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INSIDE Indian Trail Gets Good Grade From Auditor
Volume 42, Number 10 May 7 - May 20, 2021
Serving Palms West Since 1980
POOCHES, PEARLS & PROSECCO
The Indian Trail Improvement District is in good financial shape in terms of revenue and administration, according to the annual audit conducted by the firm Grau & Associates. The annual audit was presented to the ITID Board of Supervisors by accountant Racquel McIntosh on Wednesday, April 21. Page 3
Temple B’nai Jacob Hosts Event Celebrating U.S.-Israeli Military Ties
On Sunday, April 25, Temple B’nai Jacob held a special event in the parking lot of the original Wellington Mall to mark not only the end of the Hebrew school season, but also to honor the longtime military connections between Israel and the United States. Page 7
The Women of the Wellington Chamber hosted Pooches, Pearls & Prosecco on Thursday, April 22 at Fred Astaire Dance Studio featuring adoptions from Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control and Barky Pines, as well as jewelry modeling from La Enovesé Designs. Shown above is Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control Community Outreach Manager Elizabeth Harfmann with Buster. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Lox Groves Council Approves Projects Along Southern Blvd.
Sweet Corn Fiesta Returns To Yesteryear Village At Fairgrounds
The 21st annual Sweet Corn Fiesta was held on Sunday, April 25 in Yesteryear Village at the South Florida Fairgrounds. The day included the National Sweet Corn Eating Championship, during which defending champ Gideon Oji kept his title. Page 16
Seminole Ridge Weightlifters Find Success At State Meet
On Friday, April 23, members of the Seminole Ridge High School weightlifting team competed at the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Class 3A state weightlifting meet at St. Cloud High School in Kissimmee. Five Hawk weightlifters qualified for the meet, but only four competed. One emerged as a state champion — senior Yosbany Gonzalez, who competed in the heavyweight division. Page 21 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 18 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 7 SPORTS......................... 21 - 23 PEOPLE................................. 24 SCHOOLS.............................. 25 BUSINESS............................. 27 COLUMNS............................. 28 CLASSIFIEDS................ 29 - 30 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
By Louis Hillary Park Town-Crier Staff Report Growth was the overarching subject of the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council meeting Tuesday, May 4, as the council approved three construction projects along Southern Blvd., something that did not please all in attendance. In a process that began in August 2019, Lockhart Storage Centers was given final approval to move forward with its facility, which will be located on 2.5 acres between the Shell gas station and the Loxahatchee AG Market. “These folks are in business to make money. I get that,” said Paul Coleman of nearby Tangerine Drive during the public comments. “But we have to live here.” Bradley Miller of Urban Design Studio, representing Lockhart,
countered that “the project offers good value for the town and the developer, and with very little impact.” Also approved were two projects in the Groves Town Center plaza at the northeast corner of Southern Blvd. and B Road. Both are on the south, or Southern Blvd., side of the plaza. Southern Palms Car Wash will be located in the parcel next to the planned Wawa gas station and convenience store on the southwest corner, and the Heartland Dental office will be two parcels farther east. Councilwoman Phillis Maniglia expressed frustration that bays large enough for horse trailers and larger pickups were not included in the design. “That’s what we really need, what would really do
well out here,” she said. Maniglia was the only council member to vote against approval of the car wash. Before final approval of Lockhart’s 710-unit indoor storage facility, the council requested two more concessions. At the request of the council, Lockhart agreed to add a fire hydrant on the back, or north side, of the property near Tangerine Drive, where a secondary entrance will be constructed for use by emergency vehicles only and secured by a locked gate. The council also added to its approval agreement a clause that requires Lockhart to provide private security to the location for a period of six months if the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is See SOUTHERN, page 4
While Mandate Has Been Lifted, Masks Remain A Requirement In County Buildings
By Callie Sharkey Town-Crier Staff Report Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on Monday, May 3 ending the ability of local governments to issue directives related to COVID-19. This blanket order, Executive Order 21-102, superseded the Palm Beach County Commission’s mandate requiring the use of masks in public places. During the commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday, May 4, County Administrator Verdenia Baker addressed the order. “We are going to follow the governor’s order and CDC guidelines,” Baker said, adding that she has consulted with her staff on the matter. “It is my intent to continue the use of masks by employees and patrons doing business inside county buildings. We are short staffed to start with, hurricane season is soon upon us, and I need to protect our most valuable asset — and that is our employees and the public.” Baker then explained both the offices of the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser and Palm Beach County Tax Collector also want to keep the use of masks within their offices. The Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller’s Office plans to work with whatever decision the county comes up with, she said. “The declaration of the state of emergency remains in effect,” Baker noted. Without comments, the board was in full support of keeping masks a requirement to do business in Palm Beach County buildings. Florida Department of HealthPalm Beach County Director Dr. Alina Alonso followed Baker with a brief presentation updating the commissioners on COVID-19 locally.
“We can see that the number of cases has gone down, as well as have the deaths,” Alonso said. She went on to explain that while most new cases were in the 15 to 44 age range, the new cases are now spreading across other ages. “The five- to 14-year-olds now have 10 percent of the new cases,” Alonso said. “We are concerned about that. It is very fortunate that Pfizer in the next week or so is going to release its vaccine for ages 12 to 15. The timing is very good, since we are seeing that number creeping up.” The cases in the 65 and over group is staying low, at about 8 percent. “We have to attack in order to get those number of cases down and stop those long-term consequences,” she said. Just under 53 percent of the county’s population over the age of 15 is now vaccinated, she estimated. Alonso said that this is nowhere near the percentages needed to achieve “herd immunity.” The Department of Health is now working to mobilize its vaccine supply and get doses out into the community directly, targeting underserved areas. “The whole idea is that we want to get more people vaccinated. We are well over the goal the president made, but we have to do more, because it is not likely we are going to reach herd immunity,” Alonso said. “In 2009, when we had the H1N1, we didn’t reach herd immunity for two years. I hope I’m wrong, but that is what the experts are saying.” Alonso continued to support the need for masks, particularly at indoor public spaces and when at events with large groups, such as sporting events. Director of Emergency ManSee VIRUS, page 4
ACS RELAY FOR LIFE
Royal Palm Zoners Tell The Tuttle Royale Project To Bury Electrical Transmission Lines
By M. Dennis Taylor Town-Crier Staff Report The Tuttle Royale project on Southern Blvd. just west of State Road 7 received a setback Tuesday, April 27 when the Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Commission voted to require that the developer must bury electrical transmission lines going into the project. The matter involves the developer Southern Boulevard Properties and the applicant, Evans Land Consulting, which was requesting a variance to allow for the electric distribution lines to remain overhead, where village code requires all new electric distribution lines to be placed underground. Planning & Zoning Director Bradford O’Brien said that other developments did not bury the lines going into their developments, but that those instances
were before his tenure, and he did not know why they were allowed a variance. He said the criteria that staff uses is the current code, which states that the lines must be buried. Village staff recommended denial of the variance. “Some older developments seem to have not buried them, but now we’re dealing with new work in this development,” Commission Chair June Perrin said. Developer Brian Tuttle said that he is asking for the variance to allow something that will not be used for many years. “These will not be needed for 5, 10, even 15 years,” he said. Tuttle showed photos of the transmission lines beneath much larger and taller power lines, and he stressed that they are located on a semi-private, major easement not prominently visible to the public. Tuttle explained that Florida
Power & Light has plans to harden the existing lines against storm damage, so the necessity of burying them is not required. He also noted that as an aesthetic decision, the larger nearby power lines will remain, making that point moot. “I know I am not supposed to bring up cost, but the cost is substantial,” Tuttle added. The commissioners sat silent for a bit with no one ready to make a motion, before they voted unanimously to deny the variance and require that the transmission lines be buried. In other news, three businesses along State Road 7 — O2B Kids, Haas Plastic Surgery and Capitol Carpet — received approval for new signage. There were no questions or public comments on the applications, and the measures passed unanimously.
The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event returned this year with a pandemic-friendly version presented Saturday, May 1 at the Micanopy Pavilion at Okeeheelee Park. The cancer awareness event included the Drive-Through Purple Market, along with a drive-in concert featuring entertainers Michaela Paige and the Blue Reign Band. Shown above are survivors Theresa Vidal and Hilma Norris with caregiver Jeff Vidal. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 18 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Wellington Chamber’s Flavors Hits The Road May 20
By M. Dennis Taylor Town-Crier Staff Report After being delayed six months in 2020 due to COVID-19, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce’s signature Flavors of Wellington event is back to its spring schedule for 2021, set for Thursday, May 20. Rather than gathering a huge crowd of people together in one location, last October’s event took small groups to area restaurants to sample food and drinks. This unique mobile food event was so well received, that the chamber is hosting Flavors in a
similar way later this month. However, if you don’t have your ticket yet, you better act fast! Only a few tickets are left for anyone, over age 21, who wants to take a tour of eateries and entertainment in Wellington. The signature tasting event offered annually by the Wellington Chamber will showcase some of the best venues throughout the village in a magical moving tour that will run from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. “People preferred many of the things we did last year, so we made some more innovations for this year,” Wellington Chamber
Executive Director Michela Green said. She explained that each stop lasts 15 minutes and features samplings of savory foods, sweet desserts, signature libations and even entertainment at some locations. Attendees can meet the local proprietors as they showcase their wares. Some venues may feature two hosts. The judges will be local celebrities. Green said that the new concept features sponsored luxury passenger buses that transport participants starting from different venues along a route to each of the
Flavors 2021 vendor stops. Sponsors can use the public address and video equipment to explain about their organization during the bus jaunts. “Each of the 10 buses of 36 participants has an ambassador to keep the tour organized and moving, and we’d like to thank the sponsors of the Flavors 2021 event, FPL and Gast Construction Group,” Green said. This year is the 18th edition of Flavors and the second pandemiccompliant version that takes participants by bus to the 10 locations throughout the community, rather
than gathering everyone together at one location. “All COVID-19 precautions will be taken,” Green said. Each attendee will have their temperature checked and must be masked. The buses will be sanitized according to CDC recommendations at each stop prior to passengers embarking after each venue. Everyone must pre-register and check-in at their assigned venue. For more information, visit the Wellington Chamber at www. wellingtonchamber.com or call (561) 792-6525 to secure tickets.