FRANKEL VISITS CHAMBER LUNCHEON SEE STORY, PAGE 3
JORDANO INSURANCE GROUP EXPANDS SEE STORY, PAGE 7
THE
TOWN-CRIER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
Your Community Newspaper
INSIDE 2019 GUIDE
Volume 40, Number 22 May 31 - June 6, 2019
Serving Palms West Since 1980
MEMORIAL DAY IN WELLINGTON Page 15
Groups Participate In Gleaning To Help Feed The Hungry
Gleaning is the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers’ fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest. Many local groups participate in gleaning projects through CROS (Christians Reaching Out to Society) Ministries. Page 3
Relay For Life Wrap-Up Party Held In Wellington
The Relay for Life of Western Palm Beach County held a wrap-up party Wednesday, May 22 at the Wellington Community Center. Awards were given out by Event Chair Andrew Ruiz to teams that raised the most money, team spirit, campsite decor and more. This year’s relay raised $140,000. Page 5
WRMC Reunites Patient With Lifesavers At Flanigan’s In Wellington
On Tuesday, May 21, Wellington Regional Medical Center reunited former patient Ray Mitchell with the helpful bystanders, paramedics, doctors and nurses who saved his life at Flanigan’s Seafood Bar & Grill in Wellington. Page 15
Wildcats Defeat Two Opponents In Suncoast Football Jamboree
The Royal Palm Beach High School football team participated in the Suncoast High School spring jamboree on Wednesday, May 22. Facing the host Chargers and the John I. Leonard High School Lancers, the Wildcats came out on top, winning both games. Page 19 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 18 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 7 PEOPLE................................... 8 SCHOOLS................................ 9 COLUMNS............................. 16 BUSINESS............................. 17 CALENDAR............................ 18 SPORTS........................... 19-20 CLASSIFIEDS................ 21 - 22 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
Wellington celebrated its Memorial Day remembrance honoring those who lost their lives in service to the nation with a parade from the Wellington Municipal Complex to the Wellington Veterans Memorial on Monday, May 27. Shown above, the Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Pipes and Drums march in the parade. STORY & MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 14 PHOTO BY GINA M. CAPONE/TOWN-CRIER
Wellington, Royal Palm Show Slower Growth In Tax Values
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Estimated taxable property values for Royal Palm Beach and Wellington, released last week by the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office, were slightly behind the county overall for growth from 2018 to 2019, with increases of 4.37 and 4.54 percent respectively, while the area’s newest and rapidly growing municipality, the City of Westlake, doubled its taxable value with 117.26 percent growth. The Town of Loxahatchee Groves saw an increase in taxable value of 7.77 percent, due largely to equestrians searching outside Wellington for more affordable land for equestrian farms. The county’s increase in taxable value was 5.73 percent, according to the preliminary estimate for the taxable values set to be used for the upcoming fiscal year.
Royal Palm Beach and Wellington are both near buildout, which has made new growth challenging. Royal Palm Beach’s taxable value increased to $2.97 billion from $2.85 billion over the past year, with a new net value estimate of $6,307,827 bumping the taxable value from 4.15 percent to 4.37 percent. “We were in the lower 10 percent [for the county],” Royal Palm Beach Village Manager Ray Liggins told the Town-Crier on Wednesday. “We were anticipating a little bit more.” Liggins said significant new projects including the Tuttle Royale project on Southern Blvd. and the Crestwood Blvd. development at the old wastewater treatment plant property did not start in time to go on the 2019 estimated tax roll. “[Tuttle Royale] will most likely
hit the tax rolls next year,” he said, adding that some of the Crestwood property is probably on the tax rolls for 2019. “Some of that will definitely be on the rolls,” he said. “They had the property platted, so the increased values of having the 385 undeveloped lots would definitely be on there.” However, he doubted that anyone had moved into the development before Jan. 1, 2019, the cutoff date for properties to go on the 2019 tax roll. “The land value will be on there this year, and the property value next year,” he said. “The interesting thing is [with] the population growth, we were high, so we had the estimates showing that we’ve got the people, but I guess the taxable value is going to lag behind the people a year or so.” Although Royal Palm Beach See TAX VALUES, page 18
Lox Groves Town Council Selects New Legal Firm
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council selected the law firm of Torcivia, Donlon, Goddeau & Ansay as its interim legal representatives on Tuesday, replacing longtime Town Attorney Michael Cirullo of the firm Goren, Cherof, Doody & Ezrol. Six firms applied for the position, the others being Brandenburg & Associates; Caldwell, Pacetti, Edwards, Schoech & Viator; the Lohman Law Group; Nason, Yeager, Gerson, Harris & Fumero; and Weiss, Serota, Helfman, Cole & Bierman. Attorney Brian Shutt will serve as the town’s general counsel, attending all town meeting and other relevant meetings. Shutt was not at the interview, where attorney Christy Goddeau represented the
firm, accompanied by human resources attorneys Lara Donlon and Matthew Ransdell. Shutt joined Torcevia, Donlon, Goddeau & Ansay after nearly 20 years with the City of Delray Beach — the first 15 years as an assistant city attorney and the remainder of his tenure as city attorney. During this time, he provided advice, counsel and representation on behalf of the city on a wide range of issues, claims and disputes. He also represented many of the city’s volunteer boards. Shutt was also responsible for reviewing all agenda items for legal sufficiency, as well as acting as counsel for the city commission. Goddeau said her firm of eight attorneys takes a team approach representing local governments to provide efficient, timely and costeffective legal services.
“What I mean by a team approach is that in my acting as lead attorney for a municipal client, they may ask me a question about labor law or employment law that I don’t know right off, so I can confer with Lara [Donlon] on that issue and get back to that client in a timely manner,” Goddeau said. She added that all the firm’s attorneys have more than 20 years’ experience each in local government. “If there happens to be a rodeo I haven’t been on yet, I can call the other local government attorneys and say, ‘Have you heard of this issue before?’ and get back to my client,” she said. For labor and employment law matters, the firm often turns to attorneys Ransdell and Donlon for their expertise. Donlon has been See LAW FIRM, page 4
Wellington Council Approves Interlocal Agreement With School District
By Gina M. Capone Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington Village Council approved an interlocal agreement with the Palm Beach County School District on Tuesday, May 28 that will let the village and the district jointly develop a park adjacent to Wellington High School. Like she did when the agreement was first proposed, Mayor Anne Gerwig dissented in the final vote, once again stating her concerns that the agreement is onesided and not in the best interests of the village. Gerwig was also concerned that tennis courts are being proposed over a drainage inlet and that a short timeframe is not long enough to decide if a new community pool will be built at the site. The proposed project will cost taxpayers approximately $12 million — more if the optional pool project is added in later. Gerwig was adamant that more time should be given to the preliminary agreements between the parties. Assistant Village Manager Jim Barnes explained how the agreement is set up. “What you should have received from the clerk’s office is the latest version of the interlocal agreement,” he said. “Following up from the comments we had last week, generally, the agreement remains the same, but I am going to point out where there is a change.” A conversation at the council’s agenda review meeting on May 23 centered on the issue of lease commencement dates and timeframes. “The way the agreement was structured, the lease commencement was set for the time of execution,” Barnes said. “The actual lease commencement time frame will not be until the fields are actually completed. So, the lease time frame of the 20 and 30 years doesn’t commence until we actually have beneficial use of the facilities and they are constructed.” Vice Mayor Michael Napoleone was glad to see that issue clarified. “This is a really important change,” he said. Barnes agreed. “The Wellington High School athletic facility was
two parts. We wanted the interlocal agreement to reflect the possibility of relocating the aquatics facility,” he said. “What we did was to decide by the year 2021 and construct by 2025, but we have added the additional two years, 2023 and 2027, that the school board is considering now. We wanted additional time for the decision-making process.” Village Attorney Laurie Cohen said that approving the agreement does not yet finalize the timeframes. “So, if you make a motion, this would give staff the ability to negotiate those time frames as discussed,” she said. Whether or not to move the Wellington Aquatics Complex as part of a repurposing of the land around the Wellington Community Center is an issue that has divided the council several times over the past year. Gerwig has opposed that idea as well. “The $12 million on Item 4C, is this including the pool?” Gerwig asked. Barnes replied that it does not. “This is not including the cost of the pool, but only the athletic facilities,” he said. “There is an opportunity that the project comes in below that, but that is the conceptual order of magnitude estimate that we proposed when we were looking at the Greenbriar site. The offset is that some of the fields may be more expensive, since we are looking at a synthetic surface. Utilities are already present on the property. Fencing, signage, auxiliary buildings, press box, concession stands, storage buildings, field lighting, tennis courts and basketball courts are all included.” The interlocal agreement for a facility near the high school replaces a previous plan to put more athletic fields at Greenbriar Park near the Wellington Dog Park. That village-owned land will continue to be held for a future park site. Gerwig asked about the engineer certifying the current plan as constructible. “It is a combination of in-house engineering staff, who has reviewed it, and Kimley-Horn See INTERLOCAL, page 4
RPB MEMORIAL DAY
Royal Palm Beach hosted a Memorial Day Observance presented by American Legion Post 367 on Monday, May 27 at Veterans Park on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. The solemn occasion featured speeches by Unified Dream founder Jacob Hampu, U.S. Navy Reserve Capt. Ronald Williams of the West Palm Beach VA and World War II veteran Carl Arfa. Shown above are Cindy Apel and Ray Nazareth. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 13 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Wellington High School Honors 30th Graduating Class
By Callie Sharkey Town-Crier Staff Report On Wednesday, May 22, Wellington High School honored the Class of 2019 at the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center. In what was the high school’s 30th commencement ceremony, the room was packed with friends, family members and teachers in support of the 635 graduating seniors After the national anthem and Pledge of Allegiance, Principal Cara Hayden addressed the audience. “Thank you for supporting our graduates. You helped them reach this goal,” Hayden said. “The Class of 2019 proudly — respectfully — stands for the things that matter to them. The things
they value define their character. Although they will soon scatter, I have no doubt they will, individually, and as the Class of 2019, continue to stand for those issues that matter to them. Over the past four years, they have weathered and celebrated joys and triumphs, as well as shattering losses. And in both, they have continued to stand for what matters to them.” Student Government Association President Alexandra Torregrosa brought a clear message to her fellow graduates. “Today is just the beginning of the next chapter of our lives. We leave four years of memories behind us, and now what lies in wait is a future filled with unlimited possibilities,” Torregrosa said.
“Right now, we stand at the cusp of greatness, not for what we have done, but for all we still have yet to accomplish. We have the power to make decisions that will determine the course of our lives, but to be successful, we must take risks. Shed your fear of failure and chase your dreams.” Palm Beach County School Superintendent Dr. Donald Fennoy II provided advice the graduates could take with them into future careers and life choices. “Today I speak to you not only as a superintendent, but as I look at the faces of our graduates, I also see my own children, so I’m also going to come at you a little bit like a father,” Fennoy said. “I See WHS GRAD, page 10
New graduates Katie Tolman, Riley Meve, Caitlin Lee and Francesca Herman.
PHOTO BY CALLIE SHARKEY/TOWN-CRIER