



By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report
Hunters have been dumping hog and deer carcasses in Loxahatchee Groves’ canals, leaving the town and the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District to figure out how to remove and haul away the mess.
Recently, there were 20 hog carcasses dumped into various places in Loxahatchee Groves canals, Mayor Dave Browning told the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council at a meeting Tuesday.
LGWCD Administrator Clete Saunier asked at the community’s recent intergovernmental coordinating committee meeting that the town help find a solution to get rid of the carcasses. “I don’t know if this guy’s hunt-
ing or what the deal is, but it would be way better for them if they left it way back on their property and let the vultures take care of it, but somebody thinks it’s cool to dump deer and hog carcasses into the canals,” Browning said.
Saunier said district workers will remove the carcasses from the canals but asked if the town could have them hauled away.
“Animal control does not respond in a timely manner,” Browning noted.
Saunier explained that his staff is able to see the carcasses down the banks of the canals from their trucks and graders. Although they can pull them out, they don’t have the resources to dispose of them.
“We’re sort of in a Catch-22 situation,” Saunier said. “We want
them out of the canals, but if we take them out, they need to be removed immediately. Once they are on the ground, there will be a horrendous smell. We need help.”
Saunier said people apparently go hunting, take the animal parts they want, and dump the remains in canals. He noted that workers pulled a deer carcass from the canal recently that was missing only the head.
“We’ve had gators thrown in the canal that were missing only the tail or the head and tail; that’s what they wanted,” Saunier said.
“That’s the kind of carcasses we get.”
Saunier suggested at the intergovernmental meeting that the town pass an ordinance regulat-
See CARCASS, page 20
By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report
Residents of The Acreage, concerned with traces of radium found in their water, sought answers Tuesday evening from environmental engineer Leah Oberlin, who stressed that radium is not the cause of a possible “cancer cluster” in the community.
“If we have a problem in The Acreage, it’s not from radium,” she said. “Let’s calm down and see what’s going on with the water. Don’t rush out because there’s radium.”
Oberlin, secretary of the Acreage Landowners’ Association, spoke on behalf of the group at its monthly meeting at the Indian Trail Improvement District office. Radium became the focus of residents’ concerns after a study was released in August that showed a raw water well contained elevated levels of radium.
Oberlin said she thinks residents focused on the radium as the cause of the possible “cancer cluster” because they are looking for something to blame.
“People need to know a reason for things that happen,” she said. “If we don’t have one, we’ll use the closest thing that worries us.”
Radium is a naturally occurring element, created from the decay of uranium — a natural element present “in fairly large quantities” in Florida, Oberlin said. It can be found in water, in food grown in soil and in dust.
Although radium is radioactive, Oberlin said that simply means the element gives off energy. “If we didn’t have radiation, then we wouldn’t have light,” she said.
“When people fear radiation, they fear gamma radiation — the ‘Incredible Hulk’ thing.”
Radium primarily gives off alpha radiation, which can’t penetrate paper or skin, she said.
Under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, the Environmental Protection Agency limited the amount of radium in drinking water to five picocuries per two liters of water — or five trillionths of one gram of radium per two liters of water. The limit is for all drinking water, including city water and bottled water. But the water in which the radium was
found in elevated levels near The Acreage was untreated.
“When you drink this,” she said, holding up a two-liter bottle of water, “you could be drinking the same amount of radium that you do at home. It’s out there, even in public drinking water.” While Oberlin admitted that radium could be harmful if ingested or injected into the body in high amounts over a long period of time, she said that it would be impossible for someone to drink enough water for the radium to cause them damage.
“You would die from drinking too much water first,” she said. “Everything is toxic in the wrong dose. Water can kill you if you try hard enough.”
Earlier this year, the Florida Department of Health tested 50 wells in The Acreage for possible contaminants that could be causing unexpected cancers.
Oberlin explained that the water in 50 homes was tested for alpha radiation emission, which includes radium along with other elements. Of those wells, only ten were found to have alpha radiation in the water and were then tested specifically for radium.
According to the department’s findings released on Aug. 28, all of the residential wells met drinking water standards. However, a raw water sample from one of the five water supply wells at the Seminole Improvement District water treatment plant showed a level above five picocuries. Raw water is water that has not been treated to make it drinkable.
Oberlin said that the ALA would be happy to go over the Department of Health’s Level I study and explain it to residents if they request it, but stressed that residents should test not only their raw water, but also the water coming from their faucets.
“Your water management system is doing its job if there’s less traces of radium in the water coming from your faucet than there is in your raw water,” she said, explaining that the water management systems are meant to catch the natural elements present in the soil.
Oberlin also cautioned residents against having their water sampled
See RADIUM, page 20
when she read that Mattioli would run for mayor. “Knowing that his seat will be open, this would be a good time for me to step up again,” Pena told the Town-Crier on Monday.
Pena, an alternate member of the RPB Planning & Zoning Commission, hopes people will vote for the message she is trying to convey, which is to retain neighborhood tranquility and the family environment of the village.
“The platform I ran on last time encompassed looking at the future of Royal Palm Beach,” Pena said.
plans to run for mayor now that David Lodwick is retiring. Pena said she decided to run
“Since then, I have taken the opportunity to serve, volunteering on the Planning & Zoning Board.” Pena said she does not plan to try to reinvent anything, but wants to find different ways to provide
See PENA, page 4
There’s great val-
ue in this menu and there’s a wide variety.”
Joe’s American Bar & Grill is part of Boston-based Back Bay Restaurant Group, which owns 35 restaurants among seven different dining concepts, including PapaRazzi, Abe & Louie’s, Bouchée, Charley’s, Coach Grill and Atlantic Fish. The restaurants are located in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut, Florida and Washington, D.C. Before the Wellington restaurant opened this week, Back Bay had only one other location in Florida, Abe & Louie’s in Boca Raton. The Wellington location is the 15th Joe’s American Bar & Grill. One of the unique things about
the restaurant is that everything is made from scratch, said Director of Marketing Amy Daniels. “Everything is made fresh, from salad dressings to hand cutting our French fries every day,” she said. “The freezer is for very limited things like ice cream. The majority of all things are all made here in our kitchen every day
At its Second Annual Ending Homelessness Breakfast on Nov. 6, the Lord’s Place honored three men who are helping end homelessness in Palm Beach County — and challenged the rest of the community to follow their lead and join the “2% Solution.”
“We have discovered the solutions to ending homelessness. We know that believing in our clients’ ability to change is the foundation for that change to begin,” Lord’s Place Board Member Dean Lavalle said. “We know that miracles happen when not one, not a few, but many come together for a common cause. We invite the residents of Palm Beach County to meet our simple goal of engaging two percent of our community in making a daily commitment to ending homelessness.”
Lavalle added that the commitment to end homelessness can be expressed by donating $1 a day to fund the life-changing programs offered by the Lord’s Place.
Every person attending the breakfast and committing to join the program was given a button to wear proclaiming themselves as part of the 2% Solution. “Wear it proudly,” Lavalle encouraged the crowd of more than 350 gathered at the Airport Hilton. “Tell others that you no longer are just going to talk about the problem, but that you are part of the solution. Help us to create a miracle.”
Three local men who are already part of the solution to ending homelessness were honored for their work at the breakfast.
David Unversaw, general manager of Republic Services of Palm Beach, presented Neftal “Nefty” Mojica with the Servants Award for his work in mentoring the men of Joshua House, a program for once chronically homeless men on the Lord’s Place Men’s Campus. Mojica is a graduate of the program and is now employed at Republic Services, but returns often to encourage those at Joshua
House to stick with the program that helped him become self sufficient.
Also honored was attorney John Foley of the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County. In presenting him with the Unsung Hero Award, Lord’s Place chairman and fellow attorney Jack Scarola thanked Foley for his years of providing pro bono legal services to dozens of non-profit organizations throughout the county, including the Lord’s Place.
Palm Beach County Commissioner Jeff Koons was joined by the Lord’s Place Executive Director Diana Stanley in presenting the Ending Homelessness Award to Palm Beach County Commissioner Jess Santamaria. Santamaria received the award for his generosity in donating his entire annual commissioner’s salary to the Lord’s Place and for being a tireless advocate for the homeless.
“The homeless are people just like you and I who temporarily
lose their way and just need a caring person to help them find their way back to being an independent, productive member of society,” Santamaria said as he accepted his award.
The master of ceremonies for the breakfast is another success story emerging from the Lord’s Place programs. Scott Eckel is a participant in the Joshua House program. Two years ago, he was homeless. After becoming a resident of Joshua House, Eckel earned his associate’s degree from Palm Beach Community College, where he now works as an assistant adjunct professor while pursuing his bachelor’s degree.
“As I stand before you today as your emcee, I represent the thousands of lives that have been changed because of the Lord’s Place,” Eckel said. “Thank you for believing in people like me.”
For more about the Lord’s Place, call (561) 494-0125, ext. 7 or visit www.thelordsplace.org.
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report
The Palm Beach County Commission decided Tuesday to try to resolve issues with the South Florida Water Management District over a proposed year-round landscape irrigation rule by writing a letter asking for clarifications, rather than initiating an administrative challenge as recommended by county staff.
Assistant County Administrator Shannon LaRocque told commissioners that since November 2008, county staff and municipal utilities have worked with the SFWMD to develop irrigation rules. On Nov. 13, the district approved the proposed rules, which would allow watering twice a week in the north county area and three times a week in the south county area.
“Unfortunately, it is staff’s opinion that the rule has unintended consequences for the county and our water utility customers,” LaRocque said.
The new rule could limit the Palm Beach County Water Utility Department’s ability to require mandatory hook-ups for special assessment areas or to impose reasonable restrictions for the protection of the potable water system. It could also become a vehicle for non-utility users to bring legal challenges against the county, according to the county’s staff report.
LaRocque said that the average water use per resident in the county is less than 100 gallons per day, pointing out that the statewide average use is more than 150 gallons per person, which reflects water use awareness programs that have been initiated countywide. She said the administrative challenge would assure that the county and utility users are not penalized in the future for these water conservation policies.
“These consumption rates were achieved prior to water restrictions even being in place,” LaRocque said. “It’s not by chance that our consumption rates are the lowest in the state.”
Attorney Edward de la Parte, representing the Southeast Florida Utilities Council, said the county and municipalities the council represents made two recommendations to the SFWMD that the agency ignored.
One was a policy statement to ensure that conservation efforts do not result in the permanent loss of the utilities’ and local govern-
ments’ existing traditional allotments and that local governments’ water savings achieved through conservation will extend the availability of traditional water sources to meet future demands and defer the need to develop alternative water supplies.
“That was a water policy statement we wanted in there simply to clarify that if Palm Beach County, in complying with this rule, reduced its demands, that that will not result in the unintended consequence of the county’s water allocation permit being permanently reduced,” de la Parte said.
If the allotment is permanently reduced, the county will have to develop alternative water sources, which could be very expensive, de la Parte said.
“The district staff and the governing board at their Nov. 13 meeting elected not to include that policy statement in the rule, and we think that’s important,” he said.
“We think it’s important that they be on the record regarding the impact of our conservation efforts in the long-term investment that Palm Beach County has made in conservation.”
County staff also recommended a clarifying condition, saying that the general water use permit is not intended to interfere with or limit the ability of utilities to connect private well users to the county system or impose reasonable restrictions on their potable water use.
“We thought that would clarify beyond a shadow of a doubt the county’s sphere of responsibility with the district’s sphere of responsibility, so we would not find ourselves in a situation in the future where the public is demanding you take some necessary action for health purposes, and you found yourself constrained by having to get the district’s approval for that action,” de la Parte said.
He added that county staff felt it is important to get that clarification now rather than when the county’s water use permit must be renewed in 2013. If there is no agreement on those items and the county is forced to make a legal permit challenge, it could result in expensive litigation, he said.
“By doing this now, you get a clarification without having your permit at risk,” de la Parte said.
SFWMD Executive Director Carol Wehle said her district has made concessions to the utilities and that the change is to address
See WATER, page 20
Contractors were pouring concrete this week for intersection improvements at the corner of Wellington Trace and Greenview Shores Blvd. in Wellington.
Contractors were pouring concrete this week for the new eightfoot-wide sidewalks being installed at the intersection of Greenview Shores Blvd. and Wellington Trace in Wellington as part of an intersection improvement project designed to make the intersection safer.
The project’s other major component is an underground drainage system to ensure that the intersection drains quickly after heavy rainstorms.
“We’re adding improved drainage, making the water drain out of that intersection better,” said Rick Greene, principal project manager for the Village of Wellington.
Previously, the intersection depended on grassed swales on the sides of the roads for drainage just like those used in most of Wellington’s residential streets. But after heavy rainstorms, the system sometimes left the intersection covered in standing water.
“Residents will see the water discharged off that roadway a whole lot quicker than what they saw in the past,” Greene said.
“One of the things that necessitated the project is that we’ve observed kids crossing at almost ev-
ery location along the street. It was a real safety concern. We’re hoping with the better drainage, wider sidewalks and additional signage that we’ll get the kids to cross at the intersection.”
In addition to the wider sidewalks and improved drainage system, the $598,000 project includes resurfacing the streets and improving the driveways into the adjacent two shopping centers. Although barricades have protected drivers from the roadsides since the project began in late September, portions of the road have been closed only minimally. The work that contractor Hardrives Inc. must do to install drainage under the intersection is being done after 7 p.m. so traffic disruption is kept to a minimum. During the project, Wellington has ensured that entrances to the adjacent Courtyard Shops and Wellington Marketplace shopping plazas remain open. When closures were necessary, only one entrance at a time is closed, Greene said. The work is expected to be substantially complete by Thanksgiving with the job fully complete by the end of the year. For more information, call Greene at (561) 791-4000.
As Thursday, Nov. 26 rolls around, people across the 50 states are thinking of ways to make their Thanksgiving holiday something to remember. It’s a day for every American to celebrate — usually among friends and family — but as the name suggests, it’s a time to be thankful, and there’s no single way to do that. Thanksgiving means different things to different people. Some view it as a time for personal reflection, religious or otherwise. While this usually takes the form of a special prayer before dinner — giving thanks for everything you have and not worrying about what you don’t — it can also mean taking the entire day to look at life from an unselfish perspective. It’s a holiday, so there’s no need to be in a hurry. Try to experience different situations without putting yourself ahead of everyone else. By acting in the spirit of community, you’d be honoring the original Thanksgiving, in which the Pilgrims and “Indians” came together to survive the tough New England winter so many centuries ago.
If there’s one Thanksgiving theme that’s the same for everyone, it’s the food. Indeed, the holiday sometimes referred to as “Turkey Day” is rooted in the historic feast on Plymouth Plantation and is most commonly thought of as a time to eat more than usual. Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie will be consumed in mass quantities this week.
Sen. Atwater: Keep Saluting
Our Veterans
During the month of November, we commemorate two important national anniversaries: Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. It is not a coincidence that these two days occur in the same month, considering that as Americans, our greatest blessing is our freedom, and it is fitting for us to remember those who have fought to protect our freedom. The American way of life would not exist were it not for our veterans.
Today, U.S. soldiers are around the world using their talents and strength to defend democracy and freedom, and cannot be with their families and friends during Thanksgiving this year. This Veterans Day and Thanksgiving Day, it is only right that we pay tribute to those whose sacrifice and selfless service have afforded us the priceless privileges of freedom, democracy and unmatched opportunities that we enjoy in the United States.
Veterans Day holds a special place in my family. My father served his country in the military and the FBI for many years. He and my mother instilled in my family a deep sense of gratitude to the sacrifices veterans had made on our behalf to protect the freedoms we daily enjoyed. Each year, as we gather to give thanks around the traditional Thanksgiving table, we remember those brave men and women who have defended our freedoms and paid the ultimate sacrifice, and we also remember those who are away from their families during the holiday. Let us never take for granted all that our veterans sacrifice in order that we may live in a free land.
I salute the men and women serving in today’s military — today’s heroes and tomorrow’s veterans. They have inherited the defense of our nation and stand guard in the shadow of their predecessors. This Thanksgiving, I encourage you, as you gather together with friends and family, to remember our veterans and the incredible gift that they are to our country.
State Sen. Jeff Atwater Senate President Insurance
You know, it’s one thing to oppose something, and it’s quite another to offer a better solution to this nation’s healthcare crisis. So far, the Republican Party, the Party of No, has offered no credible alternative to “Obamacare.” For instance, what have they done to curb the rising costs of healthcare? What have they done for the 14,000 hardworking Americans laid off every single day to help these families get through this deep recession, to provide healthcare to these families struggling to survive without any healthcare? What have they done for people left out of healthcare because of pre-existing conditions?
The answer, dear friends, is nothing! Those unschooled in the language of politics use words like “bribes” when they think someone else is doing it and “opportunity” when they are doing it — childish, meaningless metaphors.
The truth is, it’s not about President Obama, the Democrats or the Republicans. It’s about money, and lots of it. It’s about people like Sen. Joe Lieberman, who lives in a state controlled by
However, while most of us can’t wait for dinner to be served, there are many individuals and groups in the community who are thinking about more than just what’s on their own plates. They want to ensure that their neighbors are able to do the same and invite anyone who can to help out. Although it’s good that everyone gives thanks for what they have, there is no better way to do so than through the act of donating. Fortunately, there have been ongoing food drives in the western communities.
Royal Palm Covenant Church has teamed with the Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue for “Project Thanksgiving.” The goal is to bring Thanksgiving meals to 500 families in western Palm Beach County. The meals will be delivered on Tuesday, Nov. 24. For more information, contact Sister Sandra at Royal Palm Covenant Church at (561) 7931077 or Project Chair Catherine Engel of the Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club at catherine@palmswest.com.
In Wellington, the village recently held a holiday food drive, partnering with local organizations to collect food items for those less fortunate. If you know someone in Wellington who is need this Thanksgiving, call the Safe Neighborhoods Initiative office at (561) 791-4196. From the Town-Crier family to your family, have a happy Thanksgiving!
72 insurance companies that control him. And it’s about the billions paid to the big insurance companies that have put us in position of 37th in the world in healthcare outcome at a cost two to three times what other countries are paying that get better results.
This argument is not about “government takeover,” Socialism or Obama. It’s about money and control of the nation’s healthcare by a powerful insurance industry that has had no competition or incentive to hold down costs.
Richard Nielsen Royal Palm Beach
Superman incarnate? Amigo… it’s no stretch!
The pride of the Philippines, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, punched himself into boxing history by winning his seventh title in as many different weight classes. Strewn on his war paths were the bloodied, grotesque faces of boxing who’s who, including Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.
Freddie Roach, his International Hall of Fame coach, said, “Manny is a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon who’s hard to duplicate or replace.”
Guaranteed $13 million for his last epic fight in 2010, he stands to make no less than a billion pesos if he faces Floyd Mayweather to decide the true pound-forpound king of the world. It’s an astronomical take-home purse that’s unheard of in his native land.
His previous fights, which drew millions of pay-per-view tickets in
the United States alone — an aberration in today’s economic crisis — were attended by a slew of celebrities such as Oscar winners Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, Mickey Rourke and Russell Crowe; chart-busting singers Usher, Jennifer Lopez, P. Diddy, Mariah Carey and Tom Jones; TV glamour divas Eva Longoria, Pam Anderson and Paris Hilton; sports icons Mike Tyson and Derek Jeter; and seasoned politician New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, to name a few.
Pacquiao’s blinding burst into the limelight has earned him a whole spectrum of honors from being guest of Philippine President Gloria Arroyo at Malacañang Palace to gracing the cover of Time magazine (Asia edition) to a stint at the Jimmy Kimmel Live show to throwing the first pitch at the Giants-Padres game and landing a Nike commercial with fellow global sports idols like: Swiss Roger Federer, who holds an unprecedented 15 tennis grand slam singles titles; American Kobe Bryant, one of most revered basketball players on the planet; Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, highest paid soccer player to date worth $132 million; Chinese Liu Xiang, who achieved a rare “triple crown” in athletics as world record holder, Olympic champion and world champion; and Russian Maria Sharapova, tennis poster girl chosen for People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People.”
A galactic marvel, Pacquiao has morphed into boxing royalty (arguably the greatest boxer of his generation), a charismatic singer (staged post-fight concerts at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas after annihilating De la Hoya, Hatton and Cotto) and acting sensation (his movie Wapakman is due for release in Jan-
uary). Not vexing at all, his legions of fans bestow him the “Muhammad Ali/Elvis Presley/Brad Pitt” moniker.
The Pacquiao saga is caught in various top-rated publications, including Ring magazine’s “Fighter of the Year,” the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s “Sportsman of the Year,” Sports Illustrated magazine’s “Boxer of the Year,” ESPN magazine’s “Champion of Champions,” Forbes magazine’s “Celebrity 100” and Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People.”
But make no mistake: the storied persona that Manny exudes is not in the least selfish. From humble beginnings, he’s won a title that matters most to his countrymen — philanthropist. In the midst of training, he drove to Manila to distribute food to flood victims and donated at least a million pesos of his hard-earned money to his typhoon-ravaged country, which ultimately made him a Gusi Peace Prize laureate, Asia’s version of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Pacquiao is a boxing rarity who inspires a whole nation. President Arroyo said of his unique strength and will to succeed, “Once again, Filipino grit and determination triumphed against great odds… Manny trained hard and persevered…above all, he has placed himself in the hands of God… I hope we all learn from his example so that, together, we can move forward as a nation.”
Meeting with former U.S. President Bill Clinton before his fight for the light welterweight crown, which he won via a sensational second-round knock out, his political plans include running for Congress.
Who knows where his deitylike popularity will take him… maybe the next president of the Philippine Republic? The nonpareil Pacman, who dazzles the universe with his unmatched boxing prowess and his genuine aura of altruism, is truly the stuff of legends. Mario Casuga Royal Palm Beach
The Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep letters brief (300 words). Submit letters, with contact name, address, and telephone number (anonymous letters will not be published), to The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414; fax them to (561) 793-6090 ; or you can e-mail them to letters@goTownCrier.com
Talk about American ingenuity. Talk about analyzing an opportunity and then taking full advantage of it. Let’s talk about Brett Snyder, who has done that and more by developing his “cranky concierge” business.
Footloose and...
By Jules W. Rabin
This impeccable, up-to-theminute travel information source can help travelers get from one place to another in the U.S., or around the world, by giving immediate information about all the irritants of traveling today, includ-
continued from page 1 more services to residents without raising taxes. She said she will get behind the council’s pursuit to improve the educational ratings at Royal Palm Beach High School and the council’s support of the extension of Roebuck Road.
“My intent is to keep pushing until that road is built,” Pena said. She is also concerned about economic issues. On a personal level, she recently lost her job as a civil engineer and is forming her own company focused on green technology. Because of the eco-
nomic slump, Pena said many engineering firms are experiencing difficulties.
“In that I’m a project engineer, my livelihood depends on projects coming in, and with that not happening, unfortunately, I was one of the last people they had to let go in my office,” she said. “I took it upon myself to channel my knowledge and people skills to start my own company.”
Pena said that she wants to make sure that anything proposed within Royal Palm Beach does not have adverse effects on the quality of life in the village.
“I think maintaining what’s here will be the main issue as far as the programs, roadway maintenance, beautification of the area, maintenance of the parks, just the infra-
ing mechanical problems, weather-related hold-ups, etc. and it penetrates the fuzzy world of airline information now practiced by the carriers.
Snyder, a former travel agent from Long Beach, Calif. who has been writing the blog Cranky Flier for three years, will do what the airlines won’t do. For $30 round trip domestically and $50 world-
wide, he “instantly” forwards you anything unusual about your flight in terms of delays, and provides any and all options and alternate routes.
The monitoring service is pretty simple in Snyder’s thinking. Most of the time, all people want is timely and proper information.
That is virtually impossible when dealing with the carriers directly.
structure in general to make sure those are maintained and not run down due to what we’re going through with the economy,” she said.
Pena said she brings to the campaign her experience as an engineer, as well as a parent.
“I have a child who goes to elementary school and another who goes to middle school, so I understand what parents within the community go through and what they expect from their council person as far as safety and security for our kids,” she said. “I think I’ll be a better candidate to be able to better address the needs of the people of Royal Palm Beach, as well as be able to listen to them when they have concerns about things that affect their home and
their property and their way of life.”
Pena noted that she is also active with Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI), which has given her additional insight into the community. She recently worked with CAFCI in a business awareness program to showcase area small businesses.
Pena said she would like to look at how small businesses are promoted in the village and how it can be done without negatively affecting residents. She noted that she has visited with Village Manager David Farber to get an understanding of the village’s finances, and as a council member, would try to formulate business incentives.
“Being able to reach out to peo-
Snyder aims his unique service at leisure travelers or small business people. If you are an infrequent flier, you get kind of lost, he said. Surprisingly, there is no secret to his sources — they are airport web sites and special information systems used by travel agents.
BUDJINSKI
Our travel genius admits his business is booming because the airlines continue to do a poor job of customer service. Certainly, they could provide the same information to their customers. Plus, Snyder said there is always an additional market for people who want their hands held through today’s difficult flying experience.
ple in the community has been one of my front-most priorities,” Pena said. “I’ll be able to reach across the aisle and speak to different types of people within our community to hear what they have to say and be able to deliver to them.”
Pena is a member of the Society of Women Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers, which promotes engineering and other technical fields among minorities, women and children. She also serves on an advisory board for the Florida Atlantic University civil engineering program.
Qualifying for the upcoming election runs from noon Jan. 26 to noon Feb. 9, 2010. The election will be held Tuesday, March 9.
Hats off to Brett Snyder. He’s my kind of business innovator.
By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report
NOV. 10 — A resident of the Shakerwood community called the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in Wellington last Tuesday afternoon after waking up to discover a burglar in her home. According to a PBSO report, the victim woke up to find an unknown man standing in her room and looking at her. She described the suspect as a thin black or Hispanic man, approximately 5’11” and wearing a navy blue skull cap and dark clothing. According to the report, the man entered through an unlocked front door and went upstairs. He ran out the front door after the victim screamed and called 911. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects at the time of the report.
NOV. 10 — An Acreage man was arrested on drug charges following a traffic stop last Tuesday night in Royal Palm Beach. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 8:18 p.m., a deputy from the substation in Royal Palm Beach observed a blue Ford Focus speeding down Crestwood Blvd. in Madison Green. The deputy initiated a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, 23year-old Kevin Spires. According to the report, the deputy smelled marijuana coming from inside the vehicle and asked Spires to step out. A search of the vehicle found 4.4 grams of marijuana and a glass pipe. Spires was arrested and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail where he was charged with possession of marijuana under 20 grams.
NOV. 11 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation responded to a home on Valencia Blvd. last Wednesday afternoon regarding a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. last Wednesday, someone unlawfully entered the victim’s home by breaking a rear window with a large stone. The suspects stole the victim’s jewelry box containing several pieces of expensive jewelry, and various pieces of electronic equipment, including a desktop computer and a flat-screen television. Photos of shoe prints and DNA evidence were taken at the scene, but there were no suspects at the time of the report.
glass in the area. According to the report, tire marks show the vehicle and trailer were taken west on Epsom Drive. There were no suspects at the time of the report. NOV. 13 — A Royal Palm Beach woman called the PBSO last Friday regarding an incident of credit card fraud. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation responded to a home on Parkwood Drive after the victim received a credit card bill with approximately $353 in fraudulent charges. Surveillance video was obtained from a Winn-Dixie in Lantana, where one of the charges was made. The video showed that 35year-old Lester Calana, a WinnDixie employee, had purchased $60 worth of beer using the victim’s credit card. According to the report, it was later determined that Calana had made all of the fraudulent purchases, and that his wife, 29-year-old Yanet Barrueta Villegas, was the victim’s maid. The PBSO investigation also found that a Wellington woman who also employed Villegas as her maid had reported her cell phone stolen and $300 worth of fraudulent cell phone charges made with it. The phone was recovered and returned to the victim. Calana was charged with credit card fraud, and Villegas was charged with grand theft. They were taken to the county jail.
NOV. 13 — A Wellington man was arrested on burglary charges last Friday night following a traffic stop on Mulberry Place. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 10:30 p.m. a deputy from the Wellington substation responded as backup to a traffic stop with possible shooting suspects inside the vehicle, and made contact with 19-year-old Mauricio Aranguible. A search of Aranguible’s wallet for identification found a Florida driver’s license and Social Security card belonging to the victim of a burglary that occurred in Royal Palm Beach in September. Aranguible was arrested and taken to the county jail where he was charged with burglary to an unoccupied conveyance.
NOV. 12 — A resident of Azure Avenue called the PBSO substation in Wellington last Thursday night regarding a home burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim shut the door to his garage at 7:30 p.m., but at approximately 11 p.m., he noticed the door was open and two Kawasaki dirt motorcycles were missing, along with a helmet. There were no signs of forced entry, and the victim’s father was home at the time of the burglary. There were no suspects at the time of the report.
NOV. 12 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation responded to a home on Epsom Drive last Thursday morning regarding a stolen vehicle and trailer. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 12:30 and 5:45 a.m., someone stole the victim’s white Ford F-250 and the attached trailer containing several lawn maintenance tools. The victim said he had the keys to the truck, and there was no broken
NOV. 14 — Several vehicles in Wellington’s Village Walk community were burglarized last Friday night. According to separate PBSO reports, a deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded to two homes in the community regarding vehicle burglaries. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 8:30 p.m. last Friday and 8 a.m. the following morning, someone entered the victim’s unlocked car and stole his satellite radio, valued at $300, and a wallet containing his driver’s license and credit cards. When the victim called to cancel his credit cards, he discovered the suspect spent $117.36 at a gas station. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects at the time of the report. In a second incident, someone entered the victim’s unlocked car sometime between 5 p.m. last Friday and 6:55 a.m. the following morning. Stolen from the vehicle was the victim’s wallet, which contained $80 in cash and his driver’s license, credit cards and gift cards. There were no suspects at the time of the report. NOV. 14 — A deputy from the
By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report
At the third annual Farm City Luncheon, held Tuesday in the Agriplex at the South Florida Fairgrounds, panelists and guests talked about how vital Palm Beach County’s agricultural industry is — as well as how threatened it is.
The luncheon was presented by the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Farm Bureau and the Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau, and provided an opportunity for members to discuss issues facing farming today. The topic was, “Imagine: Palm Beach County with No Agriculture.”
“This has been a good event for the several years, and it will grow,” said Joanna Boynton, a longtime Palms West Chamber leader who helped create the Farm City Luncheon. “You learn something about agriculture and farming in this area. The farmers want so much to include the business community and include local leaders
continued from page 1
One of our mottos is, ‘If there’s a hard way to do it, we do it the hard way.’”
Although great effort goes into food preparation, there is not a long wait to be served because of the discipline of the staff, Sarkis said. “It’s a well-oiled machine.
It’s a very disciplined restaurant,” he said.
One of the few things they do not actually make in-house is bread, but that is made to their specifications at a bakery in Lake Worth, which also supplies bakery products for Abe & Louie’s in Boca.
because there is so much that goes on in farming. We need the farmers, and the farmers need your help in fighting for what is here.”
Farming is not just good business, it is personal for Boynton. “I was fortunate enough to marry into a farming family, and it’s so grounding to be able to see firsthand how farm operations work,” she said.
The luncheon featured a panel that was asked to look 50 years into the future of Palm Beach County’s agricultural industry. David Goodlett, vice president of government and community relations of the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative, served as moderator. There are many challenges that agriculture faces as the county, state and country become less rural and agriculture loses its influence, Goodlett said. “And as that happens, so will go many other issues and variables that are very important to all our lives,” he said. “Whether we are in agriculture, are bankers or are developers, all of this is important.
What we want to do today is think out loud of where agriculture will be in the next several decades.”
Kevin Johns, director of economic development for Palm Beach County, said he’d like to see the county’s agricultural industry become the breadbasket of the United States.
“I think we are on the right track to make Palm Beach County sustainable,” he said. “At the forefront of that is our largest land use, which is agriculture. I think it’s critically important that we develop a branding system for the agricultural community… Most of our food is imported. We should be using the agricultural land and the agricultural community to export food to the Caribbean and also to Cuba when it opens back up. We would become the hub for the dissemination of food to the Caribbean and to South America.”
Benita Whalen, deputy director of the South Florida Water Management District’s environmental resource regulation division, said agriculture has been a part of the
solution to Palm Beach County’s environmental issues.
“The agricultural community has been developing their own environmental protection district and using their own taxing funds to look into research and to help themselves make sure the answers are good answers,” she said. “All of those things really show agriculture is committed to solving the problems. They are one of the first to step up and be a part of the solution.”
But environmentalist Rosa Durando worries about the future of agriculture in Palm Beach County and across Florida. She believes changing land uses is the biggest threat to agriculture.
“If you designate land to be agriculture, you have to be faithful to that designation,” she said. “The problem with agriculture is not environmental constraints, it is the indiscriminate spread of residential and commercial development. I live near an area located near the agricultural reserve, which is a joke. Fifty years ago, all around
me were dairies, cows, corn and inherited farms. They are all gone.”
Rick Roth, vice president of Florida Farm Bureau and owner of Roth Farms, asked the audience to think about life without agriculture.
“Our whole goal today is to get you to stop and think about what your life would be life without agriculture,” he said. “I spent my whole adult life in agriculture. My father passed away in 1986, and two years later, we fought over protecting the Everglades. I have cut my teeth on fighting to survive. The bottom line is we
The menu also has a wide selection of steak and ribs, USDA hand-selected and aged a minimum of four weeks for maximum flavor and tenderness.
The signature salads are another of Joe’s specialties, Daniels said, including a spicy beef-andnoodle salad made with filet mignon, avocado, mango, tomatoes, coconut, fresh herbs, almonds and Thai dressing. The grilled honey chicken salad is served with angel hair pasta atop a salad with wontons, sesame seeds and honey mustard dressing. Sarkis said the restaurant’s most popular salad is the Caesar, classically prepared with croutons and Joe’s own dressing. “It’s a great
Some of the signature items on the menu include burgers made with meat cut to the restaurant’s specifications and served with hand-cut fries, Daniels said. Varieties include Joe’s original burger with a half-pound of fresh ground beef and the black-and-bleu burger with black pepper, bleu cheese and caramelized onions. “Whatever market we go into, we become the number-one burger,” Sarkis said. Something unique to the Wellington location will be wood-oven pizza. “We have a great oak-fired pizza oven,” Sarkis noted. Pizza varieties include margherita with tomato sauce, mozzarella, oregano and fresh basil sprinkled with Parmesan cheese; and steak and spinach with bleu cheese, caramelized onions and Parmesan.
recipe that we’ve had for years, and it’s very popular,” he said of the dish, which can be served with optional blackened or grilled chicken, crab cake, shrimp, steak or salmon.
The restaurant also offers a wide variety of fresh fish and specialties that include sizzling fajitas, fried chicken and chicken piccata.
The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner every day and offers a brunch menu on Saturday and Sunday. “One of the things unique about our brunch is it includes a complimentary beverage — bloody Mary, champagne, mimosa, a screwdriver or a beer,” Daniels said.
The restaurant also offers gluten-free pasta and pizza.
Sarkis said the Back Bay Restaurant Group chose to locate Joe’s in Wellington because of the area’s demographics.
“We came down and looked at it. We liked the area and liked the demographics,” Sarkis said.
“There’s a lot of young people, young families. I liked the growth and, truthfully, I liked what I saw. I didn’t see a lot of good restaurants. I saw a lot of chain restaurants, so we thought we’d bring a different dimension to the marketplace.”
The restaurant has two full liquor bars as well as a list of qual-
ity but reasonably priced wines, Sarkis said, adding that a happy hour will be developed around food themes.
“We have been very creative over the years, because this is what we do every day,” he said. “We eat, drink and sleep restaurants.”
The company has a 10-week training program for staff, Sarkis said. Of more than 700 people who applied, about 150 were hired for full- and part-time positions.
“They have to know the menu, they have to know the ingredients, just for a waitperson alone,” Sarkis said. “That’s what we do
different than most restaurants; we train people, and I think people will see that when they start coming in here. There’s a lot of depth to it; there’s a lot of hospitality.” That level of hospitality sets Back Bay’s restaurants apart from most other eateries, he said.
“We do
Members of the Wellington Quilt Club were on hand last Thursday at the Wellington Community Center to present 47 handmade quilts and five afghans to the Children’s Home Society. Donations of fabric to make more quilts are being accepted. For more info., call Marietta Bowie at (561) 795-3207. (Above) Wellington Quilt Club President Marietta Bowie with the Children’s Home Society’s Jane Snell and Betty Phelps. (Below) Wellington Quilt Club members with their handmade quilts and afghans. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
The Little Smiles organization has been chosen as one of four local charities to benefit from Cash for Christmas and a Cause on Saturday, Nov. 21 at Rooney’s All-In Sports Bar & Grille.
The event gives participants cash for old, unwanted, broken or mismatched jewelry and a chance to donate to local charities. Jewelry can be brought to Rooney’s (6901 Okeechobee Blvd.) between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. for an offer. Donors simply have to say which charity they’d like a portion of the day’s proceeds to go to and Fast Cash Gold Parties and ClearChannel will make the donation on their behalf.
Little Smiles was chosen by Virginia Lang of the Wild 95.5 morning show as her favorite local charity. She and other ClearChannel radio personalities will be at Rooney’s throughout the day. Additionally, Rooney’s will provide complimentary appetizers and two-for-one drinks all day long. Other charities to benefit from this event are the Love Doctor’s Charity Toy Drive, Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches and Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary & Hospital.
The ClearChannel personality lineup is as follows: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., WZZR Real Radio’s Locker Room will broadcast live; noon to 2 p.m., WJNO Morning Report will host Jim Edwards and Brian Mudd; 2 to 4 p.m., WILD 95.5’s Virginia Lang; and 4 to 6 p.m.,
KOOL 105.5’s Mo and Sally.
For more information, call Raina Ruella at (561) 383-7274.
The following Wellington parks will be closed Nov. 26 and 27 for the Thanksgiving holiday: Village Park (11700 Pierson Road), Olympia Park (9840 Pierson Road) and Community Park at the Wellington Boys & Girls Club (3401 South Shore Blvd.).
Tiger Shark Cove Park will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26 but will re-open on Friday, Nov. 27. All neighborhood parks will remain open and available for use on both days.
Village Park will begin its new Friday hours effective Dec. 4. The indoor gymnasium is available for open gym from 4 to 10 p.m., and other outdoor amenities are available during daytime hours for your leisure enjoyment.
For more information, call Eric Juckett at (561) 791-4005, ext. 2043.
On Wednesday, Dec. 2, Hearing the Ovarian Cancer Whisper (HOW), a program of the Palm Healthcare Foundation, will host a cocktail reception for women at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington. The reception will feature an informative lecture by Dr. Robert Knapp.
Knapp is the William H. Baker professor of gynecology and gynecologic oncology, emeritus, at the Harvard Medical School and visiting scholar in obstetrics and gynecology at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. He is the former director of gynecology and gynecologic oncology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Knapp will talk to guests about the latest research and screening for ovarian cancer.
The event will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tickets cost $25 per person. Susan Bazaar and Marsha Calise will chair the event, which is sponsored by Wilmington Trust.
For more information, contact Jennifer McGrath at (561) 8372285 or jmcgrath@phfpbc.org.
The Wellington Women’s Club will host a holiday dinner meeting on Thursday, Dec. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at Binks Forest Golf Club (400 Binks Forest Drive, Wellington). In addition to a special buffet dinner, members and guests will enjoy a performance by Impressions, the Wellington High School show choir, and participate in a Chinese auction with an array of fabulous items.
Guests include YWCA of Palm Beach County CEO Suzanne Turner and Director of Domestic Violence Services Mary Cauthen, who will collect items brought in by club members, which include personal items for the women and
toys for the children residing at Harmony House, a secure shelter for abused women and their children. Guests are welcome for a fee of $30. For reservations or more information, call Allyson at (561) 798-6741.
Famed Jewish songwriter, singer, guitarist and prayer leader Dan Nichols will perform Dec. 11-13 at Temple Beth Torah in Wellington as part of the temple’s Chanukah celebration.
Nichols has become one of the most important and influential Jewish musicians in North America, performing at more than 200 events a year. His music has become a large part of the Reform Movement, with synagogue youth and clergy alike incorporating it into religious schools and worship services.
The temple will celebrate the first night of Chanukah on Friday, Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. The senior youth group will have a “lock-in overnight-er” following Friday evening services with other North American Federation of Temple Youth groups participating. Nichols will participate in a special Shabbat morning service and study session on Saturday, Dec. 12 with a big Saturday night concert. He will lead religious school students in music on Sunday, and there will be plenty more as well. For more information, call (561) 793-2700 or visit www. templebethtorah.net.
A “Puttin’ on the Ritz” gift-gathering party was held Saturday, Nov. 14 at the Breakers West Country Club. Party-goers dressed in 1920s fashions. The gifts will be incorporated into baskets to be used in the silent auction at the Feb. 20 Vintages Gala to benefit the Diabetes Research Institute. For more info., visit www.vintagesdri.org.
The car show “All Makes, All Models Show and Shine 2009” was held last Sunday at the South Florida Fairgrounds. The show featured new and older model cars, pick-up trucks and motorcycles. Music was provided by Sensation Sounds, and there were games and activities for kids.
By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report
Longtime Wellington residents Ken and Arle Adams were honored Wednesday by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce with the Man and Woman of Distinction Award. They were the honored guests at the chamber’s annual luncheon designed to kick off the equestrian and polo season. The luncheon, held at the Wanderers Club, also featured comments about the upcoming polo and equestrian seasons from John Goodman, owner of International Polo Club Palm Beach, and IPC President John Wash, along with Mark Bellissimo, managing partner of Wellington Equestrian Part-
ners, owner of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, and Michael Stone, executive director of Equestrian Sport Productions, which produces the Winter Equestrian Festival. Ken Adams, a polo player, and Arle Adams, a lifelong equestrian, came to Wellington in 1978. It’s the place where they have their roots, Ken Adams said. Adams’ many years of service to the community included being elected to the Acme Improvement District, the local government before the Village of Wellington was created. Adams also served on the Palm Beach County Commission and on the board of the South Florida Water Management District. A
businessman who once owned a chain of hardware stores in New York, Adams now sits on the Business Development Board. Adams told the audience how he had watched polo first come to Wellington when Bill Ylvisaker built Palm Beach Polo & Country Club. He shared the story of how he and Arle created the Palm Beach Hunt after his wife bought a pack of foxhounds. He praised Goodman and Bellissimo for their efforts at making Wellington a unique community because of what their equestrian venues bring to the area. Goodman, he said, had saved polo in Wellington after the sport had almost stopped at Palm Beach Polo.
Goodman recalled how he came to Wellington to play highgoal polo in the early 1980s. “I started investing in property then,” he said. “There is always the horse community and the village. I think this is an opportunity. The Adamses feel that way. This is a unique time for Wellington to create a Saratoga. This is what makes Wellington unique. We have the weather and a great community. We have the Wanderers Club to promote golf. It’s an unbelievable community. I think it’s time for the town and the community to come together and realize what we have here. I am proud to be a part of Wellington and look forward to a great future here.”
Wash noted that there are 35 teams signed up to play polo this season, which opens Jan. 3 at IPC.
Bellissimo said that he wants to get more people in the community to embrace the sport as their own, and that equestrian activities often have the air of being only for the rich. That must change, he said, so that everyone feels welcome at a polo, dressage or other competition.
“One of the most disturbing elements in this community,” Bellissimo said, “is that 90 percent of the people have not been to a polo match or a facility. We have to come together. It doesn’t mean you have to be involved and riding horses. You need to make sure that
any family in Wellington has access to the sport.”
Bellissimo also spoke about what would take place on Saturday, Nov. 28, when the Palm Beach Steeplechase is held at the site of the old Palm Beach Polo stadium. It’s an event created last year to draw people into the area so they can become a part of the equestrian world. Last year, there was great participation and attendance, and he hopes for even greater participation and attendance this year. Visit www.palm beachsteeplechase.com for info. For more information about the Wellington Chamber, call (561) 792-6525 or visit www.wellington chamber.com.
On Nov. 6, the Seminole Ridge High School Army JROTC held its first ever Hawk Battalion formation. SRHS Principal Dr. Lynne McGee honored the cadets with well-deserved and long-incoming promotions and awards.
Mirage Earns Gold Circle Honors — Two former members of the SRHS literary magazine Mirage earned recognition from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s Gold Circle Awards for 2009. Mirage staffer and Class of 2009 graduate Lebron Rice received a second-place certificate for cartoons in magazines, and 2009 graduate and staffer Alexandra Lao received a certificate of merit for photographs: portfolio of work for magazines.
• Season Ends with a Splash — Hawk swim and dive coach
Mrs. Marie Pelfrey congratulates her team for a job well done at regional competition Nov. 6-8 in Daytona Beach. Participating were Austin Coleman, Patrick Costan, Danielle Davis, Eric Dennis, Brittany Godfrey, Taylor Godfrey, Victoria Ho, Nicole Infinger, Kemeta Quammie, Chris Snowball, Patrick Soucy and Brad Trammell.
Overall, the girls finished 11th out of 26 teams, and the boys finished 14th. The girls medley relay (Davis, B. Godfrey, Ho and Infinger) finished seventh; the boys medley relay (Coleman, Costan, Dennis and Soucy) finished 14th; and the boys 400-meter freestyle relay (Costan, Dennis, Soucy and Trammell) finished 13th. Ho placed third in the 200meter freestyle and fourth in the
500 free; Costan finished eighth in the 100-meter butterfly and fifth in the 500 free; Infinger finished 19th in the 200-meter individual medley; and Snowball finished sixth in the men’s diving. Special congratulations go to Victoria Ho, who qualified to compete in the 200 and 500 freestyle at the state competition in Orlando.
FACE Begins Fourth Year
The SRHS Facial Anomaly Community Education (FACE) Club kicked off its fourth year last week. The club welcomed not only its new members, but also the return of its charter member seniors, who have built the club since it began and are now club officers.
FACE has several events planned, among them fundraisers to support local families who have
children with facial differences, but their big event is the annual holiday party for local families Friday, Dec. 11 in the school cafeteria.
The club plans to adopt two craniofacial families this year. Any interested family is welcome to contact the club’s sponsor, speech pathologist Mrs. Peggy Larson, at (561) 790-4940. Donations to the club and its worthy causes are always welcome.
Guidance News — Guidance counselors will visit freshman science classes Tuesday, Dec. 1 and Wednesday, Dec. 2 to distribute information on graduation requirements, grade point averages, scholarships, options for making up course credits, testing, alternative education options and college/ career planning.
Principal Bob Hatcher, along with the faculty and staff at Western Pines Middle School, recently announced the students of the month for November. These students have been selected by their science teachers as students exemplifying qualities of excellence in the classroom.
The sixth grader of the month, Lianna Welsh, is a straight-A student who always follows the rules. Her quiet sense of humor emits throughout the class. She is an excellent role model for all, is always on task and assists her teachers whenever she is asked. Lianna helps others in the classroom and is a true asset to any teacher.
Leondra Strowbridge is the seventh grader of the month. Leondra is a wonderful student who displays enthusiasm, character
and leadership in and out of the classroom. Each day she enters the class with an anticipation of learning new things. Not only does Leondra do what is expected, she always goes beyond to achieve a high level of success. She is respected by her peers and leads by example in the classroom and throughout the day.
Finally, the eighth-grade student of the month is Anthony Juncal. Anthony shows his enthusiasm for learning in many ways. He is not afraid to ask questions and gives his teachers his full attention. Anthony has established himself as a role model for others. In addition to pleasing his teachers, Anthony continues to raise the bar for his classmates by posing many different ideas about topics covered in the classroom.
Palm Beach Central High School senior Mauricio Escobar, along with his instructor Tammy Skinner, attended the National Regional Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Conference in Baltimore, Md. Nov. 7-9. Mauricio served as master of ceremonies for the conference, along with his National Officer team. He also conducted a workshop on how to increase communication of FBLA at the local, state and national level. Prior to this conference, Esco-
bar and Skinner traveled to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where they lobbied for the March of Dimes with local congressmen. National FBLA supports the March of Dimes as their project and was recognized for collecting the most donations last year (more than $500,000), which Escobar received on behalf of the student organization.
On Nov. 19, Escobar will travel to the Association for Career Technical Education (ACTE) conference in Nashville, where he will
address the delegation on behalf of all career education student organizations. Attendance at the conference is expected to be more than 10,000 educators.
The FBLA National Adviser team has just given Escobar and Skinner approval for attending Puerto Rico’s conference at the end of April. This will be the first time a national officer has attend this conference, and they felt Mauricio would be a great representative and was thrilled that he will be attending.
Constance Scotchel-Gross said Mauricio’s leadership is to be commended.
“This is one truly remarkable young man,” Palm Beach Central Principal Dr. Matthew Shoemaker said. “Mauricio’s humble nature, combined with his charismatic, authentic leadership abilities, will place him at the forefront of the next generation of America’s rising stars.”
For more information, contact Scotchel-Gross at (561) 3577537.
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, students at New Horizons Elementary School celebrated Veterans Day. Guidance Counselor Lynne Bray explained to students that in 1919 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed that Nov. 11 would be called “Armistice Day,” a day set aside to honor those who fought in World War I. In 1954, Congress declared that Nov. 11 would be named “Veterans Day” in honor of all those that have served and currently serve in the any of the armed forces of the United States. The school then recognized and presented a certificate of thanks to
Capt. Gerald Resmondo, an active member of the U.S. Army who has been deployed to Iraq four times. He is the father of students Isabella (fourth grade) and Joshua (kindergarten). Resmondo spoke to the students about the privilege of serving in the armed forces and the importance of thanking those veterans who have served and those who are currently serving. Students made cards and wrote letters that will be sent to colleagues of Resmondo and family members of students currently deployed in Iraq.
About 80 students from Binks Forest Elementary School spent the afternoon of Oct. 23 spreading fall cheer to the residents at the Royal Manor nursing home in Royal Palm Beach. Students played musical pieces, tap-danced, cheered and wrapped up the event with a costume parade. Candy was even passed out by residents of the nursing home, much to the students’ delight. This year, Binks Forest has a new branch of its PTA called Helping Hands. This extension provides elementary school students opportunities to give back to the community. Some of the programs include letter writing to forgotten soldiers, the nursing home visit, a giant book swap at the school, a campus cleanup and any other way students can pitch in and help.
by a different philosophy. Recently, members of Polo Park’s National Junior Honor Society and cheerleading team participated in the 12th Annual Wellington Community Fitness Run & Walk. Several students had to wake up as early as 5 a.m. to make the 7:30 a.m. starting time. Proceeds from the event went to the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. With a team composed of more then 80
runners and walkers, Polo Park received recognition for having the largest number of individuals participating. While some enjoyed the walk more than others, all agreed that the 3.1-mile walk was an enlightening experience. Besides the walk, the event offered numerous post-race activities. From delicious refreshments, to informative demonstrations, the 5K run/walk was a fun-filled gathering for all ages. The walk was a huge success. Not only did those in attendance demonstrate their support for the noble cause, they also bonded with each other and as a community.
— Morgan Hull
ArtStart, a Wellington-based non-profit whose mission is to provide educational opportunities in the arts, has been selected as the charity of record for the 28th Annual Palm Beach Winter Antiques Show. When she saw a certificate for a wine-tasting event at a recent charity auction, ArtStart Founder and President Jeannette Pomeroy Parssi thought it would make the perfect setting for a committee meeting. She ended up being the high bidder, and on Sunday, Nov. 8 welcomed fellow members of the ArtStart planning committee, along with Zita Waters Bell, producer of the Palm Beach Winter Antiques Show, into her Wellington home.
“It was a wonderful evening,” Parssi said. “We tasted some excellent wines from PRP Wine International and made great
progress in planning our event.”
ArtStart will help organize and benefit from a preview party on Thursday, Jan. 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (1601 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach) and will also receive a portion of every ticket sold for the three-day show, which runs Jan. 15-17 at the Crowne Plaza.
Partygoers will enjoy champagne, wine and hors d’oeuvres and will have the first chance to view and purchase antiques, art and jewelry items from the dealers at the show, many of whom will have traveled internationally to attend.
Preview party tickets are $80 and entitle the buyer to repeat admission to the show and complimentary valet parking. For more information, or to make reservations, call Parssi at (561) 635-2037 or visit www.artstartinc.org.
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, Palm Beach Central High School student Shane Van Deree was officially recognized as a 2009-10 Music Educator’s National Conference and U.S. Army All-American Marching Band member. Shane auditioned and was selected for the band, which will perform at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas in January. Thousands of band students from across the country audition for the band, but only 97 are selected. Shane is one of only five students from Florida selected, and the only one from South Florida. This is the second year in a row the Bronco Band has produced an All American. The school would like to congratulate Shane and his family.
Air Force Airman Brandon Rainford graduated basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
Rainford completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate’s degree in applied science through the Community College of the Air Force.
Rainford is the son of Marva Moodie of Loxahatchee and a 2009 graduate of Seminole Ridge High School.
Army Reserve PFC Reinaldo L. Corredor has graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla. During the nine weeks of training, Corredor studied the Army mission and received instruction and training exercises in drill and ceremonies, Army history, core values and traditions, military courtesy, military justice, physical
fitness, first aid, rifle marksmanship, weapons use, map reading and land navigation, foot marches, armed and unarmed combat, and field maneuvers and tactics.
Corredor is the son of Maria Velazquez of Patillas, Puerto Rico and nephew of Almando Huertas of Wellington. He is a 2009 graduate of Lake Worth High School.
Christe William Sanis passed away on the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 11, surrounded by his family in Wellington. He was 90. Born to Greek immigrant parents in New York, Sanis played baseball in the Farm League before moving on to active service in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. Afterward, Sanis enjoyed a long career at NBC, where he first worked behind the camera during the inception of broadcast television.
An energetic and forthright man, Sanis was big of heart, generous of spirit and devoted to his extended family. He met his wife Dorothy when they were introduced so that she might teach him how to dance.
Sanis is survived by his two sons William and Christe Sanis, daughter-in-law Laura and his
and
Members of the New Jersey
South Florida chapter met at the South County Civic Center on Nov. 2 to learn more about rare and endangered species around the world. The guest speaker was Paul Reillo of the Rare Species Conservancy Foundation in Loxahatchee Groves.
Reillo explained how the foundation has found that the success rate for reintroducing endangered birds and animals back into the wild is much better if they work closely with local residents and help them learn how to protect,
defend and preserve the endangered bird or animal. When the local residents take on the responsibilities, they have a feeling that they are taking charge and are taking ownership of the success for the recovery.
Reillo talked about the importance of educating local residents about the impact that the habits and behaviors of local businesses have on a habitat that may be struggling to support many species.
Members of NJRE learned about activities to restore parrots to the wild in tropical areas in
South America. They also were fascinated to learn about the ongoing bongo restoration program in Africa.
Many members were so moved by the efforts of the Rare Species Conservancy Foundation that they wanted to know what they could do to help. Some members made contributions, and others wanted to know what else they could do to help the organization. For more information about the Rare Species Conservancy Foundation, visit the organization’s web site at www.rare species.org.
When you’re facing cancer, you want the latest treatment techniques and the best physicians available—so you can get back to
At South Florida Radiation Oncology, you’ll find the area’s most accomplished and respected radiation oncologists and a full range of state-of-the-art cancer treatments. This is the team you want.
Dr. Kishore Dass and Dr. Ben Han spearhead a team of eight highly trained radiation oncologists practicing advanced cancer treatment techniques. We deliver inspired, compassionate care. Our physicians have been trained at esteemed institutions including Cleveland Clinic, National Cancer Institute, MD Anderson, Mount Sinai, Beth Israel, University of Washington and Stanford. We combine compassionate care and state-of-the-art technology to give you confidence to move on.
Isn’t it time you got back to living your life? Don’t wait—contact one of five convenient locations in Palm Beach County today.
in West Palm Beach. Numerous elected officials were on hand, including some from the western communities.
PORTER/TOWN-CRIER
continued from page 1 by someone who might use scare tactics to sell them equipment. “I would not have my water sampled by someone who would then try to sell me a water system,” she said. Instead, she encouraged residents to contact the ALA for a list of labs where they can have their water tested. Health department officials are conducting a Level II “cancer cluster” study focused on pediat-
continued from page 3 irrigation only, adding that it has nothing to do with the county’s consumptive water use permit, but rather created a mechanism to make watering restrictions apply to all water users, whether they are on wells or municipal water.
Wehle said the provisions don’t impair the county’s ability to require a hook-up to a drinking water line should it become necessary. Although the SFMWD board originally intended to issue restrictions on the use of reclaimed wa-
ric brain tumors in The Acreage. If radium were the cancer-causing contaminant that people fear it is, Oberlin said there would be cases of bone cancer. The study found no cases of bone cancer in The Acreage in the 1,300 registered reports or in complaints from residents. “Radium behaves like calcium, period,” Oberlin said. “It affects the bones.”
Oberlin said that she is not trying to downplay concerns over a possible “cancer cluster,” but wanted residents to be armed with the facts about radium. “Is there a cancer cluster out there? I have no idea,” she said. “We need to wait for [health officials] to do their thing, but we don’t have to panic about radium.”
ter in order to preserve it, it removed those restrictions at the request of the county. She added that the original proposal was for two days a week countywide, which was changed to two days a week in the north and three days a week in the south.
The new rules were adopted from ones that the St. Johns River Water Management District put in place.
“It gives you uniform applicability for the watering days and watering hours for residents, whether they’re on a well or not,” Wehle said. “It was applied in St. Johns, and it’s working well. It never has, and it never will interfere with your ability when you run a water line to have a mandatory hook-up for your customers.”
Community of Hope Church in Loxahatchee Groves is again offering “GriefShare: Surviving the Holidays,” a faith-based seminar designed to help and encourage people facing the holidays after a loved one’s death. The seminar will be held Friday, Dec. 18 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Community of Hope Church office (14101 Okeechobee Blvd.).
There is no charge for this event. The seminar features practical suggestions and encouragement through video interviews with counselors, grief experts and people who have experienced the holidays after their loved one’s death.
Topics include: “Why the Holidays are Tough,” “What to Expect,” “How to Prepare,” “How to Manage Relationships and Holiday Socials” and “Using the Holidays to Help You Heal.” All this is offered from a Christian perspective by trained group facilitators from Community of Hope Church.
For more information, call (561) 753-8883 or e-mail info@ gocoh.com.
The Wellington Cancer Research Unit will hold a luncheon, card and game party on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at Palm Beach Polo & Country Club (11630 Polo Club Road in Wellington).
Two poker tables will be available. Sign-in will take place at 11 a.m. with the luncheon at 11:30 a.m., which will include soup or salad, entrée, dessert and beverage. Cards and games will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Players must provide their own cards, poker chips and games. The cost is $35 per player.
For more information, call Leah at (561) 798-0018.
Do you remember a family Christmas long ago of strolling carolers, roasted chestnuts and apple cider? Friendly neighbors bellowing “Merry Christmas” from their decorated holiday porches?
It’s not make-believe. The spirit is alive at the annual Christmas in Yesteryear Village
Commissioner Karen Marcus said she would favor addressing the issue through a letter to the SFWMD Governing Board asking them to amend language to the rule rather than an administrative challenge.
“I think it’s a mistake, and I wouldn’t support it if it came forward,” she said. “I think we are looking for a boogeyman that does not exist. We have a relationship with the water management district; we need to build on that.”
Commissioner Jess Santamaria said he felt his constituency would support trying to conserve both water and money.
Marcus made a motion to send a letter to the governing board asking for clarifications, which was seconded by Commissioner Jeff
Koons. It carried 5-2 with Commission Chair Burt Aaronson and Commissioner Priscilla Taylor opposed.
Taylor said she would rather have an administrative challenge filed to meet the Nov. 23 deadline to either get a clarification or challenge it.
“I do not understand why our commissioners, who are elected to defend Palm Beach County, do not support the clarification, which would be in writing, to be sure that in the future, if they have to look at this, they will have something concrete to look at,” she said. Aaronson agreed. “We don’t have anything but a lick and a promise right now,” he said. “You can’t protect the residents of Palm Beach County on a promise.”
at the South Florida Fairgrounds Dec. 10-13. Step back in time to merry days of holiday cheer. Gaze upon a spectacular 25-foot decorated Christmas tree amid beautifully decorated buildings and walkways festooned with thousands of twinkling lights, giant wreaths and boughs of holly. If that doesn’t get you in the spirit, wait until you hear local school choral groups perform your favorite holiday tunes.
Talented singers from area schools will be on hand. Find a unique gift as you shop from over two dozen crafters. Christmas trees will be for sale courtesy of Cub Scout Pack 197 and the youth of United Methodist Church of the Palm Beaches. There will be gingerbread houses and lots of beautiful Christmas trees decorated by local non-profit organizations. You just know Santa is on his way. In fact, jolly ol’ St. Nick will be there with Deanna the storytelling elf. Admission to Christmas in Yesteryear Village is $7. Children ages five and
continued from page 1 ing carcass dumping. Throwing carcasses in the canals constitutes illegal dumping, he said.
Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association President Marge Herzog said she is aware of a town resident who has a carcass-hauling business. The town’s solid waste monitor Frank Schiola added that he had talked to the trashhauling contractor’s representative, Pete Reilly with Waste Pro, but suggested that the council might want to go out to bid for a carcass hauler.
“You’re going to have two or three people out here who actually do that, and that way you can get the best price,” Schiola said. “I don’t know how you would work out the fee, but Waste Pro can do it for you, as well as some of the local services out here.”
Council members by consensus directed town staff to contact local haulers for services.
Browning also reported that the intergovernmental committee is still trying to get a meeting with Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department officials to discuss loops and tie-ins for fire hydrants on the reusable water lines being cut through the Groves to access FPL’s West County Energy Center.
Browning said that at one point, utility officials had committed to putting taps at each of the town’s roads, but the way the pipes are being installed doesn’t allow for the taps, he said. The contractor is using directional drilling, which does not include the option for
Blotter
taps to be constructed for fire hydrants, Browning said. Browning said he thought the county never got it clear with the contractors what was expected of them. “If somebody wanted tees, it’s going to cost them a lot of money,” Browning said. “In that pipeline, there’s still no interconnectivity.” In other business, Vice Mayor Dennis Lipp proposed shortening the minutes of the meetings, which he estimated costs $5,000 to $6,000 a year to transcribe. “If we can cut that in half, we could eventually find room in the budget for laptops, so we can get rid of all this paper,” Lipp said. He said three-hour meetings could be distilled down to four pages in an outline form. The minutes were 29 pages for the Oct. 6 meeting and 22 pages for Oct. 20. Councilman Dr. Bill Louda said since full recordings are available, he felt an outline printed form would make sense. Browning agreed, asking Town Attorney Michael Cirullo if that would be legally acceptable.
Cirullo said an outline is fine as long as it includes the agenda item, the motion taken, the second and any other important action related to the decision. Browning said he agreed with the concept. “This would make it easier for everybody and to save time,” he said. “I think that it’s a great idea.”
The council also approved a new auditing firm, accepting the recommendation of the Finance & Auditing Committee to hire Nowlin, Holt & Miner PA for a threeyear contract with two one-year extensions. Lipp made a motion to accept committee’s recommendation, which passed unanimously.
there would be shortages of food.
“There are growing food shortages all over the planet,” Johns said. “There will be some type of tipping
ized. Farming is a combat sport. You have to go to the mat to survive. In the near future, I think there will be such an appreciation for the farming community and agriculture. They are starting to look at the quality of food itself. I see Palm Beach County in the next 50 to 100 years as a leader in the production of food… Someone has to do it, and we have the richest soils in the world.”
ized production, such as “victory gardens,” recently made famous by the First Lady who had planted one at the White House.
Durando said that she hoped the push would be toward more local-
“I would hope it would go toward localized production,” Durando said. “I remember victory gardens years ago. They were quite sufficient for families to raise what they needed. I hope there will be communities with localized gardens. I hope there is more access to 4-H clubs and schools.”
continued from page 6 PBSO substation in Wellington responded to a home in Margate Place last Saturday night regarding a residential and vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 9:30 and 11 p.m., someone entered the victim’s home on Kingsway Road through an unlocked door and stole $200 cash, a purse, several pieces of jewelry and various electronic items, including four LCD televisions and a laptop computer. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects at the time of the report. NOV. 15 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded to the Super Target store on Okeechobee Blvd. last Sunday regarding a shoplifter.
According to a PBSO report, a store employee notified a loss prevention officer that two unidentified black males were stealing two televisions. The suspects were described as wearing matching black shirts, baggy jeans, black tennis shoes and black knit caps. The officer observed the two men on surveillance video leaving the east exit and crossing the parking lot to a green Ford Explorer, driven by an unidentified person. The officer was able to zoom in on the license plate before the SUV drove away eastbound on State Road 7. According to the report, the vehicle tag is registered to a resident of Hollywood, but when police responded to the home, they were unable to locate the SUV. The televisions were
Each year, the equestrian community gets all fired up to get to the after-Thanksgiving sale at the Tackeria equestrian supply store in Wellington. This year’s sale will be held Nov. 27-29. In her column this week, Ellen Rosenberg shares sale memories from years gone by. Page 25
On Thursday, Nov. 12, two Palm Beach Central High School baseball players signed their official letters of intent to play college ball. Alex Hernandez will attend the University of North Florida, while Dexter Price will attend Daytona State University. Page 42
Wine Tasting Event
Star Liquors in the Wellington Town Square plaza hosted a wine tasting Saturday, Nov. 14. For $10, participants were able to sample a variety of wines and liquors while enjoying appetizers and hors d’oeuvres from area restaurants. Money was donated to the Wellington Rotary Club Scholarship Foundation. Page 33
Rival RPBHS 28-14
The Seminole Ridge High School football team defeated rival Royal Palm Beach High School 28-14 last Friday night, taking possession of a reciprocal trophy passed between the schools. The trophy features the fused bronzed heads of both teams’ mascots, but has stayed with the Wildcats for the past five years. This year, it will head to Seminole Ridge. Page 39
Just about a year ago, the equestrian community was all fired up to get to the afterThanksgiving sale at the Tackeria equestrian supply store in Wellington. People from all over the U.S. made sure they were in town for that sale, and some even included it in their vacation plans.
The store was bustling when I visited it on Black Friday, Nov. 28, 2008. A happy couple from Palm City had driven in just for the sale and had found some excellent deals. They’d bought a pair of splint boots and had also won a cute stuffed sheep in one of the frequent raffle drawings. Owner Tony Coppola got on the loud speaker and hollered out winning names every few minutes. There were t-shirts, caps, horse sheets, even a new Ovation jumping saddle, the biggest prize of all, which was awarded Sunday afternoon.
One shopper, a woman named Theodora, was on vacation from her home on Florida’s west coast. She’d made sure to visit the sale before heading home. “We don’t have any great tack stores like this one back home,” she said as she hunted for bridles, sheets and whatever good bargains she might find.
Andrea from Loxahatchee had just picked out her new saddle and was working on a deal for the saddle cover. Sarah was just browsing with a woolly saddle pad tucked under her arm. Kay from Palm Beach Gardens was stocking up on Christmas presents. “This place is like a candy store,” she said as she went in search of size 48 stirrup leathers. Coppola made sure everyone knew about the sale in advance. He mailed out more than
By Ellen Rosenberg
8,500 post cards announcing the sale, which he said was a big help to people weathering a tough economy. Some items, such as blankets and clothing, were reduced by as much as 80 percent, and some saddles were marked down 60 percent. “I want to move some saddles,” he said, then hustled off to give away more free t-shirts and caps.
Lou Cuthbertson, Tony’s nephew, has been working at the Tackeria for ten years. He loved the excitement and energy of the sale, working on the floor and helping customers instead of just placing phone orders. Cuthbertson said that the store brought in a lot of extra inventory just for the sale, and vendors and suppliers sent out reps to showcase new products.
“The Tackeria has more than 80,000 items for sale,” Cuthbertson said. “Everything for, with or about horses.”
There were Christmas ornaments, riding boots, purses, gloves, breeches, toys, spurs, wheelbarrows, calendars, license plates, note cards, horse treats, stall mats, mugs, picture frames, stickers, pillows, pet bowls, figurines, saddle racks, water fountains, tack trunks,
jackets, books, bits, belts, bridles, brushes, jewelry, helmets, hoof dressing, videos, liniment, lead ropes, picnic hampers, a weather vane and a rocking horse.
The aisles were jammed, and the checkout lines were long, but everyone was smiling and showing off their new-found treasures. Lynne from Palm Beach Gardens had found a bridle, a hayrack and mini horse blankets for her dogs. Dawn, on vacation from Pennsylvania, said the sale was very nice compared to what she had at home. Emily from Loxahatchee was celebrating her eighth birthday. She collected a model horse, a box of note cards, two hair bows and a new saddle.
Amanda from Wellington had gotten all excited when she got her postcard announcing the sale — she has attended the sale each year and finds it a nice break from the often high cost of everything equestrian. Kathleen from Loxahatchee had won a free horse blanket and found the perfect side reins and paddock boots. She, too, looked forward to the yearly sale where so much good stuff
was discounted. “Yes! It’s here again! I can’t wait!” was her reaction to getting the postcard. And what did she find at the sale? “I’m stocking up on everything I need, and some stuff I probably don’t need. But that’s the fun of the sale. You never know what you’ll find, but you know it’ll be a great price.”
Last year’s sale is just a fond memory now, but, soon, soon, it’ll be that time again. The postcards will arrive. And many of us, like Kathleen, will be thinking, Yes! It’s here again! I can’t wait!
This year’s sale will run Nov. 27-29. The Tackeria is located at 13501 South Shore Blvd., Wellington. For more information, call (561) 793-2012.
You can find just about everything equestrian available at the Tackeria in Wellington.
Last weekend, I spent some time in my antiques store rearranging what I call the “guy corner. ” I love the guy corner because I love scuffed wooden crates and chunky iron gears and tools with well-worn wooden handles. I love fishing poles and minnow buckets and crab traps. I love bowling pins and cricket bats and leather football helmets.
The corner also houses smaller things. There’s a bowl of cigarette lighters that look like sharks, fire hydrants and slot machines. There’s a pharmacy jar full of matchbooks. There’s a bin of pocket knives. The atmosphere in that corner conveys an element of danger that men seem to like. I know they spend a lot of time back there.
For the gentler soul (or women looking for gifts), I frame old magazine ads featuring classic cars or photographs of beaming men standing next to gigantic upside-down fish. I stock wooden lighthouses, carved fish and a wide
assortment of oddball coasters. I keep vintage Thermos jars, rolled-up mosquito netting and canvas bags on hand for the campers.
That’s the kind of stuff I buy for this area of the store. Yet because I’m not a guy, there will be an occasional label that reads “thingamabob” or “unusual tall thing” because I have no idea what I’m labeling. I bought it simply because I liked the look of it, and I’m relying on the potential customer to tell me
what it is. With this unbridled passion for shopping, the guy corner occasionally gets out of hand, and I have to roll up my sleeves and straighten out things back there before my store starts to look like an abandoned shed.
It had gotten especially “overgrown” recently because I had been to an estate sale where I spent all my time in the garage where the “good stuff” is and bought every single one of the owner’s glass jars filled with nuts, bolts or screws. There were 98 of them in all, and I’m selling them for $2 a jar.
“Nobody is going to buy those jars!” my husband exclaimed when I brought them home. So, of course, the challenge was on. And sure enough, last week a guy came up to the counter with money in hand, holding one of those jars. (Victory!)
“You don’t know what this is, do you?” he teased.
He didn’t have to tease; I freely admit my
ignorance. But I squinted into the jar anyway. It held one object, a thing that had a screw base like a lightbulb, but where the glass bulb should’ve been was a mass of crazy wires going every which way.
“No,” I answered.
“It’s a heater!” he proclaimed. “You put it into a lamp, and it heats up the room!” I was shocked. “Isn’t that kind of dangerous?” I asked, thinking of rambunctious children chasing happy-go-lucky pets.
“I suppose,” he shrugged. “I’ll take it.”
Now say what you will about the item itself, that guy never expected to leave my store with a light bulb heater. It’s just not the type of thing you go in search of. Yet he’s happy, and I’m happy. I’m also $2 richer.
No, I take that back. After paying five cents each, I still have $2.90 to go until I break even on those jars.
The new film Pirate Radio is essentially a bit of harmless fluff. The plot is almost nonexistent, and most of the characters are not much more than caricatures. But on a weekend where I needed to get out of the house, it provided a couple of hours of enjoyment. What else was there to see? I prefer Dickens’ Christmas Carol to Disney’s. The new film 2012 creates a happy ending for the end of the world. I prefer my special effects in the middle of a real story not the other way around. So I figured that a story based loosely — very loosely — on Britain’s pirate radio ships of the 1960s would be fun. Since that’s the era of music I love, at least I would have some entertainment.
The plot is simple. A young man, Carl (Tom Sturridge) goes on board the pirate radio ship of his godfather (Bill Nighy) to “grow up.” While this is going on, the baddies, led by the supercilious Dormandy (Kenneth Branagh), want to wipe out rock ’n’ roll, even though more than half the people listen to it. You can figure out how witty the film is by the fact
I’ve decided the world is moving too fast for me. This ride on planet Earth is going by faster then I wish. No matter how much I try, I just can’t get used to all the technology that is flowing around me. New technology comes out just about every day.
As soon as I learn something on my computer, it is considered old and outdated. My sons keep telling me I must move forward and learn all the new stuff. Well guess what? I have decided I am done learning anything in the tech field. I know you’re never too old to learn, but in my case, I have decided I am too lazy to learn anything else. After all, how much more can my brain absorb? I am losing brain cells every day.
I think I’m the only person over 10 in this country who still doesn’t own a cell phone. Heck, I don’t even know how to use a cell phone. Maybe I don’t want a cell phone because of reports that cell phones may cause brain cancer. Or (more likely) maybe I just don’t want to be found whenever I leave my
By Leonard Wechsler Deborah Welky is
‘I’ On CULTURE
that Dormandy’s chief agent (Jack Davenport) is named Twatt. And the bad guys will use any method possible to end rock. To make certain everyone knows how rotten they are, they admit that more than 90 percent of the people are against them, but it seems to matter not a bit.
Of course, the DJs on board are all lovable. There is the Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the lone American, along with a nutty group of British characters. Young Carl, of course, learns about life, loses his virginity (which is broadcast all over Britain by the station), and actually does grow up.
And the DJs have many different adventures, from challenges to each other, to poaching each others’ girlfriends, and finally to facing a real crisis brought on by the evil government. There are acts of kindness and villainy, and all more or less in good fun.
The British do this kind of thing well. Great character acting goes a long way toward avoiding the fact that there really is not much of a plot. Rote scenes of having women brought in, of mischievous tricks, and of strange people keep the audience from recognizing that nothing much is happening.
At the end, there is a paean to the undying longevity of rock. Of course, this is essentially a fairy tale. The real pirate radio, Radio Caroline, was effectively wiped out by the British government fairly easily by simply making it illegal for British companies to advertise on an offshore radio station. Happily for most of us, that was not enough to actually destroy rock, and today Sir Paul McCartney and others have joined the Establishment. But this picture is a fable. It is designed to
make us feel good; to know that when the government tries to push too far, the people will win.
And, of course, in some situations that does happen. Freedom of speech and the press also includes allowing us to hear the music we like, and technology allows all of us to create our own playlists and choose the source of the news we want to know. The British government did have a short-lived victory. And the Venezuelan government recently declared it could shut down those media sources it found disruptive. Eternal vigilance is the price we pay for our freedom. When our government argues it can regulate and even shut down those media outlets— newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations, Internet sources — that it feels do not serve the public interest, they must be opposed by everyone. But the film spends most of its energy on lightly slapstick humor. It is an enjoyable way to waste part of a day. It won’t win any awards, but it stresses character a lot more than the special-effects movies do.
By Ernie Zimmerman
house. After all, I don’t do anything important that could give people a need to find me ASAP. In the last 10 years or so, maybe a cell phone would have come in handy twice
Even though my kids tell me no one uses VCRs anymore, I am still trying to figure out how to work mine. I do have a CD player, but I am not having much luck trying to use the CD player either.
When I go to my kids’ homes, I can’t even put the TV on anymore. I always need assistance, usually from my grandkids. They always give me “the look” when I do ask them
for help (you know, the same look my wife Sharon has made famous).
All my grandkids say to me, “Grandpa, you’re fooling us. You must know how to put the TV on.” But my kids’ TVs are hooked up to so many different things, I really don’t know how to get the contraption going. I can’t even change the station once the TV is on. Each TV has at least three remotes sitting by them. How am I supposed to know which one is for the TV?
I have now made up my mind, and it is not changeable. I have decided that for the rest of the time that I have left on Planet Earth, I will be spending it in the years 1968-1972. I am starting to believe those years were some of the most enjoyable years of my life.
In June 1968, I was done with the Army and Vietnam. I was home to enjoy life to its fullest — and I did. I became a New York City Police Officer. And, of course, I was single. For the record, all of those stories that you hear about girls being attracted to guys
in uniform are true. But if I do say so myself, I did look cute in my uniform. I didn’t walk past a mirror I didn’t like.
And the music was great in those years. At least I was able to understand the words that were coming out of the singers’ mouths.
And during those years, I met the love of my life. (If you guessed my wife Sharon, you are correct.) And even though everyone told her she was crazy for marrying me and it would never last, I am happy to report that 37 years later, we are still very much married.
To tell you the truth, Sharon did not meet me in uniform. I met her in a club where most folks didn’t like cops. When my wife-to-be asked me what I did for a living, I told her I was a funeral director and charmed her with stories about all the ugly bodies I had seen. She believed me until she noticed the gun I was wearing under my jacket.
Yeah 1968-1972, those were the days, my friends. I will be there forever. So if you need me, now you know where you can find me!
N K S G I V I N G W E E K E N D C E L E
WEDNESDAY - SUNDAY NOVEMBER 25-29, 2009
Holiday & Horses 561.793.5867 www.equestriansport.com
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH
Join us at the White Horse Tavern serving a traditional Thanksgiving Buffet in our “Re-Designed” Restaurant 2:00pm-8:00pm (Complimentary Valet Parking) Now Accepting Reservations 561.333.1150
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH
Holiday & Horses FEI World Cup Qualifier
6:00pm - Meet the Jockeys Cocktail Party
Includes cocktail reception, buffet dinner & admission to Jumping Competition in the International Arena
$75 - for tickets: Call Barbara 561.793.5867
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28TH
Steeplechase is an all day event 10:00am - 6:00pm It is a day like no other to be shared with family & friends
Tickets available online www.palmbeachsteeplechase.com
$20 presale tickets available: Call Annette 561.793.5867
We Invite you to Experience this Unique Holiday Tradition Our Yearly Spectacle of Horses, Hats and Hounds will take place at Suncast Palm Beach Steeplechase the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center - The Stadium On Saturday, November 28th
Some of the t-shirts on display in the Verizon Wireless Clothesline Project exhibit at the Wellington library.
The Palm Beach County Library System and Verizon Wireless have partnered to host an art exhibit designed to bring awareness to the destructive cycle of domestic violence. Open now through Nov. 30 at the Wellington branch library, the Verizon Wireless Clothesline Project tells the survivors’ emotional stories of abuse and healing through artistically expressive t-shirts that hang on a makeshift clothesline.
The exhibit was officially unveiled on Nov. 13 with an awareness event featuring candid testimony from a local domestic violence
survivor. In addition, community leaders and local residents were on hand to discuss the destructive effects of domestic violence on the local community.
In addition to hosting the Clothesline Project, the Wellington library will collect used and broken cell phones that will be refurbished and distributed to victims of domestic violence in the local community through Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine program.
The Wellington library is located at 1951 Royal Fern Drive. For more information, call (561) 790-6070.
The Wellington Art Society’s online gallery show will sparkle in December with jewelry designer Sandra Lynn Axelrod’s unique gems.
A Wellington resident, Axelrod is a Wellington Art Society member and owner of Sandra Lynn Designs. Her one-of-a-kind, original jewelry pieces are made with high-quality pearls, gemstones, Swarovski crystals, gold, copper, brass, steel and sterling silver.
Her newest works, from the “Garden, Ocean and Sky Collections,” draw inspiration from her Florida surroundings, including specific tropical flowers, butterflies, fish and seashells. “I have always had a fascination with the beauty of nature,” Axelrod said. “The design possibil-
ities are endless.”
Axelrod’s special talent lies in her use of colorful gems, such as amethyst, peridot, tanzanite and garnet, among others, which she uses to capture the colors of Florida’s glorious creatures.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Commerce Association selected her for the 2009 Best of Wellington Award in the Jewelers category. One of her award-winning pieces toured the United States and is now on file at the Smithsonian Institute.
The online show features 12 of Axelrod’s designs and runs through Dec. 31. All works are available for purchase. To view Axelrod’s exhibit, visit the Gallery Show section on the society’s web site at www. wellingtonartsociety.org.
Clay-Glass-Metal-Stone Cooperative Gallery in downtown Lake Worth will host the exhibit “Tropical Visions” on Friday, Nov. 20 featuring work by 29 Palm Beach County artists.
“Tropical Visions” is a celebration of the environment. All of the artists thrive and derive inspiration from the environment. It is the fourth in a series of themed exhibits held during the months of October and November.
In keeping with the theme, the artists have reached out to the ocean, trees, wind and sunshine of South Florida and captured all the elements in the complexity of work. Those looking for unusual and affordable art as décor for their homes, condos, offices and gardens will need to go no further than a visit to this unique gallery. Those craving
elegance and artistic beauty in their functional tableware will find it there. Prices in the gallery range from $8 to $20,000. Each of the artists is able to custom make art to specifications.
Clay-Glass-Metal-Stone Cooperative Gallery is sponsored by the Flamingo Clay Studio, a non-profit arts organization whose mission is to provide affordable studio and gallery space for three-dimensional artists. The gallery is located at 605 Lake Avenue in downtown Lake Worth. Hours are 1 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Gallery openings are held the first and third Friday of each month from 6 to 10 p.m. A wine and cheese tasting takes place at every opening.
For more information, call (561) 588-8344 or visit www.clayglass metalstone.com.
The popular series Culture & Cocktails, hosted by the Palm Beach County Cultural Council, will continue on Monday, Dec. 14 at Café Boulud in the Brazilian Court Hotel in Palm Beach. The topic will be: “Burt! A Conversation with Burt Reynolds,” and the interviewer will be Suzanne Niedland, chair of the Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre.
All Culture & Cocktails events are free for members of the Cultural Council ($175 level and above).
The price for everyone else is $35 per person with all proceeds going to the non-profit Cultural Council. Events run from 5 to 7 p.m., with registration and cocktails from 5 to 5:45 p.m., and the “conversation” from 5:45 to 7 p.m., including a question-and-answer session with the audience.
Café Boulud will offer a complimentary open bar and an array of specially prepared hors d’oeuvres.
The world-famous restaurant is located in the Brazilian Court at 301
Australian Ave. in Palm Beach. As an added bonus, all attendees at Culture & Cocktails events at Café Boulud will be given a 20-percent discount for dinner at Café Boulud immediately following the event. This discount is for food only and does not include drinks, tax or gratuity.
Because of space limitations, each Culture & Cocktails event is limited to 60 RSVPs on a firstcome, first-served basis. Interested people can RSVP by calling the
Cultural Council at (561) 4723330.
For more than 30 years, the Palm Beach County Cultural Council has taken a leadership role in nurturing, promoting and celebrating the arts and cultural community in one of Florida’s largest and most diverse counties. The non-profit organization is officially recognized by the Board of County Commissioners as the county’s advisory agency for cultural development and administers a portion of local tourist devel-
opment funds under a contract with the county.
Since its inception, the Cultural Council has committed its energies and resources to supporting the establishment of new cultural institutions, enhancing existing organizations and encouraging opportunities for individual artists. Another primary focus is arts education.
For more information about the Palm Beach County Cultural Council, visit www.palmbeachculture. com.
Star Liquors in the Wellington Town Square plaza hosted a wine tasting Saturday, Nov. 14. For $10, participants were able to sample a wide variety of wines and liquors while enjoying appetizers and hors d’oeuvres from area restaurants. All of the money was donated to the Wellington Rotary Club Scholarship Foundation along with a group of local charities selected for benevolent giving. For more about Star Liquors, call (561) 790-2432.
Representatives of host Star Liquors included (L-R) Dhruv, Amit,
The Medical Center of the Palm Beaches has announced that Dr. Robert Campitelli has joined the center.
Dr. Campitelli brings over 20 years of family medicine experience. He and his medical associates will provide patient care from the center’s new location at 8140 Okeechobee Blvd.
“Dr. Campitelli is a superb addition to our medical team,” said founding physician Dr. Russ M. Seger. “His skill and compassion will benefit Wellington and Palm Beach County’s western
neighborhoods for years to come.”
Joining Campitelli are his longtime medical associates Patricia Murphy, Heather Loguidice, Verna Smith, Pamela Lester and Elaine Fredrickson.
Campitelli is a board-certified family practice physician as well as a registered pharmacist. He is a diplomat of the Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners as well a medical review officer.
Campitelli is the former vice chief of family practice
as well as the family practice residency director at Wellington Regional Medical Center. He is a member of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Board of Directors in Bradenton.
Campitelli is affiliated with the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association, the American College of Osteopathic Family Practitioners and the Association of Osteopathic Directors of Medical Education. Campitelli received his degree from
the Southeastern College of Osteopathic Medicine in North Miami.
With locations at 4623 Forest Hill Blvd. and 8140 Okeechobee Blvd., both in West Palm Beach, the Medical Center of the Palm Beaches is open seven days each week and accepts most major insurance plans.
Founding physician Dr. Russ M. Seger developed the medical center to provide patients immediate access to a variety of medical care services, including urgent care, family, orthopedic and chiro-
practic medicine, physical therapy, pain management, laboratory testing, women’s health, nutrition and highfield MRI imaging, all under one roof. New patients are seen on a walk-in or appointment basis.
The medical center also houses an onsite pharmacy for its patients’ convenience.
For more information on the Medical Center of the Palm Beaches, call Gregory DuBose at (561) 746-6077 or visit www.medicalcenterof thepalmbeaches.com.
Health is the hot-button issue of our time. Whether it’s politicians battling to hammer out a comprehensive healthcare bill or parents wondering whether to vaccinate their children (and themselves) against swine flu, health is on our minds 24/7. With this concern comes the natural desire to gather
facts, to separate what’s true from what’s not, to cut through the hype and find real answers for the numerous problems facing us today.
Easier said than done. There is so much information out there, how can you tell who’s blowing smoke and who’s in it for the right reasons — to educate, inform and inspire you to make the
right choices for yourself and your loved ones? That’s where HealThursday comes in.
HealThursday is a new web-based show broadcast every Thursday from 9 to 10 p.m. from WAFS-TV (owned and operate by John Sottilare and located at 6801 Lake Worth Road in Lake Worth). Having premiered on Oct.
22, HealThursday is produced and conceived by the same team that created Night Shul, the number-one show on WAFS-TV for September 2009.
HealThursday is hosted by Natalie “the Natural” Crooks and features Frank Dias, Robin Bednarcik, Marcus C. Nisbett and Night Shul host Matthew Auerbach. They’re
a passionate, outspoken, funny and slightly skeptical group of like-minded individuals who are dedicated to helping you live a longer, safer, healthier life. Guests from all walks of life will join the Fab Five to discuss, debate and deliver the latest news and breakthroughs in the health field. That way, you won’t catch anything else.
HealThursday is your weekly multi-vitamin of information and entertainment. So make sure to catch HealThursday live at www.wafs.tv every Thursday 9 to 10 p.m. Visit www.healthursday. com for more information. For more information about Night Shul, visit www.night shul.com.
Whole Foods Market in Wellington celebrated its first anniversary Friday through Sunday, Nov. 6-8.
The weekend celebration began with a free tasting around the store and with performances by the local dance group the Chili Chicks. One lucky customer won the grand prize of a $500 supermarket sweep from the free drawing that night. Tania Perez-McDermott of West Palm Beach was the winner and participated in the store’s first customer supermarket sweep. She had a great time and got lots of wonderful
products from the Specialty Department for her upcoming holiday parties.
Events continued with more than 45 vendors giving out samples of their products to customers around the store.
Sunday’s festivities included a $5 donation brunch where customers indulged in omelets made to order, pancakes and baked goods all for the Children’s Organ Transplant Association.
To end the festivities, children made fun critters out of new natural Clementine Art modeling dough that is nontoxic and smells great.
The Wellington Chamber of Commerce has announced that Emergency Specialists of Wellington (Wellington Regional Medical Center ER), the Wellness Center (Dr. Randy Laurich) and the Omphoy Ocean Resort are sponsoring the Business Expo 2009 at the Palm Beach Steeplechase, which will take place on Saturday, Nov. 28 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center Stadium in Wellington.
Dr. Randy Laurich of the Wellness Center has been practicing chiropractic care since 1998 when he graduated from the Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic. Laurich’s special focus and passion is helping people change the patterns and habits that are preventing the body from healing itself.
Dr. Blake Kendall, of Emergency Specialists of Wellington, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician. He is also an at-
tending physician and director of marketing and business development at Wellington Regional Medical Center’s Emergency Department for the past four and a half years.
The Omphoy Ocean Resort Palm Beach is now open in the Town of Palm Beach. It’s the first new luxury style boutique resort to open along the ocean in almost 20 years. It is home to celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein, 2008 winner of the coveted James Beard Foundation award.
Courtesy of Wellington Equestrian Partners, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce Business Expo 2009 will be held at the Second Annual Palm Beach Steeplechase 2009 at the stadium, located at the corner of South Shore Blvd. and Pierson Road.
For more information on this event, or the Wellington Chamber, call Executive Director Michela Perillo-Green at (561) 792-6525.
By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report
The Seminole Ridge High School varsity football team defeated rival Royal Palm Beach High School 2814 last Friday night, taking possession of the reciprocal trophy passed between the two schools.
The trophy features the fused bronzed heads of both teams’ mascots, but has stayed with the Wildcats for the past five years. This year, it will be displayed at Seminole Ridge for the first time.
The Hawks scored first. Halfway into the first quarter, SRHS made it to the Wildcats’ end zone for a touchdown, and a successful extra point kick from Matt Johnson brought the score 7-0.
The remainder of the first quarter and the entire second quarter saw no further scoring with both teams unable to capitalize on their possessions. The next score came on the opening drive of the third quarter, when Malcolm Pendergrass ran in a touchdown to put the Wildcats on the board. A successful extra point kick tied the score 7-7.
With 7:17 left in the third quarter, the Hawks kick return to the Wildcats was blocked, putting the Wildcats in Hawk territory. Minutes later, Pendergrass threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Javonti Greene and, following an extra point kick, the Wildcats took the lead 14-7.
Minutes later, the Hawks sat on the Wildcats’ 20 yard line. A successful pass to Jeacky Charles put them at first and goal, and on the next play, Javian Wrisper ran in another touchdown, and Johnson made the extra-point kick, tying the
score 14-14 with only two minutes left in the third quarter.
The next score came with five minutes left in the game when Wrisper ran up the middle four yards for a touchdown. A successful extra-point kick put the Hawks in the lead 21-14. Just 26 seconds later, on the Wildcats’ next possession, Hawk Eric Poppert intercepted a pass from Pendergrass and ran 19 yards for a touchdown. The extra-point kick by Johnson sealed the deal for the Hawks win, 28-14.
The Hawks opened the post-season playoffs on Thursday, Nov. 19 at Treasure Coast High School. The score was not available at presstime.
The Wildcats travel to Palm BayBayside on Friday, Nov. 20 for a 7:30 p.m. game.
The Wellington High School varsity football team completed its encouraging season on Friday, Nov. 13 at home. While nothing strange happened on the scary date, the Wolverines did defeat the visiting Suncoast Chargers 34-20.
Junior Ryan McGovern, Wellington resident and a Wellington Landings graduate, started at quarterback for the Chargers.
“I was excited and ready to play against some of my friends in my hometown,” McGovern said. “There was a little smack talk, but not much.”
At the 8:17 mark of the first quarter, Wolverine Brett Alfredson opened the scoring on a 25-yard run. The quarterback faked a pitch to the left then proceeded to run down the near sideline and into the end zone.
The Wolverines pulled their lead to 14-0 on a run by sophomore Tyler Vanacore. With 1:19 remaining in the quarter, Vanacore lined up at quarterback and ran the ball through the Suncoast defense for a 27-yard touchdown.
In the closing seconds of the quarter, Suncoast running back Victor Osborne gave Wellington a scare with a 51-yard run that almost
By Josh Hyber
broke free for six points. Wolverine safeties Winter Cullen and Tanner Stewart saved the touchdown.
The Chargers did, however, capitalize just moments into the second quarter. McGovern threw a pass to Andre Holzendorf 13 seconds into the quarter to cut the deficit to 14-7. Wellington kicker Nick Brewer then kicked a 21-yard field goal to add three points to the Wolverine lead. To everyone’s surprise, the Wolverines attempted, and successfully recovered, an onside kick. But the ensuing drive was stopped short due to a fumble.
Cullen intercepted a pass for the Wolverines toward the end of the first half, but the clock ran out before Wellington had a chance
to score. The half ended with the Wolverines leading by ten, 17-7.
“I felt like we still had a good chance, considering the Leonard game we were down by 20 but tied the game in the second half,” McGovern said.
A Wolverine drive to start the second half was stopped by a Chargers interception. McGovern connected with Holzendorf for another touchdown, this time a strike from 27 yards. Brewer countered with his second field goal of the night, a 25 yarder, to bring the score to 20-14.
Wellington cushioned its lead with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Mike Garafine and Ken Konn, both seniors, scored rushing touchdowns to bring the Wolverine lead to 34-14.
McGovern rallied his team down the field with another touchdown drive. But with little time remaining, and a score of 34-20, the Wolverines ran the clock out to secure the win.
The victory brought the Wolverines’ final regular season record to 5-5, and Suncoast’s to 3-6-1. The Wolverines travel to Pompano
take on Blanche Ely High School on Friday, Nov. 20 in the opening round of the playoffs. Suncoast did not qualify for postseason play.
The girls varsity soccer team traveled to Forest Hill High School on Monday, Nov. 16 to put its two-game winning streak on the line. The Wolverines easily defeated the Falcons by a score of 8-0.
Junior Natalie Puñal scored three goals, bringing her season total to eight. Other goal scorers include junior Kaelin Ferreira and freshman Ana Talbot (who scored the first two goals of her Wellington High School career). Two surprising goals came from the two Wolverine goalkeepers, Sam Bandremer and Olivia DiCarlantonio, who were given a chance by Coach Michael Kozlowski to play field positions.
The girls played Wednesday, Nov. 18 at home against American Heritage High School (results were not available at press time), and continue their schedule against William T. Dwyer High School on Monday, Nov. 23.
The Wellington Tennis Center hosted a USTA Rookie Junior Tournament Nov. 7 and 8. There were more than 50 participants in eight different age groups. Rookie tournaments are for kids who do not hold a state ranking. It is a great opportunity for young players to gain experience at the tournament level. The Wellington Tennis Center hosts a rookie tournament annually. To find all listings of USTA tournaments, visit www.ustaflorida.com.
The Pro Ball Cobras 12-U travel baseball team won the Nations Fall League Championship in the 12-U division. By winning the championship, they qualify to compete in Orlando with the best teams in the state. The team went undefeated in the playoffs. In the semifinals and championship games, the Cobras averaged more than 15 runs per game and had a total of six home runs. Pictured above are: (front row, L-R) Mathew Careccia, Dylan Santalo, Manny Bejerano and German Torres; (middle row) Joey Polak, Rylan Snow, Bruce Martin, Bryan Hernandez, Jorge Hernando, Alejandro Rodriguez and Raphael Castillo; (back row) coaches Rich Polak, Yosvani Hernandez, Jorge Hernando and Manager Oscar Santalo.
The TPX Titans 12-U travel baseball team recently concluded their successful fall season by finishing as runners up among 13 teams in the Nations Baseball Hall of Fame League. After finishing the regular season with just two losses, the team rolled through the playoffs with three consecutive wins before losing in the championship game to the Pro Ball Cobras. The team is gearing up for the 2010 spring season and will be traveling to Cooperstown, N.Y. to compete in the American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame Invitational Tournament in June 2010. For more info., visit www.tpxtitans.com. The Titans are coached by Nestor Rodriguez, Chris Brown and Craig Brown. Team members include: (left to right) Chandler Miles, Alex Hernandez, Ryan Stark, Adam Bilkis, Eddie D’ Eusanio, Kyle Lamb, Armando Rodriguez, Tanner Brown, Brett Fiore and Neil Brown. Not pictured: Dante Cook and Logan Rogers.
On Thursday, Nov. 12, two Palm Beach Central High School senior baseball players joined family, friends and coaches in the school media center to sign their official letters of intent to play college ball. The two baseball players were 17-year-old Alex Hernandez, who plans on attending the University of North Florida, and 18-yearold Dexter Price, who plans on attending Daytona State University.
Saturday, Nov. 21
• The Wellington High School dance company will hold a Yard Sale on Saturday, Nov. 21 from 6:45 to 10 a.m. at the WHS bus loop. Funds will go toward purchasing costumes, paying for guest artists and attending the Florida Dance Education Organization Conference. For more info., call (561) 795-4900.
• A Free Workshop for the parents of college-bound high school students will be offered on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 10:15 a.m. at the Palm Beach Atlantic University campus in the Wellington Reserve. The workshop will be taught by college planning specialist Jeffrey Schneider. Seating is limited. To reserve a seat, call (800) 524-0868.
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Drop-in Story Times: Alphabet” for ages two and up on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.
• Wheels for Kids will hold its inaugural Holiday Trunk Show on Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center (650 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach). From 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the show will feature more than 40 vendors, as well as holiday performances by local students. Tickets cost $20. For more info., call (561) 577-3800 or visit www.wheels forkids.org.
• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce’s annual SalsaFest will be held Saturday, Nov. 21 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Greenacres Community Park (corner of Jog Road and Constitution Way). The family event celebrates the area’s diverse Hispanic heritage. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the gate. Visit www.salsafest.net or call (561) 790-6200 for more info.
• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will hold a Thanksgiving Wine & Cheese Tasting from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21. Gain some insight into your holiday entertaining while sampling wonderful wines, holiday brie and other delicacies. Call (561) 904-4000 for info.
• The Wolverine Band Boosters Association, the support organization for the Wellington High School band, will host its third annual Book Fair on Saturday, Nov. 21 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in Wellington. There will be music performances by band members as well as story-time readings by the majorettes. For more info., call WHS Director of Bands Mary Oser at (561) 753-9444.
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature a “Step-by-Step Beginner’s Crochet Class” for adults on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. Participants will learn basic stitches to make a colorful holiday potholder or hot pad. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.
• The Loxahatchee Groves Garden Club will meet on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Palms West Presbyterian Church (13689 Okeechobee Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves). The guest speaker will be a representative from the Rare Fruit Council. For more info., call Marge Herzog at (561) 7919875.
• Temple Beth Tikvah will host Kids’ Bingo Night on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 6:15 p.m. for ages three to 17. The cost of $8 includes one card and one snack. Hot dogs, fries, chips and soda will be available for purchase. The temple is located at 4550 Jog Road, Greenacres. Call (561) 967-3600 for more info.
• A Vintage Show & Sale will be held at the Palm Beach County Convention Center (650 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 21 and 22. The show will feature all things from the 1930s through the 1970s. Hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $12 and can be purchased at the box office the day of the show. For more info., call Zita Waters Bell at (561) 483-4047 or e-mail zitabell@bellsouth.net. Sunday, Nov. 22
• Join Alan Collins of the Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association for a Walk in the Trails of the Solid Waste Authority on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 7:30 a.m. Call Alan at (561) 586-0486.
• Temple Beth Tikvah will hold its Sisterhood Annual White Elephant Sale on Sunday and Monday, Nov. 22 and 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year will be bigger and better than ever with door prizes every hour, raffles, and blue light specials every half hour. The temple is located at 4550 Jog Road in Greenacres. Call (561) 967-3600 for more info.
• The Kids Cancer Foundation, a nonprofit charity that provides hope and support to local children and families battling cancer, will co-sponsor an event with Banana Republic in the Mall at Wellington Green from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 22. Activities include a fashion show from 1 to 2 p.m. where mothers of children
CALENDAR, continued from page 44 diagnosed with cancer will model Banana Republic fashions styled especially for them by their child. There will also be a raffle, live entertainment and goodie bags for the first 100 customers who attend the event. All this is included with the purchase of a $5 invitation. For more info., call (561) 3711298 or e-mail michelleoboyle@bellsouth. net.
• The Rotary Club of Royal Palm Beach will hold its Rotary Carnival on Sunday, Nov. 22 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Okeeheelee Park. The event will feature a parade of bands including the Fat Daddies, Faslin Ward, Ron Oliviere, Donna Tucci, Obidayah Coleman and more. Admission is free. For additional info., call Steven Logan at (561) 791-1882.
Monday, Nov. 23
• Free cholesterol and diabetes screenings will be offered from noon to 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 23 at the Winn-Dixie pharmacy at 1135 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach. For more info., call Cholestcheck at (800) 713-3301.
• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host a lecture titled “Ending Digestive Issues” at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 23. Join Dr. Tim DeCanio, renowned chiropractic neurologist, speaker and author, to discover natural ways to alleviate digestive problems. Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register.
Tuesday, Nov. 24
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold “Let’s Talk Turkey” on Tuesday, Nov. 24 for ages two to four at 11:15 a.m. Gobble along with turkey stories, songs and crafts. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.
an NHRA National Open, featuring alcohol dragsters along with a full array of NHRA sportsman race classes. Exhibition vehicles such as jet dragsters, pro mods and wheel standers are included. Visit www.race pbir.com or call (561) 622-1400 for more info.
• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will present Jigu! Thunder Drums of China on Friday, Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. Hailing from China’s Shanxi province, birthplace of the drum and gong, this exuberant ensemble of percussionists has thrilled audiences around the world. Tickets cost $15 to $48. Visit www.kravis.org or call (561) 832-7469 for more info.
• “Bright Nights: A Holiday Lights Spectacular” is South Florida’s newest holiday tradition. Three nightly shows will run on 22 nights between Nov. 27 and Dec. 27 at Roger Dean Stadium in Abacoa. Bright Nights features a 20-minute dazzling light show synchronized to holiday music. To purchase tickets, call Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000, visit the Roger Dean Stadium box office in Jupiter or visit www.bright nightspb.com.
Saturday, Nov. 28
• The Second Annual Palm Beach Steeplechase will take place Saturday, Nov. 28 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center Stadium at the corner of Pierson Road and South Shore Blvd. Stadium gates open at 9 a.m. for tailgaters, with the entertainment kicking off at 11 a.m. and the first race at 1 p.m. For tickets or more info., visit www.palmbeachsteeplechase.com or call (561) 793-5867.
• Temple Beth Tikvah (4550 Jog Road, Greenacres) holds Tai Chi classes on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. and Fridays at 10 a.m. The cost is $35 for six classes conducted by instructor Lois Guionnaud. Call (561) 9673600 for more info.
• The Wellington Village Council will meet on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Call (561) 791-4000 for more info.
Friday, Nov. 27
• The Citrus Nationals will be held at the Palm Beach International Raceway (17047 Beeline Highway, Jupiter) Friday, Nov. 27 through Sunday, Nov. 29. This is
• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold “Drop-in Story Times: To Grandmother’s House We Go” for ages two and up on Saturday, Nov. 28 at 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.
• Moksha Yoga Studio will hold a Beginner Yoga Series from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. starting Saturday, Nov. 28. Learn commonly practiced poses in detail, relieve some tension in the shoulders and alleviate back pain. Each class builds upon the previous, therefore plan to attend the entire series. Visit www.mokshayogastudio.com or call Cora Rosen at (561) 427-1767.
Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 793-6090. Email: news@gotowncrier.com.
SCHWINN 231 RECUMBENT
BIKE — Hardly used already assembled $250 call (561) 432-8797
HOME FURNISHINGS FOR SALE
- Everything needed for 2 bedroom apt. or groom's quarters; white leather couch, loveseat & rocker, entertainment center, dining table, china cabinet, kingsize & queensize mattresses/box springs & frames, all kitchenware & small appliances, all linens, iron, ironing board and more $1.950 all (not sold separately) 561-795-5916
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS — 2
TV’s , prof. massage table, 2 block glass tables, 2 prof. speakers, Ping Pong Table all items in excellent condition and reasonably priced & other misc. items available. 561729-0277
HOUSE FOR RENT — Three-bedroom, two-bath villa-style home in desirable River Bridge gated community. Newly renovated, modern kitchen with granite and stainless appliances. Tile floor throughout. Two-car garage. Move-in ready. Steps from community pool. Access to private rec facilities. Cable TV, lawn maintenance and nighttime security included. Available for rent, $1,650/month. Call Mr. Manning at (561) 315-6727 for more info.
COMPUTER REPAIR — We come to you! After hours and weekends services available. Spyware/ Adware/Virus Removal, Networking, Wireless, Backup Data, Upgrades. Call Anytime. 561-7135276
MOBILE-TEC ON-SITE COMPUTER SERVICE — The computer experts that come to you! Hardware/Software setup, support & troubleshooting www.mobiletec.net. 561-248-2611
HOME INSPECTIONS — Mold inpections, air quality testing, US Building Inspectors mention this ad $20.00 Off. 561-784-8811
LOOKING TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR CAR INSURANCE - Your local Geico office has been saving people money for over 70 years. Contact (561) 616-5944 for a free rate quote.
J&B PRESSURE CLEANING — Established in 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.Call Butch 561-3096975 BD
GRIME STOPPERS - Pressure cleaning, commercial & residential, houses, driveways, patios, screen enclosures, sidewalks. References available.561-779-1081
TREE TRIMMING & REMOVALWE DO IT ALL. Free Estimates. Licensed & Insured #200403394 Call Jimmy 329-0213
BIG BLUE TREE FARM, INC. GO GREEN! Growers of Quality Landscape Trees www.BigBlueTree Farm.com. Any Tree up to 12 feet $199 +tax Delivery & InstallationAvailable 561-793-4370 Bus. 561-202-7679 Cell
TEACUP CHIHUAHUAS FOR SALE — Call for info 561-5062247. Ask for Priscilla. Shots included.
CONDO/TOWNHOME FOR RENT - 3 BD 3 ½ BA in Shoma (A gated community) W/D, pool, fitness center, & more. Walking Distance to shopping. Pets O.K. 561-845-1099 ACREAGE LOTS:
D.J. COMPUTER - Home & office, Spyware removal, websites, networks, repairs, upgrades, virus removal, tutoring. Call Jeff 561-3339433 or Cell 561-252-1186 Lic’d Well. & Palm Beach
ADDITIONS, ROOFING, PATIOS & REMODELING - Cell 561-202-7036 561-798-6448 Licensed & Insured. CBC 1250306 CCC1326386
DADS DOORS & WINDOWS, INC.
IMPACT WINDOWS & HURRICANE SHUTTERS — Sliding Glass Doors, Mirrors & Shower Doors. 561-355-8331 U
FOUND — In Vicinity of Orange Boulevard jand 130th Avenue found brown and white kitten. 6 -8 months old. Call to identify 561790-4537
(561) 791-8998 OR WWW.PALMSWESTREALTY.COM
VOLUNTEER AT AN ANIMAL SANCTUARY HORSE FARM - 14 and up, community Service. (561) 792-2666
MEDICAL ASSISTANT - part time evenings 4 p.m .- 8 p.m. Good pay and good benefits. Fax resume to 561-798-4351 Wellington
PART-TIME MEDICAL ASSISTANT NEEDED — for busy medical office. Pediatric experience a must. Fax resume 561-793-0490
PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD HERE CALL 793-3576 TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION.
JOHN C. HUNTON AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION, INC. —Service & new installation FPL independent participating contractor. Lic. CAC 057272 Ins. "We are proud supporters of the Seminole Ridge Hawks" 561-798-3225. Family Owned & Operated since 1996. Credit Cards Accepted
ARE YOUR TREES READY FOR A HURRICANE? — Florida Arborists has highly trained professionals to provide superior and quality services. 561-568-7500
1995 TOYOTA COROLLA DX92K, cold A/C, power windows, power door locks, great on gas, cruise, $2,500 OBO. (561) 2018805
MOBILE HOME FOR SALE -3 bedroom, 2 baths, single wide 3 car parking. $8,500 OBO. (561) 2018805
HONDA CIVIC 95’ — Hatchback, 5 speed, A/C, clean, good condition, up kit rims, $3,100 or best offer. Call 315-8642
1997 GREY SEBRING JXI CONVERTIBLE — new a/c, clean & well maintained. Engine & transmission in excellent condition and new top. Feel free to take it to a mechanic & check it out. Mint condition. $3800 (561) 793-5569 (917) 494-3422
MEDICAL AND PROFESSIONAL BUILDING CLEANINGS SPECIALISTS — • Pressure Cleaning • Office Cleaning • Residential Cleaning • Parking Lot Maintenance • Concrete Coatings. Call for Free Evaluation. 561-714-3608
HOUSECLEANING - Reliable with long term clients. Over 12 years experience. References available. Karen 561-632-2271
WIFE FOR HIRE - Housecleaning, honest, dependable, references, experience. 561-598-0311
BRENDA'S CLEANING SERVICE - Over 20 years experience. Reliable, honest and take pride in my work. 561-460-8380
HOUSECLEANING - 20 years experience. Excellent local references. Shopping available. 561572-1782
STAFF PLUS — Looking to fill full and part-time positions in customer service. For more info. Call 1-888333-9903
GUARDSMAN FURNITURE PRO — For all your furniture repair needs including finish repairs, structural repairs, Leather repairs, chair regluing, antique repairs, kitchen cabinet refurbishing. 753-8689
GUITAR LESSONS GIVEN — by a professional jazz, classical & blues guitarist. Classically trained. 561753-7328 CLASSIFIEDS 793-3576
BILLY’S HOME REPAIRS, INC. —
REMODEL & REPAIRS Interior
Trim, crown molding, rottenwood repair, door installation, minor drywall, kitchens/cabinets/countertops, wood flooring. Bonded/Insured U#19699. 791-9900 Cell: 370-5293
CAN FIX IT - build it, move it, plant it, and more. Call Bruce, 793-2494 MASTER HANDYMAN - Over 40 years quality service. Carpentry, plumbing, electrical, drywall. All types. Repairs & improvements. Call Tom 954-444-3178. Satisfaction Guaranteed!
ANMAR CO. —James’ All Around Handyman Service. Excellent craftman Old time values. Once you’ve had me! You’ll have me back! Lic. Ins. Certified Residential Contractor CRC 1327426 561-2488528
KGS LLC — Water damaged, drywall, remodels, Kitchens & baths, woodwork, flooring, paint & textures, stucco, windows & doors, all concrete work, design, additions, enclosures,solar installation & sales, excavating and more prompt, honest & reliable. cbc056820 CVC56757
& Mildew Inspections — Air
RJA PAINTING AND DECORATING, INC. - Interior , Exterior, Faux Finish, Residential,Commercial. License #U17536 Rocky Armento, Jr. 561-793-5455 561-6627102
JOHN PERGOLIZZI PAINTING INC. - Interior/Exterior - Repaint specialist, pressure cleaning, popcorn ceiling, drywall repair & roof painting. Family owned/owner operator. Free Est. 798-4964. Lic. #U18473
COLORS BY CORO, INC. — Interior/Exterior, residential painting, over 20 years exp. Small Jobs welcome. Free est. - Insured. 561-3838666. Owner/Operated. Lic.# U20627 Ins. Wellington Resident. CREATIVE PAINTING SYSTEMS, INC. — Interior • Exterior • Residential Specialists. WE DELIVER WHAT WE PROMISE. All work guaranteed. FREE EST.Family owned & Operated. Over 23 years exp. Lic. #U-18337 • Bonded • Ins. Owner/Operator George Born. 561-686-6701
PALM BEACH PET SERVICES LLC - Pet Sitting, dogwalking, www.PalmbeachServices.com 1866-648-1150 Lic. Bonded, Insured
PIANO LESSONS - Special rates 2009 - 2010. My piano or yours. Experience in music (Piano-Vocal) Over 38 years. References available. 561-313-7662.
POOL PLASTERING AND RESURFACING — Lic. U19996. 561722-7690.
LICENSED PLUMBER - Beat any legitimate estimate. A/C service lowest price. Complete service, new construction, replacement. CFC1426242 CAC058610 Bonded & Insured. 561-601-6458
RESUMÉ’S R US — Resumé writing, cover letters, advice/counseling. Mention this ad for special rates. www.Ineedaresumenow.com 561-228-1378
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS — Roof painting. Carpentry. License #U13677.967-5580.
HORIZON ROOFING QUALITY WORK & SERVICE — Free estimates, No Deposits. Pay upon completion, residential, commercial, reroofing, repairs, credit cards accepted.561-842-6120 or 561784-8072 Lic.#CCC1328598
ROBERT G. HARTMANN ROOFING — Specializing in repairs. Free estimates, Bonded,insured. Lic. #CCC 058317 Ph: 561-790-0763.
ROOFING REPAIRS REROOFING
ALL TYPES — Pinewood Construction, Inc. Honest and reliable. Serving Palm Beach County for over 20 years. Call Mike 561-309-0134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC-023773 RC0067207
PAPERHANGING & PAINTING BY
DEBI — Professional Installation & Removal of Paper. Interior Painting, decorative finishes, clean & reliable. Quality work with a woman’s touch. 26 years experience. No Job too big or too small. Lic. & Ins. References available. 561-795-5263
JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio rescreening. Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed! CRC1329708 798-3132.
ROLL DOWN SHUTTERS — Accordion shutters, storm panels and rolling shutters...prices that can’t be beat. All shutters Systems, Inc. 8630955
AFFORDABLE HURRICANE PROTECTION — 2 - 4 wks. Installed Guaranteed! 10% deposit . Will get you started. All products, Dade County approved. We manufacture our own product. 772-342-8705 Lic. & Ins. CGC 1511213
AQUATIC SPRINKLER, LLC —
Complete repair of all types of systems. Owner Operated. Michael 561-964-6004 Lic. #U17871 Bonded & Ins. Serving the Western Communities Since 1990
INSTALLING TILE IN SOUTH FLORIDA FOR 25 YEARS — Free estimates, residential/commercial, bathroom remodeling, floors, walls, backsplashes, custom design GOLDEN TILE INSTALLATION 561-662-9258