Town-Crier Newspaper November 4, 2011

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YOGAFEST AT POLO CLUB NOV. 11-12 SEE STORY, PAGE 13

FOREVER YOUNG LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE

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

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Volume 32, Number 44 November 4 - November 10, 2011

HALLOWEEN FUN IN ROYAL PALM

RPB Relay For Life Hosts Kickoff Party

A Royal Palm Beach Relay for Life kickoff party was held Wednesday, Oct. 26 at the MarBar Grille at Madison Green. Committee members list ened to a presentation about the event and Royal Palm Beach High School Principal Jesus Armas was announced as the honorary chair. The 2012 relay will be held April 14-15. Page 2

Smiles By Jiveh Seeks Candidates For Annual Holiday Smile Giveaway

Dr. Farokh Jiveh and his team at Smiles By Jiveh understand the importance of a smile and healthy teeth, and have decided to give one deserving person the opportunity for a great smile with its annual Holiday Smile Giveaway. Page 5

Boys & Girls Club Hosts Gift Gathering

The Wellington Boys & Girls Club held a gift gathering on Friday, Oct. 28 at Beef Wellington Steakhouse & Social Club. These gifts will be used for the silent auction at the Boys & Girls Club’s Wellington Dinner Dance set for Dec. 3 at W ycliffe Golf & Country Club. Page 9

Zumba Extravaganza Participants Get Fit

The Palms West Community Foundation hosted its inaugural Zumba Extravaganza on Saturday, Oct. 29 at the Wellington Community Center. Participants were able to participate in Zumba with professional instructors. Page 11

OPINION Be Sure To Honor Those Who Served This Veterans Day

Veterans Day is the time to recognize our troops and show them we don’t take them for granted. Residents of the western communities will have the opportunity to show their appreciation at several local events. Take time this Veterans Day to show your support for those who served. Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS ............................. 2 - 13 OPINION ................................ 4 CRIME NEWS ........................ 6 NEWS BRIEFS .......................8 SCHOOLS .....................14 - 15 PEOPLE........................ 16 - 17 COLUMNS .................... 23 - 25 BUSINESS ...................27 - 29 ENTERTAINMENT ................32 SPORTS .......................37 - 40 CALENDAR...................42 - 43 CLASSIFIEDS ...............44 - 48 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

The Village of Royal Palm Beach hosted its FallFest on Friday, Oct. 28 at Veterans Park, featuring vendors, craft projects and great food. Guests enjoyed live music, roving entertainers and people in costumes. Shown here, Dorliska, Gianluca and Romina Lopezluza enjoy the evening. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 7 PHOTO B Y LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER

Mixed-Use Project Proposed For Folsom And Okeechobee By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report A proposal is on the drawing board to create a mixed-use retail and office development on a 9.3acre site at the southwest corner of Okeechobee Blvd. and Folsom Road in Loxahatchee Groves. The proposal was discussed at Tuesday’s Loxahatchee Groves Town Council meeting as part of a “pre-presentation” on a requested small-scale land use amendment. The presentation by developer’s agent Kieran Kilday of Urban Design Kilday Studios was for informational purposes only, requested by council members before it went before the Loxahatchee Groves Planning & Zoning Board. The item is scheduled to come back to the council for full review after that. Kilday said that property owner Bill Day had applied to change

the site’s land use from low-density agricultural-residential to mixed commercial and office use. “We made application to staff, and the planner has reviewed it,” Kilday said, explaining that the next step will be a zoning board hearing anticipated in December, followed by council review in January. “What I’d like to do is walk you through the design and concept of what we are asking for.” The land is bounded on the west by the Red Barn commercial property, Kilday said, pointing out that other portions of Okeechobee Blvd. in the area have a mix of uses. “We are at the corner of one of the entries to Loxahatchee Groves,” Kilday said. The Village of Royal Palm Beach is to the east, with the Crestwood development on the other side of the Folsom Road Canal on the southeast corner and Royal Palm Beach Elementary School

on the northeast corner. The 20acre site to the north is vacant. “We are kind of the gateway to the town, and we’ve been very careful in coming up with a design that reflects that,” Kilday said. Kilday said he had submitted a site plan about a year ago primarily for office use, with a stormwater retention area in the back corner and a series of one-story buildings. “Subsequent to that, we withdrew that application, largely because we heard the council talk about what their concerns were for Okeechobee Blvd.,” Kilday said. During a workshop held by the town several months later, which was well-attended by people with a diversity of views, there was no consensus for the future of the road, Kilday said. “Some people wanted all of See FOLSOM, page 18

Parade, Fall Festival Highlight A Busy Month In The Acreage By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report More than 40 entries have registered for the Indian Trail Improvement District’s “Welcome to the Jungle” Fall Parade on Saturday, Nov. 5, which leads up to the popular Acreage Fall Festival the following weekend. “The parade kicks off the Fall Festival,” ITID Administrative Assistant Kim Hutchison said. “It is done the weekend before so it doesn’t get in the way of the festivities going on because the Fall Festival takes up so much of Acreage Community Park.” The parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will follow a nearly 2mile route that begins at the Acreage Community Park south parking lot and travels north on 140th Avenue North, east on Orange Blvd., south on Avocado Blvd., west on Tangerine Blvd., and ends back at the Acreage Community Park south parking lot.

“The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office will bring its honor guard and bagpipes,” Hutchison said. “Clue, the hound dog, is going to be there. The fire department is bringing their honor guard as well as an antique truck. Lion Country Safari is bringing one of their trucks wrapped in their logo. They will also be set up handing out coupons.” As of Tuesday, ITID had 41 entries for the parade, including Mr. and Mrs. Rodeo Palm Beach County, All Star Kids Early Learning, two Girl Scout troops, the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, the Good Time Gals equestrian drill team, Engenuity Group, the Civilian Observer Patrol and the Acreage Athletic League’s Acreage Steelers youth football team. “ITID, of course, is having a float, which we are really excited about,” Hutchison said. “Our Mike Menendez has put a lot of

time and effort in creating it from top to bottom, virtually by himself, and it looks really, really good.” Immediately following the parade, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., will be demonstrations by Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue and the PBSO, including the Trauma Hawk helicopter and simulations of cutting open a wrecked car. There will also be bounce houses, face painting and food. “I think it’s going to be a really good parade with a lot of participation,” Hutchison said. “We’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback.” The following weekend, on Saturday, Nov. 12, will be the Acreage Fall Festival and Truck, Car & Bike Car Show, also at Acreage Community Park, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The festival will feature Nashville, regional and local bands, including the Soul Circus CowSee FALL FESTIVAL, page 18

Serving Palms West Since 1980

RPB Seeks Input On Senior Housing By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Royal Palm Beach residents of all ages are invited to attend a workshop next week designed to determine whether there is a need for additional seniors’ housing in the village, and if so, what type of housing it should be. PMG Associates of Deerfield Beach will lead a presentation at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center, 151 Civic Center Way, on Wednesday, Nov. 9 from 7 to 9 p.m. on the feasibility of making land available for the development of a senior housing project at the new Royal Palm Beach Commons Park on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. The purpose of the workshop is to receive public input and discuss ideas regarding the need for such a facility, what services should be offered and other operational factors, Parks & Recreation Assistant Director Joanne Rowe said. “We are looking for input from the public on whether there is a need for such a facility in the Village of Royal Palm Beach and what services should be offered,” Rowe said. “It’s important for seniors or even Baby Boomers to come in and give some input and share their ideas.” Rowe said village staff members were disappointed in the turn-

out at a similar workshop in October and are hoping for better attendance this time. Village Manager Ray Liggins said attendance is crucial to determine whether there is a need at all, although from listening to a limited number of seniors who attended the last meeting, he feels that there is a need. “Senior housing is something that we’re considering for the front of Commons Park,” Liggins said. “What form that takes, we have not identified. The reason for this charette is to get input from our citizens to help us determine what shape this senior housing is going to take. It is very important for us to hear from the citizens of Royal Palm Beach.” The presentation by PMG Associates will discuss the different options in senior housing, including for-profit, not-for-profit, independent senior housing and skilled nursing. “Once they explain that to the audience and talk about the different amenities that are provided in each of the types of senior housing, they will have the people work in groups of about eight and rank that table’s priorities of what they would like to see in senior housing, or not see, for that matter,” Liggins said. Discussion will also touch on See HOUSING, page 18

ST. RITA ROUNDUP

The Knights of Columbus Council 8419 and Council of Catholic Women at St. Rita Catholic Church held their Roundup Dinner Dance last Saturday in the parish hall. Shown above, Florence Warren sells raffle tickets to Caroline Elardi. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 11 PHOTO B Y DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Parties Can Go Later At The Show Grounds By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Spectators and sponsors of equestrian events at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center won’t have to hit the road so early anymore after the Wellington Village Council voted last week to amend the hours of operation for the site, allowing restaurants and banquet halls to stay open until 1 a.m. The resolution, which passed 41 at the end of a Wednesday, Oct. 26 meeting, designated PBIEC as a commercial equestrian center and extended its hours from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. three nights a week. Wellington Director of Growth Management Bob Basehart ex-

plained that currently, the shows going on at PBIEC are allowed by Wellington under special use permits, enabling staff to dictate the hours of operation. But if the council were to designate the show grounds a commercial equestrian arena, “it would make the use at the show grounds permanent,” he said. Since staff usually sets hours of operation as a condition of the special use, Basehart said that the council would have to set the hours of operation. “If you approve the first part,” he said, “you have to set the hours.” Currently, the code for the Equestrian Overlay Zoning DisSee PBIEC, page 18

Community Run/Walk Returns To Wellington Saturday By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report The 14th annual Wellington Community Fitness 5K Run/Walk returns Saturday, Nov. 5, offering families and avid runners alike the opportunity to get fit while supporting a great cause. The event, put on by the Palms West Community Foundation, kicks off from the Wellington Amphitheater at 7:30 a.m., and a portion of the net proceeds will benefit Hospice of Palm Beach County. A staple in the community, this event has been encouraging fitness and charity in the community since its inception in 1997. “It’s going to be a great day,”

Palms West Community Foundation Director of Development Maureen Gross said. “It’s supporting a great cause. The weather forecast is good, and we’re really excited about it.” Returning for the third year as event co-chairs are Terri Priore and Joanna Boynton, with honorary chair Roxanne Stein from WPTV NewsChannel 5. “There’s a lot of buzz about the event this year,” Gross said. “We’re going to have a great turnout, and we hope more people decide to come out for it.” Priore said she was excited to be back for a third year and hoping for another great event. “I’m thrilled to be co-chairing

with [Boynton] for our third year together,” she said. “It’s supposed to be great weather for a great event, benefiting a great charity.” Gross said that Hospice of Palm Beach County was a benefactor of the event several years ago, and with all of the work that the organization does for families, it was a natural choice. “They provide such a crucial service,” she said. “It’s something everyone will have to think about one day. Whether you use their services or not, you can relate to what the families they help are going through.” Priore agreed. “It’s a charity we’re proud to support,” she said. “If you’ve ever had to use their

services, you’re grateful that they are there. All of the money stays in Palm Beach County to help families in our community.” The morning event kicks off with registration starting at 6 a.m. Registration on the day of the race is $20 for those younger than 17 and $30 for adults. At 7 a.m., the crowd can join members of Ultima Fitness for a pre-run warm-up to get them moving, and just before start time, the crowd will line up on Forest Hill Blvd. near the amphitheater. “We’ll warm up on the amphitheater grass and then move to the starting line on the road,” Priore said. “Two members from the Hospice musical therapy group

are going to do a duet for us, and then Mayor Darell Bowen will fire the starting pistol.” The run starts at 7:30 a.m. sharp, with the more avid runners startSee RUN/WALK, page 18


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