An effort by the Village of Wellington to require that its youth recreational and travel teams contain a slim majority of village residents generated a great deal of discussion among Parks & Recreation Advisory Board members and residents Monday.
The board is reviewing proposed revisions to the village’s sports procedure guidelines, which include a requirement that sports providers ensure that each travel or recreational team be composed of at least 51 percent village residents.
Leisure Services Director Jim Barnes told the board that the composition of recreational teams in the Wellington Youth Baseball and Western Communities Football League programs currently average 80 percent residents and 20 percent non-residents.
Non-residents have a greater presence on travel teams, he said, as high as 80 to 90 percent on some teams. Barnes noted that some team coaches from other communities bring their best players to play on Wellington teams, to the disadvantage of local players. “The intent of the policy is to address those issues,” Barnes said.
Board members Tom Dongilla, Anthony Forgione and John Isola said the residency requirement might be a difficult policy to enforce. Although he supported the concept, Dongilla said it would be particularly difficult to implement on travel teams.
“The nature of travel teams is to get the best players regardless of their residency,” he said. “On a travel team, we are asking too much if we want to have travel teams continue within the village.”
Dongilla also said the village might run afoul of Palm Beach County if the residency minimum were applied at the team level, because many village sports facili-
By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report
Representatives of the Village Golf Club assured the Royal Palm Beach Village Council and residents in the neighborhoods around the course last week that they intend to keep the 175-acre property strictly for golf.
Club representatives appeared before the council Nov. 1 because the club is seeking design approvals on a new clubhouse.
Residents around the golf course say they have heard rumors in recent years that the course could be sold and used for new home development, but Ray Casto, representing Village Golf Club coowner Dan Pesant, told the council at its meeting last Thursday that the club ownership is not involved in any project that would sell or redevelop the course.
ties were built with county funds.
“We used county money to build a lot of these parks,” Dongilla said. “We can’t discriminate, because we use county money. We cannot say ‘you have to be Wellington residents.’”
While Board Member Ellie Halperin said Wellington’s older age group travel teams would lose their competitive edge by shutting out outside talent, Board Member Terri Priore said the village has enough sports talent to create winning teams.
“I have a hard time believing we can’t put together a team of Wellington residents that would be competitive and work their way up,” Priore said. “There has to be enough good quality athletes we can have so we can have a good travel team with it.”
Dongilla said he was concerned about coaches bringing players with them from other communities, and allegations they earmark their favored players regardless of the official tryout system. He suggested instituting some oversight during team tryouts.
“We can’t have coaches bringing wholesale teams from other communities to play on our teams,” Dongilla said. “The goal is to have tryouts. I don’t want to see teams moving here from Royal Palm Beach and from Boynton Beach and coming here to fill out a team. I don’t think that’s right. That reduces the impact of tryouts. We have to be on top of that. If we have to take a look at registrations and have someone there in tryouts, we need to do that.”
Many members of the public who offered comments to the board were parents and coaches.
Wellington resident Pepe Vazquez said his eight-year-old son must play travel baseball outside the community, despite his high proficiency in the sport. Vazquez said the team tryouts in Wellington are See PLAYERS, page 5A
“There are some parcels of land that something can be done on, but we don’t know what yet or we’d be happy to tell you,” said Casto, who made the presentation with consultant Larry Zabik. Casto and Zabik both served on the Royal Palm Beach Village Council in the 1990s.
The Village Golf Club is seeking to demolish its existing 17,100-square-foot clubhouse and replace it with a smaller 8,100-square-foot clubhouse that is expected to open early next year. The course also has renovated four of its greens under the direction of the Crenshaw/Coore design company, along with some bunkers and traps.
In addition, new fencing has been built along the north end of the property to prevent people from riding all-terrain vehicles on the course, and the rundown tennis courts have been seeded over.
“I liked it without the fencing, but I can appreciate why you did it,” Councilman Fred Pinto said.
“We’re not planting anything along the fencing that would disrupt anybody’s view,” Casto said.
The council unanimously approved the architectural review of the clubhouse with the understanding that the approval was only for the first phase — the clubhouse construction — of the course owner’s multi-phase renovation plan. The second phase involves landscaping issues that club ownership and village staff members are currently discussing.
Casto said a third phase involving longrange planning might never be presented. “We want to get this up and running first,” he said. “We’re just happy to get a new clubhouse.”
Mayor David Lodwick said he believes the Village Golf Club “is much more in
keeping with a semi-private golf course — much more manageable in cost and a much more functional facility.”
As for future plans for the club, Lodwick said his main concern is the long-term economic viability of the golf course.
“When we have watched course after course fold and watched other plans come through that don’t work out,” Lodwick said, “I need to understand any changes so I can help residents understand that what they’re getting out of this is a golf course that can be viable and stay that way, and not become overgrown and deteriorate property values.”
Pinto echoed Lodwick’s sentiments. “It sounds like a good project to do, but there’s no presumption that other phases will be automatically approved,” he said.
Zoners Take Issue With Gun Ranges, Fast Food Restaurants
By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report
Gun ranges, golf courses and garage sales — just where in Wellington do they belong?
Members of the village’s Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board tackled the issue last week as they reviewed, item by item, a list of uses permitted in the village’s various zoning districts.
After relying on modified versions of Palm Beach County land development regulations for more than a decade, the village is in the process of drawing up its own, which will reflect the actual categories present in Wellington and the terminology the village uses while shedding material that does not apply to the area.
The PZA Board spent the bulk of its Nov. 1 meeting discussing various uses included in the draft “Use Regulations Schedule” that village staff thought deserving of further consideration for modification or elimination.
Community Development Director Marty Hodgkins reminded the board that they had gone as far as the letter E on the list of uses at their previous meeting.
“What we are focusing on typically is the most important element of the zoning district, and those are the particular uses permitted in the individual planned unit developments, such as the medical/commercial, the mixed-use, the multiple-use and the industrial planned developments,” Hod-
gkins said. “What we went through last month was we got to E in the alphabet. Hopefully, we can go through the rest of it tonight. If not, certainly, we will put it on the agenda for review in December.”
Garage sales, golf courses and gun ranges were among the uses village staff singled out for examination. Garage sales, Hodgkins noted, currently can be conducted by special permit outside of residential areas.
“The question is, do you want to retain them in nonresidential districts? Typically, when you think of garage sales, you think of putting them on a church property, and most of the churches are within residential portions,” Hodgkins said. “Do you want them to be able to be held in commercial or industrial areas? If you do that, what you might end up with is a garage sale in a public shopping center.”
Board Vice Chair Steve Delai recalled that the board had discussed garage sales at length in recent years, but that was because a particular household held them on a weekly basis. He supported keeping the uses as currently permitted.
Board Member Dan Galo noted that garage sales are sometimes held at high schools to raise funds for the school.
Hodgkins suggested the board might consider supporting a twice-yearly limit on garage sales, and a 72-hour maximum duration. The board, by consensus, supported keeping the ga-
rage-sale language in the document.
Golf courses are a conditional use not only in areas zoned for commercial recreation and open space, but also in the village’s mixed-use, multiple-use and industrial land-use categories. Hodgkins told the board that village staff recommended that status remain unchanged.
Board Chairman Alan Johnson said he supported keeping the usage as is, and noted it might not be to the village’s advantage
to eliminate the possibility of some green space in industrial areas or within mixed-use areas.
“If someone wanted to put a par-three golf course in the area,” Johnson asked, “why would we eliminate it, however unlikely the possibility would be? Any time you can convert to green space to me is a good thing.”
Hodgkins said the smallest golf course would have nine holes, and that he doubted the
availablity of land on which to develop even such a small golf course in the village. The board, by consensus, agreed to keep the golf course language.
Conversely, Hodgkins said village staff members were recommending some changes to the allowance for gun ranges, which are currently permitted in a variety of areas when enclosed and in light industrial areas when open. “Right now, they are permitSee PZA, page 7A
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. PRESIDENT
Indian Trail Administrator Chris King and supervisors Sandra Love Semande, Mike Erickson, Ralph Bair, Michelle Damone and Carol Jacobs celebrated Erickson’s 50th birthday by selecting him as the next ITID president. SEE RELATED STORY, PAGE 12A PHOTO
Our Opinion
While Imperfect, New Tax Plan Offers Measurable Reform
After months of political wrangling, speculation and acrimonious debate, Florida lawmakers finally passed their long-awaited proposal (take two) to reform the state’s property tax system. The latest plan, drawn up by the state senate and approved by both chambers last month, will appear as a referendum on the Jan. 29 primary ballot. If approved, it will amend the state constitution to do four things: give most homesteaded property owners an extra $25,000 exemption, allow for homestead portability, offer business owners a $25,000 exemption on tangible property taxes, and put a ten-percent annual cap on assessment increases for non-homesteaded property owners.
While critics from all sides have their share of complaints with the legislature’s plan, previous proposals were far worse. At least with the current plan, some of the property owners who cast a “yes” vote on Jan. 29 stand to benefit. Just a few months ago, the prospects of decent reform were not looking hopeful. When the legislature held a special session in June, it ignored the gross inequity between taxes paid by homesteaded residents and those without homestead exemptions (commercial property owners and seasonal residents). Instead, lawmakers came up with some real head-scratchers, most notably House Speaker Marco Rubio’s controversial plan to boost the sales tax and eliminate property taxes altogether.
A Loss To The Community
On Oct. 24, I said goodbye during a memorial service to Gilbert Mossman, a friend of 43 years, who died on Oct. 19. While helping Ethel, his wife of 53 years, with the funeral arrangements and the obituary, I realized his volunteer activities in the community formed a picture that represented the many retirees and others who give back in our community.
That eventually gave way to a milder plan that called for an elimination of taxes on homesteads and an increase in the sales tax. But even that fell by the wayside. True, Save Our Homes has its flaws, but it should be improved, not scrapped. For all its flaws, the proposed amendment does offer one key ingredient: homestead portability. Under the current system, property owners are penalized with higher taxes every time they move, even if they are homesteaded and moving into a less-expensive home. Still, critics have argued that homesteaders aren’t the ones in need of a break. Even so, the $25,000 exemption for business owners and tenpercent cap for all non-homesteaders is relief that wasn’t in the cards several months ago.
Two months ago, a circuit court judge ruled a previous proposal unconstitutional because of its “misleading and confusing” language. This time around, that is unlikely to happen. The proposed amendment is now out of the legislature’s hands and will soon be up to the will of Florida voters. Anyone expecting perfection won’t be satisfied either way.
Though no one likes having to accept the lesser of two evils, in this case, Florida could be much worse off. More tax reform is needed, but the plan on the Jan. 29 ballot is a step in the right direction.
Letters To The Editor
Those who volunteer quietly, without seeking accolades or rewards, create a human thread, that not only touches other lives, but gives each in the relationship an emotional reward that elevates the spirit. Gilbert and his wife retired from Jamaica, New York to Wellington in 1999. Not comfortable being idle, he became an active member of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office COP (Citizens Observer Patrol) organization, provided weekly administrative support for the
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PBSO’s Wellington substation, and was an active member of the Wellington Seniors Club Board of Directors.
His most important legacy, which energized his volunteer colleagues, was his ability in building relationships, and making all who entered his presence (children and adults) feel welcome and special. His legacy encourages us all to reach out beyond ourselves, and our inner circles. It encourages us to get involved, and to build more positive re-
lations and support for all in our community.
Lydia Patterson Wellington
Thanks For Your Support
Gilbert Mossman, my husband of 53 years, died on Oct. 19 and was buried in the Lake Worth National Cemetery on Oct. 25.
I would like to express my deepest appreciation for the outpouring of expressions of
sympathy, through calls, cards, flowers, food and hugs, from Gilbert’s PBSO-COP colleagues, the PBSO Wellington substation family, the Wellington Seniors Club, friends, neighbors and others who touched Gilbert’s life. These expressions will be a part of the memories of my life with Gilbert. My soul will be warmed with the knowledge of the positive impact on all whom he touched.
Ethel Mossman Wellington
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Get Amtrak On The Right Track!
JASON BUDJINSKI Community Editor MARK LIOI News Editor
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WRITERS/ Denise Fleischman • Paul Gaba • Lisa Keeney Steve Pike • Carol Porter • Leonard Wechsler
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Every year a cadre of Amtrak’s hierarchy treks to Capitol Hill, hat in hand, hoping for a handout to run the endlessly-in-financial-trouble railroad. Every year a number of austere legislators get some free sound bites and general publicity by lambasting Amtrak’s operation. Congress then comes up with a few bucks to keep the railroad chugging along.
Now the Senate, thanks to the unusual combination of New Jersey’s Frank Lautenberg and Mississippi’s Trent Lott, have started the ball rolling toward a partial real fix. The Passenger Rail Improvement and Investment Act they sponsored will give Amtrak more than $3 billion a year for six straight years. If the House goes along as expected and the president signs off, the railroad will even be able to cast an eye on a bit of future planning. That might be a first.
What makes help for Amtrak easier for the legislators to swallow now? Among other facts, it turns out that airlines use energy at a rate of 20 percent more per passenger mile. Automobiles are worse yet and use 27 percent more energy. Also, the rails are actually a needed “relief valve” for the crowded skies and highways.
Amtrak has to do its part. Far better “on time” service should certainly top its wish list. Let’s hope the group of bureaucrats who run Amtrak will, with the expected new financial largesse, begin to make America proud of its rail system. It would be about time.
By Jules W. Rabin
IT’S A CRAZY SPORTS WORLD!
When was the last time you saw a world-class bowler release the ball with two hands? Me, neither.
Now meet 24-year-old Cassidy Schaub, a member of the United States Bowling Congress national team who joins Australian Jason Belmonte and Finland’s Oscu Palermaa firing strikes and spares with two hands pulling the trigger on each roll of the ball. Then there is the recent sale of the Dallas Cowboys domain name, cowboys.com., in a silent auction for a whopping $370,000. In the serious concern department, Russia’s highly ranked tennis professional Nickolay Davydenko was fined $2,000 by the Association of Tennis Professionals for lack of his “best effort” in the St. Petersburg Open Championships. Curiously, this is the same guy who retired from a match he was heavily favored to win earlier this year, which is still being investigated by the ATP.
Practically ignored by the media was the retirement after 16 seasons by hockey’s Peter Bondra. This “sniper supreme” scored 503 goals, including two 50-goal seasons. Bondra is a shoo-in for the National Hockey League’s Hall of Fame.
Do Major Leaguers, executives and players have an interest in politics? Evidently, since they have already donated more than $270,000 to presidential candidates. Rudy Giuliani is the current favorite with $78,000 in his coffers. Hillary Clinton can’t be ashamed of her $50,000 take. Speaking of money, how about a fan of England’s West Ham United soccer team springing for $117,000 to purchase a vanity license plate WE57HAM?
On a sadder note, New York Yankees media relations intern Matthew Wasser, 22, was recently killed by an alleged drunk driver in a traffic accident while in Boston assisting Major League Baseball’s public relations staff at the recent American League Championship Series. Also, the truly tragic pain endured by high school fullback Jordan Creel, who while playing in a game the day after his mother died in a fire that destroyed the family home, galloped for an astonishing 232 yards after dedicating his effort to his beloved mom. Finally, who is this whiz kid Larry Ragsdale? A senior running back at Illinois Valley High School in Cave Junction, Oregon, he recently carried the ball 19 times in a 45-6 rout of Please Hill High, for 395 yards. He scored six rushing touchdowns, had an 80-yard touchdown reception and intercepted a pass. His noteworthy achievement included runs of 90 and 70 yards.
Don’s Team: From My Run-In With Death To My Relay For Life
Coming close to death changes people. Their perspective on life is altered forever, and no matter how hard they try to resume their normal lives, it is never the same. That’s why I think cancer survivors and their families and loved ones reach out to others. They find comfort in helping each other, and they are driven to do something for those who suffer and who will one day be stricken.
I fit in that category. Regular readers of this column already know I was diagnosed with leukemia last March and beat seemingly insurmountable odds by surviving after four months of steady chemotherapy treatment. I left here
eight months ago expecting to die within two months, and I prepared myself for the inevitable. However, heroic medical care, my own survival instincts and prayers from a lot of people, including many I didn’t even know, saved my life.
When I realized it was not my time to die after all, I was elated and grateful, of course, but I was also very confused. What was I going to do? For months I had privately readied myself to die, and I wasn’t prepared to live. It took some time to get back into the living groove, and I am not fully there yet. I knew I wanted to do something for others like me and somehow show my gratitude for
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Previous Question: What will be the biggest issue in the upcoming presidential election? A. The War in Iraq: 51 percent; B. Healthcare: 14 percent; C. The Economy: 16 percent; Homeland Security: 10 percent; Immigration: 8 percent; Global Warming: 0 percent; Family Values: 2 percent.
Players Comments Mixed
conitnued from page 1A pointless because the coaches have already picked their players.
“My kid belongs here,” Vazquez said. “We play for the West Boynton Gators but he belongs here. Because of this scenario, the nine-year-old travel team has one Wellington resident and the rest are non-residents. Why can’t we keep Wellington, Wellington? We can have our kids play in Wellington. We have kids here. I know a half a dozen dads who want to be travel coaches that have the knowledge and the kids are here. They are too intimidated. The teams are already picked. I would like for my son to play back in Wellington.”
Wellington resident Ken Goldberg, who coaches both WYB and WCFL teams, concurred with Vazquez regarding the residency situation, and also spoke on a
revision to the sports policy that would allow sports providers to determine if fields are playable, while preventing them from doing any maintenance.
“The field conditions at Olympia are atrocious,” Goldberg said. “Someone needs to take charge and take the bull by the horns. I think every coach knows the field conditions are terrible. I have never seen it this bad. I have seen games played in puddles. I have seen field maintenance crews in their golf carts, and I want to know what they are doing.”
Wellington resident Kevin Summey said he too was concerned about the condition of the fields at Olympia and charged that village staff had promised to repair them, but nothing had happened.
“I went to a meeting last year, and also two years ago about the fields, and they said they would be fixed,” Summey said. “They said they would fix them at the
what others had done for me even before I was diagnosed.
That’s when the local chapter of the American Cancer Society called and asked if I would help organize their annual Relay for Life events in the western communities. They didn’t have to ask twice. I knew I was supposed to do that, but I need the help of my readers.
One thing we can all do is raise needed cash for research. I don’t know much about most cancers, but I have become an expert on mine (acute myelogenous leukemia or AML). I know that it is the worst of several types of leukemia in adults and that the treatment has changed little in the past two decades. They’ve experimented with the chemo cocktail delivered intravenously and they’ve developed new drugs to fight infections, but little else. I was lucky enough to be hospitalized near Kansas City’s University of Kansas Medical Center, which has developed a national reputation through its research on leukemia treatment.
I’ve participated in the Relay for Life ever since the event came to the western communities, but only in a pedestrian sort of way. I donated a few bucks and showed up for the social events. This year I am motivated to do much more.
I’m forming what I’m calling Don’s Team to raise money for the two Relay for Life events in our communities. One, co-chaired by Michelle Damone of The
By Don Brown
Acreage and Toni Vorsteg of Loxahatchee Groves (combining the Loxahatchee Groves and Acreage communities), is scheduled for May 2-3 at Acreage Community Park. Another relay (a combined Wellington and Royal Palm Beach event) will be chaired by Peter Wein and is scheduled for April 25-26 at Palm Beach Central High School.
I’m asking my readers and friends to donate $10 to join Don’s Team. My goal is 500 members, who will raise at least $5,000. I’ll split the amount evenly between the Acreage/Loxahatchee Groves and Wellington/Royal Palm Beach events. To join my team, just make out a check to Relay for Life and mail it to me, Don Brown, care of the Town-Crier Newspaper, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Watch this space for new details that might include a T-shirt and Don’s Team events leading up to the Relays for Life in the western communities.
Thanks for your help.
‘When I realized it was not my time to die after all, I was elated and grateful, of course, but I was also very confused. What was I going to do? For months I had privately readied myself to die, and I wasn’t prepared to live. It took some time to get back into the living groove, and I am not fully there yet. I knew I wanted to do something for others like me.
end of last year. They say the same thing over and over again.”
Wellington resident Connor Hendrix, active in Wellington Youth Baseball, said the minimum percentage of residents was set too low, and suggested 70 or 80 percent. He said other travel teams require players to participate in rec leagues first.
“Just about every recreational and travel program in the state requires that the travel players play recreational ball in the spring,” Hendrix said. “Wellington is the only provider that does not require it. We have Okeeheelee players and Boynton players who are getting the best of both worlds. They get to play recreational and travel ball, and they get to play in the finest facilities in the county. They get the opportunity to play in these facilities. Why not give the Wellington residents an opportunity to play travel?”
‘I have a hard time believing we can’t put together a team of Wellington residents that would be competitive and work their way up. There has to be enough good quality athletes.’
— Board Member Terri Priore
Board Chair Randy Phillips asked staff to add concerns about the condition of the fields to the board’s next meeting agenda. He thanked the residents for coming out and invited them to come again.
“We really appreciate the participation,” Phillips said. “For a long time, we would be sitting up here and the chairs would all be empty. I would like to go back and revisit the issues raised this evening.”
Man Arrested For Drug Possession Outside Home In The Acreage
By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report
OCT. 27 — A deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in Royal Palm Beach arrested a man on felony drug charges at his home on 126th Street in The Acreage last Sunday.
According to a PBSO report, the deputy was on patrol, traveling eastbound on 40th Street North at approximately 12:45 a.m., and observed a truck driven by 18-year-old Joshua Valdes
CRIME NEWS CRIME NEWS
of The Acreage backing down the street with its lights off. The deputy noticed three people in the truck and saw Valdes toss items out of the window, according to the report. Upon contact with the deputy, Valdes attempted to scoop up the items, which included pieces of paper, and didn’t answer the deputy’s questions. The deputy suspected all the items were drug prescriptions and asked Valdes for
Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives:
• Fernando N. Alvarez, a.k.a. Fernando Alvarez-Santoro, is a white male, 5’6” tall and weighing 175 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. His date of birth is 03/17/78. Alvarez is wanted for failure to appear on the charge of possession of a Schedule II substance. His occupation is waiter. His last known address was Waterway Village Ct. in Greenacres. Alvarez is wanted as of 11/08/07.
• Carlos Ortiz, a.k.a. Carlos Diaz, is a white male, 5’9” tall and weighing 140 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. His date of birth is 02/03/ 81. He has tattoos on his chest and both arms. Ortiz is wanted for failure to properly register as a sex offender. His occupation is unknown. His last known address was South 38th Street in Greenacres. Ortiz is wanted as of 11/08/07.
Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to $1,000 reward. Call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crime stopperspbc.com.
THE INFORMATION FOR THIS BOX IS PROVIDED BY CRIME STOPPERS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY, WHICH IS WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.
them. Valdes then became uncooperative and ran toward a canal bank that parallels 40th Street North. The deputy apprehended Valdes on the canal bank after he tossed the papers into the water. According to the report, Valdes jumped into the canal and started pushing the papers and a wallet down into the water. The deputy again apprehended Valdes and took him back to the patrol car, according to the report. The two passengers in Valdes’ truck were still at the scene.
Back at the patrol car and in handcuffs, Valdes attempted to retrieve a piece of paper the deputy found on the ground. The deputy got to the paper first and discovered it was a blank prescription from a doctor in Delray Beach. With a backup on the scene, the deputy returned to the canal to recover the pieces of paper Valdes threw in the water. According to the report, Valdes told the deputy the papers fell out of the truck window but didn’t answer any other questions. Recovered from the canal were the wallet and several pieces of paper with the words “Rox” and “Roxi” on them.
A background checked indicated Valdes was on probation for burglary and drug possession. A search of the wallet turned up a plastic straw and two small baggies of cocaine, as well as a small plastic container with three and a half pills inside. The pills were identified as oxycodone. Valdes was charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of cocaine, resisting arrest with violence and tampering with physical evidence. He was transported to the Palm Beach County Jail and his vehicle was towed to the PBSO impound lot.
OCT. 29 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach arrested a Belle Glade woman for shoplifting at the Beall’s outlet store on Southern Blvd. last Tuesday. According to a PBSO report, a store security officer observed 22year-old Kennetta Biggs select
clothing items from the children’s department and put them in a large bag. Biggs met with another woman who placed four or five pairs of sandals inside the bag. Biggs told the deputy she was pregnant and did not have financial resources for her three children. Biggs refused to give up the identity of the other suspect, according to the report. The items recovered from the bag were valued at $184.92. Biggs was given a notice to appear in court.
OCT. 31 — A routine traffic stop on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. led to the arrest of a West Palm Beach man on drug charges last Wednesday. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation stopped 28-year-old Timothy Hernandez for a license tag inspection at approximately 10:26 p.m. The deputy noted that Hernandez appeared distraught after being pulled over and attempted to exit his vehicle. The deputy ordered him back in the car, and Hernandez re-entered it and slammed the door. The deputy conducted a background check and learned that Hernandez was a habitual traffic violator, according to the report. A search of Hernandez’s vehicle turned up a plastic bag containing marijuana, which was later weighed at approximately 19.5 grams. Hernandez was transported to the county jail and his car was impounded for forfeiture.
NOV. 6 — A Boynton Beach woman was arrested Tuesday on a retail theft charge at the See BLOTTER, page 7A
Carlos Ortiz
Fernando Alvarez
Wellington, RPB Will Observe Vets Day With Parades And Ceremonies
To honor, remember and pay tribute to the nation’s veterans, the Village of Wellington will hold its Veterans Day celebration on Sunday, Nov. 11. The ceremony will begin at the Wellington Community Center with a parade commencing at 8:45 a.m. followed by an observance at the Veterans’ Memorial at 9 a.m.
The Village of Royal Palm Beach will hold a Veterans Day Observance on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. at Veterans Park Amphitheater (corner of Sparrow Drive and Royal Palm Beach Blvd.).
PZA
Fast Food Concerns
continued from page 3A ted in neighborhood commercial, office commercial, community commercial, commercial recreation and industrial areas,” Hodgkins said. “If you want to retain them, the recommendation would be to delete them from neighborhood commercial and office commercial categories and retain them in other areas.”
He also said staff recommended the use be deleted from the light industrial category.
Board Member Eugene DiFonte said he had designed a gun range at 20-Mile Bend for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, and such a facility would be difficult to draw up to suit Wellington. “You have to go through a lot of effort with designing it,” he said. “I don’t think it would be acceptable in the village.”
Board Member Carmine Priore III asked staff why gun ranges should be excluded from light industrial areas. Hodgkins said the only light industrial area in the village contains the Well-
Blotter
continued from page 6A Macy’s department store in the Mall at Wellington Green. According to a PBSO report, 36year-old Kim Bouchard attempted to leave the store at approximately 3:38 p.m. without paying for $273.96 worth of merchandise. Bouchard was issued a notice to appear in court.
NOV. 7 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington arrested a Royal Palm Beach woman on a retail theft charge at the Macy’s department store at the Mall at Wellington Green on Wednesday. According to the PBSO report, 57-year-old Teresa de Marfil removed the price tags from jewelry items, placed them in her purse and exited the store without paying at approximately 3:50 p.m. The items included five bracelets, one necklace and one watch. De Marfil was transported to the county jail.
NOV. 7 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington arrested an Acreage man on Wednesday for failure to register as a sex offender. According to a PBSO report, the deputy made contact with 19-yearold Caleb Wierman at the intersection of South Shore Blvd. and Big Blue Trace at approximately 9:30 p.m. Wierman had an active warrant in Wisconsin for a sex offender registry violation. Wierman was transported to the county jail.
At 11 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the armistice ending the “war to end all wars” was signed and World War I was over. Since that time, America’s military has defended the nation’s ideals and principles in every corner of the world. Today, America’s armed forces are in active combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. All residents are invited to join in celebrating the achievements and spirit of all of our servicemen and women.
During Wellington’s Veterans Day parade, one eastbound lane
ington Commerce Park and Commerce Park East, and staff recommended the exclusion in that area because of its proximity to Village Park and to other business owners in the industrial park. Hodgkins also noted the usage might be acceptable in Stormwater Treatment Area 1- East, a wetland at the village’s western boundary.
“In this particular usage it would be private,” Hodgkins said. “It’s not commercial. The problem is when you look at the limitations, maybe the better approach would be to allow it where we would continue to allow it but enclose it. In other words, it would not be an open gun range.”
The consensus of board members was to retain the language for gun ranges where recommended by staff, on the condition that they be enclosed.
The placement of fast-food restaurants in planned units of development or PUDs generated some discussion. Hodgkins said the main issues about fastfood restaurants concern traffic flow and volume.
“It is allowed in several areas,” Hodgkins said. “Should it be allowed in places that are office commercial or community commercial within the Planned Industrial Park District? We do allow them within commercial portions of the PUD or within the regular mixed-use or multiple-use planned developments. If we allow them, that would be the appropriate place. The Office/Commercial is meant for office use. If you use the example of the commercial park on Wellington Trace, it is interi-
of Forest Hill Blvd. will be temporarily closed from the Wellington Community Center to the Veterans’ Memorial from 8:15 to 9:30 a.m.
The Wellington Community Center is located at 12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd. The Veterans’ Memorial is located at the intersection of Forest Hill and South Shore boulevards.
For more information about Veterans Day ceremonies in Wellington, call (561) 791-4770. For more information about ceremonies in Royal Palm Beach, call (561) 790-5100.
or to Wellington Trace and Greenview Shores Blvd. The Publix shopping center is at an intersection, and it is a larger parcel which has more circulation. It would be more appropriate to have a general restaurant in Office/Commercial. Typically, general restaurants don’t have drive-throughs.”
Johnson said he is also concerned about allowing fast-food restaurants in office zoning designations. “It’s just inconsistent,” he said. “It’s like having a Burger King in a building where you can go to a doctor’s office. Knowing that there are other places where it exists, we could come to a consensus saying the drive-through component is inappropriate. Why set up a situation where we have to deal with it. There are not that many office commercial designations. We’re opening up a can of worms we will have to deal with at a future time. Why not just eliminate it and allow the fast food restaurant language to be in the other commercial designations but not the office designation?”
Vice Chair Steve Delai agreed that a fast-food drive-through seemed inconsistent with an office complex, but supported allowing general restaurants. Other board members expressed reservations, noting fast-food restaurants serve as alternatives for office workers who don’t have the money for upper-end restaurants or the time to sit down and eat.
The board, by consensus, agreed to support the general restaurant usage in areas zoned for offices.
FLORIDA DEMS HOLD
Coney Island Comes To Wellington Nov. 30
The Wellington Chapter of Jewish Adoption and Foster Care Options (JAFCO), in conjunction with Photos for a Cure, will present a nostalgic evening titled “Coney Island Comes to Wellington” on Friday, Nov. 30 at Strathmore Bagels (4095 State Road 7, Suite N, Wellington). The event will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and feature an exhibit by Wellington photographer Gary Kane, food and beverages, and an exclusive artist signing of all artwork. Photos will include the landmarks of Astroland Amusement Park.
Admission is $15 and includes a hot dog and knish with a Dr. Brown’s soda. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit Photos for a Cure and JAFCO. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (561) 333-2198 or (561) 385-1710, or email info@photosforacure.org or uptotheplate@aol.com.
Fall Festival At St. Therese
St. Therese de Lisieux Catholic Church in Wellington will present its 2007 Fall Festival & Carnival from Thursday, Nov. 15 through Sunday, Nov. 18. The event will feature rides, food and games, and will start at 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission and parking are free. St. Therese is located at 11800 Lake Worth Road (two miles west of State Road 7, across from Polo Park Middle School). For more information, call (561) 784-0689.
Temple Beth Zion To Host Hanukkah Boutique
Only 15 shopping days are left until Hanukkah, and Temple Beth Zion’s Sisterhood is proud to sponsor a Hanukkah boutique on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. The boutique will be held as part of the sisterhood’s meeting at the temple, located at 129 Sparrow Drive, Royal Palm Beach. Judaic Art, kitchen gadgets, handmade jewelry and gifts for all ages will be available. The guest speaker will be Lt. Robert Buchanan of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. His topic will be “Identity Theft and Safety During Holiday Shopping.” For more information, call Jennifer at (561) 798-8888.
The Florida Democratic Party held its 2007 convention Oct. 26-28 at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Convention Center in Orlando. The event featured elected officials and party members from throughout the state, as well as nationally. Pictured here are (above left) Wellington residents Nancy Pena-Brink and Gwen Lee, and (above right) State Sen. Dave Aronberg (D-District 27) with Palm Beach County Democratic Chair Wahid Mahmood.
CULTURAL TRUST, DANCERS ATTEND WOMEN’S CLUB MEETING
The Wellington Women’s Club held its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at the Wellington Community Center. Guest speakers for the evening were Manuel Bornia and Angela Shaw of the Cultural Trust of the Palm Beaches and dance instructor Tamar Mucha with students Jonah Hallahan, Haille and Jordan Walsh and Shane Eggleston from the Palms Ballroom in Royal Palm Beach.
Dancers from the Palms Ballroom show off some moves.
Angela Shaw and Manuel Bornia of the Cultural Trust of the Palm Beaches.
Dance Instructor Tamar Mucha (center) with her students.
PHOTOS BY CAROL
Tamar Mucha (left) and Maureen Gross (right) address club members.
Israeli Youth Orchestra To Visit, Perform At Temple Beth Zion
When the telephone rings at Temple Beth Zion in Royal Palm Beach during morning prayers, it’s usually not good news. But this past August, the earlymorning call brought an inquiry that will provide a memorable visit to 36 Israeli teens and their six chaperones from the Ramat Gan Youth Orchestra of Israel.
Rabbi Bertram Kieffer was able to help the conservatory to coordinate a ten-day trip from Ramat Gan, Israel to South Florida this Hanukkah. The teens will be staying with local families and performing concerts in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties as well as Orlando.
“These kids might be young — they range in age from 12 to 18 years old — but they are wonderful musicians,” Rabbi Kieffer said. “They have already toured in South America and Europe. I am really delighted that I have been able to help enable them to visit South Florida. I can’t think of a better way for our community to celebrate the 60th birthday of Israel and the first night of Hanukkah than by joining us in a giant Hanukkah party and concert.”
Kieffer noted that the party will take place Dec. 4 at the temple, including a
Scam Targets
Potential Jurors
Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller Sharon Bock is warning residents to beware of fraudulent callers attempting to collect fines as high as $500 for missing jury duty. According to Bock, these calls are not legitimate. The clerk’s office does not solicit fees for missing jury duty.
At least three people have called the clerk’s office reporting the attempted scam. If you receive a similar call, do not pay the fine requested or provide any personal information to the caller.
Potential jurors have been the target of scams in the past. Starting in 2005, Bock joined courts, legislators and media throughout the U.S. in alerting citizens to a potential identity theft scam being used to obtain personal information like Social Security number, date of birth and credit card account number.
In those cases, scammers, identifying themselves as court workers, telephone citizens claiming a warrant was issued for their arrest for failing to report for jury duty. The caller then asks for personal information for verification purposes.
“It is critical that our citizens understand that no one from the jury office will ever call them to ask for personal information like this,” Bock said.
Victims of such a scam should contact their local law enforcement agency. For more information and answers to questions about jury service, visit the Clerk & Comptroller’s web site at www.mypalmbeachclerk.com or call (561) 355-2996.
candle lighting of the temple’s giant menorah at 7 p.m. Guests will be served latkes while enjoying a terrific concert, he said.
In addition to the Hanukkah party, the Israeli teens will be spending time with the students at Temple Beth Zion’s Religious School and the students of the David Posnack Hebrew Day School in Plantation.
“It’s really important for our youngsters to meet these kids one on one and to get to know them,” Kieffer said.
“Our students will have a chance to see how much alike both groups are, and also have a chance to find out what it’s like to grow up in a Jewish country that is surrounded by countries who are hostile to Israel. We plan to show our Israeli visitors some of the unique Florida sights. They will be visiting Okeeheelee Park to see the baby alligators and other local wildlife, and walk on the nature trails. We will be touring a few museums. We plan a visit to the beaches and, of course, a trip to CityPlace and Worth Avenue, because teens love to shop!”
Rabbi Kieffer added that the Ramat Gan Youth Orchestra will perform in a
Barnes & Noble Book Drive
The Barnes & Noble bookstore in Wellington is holding its annual holiday book drive through Jan. 1. Books are being collected in the store, as well as monetary donations for purchasing books.
Barnes & Noble will distribute the donated books to children through locally designated non-profit organizations, schools, libraries and literacy partners.
Last year, Barnes & Noble Wellington was able to give the gift of reading to 3,200 children; the goal this year is to benefit at least 3,500.
The storefront window will have a display of the community businesses that contribute to the program. For more information, call Barnes & Noble’s Maryann Heide at (561) 792-1292.
Kentwood Presents ‘Grease’ Dec. 14
Kentwood Preparatory School will feature its production of Grease on Friday, Dec. 14 at Park Vista Community Theater (7900 Jog Road in Lake Worth). The performance will start at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $10. For more information, call (561) 649-6141. Kentwood Preparatory School is located at 6210 South Congress Avenue in Lantana.
JCC Book Festival
Kicks Off Nov. 16
The Jewish Community Center’s annual book festival, featuring more than 300 titles featuring the most diverse and current Jewish literature available,
Hanukkah Concert — The Ramat Gan Youth Orchestra of Israel will perform a Hanukkah concert at Temple Beth Zion.
Havdallah concert on Saturday, Dec. 8 at Temple Shalom in Pompano Beach. Hanukkah starts on Tuesday, Dec. 4. The Hanukkah party starts at 7 p.m.
Temple Beth Zion invites the community to join in this fun and memorable
will take place Nov. 26 through Dec. 9 at the JCC branches in Wellington, West Palm Beach and Boynton Beach. Appearing in Wellington will be Philip Lerman, author of Dadditude: How a Real Man Became a Real Dad. Lerman will visit the Players Club restaurant on Thursday, Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m. The cost is $10 per person or $18 per couple, and includes hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, as well as wine or soft drinks. The Players Club is located at 13410 South Shore Blvd. For more information, call (561) 253-6030.
On Monday, Dec. 13 Overture au-
evening. Tickets to the Hanukkah party are $10 for temple members, $12 for non-members and free for students. Temple Beth Zion is located at 129 Sparrow Drive. For more information, call Jennifer at (561) 798-8888.
thor Yael Goldstein will visit a private home in Wellington at 11 a.m. For more information, call (561) 736-4752.
The book festival will kick off with a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 16 at the Cohen Pavilion at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (703 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach).
The Jewish Community Center of the Palm Beaches’ Wellington branch is located at 13889 Wellington Trace, Suite A-15. For more information, call (561) 253-6030 or visit the JCC’s web site at www.jcconline.com.
LOCALS HONORED AT THE PBSO’S ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office executive staff members and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw recognized some of the agency’s employees at a Nov. 6 awards ceremony at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. Awards were presented in the areas of unit commendation, Civilian Samaritan, lifesaving, meritorious service, combat star and combat cross. Also recognized were the Civilian Employee of the Year, the Corrections Deputy of the Year, the Investigator of the Year and the Law Enforcement Deputies of the Year.
Sheriff Ric Bradshaw recognizes Corporal Robert Lucas of Wellington for meritorious service (above left), Civilian Employee of the Year Corinne Lupardo of Wellington (center) and Law Enforcement Deputy of the Year Corporal Andrew Terwilliger of Loxahatchee (right).
Bradshaw awards Deputy David Ray of RPB a plaque honoring his lifesaving work.
Bradshaw recognizes Civilian Samaritans Thomas Williams, Brant Skyler and William Connors of the Police Athletic League program in Royal Palm Beach.
RPB deputies Mark Alexander and Michelle Shaffer are recognized.
Captain Jeff Lindskoog of Loxahatchee and Deputy Karl Swierzko of Royal Palm Beach are recognized.
PHOTOS BY CAROL
Bradshaw & Krischer: Palm Beach County’s Law & Order Team
By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report
“Law & Order PBC” was the theme of the Democratic Professionals Council monthly luncheon last week, featuring Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and State Attorney Barry Krischer.
Bradshaw, who is facing reelection to his nonpartisan post next year, told luncheon participants gathered at Columbia Restaurant at CityPlace Oct. 30 that the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office plays a larger role in homeland security than some people suppose.
“Every time I start to talk about homeland security in different settings, at least one or two people will shrug and say, ‘here he goes again,’” he said. “That’s not it. There is another reason why I talk about homeland security. I like to keep the awareness up. Fortunately for us, we have not had many bad things happen so it’s not really on the front burner. People are getting complacent, and that’s what hurt us the first time. We didn’t stay focused, and we got our butts kicked. I can tell you right now it’s not on the back burner at the sheriff’s office.”
Bradshaw said Palm Beach County is better positioned to address homeland security because it is getting more federal funding thanks to seats he has secured on the boards that decide where the money goes. Significantly, he said, the PBSO has a deputy assigned to the Department of Homeland Security’s National Operations Center in
Washington, D.C. who can relay security developments and other information to Florida quickly.
“That deputy sheriff can pick that up and call right here,” Bradshaw said. “We will retain that position. That’s historic. That’s never happened before. Nobody else in Florida has the ability to have that person in there right now. We share that information with the other regions, but it’s the idea that it’s timely information that’s important. It’s not hours old. It’s within minutes. That’s important for us to make decisions.”
Bradshaw said his agency has also made gains in combating gangs. The situation in Palm Beach County had gotten out of control, with an average of 10 to 14 shootings a week between last November and the middle of last January.
“I am happy to report to you that since those dates, we have arrested almost 2,000 people in our efforts and 12 to 15 percent of them are documented gang members,” Bradshaw said. “We have been able to take the level of violence down. You can’t say it’s acceptable. There is no acceptable level, but it’s probably 60 percent or better than it was before.”
Because of the heavy law enforcement pressure, Bradshaw said, many gang members are going elsewhere. “The residual effect of quality-of-life arrests is that the quality of life goes up. We run them out of there because they know we are going to come in there, and we are going to do what we need
to do to move them somewhere else. What we are seeing in other counties is that the gang members are starting to show up there.”
Bradshaw praised the cooperative spirit of federal, state and local agencies in joining him in the war against gang violence, and said he could not do the work he has been doing without those partnerships.
“Everyone wants to be involved with the gang issue,” Bradshaw said. “We didn’t do it to take credit. We did it to bring people in. [State] Senator [Dave] Aronberg has helped us out with some gang bills. Everyone is trying to do the right thing here, and at the end of the day we are going to win.”
Long-serving State Attorney Barry Krischer, who will leave office next year, said the PBSO’s aggressive efforts against gangs, such as stopping suspicious individuals out late at night, is well justified.
“That’s how you interdict drugs and gangs on the street,” Krischer said. “These individuals are not polite. They don’t play by the rules. You have to respond with force if you are going to terminate the force.”
Krischer said state and local law enforcement agencies are taking advantage of the fact that gang-related crimes are now subject to federal prosecution. “We do transfer many cases over to the feds,” he said. “If you have been in the federal court, you know you can’t be disrespectful to the judge. You won’t have gang-bangers in the back of the room intimidating
the witnesses in a federal court. Sometimes you can get away with that stuff in state court, but not in federal court. It’s very important for this partnership to exist between Sheriff Bradshaw’s office, the federal offices and my office, because that’s how the job gets done.”
Krischer said members of the Palm Beach County Criminal Justice Commission, which in-
cludes federal, state and county law enforcement representatives as well as school district, court and other representatives, has been working hard to address the problem of juvenile crime.
“Everyone is at the table once a month discussing criminal justice issues and how to make changes in the county,” Krischer said. “The CJC spent the last
See KRISCHER, page 38A
Law & Order PBC — State Attorney Barry Krischer and Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.
PHOTO BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER
Erickson Tapped As Indian Trail Improvement District President
By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report
Members of the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors decided Wednesday to rotate their officer positions on the board, with Vice President Mike Erickson tapped as the board’s new president. While the ITID board traditionally elects its officers at its annual organizational meeting each November, ITID Attorney Charlie Schoech told the supervisors the district has no set policy on choosing officers.
Treasurer Carol Jacobs suggested that supervisors change jobs in order to provide each a
different view of ITID business.
Supervisor Sandra Love Semande agreed, saying she might like to become president at some point.
Erickson described the board as “five people who really love the community. We’re team players in this together.”
On unanimous votes, the board then chose Erickson as president, Semande as vice president, Supervisor Ralph Bair as treasurer and Jacobs as secretary.
President Michelle Damone was the one supervisor left without an officer’s position and was praised by all the other members of the board. “She was the one who led us away
from the mess we were once in,” Semande said.
In other business:
• The board held off on a decision regarding a county request that some 6.6 acres the district owns be deeded to the county at no cost for a library site.
Both Palm Beach County Library Director John Callahan and county Property & Real Estate Management Division Director Ross Hering attended the meeting to voice the county’s request, telling the board that the land, behind the Publix shopping center on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, would be deedrestricted for use as a library, and that the property would re-
vert to ITID if the library is not built there by the end of 2011. The county is requesting the land in order to begin planning construction in fiscal year 2009. The plan is for a 14,000-squarefoot library with potential to be expanded to 30,000 square feet.
Callahan estimated the cost of the library at $12.6 million. Originally, the county had planned to receive land that was within Callery-Judge Grove, but the overall agreement that would have accomplished that was part of the Callery-Judge project that was rejected by the Palm Beach County Commission.
However, several members of the public argued against giving the land to the county. Acreage
resident Patricia Curry charged that the county planned to pay Callery-Judge $350,000 an acre for its property but wanted it free from ITID. Semande asked why a fire station might not be built on the ITID’s land. “I would rather have something we need for public safety,” she said. “I want a library here, but safety comes first.”
Hering said Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue had previously rejected the site, preferring one further south in Callery-Judge.
Damone suggested discussing the issue at the board’s Nov. 14 workshop. “We need a decision on this by our December
Developers Seek Exemptions As Town Council OKs Moratorium
By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report
The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council gave initial approval to a one-year moratorium on development applications
Tuesday. The move will give the town time to draft its comprehensive plan and land development regulations. The council heard from several developers’ representatives seeking exemptions to the moratorium, but made no decisions on those cases. The moratorium, which will go into effect immediately if given final approval later this month, would put a hold on new applications for rezoning, development orders and amendments,
conditional-use permits and other measures that allow development. Certain development projects already undergoing county review would be exempt from the moratorium.
Planning consultant Shelley Eichner explained the necessity for the council to consider the moratorium, noting that development interests would not be pleased.
“A moratorium is a serious move to make,” Eichner said.
“You are putting a stop on certain aspects of development. It is a planning tool for newly incorporated communities. You want to set your own destiny and want to implement your own vision. We are not there yet. The visioning process will be-
gin and the comprehensive plan process will come out of it. While all that is going on, if a moratorium is not enacted, development will continue under Palm Beach County codes. When you incorporated, it was to take back control. That is why the moratorium is being presented.”
Interim Town Attorney David Tolces told the council that any applicants wishing to secure an exemption from the moratorium would have to demonstrate why they were eligible.
Councilman Dr. Bill Louda asked whether the council would be obliged to notify the public about the moratorium and whether any notices had been mailed to applicants.
Tolces said the town web site had been updated with the proper notices, and that applicants who had contacted the county had been directed to town staff for further discussion. He noted that there is nothing in the draft ordinance that directed staff to notify applicants of the moratorium.
Louda also asked whether the number of applications had increased when word of a moratorium had gotten out, and Town Clerk Matt Lippman said a rise in applications had occurred. “We need to put our thumb in the dike to stop the flow,” Louda said.
Tolces also said he had discussions with some applicants who wanted to know if their site
plans would be exempt from the process. If the site plans are exempt, they would comply with county codes and guidelines, which might not be in tandem with the community’s own vision, he noted.
Eichner said that if the council deems a site plan to comply with the town’s vision, it could grant an exemption. “There are certain things you want to see, and you can ask them to modify the site plans accordingly,” she said.
Tolces noted that if the council feels it should wait on a particular site plan, that is their option as well. The moratorium would only last a year, he said. “And you may say, ‘we want
See ITID, page 38A See COUNCIL, page 38A
New Program Aims To Find Wandering Kids, Seniors Quickly
By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report
An Acreage community leader has a hand in the effort to establish a local safety net for people with autism and Alzheimer’s disease who get lost, called Project Lifesaver.
Michelle Damone of The Acreage is the project manager for the Autism Project of Palm Beach County, which is involved in establishing the nationwide Project Lifesaver locally. “The program is designed to help locate autistic children as well as Alzheimer’s patients who have a pattern of wandering away from their homes and getting lost,” she told the Town-Crier Monday.
Project Lifesaver provides atrisk individuals with bracelets that can be traced by radio signal. “People who have a history of wandering will receive a special bracelet that lets out a specific radio signal that can be tracked by special equipment
run by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office,” Damone said. “The bracelet transmits a signal for up to a mile radius, allowing search and rescue efforts to be quicker, finding the individual in minutes instead of hours.”
Damone, who is also president of the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors, completed a training course run by Project Lifesaver and the PBSO last week. “The program began in New England and has spread to a lot of states as well as other countries,” she said.
Damone said Palm Beach County is the 40th Florida county to implement the program. Besides the Autism Project of Palm Beach County and the PBSO, the local Project Lifesaver partnership includes the Palm Beach County School District, Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, the Southeast Florida Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association,
Alzheimer’s Community Care and Autism Speaks.
“We at the Autism Project are thrilled that Sheriff [Ric] Bradshaw is being so supportive,” Damone said. “We will save a lot of children. Right now, we have three of the tracking devices. One will be mounted on a helicopter and the other two will be on road patrol.”
Thousands of searches are organized annually to help locate Alzheimer’s patients, autistic and/or Down syndrome children or sufferers of traumatic brain injuries, who inadvertently stray or wander away from the protective care of family or even a professional healthcare facility.
Recent studies indicate that 46 percent of Alzheimer’s sufferers missing more than 24 hours are found dead. Tragically, a few have never been found.
Autistic children have the same kind of problem. “Right now, we are finding more children have autism and related diseases than we had previously
thought,” Damone said. “We used to think it was one child in 166; now the estimate is one in 150. And three out of four are boys.”
Project Lifesaver radio-tracking and locating technology have saved the lives of 1,575 people who have wandered and become lost due to autism spectrum disorders and Alzheimer’s disease.
“I just heard a story on the news about a teenager in Virginia with autism who wandered away and was not found for a day and a half,” Damone said. “Can you imagine how frightening it was for his parents, much less for that poor boy? I’ve heard he already has one of the new bracelets.”
The Autism Project of Palm Beach County will hold a fundraiser Tuesday, Nov. 13 at Fuddruckers near the Mall at Well-
ington Green. Between 5 and 10 p.m. Fuddruckers will donate 20 percent of the receipts from customers who bring in an Autism Project flyer to Project Lifesaver. Call Damone at (561) 315-2973 for information and to get a copy of the flyer. Damone also said the Palm Beach County School District approved a charter last month for a high school for autistic students.
“There will be a high school for students with autism in Palm Beach County very soon,” she said. “Right now we are projecting it to open in 2009. We plan to have a large campus with special schools: one for Asperger’s [syndrome], one for autism, one a residential center. We will release more information as it becomes available.”
Groves Council Working On Ordinance To Control Eyesores
By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report
The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council gave initial approval Tuesday to an ordinance requiring rubbish on private property to be screened from public view.
The ordinance would require rubbish and garbage on private property to be secured, enclosed and not visible to the general public from the property line.
The ordinance would also require inoperable motor vehicles and other machinery on private property to be drained of fluids and be pollutant-free. Council members suggested some clarifying wording for the ordinance before they approved it. Councilman Dave Autrey suggested requiring materials be secured and/or enclosed because there were some things, in his opinion, that could not be enclosed but could be secured,
“so they don’t go flying around.”
Resident Howard Voren agreed with Autrey. “Out of hurricane season people will have piles of branches for a certain amount of time,” he said. “I think we may need to look at the definition of rubbish within that same chapter and think about whether we want to include things like yard clippings.”
E Road resident Darlene Crawford said one man’s trash
is another man’s treasure. “I don’t know if we can define what is rubbish and what is garbage,” she said. “On the subject of inoperable vehicles, someone may have an engine replaced. Do we have a timeframe on how long it’s inoperable before we consider it an eyesore?”
Interim Town Attorney David Tolces and Interim Town Clerk Matt Lippman said they would address the concerns raised by
council and residents and incorporate them into the ordinance before its second reading Nov. 20. In other business:
• The council approved a design by Crawford’s 11-year-old daughter Catrina as the official town logo. Catrina Crawford, a fifth-grader at Loxahatchee Groves Elementary School, designed a logo featuring a box tortoise and called “Turtle WaSee TOWN LOGO, page 38A
Damone
Acreage Girl Scouts Benefit Good Causes
By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report
Girl Scout Troop 453 of The Acreage held a special sale of clothing and plants last Saturday on the lawn next to Loxahatchee Groves Elementary School to benefit the Palm Beach Diocese’s “Safe Space” program and the North County Dog and Cat Shelter.
“Safe Space” provides a place for battered women and their children to go when in crisis. The North County Dog and Cat Shelter is a no-kill shelter. Pets stay until they get a home.
Kelly Shwiner, a dog trainer
with the shelter, joined the scouts at the sale. She said anyone interested in adopting a pet should call (561) 747-1598, ext. 4 to reach the shelter, which is located on Indiantown Road in Jupiter.
The scouts on hand were very involved in working on the project. Scout leader Denise Beothien said the girls involved in the project gained skills on being helpful, organizing events and making the proper contacts. “And everything we’re selling here was donated,” she said. “Whatever we make here will go directly to our causes.”
LGLA Meets Nov. 15
The Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. inside Classroom 1 at Palms West Hospital. The topic for the evening will be the construction of FPL’s West County Energy Center. Speakers will discuss the renewable power sources that will be used. For more information about the LGLA, call Marge Herzog at (561) 7919875.
Girl Scouts To Host Acreage Yard Sale
Girl Scout Troop 957 is having a multi-family yard sale on Saturday Nov. 10 from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Temple Park (Temple Blvd., west of Banyan Blvd. in The Acreage). For more information call Peggy Leonard at (561) 723-1285.
SRHS Project Grad Meeting Nov. 13
The Seminole Ridge High School Project Graduation Committee will meet Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. at the school. The location will be posted on the office door. For more information, e-mail Cathy Probst at cardinal07@bellsouth.net.
Taste Of The Palm Beaches Returns
The Fourth Annual Taste of the Palm Beaches to benefit the Big Heart Brigade will take place Wednesday, Nov. 14 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at PGA Commons in Palm Beach Gardens.
The event features a gathering of the area’s most popular dining establishments from Whole Foods Market and WineStyles to Abbey Road and David’s East Side Deli. There will also be live music, antique fire trucks, police and fire-rescue displays and more. The cost is $20 for adults in advance, $25 for adults at the door, $10 for children ages four to 12 and free for children under four. All proceeds will benefit the Big Heart Brigade. Valet parking will be available, and complimentary shuttle service will be provided during the event.
Tickets purchased in advance will be available after 5 p.m. at the will call tent located at PGA Commons West (corner of PGA and Central boulevards). PGA Commons spans one mile along PGA Blvd. between I-95 and Florida’s Turnpike.
To purchase tickets, visit www.pgacommons.com.
Women’s Chamber
Breakfast Nov. 13
The Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County will present its seventh annual “WCC ADT Championship Breakfast” on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at Mar-a-Lago. Tennis legend Chris Evert will be this year’s featured keynote speaker, discussing the topic “Achieving Success as a Pioneering Woman in Sports.” Dottie Pepper will serve as moderator. The Women’s Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with presenting sponsor ADT Security Services, will also pay tribute to a woman who has ex-
celled in her profession with the annual Pinnacle Award. The sellout event commands a high-energy audience of men and women, corporate executives and business owners. Beginning at 7 a.m. with a sensational silent auction, the day also includes a champagne breakfast, two passes to the ADT Championship at Trump International, a chance to win a seat at the Champions’ Table with Chris Evert and gifts for each attendee.
Other major supporters include Wealth Management Sponsor UBS, Automotive Sponsor Delray Acura/Delray Hyundai, Lifestyle Media Sponsor VIVE, Champagne Sponsor Market Salamander, and Specialty Sponsors Neiman Marcus, Salvatore Ferragamo, Trevini, the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach and Canyon Ranch.
Exciting drawing prizes will include a four-night stay at Tucson’s Canyon Ranch, a Neiman Marcus shopping spree, Ferragamo Designer Item and a match at the International Polo Club Palm Beach International in the Ritz Carlton’s private box.
Donald Trump is grand honorary chair, Judy Dicksinson is honorary chair, Robin Bernstein is hostess, Lexye Aversa is chair and Shelly Saunders is vice chair.
The breakfast kicks off the LPGA’s ADT Championship week extravaganza, which offers a $1 million first place prize to the winner of the tournament. Tickets are $85 for members and $125 for non-members. Contact the WCC office at (561) 253-0236 or visit www.womenschamber.biz.
Girl Scout Troop 453 — (L-R) Colleen Buttery, CJ Buttery, Victoria Beothien, Denise Beothien, Kelly Shwiner, Jacqueline Provey and Caitlin Buttery.
PHOTO BY LEONARD WECHSLER/TOWN-CRIER
WELLINGTON COMMUNITY 5K RUN/WALK BENEFITS HOSPICE
The 11th Annual Wellington Community Fitness Run & Walk benefiting Hospice of Palm Beach County took place Saturday, Nov. 3 beginning and ending at Wellington Plaza and running along Forest Hill Blvd. and Wellington Trace. Approximately 800 runners and walkers from Palm Beach County and throughout South Florida participated. Awards were given in the following categories: Top Two Overall Male and Female; Top Overall Masters Male and Female (Over 40); Participants 14 and Under, 15 to 19 and ranging all the way up to ages 70 and over. Race results and entries were posted at www.splitsecondtiming.com. For more information about Hospice of Palm Beach County, call (561) 227-5140 or visit www.hpbc.com.
State Rep. Shelley Vana, State Sen. Dave Aronberg, Overall Female winners Sonja Friend Uhl (first place) and Jackie Denton (second place), Tensy Caine, Wellington Mayor Tom Wenham, State Sen. Jeff Atwater and Wellington Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto.Bob and Jenna Fugate.
State Sen. Dave Aronberg and Tensy Caine with Top Overall Male winners Ryan Pickering (first place) and Colin Ansine (second place).
Ken and Sandy Kline with Lorraine Martorello and Judy Duany.
Rocky Goins (center) with Judy and Jay Knoller.
Riverside Bank’s Gregg Orenstein offers Frank Suess a cup of orange juice.
Beth Beattie, Danielle Norcross, Veronica Cantillo, John Merrell and Jill Roberts.
Leidy Cardoza, Marteen Pollard and Midiala Ortega at the National City Bank booth.
Aerobics dancers from Ultima Fitness entertain the crowd.
Parents Eventually Give Their Kids Lots Of Needless Worries
My mom had to go into the hospital for some laproscopic surgery last week, and this is the kind of thing that worries us kids. Oh, not that Mom worries us — it’s Dad.
While Mom keeps herself healthy as a horse and is therefore able to clear all medical hurdles with a cheery outlook, Dad is at a total loss without her. Worse, he wants to help. His intentions are good, but as the eight “repaired” toasters being stored in our basement will testify, Dad helping is not always a good thing. So we kids were a bit concerned about leaving Mom in his care once she got home from the hospital.
We needn’t have worried. Except for the laundry piling up (after all, they’ve only had that washing machine for 15 years — how could he be expected to know how to run it?), things seemed to go well. Yesterday I figured Mom had had enough time to recuperate, so I called. Dad answered.
“Hi, Dad. Is Mom available?”
“Oh hi, Debbie! It’s so nice to hear from you! Well, do you want to talk to
your mother or would you rather talk to me?”
(I pause. That’s always a tough one.) “I want to talk to both of you, Dad. Could you get Mom on the line?”
Now there’s the sound of banging around and phones being dropped and then I hear Mom’s voice: “Hi, Debbie.”
She sounds a little weak, but OK. Then Dad: “Hey, Debbie! I’m on the line, too!”
“Well Mom, I was just wondering how you’re doing up there.”
“She’s a little weak.”
“I’m a little weak, but — oh, no! Oh, no!” (Dead air while my blood runs cold.)
“Interception.”
“Interception?”
(Dad) “You’ll have to forgive your mother, Debbie. She thinks watching the Packers game is more important than talking to her daughter.”
(Mom) “I’m the patient! I can do whatever I want! If you don’t like it, I’ll just hang up!”
(Me, hurriedly) “Please don’t do that, Mom.”
(Mom) “It’s the fourth quarter. It’ll be over soon. — Oh! Oh!”
“Mom! Are you all right?”
“Another interception! They got the ball back. OK, I can talk now.”
Sigh of relief. “I was just wondering if you have everything you need.”
“I’m out of that toothpaste I like — Total.”
“Dad?”
“I’m going to the store immediately after this phone call.”
“Oh, I told him about it before. He may have already bought some. It’s just that I’d have to crawl on my hands and knees to get it from under the counter and I’m not sure…”
“Dad?!”
“I’m going. I’m looking. I’m doing it now.” (Another clatter and banging of the phone.)
“The thing about Total toothpaste is it contains peroxide. It keeps your whole mouth clean, not just your teeth. It really is the best toothpaste. Not that I’ve had anything to eat. They starve you down there until you’re at your weakest
and then they do surgery. I don’t understand it. I want food. I need food. I have to build my abs back up.”
(Her abs? I knew then that she would be fine.)
“Okay, Debbie. The game’s over. The Packers won. What was it that you wanted?”
“Nothing, Mom. It’s just nice to hear your voice.”
“You, too, honey. ’Bye.”
I wonder if the Packers knew how crucial winning on Sunday really was. But, more than that, I wonder if Dad went to the store and bought Total breakfast cereal. Oh, well. At least Mom will have something to eat.
‘My Fair Lady’ Just As Fair As It Was A Half-Century Ago
Professor Henry Higgins asks Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady what can be more glorious than to change a person and make them better through improving their speech. The simple answer is watching Eliza pronounce “The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain,” instead of, naturally, “The rine in Spine stiys minly on the pline.” Considering that in reality it seldom rains at all on Spain’s plain, you know we are in the magical world of musical comedy.
That classic musical recently came for a limited run at the Kravis Center as part of the “Broadway Across America” series.
My wife had never actually seen the
show before. Although she has seen the movie enough times to possibly justify a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records, she really wanted to see the show live. So off we went.
What struck me most about the show was how much of the movie had been added to the original script. I saw the show a couple of years after it opened. Originally, the show did not include any scenes from the embassy ball. Moss Hart once wrote that the cost of the sets and costumes precluded having it in the original show since no one knew if it would be a hit. However, now the movie scene is recreated, along with several others. It does not hurt the show at all.
Is there anything more glorious than a show where three main characters whoop, dance and stop a show while celebrating correct pronunciation? But the “Rain in Spain” number does it. And when it is followed by “I Could Have Danced All Night” and “On the Street Where You Live,” you know the show is a wonder. This is a show where the audience walks into the theater humming the songs. Almost everyone knows most of the music and, as the audience recognizes each number, it relaxes into a comfort zone. Many of the people knew where the laughs would be, knew where the clever lines would come. And no one minded that a bit.
On My Mind...
By Leonard Wechsler
The cast was uniformly good. Christopher Cazenove was a very solid Higgins. While not having the enormous charm of Rex Harrison, he performed well, singing the marvelous Lerner & Loewe patter songs. Who can forget
See WECHSLER, page 38A
C-PAL HOSTS ‘FUN-DRAISER’ AT FUDDRUCKERS IN WELLINGTON
The Crestwood Performing Arts League (C-PAL) held a “FUN-draiser” on Monday, Nov. 5 at Fuddruckers restaurant near the Mall at Wellington Green. Twenty percent of purchases during those hours was donated to C-PAL. Coming up, a pancake breakfast will be held Saturday, Nov. 10 from 7 to 10:30 a.m. at Beef O’Brady’s family sports pub in Royal Palm Beach (1179 Royal Palm Beach Blvd.). For more info., call George at (561) 793-6897. To view C-PAL’s performance schedule, visit www.c-palonline.com.
PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Dean Potts, Alan Graham, Ann Potts and Bette Barnes.Flo Nelson, Dolly Hughes and Lorna Hughes giveTracey Kahn their orders.
Fuddruckers General Manager Franz Forges (back, center) with C-PAL board members George Peltzmacher, Estelle Rubin, Leah Peltzmacher, Ruth Baraoidan, Flo Nelson and Joy Pitterman.Sylvia Shapiro, Harriet Goldstein and Selma Gleit.
Marge O’Grady, Elizabeth Graham and Terry O’Grady enjoy dinner.
IT’S A REAL HOEDOWN AT NEW HORIZONS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Students and faculty at New Horizons Elementary School were clapping and stomping on Friday, Nov. 2 during a hoedown held at the school. Students round-danced, put on ethnic pageants, engaged in crafts, played mini-golf and other games, and ate food served by teachers and volunteers.
Students in western garb gather in a circle to round-dance.
Andrew Hansen plays miniature golf.
Donna and Elana Rosman.
Nicholas and Christopher Bolano dressed the part.
Kyle Watson and dad Fred.
PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER
New Horizons Principal Elizabeth Cardoza and guidance counselor Lynne Bray.
Veronica and Katherine Garcia-Parra with their mom Jacquelyn.
THE FEAST OF LITTLE ITALY
The Sorrento Cheese Feast of Little Italy was held Nov. 2-4 at Abacoa Town Center in Jupiter. The event featured plenty of Italian food, art, crafts and entertainment, including a performance by Eddie Mekka of Laverne and Shirley fame. For more info., visit www.feastoflittleitaly.com. (Above left) Entertainers Gay Leonard Moore and Michael Matone Baglino with Gary’s wife Sarah. (Above right) The
Voldmans enjoy a break. (Below) San Gennaro’s of New York City kept the crowd fed.
PHOTOS BY CAROL
RPB Bests Broncos, Only To Fall In Unusual District ‘Shootout’
By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report FOOTBALL FOOTBALL
Royal Palm Beach High School’s football team put itself in the right position last Friday night. Their 28-19 victory over Palm Beach Central High School at Palms West Stadium put the Wildcats in an unusual “shootout” format Monday to decide the District 8-6A title.
Three teams vied for the title — RPBHS, Lake Worth and Park Vista — with the first two pitted against each other in a quarter of play, the winner to immediately advance to a quarter against Park Vista for the title. Unfortunately, when Mon-
day came, the Wildcats couldn’t get past Lake Worth, losing 177 to the Trojans at Park Vista Stadium.
The Wildcats (6-4) had lost 20-19 to Lake Worth previously this season, but the team’s victories over Park Vista and Palm Beach Central set up Monday’s three-way dance for the championship. Park Vista defeated Lake Worth 7-0 in the second quarter of Monday’s shootout.
Last Friday’s match between Royal Palm Beach and Palm Beach Central showcased the
offensive stars of each team. Wildcats junior quarterback Marvin Payne passed for 116 yards, and sophomore wide receiver Chris Dunkley scored on a 74-yard punt return in the second quarter. The Broncos (36) got touchdown runs of 70 and six yards from senior running back David Ahola, and an 80-yard touchdown reception from senior receiver Zedrick Joseph.
“Ahola is a great running back,” Royal Palm Beach Coach Eric Patterson said. “He does a fantastic job of running hard. We contained him most of the night, but when you make a mistake, he showed what can happen.”
But as it has been most of the season, Ahola and Joseph were Palm Beach Central’s lone offensive weapons. Quarterback Travis Simmons threw for 190 yards, but one of those was the 80-yarder to Joseph in the second quarter that pulled the Broncos to within 14-13. Simmons completed only nine of 26 pass attempts.
Palm Beach Central ran the ball 27 times, with Ahola carrying 20 times for 129 yards. The Broncos had two others carry the ball — Joseph three times for 34 yards and Simmons four times for nine yards.
The Wildcats, on the other hand, had four players carry the ball at least six times each, led by Javonti Greene’s 10 carries for 57 yards and two touchdowns. Royal Palm Beach out rushed the Broncos 204 yards to 174 yards, not a big difference until you figure in Ahola’s 70-yard run in the second quarter that cut RPB’s lead to 14-7.
Payne, who has emerged as one of the area’s top quarterbacks, completed eight of 18 passes against the Broncos. Going into Friday’s season finale against Palm Beach Lakes, Payne had completed 82 of 184
passes for 1,316 yards and nine touchdowns.
“Marvin has gotten better each game,” Patterson said. “You can almost draw a chart and see the things he’s doing to become a total quarterback. He throws the ball real hard and he’s tough. He never comes out when he’s dinged up.”
A hint of things from Payne to come arrived in the Wildcats’ season-opening 51-14 loss to William T. Dwyer, in which he completed 16 of 38 passes for 240 yards.
“It was a tough way to start the season,” Payne said. “I was nervous because it was my first start. I didn’t really know how to come out. I think West Boca was probably my best game of the season. That was the game I went from playing football to knowing how to play football.”
And that was the game he made 13 of 24 for 179 yards and three touchdowns in a 2214 victory.
While Payne has been the Wildcats’ most consistent player this season, Dunkley has emerged the past few weeks as RPB’s most exciting player. Dunkley caught four passes for 84 yards against the Broncos in addition to his punt return for a touchdown. Going into the Palm Beach Lakes game, Dunkley had 34 receptions for 537 yards and five touchdowns.
Dunkley had a pair of 100yard-plus receiving games this season: 116 against Park Vista and 131 against West Boca.
Many of those yards came after he made the catch, including an 85-yard touchdown reception against Park Vista.
“You never know what’s going to happen when he touches the ball,” Patterson said. “That’s just God-given talent.”
The Wildcats gained their 140 lead against Palm Beach Central on Payne’s two-yard run in the first quarter and Greene’s
two-yard run in the second quarter.
But Dunkley, who had a 67yard touchdown run wiped out because of a penalty early in the second quarter, gave Royal Palm Beach some breathing room with his 74-yard punt return with 50 seconds to play in the quarter. Ahola’s six-yard scoring run with 10:59 left in the third quarter cut the lead to 21-19, but Greene’s touchdown with 8:04 left in the fourth quarter put the game away.
The Broncos finished their season Thursday night at Boynton Beach, but results were not available at presstime. Ahola went into the game with a school record 1,150 yards rushing to go with 11 touchdowns.
Seminole Ridge, which plays at Park Vista in a non-district game Friday, lost 42-13 to Palm Beach Gardens last Friday. The Hawks (4-5) gave up a 95-yard kickoff return to Gardens’ James Jones to open the game and never were close. Seminole Ridge scored on a six-yard run by running back William Jones in the second quarter and on a 45-yard pass from quarterback Josh Jackson to wide receiver Jeacky Charles in the third quarter.
Wellington Girls Basketball Looks To Stronger Team This Season
By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report
Wellington High School girls basketball coach Vic Navarro is still looking in vain for that elusive six-foot center, but is hoping this year’s team makes up for its lack of height with some grit and athleticism that was missing from the 2006-07 team.
That’s not to say last season’s team mailed it in — one could argue the Lady Wolverines overachieved with their 12-12 record — but this season’s team is physically stronger and more athletic.
And perhaps just as important, sophomore forward Katey Applegate and senior Samantha McGee are a year more experienced. Applegate and McGee are the sole returning starters from last season’s team and look to be the main cogs this season. Applegate, a 5’10” blonde bomber, averaged 10 points per
BASKETBALL BASKETBALL
game as a freshman and McGee, a 5’5” point guard, never met a shot she didn’t like, including those from three-point range.
McGee was second in the county last season for the number of three-point baskets made and likely will keep defenses from double-teaming Applegate.
Navarro’s challenge over the summer and the first few weeks of practice has been to find players to go along with McGee and Applegate. He got his first look at those players in game-action Thursday night when Wellington hosted John I. Leonard in the Tip-Off Classic. The Lady Wolverines play Lake Worth in the Tip-Off Classic this Friday and host Glades Central on Nov. 12 before playing at Palm Beach Central on Nov. 13.
“Most of our players have had limited varsity experience, al-
though they did play a lot over the summer,” Navarro said. “We have four sophomores, two juniors and four seniors.”
Navarro is looking to 5’9” senior Amanda Vazquez to replace the graduated Ashley Rawls in the post. Vazquez, a transfer student from Pope John Paul High School, “is tough,” Navarro said. “She plays a lot bigger than five-nine.”
Another physical player, Navarro said, is 5’7” junior Ashley Corroding, who can play the forward and guard positions.
“Ashley played against players who were six-one this summer and was hauling down rebounds,” Navarro said. “She gets good positioning against taller players, which is what you have to do. If you don’t have the height, you work on getting position.”
Navarro also is counting on junior forward Jamie Manica, who saw limited playing time with the varsity last season, to
be a big contributor this season. Sophomore guards Stephanie Weiss, another strong shooter, also could be a major factor this season.
“The strength of this team right now, I think, is that we have a little more low post
strength than last year,” Navarro said. “We also have people like Samantha McGee and Katey and Stephanie Weiss who can shoot the ball from the outside. Even Ashley can shoot, so we have a lot of kids who can step out and hit that perimeter shot.”
Lady Wolverines — The Wellington High School girls basketball team with coach Vic Navarro.
PHOTO BY STEVE PIKE/TOWN-CRIER
RPBHS sophomore wide receiver Chris Dunkley and junior quarterback Marvin Payne.
Royal Palm Beach Mayor David Lodwick makes the coin toss before the opening kickoff at last Friday’s game.
RPB cheerleaders celebrate their team’s victory.
PHOTOS BY STEVE PIKE/TOWN-CRIER
Wolverines End Winless Season With 35-32 Loss To Leonard
By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report
Wellington High School football coach Chris Romano stood in an end zone at Wolverines Stadium after his team’s 35-32 loss to John I. Leonard on Wednesday and watched with pride as his players made their way back into the locker room.
“You show me another 0-9 team that played with that much heart,” Romano said. “They were down and kept coming back.”
In his first season as Wolverines head coach, Romano could have been speaking about the game against the Lancers or the entire season. WHS, which finished its season 0-10, was outmanned and undersized every time it took the field but never threw in the towel.
That would have been easy to do a number of times this season — and certainly easy to do Wednesday night as the Lancers (3-7) ripped off big play after big play in a wild second half that saw the teams combine for 60 points.
“We made good plays and they made good plays,” Romano said.
The second-half offensive onslaught began with Wolverines senior running back Chad Endres’ 20-yard touchdown run with eight minutes, 28 seconds left in the third quarter. Alvaro Romo missed the extra point and Leonard led 7-6.
The Lancers answered on the first play of its next possession
FOOTBALL FOOTBALL
when sophomore running back Quadarias Mireles went 80 yards for a touchdown with 8:05 left in the quarter. The extra point gave Leonard a 14-6 lead.
The Wolverines responded on their next possession when Endres scored from 10 yards out with 5:09 left in the quarter. Endres, however, was stopped short of the goal line on the twopoint conversion attempt, leaving the score at 14-12. Mireles scored again — this time on a 24-yard run on second and 18 — and the extra point gave the Lancers a 21-12 lead with 2:07 remaining in the quarter.
Wellington cut the margin to 21-19 on a 24-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Winter Cullen to wide receiver Greg Nowak with 10:13 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines nearly recovered the ensuing onside kick, but the Lancers got the ball at their own 48yard line.
Wellington appeared to have stopped Leonard’s offensive momentum when Phil Marfisi sacked Lancers quarterback Jake Boyd for a five-yard loss on a second down. But on the third down, Boyd avoided a heavy Wolverines rush and dumped off the ball to Mireles, who turned it into a 56-yard touchdown pass with 8:57 to play in the game. The extra point gave the Lancers a 28-19 lead.
But less than two minutes later, WHS junior running back D.J. Law went 38 yards untouched for a touchdown. Romo’s extra point pulled the Wolverines to 28-26. Boyd worked some magic again on the Lancers’ next possession when, on fourth and 15, he scrambled away from several Wolverines and threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jordan Magaw. The extra point gave the Lancers a 35-26 lead with 4:34 remaining.
“There were a lot of times on defense that we came close,” Romano said. “But he made some good plays.”
Law’s 63-yard touchdown run with 4:12 left put the Wol-
verines just three points down at 35-32. Wellington forced the Lancers to punt on their next possession and got the ball back on its own 34 yard line with 2:49 left. The Wolverines moved the ball to the 50 yard line, but on fourth and four, an Endres pass to Chase Jackson fell incomplete.
“It was a play that we hadn’t run in the game but that we ran in practice,” Romano said. “We tried to get them out of position. It was a tough throw, and they covered it well.”
The 32 points against Leonard represented the highest tally the Wolverines managed to put up all season — their previous high was 10 in a 35-10 loss to dis-
trict champion Park Vista.
Law finished the game with 128 yards on only seven attempts. Endres rushed for 111 yards on 27 carries.
Romano spent several minutes after the game addressing the Wolverines for the final time this season.
“I told them that although we came up short in the game, they had the bedrock of character,” Romano said. “We talked about loyalty, we talked about commitment, and we talked about honor and teamwork. That’s going to carry you. Football is a lot like life. We had our share of disappointments this year. But we kept our heads up, and we never quit.”
Season Ender — (Left) Wellington quarterback Chad Endres looks to pass. (Right) The Lancers defense couldn’t shut down Endres as he ran for two Wellington touchdowns.
PHOTOS BY LISA KEENEY/TOWN-CRIER -
Local Residents Take Part In Annual Cypress Harvest At Refuge
Residents of western Palm Beach County were among more than 300 local adults and children who collected 854 pounds of cypress seeds at the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation’s Seventh Annual Cypress Harvest and Student Photography Project.
The free event, held annually at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Boynton Beach, took place Oct. 27. Volunteers harvested seeds from native cypress trees, which will be germinated and planted later to help restore the Florida Everglades.
“This event is our main way of reaching out to individuals and families and getting them involved in hands-on Everglades restoration,” Arthur R. Marshall Foundation Executive Director Josette Kaufman said.
Volunteers included scout troops, families and school groups. Their efforts were captured on film by students participating in the Student Photography Project held in conjunction with the Cypress Harvest, aimed at exposing underprivi-
Wolverine Wrestlers Draw First Blood
The Wellington High School Wolverine wrestlers dominated the opposition Wednesday at their first match of the season.
The wrestlers opened the night by defeating Benjamin High School 57-17, following it up by besting Cardinal Newman in the final match 54-24.
The outstanding wrestler for the night was Mikolaj Wilga, who pinned both of his opponents. Jeff Mazza, Brian Nelson, Jake Ferrara, Zach Coulter, Logan Yates and Zach Pincus all finished the night with two wins.
The Wolverines’ next match will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at Olympic Heights High School in Boca Raton.
leged youth to nature photography.
Dozens of elementary, middle and high school students participated in Photography Project, which was sponsored for the third time by a grant from the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. They learned basic picture-taking skills from experienced mentors and then were allowed to photograph people and nature at the Cypress Harvest. One photo from each child will be framed and added to an exhibit that will hang at a variety of locations throughout the county.
“Our objective is to provide young people who may have few opportunities to visit the Everglades with a positive outdoor experience,” Kaufman said.
The students were recruited from local schools and after-school programs that quality for Title I status, meaning more than half the children attending are eligible to receive free and reduced-price lunches. The youngsters worked with digital, film and video cameras and received free backpacks donated by the Office Depot Foundation.
Royal Palm Beach Recreational Programs
The Village of Royal Palm Beach is offering the following programs:
• Chess Club — Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Recreation Center. The cost is free.
• Walking Club — Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Veterans Park. The cost is free.
• Oil Painting — Mondays 1 to 3 p.m. at the Recreation Center. The cost is free.
• Knitting Group — Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Recreation Center. Free.
• Writing Group — First and third Thursdays at 10 a.m. at the Harvin Center. The cost is free.
• Quilting Group — Mondays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Cultural Cen-
ter. The cost is free.
• Watercolor Workshop — Tuesdays, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Recreation Center. The cost is $20 for residents and $25 for non-residents.
• Tai Chi — Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5 to 6 p.m. at the Recreation Center. The cost is $45 for residents and $55 for nonresidents.
• Bocce — Tuesdays at 9 a.m. at Camellia Park. The cost is $4 per year and includes a shirt.
All programs require registration at the RPB Recreation Center. For more info., call (561) 790-5124.
Send sports news items to: The Town-Crier Newspaper, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.
Student Photography Project — (Front row, L-R) County Commissioner Jeff Koons with Girl Scouts Crystal Leonard of Loxahatchee, Shardai Lomax of West Palm Beach, Sydney Parks of Royal Palm Beach and Girl Scout Leaders Peggy Leonard of Loxahatchee and Annette Jones of West Palm Beach. (Back) Marshall Foundation staff member Susan Gammino.
Wellington Christian School Baseball Team To Play In 6A League
The Wellington Christian School baseball team has made great strides in improvement during the past three years.
A disappointing record of 1-14 in 2005 was followed by improvements to 10-4 in 2006 and 23-2 with a District 12 championship in 2007 — both positive signs for the young Eagles’ future.
In an effort to enhance the growth of their baseball program, the WCS division 1A Eagles have entered their team into the 6A Abacoa Fall High School league. The Eagles have fared well against some of the best baseball schools in Palm Beach County, including Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, William T. Dwyer, Seminole Ridge and Royal Palm Beach.
Wellington Christian opened the fall sea-
McCann Memorial Golf
At Madison Green Nov. 10
The Jenna McCann Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on Saturday, Nov. 10 at the Links at Madison Green in Royal Palm Beach.
The tournament will have a scramble format and will begin with a shotgun start at 8 a.m.
The McCann family has allowed the Kids Cancer Foundation to name this event after Jenna, who lost her battle with cancer two years ago at the age of four. It is the hope of the Kids Cancer Foundation that no family will have to endure the difficulty the McCann family experienced.
All of the proceeds from the tournament will be donated to benefit the South Florida Children’s Cancer Foundation, not-for-profit organization solely devoted to building a regional outpatient cancer treatment facility in Palm Beach County that will provide comprehensive as well as supportive care services to children and adoles-
son with a 5-2 win against the King’s Academy, followed by a close 7-4 loss to Palm Beach Gardens, a 3-0 loss to Jupiter, a 1-1 tie with Dwyer and a 2-1 win against heavily favored Royal Palm Beach.
The Eagles are not lacking any punch or speed in their lineup, with Dyllon Fabbri and Josh Frabitore as major contributors. However, the real strength will come from the Eagles’ pitching staff.
Seniors Scott Roselli and Jeff Fignar, along with junior Kevin Goff, will anchor the rotation, with major contributions from sophomore fireball Dan Roselli and freshman J.J. Salazar. Senior Joey Lelonek will continue to provide his perfection and leadership skills behind the
cents with cancer and blood disorders regardless of their ability to pay.
At this time, there is no facility of its kind from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando.
For more information, visit www.palm beachcountykids.com and click on “cancer center.”
2008 Relay For Life Dates Have Been Set
The dates have been confirmed for two Relay for Life events this spring in the western communities.
The Mid-Western Communities 2008 Relay for Life will be held at Palm Beach Central High School April 25 and 26. The event chair is Peter Wein. The next organizational meeting will be held Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Tree’s Wings in Royal Palm Beach. For more information, call team retention chair Stas Politis at (561) 310-3579 or e-mail staspolitis@adelphia.net.
The Acreage/Loxahatchee Groves 2008 Relay for Life will take place May 2 and 3 at Acreage Community Park.
plate as he has for the past three seasons.
Wyatt Ripton will also be sharing some of the catching load for the Eagles. As Wellington Christian School’s sports programs continue to grow, a 2008 junior varsity team will also begin this year. Head coach Mike Drahos returns to guide the varsity team, while assistant varsity coach Bill Roselli will also coach the JV team. Brent Nicholas will be joining the staff this season to help out on varsity and JV.
“We are all very excited and optimistic about the 2008 campaign,” Drahos said. “The JV program is going to provide a tremendous opportunity for our underclassmen. It will allow us to determine
The event chair is Michelle Damone and the co-chair is Toni Vorsteg. The next organizational meeting will be held Monday, Nov. 19. For more information, call Suzanne Stafford at (561) 366-0013, ext. 125 or e-mail suzanne.stafford@cancer. org.
Xtreme Cheer Squad Selling Coupon Books
The Acreage Xtreme competitive cheer squad is raising money to get to competition. The squad has a unique, usable item for sale. It is a huge coupon book featuring major restaurants, entertainment/recreation and retail/service coupons.
The coupon books are $20. If the buyer eats one dinner at Kokomo’s, it will pay for itself; Kokomo’s offers a free entree with the purchase of one. For everyone who shops at Albertson’s, there are 12 coupons worth $5 off purchases over $50. The coupons are good until Dec. 8.
Anyone who is interested in purchas-
our own destiny by providing the building blocks for a truly successful program. When you sign up to play baseball with the Eagles family, it is a commitment to a 12-month program, with the exception of some time off during Christmas week. We stress relentless dedication and hard work from the coaching staff, as well as the players, in an effort to establish a well-rounded fundamentally successful program.”
The Eagles will finish out their fall league with the playoffs in late November followed by conditioning for pitchers and catchers in December and January in preparation to defend their District 12 championship. That season begins in February 2008.
ing a coupon book should call Karen Keogh at (561) 602-6540.
Complimentary Class Offered At Karate 2000
Karate 2000, located in the Crossroads Shopping Center at 1204 Royal Palm Beach Blvd., is offering a complimentary class.
At Karate 2000, children learn the importance of discipline, courage and respect, as well as physical conditioning. Karate 2000’s program teaches self confidence by enabling children to achieve many large and small goals. While there is no question that children will have fun in Karate 2000 classes, introducing them to karate at a young age will expose them to important life lessons during the most impressionable stages of their lives.
Classes include mixed martial arts, Brazilian jiu jitsu, Kyokushin karate, kick boxing, Thai boxing, self defense and ground fighting. For more information, call Sensei Wright at (561) 383-5026.
HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE AT PUBLIX
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and 97.9 FM WRMF hosted Stuff-aTruck Friday at the Publix supermarket at the corner of Okeechobee Blvd. and Jog Road. The event was held to assist those who experience hardship during the Thanksgiving holiday. Specific food products were labeled so shoppers could purchase them as a donation. (Above) Representatives from the PBSO stand by the Publix delivery truck. (Below left) Sgt. Rick Jackson, Sgt. Karl Martin and Capt. Jeff Lindskoog. (Below right) Sgt. Carol Verdigi, Corporal Bob Creswell and WRMF DJ Jennifer Ross. PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER
CELEBRITY POLO PARTY FOR CULTURAL TRUST AT AMICI
The Cultural Trust of the Palm Beaches held a Halloween-themed celebrity polo party on Oct. 31 at Amici Ristorante & Bar in Palm Beach. As celebrity bartenders, local polo players served up drinks and collected tips to benefit the Cultural Trust. Polo player bartenders included Kris Kampson, Brandon Phillips, Jeff Hall and Martin Pepa. Also in attendance were Cultural Trust chairs Scott and Amy Swerdlin, and Wellington Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto. And there were many people in costume. For more information about the Cultural Trust, call (561) 333-4948 or visit www.culturaltrustpb.org. (Above) The Cultural Trust’s Elizabeth and Manuel Bornia with Benacquisto. (Right) Scott Swerdlin is flanked by wife Amy and friend Allie Brunner.
PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER
Why leadership education?
“Ilthtiffi l “I love the great mix of professiona s who contribute to our interesting class discussions from different perspectives. And the professor realizes the importance of gradually getting us back into the swing of school again. Most of us are balancing full-time jobs and family while attending class, and this proggram m l alllows u us to d do it all!” !
As organizations struggle to adapt to rapid changes, they look to leaders who are effective in today’s fast-paced global environment. Whether you head a business, non-profit, religious or governmental agency, or aspire to that role, the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership provides you with the knowledge,
• Learn to appreciate your leadership skills and abilities
• Develop an understanding of your organization’s needs
• Accomplish objectives through working with groups and teams
• Develop skills to build sustainable ethical leadership
The Master of Science in Organizational Leadership is a 36-credit hour program and can be completed by most students in six semesters.
Courses
Courses are offered one evening a week from 6 - 10 p.m. to accommodate your work schedule. Graduate level programs are designed for learning to come from your fellow students as well as your professors, textbooks and class assignments. You can apply your new skills on the job immediately and will grow in confidence in your leadership abilities as you go through the program each week.
How much will it cost?
Tuition
Tuition for the graduate programs is calculated per credit hour. Your total cost and your cost per semester will depend on several factors:
• Full-time or part-time student status
• Tuition assistance from your employer
Saturday, Nov. 10
• The Humanitarian Society’s Challenge of Champions Charity Horse Show will take place through Saturday, Nov. 10 at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club (14440 Pierson Road, Wellington). For more information, call the Humanitarian Society at (561) 362-8530 or the Stadium Jumping office at (561) 793-5867.
• The Studio Theatre of Wellington will continue its Second Annual Festival of Short Plays through Nov. 10. Admission costs $10. The theater is located at 11320 Fortune Circle in Wellington. For more information, call (561) 2044100.
• The Cuillo Centre for the Arts (201 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach) will continue Viagra Falls, a comedy about two old friends, a call girl and a little blue pill, starring Harold Gould, Teresa Ganzel and Lou Sutell. The show continues on the main stage through Dec. 23. For more info., call (561) 836-9226.
• A benefit concert for the Laura Brooke Music Foundation will take place Saturday, Nov. 10 the Bak Middle School of the Arts in West Palm Beach. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for students, and can be purchased at Boomer’s Music (12789 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite C, Wellington). For more info., call Boomer’s Music at (561) 6561259 or visit www.passthedream.net.
• Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control will provide low-cost rabies vaccinations and microchipping for dogs and cats as part of the Arrf-Ritis Walk on Saturday, Nov. 10 from 8 to 11 a.m. at John Prince Park (4759 S. Congress Ave.). In celebration of Veterans Day, the special fee for the rabies vaccination is $5, the rabies license tag is $5 and the microchip is $5 per animal. For more info., call (561) 233-1280 or 1272, or visit www.pbcgov. com/pubsafety/ animal.
• The Wellington Art Society’s fine arts
and crafts festival Fall Fling 2007 will take place Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 10 and 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the grounds of the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Works exhibited at the festival will include paintings, sculpture, photography, jewelry, glass, mixed media and ceramics. For more info., contact Susan Rose at sar512@bellsouth.net or (561) 7951691, or visit www.wellingtonartsociety. org.
• A Gun Show will be held at the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center (9067 Southern Blvd.) on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 10 and 11. The show features a wide collection of guns, ammo, knives, hunting supplies and accessories. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. For more info., call (561) 793-0333.
• The Crestwood Performing Arts League (C-PAL) will host a pancake breakfast Saturday, Nov. 10 at Beef O’Brady’s family sports pub in Royal Palm Beach (1179 Royal Palm Beach Blvd.). The event will take place from 7 to 10:30 a.m. and include raffle prizes and coffee. The cost is a $5 donation for adults, and $4 for seniors and children ages three to 12. For more info., call George at (561) 793-6897.
• The Wellington branch of the Jewish Community Center of the Greater Palm Beaches (13889 Wellington Trace, Suite A-15) will host “M&M: Movie & Mitvah Night” for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders on Saturday, Nov. 10 from 7 to 10 p.m. The night will include trivia, prizes, M&Ms, popcorn and a screening of Spiderman 3. The cost is $10 per person or a donation of two cans of food. To register, call Chad at (561) 689-7700.
• Palms West Presbyterian Church (13689 Okeechobee Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves) will host a Western Square Dance on Saturday, Nov. 10 from 7 to 10 p.m. featuring a professional square dance caller. All ages are welcome. For
more info., e-mail Candi at rgm427bb@ aol.com or call (561) 795-6292.
• Bill Sauers and Tony Mucci will perform in a live concert Saturday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. at Tree’s Wings & Ribs (603 Royal Palm Beach Blvd., Royal Palm Beach). The concert will benefit Mark Pafford’s campaign for Florida House District 88. For more info., go to www.markpafford.com.
• Vince Gaskin Productions will present an ’80s and ’90s Soul Fest featuring Glenn Jones and Miki Howard on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach). For ticket info., visit www. kravis.org.
• Local improv troupe Mod 27 will perform a show to commemorate their fifth anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 9 p.m. at the Cuillo Centre for the Arts (201 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach). Call (561) 835-9226 for tickets or visit www.mod27.com for more info. Sunday, Nov. 11
• The Village of Wellington will hold its Veterans Day Celebration on Sunday, Nov. 11. The ceremony will begin at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) with a parade commencing at 8:45 a.m. followed by an observance at 9 a.m. at the Veterans’ Memorial at the intersection of Forest Hill and South Shore boulevards. For more info., call Cathy Flocke at (561) 791-4770.
• Acts 2 Worship Center (13000 Okeechobee Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves) will host a Veterans Day Tribute on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 9 and 11 a.m. Activities will include a live brass band, color guard procession and numerous military veterans. For more info., call (561) 7986995 or visit www.acts2wc.com.
• Congregation B’nai Avraham in Wellington will hold its first Sisterhood meeting on Sunday, Nov. 11. Complementary bagels and coffee will be served at 9:30 a.m. with the meeting following from 10 to 11 a.m. Congregation members and nonmembers are invited to explore the topic: “Sisterhood at B’nai Avraham: What’s it All About?” The synagogue is located at 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 6 in the original Wellington Mall. For more info., call (561)7934347.
• The Village of Royal Palm Beach will hold a Veterans Day Observance on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. at Veterans Park Amphitheater (corner of Sparrow Drive and Royal Palm Beach Blvd.). For more info., call (561) 790-5100.
• The Wellington branch of the Jewish Community Center of the Greater Palm Beaches (13889 Wellington Trace, Suite A-15) will host “Tie Dye and Twister” on Sunday, Nov. 11 from 2 to 4 p.m. Children and adults are invited to play Twister, make tie-dye T-shirts and have fun while socializing. Snacks will be served and pre-school activities will be available as well. Admission is $10. To register, call Sharon at (561) 2536030.
• Good Earth Farm (2141 B Road,
Loxahatchee Groves) will hold a hunter show for ponies only on Sunday, Nov. 11. The cost is $35 per rider. For more info., call Nancy at (561) 792-2666.
• Maltz Jupiter Theatre and the Burt Reynolds and Friends Museum have partnered to present the documentary film The Life Of Reilly on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 for VIP seats and a reception, and $15 for the movie screening only. Proceeds will benefit the museum. Tickets are available online at www.jupitertheatre.org or by phone at (561) 575-2223.
Monday, Nov. 12
• The Wellington branch of the Jewish Community Center in the Wellington Marketplace will hold a mezuzah blessing ceremony at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 12 to affix new donated mezuzahs to the doorposts. About half a dozen rabbis are scheduled to participate. For more info., call Scott Benarde at (561) 712-5231.
• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will present A Tale of Two Cities Radio Drama on Monday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. For ticket info., visit www.kravis.org.
Tuesday, Nov. 13
• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will present the ’60s musical Beehive on Thursday, Nov. 13 through Saturday, Nov. 17. For tickets, visit www.kravis.org.
• A benefit for Project Lifesaver of Palm Beach County will be held Tuesday, Nov. 13 from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Fuddruckers restaurant near the Mall at Wellington Green. A portion of each meal purchased will go to Project Lifesaver, an international organization that uses radio-tracking and locating technology to save the lives of people who have wandered and become lost due to autism spectrum disorders and Alzheimer’s disease. For more info., visit www.autismproject.org.
Wednesday, Nov. 14
• The Palms West Republican Club will meet on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at the Players Club restaurant (13410 South Shore Blvd., Wellington). The featured speaker will be Palm Beach Gardens Councilman Hal Valeche, a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida’s 16th District. A meet and greet will take place at 6 p.m., followed by the main meeting at 7 p.m. For more info., call Charlie Fetscher at (561) 7530084 or e-mail fetschers@bellsouth.net. Thursday, Nov. 15
• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will hold a Business After Hours Mixer on Thursday, Nov. 15 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Security Self Storage (10719 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach). The cost is $10 for members and $20 for non-members. RSVP by calling (561) 790-6200.
Send calendar items to: Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 7936090. E-mail: news@gotowncrier.com.
Storybook Character Dress-Up Day At Elbridge Gale Elementary
Students and teachers celebrated Storybook Character Dress-Up Day at Elbridge Gale Elementary School in Wellington last week. Many exciting activities to celebrate literacy were held throughout the day. Kindergarten and first-grade students held a character parade for their families. Character interviews, book talks and reading parties were held all over campus. A “Looks From Books” costume contest was held for teachers.
In addition, Candace Marchsteiner of the Barefoot Photojournalist, Portrait & Event Photography donated her services for a fundraiser for the Elbridge Gale Literacy Committee.
Fuddruckers Night
For WHS Debaters
On Monday, Nov. 12 the Wellington High School Debate and Forensic Team will hold its third Fuddruckers Benefit Night. From 5 to 10 p.m., the Fuddruckers restaurant near the Mall at Wellington Green will assist Wellington Debate by donating a portion of the proceeds from sales.
To help out, those participating should tell the server, “I support Wellington Debate” and present either a Benefit Night coupon or this news article. There’s no extra cost and participants help one of the nation’s premier debate programs send students to national championship competitions.
For more information, contact Wellington Debate Coach Paul Gaba at (561) 795-4911,
Marchsteiner created a magical storybook setting and photographed primary grade students in their literature-inspired costumes to raise money to support literacy events throughout the school year.
“We are so thankful to Mrs. Marchsteiner for her efforts and generosity,” Reading Coach Jennifer Jones said. “The photos were absolutely beautiful and our families are thrilled with their pictures. Through her help and the support of our families, we were able to raise $500 to support literacy initiatives here at Elbridge Gale.”
Marchsteiner can be reached at (561) 644-4489.
e-mail gaba@wellingtondebate. com or visit www.wellington debate.com.
Top Author To Visit The King’s Academy
Dr. Jerry B. Jenkins, bestselling author of the Left Behind series and The Jesus Chronicles, will visit the King’s Academy on Tuesday, Nov. 13 to address students in a combined assembly.
Dr. Jenkins, former vice president for publishing and currently writer-at-large for the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, is the author of more than 170 books, including the 65 million-selling Left Behind series.
He has been awarded four honorary doctorates from Bethel College (Indiana), Trinity International University (Illinois),
Colorado Christian University and Huntington College (Indiana). Dr. Jenkins also owns the Christian Writers Guild, which aims to train tomorrow’s professional Christian writers and has nearly 2,000 members worldwide.
The special assembly will be held in the M. Nelson Loveland Sports and Fine Arts Center on the academy’s Belvedere Road campus at 11 a.m.
For more information about author Dr. Jerry B. Jenkins, visit his web site at www.jerry jenkins.com.
Crestwood Pasta Dinner Nov. 15
Crestwood Middle School will host its annual Pasta Dinner/Silent Auction on Thursday, Nov. 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Come out and
enjoy an evening with family and friends.
There will be live entertainment, which will include an Eagle talent showcase, band, chorus and a fashion show. The silent auction will include gift certificates from local businesses and theme baskets from each grade level.
The cost is $6 in advance and $7 at the door. For more information, call Crestwood Middle School at (561) 753-5000.
Wellington Debaters Make Sweet 16
Wellington High School’s National Public Policy Forum team of Chelsea Fitzgerald, Hayley Kolich, Raquel Kraushar and Michael Stechschulte have advanced to the “Sweet 16” in the 2007 Bickel & Brewer National Public Policy Fo-
rum national debate tournament.
Wellington is one of two Florida schools in the Sweet 16, the other being two-time defending NPPF champion Dreyfoos School of the Arts.
The top 16 schools (out of 105 entries) were seeded and matched for competition accordingly.
The National Public Policy Forum is the only national contest that gives high school students the opportunity to participate in written and oral debates on issues of public policy. Hundreds of high school students participate each year, competing for more than $25,000 in awards and scholarships, an all-expense-paid trip to New York City and the “Bickel & Brewer Cup.”
For more information, go to www.nppf.net.
Candace Marchsteiner and Grant Normann prepare for his storybook photo. Second-grade teachers dressed as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for the Looks From Books costume contest.
WHS Band Scholarship Dinner On Nov. 11
The Wellington High School Band Boosters Association will hold its annual band scholarship dinner “A Salute to Our Armed Forces in Honor of Veterans Day” on Sunday, Nov. 11 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Wellington High School cafeteria. The Wolverine marching band and jazz band will provide the entertainment. The dinner will be catered by C.R. Chicks of Wellington. Funds raised by ticket sales will help music students further their education. Guests of honor will include local veterans, Wellington Mayor Tom Wenham and Councilman Dr. Carmine Priore. For further information, call Maria Becker at (561) 793-0465.
Wellington Christian School Book Fair Nov. 15
Wellington Christian School will host a book fair on Thursday, Nov. 15 from
5 to 8 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble store in Wellington. The students and faculty of the school will provide entertainment. Proceeds from the book fair will benefit the library program at Wellington Christian. Barnes & Noble is located in the Shoppes of Wellington Green, 10500 W. Forest Hill Blvd. For more information, call the school at (561) 793-1017.
H.L. Johnson Students Collect Food Items
H.L. Johnson Elementary School is collecting food items donated by H.L. Johnson families for the annual countywide Food for Families campaign. Student Council representatives have decorated collection boxes, made posters and distributed these to each classroom. The drive will continue through Nov. 16, with distribution countywide planned for Thanksgiving. For more information, call Liz Torres at (561) 795-4955.
Character Counts Award At Binks
Fifth grade student Mallory McGuire is this year’s first recipient of the Character Education Award at Binks Forest Elementary School. Mallory received the honor for October’s Character Counts word trustworthiness
Mallory exudes trustworthiness in all aspects of her school day. This year Mallory is news director for the school’s morning news show WOWL According to faculty member Jim Houbrick, “Mallory is always prompt, dependable and truly takes charge of all operations involved in the production of the morning news show.”
Mallory is reliable and is a terrific example for her peers. She exhibits all qualities of a trustworthy student. Mallory’s team of teachers all agree with Houbrick that Mallory is worthy of this honor.
King’s Academy Fall Celebration
The King’s Academy kicked off its auction gift-gathering events with a fall celebration hosted by the auction committee. The celebration took place on Oct. 23 at the home of Auction Chair Wanda Jenkins. Guests enjoyed brunch and received fall decoration ideas. TKA parent Lisa Rogers demonstrated several centerpiece ideas using seasonal fruits and foliage. The event served as a gift gathering for the silent auction portion of TKA’s Annual Dinner & Auction, which will take place at the Beach Club in Palm Beach on March 15. Guests were asked to bring an auction item or advertisement to benefit the event. For more information, call (561) 686-4244, ext. 336. The King’s Academy is located at 8401 Belvedere Road in West Palm Beach.
Mallory McGuire
Auction Co-Chair Ann Marie Batten, Rosario Larson and Irelys Pattee.
(Left) Stephanie Koslan-Knowles with her centerpiece. (Above) Lisa Rogers does a demonstration.
Hoffman Show A Success — Temple Beth Zion in Royal Palm Beach hosted Avi Hoffman’s sold-out fundraising concert “Best of Avi” on Sunday, Nov. 4. The temple is located at 129 Sparrow Drive. For more information, contact Jennifer at (561) 798-8888. Shown here are Pastor Mike Rose of Royal Palm Covenant Church, temple chair Harriet Goldstein, Hoffman and Rabbi Bertram Kieffer after Hoffman’s performance.
Varney, O’Donnell Engaged — Patricia Varney of Wellington and Ted Varney of North Palm Beach recently announced the engagement of their daughter Laura Varney to Keith O’Donnell. Laura attended Forest Hill High School and graduated from Barry University. Keith is the son of Kevin and Justine O’Donnell of Charlotte, North Carolina. Keith graduated from Charlotte Catholic High School. Vows will be exchanged in March 2008 at Firethorne Country Club in Charlotte.
Komen Race Committees Announced
Wellington and Royal Palm Beach residents Stacy Atwater and Mark Skelton are organizing committee members for the 2008 Race for the Cure, to be held Saturday, Jan. 19 in downtown West Palm Beach.
Chaired by RPB resident Deborah Jaffe, more than 20 committees have
been established to assist with the annual event, including the two-year-old Pledge Program and the new Pinktacular Garden and Men in Pink initiative. For more information about the Komen South Florida Race for the Cure, or to become a volunteer, call (561) 841-0041 or visit www.komensouthflorida.org.
Komen Committees — Members from the various committees include Valentine Joseph, Dave Ragsdale, Lisa Bondurant, Fred Teets, Kathryn McHale, Robi Jurney, Beth Vandenberg, La’Rhea Pinder, Cindy James, Dayve Gabbard, Chrisana Blanco, Erin Arbabha, Karen Leonard, Kim Martin, Patti Abramson, Michele Donahue, Marcy Isdaner, Dorothy Sperling, Rosemary Hubartt, Catherine West, Debbie Price, Elizabeth DeWoody, Deborah Jaffe, Lisa Steltzer, Rose Fern, Jennifer Smith and Mary Booher.
Cub Scout Pack Visits Space Center, Goes ‘Down On The Farm’
Cub Scout Pack 120 recently roadtripped to Kennedy Space Center for NASA’s Overnight Adventure program. For approximately seven hours, the scouts lived and breathed space exploration nonstop. Activities included the 3D IMAX film Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon, with incredible footage of astronauts hopping around on the moon and driving the lunar rover to the edges of huge meteorite craters. Astronaut John Fabian gave an entertaining presentation describing life on a shuttle and the dangers of liftoff. The scouts were also asked to become engineers by building small lunar rovers out of Styrofoam, straws, plastic wheels and a balloon for the power source. Midnight found the scouts and their parents sleeping under the 363-foot Apollo/Saturn V rocket.
Pack 120 held its monthly meeting on Monday, Oct. 20 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center, where the theme was “Down on the Farm.” Scouts were encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes. Many of the pack’s new scouts earned Bobcat badges, and a number of the returning scouts earned activ-
ity badges or belt loops. Each of the dens provided a “Down on the Farm” activity and the scouts rotated through the events.
Some of the evening’s activities included examining owl pellets, making a paper scarecrow, planting seeds and making a worm farm.
Cameron
won
blaster for selling the most popcorn at one of the Den’s outings.
Oasis Compassion Agency’s Annual Dinner And Auction Raises $31,508
Oasis Compassion Agency’s Second Annual Dinner and Auction “Be a Part of Change” raised more than $31,000, including designated gifts of $5,000 that are reserved for the hiring of a professional case manager.
A total of 180 people attended the Oct. 19 event at Benvenuto Caterestaurant in Boynton Beach. The master of ceremonies was A. Wayne Gill, legal advisor to Oasis. Gill is a partner at Adorno & Yoss and also pastor of Changed Lives Church in Lake Worth and author of Tales My Grandma Told Me
The title sponsor was Principle Design, Development and Construction of Lake Worth. Al Daughtery, one of the principals, spoke briefly about the reason his company supports Oasis and encouraged all corporations and individuals present to consider how they might also support the work Oasis is doing. “I
think the model of the Oasis Compassion Agency should be one that is rolled out across the nation,” Daughtery said. “Oasis offers a hand up, not a hand out.”
Additional corporate support was provided by Commerce Bank, Jarden Consumer Solutions, Washington Mutual Bank, Humana and My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper Charitable Trust. Oasis announced the debut of its Spirit of Compassion Awards, which are as follows:
• Major Gifts — Jose and Teresa Rodriguez of Lake Worth were honored for financial gifts and giving more than 300 hours in hands-on volunteer time of their own while supporting their staff’s desire to volunteer an additional 500 hours.
• Outstanding Volunteer — Emilio and Lili Bermudez of Greenacres began as clients, graduated from the Oasis program and in 2007 volunteered more than 1,000 combined hours.
• In-Kind Giving — Palm Beach County Curves franchises were recognized for collecting and donating over 40,000 pounds of nonperishable food for Oasis over the past four years.
Oasis Compassion Agency’s mission is to demonstrate God’s love by providing food, clothing, Biblical counseling and
work/life-skills training to qualified clients.
In addition, Oasis works with several area agencies to provide referrals for social, medical and employment services. For more info., call (561) 967-4066 or visit www.oasiscompassion.org.
Vanessa Urioste Finishes Army Training
Army National Guard Pvt. Vanessa N. Urioste has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.
During the nine weeks of training, Urioste studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches and field training exercises.
Urioste is the former ward of Wendy Martin of Loxahatchee and a 2007 graduate of Seminole Ridge High School.
Cub Scouts from Pack 120 who earned their Bobcat badge.
Whalen
a marshmallow
Loxahatchee Artist Has Exhibition At FAU
Loxahatchee artist J.R. Houbrick was recently selected to participate in Florida Atlantic University’s “Art in the Atrium” series of exhibitions featuring Florida artists at the Jupiter campus.
Houbrick received his bachelor’s degree in fine art and master’s degree in both fine art and art education from FAU and is currently an art teacher at Binks Forest Elementary School in Wellington.
The exhibit is in the Student Resources atrium. Atrium hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The exhibition runs through Dec. 21. An artist’s reception is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP to Margaret Allen at (561) 799-8105.
To view Houbrick’s art, visit www. jimhoubrick.com.
Christopher Michael De Armas — son of Michelle and Mario De Armas of Wellington was born at Palms West Hospital on Oct. 18.
Izaiah Daniel Franco — son of Diana Riente and Anthony Franco of Loxahatchee was born at Palms West Hospital on Oct. 19.
Emerald Starr Colon — daughter of Carla & Javier Colon of Loxahatchee was born at Palms West Hospital on Oct. 21.
Kendall Starr Wilson-Holmes — daughter of Kristi Lynn Wilson and James Thomas Holmes Sr. of Wellington was born at Palms West Hospital on Oct. 22.
Joseph Charles Loeffler — son of Martha and Anthony Loeffler of Royal Palm Beach was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Oct. 22.
Giselle Marie Scigliano — daughter of Venessa and Marcelo Scigliano of
Autism Project Needs Goody-Bag Stuffers
The Autism Project of Palm Beach County is looking for 50 items for either a lady’s or a gentleman’s goody bag for a fundraising event. The event will raise money for the Autism Project’s causes such as the Renaissance Learning Center, a school for children with autism. Business that can donate perfume, magazines, photo albums, trinkets etc. for goody bags are asked to call Autism Project of Palm Beach County Program Manager Michelle Damone at (561) 315-2973.
Longtime Groves Resident Daniel Yearty Sr. Dies
Royal Palm Beach was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Oct. 22.
Ryan Ramos — son of Patricia and Robert Ramos of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Oct. 23.
Lucas Xavier Smith — son of Jamie and Todd Wayne Smith of West Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on Oct. 25.
Selah Marie Bumgardner — daughter of Natalie and Timothy Bumgardner of Wellington was born at Palms West Hospital on Oct. 26.
Xavier Gregory Van Ryan — son of Terrella and Ryan Van Ryan of Loxahatchee was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Oct. 26.
Taegen Janet Bouchias — daughter of Danielle Bouchias and AJ Regoli of Wellington was born at Wellington Re-
gional Medical Center on Oct. 26.
Alyssa Hernandez — daughter of Elizabeth and Alberto Hernandez of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Oct. 26.
Aubrey Lynn Steinberg – daughter of Bianca and Matthew Steinberg of West Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on Oct. 27.
Rebecca Denise Mercado — daughter of Luz and Alfredo Mercado of Royal Palm Beach was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Oct. 27.
Ryan Sean Banionis — son of Lisa and Saulis Banionis of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Oct. 29.
Lauren Paige Fritz — daughter of Melanie and Michael Fritz of West Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on Oct. 31.
Former Loxahatchee Groves resident Daniel Yearty Sr., 69, died peacefully at home in Ocala on Sept. 28. Yearty and his wife Virginia lived in the Groves for 34 years until they retired and moved to Ocala last year. Yearty was a heavy equipment operator and worked for Murphy Construction for years building bridges, seawalls, the locks at Lake Okeechobee and other structures.
After moving to Loxahatchee, Yearty went into business for himself doing land development. Yearty’s great loves were his family, showing barrel and cutting horses with his daughter, and hunting and fishing with his sons and grandchildren.
Yearty is survived by Virginia, his wife of 50 years; sons Daniel Jr. (Mindy) and Dale Ross (C.J.); daughter Valerie Robinson (Mark); grandchildren Markie, Cody, Tiffany, Dale and Brooke; and sisters Adean Worsham and Jenny Dilley. A celebration of life service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 at 2226 F Road, Loxahatchee Groves.
(Left) J.R. Houbrick’s painting Mr. Slater’s Fence. (Right) Houbrick.
Krischer Law & Order
continued from page 11A six or eight months doing a study about the juveniles and involving all the stakeholders, and they came up with a plan that among other things created youth empowerment centers around the county that provide a safe haven for these children after school. They are there to combat the gang-bangers that go after them at the school buses at the end of the day. They are there to help them with their schoolwork and be a social organization. They are there for the children all the time, and that is a partnership of the CJC with the school board.”
Krischer expressed frustration with the view that building more jails would solve the gang violence problem, and stressed that programs — not only prevention for children but also re-entry programs for former gang members — are an essential component of the solution.
“The bigger issue is that a meaningful response to the whole gang issue is hampered, with all due respect, by ambivalence and neglect by Washington and Tallahassee. The notion that we solve all
Council Moratorium
continued from page 12A to wait,’” Tolces said. “That may seem like a long time, but it’s only 12 months if you adopt it on Nov. 20.”
Louda said the site plans he had seen recently didn’t take the community’s “Rural Vistas” aesthetic guidelines into account at all, and the council should be careful about which exemptions to grant.
“On the two we are looking at tonight, as well as the ones were are considering postponing,” Louda said, “I don’t see the term ‘Rural Vistas’ at all. This community worked long and hard on that. The site plan is a very important part of the process. It’s the final look of the project.”
Tolces and Eichner introduced Kevin McGinley of LRM Management, who proposed to serve as liaison between the town’s staff and Palm Beach County in an effort to relay important information on various applications from the county, and guarantee the town would have some say in the county’s review process.
“My role would be a liaison between staff and Palm Beach County and to open up lines of communication better,” McGinley said. “The county is writing its staff reports in a vacuum. I have been doing this for 25 years for the county. I have a soft spot for Loxahatchee Groves. If you decide to put any site plans in the exemption, you can look at the site plans and you can look at them carefully. You can bring them back when it’s time to review the site plan.”
Vice Mayor Marge Herzog made a motion to approve the ordinance for a moratorium, which was seconded by Louda. It passed unanimously.
The council also heard Tuesday from representatives of several developers who might be affected by the moratorium. Bradley Miller of Miller Land Planning, representing a multiple-use development and a commercial development both on Southern Blvd., said he would come back within 30 days to explain his applications for conditional-use approval further, but also requested an exemption from the moratorium process.
“It’s been four years we have been working on this,” Miller said. “This has been reviewed by county staff. We were at the 11th hour when the incorporation started. My concern with the site plan is hopefully we can reach some agreement on an exemption for the project we have in place.”
Herzog made a motion for an extension for Miller, which was seconded by Louda. It passed unanimously.
Michael Haggerty, representing a company planning to build a “stealth tower” or camouflaged telecommunications tower, said his client had received sufficiency approval for the site from the county, with the application going before devel-
‘The
bigger issue is that a meaningful response to the whole gang issue is hampered, with all due respect, by ambivalence and neglect by Washington and Tallahassee.’
— Barry Krischer
our problems by building prison beds in lieu of putting dollars in programming is short-sighted.”
Krischer also said Democrats need to solve the crisis situation created by statemandated budget cuts by getting either elected or re-elected. He criticized the state for cutting taxes and sending the problems down to the local level, and then not supplying the local municipalities with enough funding to address the problem. “This is a crisis coming down from the state level,” Krischer said. “I am laying this at the feet of the Republicans not because I am a Democrat, but because that’s their mentality. If you don’t go out and win this election, there will be another four years of disaster.”
opment review on Nov. 14. “This process is lengthy and long,” Haggerty said. “We started a long time ago. As the moratorium is written, we have issues with it. We are not trying to stop the moratorium. We followed the rules all the way. We were caught at the end of the thing.”
Michael Sanchez, representing Johnson Land Development and its project Groves Medical Plaza, said his client is planning an adult congregate living facility in the medical plaza, and is requesting the appropriate land-use and zoning changes.
“The owner believes that the proposed modification of the already-approved development from a medical office building to a first-class assisted living facility is relatively minor in nature, will serve a growing need in the area, and accordingly should not be subject to the moratorium,” Sanchez’s letter to the council read.
Council members voiced concerns about the siting of the tower near Okeechobee Blvd., but welcomed the concept of the assisted living facility.
Jennifer Vale of Land Design South told the council she is seeking a twoyear monitoring time extension on a delayed retail project on Southern Blvd. currently being reviewed by the county.
Councilman Dave Autrey made a motion to continue the item, seconded by Herzog. It passed unanimously.
Both Tolces and Lippman cautioned the council not to open up a Pandora’s box by granting any exemptions without careful consideration.
“The purpose of the moratorium is to maintain the status quo,” Tolces said. “From a legal perspective, if you open it up, you may have a bunch of other exemption requests coming before you. It’s a temporary moratorium as adopted.”
Lippman concurred. “I am not here to be the bad guy,” he said. “I need to caution you or direct you. You have to draw the line. People this evening and people who don’t know about this will be upset. I am not going to urge you to make a decision about the people here tonight. If we allow everyone to come forward, there could be 40 to 50 applications. I am not encouraging this either way. We need to make a tough decision. It may or may not upset people here tonight. You may open up a can of worms.”
Louda made a motion to amend the ordinance to consider exemptions for site plan applications that have received rezoning or conditional-use approval, subject to council approval. It was seconded by Herzog and passed unanimously. Tolces said he would follow up with Haggerty about the tower application to see if he is eligible for an exemption. He said he would prepare the ordinance as amended for a second reading on Nov. 20. Louda also asked that the amended ordinance be put on the town’s web site for review by residents.
Logo Image Chosen
continued from page 14A ters,” the English translation of Loxahatchee.
• The council approved an ordinance requiring applicants seeking development approval to bear the related costs of public notice and staff research. Vice Mayor Marge Herzog made a motion, which was seconded by Councilman Dr. Bill Louda. It passed unanimously.
• Lippman told the council he and town staff had been working with Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Administrator Clete Saunier on an agenda for a joint town-district workshop on water issues tentatively scheduled for the end of November. The discussions would include presentations from South Florida Water Management District representatives.
Saunier said that there is much confusion and misunderstanding about what the LGWCD does regarding water distribution.
“I’ve had these conversations with many people,” Saunier said. “If we could all come together and have an agreement about what our responsibilities are and get some direction as to what the two entities want to do in the future to address these things, it would be great. I do want to continue this coordinated effort.”
Council members said the district and
ITID Library Land
continued from page 12A meeting because the county wants a goahead before the end of the year,” she said.
• The board unanimously adopted a resolution authorizing the execution of a hazard mitigation agreement with the Florida Division of Emergency Management that will apply federal funding to stormwater infrastructure improvements in the district’s M-1 Basin. The federal government will provide $414,490 of the $537,000 cost of the improvements, which will reduce the chances of damage to infrastructure and avoid more costly repairs. District Engineer Jay Foy said the district had already allocated its share of required spending on the project and that the extra money would greatly improve the district’s drainage.
• The board approved a policy manual concerning connections between water utilities operating inside the district and those outside. Foy noted that ITID had never officially adopted a policy, although a draft had been prepared. The recent water contamination problems of West Palm Beach, which affected the district, caught the attention of the Palm Beach County Health Department, which re-
Wechsler
‘My Fair Lady’
continued from page 18A “I’m An Ordinary Man” and “Why Can’t a Woman”? Sentiments like that today could get someone hanged. And he performed a charming, almost wistful “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.”
Tim Jerome was a vibrant Alfred P. Doolittle. Although the Doolittle songs were a bit overproduced, he managed to provide a great deal of warmth and humor. He received an enormous amount of applause, all of it deserved.
Lisa O’Hare was a marvelous Eliza, easily the most difficult part to play. She has a lovely voice and a charm that is very winning. She brought back fond memories of several of the actresses I have seen in the part. The way she wore her dress as she came down the stairs for the embassy ball brought back memories of Audrey Hepburn in the movie and her perkiness and singing voice reminded me of the two actresses I saw in the part on Broadway, Julie Andrews and Sally Ann Howes.
There were actually two Elizas present
town should present a united front to the SFWMD as water is becoming a very important issue in the face of the ongoing drought.
LGWCD Supervisor John Ryan said he spent the better part of an afternoon at the SFWMD office the previous week talking to personnel there, and warned that if Loxahatchee Groves does not present a united voice in talking with the SFWMD, they would be left out of the discussons entirely.
“Like it or not, we are a function of the SFWMD in terms of supply,” Ryan said. “The impression that I had was our need for canal water for fire protection and for wells is going to have the most impact if we are a joint voice. The important thing is that Loxahatchee Groves is organized to have a joint voice.”
quested the district complete and approve the final draft.
• The board also approved two agreements with corporations that own small parcels bordering the district east of Bayhill Estates along Northlake Blvd. that will begin a process of annexation into the district. Two corporations, W&W IX LLC and Northlake 20 LLC, have properties whose drainage outflow will go into the system of Bayhill Estates, which is part of the ITID drainage system. Neither property is currently part of any drainage district, and Palm Beach County is encouraging properties benefiting from a special district’s drainage services to become active units within those districts. Both property owners agreed to pay engineering, administrative and legal costs of the process, as well as a hookup fee of $75,000 per acre.
• The board signed an agreement with Tromsi Inc. allowing the company to produce the district’s annual Indian Palms Chili Cookoff. The board agreed to waive permit fees the first year.
• The board also named Amy Hackney as a voting member of the ITID Planning Committee with Richard Moore and Jan Polson as alternates. The board named J. Hunter Smith and James Suarez as new members of the Recreation Advisory Committee.
since Ms. Howes was actually on stage, playing Henry Higgins’ mother. It provided a lovely touch as she used her acerbic wit to make clear her feminist points. It also made me feel rather old as I remembered that I had seen her about 50 years ago. She may no longer be Truly Scrumptious, the part she played in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, but she is a winner.
As is the entire show. I recalled a famous jest about the show in the 1950s. There was actually an empty seat at a performance of the play early in its run. Someone inquired of the woman sitting next to it why it was empty. She answered that it had been reserved for her husband who had passed away. When asked why she had not invited anyone else to fill in for him, she replied, “They’re all at the funeral.”
Is My Fair Lady that good? Yes. It is one of the glories of our culture. It is a play about English class distinctions based on the play Pygmalion, written by an Irishman, and became best known through a movie done by a Hungarian and set to music by an American lyricist and Viennese composer. What could be more American?
PALMS WEST
Par Parents ents And Childr AndChildr AndChildren Get Cr enGetCr enGetCreative eative At Crafty Kidz ’N
By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report
Crafty Kidz ’n More is a new place for parents and kids to hang out and have fun. Tucked away in the Wellington Plaza at the corner of Forest Hill Blvd. and Wellington Trace, the workshop is a destination for craft activities and parties for young and old alike.
“This is a family place,” owner Adrienne Sasko said. “My two children Shana and Austin are often here to help out, and we try to make everyone feel comfortable.”
Crafty Kidz has only been open four weeks but already has many regular customers. Its walls have been hand-painted with child-friendly murals.
Sasko stressed that Crafty Kidz is different from other places offering similar craft activities. “No one leaves here empty-handed,” she said. “We use the right kind of statues and paints so that children can take them home. They don’t have to go through a kiln to be dried. That makes them really happy.”
Crafty Kidz also offers sand art and fabric decoration activities. “A lot of kids actually are making decorated lunch bags,” Sasko said. “And we have over
a thousand different kinds of plaster craft here. Some are not necessarily designed even for kids. I had a dad in here last week who did a statue of a Harley-Davidson. And he was as pleased with that as his eightyear-old was with her statue.”
Customer Melissa Chandler came to Crafty Kidz with her three daughters. “This is a lovely place for both parents and children,” she said. “I’ve got three with me, and they’re all busy on their own painting.”
Sasko said Chandler is one of her best customers. “She has been here something like once a week,” she said, “and little Angela comes in and gives me a hug now. I guess she knows I’m usually good for a cookie. She’s my little buddy. But that’s what we really like about this place. It’s a great place for parents to have a wonderful time with their kids.”
Josefina Holt of Wellington arrived with her two children and her mother. “We have three generations here, and all of us are able to work on the same things,” she said. “This is a wonderful place. We’re going to be coming back.”
Sasko said parties at Crafty Kidz are a real bargain. “We’ve got a great price,” she said. “It’s
very affordable. We only charge $9.99 per child plus the cost of the crafts they choose. And some of the plaster crafts start as low as $2.99. We serve pizza, cupcakes and beverages, which can be milk, juice or soda. We even have a dance leader to get all the kids involved in dancing. They have a great time. We’re booked up a lot for parties. Some mothers call us right after their child is a guest.”
Sasko said that because her own children are ages 10 and 13, she knows how to offer what today’s kids find interesting. “I know what’s going on, all the latest trends. We’re not out of touch here,” she said.
But Sasko added that all kids who visit are treated like family. “We treat all the kids like they’re our own,” she said. “Some of the kids who’ve been here before find reasons to slip into the back to see if they can’t grab a cookie or a cupcake. They feel at home here.”
At times, Sasko has groups of children in the party room in back, working and then dancing while their parents work on their own projects in front. “Some kids run through their work in no time, but their parents want a little peace and quiet to do a more careful job,” she
AtCraftyKidz’NMor
said. “And we also run some sessions just for adults, as well as a mom’s night off and parents’ night, where parents get some time either working with their child or getting a bit of space. And, of course, we always welcome walk-in customers.”
Crafty Kidz also offers a frequent visitor card. “We’re open every day when schools are not,” she said, “and we can open early on those days if a lot
of parents need it.”
Crafty Kidz ’n More is located in the Wellington Plaza at 12773 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 1203, near Sanda Gané and Tuesday Morning, and is open on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parties at other hours can be scheduled on request. For more information, call (561) 795-4500 or visit www.craftykidznmore.com.
They’re Crafty — Crafty Kidz ’n More owner Adrienne Sasko (back, center) with children Shana and Austin, and (front row) Robyn Rosier, Angela and Melissa Chandler, and Bailey Brown.
The Wellington Pup Boutique Offers All Things Pet-Related
By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report
Caroline Dowling is an avowed pet lover. So much so that, four months ago, she and husband Mike Berrera opened the Wellington Pup puppy boutique in Wellington. Born in Stamford, Conn. but raised near Henley-on-Thames in England, Dowling has worked with various humane societies, been a foster parent for animals and personally rescued more than 80 animals.
“When I was young I rescued everything from animals hit by cars to animals caught in traps,” Dowling said. “I lived in a small village called Binfield Heath that had a lot of hunting. I helped out with rescue organizations, mainly for dogs. Over here there is something called Cat Network, and in England we have something similar that one of my friend’s mothers ran. I helped her out, too.”
Dowling, who has dual British and American citizenship, moved back to the U.S. when she was 25 and worked at the Dade County Humane Society. For more than three years she served as a foster parent for the society’s needier animals. After she nursed the animals back to health, they were returned to the Humane Society for adoption.
“Any animal that was unadoptable, I kept,” Dowling chuckled. “I had about 124 dogs and cats at one time. We still have some of them.”
That’s why she and Berrera recently moved to The Acreage.
“It’s easier for them to run around,” Dowling said. “Right now I have a cat that I rescued from a vet. He was about to get the needle. He’s a purebred Siamese that the owner wanted put to sleep because he wasn’t very friendly — he was feral. I took him and kept him as an outside cat. He’s my baby. In fact, I call him Baby. He’s eight or nine years old.”
Dowling said being a foster parent to needy animals helped convince her to open the Wellington Pup.
“There’s nothing I don’t know about animals,” Dowling said. “And if, God forbid, there is something I don’t know, I have the resources through vets and friends in the animal industry. Some pet stores have bad reputations, but we get all our animals from USDA-approved breeders. We have the name, address and license number of all of our breeders. We won’t use unlicensed breeders. And we do a warranty so if anything happens to the animals within the first 14 days, we pay the vet bills.”
Dowling said Wellington Pup has sold 59 puppies in four months. Pictures of most of the new owners with the pets are on a wall behind the counter, not far from the perch of the family’s African gray parrot Jackie. The store sells mostly small dogs, such as shih-tzus, Jack Russell terriers, papillions, Malteses, bichon frises, Chihuahuas and teacup Yorkshire terriers. The most popular breeds? “Oddly enough I thought it
was going to be the Malteses and Yorkies,” Dowling said. “But it seems to be the schnauzers and shih-tzus. But they all sell very well. West Highland terriers have been selling very well. Lately I’ve brought in Jack Russells and cocker spaniels. People really like them, too.”
The Wellington Pup offers a full line of pet accessories for dogs, cats, birds, fish and other animals. “I have pretty much
everything a pet store would sell,” Dowling said. “I might not have everything in stock, but people can special order with me.”
Dowling also has started a grooming service that features medicated and non-medicated shampoos, conditioners and hot oil treatments.
Dowling said Wellington Pup also uses an advanced system to keep track of all of an own-
er’s pet needs and preferences to ensure each pet receives the same amount of attention and care it gets home.
The Wellington Pup is located in the Wellington Marketplace at 13857 Wellington Trace, Suite D1 and is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, call (561) 422-9111 or visit www. thewellingtonpup.com.
Puppy Boutique — Wellington Pup owners Caroline Dowling and husband Mike Berrera with son Mikey, daughter Eva and some of their furry friends at the store.
PHOTO BY STEVE
New Owners Continue High-Quality Beauty Care At Salon Soleil
By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report
Elia D. Pino and Lydia Cruz are proud to have their own upscale beauty salon in the western communities. “At Salon Soleil, you can get the same kind of treatments you get at the fanciest places in Palm Beach or even New York,” Pino said.
Pino and Cruz took over the long-established salon in the Wellington Marketplace four months ago. They brought with them strong support that Cruz has established over 30 years as a beautician. She draws regular customers from all over South Florida. “We have people driving here from Miami, from Fort Myers,” Pino said. “She is that good. She already has bookings into 2008.”
Cruz, who is also Pino’s mother-in-law, is one of the few beauticians in South Florida certified to use Brazilian hairstraightening treatments.
“The process lasts for three months,” Cruz said, “and is so gentle that it doesn’t damage even the most delicate hair, even hair that has been colored.”
Pino said she and Cruz have long been interested in bringing the best quality beauty shop to the area. “We cut hair, style it, color it, straighten it,” she said. “We do facials, waxing and permanent makeup. We also do hair and makeup for special occasions.”
So far, the salon has been a great success. “We have as many as 60 and more appointments on Saturdays now,” Pino
said, “and it isn’t even the busy season yet.”
As part of a customer appreciation effort, the salon brings in food for both employees and customers on Saturdays. “We always serve a nice breakfast with something like bagels from Panera Bread, and we had lasagna here today from Olive Garden,” Pino said. “We always serve food here on Saturdays. We want our customers to feel at home.”
Pino said that in the business world, it’s important to keep in mind that the customer is always right, and that if a business takes good care of its customers, then the business takes care of itself.
“There are some salons and spas that have gotten away from that and focus only on the bottom line,” Pino said. “Here at Salon Soleil, we are not only reemphasizing this concept, but working hard to create a positive atmosphere. When our customers walk out of our doors, we want them to not only look great, but to feel great about their whole being.”
Pino said Salon Soleil sets itself apart through the way the salon treats its employees. “In many shops, staff members are treated as independent contractors,” Pino said. “Here, they are employees; they get benefits. That has allowed us to make certain that every single staff member is licensed by the state. And they want to stay here, which means people will be able to come to us and work with a favorite stylist for years.”
Cruz emphasized the very high quality of every element of beauty work. “We use Goldwell products here,” she said. “Their products are considered the best in the world, and they do not let most shops use them. They are very particular about who uses their products on clients’ hair. But we use it because it makes the hair look a lot better.”
Pino and Cruz said their goal is to create a salon with a great sense of ease and style. “We are a happy group,” Pino said. “We want our customers to feel re-
laxed and happy as if they were with their own families as we work on them... We have a happy multilingual, multicultural staff. We speak English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Hungarian. Some of our customers enjoy coming in because they can speak to someone in a tongue in which they are more comfortable.”
Pino and Cruz live in Royal Palm Beach and say they have learned to appreciate what their neighbors want when it comes to beauty. That is why Salon
Soleil aims to give great customer service using the finest stylists and beauty products, while creating a friendly, family atmosphere. “Come in and try us,” Pino invited. “Once you know us, you’ll love us.”
Salon Soleil is located in the Wellington Marketplace at 13833 Wellington Trace and is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, or an appointment, call (561) 795-3367.
New Owners — Salon Soleil partners Lydia Cruz and Elia Pino inside their Wellington salon.
PALMS WEST CHAMBER’S SALSAFEST SPICES UP GREENACRES
RETIREMENT LIVING
It’s resort-style living every day.
Discover a retirement lifestyle that’s just right for you.At Newport Place, you’ll enjoy resort-style amenities while experiencing a renewed social life in a comfortable atmosphere.You can rely on our friendly housekeeping services to keep your apartment home looking beautiful, leaving you plenty of time to take aerobics,play mah-jongg with friends or learn how to paint.
Located in warm and breezy Palm Beach County, Newport Place is close to world-renowned beaches and museums.You’ll be amazed at the wide range of cultural and recreation activities available daily. Whatever it is you’re looking for,you’ll find it at Newport Place
Lovely apartment homes are available,and no large buy-in fees are required.Call Newport Place today at (561) 586-6455.
Presented by the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, the Maroone Chevrolet Salsa-Fest took place Saturday, Nov. 3 at Greenacres Community Park. The family event was a celebration of Hispanic culture and included a celebrity cookoff, an all-day dominoes tournament with cash prizes, a salsa dance competition and demonstrations, chihuahua races, hip-hop dancing, crafts and more.
Jeremy Gordon with dad Eric of Sun Trust Mortgage.
Musician Gian Paul entertains the crowd.
Luigi Rosado of the High Voltage Extreme Acrobatic Dance Team from Orlando.
Royal Palm Beach Mayor David Lodwick, winner of the Battle of the Mayors, with Florida Culinary Institute student chef Kathryn Gastaldo (left) and WJNO's Natalie Nichols (center).
Chihuahua race winners: Patti Neri with Cocoa, third place; Jo Ronk with Harley, first place; Lisa Faircloth as Lucille Ball; and Alexandra with Hyler Hoova, second place.
Dominoes competitors Courtney Pitter, David Unversaw (second place) and Obed Morales.
PALMS WEST CHAMBER HOSTS RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONIES
Physicians Weight Loss Center — The Palms West Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Physicians Weight Loss Center located at 8993 Okeechobee Blvd., Suite 114 in the Andros Isles Publix Plaza in West Palm Beach. Physicians Weight Loss Center has helped millions of people lose excess pounds and inches with their medically supervised programs. For more information, or to schedule a complimentary weight loss consultation, call (561) 296-9686. Pictured here is owner Xiomara Azcano with staff and Palms West Chamber of Commerce ambassadors.
New World Visuals Acting Academy — Located at 11260 Fortune Circle, Suite J2 in Wellington Commerce Park, New World Visuals Acting Academy is an instructional acting studio that serves Wellington and its surrounding communities. Owners Octavian and Kathy Onuc, along with their daughters Jennifer and Jessica, opened the academy to provide handson experience in the art of acting. To contact new World Visuals Acting Academy, call (561) 856-9725 or (561) 670-5666. Pictured here are the Onucs with Palms West Chamber of Commerce ambassadors. Send
Discounted Property Tax Payments Now Available
Taxpayers will have the ability to pay a reduced rate until February. Property taxes are collectable from Nov. 1 until March 31. Discounts for early payments are allowed as follows: November, four percent; December, three percent; January, two percent; and February, one percent.
“Taxpayers are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the discounts,” Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne M. Gannon said.
Eighty percent of taxes are paid during November and December, creating a flurry of activity in the Tax Collector’s office.
Contact the Palm Beach County Tax Collector’s office at (561) 355-2266 if you have not received your property tax notice by Nov. 15. No discounts are allowed in March and taxes become delinquent on April 1.
The following payment options are available:
• By Mail — Postmark constitutes date of payment and determines applicable discounts. Use the return envelope included with your tax notice.
• E-Check (Online Only) — With no additional fee. Visit www.tax collectorpbc.com for instructions.
• Credit Cards (Phone/Online Only) — A 2.2-percent convenience fee will apply. Visit our web site at www. taxcollectorpbc.com or call (561) 3552266 for instructions.
“Taxpayers should read their tax bills and the supplemental content closely,” Gannon said. “Information on important deadlines, various payment options and other details are included.”
There were 582,396 real estate notices and 57,691 tangible personal property notices printed for the 2007 tax year, and 117 miles of paper were used to print these notices — more than 2.5 times the amount of Atlantic shoreline in Palm Beach County.
United Way Of PBC Seeks Volunteers For VITA Sites
The United Way of Palm Beach County and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are looking for volunteers to work at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites during the 2007 tax season. VITA sites offer free tax preparation for those who earn less than $40,000 a year.
Two hundred volunteers are needed to work at more than 25 VITA sites located throughout the county. VITA volunteers include certified public accountants (CPAs), retirees, housewives, college students and professionals.
Also needed are volunteers who are bilingual in Spanish or Creole. Volunteers who are age 16 or older may serve as greeters.
Volunteers are trained and certified by the IRS. Volunteers may receive classroom training or learn via the Internet. Classroom training will be offered in January. In exchange for the free training, volunteers are expected to commit to working a minimum of four hours per week at a VITA site during the filing season Jan. 22 through April 15, 2008. CPAs are not required to undergo the IRS training. This is a great way for professionals to earn CPE credits.
Using the free tax service paid off — literally — for 9,750 Palm Beach County residents who had their taxes prepared at a VITA site last year. VITA volunteers helped residents receive over $14 million in refunds, including $5.6 million in earned income tax credit. During the past
four tax seasons, United Way helped Palm Beach County taxpayers save almost $4.5 million in tax-filing fees. The money residents saved, in addition to their refunds, can be used to pay bills, rent and buy food.
If you would like to become a volunteer, call Raymond Morse of the United Way of Palm Beach County at (561) 3756685 or visit the organization’s web site at www.unitedwaypbc.org and click on the “Be a VITA Volunteer” link.
This is the fifth year United Way of Palm Beach County and the IRS have partnered to offer the free tax service. Other partners in the VITA program include Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners and 211 Palm Beach/Treasure Coast.
The VITA program is a key component of United Way of Palm Beach County’s Prosperity Campaign and the Providing Food, Shelter and Emergency Needs Impact Area.
United Way of Palm Beach County works with the entire community to identify the most pressing needs, bringing together businesses, nonprofits, volunteers and neighborhood associations to focus on what matters — results that change lives in the community.
To volunteer, invest or for more information, call the United Way of Palm Beach County at (561) 375-6600 or visit www.unitedwaypbc.org.
Send business news items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.
Consumers May Benefit From Interest Rate Cut
The decision by the Federal Open Market Committee to cut the federal funds rate by .25 percent to 4.50 percent is designed to stimulate the economy and could help consumers by lowering payments on various types of loans. Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) offers some tips for understanding the benefits that lower interest rates can have on your financial situation:
• When the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates, banks follow suit — Commercial banks usually follow the Federal Reserve’s actions by lowering their prime interest rates. Watch to see if your bank cuts rates on various loans. If you have any high-interest rate loans, or those with an adjustable rate, speak with a loan officer to see if you can get a fixed-rate loan at a lower interest rate.
• Lower interest rates allow consumers to consolidate debt — Consider consolidating high-interest balances into one low, fixed monthly payment. You can count on a predictable payment that can eliminate your debt at the end of the term. By saving on interest, you can keep the unused funds for home improvements, medical expenses or any other large purchases. You can also use your savings to repay the debt more quickly.
• Lower interest rates may favorably affect the housing market — The current oversupply of homes nationwide is reducing the prices of many homes, and the rate cut could help lower interest rates on fixed-rate mortgage loans. If you have been waiting to buy a home, now may be the time. Be certain to check with your lender to see if they will lower their interest rates on 15- and 30-year fixed-rate mortgage loans.
• Possible lower rates on credit cards
— If you have one or more credit cards, and you have been making this payment and other payments on time, you may qualify for a lower interest rate. Check with your lender to find out and shop around for the best rate.
• Home equity loans are affected by interest rates, too — Many people have home equity loans where the interest rate is tied to the prime lending rate. People with home equity loans should check to see if their current rate will drop, as well as the monthly payment. If the rate or the payment doesn’t drop, it may be worthwhile to call competing banks to find a lower rate.
• Continue to spend your money wisely — With the holiday season just around the corner, now is the time to be careful about any spending. Take advantage of interest rate cuts to consolidate your debt and lower your payments, but make sure you don’t spend too much during the holidays. Develop a budget for your holiday shopping and stick to it.
Need help getting started? CCCS provides confidential budget counseling, money management education, debt management programs and other services to help consumers.
Consumer Credit Counseling Service is a nonprofit community-service agency that provides confidential budget counseling, money management education, debt management programs, bankruptcy counseling and education, and comprehensive housing counseling. The agency serves nearly 400,000 consumers, who are primarily from low- and moderate-income households, in all 50 states.
Consumers can speak to counselors in English and Spanish 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, by phone at (800) 251CCCS or by visiting the agency’s web sites, www.cccsinc.org and www.cccs enespanol.org, where live-chat counselors are available around the clock.
Green Roof Offers Plenty Of Benefits
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently announced the monitoring results from the first two years of operation of the 1,600square-foot “green roof” at the University of Central Florida (UCF).
Green roofs have been used for approximately 50 years in Europe, where benefits such as stormwater management, energy conservation, improved air quality and even improved health have been recognized.
“Investing in new ‘green’ technologies to reduce stormwater pollution, conserve energy and protect our rivers, lakes and springs will further water quality protection and provide clean water to meet future water supply needs,” DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole said. “This project is a great and leading example of how to adopt environmentally sustainable practices that not only protect natural resources, but help reduce the potential for some of the harmful effects of climate change.”
In January 2004, the DEP contracted with UCF’s Stormwater Management Academy to construct and monitor the green roof as part of a multi-year research project to study low-impact best management practices. The 1,600square-foot green roof was built on a new addition to the university’s student union building. Researchers monitored the new green roof extension and a section of the existing traditional roof to compare stormwater and energy characteristics and determine how the roof affects energy consumption and stormwater runoff.
Monitoring results show that the green roof can retain 80 percent of the average annual stormwater volume from the roof, thereby reducing flooding and water pollution. Additionally, using the stormwater to irrigate the green roof re-
duces the need for potable water for irrigation, one of the biggest uses of potable water in the state. Energy monitoring identified that the green roof is much more energy-efficient than even an Energy Star conventional roof. The results show as the green roof matures and the other roof ages, the potential energy saving in the summer months jumps from 18.8 percent to 43.3 percent. When the outside temperature is less than 55 degrees Fahrenheit, the green roof savings is about 50 percent.
The UCF green roof project was funded by a $350,000 grant through the DEP water quality restoration grants program as part of its mission to develop new best management practices to reduce stormwater pollution. An additional $37,000 from DEP’s Florida Energy Office helped assess the energy savings associated with green roofs as part of a larger project focused on energy efficiency at the UCF campus.
Green roofs can simultaneously improve the energy performance of buildings, air quality and the urban ecology without taking up additional land. In addition, life-cycle costs are reduced because the roof lasts longer than the standard 10 to 20 years — some lasting as long as 50 years or more.
Green roofs use waterproofing, drainage systems that allow a layer of vegetation to grow on flat or sloping roofs, and a cistern to store stormwater. The stormwater filtrate is then used to irrigate the green roof. The design reduces energy transfer through a roof, decreases stormwater pollutants and lessens stormwater volume by naturally evaporating the runoff through the plants.
For more information about Florida’s Climate Change Action Team, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/climatechange. For more information about the UCF Green Roof Project, visit www.stormwater. ucf.edu. For general information on green roofs, visit www.greenroofs.org.
MANY GOOD HOLIDAY FINDS AT ANTIQUE & COLLECTIBLES SHOW
The West Palm Beach Antique & Collectibles Show returned to the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center Nov. 2-4. One of Florida’s biggest antique shows, it included hundreds of exhibitors featuring decorative accessories and collectibles including furniture, lighting, garden accents, architectural ceramics, pottery, glass, silver, rugs, linens, books, fine art and more. The show also offered on-site services (jewelry repair, doll restoration, etc.) and a silent auction and special sale to benefit the Lymphoma & Leukemia Society hosted by Team in Training. For more info., visit www.wpbantiques.com.
PHOTOS BY
DENISE
Gloria Vest of Port St. Lucie with some 1950s kitchen clocks.
Ray Hawkins with a circa 1895 Edison Triumph phonograph. Rosemary Holmes of Wellington comes to every show.
John Molina looks over the Folklore Christmas display.
Teri McGregor, Tami Young and Carmen Subirats of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Lisa Koza with Jack and grandmother Ann Ross.
What The Dodgers Did To Me In ’57, Joe Torre Is Doing Again
How can Joe Torre do this to me and millions of other folks from Brooklyn? Joe, himself a child of Brooklyn, has decided to take a job with the LA Dodgers. He is not taking any old job with the Dodgers; he will be their manager for at least the next three years. Of course, being paid $4 million a year was a big inducement. But come to think of it, didn’t the Yankees offer Joe $5 million a year to stay?
For whatever reason, Joe turned the Yankee offer down and decided to go with the Dodgers — hey, what is a million here or there? Joe managed the Yanks for 12 seasons. If he had signed on for a 13th, he would have made a $5 million base salary and had a contract heavily laden with incentives. But I guess Joe has had enough after 12 years with the Yanks.
I remember spending many weekends as a young boy in Brooklyn watching the teenage Joe play ball. Everyone watching Joe play knew he would one day be playing Major League baseball. Yes, he was that good as a teen. Of course, at that time we never realized Joe would manage as well as he played the game, or that he would manage the Yankees for 12 very suc-
Wondering And Wandering
With Ernie Zimmerman
cessful years. We had no idea he would be the next Casey Stengel.
But Joe’s roots were and still are in Brooklyn. He knows better than most what the Dodgers did to the folks from Brooklyn at the end of the 1957 season when they packed up their bags and moved to La-la Land. That move broke more than two million hearts. It was like losing the love of your life.
LA pulled off the largest robbery in the history of baseball. They stole the Brooklyn Dodgers. Of course, as we got older we learned New York City did nothing to stop it. In fact, most folks now feel the city encour-
aged the move by its lack of action. The only thing the city offered the team was a lackluster move to Queens. Now tell me, how could the Brooklyn Dodgers move to Queens and still be called the Brooklyn Dodgers? They would have had to change their name to something like the New York Mets. Ugh.
Anyway, I’m sure Joe felt like everyone else in Brooklyn when he heard the Dodgers were leaving. Now years later, Joe is coming back to manage these same bums. He is breaking my heart all over again. They say (I always wonder who “they” are) time heals all wounds. That’s not true. My heart never recovered from the loss of the Dodgers. Now after 50 long and sometimes painful years, Joe is bringing it all back. How can he do this to the present and former Brooklynites in the world? I guess maybe $4 million helps.
Joe, I wish you good luck in your new job, but I have one request: can you do anything to keep the Dodgers’ spring training in Vero Beach? Please don’t let the Dodgers do to the folks in Vero what they did to the people of Brooklyn! The hurt will never go away (but the Dodgers will go away forever).
Flowering Plants Can Color Your Landscape All Year Round
Colorful flowers brighten up any landscape, and here in our area there are so many different types to choose from that people often scratch their heads wondering which one is best. Although people tend to select the colors and sizes that fit their particular needs and personal preferences, some plants are perennial favorites because they’ve been grown for many years here and have proven that they will do the job with minimum care and attention.
Ixora is a popular flowering shrub used primarily as hedging, but also makes a great container plant, particularly the dwarf types. Flowers are small individually, but they occur in large clusters and generally come in reds, yellows, pinks, whites or gold. Ixoras grow slowly, but over time can reach heights of 20 feet or more. Most ixoras have high needs for micronutrients such as iron and magnesium, so feeding with an acid fertilizer
helps to keep these plants happy in our poor sandy soils.
A big favorite is hibiscus. This woody tropical plant comes in over 5,000 colors, and the blooms can range from two to ten inches and the flower structure can be either single or double petals. Hibiscus flowers each only last one or two days, but the plant generally has so many buds it produces color nearly every day of the year. Hibiscus can be trained into small trees if you wish or grown as a multi-stemmed shrub or hedge. They will grow to 15 to 18 feet at maturity.
Another common flowering shrub is the oleander. Oleanders come in dwarf types that stay smaller than six feet and standard types that grow to 18 to 20 feet. The pinwheel-shaped flowers occur in clusters on the edge of the branches and are produced through most of the year.
The blue flowers of the plumbago make it a popular hit with people who
like blue in the garden. These one-inch pinwheel-shaped flowers occur throughout the year with heaviest blooming during the fall, winter and early spring. Plumbago also has a lot of nectar so they attract a lot of butterflies and are often included in butterfly gardens.
Native flowering shrubs are also very popular, and the firebush, which has tubular orange flowers up to one inch long, is a great attraction for butterflies, and the shiny black seeds are food for birds.
Lantana, with its clusters of yellow, gold, orange or white flowers, is also a great plant to include in butterfly gardens because of the high nectar of the blooms. This low-growing plant rarely gets over three or four feet, although some trained into small trees are occasionally available in the nurseries.
If you like to see examples of flowering shrubs for the landscape, visit the Mounts Botanical Garden at 531 N. Mil-
itary Trail in West Palm Beach halfway between Belvedere Road and Southern Blvd. The garden is open seven days a week, and many hundreds of colorful shrubs can be found over its 14 acres in different landscape settings.
The Palm Beach County Extension office has publications on flowering plants you can pick up during normal business hours. For free advice about flowering shrubs for your landscape, call the Extension Service at (561) 2331750.
$18-$25/HR — Teachers/Tutors P/T. All subjects PreK to Adult. Certification/Experience required. Palm Beach County Areas Fax 561-828-8128 or E-mail Tutorking@WPB3331980.COM
HELP WANTED/BOOKKEEPER EXPE-
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CLEANERS RESIDENTIAL FT — Car required, Pd. Training. North and West Palm Beach Cty. Up to $10/hr Start. 561-756-2282
OVER 62?? — Minimum $1,000 after training. Fund your own reverse mortgage and get paid to teach others. MadelynPage@BellSouth.Net 561-422-2910
HOUSEKEEPER NEEDED FOR WELLINGTON - Resident must be experienced, honest & dependable. Flexible hours; Non-smoker, must speak English. 561-790-4941
PALM BEACH NANNIES ETC. is looking for nannies, housekeepers, elderly care, dula & newborn care specialist. Visit our website: www.palmbeachnanniesetc.com 954-436-1411
TUTORING NEEDED - for 13 yr. old participating at WEF. Must be willing to sit one-on-one and HELP study for exams and go over homework assignments in all subjects including Spanish. References please. Call 716-479-9949
132-B SPARROW DR. 3/2/2CG Duplex 1550 Sq. Ft. W/D, hurricane shutters, fenced yard on waterway, new paint & carpet, pest control & lawn care included. Kids OK/NO PETS Rent, $1,400/Mo Sec. Deposit $2,800 Total to Move In- $4,200. 561-790-4109 GREENWAY VILLAGE SOUTH 55+ COMMUNITY — 2/2 enclosed porch, tile, accordian shutters, ceiling fans, (water, cable & pest control included) $900/ mo. Call Maria 379-3685 or 310-2904
LaMancha/Single Family, 3/2 1/2/2 CG — Spacious, fenced large yard. $1550/Mo. 1 st /Last + $200 Security. 772-370-5037
2/2 CONDO IN THE TRAILS - Minimum 6 Month Rental. $1,500/Mo furnished. Beautifully decorated and redone. Phone service included 561-422-2910
DUPLEX 2/2/ - W/D & WATER INCLUDED. $950 a month. Small pets. Great Area. Call 561-723-6805
ROOM FOR RENT: Fully furnished room available in 2BD 2BA condo in Wellington. Rent $600/Month plus ½ utilities. Includes pool access and basic cable. Available immediately 6 or 12 month lease available. Contact Paul at 352-0635.
POST OFFICE NOW HIRING — Avg. Pay $20/hour or $57K annually including Federal Benefits and OT. Paid Training, Vacations. PT/FT. 1-866-497-1015 USWA IQUOTE BIZ — Develop/Marketing/ Consulting.Bringing your business to life. Mark Hannifin. 561-629-2429 IQUOTEBIZ.COM TIRED OF BUSINESSES THAT DON'T WORK — If you are financially motivated, driven and want to excel in life, Call 800-615-8179 or visit website Dreamscometrueinternational.com RUN YOUR
LOWEST PRICES! — Nobody beats our Price! Free Est. Complete A/C units from $1,150. Repair Specialists. Lic./ins. 561-795-1130 toll free 888-981-9815
RANDY POULETTE AIR CONDITIONING, LLC — Quality workmanship, Reliable Service, Honest Results, A personal touch, all for exceptional prices. I service all makes and models. Lic. #CAC1815549 and Insured. 561-7903275.
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.
The only non-profit petting zoo in the area. - featuring parrots, mini horses, ponies, pony rides, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, and Llamas and more and farm club. 561-792-2666
HOUSE CLEANING AVAILABLE — Over 13 yrs. experience. Great references. Very Dependable. Karen. 561-632-2271
HIGH QUALITY LAMINATE FLOORING — at affordable prices. Hardwood floors. No deposit until delivery. Contractors welcome. Western Communities resident. Family owned and Operated. Licensed and Insured. Se Habla Español 561-568-6099
GUARDSMAN FURNITURE PRO — For all your furniture repair needs including finish repairs, structural repairs, upholstery services, chair regluing, antique repairs, kitchen cabinet refurbishing. 753-8689
HOME STANDBY GENERATORS — Complete packages including fueled system - Best Prices & reliable new Generator systems installed from 15 to 200KW “More Practical and much quieter” Maintenance & Service for all types of generators. Factory Authorized Dealer. 561-707-0575 Palm Beach. Tropical Power Systems, Inc.
LOW COST REPAIR OF GENERATOR SYSTEMS - 561-795-0916
NEED CROWNMOLDING? — Repairs?
Remodeling? New construction? or Just about anything. SHORE COUNTRY CONSTRUCTION. Doug 254-6503 #CGC032864
CAN FIX IT — build it, move it, plant it, and more. Call Bruce, 793-2494. TFN
BILLY’S HOME REPAIRS, INC. — Interior Trim, crown molding, rottenwood repair, door installation, minor drywall, kitchens/cabinets/countertops, remodeling, wood flooring. Bonded/Insured U#19699. 561-791-9900 Cell: 561-3705293
COMPLETE IRRIGATION — PVC/PIPE supplies.Citrus ,Vegetables, Power units. Water Wheels, design services, Fairways Polo fields, Pumps/Engines mowing of all types. 1-863-675-6333.
AFFORDABLE LANDSCAPING — Brick pavers/patio/driveway. Basic landscaping services. Offered 3D Landscape Design. Including water features, and outdoorkitchens. for more information : www.affordablelandscapingflorida.com Lic. & Ins. 561-459-6166
LET US AD A LITTLE COLOR TO YOUR LIFE — Residential/Commercial. Licensed • Bonded • Insured. Owner/Operator. Ask for Paul 561-309-8290. COLORS BY CORO, INC. — Interior/ Exterior, residential painting, over 20 years exp. Small Jobs welcome. Free estimates - Insured. 561-383-8666. Owner/Operated. Lic.# U20627 Ins. Wellington Resident. RJA PAINTING & DECORATING — interior, exterior, custom colors, faux artwork, all work guaranteed. Lic. Bonded & Insured. 561-616-2255
“You dealt with the rest now deal with the best” maintenance and repairs. Inquire about 1 months FREE service. 561-7915073 ELITE POOL CLEANING
J&B PRESSURE CLEANING — Established in 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.Call Butch 561-309-6975 BD
PRIMROSE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, LLC — Full Service. Residential Home Care for full or part time residents. Weekly inspections, repairs, Monthly reports. Reasonable rates. 561-602-6857 or email: primrosepm123@aol.com
SHAKE ROOF SPECIALISTS –– New roofs, repairs, preservation. License #CC025465. Shake Masters, Shake Chem. Members of Shake Bureau. 4396668 BD
ROBERT G. HARTMANN ROOFING ––Specializing in repairs. Free estimates, Bonded, insured. Lic. #CCC-058317 790-0763. BD
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. CGC023773 RC-0067207 BD
GARABAR, INC. ROOFING & GENERAL CONSTRUCTION — 561-337-6798 www.garabar.com Lic. #CGC 1510976 CCC1327252. “Deal” Direct with owner. * Please see our display ad* Major credit cards accepted. Fast Free Estimates. Insurance claim specialists.
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 ONE-ON-ONE TUTORING IN YOUR HOME • All Subjects • Pre K- Adult • Home school • SAT/ACT/FCAT Test Prep • Study Skills CLUBZ TUTORING.COM 333-1980 America’s Largest In-Home Tutoring Co.
PAPERHANGING & PAINTING BY DEBI –– Experienced in all phases of installation, removal and repair. Quality work with a Womans touch. Lic. Insured. References. 561-795-5263
D.J. COMPUTER — Home & office, Spyware removal, websites, networks, repairs, upgrades, virus removal, tutoring. Call Jeff 561-333-9433 or Cell 561252-1186 Lic’d- Well. & Palm Beach COMPUTER REPAIR - We come to you! After hours and weekends services available. Spyware/Adware/Virus Removal, Networking, Wireless, Backup Data, Upgrades. Call Anytime. 561-713-5276
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HOT WYRE ELECTRIC — For all your electrical needs. Panel upgrades, installations, repairs, lightening protection, troubleshooting. Licensed, Insured, Free Estimates. 561-313-0134
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 561-248-8528
*TOP RATED* by www.AngieList.com Atlantic Shore Home Improvement. Call Anthony Palermo 561-756-0428
MCA CUSTOM WOODWORKING, INC. — “Make your home standout from the rest” Call us for all your home improvement needs. Kitchen & bathroom remodeling, custom wall units, design your home office, cabinetry, tile & drywall repair. Lic. #U-19564. Bonded & Ins. 561-723-5836
BOB NICHOLS PAINTING — Serving the Palm Beaches for 19 years. Quality interior & exterior finishes. 561-248-6070. Lic. #16555 PAINTING — HOME PAINTING Interior – Exterior. $1290 +tax up to 2500 sq. ft. (walls area) 561-674-HOME(4663) J&C’s Faux Painting Service, Inc. Lic./Ins. U14092 AT YOUR SERVICE PET CONCIERGE - pet sitting, play dates, sleep overs, arrange pet grooming, vet visits, flea & tick products, Holistic/Natural pet foods. Come home to a well stocked fridge & your plants alive. Upscale services for all your beloved four legged friends. Bonded & insured. 561-791-2086
JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio rescreening. Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed! Lic.#9001390. 798-3132.
ROLL DOWN SHUTTERS — Accordion shutters, storm panels and rolling shutters...prices that can’t be beat. All shutters Systems, Inc. 863-0955
AFFORDABLE HURRICANE PROTECTION — 2 - 4 wks. Installed Guaranteed! 10% deposit . Will get you started. All products, Dade County approved. We manufacture our own product. 561-5686099, 772-342-8705 Lic. & Ins. CGC 1511213 SALES, SERVICE AND INSTALLATION FOR ALL TYPES — Windows, doors, accordion & panel shutters. Impact glass. USA IMPACT WINDOWS & DOORS. 561-502-1518
