4109 to register today. Hurry, sessions fill up quickly.
• VILLARI’S SUMMER CAMP — For the first time in 25 years, Villari’s of Wellington is pleased to announce a full-day, nine-week summer camp. After years of research and preparation, we have decided it is time to offer a camp tailored to developing the mental as well as physical skills of your child. Through stretching, strengthening and balancing the bodies and minds of our children, we open a world less intimidating, more interesting and less confusing to them. Let your child experience a summer full of fun, fitness and friends. Call (561) 792-1100 for more info.
• THE LEARNING FOUNDATION OF FLORIDA — The Learning Foundation is a private school, including elementary, middle and high school. We pride ourselves on the personal commitment and attention offered to every child. Our students’ individual educational needs are first — “one to one can make the difference.” McKay and Pride scholarships are accepted. Grade forgiveness and/or acceleration is available for grades nine through 12. Join us for elementary and middle school summer academic camp beginning June 17 for elementary grades and July 8 for high school grades. For more information, call director Debra Thornby at (561) 795-6886.
• DREAM BELIEVER STABLES — Enjoy a summer filled with horses at Dream Believer Stables! Learn how to groom, tack and of course ride. Each day has a lesson for campers to learn safety and control of horses. After lunch, we have a fun ride with games or bareback. Space is limited; only 12 campers per week starting May 26 through August; homeschoolers welcome. Camp is for ages five through 16. Call Andrea at (561) 2898515 for more info.
• XTREME TAE KWON DO SUMMER CAMP — Join us again for a funfilled summer camp for children ages four to 14. We offer physical and mental fitness and ways to improve your child’s balance and coordination while learning self defense. We also enjoy arts and crafts, and field trips to movies and gymnastics. Come and experience the best summer camp in the west. Two sessions will be offered: Session I from June 9 to June 20 and Session II from July 7 to July 18. Register before the end of April and receive an Xtreme T-shirt. Space is limited; register today. Instructor is child CPR and heartsaver AED certified. Located at 12799 W.Forest Hill Blvd. inside Ultima Fitness. Call (561) 795-2823 for more information.
• FUTURE STARS BASKETBALL CAMP Held in the Palm Beach Central High School gymnasium, Future Stars is a fun and instructional basketball camp for boys and girls ages six to 17 of all ability levels featuring basketball drills, competitions and games. Campers are grouped by age and ability. All campers will receive a camp T-shirt. Awards will be presented the last afternoon of camp for team winners, competition winners and special recognition. The instructional staff is comprised of high school coaches who are teachers. Lunch may be bought or brought. There will be three weekly session available running from June 16 through July 3. Hours are 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.Call (561) 400-3397 for camp information and registration.
• ARMORY ART CENTER GET CREATIVE SUMMER ART CAMP — Jump Start for ages five to seven; Adventures in Art for ages eight to 11; and Studio Art Shops for teens (middle and high school students). An adventure in the visual arts for your young artist! Six sessions starting June 9. The center is located at 1700 Parker Ave., West Palm Beach. For more info., call (561) 832-1776 or visit www.armoryart.org.
• TUTORING CLUB OF WELLINGTON Tutoring Club of Wellington can make a difference! Tutoring Club helps students become more knowledgeable and successful in school. Our educational programs help students raise test scores, grades and attitudes toward education. We offer a well-rounded process that is proven to work well not only with students, but also with parents, teachers and the community. Helping students take a triumphant step in their educational future is our number-one goal. Summer camp registration is June 2 and June 12. For more information, call directors Gale Nelson and Jeff Santoloci at Tutoring Club of Wellington at (561) 784-4434.
• IBIS FARM — Now located in Little Ranches, Wellington Summer Camp at Ibis Farm starts July 7 for ages six and up. Instructors and owners Lauren Briggs, Monique Loehrer and Melody Shapiro have over 30 years in the industry and are on the “A” Circuit. It’s a great way for kids to get involved with animals and meet new friends! Daily riding, horsemanship, arts & crafts, games and a horse show every Friday afternoon. Camps run from Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring lunch and plenty of drinks. Call (561) 616-7246 for more information.
• LA HACIENDA SHOW STABLES — Make this summer one to remember and join LaHacienda Show Stables for lots of fun riding, playing with horses, swimming and other activities that are part in its riding camp. The program is open to children ages six to 15 and runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Extended care is available. For more information, call (561) 422-8863 or visit www.lahaciendashowstables.com.
The Wellington Wild fast-pitch travel softball organization hosted its ninth annual “Walk on the Wild Side” Mother’s Day Tournament May 9-11 at different parks in Wellington. During the tournament, 70 teams in South Florida competed in all age divisions. Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen threw out the first pitch at Friday night’s opening ceremonies at Olympia Park. The Wellington Wild would like to thank the Wellington Parks & Recreation Department and all those involved who helped to make this year’s tournament a success. Full results are available at www.eteamz.com/wellingtonwild.
The Wellington Wild will host its inaugural golf tournament Saturday, May 31 at the Links at Madison Green Golf Club (2001 Crestwood Blvd. North, Royal Palm Beach). For more info., call (561) 784-5225. Shown here are photos from last Saturday’s game at Tiger Shark Cove Park in which the Wellington Wild Red 8-U lost 15-12 to the Diamond Dusters.
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report
As high school football teams get in the thick of the brief spring training season, several area coaches are optimistic about the prospects for next fall.
At Palm Beach Central High School, Rod Harris is in place to take over as head coach following John Timmins’ announcement that he plans to leave Palm Beach Central to become head coach at Archbishop McCarthy High School in Fort Lauderdale.
Harris, previously an assistant coach, told the Town-Crier Tuesday he was not surprised to be named head coach, but he was surprised that it all happened so suddenly. The 38-yearold algebra teacher has been the team’s offensive coordinator the past two years.
Before moving to Palm Beach Central, Harris was a teacher and assistant coach at Fort Lauderdale and South Broward high schools for eight years and was head coach for a semi-pro team, the Hornell Dragons near Rochester, N.Y., before moving to Florida.
Harris said he looks for the Broncos to be more aggressive on defense next year and have a more balanced offense.
The young team went 4-6 in their 2007 campaign and 5-5 the previous year. Harris said he feels there were too many players last year, with 68 to 70 on the roster. “We will have a more lean team with 45 to 50 players,” he said. “I don’t want complacency at all in the program.”
Harris anticipates 13 returning starters out of 22 last year, with ten seniors and three juniors. “We have a good nucleus of kids coming back,” he said.
The Broncos play their spring jamboree in Jupiter on Thursday, May 29. The exact format is still to be determined, but Harris anticipates the varsity team will get the majority of the play with the junior varsity team playing at least one quarter. He said he will try to get as many players on the field as possible, although it will be tough for some positions, such as receivers, where he has 14 candidates.
Palm Beach Central’s returning players include quarterback Travis Simmons, who is the first returning quarterback since the school began fielding a team five years ago.
Returning linebacker Jon Bostic (6’ 5,” 225 pounds) is one of the most highly recruited players in the county, Harris said.
“He’s big, and he runs well. He’s the school’s number-one linebacker prospect,” Harris said. “We have scouts from major universities out there pretty much daily. It makes the kids work harder, which is nice.”
Three valuable returning linemen are guard Shane McDermott, tackle Josh Dess and center Alex Gonzalez.
The team has lost offensive tackle Danous Estenor, who will be at the University of South Florida next year.
“We don’t replace people like that,” Harris said.
They also need to fill gaps left by graduating seniors David Ahola and Zed Joseph, both running backs.
Harris added that Alex Muniz has had a good spring season working to be running back. The defensive team will be attacking and blitzing more than in the past, he said.
“We want to create havoc in the opponents’ backfield,” Harris said. “Some guys have done
pretty well this spring thus far. We want to be physical and fast. I’ve been impressed the first couple of weeks; they have played pretty well thus far.”
Returning starting cornerback
Peniel Jean has had a very good spring camp, and so has Gideon Defrain as defensive end.
Phil Boisrond has been solid as a returning tackle.
The coaching staff has many familiar faces, with three-year running back coach Klay Smith replacing Harris as offensive coordinator. Paul Marick will return as offensive line coach.
Matt Mounts will work with receivers.
Defensive coordinator will be John Brady. Alex Ross, a former player and community college student, will be coaching the defensive backs. Joseph Dowling will coach the defensive linebackers, and John Schiller will take the defensive line.
The offense is looking to open up more in terms of running and passing.
“We were more of a running team last year,” Harris said. “We have some receivers who are working hard. They are much improved.”
Simmons has a good throwing arm, he said.
“We have some guys who developed as the season progressed last year,” Harris said.
“I’m looking for our team to play tough and enjoy football with high strength and energy.”
Meanwhile, over at Seminole Ridge, Head Coach Matt Dickmann has great expectations for the Hawks next fall, when the team begins its fourth football season.
“I think this will probably be the most athletic team we’ve had since the school opened,” Dickmann said.
The Hawks will travel to Park Vista on May 23 for their spring jamboree.
The team has 16 out of 22 starting players returning, and some of the sophomores who started last year have taken great strides athletically, Dickmann said.
“They are much more physical,” he said. “They will be assets to the team this year. Right now, every team record in the weight room has been broken as well as individual records. This is the strongest team that has been here.”
Quarterback Tyler Wilhelm is returning after breaking his collarbone last year. He has been working out with a quarterback coach to get back to strength, Dickmann said.
Jeacky Charles, who had 13 receptions for 400 yards last year, returns as a wide receiver and split end.
“Those two are a dangerous threat to go deep at any time,” Dickmann said.
The offensive backfield includes Will Jones, a three-year player who will move from running back to fullback.
Javian Wrisper will return as running back and receiver.
“He’s very dangerous at both,” Dickmann said. “He runs and catches well. He plays cornerback, too. He’s a very gifted athlete.”
The other running back will be Jordan Schumacher. “Jordan is probably one of the fastest and strongest kids on the team. With his speed, it makes him a threat at any time,” Dickmann said.
Anchoring the offensive line are center Brandon King and left tackle Zach Prevatt, both returning players.
“With the people we have, we are a big threat to throw, and we
have fine running backs to run the ball,” Dickmann said. “We have a choice that we can throw the ball any time we want, and that makes us a bigger threat offensively.”
The defensive line returns all but three players, Dickmann said.
Defensive lineman Daryl Thomas (6’, 250 pounds) is a fouryear starter. Returning at corner is Jeff Moise. Michael Fioramonti is a returning linebacker.
“He [Fioramonti] broke six chinstraps last year,” Dickmann said. “I’ve never had a kid break six chinstraps in one year. He’s a hitter.”
All the coaching staff is returning except one — former offensive line coach Thadd Pokabla, who took a job closer to his home, Dickmann said.
Former defensive line coach Justin Hilliker will take over the offensive line and Mark Neiter will take the defensive line. Ben Kenerson will be defensive coordinator, while David Runner will have the defensive backs. James Parson will be wide receiver coach, Mike Doyle will be quarterback coach, and Dickmann will coach the running backs and be defensive coordinator.
“If we can stay healthy, I’m planning on having a good year,” Dickmann said.
Wellington High School Head Coach Chris Romano said he expects his Wolverines to improve significantly over their winless season last year, after changing coaches on short notice.
Romano, who has been a coach in various positions for several years, took over the team last year at the beginning of the season, when former Head Coach Gene Boley resigned.
“I expect them to do better,” Romano said. “The kids have been working hard since December. They deserve to taste some victory.”
However, with opponents like Seminole Ridge, West Boca, Palm Beach Gardens and Santaluces high schools, the Wolverines play one of the toughest schedules in the county. “There are no breathers in our schedule,” Romano said.
The Wolverines will host Boynton Beach in their spring jamboree on Wednesday, May 21.
WHS has 12 returning players, including quarterback Winter Cullen, who stepped in as a sophomore last season when graduating senior Chad Endres was hurt. Cullen’s youth notwithstanding, Romano lists strong leadership as his top trait.
“Winter got thrown in, and he has been working hard to improve in all areas of his game,” Romano said.
The team members are developing trust in one another that will be revealed in a greatly improved team this fall, the coach said.
“We just lack a lot of experience,” Romano said. “I will be counting on a lot of young guys from last year’s JV team to fill holes lost to graduation.” Romano will rely on returning players guard Adrian Rodriguez and center Joe Billi to anchor the offensive line. On defense, Romano looks to returning linebackers Ben Chapman and Brendan Carroll, and end Mike Punal.
At Royal Palm Beach High School, Head Coach Darren Studstill is taking over the Wildcats football program, which was 6-4 last year.
The 9-10 Reds finished the Acreage Athletic League’s baseball regular season last Saturday with an 18-0 record, following a 10-0 victory over the Yankees. The Reds entered the Bash Tournament on Monday, where they again defeated the Yankees 12-0. The Reds defeated the White Sox 12-11 on Wednesday and faced the A’s on Friday, but the score was not available by press time. Reds Manager Rick Raymond congratulates the White Sox for playing such a hard game. The winner of Friday’s game will face the Dodgers on Monday.
The Cobblestone Chiropractic Razorbacks won the Royal Palm Beach Youth Baseball 2008 Pinto AAA Division Championship on Saturday, May 3. Pictured here are (front row, L-R) Jahcobi Neath, Harrison Dean, Jack Higgins, Zach Herb, Zach Cohen and David Beyer; (middle row) Xavier Smith, Charlie Von Werne, Robert McCown, Roland Tyson and Michael Morris; and (back row) Coach Alex Tyson, Head Coach Warren Von Werne, Coach Savon Smith and Coach Marc Cohen. Not pictured: Jake Vazquez.
The Palm Beach Pride/Slug Monkeys Girls 14-U travel softball team won the recent NSA tournament “Prowlin’ in the Park” held in May 3 - 4 Royal Palm Beach. This talented group of girls took home first place after an undefeated weekend of play with a 5-0 record. The team lived up to the name Slug Monkeys with their batting, outscoring their opponents 5510 with solid hitting and some amazing defensive plays. The team is based at Okeeheelee Park and includes girls from Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, The Acreage and Lake Worth. Pictured here are (front row, L-R) Amanda Cook, Nicole Hamilton and Nicole Granitto; (middle row) Brianne Alex, Lauren Hill, Alyssa Cheatham, Michaela Hollis and Brooke Bostley; and (back row) Coach Scott Hill, Kayleigh McCabe, Mackenzie Davis, Coach Mike Groover, Amy Groover, Meghan Ackerman and Coach Troy Cheatham. Not pictured: Lauren Nickerson.
The Wellington Wave U-10 girls soccer team went undefeated at the 11th Annual Palm Bay Spring Challenge. On Saturday, May 3, they defeated the Port St. Lucie Makos 5-0, with keeper Susana Espinoza having a shutout game. Later, they played Treasure Coast United and won by a score of 51, which put them in first place going into the finals.
On Sunday, May 4, the Wave girls challenged the Indialantic Force, beating them out of the finals with a shutout score of 150. The girls took on the Vero Beach Vipers in the finals. The
Vipers led 3-2 at half time, but the Wave team came back with three goals to win the game and the U-10 girls championship. Everyone on the team did an excellent job scoring, with Julianna James, Victoria Telahada, Taylor Duran and Hialey Laura playing offense. Defenders Jamie West and Riley Nicholson did an amazing job helping goalie Susana Espinoza keep the ball out of the net. The team will hold tryouts Tuesday and Thursday, May 27 and 29. For more information about the Wellington Wave, visit www.wellingtonsoccer.com.
Led by Wellington resident Melissa Ganzi, one of the few professional female polo players in the United States, the Audi polo team secured its third consecutive title last Sunday at the 2008 Miami Beach Polo World Cup played on the beach.
After more than an hour of non-stop action under the hot Miami sun and playing in a nontraditional and certainly difficult sand terrain, Juan Bollini scored the winning goal as the Audi polo team achieved an exhilarating 6-5 win over opponent China Grill in sudden-death overtime.
“Polo combines the camaraderie and strategy of a team sport with the hazards and thrills of an extreme sport,” Ganzi said. “This is the same team that played and won the World Snow Polo Championships in Aspen in December 2007. Today, we add a new accolade to the Audi polo team. We believe that team-
While average temperatures in South Florida during May range between 75 and 80 degrees, the surface of Incredible Ice in Coral Springs will not be affected as 277 skaters from across Florida compete in the 2008 Sunshine State Games Figure Skating Championships May 16-18. Of the 277 skaters competing this weekend, ranging in age from four years old to 65 years old, 31 are from Palm Beach
work and top performing players was the key to achieving this hard-fought victory and think that it will be instrumental for future successes.”
In addition to Ganzi, this year’s Audi polo team included Argentinean seven-goaler Juan Bollini and U.S. six-goaler Kris Kampsen, who has guided the team to victory for three consecutive years. Ganzi’s seven-yearold gray Argentine stallion Corintina won Best Playing Pony honors for the Miami Beach Polo World Cup.
The Miami Beach Polo World Cup, which celebrated its fourth edition, has been regarded as one of Miami’s top events attracting sports and entertainment personalities. Celebrities such as Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Candela Ferro were spotted alongside hundreds of the Miami and Palm Beach elite.
“Polo, which is often regarded as powerful, elegant and
County. Among those competitors are Samantha Maclean and Lauren Salzlechner of Wellington. Maclean will compete in Spin Only – Juvenile/Open Juvenile, Jumps Only – Juvenile/ Open, Free Skating – Juvenile and Short Program (Single) –Juvenile. Salzlechner will compete in Free Skating – Pre-Juvenile.
The three days of competition began on Friday. Saturday’s events begin at 9 a.m. and end at 6:15 p.m. Action begins on Sunday at 9 a.m. and concludes at 1 p.m. Skaters will perform on two sheets of ice during each of the three days. There is no
sporty, embodies those attributes that also describe the Audi brand perfectly,” Audi Lifestyle East Coast Communication Manager Anja Kaehny said. The Audi polo team ended the Palm Beach high-goal season and will rest and refuel for
admission charge for spectators. The complete schedule can be found at www.flasports.com/ page_sunshine_schedules.shtml. Incredible Ice is located at 3299 Sportsplex Drive. For more information, call (954) 341-9956.
The Royal Palm Beach High School Wildcat football team is holding its inaugural golf tournament on Sunday, June 1 at the Links at Madison Green
(2001 Crestwood Blvd. North in Royal Palm Beach). The tournament will have a 1 p.m. shotgun start with registration and auction bids beginning at noon. The mission of the Royal Palm Beach High School Wildcat football program is to educate, graduate and develop a lifelong commitment to an atmosphere of cordiality and purpose on and off the field. Come out and support the Wildcat football program. For more information, contact Cheryl Seitler (561) 7238298 or cseitler15@bellsouth. net.
Saturday, May 17
• Buckler’s Craft Show will continue at the South Florida Fairgrounds (9067 Southern Blvd.) Saturday and Sunday, May 17-18. Craftspeople from across the nation will be exhibiting and selling a wide variety of items. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Admission is $6 for adults and free for children. For more info., call (561) 793-0333.
• Everyone is invited to help Build-A-Bear Workshop in the Mall at Wellington Green stuff puppies beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 17. The first 150 guests at the workshop store are invited to participate in “Stuffed with Hugs: Your Gift, Your Choice” and make a white fluffy puppy for free that will be donated to one of three causes. For more info., call (561) 790-3367.
• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Book Fest!” on Saturday, May 17 at 10:30 a.m. Participants ages four and up will celebrate Children’s Book Week with fun tales and activities. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6030.
• The Shulamit chapter of Hadassah will host its second annual silent auction gala “Shulamit Shining Stars” on Saturday, May 17 at the Players Club restaurant (13410 South Shore Blvd., Wellington). Music, dancing, entertainment, food, schmoozing and bidding will highlight the evening. Proceeds will benefit Hadassah’s pursuit of scientific excellence. For more info., call Sue Friedman at (561) 312-8310.
• The Wellington Parks and Recreation Department welcomes you to check out the soothing jazz music of Sound Affects on Saturday, May 17. The free concert starts at 7 p.m. on the front lawn of the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Food and beverages will be available for purchase. For more info., call Dwayne Hetherington at (561) 791-4773.
• Costco Wholesale Club (11001 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach) will hold its annual Fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network on Saturdays and Sundays, May 17 and 18, 24 and 25. Attractions will include the Michelin Man, face painting, fire-safety demonstrations, hair painting and a bounce house. Sale opportunities will be available. For info., call (561) 803-8830.
Sunday, May 18
• The Sisterhood of Congregation B’nai Avraham in Wellington will host a free “Israel at 60” celebration Sunday, May 18 at 10 a.m. in the synagogue (12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 6, in the original Wellington Mall). The celebration is free and open to the community. Coffee will be served before the meeting at 9:30 a.m. For more info., call Ella at (561) 656-1916.
• The Wellington Warriors 11-U travel baseball team will host a Golf Tournament at the Links at Madison Green in Royal Palm Beach on Sunday, May 18. The event includes contests for putting, longest drive and closest to the pin. Dinner and an awards ceremony will be held after the tournament. The cost is $100 per golfer or $400 per foursome. The tournament begins at noon with a shotgun start. For more info., call Donna Russo at (954) 614-5437 or Julie Hernandez at (561) 512-2715.
• DionTheWanderer.com will present a benefit concert for Forgotten Soldiers Outreach on Sunday, May 18 at 3 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach. The concert will feature Dion II (Dion Ambrogio), along with well-known local entertainers such as the Fabulons, Midnight Rodeo and the Boathouse Blues Band. Tickets cost $35. For more info., call (561) 369-2933 or e-mail info@ forgottensoldiers.org.
• Bring a smile to the faces of children who have cancer by joining the Jewish Community Center of the Greater Palm Beaches’ Young Adult Singles for a Visit With Child Cancer Patients on Sunday, May 18 at Palms West Hospital on Southern Blvd. in Loxahatchee Groves. The program is open to adults ages 21 through 44. Feel free to bring toys, games or special talents that may brighten the day for these children. Meet Young Adult Singles (YAS) Coordinator Tami Lustig at the hospital’s emergency room entrance at 2 p.m. and stay for as short or long as you like. For more info., e-mail Lustig at tamaral@jcconline.com. Monday, May 19
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will
host “Baby Story Time” on Monday, May 19 at 10:15 a.m. for newborns through eight months and 11:15 a.m. for ages nine to 12 months. To pre-register, call (561) 7906070.
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Pain Relief with Trigger Point Massage” on Monday, May 19 at 7 p.m. for adults. Chiropractor Sabrina Morgen will guide participants through a natural approach to treating many kinds of stress-related pain. Bring a partner for handson practice. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.
• The Ghost Light Series, in collaboration with the Studio Theatre of Wellington, will present a play reading of Horton Foote’s The Trip to Bountiful on Monday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m. The Studio Theatre is located in the Wellington Commerce Park at 11320 Fortune Circle, Suite G7. For more info., call (561) 204-4100.
Tuesday, May 20
• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will present “Health Information on the Internet” Tuesday, May 20 at 2 p.m. for adults. Learn to use library databases to find quality health and medical information that can be trusted. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6030.
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Anime Grab Bag” on Tuesday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m. Teens ages 12 through 17 can sneak a peek at some of the coolest new anime titles. To pre-register, call (561) 7906070.
Wednesday, May 21
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host a Film Discussion Group on Wednesday, May 21 at 6:30 p.m. for adults. Longtime book discussion leader Sara Harris inaugurates the new monthly series with a discussion of the movie August Rush. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.
• County Commissioner Jess Santamaria will host his monthly community forum on Wednesday, May 21 at 7 p.m. at the original Wellington Mall (corner of Forest Hill Blvd. and Wellington Trace). The topic will be “Uniting the Western Communities.” Guest speakers will be Indian Trail Improvement District President Mike Erickson and Loxahatchee Groves Mayor Dave Browning. For info., call (561) 355-6300.
Thursday, May 22
• On Thursday, May 22, Buca di Beppo restaurant and the Muscular Dystrophy Association will hold its annual “Behind Bars for Good” lockup from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Community leaders, business owners and executives will be escorted to Buca di Beppo’s Wellington restaurant (2025 Wellington Green Drive), where they will have their mug shots taken and will be “thrown in jail.” The volunteer “jailbirds” will call their friends, family and associates to raise their “bail money” that will benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. For more info., call (561) 742-3748 or visit the MDA web site at www.mda.org.
• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business program will meet on Thursday, May 22 at the Links at Madison Green in Royal Palm Beach for a dinner featuring guest speakers Jeannie Hoban, co-chair of the Domestic Violence Council of Palm Beach County, and Barbara Cavanagh, Victims’ Services Programs Specialist for the State Attorney General’s Office, on ways to reduce domestic violence. For more info., call Anitra Harmon at (561) 7906200 or e-mail specialevents@ palmswest.com. Friday, May 23
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Time Management for Solo Entrepreneurs” on Friday, May 23 at 2 p.m. Personal productivity consultant Claudine Motto tackles key time management techniques for home-based business owners. To pre-register, call (561) 7906070. Saturday, May 24
• Palms West Alliance Church will present a Rock Fest featuring the Christian rock group Fireflight on Saturday, May 24. Free food and fun begins at 5 p.m. with the concert at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5. The church is located at 16401 Southern Blvd. in Loxahatchee Groves. For info., call (561) 333-5352 or visit www.palmswest.org. Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 7936090. E-mail: news@gotown crier.com.
By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report
When the going gets tough for good little girls, they want to be pampered like little princesses. And Sweet & Sassy in Palm Beach Gardens is just the place to take them. Part of a nationwide chain of pamper palaces for girls, it combines a really good hair salon with a retail store and party place to create a wonderland for young girls to celebrate.
“We run 15 parties a weekend here,” co-owner Lanie Lover said. “Girls come in and have a great time with their friends.” The reason for the good time is the personal care the staff of Sweet & Sassy takes with its young patrons. The party manager once played Snow White at Disneyland, and the girls get that level of attention when they come for their parties.
“When mommy and the girls come to our door,” Lover said, “they are met by several of our teenage aides. We have one for every three girls so each gets attention, and we have another one just for mom. We have carts to hold a birthday cake and other party things as well as to hold presents. Mom doesn’t have to do anything at all except take pictures of the party. That makes it a celebration for her as much as for her daughter.”
The girls for each party are led back to two huge closets that hold “princess dresses” in all sizes and a wide range of colors. After each girl picks her own dress and changes into it, she comes into the big makeup room.
“Our teenagers put the little girls’ hair up, put makeup (actually just a little coloring) on, and give mini-manicures and mini-pedicures,” Lover said. “For these, we don’t cut any nails, just buff them and color them. That’s where one teen for every three girls is so important. Then they all go out to our runway. Each of our teens has her girls fill out a card with her nickname, favorite color and favorite thing, so each girl can parade down the runway hearing something like ‘here’s Missy, who’s 11 years old, loves pink and her teddy bears’ as she walks and gets applause from her friends. We have a video camera that lets her look at herself as she walks on a big-screen TV. When all the girls do their walks, they can dance there. We even have a karaoke machine so they can sing along to songs they have chosen.”
After the partygoers finish dancing, they get the chance to make their own lip-gloss, bath powder and shampoos from safe products. Then they enjoy the cake, change back to the real world and are replaced by the next group of partiers. Party themes include “The Rockin’ Pop Star,” “All Dressed Up and Runway to Go” and the new “SPA-tacular.”
“My husband Tom and I were interested in owning a business where we could work together and really enjoy ourselves,”
Lover said. “We saw a story about Sweet & Sassy in a business magazine, went out to headquarters in Texas and decided we wanted to be part of the company. This is the loveliest
place. Everyone is always so happy.”
Sweet & Sassy began in 2005 and currently operates 21 stores in the country with more coming.
The reason for the fast growth seems clear. The store is huge, about 3,000 square feet, decorated in shades of purple, pink, green and orange. Bubblegum pop music is playing on flatscreen monitors in several locations. The girls arrive at the celebration area all set out with globe lights, runway and reflective disco ball. The retail shop carries the latest hit products for tweens.
Besides the parties, Sweet & Sassy offers certified hair stylists, all of whom specialize in popular cuts for preteen girls (and boys). “Everything we do here is age-appropriate,” Lover said. “Our treatments are geared toward young girls; our stylists are not only specialists in terms of current styles but are great working with kids. The colors we use for nails and everything else is the latest, the hottest. And we are a full salon here. Many of our customers are just here for haircuts. Of course, when the girls see the party area we get business, and some of the partygoers come here to get their hair cut in the hottest styles.”
Lover said she gets a lot of advice from her two children.
“Ellie, who’s ten, knows what’s going on with girls that age and is really helpful,” she said. “My seven-year-old son Jake goes through the catalogs we get, pointing out things he thinks will sell.”
Another popular package is
“Diva for a Day” where the young lady gets a haircut, shampoo, style-out, mini-mani, minipedi and a mini-facial. “We teach the girls to take good care of the skin, and we have fun with the facials,” Lover said. “Our chocolate facial is one of the most popular. What we want is to make these young ladies feel like big girls. This is their salon. We help them build their own identity.”
The average party lasts about an hour and 50 minutes. “As soon as we finish one party,”
Lover said, “we come in and clean, sponge down and spray everything for freshness before the next party comes in.”
Sweet & Sassy also provides workshops for Brownies and the YMCA Adventure Princesses.
“We run classes like Money Matters, Fun with Friends and Mind Your Own Business,”
Lover said. “The girls who attend get patches for this.”
Sweet & Sassy is located at Legacy Place at 11310 Legacy Avenue, Suite 130 in Palm Beach Gardens, just east of I-95 on PGA Blvd., and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call (561) 630-GIRL or visit www.sweetandsassy.com.
Tracey Palmer was recently named a Bronze Associate by Watkins Inc. The Wellington area resident recently joined Watkins to provide her services to the community. Palmer is being recognized for her achievement for new business growth.
“It’s a great honor to receive this recognition,” Palmer said. “It shows that I’ve made a true difference in the community.”
According to Palmer, the Wellington area has great potential.
“I’m amazed at the response I’ve received when showing the Watkins catalog to my
friends,” she said. “I found that many people remember the famous products like vanilla, spices, liniment and salves, but most don’t realize how many other great products Watkins has. They make it easy for us to preserve Mother Earth while living a sustainable lifestyle. I also know that if one of my customers is not pleased with any product, we give a 100percent money-back guarantee.”
Founded in 1868, Watkins offers a wide variety of natural products including gourmet and organic foods, bath and body, tried and true remedies
and non-toxic cleaners which help health and/or environmentally conscious people live a healthier, greener lifestyle. Watkins offer a great opportunity for people who would like to earn extra income while working part time from home. “I needed to find a flexible home business, to supplement my income where I can do most of my work right at home in front of my computer,”
Palmer said. “I find selling Watkins is personally rewarding, knowing I am able to help people, plus I take pride in the company’s reputation and natural ingredients. Sharing Wat-
kins products with my friends and neighbors is a fun way to make some extra money while still having quality time to spend with my family.”
Melody Thacker, a leader with the Watkins Gold team, congratulated Palmer. “I am very proud of Tracey’s accomplishments,” she said. “We enjoy helping and supporting her and look forward to seeing her achieve her own business dreams.”
For more information, contact Palmer at (561) 512-9876 or tpalmer@watkinsonline. com, or visit www.vanilla gourmet.com.
The Palms West Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business upcoming dinner program will address the disturbing topic of domestic violence and provide information on what can be done to help reduce the occurrence of this social plague. The program, sponsored by the Sun-Sentinel, is scheduled for Thursday, May 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Links at Madison Green Golf Club. Featuring Jeannie Hoban, co-chair of the Domestic Violence Coun-
cil of Palm Beach County, and Barbara Cavanagh, victims’ services programs specialist for the State Attorney General’s Office, the gathering will include discussion of the many ways one can partner with the Domestic Violence Council to reduce the effect of this tragic social problem. Guest speakers also include two survivors of domestic violence who will tell their personal stories, describing the metamorphoses that take place when
women are given the information and resources to feel safe and secure enough to follow their dreams and reach their goals.
Domestic violence occurs in homes regardless of income, race, ethnicity, social background or level of education, and it comes in many forms from physical, sexual, psychological and emotional to verbal and economic.
Women are five times more likely than men to be victims of
violent crime committed by an intimate partner, and the victimization of women and children in the home is greater than on dangerous city streets.
The pre-payable dinner program costs $25 for chamber members and $40 for non-members. For more information, or to make reservations for the program, call the Palms West Chamber of Commerce office at (561) 790-6200 or visit the chamber’s web site at www. palmswest.com.
Farm Credit of South Florida, an agricultural credit association serving eight counties in southeast Florida, returned more than $5 million dollars to its member-borrowers in the form of patronage refund checks at their recent annual stockholders’ meeting.
The 92-year-old cooperative held its annual stockholders’ meeting last week at Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Royal Palm Beach and distributed checks to the members in attendance.
Board Chairman Jack Coker kicked off the luncheon meeting with a financial state-of-theassociation report for the 150 guests and members in attendance.
“Our patronage refund is equivalent to returning 15 cents of each dollar in interest paid back to our member-borrow-
ers,” said Don Rice, CEO and president of the 800-member association. “Once again, Farm Credit of South Florida had an extremely successful year, and we are pleased to be able to share that success with our member-borrowers by sharing the profits. Unlike commercial banks that pay dividends to their Wall Street investors, we pay dividends to our member-borrowers in the form of patronage refunds.”
Under the direction of Rice, Farm Credit of South Florida has experienced record performance in recent years with regard to loan volume and credit quality. The four branch offices of Farm Credit are located in Homestead, Royal Palm Beach, Okeechobee and Vero Beach and serve many of Florida’s leading growers, packers, pro-
cessors and producers of fresh citrus, leafy greens and vegetables, refined sugar, processed rice and tropical fruit, as well as the equestrian, dairy and cattle industries.
“Qualified business owners from all agribusinesses as well as those from non-traditional industries, like lifestyle farmers and hobby farmers, are excellent candidates for Farm Credit of South Florida’s quality products and services,” Coker said. “The non-traditional agricultural business owners are learning what traditional farmers have known about Farm Credit for more than 90 years — that we are the largest single lender of dependable, competitive agricultural credit in America.”
“As a reflection of the surrounding environments in South Florida, we have made a con-
Wellington-based Phelps Sports.com, one of the world’s foremost and fastest-growing equestrian news web sites, recently announced it has partnered with the Menlo Charity Horse Show as a platinum level sponsor for the second year in a row.
For 36 years, the Menlo Charity Horse Show has been home to top show jumping and horse showing in northern California. The show was named Nor Cal Horse Show of the Year for six consecutive seasons from 2000 through 2005.
Just this past season, Phelps Sports.com voted Menlo the number-two horse show in the United States.
certed effort to hire experienced staff members who are familiar with the various agricultural industries we serve, and are bi-lingual as well,” said Esther Morales, senior vice president and chief credit officer for the association. “You will not find a more qualified team to assist you in obtaining the funds you need for your agri-business than here at Farm Credit of South Florida.”
Farm Credit of South Florida currently has more than $600 million in outstanding loans to businesses and individuals directly involved with agricultural products or services in South Florida.
For more information about the cooperative, visit www. farmcreditsfl.com or contact Lyn Cacella at (800) 432-4156 or lcacella@farmcreditsfl.com.
“We were thrilled with last year’s first-time partnership,”
PhelpsSports.com Executive Director Kenneth Kraus said.
“Expanding our membership base in Northern California has been a vital part of our ongoing business plan, and teaming up with Menlo was a great way to further that goal. Last year’s response was above and beyond what we ever expected.”
PhelpsSports.com has enjoyed a rapid growth in its subscription rate and the support of numerous advertisers. “It’s a great partnership,” said Mason Phelps Jr., the president of the web site. “PhelpsSports.com has provided sponsorship to a growing roster of top-notch events and athletes, and the Menlo Charity Horse Show gives us an opportunity to give back to the
community and help a very worthwhile charity at the same time. The Menlo show is a perfect fit for PhelpsSports.com.”
All division champions at this year’s Menlo Charity Horse Show will receive an additional bonus to their trophies, blue ribbons and prize money — every champion in every division will also receive a free one-year membership to the Phelps Sports.com web site. Champions will be presented with a mail-in membership card when they receive their tri-colors. Winners who are already PhelpsSports.com members, or who win more than one championship and membership, will be allowed to gift their awards to friends or family. PhelpsSports.com will also donate a number of memberships to the horse show’s charity auction.
“To be in partnership with PhelpsSports.com is a win-win for Menlo,” said Alden Corrigan, public relations liaison for the show. “The PhelpsSports. com subscribers get a chance to learn about the most profitable charity horse show in the country, and our exhibitors, committee members, sponsors and spectators learn about PhelpsSports. com, and hopefully become members.”
The 2008 Menlo Charity Show will take place Aug. 5-10, and PhelpsSports.com will provide daily coverage. For more information, visit www.menlohorseshow.com.
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report
Robert E. Rabenecker Jr. came to Palm Beach County in 1989 to work for the Montreal Expos, not realizing that his destiny lay 20 years later as owner and operator of the Chick-fil-A restaurant in the Mall at Wellington Green.
“I joined the Expos to oversee their minor league club in West Palm Beach and then took over their training activities that year,” said Rabenecker, 47.
From its construction in 1998, Rabenecker managed Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, hosting two minor league teams (the Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Cardinals) and two Major League teams during spring training (the St. Louis Cardinals along with Expos initially, before they traded the space to the Florida Marlins).
“I oversaw that stadium for ten years, was involved in the construction of the stadium and oversaw the rebuilding of the stadium after the hurricanes in ’04 when we lost all of our light poles,” Rabenecker recalled.
During that time he also became a family man, marrying Channel 5 news anchor Chandra Bill ten years ago. Rabenecker said the hectic pace of spring training for two teams eventually lost its appeal against the desire to be a good husband and father.
“My job became something that kept me away from my family,” he said. “Chandra has two sons from her first marriage and neither of them had an interest in baseball, so the more I was at work, the more I was away from the family.”
While at a meeting in Daytona Beach in 2006, Rabenecker decided he no longer had the passion for the business. “I said, ‘what else can I do besides baseball?’ It was the only thing I’d ever done,” he said.
Rabenecker, a Louisville, Ky. native, earned a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Kentucky University in marketing and management, and intent on a career in baseball management he attained his master’s degree in sports management from Ohio State. “I’m up there in that hotel room and I said, ‘God, what do you want me to do? If
you want me to stay in baseball, I ask you just to re-energize me, but if there’s something else out there for me then just point me in that direction.” He looked online and saw opportunities for Chick-fil-A franchises. “I knew the company was a decent company, and the other thing I knew was that they were closed on Sundays,” he said. “The business that I was in, we were the only facility in the country that had two minor league clubs, and the only facility in Florida that had two spring training clubs. We were at it all the time, and there was something going on just about every day. Even when I wasn’t at the stadium, I was thinking about the stadium, so the thought of working for a company that was going to be closed on Sundays was kind of appealing.”
While still in Daytona, he completed an on-line inquiry, and the next day they asked him to fill out an application. Shortly thereafter, an e-mail from his church, Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach Gardens, announced that Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy would be speaking at the next Sunday service. Things got more curious at the church, when Cathy finished speaking and sat down next to him. “Instead of sitting down where he is, he goes all the way over to the left and sits right next to me,” Rabenecker said. “At this point I’m too freaked out to say anything, but I went home and told my wife, and she started laughing. We decided to just see where this thing goes.’”
Rabenecker got a call from Chick-fil-A in February 2007 asking for an interview, and in April, after spring training, the company asked him to visit six different operators around the state. “They encouraged me to spend at least two days with one of the operators,” Rabenecker said. “He asked, ‘what do you want to know?’ I said, ‘I want you to show me everything that’s going to scare me away from this job.’ At the end of the day my legs were hurting. I had got grease all over the front of me from working the fryers, but there wasn’t anything that made me want to turn back.”
In September, the company
offered him the Wellington franchise, and he accepted. “I felt so strongly about the company, how they did business and the product,” Rabenecker said. “I found out about how the company operates — we call it ‘second-mile service’ where we try to go beyond just delivering the product and making sure the customer’s experience is a positive one, by carrying out their tray to the table or going out to the food court and refreshing their beverages. That’s the way the company operates; that’s how we as a company are going to beat our competition, with great food, great service and follow-up. I’m having a blast working with a great company and a great group of people. I’m having more fun than I’m entitled to.”
Since taking over the franchise, he has joined the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, where he has been named to the board of directors.
“Like at the stadium, we never turn down an opportunity to become involved, whether it’s a charity auction or something like that, there is something we can offer,” Rabenecker said. “If people have something going on, we’re going to do our best to try and get involved. If it’s little leagues trying to raise money, we’re going to offer them some opportunities. We’re at Palm Beach Central [High School] today delivering food for their senior breakfast. We’re not donating food completely, but it’s at a heavy discount.”
The restaurant is providing three local high schools with food for Project Graduation and was involved with several elementary school carnival activities. “We think it’s important that people see us as a partner in the community, and that’s how we’re going to build our business,” he said.
Over the years the Atlantabased Chick-fil-A has expanded its menu from a basic chicken sandwich and waffle fries to a more extensive selection of fresh-made products. “Everything is fresh,” Rabenecker said.
“Our chicken comes in fresh. We bread our chicken. It’s not pre-breaded. Our salads are made fresh daily. Our wraps are made fresh daily. Our lemonade
To help celebrate the May 23 grand opening of PDQ Care in the Mall at Wellington Green, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Ana Viamonte Ros will be on hand to speak about the need for quality healthcare for all Floridians.
Named secretary of the Florida Department of Health and Florida’s first surgeon general by Gov. Charlie Crist in January 2007, Ros is the first woman and the first Cuban-American to hold the position. She earned her medical degree in 1983 from the University of
Miami School of Medicine. She received her master’s degree in public health with a concentration on family and community health from the Harvard School of Public Health in 2005.
Her presentation on May 23 will cover ways in which the state is working to improve the quality of healthcare through prevention, affordable prices and a strong physician workforce.
Scheduled to join with other community dignitaries at the PDQ Care walk-in clinic and pharmacy, Ros is expected to
deliver her message at 1:15 p.m.
A ribbon cutting for the 1,943square-foot PDQ Care clinic and pharmacy will follow.
The public is invited to attend the grand opening celebration, which will take place from 1 to 6 p.m. The event will feature free screening for osteoporosis and blood pressure, an orthopedic brace clinic (measuring and fitting light braces for elbows and knees), introduction of a PDQ-sponsored weight loss challenge, distribution of customer loyalty discount cards and free medication therapy man-
agement consultation.
South Florida businessmen Reid Becker and Gerson “Gus” Greenbarg hope to use the PDQ Care prototype to launch a series of combination walk-in clinics and pharmacies in established, highly trafficked malls throughout Florida, opening another 40 to 50 locations within the next three years.
PDQ Care, staffed by licensed nurse practitioners and a fulltime pharmacist, is open seven days a week with no appointment necessary. An office visit at PDQ Care can cost an indi-
vidual as little as $58.95 or an insurance co-pay. Non-emergency treatments typically take less than 15 minutes. Staffed by board-certified nurse practitioners under the direction of local, licensed medical doctors, PDQ Care also offers a wide variety of preventative care and wellness services as well as medication therapy management and a unique PHRTo-Go personal health record service. For more information, call (561) 793-1336 or visit www. pdqcare.com.
MORTGAGE. SAVE YOUR HOME - & get paid to help others do the same. We can now assist people under 62 years of age. Madelyn 561-422-2910
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS – Roof painting. Carpentry. License #U13677. 9675580. BD SHAKE ROOF SPECIALISTS –– New roofs, repairs, preservation. License #CC025465. Shake Masters, Shake Chem. Members of Shake Bureau. 439-6668 BD ROBERT G. HARTMANN ROOFING Specializing in repairs. Free estimates, Bonded,insured. Lic. #CCC 058317 Ph: 561-790-0763. BD 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 RC-0067207
GARABAR, INC. ROOFING & GENERAL CONSTRUCTION — 561-3376798 www.garabar.com Lic. #CGC 1510976 CCC1327252. “Deal” Direct withowner. Please see our display ad* Major credit cards accepted. Fast Free Estimates. Insurance claim specialists. IDEAL ROOFING SYSTEMS Residential • Commercial • Licensed Bonded • Insured. New Construction Reroofs • Repairs • Roof Tile • Shingles Metal Roofs • Flat Decks • MaintenanceContracts 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 QUALITY WORK & SERVICE - Free estimates, reliable & on time. No Deposits. Pay upon completion, residential, commercial, reroofing, repairs, credit cards accepted. 561-842-6120. Lic.#CGC 1325633
& SONS, INC. –– Painting, Interior, Exterior. Pressure cleaning. Custom painting, faux art. Lic. No. U14736. 798-8978. 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 LARRY’S PAINTING & WALLPAPER — Licensed • Bonded • Insured. Interior/Exterior painting. 561-309-2845. Wallpaper - Luanne 561-801-2018 LET US AD A LITTLE COLOR TO YOUR LIFE — Residential/Commercial. Licensed • Bonded • Insured. Owner/Operator. Ask for Paul 561-3098290.
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) J&C’s Faux Painting Service, Inc. Lic./Ins. U14092 CREATIVE PAINTING SYSTEMS, INC. — Interior • Exterior • Residential Specialists. WE DELIVER WHAT WE PROMISE. All work guaranteed. FREE ESTIMATES. Family owned & Operated. Over 23 years experience. License #U-18337 • Bonded • Insured Owner/Operator George Born. 561686-6701
“You dealt with the rest now deal with the best” maintenance and repairs. Inquire about 1 months FREE service. 561-791-5073 ELITE POOL CLEANING TROPICAL ISLAND POOLS, INC. — Pool Maintenance, repairs, automatic pool cleaners, Salt Generators, Specializing in LEAK DETECTION. Tipoolsinc.com ONE CALL DOES IT ALL. 561-685-4172 561-795-0476. Since 1975 J&B PRESSURE CLEANING — Established in 1984. All types of
JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio rescreening. Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed! Lic.#9001390. 798-3132.
ROLL DOWN SHUTTERS — Accordion shutters, storm panels and rolling shutters...prices that can’t be beat. All shutters Systems, Inc. 863-0955 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
SALES, SERVICE AND INSTALLATION FOR ALL TYPES — Windows, doors, accordion & panel shutters. Impact glass. USA IMPACT WINDOWS & DOORS. 561-502-1518
HURRICANE PROTECTION — Accordian & Bahama Shutters, impact doors & windows, sales, service & installation financing available. RAINGUARD,Inc. 561-969-9005 Lic. Bonded. Ins. U15212. Owner/Installer.
AQUATIC SPRINKLER, LLC - Complete repair of all types of systems. Owner Operated. Michael 561-9646004 Lic. #U17871 Bonded & Ins. Serving the Western Communities Since 1990 AT YOUR SERVICE TRANSPORTAirports, Hospitals, Dr. appt's, shopping trips. 561-632-2999 or leave message at 793-7652. Wellington Resident. Lincoln Town-Car. Lic. & Ins. #1708
ONE-ON-ONE TUTORING IN YOUR HOME • All Subjects • Pre K- Adult • Home school • SAT/ACT/FCAT Test Prep • Study Skills ** FCAT SPECIAL ** CLUBZTUTORING.COM
