Town-Crier Newspaper November 11, 2011

Page 1

RPB CHURCH CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY SEE STORY, PAGE 7

WELLINGTON RUN/WALK A BIG SUCCESS SEE PHOTOS, PAGE 11

THE

TOWN - CR IER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE

Your Community Newspaper

INSIDE Horse Industry Focus Of P.W. Chamber Lunch

Volume 32, Number 45 November 11 - November 17, 2011

HERO/SHERO AWARDS BANQUET

Leaders in the equestrian community were the featured speakers at a Palms W est Chamber of Commerce luncheon Monday at the Wanderers Club in Wellington. Page 3

Legislators Agree To Introduce LGWCD Bill

The Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation accepted a local bill Tuesday from the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District that will lead to the popular-vote election of one of its five supervisors. Page 7

Fun & Intrigue At Wellington’s ‘Murder Mystery Dinner Theater’

Wellington hosted a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater on Saturday, Nov. 5 at the Village Park gym on Pierson Road. The event included dinner catered by Buca di Beppo, liv e music and entertainment by They Improv. Page 13

WHS Baseball Standout Looking Forward To College Ball In Miami

From when he was barely out of diapers, Peter Joshua Rivera has grown up on baseball. Now 17, Rivera has become one of the top high school players. Committed to playing college ball at the University of Miami, he currently plays third base for the Wellington High School Wolverines and the Palm Beach County Police Athletic League (PAL). Page 20

OPINION Support Your Local Food Drives For Thanksgiving

This time of year, many people are wondering if they’ll be able to afford a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Wellington and Royal Palm Beach both are running food drives in November. We strongly encourage donating to any one of them. There is a lot more to give, and a lot of people who would be thankful for your doing so. Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS ............................. 2 - 13 OPINION ................................ 4 CRIME NEWS ........................ 6 NEWS BRIEFS .......................8 SCHOOLS .....................14 - 15 PEOPLE........................ 16 - 17 COLUMNS .................... 25 - 27 BUSINESS ...................29 - 31 ENTERTAINMENT ................32 SPORTS .......................37 - 39 CALENDAR...................40 - 41 CLASSIFIEDS ...............42 - 46 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) hosted the inaugural Hero/Shero Awards Banquet to benefit the Vivian A. Ferrin Scholarship Fund on Saturday, Nov. 5 at the original Wellington Mall. Essay winners were present ed their awards. Shown here are essay winners with their family and friends. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 2 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER

Royal Palm Council Incentives Aid In Distribution Center Plan By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Royal Palm Beach Village Council agreed last week to move forward with talks to encourage an international supermarket chain to build its regional distribution center on State Road 7, just south of Okeechobee Blvd. On Thursday, Nov. 3, Village Manager Ray Liggins updated the council on discussions with the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County about the possibility of an Aldi distribution center locating in Royal Palm Beach. The Palm Beach County Commission recently agreed to offer Aldi a property tax exemption of $1.7 million over seven years to locate its distribution center and regional headquarters behind the Regal Cinema on the west side of State Road 7.

German-owned Aldi operates more than 1,000 stores in 31 states, with nearly 95 percent of the company’s premium products sold under its own private label at prices 40 percent below traditional grocery retailers. The company operates eight stores in South Florida, with more planned. The only Aldi store currently open in Palm Beach County is in Delray Beach. The company plans to build a 500,000square-foot building that will be expandable to 800,000 square feet. The regional headquarters will provide all management for the South Florida region for both distribution and retail stores, including human resources, purchasing, logistics and general management. Liggins said village staff had narrowed discussion items down

to two, which involve landscaping variances and enlarging a water main, which amount to less than $200,000 total. “The project at the current moment has not yet decided to be in Palm Beach County,” Liggins said. “We obviously think they are going to be here. Everything has led to that final decision, and this is a multi, multimillion-dollar job. It’s $53 million between the real estate and the construction.” Liggins said the project will create many jobs. “Over a six-year period, we’re looking at over 500 jobs with a significant impact of $48 million,” he said. Recurring revenue to the village as property tax, utility tax and franchise fees would be more than $200,000, and impact fees both to Palm Beach County and Royal See ALDI, page 20

Meeting Analyzes Senior Housing Proposal At RPB Commons Park By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report About 75 Royal Palm Beach residents joined village staff and officials at a workshop session Wednesday evening at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center to collect input on whether there is a need or desire for some sort of senior housing facility on property at the new Royal Palm Beach Commons Park. Wednesday’s workshop followed a sparsely attended similar workshop held last month. Facilitator Philip Gonot of PMG Associates of Deerfield Beach stressed that there would be no decision that evening or any time soon, saying that the goal was just to take information for analysis, which would be presented to the council, where there would be more public input before a decision is made. “If something comes up you feel is important, go ahead and ask for clarification as we go along,” Gonot said. “Go ahead and interrupt because we want to make sure that you fully understand.”

Gonot said the purpose of the study is to consider the idea of putting a senior housing project at the entrance to the park along Royal Palm Beach Blvd. One resident asked Gonot why his firm had been chosen to develop the property, and Gonot stressed that he is not a developer, only the consultant hired to make a recommendation on senior housing. “I believe the expression is, we have no dog in this fight,” Gonot said. While some did not feel that senior housing was appropriate at the park and that traffic would be a problem, Iris Levin, a retired nurse, pointed out that Royal Palm Beach has no assisted-living facility. “We do not have anything in Royal Palm Beach that meets the needs of our community,” Levin said. “If it’s a senior citizens community, you’re not going to have that much traffic.” Levin said people who can no longer live independently in their current home must move outside of Royal Palm Beach for assisted

living. “The sad thing is they feel their lifeline has been cut,” she said. Drawing from workshop input last month, Gonot said what is being considered is 120 to 180 units of senior housing on about 10 acres. The types of facilities to be considered are independent or assisted living and skilled care at either the market rate or a subsidized rate. Gonot said independent living is the least preferred because those types of facilities are available almost anywhere, including several in Royal Palm Beach. The preference is for assisted living with subsidies available or skilled care with subsidies available, he said. Another consideration with subsidized housing, he said, is that the facility would have to be open to non-residents. However, Gonot noted that a feasibility study had shown that a facility would have to draw from outside a 10-mile radius anyway in order to be viable. Gonot said height was also disSee HOUSING, page 20

Serving Palms West Since 1980

Hmara, Matula Eye RPB Election Bids By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The 2012 election season in Royal Palm Beach opened in earnest this week as two new candidates stepped forward to participate in an election that will see two council seats and the mayor’s seat up for grabs. Madison Green community activist Jeff Hmara declared his candidacy for Seat 1 on the Royal Palm Beach Village Council. That is the seat vacated in August by longtime Councilman David Swift. The seat has been left vacant pending the outcome of the upcoming election. Meanwhile, Felicia Matula filed to run against incumbent Mayor Matty Mattioli, who has also filed a statement of candidacy. Councilman Richard Valuntas, the Seat 3 incumbent, has also filed a statement of candidacy. He has not yet drawn opposition. Actual qualifying for the March 13 election begins at noon Jan. 31 and ends at noon on Feb. 14. SEAT 1 — Hmara, a nine-year Royal Palm Beach resident, is currently president of the Madison Green Master Homeowners’ Association. He became involved with village government as a member of the Wastewater Treat-

ment Plant Task Force that made a recommendation earlier this year on the future of the 150-acre defunct wastewater treatment plant at the village’s north end. “That began as a result of getting involved at the grassroots level with neighbors, trying to make it clear to the council that there was concern for what felt like a lack of involvement in a timely fashion,” Hmara said. “I think we were able to make a difference there and get at least a fair hearing through the task force. That was an interesting experience, so I want to continue on… After 41 years of public service, I now have time to actually do things other than career-oriented stuff.” Hmara, 67, is a retired U.S. Army colonel, having served from 1966 to 1992. He served in Germany and Korea and saw combat in Vietnam. After his retirement from the Army, Hmara continued his public service by working as an executive with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration. He is an adjunct professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University, where he teaches organizational leaderSee ELECTION, page 20

PBCHS HOMECOMING

Palm Beach Central High School celebrated homecoming last week. On Friday, Nov. 4, during a home football game against Boca Raton High School, Aldo Araujo and Paola Rodriguez were crowned homecoming king and queen. Shown above are Araujo and Rodriguez with Principal Butch Mondy. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO B Y LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER

Thanksgiving Food Drives Help Needy By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Residents looking to be charitable this Thanksgiving season can help those less fortunate by donating to local food drives in the western communities. Wellington is hosting its annual Hometown Holiday Food Drive through Nov. 17, the Royal Palm Beach Unified Local Food Drive is accepting donations through Nov. 19, and Royal Palm Covenant Church is accepting monetary donations for its food pantry and Thanksgiving baskets. This year, Wellington’s Hometown Holiday Food Drive is partnering with the local Interfaith Organization and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Walgreens, to provide 150 needy families with a Thanksgiving meal.

“The Interfaith Organization has been a big part in helping us to organize the food drive this year,” volunteer coordinator Kim Henghold said. “We’re also partnering with Walgreens, which is donating food to us as well.” Henghold said that Wellington is collecting traditional Thanksgiving foods, such as instant mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, canned vegetables (green beans, corn, peas or sweet potatoes), packaged stuffing, gravy and cornbread mix. “The items can be dropped off at almost any village office,” she said. Items can be dropped off at the Wellington Municipal Complex (12300 W. Forest Hill Blvd.), the Wellington Community Center (12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.), VilSee FOOD DRIVE, page 7

Chamber’s Latin-Themed SalsaFest Returns Nov. 19-20 By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Palms West Chamber of Commerce’s fifth annual Latinthemed SalsaFest will take place Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 19 and 20 at Greenacres Community Park. Featured acts include international recording artists Jerry Rivera and Frankie Negron, and South Florida favorite Lefty Perez. A complete entertainment list can be found at www.salsafest. net. “We also have many local bands, which should make the event lots of fun,” Palms West Chamber CEO Jaene Miranda

said. “And if you have a Chihuahua, please make sure you enter it in the Chihuahua races. We need Chihuahuas!” Miranda said event organizers are also trying to break a world record for the largest number of couples dancing salsa. “If you can move your hips just slightly, you could come out and join us Sunday at 4 p.m. and be part of that,” she said. “Your name will go down in history.” Volunteers are still being sought to help out at the event. Those interested in volunteering should visit www.salsafest.net and register. “We are very pleased about our

return to the City of Greenacres,” Miranda said. “We are just as excited to announce that Dr. Harvey Montijo, a noted orthopedic surgeon with the Center for Bone & Joint Surgery and founder of Optimal Wellness & Longevity Institute, is back to lead our SalsaFest Committee as honorary chairman.” Montijo joins the South Florida Ford Dealers, Independent Imaging and South Florida Radiation Oncology to present the top Hispanic event in Palm Beach County. SalsaFest Committee co-chairs Martha Reyes and Rafael Perez of Havana Restaurant and Carlos

Garcia of Rumbass and Tabu also give credit for the great musical lineup to the sponsors, who have made a commitment to bringing this cultural experience to South Florida. “It’s great to have our presenting sponsors recommit to our event again this year,” Reyes said. Garcia agreed. “It is a vote of confidence when your sponsors return without hesitation,” he said. “We had a wonderful showing last year, with more than 20,000 in attendance, and expect the same, if not better, this year.” Montijo expects new records to be set at the 2011 event. “With the generous support of our title sponsor — the South Florida Ford

Dealers — we are able to bring in an entertainment lineup that is the best to date, including the legendary Jerry Rivera,” he said. The attraction of SalsaFest is far See SALSAFEST, page 20


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