Town-Crier Newspaper May 16, 2014 by Wellington The Magazine LLC

LIBRARY LAUNCHES ‘READ DOWN FINES’ SEE STORY, PAGE 3

THE ‘WAR ON CANCER’ STREET PARTY SEE PHOTOS, PAGE 5

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Vote Gives Wellington Council More Control Over Board Appointees

Volume 35, Number 20 May 16 - May 22, 2014

Serving Palms West Since 1980

CULTURAL DIVERSITY DAY IN RPB

Members of the Wellington Village Council soon could have the power to add and remove volunteer board and committee members at will. The council gave preliminary OK Tuesday to an ordinance allowing them to remove their own appointees “without cause.” Page 3

Palm Beach Equine Change Gets Initial OK

Tying the expansion of Wellington’s bridle trails to a land use change for the Palm Beach Equine Sports Complex divided the Wellington Village Council on Tuesday. The council voted 3-2 to approve an ordinance that designates the complex as a commercial recreational site, allowing it to expand its veterinary practice. Page 7

Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) and the Village of Royal Palm Beach held the 12th annual Cultural Diversity Day on Saturday, May 10 at Veterans Park in Royal Palm Beach. The event featured vendors, food stands and live entertainment, all put together by the CAFCI Cultural Committee, shown above. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 10 PHOTO BY FABIANA OTERO/TOWN-CRIER

Wellington Seniors Host Spring Dinner Dance

The Wellington Seniors Club held its Spring Dinner Dance on Friday, May 9 at the Mayacoo Lakes Country Club. Attendees enjoyed a dinner, dancing and a raffle. Page 10

Wellington Ballet Theatre Presents ‘Snow White’

Wellington Ballet Theatre presented Snow White last weekend. Directed by Rocky and Dorie Duvall and choreographed by Melissa Waters, the dancers presented a unique showing of the classic story. Page 17

OPINION

It’s Graduation Time Again: Our Advice To The Class Of 2014

Next week, hundreds of young men and women will walk across a graduation stage and bid goodbye to the life they have long known. The community will come together to celebrate this meritorious occasion as the Class of 2014 joins the world of adulthood and responsibility. As we do every year, the TownCrier offers some advice to our graduates. Page 4 2014

SUMMER

CAMP GUIDE

PAGES 24 & 25

DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 10 OPINION.................................. 4 CRIME NEWS.......................... 6 PEOPLE................................. 11 SCHOOLS...................... 12 - 13 COLUMNS.......................14, 21 NEWS BRIEFS....................... 15 BUSINESS..................... 22 - 23 SPORTS..........................27 - 29 CALENDAR............................ 30 CLASSIFIEDS.................33 - 37 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

Wellington Education Panel Seeks To Fight ‘Summer Slide’

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report To help keep local children motivated throughout the summer, the Village of Wellington is launching a summer reading and math incentive program. Initiated by the Wellington Education Committee, the program aims to encourage local students in kindergarten through fourth grade to keep a log of all their summer reading and math activities, with a celebration at the end of the summer for participants. The concept was approved by the Wellington Village Council on Tuesday. “We wanted to start a new program to support math and reading,” Committee Vice Chair Michelle McGovern said. “As some of you may know, there’s

something called the ‘summer slide’ — that’s what happens to kids when they’re not in school every day. Despite the successes we’ve seen them make during the school year, they take a step back.” To help prevent this, the committee has been discussing ideas to keep children motivated. “Anything we can do to support those kids going into the next school year, we’d like to do,” McGovern explained. The Wellington Education Committee has been one of the village’s more pro-active committees and earlier this year secured a grant from Wellington to help local students struggling in math and reading. Named the Keely Spinelli Grant, the program awarded nearly $275,000 to 11 Wellington public schools.

McGovern said the incentive program would be a way to continue to keep all children — but especially those who struggle — interested in reading and math all summer long. “We would ask the kids to keep math and reading logs over the summer,” she said. “At the end of the summer, we would hope Wellington would host a special free movie night. We’d really step it up and ask businesses to come and support the children, and then offer some incentives for those kids who come and turn in their math and reading logs.” This is similar to other programs promoted by local libraries, Barnes & Noble and other organizations. “We accept all of it,” McGovern said. “We want our kids reading See SUMMER ED, page 4

Madison Green Resident Seeks To Save Neighborhood Trees From Removal By HOA

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Angelique Palmer of Madison Green’s Wyndham Village is on a crusade to save more than 200 oak and mahogany trees along the streets of her neighborhood that are scheduled to be cut down and replaced with palm trees. “I went to a board meeting when I found out the board was planning on bringing down the trees that line the swales in our community,” Palmer told the Town-Crier on Monday. “It’s more than 200 trees. I asked, ‘How can you bring them down when you haven’t taken a vote?’” Joe Gall, president of the threemember homeowners’ association board, told her that he had spoken to several of the neighbors and most of them wanted the trees down. Palmer said she asked the board what she could do to stop them from cutting the trees, and they told her she would need to get a

petition signed by at least 100 of the 192 homeowners. “I went around with a petition paper,” she said. “I don’t want our trees replaced with foxtail palms.” Palmer said she knocked on doors until she had 100 signatures. “I could have gotten more, but it takes a long time,” she said. “You knock on every door and you have to explain. Many of the people didn’t know what was going on.” She submitted the petition at a meeting in December. But later, residents received a flier from the HOA stating that the tree cutting had been stopped due to the petition, but that the board was still considering cutting down the trees. The flier stated that the roots of the trees had lifted the sidewalks, causing a liability hazard, and that foxtail palms grow large, giving a uniform tropical look. The flier asked residents to send in their votes whether they wanted the trees replaced or not. At a meeting in March, Gall

announced that the HOA had received 49 votes in favor of cutting the trees, and only five in favor of keeping the oaks and mahogany. However, Palmer told the board that she was submitting her petition as votes. “That’s what the people who signed the petition told me to do. They said, ‘No, we’re not going through this again, just turn them in again,’” she said. “We resubmitted our signatures as votes. At that meeting, they said it didn’t matter how many votes we had, since it was a matter of safety, they were just going to go ahead and continue with the cutting.” Palmer said if it is a safety issue, she believes that there are alternatives to cutting the trees. “I mentioned this at the board meeting,” she said. “To begin, you can cut the roots of the trees, put up root guards and fix the sidewalks. That’s what is done not only in Madison Green, but throughout See TREES, page 16

ITID Might Change Roads To Block Minto West Traffic

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report The Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors approved a resolution Wednesday night that would look into ways to mitigate impacts the community will feel from the proposed Minto West development. Supervisors voted unanimously to authorize a limited traffic study, look into an area-wide approach for developmental impacts caused by Minto West and establish a level of service for ITID roads. The resolution will also allow ITID representatives to draft a “protective concept plan” for the area and ask the Palm Beach Metropolitan Planning Organization to remove ITID easement roads from its 2040 plans. ITID Attorney Mary Viator stressed to the board that Indian Trail is limited in its ability to address Minto West. “Decisions related to approving Minto West are not in the district’s authority,” she said. “Palm Beach County staff has, however, asked ITID to comment on how the development may affect the district.” Earlier this year, the board hired land-use attorney Marty Perry to help develop strategies to address the influx of proposed developments in the area. Perry put together several consultants. He

said his team believes the Minto West project could be a “disaster” for The Acreage without careful long-term planning. “It will be a disaster for this area without some kind of long-term regional approach to the roads,” Perry said. “The only way I see to protect these roads is to look at conceptual planning. We have to look at neighborhoods within The Acreage and make a plan to protect the roads within those neighborhoods by preventing traffic from going through them.” Perry said Minto’s location poses a problem. “It’s smack in the middle of The Acreage,” he said. “When I first got involved with this, my first reaction was that Minto West by itself will represent a pretty significant impact.” But other developments could also impact The Acreage, Perry said, pointing to the GL Homes property to the west and the Avenir project in Palm Beach Gardens. “If [Minto West] is approved at 6,500 homes, GL Homes could come in and ask for at least that many,” Perry said. “All potential developments have the ability to impact the road structure in this area which, quite frankly, is inadequate for the current population, let alone future populations.” Although ITID does not have See ITID, page 16

GREEN SCHOOL AWARD

Florida Atlantic University’s Pine Jog Environmental Education Center held its Green Schools Recognition Program luncheon on May 9. Elbridge Gale Elementary School was awarded the Green School of Excellence Award and was recognized with a Judge’s Choice Award from the South Florida Science Center & Aquarium for curriculum integration. Shown here is Laura Arena and the Tuesday Gardening Gators with the Green School award. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

LGWCD Scrutinizing Culvert Conditions

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors discussed the condition of culverts Monday, focusing on their ability to move water during storms. Supervisors are concerned that some of the culverts might not be able to function as well as they should. The issue came up during a recent report on the condition of culverts by Loxahatchee Groves Planning & Zoning Board Member Keith Harris to the Roadway, Equestrian Trails & Greenway Advisory Committee, and at a subsequent Intergovernmental

Coordination Committee meeting on April 23. “It raised issues that are mainly town issues rather than water control district issues, but because we’re involved in the permits for bridges over the canals, he presented this at the [intergovernmental] meeting, leading up to further discussion with the town,” Supervisor John Ryan explained. LGWCD Administrator Steve Yohe said many of the culverts and bridges are in poor condition, and the report raised issues regarding ownership of bridges and culverts, maintenance and replacement responsibility. “At some point in time, this isSee LGWCD, page 7

Canal Project Has Wellington Neighborhood Upset

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Concerned about the loss of some of their trees planted along canals, residents of Larch Way came out Tuesday night to ask the Wellington Village Council to reconsider plans to cut 25 feet from the canal behind their homes. During public comment, several homeowners expressed concern that Wellington would be cutting down mature foliage, not just invasive trees. “There’s a lot of confusion about what is going on,” resident Doug Terry said. Terry said that eight to 10 years ago, Wellington tried a similar program to reclaim the canal bank. “The whole council came out to

our canal and decided it was really adverse to the community,” he said. “It seems they just put it off, and here we are again.” Originally, Terry said he was told that Wellington would be removing only the Brazilian pepper and Australian pine trees. “I thought that was a good idea,” he said. On April 29, Terry said he spoke with his neighbor, who noted that her ponytail palm tree had been tagged for removal. “[Public Works Director] Mitch Fleury decided he was going to reclaim the easement,” Terry said. “They’re going to use a barge to dredge the canal. The barge is in the water, not on the canal bank,

not 25 feet into the easement. It’s just beyond understanding that they could be allowed to just clearcut everything and not take into consideration the residents who pay more to live on the canals and waterways.” He said removing all the foliage would change the character of the neighborhood. “It’s beautiful, and they want to make it into a drainage ditch,” Terry said. “I think it’s going to depreciate the value of the properties.” Although the property technically belongs to the Acme Improvement District, Terry said he has maintained it for more than 30 years. “I just have the right of enjoyment, and they’re going to

take that away from me,” he said. “I don’t think that’s right.” Councilwoman Anne Gerwig noted that she met with Terry and other neighbors. “I explained it is the right-of-way, it’s not the easement,” she said. “We’re not reclaiming the easement. My personal viewpoint is if we don’t have to take the trees out, then why would we? But if we do, then what are we bringing in there?” She suggested calling a public meeting to address residents’ concerns. “If there’s a way to do this without disrupting all these trees, then we should know,” Gerwig said. Village Manager Paul Schofield said he would put together a pub-

lic meeting. He said Wellington has recently started maintaining its canals, necessitating the tree removal. “To the best of our ability to determine, prior to 2008, there hadn’t been much maintenance of our canals,” he said. “Most of them haven’t been deepened or widened, and they are drainage canals. What we’re talking about is a right-of-way, and it’s up to the council whether you want to remove those trees or not. But if we don’t remove them, there is no practical way to return those canals to their designed sections and let them flow water.” Schofield said councils in the See CANAL, page 16

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May 16 - May 22, 2014

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Jess Santamaria Receives ‘Humanitarian Of The Year’ Award

The Black Educators Caucus of Palm Beach County recognized Jess Santamaria as “Humanitarian of the Year” at its annual scholarship awards event held at the Airport Hilton on Saturday, May 10. The Humanitarian Award was the result of Commissioner Santamaria’s donating his entire annual salary for the past seven years to various Palm Beach County causes, including the Lord’s Place, the Homeless Coalition, Palm Beach State College vocational courses for young men and women in the Glades communities, annual scholarships for public school students in the western communities, many youth programs, the Max Planck Scientific Research Institute, and various environmental protection causes. Last year, the Sierra Club recognized Santamaria as the “Environmental Champion of the Year,” and in 2009, the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation recognized him as “Champion of the Everglades.”

Jess Santamaria is presented the “Humanitarian of the Year Award” by Ronald Leonard, president of the Black Educators Caucus of Palm Beach County.

Jess, as he prefers to be called, is the founder of My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper Charitable Trust. The trust’s primary objective is to help needy families until they are able to help themselves, similar to what the Lord’s Place does. He is also the founder of My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper Scholarship Foundation, which during the past 18 years has awarded more than 300 scholarships to public elementary, middle and high school students in the western communities. This year’s annual scholarship awards will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 16 in the center court of the original Wellington Mall, where 20 scholarships will be given to deserving students who exemplify good citizenship and caring for others.

Reprinted From The Town-Crier Newspaper - April 11, 2014

Western Academy Charter School Gets Expansion OK For New STEAM Program

Western Academy Charter School recently received approval from the Royal Palm Beach Village Council to expand its square footage to accommodate new magnet school facilities. The 10-year-old charter school, located in the Royal Plaza Shopping Center at the northeast corner of Royal Palm Beach and Southern boulevards, sought a modification of conditions previously imposed by the council limiting the allowable space. Planning & Zoning Director Bradford O’Brien said the application will increase the 21,633-squarefoot maximum previously permitted by the village. “The applicant is requesting modification of this condition to allow for a 10,326-square-foot expansion into a contiguous building,” O’Brien said. “The increase will bring the total square footage to 31,959 square feet. The applicant is not requesting any increase in the total number of students.” O’Brien said village staff had reviewed the application with regard to parking and traffic performance standards, the village’s comp plan and code of ordinances. It was staff’s opinion that the request is appropriate. Contractor Frank Nasto said the academy is seeking only to increase the square footage, not the number of students, which was most recently set by council resolution in 2012. Nasto said the

school will address traffic issues in the future, if any arise. Councilman Richard Valuntas favored the application. “It’s my understanding that this application is because the charter school is successful, right? You need more space?” Valuntas said. Western Academy Principal Linda Terranova said the expansion is to support school’s new Science, Technology, Engineering and Applied Mathematics (STEAM) academy. Vice Mayor David Swift also supported the application. “The big question is always, ‘Will students increase?’” Swift said. “If they have more students, they would have to come back to us.” Terranova said there are currently 390 students enrolled at the charter school, and the maximum allowed is 485. “We’re going to be adding a new STEAM academy,” she said. “We’re going to be taking our high-level students out of our current middleschool program, as well as high-level students from surrounding schools, and creating an academy specifically for the principles of science, technology and math. We have engineering classes, robotics classes, animation and computer coding, gaming mechanics, a lot of really fun classes that are going to be very engaging.”

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Terranova said the school will replace students from the existing program with new ones, but stay within the 485 students allowed. Councilman Jeff Hmara congratulated Terranova on the success of the school, pointing out that Western Academy is among the top schools in the state based on 2012-13 FCAT scores. “That’s what led us to do it,” Terranova said, pointing out that Western Academy students ranked in the top 7 percent in math, in the top 14 percent for reading and in the top 13 percent for science. “The kids are doing really well. We really need to take this to the highest level.” Swift said he was impressed with the organization of the parents’ pick-ups and drop-offs. “They are really good about lining up and being very safe,” Swift said. “It’s working out quite well.” “I crack the whip with that,” Terranova said. “It’s very fast. We have it down to a science.” Valuntas made a motion to approve the application, which carried 4-0. Councilman Fred Pinto had recused himself from voting on the matter due to a possible conflict of interest. The new STEAM academy will begin during the 2014-15 school year. Learn more at www.westernacademycharter.com.

The Town-Crier

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May 16 - May 22, 2014

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NEWS

Vote Gives Wellington Council More Control Over Appointees

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Members of the Wellington Village Council soon could have the power to add and remove volunteer board and committee members at will. Council members gave preliminary approval Tuesday to an ordinance that would allow them to remove their own appointees “without cause.” In a 4-1 vote, council members largely agreed that if their appointees are meant to represent their views, they should have the ability to remove them without consent of a council majority. Currently, council members must vote publicly to remove

someone appointed to one of Wellington’s volunteer boards or committees. “I personally believe that the individuals we appoint to these committees are representative of that particular council member,” Councilman Howard Coates said. “If I think my appointee is not reflecting my values and opinions... I want the ability to remove that person.” Councilwoman Anne Gerwig, the lone dissenter, said she thought it would make the process more political. “I feel like it’s adding a political tint to the function of boards and committees,” she said. “I want

people to serve on my committee because I know them and they agree with me on some things. I want their real opinions. I have never called my appointment to tell them [how to vote]. This ordinance leads to that kind of behavior.” The issue arose after a March 5 meeting of the Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board, when then-Board Member Marcia Radosevich gave a Nazi-style salute to a staff member. Despite public outcry for her to be removed, the only way to do so was by a majority council vote. Radosevich ultimately resigned and apologized for her behavior,

but the incident left council members looking for more control. “This was brought forward at the request of the council,” Village Attorney Laurie Cohen said. “There were a few instances where it was unclear whether a council member could remove appointed board and committee members.” Councilman Matt Willhite, who appointed Radosevich, noted that there was a public outcry for him to remove her. “I didn’t have the ability to remove [her],” he said. “I continued to take political heat and pressure.” Although the initial ordinance called for an appeals process if the appointee disagreed with the

removal, Willhite said he believed it should be solely at the council member’s discretion that the appointee serves. “I don’t think there needs to be an appeal process,” he said. “I think we should be able to remove them.” But Gerwig said the removal of a board member should require public discussion. “I can see how it would be convenient,” she said. “When I don’t want someone to serve on that committee anymore, I could just remove them. But I think that’s something we should have a public discussion about. I think the appeals process is appropriate.”

Coates disagreed. “We’re the elected ones, and we’re the ones who take the heat,” he said. During public comment, resident Bruce Tumin said the change could be used for political persuasion. “If a council member may remove an appointee without cause, why have a committee?” he asked. “Would a council member threaten removal for a vote? Regardless of a committee’s recommendation, it is the council that has the final say. Why would anyone volunteer?” Willhite said he believes that abuse of the rule would be unlikely, but if a council member is See APPOINTMENTS, page 7

County Commission OKs Library’s ‘Read Down Fines’ Program

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Palm Beach County Library System is providing a new way for youths to atone for their late return of materials — they now can “read down” their fines. Library Director John Callahan presented the program for approval to the Palm Beach County Commission at its meeting Tuesday, May 6, explaining that at last year’s budget deliberations, Vice Mayor Paulette Burdick had asked that the library look at the idea of removing juvenile fines on late materials with the intent to increase reading among children and remove obstacles that might exist in terms of finances. “After researching the subject in professional literature and contacting a number of libraries around the country who have a no-fines policy, we were unable to find any hard data that actually improved the situation,” Callahan said. “In fact, what data does exist seems to indicate there’s actually a negative correlation with no fines, and more people retain the items longer, which has the effect of making fewer materials available to the public, so we don’t recommend that.” But because of library staff’s direct contact with library patrons, particularly those in lower-income neighborhoods, they came to realize that about 33,000 of 130,000 juvenile library cards are blocked because of fines exceeding $5. “Juvenile fines approximate $100,000 a year, and that is actually included in our budget

revenues,” Callahan said. “As an alternative to cash, however, some larger libraries — among them Louisville, Baltimore and Queens, N.Y. — have instituted a Read Down Your Fines program. The intent of the program is to restore access to children with fines while still holding them responsible for their actions.” Under the program, a child would earn one “Dewey Book Buck” for every 15 minutes spent reading in the library under the supervision of library staff. “The program, I think, would remove that economic burden to get the child back into the library, and hopefully reading more,” Callahan said. The program will be available to children up to age 18, beginning with the library’s 2014 Summer Reading Program in June, and continue for one year. If the results are good, the program will continue. “We’ll also be taking steps to revitalize our summer reading program this year with a lot more publicity,” Callahan said. “It’s going to be funded by our Friends of the Library, and, of course, libraries have traditionally held summer reading programs to try to alleviate the summer slide, which has been publicized lately.” He said library staff would also work with the school district to publicize the program, as well as increase efforts to take the program outside the library to summer camps, recreation sites and other county locations where children gather for the summer. Commissioner Hal Valeche

asked who will select the content and how closely the children would be supervised. “Let’s assume this program gets very popular,” Valeche said. “I know there’s limited staff, but if there’s 10 kids reading at once, it’s going to take a fair amount of time.” Callahan said the children can select the reading material, and the reading will be largely on an honor system. “It wouldn’t be that difficult to observe that they are in fact reading and not just fooling around,” he said. Mayor Priscilla Taylor asked whether the late fees are actually being collected, and Callahan said it is unlikely that any of them will be collected. “Essentially, they’ve reached the limit, and they don’t have the money to pay them,” Callahan said. Their parents are not ponying up, either, so this is money we would never collect anyway.” Callahan noted that the library goes to great effort to get the books back, even if the late fees are uncollectible. “We still want the books back,” he said. “They are not going to be forgiven until they return the books.” Commissioner Shelley Vana asked whether the program is being coordinated with the Children’s Services Council and its summer program, and Callahan said his staff is working on that. Taylor wondered if the program might negate the importance of returning books and paying appropriate fees. “I think back when I didn’t turn a book in, I had to pay and it taught me responsibility, and

I’m wondering if what we’re doing is sort of erasing that,” she said. “I think because they have to read down the fine, they are still retaining responsibility,” Callahan said. “The other aspect that people brought to my attention was that in this county, it is difficult for a

child to walk to the library. He relies on parents for transportation, so in a way, we’re kind of fining the parents rather than the child. I think the responsibility factor is still there by requiring them to do something to read down that fine.” Burdick congratulated Callahan

and his staff for being creative in trying to address late fees for children and promoting reading. “Reading is key,” she said. “It’s key to Palm Beach County’s economic development.” Burdick made a motion to approve the program. It carried 7-0.

Graduation Ceremonies To Be Streamed Live, Shown On TV

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Those who cannot attend commencement exercises for the four public high schools serving the western communities will be able to watch live streaming video on the Palm Beach County School District’s web site. “If you go onto our main web site (www.palmbeachschools. org), we are live streaming most of our graduations,” school district spokesman Owen Torres told the Town-Crier on Tuesday. “On our Education Network, which is the district’s TV station, you can watch it live. You can view it on Comcast as well. If you don’t want to watch it online, you can watch it on TV.” Area high schools will bid farewell to the Class of 2014 next week. All four local ceremonies will take place at the South Florida Fairgrounds. Royal Palm Beach High School’s graduation is set for Monday, May 19 at 8 a.m.

Seminole Ridge High School’s commencement will be Tuesday, May 20 at 8 a.m. Palm Beach Central High School’s graduation will be held Wednesday, May 21 at 8 a.m. Wellington High School’s ceremony will take place Thursday, May 22 at 4 p.m. Torres said the school district is also buying billboards to congratulate the graduating seniors. “You might find some digital billboards on the I-95 corridor all the way from the north part of the county to the south,” he said. “It’s also a two-way messaging point to showcase what our schools are doing. These are the fruits of our labor, because these kids are phenomenal. Some of them are going to Harvard, they are going to Columbia. We have some really talented students who are going off to great things, and they are a product of the Palm Beach County School District.” He said the live streaming video will be of special value for out-of-

state relatives and friends, who will be able to watch the exercises as they happen. “They can be there watching them go up to the podium to collect their high school diploma,” Torres said. He added that the graduations will be archived on the web site at least for the summer. For those attending the actual commencement exercises, Torres said vehicle and pedestrian management at the fairgrounds has proven to be extremely well run. “We have a really great relationship when it comes to graduation season for us,” he said. “It’s a two-way street. We try to help out as best as we can to make sure that each and every school has their moment in time to have their graduation at the fairgrounds. We work together to make sure that we come up with the best schedule, make sure traffic is flowing in, and make sure everyone gets in on time. District staff, as well as staff over there, work to make sure our graduations are successful.”

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OUR OPINION

It’s Graduation Time Again: Our Advice To The Class Of 2014 Next week, hundreds of young men and women will walk across a graduation stage and bid goodbye to the life they have long known. The community will come together to celebrate this meritorious occasion as the Class of 2014 joins the world of adulthood and responsibility. The four public high schools serving the western communities will host graduation ceremonies at the South Florida Fairgrounds next week, starting with Royal Palm Beach High School on Monday, May 19, followed by Seminole Ridge High School on Tuesday, May 20. Palm Beach Central High School graduates Wednesday, May 21, while Wellington High School will celebrate commencement on Thursday, May 22. Whatever the future has in store for you, Class of 2014, graduation is a time to reflect back on lessons learned and look toward a prosperous future. It’s an opportunity for a clean slate, a fresh start and a new lease on life, no matter what your past contains. As we do every year, the Town-Crier offers some advice to our graduates with hopes that it will help as they walk down the road of life. • Strive For Balance — Whether your plans after high school include college or university, a technical school, entering the military or the workforce, you may suddenly be struck with the freedom of choice between work or play. Gone are the days of high school teachers nagging you for homework, and your parents probably won’t be looking over your desk to make sure you’re studying. It is easy to cast off responsibility in favor of a fun time, but it’s equally possible to get so bogged down in work that your life becomes monotonous and devoid of pleasure. In life, and in your career, you must learn to balance obligations with personal enjoyment. Learn early to set and meet deadlines, to work diligently now so you may relax later and to value experience as much as knowledge. Future employers will want to see a well-rounded job candidate with experience, as well as good grades and great recommendations. Similarly, people with real life experience are often better prepared in the workplace and in life, and it will certainly make you a more interesting conversationalist. • Do What You Love, But Also What You’re Good At — “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” That old saying couldn’t be more true. But in today’s economy, it’s not uncommon for graduates to get locked into a job they don’t enjoy. You don’t want to be one of those people. At this stage in your life, you may already know what your passion is. If you don’t, your young adult

Hope, Faith & The Future

As a soon-to-be 80-year-old, I have worried about our youth and nation’s future. This Saturday, I was bringing home a BBQ grill for my friend when one of the tie-downs in my truck broke and the grill fell partly over the tailgate while we were on Southern Boulevard! There was no way I could pick it up alone, and immediately a young man in a large, high pick-up truck stopped behind me, put the grill back into the truck, retied it and said “have a nice day.” He was gone before I knew who he was. With young men like this, we need not worry about our future. So, at this point, I shall try to “pay it forward.” Peter Granata Wellington

Minto Had This All Planned Out

Do you think Minto expects to get approval for 6,500 homes and 1.4 million square feet of commercial, really? They already had it planned out (most likely with some key supporters on the Palm Beach County Commission) for what they will actually get approved for before they even purchased the property! They will “begrudgingly” get backed down to somewhere around 5,000 homes and about 700,000 square feet of commercial. This is still way over what the land has been approved for. Our commissioners will make it look like they did us a favor not approving their original request, and we should be grateful to them for it, too! I wish we could push back and request Minto truly blend in with 5-acre sites on top of Loxahatchee Groves, then moving out to 2.5 and 1.5 acres as they move up and out toward The Acreage, along with some scaled back commercial along Seminole Pratt. That would be a true friendly neighbor who blends in with the surrounding communities, and not shove a whole traffic-jammed small city down our throats! Or at least follow the previously approved plan for the property.

years are the perfect opportunity to discover what it is you love. Take classes that interest you, pick up new hobbies, volunteer, travel and try to find something that you not only love, but also succeed at. Employers want to see talent, but also passion from their employees. Find something that lets you show off both. • Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions — No one expects you to have all the answers, especially not as a young adult. While society may expect you to behave with maturity, you are not expected to know everything there is to know about striking out on your own, your new job, your classes or even how to get around a new town. There is no shame in asking questions, and the ability to ask and learn from others is an important life skill. You may feel pressure in school or on the job to be perfect, but don’t let that stop you from continuing to learn and grow. That said... • Be Confident In Your Abilities — As you continue to learn new skills, the day will come when they’ll be put to the test. But while many graduates may have the know-how, it is those who display their skills with confidence who will find success. A big part of this is believing in yourself, but there is some wisdom to the old adage, “fake it until you make it.” The more confident and adept you act, the more confidence others will have in you. The self-perpetuating cycle can help boost your own self-esteem and lead to greater success. While you don’t want to misrepresent yourself, there is no harm in a little showing off. • Plan Ahead — This is something young people often struggle with, used to living in the here and now. While you probably have spent months thinking about your immediate future, it’s important that each new venture you take on is carefully thought about. Will this class you want to take get you closer to your goal? If you take a new job, will it get you closer to your ideal career? Ideally, every step you take in your educational and professional career should be giving you necessary experience for the job you ultimately wish to pursue. But this advice is prudent for more than just your career. All actions have consequences, and it’s easy to forget what your decisions could mean long term. Wherever your road takes you tomorrow, remember to enjoy today. The carefree days between graduation and your job, educational pursuits and other responsibilities are some of the last truly free days you’ll have. Enjoy each and every moment with your family, friends and community. Things may never be the same, but the future is brighter. Congratulations, Class of 2014! We wish you the best.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We will soon see who Minto’s friends are by paying attention to the comments and votes of our commissioners. Then we need to “vote” accordingly! Robert Austin Loxahatchee Groves

Fight The Foreign Intruder

Those of us living here in Palm Beach County’s western communities chose to settle here for a number of reasons. For some it was the small-town feel of Royal Palm Beach. For others it was the rural environment of Loxahatchee and The Acreage, where their kids could grow up surrounded by green space and raising the animals they love. However, all of that is being threatened by outsiders who are attempting to decide the future of our beloved western communities. First among these intruders is a foreign company, Minto Inc., a large Canadian corporation. It purchased the 3,791 acres formerly known as Callery-Judge Grove, agricultural land that was once allowed 380 homes and no commercial development. Using political connections in Tallahassee, that got increased to almost 3,000 homes and 235,000 square feet of commercial building. Greed didn’t end there. The company is now using its political clout with the Palm Beach County government to further increase the density to 6,500 homes and 1.4 million square feet of commercial development. Second among the outsiders are the residents of Dade and Broward counties, Cocoa Beach and other communities deceptively hired by Minto to occupy seats during public meetings to pretend they support Minto’s attempts to increase density to 6,500 homes and 1.4 million square feet of commercial buildings. These pretenders have been observed tossing their “Yes to Minto” shirts in the trash after the meetings. These outsiders don’t live in our area, don’t know the issues but do like the money Minto pays them. Third, the Canadian corporation (Minto) is now working on getting at least four Palm Beach County

commissioners, whose districts are outside of the western communities, to approve of its outrageous proposal. And given that some on the Palm Beach County Commission appear to be ignoring the unanimous vote of their own planning commission to deny Minto any further expansion beyond the already approved 3,000 homes, one could speculate that some past and future campaigns have seen and likely will see financing from Minto, its paid lobbyists, consultants, lawyers and others. We in the western communities refuse to accept this betrayal; we demand the right to decide on our own future. Arlene Olinsky Royal Palm Beach

Commissioner Taylor’s Tantrum

At the Palm Beach County Commission meeting held Monday, April 26, Commissioner Priscilla Taylor’s tantrum can only be described as outrageous conduct unbecoming of an elected official. That was not the first time she has done this. Outbursts like those do not belong in chambers. There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that the position of chairperson has gone to her head. Taylor tried unsuccessfully to shut up two of her fellow commissioners, Paulette Burdick and Jess Santamaria. Kudos to them both for refusing to be intimidated. She should apologize immediately. I think she belongs to “the group of four” commissioners who tends to vote together and was instrumental in overlooking Santamaria for the post of chairman. He certainly must have touched a raw nerve when he suggested that Minto West’s final public hearing was purposely rescheduled as a ploy to vote on the project after he leaves office. If that was not the case, then why the outburst? Most commissioners are jealous of Santamaria’s vast experience and achievements. He should remind them of it more often. He gives back to the community far more than he should, donating his entire wages to many worthy causes. For some of the other commis-

sioners, it’s all about taking the taxpayers for all they can get. The disrespecting of Santamaria started with Shelley Vana, was continued by Steve Abrams and is being concluded by Taylor. Ms. Taylor, you should stop your personal vendetta. As a commissioner, I doubt very much that you would pass the smell test. Alma Sato Wellington

So Much For The Comp Plan

The Palm Beach County Planning Commission is made up of concerned residents dedicated to serve the public and appointed by the Palm Beach County Commission. They demonstrated their respect for the Palm Beach County Comprehensive Plan by not approving to initiate the Minto text amendment changes to the agricultural enclave provisions. No one believes the Minto group and its hired hands didn’t approach most of the Palm Beach County Commissioners and their staff. The Palm Beach County Planning Commission wasn’t considered by the Minto forces as a player that needed to be reckoned with. This was obvious in the Palm Beach County Planning Commission’s vote — it was unadulterated and steadfast to resist self-serving changes to the comprehensive plan. The Palm Beach County Commission approval to initiate the Minto text amendment changes and forward them to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity does convey a willingness to accommodate the petitioner. A non-approval result by Palm Beach County would have sent a clear intent to the state to leave the comprehensive plan alone, unchanged at this time. Furthermore, if the petition reached the state another way, this also would have sent a negative tone to the state regarding the county commission’s reluctance to change the comprehensive plan. Some of the Palm Beach County commissioners believe they must move Minto’s interests forward to discover the full intent of the proposed changes to the compre-

hensive plan. They don’t want to realize the threat to the Acreage/ Loxahatchee culture and believe the issues the residents make of it are not significant. The Palm Beach Planning Department should already know the heartbeat of the majority of the residents living in the community. They should already know the significant and quantifiable public benefits the community wants and will use. The department wants and needs another analysis to make an informed decision based on facts, then the department should be replaced. The Palm Beach Planning Commission didn’t need another analysis to make an informed decision. If the Palm Beach County Commission had not approved the Minto text amendment, what would be their loss from the potential gain by approving it? The future is that your community is next. Prepare yourselves says the watchman. Bob Sommer The Acreage

Aristocratic Municipalization Of Private Land

Wellington owns 70 acres for which it has no use and has leased it to a farmer. The inconvenient truth is that this administration not only forgot to advise the property appraiser of a change of address, but also either forgot or did not know that the village had to apply for an agricultural exemption on the land. It cost taxpayers an extra $125,000, and no one has been held accountable. The village also spent $5 million to go into the office rental business. With certain specific exceptions,

the Florida Constitution forbids municipal governments from engaging directly or indirectly in private commercial ventures for profit and restricts them to participating only in public services and governmental activities. Acquiring 70 acres to sell to developers clearly violates the law, and in an attempt to circumvent the intent of the law, the administration claims that the leased office building will be used to house future municipal offices — like the “taj mahal” that now houses the administration is not big enough. If Wellington needs an even larger staff to conduct affairs, how much higher will taxes be in the future to support a Titanic-sized administration? Rather than more land, more offices and more personnel, perhaps a better idea would be a leaner government that is more efficient. This administration spent $175,000 on meals and refreshments, and according to the inspector general, $30,000 was not spent on “official business.” Actually, unless this administration is in the catering business as well, perhaps the entire $175,000 is waste that could be cut from the budget. There are 30,000 Wellington taxpayers. Each of them could have been fed three meals a day for a year on the money this administration spent on “refreshments.” As consumer prices continue to rise, especially for necessities, villagers may be less willing to pay for refreshments for this administration. Perhaps a good strategy for this administration will be to get out of the real estate business, snack at home and lower taxes next year. Frank J. Morelli Wellington

SEND IN YOUR LETTERS

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 letters@ goTownCrier.com.

OPINION

Now That There’s A Mini Pacemaker, What Other Tiny Device Is Next? I read the story, I processed it intellectually, yet still found it hard to believe. Already in use, a miniature, self-contained wireless device, the approximate size of a quarter, that does all the work of a standard pacemaker. It is inserted into the heart without surgery!

Footloose and... By Jules W. Rabin

In one recent case detailed in the media, the “Nanostim” was routed into the patient’s right ventricle using a catheter inserted in the femoral vein of the leg. The procedure took 20 minutes. The patient went home the next day and was back to work in a couple

of days. After a bit of time, scar tissue grows on the implant and seals it. The Nanostim insert is currently for patients who require a single chamber pacing, or some 20 to 30 percent of patients who require a pacemaker. The average age of

patients receiving the device in Europe, where it has been in use for a period of time, is 77. There are other new, miniaturized medical devices, including pill cameras and a “bionic eye,” already functioning in the United States.

Many others are on the drawing board to continue the trend where small size will make a difference. For the record, more than 4 million patients around the world have pacemakers, and some 700,000 receive a new one annually.

ment that we’re making and the effort put in by everyone involved, we all benefit from that,” he said. “It’s a benefit to everyone in Wellington.” He asked how the program would be promoted. McGovern said the village would put out a letter through the Community Services Department that will specify the program each school is promoting.

She also said she hopes to expand the program in coming years. “We want to start small here, but I promise we’ll be back next year with an idea that might do a little bit more,” McGovern said. “We are starting with [kindergarten through fourth grades], but we want to step it up to include middle school and high school.” Council members voted unanimously to support the initiative.

NEWS

Summer Ed

Reading And Math

continued from page 1 and practicing their math. We’d like to market it as much as possible.” Currently the program targets children in kindergarten through fourth grades. According to a

staff report, a letter to be sent to parents would encourage 60 to 120 minutes of reading per week, as well as completing math activities, such as problem-solving games, online. Councilwoman Anne Gerwig said the program would benefit all of Wellington. “I see this as a great way to get the elementary [students] to stay interested, but I’d like to see us engage the

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middle school [children],” she said. “Publix does a math night for some of the schools. Maybe we could lead this into our older children, who get pretty bored in the summer.” McGovern said that when the committee approached principals about the program, it seemed to motivate them. “They probably had summer programs that they were planning

on organizing, but it made them step it up because we’re doing this as a village, all together,” she said. “I think that the more we continue to partner with our schools, the more progress we’re going to make overall.” Vice Mayor John Greene said Wellington’s schools are a large reason families choose to live here. “When you look at the invest-

BARRY S. MANNING Publisher

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NEWS

WORLD OF BEER WELLINGTON HOSTS ‘WAR ON CANCER’ STREET PARTY

The War on Cancer Street Party was held Saturday, May 9 in the parking lot of World of Beer in Wellington. The purpose was to raise money for local charities and raise awareness. There were vendors, live music, food and more. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Capt. Todd Turner, Battalion Chief Kevin Rattey, Capt. Ray Molt, District Capt. Rusty Lee and Jennifer Jackson.

Martha Garich, Bethlina Hoffman, Sofia and Jeff Hoffman and Andy Parke.

The PBCFR pink pumper cancer awareness crew Art Barry, Tara Cardoso, Michele Shaw, Judy Nault and Rich Cioffoletti.

Cancer survivors Natalie Kalphat, Scott Conley, Ed O’Berry, Chris Bradley and Judy Nault.

Carlos Wesley from BetheMatch.org waits for a cheek swab to test bone marrow from David Bradley.

Daniel Martino and Kelli Grim with Cayman enjoy the music.

ELBRIDGE GALE ELEMENTARY HONORED AS GREEN SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE

Florida Atlantic University’s Pine Jog Environmental Education Center held its Green Schools Recognition Program luncheon on Friday, May 9 at the West Palm Beach Marriott. Elbridge Gale Elementary School was awarded the Green School of Excellence Award and was recognized with a Judge’s Choice Award from the South Florida Science Center & Aquarium for curriculum integration. For more info., visit www.ourgreenschools.com. PHOTOS BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

The Elbridge Gale group with Susan Toth and Ray Coleman from FAU’s Pine Jog Environmental Education Center.

Chad Phillips, Gail Pasterezyk, Laura Arena, Emily Sagovac and Sheila Galera accept the $500 Judges Choice Award from the South Florida Science Center for curriculum integration.

Tom Wenham with Karen Aubry from FAU’s Pine Jog Environmental Education Center.

Page 6

May 16 - May 22, 2014

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CRIME NEWS

Electrical Wiring Stolen From Home

You Deserve Quality CARE

SERVING OUR COMMUNITY FOR OVER 20 YEARS

SPECIALIZING IN:

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| XXX NZHBTUSPEPDUPST DPN

By Lauren MirĂł Town-Crier Staff Report MAY 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Officeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was called to a home on West Sycamore Drive last Saturday morning regarding a burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 4 p.m. last Wednesday and 9:45 a.m. last Saturday, someone entered the vacant home and took the electrical wiring between the electrical meter, located outside, and the breaker box on the inside. The perpetrator(s) also stole a pressure cleaner. The stolen items were valued at approximately $250. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ MAY 6 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A resident of Cabbage Palm Way called the PBSOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation last Tuesday morning to report a suspicious incident. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 9 a.m., an unknown male called the victimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home and claimed to buy and sell houses. The suspect began to ask strange questions about whether or not the victim puts up hurricane shutters while away in the summer months, if they leave the area for the summer, when they were leaving and when they would return. According to the report, the victimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife told the caller she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what he was talking about and disconnected the call. The victim believes the caller was fishing for information to see if the victimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home will be vacant in the future, in order to commit a burglary. According to the report, the victim does not have caller ID and could not provide a phone number for the caller, but wanted to make deputies aware of the issue. There was no further information available at the time of the report. MAY 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A deputy from the PBSOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was dispatched to a home on Tangerine Blvd. last Wednesday evening regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, the victim was cleaning out her vehicle in her driveway at approximately 5:30 p.m. The victim left her Vera Bradley wallet, her purse and other items on top of the vehicle while she went inside for approximately one hour. When she

returned, her wallet was missing. According to the report, the victim did not see anyone in the area or hear anything outside. She said her neighbors have video surveillance cameras and may have caught the incident on video. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. MAY 9 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; An employee of a business on Okeechobee Blvd. contacted the PBSOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Acreage/ Loxahatchee substation last Friday morning to report a burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 4 p.m. last Thursday and 9 a.m. the following morning, someone entered the victimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s property and peeled back a corner of his metal building to gain access. Once inside, the perpetrator(s) stole two Stihl weed eaters, a Stihl chainsaw, a battery-operated drill with charger and a tool box. The stolen items were valued at approximately $1,000. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. MAY 11 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A resident of St. Andrewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place called the PBSO substation in Wellington last Sunday to report a theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 9 and 11 p.m. last Saturday night, someone stole the capacitor and pull-out disconnector from the victimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s air conditioning unit. The stolen parts were valued at approximately $530. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. MAY 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded Monday morning to a home on Yarmouth Court regarding a case of vandalism. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 8 p.m. last Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday, someone keyed the right side of the victimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vehicle and threw eggs at it. The perpetrator(s) caused approximately $400 in damage to the victimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vehicle. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. MAY 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A resident of Dartford Trail contacted the PBSO substation in Wellington on Monday to report an attempted residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 7 p.m. last Friday and 8 a.m. the following morning, someone broke the handle to the sliding-glass door, which is located at the front of the See BLOTTER, page 16

The PBSO is seeking the man shown in this security video image.

PBSO Seeks Suspect In RPB Vehicle Burglaries

MAY 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Palm Beach County Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office is asking for the publicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s help in identifying an unknown male suspect who committed numerous vehicle burglaries in the Crestwood and Saddle Brook neighborhoods of Royal Palm Beach early last Wednesday morning.

According to a PBSO report, the suspect, who may have been wearing a backpack under his shirt, was caught on camera breaking into cars between 1 and 2:30 a.m. in the neighborhoods. If anyone can identify the suspect, they are urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS.

Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the publicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s help in finding these wanted fugitives: â&#x20AC;˘ Damerson Espinoza is a white male, 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;10â&#x20AC;? tall and weighing 195 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. He has a tattoo on his back. His date of birth is 12/11/84. His occupation is a construction worker. Espinoza is wanted for violation of supervised own recognizance on charges of false imprisonment, tampering with a witness, victim or informant, and domestic battery. His last known addresses were Holly Drive in Lake Worth and the 12th Fairway in Wellington. He is wanted as of 05/08/14. â&#x20AC;˘ Jamon Williams is a black male, 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;9â&#x20AC;? tall and weighing 160 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. He has multiple tattoos. His date of birth is 08/26/78. Williams is wanted for failure to appear on charges of no driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license. His last known address was Belhaven Court in Wellington. He is wanted as of 05/08/14. 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.

Damerson Espinoza

Jamon Williams

THE INFORMATION FOR THIS BOX IS PROVIDED BY CRIME STOPPERS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY. CRIMESTOPPERS IS WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT SHOWN HERE.

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Page 7

NEWS

Palm Beach Equine Change Gets Initial OK From Divided Council

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Tying the expansion of Wellington’s bridle trails to a land use change for the Palm Beach Equine Sports Complex divided the Wellington Village Council on Tuesday. Council members voted 3-2 to approve an ordinance that would designate the complex as a commercial recreational site, allowing it to expand its veterinary practice. Councilman Matt Willhite and Vice Mayor John Greene dissented, wanting instead to place requirements on owner Dr. Scott Swerdlin to provide land for a connection into Wellington’s bridle trail system. “I cannot support this motion, not because of the applicant, but because I’m trying to do something for the benefit of Wellington,” Willhite said.

The roughly 12-acre site, located at the southwest corner of Pierson and Southfields roads, is home to the Palm Beach Equine veterinary clinic, which has been trying to expand for several years but has been limited by its land use description. The clinic was built long before Wellington was incorporated, and its site was designated as residential use. By passing the comprehensive plan amendment, the site would be designated commercial recreation and would then conform. Jon Schmidt, agent for the applicant, said the request for the change would be for a small expansion in the future for some additional recovery stalls. “If the clinic were to be destroyed, he couldn’t even rebuild it under its current land use,” Schmidt said.

Greene asked whether the change would settle the issue. “Will this clean this thing up once and for all?” he asked. Planning & Development Services Director Tim Stillings said it would. Willhite asked about the expansion. Swerdlin said it would be about 12 stalls for isolation and recovery. “That’s one of the reasons we’re here tonight, so we can build what we need to build to do the job we need to do,” Swerdlin said. “But we couldn’t build it because we’re a nonconforming use.” Recently, Wellington has begun a push to link its bridle trails throughout the village. Willhite called the Palm Beach Equine property a “missing link.” “I feel as though this is one of the missing links in the continuance of bridle paths around

the village,” he said. “We’ve made serious investments in our bridle paths. Your parcel, unfortunately, doesn’t allow us to have a dedicated bridle path.” He asked Swerdlin to commit to putting a bridle path on the site plan for the property when it comes back to the council. “This is one of our busiest areas,” Willhite said. “Many of the horses that support our show grounds come from your barns. We keep talking about the crossing at Pierson [Road] and South Shore [Blvd.]; that traffic comes from your barn.” Swerdlin said he has tried to address the issue with Wellington. “I went to the HOA, because we had the bridle path we could add to the front of the property, we’d just have to move the road over 15 feet,” he said. He noted that the properties

around him have also not hooked into the bridle trail. “Maybe that’s something you can help with,” Swerdlin said. Willhite said he has been working with nearby Deeridge Farm to provide connectivity. “I’ve been working for over two years to get 15 feet or so to get a dedicated bridle path,” he said. “We’ve also been working with Grand Prix Village to get some trails in there.” Swerdlin said he was amenable to the idea, and Willhite asked whether it could be made a condition of approval. But Village Attorney Laurie Cohen recommended against that. “I would recommend against tying that sort of condition to this,” she said. “You do have broad discretion, but I don’t think that would be an appropriate condition to tie to this.”

Willhite asked Village Manager Paul Schofield for his input. Schofield said that although typically conditions are not added to comprehensive plan amendments, it has been done in the past. “We generally don’t do them, but it’s certainly within your purview to do,” he said. Willhite asked whether the council could require the site plan come back, and Schofield said it could, though it was only required with a master plan amendment. Councilman Howard Coates made a motion to approve the ordinance as is, without the conditions. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to impose that sort of condition,” he said. “I think this stands on its own.” But Greene said he would like to see it come back. “I don’t want to put an unfair burden on you, but I See EQUINE, page 16

School District’s Lobbyist Recounts Tallahassee Wins, Losses

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Palm Beach County School District lobbyist Vern PickupCrawford reported Monday to the Royal Palm Beach Education Advisory Board on successes and failures as they relate to education during the recent legislative session in Tallahassee. “The legislature adjourned on May 2. Your property, your spouse, is now safe for another nine-and-a-half months before they go back into session next year,” Pickup-Crawford said. “The overriding issue we really had this time, and this being an election year, really was the election. Most of what was done for education, and for almost every other function of the state, had some ramification in terms of the election coming up.” He said the school district had

LGWCD

Need To Be Replaced

continued from page 1 sue is deserving of some kind of long-term replacement program,” Yohe said. “How that is funded is going to be a point of contention, because we’re talking tens of millions of dollars for replacing everything.” Ryan said that former LGWCD Administrator Clete Saunier had told him once that about two-thirds of the canal crossings, whether they were steel beam, wood or culvert crossings, were built before there was a formal permitting process. “Many of them have a lot of age associated with them,” Ryan said, adding that based on comments by Councilman Ron Jarriel and supervisors Don Widing and Dave DeMarois, who are all active or retired fire personnel, it is questionable whether they are

Appointments

Council Authority

continued from page 3 continuously kicking people off boards, people will stop applying. “If a council member is just kicking people off, people will stop applying to represent them,” he said. “They will show themselves and won’t have anyone to speak for them.” Another issue raised by council members is the ability to remove board members for absences.

some success getting time to transition to new school accountability requirements. “We were really pushing to have a three-year transition to meet the changes that are going to occur in state assessment and testing,” Pickup-Crawford said, explaining that the state gave school districts a one-year pass before it uses state data to determine school financing. “School grades will continue on, but they know and we know that school grades are probably not going to have as much meaning as they have in the past.” A new “FCAT 2.0” testing used this year measured last year’s standards rather than this year’s, he explained. “Next year, we are going to a new exam,” Pickup-Crawford said. “We don’t know what it will look like. It is being field-tested in

the State of Utah, which is interesting, but it will be done roughly in April or May.” The results will not be out until November 2015, which is nine weeks into the following school session. “School grades will be either not measuring what we’re teaching this year, or next year they’re going to come out nine weeks into the following year, but the school grades are not going away,” he said. As for capital outlays, the school district will receive about $3 million toward school maintenance and repairs for the first time in four years, out of a total $50 million appropriation. “We’ve had to bear the cost of that locally since 2009-10,” Pickup-Crawford said. “This time the state is getting back into the game, and it will provide a little bit of relief.”

The school district lobbied unsuccessfully to get money for a sixth period. Attempts to get more fiscal accountability for charter schools also met with no success. “At the beginning of this fiscal year, the school board was faced with having to close down, on an emergency basis, a couple of charter schools, partly for financial reasons,” he said. “Parents get very upset about that. All we were looking for was some assurance. We will probably come back to that next year.” The school district was also unsuccessful in getting financing and flexibility for school districts to provide proper psychological and sociological assistance to students, and to provide parenting skills for parents. “Unfortunately, we did not get any increase in the Safe Schools

appropriation,” Pickup-Crawford said. “That amount still remains at what it was in 2007 statewide. That is one issue we want to try to pursue again next year.” Equally important to what did pass was what did not pass. “This is where we play defense a lot,” he said. One item that died in the State Senate was charter school legislation that would have created a mandatory standard contract and expanded corporate charter systems substantially, he said, explaining that they wanted to be sure that there were provisions in those schools for students with special needs and students with disabilities. “Again, we had fiscal concerns about making sure that they had money in the bank,” PickupCrawford said. “The other part of it was this particular bill took on a

life of its own. It wound up almost pitting the large charter corporate companies, the for-profit companies, against the independent individual charter schools, because it favored expansion of the large corporate charters coming in from out of state.” So-called “pack and carry” legislation authorizing a designated person to carry a concealed weapon and use it in a police action or shooting on campus also did not pass. “We argued vociferously against that legislation,” PickupCrawford said. “We’ve got a very good relationship with our police departments, whether it’s the municipal police departments or the school police itself.” He added that there are some rural districts that don’t have school police, where such a policy might be warranted.

passable by large vehicles such as fire trucks. Ryan also pointed out that two crossings have failed, one when a cement truck attempted to cross it and another during Tropical Storm Isaac. He said the issues were resolved through private financing by the owners, but that ownership is not clear with many of the crossings. “I think the study that was presented to the committee does need to be refined in terms of the details associated with the number and permit status of the bridges that exist,” Ryan said. There is also an argument to be made that if the culvert is on a town road associated with gas tax revenue, Ryan said, the town could repair the culvert situation using gas tax money. “Well, we really leave that up to the town council,” he said. Another issue is Palm Beach County’s role. When the district had concerns over the disrepair of culverts under Okeechobee Blvd.,

which is owned by the county, its response was that the county is responsible for the road surface, but not the culverts. “The district has completed a contract to have the culverts inspected and cleaned out and repaired as necessary, and that work is drawing to a close,” Ryan said. “It’s part of a fairly comprehensive plan that we’ve discussed with the town of proceeding to restore the full design capacity of the canals and the culverts so that we can make the best argument possible to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as part of our community’s response to the draft of the flood maps.” FEMA’s draft maps put virtually all properties in Loxahatchee Groves in a high-risk flood zone. “For people who have mortgages on their property, that’s going to necessitate flood insurance, and the premium cost is not inconsequential,” Ryan said. Ryan noted that errors have been found in the initial FEMA

maps that could remove most of the community from the high-risk flood zone. Yohe said the agency will issue new maps in June, but preliminary reports indicate that most of Loxahatchee Groves will no longer be in the flood plain, except for some areas south of Tangerine Drive. “We know that is a problem area that needs to be addressed separately,” he said. Ryan said every culvert in the district could possibly restrict the flow of flood water, which is the reason for permitting. “It will be a town issue to decide whether they will share in the form of a subsidy or be responsible for, or not be responsible for, the culvert crossings,” he said. “In the past, that has always been the responsibility of the landowners to provide access to their property.” Ryan said he thought the district should cooperate with the town, possibly starting with a review of permitting history by the district. During public comment, Jarriel

said that he believes that the property owner should be responsible for culvert issues. LGWCD policy gives it the authority to remove a culvert if it is blocking water flow, and then the owner is responsible for getting a permit from the district and replacing it. “The residents, as far as I’m concerned, are going to have to be responsible for their culverts,” Jarriel said. “But as far as doing research and telling people that they’ve got to replace their culverts because it’s not the proper size, but it doesn’t affect the flow of water, I definitely disagree with that. When it becomes a problem, the district will remove it, and they’ll have no choice but to put a new one in. They’ll have to pay for it unless the town decides otherwise.” Ryan pointed out that the district had a detailed study done in 2000 by an engineering firm that showed concern for some of the culverts but rated most of them satisfactory.

A HOME FOR SOPHIE

Sophie is 7 or 8 years old and weighs 6 pounds. She is the last of 11 dogs looking for a home from a hoarding situation several months ago. She is spayed, current on all vaccines and has a microchip. Sophie has no rear feet, which is likely a birth defect, but she gets around great and does not let it slow her down. She has been in foster care and is quite the lap dog. She’d do best in a quiet home. For info., e-mail bighearts4pawsrescue@ yahoo.com.

Currently, a board member can be removed after two consecutive unexcused absences or four consecutive absences out of six meetings. Rather than have it be a council vote, Willhite suggested automatic removal of absent board members. “If someone has missed six out of seven meetings, our rules say a council member doesn’t have to remove them,” he said. “I think an absence is an absence, excused or not. I understand this is a volunteer position, but I think there needs to be a [rule] that says if they miss four out of six meetings, they

should be automatically removed.” Though Gerwig said she believed absences could be grounds for removal, she wanted the council to have a say. “I think the liaison for that board should bring the issue to the council,” she said. “I could support the idea that if a board member misses three consecutive meetings, this would come before us. Then we’d have the information to make a decision.” But Willhite said there have been issues already, pointing out that Gerwig’s appointee to the Equestrian Preserve Committee

— Carlos Arellano — had missed 11 of 22 meetings. “Attendance is important to me,” he said. “You have to be there to have meaningful input. I could tolerate it a bit more if it were the Tree Board or something else, but that’s a very important board. If you miss a certain amount of meetings and are unable to put the commitment into it, I think you should be removed.” Gerwig said she appointed Arellano at the request of staff because he represents the polo community. “He is a seasonal resident, that’s true,” she said. “But he’s the only

person who is representative of polo.” If her appointee is absent, it is only her view that is not being represented, Gerwig said. “I don’t know why, Councilman Willhite, you would be concerned with whether my viewpoint is represented,” she said. Mayor Bob Margolis, who once sat on the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, said attendance is very important, especially because some boards and committees may not meet very often. “Some boards meet quarterly,” he said. “If you miss two out

of four meetings, some things may have transpired that were very important. I’m in favor of an absentee rule. It’s not fair to the council or residents to have repeated absences.” Coates made a motion to approve the ordinance as written, but requested that second reading include a provision for automatic removal for absences. Willhite seconded the motion, which passed 4-1 with Gerwig opposed. The ordinance will return for final council approval, and members are expected to discuss what merits an “excused absence.”

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NEWS

CAFCI HOLDS CULTURAL DIVERSITY CELEBRATION AT VETERANS PARK IN RPB

Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) and the Village of Royal Palm Beach held the 12th annual Cultural Diversity Day on Saturday, May 10 at Veterans Park in Royal Palm Beach. The event featured vendors, food stands and live entertainment, all PHOTOS BY FABIANA OTERO/TOWN-CRIER put together by the CAFCI Cultural Committee.

Rachel, Orville and Naelah Kirkpatrick sell African and some Jamaican products.

The Volkstanzgruppe German Maypole Dancers.

Cynthia Montgomery, Samantha Samuels and LaJazz Jackson.

Dr. Geneva White purchases soaps from Kim Charles of Natural Mystic Soaps.

Michele Williams and Natasha Ramsaran, independent designers with Origami Owl custom jewelry, try the food.

Dorothy Bell sells her independently owned Otaheiti Cuisine.

WELLINGTON SENIORS HOST SPRING DINNER DANCE AT MAYACOO LAKES

The Wellington Seniors Club held its Spring Dinner Dance on Friday, May 9 at the Mayacoo Lakes Country Club. Attendees enjoyed PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRĂ&#x201C;/TOWN-CRIER a dinner, dancing and a raffle for the floral centerpieces.

Eileen and George Kuhnel with Mary Alfalla (center).

Nancy Koloff and Dean Lyon dance.

Ingrid and Bill Biegler with Sunny and John Meyer.

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PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Myerscough Named DAR’s Spirit Of Liberty Chapter Hosts Mother’s Day Tea, Presents Debutantes Among Social Studies

The Spirit of Liberty Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution celebrated spring with their Mother’s Day Tea and inaugural Debutante Presentation on Saturday, May 10 at the Mayacoo Lakes Country Club. The ladies topped off their finery with festive hats, while the debutantes were presented to society wearing traditional white

gowns. Presiding over the event was Regent Margaret Engelhardt. This year’s debutantes were Talia Fradkin and Samantha Ciminera. Wellington resident Fradkin is a member of the Chief Tiger Tail Society of the Children of the American Revolution and has held numerous state officer positions in addition to receiving

(Front row) Junior Debutante Davina Hollingsworth and Debutante Talia Fradkin; (back row) Junior Debutante Ava Spurlin, Debutante Samantha Ciminera, and junior debutantes Chloe Skorupa, Erin Berish, and Amy and Christine Obranic.

the National Junior American Citizenship Award. Fradkin is the Florida Virtual School Student of the Year and recipient of George Bush’s Daily Points of Light Award. She is an active volunteer in her community and enjoys tutoring students in algebra, geometry and chemistry. Ciminera is active in cheerleading and is a member of the Nation-

al Honor Society. She is a two-time recipient of the President’s Award for Achievement. Younger girls also made an appearance wearing a variety of pretty spring colors as junior debutantes. Included in this group were Erin Elizabeth Berish, Davina Hollingsworth, Chloe Isabella Skorupa, Ava Spurlin, and Amy and Christine Obranic.

Road 7), Boca Raton (1400 Glades Road) and Palm Beach Gardens (11701 Lake Victoria Gardens). “Raising money for peanut butter and jelly is really important for these children,” Shnider said. “Peanut butter and jelly can be used as a daily meal and provide enough nutrition to raise healthy children. Over the past six months, I have been busy baking cookies and making lemonade to sell in front of my house in order to raise money. I look at this as turning lemons into lemonade and into PB&J.” Initially, Ryan e-mailed Whole Foods Market co-CEOs John Mackey and Walter Robb about his idea. Shortly thereafter, the project was moving forward. The Pantry of Broward serves seniors in need on low fixed in-

Wellington Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Jessica Myerscough is among three Palm Beach County winners of the Florida Council for Social Studies Teacher of the Year Award. The Florida Council for the Social Studies is a professional organization of social studies educators striving to maintain and enhance the importance of social studies in Florida education. It recognizes the efforts and strengths that social studies educators bring to their profession. Myerscough will be honored in October in Orlando at the 57th annual Florida Council for Social Studies conference.

Jessica Myerscough

Alex Naum

Anthony Olive

Palm Beach Central High School junior Alex Naum has been selected for a summer program at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention in Atlanta. This highly competitive program selects 20 students nationwide to learn about epidemiology and public health. Also, for the first time in the school’s history, a student has

qualified for the International Science & Engineering Fair. Anthony Olive will have an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to compete with the best and brightest in the world. Seven students representing Palm Beach Central High School received an award at the 59th annual State Science & Engineering Fair.

Debutantes Talia Fradkin and Samantha Ciminera share a moment with Spirit of Liberty DAR Regent Margaret Engelhardt.

As Bar Mitzvah Project, Ryan Shnider Is Collecting PB&J To Feed The Needy

Ryan Shnider, a 12-year-old from Wellington, is making the most of his bar mitzvah project by focusing his attention on those in need. On May 20, with help from Whole Foods Market, all stores in Broward and Palm Beach counties will donate 5 percent of their net day’s sales to Ryan’s “PB&J Project” supporting the Pantry of Broward. The partnership is part of Whole Foods Market’s 5 Percent Day, in which all stores donate 5 percent of their net day sales to a local educational or nonprofit organization. Stores participating in the project include: Coral Springs (810 University Drive), Plantation (7720 Peters Road), Pembroke Pines (14956 Pines Boulevard), Fort Lauderdale (2000 N. Federal Highway), Wellington (2635 State

Teachers Of The Year

comes and grandparents raising their grandchildren throughout Broward County. The pantry serves more than 400 clients (senior citizens) and feeds more than 1,000 people each month as each grandparent might have several grandchildren living with them. They distribute more than 25,000 pounds of food each month. In an effort to raise more funds on May 20 for the “PB&J Project,” participating stores will sell $2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with customers’ choice of nut butter, jelly and toppings. All of the proceeds from the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will be donated to the project. Shnider and his family will stop at each store during the day to assist with the project. The schedule is as follows: Palm

Science Honors For Palm Beach Central Students

Zakhar Nizam Completes AF Basic

Ryan Shnider Beach Gardens, 10:45 a.m.; Wellington, 11:45 a.m.; Boca Raton, 12:45 p.m.; Coral Springs, 1:30 p.m.; Pembroke Pines, 2:30 p.m.; Plantation, 3:45 p.m.; and Fort Lauderdale, 5 p.m.

Air Force Airman Zakhar V. Nizam recently graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio, Texas. The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core

values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Nizam earned distinction as an honor graduate. He is the son of Lisa Nizam of Tuckasegee, N.C., and Farrukh Nizam of West Palm Beach. He is a 2012 graduate of Park Vista High School.

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KATHRYN STEPP WINS CHARACTER COUNTS

New Horizons Elementary School fifth-grade student Kathryn Stepp was honored recently at the School District of Palm Beach County’s 10th annual Your Character Counts Celebration. Stepp was nominated by her teachers and chosen as a recipient of a district Character Counts award for all she does at home, at school and in the community to show caring, respect for all, trustworthiness and responsibility. Shown here is Stepp with her grandfather, Bill, and her parents, Ruffin and Melanie, at the awards program.

Watch Local Graduation Ceremonies Online

The Education Network will be providing live coverage of all graduation ceremonies taking place at the Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds. Graduation ceremonies are now underway and run through Friday, May 23, with the majority of the ceremonies taking place at the South Florida Fairgrounds. To watch the ceremonies live on a computer or mobile device, visit www.palmbeachschools. org or www.palmbeachschools. org/ten.

The live link will also be available on the district’s Facebook and Twitter pages. This link can be sent to friends and family who are unable to attend in person. To watch on television, tune to Comcast Channel 235. If you prefer, you can download the Vodcast mobile app, which is a universal app for iPads and iPhones running i0S6 or better. For more info., contact David McKinley at david.mckinley@ palmbeachschools.org or call (561) 738-2763.

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SCHOOL NEWS

SRHS Seniors Honored At Pathfinders

Seminole Ridge High School seniors Sarah Festner Brogan and Wayne Selogy placed third in their achievement categories at the Palm Beach Post Pathfinders Award ceremony on May 7. Selogy took the bronze in Forensics/Speech, while Brogan earned honors in the Reach for Excellence category. Each will receive a scholarship award of $2,500. In the Palm Beach Post Pathfinders program, nearly 50 high schools from Palm Beach and Martin counties nominate seniors

each year to compete for scholarship funds. Since the program’s inception in 1984, more than $2.25 million has been awarded. This year’s Pathfinders competition saw the largest number of students nominated, with more than 600 of the area’s best seniors competing. Each is interviewed by a panel of judges who are experts in one of the 18 program categories. • Coffee Talk with Freshman Parents — The SRHS guidance department invites the parents

of freshman students to “Coffee Talk” on Wednesday, May 28 from 7:45 to 8:30 a.m. in the media center. Topics of discussion will include dual enrollment and credit recovery opportunities. Dual enrollment is a program that allows high school students to simultaneously earn both high school and college credit by taking college courses. Students must take the ACT, SAT or PERT and have a cumulative 3.0 GPA in order to qualify. Students must also meet any additional admission criteria set by Palm Beach

State College or Florida Atlantic University. Parents, if your children have failed one or more core classes, it is imperative that you enroll them as soon as possible in courses to begin the credit recovery process. Failing required classes will cause students to become “off track” for graduation, but credit recovery opportunities are available. Refreshments will be served. RSVP to the guidance office at (561) 422-2610 or e-mail lizzie. singletary@palmbeachschools. org.

RPBHS Wins Student Council Gold Award For its exemplary record of leadership, service and activities that serve to improve the school and community, Royal Palm Beach High School has been awarded a 2014 National Gold Council of Excellence Award by the National Association of Student Councils (NASC). “Receiving an NASC National Gold Council of Excellence Award reflects the highest dedication on the part of the local school to providing a strong, well-rounded student council program,” said Ann Postlewaite, director of NASSP Student Programs. To meet the requirements of the NASC National Council of Excellence award, a student council must demonstrate that it meets a variety of criteria. Those councils named to the gold level have suc-

cessfully met a greater number of criteria. In addition to basic requirements, such as a written constitution, regular meetings, a democratic election process and membership in NASC, schools that qualify for the award demonstrate such things as leadership training for council members, teacher/staff appreciation activities, student recognition programs, school and community service projects, spirit activities, goal setting, financial planning, and active participation in their state and national student council associations. “We are very proud of our student council and its advisor, Justin Arnone. Receiving the [award] requires hard work, dedication and a commitment to excellence at the highest of levels,” Principal

Jesús Armas said. “This group of young men and women work tirelessly to further Royal Palm Beach High School’s vision of excellence, and embody the spirit of our student body in all they do. Being one of only nine schools in Florida and less than 200 schools in the entire nation to earn such a distinction proves what we have always known, that the Royal Palm Beach High School Student Council is a superior organization and a source of pride not only for Royal Palm Beach High School, but for all of Palm Beach County.” The National Association of Student Councils (NASC) promotes and provides leadership development opportunities to prepare and empower students to serve their school and communities.

NASC is a program of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the preeminent organization and national voice for middle level and high school leaders. It also sponsors the National Honor Society (NHS) and the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS), which recognize outstanding middle level and high school students who demonstrate excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service and character. For more info., visit www. nasc.us. “I am extremely proud of our student council and its accomplishments over the last twelve months,” Arnone said. For more info., contact Arnone (561) 792-8662 or e-mail Justin. arnone@palmbeachschools.org.

Send school items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.

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SCHOOL NEWS

Students Attend National Chess Tourney HIGGINS NAMED MATH

Antonis Loudaros with Mallory and Mason Satterwhite.

Antonis Loudaros, gifted teacher and chess coach at Elbridge Gale Elementary School, led a Palm Beach County delegation of 12 elementary school students to the National Elementary Chess Championship in Dallas, Texas held May 9 through May 12. All students competed in the three-day, seven-game chess tournament, playing up to three hours per game. The Elbridge Gale K-3 team is competing in the open division as one of the top teams in the United States. “Elbridge Gale Elementary School is the highest-rated chess team ever in Palm Beach County. Raghav Venkat, Antonio Selva,

Timothy Chen, Marvin Gao and Maya Behura could also win individual national chess honors,” said Loudaros, who was named 2014 Chess Coach of the Year. “Marvin and Maya in K-1, Raghav, Antonio and Anthony in K-3, and Timothy in K-5 are all district, regional or state champions.” Loudaros, who founded Palm Beach County’s first chess program during the 1987-88 school year, strongly believes that the chess delegation will return with top ten national awards. For more information about the chess program, call Elbridge Gale Elementary School at (561) 422-9300.

TEACHER OF THE YEAR

TKA Yearbook Staff Earns Major Award

The King’s Academy’s high school yearbook program has been named a 2014 Jostens National Yearbook Program of Excellence. The National Yearbook Program of Excellence designation recognizes dynamic school yearbook programs. It recognizes yearbook staffs and advisers who create engaging yearbooks for their school communities. TKA’s award-winning yearbook program for this school year is led by Editor-in-Chief Michela Diddle, a senior, under the direction of yearbook advisor Teresa Blakeney. “This was a surprise because I didn’t even know this award existed, let alone that we were eligible,” Diddle said. “It is definitely by the grace of God that we met every deadline, as well as the other cri-

teria needed to be one of the 200 schools to achieve this award.” Jostens’ National Yearbook Program of Excellence Awards are presented twice a year, in May for yearbooks delivered in the spring and in September for yearbooks delivered in the fall. The award was presented to TKA’s yearbook program for achieving the defined criteria in each of three following categories: creating an inclusive yearbook, generating school engagement and successfully managing the yearbook creation process. “We are tremendously blessed to receive this honor this year,” Blakeney said. “This yearbook staff was young and inexperienced, but talented and determined to produce the very best yearbook possible. I couldn’t have handpicked a better team.”

Cynthia Higgins, a math teacher at Wellington Landings Middle School, was recently named Mathematics Middle School Teacher of the Year by the executive board of the Palm Beach County Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Higgins was selected to receive the prestigious award based upon her skill, innovation, dedication, modeling of professional behavior and promoting education in the classroom. Shown here is Higgins with her award.

Co- Editor Rachel Spell, Jostens Representative Julie Maddaleni and Editor-In-Chief Michela Diddle. The yearbook program will play in school, so the entire school receive a plaque to display in the community will be aware of the yearbook area and a banner to dis- outstanding achievement.

URBAN LEAGUE STUDENTS WIN AT STATE BRAIN BOWL

WES Ecology Club Helps Environment

There’s a club at Wellington Elementary School that is helping clean up the environment. Teachers Kate Lane and Lisa Miller co-sponsor the Ecology Club. The club’s 18 members meet every other Thursday, along with recycling meetings in between. The club recently participated in the Great American Cleanup. It cleaned up the WES campus and the nature trail on school grounds. Members also recycle in the school, going to every classroom, filling up their bins with recycling materials. Miller and Lane also teach the members about water conservation, how food gets from

farms to plates and what students can do to help protect natural habitats in South Florida. The club also has guest speakers throughout the year. Recently, representatives from Whole Foods Market and the South Florida Solid Waste Authority visited. Many members also attended the Wellington Earth Day/Arbor Day celebration at the Wellington Amphitheater on April 27. Wellington Elementary School’s Ecology Club cares about the environment. They try to encourage others to show respect to preserve the environment and make our world a better place to live in.

Kate Lane (center) participates in the Great American Cleanup with members of the school’s Ecology Club.

Nineteen middle and high school students from the Urban League of Palm Beach County’s (ULPBC) Center of Excellence competed at the Florida Education Fund (FEF) State Brain Bowl Competition in Tampa. The Sixth to Eighth Grade Math Team won first place. The members are Sarah Ruderman, Charles West, Dwight Smith, Darin Goldstein and Daisy Coates. Shown here is the team with its trophy.

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FEATURES

Some Think I Need A New Car, But My Clunker Is Great For Me Let me begin by saying that Mark and I own three cars. One is a 2014 Ford something-or-other, an SUV of some kind. Another is a vintage 1970, factory-spec, showroom-quality MGB, which we never drive because we are afraid it will get a scratch. Another is the Clunker, a 1993 Ford Taurus wagon, which is my favorite car. When President Obama tried to get me to turn it in as part of the Cash for Clunkers program, I refused. My clunker is worth so much more than cash — in more ways than one. In the first place, I love the car. In the second place, I need the car. Mark has begged me for years to get a

Deborah Welky is

The Sonic BOOMER new car. But why? Admittedly, it has a few quirks. Two of the windows don’t open, the a/c is busted, the headliner has been reduced to dust and one door won’t open from the outside. But, on the other hand, the front win-

dows do open, I only need the a/c nine months of the year, the headliner doesn’t bother me because I seldom see it, and one door won’t open from the inside. Besides, the car is low-stress. I never have to worry about it. If it’s involved in a hailstorm or dinged by a shopping cart, oh well. If a piece falls off, I glue it back on. If the paint gets chipped, I touch it up with nail polish (now available in a wide variety of colors, making things even easier). I replaced the transmission once, which is like a heart transplant for cars. I gave it a whole new lease on life, and it rewarded me by flipping over to 130,000 miles yesterday. Or maybe it was 230,000. The

first digit is off to the left of the odometer, so I’m not sure. I also don’t care. My car is easy to repair, cheap to insure and has been paid off for decades. Not to mention that it gets me where I want to go. Because I have driven it for years, I know its dimensions, and it knows mine. The driver’s seat fits me like a glove, the arm rests are in the right places, the air ducts all point to me and the radio is set to all my favorite stations. I know how much air goes into the tires and which tire is likely to get soft first. I know exactly how much cargo will fit in the back and how many people can ride along. Well, the answer to that last one is none.

In an emergency, I suppose people would ride with me. If the power went out and they had to evacuate the state and their cars were the plug-in kind, they might buck up and ride along. But usually they cheerily suggest we take their car. Fine. What concerns me is how I am going to replace my wonderful car, should it ever decide to go to that big used-car lot in the sky. Thanks to people shortsightedly selling out to Cash for Clunkers, it’s going to be hard to find another one. Which, by the way, also makes it a valuable antique. I love that car!

Fraternity Fun Gone Awry In New R-Rated Comedy ‘Neighbors’ What really happened to the graduates of Animal House? At the end of that movie, of course, there were quick, funny summaries of their futures, but what happens when the real partiers have to grow up? That’s the basic point of Neighbors, a new, funny comedy that is not as sweet as its predecessor, or as funny. There is a lot of Peter Pan in all of us. Being in school, even college, is a way of not growing up, avoiding the responsibilities of adults. (Of course, I realize that many people go to college under tough circumstances, including family responsibilities and employment, but this movie is not about them.) What happens to the hard-partiers when the world hits them? And how do they deal with their pasts? Mac (Seth Rogan) and Kelly Radner (Rose Byrne) are former partiers who grew up, got married and had a child. He works as an office drone. Their life is totally unlike their earlier years... and then

‘I’ On CULTURE By Leonard Wechsler a fraternity moves in next door. Forget the facts that not only would the average suburban neighborhood fight the coming of the boys as a zoning violation, and that the kids would have to be morons not to realize that there would be major issues living in a quiet neighborhood. But they move in, nonetheless, led by Teddy (Zac Efron) and his goofy friend Pete (Dave Franco). The Radners try to play it cool, even partying at first with the frat gang, welcoming them with some neighborly mar-

ijuana, but the late-night partying and little things like their child finding condoms on the lawn create issues. Mac calls in the police, although he had promised Teddy he would come to him with issues. And so war begins. Unfortunately, instead of focusing on the issues the Radners had with growing up, the filmmakers decided to go gross. There are tricks played by all concerned. While the Delts in Animal House did most of their pranks in fun, this film has a definite edge. Kelly plays sexual games with some younger males and females to set the kids off on each other. And somehow, a group of boys playing peeping Tom on a married couple having sex seems far nastier than Bluto watching sorority girls having pillow fights in their nighties. That nasty edge creates a bittersweet feeling; yes, you might laugh for a second, but then there is that guilty edge for enjoying massive discomfort.

May 26, 2014 Parade begins 8:15 a.m. at the Wellington Municipal Complex and continues down Forest Hill Blvd to South Shore Blvd. Ceremony begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial. For more information visit www.wellingtonfl.gov or call (561) 791-4005

FREE Summer Events at the Wellington Amphitheater

May 16 17

Epic (PG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8:30 PM The Long Run Eagles Tribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8:30 PM

June

Noah (PG-13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8:30 PM Tribute Concerts & Food Trucks . . . . . . . . . . 5:00 PM – 10:30 PM Frank Sinatra Tribute by Denny Artache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6:30 PM VIVA ‘50s Tribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8:30 PM Mr . Peabody & Sherman (PG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8:30 PM Frozen (PG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8:30 PM The Pirate Fairy (G) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8:30 PM Tribute Concerts & Food Trucks . . . . . . . . . . 5:00 PM – 10:30 PM Young Elvis Tribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6:30 PM Orange Sunshine Band ‘60s Tribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8:30 PM

06 07

13 20 27 28

July

11 12

18 19 25

Rio 2 (G) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8:30 PM Tribute Concerts & Food Trucks . . . . . . . . . . 5:00 PM – 10:30 PM Almost Manilow Tribute to Barry Manilow . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6:30 PM Studio 54 Band ‘70s Tribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8:30 PM Cloud 9 (TVG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8:30 PM Tribute Concerts & Food Trucks . . . . . . . . . . 5:00 PM – 10:30 PM Tribute to Neil Diamond by Neil Zirconia . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6:30 PM Lazy Bones Band ‘80s Tribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8:30 PM Despicable Me 2 (PG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8:30 PM ***Please note: All events, dates and times are subject to change***

12100 Forest Hill Blvd | (561) 753-2484 For more information on FREE Amphitheater events scan the QR code to the left or visit wellingtonfl.gov.

Rogan is perfectly cast as the over-age party guy. We have seen him in many movies acting like a kid even though he is rather too old for those parts. Here we get to see him as a real grown-up, watching him resent the fact. But he knows how to handle the slow burns, the second looks, the double entendres. Byrne is even better. She has handled many a thankless role, playing second fiddle. Here, as the leading lady, she demonstrates her ability to create a well-rounded character instead of a caricature. She manages to be funny, while being nasty, and still hold our sympathy. After all, a key reason for her actions, as well as those of her husband, is that they think they are protecting their child. Efron, newly pumped up with muscles to avoid being mistaken for his old high school characters, plays Teddy as a kind of sociopath. He is not crazy; he has his own set of standards that he feels the

Radners have broken, and that leads to a more or less straightforward war against them. Not until late into the movie does he seem to come to the realization that the older folks might have a point and might even be nice. Franco, as his second in command, finds ways to ameliorate the difference and comes across as a sweet clown. I laughed quite often; not nearly as much as for Animal House or Old School, but we do need some good comedies. The problem with this, as with most R-rated comedies, is that the line between funny and gross varies so much for each person. There are some things here that may make you uncomfortable. This movie is definitely not for everyone, although I will bet folks who like Rogan’s other movies will enjoy this one. It is a decent comedy, not one of the greats, but a nice way to have a relaxing pre-summer laugh or two.

The Town-Crier

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May 16 - May 22, 2014

Page 15

NEWS

RPB ROTARY CLUB HOSTS GOLF TOURNEY FUNDRAISER AT MADISON GREEN

The Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club held a fundraising golf tournament on Friday, May 9 at the Madison Green Golf Club. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office sponsored a ball drop from the helicopter. There was also an awards ceremony. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Winners Chris Cerniglia, Bob Parker, Sean Green, Lawrence Taylor, Gabe Carino and Diane Smith.

Ball drop winner Sarda Behandary with Capt. Paul Miles.

Second-place winners Larry Wood, Chief Deputy Mike Gauger, Rich Geist and Diane Smith.

Diane Smith with third place winners Matthew Ott, Sale Smith and Joshua Newcomb.

Sean Green, Chris Cerniglia, Bob Parker, Rich Iannelli, Lawrence Taylor and Gabe Carino.

Michael McGary, Brian Cid, Matthew Winston and Scott McGary of the Costco team.

SOUTH FLORIDA FAIR THANKS VOLUNTEERS WITH BARBECUE AT EXPO CENTER The South Florida Fairgrounds held a Volunteer Thank You Barbecue Buffet on Tuesday, May 6 in the Expo Center West. There was a volunteer recognition award and a Pioneer Award, as well as raffles, live music and great food. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Kendall Anglin, Theresa LePore, Alexandria Cossio, Mabel Datena and Lisa Dudding give out desserts.

Naomi and Charlotte Gomes.

HEALTH & FITNESS SPOTLIGHT

Is Your Family Ready For A Lifestyle Change? Share Your Story With Us!

By Lynette Laufenberg Special to the Town-Crier Our all-digital-all-the-time world isn’t healthy for us or our kids. We need ways for the whole family to band together. Parents are looking for tips and tools to help kids choose good food and live a healthy lifestyle. Both adults and kids were meant to move — bodies are meant to be used! The best way to encourage this is for parents to move with their children. Telling your kids that fitness is important is not enough — you need to show them! If you’re not physically active yourself, your words are likely to lose their impact. It has been proven that working out with a friend or family member helps keep you motivated, accountable and on track. Here are a few helpful ideas to get the entire family moving and living an active lifestyle: 1. Get active. Plan times for everyone to get moving together. Take walks, ride bikes, go swim-

ming, garden or just play hide-andseek outside. Everyone will benefit from the exercise time together. 2. Limit TV, video game and computer time. These habits lead to a sedentary lifestyle and excessive snacking, which increase risks for obesity and cardiovascular disease. 3. Encourage physical activities that both you and your family really enjoy. 4. Set specific goals and limits, such as one hour of physical activity a day or two desserts per week other than fruit. When goals are too abstract or limits too restrictive, the chance for success decreases. 5. Be supportive. Focus on the positive instead of the negative. Everyone likes to be praised for a job well done. Celebrate successes. 6. Don’t reward your family with food. This only encourages bad habits. 7. Make dinnertime a family time. When everyone sits down together to eat, there’s less chance

of children eating the wrong foods or snacking too much. Get the kids involved in cooking and planning meals. 8. Make a game of reading food labels. The whole family will learn what’s good for their health and be more conscious of what they eat. It’s a habit that helps change behavior for a lifetime. Still looking for ways to get your family motivated? We can help… Many people have excuses as to why they can’t work out. Is your family busy? Do you have crazy schedules? Does your family need to get healthier? Is your family ready for a lifestyle change? Share your story with us and you could win a one-year family membership to Ultima Fitness. It’s easy! Grab your camera and put together a one-minute video

of your family demonstrating why your family should win. Get creative, be inspirational and have fun! The deadline for submissions is May 31, 2014. All videos will be uploaded to our Facebook page, and our fans will determine the winning video. The video with the most “likes” and “comments” will be awarded the family membership (subject to Ultima Fitness). For more information, call us at (561) 795-2823 or visit www.ultimafitness.com. To register, visit our Facebook page and click on the May Video Contest app, or visit http:// woobox.com/7rt3i9. Good luck! Lynette Laufenberg is program/ fitness director at Ultima Fitness in Wellington. She is an ACE-certified group fitness instructor and an ACE-certified personal trainer.

Fair CEO Rick Vymlatil, Chairman of the Board Jack Frost and Pioneer Award winner Judy Loftus.

NEWS BRIEFS

St. Rita Bunko Party May 24

St. Rita Catholic Church (13645 Paddock Drive, Wellington) will host a Bunko Party on Saturday, May 24 at 7 p.m., sponsored by the St. Rita CCW. Tickets are $10 a person and includes refreshments. No experience is necessary. Wine, water and soda will be available for purchase. Tickets will be for sale the weekend of May 18 after all Masses under the pavilion. For more information, call Caroline at (561) 798 2853.

LGLA Meeting Set For May 22

The Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association (LGLA) will meet Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m. at Palms West Presbyterian Church (13689 Okeechobee Blvd.). The guest speakers for the meeting will be members of the Florida Bar Constitutional Judiciary Committee. They have been asked to explain, “How to Judge Judicial Candidates.” They have also been asked to discuss the other services provided by the Education Committee of the Palm Beach County Bar Association. There will be a

question-and-answer time after the speakers finish discussing the topics. This is an open meeting where residents will get a chance to discuss issues of concern that they may have related to things that are going on in the town. The meeting is open to the public, but only LGLA members with 2014 paid dues can make motions and vote. For more information, contact Marge Herzog at (561) 818-9114 or marge@herzog.ms.

Free Thursdays Return To Norton

The Norton Museum of Art’s free Thursdays for Florida residents was so popular last summer that the museum is offering the program again. Throughout June, July and August, admission to the Norton is free for Florida residents all day each Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (including Art After Dark), with proof of residency. The summer’s first free Thursday is June 5. The program continues until Sept. 4. The museum is located at 1451 S. Olive Ave. in West Palm Beach. For more info., call (561) 8325196 or visit www.norton.org.

Page 16

May 16 - May 22, 2014

The Town-Crier

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NEWS

Summer Festival Will Celebrate Filipino Culture And Honor Typhoon Victims The public is invited to attend the 15th annual Philippine Summer Festival, hosted by the Philippine American Society (PAS) of Palm Beach County. The festival will take place Saturday, June 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Yesteryear Village at the South Florida Fairgrounds. This year’s festival, with a

Equine

Divided Council

continued from page 7 would like to see this come back,” he said. Councilwoman Anne Gerwig said she thought this was a political decision. “We have a set of rules to follow,” she said. “This applicant is doing that. I don’t see why we would change our rules based on whether we like someone politically or we don’t. I think we make it very difficult for the people who live here when we change the rules based on the circumstances.” But Willhite and Greene said it wasn’t political. “A number of people are concerned about this particular parcel,” Greene said. “I want to help you accomplish what you want to accomplish, but I want to see this come back.”

ITID

Protecting Acreage Roads

continued from page 1 the ability to deny or set conditions on Minto West, Perry said it does have control of the roads. “We have to look at how to protect our roads,” he said. “Our purpose here tonight is to ask you direction on a number of things, pretty much all dealing with roads.” Currently, Minto has proposed using 60th Street, Persimmon Blvd., Orange Grove Blvd. and 40th Street as outlets to the community. “The traffic put onto those roads would impact the community,” Perry said. Attorney Frank Palen said that Indian Trail is unique in its road systems. “The roads are special in how they are created, how they are maintained and how they function,” he said. “They were built using bond funds and are maintained by an annual assessment on landowners. The property owners maintain the road systems.”

Trees

Liability Worries The HOA

continued from page 1 Florida and the nation. If not, if it were a liability, there would be no communities with trees.” While she was getting the petition signed, Palmer said many people told her they favored maintenance of the existing trees. Palmer added that residents use the existing trees for shade and they have become a habitat for birds and other wildlife. “We arrived in 2001, when our kids were young,” Palmer said, adding that she would sit under the newly planted trees for shade while she watched her children. “All the moms sit under the trees for shade while their kids play in the street. We are finally starting to get birds in our neighborhood

theme of “Barrio Fiesta,” is dedicated to the 16 million Filipinos who were affected by Typhoon Haiyan (known as Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines). The storm was one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, and was the deadliest to ever hit the island nation. Festival attendees can watch

traditional dancing demonstrations, see heritage clothing worn by local Filipinos, taste authentic cuisine, listen to Filipino music, hear speeches about the country’s culture, and take part in a special dedication and moment of silence for the 6,200 victims whose lives were lost in the typhoon. Children can watch and participate in traditional Filipino games. Admission is $5 per person, with children ages five and under admitted free. Money raised from the gate fee will go to ongoing typhoon relief and financial aid scholarships. Filipinos around the world will celebrate the country’s Independence Day five days after the festival on June 12. This year’s festival also gives recognition to this part of Philippines history. PAS President Marlyn Sepanik personally visited the affected area

in the Philippines to participate in typhoon relief efforts in April. While there, she presented donations to Divine Word Hospital in the typhoon-wrecked Philippine city of Tacloban, on behalf of PAS. “Seeing the damage firsthand was horrifying,” Sepanik said. “But it gave me a greater understanding of how deep the need continues to be in our mother country. We are proud to continue to support our people, many of whom are still suffering the aftereffects of the storm.” To date, the PAS has given more than $25,000 to typhoon victims, through the help of personal donations by concerned local Filipinos in the Palm Beach County community, and multiple fundraisers, such as an auction, garage sale, fun-run and Zumbathon. “Every year, we strive to make

the summer festival a familyfriendly, fun event that celebrates our heritage and shares our rich culture,” Sepanik said. “This year, in particular, we aim to unite all Filipinos and community supporters under the same goal of assisting typhoon victims.”

goal is to get the system back to its original design to get the ultimate stormwater conveyance,” Fleury said. Schofield said Wellington would meet with residents to better communicate. “It’s never an easy thing,” he said. “But we’ll certainly go out and meet with residents and show them what we’re doing. To be quite blunt, I can tell you that my recommendation is going to be

that we restore the design section of the canals to make them convey water, but that will be a decision the council is going to make.” Terry said he didn’t want to see action without talking to residents. “Maybe residents would be willing to pay a bit more to use a barge,” he said. Schofield said he would set up a meeting to discuss the issue with residents.

Supervisor Michelle Damone said she feels ITID needs to be proactive. “We need to lead by example,” she said. “We need to set an example and the tone for this discussion.” During public comment, residents urged ITID to take a strong stance. “ITID sat back with Mecca [Farms],” resident Alex Larson pointed out. “I think you need to step up to the plate this time. This is at the center of The Acreage.” Resident Patricia Curry said the roads were not open for use by developers. “ITID was created to serve the residents of the district,” she said. “The roads and drainage improvements were created for the benefit of residents, not for any outside developer. ITID should be blocking off our roads, not allowing a developer to use them.” She also asked supervisors to look into whether the county truly owns all of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road and Orange Blvd. “I don’t believe the county owns [all of the roads],” she said. “Please

take every single step to protect the residents you represent.” Supervisor Gary Dunkley said Palm Beach County is failing residents of The Acreage. “They are not looking at the overall impact,” he said. “They have no plans to look at the impact of future development. It’s first-come, first-served. That’s a formula for disaster. If Minto wants to come to the table to talk to us instead of trying to fool us with propaganda, I’d say ‘let’s negotiate.’ But don’t try to shove this down my throat.” ITID President Carol Jacobs said she wanted to see the measure approved so ITID could have a strategy to prevent Minto from adversely affecting the area, if possible. “Before their process gets further, we need to speed up our process,” she said. “That way, when they go back to this, we have already blocked off the sections that we have the right to.” Damone made a motion to approve the resolution, which carried unanimously.

Schmidt suggested that between first reading and second reading, he could draft potential solutions to the issue. Swerdlin said he was on board with Willhite’s proposal but noted that he was just taking the first step to sorting the issues out. “We’re all on the same page here, Mr. Willhite,” Swerdlin said. “We’re just here to get into compliance. You have to get this done to get that done.” Mayor Bob Margolis, who was the deciding vote, said he was willing to approve the ordinance for transmittal. “There are some things here that I think are out of your control,” he said. “I trust staff, and I trust that you’ll sort it out in the next 30 to 45 days. I’m comfortable supporting this on first reading.” The measure passed 3-2. The changes now go to the state for approval before returning for final adoption.

Neighbors Upset

continued from page 1 past have decided to widen canals, especially in the wake of storms. “What we’ve done in the past five years is to put in maintenance schedules for our roadways and our canals,” he said. Fleury apologized to residents

for confusion about the trees but noted that his goal has been to improve the drainage system in Wellington. “It was in dire need of improvement,” he said. “I began immediately cleaning canals and culverts, and it’s amazing what we found in them. This canal here has never been cleaned or dug since its inception.” Already, Wellington has cleaned and cleared miles of canals. “Our

Unlike most municipal roads, Palen said the roads in The Acreage are considered easements. “They are not separate pieces of land,” he said. “There are no rights dedicated to the public. The public can use them, but they are not acquiring any property rights; they are being given the privilege to use them. Only citizens within the district have the right to use them.” Because of this, Palen said the county does not have the right to use ITID-maintained roads in its planning process, “although it tends to do so,” he said. Consultant John Kim pointed out that Minto West is using several Acreage roads in its traffic study. “They are connecting three streets to what are, for all intents and purposes, district roads,” he said. A 1966 agreement between the owners of Callery-Judge Grove and surrounding property owners allowed for limited use of the easements, Palen said. Minto West is now using this agreement to claim it has the right to use ITIDmaintained roads. “If you look at the document, it doesn’t at all substantiate the claim that Minto West has the right to use the roads,” he said.

Although some road improvements are planned by the county for Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, Northlake Blvd. and Royal Palm Beach Blvd., consultant Joe Capra said Minto West isn’t planning improvements beyond what is already set by the county in upcoming years. “They’re tying their collector roads into our local roads,” Capra said. “This encourages cut-through traffic on our roads. There is a lack of mitigation at this point.” ITID Engineer Jay Foy said the traffic issue will be compounded if the county does not extend State Road 7 to Northlake Blvd. and Seminole Pratt Whitney Road to the Beeline Highway. He noted that although the county had given up its land for the planned Seminole Pratt extension, it had the option to buy it back. On a map, he showed the route residents would take if the extensions were not completed, with traffic directed instead through The Acreage. “Keep your eye on the ball,” Foy said. “We have to get State Road 7 and Seminole Pratt through, or we end up with this.” One of the solutions, Perry said, could be to close off some neighborhoods to prevent cut-through

traffic. “When those [major] roads get clogged, the traffic is going to filter onto your roads,” he said. “We want to have our planners take a look at whether there’s a way we can create neighborhoods and protect our roads by closing them off.” Perry suggested Indian Trail reach out to surrounding municipalities in the western communities, many which are equally concerned about Minto West. “They are all concerned, not just about the impact of Minto West, but also the GL Homes property,” he said. “I suggest you adopt a resolution addressing your concerns about your roads and your drainage solutions. But I also suggest we reach out to other cities, asking them to take the same type of action. We believe the district and its residents can have an impact, but not nearly the same as each of these cities reaching out with the very same concerns.” He asked the board to approve a resolution to help his team move forward with a traffic study and other planning strategies. “We are asking you for the authority to go forward and do what we think is necessary to make a recommendation for your protections,” he said.

because our trees are bigger.” Palmer stressed that her disagreement is not personal. Her only goal is to save the trees. “I wish to state that they are all very nice people,” she said of the board. “We are all neighbors here, and being on the board is a thankless job. They are doing a very good job, except in this situation.” The cost to cut and replace the trees will be about $80,000, and Palmer has been told that the project could start as early as this week. Gall told the Town-Crier that Wyndham Village is following the lead of many recently built developments that have found that the maturing trees are in too little space for the root systems. Changes have already been made in several other Madison Green neighborhoods. “They had the foresight and support of residents to go ahead and do that,” he said. “If you go in there, the developments are a lot cleaner. They don’t have any

sidewalk issues. They don’t have any storm drain issues.” As manager of several UPS stores, Gall said he has had complaints from his drivers that they cannot navigate the streets without scratching their trucks and sometimes breaking off mirrors. “The trees are growing up over the streets,” he said. “The roads are narrowing because of the trees.” Further, he said that the trees’ falling leaves present a flooding issue by clogging up the storm drains. “We’re going to have to pay to have them flushed,” he said. But he thinks the biggest issue is liability. “There is a current lawsuit going on in one of the other villages that still has those trees,” Gall said. “A woman tripped and fell, and I believe she fractured her face. I fear for the negligence because I know that it’s there. We want to get this done.” Gall said the HOA meetings are open and transparent, although

sparsely attended, and he believes Palmer’s petition was not fairly composed because it did not explain the hazards of keeping the trees. “It would be a tremendous cost to keep the trees and maintain them for the rest of their lives,” he said. “We might have to get rid of them anyway because they might just be too big. The root systems are enormous, and we are zero-lot line homes. These root systems are infringing on people’s sewage lines and irrigation lines, and eventually they could possibly go into the foundation.” Gall added that the HOA is ready to sign a contract to replace the trees. “We are ready to go,” he said. “I hate to get rid of the trees. They look nice. However, I think the palm trees will look better and be a better fit for the community going forward, and the financial stability of the community. One lawsuit would probably bankrupt us.”

Canal

Vendors and sponsors for this year’s festival are still welcome. Call Mercy Abellana at (561) 315-2316 for info. For more about the festival, call Sepanik at (561) 289-0837, Christina Regino at (561) 723-9323 or Conchita Mateo at (561) 386-1209.

PAS President Marlyn Sepanik presented a donation to the Community of Benedictine Sisters of Divine Word Hospital.

Blotter

continued from page 6 home. The victim did not know when or how it was broken. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. MAY 12 — A resident of Orange Blvd. contacted the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation Monday to report a case of fraud. According to a PBSO report, last Saturday the victim received a letter from a credit adjuster alerting her that her name, address, birth date, Social Security number and telephone number were used to open a loan account. The victim said her information has been compromised since December 2013, but she never opened an account with the company. There were no suspects at the time of the report. MAY 12 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched to a gym in the Wellington Marketplace on Monday regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, the victim arrived at the gym at approximately 7 p.m. and placed his gym bag in a locker without any locking device. When he returned to the locker at

approximately 8:40 p.m., he discovered someone had stolen $130 cash from his wallet, which was in his gym bag. According to the report, there are video surveillance cameras that may have captured the incident on tape. MAY 13 — A resident of Yarmouth Court called the PBSO substation in Wellington on Tuesday to report a delayed theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime on Sunday, May 4, someone removed a child’s scooter from the victim’s front porch, which was fenced in. The victim did not see anyone take the scooter, but saw two juveniles riding the same scooter on Thursday, May 8. According to the report, a deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was able to locate the juveniles and asked them about the scooter. The juveniles said they went onto the victim’s porch and took it. According to the report, the juveniles live in the neighborhood and often play with the victim’s children. The stolen scooter was valued at approximately $135. There was no further information available at the time of the report.

The Town-Crier

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May 16 - May 22, 2014

Page 17

NEWS

WELLINGTON BALLET THEATRE PRESENTS ‘SNOW WHITE’ ON THE WHS STAGE

On Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10, the Wellington Ballet Theatre presented Snow White at Wellington High School. Directed by Rocky and Dorie Duvall and choreographed by Melissa Waters, the dancers presented a unique showing of the classic story of Snow White, the Evil Queen, the Huntsman and the Prince. For more info., visit www.wellingtonballettheatre.org. PHOTOS BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

The cast of Snow White on stage.

The Trainee 1 group as the forest animals.

Mikaela Wetter and Lexi Barbieri as the Evil Queen and Snow White.

Lexi Barbieri (center) as Snow White and her young and adult princes, Patrick Cerasuolo and Carlos Torres.

Quinn Van Popering, Amanda Campion and Sarah Marsengill.

The Apprentice 1 dwarfs with Melissa Waters and Rocky Duvall.

ROYAL PALM BEACH SENIORS CELEBRATE MOTHER’S DAY WITH BIG PARTY

The Royal Palm Beach Seniors Activities Group held a Mother’s Day Celebration Party on Thursday, May 8 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Appetizers, beverages and desserts were served. Rick Nelson sang oldies songs as seniors sang and danced along. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Ruth Hamlin gets birthday greetings from her friends.

Linda Isaacs and Dottie Santo.

Volunteers Attis Solomon, Lorna Pearson, Elaine Mathis, Vinette Tracy and Dolly Hughes.

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May 16 - May 22, 2014

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The Town-Crier

Who will be...

top model WELLINGTON’S NEXT

Do you have what is takes to become the next runway superstar?

Have you always dreamed of becoming a high-profile model? Are you often told “You should be a model?” Well then, Wellington The Magazine would like to help you make your dreams come true. If you or someone you know has what it takes to be “Wellington’s Next Top Model,” visit our web site and enter today! Wellington The Magazine is excited to announce the launch of our newest series, “Wellington’s Next Top Model,” a monthly spotlight on some of Wellington’s most beautiful people, all of whom seriously have what it takes to be the next runway superstar. Beginning in June, we will team up with local fashion retailers, hair and makeup industry professionals, and others, who will work with our models to get them camera ready for a full-on model shoot courtesy of Abner Pedraza, a professional photographer with Wellington The Magazine. Each month, we will feature a different model and share a bit about their pursuit of becoming a professional model. When the series is concluded, we will ask our readers to help us decide who should be named “Wellington’s Next Top Model,” earning the top prize: a professional modeling portfolio, in print and digital versions, valued at more than $2,500, as well as being featured on Wellington The Magazine’s December cover as winner of the contest. Think you have what it takes or know someone who does? Visit us online at www.wellingtonsnexttopmodel.com and submit your information and photo. We are looking for men and women ages 16* and up of all backgrounds, shapes and sizes. Everything from the cute girl next door to the exotic, dark-haired beauty, to plus-sized models and striking men — everyone is welcome. You may mail your submission and photo to Wellington The Magazine 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31 Wellington, FL 33414 Be sure to mark your envelope with “WELLINGTON’S NEXT TOP MODEL” on the outside.

or e-mail us at wellingtonsnexttopmodel@gmail.com www.wellingtonsnexttopmodel.com *18 years and younger must have written consent from parent or legal guardian. Wellington The Magazine reserves all photography rights and may use your story and image/photos in all promotional and editorial context. All results are final and winner(s) names will be published on or about December 2014.

You’re Invited! The Wanderers Club extends to you and your family a very special invitation to become a member of Wellington’s private golf, tennis, and polo club.

Dues-Only Membership – No Initiation Fee Required Full Golf or Social Memberships Available Traditional golf with no tee times, tennis, and fitness Casual dining at The Duke’s Bar, Veranda, and poolside • Fine dining at Stables Restaurant A junior Olympic-size pool, kiddie pool, and play area • Year-round social calendar and child-friendly programs An extensive summer reciprocal membership program For membership information, call 561.795.3501.

membership@wanderersclubwellington.com • wanderersclubwellington.com 1900 Aero Club Drive • Wellington, FL 33414 Dues-Only Membership may be recalled once the Club Membership reaches its full complement, beginning with the last in, unless the then established membership deposit is paid. All memberships are prorated as of initiation date.

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Lisa Perrotta Enjoys Learning From Jon Ingram

Lisa Perrotta, always interested in horses, started volunteering at Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue. That led her and her horse, Scout, to Jon Ingram, owner and founder of Ingram Performance Horses, to learn about reining. Ellen Rosenberg’s Column, Page 21

May 16 - May 22, 2014

Page 19

Kevin Perkins Golf Academy Marks 20 Years Of Camp

The Kevin Perkins Golf Academy will be celebrating its 20th edition of summer junior golf camps starting Monday, June 9 at the Binks Forest Golf Club in Wellington. The Kevin Perkins Golf Academy first began its well-known summer camp in 1995, while Perkins was the director of golf at the Palm Beach Polo Golf & Country Club. Page 29 2014

GUIDE SUMMER CAMP PAGES 24 & 25

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Business

RPB Chiropractor To Host Weekly ‘Heal Yourself Radio’ Program

Dr. Jonathan Chung, owner of Keystone Chiropractic in Royal Palm Beach, will be hosting a weekly radio program on Thursday afternoons from 5 to 6 p.m. on AM-1470, the Health and Wealth Network. Chung will be co-hosting the show with Dr. Gregory Jean-Pierre to provide insight on the latest trends in alternative and traditional healthcare. Page 23

Sports

Walk On The Wild Side Tournament Held In Wellington

The 16th annual Walk on the Wild Side Mother’s Day USSSA Softball Tournament returned to Wellington last weekend. The event featured 76 teams in the U-12 through U-18 age groups. Club teams traveled from as far as the Treasure Coast to Miami and gathered in Wellington at three different parks. Page 27

THIS WEEK’S index Tails from the Trails............................. 21 BUSINESS NEWS................................... 22-23 SPORTS & RECREATION.........................27-29 COMMUNITY CALENDAR............................. 30 CLASSIFIEDS..........................................33-37

Shopping Spree

Page 20

May 16 - May 22, 2014

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To schedule a visit, tour, or to make a lesson appointment, please contact us at 561-784-4275. Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, Wellington, Florida Find us on Facebook: Palm Beach Riding Academy EquestrianSportProd_PWTW5_16_14.indd 1

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May 16 - May 22, 2014

features

Page 21

Lisa Perrotta Enjoys Learning From Mentor Jon Ingram

Originally from Connecticut, Lisa Perrotta moved to South Florida in 1979. “My dad wanted to get out of the cold,” she recalled. “So we moved to Coral Springs. I bought two acres in The Acreage in 2001, because it was affordable.” Perrotta, always interested in horses, started volunteering at Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue. “That was in 2006,” she said. “I started out doing it part-time, but it turned into a job. I started bringing some of them home. Then I worked with Debbie McBride, who also runs a small horse rescue operation from her home in Deer Run. We rescued some horses from the Sugar Creek Horse Auction, buying a few and finding them homes.” The experience did not go as planned. “It was pretty expensive, plus we ran out of room, so sometimes we’d supply the hay and feed for people to keep horses at their places while we tried to place them,” Perrotta said. “That kind of backfired, when some people sold the horses themselves and kept the money.” Eventually, she ended up with eight rescue horses of her own. Not that she rode them. “I never rode horses at all,” she smiled. “I did groundwork, a lot of groundwork and Parelli-type training with them. Not riding. None of them were stable enough to be rid-

Get updates all week long... follow Ellen Rosenberg on Twitter at twitter.com/Horse TalkFL or stop by the Tales from the Trails page on Facebook and click “like.”

Tales From The Trails By Ellen Rosenberg den. I realized they needed riding. Every horse needs a job, plus it’s easier to find them good homes that way. A friend was over and said one of my horses had reining skills and recommended I bring him out to Jon.” Jon is Jon Ingram, owner and founder of Ingram Performance Horses. He has shown working cow horses, cutting horses and reining horses successfully for more than 30 years, and has earned nine world and national titles, training non-pro riders and their horses to become competitive partners at National Reining Horse Association shows. And so, in 2010, Perrotta brought Scout, one of her rescue horses, out to Ingram’s ranch. Scout had been a nurse-mare foal. Perrotta adopted him from Pure Thoughts when he was only five weeks old. “Jon taught me how to communicate with a horse, how to read him, how to become one with the horse, how to apply all those things I’d been teaching him in groundwork from his back,” Perrotta said. “Scout is really good at reining and enjoys it, so now I’m showing him in reining and also barrel racing. I love

Lisa Perrotta, Jon Ingram and Scout. reining, that full-out gallop to the slide, feeling the horse’s legs underneath you — it’s incredible, really fun. I get dizzy doing spins, but the slide is great.” She enjoys her time at the ranch. “I love coming here and learning to be a better rider. Jon has got a lot of knowledge. I’m here to soak up as much as I can. It improves me and Scout together,” Perrotta said. “For me, the hardest thing is having patience. I want

everything to happen yesterday. It’s difficult to step back, take a breath and start over when the horse doesn’t get something. I get so caught up in the moment, I want success so badly. I tend to rush to get things done instead of collecting my thoughts and trying something a different way.” Perrotta said Ingram has really helped her sculpt her abilities. “Jon has taught me to be See ROSENBERG, page 29

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May 16 - May 22, 2014

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Business News

Magic Of Caring Event Supports Children With Arthritis

The Arthritis Foundation’s 17th annual Magic of Caring Children’s Fashion Show, featuring children who have arthritis as models, was held last month at the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott. This event, which raised $50,000 to benefit children with arthritis, allows kids who live with daily pain to shine in the spotlight while spreading the word that, “Kids Get Arthritis, Too.” Nearly 200 attendees enjoyed lunch, preceded by a fabulous silent auction. Shawna Lamb shared her story about living with arthritis and about having a child with arthritis. Pediatric rheumatologist Dr. Steven Goodman was honored for his continued support and dedication to children with juvenile arthritis. Following the luncheon, Emerson

Lotzia, sports anchor/reporter or ESPN West Palm Beach, WPTV/ Fox 29, served as master of ceremonies for the fashion show, featuring fashions from H&M department store. A total of 16 models, between the ages of 3 and 16, strutted their stuff on the runway and were surprised by the news from David Donten that they could keep their outfits, compliments of the C. Kenneth and Laura Baxter Foundation. “To see the smiles on their faces, makes the time and effort of planning this event all worthwhile,” Event Chair Cheryl Cummings said. Proceeds will support research aimed at discovering a cure for juvenile arthritis, and help to send children with arthritis to one of three special summer camps in Florida.

Event sponsors included: the C. Kenneth & Laura Baxter Foundation, Arthritis Associates of South Florida, Doreen and Steven Goodman, Genentech, Florida Crystals, Mark and Lisa Delevie, Delray MRI, Toshiba Business Solutions, Arthritis & Rheumatology Associates of Palm Beach, Davinci Radiology Group, Dr. Michael Roseff, Doctors Carrie and Charlton Stucken, Dr. and Mrs. Howard Busch and Philip Whitacre. Committee members were: Andrea Abramowitz, Rose Marie Boyle, Kelly Ferraiolo, Terry Gearing, Justin Grandic, Shawna Lamb, Christine Pitts, Margaret Rath, Patricia Rath and Sarah Salvador. For additional information, call (561) 833-1133 or e-mail srhodes@ arthritis.org.

Models Gabrielle Ferraiolo, Ethan Abramowitz, Ava Obeso, Casey Trotter, Leeah Rath, Hudson Domb, Bailey Zajc and Lauren Andres strut their stuff.

MorseLife Community Education Luncheon Series Continues May 21

MorseLife’s monthly community education and luncheon series continues in May with Dr. Jennifer Buczyner, a neurologist with the Palm Beach Neuro Science Institute in West Palm Beach. In recognition of National Stroke Awareness Month, Buczyner will talk about stroke risk factors, causes, warning signs and prevention tactics on Wednesday, May 21 at 11:30 a.m.

in the auditorium of the Morse Geriatric Center at 4847 Fred Gladstone Drive (off Haverhill Road) in West Palm Beach. Buczyner is a fellowship-trained specialist in neurophysiology with offices at the Village Commons in West Palm Beach. She earned her medical degree and completed her internship in internal medicine at the Medical College of Georgia in Au-

gusta. She completed her residency training in neurology at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore and her fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta. Buczyner is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. She is affiliated with St. Mary’s Medical Center, Good Samaritan

Medical Center and Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. The cost for the program is $5 and includes a full lunch. To RSVP, call (561) 623-2922. Space is limited. MorseLife is a nationally recognized provider of healthcare and residential services for seniors and their families in Palm Beach County. A charitable, not-for-profit organization, its programs include

short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, independent and assisted living, home care, geriatric care management, adult day care and meals-on-wheels. Founded in 1983, MorseLife has built a reputation and tradition of caring for seniors with excellence, dignity and compassion. For more information, visit www.morselife. org.

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May 16 - May 22, 2014

Business News

Page 23

Royal Palm Beach Chiropractor To Host Weekly ‘Heal Yourself Radio’ Program

for chronic health problems. Chung is a doctor of chiropractic who focuses on structural correction and is primarily concerned with the upper cervical spine. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and molecular biology. Chung then went on and received his doctorate from Life University’s College of Chiropractic. He has received post-doctorate certification training from the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association and the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association. He is also

heavily involved in chiropractic research and has been published in scientific peer-reviewed journals. AM-1470 WNN, the Health and Wealth Network, is a part of the Beasley Broadcast Network and broadcasts throughout Broward and Palm Beach counties. The station’s programming is primarily focused on topics in health and finances. “It is an honor to be a part of the WNN programming. My goal is to help as many people as I can find answers to their health questions,” Chung said. “People are always searching for legitimate sources for

health information, and the growth of the Internet has made it harder to find out what’s real and what’s not. I hope that this program and the experts we bring on board can be a resource that people can trust for information on health, fitness and well-being. I appreciate WNN for giving me a medium to reach people all over Palm Beach and Broward.” Keystone Chiropractic is located at 420 S. State Road 7, Suite 170 in Royal Palm Beach. For more info., contact Brittany Dobbs at (561) 2470044 or keystonechiropracticfl@ gmail.com.

Dr. Jonathan Chung

Kimbra Foundation Grand Opening May 21 In Royal Palm Beach

The Kimbra Foundation will hold a grand opening celebration on Wednesday, May 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. in Royal Palm Beach. A nonprofit organization, the mission of the foundation is to nurture and support the underserved children of Uganda, one of the poorest nations in the world, by providing them with basic necessities, including food, shelter, clothing and a solid educational base. Kimbra’s co-founders, Dr. Al

Sears and Miss Uganda 2004-05 Barbara Kimbugwe, will be hosting the event. “As a child growing up in Kampala, Uganda, I came from a modest home, but was blessed to have a loving family, food, shelter, clothing and education,” Kimbugwe said. “But there were so many children who were not so fortunate. I didn’t have to travel far from my town to witness extreme poverty. My goal has been to use my influence as Miss

Uganda to raise money and help these precious children.” The Kimbra Foundation concentrates its efforts in the underserved rural areas of Kampala, the largest city and capital of Uganda. Here, some of the worst health conditions can be found due to harsh conditions and limited resources. Like many regions throughout Africa, Uganda suffers from widespread disease and malnutrition. Sears, a local medical physician

and health rights advocate, has traveled to Uganda and witnessed first-hand how a family’s struggle just to survive and provide the basic necessities can hinder a child’s ability to get an education. “When we support the community with their basic needs such as food, fresh water, shelter and medical care… we are improving the lives of the children and opening doors so they can get a proper education,” Sears said. “By nurturing these young children

and providing them with support in their education and personal growth, we are not only helping them as individuals… but we’re also helping the entire community by developing the leaders of the future.” The grand opening will be a celebration and announcement of the Kimbra Foundation’s official launch. For more information, call Sandy DeRose at (561) 899-1404 or Jennifer Moran at (561) 899-1387, or visit www.kimbrafoundation.org.

May 16 - May 22, 2014

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The Town-Crier

SUMMER CAMP GUIDE

2014

Page 24

Casperey Stables Horse Camp is a small, fun-filled day camp for children ages 7 to 14. With four riding opportunities each day, arts and crafts, and outdoor games, campers find little time to be bored. The low counselor-child ratio ensures that each child receives 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. Casperey Stables has a weekly swim party and ends each session with a horse show and family barbecue. To learn more about the camp, located at 2330 D Road in Loxahatchee Groves, call (561) 792-4990 or visit www. caspereystables.com. Dance Theatre is offering Summer Dance Camp for ages 5-9 and Dance Intensives for intermediate and advanced dancers ages 10 and up. Three weeks are offered: June 23 - June 27, July 14 - July 18 and July 28 - Aug. 1. The program offers ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, flexibility, hip-hop acro, musical theatre, drama, modeling, ballroom, arts & crafts and more. A $100 deposit is required to hold space. Space is limited, so reserve your space today. The cost is $200 a week or $500 for all three weeks. The program runs 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Daily rates are available, as are multiple child discounts. Dance Theatre is located at 10620 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 30, in Wellington Green Square between Pei Wei and Fresh Market. Call (561) 784-4401 for more info.

Join the Junior Golf Camp at the Okeeheelee Golf Course, Park Ridge Golf Course and John Prince Golf Learning Center through the Junior Golf Foundation of America. New or seasoned golfers will develop skills while having fun. The JGFA provides junior golfers with the tools to enjoy the game for a lifetime. Professional PGA/LPGA golf instructors, trained coaches and staff are carefully picked for their love of junior golf, teaching abilities and inspirational approach. The program emphasizes safety, fun, sportsmanship and personal attention. Camps run June 9 through Aug. 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday, with extended camp available until 3 p.m. at Okeeheelee and Park Ridge. Written evaluation reports, prizes, trophies, official JGFA items, a certificate of completion and a pizza party on the last day is included. Also available: camps for ages 3 to 5, camps for advanced tournament golfers, Junior Golf tournaments, weekly programs, leagues, walk-up clinics and more. Visit www.jgfa.org or call (561) 964-GOLF for more information. The Lab/High Touch High Tech is conveniently located off State Road 7 at Lantana Road. The Lab brings science to life with hands-on experiments provided by High Touch High Tech, the leader in science education for the last 19 years. Each day will be a new adventure, from interacting with real “lab critters” to launching rockets and panning for gems. The unique Lab offers affordable pricing, experiments with lots of cool take-homes, arts and crafts, physical activities and more. The program taps into children’s natural curiosity and provides them with safe and fun activities that help them learn about the world around them. Campers will make slime, erupt volcanoes, make ice cream, tie dye T-shirts and more. Call (561) 444-3978 or visit www.thelabforkids.com for more info. The Little Place Pre-School has been serving the western communities for more than 36 years. The school has two convenient Wellington locations and is now taking summer camp registration at both locations. The Little Place

offers a pre-school program for children ages 2 to 5 years old, and a program for children ages 6 to 8. Various classes are offered, as well as arts & crafts and much more. Little Place will make your child’s summer fun! Call or visit them at 1040 Wellington Trace (561-793-5860) or 2995 Greenbriar Blvd. (561-790-0808). The Learning Foundation of Florida’s (TLFF) Academic Summer School/ Camp 2014 is an elementary, middle and high school summer academic school/camp program with several options available to assist the diverse needs of students. The program begins on June 17 running through Aug. 7 and allows for attendance flexibility in scheduling of days and weeks. TLFF’s K-8 summer program focuses on individualized academic remediation using weekly themes and a variety of teaching strategies, including multi-sensory, hands-on approaches and creative lessons. Middle school students can take FLVS courses for promotion to the next grade level. There are two sessions available: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and/or 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. The high school summer program allows students to accelerate or, if they received grades of D or F in classes, they may redo for higher grades. The session is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information, call Debra Thornby at (561) 795-6886. Wellington Children’s Theatre will host its Summer Musical Theatre Camp, for ages 6 to 16, June 9 through July 11, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Week 1 will be Glee Camp. Campers will enjoy daily creative and performance activities, and focus on singing and choreography of Glee-style ensemble numbers. Weeks 2 through 5 will be the Summer Stage Session. Campers will enjoy acting, dance and vocal classes, and will build their selfconfidence and their theatre skills, culminating in a final, fully staged Broadway show. Daily workshops include script writing, pantomime, stage combat, magic, stage makeup, audition techniques and more, with guest teachers. Campers will bring their own lunch, and an ice cream snack will be served daily. The cost is $250 per week. Aftercare is available. For more info., or to register, call (561) 223-1928 or visit www.wellingtonchildrenstheatre.com.

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SUMMER

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CAMP

May 16 - May 22, 2014 Page 25

GUIDE

Page 26

May 16 - May 22, 2014

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Sports & Recreation

May 16 - May 22, 2014

Page 27

Walk On The Wild Side Tourney Returns To Wellington

By Gene Nardi Town-Crier Staff Report The 16th annual Walk on the Wild Side Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day USSSA Softball Tournament returned to Wellington last weekend. The event featured 76 teams in the U-12 through U-18 age groups.

Club teams traveled from as far as the Treasure Coast to Miami and gathered in Wellington at three different parks. The Wellington Wild is the villageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s club team, which hosts the event each year. Board Member Jenna Marquez told the Town-Crier

Wellington Wild Gold U-12 first baseman Morgan McNeill tries to make the play for the out.

Pitcher Katelyn Robine throws in the first round of the tournament.

Photos by Gene Nardi/Town-Crier

that the tournament has had a home in the village for the past 16 years. The fields were occupied by teams, and parents watching from the stands while the girls played softball throughout the weekend, from early morning until the evening. Vendors provided food and snacks, while specialty shops provided gear for the teams and event t-shirts. It is no secret to sports enthusiasts across the state that Wellington provides some of the best facilities in the area for many sporting events. For more about travel softball in Wellington, visit www.wellington wild.net.

Hannah Dube bunts the ball during the tournament.

Kate Desimone of the Wellington Wild Gold U-12 team dives back to third base.

Alexis Johnson slides into second base, looking to the field judge for the call.

Page 28

May 16 - May 22, 2014

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sports & recreation

Colts Win 2014 Spring SFTBL Championship

Make A Splash At County’s Waterparks

Family Fun Fridays are underway at Calypso Bay Waterpark in Royal Palm Beach and Coconut Cove Waterpark in Boca Raton. The interactive water playgrounds will be open every Friday in May from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Young children and their parents can enjoy splashing in the shallow water, climbing on the play structure, and taking a fun ride down the playground slides.

Family Fun Friday admission fees are $3.50 for children under 12 and $5 for adults (12 and over). Prices do not include tax. All attractions at both Calypso Bay and Coconut Cove are also open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. From June 6 to Aug. 18, the waterparks will be open 7 days a week. Season passes are currently

on sale, and reservations for birthday party packages are now being accepted. Calypso Bay Waterpark is located at Seminole Palms Park off Southern Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach. For more info., call (561) 790-6160. For information about additional aquatic opportunities available through the Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation Department, visit www.pbcsplash.com.

Victory For Coach Pitch White Sox

The Wellington White Sox won the championship of the Wellington Spring Coach Pitch League (ages 7-8) with an 8-5 victory over the Mets on May 10 at Olympia Park. In the playoffs, the White Sox beat the Yankees 6-4 and the Phillies 15-4 to reach the championship game. Team members include: (Front row, left to right) Josetta Wang, Mason Blitstein, Adam Ahmad, Sawyer Ramseyer, Cameron Cabrera, Jamie Robinson and Gavin Miller; (middle row) Carsan Strolla, Mason Morrow, Amany Hilario, Trevor Robb and Jonathan Cardenas; (back row) coaches Cory Strolla, Mike Morrow, Stuart Robinson (head coach), Rick Robb and Jeff Miller.

The Wellington Colts 11-U travel baseball team won the 2014 Spring South Florida Travel Baseball League Championship on Tuesday, May 6. Tristan Gasset pitched three winning games in the tournament to get to the championships. The Colts’ defense did a great job, and team batters earned runs to get the win. The team includes: (Front row, left to right) Matthew Pinello, Jake Penta, Owen Keane, Ray Laufenberg, Chase Cooper and Gavin Bogdanchik; (middle row) Kieran Etwaru, Angle Cruz, Gabe Peters, Gabrial Garcia, Tristan Gasset and Jason Benhardus; and (back row) Victor Uceta, Greg Bogdanchik, Lou Penta and Chris Keane.

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sports & recreation

May 16 - May 22, 2014

Page 29

Kevin Perkins Golf Academy Celebrates 20 Years Of Summer Camps The Kevin Perkins Golf Academy will be celebrating its 20th edition of summer junior golf camps starting Monday, June 9 at the Binks Forest Golf Club in Wellington. The Kevin Perkins Golf Academy first began its well-known summer camp in 1995, while Perkins was the director of golf at the Palm Beach Polo Golf & Country Club. “It is hard to believe that we will be doing our 20th edition of the camp next month,” said Perkins, a PGA master professional. “We have had so much fun and have really en-

Rosenberg

Lisa Perrotta Trains With Jon Ingram

continued from page 21 not just a better rider, but to stop and look inside and see what part of me connects with my horse,” she said. “He gives me lots of tools that work. He explains things and goes into the details of why different

joyed all the energy and great times we have spent with all the wonderful kids over the last 20 years.” Perkins said running the camp has been a great privilege. “It has been amazing. I remember when we put together our first camp at Palm Beach Polo, and we had Bruce Rendina’s boys in attendance, and Carlo Bilotti’s boys also joined us,” he recalled. “Wow, here we are 20 years later and still teaching the kids our great game and having them keep us young.” The Junior Summer Golf Camp

is open to boys and girls ages 7 to 17. It will take place weekly from June 9 through Aug. 15. Each weekly camp is conducted Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily. The summer camp is conducted at the Binks Forest Golf Club, located at 400 Binks Forest Drive in Wellington. For more information about the camp and other programs provided by the Kevin Perkins Golf Academy, visit www.kevinperkinsgolfacademy.com or call (561) 301-3783.

techniques are effective. He has a lot to offer anyone in any discipline. He can help you get results.” Ingram also enjoys the experience. “I enjoy working with Lisa,” he said. “And Scout is a beautiful horse. They’ve come along nicely, especially considering she was new to riding a couple of years ago. Scout is doing really well, too. He’s a pretty horse to watch. The judges like him.” Ingram said he gets the most

satisfaction from training horses and watching them get very good at what they do. “I’ve trained nine world champions. I’m 70. I’d like to make one more before I croak. I still work at it 12 to 14 hours a day,” he said. “With horses, there’s no end to learning. You never know it all. Nobody ever will.” For more information, call Ingram at (561) 234-5910 or visit www.ingramperformancehorses. com.

‘I’ve trained nine world champions. I’m 70. I’d like to make one more before I croak. I still work at it 12 to 14 hours a day,’ Jon Ingram said. ‘With horses, there’s no end to learning. You never know it all. Nobody ever will.’

PGA Master Professional Kevin Perkins with campers at his summer junior golf camp, which is returning for its 20th year.

Page 30

May 16 - May 22, 2014

Saturday, May 17 • The Palm Beach County Thrift Store (2455 Vista Parkway, West Palm Beach) will hold its monthly auction Saturday, May 17. Hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with bidding from 8 to 11 a.m. Call (561) 233-2256 or visit www.pbcgov.com for info. • Petco will hold the grand opening of its new store in suburban Lake Worth (6185 Jog Road near Lantana Road) the weekend of May 17-18. After a ribbon cutting on Saturday, May 17 at 8:55 a.m., the new store will open at 9 a.m. with the first 100 Pals Rewards customers receiving a free $10 Petco gift card. On Sunday, May 18, the first 50 Pals Rewards customers will receive a free tote bag. Pet adoptions will continue all weekend. Learn more at www.petco.com. • Iron Lion Fitness (10660 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 160, Wellington) will host a Ryde-a-Thon on Saturday, May 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with food, drinks, music and cycling for a good cause. Admission is free, but attendees are encouraged to donate a minimum of $10 per “Ryde” to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. For more info., contact Carol Quairoli at (305) 510-8437 or ceeq@bellsouth.net or visit www.ironlionfit.com. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Monkeying Around for ages 2 to 6 on Saturday, May 17 at 11 a.m. Enjoy stories, songs and a craft featuring monkeys. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info. • Loxahatchee Groves Elementary School (16020 Okeechobee Blvd.) will hold its annual carnival Saturday, May 17 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with games, rides, a plant sale, entertainment and lots of food. Proceeds will help provide resources and materials that are needed in the classroom. For more info., call Candi at (561) 904-9200. • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host Bookercise: Move, Dance, Wiggle and Shake for ages 2 to 6 on Saturday, May 17 at 11 a.m. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register. • Whole Foods Market in Wellington (2635 State Road 7) will host a Gluten-Free Fair on Saturday, May 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is no charge and no registration is necessary. Call (561) 904-4000 for more info. • Whole Foods Market in Wellington (2635 State Road 7) will host Healthy Road Map: The Great Outdoors on Saturday, May 17 from 2 to 4 p.m. Learn how to prepare healthy camping food. The demonstration will be in tents. There is no charge. Register at customer service or by calling (561) 904-4000. • The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will feature Video Games Live, a family-oriented event with orchestra and choir Saturday, May 17 at 8 p.m. For more info., call (561) 832-7469 or visit www.kravis.org. • The Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) will host the Long Run Eagles Tribute Concert on Saturday, May 17 at 8:30

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p.m. Call (561) 753-2484 or visit www.wellingtonfl.gov for more info. Sunday, May 18 • Wellington Jewish Center and the Rotary Club of West Palm Beach will hold the “5K for the Kids Walk-a-thon” on Sunday, May 18 at Okeeheelee Park. The walk-a-thon starts at 8 a.m., and the run-a-thon begins at 9 a.m., with participant registration beginning at 7 a.m. at the Alligator Pavilion. For more info., visit www.5k4kids.dojiggy.com. • The Acreage Green Market will take place Sunday, May 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Acreage Community Park (6701 140th Ave. North). For more info., visit www.shopgreenmarkets.com or call (561) 929-0237. • Temple Beth Tikvah (4550 Jog Road, Greenacres) invites the community to celebrate Lag B’Omer on Sunday, May 18 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. For $5 per person, enjoy a BBQ, Jewish trivia, art contests, Israeli dancing, sports and more. Call (561) 967-3600 for more info. Monday, May 19 • Royal Palm Beach High School will hold its 2014 graduation ceremony on Monday, May 19 at 8 a.m. at the South Florida Fairgrounds. For more info., call (561) 753-4000. • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host Lego Building Crew for ages 7 to 11 on Monday, May 19 at 3:30 p.m. Come and play with Legos and make your own creation. Bring a Lego creation to show. Call (561) 790-6030 for more info. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Legos for ages 8 and up Monday, May 19 at 4 p.m. Create vehicles or buildings out of Lego pieces. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info. • Palm Beach County 4-H will hold a Junior Master Gardeners program beginning Monday, May 19 at 4:30 p.m. at the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension (559 N. Military Trail, Exhibit Hall B, West Palm Beach). Subsequent sessions will be held every other Monday. To pre-register, e-mail fourh@pbcgov.org or call (561) 233-1731. • The Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches (3151 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach) will host a free, public seminar on college athletics and admissions Monday, May 19 at 6 p.m. The seminar is designed to enhance student-athletes’ college admissions prospects by helping them better understand their options. For more info., call Monica Hammett at (561) 972-9620, e-mail mhammett@oapb.org or visit www.oapb.org. Tuesday, May 20 • Whole Foods Market in Wellington (2635 State Road 7) will host 5% Day Benefiting the PB&J Project on Tuesday, May 20. Shop any Whole Foods Market in Broward or Palm Beach counties on May 20, and 5 percent of the day’s net sales will be donated to the PB&J Project, developed by 12-year-old Wellington resident Ryan Shnider. Call (561) 904-4000 for more info. • Seminole Ridge High School will hold its 2014 graduation ceremony on Tuesday, May 20

at 8 a.m. at the South Florida Fairgrounds. For more info., call (561) 422-2600. • The next quarterly communications meeting on the Long-Term Plan for Achieving Water Quality Goals for the Everglades Protection Area will be held on Tuesday, May 20 at 9 a.m. in the Storch Room, Building B1, at the South Florida Water Management District’s headquarters (3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach). Call (561) 686-8800 or visit www.sfwmd.gov for more info. • Whole Foods Market in Wellington (2635 State Road 7) will host Potty Training Tips on Tuesday, May 20 at 10 a.m. Learn some tips and tricks to make sure your child makes a smooth transition. There is no charge. Register at customer service or by calling (561) 904-4000. • The Mental Health Association of Palm Beach County (909 Fern St., West Palm Beach) will host a lunch and discussion on Creating Happiness: Putting Positive Psychology Into Practice on Tuesday, May 20 at noon. Presenter JoAnna Brandi is a graduate of Dr. Martin Seligman’s Authentic Happiness Coaching program and is a founding member of Positive Workplace International. The cost, including lunch, is $25 for members and $30 for nonmembers. Call (561) 832-3755 or visit www.mhapbc.org for more info. • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host Paper Beading for ages 12 to 17 on Tuesday, May 20 at 5 p.m. Make your own uniquely designed beads out of colored paper. String them together to make a necklace, bracelet, keychain or more. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Heart of the Cards for ages 12 and up Tuesday, May 20 at 6 p.m. Bring your Yu-Gi-Oh! cards and get ready to battle, trade and make new friends. Snacks will be provided. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info. • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host Club Pokémon for ages 6 to 12 on Tuesday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m. Bring your DS or Pokémon cards to battle, trade and make new friends. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register. • Whole Foods Market in Wellington (2635 State Road 7) will host Fondue-It-Yourself on Tuesday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m. Learn all the tips and tricks to a perfect, silky fondue with all the accompaniments. Register at customer service or by calling (561) 904-4000. Wednesday, May 21 • Palm Beach Central High School will hold its 2014 graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 21 at 8 a.m. at the South Florida Fairgrounds. For more info., call (561) 304-1000. • Royal Palm Beach Elementary School (11911 Okeechobee Blvd.) will hold its kindergarten roundup Wednesday, May 21 at 8:30 a.m. in the school cafeteria. Call (561) 633-4400 for more info. • A Quarters Auction to benefit the Legal Aid Society will be held Wednesday, May 21 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Cen-

The Town-Crier ter way). Doors open at 6 p.m., and the auction starts at 7 p.m. For more info., call Julie Bryant at (561) 797-1501. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Hooked on Crochet for adults Wednesday, May 21 at 6:30 p.m. Learn beginning techniques or bring current projects to work on. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info • The Wellington Elementary School Chorus will present the musical production At The Bandstand on Wednesday, May 21 at 7 p.m. on the stage in the school cafeteria (13000 Paddock Drive). The show will be performed again the following day for the entire school. E-mail euginasmith.feaman@palmbeachschools.org for more info. Thursday, May 22 • Wellington High School will hold its 2014 graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 22 at 4 p.m. at the South Florida Fairgrounds. For more info., call (561) 795-4900. • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Go Crazy for Beads!” for ages 8 to 12 on Thursday, May 22 at 4:30 p.m. Make uniquely designed beads out of colored paper. String them together to make a necklace, bracelet, keychain or more. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register. • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host Meditation for Relaxation for adults Thursday, May 22 at 6 p.m. Maya Malay of the Palm Beach Dharma Center will demonstrate easy-to-apply techniques to achieve emotional well-being. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register. • Women of the Wellington Chamber will host Sips and Dips hosted by Mimi Pastor on Thursday, May 22 at 6 p.m. in the Wellington Room (12230 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). RSVP to (561) 797-6212. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Honor Women Through Writing for adults Thursday, May 22 at 6:30 p.m. Share stories and poems about the women who made a difference in your life. Learn new techniques and receive constructive feedback. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. Friday, May 23 • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host Cool Creative Kids Club for ages 7 to 11 on Friday, May 23 at 3:30 p.m. Enjoy an afternoon of creativity using a variety of art materials and techniques. All materials will be provided. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register. • Whole Foods Market in Wellington (2635 State Road 7) will host Gluten-Free Cooking on Friday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m. Learn how to prepare a gluten-free meal that tastes great and is easy to prepare. Enjoy free samples. There is no charge. Register at customer service or by calling (561) 904-4000. Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@ gotowncrier.com.

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“A non-profit sanctuary”

YOU WILL SEE EVERYTHING... from WHITE TIGERS to LIGERS to

BLACK LEOPARDS, RUFFED LEMURS, KINKAJOUS, REDTAIL HAWKS, GREAT HORNED OWLS, SCARLET MACAWS, GILA MONSTERS, ALBINO BURMESE PYTHONS, GREEN MAMBAS & MORE!

Tours are

Tuesday - Saturday 11am, 12pm & 1pm

PALMS WESTTHIS WEEK’S

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

561-790-2116 McCarthyswildlife.com

WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE

WELCOME HOME

Watching your home so you can relax

New Location! New Showroom!

CALL FOR FREE ESTIMATE!

Candace Osias

House Nanny & Dog Walker

561-333-2306 TOLL FREE: 855-808-8555

WE DO NOT SELL CHEAP FLOORING CHEAPER 561-791-6041 516-965-0389 (cell) candieosias@gmail.com

WE SELL THE BEST FOR LESS! 766 Pike Road • West Palm Beach, FL 33411 (Between Southern Blvd. & Belvedere)

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS FOR AS LOW AS $21 A WEEK*

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

May 16 - May 22, 2014 Page 33

REAL ESTATE

GARAGE SALES

A/C AND REFRIGERATION

PAINTING

TIRES/AUTO REPAIRS

FOR RENT - GREENACRES

WELLINGTON

JOHN C. HUNTON AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION, INC.—Service & new installation FPL independent participating contractor. Lic. CAC 057272 Ins. “We are proud supporters of the Seminole Ridge Hawks” 561-798-3225. Family Owned & Operated since 1996. Credit Cards Accepted

J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential. Interior & Exterior painting. Certified pressure cleaning & painting contractor. Lic. #U21552 Call Butch 309-6975 or visit ourwebsite at www.jbpressurecleaningandpainting.com

T I R E S / A U T O R E PA I R S — Located behind Al Packer West off Southern Blvd. Tires for autos, trucks and commercial vehicles. 561-790-7228. 587 105 Ave. N. Unit 28, Royal Palm Beach.

ROOMMATE TO SHARE — 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment - Purdy & Jog Road. $550 per month. Looking for under 35 years old. 954-296-3748

TREE SERVICE

PALM BEACH POLO & COUNTRY CLUB — Luxury gated community furnished 1 bedroom 1 bath. $1,000 plus utilities. Short term rental. Available May - Jan 1st. (917) 576-8988 No Pets/No Smoking.

HUGE GARAGE/ESTATE/TOOL SALE — This Saturday, May 17th 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Carpenters Power Tools, Hand Tools, Table Saw, Drill Press, Table Sander, Many, Many More items. Everything must go. 14788 Horseshoe Trace

CLEANING - HOME/OFFICE WE CLEAN OFFICES & PRIVATE HOMES — Licensed & Insured. Call for an estimate and to schedule your apartment. Discount for Central Palm Beach County Chamber members and to all new clients for first cleaning. 561-385-8243 Lic. #2012-252779

COMPUTER REPAIR D.J. COMPUTER — Home & office, Spyware removal, websites, networks, repairs, upgrades, virus removal, tutoring. Call Jeff 561-333-1923 Cell 561-252-1186 Lic’d Well. & Palm Beach. We accept major credit cards.

O COMPUTER SERVICES (PC OR MAC)

JOHN PERGOLIZZI PAINTING INC. — Interior/Exterior - Repaint specialist, pressure cleaning, popcorn ceiling, drywall repair & roof painting. Family owned/owner operator. Free Est. 798-4964 Lic. #U18473 COLORS BY CORO, INC. — Int./Ext. residential painting, over 20 yrs exp. Small Jobs welcome. Free est. Ins. 561-383-8666. Owner/Operated. Lic.# U20627 Ins. Wellington Resident |

PET SERVICE

PALM BEACH PET SERVICES, LLC — Pet sitting, dog walking, cageless boarding. 866-648-1150 License, Bonded. Insured.

PET SITTTING

A N Y W H E R E , A N Y T I M E S P Y WA R E / VIRUS REMOVAL — Manufacture restore, network setup (WiFi or Wired), repairs, upgrades. Call Val 561-713-5276

PET SITTING — Days and overnight in your home-caring person. Excellent references. Housesitting available. 561-572-1782

DRYWALL - POPCORN INSTALL/REPAIR

PLUMBING

SAMSON CONSTRUCTION OF SOUTH FLORIDA — We specialize in textured drywall, knockdown, textured popcorn, popcorn removal and drywall repair. Fast and clean service. Licensed and insured. Call Craig 561-644-6649

JEREMY JAMES PLUMBING — Licensed plumber, legitimate estimate. Water heaters, new construction. CFC1426242. Bonded Insured. CFC1426242. 561-601-6458

DRIVEWAY REPAIR

J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential. Interior & Exterior painting. Certified pressure cleaning & painti n g c o n t r a c t o r. L i c . # U 2 1 5 5 2 C a l l Butch at 309-6975 or visit us at www. jbpressurecleaningandpainting.com

D R I V E W AY S — F r e e e s t i m a t e s A & M ASPHALT SEAL COATING commercial and residential. Patching potholes, striping, repair existing asphalt & save money all work guaranteed. L i c.& In s. 1 0 0 0 4 5 0 6 2 5 61-667-7716

HANDYMAN THE MASTER HANDYMAN — All Types of Home Repairs & Improvements. No job too big or small done right the first time every time 40 yrs of satisfied customers. See me on Angies List. Tom (561) 801-2010 or (954) 444-3178 Serving Palm Beach and Broward Counties. BILLY’S HOME REPAIRS INC. REMODEL & REPAIRS — Interior Trim, crown molding, rottenwood repair, door installation, minor drywall,kitchens/cabinets/countertops, wood flooring. Bonded and Insured U#19699. Call 791-9900 or 628-9215

HOME IMPROVEMENTS ANMAR CO.—James’ All Around Handyman Service. Excellent craftman Old time values. Once you’ve had me! You’ll have me back! Lic. Ins. Certified Residential Contractor CRC1327426 561-248-8528

HOUSE NANNY/DOG WALKER WELCOME HOME – Watching your home so you can relax. Dailey, weekly and monthly services available. Snowbird and seasonal services available as well. Kitchen restocking, errand running, and many other services offered. Professional and Trustworthy! (561)791-6041 (516)965-0389 (Cell) candieosias@gmail

HURRICANE SHUTTERS HURRICANE SHUTTERS P&M CONTRACTORS — ACCORDION SHUTTERS Gutters, screen enclosures, siding, soffits, aluminum roofs, Serving the Western Communities. Since 1985. U-17189 561-791-9777

MEDICAL INSURANCE MEDICAL $49.95 – Whole household. No Deductible up to 86% coverage. Doctors Visits, hospital, specialists, vision, dental, chiropractic and prescription. Call Edwin 561-963-9724

TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS CALL 561-793-7606 TODAY

PRESSURE CLEANING

D R I V E W AY C L E A N I N G — S t a r t i n g at$59. $50 Off House Exterior Wash, Free Sidewalk Cleaning (up to 50 Ft.) with roof cleaning.Pressure Pros of Palm Beach, Inc. 561-718-9851 Lic. & Insured.

ROOFING MINOR ROOF REPAIRS Don Hartmann R oofing — R o o f p a i n t ing, Carpentry. Lic. #U13677 967-5580 ROBERT G. HARTMANN ROOFING — Specializing in repairs. Free estimates, Bonded,insured. Lic. #CCC 058317 Ph: 561-790-0763. ROOFING REPAIRS REROOFING ALL TYPES — Pinewood Construction, Inc. Honest and reliable. Serving Palm Beach County for over 20 years. Call Mike 561-309-0134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC-023773 RC-0067207

SECURITY SECURITY — American owned local security company in business 30 plus years. Protection by officers drug tested. 40 hour course. Licensed & Insured. 561-848-2600

SCREENING JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio rescreening. Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed! CRC1329708 call us 798-3132. www.poolscreenrepair.com

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

TILE / CERAMICS SPECIALIZING IN BATHROOM REMODELING — Free estimates serving South Florida since 1980. Quality you expect, service you deserve. Lic. bonded & Ins. U21006 561-662-9258

TREES TRIMMED AND REMOVED — 561-798-0412 D.M. YOUNG TREE SERVICE. Family Owned & Operated Lic. & Insured 1992-12121 Visit our website at dmyoungtreeservice.com

WALLPAPERING PAPERHANGING BY DEBI — Professional Installation,Removal. Repair of Paper. Neat, Clean & Reliable. Quality work with a woman’s touch. 30 years experience. No Job too big or too small. Lic. & Ins. References available. 561-795-5263

WATER TREATMENT NEED A NEW WATER SYSTEM! — Let us come out and give you an estimate. Call Mike 561-792-5400

BUSINESS OPPORTUNIT Y FOR SALE — CYBER REAL ESTATE - Cyber Real Estate For Sale or Joint Venture. Own the WellingtonFilmFestival.com or other cyber real estate outright or partner with us for amazing recurring events. Call me at 561-255-7625

FOR RENT - WELLINGTON

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE - WELLINGTON ONE PLUS ACRES IN PINEWOOD EAST— 5 bedrooms/3.5 bath home in beautiful Pinewood East, with one plus acres and swimming pool. Lots of room. Interior has wood and tile floors-updated kitchen. Cell 561-685-0386 Office 561-793-4444 rage, pool, gated upscale, golf country club. $895,000 561-795-0533

HOME SELLERS WANTED WANTED: HOME SELLERS WHO REFUSE TO SETTLE FOR LESS THAN THE BEST — Diane Widdick, Re/Max Direct. Call 561-247-5478. For a FREE Copy of “29 Essential Tips for Getting Your Home Sold Fast! (And for Top Dollar)

PETS - LOST/FOUND BLUE FINCH FOUND IN WELLINGTON CALL 561-386-8273

EMPLOYMENT BOOKKEEPER NEEDED — part-time, experienced in QuickBooks, flexible hours. Please fax resume to 561-791-0952 HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER IN WELLINGTON — Now hiring certified teachers.$10-$15/hour. Call 561-594-1920 E-mail: MarleneGiraud@hlcwellington.com PT/FT SALES HELP WANTED — For local flooring store expanding. Sales experience a plus. Will train the right person. 561-333-2306 buyithere7@gmail.com ALL YOURS HAIR AND NAIL SALON IS GROWING! — We our HIRING Full Specialists/Nail Technicians, Stylist and Dual Licensed Massage Therapists dedicated to their profession. Please contact Kelly by email allyourssalon@gmail. com or call the Salon @ 561.790.5855 DRIVERS: $5,000 Sign-On Bonus! — Great pay! Consistent Freight, Great Miles on this Regional Account. Werner Enterprises: 1-855-517-2488

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED A FEW OPENINGS LEFT FOR VOLUNTEERS — Adults and teens over 15 to work with special children and mini horses all summer long. Community service for teens. Call Nancy 561-792-2666

FOR SALE BOAT FOR SALE — project Pontoon Boat needs work on Lake Wellington. $1,200 561-386-2054

OFFICE SPACE LAW OFFICE TO SHARE: — Royal Palm/ Wellington. Furnished executive offices plus two secretarial work stations, use of conference room, reception, kitchen. Utilities included. $850 month. 561-793-1200, ext. 1 or 561-386-7307

PALMS WESTTHIS WEEK’S

MOVING SALE — This Saturday, May 17th & Sunday, May 18th, also May 24th & 25th. 1200 Amarillis Court, Wellington Household items, some furniture, kitchen, clothing, small TV’s, collectibles, & misc. items.

TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS CALL 561-793-7606 TODAY

FICTITIOUS NAMES Legal Notice No. 575

Notice Under Fictitious Name Florida Statute 865.09 Public notice is hereby given that the undersigned desires to engage in business under the fictitious name of:

ELITE FIREARMS TRAINING Located at:

3541 MLK Blvd, Suite 6 Riviera Beach, FL 33404

County of Palm Beach, Florida and intends to register said name with the Division of Corporations State of Florida,forthwith Emmett Jarvis Publish :Town-Crier Newspapers Date: 05-16-14

Page 34 May 16 - May 22, 2014

PALMS WESTTHIS WEEK’S

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WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS FOR AS LOW AS $21 A WEEK*

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May 16 - May 22, 2014 Page 35

HERE’S MY CARD

Lic & Insured CFC057392, CAC1817688

SEPTIC & DRAINFIELD SPECIALISTS

Page 36 May 16 - May 22, 2014

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HERE’S MY CARD

We Come To You!

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Page 37

Call Keith 561-644-0246 Licensed & Insured

Page 38

May 16 - May 22, 2014

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Elegante` Polo is closing it’s Forest Hill Location!

Entire Store is Now 50% to 90% Off**

Elegante Polo’s $11.80! Elegante Jackets 12.50! Select Women’s Dresses 70% off Select La Martina Polo’s 60% off! Nessprsso Machines sold at cost! Vicomte A Polo’s 60% off! Women’s shoes 50% to 70% off! Men’s and Women’s Belts 60% to 70% off!

Hurry Only 14 Days Left To Go 10620 W. Forest Hill Blvd. Next to Fresh Market & Oli’s! PH: 561-798-7816

Limited Exceptions Apply***