Town-Crier Newspaper November 14, 2008

ZONERS OK DAYCARE CENTER AT BINKS

RPB SALUTES OUR VETERANS

vendors offering countless holiday gift-giving ideas. Page 24

Spor

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Wildcat Football Team Edges Out Palm Beach Central Broncos 47-17 Royal Palm Beach High School junior Chris Dunkley scored three touchdowns to help the Wildcats varsity football team (8-1) overcome an early deficit and roll to a 4717 victory over the Broncos last Friday night at Palm Beach Central High School. Page 31

The Optimal Wellness Center Helps Create A Better Quality Of Life

The Optimal Wellness Center opened recently in Royal Palm Beach with the goal of helping patients maintain a hormonal balance that will help them feel younger. Page 38

Two Religious Groups Want To Buy Village-Owned Land

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

The Village of Wellington

entertained presentations Monday from not one, but two religious groups seeking to buy a village-owned parcel on Lake Worth Road.

Representatives of Temple

B’nai Avraham initially asked the council in August about the possibility of buying a villageowned 2.82-acre parcel on the south side of Lake Worth Road, bordered on the west by Wellington Shores Drive, as a site for a new synagogue. The land, which was used as an emergency staging area following recent hurricanes, is designated for civic uses.

The temple currently leases space in the original Wellington Mall but is merging with the West Palm Beach congregation of Temple B’nai Jacob and is seeking a new home. In August, the council told temple representatives to wait until an inventory of village-owned land is completed.

But at a meeting on Monday, the council heard not only from temple representatives, but also a request from a Jehovah’s Witnesses group based in Greenacres.

Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore asked whether or not the council should decide whether they want to sell the land before declaring it surplus.

“What we are doing tonight is trying to make a decision that we are going to put the property up for sale, and as to the fact it is for sale, we would be negotiating or discussing it with pro-

spective buyers. What I wanted to find out is, don’t we have to make a decision to sell it first?”

Other undeveloped parcels owned by the village include the large “K-Park” site on State Road 7 as well as smaller parcels near the Mall at Wellington Green and the Village Walk subdivision.

Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto said she was uncomfortable disposing of villageowned lands one by one if they are declared surplus, and suggested a more comprehensive approach to available parcels, including possible municipal uses. She also said that all interested buyers should get their chance if the village decides to sell the parcel.

“If we were to determine that the land is surplus, we have to let everyone have the equal opportunity to purchase it,” she said.

As the site has been reserved for civic uses, Councilman Matt Willhite, a firefighter, said he hoped the village might consider using the land for a police substation or possibly a memorial to public safety personnel.

Councilman Bob Margolis suggested doing an appraisal of the land before making any decisions.

Mayor Darell Bowen said he would like the parcel to remain a place of non-profit activity. “I am not willing to see another 7Eleven or something else on that road,” he said.

Harriet Offerman, the Realtor representing Temple B’nai Avraham, said that the property would be just the right size for

the temple to build its new home.

“They have plans to build the temple in two phases,” she said.

“We don’t have specific plans drawn up. We have generalities that are based on the size of the property that satisfied the requirements.”

Gary Scherer, a member of the temple’s board of trustees, said the congregation is fast outgrowing its space at the original Wellington Mall and urged the council approve a start to negotiations.

“We are a growing synagogue of young families and mature adults,” he said. “We are negotiating a merger with Congregation B’nai Jacob. We would be bringing families, friends and neighbors to a new community, and what better place to have this than Wellington?”

The temple’s Rabbi David Abrams and President Mel Kohan also asked the council to offer the land for sale. Kohan said the temple would like to remain in Wellington. “We have seen quite a bit of land outside of Wellington,” he said. “But we would like to continue to grow the congregation here.”

Willhite asked Scherer why the congregation had settled on that site, and Scherer explained that other sites the temple examined in Wellington are in the equestrian area, and some are on dirt roads, while access to the village’s site is good, and several congregants live in the nearby Isles subdivision.

“It seems to be very well located, and as we look to merge with Congregation B’nai Jacob,

See COUNCIL, page 21

Mall Bypass Road Now ‘Stribling Way’

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

An eastern Wellington thoroughfare has been renamed to honor one of the village’s early developers. Although the signs haven’t been changed yet, portions of Fairlane Farms and Pierson roads are now Stribling Way, after Guerry Stribling.

The renamed portions include Fairlane Farms Road starting at Forest Hill Blvd., and Pierson Road beyond the newly engineered intersection that extends it to State Road 7 and further east to Lyons Road. Most of the stretch of roadway is also known informally as the “mall bypass road” because it circumvents the SR 7/Forest Hill Blvd. intersection by passing behind the Mall at Wellington Green.

Bill Tyson, who owns an auto repair shop in the Wellington Commerce Park, said he has been having trouble telling people how to get to his business because of the newly constructed intersection and approached Mayor Darell Bowen, whose business Creative Marketing Products also occupies space in Wellington’s industrial area.

“Now, if you’re coming from Forest Hill, you’ve got to go down Fairlane Farms, then you’ve got to take a right on Fairlane Farms and then you’ve got to take a right to Pierson Road,” Tyson told the TownCrier on Thursday. “When you try to explain that to a customer, it’s very confusing.”

Village Manager Paul Schofield said the newly named road is intended to reduce confusion.

“We were having trouble getting people in and out of the industrial park unless they were used to being down there,” he said. “In looking at ways to eliminate confusion on how to get into the industrial park, we thought it would make sense to take that part of Fairlane Farms Road and that part of Pierson Road that is now one road, give them one name.”

A renaming was needed, Schofield said, “because we couldn’t continue to call it Fairlane Farms Road or we would have had to change the name in the industrial park. The problem with changing that is most of those properties have mortgages, and you have to go back and change all the mortgage documents, and that was a real issue.”

Schofield said the name Fairlane Farms Road was retained within the industrial area, and few address changes will be necessary on the renamed roadway. “On Stribling Way there are only three properties that need to be readdressed,” he said. “Those were the fire station and the two schools [Emerald Cove and Equestrian Trails].”

The original portions of Pierson Road from west of the show grounds east to the new Stribling Way are not part of the renaming.

Although the Wellington Village Council authorized the

name change in August, Schofield said the village is still awaiting delivery of some of the new street signs. “Some of them take longer, especially the lighted ones for State Road 7,” he said. “As soon as we get all of them, we’re going to have a road re-dedication ceremony for it.” Tyson credited Bowen for initiating the name change. “Darell came up with that,” he said. “It’s named after Guerry Stribling. That’s really Darell’s idea.” Bowen said his main concern was for businesspeople in the industrial area. “I’m not really looking for credit,” he said. “I think I was the first one to call Guerry and tell him though.” Bowen said he is not close to Stribling but admires him. “I’ve always admired what he did. I thought he did a good job balancing making money for the developer and doing right for the community,” he said. Bowen noted that Stribling was on hand as the future village’s layout first took shape. “He was here when all the development and the infrastructure was done,” he said. “A lot was built after that, but he was the guy, the driving force that made the decisions.”

Stribling, who now lives in Hawkinsville, Ga., has been battling cancer. “I’ve kind of got galloping cancer,” he told the Town-Crier Thursday. “They’re having a time chasing it all over my body. It hasn’t killed me yet. It will one day, but it’s going to be a fight.”

Stribling was working in Atlanta in 1971 when the Investment Corporation of Florida hired him after optioning the first 7,000 acres from the Wellington family. Stribling was named president of a joint venture between Investment Corporation of Florida and the aluminum company ALCOA called Breakwater Housing, which soon was renamed Gould Florida. In March 1972, they received county zoning approval for the planned unit development called Wellington.

“We started development with one little subdivision as part of Wellington, South Shore No. 1, which they still call the South Shore area,” Stribling said. “We recruited a bunch of builders and went on from there.”

Stribling said several thousand homes had been built in Wellington by the time he retired in 1986. “By that time we had Palm Beach Polo, which we never dreamed of originally,” he said. “Palm Beach Polo was the idea of Bill Ylvisaker.” Ylvisaker, a polo aficionado, was the chairman of Gould while Stribling was president. “He came up with the bright idea of the polo club,” he recalled. “I came home one night from a planning session and was talking to my wife and said, ‘Bill Ylvisaker wants to build a polo club. Do you know what polo is?’ and she said, ‘yeah, horse hockey,’ and she’s right.”

Wellington Honors Veterans With Parade, Ceremony

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

Commemoration of Veterans Day in Wellington kicked off with a parade of community groups, veterans, local officials and honored guests down Forest Hill Blvd. from the Wellington Community Center to the Wellington Veterans’ Memorial at the intersection of South Shore Blvd. The parade was led by honor guards from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, and the PBCFR’s pipe and drum corps.

Once gathered at the memorial, soloist Lou Galterio sang the national anthem, Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen led the Pledge of Allegiance and Father Mario Castaneda of St. Rita Catholic Church gave the invocation.

Addressing the audience, State Sen. Dave Aronberg touched on last week’s national election, noting that some other countries marvel at the peaceful transfers of power in the

United States, while they often face civil unrest during a change of leadership.

Aronberg said American values make such domestic peace possible.

“It’s an idea that we are all endowed with certain unalienable rights, such as freedom and liberty and opportunity for all,” he said. “And no one’s lineage makes him or her superior than anyone else, and no one person is greater than the common values we hold dear. It is what often obligates us to occasionally send our young men and women into harm’s way. Because when you are based on a fundamental belief in our God-given right of freedom and self-determination, there are others who will always try to do us harm. When you stand as a shining beacon of liberty in an oftenchaotic world, you stand up for those who share your values and yearn for democracy in their own lands.”

War veteran Al

Korean

Weissman paid tribute to Well-

Wellington Councilman Matt Willhite, an Iraq war veteran, with his son Luke, State Sen. Dave Aronberg and Regis Wenham at Tuesday’s Veterans Day ceremony in Wellington.

PHOTO BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

The Village of Royal Palm Beach saluted veterans on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at the Veterans Park amphitheater with a flag-raising ceremony followed by a presentation and live musical performances by the Royal Palm Beach Community Band. Shown here, Joseph Murratti, whose son is stationed in Iraq, reflects by the wreath. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 23

PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Wellington

By Carol Porter

Town-Crier Staff Report

Wellington’s Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board recommended approval last week of a conditional use application that would allow a daycare center near Binks Forest Drive.

The Home Away From Home Learning Center is seeking to build an 8,600-square-foot daycare center on three lots in the Binks Commercial Centre at Southern Blvd. and Binks Forest Drive.

Planner Steve Graham of Land Design South told the PZA board members at their Nov. 6 meeting that the project would provide 30 parking spaces and involve 173 infants, preschoolers and toddlers, and 15 employees, with operating hours from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“The building as you see it is set back from the site,” Graham said. “The infant area is in the northern portion, with the preschoolers in the southern half. What we have tried to do throughout the development of the plan to be used on the site is to maintain as much consistency as we can with the other commercial centers.”

Graham also noted that the project would not trigger an additional right-turn lane on Bent Creek Road, although it was set as a condition of approval. “Our traffic consultant has told us that the daycare center does not trigger the right-turn lane, but the next development in this approved subdivision will,” Graham said.

PZA Board Member Carmine Priore III said the daycare facility would likely fit in well with the surrounding community, and a private school had previously been proposed for the property.

“This property was vacant in that area for some time,” Priore said. “It was looked at as a private school. It was unfortunately denied at that time, which may be fortunate for the current applicant. I am assuming that the greenery you are adding is in accordance with the current plan, and it would go in pretty early in the process.”

“Landscaping would take place as the development would occur,” Graham replied. “That perimeter buffering is already there.”

PZA Board Chair Steve Delai also asked about the buffering and landscaping, and Graham assured Delai there would be plenty of both to screen the outdoor play areas and the buildings.

PZA Board Member Eugene Difonte said he was familiar with the property. “This is a good use,” he said. “Fortunately or unfortunately, I’m familiar with that site, as the engineer with the school that was planned for the site and never built.”

Difonte suggested the applicant build the right-turn lane rather than wait for the next application to be considered.

“It will affect the people who live in that area,” Difonte said. “My thought is this may be a more appropriate time for the construction, and to put in the right-turn lane. It’s a suggestion only.”

Another condition states that two facility staff members would be outside during morning and afternoon peak hours to help parents dropping kids off and picking them up.

Board Member Alan Medoff wanted to know if it would be better for the center to have a dedicated dropoff lane to avoid worries about cars coming in and out when children are dropped off.

Graham said the center had considered the option. “We did consider various options of providing a drive-through lane,” Graham said. “It was just not feasible. Ultimately, this was the most efficient and effective layout.”

Medoff said he was concerned about the condition only because of the cost that might be passed on to the parents. He thought it might be better to require parents to escort their children inside than to have staff outside.

“I like to err on the part of safety,” Medoff said. “On the other hand, we are talking about two staff people outside for a minimum of probably four hours a day getting kids in and out of cars. Parents can be extremely cost-sensitive to the price of daycare. I think it’s better to have the requirement that the parents escort the children inside than it is to have staff out there.”

PZA Board Alternate Alan Johnson said it would be difficult to construct a clear dropoff lane. “If you have ever taken a child to a daycare center, there doesn’t seem to be a clear dropoff lane,” he said. “I think staff is wise to require two staff members out there.”

Lois DiSilva of Home Away From Home assured the board that the school would be as well run as the other three other schools she owns, and that it made better sense to have two staff members outside when parents pull up.

“Parents are in such a hurry,” she said. “We have to stop them to get them in. You don’t have parents lingering around. This is why I gave them the option of having the staff members there to help out parents who have older children who can be escorted in by a staff member. It keeps the traffic flowing. I have the same amount of traffic at other schools. We don’t have a problem.”

During public comment, Wellington resident Debbie Evans noted that Land Design South has an expert on “green” certification and asked whether the center might seek such certification for its project. Graham said that the applicant had not considered that prospect. “This is not something we have explored,” he said. “This I the first new development the applicant has done.” Difonte urged the applicant to consider the possibility of using such certification in the buildings. After further discussion, Priore made a motion to recommend approval of the conditional use application, which was seconded by Difonte. It passed unanimously.

County Charter Amendment Bolsters Power Of Municipalities

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The passage last week of a county charter amendment by almost 74 percent of the vote sends a strong message for Palm Beach County to work with municipalities before taking issues to referendum, supporters of the amendment said.

“We had nearly a three-to-one margin,” Palm Beach County League of Cities Executive Director Jamie Titcomb told the Town-Crier Thursday. “I’m ecstatic about the outcome. I was cautiously optimistic, but it even surprised me at the margin that we won by.”

The amendment garnered 354,739 YES votes (73.88 percent) to 125,439 NO votes (26.12 percent).

Passage of the amendment means voters will have the ability to opt out of future county charter amendments that would affect their municipalities. The new amendment has its roots in a 2004 charter amendment that allows the county final say in municipal annexations.

Former county commissioner Tony Masilotti spearheaded the drive to pass that amendment in an effort to target Wellington.

The 2004 amendment passed narrowly countywide, but failed in the western communities.

Titcomb said he tried to inform voters that the 2008 amendment would strengthen home rule for municipalities.

“What the county question is about is the ability for you to make those decisions on an issue-by-issue basis as they are proposed in the incorporated cities as well as the unincorporated area,” he said. “What we did was level the intergovernmental playing field in Palm Beach County.”

Titcomb said passage of the amendment limits the ability of one county commissioner to convince fellow commissioners to get a question placed on a referendum.

“Historically… the county commissioners have alluded to the fact that they have the ability to go to the ballot to force something to happen,” Titcomb said. “We know that something articulated well enough on a county ballot or framed in the mom-and-apple-pie rhetoric of why this is good for you, if marketed properly, tends to have a high ability to get passed on a countywide referendum.”

Titcomb said the county has taken issues to referendum on a supposition that it knows better than the municipalities themselves on what was good for them, leaving cities on defense to convince voters that the issue is not as dire as promoters of the question would have them believe.

“We’ve removed, I believe, somewhat of a hostile environment on making decisions that impact everybody countywide,” Titcomb said. “I think a message was sent for a cooperative approach in solving county issues. We will work out contentious issues before it gets to a vote. I think it’s a new day in Palm Beach County, a better day.”

Wellington Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore, who is also president of the Florida League of Cities, was also an active amendment supporter.

“The outcome was exceptionally good, and we’re very excited about that,” Priore told the Town-Crier Wednesday.

Priore said a lawsuit that Wellington brought against the county with the backing of the Palm Beach County league of Cities helped spawn the home-rule amendment.

‘What the county question is about is the ability for you to make those decisions on an issue-by-issue basis as they are proposed in the incorporated cities as well as the unincorporated area. What we did was level the intergovernmental playing field in Palm Beach County.’

— PBC League of Cities Executive Director Jamie Titcomb

“A lot of folks worked to bring about this result, and personally I am very excited about it because it’s something that the League of Cities, both the Florida League and the Palm Beach County League, were very involved with,” Priore said. “I think the people who voted both in the cities and in the county realize it was an issue that needed to be approved because the cities need the right to reject a countywide referendum if in fact it removes any of the cities’ authorities to deliver service.”

Priore said the home rule amendment will not affect the county’s current power to approve voluntary annexation, but encourages opening lines of communication.

“I will go on record saying what I said back then, I never aspired to annex in the areas that were in question,” Priore said of the Wellington-Masilotti rift. “I was never among those who wanted to annex north of Southern Blvd., but what I didn’t like about that was that it took away my right to do that, and that’s fundamentally the philosophical principle that I believe in, and that truly is a home-rule issue.

I’m very excited that if the county wants to place a referendum ballot, they will now have to realize that if it is going to impact a city, that city has the right to reject it.”

Priore agreed with Titcomb that the amendment forces all parties involved to discuss an issue before it is put on a referendum ballot.

“I think that’s a good thing, because we all have a place at the table, and we’ll all discuss issues,” Priore said. “The county has issues that they have to deal with and the cities have our responsibilities.”

Priore said the 2004 debacle might have been avoided had the home rule amendment been in place and the county not acted unilaterally by offering the owners of Palm Beach Aggregates what they wanted. Priore noted that the Wellington council was hesitant on the Aggregates annexation request, which was why they tabled the item at the time.

“What did the county do? The county immediately went to the developer and said, look, we’ll give you exactly what Wellington is offering,” Priore said.

Priore said he does not see any issues that will make the amendment come into play soon, but discussions have been taking place between municipalities and the county on levels of service.

“We sat at the table and worked them out,” Priore said. “One was level of service for fire-rescue.”

Royal Palm Beach Councilwoman Martha Webster, who was active with a pro-amendment group called Let Us Vote, said municipal leaders felt their cities were not being represented well and the amendment gives comfort that municipalities will have a say in decisions being made at the county level.

“We feel it’s a great thing, and everyone throughout the League of Cities and everyone else felt this was a job well done and a tremendous team effort,” Webster said. “We’re very excited about the passage of the amendment. Our job on the council is to bring back anything that will benefit our municipality, and this definitely gives us greater home rule. We’re really happy that it passed. It shows people are listening.”

‘I was never among those who wanted to annex north of Southern Blvd., but what I didn’t like about that was that it took away my right to do that, and that’s fundamentally the philosophical principle that I believe in, and that truly is a home-rule issue.’

— Wellington Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore

OUR OPINION

New Plan To Buy U.S. Sugar Will Help Environment And Save Jobs

This week brought possibly good news to the economically depressed Glades communities with the announcement that Florida has renegotiated its deal to purchase U.S. Sugar.

The new deal will cost the state $1.34 billion and includes the purchase of 181,000 acres of U.S. Sugar’s land for restoration but will leave the company’s infrastructure alone. The previous agreement — which was reached in June but slowly broke down in the face of the nation’s growing economic crisis and other financial factors — had a price tag of $1.75 billion and included the company’s mill, railroad and citrus processing plant. The original plan would have forced U.S. Sugar to close its operations within six years — a move that would leave roughly 1,700 local workers unemployed.

When the original deal was announced by Gov. Charlie Crist in June, we were hopeful about the environmental benefits but concerned about the loss of jobs. The Glades region would be devastated by such a large-scale layoff of workers. Under the new plan, U.S. Sugar will lease back its land over the next seven years while deciding on its future plans — including the possibility of getting into the biomass energy

Traffic

Circles A Bad Idea For Royal Palm

For the past 40 years I have split my time either in Washington, D.C. or in about 65 other countries. Everywhere I have traveled where there are traffic circles, there are traffic jams and vehicular deaths. Even the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration strongly recommends against traffic circles. I suggest that the city fathers of Royal Palm Beach contact the FHWA and rethink their plans to make the city’s traffic patterns. This is a bad idea.

Jim Maher Royal Palm Beach

Wellington Could End Up Bankrupt

Parade magazine had an article in their Oct. 19 edition questioning, “Could Your Town Go Bankrupt?” It cited a survey by the National League of Cities that found 79 percent of towns expect financial trouble in 2009.

The article goes on to say, “when a town goes bankrupt the local government itself is often to blame.”

Let’s look at some of the decisions our local government is about to consider:

They plan to give away Wellington’s largest piece of existing land — 68 acres worth $30 million — to Palm Beach Community College. A giveaway that will not generate $1 of impact fees, $1 of taxes or one new job for the residents of Wellington.

They plan to build a town hall costing an estimated $15 million, using all our capital reserves, and $5 million from our general fund.

They plan on using our reserves in the near future to keep our millage rate in line for a few years; but when that is depleted, our credit rating will drop, and the interest on our debt of $29 million will skyrocket. They should never touch our reserves for anything other than what they were intended, which is to keep our credit rating high so we can borrow, when needed at the

best possible terms, and for true emergencies.

We can expect continual deceases in the village’s tax base for the next three years due to foreclosures, short sales, lack of growth and the recession.

We should be using part of the K-Park land for the medical arts district development program outlined by our council that will bring to us much need professional jobs, impact fees and property taxes.

The “Outlook” section of the 2009 budget presentation stated, “if the tax reform continues… the outlook is that in five years all non-essential services will be eliminated and staffing levels will be half of what they are today. We may well find ourselves unable to afford police and fire protection.” Yes, I believe that if Wellington continues with these plans, we may go bankrupt. What do you the citizens of our village think? Make your views heard the next time the council has the PBCC giveaway on the agenda.

Morley Alperstein Wellington

Let Council Members Vote On PBCC Issue

While respecting Mr. Tony Fransetta’s perspective and opinion as presented in last week’s Town-Crier (“Let Residents Vote On PBCC”), I personally do not believe our citizens are always capable of directly making a correct, visionary or an informed decision. Citizens are not always wellinformed nor have strategic visions of the “big picture.” Recent, and past, elections surely are evidence of that, with approval of high-speed trains, pampered pigs and alien rights denial being some approved voter initiatives that leave some scratching their heads wondering. Further, do we not elect our local, state and national electorate to represent us and to make difficult, non-emotional but informed decisions? Granted, our representatives’ positions are not always in agreement with how we personally would have voted on an issue, but we elect them and pay them to make the best choices for the greater good of the majority of their constitu-

business or importing raw sugar cane from abroad for processing.

Of course, the plan is not perfect. Critics, including board members of the South Florida Water Management District, have raised concerns that the new price should be lower. They argue that the total cost of the mill, refinery, railroad and other assets is worth approximately $623 million, which when subtracted from the original cost of $1.75 would result in $200 million less than the current $1.34 price tag. The SFWMD board will vote on the issue Dec. 2.

Still, the bottom line is that the major concern five months ago was that the deal would sacrifice too many local jobs. While there is no absolute guarantee that U.S. Sugar won’t decide later on to sell its operations, there is no reason to believe that’s the way the plan will turn out.

The current proposal significantly mitigates economic effects to the Glades community. And it suggests there’s a future out there for other business interests. Cellulosic ethanol and biomass are an integral part of our country’s energy future, and if Palm Beach County has the opportunity to lead in that effort, we support any plan that moves us in that direction.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

ents. We need to hold them responsible and accountable for their vote, and if enough of us don’t agree with their positions, we vote them out. Council members who pass on “hot potato” issues to the citizens to vote on are only abrogating their elected responsibilities. In a Wellington referendum, we probably would see less than a 20-percent turnout. How representative is that of what all Wellington voters might feel about K-Park land distribution? Direct population voting is not what representative government is all about, and what chaos we would have if we were to have to vote on every contentious issue. I would encourage those with strong feelings about holding, selling or donating K-Park property to call, write and e-mail our council members and make sure they know how you feel. Let them take into consideration where you stand so their decision will truly be representative of their interested constituents.

Joseph Manning Wellington

Education Should Be The Top Priority

A number of years ago, our leaders had a vote, yes/no on a large recreation budget. The people said “no,” but Tom Wenham chose to ignore the people’s will. Today he stands before us a citizen (not mayor) and others, demanding a vote of the people on the K-Park/Palm Beach Community College site, knowing (and remembering) quite well that people usually vote no on large budget items. This seems a bit hypocritical, Tom!

What concerns me is some of the innuendos (I quote), “what do they have to gain?”, “why exactly are we doing this?” and “what is their motivation?” Argue the point, we needn’t be personal!

Recently, an educator said, “I don’t want to live in a college town.” She said she would rather live in a big-box store (i.e. Costco). Another one told me that most Wellingtonians go to private colleges. This is elitist and patently untrue, especially as tuition rises and incomes decline.

Tony Fransetta states that this would do nothing for seniors. My reply is twofold. First, it sounds provincial, and indeed we could have a senior element at PBCC. Second, ask Tom Wenham why for almost a dozen years, every election cycle, he promised the seniors, and every year he didn’t deliver!

We are at a crossroads, America as well as Wellington. We continue to watch our educational system degrade (federal and state mandates, with educational budget cuts simultaneously). We are at the bottom of the developed world in all grade test scores.

Do we need more stores and office buildings or a local community two- to four-year college? Our choice! Education should be priority number one. We are at built-out, so how about addressing education?

I laud Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto, who championed higher education years ago, and I’m glad that Mayor Darell Bowen and Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore see the light. If we could spend tens of millions on recreation without blinking an eye, surely a PBCC campus will help out youth, unless of course we only address 15 percent of our population (recreation). Our founding fathering championed and initiated public school systems for every child. Should we not, in 2008, champion higher education, or are our children all to be professional athletes and laborers? Education is the tool, mediocrity is the alternative! Do we still have dreams for our children? Are they not our future? A school or stores — that’s the choice. By the way, Tom, K-Park recreation offers up no new taxes and only more expenses!

George Unger Wellington

Sexton Responds To Rosen

Editor’s note: The following is a response to Andrew Rosen’s letter “Many Reasons To Support Barack Obama,” which was published in last week’s Town-Crier Mr. Rosen apparently misread or misunderstood my letter to which he responded. He seemed

to think that the only category of people who I thought would vote for President-elect Barack Obama were those who maximize their credit card debt. I actually listed four different categories whose combined votes would elect Mr. Obama.

I am glad that Mr. Rosen wrote, however, because he brought to mind a category of voters who were, perhaps, larger in number than any of those I mentioned. That category comprises the George W. Bush haters. These folks love to list the sins of George W. Bush that are publicized by the likes of Moveon.org. (Remember the Petraeus/betray us flap?) Never mind that those sins are either grossly untrue or address government actions that were supported by or even promoted by most Democrats, or even those events that were under no one’s control. If there is an issue to complain about, “Dubya” was responsible. (“Those reasons only touch the surface of what contempt I feel...” writes Rosen.)

While I believe that the new federal government will swiftly enact programs that will haunt generations of Americans to come, I will not allow myself to blame every mishap or fault of government on President Obama, Democrats or the combination, as Mr. Rosen is wont to do with President Bush and Republicans.

Phil Sexton Wellington

Learn More Facts About PBCC Plan

Editor’s note: The following letter was signed by three former members of the Wellington Vil-

SEND IN YOUR LETTERS

The Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep letters brief (300 words). Submit letters, with contact name, address, and telephone number (anonymous letters will not be published), to The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414; fax them to (561) 793-6090 ; or you can e-mail them to letters@goTownCrier.com lage Council and sent to the Town-Crier for publication. For those who are not familiar with the issue, the Wellington Village Council has approved moving forward with negotiations with Palm Beach Community College to donate to PBCC a 63-acre site off State Road 7 under a lease for $10 a year. Further, the college would not be required to pay property taxes. To date, we as former council members have not seen the type of open discussion of this issue that had been the hallmark of previous councils, and this donation is a step that should not be taken lightly. Questions exist that have not been answered or even discussed. Is giving this property to PBCC the best use for this land? With educational funding being cut, is the college in a position to deliver on its promises? What will be its impact on development plans within the equestrian community just to the west? How will future parks and recreational facilities be funded, and where will they be located? Is this the time to give away KPark when this park could be used to generate an income stream to fund needed infrastructure repair and maintenance without corresponding increases in the tax rate? What happens when other demands necessitate tapping the village reserves? Most importantly, Palm Beach Community College estimates its project will take at least 25 years to complete. Shouldn’t the residents of the village be presented with all the facts so that a well-conceived, well-informed and sound business decision is reached?

Al Paglia, Laurie Cohen and Michael McDonough, Wellington

If We’re Renaming Roads, Why Not Do It To Raise Some Cash?

So Wellington is renaming part of Pierson Road to Stribling something-or-other. Whoa there, Welly. I’ve got better ideas. Pierson Road was named after an early-day muckety-muck before Wellington was barely a place name somewhere out west. I think I once knew who he was, but at my age I’ve started a routine of flushing out old trivia so I can put new stuff in my brain. Guerry Stribling is one the community’s early developers. His name came up several years ago when former Wellington councilman Mark Miles wanted to rename Village Park (called “Pierson Park” by just about everyone because that’s where it is) to Stribling Park. I don’t recall whether the idea ever even got a second, but it was quickly dropped. It remains Village Park today. All of this is to set up a grand idea I have to raise some badly needed revenues for cash-starved Wellington. I call it the Ego Project. That’s right. We cash in on other people’s egos and name things after them right after the check clears the bank (if we have any banks left by then, that is). Readers can play this game themselves, but here’s some ideas to get you started:

• Let’s go back to Mr. Miles’ idea and give Mr. Stribling the park, instead of a road, if he’s still got enough of the loot he made from developing Wellington to come up with the price. Mr. Miles

By Don Brown

might chip in since it was his idea in the first place. We could call it Stribling Developer Park. • I would give Jeremy Jacobs first dibs on buying Pierson Road. He earned it. Those who have been here a decade or more probably remember that it was Mr. Jacobs who fought the council with more suited lawyers than a graduating Harvard Law School class over the paving of Pierson Road.

As owner of the sprawling Deeridge Farm along the road, he wanted to keep the old road unpaved. After more votes than a contested baby beauty pageant, the council and Mr. Jacobs finally settled the matter by keeping the road to two lanes, paving it, making a concerted effort to keep traffic off the road, building the community’s first and only roundabout near the park and establishing a monument of sorts for standout young local athletes. We could name it Jacob’s Way because that’s what he usually gets.

TOWN-CRIER

• A few years back the Palms West Chamber came up with the bright (and costly) idea of renaming State Road 7 Palms West Blvd. It would have been costly because all the businesses along SR 7 would have to change their stationery and explain to all their customers why they weren’t on SR 7 anymore. I thought that was a dumb idea. Southern Blvd. would have made a better Palms West Blvd. because the chamber offices are on that road. I say change the name of Southern between SR 7 and Flying Cow Road. If people get confused by the interrupted Southern, too darn bad, as long as we know where it is. The namerights price would also have to include the cost of changing all the business stationery. Not a problem, since all the chamber has to do is raise its membership dues.

• SR 7 rightly belongs to Wellington Regional Medical Center because that’s where the hospital is located, at the corner of Forest Hill Blvd. But what hospital wants an address on a state road? It sounds kind of hick — sort of like Rural Route 6. Potential patients might think the doctors all have a piece of straw hanging from their mouths. For the right price, the hospital could lend its name to the road. Or they could go generic with Healthy Way or something. They could even be corny, as in Kidney Stone Korner.

• South Shore is an easy pick. Palm Beach Polo boss Glenn Straub has earned it since that byway pretty much borders his land… and he has proposed a lot of projects along it. For the right price, we could let him develop the road pretty much any way he wants. In fact, I think we should make it the most expensive road in Wellington.

• Why do we have a Lake Worth Road running through our community? I say it’s time for a change. Once Lake Worth Road crosses over into Wellington, we need to call it something else, something upscale and befitting our image. Like the Priore Parkway.

• That brings us to the controversial K-Park property. Some members of the council are trying to woo Palm Beach Community College to the site, while others want to continue with plans to build an athletic park. That’s a winwin for residents because the name rights can be sold either way. However, if PBCC and the council agree to the college campus, don’t forget part of the deal would be athletic fields. That would give Wellington a double whammy. We can sell name rights to the campus to one person and the rights to the fields to someone else. No matter how we’re suffering economically, there’s always a way to make a few bucks. America is still a great country, don’t you think?

Palms West Chamber Salutes Bradshaw On His Re-Election

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

Members of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce lauded Sheriff Ric Bradshaw on his reelection victory during their November business luncheon Monday.

Bradshaw told chamber members his success at the polls reflected the high level of public confidence in the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

“In order to get that type of turnout, it can’t be just about the candidate,” he said. “It has to be the organization, and what they are doing, and how they are moving forward. The men and women who serve in this organization are fantastic, and that can be seen especially in some of the jurisdictions we have recently merged with.”

Noting a recent spate of shootings involving teenagers, Bradshaw said he and his personnel are continuing efforts to stem youth gang activity.

“The last drive-by shooting we had was with a kid on a bike,” he said. “It’s sad. They have access to these guns. We have a strong program going on. We put a lot of resources into it to try to get to the kids. You have heard me say this before. I say, you need to get to the kids when they are between the ages of eight and ten years old before they get to this other culture they are in.”

Bradshaw appeared with Capt. Jeff Lindskoog, com-

Santamaria

To Host Public

Forum Nov. 19

District 6 County Commissioner Jess Santamaria will host his next community forum on Wednesday, Nov. 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the original Wellington Mall, located at the southeast corner of Forest Hill Blvd. and Wellington Trace. Guest speakers will include recently re-elected State Sen. Dave Aronberg, County Commissioner-elect Shelley Vana, State Attorney-elect Michael McAuliffe and Supervisor of

It’s

You

mander of the PBSO’s Community Services Division, who offered a summary of the safety and crime-prevention programs available to residents and businesspeople.

Lindskoog urged chamber members to partake in resources such as the PBSO’s Citizen Alert and Neighborhood Watch programs, and the tools available at the PBSO web site at www.pbso.org.

“We have a lot of information that is worthy to you that you should know about,” he said. “Information is power. It’s our goal to empower our citizens.”

Palms West Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jaene Miranda thanked Bradshaw for accepting chairmanship of this year’s fundraising effort for the chamber’s WestFest Angels program.

“The first person who came to mind was Ric,” Miranda said. “He did not even hesitate. As soon as I asked, he said he was on board.”

WestFest Angels began last year by working with New Hope Charites of Belle Glade and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County to invite 250 underprivileged children and their families to the chamber’s annual festival in March.

This year, Miranda said, the chamber intends to expand the program by involving local high school students at career academies in the planning and production of WestFest itself, giving

Elections-elect Susan Bucher. Refreshments will be served. There will be no community forum in December. The next one will be held on Jan. 21, 2009. For more information, call (561) 355-6300.

Relay For Life Kickoff Nov. 20

At Nicole’s

A kickoff event for the American Cancer Society’s 2009 Western Communities Relay for Life will be held on Thursday, Nov. 20 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Nicole’s Village Tavern

them experience in a real-life work situation.

“We will take the kids from the academies who will help us build the infrastructure for WestFest,” she said. “They will have an opportunity to participate in something that they will take to completion.”

The chamber is hoping to raise $100,000 through private contributions in order to fund the students’ participation in WestFest 2009. For more information on participating, call the chamber at (561) 790-6200.

Contributions will go to the nonprofit Palms West Community Foundation, making them 100percent deductible.

Featured speakers at the luncheon were staff members from the Sun-Sentinel newspaper, who not only described the work they do, but took questions on the state of the news industry.

In response to questions about recent staff cuts at the paper, business columnist Marcia Pounds said that like most business owners, the paper’s ownership was forced to make decisions they did not want to make.

“How many of you own or operate businesses?” Pounds asked. “There are a number of employers who have been forced to lay off folks. It’s not going to get better [quickly]. We have a lot of ripple effects with our housing industry. Major corporations are laying people off. There are some bright spots. For example, in Palm Beach Coun-

ty, condo sales went up last month. We have some other things happening in the economy but don’t look for a real turnaround until 2010.”

Asked about how content is affected when area newspapers share stories, Palm Beach County Metro Editor Arnie Rosenberg said that with shrinking staffs, news outlets are justified in carrying each other’s material to some extent.

“What are the options?” he asked. “Do we deny the readers this news, or look to other resources? I am a native Ohioan. All seven newspapers in Ohio have an arrangement like this. It’s all about resources.”

The luncheon, which took place at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center, was catered by Shane’s Rib Shack in the Southern Palm Crossing on Southern Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach.

Shane’s director of operations Gary Landry said the chain has just opened a location in Boynton Beach and will open another soon. “This is our catering service,” he said. “We do any type of party you want from big to small, whether it’s 10 or 10,000. Tell us what you want. We can make it happen.”

For more information call (561) 333-7427 or visit www. shanesribshack.com.

The chamber’s next luncheon will be held at the Breakers West Country Club on Dec. 8. For more information, visit www. palmswest.com.

NEWS BRIEFS

(12300 South Shore Blvd., Wellington). Participants should bring their $100 team participation fee, be prepared to choose their campsite and choose an onsite fundraiser. For more information, or to RSVP, call Maureen Gross at (561) 366-0013, ext. 5136 or email maureengross@cancer.org.

Wellington Chamber

Lunch Nov. 19

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce will host its “Kickoff to the Equestrian and Polo

Season” luncheon on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at the Binks Forest Golf Club (400 Binks Forest Drive, Wellington). Speaking on their respective venues and events will be John Wash of the International Polo Club Palm Beach and Michael Stone of Equestrian Sport Productions. It will be an interactive, fun and educational event discussing the upcoming equestrian and polo seasons. Sponsoring the luncheon is Phil Ridolfo, the newest member of the chamber’s President’s Circle. Ridolfo is a shareholder with the law firm Fowler White Burnett in West Palm Beach.

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

With more than 15 years of experience, he focuses his practice on general corporate law, litigation and criminal defense. Ridolfo also served as general counsel and was principal of an upscale residential developer. Earlier in his career, Ridolfo was a shareholder with Greenberg Traurig’s West Palm Beach office. In this position, he performed general corporate work, including assisting clients with matters involving SEC reporting and compliance, regulatory issues and confidentiality agreements. Ridolfo was also an associate with Akerman Senterfitt in the

West Palm Beach office and an assistant state attorney in Palm Beach County. Active in the community, Ridolfo is the former president of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Palm Beach County and recently served on the board of Friends of Abused Children. This is an event not to miss if you live, work and play in Wellington. The luncheon will begin at noon. The cost is $15 for chamber members with reservations, $20 for members without reservations and $25 for nonmembers. Call the chamber at (561) 792-6525 to make reservations.

Chamber Luncheon — (Above left) Sheriff Ric Bradshaw discussed gang activity. (Above right) Shaun Castillo, Palm Beach County marketing and community affairs manager for the Sun-Sentinel . (Below) The gang from Shane’s Rib Shack serves up lunch.

Drug Bust Nabs

Four At RPB Park

By Jason Budjinski Town-Crier Staff Report

NOV. 6 — Two Boca Raton men and two juveniles were arrested last Thursday on drug charges at Penzance Park in Royal Palm Beach. According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, deputies from the Royal Palm Beach substation were on patrol at the park in reference to the use and sale of narcotics. Shortly after their arrival at approximately 6:30 p.m., the deputies observed four white male juveniles loitering inside the closed park. Two of the juveniles were arrested for possession of marijuana under 20 grams. They were released to their parents. In addition, the deputies noticed a vehicle parked with its lights off occupied by driver 36-year-old Christopher Borgo and passenger 29-year-old Bret Grove. One of the deputies made contact with Grove and noticed a smell of marijuana emanating from the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed 4.7 grams of marijuana and two small plastic baggies containing heroin. A spoon containing heroin residue was also found beneath the front passenger seat. A search of Grove revealed a syringe. Grove was arrested and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail. Borgo was issued a notice to appear in court.

• • •

NOV. 5 — A resident of Guilford Way called the PBSO substation in Wellington last Wednesday regarding a home burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim left his house at approximately 8:45 a.m. When he returned at noon he discovered his living room entertainment center had been pushed out of place and the console had been disconnected. Two controllers to his Xbox 360 game system were missing, along with a Sony PSP, a Nintendo DS and approximately $50 cash and $314 in church donations. According to the report, entry was made by slicing a hole in the rear screened enclosure and prying open a sliding door, which caused approximately $50 in damages. There were no witnesses.

NOV. 7 — An Acreage woman was arrested for drunk driving early last Friday morning in Royal Palm Beach. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation stopped 20-year-old Samantha Lord for speeding and failing to maintain a single lane while driving near on North State Road 7. The deputy noted that Lord exhibited signs of impairment and was given field sobriety tests on video. She was arrested and taken to the county jail, where she refused a breath test. She was charged with driving under the influence and refusing a breath test.

NOV. 8 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched last Saturday to a home on Blueberry Drive in reference to an attempted vehicle theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 8:30 p.m. last Friday and 5:30 a.m. the following morning, someone pried open the rear passenger window and gained entry to the vehicle. The suspect broke the steering column in an unsuccessful attempt to steal the vehicle. Nothing was stolen from inside. In addition, two similar incidents on nearby Daffodil

Drive were reported last Saturday morning. One victim said a JVC stereo had been stolen from his unlocked vehicle sometime between 2 and 7:30 a.m. The deputy noticed the ignition was broken in an attempt to steal that vehicle. The other victim also discovered her vehicle at 7:30 a.m., noticing that the passenger window was broken, and a Hollister jacket and some CDRs had been stolen from inside. The ignition in this car was broken as well. DNA was collected and placed into evidence. NOV. 9 — A West Palm Beach man was arrested last Sunday night for shoplifting at the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Belvedere Road in Royal Palm Beach. According to a PBSO report, a store employee witnessed 23-year-old Daniel Bufford enter the beverage department, select four cases of Miller Light and place them on the bottom of his filled shopping cart. Bufford then attempted to leave the store without paying for the items. He was apprehended and the items, totaling $173.71 in value, were recovered. Bufford was arrested and taken to the county jail. NOV. 10 — A resident of Stone Creek Drive called the PBSO substation in Wellington on Monday morning regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 6 p.m. last Sunday and 7 a.m. the following morning, someone stole the victim’s Edge A2 monitor from the dashboard. Also missing were the vehicle’s keys, a digital camera and check books. There were no suspects or witnesses. The case is inactive pending further investigative leads.

NOV. 11 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded Tuesday morning to a home on Regatta Lane regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim parked his car in the driveway last Friday after returning from work, leaving it unlocked. The victim said he used his wife’s car throughout the weekend and didn’t re-enter his vehicle until Tuesday at 9 a.m., when he discovered the glove compartment was empty. Missing items include a Garmin GPS valued at approximately $400, a radar detector valued at approximately $350 and an MP3 player worth approximately $50.

NOV. 11 — Two Royal Palm Beach men were arrested on multiple charges early Tuesday morning at the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Belvedere Road in Royal Palm Beach. According to a PBSO report, an employee witnessed 18-year-old Nikolas Rademacher and 20-year-old Mark Abu-Zaydeh enter the electronics department, where Rademacher selected several music CDs and conceal them in his pants pockets. Rademacher and Abu-Zaydeh next headed to the sporting goods department, where Abu-Zaydeh selected several fishing hooks and stuffed them into his pockets, according to the report. The pair then proceeded to the register, where Abu-Zaydeh attempted to pay for additional items using counterfeit $20 bills. After the clerk recognized the counterfeit bills, Abu-Zaydeh then paid using real currency. Rademacher and Abu-Zaydeh attempted to leave the store with the items See BLOTTER, page 21

Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives:

• Rafael Kessler is a white male, 5’1” tall and weighing 100 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. His date of birth is 07/02/84. Kessler is wanted for fraudulent use of a credit card. His occupation is unknown. His last known address was Emmelman Road in Wellington. Kessler is wanted as of 11/13/08.

• Antonio Vega is a white male, 5’8” tall and weighing 200 lbs., with gray hair and hazel eyes. His date of birth is 06/ 13/31. Vega is wanted for failure to appear in court on the charge of marijuana trafficking. His occupation is unknown. His last known address was 76th Road North in The Acreage. Vega is wanted as of 11/13/08. Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward. Call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimestopperspbc. com.

Rafael Kessler

Antonio Vega

WELLINGTON GARDEN CLUB HOSTS FLOWER SHOW AT ST. DAVID’S CHURCH

On Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 8 and 9, residents of Wellington were treated to the first flower show ever held in the village as the Wellington Garden Club presented the standard flower show “Post Time” and hosted a plant sale offering membergrown plants, nursery-grown plants and hard-to-find native plants. The competition and plant sale took place at St. David’s-in-the-Pines Episcopal Church. With approximately 560 people in attendance, the show was dedicated to local horticultural expert Gene Joyner in recognition of his decades of service to the Palm Beach County Extension Office.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER AND COURTESY WELLINGTON GARDEN CLUB

Eleanor Lukasiewicz, Connie Kilgore and Lorraine Commerford.

Mary Ellen Chestnut, Barbara Hadsell and Stormi Biven of the Wellington Garden Club.

Some of the plants for sale outside.

Boots Bush won awards of merit for this orchid “Hawaiian Treat” (above left) and anthurium (above right).

Kathy Spain won an award of merit for this bromeliad.

Marcia Kaminsky with her daughter Renee Kamin.

Jennie Sterling and Bonnie Allan of the Boca Raton Garden Club pay a visit.

Wellington Art Society’s Fall Fling Festival Returns Nov. 22-23

The Wellington Art Society will present its fine art and fine craft outdoor festival Fall Fling 2008 on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 22-23 from 10 a.m. to 5

p.m.

More than 30 artists from around the area will be showcasing their work, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, photography, jewelry and other fine crafts. The free event will be held rain or shine at the east field of the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.).

As in previous years, Fall Fling 2008 will feature a special youth exhibit, with works created by student artists from throughout the county, from kindergarten through high school. All works on display, including those in the youth exhibit, are available for purchase unless otherwise noted.

Also available for purchase at the event will be the official Fall Fling 2008 commemorative poster. The artwork for the poster, selected from 22 entries in a recent competition, is a watercolor by Vincent Silvester of Lake Worth, who learned of his selection for this year’s poster on his 80th birthday! Besides the diverse works of the participating artists, Fall Fling 2008 will also feature refreshments and live music by local bands and other area songwriters and performers.

The Wellington Art Society Fall Fling 2008 is made possible through the support of Riverside Bank, the Palm Beach Post and the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. For more information on the event, or to receive an application, contact Event Chair Susan Rose at (561) 795-1691 or sar512@bellsouth.net, or

Wellington Art Society President Adrianne Hetherington at (561) 784-7561 or tilemaker@ aol.com.

Founded in 1981, the Wellington Art Society is open to artists of all mediums and patrons of the arts, providing both local and regional artists the platform to share their work, learn more about their craft and serve the community through their art.

A non-profit organization, the society’s mission is to educate and encourage originality and productivity among its members and area youth through programs designed to further the advancement of cultural endeavors in the western communities. For more information about Fall Fling 2008, or to learn more about joining the Wellington Art Society, visit www. wellingtonartsociety.org.

THE FEAST OF LITTLE ITALY RETURNS TO

ABACOA TOWN CENTER IN JUPITER

New Dawn Singers This

Sunday In RPB

The Crestwood Performng Arts League will begin its 200809 season with the New Dawn Singers on Sunday, Nov. 16 at the Royal Palm Beach High School Performing Arts Theatre (10600 Okeechobee Blvd.). The audience will be taken back to the good ol’ days of Vaudeville, ragtime, the Roaring ’20s, ’40s big band, swing, ’50s and ’60s love songs, disco, Broadway, tap dancing, Hollywood themes and Irish dance. Upcoming performances in 2009 include Dr. Robert Sharon’s “The World of Voice, Dance & Piano” on Sunday, Jan. 18; Derrick and the Motowners on Sunday, Feb. 8; and “One Enchanted Evening” on Sunday, March 22.

ted free. Call (561) 793-6897 or 793-2984 for more info.

Grief Counseling Seminars

The ticket booth opens at 6:30 p.m. for all shows. Seating begins at 6:45 p.m. with show times at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults; youth are admit-

Community of Hope Church in Loxahatchee Groves has scheduled two dates to its seminar “GriefShare: Surviving the Holidays.” This faith-based seminar is designed to help and encourage people facing the holidays after

a loved one’s death. The seminar will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Royal Palm Beach Elementary School (11911 Okeechobee Blvd.) and Friday, Dec. 19 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Community of Hope Church office (14101 Okeechobee Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves).

There is no charge for this event. The seminar features practical suggestions and encouragement through video interviews with counselors, grief experts and people who have

experienced the holidays after their loved one’s death. Topics include “Why the Holidays are Tough,” “What to Expect,” “How to Prepare,” “How to Manage Relationships and Holiday Socials,” and “Using the Holidays to Help You Heal.”

All programs are offered from a Christian perspective by trained group facilitators from Community of Hope Church. For more information, call (561) 753-8883 or visit www. gocoh.com.

Girl Scout Sale This Saturday In

Acreage Girl Scout Troop 957 will hold a yard sale, bake sale and hot dog lunch on Saturday, Nov. 15 at the corner of Mandarin and 61st Place North in The Acreage. The sale will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and feature lightly used items. For more information, call Peggy Leonard at (561) 723-1285 or e-mail timtoyvan1@aol.com.

Lake Worth artist Vincent Silvester, whose artwork was selected for the Fall Fling poster.

Lucia, Max, Mark and Jackie Gonnella with Scott Cianfrone.

Dulin family members take a break from the excitement.Gabriela Ortiz of Boynton Beach gets her face painted.

CEREMONY

HONORS

VETERANS

AT NATIONAL CEMETERY ON STATE ROAD 7

Kathy Foster, John and Jill Merrell, and Mike Nelson.

Event organizer Terri Priore with Meghan Whitten.

Shauna Hostetler, Terri Priore and Mair Armand.

Maureen Gross and Peter Wein.

Terri Priore and Mike Nelson, who accepted a plaque for sponsor Glenn Straub.

Terri Priore with husband Carmine Priore III of FPL, one of the event’s sponsors.

Florida National Cemetery on

Road 7 south of Wellington to pay tribute to those who have served the country. The event was sponsored by the Veterans Advisory Committee of South Florida National Cemetery. Dennis Koehler served as master of ceremonies with welcoming remarks by Cemetery Director Kurt Rotar.

The Jarriels serve water.

The Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Pipes and Drums lead the opening procession.

Vietnam veteran David Knapp salutes.

Elbridge Gale Elementary School Students Vote In Mock Election

By Candace Marchsteiner Town-Crier Staff Report

Kindergarteners at Elbridge Gale Elementary School voted in their own election on Nov. 4.

But rather than Sen. Barack Obama versus Sen. John

McCain, Sylvester the donkey faced Horton the elephant in the heated contest. The idea came to mind for kindergarten teacher Gerry Enea during the school’s annual Halloween storybook character

dress-up day. “I thought that we could use two favorite characters, Horton from Horton Hears a Who and Sylvester from Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, to illustrate the election process,” Enea said. Students lined up to find and highlight their names on a voters’ registration list. Then, each

voter entered a home-made cardboard voting booth, drew the privacy curtain, and dropped a personalized Popsicle stick into a hole above either the elephant or the donkey. Ballots dropped into one of two cereal boxes that were periodically emptied by volunteer moms who glued the sticks in tally for-

mation on a poster board for the students to visually understand the results.

FAU Exhibit Features Artists And Poets From Seminole Ridge

Seminole Ridge High School artists and poets will have their works on display as part of the current exhibit at Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt Center Gallery. After a field trip to view Of Rage and Redemption, featuring the work of Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guayasamin, students created their own works in response to his powerful, emotional art.

Hawk artists participating in the FAU exhibit include Brianne Codner, The Choice Is Yours, ink and conté crayon; Ptah Quammie, Crocodile Tears, oil on canvas paper; Natanya Robinson, The Artist Himself, oil on gesso board with charcoal; Michael Roy, Napalm: An Homage, tempera on a manipulated surface; Yunior Rubido, It Took a Village, oil on scanned image; and Steven Wong, Self-Loathing, brush and ink.

Hawk poets participating in the exhibit include Nick Antonopoulos, Malorie Barstrom, Katia Canete, Kelly Herman, Kathy McCarthy, Jessica Morales, Chelsea Perez and Taylor Sapp.

The Schmidt Center Gallery, on the FAU campus, is open

Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.

SECME Hosts Movie

Screening — The SRHS SECME Club (Science, Engineering, Communications and Math) invites the community to their fundraising full-length feature presentation Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 3:30 p.m. in the SRHS auditorium. What’s the movie? SECME will say only that “after 700 years doing what he was made for, a lonely robot will discover what he was meant for.”

The matinee is open to everyone in the community, but children must be accompanied by an adult. SECME is requesting a $3 suggested donation for admission, and SECME will use the proceeds from the matinee to purchase VEX Robotics classroom lab kits.

SECME club sponsor Mr. Erich Landstrom offers a few more clues about the matinee title. “In this computer-animated cosmic comedy, a misfit machine discovers new purpose in life when, after centuries of cleaning up the Earth (and collecting knick-knacks), he meets a sleek search robot,” he said.

• Hawks Take PSAT, ASVAB

— Under the direction of the guidance department, SRHS sophomores and juniors took the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) last month, along with students in high schools countywide. The following week, juniors and seniors took the U.S. Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) to determine their career strengths and interests.

• Spanish Club Takes Gold at Bash — The results of the annual Business Bash booth competition are as follows: for the third consecutive year, the Spanish Club took first place, the Biotechnology Academy finished second and the National Honor Society tied with the literary magazine for third. Business Bash coordinator Mr. John Walker thanks the many participating SRHS clubs, along with the many community and business attendees who made the event a success.

• Chorus to Hold Garage Sale — The Seminole Ridge chorus will hold a garage sale from 8:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15 in the parking lot of the Burger King at the corner of

Seminole Pratt Whitney Road and Orange Blvd. If you’re a bargain hunter, this is the event for you!

• FACE Club Grows — The FACE club is growing by leaps and bounds this school year. Over 60 students have expressed genuine interest in this unique club that educates the community about facial differences and supports local families.

Many students volunteered for a late October beach picnic at the Jupiter Civic Center, where over 20 families attended, and all had a good time. FACE members helped the kids have fun and got to know many of the families that they support.

Upcoming FACE events include a car wash at the Wellington Blockbuster to raise money for the club’s activities, face painting at the Acreage Fall Festival Nov. 15 and a presentation by Dr. Drew Schitt about the medical mission trips he’s taken, donating his time and surgical skills for Operation Smile.

For more information about the FACE club, call sponsor Mrs. Peggy Larson at (561) 4222708.

• FACA Selects Three Hawks for All-District — The 47 coaches from District 17 of the Florida Athletic Coaches Association met recently to select the all-district team for football. Selected from Seminole Ridge were quarterback Tyler Wilhelm, defensive linebacker Daryl Thomas and cornerback Jeff Moise. Congratulations!

• Hawk Football Nominated for Florida All-Academic With a 3.085 cumulative team GPA, Seminole Ridge has been nominated for the state all-academic team for varsity football. Seniors Kyle Irish (4.0) and Michael Fioramonti (3.917) headed the outstanding group of Hawk student athletes. The team’s outstanding win-loss record, combined with its academic success, leaves no doubt that coach Matt Dickmann and his staff have built one of the finest football programs in the state.

• SRHS Debate Hears Biden at UF — The Seminole Ridge Hawk forensics team had a great weekend in Gainesville. Marlee Arnold and Stephanie MacInnes broke to double octo-finals in varsity Lincoln-Douglas debate.

duo team of Edward O’Hara and Peter Burch made it to finals, winning third place overall with their roaringly funny take on The Maury Povich Show The Hawks were able to see politics in action at the University of Florida campus, attending a student rally to hear Democratic vice presidential nominee (now Vice President-Elect) Joe Biden address the plaza. “No matter their political beliefs,” debate coach Mrs. Mierka Drucker said, “they enjoyed the rally and were thrilled to hear and see a real politician speak.” • Hawk Bowler Qualifies for States — The SRHS boys and girls bowling teams, though putting forth their best effort of the year in district competition, were unable to win the district title. However, Eric Critchlow qualified for the state bowling tournament later this month, bowling a 598 series. The school would like to congratulate Eric and bowling coach Mr. Gregory Smith for a great season.

(Above) Students Isaac Rojas, Kira Cordero, Brandon Venant, Milan Jean-Louis, Anthony Beaudoin, Christopher Anthony, Alexis Bartels, and Gavin Rose with volunteer mom and booth builder Karen Anthony. (Left) Kindergarten teacher Gerry Enea with Karen Anthony display the final results.

PHOTOS BY CANDACE MARCHSTEINER/TOWN-CRIER

The team of Paige DiPirro and David Sleeth broke to double octo-finals in varsity public forum debate. The extemporaneous

Katie Gowan casts her vote inside the private booth.

final count showed Sylvester edging past Horton by one vote, 80-79.

BOO BINGO FAMILY FUN NIGHT AT PANTHER RUN

CRESTWOOD SCORES AT ACADEMIC GAMES

Cypress Trails Thanks Its VIP Readers

Cypress Trails Elementary School in Royal Palm Beach rewarded students who read more than 500 minutes during October with a Thanks4Reading event on Wednesday, Nov. 5. As part of the school’s MillionMinute Reading Challenge, the event brought guest readers in every classroom and students received cookies and juice in the courtyard.

The goal of the MillionMinute Reading Challenge is to develop student’s independent reading skills and cultivate a love for reading. The entire student body has been challenged to collectively read over 1,000,000 minutes by April 2009. Each month, students who turn in completed reading logs are rewarded with a special event.

During the Nov. 5 Thanks 4Reading event, Cypress Trails was honored with guest readers from the local community. Each classroom had a guest who read a story to the entire class. WPTV NewsChannel 5 anchor Jim Sackett read to two kindergarten classes. Other readers included football players from Royal Palm Beach High School,

Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Capt. Don Delucia and members of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, as well as H.L. Johnson Elementary School Principal Sharon Hench.

“We love interacting with elementary school kids in the community,” Delucia said. “We were happy to come to read to them today.”

Cypress Trails’ next event is a Reading Luau planned to take place in December. The school is always looking for VIP readers. Consider showing your support by volunteering to be a VIP book reader for as little as 30 minutes any time convenient to you. Together you can help the school reach its goal of reading 1,000,000 minutes.

Cypress Trails Elementary School has been an A-rated school for six years in a row, under the leadership of Principal Gale Fulford and Assistant Principal Katy Thomas. The school is located at 133 Park Road North. For more information, call (561) 795-4950 or visit the school’s web site at www.edline.net/pages/cypress_ trails_es.

Western Pines Students Of The Month

Principal Robert Hatcher, along with the staff and faculty of Western Pines Middle School in The Acreage, are proud to present the students of the month for November. Chosen from their language arts classes, these students represent the best of the best: Danielle Tuanda, a sixth grader, is first of all a student who really cares. Danielle cares about her family, her school, her friends and others. Danielle was an asset to the Math Academic Games team and is an asset to the classroom. She has a personality that bubbles over and a smile that’s contagious. Whenever you see her, you can’t help but smile. She is always willing to lend a hand to anyone who asks. Danielle deserves to be recognized for her caring and helpful ways. Sara Monaghan is the seventh grade student of the month. Diligent, studious and respectful,

she exemplifies numerous qualities of a model student. Sara actively participates not only in the classroom, but also within the school community as she is a student member of SAC. With her vast potential and inquisitive nature, she enhances the atmosphere of any classroom. Finally, the eighth grade student of the month is Sarah Probst. Sarah has been a straight-A student consistently through her three years at Western Pines. She is a very positive, happy young lady who always has her hand up to answer a question or volunteer to help out wherever she is needed. Sarah is not only a good student but a good friend to many who call her their best friend. She is the kind of student every teacher enjoys having in class. She generally catches on quickly and can help others who haven’t grasped a concept. She is a great student, and a great person too.

Students Of The Month — Western Pines Middle School Principal Robert Hatcher with students Sara Monaghan, Danielle Tuanda, and Sarah Probst.

Jim Sackett, Cypress Trails Principal Gale Fulford and Assistant Principal Katy Thomas.

NewsChannel 5’s Jim Sackett with kindergarten teacher Diane Tremer and her students.

Panther Run Elementary School in Wellington hosted its Boo Bingo Family Fun Night on Thursday, Oct. 30. More than 350 adults and children attended. (Above left) Principal P.J. D’Aoust and Guidance Counselor Joe Loverso show their groovy threads. (Above right) Students Rebecca and Abigail Kerner.

In the recent round of Academic Games held countywide, the seventh and eighth grade team from Crestwood Middle School in Royal Palm Beach won fifth place in math with Timothy Deaver receiving an honorable mention. In sixth grade, Miguel Pena received an honorable mention. Pictured above are: (front row, L-R) Rebecca Russell, Miguel Pena and Shakuan Frankson; (back row) Alexander Holmstock, Kayden Wilkinson, Angelo Peuguero, Kennedy Hunter, Jhanelle Biasor, Natalia Tyson and Timothy Deaver.

Bronco Key Club Gives Goody Bags At WRMC

The students of the newly formed Key Club at Palm Beach Central High School are keeping in step with the International Key Club’s mission, “to develop competent, capable and caring leaders through the vehicle of service.” As their first service initiative of the year, the students chose to present goody bags to family members of loved ones in the intensive care unit at Wellington Regional Medical Center.

To help ease the burden of the long hours spent at the hospital, the students chose many useful items to include in the bags such as toothbrush and toothpaste, assorted toiletries, snack foods, waters, crossword puzzle books and restaurant coupons, to name a few.

“The goal of the Key Club is to provide some comfort to fam-

ilies going through a difficult time,” student Nicole Martinez said. “We want family members to have a few essentials with them if they need to stay at the hospital several hours or overnight.”

Club sponsor Don Meyers, an Advanced Placement psychology instructor and department chair at Palm Beach Central, came to the school with Key Club experience. Before joining Palm Beach Central’s staff in 2004, Meyers served as sponsor of Suncoast High School’s Key Club.

Although not able to get Palm Beach Central’s Key Club off the ground before now, Meyers said he is excited about the club’s members. “They are really great kids and our officers are amazing,” Meyers said.

Poinciana Holds Mock Presidential Election

Poinciana Day School sixth through eighth grade students took the lead in helping their fellow classmates practice the civic responsibility of voting on Tuesday, Nov. 4 as part of the historic presidential election.

The middle school students collaborated as a whole to conduct the mock presidential election. Prior to the election, sixth through eighth grade students made presentations to each of the kindergarten through eighth grade classes to inform students of who the candidates were for the Democratic and Republican parties, the major issues and the views of the candidates.

The middle school students also discussed the issue of privacy in voting and answered questions concerning the election process.

The middle school then conducted the election for the school, starting with kindergarten. Each class was escorted to the polling location, the middle school social studies room.

Teachers and school employees also had the opportunity to vote.

The classroom was decorated brightly with red, white and blue streamers with pictures of the Democratic and Republican candidates on display. Three voter booths were set up to provide privacy for each of the voters. Voters checked off the can-

didates of their choice on a paper ballot and then placed them in the ballot box.

After the completion of the voting, middle school social studies teacher Jenni Amestoy tallied the votes. The winner of the Poinciana Day School presidential election was Barack Obama, which was played out later in the day throughout the country.

“At Poinciana Day School, we feel that it is very important for our students to have the opportunity to experience education,” Head of School Nixie Swift said. “We must educate our students to not only think but act in a socially responsible manner.”

Located at 1340 Kenwood Road in West Palm Beach, Poinciana Day School is a small, independent private school for students in kindergarten through eighth grade where “every student is an honored student.” All students pursue a strong academic curriculum as well as a wellrounded specialty program consisting of visual arts, performing arts, technology, sports and Spanish.

For more information about Poinciana Day School, call (561) 655-7323 or visit the school’s web site at www. poincianadayschool.org.

Polo Park Honors Tammy Musumeci

The faculty and staff of Polo Park Middle School in Wellington are proud to nominate eighth grader Tammi Musumeci for the Character Counts award.

Tammi was raised in Marlboro, N.J. and moved to Wellington while in the seventh grade. Her kindness and exceptional work ethic made her a noticeable addition to the student body from the start of her days at Polo Park. In addition to being an outstanding student, Tammi has many other interests that occupy her time. In her spare time, Tammi enjoys softball and fishing, and engages in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Tammi was raised in a family that believes in education and hard work, and that ethic is evident in everything she does.

Tammi is very serious about her studies and will do anything she feels is necessary to help prepare herself for her future goal of

becoming a doctor. Tammi will always take time to stop and greet people with a warm smile, no matter how busy she is. She will step up and be there to assist in anyway she can. Tammi puts others and their needs and feelings in high regard.

“Tammi is truly a teacher’s dream,” is what one of her teachers wrote in her recommendation for the award.

University To Display Posters By WHS Artists

Carnegie Mellon University is hanging new posters in their hallowed halls thanks to three creative students from Wellington High School. Sally Mark’s communication technology class was given a challenge. She has been reading to her students

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon professor who died from terminal cancer this summer.

Mark challenged students to use quotes from the book that inspired them and to make them

Goody Bags — Wellington Regional Medical Center Risk Manager Brenda Atkins, Ashley Sgaliardich, Zoe Rotella, Natalie Scarpello, Arlene Little, Nicole Martinez and ICU Director Darlene Noegel.

Tammi Musumeci

Election Day — (Above) Poinciana Day School fourth grader

Patrick Brannen places his vote in the ballot box held by eighth grader Sarah Templin while eighth grader Tiana Simmons looks on. (Below) Templin holds the box as Shelley Martin casts her vote and Alden Thompson walks away after voting.

visual. Samantha Cheresko, Melissa McGuire and Elizabeth Moffatt created four posters. Mark was so impressed with their efforts that she sent the posters to Carnegie Mellon and received word that they will be proudly displayed on their campus. Posters were also sent to Pausch’s co-writer Jeff Zaslow at the Wall Street Journal and to Brown University professor and Pausch’s mentor Andy van Dam. They were equally excited to receive the students’ work.

Elizabeth Moffatt, Melissa McGuire and Samantha Cheresko.

Church Makes Quilts To Benefit Haitian Storm Victims

Young girls ages eight to 11 from the Wellington congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon Church) recently donated their time and talents to complete quilts for residents of Haiti who were affected by recent hurricanes and flooding. These girls are members of the Primary Organization, which is for children of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ages 18 months through 11 years. As a result of this service project, 25 tie quilts were completed and donated for shipment to Haiti. Twice each month the girls meet to perform service to groups and individuals, learn new skills, develop talents and enjoy fellowship with one another. From a young age, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participate in service to others as a part of day-to-day living. Members are taught to look for ways to be of service to individuals, families and their communities. Serving others is central to church teachings. For information on the church’s humanitarian efforts, visit www.lds.org.

Girls from the western communities who participated include Taylor and Skylee Bollinger, Isabel Duke, MaKenzie

Farber, Katherine and Megan Hostetler, Eleni Kanaris, Shayna Klein, Sarah and Savannah Linares, Kayla Lofland, Sophie Mantor, Caylla Martin, Viviana and Erica Matos, Hailey Mesake, Allison and Lynsey Mills, Sarah Moore, Sarahi Pacheco, Gabby Pierre, Nicole and Sarah Roker, Valerie Shull, and Isabella and Julianna Wright. Their leaders are Sally Mills, Patty Bohn, Stephanie Bollinger and Lynelle Klein. In the process of serving others, each girl gained a greater love for the people of Haiti. Additionally, the girls learned new skills and were able to feel a sense of accomplishment and community. Building on this experience and many others like it will provide each girl with the knowledge and confidence to be leaders in their homes, schools and communities.

The Wellington congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is located at 990 Big Blue Trace. Sunday services begin each week at 10 a.m. Youth activities for ages 12 and up take place Wednesday evenings with activities for ages eight to 11 on Tuesday evenings. A Boy Scout troop and Cub Scout pack are sponsored by the congregation. Visitors are welcome.

Bostic, Cephus Chosen For Army All-American Bowl

Palm Beach Central High

School’s Jonathan Bostic was selected to play in the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, and Jennifer Cephus was selected to be a member of the second-annual U.S. Army All-American Marching Band.

The game will take place Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It will be televised live on NBC at 1 p.m. EST and will feature the nation’s top 90 high school football players. Cephus will perform during the halftime show.

“Jonathan is a talented athlete whose exemplary displays of leadership and teamwork have made him a standout at Palm Beach Central High School,” said Col. David Lee, director of strategic communications, marketing and outreach for the U.S. Army Accessions Command.

“On Jan. 3, Jonathan will have

the opportunity to showcase his talents live on NBC and in more than 170 countries around the world. We are proud to be the title partner of a program that, like the Army, provides young Americans like Jonathan with experiences that strengthen them and help them succeed in life as leaders.”

Bostic, a standout linebacker at Palm Beach Central High School was selected by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee, which consists of SportsLink’s network of regional directors throughout the country, Rivals.com and Tom Lemming. As a U.S. Army All-American, Bostic is eligible for the U.S. Army Player of the Year Award, Walter Payton Trophy and the Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard U.S. Army Awards.

Cephus, a standout piccolo player at PBCHS, was selected

by the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band Selection Committee, consisting of the National Association for Music Education, Drum Corps International, Head Director and Show Coordinator Bob Buckner, and SportsLink.

“Jennifer is a tremendously skilled musician and a role model to many of her fellow band members,” Lee said. “We’re proud to be the title partner of a program that, like the Army, pro-

vides young Americans like Jennifer with experiences which strengthen them and help them succeed in life as leaders.”

The U.S. Army All-American Marching Band recognizes the top 97 high school senior marching musicians from across the country and showcases their talents during the U.S. Army AllAmerican Bowl.

For more info., visit www.us armyallamericanbowl.com and www.goarmy.com.

Cristo Garcia Honored

Cristo Garcia, custodian at Polo Park Middle School in Wellington, was honored by the faculty and staff to recognize his becoming a United States citizen. Cristo and his wife Pilar came to the United States from Cuba seven years ago. A few weeks ago they both passed the citizenship test. The Garcias and their daughter first went to Texas and then came to Florida, where Cristo has been employed by the School District of Palm Beach County for six years. Cristo attended a swearing in ceremony on Monday, Nov. 10 in Miami.

Local Groups Offer Help On Thanksgiving

A major Thanksgiving effort, Feast for 500, was recently launched to help ease the lack of food felt by thousands of Palm Beach County residents in need. Bank of America, Giving Back of Palm Beach County and Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches have announced a joint initiative to collect food and donations, now through Saturday, Nov. 29. The goal is to provide a complete Thanksgiving meal for 500 families in Palm Beach County as well as fill emergency food banks of local agencies. Bank of America customers and the general public are invited to help in this seasonal effort by dropping off nonperishable foods at any of the 57 Bank of America banking centers throughout countywide. Giving Back of Palm Beach County, a local grassroots action committee and Adopt-AFamily, a registered charity, will

distribute the food to families in need during Thanksgiving season.

“We are moved by the generosity and support of Bank of America to help fulfill our mission to provide a Feast for 500 families and fill emergency food banks in Palm Beach County,” said Giving Back of Palm Beach County Committee Chair Heidi Feliciano, a Wellington resident. Suggested food donations include dry stuffing, instant mashed potatoes, canned yams and other vegetables, jars of gravy and canned cranberry sauce. Specially marked collection boxes can be found in each Bank of America banking center where the public can drop off food. The public is encouraged to make monetary contributions to the Feast for 500 by visiting www.adoptafamilypbc.org and clicking on the Feast for 500 link.

The girls gather for a group shot with some of the completed quilts.

MaKenzie Farber works hard to finish her quilt.

All-American Bowl — Sgt. Gill presents uniforms to Jonathan Bostic (above left) and Jennifer Cephus (above right).

Cristo Garcia

Feast For 500 — Heidi Feliciano of Bank of America, Cristina Barone of the Boys & Girls Club, Tracy Elling of Bank of America, Ana Cusell of Bank of America and Michelle Romagnoli of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

Archer Disability Foundation Takes Students On Wal-Mart Tour

RPB CUB SCOUTS COLLECT FOOD FOR CHARITIES

Wal-Mart partnered with the Archer Disability Foundation this year to create employment opportunities through career exploration. Students with disabilities graduating from Seminole Ridge and Glades Central high schools, as well as other students from the Palm Beach County School District’s ESE program, were chosen to participate in a mentoring day event on Oct. 28 at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Royal Palm Beach. Transitioning from high school and into the workplace is the first huge step students with special abilities and their families take toward developing skills to become independent.

Royal Palm Beach Wal-Mart General Manager Bruce Blevins

greeted 44 ESE students from local high schools to give them an opportunity to experience a day in the life of what it would be like to be a Wal-Mart associate. Pam Smith, a training director working under Blevins, divided the students into six groups and appointed department managers throughout the store to take on the positions of mentors as they toured the many departments at Wal-Mart, including automotive, front service, receiving, human resources and bakery, where all students had a lesson in cake decorating and for lunch ate their artwork. The students were left with a sense of hope that someday they will have an opportunity to work at their local Wal-Mart store.

WHO’S NEW!

Branden Michael Estime son of Shannon Brown and Michael Estime of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Oct. 18.

Madison Martinez daughter of Jennifer and Agi Martinez of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Oct. 18.

Mashayla Jessica Johnson — daughter of Brittany Nye and Jonathan Johnson was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Oct. 20.

Samuel Lee Williams II son of Kimberly Cee Sellers Williams and Samuel Lee Williams of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Oct. 22.

Andrew Cristian Costan son of Gratiana and Cristian Costan of Loxahatchee was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Oct. 22.

Parissa

Palm Beach was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Oct. 27. Emma Lou Braaten daughter of Kimberly and Michael Braaten of Wellington

Regional

Caidan Cactano HollimonSantos — son of Fanti Sarah Hollimon and Vinicius Candido Santos of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Oct. 22.

Justus Emmanuel Jackson — son of Charity and Allerey Jackson of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Oct. 24.

Mia Brown daughter of Paulette and Stephen Brown of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Oct. 24. Noah Aidan Midlarsky son of Amy and Lawrence Midlarsky of Royal

was born at Wellington

Medical Center on Oct. 27.

Pat Spagnardi, Johnathan Germain, D.J. Adamczyk, Alec Decker, Cameron Whalen, Casey Fitzpatrick and Roger Laverde. Cub Scout packs 120 and 123 of Royal Palm Beach distributed door-hangers

Members of Cub Scout Pack 123 of Royal Palm Beach.

A student learns to decorate his own cupcake after choosing his favorite color frosting during a cake-decorating workshop.

A student gets a helping hand placing sprinkles on his cupcake during a cake-decorating workshop.

Students and teachers complete the tire and lube department tour.

Students visit the tire department.

WALK/RUN EVENT AT OKEEHEELEE PARK BENEFITS EPILEPSY FOUNDATION

Susan Bucher and Mark Pafford.

Club President Mark Alan Siegel recognizes Congressman Ron Klein.

Congressman Ron Klein, Supervisor of Elections-elect Susan Bucher and State Representative-elect Mark Pafford.

co-chair Mary

Persico, volunteer Christina Merrigan, co-chair Novette Green, marketing chair Heather Evrley, and Susan Eddins.

Epilepsy Foundation Teen Adventure Club members (seated) Elizabeth Merrigan, Heather Good, Ashley Howell and Kayla Corell; (standing) Michelle Merrigan, Tory Schoepp and Courtney Di Persico.

Volunteer Tara Kime gives pamphlets to Tyler Carr.

Two-mile walkers Charlotte Weaver and Marion Wester.

Renee Vaillancourt with mom Margaret Vaillancourt.

The crowd dances the Macarena.

895 1,183 1,471 1,760 2,048 2,337 2,625 2,913 3,202 3,490 3,778 4,067 4,355 4,643 4,932 5,220 5,508

Veterans Parade And Ceremony

continued from page 1

ington resident Ray Groden, who won more than a dozen battlefield decorations, including the Distinguished Service Cross, during his service in the Army during World War II. Wounded three times, Weissman said, Groden risked his life often to save the lives of his comrades.

“Raymond passed away a year and a half ago after living here in Wellington for over 26 years,” Weissman said. “He will be missed and greatly appreciated.”

Margaret Thorne-Henderson,

a retired U.S. Air Force major, thanked the veterans gathered at the ceremony for their service and sacrifices.

“Thank you for your selfless service in peacetime and in war, here in this country and throughout the world,” she said. “For all veterans, regardless of the service and the era in which they have served, have paid the price with their courage and honor. They have defended America through both the best and worst of times. They have performed duties tirelessly with little recognition and fanfare. They have sought neither fame nor fortune. A simple love of country and liberty have compelled them to serve this great nation of ours. We salute our veterans now because they are our heroes.”

Blotter

continued from page 6 still concealed in their pockets. They were apprehended and taken to the loss prevention office, where the stolen items were recovered. According to the report, a search of Rademacher revealed two plastic baggies containing less than 20 grams of marijuana; a search of Abu-Zaydeh revealed seven counterfeit $20 bills and two counterfeit $10 bills. The pair were arrested and taken to the county jail.

Council Sell The Land?

continued from page 1 they have moved west,” he said.

“It makes it convenient for everyone who has been involved. That one piece of property has become so significant in our thinking.”

But James Spencer, representing the Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation in Greenacres, also told the council his group is hoping to have a home in Wellington. He said his congregation in Greenacres is growing, and members currently share space with four other congregations in Lake Worth.

“We are in the same position,” Spencer said. “There is no con-

gregation for Jehovah’s Witnesses here. We are known worldwide. We set a good example as good citizens and taxpayers. We would like to have a location. We ask you to consider thinking about us.”

Realtor James Carter of Land’s End Property, a church member, said many of his fellow congregants already live in or near the western communities.

“There is no place of worship for us,” he said. “We ask you to strongly consider us having a place of worship. We ask you to consider some of the land so we could have a wonderful place of worship in Wellington.”

Priore made a motion for staff to obtain an appraisal of the property, which was seconded by Benacquisto. It passed unan-

imously. Village Manager Paul Schofield told the council he would provide an update in January.

In other business, Margolis asked Schofield for comment on the outcome of a recent fivehour lease negotiation session with Palm Beach Community College for the village’s 67-acre K-Park site.

“We were supposed to have gotten back information from them,” Schofield said. “We expect you will get it either Wednesday or Thursday. We have made progress on many of the points. There are six items where we have not made progress. The soonest opportunity you will have to see this is on Nov. 24.”

Margolis, who leaves the council in January, said he hopes

for an update at the council’s Nov. 18 workshop. “I would love to see this come back at the next council meeting or my last council meeting,” he said.

Margolis also asked how much staff time and resources the village had invested in the proposal. Schofield said that while he could not give a precise number, he estimated about 800 hours of staff time had been committed and that the village had laid out about $100,000 in fees to consultants and other agencies.

Willhite said he wanted to know how many Wellington voters had supported the failed Amendment 8, which would have provided for sales taxes to fund community colleges, but Bowen countered that PBCC in Wellington had noth-

ing to do with that proposal. During public comment Wellington seniors advocate Tony Fransetta said he had heard only negative comments from residents about the PBCC proposal. “Some of the comments that were given I would not be able to repeat,” he said. “What I would say is that there is not one person who I talked to that though there was any sense of wisdom in doing this.” Fransetta charged that the council had reneged on a promise to make senior housing one of its top priorities. “When the one land option was not viable, you said you were going to look at others,” he said. “You take the other 60-acre parcel of unknown value and you are determined to give it away… If you took it to the voters, it would not pass.”

Veterans gather in front of the Wellington Community Center.

Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore, a Vietnam veteran, places one of the wreaths.

Wellington Councilman Matt Willhite, an Iraq war veteran.

Former Wellington mayor and Korean War veteran Tom Wenham and wife Regis lay one of the wreaths.

Haley Snook with her grandmother Linda Frazier.

Veteran Paul Adams, a former Wellington council member.

The Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Honor Guard walks along Forest Hill Blvd.

Veteran Al Weissman addresses the audience.

Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen at the podium.

Navy Cadet Kathryn Wundrack stands at attention.

Retired Air Force Major Margaret ThorneHenderson.

Soloist Lou Galterio sings the national anthem.

VETERANS DAY GATHERING A TIME FOR REFLECTION IN ROYAL PALM BEACH

The Village of Royal Palm Beach saluted veterans on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at the Veterans Park amphitheater with a flag-raising ceremony followed by a presentation and live musical performances by the Royal Palm Beach Community Band. Refreshments were served following the ceremony courtesy the Royal Palm Beach Young at Heart Club. The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 367 sold poppies.

Dr. Ted Van Istendal with Jack Walter.

Loxahatchee Groves Vice Mayor Marge Herzog offers a poppy to World War II veteran Norris Nims.

Children enrolled in the village’s Early Childhood Activity Program.

Jessica Stiles sings the national anthem.

Ken Soule gives the address.

Sharon Beck reads a poem.

Sarah and Jared Brock, Brennah and Quinn Cavanaugh Matthew and Michael Curry lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

Members of American Legion Post 367 oversea the flag raising.

Gene Braxton, his sister Loretta Feliciana, her husband Ivan Romero and Ken Soule.

Royal Palm Beach Mayor David Lodwick delivers opening comments while council members David Swift, Matty Mattioli, Martha Webster and Fred Pinto listen.

Perhaps one of the most beautiful eateries in the Palm Beaches!

We love ultra-modern design with the clean look of whites offset by stainless steel, marble, stone tile, ceiling-tofloor sheer drapes, an elegant look where New York meets South Beach.

This trendy look is found at a handful of upscale restaurants, including the new kid on the block, Forté di Asprinio, located at the northeast corner of Olive Avenue and Clematis Street.

Celebrity Chef Stephen Asprinio, a Wellington High School grad, has taken his TV talents from Top Chef and devised a unique gourmet Italian menu with an emphasis on fresh ingredients. Asprinio’s creativity is years ahead of the competition, but in addition to his culinary expertise, his business savvy is just as astute. The restaurant industry as a whole is feeling the effects of the roller-coaster economy, for many are struggling to survive with diners cutting back nationwide during the summer season, restaurants throughout South Florida participate in programs offering lower prices to lure the locals to their establishments, such as “Summertime Meal Deals,” “Miami Spice,” “Flavors of Palm Beach,” and most recently, “Palm Beach Restaurant Week.”

Forte has extended their offseason promotions with a $30 three-course gourmet special, irresistible for the true connoisseur, and you can add $20 for a three course wine pairing that will fit anyone’s budget while satisfying their craving for an excellent dining experience.

We could not resist the lure of this fantastic special, so we ventured down to Clematis Street with our friends from New Zealand and had a great meal with excellent professional service. The only thing that was scaled down was the cost… everything else was top-notch. Some of the tantalizing menu items were:

• Choice of three antipasti starters — Ricotta terrina, a pâté of Japanese eggplant, marcona almonds and sauce vierge… olive oil, lemon juice, tomatoes, basil and herbs; an enjoyable crisp caesar salad with lemongarlic emulsion and white anchovies… one of the best, and heirloom pumpkin soup made with celery root, sage and five spices — a smooth, tasty exquisite delight. We will definitely be returning soon for more of these treats. The above was paired with a Gruet brut Rose wine from New Mexico.

• Main course — First up was bucatini alla carbonara, a rich creamy pasta made with guanciale, a traditional un-smoked Italian bacon with a delicate texture, red onion and English peas. The second choice was a wonderful melt-in your-mouth osso bucco veal burger with salsa verde, fontina cheese, heirloom tomato and potato fritti, a.k.a. yummy thin French fries, our favorite style. Last but not least was the chef’s selection wood oven-roasted pizza. Thin crust and fresh ingredients, just how we like it prepared. This course was paired with Casalvento Chianti Classico 2005 from Tuscany.

• Dessert choices — These included three scoops of homemade smooth sorbet and gelato (Italian ice cream), butterscotch crème caramello or pineapple coconut panna cotta paired with the perfect dessert wine, Samos

FEATURES TRUNK SHOW IN ROYAL PALM BEACH

from Greece.

Again, you have the option of enjoying a wonderful three-course meal for only $30 or pairing it with three excellent wine selections for only $50 total. Of course, you can also order from the regular menu.

Again, we must congratulate Stephen Asprinio for bringing this beautiful restaurant Forté di Asprinio to downtown West Palm Beach. For reservations or additional information, call (561) 833-3330 and please tell them that Joe & Kathryn, the Phantoms, highly recommended you visit this unique establishment!

Joe & Kathryn, the Phantoms, are featured writers for the Town-Crier newspaper. Comments are welcome at the phantomdiners@aol.com.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Muscato “vin doux” 2004

The Village of Royal Palm Beach hosted a holiday trunk show on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Guests visited a variety of vendors offering countless holiday gift-giving ideas.

Dina Poston buys herself a purse and necklace.

Carolyn’s Creations owner Carolyn Licciardi.

Sandra Houk of PartyLite.

Holly Gordon gets some hand treatment from Jennifer Klinkowitz of Spa Escape Experience.

Memorable Treasures owner Millie Taylor, with Cristina Godoy, sells Joan Scherer a personalized children’s CD.

Kathy Southwart gets makeup help from Joanne Kaminski of Team Beauti.

Celebrity Chef Stephen Asprinio, owner of Forté di Asprinio in downtown West Palm Beach. PHOTO BY GARY KANE/ WELLINGTON THE MAGAZINE

A Doll That Tested Laws Of Physics As Well As Sibling Bonds

Today is my brother Jim’s birthday. When I was little, Jim was my best friend in the whole wide world… right up until I realized he was a boy and I was a girl. The minute I mentioned that I’d like to bathe alone, that was it for Jim. When you’re two and four, even that doesn’t matter. When you’re five and seven, suddenly, it does.

As tots, Jim and I did everything together. We shared our toys, our pet goldfish and our room. We slept in bunk beds where I would occasionally smack my head on the ceiling and Jim would occasionally pick some lead-based paint off the wall and eat it (which explains a lot).

We had our tiffs, of course. The most infamous one ended when he picked up a brick doorstop and hurled it at me across the room. I ducked and it went through the window. Mom and Dad were

Deborah Welky is The Sonic BOOMER

renters, so that probably posed a problem for them, but hey, they should have known better than to keep bricks inside the house.

Mom’s big punishment for us was always to make us sit in our room and stare at each other until one of us apologized. This wasn’t really fair as Jim was an outdoors kind of kid and I could sit

inside all day. He always cracked first and offered the olive branch with, “ya wanna be friends?” I marveled at his lack of stamina, but he was so cute about asking that I’d just have to say yes. Then he’d holler to Mom that we were “friennnds againnnnn!” and she’d open the door. He’d barrel out of there like he was escaping a life sentence... and I’d settle in with a coloring book.

When we moved to the suburbs, our parents bought a real house with an upstairs and a downstairs, not like in our rented duplex. Until the attic was converted into his room, however, Jim still shared a bedroom with me — although this time there was room enough for both beds to stand on the floor. We even had “community space” between us. It was this community space that was the scene

of the Doll Debacle. Jim didn’t care for dolls, but he did care for a good game of catch. So, one night when we weren’t feeling tired, we started tossing my rubber doll Susan back and forth. I don’t know how it happened, but pretty soon Jim had hold of Susan’s leg and I had hold of her arm and we discovered that, when we pulled, she stretched an unbelievably long way. We were giggling like loons while we stretched her further and further between the beds. But, physics being what they are, she eventually snapped, spewing rubber bits in every direction. We shoved her deflated little body down into the wastebasket and tried our best to dispose of every rubber particle but I’m pretty sure Mom knew. Moms always know, but they don’t seem to care — as long as you’re still “friennnds!”

‘Boston Legal’ Worth A Look In Final Season Despite Politics

Boston Legal is now in its fifth and final season on ABC (Monday evenings at 10).

On Boston Legal, everything goes. The lawyers insult judges, violate rules of evidence, sleep with anyone. In a recent episode, Denny Crane (William Shatner), the aging and increasingly addle-headed founding partner of the law firm, actually makes eyes at a pretty sheep! And succeeds in bagging a very pretty married woman about 40 years his junior by directly asking her.

Crane is matched by his firm’s managing partner Alan Shore (James Spader), an idealistic attorney who spends most of his time defending his clients through claims about the “evil George Bush Administration.” The true villain in most cases is right-wing intolerance and totalitarianism. Under those circumstances, even murder may be defended. His sex life is also rather twisted. Crane and Shore often sleep in the same bed together despite being heterosexuals.

‘I’

On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

Most of the supporting cast, and it is a good one (including Candice Bergen and John Larroquette) spend their time simply reacting to the craziness and occasionally joining in. There is a second source of lunacy present as Jerry Espinson (Christian Clemenson), an attorney afflicted with Asperger syndrome, deals with cases and his own travails. Watching him trying to give up an inflated doll in order to attempt a relationship with a similarly afflicted woman who then leaves him

for a power meter box, was unsettling. One of the few things the show has right is its ability to take the character, who could have been ludicrous, and turn him into a real person. Although his cases are always odd and seemingly un-winnable, he often prevails.

The show differs from most broadcast network television series by being totally political and onesided. There is a certain thrill viewers have knowing that the networks claim impartiality while showing propaganda dressed up as entertainment. That is not to say that the show is not entertaining. It is a lot of fun as long as one understands that David E. Kelley, its creator, delights in presenting only those facts that support his case. The arguments are not real debates but polemics.

The best example might be the episode shown the night before last week’s election. A good part of the show was spent with Shore demanding to know why any sane person would vote for John

McCain. Candice Bergen’s character, we were told, flew out to vote in Colorado where she has a second home, rather than in Massachusetts where she lives, because she wanted to vote in a state where the would be a close election. This is an exercise frowned upon by most government officials. But Kelley gleefully thumbed his nose at it. Watching Boston Legal sometimes is like watching car crashes in slow motion. Some people like watching the inevitable crash. Others do not. If you do not like your politics real liberal or if you like television that deals with legal issues rationally, this show is not for you. Not surprisingly, it has

Nothing Like A Set Of Grandkids To Liven Up A Nursing Home

A couple of days ago I decided to take three of my grandchildren to see my mother in her new home. My mother has been a resident of a nursing home for the last two months. Most of my grandkids have not seen Great-Grandma Liz at her new digs.

The first decision I had to make about this trip was that my ragtop Mustang would not be the car of choice: I can only fit two kids in the rear seat. I told my wife Sharon I would be taking her car. I also told her not to drive my car while I was on my visit. I guess it’s a male thing… it is not just my wife, I don’t allow anyone to drive my car. It’s the only thing I’ve ever owned in my life that is hands-off for everyone.

I selected my twin grandsons Carter and Chandler and their sister Grace to tag along with me on my visit with my mother. They were thrilled. I couldn’t believe how excited they were to go see my mother. I wasn’t even that excited. I guess they like going to places where they have never been.

I tried my best to explain to them about the place

Wondering & Wandering

By Ernie Zimmerman

where my mother now lives. I told them it is a cross between a hospital and a hotel. They were now even more excited about the trip. I guess they didn’t hear the half-hospital part and only heard the part about a hotel. I had to remind the kids that their great-grandma is blind. They all yelled back that they know Great-Grandma Liz has bad eyes. I then went on to remind them that she could not hear in one ear, and only has about five percent hearing in her good ear. I then had to explain what five percent is. When we got to my mother’s residence it was lunchtime. So we decided to wait in the dayroom.

We put the large-screen TV on the Cartoon Network. One by one the residents of the home started to wander in to watch cartoons. They all appeared to love the cartoons. They also loved the fact my kids were there to spend time with them. Suddenly my kids had about 40 grandmas and grandpas. The kids loved all the attention they were getting.

I decided it was time to go to my mother in the dining room. She still had some lunch on her plate, so Carter decided to feed her. My mother loved the attention.

Each kid had to go up to my mother’s “good” ear and announce his or her name in a loud voice. My mother would then touch each child to make sure they were really who they said they were. She got a little confused with the twins. But to our surprise and delight she finally figured out who each kid was. Besides all her other problems, my mother also has the beginning stages of dementia.

The kids all took turns pushing my mother in her wheelchair up and down all the hallways in the building. When it was time to leave, no one

wanted to go. I really don’t know who enjoyed this visit more, my mother or the kids. I haven’t seen my mother this happy in along time. It took a lot for me not to cry. After all, I have told my kids and grandkids many times that I never cry because I was born minus tear ducts. This is not true, but everyone believes it because they have never seen me cry. So when a tear or two fell from my eyes, I had to wipe it away real fast before anyone noticed.

On the way home I asked the kids if they wanted to visit my father. Together they said yes. So on the way home, we stopped at my father’s final resting place. I reminded Chandler that he is named for my father, which he, of course, knew. At the grave site the kids liked the fact that Zimmerman was inscribed on the stone in very large letters. They were all able to read it. On the way home, we made a pit stop at a fastfood joint. Now the best part of my day was about to begin. One by one, the kids told me what a great day they’d had, and asked me if we could do it again. Of course, I told them yes.

GOLD COAST PET SHOW OFFERS PLENTY FOR PET LOVERS AT

(Front row) South Tech Academy instructors Carolee Ellison and Beverly Fischer with veterinary assisting students Daniel Herrera and Amanda Schrader with dog Peaches.

Dr. Susan Clubb gets

Moonlight, a black palm cockatoo.

Banfield Pet Hospital’s Jose Reyes, Melissa Rizzo, Andrea Sierra, Veronica Sosa, Luz Cepeda and Shannon Maroto.

Elite Greyhound Adoption’s Ken Sampson and Peggy Sampson with Mutley and Charm.

Deborah Pietrangelo of Bellefleurs Studio.

Don Wulff of A Second Chance Puppies & Kittens Rescue

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Paula Kvarnberg with her sheltie Duncan.Judy Leitzsch guides Lucy through the weave

with

Drive, a rescued border collie.

TOWN-CRIER SPORTS & RECREATION

Wildcat Football Team Edges Out Palm Beach Central 47-17

By Lisa Keeney Town-Crier Staff Report

Royal Palm Beach High School jun-

ior Chris Dunkley scored three touchdowns to help the Wildcats varsity football team (8-1) overcome an early deficit and roll to a 47-17 victory over the Broncos last Friday night at Palm Beach Central High School.

The Broncos opened the scoring when they faked a punt and senior Jon Bostic threw the ball to senior John Beasley for a 35-yard touchdown reception. The Broncos tried an onside kick, but the Wildcats recovered the ball midfield. On the next play, senior Eric Peterson ran the ball 51 yards into the end zone. Palm Beach Central added a second

touchdown from more than 20 yards out on a quarterback keeper by senior Travis Simmons. Then with 1:11 remaining in the first quarter, the Wildcats stripped the ball away from Palm Beach Central, and RPBHS senior Perry McIntyre returned the ball more than 60 yards for a touchdown. The failed two-point conversion attempt left Royal Palm trailing 14-12.

The Broncos came up short of a touchdown in the second quarter, opting to kick for three points. But Royal Palm Beach gained a one-point edge going into halftime after a touchdown reception by Dunkley.

The Wildcats increased their lead, scoring 35 unanswered points in the second half, starting with another

Dunkley touchdown from 18 yards out. Dunkley scored his third touchdown after he returned an interception. In the fourth quarter, sophomore Steven Louis recovered a Palm Beach Central fumble, running 65 yards for the touchdown. In the final four minutes of the game, Rolando Santiago’s ankle was injured, and he had to be taken off the field by an ambulance. After the 20-minute injury delay, sophomore Steven Brinson added one last touchdown for Royal Palm Beach. On Friday, Nov. 14, Royal Palm Beach visits Palm Beach Lakes while Palm Beach Central hosts Boynton Beach.

For Vet Kristy Lund, Being A Top Amateur Dressage Rider Is Plenty

Born in Ohio, Kristy Lund moved to Holland with her family when she was three. Always nuts about horses, she rode with a Dutch pony club. Eight years later, the family moved again, this time to Pennsylvania. Unfazed, Lund rode hunters and jumpers. While attending the University of Massachusetts, Lund was lucky enough to come under the tutelage of future Olympic rider Sue Blinks. It was her first real exposure to dressage. Lund’s love of animals translated into a career. She graduated from vet school at the University of Florida in Gainesville, then moved to Wellington with her husband, who’s also a vet. Together they opened the Lund Animal Hospital in Boca, but Lund kept riding. Sue Blinks had really hooked her with dressage, and that’s what she decided to concentrate on.

She leased a rescued Thoroughbred from the vet school, and started training and competing in small local dressage shows. Oddly enough, through all her years of riding, she’d never really showed before.

“South Florida is a great place and a hard place to ride,” Lund said. “It’s great because there are so many horses and horse people around. There are a lot of barns and trainers and shows, so there’s lots of opportunities. On the other hand, you don’t have to look too far, during the winter riding season, to see every top Olympic rider competing in shows. How can you show against the top riders in the world? I had to think about my realistic abilities and chances.” Lund decided she would remain an amateur. In

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg

the world of horse shows, two of the main divisions (aside from age-specific classes), are Amateur or Professional. The two usually don’t show against each other, and classes at big shows are designated either one or the other.

“I knew there was no way I could successfully compete against them,” Lund said. “I also couldn’t afford to buy a horse who could compete at that level. They’re mostly imported and prohibitively expensive. So I decided I would remain an amateur. The main difference, in terms of show status, is that professionals also earn money by teaching other riders and/or training horses for others. I had no desire to do that, so the choice was an easy one.”

And successful. Lund is the top amateur dressage rider in the U.S. Her horse Reel Adventure, a seven-year-old chestnut Hanoverian gelding, is the number-one horse in the country. Her other two horses are in the top ten.

Lund put in “a lot of hard work and many years” to bring along her horses. She’d buy a young horse that had potential but was still green, or mostly

untrained. Then, she’d improve the horse, sell it, and buy a better one. She used her horses as steps to improve her riding ability and also afford better horses.

“In a young horse, I look for three good solid gaits at the walk, trot and canter, and excellent conformation,” Lund said. “The horse’s build has to be right. You can’t expect a horse with conformation faults to be able to use himself correctly the way dressage demands. You can’t fight nature, and why try? It’s much easier to start with a horse who’s correct. I also want a horse with a good mind, an even temperament, one who can listen and learn.”

Lund likes to buy three-year-olds that are greenbroke. They’ve been ridden a little and are used to having people around and a rider on their backs.

“That makes it a lot easier for me,” she said. “Starting with a youngster who’s never been backed — well, at 43, I’m getting a little too old to ignore bruises and broken bones. We get smarter as we get older.”

Her work ethic is the same as that of her horses: work hard every day. Sometimes, all she works on is making the horse supple and easy to bend, and also having the horse work on the bit — immediately ready to accept any command or suggestion by the rider. Lund said that once a horse is supple, it’s easy to teach him the more advanced movements, such as half passes and pirouettes.

Lund likes to start young horses showing right away, to get them used to the show atmo-

sphere, the noise and bustle of so many strange horses and people, traveling in vans, staying in unfamiliar locations. Sometimes, to her surprise, it pays off in other ways.

“I’ll never forget when I brought a young three-year-old to Devon as a companion to another horse, and just to get him used to showing,” Lund recalls. “I put him in an in-hand class, just because we were there, and he won! At Devon — one of the biggest, most prestigious shows!”

Lund said that the most important thing when learning dressage is finding a trainer who will work with the horse you have. She said many trainers want you to get a better horse — meaning one that the trainer feels comfortable training. “Stick with the horse you feel comfortable with,” Lund advises.

She recalls In The Shade, a Thoroughbred so ill with the equine nerve disease EPM that he was supposed to be euthanized. His back end was so wobbly that he’d almost fall over. Lund took on this “high risk” horse, and through a lot of patient, basic work at balance and suppleness, successfully showed him for seven years. He finally died of heart failure at 19.

“He was a really special horse,” Lund said. “He always tried. He always took care of me.” Lund said she lives “an insane” life. Most days she’s up at 5 a.m. to feed, rides at 7:30, then at work by 11. “I can’t stay off horses,” she said. “I’d be impossible to live with. I have to ride, or I’d go nuts.”

PHOTOS BY LISA KEENEY/TOWN-CRIER

Bronco senior Joe Gailoto and junior John Larsh tackle RPBHS senior Eric Peterson.

Palm Beach Central’s John Beasley catches a pass from Jon Bostic to score a touchdown.

PBCHS senior Alex Muniz evades the tackle.

Wildcat junior Darryl Smith and sophomore Steven Louis bring down Palm Beach Central senior Roody St. Germain.

Junior Jared Dangerfield carries the ball for RPBHS.

The throw into the end zone sails just past the fingertips of Bronco senior Michael Gibbone.

Royal Palm Beach’s Malik Mitchell holds onto the ball as junior Brandon Corsentino tackles.

Senior Eric Peterson gives Royal Palm a first down with this reception.

PBCHS senior Jon Bostic evades a tackle.

Local High School Bowlers Qualify For State Competition

By Candace Marchsteiner Town-Crier Staff Report

Four high school boys and girls from bowling teams in the western communities competed against fellow Palm Beach County Central Conference teams on Nov. 5 in the FHSAA District 10 Bowling Finals. The teams vied for the right to face team and individual challengers at the state level.

At Lake Worth’s Palm Beach Strike Zone on Military Trail, the King’s Academy Lions couldn’t muster enough points in the standard ten-pin American challenge to move on to the afternoon’s double-elimination Baker System challenge.

In the Baker System, a fiveperson team alternates turns in a single game, giving each player two chances to score big for the team.

In the end, the Palm Beach Central Broncos boys team topped the Wellington High School Wolverines 3-2 in a series before facing the Royal Palm Beach Wildcats in a double series. The Broncos triumphed 3-0 and 3-2 to take first place. Both the Broncos and Wildcats qualified for the state meet in Orlando this week (Nov.

10-12).

Palm Beach Central’s girls team also swept the competition, defeating John I. Leonard 3-2 and Cardinal Newman in a double series 3-0 and 3-0. The Bronco girls, led by high-roller and senior Kelly Garrison, head to states as well. Without a fifth girl on the team, the Wildcats could not participate in the Baker segment. In nine years of coaching, Wildcats Coach Linda Kunf has seen two of her girls earn college scholarships for bowling. “I think most coaches would agree that our biggest struggle across the board is trying to get girls to compete,” Kunf said.

Historically, Central Florida teams from Timber Creek and Deland dominate state championships, but Palm Beach Central coach Ray Atkins said that this year’s South Florida competitors could shake things up.

“There’s a huge conglomeration of schools from Palm Beach, Martin and Broward counties with scores that meet or exceed the norm,” Atkins said. On the first day, 24 boys teams and 28 girls teams do battle in ten-pin bowling for a spot in the top 16 teams. Those teams move on to a double elimination Baker round. According to Atkins, the boys teams from Palm Beach Central and Royal Palm Beach currently rank sixth and seventh in the state. “We’re definitely in the top echelon,” Atkins said.

DIVISION CHAMPIONS

The 11-U TPX Titans concluded their first season by winning the Florida Premier Baseball League National Division. The newly formed Wellington-based team finished with an 11-3 record, allowing only 36 runs all season long. Next up for the Titans is the FPBL playoffs. Coached by Craig Brown, Chris Brown and Nestor Rodriguez, the team members are: (front row, L-R) Zach Odell, Neil Brown, Cody Hughes, Chandler Miles and Hunter Liddell; (back row, L-R) Tanner Brown, Eddie D’Eusanio, Armando Rodriguez, Logan Goldenberg and Dominic Paolo.

Sophomore Matt Kennedy, top-ranked for the Broncos boys team, bowled a 659 series in the morning round. “Follow-

through was key for me,” Kennedy said, attributing his success to guidance from his father David. “I’ve been strongarming [the ball]. My scores weren’t low before, but I was in a slump and broke out today. He’s just a good bowler.”

For the Wildcats, sophomore Dustin Staer bowled the day’s high game. Incorporating an unusual technique, Staer typical-

WARRIORS TAKE THIRD

The Wellington Warriors 11-U travel baseball team finished third in this year’s Triple Crown St. Augustine National Tournament. After finishing pool play 1-1, the Warriors got down to business, defeating Georgia’s Krew Baseball 7-2 and Florida’s Boca Blue Lightning 8-4 in the playoffs. In the quarterfinals, the Warriors defeated the South Florida Bombers 2-0. In semifinal play, the Warriors fell to the Miami Playmakers 6-3. The Warriors are: (front row, L-R) Zack Retzler, Jorge Ramos, A.J. Gallicchio, Johnny Giordano and Matthew Careccia; (middle row) Christian Shinn, Triston McKenzie, Blake Dever, Jagger McCoy, Anthony Maldonado and Jonathan Rosado; (back row) coaches Ovidio Maldonado, Jerry Gallicchio, Stan McKenzie and Jorge Ramos Jr.

ly bowls without using his thumb unless he is trying to pick up a spare.

“I had a couple of rough games because the lanes were breaking down, causing my balls to hook too much, and I was over-shooting the pocket,” Staer said. “Then I switched balls and bowled a 257.”

Wellington High School’s top female bowler junior Kyle

Saunders watched the afternoon session, hoping to qualify individually for a shot at states. Saunders tried hooking the ball this year and decided to go back to her conventional straight ball. Disappointed with this season’s results, Saunders plans to return to the game for her senior year. “You definitely meet a lot of interesting people,” she said.

COBRAS WIN TOURNEY

The Pro Ball Cobras 11-U baseball team won the 2008 Okeeheelee Halloween Tournament. The Cobras remained undefeated throughout the tournament. The team includes: (front row, L-R) Keaton Baird from Royal Palm Beach, Dylan Santalo from Lake Worth, Austin Dempsey from Lake Worth, Ovani Caminero from Lake Worth and Mathew Sternola from Wellington; (middle row) Joey Polak from Boynton Beach, James Vaughan from West Palm Beach, Brian Hernandez from Boynton Beach, Manny Bejerano from West Palm Beach, Jordan Dobson from West Palm Beach, Bruce Martin from Lake Worth and Jorge Hernando from West Palm Beach; (back row) manager Oscar Santalo and coaches Rich Polak, Yosvani Hernandez and Jeff Church.

PHOTOS BY CANDACE MARCHSTEINER/TOWN-CRIER

Wolverine senior Brian Berns takes aim.

Bronco senior Kelly Garrison.

Royal Palm Beach sophomore Dustin Staer.

Wildcat sophomore Alex Zambito on the approach.

New Season Has WHS Soccer Teams Hopeful

With the exception of the Wellington High School football team’s homecoming victory, Friday night lights at Wolverine Stadium have often meant a lack of fan energy and hope for victory. But now that winter sports have made their way into the fold, this attitude has been changing.

Wolverine Watch

By Josh Hyber

Soccer season has come again, and the smell of success has hit the field. With a 2-0-1 start, the Lady Wolverines are already showing signs that they can be a team to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, the boys team opened their season Tuesday night with a 2-1 victory against Coral Springs High School.

From Coral Springs to the state finals, the boys truly believe they can match their female counterparts by winning a state championship of their own.

“We’re confident,” sophomore defender Nick Brewer said.

So confident in fact that the boys made shirts that read “It’s our turn.”

Despite the loss of Palm Beach County Player of the Year Marcus DiLallo and clutch scorer Alvaro Romo, Coach Mike Aaronson and this year’s group of players still think reaching well into the state playoffs is within their grasp.

Captains Ricky Zamora, Kojo Thompson and Andrew DiLallo — who scored a goal Tuesday night — lead this year’s optimistic squad. Aaron Dupere, who missed more than half of last year due to injury, also returns as the team’s mainstay between the pipes.

To get to where the team wants to be, one important question will have to be answered: who’s going to come off the bench and contribute?

Freshmen outside defenders Mike McMahon and Mike Bauman will sub in for the most part, but according to Brewer, “the starters will play most of the minutes.”

“We’ll play a little and see what the atmosphere is like playing with guys older than us,” McMahon said. “But it’ll be good to go in and give our players a break.”

Along with Dilallo and Zamora, Felipe Carbonell, who scored the other goal in the season opening victory, provides a great threat to the attack. Other key players include Max Zoete, Nick Brewer, senior Woody Bach and sophomore Kamil Balcerzak.

The boys were set to play Nov. 13 at Stoneman Douglas High School followed by a home opener on Nov. 17 against Seminole Ridge.

On the girls’ side, senior Sarah Lenhart has played extremely well in the opening games, notching two goals in the Wol-

verines’ season opener against West Boca on Nov. 5. Her two goals played out to be the only ones to find the back of the net in a 2-0 Wolverine victory.

Goalkeeper Sam Bandremer recorded the shutout. “It felt great to have a shutout against a team like West Boca,” Bandremer said.

The win seemed like a perfect way to start the season. However, two days later the girls tied a heartbreaker to the Park Vista Cobras.

Ashli-Rae Smith scored the lone Wolverine goal midway through the first half. From that point on, the game seemed to be in the Wolverines’ favor. But with about ten minutes remaining in the game, momentum started shifting. Eventually, Park Vista forward Katelyn Butler scored with seven minutes left on the clock.

“It’s never a good feeling to give up a goal, but we’ll learn from our mistakes and make adjustments where they are needed,” Bandremer said.

On a high note, despite of the late goal, defenders Kaelin Ferreira and Jenny Rigg played a solid game.

The girls were back in action on Tuesday night, when they traveled to Coral Springs to face the Colts.

Returning from her mild concussion and playing with a broken arm, sophomore Natalie Puñal grinded out a three-goal performance.

Nicolette Vacaturo chipped in a goal of her own as the Wolverines kept their perfect road record alive. The margin of victory was greater this time, as the team won 4-0.

Coach Fern Brewer even gave her star goalie some time to rest, putting in freshman Olivia DiCarlantonio ten minutes into the second half.

“She had some nice saves, even one on a semi-breakaway,” Ferreira said of the first-year player.

“Our team will keep getting stronger throughout the season, and if we work hard we might have another shot at the state championship,” Bandremer said.

If the girls keeps playing the way they have been, going back to back isn’t out of the question. However, tough opponents such as Palm Beach Central and American Heritage still loom as dates to be focused on as the Lady Wolverines make their title run.

The Town-Crier is looking for student columnists to cover sports news at Palm Beach Central, Royal Palm Beach and Seminole Ridge high schools. Interested? Call (561) 7937606 or e-mail news@gotowncrier.com to arrange an interview.

Wellington Roller Hockey Player Of The Week: Brandon Dosch

The Wellington Roller Hockey League’s Player of the Week is 13-year-old Brandon Dosch, a member of the Junior Division Penguins. In his position as the Penguins’ right wing, Dosch is the team’s lead scorer. He scored five goals in a recent game against the Red Wings. Dosch is a natural offensive player who plays his best under pressure. Always fighting for the puck, he contributes on both the offensive and defensive zones of

He has a powerful slap shot and accurate wrist shot that often place the puck in the net. Dosch is also a very unselfish player looking to pass the puck to an open teammate. Dosch’s favorite professional hockey team is the Detroit Red Wings, and his favorite player is Brandon Shanahan.

Strikers To Host Fundraiser

Saturday The Royal Palm Beach Strikers will hold their Fall Festival Fundraiser on Saturday, Nov. 15 at Katz Field located just off of Sweet Bay Lane. This is the only fundraiser for this non-profit league that promotes youth soccer in Royal Palm Beach. Shane’s Rib Shack, Rita’s Ice, Duffy’s sports bar and Chick-filA restaurant are some of the ven-

Brandon Dosch

Saturday, Nov. 15

• The Seminole Ridge High School chorus will hold a Garage Sale on Saturday, Nov. 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the parking lot of the Burger King restaurant at 7040 Seminole Pratt Whitney Road. Items include furniture, lawn tools, clothing, household items, books and much more. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the chorus students’ trip to Virginia Beach for competition during spring beak.

• Royal Palm Beach will host its Fall Fantasy Craft Show at Veterans Park on Saturday, Nov. 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The park is located on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. at Sparrow Drive. Call (561) 790-5149 for more info.

• The inaugural Acreage Thanksgiving Parade on Saturday, Nov. 15 will kick off the Fall Festival at Acreage Community Park. The parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. for spectators; all participants must arrive at the ITID office by 8:45 a.m. Visit www. indiantrail.com to download an application to register your float, character, decorated vehicle, band, performing group, etc. For more information, e-mail Carol Jacobs at caroljacobs121@aol. com or Michelle Damone at mdamone70@aol.com.

• The Acreage Fall Festival is set for Saturday, Nov. 15 from 12 to 9 p.m. at Acreage Community Park. The event will have two stages for both local entertainment and national acts. Other attractions will include a classic car show and a custom bike display. One of the highlights will be a baby back rib cookoff. Admission is $10 at the gate with children ten and under and active-duty military personnel admitted free. For more information, visit www.acreagefallfest.com or call (561) 420-9509.

• The Episcopal Church Women of St. David’s-in-thePines (corner of Forest Hill Blvd. and Wellington Trace) will host its annual Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 15 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Sunday, Nov. 16 after Sunday services until 1 p.m. There will be many handmade items, a bake sale, jewelry and hot dogs for sale. Come browse, shop and enjoy lunch. For more info., call the church office at (561) 7931976.

• Our Lady Queen of the Apostles’ 18th Annual Fall Festival will continue Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 15 and 16 at the church grounds (100 Crestwood Blvd., Royal Palm Beach). Children’s Day will take place from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, featuring discounted rides, free pony rides, children’s karaoke and festival challenges. Johnny Lyles of the world-famous Coasters will perform at 4:30 p.m. On Sunday, KarToons Karaoke will take place at 12:30 p.m., and Scott Ringerson will perform as Elvis Presley at 5 p.m. Raffle drawings will take place from 7 to 8 p.m., with a grand raffle drawing of $5,000. For more info., call (561) 798-5661.

• The Neverending Necklace will have its first exhibit ever Nov. 15-16 at the Art of Life Gallery & Frame Shop in the Pointe at Wellington Green. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. The Neverending Necklace was started 10 years ago in Wellington as a fundraiser for charity and has now become an international project. For more info., call Ingrid Webster at (561) 793-5509. To contact Art of Life, call (561) 793-8888.

• The top ten money saving tips for today’s woman will be revealed in the “Women’s $urvival Guide Series” on Saturday, Nov. 15 at the Wellington Community Center from 1 to 3 p.m. Women will share moneysaving tips and financial education with other women in a supportive, fun environment. For more info., call Beth Schneider at (561) 267-3149 or Sara Mills at (561) 3799991.

• Wellington Christian School’s fall drama productions, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap and Robert Mattson’s Much Ado About Murder continue on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in the school’s Family Worship Center, located at 1000 Wellington Trace. Tickets are available at www.welling tonchristianstore.com or, if available, at the door. For more info., visit www.wellington christian.org or call (561) 7931017. Sunday, Nov. 16

• Church @ the Grove will continue its Lo$t series Sunday, Nov. 16 at 10 a.m. at Golden Grove Elementary School (5959 140th Avenue North in The Acreage). The topic is “Weathering the Storm,” which

deals with God’s help in the midst of turbulent economic weather. For more info., call (561) 333-2020 or e-mail churchatthegrove@bellsouth. net.

Monday, Nov. 17

• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will present Farm City on Monday, Nov. 17. The event is held in recognition of the economic importance of agriculture on the local, county and state level. For more info., call (561) 790-6200 or visit www.palmswest.com.

Wednesday, Nov. 19

• Faith Farm Ministries (9538 State Road 7, Boynton Beach) invites you to “Lunch on the Farm” from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19. This is not a fundraiser, but an invitation to find out what makes Faith Farm Ministries unique. RSVP to (561) 7372259.

Thursday, Nov. 20

• The Jan & Gary Dario Gallery at Palm Beach Community College (4200 Congress Avenue, Lake Worth) will host an opening reception for its Fine Arts Student Show on Thursday, Nov. 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. The free exhibit will run through Jan. 30. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more info., call (561) 868-3270.

• The new Wellington American Legion Post 390 will meet at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month at Fire Station #30, 9610 Pierson Road. For more info., call Adjutant Mary Castillo at (918) 8102520.

• The Palm Beach Community College Music Department will present the Jazz Ensembles and Troubadours on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. in the Duncan Theatre (4200 Congress Avenue, Lake Worth). Tickets cost $5. For info., call (561) 868-3309.

• Free Menstrual Migraine Screenings with a physician will be provided during the LPGA ADT Championship Nov. 20-23 at Trump International Golf Club (3505 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach). LPGA Tour Professional Diana D’Alessio will appear at the PARtnering Against Menstrual Migraine exhibit booth to share her personal experience and encourage women to learn more about potential treatment options. Visit www.partnering againstmenstrualmigraine.com or www.parmm.com for info. Friday, Nov. 21 • Evening on the Avenues in downtown Lake Worth will feature Marijah & the Reggae All-Stars on Friday, Nov. 21. Evening on the Avenues is held every first and third Friday of the month from 6 to 10 p.m. Admission is free. The event features arts and crafts, live music and fun for the entire family at the Cultural Plaza located on M Street between Lake and Lucerne avenues. For more info., call (561) 5824401 or visit www.lwchamber. com.

• The School Time at the Duncan/Saturday Family Fun Series will present Leo Lionni’s Swimmy, Frederick and Inch by Inch performed by Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia at the Palm Beach Community College Duncan Theatre (4200 Congress Avenue, Lake Worth) on Friday, Nov. 21 at 10:30 a.m. and on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. All seats are $7. Seats for grades pre-K through three cost $5 at the Friday show. To order tickets or for more information, call (561) 868-3309.

Saturday, Nov. 22

• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will present SalsaFest on Saturday, Nov. 22 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Greenacres Community Park (2095 Jog Road, Greenacres) featuring nationally recognized performers, dance, food, a children’s play area, competitions and a business expo. Tickets cost $10 for adults; children under seven are admitted free. For more info., call (561) 7906200 or visit www.palmswest. com. • Ultima Fitness/Xtreme Tae Kwon Do (12799 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington) is raising money to benefit My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper Charitable Trust. The fundraiser will continue until Saturday, Nov. 22. On that day there will be a kickathon starting at 11:30 a.m. Group fitness classes are requiring either a food or monetary donation to take classes that day. County Commissioner Jess Santamaria, who founded the charitable trust, will be on hand. For more info., call (561) 795-2823.

Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 7936090. E-mail: news@gotown crier.com.

SERVICES U NEED MEETS IN WEST PALM BEACH

‘Polar Express’ Exhibit Opens In The Mall At Wellington Green

Representatives from the Mall at Wellington Green unwrapped the new Snow Globes feature “The Polar Express” to the delight of 50 children during an early-morning celebration last Friday. The exhibit is based on the film The Polar Express, which itself was inspired by Chris Van Allsburg’s book about a doubting young boy who takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, embarking on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe. The children enjoyed breakfast, a journey through the Snow Globes, a visit and photo with Santa, and a reading of The Polar Express. The children also received brand new pajamas provided by the mall and a copy of the beloved book to take home with them.

In the spirit of the season, the Mall at Wellington Green invited the Pajama Program — a notfor-profit organization that donates new, warm nightclothes and books to children in need — to help launch the 2008 holidays. A $5,000 donation to the Palm Beach County chapter of the Pajama Program was made in honor of the organization’s

continued efforts to make every child’s nights a little more secure and comfortable. Taubman, owner of the Mall at Wellington Green, and its participating shopping centers nationwide donated a total of $100,000 to the Pajama Program.

Since their debut three years ago, the Snow Globes have become a must-see family tradition at the Mall at Wellington Green. “The Polar Express” lets visitors experience the wondrous Polar Express train with multi-sensory sights and sounds. A walkthrough 28-foot holiday tree features an interactive train engine room with realistic rumbling and movement effects. A train tunnel archway entrance leads to a 20-foot globe that greets visitors with magical falling snow, lifesized sculptures of characters from the film and the soft light of the Polar Express as it crosses the threshold into the North Pole. Three six-foot snow globes, some with interactive elements, include three-dimensional scenes from the movie. Keepsake options include a family-photo opportunity that allows guests to have their photo taken aboard the Polar Express as well as the traditional visit and photo with Santa.

New this year, Shutterfly, the Internet-based social expression and personal publishing service, will provide an innovative digital photo option for families touring the Snow Globes. Customers who purchase one of the deluxe photo packages will receive their pictures on a portable, reusable 128-megabyte flash drive along with a $25 Shutterfly “Create-It” gift card, so they can easily turn their photos into unique gifts like photo books, greeting cards and prints at www.shutterfly.com. Other

photo packages are available that include 12 free note cards from

The Snow Globes featuring The Polar Express, located in Grand Court, are open all mall hours through Dec. 24. Admission is free.

The Pajama Program provides new pajamas and new books to children in need. Since 2001, the Pajama Program has provided more than 213,000 pajamas and books to children nationwide. For more information, visit www.pajamaprogram.org.

Shutterfly.

Snow Globes — (Above) Rachelle Crain, Carole Brewster, Bobbi Rini, Bernadette Green and Dorian Bordenave with a $5,000 check for the Pajama Program. (Right) Youngsters check out the new Polar Express feature at the Snow Globes exhibit.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Pena-Brink.

Marydenyse Ommert of Felice, Murray, Grohmann and Ommert.

Barry Sweet of Kingdom Kleaning.

Optimal Wellness Center Aims To Improve Your Quality Of Life

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Optimal Wellness Center opened recently in Royal Palm Beach with the goal of helping patients maintain a hormonal balance that will help them feel younger.

Managing partner Dr. Harvey Montijo, a well-known orthopedic surgeon in the area, said he decided to become board certified with the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine in April 2008 to help his aging patients enjoy a fuller life.

“In the context of the orthopedic group involved with the surgery center and the orthopedic practice, we started to get involved with the management of osteoporosis, and through that, I stumbled upon a program for bio-identical hormones and treatment of osteoporosis,”

Montijo said. “I went through the last two years in special training, fellowship training for hormonal replacement therapy as one of our services within our practice.”

Montijo said the treatments offered at the Optimal Wellness Center are not limited to addressing osteoporosis, but also help older patients maintain a sense of wellness through various therapies including the modulation of hormone levels.

“It started as the treatment of osteoporosis,” he said, “but the Academy for Orthopedic Surgery asked us to get involved, and upon review of the literature, I found out that hormonal replacement therapy for osteoporosis in postmenopausal females is one of the best choices.”

Montijo said that during his training, he also learned about testosterone replacement in men, thyroid manipulation, as well as growth hormone modulation and preventive health measures to help patients maximize their quality of life.

“When you talk about age management or anti-aging — those catchphrases that you hear — basically the expectation is to maintain your baseline hormone levels of a 35-year-old while you’re 40, 50 or 60 and improve your quality of life,” Montijo said. “That’s the basic concept of Optimal Wellness.” Montijo said maintaining a hormone balance will offer older patients better overall fitness through a regained ability to exercise.

Most hormone levels start falling off after age 35 and testosterone levels in the American male have consistently dropped significantly over the last five decades, Montijo said. Environmental issues such as estrogens used to boost production of red meat could have a negative effect on men, he said.

“There’s plenty of reason why our testosterone levels have dropped,” Montijo said. “If you do have a low testosterone level, you’re not going to be able to maintain the muscle mass that you had, therefore you’re not going to be able to burn as much calories as you used to. It’s well known that muscle will burn a lot more calories than adipose tissue, otherwise known as fat tissue.”

As men start losing muscle, their ability to burn calories will also be reduced, along with their ability to exercise or just engage in regular activities of everyday living, Montijo said.

“As you start gaining a little weight and you have your little love handles, the fat cells there have an enzyme that’s called aromatase, and that enzyme makes matters worse because it converts the little testosterone you have into estrogen, so it’s just a vicious cycle.”

Although testosterone replacement is sometimes appropriate, it’s tricky business, Montijo said.

‘When you talk about age management or anti-aging, basically the expectation is to maintain your baseline hormone levels of a 35-year-old while you’re 40, 50 or 60 and improve your quality of life.’

— Dr. Harvey Montijo

“You have to be careful how you replace testosterone in males,” he said. “You want to have just normal physiological levels. You don’t want to do what the gym jocks are doing; just using anabolic steroids in general with total disregard of the health precautions they should be watching.”

Replacement testosterone should be bio-identical to the type manufactured in a person’s body, and it should only be replaced to the physiologically normal level, Montijo stressed.

“You want the one that your body makes and you want just the level that is normal, and you have to follow that up with blood testing,” Montijo said. “If you get too much, your body will convert that to estrogen and you’re defeating the purpose.”

Some pre-menopausal and postmenopausal women might need hormone therapy to balance progesterone and estrogen and, in some cases, testosterone, Montijo said.

“It’s not so much about having a lot or a little of each in a female; it’s more important to have all three in balance,” Montijo said. “That’s where following up on female patients with blood testing, urinary testing or salivary testing is important to make sure that you have a balance among the three.”

In some weight cases, treatment of a low-functioning thyroid is necessary, Montijo said. “A lot of the issues with weight gain in the United States is a low-functioning thyroid,” he said, noting that about five percent of patients have low-functioning thyroids.

“You have to manage all these things together to make sure you’re not tweaking one hormone at the expense of another. It’s like a symphony; they all interact with each other. That’s where proper follow-up and testing is essential,” Montijo said.

Another area Optimal Wellness looks at is the adrenal gland, which generates cortisol, the hormone needed for stress management. Montijo said modern life makes demands on the body’s stress-management system that it is not geared to handle.

“Times have changed,” he

said. “In the old days, you had a few times during the year that you were under stress, running from the saber-toothed tiger, and then you had three months in the cave relaxing. Nowadays you are bombarded constantly with minor stresses all day long or major stresses all day long where your body doesn’t have time to recover. Dealing with the adrenals and cortisol levels, when they’re constantly being stimulated due to the lifestyle that we have, there comes a point where they burn out and they don’t make enough cortisol, and that’s where we hit the wall and you just cannot function properly.”

Montijo said that a balancing of the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone must be done carefully because if a patient has adrenal fatigue, “it’s like putting

gas in an engine that doesn’t have oil.”

Treatment for adrenal fatigue includes meditation, tai chi, exercise programs, minimizing the stressors by modifying lifestyle and, if need be, hydrocortisone replacement, Montijo said.

A third area on which the center tests is adult growth-hormone deficiency, which occurs in some patients. “If it is documented through proper testing, they can benefit from growth hormone replacement therapy,” Montijo said. “That has been proven to improve quality of life; however, it needs to be done under supervision.”

Montijo said such imbalances can be indicated by fatigue, but he personally went to several different physicians over a 15year period with vague symptoms of “not feeling right.”

“Something is just not clicking; I’m working out in the gym three or four days a week,” he said. “I’m weight-training. I’m doing my jogging and watching what I eat, but I can’t shed the pounds. I just don’t seem to be able to lose the weight. After starting the program, I found out I was a functional hypothyroid, my testosterone levels were rock-bottom from stress.” For new patients, Optimal Wellness Center will conduct a complete panel of blood and salivary testing, coupled with a lengthy questionnaire to evaluate a patient and find the correct treatment. Optimal Wellness Center is located in the Royal Palm Medical Center at 460 State Road 7, Suite 303 in Royal Palm Beach. To schedule an appointment, or for more information, call (561) 803-8407.

Maintaining Wellness — Royal Palm Beach orthopedist Dr. Harvey Montijo is board certified with the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine to administer hormonal and other treatments to promote well-being in patients.

PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

Emergency And Imaging Departments Now Open At WRMC

In response to the increased demand for emergency care, Wellington Regional Medical Center unveiled Phase I of its new Emergency Department with a grand opening celebration on Oct. 15.

Expected completion of Phase II, which will renovate the original ER space, is planned for early 2009. Once completed, this $19.8 million project (including expansions of the Imaging Department and energy plant), will more than double the size of the hospital’s busy ER, providing 36 private patient rooms.

On hand for the ribbon cutting celebration were Wellington Regional Medical Center staff, administrators, members of the hospital’s board of governors, community leaders and

ambassadors from the Palms West and Wellington chambers of commerce.

“When we planned this expansion, we considered the physical and emotional comforts of our patients,” Emergency Medicine Chairman Dr. David Soria said. “In an ER, everyone’s issues are important. This expansion gives us the space we need to move quickly and efficiently to give our patients the care they need.”

The Emergency Department at WRMC offers many innovative programs such as an emergency express program, open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. for patients with minor injuries and illnesses to ensure that patients are seen and treated quickly. Teleneurology services in the ER provide the rapid response

of a “neurologist to the patient’s bedside” when symptoms of a stroke develop. This innovative program is leading the way for the hospital to achieve a Stroke Center certification, expected in early 2009.

The successful ER Smart Card Program gives staff in the ER fast access to a patient’s medical information in an emergency, such as allergies, medical conditions, medications and dosages, information that could be vital to treatment in a medical emergency, preventing medical errors and expediting the registration process.

A new physician-to-physician concierge program has recently been implemented which allows a patient’s primary care physician to speak directly with an ER physician to provide vi-

Wellington’s Evolution Wellness Helps Teenage Athlete Get In Shape

With a passion for life, Fernando Lopez has always been athletic. While attending Jupiter High School, he played rugby and helped the team to reach the state semifinal playoffs.

However, at 19 years old Lopez weighed 256 pounds. After working out at large gyms without noticeable results, Lopez began training at Evolution Wellness in Wellington.

The experienced trainers provided the personal attention Lopez needed. After working out several times a week for seven months, Lopez lost an incredible 61 pounds. He attributes the personal attention at the gym to his success.

“The best part of joining Evolution is that my life made a complete change,” Lopez said. “The trainers helped me get to where I am right now, and they are still helping me to achieve my goals.”

A Wellington resident, Lopez continues his fitness at Evolution Wellness in addition to his work at a construction

health

company. He is also a full-time student at Palm Beach Community College with a double major in international business and accounting.

Evolution Wellness founder Bryan Nichols enjoys seeing his clients get noticeable results. “When Fernando first came to our gym, I knew we could help him,” Nichols said. “He is a motivated young man who needed guidance on how to exercise. We believe in quality, not quantity.”

Today, Lopez weighs 194 pounds and is excited about his new look. He is working on developing a more defined “six-pack,” and now plays Division 1 rugby for Palm Beach and is a Florida U-20 All-Star with the Florida Rugby Union.

Evolution Wellness is a locally owned facility that provides fitness and nutrition services. Nutrition counseling, personal group training and a 24-hour workout facility are available. Plans for expansion are currently in development.

“The Wellington area is a great place for fitness with

items

people of all ages interested in a healthier lifestyle,” Nichols said.

Evolution Wellness has made a commitment to provide motivational personal training sessions, a knowledgeable staff, and a clean and convenient workout facility in Wellington. A seasoned fitness industry professional, Nichols has a passion for sharing techniques for a healthy and fit lifestyle.

Many people come to Evolution Wellness for different reasons. The types of goals are: weight loss, increase muscle tone, improved athletic performance, weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, back injuries and chronic pain.

Evolution Wellness has been serving clients in the Western communities for six years and is proud to be a locally owned business.

For more information, call Evolution Wellness at (561) 204-5033 or visit the gym’s web site at www.evolution personalfitness.com.

tal information about your condition before your arrival at the ER.

Just outside the Emergency Department is the newly expanded Imaging Department, offering the advanced Aquilion 64-slice CT scanner for coronary angiography, calcium scoring studies and virtual colonoscopy; the new GE HD highspeed 1.5T MRI, and two new ultrasound suites housing new Acuson Sequoia S512 ultrasound systems.

“We are proud to offer this optimal environment where our physicians and emergency medicine professionals can continue to provide superior medical care with a focus on patient comfort, efficiency and service,” WRMC CEO Kevin DiLallo said.

WRMC Laboratory Receives Accreditation From College Of American Pathologists

Wellington Regional Medical Center was recently awarded accreditation by the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists (CAP), based on the results of a recent on-site inspection.

The College of American Pathologists is the world’s largest association composed exclusively of pathologists and is widely considered the leader in laboratory quality assurance. The CAP is an advocate for high-quality and cost-effective medical care.

During the CAP accreditation process, inspectors examine the laboratory’s records and quality control of procedures for the preceding two years. CAP inspectors also examine the entire staff’s qualifications, the laboratory’s equipment, facilities, safety program and record, as well as the overall management of the laboratory. This stringent inspection program is designed to ensure the highest standard of care for patients.

Laboratory Services Director Kathi Ford was advised of this

national recognition and congratulated on the excellence of the services being provided.

“Here at Wellington Regional Medical Center, quality control efforts are of the highest importance in everything we do,” Ford said. “Everyone in the lab takes part and contributes to these efforts. We are pleased and proud

to join more than 6,000 other CAP-accredited laboratories nationwide in receiving this designation.”

Wellington Regional Medical Center is a 143-bed community hospital owned and operated by its parent company, Pennsylvania-based Universal Health Services.

The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.

New Departments — Wellington Regional Medical Center Staff and community members gather for the ribbon cutting of Phase I of the new ER, which was unveiled on Oct. 15.

Accredited — Members of the lab team at Wellington Regional Medical Center, which was recently awarded accreditation by the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists.

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