SELF-DEFENSE TKD CLASS FOR WOMEN SEE STORY, PAGE 3
LGWCD INKS AGREEMENTS WITH TOWN SEE STORY, PAGE 7
THE
TOWN-CRIER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
Your Community Newspaper
INSIDE
Council Seeks Ways To Refresh Green Market
Volume 36, Number 40 October 16 - October 22, 2015
Serving Palms West Since 1980
CYSTIC FIBROSIS BENEFIT AT IPC
The Wellington Village Council on Tuesday directed its staff to analyze letters of interest in operating the Wellington Green Market with a focus on improving attendance, which has waned over the past year or two. Page 3
Planning Meeting For Royal Palm Beach Relay For Life Held At RPBHS
The Royal Palm Beach Relay for Life held a planning meeting on Monday, Oct. 5 at Royal Palm Beach High School’s Media Center. “Paint Your World Purple” is this year’s national theme, but Royal Palm Beach is adding a western theme as well with the slogan “Stomp Out Cancer: Round Up A Cure.” The group hopes to beat last year’s $41,000 and 35 teams. Page 9
Seminole Ridge Students Perform Play ‘Almost, Maine’
Theater students at Seminole Ridge High School presented the play Almost, Maine in the Dr. Lynne McGee Auditorium last week, with showings held Oct. 8-10. Directed by Ryan Lee, the show focused on interpersonal relationships in the small town of Almost, Maine. Page 17
OPINION
Keep A Focus On Safety When Making Your Halloween Plans
It will soon be Halloween time, and we would be remiss if we didn’t take the initiative and offer some advice to make this celebration of the fall season a holiday that is safe for adults and children alike — from mask safety and candy safety to smart trick-or-treating. Better yet, make plans to visit one of the many Halloween-themed community events specifically designed with safety in mind. Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 13 OPINION.................................. 4 CRIME NEWS.......................... 6 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 8 PEOPLE................................. 14 SCHOOLS.............................. 15 COLUMNS...................... 16, 25 BUSINESS......................26 - 27 SPORTS..........................31 - 33 CALENDAR............................ 34 CLASSIFIEDS................ 35 - 38 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation held its 1980s-themed Arthur’s Jam fundraiser, presented by Tire Kingdom Service Centers, on Saturday, Oct. 10 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington. There was music from School of Rock; a show featuring supercars, super boats and custom motorcycles; as well as a silent auction, a costume contest and more. Shown here are Chanda Fuller, Jennifer Prince, Colette Beland and Megan Fogg of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. SEE PHOTOS, PAGE 20 PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER
Wellington Grants Dressage Permit With More Stabling, Lower Attendance By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report In a 3-2 decision Tuesday, the Wellington Village Council granted a seasonal permit for Equestrian Sport Productions to host the 2016 Global Dressage Festival at the Equestrian Village site at the corner of Pierson Road and South Shore Blvd. The permit is similar to last year, but with additional stabling allowed for the season, and a lower daily attendance limit. The decision has been complicated by a lawsuit brought by the Jacobs family that Equestrian Village representatives said could result in the demolition of the stadium, and hesitation by the applicant to improve the intersection of Pierson Road and South Shore Blvd. until the lawsuit is resolved. The 59-acre tract is located at the northeast corner of the
intersection. In 2013, the council approved a resolution that designated Equestrian Village as a commercial equestrian arena. As a commercial equestrian arena, it would not need a seasonal permit — but only after a series of conditions had been met. As part of the approval, the applicant was required to construct numerous on-site and off-site improvements. Many of these improvements have specific date certain deadlines, but under a bill passed by the state legislature, Equestrian Village representatives exercised their right for an extension to complete the improvements, according to a Wellington staff report. In order for the site to meet the needs of 3,000 spectators, the applicant must complete all improvements. As a result of the extension, the applicant had to See DRESSAGE, page 19
A Few Familiar Names, But No Challengers As RPB Vote Nears FASHION SHOW IN RPB By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report Next year’s municipal election in Royal Palm Beach will be held on March 15, a week later than usual, due to the scheduling of Florida’s presidential primary, which will be held on the same day. However, while voters will have a week longer to make up their minds, candidates have less time to qualify for the ballot. In other years, candidates have until 30 days before the election to throw their names in the ring, but this year, due to the legal constraints of the presidential primary ballot, filing will close at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 8 in Royal Palm Beach. With seven weeks to go before the filing deadline, three familiar names are the only ones to have picked up packets from Village Clerk Diane DiSanto. Royal Palm Beach Vice Mayor Richard Valuntas and Councilman Jeff Hmara have indicated that they plan to seek re-election to their current seats, while Councilman Fred Pinto has already begun his campaign for mayor.
Pinto, who currently holds Seat 4, announced earlier this year that he would be running for the village’s top elected post, seeking to replace Royal Palm Beach Mayor Matty Mattioli, who will retire in March after six years as mayor and more than 20 years as an elected official in the village. “As of now, I don’t have any opponents,” Pinto said. “I’m glad to say that all of the members on the council are supporting me in this, including the mayor.” Continuing on the path that the current council has followed is important to Pinto. “I’m running for mayor because I’ve been on the council almost 13 years,” he said. “I’ve been part of all the good things that we’ve been able to accomplish in this village, and I have a sense of public responsibility to step up now that Matty Mattioli is not seeking re-election.” One of Pinto’s key goals to get a senior living facility in the village. The council has earmarked a spot near Royal Palm Beach Commons Park for that purpose. “We’re getting closer and closer
to getting to a point where we can put out a request for proposals,” he said. Additionally, though the village has not had to raise its property tax rate in more than 20 years, he would like to get the village back in a position where it can actually lower the rate, which it was able to do consistently before the recent recession. He also wants to make sure that residential developer Lennar, contracted to purchase the village’s old wastewater treatment plant site, follows through on those plans with proper review of the site plan process. “It will be an extension of what’s already there, keeping it a quiet, residential community,” Pinto said. Overall, Pinto would like to keep the council’s current approach to government. “My overall approach is that this village has been run very well for a very good number of years,” he said. “We have a very steady, consistent, intelligent approach to our government, and I want to See RPB VOTE, page 19
Busy Election Season Gets Underway In Wellington
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Four of five seats on the Wellington Village Council will be up for grabs on March 15, 2016 — and the fifth could become vacant should Councilwoman Anne Gerwig choose to challenge Mayor Bob Margolis. The formal qualifying period opens at noon on Tuesday, Nov. 24 and closes at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 8. That is months earlier than the normal filing deadline, which is usually in February. However, the 2016 municipal election will be held concurrently with Florida’s presidential primary, and the state requires an earlier ballot deadline. Seats up for election include: • The Mayor’s Seat, currently held by Mayor Bob Margolis. Finishing up his first four-year
term, Margolis has announced his intention to run for re-election and has already accumulated a sizable campaign war chest. Margolis currently has no formal challenger, but Gerwig’s name is the one most often mentioned. • Seat 1, currently held by Vice Mayor John Greene. Also finishing up his first four-year term, Greene has so far drawn one challenger — attorney Michael Drahos, who serves on Wellington’s Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board. • Seat 3, currently held by Councilman John McGovern. McGovern was appointed earlier this year to fill a vacancy left by the resignation of Howard Coates upon his elevation to a judgeship. McGovern has announced that he will run for the remaining two years of Coates’ term. He is
unchallenged so far. Should he win, McGovern would face the electorate again in 2018. • Seat 4, currently held by Councilman Matt Willhite. Willhite will leave office due to term limits. He has already announced plans to seek a State House seat. Seat 4 has so far drawn two candidates: attorney Michael Napoleone and community activist Bart Novack. Napoleone said that he is running because he has deep ties to the village. “I’ve got a young family, a 10-year-old and a 2-year old. I have a long-term vested interest in how the community develops and grows over the next 10 or 20plus years,” he said. “I care about how our village is governed. I care about how our money is spent. I See WELLINGTON, page 4
The Village of Royal Palm Beach hosted its 7th annual Fashion & Entertainment Program presented by Dress Barn on Friday, Oct. 9 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. The Hollywoodthemed event included door prizes and a lunch catered by Carrabba’s. Shown here is Miriam Backes on the runway. SEE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
ITID Board Hears Presentation On Shooting Range
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors heard a presentation Wednesday on a planned shooting range at the north end of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road opposite the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area. Alessandria Palmer with Urban Design Kilday Studios, representing the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission on the Palm Beach County Shooting Sports Complex, said it will be on the east side of the road. “One of the reasons that we are here before you tonight is because we will be requesting permits for access onto the site from Seminole Pratt Whitney Road,” she said. “We are going through the Palm Beach County zoning approval process.”
The property is being rezoned from residential to public use, and for a conditional use as an outdoor shooting range, which was a use added to the uniform land development code by the county almost two years ago. Although the land is owned by the FWCC, the agency has asked for deviations so that it will be treated as other county parks. The change will go before the Palm Beach County Commission on Thursday, Oct. 22 for a preliminary reading, with final adoption set for Dec. 3. FWCC staffer Philip Stone said that the 150-acre parcel was acquired in a trade with the county and the South Florida Water Management District. He said the shooting range will be similar to others throughout the state. “We have both staffed facilities See ITID, page 19
Meeting At SRHS Unveils District’s Strategic Plan
By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report The School District of Palm Beach County’s Strategic Plan Input Tour made a stop at Seminole Ridge High School on Monday, Oct. 12 to hear from local parents, teachers, students and community members. Seminole Ridge Principal James Campbell thanked the school district to for choosing his school to host the event. “It’s a great opportunity for us,” he said, adding that in addition to hosting the meeting, it was homecoming week at the school. “I also want to thank the district simply as both an employee and a parent for giving us the opportunity to have a voice in the direction that
the district is going in the next several years.” District 6 School Board Member Marcia Andrews was glad to see the community get involved in the direction that the district would be taking. “Community input, parent input, is very critical as we move forward with the school district,” Andrews said. “Our superintendent, Dr. Robert Avossa, as well as the school board, has said we do not work in isolation from our stakeholders, our parents, our teachers, our students, our community. We want your voice. We’ve been having these meetings across the district. It’s a continuous process to hear from you before we write a strategic plan. It’s
not a plan for the district leaders, or just about the district leaders — it’s a plan for the success of our students.” By working together, Andrews explained, all children in Palm Beach County will be successful because everyone will have a voice in making it happen. “Your voices will be heard. You’ll be able to have input in writing, you’ll be able to have the vocal input within your meetings, and you’ll continue to work with the school board and the superintendent as we develop this strategic plan for the betterment and success of our students,” she said. Andrews then introduced Deputy Superintendent Dr. David See SCHOOL PLAN, page 7
School Board members Mike Murgio and Marcia Andrews with Deputy Superintendent Dr. David Christiansen.
PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER