Town-Crier Newspaper November 18, 2022

A RECORD-BREAKING EVENING

Wellington

Council

Drops Plan To Pave

Portion Of 50th Street

With Hurricane Nicole threat ening Florida’s east coast, the Wellington Village Council held a brief meeting on the after noon of Wednesday, Nov. 9. The council approved a number of time-sensitive consent agenda items but postponed all public hearings to the council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 13. Among the consent agenda items ap proved was a decision to indefi nitely postpone plans to pave an approximately one-half-mile section of 50th Street South be tween Ousley Farms Road and South Road near the Wellington Classic Estates neighborhood.

Accomando, Farrell To Join ITID Board; Johnson Keeps Seat 5

By Louis Hillary Park Town-Crier Staff Report

Two new members of the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors will be seated at the Wednesday, Dec. 7 meeting, fol lowing the results of the Tuesday, Nov. 8 general election.

In the race for Seat 1, Eliza beth Accomando defeated Jerrad Jablonski. Accomando received 8,890 votes (55.12 percent) to Jablonski’s 7,238 votes (44.88 percent). The seat was vacant due to the retirement of longtime Supervisor Jennifer Hager.

In the race for Seat 3, Patri cia Farrell defeated incumbent Supervisor Joni Martin. Farrell took 8,199 votes (51.13 percent)

to Martin’s 7,836 votes (48.87 percent).

In the race for Seat 5, incumbent Supervisor Michael Johnson, who currently serves as the board’s president, defeated John Rivera to win a second four-year term. Johnson received 8,711 votes (54.90 percent) to Rivera’s 7,157 votes (45.10 percent).

Accomando, a Carol Street resident who has been active in the Acreage Landowners’ Asso ciation, said she believed the dif ference in her race was residents doing their research and seeing what she could offer to the com munity.

“I’m not a politician. I’m Eliza beth,” she said. “I’m not going to

change my thoughts or opinions to get votes or be popular. Everyone is important. Every single vote was important.”

Accomando, who has lived in the area since 2013, said she would love to see the community retain its rural feel, but “some hard decisions are going to have to be made.”

Though Jablonski grew up in the area and operates a local busi ness, he said that it was difficult to overcome Accomando’s name recognition as founder of the well-known Barky Pines Animal Rescue & Sanctuary.

Lox Groves Council Debates Whether To Hire A Lobbyist

By Joshua Manning Town-Crier Staff Report

After several years of disap pointing results from its lobbying efforts in Tallahassee, the Loxa hatchee Groves Town Council debated the merits of hiring a lobbying firm for the upcoming legislative session at its meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 15.

While the town has been suc cessful in getting several of its priorities through the legislative process, they have all been hit by the governor’s veto pen.

“We have made it to the gover nor’s office many times more than the amount we have paid,” Town Manager Francine Ramaglia said. “Our issue has been getting out of the governor’s office. Each year, there has been a specific issue. One year it was teachers’ raises, another year it was storms. There was some reason each year that we did not get the money.”

Since 2018, the town has used Mary McNicholas of Geoffrey B. Sluggett & Associates as its lob byist. That agreement expired in April, and the council decided at the time not to renew the agree

ment. At Tuesday’s meeting, Ra maglia asked for council direction on how to proceed regarding the upcoming session.

“This year, there is going to be a lot of emphasis on funding water projects,” she said, adding that the town does have applications in for Resilient Florida grants.

Those grants represent about $500,000 in funding, but the date of receiving the money keeps get ting pushed back.

Ramaglia noted that Loxa hatchee Groves is not unique in having this problem. Many com munities are in the same situation after several challenging years from a funding perspective.

Rather than just deciding wheth er or not to have a lobbyist this year, Ramaglia and her staff stud ied the issue, researching what other communities are doing.

She said that the average peer communities pay about $50,000 a year for lobbying efforts, which is somewhat less than the town’s retainer with its former lobbyist, Sluggett, at $60,000.

However, she noted, most com

HONORING OUR VETERANS

P.B. Central’s Season

Continues After Big Win Against Jupiter

The beat goes on for the Palm Beach Central High School varsity football team. After completing the regular season with a 9-1 record, the Broncos advanced to the first round of the Florida High School Athletic Association’s (FHSAA) Class 4M, Region 3 playoffs against Jupiter High School. Page 21

Andrews Returns To School Board; Baxter Will Replace McKinlay On PBC Commission

By Joshua Manning Town-Crier Staff Report

Voters

Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Andrews, first elected in 2010, took 38,783 votes (56.92 per cent) to defeat challenger Jennifer Showalter, who received 29,354 votes (43.08 percent).

Andrews and Showalter ad vanced to the general election from a five-candidate primary in August. Andrews nearly got the 50 percent needed to win outright at that time. As the returns were com ing in on election night, Andrews said she was proud to see her continued support from residents.

“It made me feel so happy that they continue to believe in me,” she said. “I work for the people. To see votes coming in from parents and voters all over the district, it brought a feeling of gratefulness.”

Andrews, who was elected to the board after a long career with the school district, noted that she

meets with Superintendent Mi chael Burke at least once a week and will continue to focus on the key issues that she campaigned on.

“Keeping our children safe is a big issue for me, as is mental health and academic success,” she said. “Every child needs to be happy and successful as they move through their school years here in Palm Beach County. When they graduate, I want there to be a path for them, either through college or a career.”

Andrews noted the concerns from some during the pandemic that the school board was not tak ing enough input from parents, and stressed that she will continue to work with local communities to gather input and seek out ad ditional avenues for parental in volvement.

“I will continue to listen to par ents around the district,” she said, adding that she regularly meets with local groups. “I will look for any new formats to meet with parents to remind them that the schools belong to them.”

Andrews thanked the residents

Accomando “has a big footprint in the community,” said Jablonski, See ITID VOTE, page 4 for their vote of confidence in her.

“The students mean everything to me,” she said. “Every child is special in my heart and soul, and I will be available for the students to help them with their success.”

In the race to replace term-limit ed District 6 County Commission er Melissa McKinlay, local Realtor and business owner Sara Baxter, the Republican nominee, took 41,125 votes (52.52 percent) to defeat Democrat Michelle Oyola McGovern, who took 37,175 votes (47.48 percent).

In local state legislative races, State Sen. Lori Berman won re-election in the newly drawn District 26, which now includes Wellington. Berman, a Democrat, took 122,506 votes (54.79 percent) to defeat Republican nominee Steve Byers, who took 101,067 votes (45.21 percent).

It was a squeaker of a race for State House in District 93, which includes Wellington, where Demo crat Katherine Waldron narrowly defeated Republican Dr. Saulis Banionis. Waldron took 33,824

McKinlay Reflects On Eight Years As A Commissioner

By Charles Elmore Town-Crier Staff Report

Outgoing District 6 Commis sioner Melissa McKinlay said it feels “bittersweet” to bid farewell to her time on the Palm Beach County Commission. She is leav ing due to term limits. The Tues day, Nov. 22 meeting will be her last on the dais.

Asked how she views her lega cy, the Wellington resident said she sees three things at the top of the conversation: the Glades, response to addiction and firefighters.

“Over the past eight years, there have been some amazing accomplishments I am proud of, some district-specific and some countywide,” she said.

In a huge district that runs from the western suburbs of Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee and The Acreage, to the county’s agricultural west, McKinlay, 51, said she felt mo tivated to back up a campaign promise to serve as a genuine voice for the Glades.

Working with municipalities and legislators, she helped achieve upgrades to roads, parks, work force development programs and water utilities, with some longrunning Herbert Hoover Dike im provements slated for completion by year’s end as well.

Not everything happened as fast as she would like. McKinlay has pushed for better farmworker

housing but chafed at obstacles to condemn buildings or find safer places for residents to stay, even as one landlord near Pahokee piled up more than $350,000 in fines without paying.

“I was not shy about my dis gust with slumlords and doing everything possible to shut them down,” she said.

Elsewhere in District 6, she was pleased to help bring about proj ects like a new fire station ahead of schedule for The Acreage, better lighting along State Road 80 and more county tourism resources to help Wellington’s crucial eques trian industry.

“When I first got elected, our tourism marketing materials and

staff

was

heavy,” McKinlay said, explaining that her office worked to change that.

Other issues carried countywide resonance. She advocated for responses to an addiction crisis that eventually drew state and federal support and helped create, in Palm Beach County, a drug czar, an addiction stabilization unit and other approaches, including pilot projects with first responders that now serve as a state model.

“We listened to the families most impacted by this disease and allowed their experiences to guide our response,” she said.

Then there was her campaign to

A respectful crowd turned out for a Veterans Day parade service at the Wellington Veterans Memorial on Friday, Nov. 11 to honor all those who served in the United States Armed Forces. Shown above, American Legion Post 390 Wellington Commander Robert Nappi presents Timothy Daniel Glantz with the Purple Heart for his courageous efforts while serving in the U.S. Army. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5

PHOTO BY MEREDITH BUROW/TOWN-CRIER

The Wellington Community Foundation had a record-breaking turnout at the 2022 Red, White & Blue Jeans “A Salute to Our Heroes” event held Friday, Nov. 11 at the Wellington National Golf Club. Thanks to its sponsors, donors and many community partners, the foundation raised more than $100,000 for its projects supporting local veterans, children and seniors. Shown above are attendees Dr. Maurice and Maria Cruz, Sabrina and Chris Zeller, Maggie Zeller, Adam and Kayla Zeller, and Leo Buquicchio. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 15

PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

granted longtime District 6 School Board Member Marcia Andrews a fourth term on the Palm Beach County School Board during the general election on

focus

coastal-community

County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay

The Village of Royal Palm Beach, in conjunction with American Legion Post 367, presented “Honoring All Who Served,” a Vet erans Day breakfast event at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center on Friday, Nov. 11. Shown above are Chaplain Leonard Finkelstein, Major Raymond Nagley, Sgt. 1st Class Angel Lanti gua and Sgt. 1st Class Johnny Castro. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 18

PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Town Of Loxahatchee

Groves Hosts A Veterans Day Parade & Service

The Town of Loxahatchee Groves held an early Veterans Day parade on Saturday, Nov. 5. Participants traveled down F Road to the Loxahatchee Groves Town Hall, where an observance was held to honor all members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Page 8

Wellington Murder Mystery Dinner Takes Guests To The Bayou

The Village of Wellington held its annual Murder Mystery Din ner Theater themed “Murder on the Bayou” on Saturday, Nov. 5 at the Wellington Community Center. Page 13

Wellington Council Drops Plan To Pave Portion Of 50th Street

By Joshua Manning Town-Crier Staff Report

With Hurricane Nicole threat ening Florida’s east coast, the Wellington Village Council held a brief meeting on the afternoon of Wednesday, Nov. 9. At the meeting, the council approved a number of time-sensitive consent agenda items but postponed all public hearings to the council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 13. Items postponed to the Dec. 13 meeting included: a comprehen sive plan amendment and rezon ing for the Lotis II parcel on State Road 7, changes to Wellington’s rules regarding cell towers and a master plan amendment to allow a home at 977 Cindy Drive in the

Little Ranches neighborhood.

After approving the consent agenda, Village Manager Jim Barnes gave council members a brief update on storm prepara tions, noting that Wellington was prepared for Nicole’s arrival. However, the storm came ashore on the Treasure Coast and did not pose much danger here in central Palm Beach County.

Among the consent agenda items approved was a decision to indefinitely postpone plans to pave an approximately one-halfmile section of 50th Street South between Ousley Farms Road and South Road near the Wellington Classic Estates neighborhood. Acting as the Acme Improve

ment District Board of Supervi sors, the council supported staff’s recommendation to withdraw the proposed plan of improvements and revised engineer’s report for the 50th Street Unit of Develop ment.

Last year, Wellington responded to a landowners’ request to form the unit of development to serve about 119 acres, including Wel lington Classic Estates on the south side of 50th Street and a 59-acre parcel on the north side. That started the ball rolling on the paving plan, which was to continue with the approval of the engineer’s report.

The council postponed that ap proval in September when eques

trian landowner Mark Bellissimo, who owns the 59-acre parcel, objected to the funding scheme, which would have had him pay for half of the project.

Deputy Village Manager Tanya Quickel told the Town-Crier after the meeting that the decision to shelve the work was due less to Bellissimo’s objections and more to the rising costs of the project.

“Unfortunately, in this eco nomic environment, the prices have escalated,” Quickel said. “We started working on this over a year ago with the residents. Since

then, the engineer’s cost estimates have essentially doubled. It is no longer feasible for a small group of residents at this point in time.”

The decision was made by vil lage staff after further discussions with the residents of Wellington Classic Estates.

“They discussed their concerns about the rising costs, and it was much more than they initially planned on,” Quickel said. “That is where staff took it under consid eration and withdrew our recom mendation to move forward.”

The residents may request that

the work be considered during the village’s regular budgeting process.

“It is certainly an option for that, but I don’t know how viable that is,” Quickel said regarding the vil lage picking up the cost.

She added that in the future, the village may be able to find other funding opportunities, such as grants, for the work.

“Until then, 90 percent of the road design is done, and that will just sit, and the unit of develop ment has been formed, and that will also just sit,” Quickel said.

VILLAGE OF WELLINGTON HONORS 103-YEAR-OLD WORLD WAR II VETERAN MARTIN DENENBERG

By Louis Hillary Park Town-Crier Staff Report

Water bills will be going up an average of nine percent in the City of Westlake to pay off a $12 million water bond passed recently by the Seminole Improvement District (SID), which provides water and sewer services to the municipality.

The bonds will pay for a twomillion-gallon irrigation tank, piping and other necessary equip ment, as well as operation of the project. A 500,000-gallon tank already exists supplying recycled water to public properties, SID rights-of-way and Westlake resi dents.

Residents will see the increase in their November bills.

Kenneth Cassel, who manages both the City of Westlake and SID, said that the expansion of the sys tem “was always coming as the city grew” but was implemented sooner than planned because “we’ve grown a lot faster than expected.”

Westlake was incorporated in 2016 as Palm Beach County’s 39th municipality and has become its fastest-growing community.

The bonds will be paid off over 15 years. The new and existing tanks are expected to remain suf ficient through buildout of the community.

Construction of the system ad ditions are expected to begin in early 2023 and be completed by midyear.

Cassel shared the update with Westlake City Council members at their Nov. 1 meeting.

In other business: • The council heard from Cassel that code enforcement is being stepped up for homeowners who are improperly planting on or dumping runoff water onto SID rights-of-way without proper permits.

“It’s not a lot of people,” he said. “But we want to make sure every one’s on the same page before it becomes a real problem.”

The first step will be docu menting the problem areas and notifying the property owners that they are in violation, along with a general information campaign to inform citizens about what is permissible and what is not.

If the property owner refuses to comply, fines will be imposed. Disputes will be settled by a spe cial master, whom Cassel is now seeking to hire.

The issue is important, he said, because if too much freelancing is allowed by homeowners, “It can change the drainage characteris tics of the entire community… and create flooding problems that [violators] don’t realize.”

• The council approved the first reading of a sign change for the upcoming Pines and Oaks devel opments on the east side of the community. In the process, they heard more about the multimodal path that will run beside a long lake and allow Westlake parents to drop off children at Golden Grove Elementary School and Western Pines Middle School without cir cling around outside of Westlake.

The path can be used by golf carts, bicycles, walkers and run ners, Cassel said later. A turn around circle will be constructed at an entrance on the southeast side of the school grounds that the Palm Beach County School District has agreed to provide, he said.

The path project is expected to be completed in mid-2024.

• The council approved the sec ond reading of Ordinance 2022-12 on “Pedestrian Safety and Public Lodging,” which among other things, makes it illegal for anyone to sleep or camp in public rightsof-way, parks, pavilions, lobbies, entranceways, plazas, parking lots, common areas or under bridges, or on private property without the permission of the owner.

The ordinance also restricts beg ging, panhandling and individuals selling items in a way that could create a public safety issue for pedestrians or vehicular traffic.

At a workshop on Monday, Nov. 7, the Wellington Village Council presented a proclamation honoring 103-year-old World War II veteran Martin Denenberg, who has lived in the Village of Wellington for 32 years. The proclamation designated Nov. 9, 2022, as “World War II Veteran Martin Denenberg Day” in the Village of Wellington. Shown above, Denenberg receives the proclamation, joined by Diane Gutman of Wellington Cares and Tom Wenham of the Wellington Community Foundation, with the council standing behind them. PHOTO COURTESY THE VILLAGE OF WELLINGTON

Bobcat Ringers Return To Perform For RPB Education Board

By Callie Sharkey Town-Crier Staff Report

Royal Palm Beach’s Educa tion Advisory Board enjoyed more than just a presentation by Royal Palm Beach Elementary School Principal Tracy Ghettie on Monday, Nov. 14. The bells of the Bobcat Ringers also gave a beautiful performance of the national anthem.

Ghettie began by introduc ing her school’s first Dwyer Award-winning teacher, Kather ine Kovalsky, the music teacher at RPBHS. “When it was announced, you would have thought we were at a rock concert,” Ghettie said of the cheers and shouting that came in celebration of the achievement.

Kovalsky then stepped up with 10 students ready to perform “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which is one of three pieces they shared at a Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 15. At that event, the Bobcat Ringers also performed “Aura Lee” and “America the Beauti ful.” Between songs, the students change positions so they can play different bells — both high pitch and low pitch.

“One of the things that makes Royal Palm Beach Elementary very special is that many of us have our own children who at tend school at Royal Palm Beach Elementary,” Ghettie said. “My family is all Bobcat alumni. Every year, we have a special parade, and we invite all of our Bobcat alumni who are graduating either from high school or college to walk the halls, and it really is one of my favorite days of the year. Staying connected to our students long term is very important to me.”

The major goals at the school this coming year is to reach a minimum of 80 percent of the kindergarten through second grade student body to be reading on grade level, and for a minimum of 75 percent of the third through fifth

ITID Vote Two New Faces

continued from page 1

a resident of 61st Place North and a first-time candidate.

He also said he made mistakes in his early filings with the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections that did not allow him to collect donations or spend on campaign materials.

“I was unable to really cam paign,” he said. “I don’t do social media… My campaign was almost all word of mouth. It was a learn ing experience.”

Jablonski said he wants to stay involved in the community and that he would consider another run.

Farrell, another first-time can didate, said, “I’m a bit shocked… [but] I’m happy for sure.”

An active social media pres ence, a good reputation within the community and some creative campaigning at the annual Citrus Grove trunk-or-treat were the keys to her win, said Farrell, who lives on 87th Lane North. She and her supporters applied campaign stick ers to hundreds of lollipops and

grade students to reach grade level success in both math and science.

The school is connecting with the community through programs such as the national Read for the Record program and Relay for Life at the South Florida Fair grounds.

She noted that Councilman Jeff Hmara and his wife Carolyn came and read to all of the Bobcats on Oct. 27 as part of Read for the Record. “We live-streamed the read aloud of Nigel and the Moon to the entire school. About 700 stu dents got to hear the read aloud,” Ghettie said.

Hmara followed up to note that officials from the Village of Royal Palm Beach read to more than 1,700 students in total as part of the program, and every year the village continues to receive an honorable mention for its initia tive and hard work. He also took a moment to thank the school for its Veterans Day program.

“I’m a Vietnam vet, and we are known for not being welcomed home,” he said. “But when all the kids were there saying thank you, I choked up. I cried. There is my welcome home, finally. It’s a great school. Truly the happiest place.”

Ghettie repeatedly referred to her school as “the happiest place on earth,” and the staff continues to provide initiatives to help keep both students and staff healthy and happy. One such program is the Bobcat Golden Ticket. Substitute teachers, who often receive the most difficult behavior from even the best students, are given the opportunity to choose a student who is most helpful and makes it a great day for learning. The ticket is celebrated on a special display at the school and on social media.

Ghettie then described other special recognitions such as Pos sum Positive Referrals to recog nize those students who make selfless choices and Woo-Hoo

passed them out at the Halloween event.

Farrell, who is part owner of KP Farrell Inc., an athletic training facility in Royal Palm Beach, said the rest of her strategy was to shake a lot of hands, meet a lot of people and “let them see me being me.”

She also said that she believed her willingness to take a straight forward stand on the district’s most controversial issue — incor poration — was a plus. “I didn’t shy away,” she said. “The more I talked to people, they’re open to talking about it.”

While all three races were dom inated by early voting and vote by mail, a particularly strong election day vote for Farrell was crucial in the district’s closest race. She topped Martin by 476 votes (2,866 to 2,390) after Martin showed strength among mail-in voters, winning that group by 492 votes (2,511 to 2,019). Farrell carried early voters 3,314 to 2,935.

Martin, a Hall Blvd. resident who was seeking her second term, wished Farrell the best of luck.

“Pattie is a nice lady. I wish her well. I wish them all well,” Martin said. “I really appreciate the out pouring of support I got from the

“I’m not a politician. I’m Elizabeth,” Accomando said. “I’m not going to change my thoughts or opinions to get votes or be popular. Everyone is important. Every single vote was important.”

Election Roundup Of Local Races

continued from page 1 votes (50.65 percent) to edge past Banionis, who took 32,962 votes (49.35 percent).

Other State House races were not as close. Incumbent State Rep. Rick Roth, a Republican, easily defeated Democratic challenger Terence Davis in District 94. Roth took 41,217 votes (59.50 percent) to the 28,059 votes (40.50 percent) for Davis. District 94 includes parts of Royal Palm Beach, as well as the Acreage/Loxahatchee area. In District 88, which includes parts of Royal Palm Beach, incum bent State Rep. Jervonte Edmonds, the Democrat, far outpaced his Re

publican challenger Roz Stevens. Edmonds took 26,044 votes (71.17 percent) to 10,552 votes (28.83 percent) for Stevens.

While all three state constitu tional amendments failed to meet the 60 percent threshold to pass, the two Palm Beach County ballot questions did pass.

The continuation of the School District of Palm Beach County’s special 1 mill assessment was approved by a wide margin with 364,659 YES votes (74.02 per cent) and 127,973 NO votes (25.98 percent).

Palm Beach County’s affordable housing bond issue was also ap proved, but by a narrower margin. There were 266,284 votes for the bond (55.24 percent) and 215,769 votes against the bond (44.76 percent).

Academic Referrals for high level and achievements. Students of the month — who emulate the school motto of “Be safe. Be respectful. Be a learner.” — receive a certifi cate, a paw print medal and a cou pon for free pizza. Bus drivers can give out bus tickets that students can cash in for treasure box prizes.

“Bobcat tickets are awarded all day long, and every Friday morn ing we choose six winners from K-2 and six from third through fifth grade who get special recog nition,” Ghettie said.

Students also start each week with Mindful Mondays to start conversations with teachers and each other. On Tuesdays, the kindergarten students through second graders are faced with logic challenges, while Thursdays pro vide the higher grades with brain teasers and math riddles that they work as a team to solve.

Implementing these tactics has led to big improvements in student behavior throughout the school.

Board Chair Jennifer Sullivan asked Ghettie to be sure and provide their social media tags for platforms such as Facebook and Twitter so the advisory board could continue to spread the word about good things happening at the school.

Regional Superintendent Valerie Zuloaga-Haines gave an update on schools in the village and shared that the only physical damage caused by the recent storms was to foliage. “The students did lose two days of instruction, but our calendar has allowed for it, so they are not going to have to make up those days,” she said.

She provided highlight photos from elementary and middles schools showcasing the fun had in October, including trunk-or-

treat celebrations and storybook character parades. Zuloaga-Haines congratulated Crestwood Middle School student Ava Mata for being chosen to represent the district in the 2023 Art in the Capitol Com petition. The eighth-grader’s work will be on display in Washington, D.C. On the high school level, RPBHS placed second behind Suncoast in the Math Academics, and RPBHS student Alex Casal made the national team as well.

Newly re-elected District 6 School Board Member Marcia An drews expressed her joy at being back for another four-year term.

“It’s a pleasure to be here and say thank you for giving me the honor to serve our children,” she said. “It’s a blessing and a privi lege to be on the team again. I’m thrilled to be working with them again. I’m excited to get to work. I feel like a new student, and we

are starting fresh.”

In other business, Sullivan announced that the Royal Palm Beach scholarship application pro cess will open on Dec. 16 through the village web site. Applications for the program are due Friday, Feb. 10.

New Board Member Kathleen Greer was also welcomed, along with her service dog Bo.

“I’ve been in Royal Palm Beach for about 10 years, after I retired from teaching and from the mil itary,” Greer said. “So, this is my way to get back into the education field without spending all the hours a full-time teacher does. I’m happy to be here and working for you.”

The next Education Advisory Board meeting is set for Monday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. It will feature a presentation from Principal Tsiri Miller of Western Academy Char ter School.

Wellington ARB Allows Two Equestrian Businesses To Keep Window Coverings

By Joshua Manning Town-Crier Staff Report

Wellington’s Architectural Re view Board granted two equestri an-related businesses exceptions from the village’s sign code re garding window coverings at a meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 2.

Wellington’s sign code forbids businesses from completely cov ering windows with signage or a color. The code was updated earlier this year to more strictly enforce the regulations.

While staff recommended re quiring the two businesses in question to at least partially adhere to the code, the board’s majority agreed that the unique circum stances of the businesses should let them keep the coverings.

community. It was honor to serve.”

While Martin said she contin ues to “care deeply about all the residents of the community,” it is unlikely she will seek public office again in the district.

Johnson, a resident of 64th Place North, did not respond to requests for comment.

Rivera, a Tangerine Blvd. res ident who previously ran for the board in 2018, said he was disap pointed in voter turnout. He said he considered sending a mailer to ITID residents but opted against it, and that may have cost him.

“I wish good luck to [Johnson],” he said. “I hope the supervisors do the things that are important to the community. Who knows? In two years, maybe I’ll try again.”

Lox Council Lobbyist Discussion

continued from page 1 munities have already put their lobbyists for the upcoming session in place, since there is a Dec. 20 deadline for local bills to be sub mitted to the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation.

“We would need to work quick ly if we do decide that we want to work with and retain a lobbyist,” Ramaglia said.

She asked the council if they want to use a lobbyist to represent them in Tallahassee, and also the scope of services. She provided a list of several appropriation proj ects for consideration. Money may be available for water projects and storm hardening, and the town has several projects on its agenda that may fit, Ramaglia explained.

During public comment, res ident Paul Coleman wanted to know why it is coming up now, after the council specifically de cided earlier this year not to renew the lobbyist contract.

“Do we need a lobbyist, yes. But I hope we didn’t just double our bill by doing what we did,” he said.

Resident Virginia Standish crit icized the council for its poor treatment of McNicholas.

“I don’t see why you want a lob byist, when the last lobbyist went out and got you a lot of money, and it was kind of poo-pooed away by the council,” she said, referring to the council’s decision last May to turn down a multi-million-dollar grant from the Palm Beach Trans portation Planning Agency.

Both businesses are located in Wellington’s industrial/flex zoning area on Fairlane Farms Road, and both have mostly white window coverings providing UV protection. Equiline sells highend saddles and other equestrian equipment, while CWD/Devou coux Boutique sells equestrian equipment and apparel imported from France.

The owners of both businesses explained that the UV coating was needed to protect the high-end equestrian products from sunlight damage. Most board members agreed, allowing the existing window coverings to stay on 4-2 votes.

Also at the meeting, the board unanimously approved a redesign

with new signage for the existing Dunkin’ store at Wellington Plaza.

The change in elevation, colors and signage for the 10-year-old building is part of the company’s national rebranding effort from Dunkin’ Donuts to just Dunkin’.

In other business:

• At the start of the meeting, Board Member Stacey Somers was elected chair and Board Member Maria Raspanti was elected vice chair.

• The board unanimously ap proved a flat roof design for an equestrian estate on Grand Prix Drive after hearing a presentation from village staff and the site’s architect. Currently five acres of vacant land in Equestrian Preserve Area, additional landscaping was

added to shield the property from view.

All roofs in residential areas much include a pitch to them without special permission. The board has granted several ap provals for flat roofs over the past year, particularly on larger lots in equestrian areas.

• At the request of a homeowner in the Tree Tops community, the board unanimously agreed to add an additional shade of blue to the village’s official color board. Also at the meeting, the board briefly discussed its overall col or and materials board. Board members were distributed copies of the currently approved list for discussion and changes at a future meeting.

Ramaglia noted that there is about $25,000 in the budget that will not be used for other purposes that can go toward a lobbyist, if the council so chooses.

Mayor Robert Shorr said that the town needs a different ap proach.

“I don’t want to do a whole year thing if we can avoid it,” he said. “We need someone who can get us over the hump.”

He added that Loxahatchee Groves now has Republican repre sentatives in both the State House with State Rep. Rick Roth, and the State Senate with State Sen. Gayle Harrell. Before redistricting, the town’s representatives were both Democrats.

“We have been absorbed in our town by two senior members in Tallahassee,” Shorr said.

Councilwoman Marge Herzog favored continuing to use McNich olas, who is a local resident.

“We have a reputation for being rough on lobbyists,” she said. “We have to watch what we are doing and how we are being perceived by the people we are hiring.”

Vice Mayor Laura Danowski, however, was not in favor of using a lobbyist.

“Not one red cent has hit our bank accounts from Tallahas see,” she said. “I am not in favor of throwing things together last minute and running up to Talla hassee. Staff has other things to focus upon. What I would like to see is the hiring of a grant writer and focus on one very specific project.”

That project, Danowski said, is the rehabilitation of the town’s maintenance equipment facilities

building, which is estimated to cost $700,000.

“I would rather sit this one out than go up there half-baked and unorganized,” she said.

Councilwoman Marianne Miles noted that the town specifically didn’t budget any money for a lobbyist this year.

“We’ve gone up several times, and we just aren’t successful with money in the pocket,” she said. “I’m not in favor of spending money on a lobbyist this year.”

Miles favored spending the money on local projects, such as culvert repairs.

Councilwoman Phillis Maniglia said she was disappointed in how the other council members treated McNicholas.

“We did get over the hump, and then we got vetoed by the governor,” she said. “And we were not the only ones. I think they got us as far as anyone could have gotten us.”

Maniglia agreed with sitting out this year, but she favored planning now to go all-in next year, specif ically on the town’s crucial infra structure projects. She supported the idea of a proven grant writer.

Shorr suggested having meet ings with Roth and Harrell to figure out what’s reasonable to ask for.

Ramaglia said that not having a lobbyist doesn’t mean not asking for money.

“We can still fill out appropri ation requests and participate in Palm Beach County Days and with the League of Cities,” she said.

In the end, the direction given to Ramaglia was to look into grants and grant writing. She will

also speak to several lobbyists regarding pricing on a six-month contract. Further, the council members agreed to speak to Roth and Harrell about the town’s ef forts in Tallahassee.

When it comes to legislative priorities, the focus was put on the $700,000 maintenance equipment building, as well as the canal sys tem rehabilitation project at $1.1 million and the stormwater system repair program at $1.5 million.

In other business:

• Qualifying for the town’s municipal election next March ended at noon on Tuesday, Nov. 15. While town staff suggested re-opening the qualifying period for several days, since offices were closed last week due to Hurricane Nicole and Veterans Day, the council deadlocked on whether that was the right course of action. In the end, the existing qualifying was left unchanged. Only one seat is up in March — Seat 5, currently held by Herzog. As of the qualify ing deadline, Herzog was the only person to file. Therefore, she will be re-elected without opposition.

• The council discussed its up coming Evaluation & Appraisal Review (EAR), which is the for mal update to the town’s compre hensive plan, setting up a number of meetings over the next six to eight months to systematically review and update the compre hensive plan.

• The council held a workshop discussion on the complicated problems surrounding land clear ing, where they discussed what they can and cannot do under exist ing state laws and local ordinances to protect the town’s tree canopy.

STEPHANIE RODRIGUEZ Art & Production Manager

BARRY S. MANNING Publisher DAWN RIVERA General Manager JOSHUA I. MANNING Executive Editor

Elizabeth Accomando

Patricia Farrell Michael Johnson

A respectful crowd turned out for a Veterans Day service at the Wellington Veterans Memorial on Friday, Nov. 11 to honor all those who served — and are serving — in the United States Armed Forces. The ceremony included speeches from local veterans, a pinning of the Purple Heart, a special recognition of each branch of service, and a moment of silence as “Taps” was played to honor those lost in service. PHOTOS BY MEREDITH BUROW/TOWN-CRIER

Former Wellington Mayor Tom Wenham and current Mayor Anne Gerwig.

American Legion Post 390 Wellington members Roberto Carballoso, David Roman, James Sparrow and Laz Sed.

PBSO officers perform the 21-gun salute.

Detective Amadeo Lopez with his son Jeremiah.

The Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Honor Guard.

John Flynn, Tricia Kamalu, Jon Ferguson and JT Kavanagh of the Palm Beach County Firefighters Pipes and Drums.

American Legion Post 390 Wellington Commander Robert Nappi presents Timothy Daniel Glantz with the Purple Heart for his courageous efforts while serving in the U.S. Army.

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Detective Amadeo Lopez plays “Taps.”

Veterans Laz Sed, Ramon Silvacoll and Henry Tocci with Councilwoman Tanya Siskind and the Marine Corps wreath.

American Legion Post 390 members William Bartels, Tom Wenham and Al Ziker, along with Wellington Councilman John McGovern, honor the U.S. Air Force.

American Legion Post 390 Wellington members with Regis and Tom Wenham (center).

Members of the Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Honor Guard march in.

Veteran Ernie Zimmerman and Wellington Mayor Anne Gerwig honor the POWs/MIAs.

Wellington Councilwoman Tanya Siskind and Anthony Tahan honor the U.S. Coast Guard.

Wellington Councilman Michael Napoleone, Robert Nappi, David Roman and Anthony Tahan honor the U.S. Navy.

Roberto Carballoso, Councilman Michael Napoleone and Robert Nappi honor the U.S. Merchant Marines.

CANCER

Do you need lung cancer screening if you quit smoking?

According to the American Cancer Society, smoking contributes to 80 and 90 percent of lung cancer deaths in women and men, respectively.

But what if you quit smoking? Quitting has some health benefits that start right away and others that can lead to improved health over many years.

The risk of having lung cancer or other smoking related illnesses decreases after you stop smoking and continues to decrease the longer you go without smoking, though your risk will never be as low as that of someone who never smoked.

So, if you’ve successfully kicked the habit and are now a former smoker, do you still need to think about having a lung cancer screening?

According to pulmonologist Ivan Romero-Legro, MD, who sees patients at Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston, lung cancer screening is recommended for those meeting all the criteria for high risk including:

• Smoking the equivalent of 20 or more pack-years (e.g., one pack a day for 20 years; two packs a day for 10 years)

• Being 50 to 80 years old

• Smoking for any portion of the past 15 years

It is important to note that:

• Lung cancer screening is not recommended if your risk of lung cancer is low, because the harms of screening may outweigh its benefits.

• Screening is worthwhile only if you are healthy enough to tolerate the evaluation and treatment of any lung nodules or lung cancers that are found.

If your doctor recommends screening, look for a program whose experts take the time to discuss its risks and benefits with you and are experienced in lung cancer evaluation and treatment.

Meanwhile, tell your doctor right away if you have any of these worrisome symptoms – you may need testing to confirm or rule out the presence of lung cancer:

• A new, persistent cough or coughing up blood

• Unexplained shortness of breath or chest pain

• Unintentional weight loss

PUT YOUR MIND AT EASE

A quick screening can detect lung cancer at its earliest stage.

Did you know lung cancer can be detected at its earliest and most treatable stage?

The team at Cleveland Clinic Florida uses low-dose CT screenings to detect lung cancer earlier. That means our experts, from pulmonologists and oncologists to thoracic surgeons, can provide patients with nonsurgical and surgical treatments sooner.

Find out if you need a lung cancer screening.

ClevelandClinicFlorida.org/LungScreening

Ivan Romero-Legro, MD

Family Announces New Brandon Wehby Memorial Scholarship

By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report

On Sunday, Nov. 13, at the home of Judith Buckland, she and William Wehby gathered with friends and family to hold a celebration of life for son Brandon Wehby, who passed away last year, just two months shy of his 32nd birthday. Last Sunday would have been his 33rd birthday.

“We honored Brandon really nicely,” Buckland said.

They discussed the many pro grams and ideas they’re working on to help keep Brandon’s memory alive after he lost his battle with depression and took his own life.

Brandon had always dreamed of participating in a computer coding

intensive program to become a computer programmer. To honor his memory, the family is orga nizing a scholarship to the Palm Beach Code School.

As Brandon was a graduate of Wellington High School, this scholarship will provide a full ride to the Palm Beach Code School for a Wellington High School graduate.

Named the Brandon Wehby Memorial Scholarship, the goal is to send at least one student a year to the Palm Beach Code School with a full scholarship.

Checks for donations can be made payable directly to Welling ton High School, 2101 Greenview Shores Blvd., Wellington, FL

33414 to the attention of Gemma Ford. In the memo line, a notation should be made that the donation is for the Brandon Wehby Memo rial Scholarship. All donations will receive a tax receipt by mail.

“We have the first $5,000, which will go to a student we send to the Palm Beach Code School,” Buckland said. “And we’d like to raise $5,000 to go to suicide pre vention awareness and the Crisis Text organization.”

With more and more teens and younger people utilizing text mes saging, this is a great way to reach out for help, Wehby said.

Crisis Text Online allows any one to access free support 24/7 through text.

Reducing, and eventually re moving all stigma associated with suicide, the family has shared in formation about how to become a volunteer crisis counselor.

Training takes about 30 hours, and then participants are ready to help give back and volunteer as a crisis counselor through the Crisis Text Line, where anyone can text “home” to 741741.

In the future, Wehby plans on becoming a crisis counselor himself.

“The stigma associated with mental health illness has to go,” Buckland said. “Everyone’s strug gling. Everyone at some point in their life has a hard time. It’s more to do with letting people know there are resources out there to get help.”

To spread awareness, the family has designed a logo incorporating the number 13, to signify the date of his birth (Nov. 13, 1989) and death (Sept. 13, 2021), as well as Brandon’s initials, in the suicide prevention awareness colors. They will be sharing merchandise such T-shirts and other items with this logo to benefit the scholarship.

Additionally, the family launched their Random Acts of Kindness Project last Sunday. Brandon, Buckland and Wehby said, was always doing random things to help out a friend in need. He was never one to talk about what he had done, or draw atten tion to his kindness.

Most of his random acts actually came as a surprise to his fam ily, who heard about them from friends after Brandon passed away.

They request that random acts of kindness be done in Brandon’s name, with the goal of spreading kindness in his name for years to come.

Acts can be small or large. They can be as simple as giving some one a hug or encouraging a friend, thanking someone, smiling at a

stranger, or even buying a stranger a lottery ticket or hot drink. The family has provided more than a dozen suggested examples at www.brandonwehby.com.

The project has already gone international, Buckland said, through her friends in South Africa who have left entries of kind acts.

“The idea of having decadesworth of entries noting random acts of kindness in Brandon’s name is just going to be priceless,” she said.

Raising awareness, business cards with information about the project are available for anyone interested in sharing them while performing random acts of kind ness.

“We’re just trying to help in his honor, moving forward,” Wehby said, “so that hopefully nobody has to go through this. If we can keep just one family from going through this, just one, then it will have been worth it.”

Annual Holiday Parade Returns To Wellington On Sunday, Dec. 11 Down Forest Hill Blvd.

The Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce and the Village of Wellington are proud to announce the 38th annual Wel lington Holiday Parade, presented by Wellington Regional Medical Center.

The event will take place on Sunday, Dec. 11 starting at 1:30 p.m. This year’s theme, “Favorite Holiday Destination,” will be on display as participants ride on

Hill Blvd. for thousands of specta tors to enjoy.

To ensure a safe path for pedes trians, road closures will begin at 1 p.m.

The chamber thanks event part ners Wellington Regional Medical Center, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue.

For volunteer opportunities, visit www.cpbchamber.com or contact Krissy Robbs at krissy@ cpbchamber.com.

Kime Library Resource Center Opens On PBSC’s Lox Groves Campus

The center, located on the third floor of the administration build ing, was made possible through a generous gift from PBSC alumni and philanthropists Julie and John Kime.

The new facility features per sonal computer and study spaces, a kiosk for students to access course materials using their PantherCard and a pin number, books, laptops, calculators, iPads and Magic Leap goggles. The library was previ ously located in a shared space with the Student Learning Center on the first floor.

“We are very thankful for Julie and John. You epitomize true partnership,” said Carolyn Wil liams, chair of PBSC’s board of trustees, during the ceremony. “We appreciate you trusting and believing in the institution and cre ating a legacy at the Loxahatchee Groves campus. The students will benefit from your contribution and dedication.”

Those who also spoke at the event were Kimberly Lancaster, dean of academic affairs for the Loxahatchee Groves and Belle

Also attending from the com munity were: Mary Lou Bedford, CEO of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce; Scott Sweigart, president of the Wellington Chamber of Com merce; Maria Antuña, CEO of the Palm Beach County His panic Chamber of Commerce; Richard Myerson, principal of Loxahatchee Groves Elementary School; Jodi and Allen Gast of Gast Construction Group; and Connie Deaton, owner of GridOne Electrical Construction.

“This is a beautiful campus and building, but the thing that strikes me the most is the people behind this college,” John Kime said. “Ju lie and I truly feel like we belong to the PBSC family, and we thank you for coming today.”

A longtime Wellington business owner, Julie Kime, with the sup port of her husband, has dedicated herself to those in need, giving back to local organizations, sup porting equity, diversity and at-risk youth, and providing resources and

access to education. She is a PBSC scholarship donor and serves as a board member for the Foundation for Palm Beach State College. She won a PBSC 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award in the alumni category for her philan thropic work.

Parker, who also thanked the couple, gave a brief overview of the history of the campus and recognized Loxahatchee Groves Mayor Robert Shorr, Wellington Mayor Anne Gerwig and the West lake Mayor JohnPaul O’Connor, who were all in attendance.

“Thank you so much for be ing with us here, believing in us and trusting us to be a part of

this community,” Parker said. “If you had not chosen to support us, we would have never made it this far.”

Also present were many PBSC staff, faculty and administrators, including Associate Professor Catherine Montero.

“As a faculty member, I have an even greater respect for libraries because they help me expose my students to these new ideas and to use research to challenge those ideas in new ways,” Montero said. “Thank you for providing our stu dents with this cozy place where they can connect with technology, collaborate and come up with these next great ideas that could one

day change the world or even our communities.”

Maria Rivera, a student employ ee, spoke about the importance of the library in elevating the student experience. “This space will al low students to hang outside of class and still be engaged in their homework while also having a social life, which is very hard to

do as a college student,” she said. “Many students, especially in col lege, can’t afford the material that they need for their classes, and this library gives them and myself the opportunity to get them.”

For more information on the PBSC Loxahatchee Groves cam pus, visit www.palmbeachstate. edu/locations/loxahatchee.

HCA Florida Palms West Hospital Accepting Applications For Volunteers

HCA

Hos pital is excited to announce the return of its volunteer program.

Applications are now being ac cepted for volunteers 18 years or older who can serve more than 50 hours annually.

Volunteer opportunities are currently available on Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to

LGLA Yard Sale

Set For Nov. 26

The Loxahatchee Groves Land owners’ Association (LGLA) will host a Community Yard Sale on Saturday, Nov. 26. Space will be available free to LGLA members.

The LGLA will have a space available for donated items to raise money for the scholarship fund. If you have items to donate, e-mail info@mylgla.com to make pickup arrangements, or visit www. mylgla.com and use the registra tion form.

The LGLA was incorporated in 1971 to serve as a united voice to local government agencies and a community organization for land owners to socialize and exchange ideas. In the past, the LGLA has hosted progressive dinner parties, pot lucks, bonfires and hay rides. This year’s yard sale is another opportunity for landowners to highlight the uniqueness of the community, as well as help clean out those closets, sheds and barns.

4:30 p.m., with plans to expand the program to seven days a week in the future.

“Volunteers are an integral part of our hospital, and we’re thrilled to welcome our longserving and new volunteers back to the Palms West family,” Chief Nursing Officer Cheryl Wild said. “Our physicians, nurses and staff

For more info., contact LGLA Communications & Activities Director Lisa El-Ramey at (561) 662-0519 or info@mylgla.com.

Boat Parade Pre-

Meeting

Nov. 19

All boaters interested in partici pating in the “Light up the Lake” Holiday Boat Parade in Wellington on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 6:30 p.m. should contact Jack Brownson at jbrownson@compcast.net. There will be a boater meeting on Sat urday, Nov. 19 at 11 a.m. at the Wellington Community Center, where lighting and decorations, as well as the parade path will be discussed.

Holocaust Survivor Series

At Emerald Cove

On Friday, Dec. 9, Emerald Cove Middle School in Wellington will host its 15th annual Holocaust

members appreciate the help that our volunteers provide, and our patients benefit from our volun teers’ service to care for them during their stay.”

The once-thriving volunteer program was put on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Volunteers who are able to work four-hour shifts, one or several

times a week, should submit an application online and will be subject to an interview so that they may be placed in a capacity that best suits their skills and desire to help.

Volunteers are also subject to a background check, drug screen and take a PDD tuberculin skin test (all provided by the hospital),

NEWS BRIEFS

Survivor Series for all students.

The event is being held through out the day from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. to help remember the horrible atrocities that occurred during World War II. It will be held in the school’s cafeteria with different speakers presenting each period.

The Holocaust Survivor Series brings life to the outrage and hor ror of this painful time in history. Those who lived it will share their private experiences with students. For more information, call Pro gram Organizer Barry Asch at (561) 803-8000.

Reception At Pferdekamper

Studio Nov. 20

Gisela Pferdekamper Studio & Art Gallery will host a reception Sunday, Nov. 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. to welcome Susan Van Wagoner as artist in residence. Other fea tured artists include new works by Pferdekamper, Patricia Ruppert,

and once accepted, attend an ori entation. In return, volunteers will be able to make new friends, enjoy a chance to learn a new skill and help others in their community while developing new interests.

Volunteers will also be invited to an annual recognition banquet, can participate in hospital social activities, receive service pins and

earn a complimentary meal in the cafeteria for each four-hour shift worked.

The application is now avail able at www.palmswesthospital. com, by clicking on “Visitors,” then “Volunteers.” For more information about the volunteer program at Palms West, call Jamil Willcox at (561) 791-8135.

Piano

And

Violin Concert Nov. 18

At St. Michael

On Friday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m., the Orpheus Duo will present a free concert at St. Michael Lutheran Church in Wellington.

The Orpheus Duo, founded in 2018, consists of Dominika and Simon Popovski. Dominika plays the piano, and Simon plays the violin. The concert is titled the “20th Century Music Revolu tion,” and will include the music of Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky and Saint-Saëns. It will be a wonderful evening of music that is free and open to the public.

Dominika is a MacedonianAmerican pianist with two mas ter’s degrees. Throughout her career, she has been a recipient of

numerous awards in international competitions and festivals. She has been a part of the prestigious project “European Piano Reflec tions” organized in five countries: Poland, France, Moldova, North Macedonia and Austria. Dominika has concertized as a solo and chamber musician widely across the U.S. and Europe. Together with her husband, Dominika is the founder and owner of Orpheus Mu sic Studio, a school for piano and violin. Currently, she is working as a pianist, teacher, accompanist and music director at St. Michael.

Simon is also a MacedonianAmerican violinist with two mas ter’s degrees. He has performed as a soloist with the orchestra of Jeunesses Musicales, the Faculty Chamber and Symphony Orches tra, the Philharmonic Orchestra of North Macedonia, the Phil harmonic Orchestra of Florida Atlantic University and many others. He has been a recipient of many international awards from competitions and festivals. Simon

has been a full-time member of the National Philharmonic Orchestra of North Macedonia since 2012. He is currently working at the Palm Beach Opera and as a teacher and performer in Orpheus Duo. St. Michael Evangelical Lu theran Church is located at 1925 Birkdale Drive in Wellington. For more info., call (561) 793-4999 or visit www.stmichaelelc.com.

Wine & Cheese Reception At

Temple Nov. 18

Temple B’nai Jacob of Welling ton invites all current and prospec tive members to a special Wine & Cheese Reception immediately following shabbat services on Friday, Nov. 18. Services begin at 6 p.m. The temple is located in the original Wellington Mall at 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 6. RSVP by calling (561) 793-4347. Learn more about the temple at www.templebnaijacob.com.

Diane Hodges and Mona Snell. Pferdekamper’s studio is located at 14281 Collecting Canal Road in Loxahatchee Groves.

Florida Palms West

The new Julie and John Kime Library Resource Center for stu dents and faculty officially opened Monday, Nov. 14 during a ribboncutting ceremony at Palm Beach State College’s Loxahatchee Groves campus.

Glade campuses, who gave open ing and closing remarks; PBSC President Ava L. Parker, who introduced elected officials; and David Rutherford, vice president of institutional advancement and CEO of the Foundation for Palm Beach State College, who intro duced the Kimes.

John and Julie Kime join VIPs for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

John and Julie Kime have been supporting philanthropic efforts in the western communities and beyond for decades.

floats, decorated vehicles and walk the route of the parade up Forest

Scholarship Announcement — Katherine Martin, a graduate of Palm Beach Code School, joins Brandon Wehby’s family with a commitment to the scholarship. (L-R) Jaden Wehby, Judith Buckland, Brielle Buckland, William Wehby, Katherine Martin and Jason Wehby.

Wellington resident Brandon Wehby died last year after a battle with depression.

The PBCFR Pipes & Drums and Honor Guard with the flags.

PBCFR Station 21’s Lt. Jim Collins, Amy Tamkins, Michael Mirra, Capt. Steve Collins, Darren Romelus and Chris Plonner.

Loxahatchee Groves Vice Mayor Laura Danowski, Mayor Bob Shorr, Councilwoman Marge Herzog and Councilwoman Marianne Miles.

Mayor Bob Shorr and Bill Arcuri read the Pledge of Allegiance and the POW Pledge of Allegiance.

PBSO Mounted Unit volunteers Lloyd Phillips on Pistelero Pete, Alan Weisberg and Sgt. Angel Phillips on Remi.

The PBCFR Pipes and Drums and Honor Guard.

Project 425’s Rick Hauge, Dave Pietrafese, Betsy Textor, Mike Carroll, Michelle Carroll Peterson, Bill Arcuri, Jay Josko and David O’Connell.

The PBSO Honor Guard participates in the ceremony.

Navy veteran Robert Sullivan, Marine Corps veteran Bruce Murray and Navy veteran Bob Shorr.

Participants stand at attention during the ceremony.

Participants gather by the flags at Loxahatchee Groves Town Hall.

Vice Mayor Laura Danowski rides in the parade.

Thanks to a new scan, lung cancer can now be detected early when it’s more curable. Talk to your doctor or visit BaptistHealth.net/LungScreening.

WELLINGTON MURDER MYSTERY DINNER TAKES GUESTS DOWN TO THE BAYOU

The Village of Wellington held its annual Murder Mystery Dinner Theater themed “Murder on the Bayou” on Saturday, Nov. 5 at the Wellington Community Center. New Orleans City Commissioner

Crawfish Jack is preparing to announce the grand marshal of the 2023 Mardi Gras Parade, and competition is fierce. Suddenly Crawfish Jack turns up dead. Whodunit? The dinner guests had to figure it out, while also enjoying a New Orleans-themed costume contest and dance contest.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Wellington staffers Ian Williams, Markus Lockhart, Michelle Garvey, Jeffrey Goldman and Gus Ponce.

The winning team picked “Jumbalia” as the shooter.

Norma and Vaughn Lavigne, Quentin Cates, Adrian and Greg Aronson, and Michelle Cates.

Lorne and Shannon Dueck with Sylvia and Charles Kelemen.

Miranda and Cody Lambert.

Suspect “Fionnuala” (Valerie Jett) sings “I will Survive.”

“Jumbalia” (Robert Kan) confesses to “Detective Richard Head” Todd Vittum.

Dawn and Chriss Kloba.

“Host Crawfish Jack” (James Ferrigno) visits with guests before his murder.

A group of guests arrived as Cajun chefs for the evening.

Danielle and Ed Beardsley.

Garrett and Danielle Pearson.

Danielle Cash and Bob Heathcoe.

Ed and Jill Bennett, Mimi Huertas and Jennifer Forsythe.

Bonnie Brooks, Kim Maisenbacher, Allison Evan and Julia Butcher.

“Host Crawfish Jack” James Ferrigno, “Jumbalia” Robert Kan, “Fionnuala” Valerie Jett, “Detective Richard Head” Todd Vittum, “DJ” Jimmy Carillo, “Anna Louisse” Cathy Rollins and “Creo-Creol” Robert Luisi.

Costume contest winners Miriam Guirgin (ladies), Patricia and Rick Upton (couples) and Craig Van Eaton (men).

McKinlay Looking Back Over Eight Years

continued from page 1 help firefighters deal with health risks.

“Firefighters are increasingly more likely to receive a cancer diagnosis for 22 different types of cancer than the average person because of the on-the-job exposure they face to toxins,” McKinlay said.

She wanted firefighters to be granted the presumption that their illnesses were work-related, pro viding important financial benefits and protections.

“I became frustrated with the legislature failing to pass this into law, so when it was time to negoti ate the employment contracts with the local fire union, I demanded this presumption be included in the contract renewal,” McKinlay said. “It was not met with immediate support from staff, but I pushed anyway. We got it in the contract, the union supported it unanimous ly, and we became the first county

in the State of Florida to offer this coverage to our firefighters.”

Weeks later, she said, the legisla ture “followed our lead and passed this as a statewide requirement for all firefighters in Florida.”

A Democrat, McKinlay was first elected to the county commission in 2014. After serving as mayor in 2017 and 2018, she was re-elected to the commission without oppo sition.

Before that, she advocated for policies helping children and fam ilies as an aide to the Palm Beach County Legislative Affairs Office, among other roles.

One project she helped launch as a legislative aide, and contin ued to support as a commissioner, specializes in care for victims of sexual crimes.

At Wellington Regional Medi cal Center, the county’s first com prehensive sexual assault response care center, Butterfly House, has pioneered ways to collect forensic evidence efficiently while focusing on the comfort and care of victims.

“We developed an award-win ning response team,” McKinlay said. “It’s caring. It’s a warm environment.”

Republican Sara Baxter, a busi

ness owner and Realtor, will suc ceed McKinlay in the District 6 seat. Her campaign web site calls for simplifying regulations, low ering taxes and fees, and avoiding “overdevelopment of our beautiful western communities.”

McKinlay said holding the line on development in unincorporat ed areas was “one of the things I’m most proud of in the western region.”

“There’s a misperception that a lot of development has been ap proved,” she said. “We approved one major project in The Acreage.”

Cities, villages and towns con trol projects within their municipal limits, so the pace of development is not always steered solely by the county commission.

McKinlay’s name came up as a possible Democratic candidate for state agriculture commissioner, but she decided against running. Yet the mother of three said she has not ruled out further public service at some point.

“I had four years, and they gave me another four years to make a difference,” McKinlay said. “I never had a problem going to sleep and being OK with the person in the mirror when I woke up.”

Celtic Angels Christmas At The Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center Nov. 30

Get into the holiday spirit with Celtic Angels Christmas on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center in Belle Glade.

Paired with show-stopping, world-class, champion Irish danc ing, Celtic Angels Christmas is sure to awe and entertain with traditional and contemporary Irish

and holiday tunes. Starring the quintessential vocals of Louise Barry, Olivia Bradley, Michae la Groth, Katie Sweeney and Chloe Haven, these dynamic divas enthrall and delight with their spine-tingling harmonies. Under the watchful eye of Assistant Di rector Sarah Costello, the Celtic Knight Dancers seem to defy

gravity as they command the stage with their powerful, percussive presence. Don’t miss this great show for the whole family.

Tickets can be purchased by calling (561) 993-1160, online at www.dollyhand.org, or visiting the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center Box Office at 1977 SW College Drive in Belle Glade.

Pets Are Family, Too!

By Randall S. Dugal, D.V.M. INDOOR AND OUTDOOR CATS

There are two types of cat owners: those who let their cats roam outside and those who don’t. The reason cat owners choose one over the other can depend on factors other than personal preference. There’s no denying that cats love their independence and lived predominantly outdoors until cat litter became available in the late 1940s. Factors for keeping a feline indoors include those with certain health conditions, their overall safety, or the owner’s living conditions, such as living in a high-rise building. Outdoor cats are given a better opportunity for more natural behavior such as hunting and exploring while also getting stimulation and exercise. Remember, however, that outdoor cats are more susceptible to diseases, natural elements, and predators.

Whether you have an indoor or an outdoor cat, it’s a good idea to know something about emergency care and form a relationship with your veterinarian before the need for acute care arises. The pet that is depending on you needs wellness care as well as emergency care, so you’ll both be glad there’s a place like COMMUNITY ANIMAL HOSPITAL OF ROYAL PALM BEACH. Please call 798-5508 for appointments or emergencies pertaining to your pet’s health. We are conveniently located at 11462 Okeechobee Blvd., 1/4 mile east of Royal Palm Beach Blvd., Where Pets Are Our Passion! OPEN

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P.S. Many cat owners are choosing to set up outdoor cat runs.

The Village of Royal Palm Beach currently has a vacancy for two seats on the Education Advisory Board. The Education Advisory Board meets on the second Monday of the month eight months out of the year, with one special meeting in April of each year for scholarship interviews. All meetings are held in the Village Meeting Hall. Board Members shall meet the following qualifications at the time of their appointment and throughout the course of their service: they must be a Village resident; have a background in education and experience in the field of education; be a member of a parent teacher organization, parent teacher association, school advisory council or other similar organization associated with or sponsored by the school district or a public or charter school located within the Village; or be a parent/legal guardian of a child currently enrolled in a Village public or charter school. Those ineligible to serve on the Board are: employees of the Palm Beach County School District; employees of an organization funded by the School District (e.g. charter school employee); or employees of a charter management organization or charter education management organization. If you would like to volunteer your service and expertise on this local government Board, go to the Village’s website at COMMISSION/BOARD APPLICATION Return the completed application to the Village Clerk’s office no later than 5:00 p.m. on December 7, 2022 for Council consideration at its December 15, 2022 meeting. If further information is desired, please call the Village Clerk at (561) 790-5102.

By: Diane DiSanto, MMC, Village Clerk

Get into the holiday spirit with Celtic Angels Christmas.

RED, WHITE & BLUE JEANS ‘A SALUTE TO OUR HEROES’ PATRIOTIC EVENT

The

Nov. 11

had a re cord-breaking turnout at the 2022 Red, White & Blue Jeans “A Salute to Our Heroes”

Tom & Regis Wen ham, Ruby

Thanks in part to Diamond

The night was filled with touching ceremonial mo ments, which honored not only all the veterans in atten dance, but also those who did not make it home. The event began and ended with an empty chair ceremony led by veteran Al Ziker.

would go without if not for the help of their neighbors.

For more information about how to become involved, visit www.wellingtoncommunityfoundation.org. The foun dation only exists because of the generosity of others.

Wellington

Center, and Table

Seacoast Bank, Palm Beach Urology, Lesser Lesser Landy & Smith, Boynton Financial Group, Dr. & Mrs. Gordon Johnson, Terri Kane, Jim & Paula Sackett, Medicare Maggie, Wellington The Magazine/Town-Crier Newspaper, along with all of the donors, supporters and community partners, the foundation has raised more than $100,000 to date with donations still coming in.

The foundation continues to support and improve the quality of life for some of Wellington’s most vulnerable residents by providing food, home repairs for seniors, school uniforms, backpacks, camp programs, equestrian programs for disabled students, school grants, college scholarships, as well as packages that include socks, underwear, sneakers and an age-appropriate gift for children to open on Christmas morning, many of whom

Consider donating and help them in “Building A Stronger Community.”

Held on Veterans Day, the evening honored all who served. Shown here, veterans in attendance gather for a group photo.

Barry Manning with community partners Amit and Priti Patel.

“Friends of the Foundation” Julie Kime, Terri Kane, Lizz & Mickey Smith, and John McGovern with WCF Chair Tom Wenham.

Carolyn and RPB Councilman Jeff Hmara, Tom Wenham, Wellington Councilman John McGovern, Regis Wenham, Mayor Anne Gerwig and Village Manager Jim Barnes. John and Julie Kime with Lizz and Mickey Smith.

Jim Sackett, Dr. Gordon Johnson, and Jennifer and Nigel Baker.

Bob Borman, Susan Rush, Tara Jacobs, Jasen Butler, Mike and Phyllis Gauger, Laura Gauger, Michael Gauger, and Matt and Alice Saroka.

Grandson Eric, 103-year-old veteran Martin Denenberg, son Ellis and Tom Wenham. Scott and Mary Lou Bedford with Don and Maureen Gross.

Alex Wooldridge, Joanna and Ben Boynton, and Jennifer Robinson.

(Seated) Ellis, Martin and Eric Denenberg; and (standing) American Legion Vice Commander Larry Williams, Dr. Gordon Johnson, Ramon Silvacoll and Commander Robert Nappi.

Wellington Community Foundation

event held Friday,

at the Wellington National Golf Club.

Sponsor

Sponsor

Regional Medical

Sponsors

Nikki Stinson, Walter and Joan Imperatore, David and Marilyn Berns, Don and Maureen Gross, Steve and Allyson Samiljan, and Brian Stinson.

Foundation Chair Tom Wenham with 103-year-old WWII veteran Martin Denenberg, who was honored.

Samantha and Daniel Rubin, Pam Tahan, Jeremy Ring, Christopher Maher, Edlira Maska, and Raj and Urmila Bansal.

Dr. Gordon Johnson, Barry Manning, Terri Kane and Tammy Pearson, the winner of the patriotic quilt.

Bill Graves, Theo Tarantini, Cathy Tarantini, Terri Kane, Kelley Allen, Rachael Franks, Stephen Franks, Linda Graves, Scott Zahner and Tammy Pearson.

Sharon and Ernie Zimmerman, Al and Beverly Ziker, Mr. and Mrs. Laurene Williams, and Capt. and Mrs. Rolando Silva.

Mickey Smith, Mair and Scott Armand, Moria and Al Malefatto, Mary Lou and Scott Bedford, John and Julie Kime, and Lizz Smith, sponsored by Lesser,Lesser, Landy & Smith.

Dina and John Sitomer, Chris and Kate Fratalia, Dr. Sasha Johnson, Dr. Catherine Lowe and Dr. Linda Johnson.

Maggie Zeller, Sabrina Zeller, Chris Zeller, Dr. Maurice and Maria Cruz, Amy and Andrew Burr, Leo Buquicchio, Suzie Mistretta, and Kayla and Adam Zeller.

Decorating Committee members Colette Cardinale, Mary Ann Robinson, Berit Hogan and Lee Messina by a jukebox created by Carolyn Hmara.

Hildi Wanklyn, Francine Bryant, Eleanor Rosenshein and Carol Gabriel.

John and Carol Dingler, Chris Englestadt, Dave Merrick and Vernalyn Rowe.

Wayne L with Elvis contestants Kevin Foster, Francisco Ramos, Jerry Small, Andres Palacio and Jeff Hmara.

Rosemarie Hosford, Marilyn Hill, Toni Leavitt and June Brack.

Jose and Angela Delatorre.

Hospitality Committee members Dolly Hughes, Vinette Tracey, Hilary Varlack and Lorna Pearson.

Bebe and Bibi Zwan, Janice Cornett and Mary Bacquain by the jukebox.

Dave Merrick, Carol Dingler and Chris Englestadt.

Shakeera Thomas with entertainer Wayne L.

Kevin Foster as Elvis.

Vinette Tracey, Lorna Pearson, Dolly Hughes, Hilary Varlack, Hildi Wanklyn, Francine Bryant and Eleanor Rosenschein.

Mayor Fred Pinto looks over Councilman Jeff Hmara’s medal for impersonating Elvis as Carolyn Hmara looks on.

PTA’S ANNUAL CARNIVAL RETURNS TO BINKS FOREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The popular Buck Off Chal lenge, the largest fundraiser for the nonprofit Southeast Florida Honor Flight, focuses on fun for a good cause.

The Buck Off Challenge is an entertaining, family-friendly com petition pitting a lively mechanical bull against more than 50 competi tors on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, at 6 p.m. on the boardwalk behind the Wellington Community Center.

Last year’s event raised more than $65,000. Each flight costs about $120,000, according to chairman Janet Hoose. The first two flights in 2023 are scheduled for April 15 and May 20.

A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are available, ranging from $500 to $15,000. VIP tables of 10 are $750, and single VIP reserved seats are available for $75. VIP tickets include dinner

and a cash bar. General admission is based on an optional donation; bringing your own chairs is encour aged, as general seating is limited.

The event is being co-sponsored by the Village of Wellington for the second consecutive year. To regis ter a team or purchase tickets, visit www.honorflightsefl.org/events.

The Buck Off Challenge ben efits Southeast Florida Honor Flight, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that flies World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans from Palm Beach Inter national to Washington, D.C., four times a year free of charge to visit the memorials built to honor their service and sacrifices.

Four-person teams compete in the Buck Off Challenge, where in dividual rides are scored by a panel of celebrity judges and totaled to determine the winning team.

Riders are scored on their ability to stay on the bull while keeping one hand in the air at all times, and the style of the ride. Higher scores may be achieved for character, team spirit and costumes. Prizes are awarded to the top three teams. The entry fee is $100 per team.

The Southeast Florida Honor Flight is a day devoted to honoring the local men and women who served the country in conflicts around the globe. For the veterans, it is a day to reflect on those heroes who never came home, connecting with fellow military compatriots and the fact that America has not forgotten them. For everyone else, it is day focused on thanking these courageous men and women for their service.

The Buck Off Challenge is a fundraising event started by Wellington’s Bobbi Rottman of

Eques Solutions, which primarily specializes in bringing the eques trian community and businesses together. Rottman and her team started this event more than 10 years ago, and for the last five years, Southeast Florida Honor Flight has been the beneficiary. They spend months going over every detail to make sure that the nonprofit receives enormous sup port from the community.

“This event is not your normal fundraiser, it is funny, exciting and touching all at the same time,” Rottman said. “We have attendees ranging from WWII veterans to children, and riders who have nev er ridden anything to riders who have sat on real bulls. I wanted a fundraiser that everyone is wel come to attend. The community needs to be educated on the fact that Southeast Florida Honor

Everyone is welcome to participate in the Buck Off Challenge.

Flight touches a lot of lives, and with no discounts from airlines, the raising of funds for them is important.”

For more information about

Southeast

On Saturday, Nov. 12, the Binks Forest Elementary School PTA held its annual carnival fundraiser, bringing hundreds of students and parents to the school for a fun afternoon. Vendors and bounce houses were around the school for all the kids to enjoy, and there was plenty of food and refreshments available for purchase. There were also several special performances, such as those from the Palm Beach Academy of Dance Arts, Topflight Martial Arts and the school’s cheerleading squad. Also popular were the many creative baskets available in the raffle.

PHOTOS BY ERIN DAVISSON//TOWN-CRIER

Lauren Fernandez, Dacee Olsen and Caroline Epstein.

Principal Michella Levy (center) with representatives of the Binks Forest Elementary School PTA. The cheerleaders perform.

There were dozens of gift basket raffles for attendees to win.

Students from Topflight Martial Arts took part in a demonstration.

Students from the Palm Beach Academy of Dance Arts perform.

The Village of Royal Palm Beach, in conjunction with American Legion Post 367, presented “Honoring All Who Served,” a special Veterans Day breakfast event at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural

Center on Friday, Nov. 11. Special guest speakers included Major Raymond Nagley and Sgt. 1st Class Angel Lantigua. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

PBCFR’s Ian Chinloy, Capt. Jason Cohen, EMS Capt. Darwin Zelaya and Chris McPherson.

The Royal Palm Beach Community Band Ensemble plays patriotic music.

American Legion Honor Guard members John Boulon, Daryl Walcher, Jack Martin and Jerry Lawson.

RPB Councilman Jeff Hmara, Councilwoman Jan Rodusky, Councilman Richard Valuntas, Vice Mayor Selena Samios and Mayor Fred Pinto.

Chaplain Leonard Finkelstein, Major Raymond Nagley, Sgt. 1st Class Angel Lantigua and Sgt. 1st Class Johnny Castro.

Lou Villano sings the national anthem.

Carolyn Hmara and County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay.

U.S. Air Force veterans Jeff Fleischman and Daryl Ringoff.

(Seated) Loxahatchee Groves Councilwoman Marge Herzog and her daughter Linda Ann Musgrove with Angel and Halo; and (standing) Carol Perrine, Connie Kramer and Deidre Krause.

Major Raymond Nagley, American Legion Post 367 Commander Johnny Castro, Master Sgt. Chuck Eigner, RPB Councilman Jeff Hmara (retired U.S. Army colonel) and Sgt. 1st Class Angel Lantigua.

Jake Hampu of Unified Dream with Councilman Jeff Hmara.

RPB Mayor Fred Pinto addresses the gathering.

Guest Speaker Major Raymond Nagley.

Guest Speaker Sgt. 1st Class Angel Lantigua.

SPORTS & RECREATION

P.B. Central’s Season Continues After Big Win Against Jupiter

By Mike May Town-Crier Staff Report

The beat goes on for the Palm Beach Central High School varsity football team. After completing the regular season with a 9-1 record — which included a 41-14 districtclinching win against Wellington High School on Oct. 28 and an exciting regular-season-ending 34-28 victory over Miami Carol City on Nov. 4 — the Broncos advanced to the first round of the Florida High School Athletic As sociation’s (FHSAA) Class 4M, Region 3 playoffs.

In the first playoff game, which was delayed to Monday, Nov. 14 due to Hurricane Nicole, the Bron cos hosted Jupiter High School. It

didn’t take long for Palm Beach Central to establish its dominance.

The Broncos took an early 3-0 lead on a field goal by placekicker Ethan Dagostino, to conclude their opening drive. The Jupiter defense was able to hinder Palm Beach Central’s offense by intercept ing two of quarterback Ahmad Haston’s passes in the first half. But Haston eventually connected with receiver Javorian Wimberly on a 79-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, which gave the Broncos a 10-0 halftime lead.

The third quarter featured an explosive offensive display by the Broncos, as they outscored the visiting Warriors 30-7. That third-quarter barrage featured a

rushing touchdown by Haston and a pair of touchdown passes from Haston to Wimberly and to Luby Maurice Jr. The star of Palm Beach Central’s defense and special teams was senior safety Justin Bostic, who grabbed an interception, returned a punt for a touchdown and recovered an onside kick. The Broncos, now 10-1 and the top seed in Region 3, cruised to a 46-7 victory.

The Broncos’ next game will be played Friday, Nov. 18 at home against Marjory Stoneman Doug las High School from Parkland. The visiting Eagles (8-3), ranked as the fifth seed in Region 3, will be riding a seven-game winning streak. The game is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. With a victory against Parkland, the Broncos will host the Region 3 finale on Friday, Nov. 25, which will pit the Bron cos against either the Monarch Knights from Coconut Creek or the Palm Beach Gardens Gators. To win the state championship, the Broncos need to win five postsea son games.

Two other area high schools — Wellington and the King’s Academy — also had FHSAA re gional playoff games on Monday, Nov. 14.

Wellington traveled north to Palm Beach Gardens High School to play the Gators in a Class 4M, Region 3 first-round matchup. Af ter the first quarter, the game was

tied 7-7, but Palm Beach Gardens responded with 23 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a commanding 30-7 lead at halftime. While Wellington kept the Gators scoreless in the second half, the visiting Wolverines could only respond with six points in the fourth quarter, eventually falling 30-13.

Wellington’s leading player was quarterback Ryan Anthony who ran for 79 yards, passed for 169 yards and threw a fourthquarter touchdown pass to Vincent Soriero. Wellington running back Garrens Catul scored Wellington’s first touchdown on a first-quarter run. The Wolverines concluded their second season under head coach Danny Mendoza with a 6-5 record.

The Lions from TKA also had a first-round regional game in Class 2M, Region 3. The Lions played the Tigers from Boynton Beach High School. The Lions entered the game with an 8-2 record, hav ing won seven out of their last eight games. With TKA as the number-five seed in Region 3 and Boynton Beach as the number-four seed in Region 3, it was expected to be a closely contested game — and it was, with Boynton Beach winning by three, 29-26.

The Lions established early con trol in the game as they led 20-7 at halftime. In the second half, the Tigers used a rushing attack led

by brothers Bobby “Fat” Smith and Bobby Smith Jr. to tie the game late in the fourth quarter and eventually take the lead, 26-20.

The Lions scored a game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter to knot the score, 26-26, but a successful two-point conversion attempt by TKA was negated by an “assisting the runner” call by the officials, which was questioned

by

McEnroe.

Without the penalty, the Lions would have taken a potentially game-winning 28-26 lead. In the end, the difference was a fourth quarter, game-winning field goal by Boynton Beach placekicker Derek Cole. With that seasonending defeat, the Lions finished with an 8-3 record.

Local Swimmers Compete At The FHSAA State Championships

By Mike May Town-Crier Staff Report

Three high schools from the western communities — Welling ton, Palm Beach Central and Semi nole Ridge — were represented recently at the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Swimming & Diving State Championships at the Sailfish Splash Waterpark in Stuart. The FHSAA’s Class 3A state meet was held Friday, Nov. 4, and the Class 4A state meet was conducted on Saturday, Nov. 5.

There were eight swimmers — four boys and four girls — who swam in the Class 4A state meet from Wellington.

The four boys were freshman Andreas DaSilva, junior Caleb DaSilva, senior Lleyton Jobin and freshman Dillon Metz. The DaSil va boys are brothers. Andreas swam in the 100-yard backstroke,

while Caleb competed in the sprint races: the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle. As a group, the four boys from WHS also swam in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

The four girls from WHS were sophomore Leorah Rotchin, senior Jessica Smith, freshman Natalie Honzik and sophomore Mack enzie Ocasio. Rotchin and Smith competed in individual races, while the four girls competed as a unit in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Rotchin competed in the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle, while Smith swam in the 500-yard freestyle.

In the boys 100-yard back stroke, Andreas DaSilva qualified for the consolation B final, where he finished in 16th place with a time of 53.77 seconds. Caleb DaSilva advanced to the cham pionship A finals in both the boys

50-yard and 100-yard freestyle. He was one of only three boys who qualified for the champion ship A finals in both.

In the morning prelims of the 50-yard freestyle, Caleb had the fifth-fastest qualifying time of 21.27 seconds. That propelled him to the championship A final, where he improved his time to 21.01 seconds and finished in fifth place, which was less than four-tenths of a second behind the winning time of 20.65 seconds by Marcoauree lio Lopez-Casula of Miami Beach High School. In the boys 100-yard freestyle, Caleb’s morning pre liminary time was 46.11, which was the fourth-fastest time in the event, and the third-fastest 100yard freestyle time in history of the swimming program at Wellington High School. That evening, Caleb swam the four-lap sprint in 46.40

seconds and finished in seventh place. The winning time was 45.25 by George Gonzalez of G. Holmes Braddock High School.

In the boys 400-yard freestyle relay, the team of DaSilva, DaSil va, Tobin and Metz advanced to the consolation B final with a morning preliminary time of 3:14.44. In the evening consola tion B final, Wellington finished second, which earned the Wolver ines an overall 10th-place finish in the event, with a time of 3:14.77.

In the girls 200-yard freestyle, Rotchin swam the eight-lap race in 1:55.56. That time earned her a spot in the consolation B final, where she lowered her time to 1:55.30, fast enough for 16th place. In the girls 500-yard free style, both Smith and Rotchin qualified for the consolation B final. Smith swam the consolation final in 5:04.72 (14th place), and Rotchin’s time was 5:11.38 (16th place).

In the girls 400-yard freestyle relay, the team of Rotchin, Ocasio, Honzik and Smith earned a spot in the consolation B final. That group swam the 16-lap relay race in 3:44.31, eventually finishing in 15th place.

Wellington High School swim ming coach Richard Whalen was delighted with the effort by his swimmers.

“Caleb DaSilva did a great job at the state meet in his two sprint freestyle events,” said Whalen, who has been coaching high school swimming at WHS for the last 17 years. “The boys 400-yard freestyle relay went really well. For the girls, Jessica Smith and Leorah Rotchin swam well, as did freshman Andreas DaSilva in the 100-yard backstroke. The future of Wellington swimming is very bright.”

Palm Beach Central High School was represented by two girls — Ekaterina Malyshev and Madison Tuner — at the Class 4A championships. Malyshev, a fresh man, swam in the girls 200-yard individual medley (IM), where she

advanced to the consolation B fi nal. In the morning prelims, Maly shev recorded a time of 2:08.82 in the 200-yard IM. That evening, she cut nearly two seconds off her time by swimming the race in 2:06.85, finishing in 10th place. In the girls 100-yard breaststroke, Malyshev had another impressive showing, winning the consolation B final with a time of 1:05.69. The win in that race earned her an overall ninth-place finish in the event.

Tuner, a diver, competed in the girls one-meter diving competi tion. She advanced to the finals of the competition, eventually finishing in 15th place with 320.90 points.

In the overall team race, the Wellington girls recorded 11 points, good enough for 33rd

place, while the boys earned 41 points, which placed them in 18th place. Malyshev and Tuner were responsible for all of Palm Beach Central’s 18 points, which gave the Bronco girls a 23rd-place showing. Seminole Ridge had three divers who competed in the girls onemeter diving competition at the Class 3A championships. They were sophomore Kailey Bigwood, sophomore Zoey Hayden and ju nior Sophia Roberts. Bigwood and Hayden were two of the 16 divers that advanced to the finals. Big wood earned 357.15 points (eighth place) and Hayden had 347.85 points (tenth place). Roberts did not advance past the semifinal round of the diving competition. She finished in 19th place with 198.85 points.

Swimmers from Wellington Wahoos Swim Club who competed for their respective high schools at the Class 4A state swim meet in cluded: (front row) Natalie Honzik (Wellington), Mackenzie Ocasio (Wellington), Jessica Smith (Wellington) and Ekaterina Malyshev (Palm Beach Central); and (back row) Andreas DaSilva (Welling ton), Dillon Metz (Wellington), Eric Tauskela (Park Vista), Lleyton Jobin (Wellington) and Caleb DaSilva (Wellington).

PHOTOS COURTESY RICHARD WHALEN

Palm Beach Central on the left and Carol City is on the right at the line of scrimmage. PHOTO BY ROBERT WILLIAMSON

The Palm Beach Central Broncos take the field for the Oct. 28 game against visiting Wellington High School.

PHOTO BY MIKE MAY/TOWN-CRIER

first-year TKA head coach Ben

Wellington High School brothers Caleb and Andreas DaSilva at the Class 4A state swimming finals.

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King’s Academy Swimmers Are Ready To Swim Fast At States

By Mike May Town-Crier Staff Report

A year ago, at the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Class 1A State Swimming & Div ing Championships, the King’s Academy Lions had very strong performances by its boys and girls swimming and diving teams. In the team points competition, the boys finished in second place, and the girls finished in fourth place. Both were program-best performances.

On Friday, Nov. 18, this year’s FHSAA Class 1A State Swimming & Diving Championships return to the Sailfish Splash Waterpark in Stuart. A number of swimmers from TKA will be competing again at the meet, which was postponed a week due to Hurricane Nicole.

At the state swim finals, every swimmer will swim his or her

races during the morning prelimi nary session, where there are usu ally three heats of swimmers for each event with eight swimmers in each heat. Of those 24 swim mers who compete in the morning preliminaries, the top eight will advance to the championship A finals that evening. The next fastest eight will advance to the consola tion B finals. This year, there are actually three events — the girls 50-yard freestyle, the boys 50-yard freestyle and the boys 100-yard freestyle — with 25 swimmers, which will require four heats.

In the relays, there are 21 teams in each of the three relays — the 200-yard medley relay, the 200yard freestyle relay and the 400yard freestyle relay. The top 16 relay teams will advance to either the championship A finals or the

consolation B finals that evening. In the all-important race for the team title, points will be awarded for swimmers and relay teams that compete in either the champion ship or consolation finals. More points are awarded to the swim mers in the championship final than in the consolation final. In the relays, the points are doubled.

According to TKA boys head swim coach Jonathan Zuchowski and girls head swim coach Gina Proscia, the school has a team in all three relays for both boys and girls. TKA’s girls 200-yard medley relay team has the fastest seed time in the event (1:43.40) and is the favorite to win. Not only will this squad be chasing a state championship, TKA’s quartet of swimmers will also be looking to break the existing state record

in the event (1:42.34), which was set by Gainesville’s Buchholz High School in 2017. In the girls 200-yard medley relay, the four members of the squad are senior Ava Fasano (backstroke), junior Alyssa Bozzuto (breaststroke), sophomore Emma Herrera (but terfly) and senior Julianna Bell (freestyle). The foursome holds the school record in this event. In the event last year, TKA finished second to the Bolles School from Jacksonville.

In the girls 200-yard freestyle relay, TKA had the eighth-fastest seed time and is seeded fourth in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Both units are expected to advance to the championship finals on Friday night.

In the three boys relays, TKA is seeded fifth in the 200-yard medley relay, eighth in the 200yard freestyle relay and fourth in the 400-yard freestyle relay. In the individual events, TKA has eight girls and five boys competing.

Proscia is delighted with the commitment to excellence dis played by her swimmers this fall. “This season has been an incred ible dream come true,” Proscia said. “God has blessed our team in so many ways. We’ve seen can cer being healed before our very eyes among coaches, parents and grandparents on our team. Coach Jonathan Zuchowski and I were very protective of this season and have tried daily to keep swimming and honoring God our daily focus. The girls are having an incredible season together, and we are grate ful for this special time we’ve shared. I am so proud of each of these young ladies and the way they flourished throughout the entire season.”

This fall, the girls from TKA won their Class 1A district meet, their Class 1A Region 4 regional meet and the Palm Beach County Championships.

At states, in the girls 200-yard freestyle, sisters Kiersten Munna and Paige Munna will be repre senting TKA. Kiersten, a sopho more, is seeded seventh, while Paige, a senior, is the 23rd seed. At last year’s state meet, Kiersten finished eighth in the 200-yard freestyle.

In the girls 200-yard individual medley, senior Amanda Loo mis, currently seeded 20th, will be looking to crack the top 16 and advance to swim on Friday night. In the girls 50-yard freestyle, the

Lions have three swimmers — Aly Bozzuto, Ava Fasano and Julianna Bell — competing in the race. In the 50-yard freestyle, Bozzuto is the top seed with a seed time of 23.42. She has a strong chance to win the state title. Last year, Boz zuto finished eighth, while Fasano, who is seeded fourth, was fourth in the 50-yard freestyle. Bell is seeded 16th this year. In the 50yard freestyle, TKA is one of three schools with three swimmers in the field.

In the girls 100-yard butterfly, sophomore Emma Herrera is the sole swimmer from TKA in the race. She is seeded third with a time of 55.65 and is a strong favor ite to advance to the championship final on Friday night. At last year’s Class 1A meet, Herrera swam the 200-yard individual medley and the 500-yard freestyle.

In the girls 100-yard freestyle, TKA has three swimmers com peting. They are Kiersten Munna, Madison Sipowski and Julianna Bell. Munna is the sixth seed, Sipowski is the 11th seed and Bell is seeded 17th.

In the girls 500-yard freestyle, Emma Herrera and Paige Munna will be swimming this 20-lap race for the Lions. Herrera had the third-fastest seed time, while Munna is seeded 17th. At this event last year, Herrera earned a spot in the championship final and finished eighth, while Munna swam in the consolation final and was 16th.

In the girls 100-yard backstroke, Ava Fasano returns and is looking to improve upon her eighth-place finish in 2021. Fasano has the 14th-fastest seed time this year.

In the girls 100-yard breast

stroke, Ally Bozzuto and Madison Sipowski qualified again in this event. Bozutto is the top seed this year with an automatic AllAmerican time of 1:02.41, while Sipowski, a senior, is seeded sixth this year. Both girls are expected to advance to the championship final.

Last year in the girls 100-yard breaststroke, Bozutto was seventh, and Sipowski was 13th.

In the girls one-meter diving competition, the sole TKA diver is senior Madison Okon, who will be looking to improve upon her 14th-place finish last year. She is seeded seventh this year.

In the boys races, juniors Noah Smith and Noah Engstrom will be swimming in the 50-yard freestyle. Smith is seeded fifth this year (21.31) and Engstrom is seeded 11th (21.72). The difference in seed times between top-seeded Andrew Kravchenko of Bolles and Smith is .61 seconds, while Eng strom’s seed time is 1.02 seconds behind Kravchenko.

In the boys 100-yard freestyle, Engstrom is joined by teammate Hamilton Gates. Engstrom is the 17th seed (48.35), and Gates is the 23rd seed (48.80).

In the boys 100-yard back stroke, Noah Smith and Hamilton Gates will compete. Smith has a strong chance to win the state title, as he is seeded second (50.45) and is expected to be swimming in the championship final. With a heat time of 54.93, Gates is seeded 16th.

In the boys 100-yard breast stroke, Tyler Wilkinson and Timo thy McQueeney will be represent ing the Lions. Wilkinson is the 17th seed, and McQueeney is the 18th seed.

The King’s Academy girls swimming team were the 2022 regional champions. PHOTOS COURTESY TIM MCQUEENEY

The King’s Academy girls swimming team at the Palm Beach County Championships.

The King’s Academy boys swim team took second place at the Palm Beach County Championships.

USA Claims Silver Medal In XII FIP World Polo Championship

In a successful and monumental debut for the USPA-owned facil ity, the National Polo Center-Wel lington (NPC) took center stage from Saturday, Oct. 29 through Sunday, Nov. 6 with the global XII FIP World Polo Championship.

The competition welcomed eight talented teams from across the world for ultimate international polo glory, including Argentina, Australia, Italy, Mexico, Pakistan, Spain, Uruguay and the United States. Outfitting the teams with official performance jerseys and equipment as the official apparel partner and presenting sponsor, U.S. Polo Assn. was proud to join forces once again with the FIP World Polo Championship to promote the brand.

Visiting teams arrived by Wednesday, Oct. 26 and drew one of eight evenly matched strings of 22 horses provided by J5 Equestrian, then spent time leading up to the first day of com petition riding and practicing them to develop strategies. Bracket play began on Saturday, Oct. 29, and the competition officially started in grand fashion with the Open ing Ceremony at NPC, which featured a team parade in classic cars and plenty of sideline spirit from spectators.

Over the course of the weeklong event, Team USA (Agustin Arellano, Lucas Escobar, Nico Escobar, Jake Klenter, Hope Arel

lano, Joaquin Avendaño and Nico Diaz Alberdi) and Spain (Nicolas “Tuki” Ruiz Guiñazu, Luis Dom necq Carrión, Pelayo Berazadi Rózpide and Nicolas Álvarez Cervera) rose to the top of the competition. Both captured a 3-1 record entering the final.

In their opening match, USA triumphed 9-4 over Australia, establishing their position as one of the tournament’s dominant competitors. A slight setback fol lowed, falling to Italy 6-4. Desper ate for a win in order to qualify for the semifinal round, USA worked tirelessly in a physically and men tally exhausting battle to edge out Uruguay 7.5-7. In USA’s semifinal match, Hope Arellano entered the playing field substituting for Jake Klentner. Making history, the 19-year-old polo phenom became the first woman to compete for the United States in an FIP World Polo Championship. Her addition to the starting lineup continued USA’s forward momentum, allowing the two sets of siblings to emerge with an electrifying 9-8 overtime win against the defending cham pions and competition favorites, Argentina.

Spain’s journey mirrored that of the USA. An initial triumph over Pakistan 9-7.5 was followed by a dominant performance over Mexico 11-4.5. Already quali fied for the semifinals by record, Spain suffered a setback in their

third match of bracket play, fall ing to Argentina 6-3.5. The team bounced back and secured an assertive 10.5-7 semifinal win against Uruguay to earn their place in the title match.

USA and Spain met on NPC’s immaculate U.S. Polo Assn. Field One in front of a sold-out grand stand crowd. At the outset of play, an early Penalty 1 automatic goal in favor of Spain sparked mo mentum for the European team, with Guiñazú drawing first blood from the field. In response, Hope and Agustin Arellano combined forces in an outstanding display of teamwork to get USA on the scoreboard, ending the chukker with Spain holding a 2-1 edge.

Digging deep to take control of the game in the second chukker, USA’s Lucas Escobar maneu vered his way to goal twice, while his brother Nico capitalized on Spain’s mistakes to successfully convert two penalties. Agustin Arellano added one of his own to make it a stand-out five-goal chukker for the hometown team. With just one goal off the mallet of Rózpide, the USA dominated to double up on Spain 6-3 at the end of chukker.

Eager for a comeback in the third, Rózpide and Guiñazú com bined for two goals each, outscor ing the USA. Hammering down on defense, Spain held USA to just two field goals off the mallet of

Nico Escobar. Closing the gap be tween the two contenders, at half time the USA led 8-7. Both teams hoping to replicate early success, the fourth chukker featured intense play and impeccable defense. Each team was only able to score once. Nico Escobar made the first move, with Rózpide responding to prolong the one-goal differential, now 9-8, USA still on top.

With the fifth chukker serving as the final period of regulation play, Hope Arellano worked quickly to create more space between the USA and Spain with a field goal, but a series of mistakes from USA turned into game-changing op portunities for Spain. Rózpide first successfully converted a Penalty 2, followed by another from Carrión, landing his chance at goal late in the chukker to put the game in a 10-10 deadlock and force over time. Fierce play on both ends kept the match going through the overtime chukker’s halfway point, but a foul from USA gave Spain yet another penalty opportunity, which Rózpide masterfully scored sending the ball high above the USA defenders to capture Spain’s first FIP World Polo Champion ship title.

For his five-goal performance, golden goal and leadership on the field, Spain’s Pelayo Be razadi Rózpide was named Most Valuable Player. His third and fifth chukker horse, J5 Matilde,

was awarded Best Playing Pony honors.

An event that was years in the making, USPA Executive Direc tor of Services Carlucho Arellano expressed how meaningful the success of the competition was, especially after meticulous plan ning efforts. “One thing that I promised when the U.S. was still bidding to be the host of the world championship was that we would give the world the very best of the USPA — the very best horses we could find, the very best venue and the very best service,” he said. “I think all of that planning really translates into good polo.”

execute

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also described his pride in being a part of the team to bring the FIP World Polo Championship to the U.S. “I think that the event went smoothly and exceeded all expectations,” he said. “FIP and the teams were really impressed with all the at tention to detail and the level of fields, horses and accommoda tion. It was the perfect event to present the National Polo CenterWellington to the world.”

Wellington Roller Hockey Association Highlights From Week #5

13.

Learn

thers engaged in a see-saw battle Sunday that wasn’t determined until late in the third period. The Rangers scored early for a 1-0 lead after the first, and the teams were 3-3 after two periods. Jameson Quintus

16 shots in victory for the Rang ers, while Blake Stephan made 19 saves in a solid effort for the Panthers.

Prep Rangers 5, Prep Stars 2 — The Prep Rangers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead over the Stars after one period. The Stars scored late in the second to trail 3-1 after two periods, but the Rangers added a pair in the third to top the Stars 5-2. The Rangers were led by Elam Jacobs’ hat trick, and goals by Jameson Quintus and Andres Suarez Paz. Stars scoring came from Rimon Ghawali and Drew Cohen, each chipping in a goal. Shayla Candela added an assist for her first point of the year. Justine Spina of the Rangers was spectacular in the net, making 13 saves in the victory. Jace Stephan kept the game close for the Stars.

Junior Panthers 13, Junior Bruins 7 — The Junior Panthers

erased an early first period deficit to tie the Bruins 3-3 after one. In the second, the teams traded goals and were again tied at 6-6 after two periods. The Panthers erupted for seven goals in the third to top the Bruins 13-7. The Panthers were led by Timothy Holmes’ seven goals. Jameson Quintus also had a big afternoon, adding four goals for the Panthers, while Alec Hirsch notched his first 2 goals of the season. Matthew Taylor led the Bruins with a pair of goals and a pair of assists (four points). Sean Gianotti added a hat trick (three goals) for the Bruins. James Quin tus secured a victory in the net in his debut for the Panthers, while making nine saves. Ava Taylor faced 34 shots in a valiant effort for the Bruins.

Learn more about the league at www.wellingtonrollerhockey. com.

The Wellington Roller Hockey Association continued its season at Village Park on Sunday, Nov.

Below are capsule summaries of Week 5 games.

to Skate Panthers — The Learn to Skate Panthers have been

meeting Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. with coaches Ruben and Rob ert, and several other volunteers. This is the league’s largest group of Saturday skaters in recent years.

Prep Rangers 6, Prep Panthers 4 — The Prep Rangers and Pan

scored three of his six

goals in the final period and staked the Rangers to a 6-3 lead they would not relinquish. The Panthers were led by Nolan Cohen’s three goals. Christopher Akner scored for the Panthers late to tighten the score. Justin Spina turned away

(Left) Andres Suarez Paz carries for the Prep Rangers with Ava Taylor of the Prep Stars in pursuit. (Right) A Learn to Skate Panthers team photo,

FIP Tournament Coordinator Felipe Del Sel, one of the many contributors who worked tire lessly behind the scenes to help organize and

the

national event,

Team USA — Coach Julio Arellano, Hope Arellano, Agustin Arel lano, Lucas Escobar, Nico Escobar, assistant coach Jesse Bray, Jake Klentner, Nico Diaz Alberdi and Joaquin Avendaño, pictured with USPA President Charles Smith. PHOTO BY DAVID LOMINSKA

St. Michael Church Hosts Reformation Celebration

St. Michael Lutheran Church, located at 1925 Birkdale Drive in Wellington, celebrated Refor mation Sunday on Oct. 30. Red is the color of the church celebrating Reformation, and the congrega tion dressed in red to add to the festivities.

Dawn Favata interviewed Brother Martin Luther (Rev. Sid Nelson) during the service when he spoke of his decision to nail his 95 theses to the church door

to question church practices of the time that he did not feel were rooted in the Bible.

His intention was to start a dialogue, not a new religion. However, this event did lead to the formation of the Protestant Church and is considered the birth of the Lutheran Church.

At the conclusion of the church service, the congregation enjoyed breakfast and fellowship. Learn more at www.stmichaelelc.com.

Wellington’s Gil Martinez Competing As Part Of No Shave November To Benefit CAHH

The seventh annual No Shave November, presented by the Palm Beach County Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, will once again benefit the Cancer Alliance of Help & Hope (CAHH) and di rectly support male cancer patients in Palm Beach County.

Wellington resident Gil Mar tinez, a State Farm agent, is one of the headliners taking part in the fundraiser. He is dedicated to building strong relationships that assist clients in achieving their goals. Whether it is through life, auto, home or other insurance, Martinez is proud to help clients identify and manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected and set themselves up for the future. Martinez and his family are actively involved in the community and working to help others.

Headliners in No Shave Novem ber will stop shaving for Novem ber to raise awareness for men’s cancer issues and raise funds for CAHH.

Those wishing to participate in the fun can make a donation and sponsor their favorite headliner at www.donorbox.org/palmbeach. Share the campaign on social me dia, follow the race for the grand prize trophy and leave messages of support on the Donor Wall to root for your favorites.

“Every three minutes, a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer,” said CAHH CEO Stanton Colle mer, who is also participating as a headliner. “We are very grateful to the Young Lawyers Section of Palm Beach County for their continued support and thankful to all of our 2022 headliners. It is because of the generosity of our

partners, sponsors and supporters that we can help ease the financial burden for local cancer patients in need of extra assistance.”

On Nov. 30 there will be the live shave-off event, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Palm Beach Gar dens Marriott. Hosted by emcee Glenn Glazer, meteorologist at WPBF 25, stylists from Barber’s Edge will shave the men on stage in barber’s chairs and crown this year’s champion.

The Cancer Alliance of Help and Hope is a Palm Beach County not-for-profit organization that eases the burden of qualified local cancer patients by paying a portion of their non-medical bills, supplementing basic needs, and providing support and information resources.

For more information, visit www.cahh.org.

Local Author Stephen Medici Publishes Novel Set In Wellington

Have you ever felt like you were living the wrong life? It’s not that your current job, marriage, home or friends don’t make you happy, it’s just that you know this is not what you’re supposed to be doing. You feel like there’s another life out there somewhere that you’re supposed to be living. That’s what happened to Joey Martinez, the main character in Wellington Redemption, the latest novel by author Stephen Medici.

Set primarily in the Wellington area, this fictional account of re al-life people takes us inside the world of professional show jump ing. When tragedy strikes, Joey does a 180 to transform his life as a Wall Street analyst to become a renowned artist focusing on the sport of show jumping — and his huge success is ultimately his downfall.

Medici, a retired firefighter and

Wellington resident, has pledged 100 percent of the royalties from this novel to the Stony Brook Hos pital Firefighters Burn Center. The book is available at Amazon.com, both as a paperback and eBook.

VETERANS DAY WEDDING FOR LOCAL COUPLE

Brother Martin Luther (Rev. Sid Nelson) is interviewed by Dawn Favata.

On Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11, Don Ramon’s Cuban restaurant in Royal Palm Beach hosted a wedding and reception luncheon for disabled U.S. Navy veteran Ray Nazareth, past commander of American Legion Post 367 of Royal Palm Beach, an advocate for veterans, and his caregiver and true love, Cynthia Apel Nazareth. Cynthia is attending her second year at Palm Beach State College on her husband’s GI Bill. Ray fully supports her, and she is devot ed to taking care of her husband. Veterans who are family and friends were present in-person and virtually to honor the couple.

Gil Martinez

St. Michael congregation members on Reformation Sunday.

Stephen Medici

CRESTWOOD STUDENT NATIONAL WINNER IN ART COMPETITION

Walk To School Day A Great Success At WES

The sidewalks on Big Blue Trace were crowded on Wednesday, Oct. 12, when Wellington Elementary School participated in National Walk to School Day. Staff, students and their families showed up bright and early for an energetic start to their day.

Wellington Mayor Anne Gerwig, Community Services Director Pau lette Edwards and School Board Member Marcia Andrews were happy to be a part of the event as well. The school also thanks the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Capt. Rolando Silva for being there.

The crowd started gathering in front of Temple Beth Torah at 7:15

a.m., and the walk began promptly at 7:30 a.m. When the children arrived at the school, they received prizes and a drink. There were more than 300 students who walked.

Encouraging children to walk to school is a way to instill active hab its that can contribute to a lifelong healthy lifestyle and reduce pollution. In addition to the many health bene fits, there are also intangible benefits as well. Many parents who have participated in a Walk to School Day say that it has been a valuable way to spend time with their children and to socialize with other parents and neighbors.

PALM BEACH CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL DEBATE SUCCESS

Wellington Elementary School’s fine arts academy recently at tended the Palm Beach County School District’s Showcase of Schools. The WES booth was crowded with parents and pro spective students asking ques tions and looking at the school plays showing on the screen. Staff members answered ques tions and discussed their mu sic and art experiences, and information about the acade my. The school offers musical theater, handbells, strings, art, communications and physical education. For more informa tion on the academy, call (561) 651-0600. Shown left are (LR): Assistant Principal Donna Dekersky, art teacher Erica Bor donaro, media specialist Cathy West, musical theater assistant director and teacher Stephanie Morrison, musical theater direc tor and music teacher Dave Mor rison; and physical education teacher Jason Versage.

Ava Mata, an eighth-grade student at Crestwood Middle School in Royal Palm Beach, has had her artwork chosen as the national winner for the Art in the Capitol competition. She, as well as her school, will be recognized nationally, and her artwork will be proudly displayed in the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Shown above is Ava Mata with her artwork.

A total of 21 Bronco speakers and debaters from Palm Beach Cen tral High School recently competed at John I. Leonard High School against 16 other schools. There were 300 students competing in 12 different events. Bronco winners included: Paris Brewton, second place in Dramatic Reading; Logan Masse, third place in Congressional Debate; David Linares, third place in Congressio nal Debate; Ashley Furtado, third place in Beginning Dramatic Reading; Parker Nochomson, sixth place in Beginning Dramatic Reading; and Emilie Miller, sixth place in Dramatic Performance.

WES PTO Volunteer Sarai Aristizabal, Assistant Principal Donna Dekersky and Event Organizer/VPK teacher Cathy Eckstein.

Wellington Mayor Anne Gerwig leads the walkers.

School Board Member Marcia Andrews, Mayor Anne Gerwig and WES staff member Karla Martin greet students with prizes.

Winter Equestrian Festival Named Champion Of Economic Impact

Wellington’s Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) has been named one of Sports Destination Man agement’s Champions of Econom ic Impact in Sports Tourism-Large Market. Sports Destination Man agement, a leading sports industry publication, annually awards a variety of sporting events across small, mid-size and large markets. WEF, held at Wellington In ternational, attracts participants from more than 35 countries and 40 states annually. The event is considered the premier interna tional equestrian competition in the country and has a direct eco nomic impact from the thousands of people involved or spectators at the competition, as well as an indirect impact from those who purchase or build a home and barn in the area. In 2022, $183.7

PALMS WEST HOSPITAL CELEBRATES HALLOWEEN

million of direct visitor spending and 195,671 room nights were generated during the event. The Palm Beach County Sports Com mission has partnered to support WEF since 1994. Not only is WEF the largest annual sporting event in Palm Beach County, but it is also the longest-running equestrian event in the world, attracting both national and international athletes.

Wellington International is the host site for this prestigious event. The center is considered the most

recognizable equestrian sporting venue in the U.S. It encompass es a total of 500 acres, and the competition arenas alone cover 80 acres. All 18 arenas feature state-of-the-art sand footing, and the main arena is surrounded by stadium and box seating, as well as hospitality pavilions that are available for private events. The main grounds house more than 250 permanent stalls, horse trails, pedestrian paths, golf cart tracks and dedicated shopping areas.

GL Homes And B&G Club Launch Holiday Gift Drive

GL Homes and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County officially launched their annual holiday gift drive to collect toys and teen-appropriate gifts for club members at the 17 Boys & Girls Clubs in Palm Beach County. The gift drive launched Nov. 1 and will run until Dec. 11.

With new economic pressures due to inflation, many local fami lies cannot afford to provide their children with gifts for the holidays. Strong community support is needed now, more than ever, to guarantee that hundreds of children are able to experience a special and memorable holiday season.

“The holidays are right around the corner, and we need to act quickly to collect enough toys and gifts for these deserving children and teens,” said GL Homes Senior Director of Community Relations Sarah Alsofrom.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County is counting on the generosity of community partners in donating new and unwrapped gifts to make sure the holidays

November Is Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Month At PBC ACC

Palm Beach County’s Division of Animal Care & Control is cele brating National Adopt-A-SeniorPet Month by offering low-cost adoption prices for all dogs and cats ages six years and older.

Senior pets tend to be over looked and often spend the longest time in shelters solely because of their age. Giving a second chance

to an older pet can be equally, if not more, rewarding than raising a young puppy or kitten. They are typically calmer, past the stages of chewing shoes, and housebroken; making them easier to care for. Not only can they be easier to handle, but they can provide as much af fection and loyalty as their younger counterparts.

“Seniors don’t do well in the shelter environment and are for ever grateful for a soft bed, belly rubs, treats and a warm lap for snuggling,” said Kat Fisher, found er of Mr. Jojo’s Rescue, a nonprofit senior dog rescue. “They are con tent to chill out and binge-watch Netflix with you by their side.”

Those interested in finding their

new best friend can visit PBC An imal Care & Control in person or view adoptable senior pets online at https://secure.co.palm-beach. fl.us/snap/home. PBC Animal Care & Control is located at 7100 Belvedere Road, just west of Florida’s Turnpike. For more information, call (561) 233-1200 or visit www.pbcgov.com/animal.

are bright for hundreds of club members. Currently, 95 percent of club members live at or below the federal poverty level and depend on the clubs for extra assistance. Many of the areas where clubs are strategically located are still recov ering due to economic problems caused by the pandemic.

“Our annual holiday gift drive is important because we believe in making sure that our club mem bers are happy. For most members, this will be their only chance to receive a gift this season,” said Jaene Miranda, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. “The holidays are a special time of year, and our goal is to make this time a memorable one, especially with the challenges that our club members face daily. We’re truly counting on the sup port of the community to help us in making the holidays magical for our youth.”

For a list of drop-off sites, and the online gift registry, visit www. bgcpbc.org/2022/10/31/supportour-holiday-gift-drive.

HCA Florida Palms West Hospital celebrated Halloween in a big way this year. The hospital welcomed the public for its annual trunk or treat on Saturday, Oct. 29, which included trunks elab orately decorated by the members of the hospital departments, along with PBSO horses, four wheelers, cars and deputies, and the Pink Pumper from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue. The dogs and trainers from Therapy Dogs Inc. also participated in the trunk or treat and came back on Halloween as the departments hosted trick or treating through the facility for patients admitted in the hospital for the holiday. To top off the festivities, the hospital’s window washers donned superhero costumes and repelled from the roof to surprise the children in the pediatric unit.

Sports Destination Management recently honored the Winter Equestrian Festival for its economic impact.

Melissa Marks and Sarah Alsofrom with club members.

My Financial Advisor Cares More About My Money Than I Do

You may be shocked to hear that I have a financial advisor. I know I always sound like I’m reduce-reuse-recycling, not for environmental reasons but due to being broke, but that’s not the case. I’m thrifty! Therefore, over the decades, I have man aged to tuck away hundreds of dollars. Hundreds!

Plus, when I had my government job, I established a 401K and gambled — I mean, invested — everything in the risk iest possible market. I lucked out on that one. So, with a bankroll that now stretches into four figures, I knew I needed expert advice on how to handle it.

a) free doughnuts and coffee, or (subset b) a free steak dinner.

become your financial advisor. At least that’s how I did it.

thousands of columns with my name would be enough, but they will probably prefer cash.)

At first glance, it may appear that 3 is the correct answer. It is not. 5a is the correct answer. 5b sounds good, but it bears all the hallmarks of a financial advisor who is going to take your money and squander it on dinners out with strangers.

1. Look in the Yellow Pages. (Haha. Just kidding.)

2. Use Google.

4.

A lot of people have wondered whether the new Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would live up to the first of these movies. The answer is not quite, but it is still an exceptionally good film. It is an exciting movie and, happily, still uses the family as a key emotional element. As most people know, Chadwick Boseman, brilliant as T’Challa, the king of Wakanda and the title character, died a couple years ago. Di rector Ryan Coogler, instead of recasting the role, uses the death as a springboard for dealing with the death’s impact on the character’s family.

The film begins as Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), T’Challa’s mother and the new ruler, warns the UN that efforts to find new deposits of the mineral vibrani um, the source of Wakanda’s powers, are better than attempts to attack her country. But a new source under the ocean is found thanks to the work of young science stu

5.

Anyway, when all the doughnuts and coffee are gone, and all the information you need has been dispersed, you will realize you are in way over your head with this investing thing and all the various options that may or may not be “right for you” and, bloated with coffee and just wanting to get to the bathroom, you will give your name and phone number to the presenter who, within the week, will

On the up side, I love my financial advisor. She seems to care about what I do with my money — at least, much more than I do. She studies “trends” and cares about what Wall Street is doing and “follows the market.” She calls me if one of my stocks isn’t doing well and suggests a more promising option. She listens to me when I ask if buying gold is a good idea.

She also cares about my heirs. As ev eryone knows, the only real exciting thing about when someone dies is finding out if they left you any money. Otherwise, it’s a total bummer. Not wanting to disappoint, I have tried to “create a legacy” of some sort or another. (You’d think having

‘Wakanda Forever’ Is A Worthy Successor To First ‘Black Panther’

‘I’ On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

dent Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne).

Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejia), a god-like Mesoamerican who has founded the secret underwater kingdom of Talokan, warns the Wakandan royals that he blames them and plans to kill the scientist. Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) and General Okoye (Danai Gurira) attempt a rescue, but Riri and Shuri are taken by Namor.

Ramonda goes to Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), an undercover spy and the love of T’Challa’s life, who has left Wakanda

and lives in Haiti, asking for help. Nakia rescues the two young women, which sets off a war between Talokan and Wakanda. Namor has found a way to give at least some of his followers, all of whom seem to be able to breathe in both water and air, incredible strength. There are huge battle scenes. There is a new Black Panther, and there are many secrets unveiled.

Coogler has wisely let the women lead the way in the movie. The Wakandan women are strong but are not caricatures. They suffer, and they plot and plan. There are a few plot holes along the way, but in the long run, they barely count. A sub-plot between American Everett Ross (Martin Freeman), Wakanda’s friend in the CIA, and his ex-wife Valentina Allegra de Fon taine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) serves more as a way to bring her further into the Marvel world. She had already appeared in Black Widow and several of the TV series on Dis

ney+ as a morally ambiguous character. It added little to the actual story.

But the action keeps moving. This is a long movie that didn’t feel all that long. There is plenty of action, but also time for characters to interact. That allows for more good acting than usual in these kinds of movies. All of the actors are excellent.

Bassett is amazing as the mourning mother worried about Shuri as well as her nation. Wright is at her best as the character who needs to change the most. Nyong’o, how ever, is so strong that she takes over the film whenever she is on screen. She brings an enormous amount of heart to the film.

I’ve loved Gurira from the start back in the first movie. She is a wonderful action performer who knows how to play both comedy and tragedy.

Huerta Mejia plays a far more complex character. Some of his piercings and dec orations get a bit in the way in terms of

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acting, but his is a key role, and he plays it well, moving between hero and villain and anti-hero several times. His is the linchpin performance in most ways, and he carries it off well. Winston Duke in the smaller role of M’Baku, a huge warrior who clearly has grown as an advisor, is very good, managing comedy as well as action in his role. Michael B. Jordan, despite his Killmonger character having died in the previous film, has a superb cameo that provides a key element to the plot. Everyone in this film is really good. Should you see this movie? The answer is definitely yes. It is easily one of the best films of the year, and one of the better in the Marvel Universe. Both critics and au diences have found it excellent. The best bit of news comes at the very end: there will be another Black Panther film. I just saw this one, and I’m already impatient for the next. Go see it.

St. Jude’s Novena May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved and preserved throughout the world now and forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us. St.Jude, worker of miracles, pray for us. St. Jude, help of the hopeless, pray for us. Say this prayer 9 times a day by the 8th day, your prayer will be answered. It has never been known to fail. Publication must be promised. Thank you, St Jude for granting my petition. S.R.