PBC REMAINS CENTER OF OPIOID CRISIS SEE STORY, PAGE 4
CLUB PILATES OPENS IN WELLINGTON SEE STORY, PAGE 7
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Brandon Truong And Aleecia Marshall Lead PBCHS Class Of 2018
Volume 39, Number 18 May 4 - May 10, 2018
Serving Palms West Since 1980
SPRING FLING DINNER DANCE
Palm Beach Central High School’s Class of 2018 graduates on Monday, May 21 at noon at the South Florida Fairgrounds. Valedictorian Brandon Truong and Salutatorian Aleecia Marshall will lead the ceremony, as some 730 students cross the stage. Page 3
Annual Ferrin Memorial Scholarships Presented
The Vivian and Adrienne Ferrin Memorial Scholarships were awarded on Saturday, April 28 at Palms West Charter School. Eagle Scouts from Boy Scout Troop 111 were given scholarships to further their education. There was a silent auction and a live auction for desserts made by the scouts. Page 7
Cultural Diversity Day Celebration Returns To RPB On May 12
The Village of Royal Palm Beach and Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) will celebrate Cultural Diversity Day on Saturday, May 12 from 1 to 8 p.m., with showtime starting at 3 p.m., at Veterans Park on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. The event promises to be exciting for all ages. Page 7
DAC’s Broadway Stars Program Presents ‘Seussical The Musical’
Dance Arts Conservatory Center for the Performing Arts Broadway Stars program presented its production of Seussical The Musical on Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29 at Wellington High School. The show brought to life popular Dr. Seuss characters. Page 13
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The Wellington Seniors Club held its Spring Fling Dinner Dance on Friday, April 27 at the Mayacoo Lakes Country Club. The local seniors celebrated the season with an evening of dining and dancing to songs sung by Marcel Rasa. Shown above are Eda LoVerso, Hermine Palmer and James Mandolos. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 9 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Indian Trail To Honor Late Supervisor Gary Dunkley
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Acreage community is mourning the loss of Indian Trail Improvement District Supervisor Gary Dunkley, who died on Saturday, April 28 at age 62. ITID President Betty Argue said she has put several items on the Wednesday, May 16 meeting agenda to recognize Dunkley’s service to the district. Dunkley was first elected to the board in November 2012 and was re-elected to a second four-year term in November 2016. “The board hasn’t officially had that discussion, however, I put forward some ideas that we’re going to have on the agenda for the May meeting,” Argue said. “One of them was to do a brick in the Garden of Hope that is part of the park expansion.”
She added that Supervisor Carol Jacobs has decided that she wanted to do that personally. Dunkley spearheaded the community garden project at Hamlin House, so Argue is proposing something there in his memory. “I have put forward that we do a dedication and we memorialize him there,” she said. “We’re going to have a plaque there that will be similar to the ones that will be done for the trees at the Acreage Community Park expansion in the Garden of Hope area. We’re going to do a plaque renaming it for him. We will have a bench, and he loved his Jamaican fruit trees, so we’re going to find some fruit trees. I have asked staff to bring together a proposal, and then we’ll have a public dedication.” Argue said ITID staff is putting together what the cost would be for
Gary Dunkley that idea, which will be considered May 16. “Obviously, we can’t talk amongst ourselves about it, so I put those ideas forward,” she said, explaining that she has spoken to See DUNKLEY, page 4
Handwritten Threat Leads To Added Security To PBCHS
By Dani Salgueiro Town-Crier Staff Report Palm Beach Central High School took extra safety precautions this week after a shooting threat was found handwritten on a wall in one of the school’s bathrooms on Thursday, April 26. The alarming graffiti threatened that a shooting would occur at the high school on Monday, April 30, right after the school’s prom weekend. Once the threat was brought to the school administration’s knowledge, Principal Darren Edgecomb made arrangements with the district to ensure that extra police officers be present in the school and at each of the school’s entry points on Monday, as a precaution. “The threat was written on the bathroom wall for Monday, [April 30], so we took extra precautions that day, with extra officers and vigilance on the two points of
entrance on our campus,” Edgecomb said. Fortunately, nothing out of the ordinary or alarming took place on Monday, and the students were able to carry on calmly with their state testing, Edgecomb, said. “There were no issues whatsoever, but the priority on safety remains,” he said. Edgecomb sent out an e-mail to parents when the threat was reported, urging them to encourage their children to come forward with any information they might have in regard to the handwritten threat and who might have done it. He explained that the high school emphasizes the “see something, say something” message that has spread throughout schools since the deadly school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on Feb. 14. Edgecomb is confident that the See PBCHS, page 17
SWEET CORN FIESTA
The annual Sweet Corn Fiesta was held on Saturday, April 29 at Yesteryear Village at the South Florida Fairgrounds. George Shea of Major League Eating presided over the return of the National Sweet Corn Eating Championship. The 2018 winner was Carmen Cincotti, who defended his crown. Shown above, Miss South Florida Fair 2018 Taylor Tyson shucks corn. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 19 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Lox Council Changes Town Hall ITID Wants More Hours To Four-Day Schedule Traffic Controls And Lower Speed Limits
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council decided Tuesday to change the hours of operation at Loxahatchee Groves Town Hall to a four-day, 10-hour-a-day work week. Councilman Todd McLendon asked the council to consider a four-day work week for town hall, explaining that it currently opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m., which is inconvenient for people who work during the day. McLendon recommended being open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. four days a week. “That way we extend our hours, and people can get here at five o’clock when they need to be here, and they can be here early,” he said, adding that Town Manager Bill Underwood is agreeable to doing that without a change in his contract. “We lose Friday, but we extend the hours, so people can have more access to the building.” Councilwoman Joyce Batcheler said many municipalities are open four days a week with extended hours. “It’s very helpful,” she said.
“It depends on the town and the needs. Everyone gets used to the schedule.” During public comment, Neil O’Neal III pointed out that the town has a contract with Palm Beach County Planning & Zoning, which is open on Fridays. “That’s no issue if there are contractors doing work, they can still get inspections on Friday,” he said. “I’m OK with it.” Mayor Dave Browning said he has worked four days a week, 10 hours a day, and he liked it. “It’s also better for our committees,” he said. Town Finance Director Perla Underwood said the switchboard closes at 4 p.m. but staff works much longer than that. “Most days it’s 12-hour days here, not just for Bill and I, but other staff members,” she explained. “Sometimes it’s 16 hours in one day. We have people who knock on the doors, and we let them in.” Browning pointed out that Bill Underwood and council members are available in emergencies, but the change in schedule would
make the office more accessible for the general public. Underwood said he would need to advertise the change in schedule, but it could start May 14. McLendon made a motion to change the hours starting May 14, which carried 5-0. In other business: • The council approved the second and final reading of an ordinance designating the council as the Local Planning Agency, rather than the Planning & Zoning Board. McLendon asked for the change, saying that the Planning & Zoning Board is getting bogged down due to the review of changes under consideration by the Unified Land Development Code Committee. “I’m trying to expedite the ULDC,” McLendon said, making a motion to approve the ordinance, which carried 5-0. • The council also approved the preliminary reading of an ordinance removing appeals of special magistrate decisions to the council on applications for relief from liens, making the special See LOX COUNCIL, page 17
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Indian Trail Improvement Board of Supervisors last week directed staff to broaden its traffic calming pilot project to Hall and Tangerine boulevards after a successful test on 140th Avenue North. At the board’s April 25, meeting Joe Capra of Captec Engineering said that traffic calming started in 2015 as a result of numerous traffic accidents in The Acreage. ITID contracted with his firm to research the issue, and it has come up with a conceptual plan for traffic calming. “The study was based on a significant number of accidents on 140th Avenue North, Key Lime Blvd. and Hall Blvd.,” he said. Although ITID has no police power to enforce traffic regulations or put in traffic signals, it can introduce traffic calming in an attempt to control traffic. “We started this in May 2015. We adopted a conceptual plan for Avocado,” Capra said. “We
outlined some reasons for improvements. We outlined some limitations for improvements, but this study was based on accidents.” Capra said that the policy includes the ability for residents to petition for traffic calming, but the traffic calming so far has been an experiment to see its effectiveness. “Back in 2016, we built a raised median with a separator on 140th just south of Hamlin Blvd.,” he said. “It could probably be a little more disruptive to people. The bottom line is we spent a lot of money on it, and I’m not sure everybody feels that’s a great way to spend money.” Capra explained that in 2017, he looked at less-expensive options and came up with a traffic calming pilot program using temporary rubber speed cushions that could be relocated, along with traffic circles and lighted radar speed signs. “Currently, on 140th, we’ve installed two of these speed cushSee ITID TRAFFIC, page 17
Residents Review La Mancha Traffic Calming Plan
By Betsy LaBelle Town-Crier Staff Report A dozen residents interested in traffic-calming measures planned for La Mancha Avenue attended a meeting at the Royal Palm Beach Village Meeting Hall on Thursday, April 26. Royal Palm Beach Village Engineer Chris Marsh and Traffic Engineer Bryan Kelley with the engineering firm Simmons & White gave an overview of the project and explained the voting procedure, which ends May 10, describing the pros and cons of the traffic-calming tables and answered questions from the public. The voting is currently in progress and results will be split into two segments on La Mancha
Avenue from the break lines of south of Madrid Street and north of Madrid Street. La Mancha Avenue residents must submit or mail in their ballot to the Village Clerk’s Office by no later than the close of business on May 10, or they can vote in person at the Village Clerk’s Office, with no ballot required. A driver’s license or government-issued photo ID with the resident’s address will be required. Results will be tallied and published on the village’s web site by no later than June 1. If 50 percent plus one of the residents vote in favor of the traffic-calming plan, it will be placed on the June 21 agenda for final approval by the Royal Palm Beach Village
Council. With council approval, design and construction will then be scheduled. Marsh explained that in October 2016 concerned citizens came forward and the idea for traffic calming in Royal Palm Beach began. “Our goal was to look at what other municipalities were doing, not only in the county, but at the state level and the federal level, on what they would do on problematic roadways and the type of systems they were installing to slow people down,” he said. Marsh presented that data to the council in February 2017, and it was decided that they consider four roadways within Royal Palm Beach: Sandpiper Avenue, SparSee LA MANCHA, page 4
(L-R) Royal Palm Beach Village Engineer Chris Marsh and traffic consultant Bryan Kelley.
PHOTO BY BETSY LABELLE/TOWN-CRIER