Town-Crier Newspaper October 17, 2008

FIGHTING HOMELESSNESS IN THE COUNTY

A WELLINGTON HOMECOMING

WHS Fight Has Council Worried

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

Two Wellington residents appealed to the Wellington Village Council to do more to stem teen violence at Wellington High School before somebody gets killed.

Two students were arrested last Friday after a morning fight in the school courtyard that injured at least six, including Principal Mario Crocetti.

Bouquet

Is Offering

Kosher Delights

Fresh Fruit Bouquet Company store in the Shoppes at Andros Isle has gone kosher. Not just the fruit bouquets, but everything in the shop on Okeechobee Blvd., from the chocolate to the gelato, is now kosher, said store coowner Kim Levy-De Maria. Page 32

Brian and Maria McDonald said Tuesday they and many other parents are very worried because such an incident had never previously happened at WHS, and deadly violence at high schools in other communities could be repeated here.

“It is my understanding that this started the night before around the neighborhood,” Maria McDonald said. “It was brought into the school. This is not your 15-, 16- or 17-year-old playing around. We have lived in this community for many years. I work and live in this town. Every parent that I talk to was very concerned.”

McDonald urged the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to provide some sort of supervision. “We need some regulation,” she said. “Kids are dying because of this kind of behavior. This is totally out of control. We can’t allow it here.”

McDonald said the previous week’s violence is an indication that worse could happen at the

school. “We need to avoid this,” she said. “This was a warning. Please don’t let Wellington become a statistic.”

Village Manager Paul Schofield said the School Police used pepper spray to break up the fight, and the principal was injured trying to break it up. The PBSO was notified, but deputies could not respond because they did not have jurisdiction. Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue responded because there was an injury on the grounds, he said.

Schofield said youth violence was one of the topics at a council workshop the previous week, and the village is trying to address it, particularly as it relates to crime-plagued neighborhoods. “This is one of the problems we have been talking about,” he said. “We have been talking about the possibility of a curfew with people of 16 years of age or younger. There is not much to do in Wellington late at night. We have specific areas targeted for improvement in the community to make the landlords more responsible.”

Schofield said Capt. Greg Richter, the PBSO’s commander in Wellington, has community policing teams trying to address youth problems. “He has specific police officers working the neighborhoods and going into the neighborhoods. They are out at night.”

Richter, who was present at

the meeting, said he is trying to partner community policing deputies with the School Police so they would be able to come on campus and address such situations if they should arise in the future.

“What Paul said was right on target,” he said. “Your concerns are our concerns. Those neighborhoods we are talking about, they are transitional. We have people who are career renters and Section 8 housing. We have our people out there every day. Arrests have gone up 20 to 30 percent. As far as a curfew, I think it’s a good idea. There are opponents and proponents to it. We are researching it.”

Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore said the council is trying to do what it can within its purview to address crime in neighborhoods and in schools. “We are restricted by certain rules,” he said. “We can’t use eminent domain. The Supreme Court has disallowed it. We are hampered by a school system that won’t notify us.”

Councilman Matt Willhite said he hoped this was an isolated incident and advocated the involvement of the PBSO, the village’s Public Safety Committee and residents. He said one of the concerns of the curfew option is the effect a similar measure in a neighboring community might have.

“If they have a 10 p.m., and

See COUNCIL, page 10

Margolis Campaign Focuses On His Business Experience

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Wellington Councilman Bob Margolis is the underdog candidate against State Rep. Susan Bucher in the race to become the next Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections. Bucher was only two percentage points short of the 50 percent needed for outright victory in the Aug. 26 primary, while Margolis edged out incumbent Dr. Arthur Anderson, 26.35 percent to 25.58 percent, to take the runner-up spot. Still, Margolis told the Town-Crier this week that a much larger voter turnout in the Nov. 4 general election will reverse his fortunes.

Margolis, an executive with Proctor & Gamble, has long been active in community and volunteer work. He was wellknown as a recreation activist and served on Wellington’s Parks & Recreation Advisory Board before being appointed to the Wellington Village Council in 2003, elected to the post in 2004, and re-elected in 2006.

Margolis is marking his 25th year with Proctor & Gamble, where he said his work has involved various levels of responsibility from introducing new products to being an area specialist, doing account work for dental and medical

schools, and training company employees. Among the credentials that serve to qualify him for supervisor of elections, Margolis counts his expertise in training, and said he has authored several training manuals. He also noted that he has used his business experience on the Wellington council to see that the village is operating efficiently. His business skills include handling complaints and working with opposing viewpoints. “I’m a team player. I can work all aspects of opposing views,” Margolis said. Besides working with people, Margolis said he is also adept at developing business plans. “The election supervisor’s office should be run like a business,” he said. “Its job is to count votes. I have the skills to get that done.”

Margolis said he also understands working with the public and how to be a leader. “You don’t just wake up thinking I want to be election supervisor,” he said. “You have to possess supervisory and leadership skills.”

Anderson, the incumbent, does not possess those qualities, Margolis said, as reflected in the recent primary election, which produced results in a judicial race that required several recounts. “Then you

Cameras Coming To RPB Intersections

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Cameras at intersections in Royal Palm Beach may soon be taking pictures of red light violators who will be fined through the mail.

The Royal Palm Beach Village Council approved an ordinance Thursday that authorizes the use of unmanned camera monitoring systems to enforce red light signal violations through the village’s code enforcement process. A second reading and adoption is scheduled for Nov. 6.

Village Manager David Farber said Palm Beach County recently passed an ordinance authorizing unmanned camera monitoring of traffic signals, leaving the cities to do the same in their own communities.

“Within a few months of having these things installed, typically there is a 50 percent decline of people who run red lights,” Farber said. “We still have to find a provider, but it will hopefully cost the village no money and provide an opportunity to police our streets without having the use of the men and women of our sheriff’s office.”

Farber said village staff would review each infraction before sending out a fine. “It provides for notice, an opportunity for a revenue stream and a deterrent for people who can’t learn their lesson,” he said.

Mayor David Lodwick said the equipment was brought to his attention by a lobbyist for a camera equipment vendor who asked him if he felt there was a traffic signal violation problem in the village.

“I don’t think there is anyone

who has lived here for a time in the village who doesn’t think there is a problem with people at intersections, one in particular, actually a couple, but number one is Forest Hill/Crestwood and Southern [boulevards],” he said. “That intersection is notorious for red-light runners, particularly dump trucks… The second, after talking to the sheriff’s office, is the new intersection at State Road 7 and Southern.” Lodwick said he provided the lobbyist’s information to the village manager to research about a month ago, saying his motivation was better public safety rather than increased revenue.

“I don’t know if they will be the vendor selected,” Lodwick said. “I think this is an opportunity, not from a revenue front but from a public safety front. We haven’t had a lot of bad accidents from them, but we’ve had a few... I think this is something that will become more and more commonplace in South Florida trying to manage what is a bad problem.”

Lodwick thanked village staff for getting a finished ordinance back to the council quickly. “It was only three or four weeks ago that I turned it over to the manager, and here it is before us,” he said. “I think this is an opportunity to better control some intersections and make our lives a little safer.”

Vice Mayor Fred Pinto said he was glad to find the state and county finally getting behind the concept. “I think this is absolutely an intelligent thing to do,” he said. “We want to get out in front of these issues and not sit here after the fact when someone gets

WRMC OPEN HOUSE

Bucher Seeks To ‘Restore Integrity And Accuracy’

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

State Rep. Susan Bucher (D-District 88) will face Wellington Councilman Bob Margolis in a November showdown to decide who will be the next Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections.

Bucher, who is term-limited out of the state legislature, easily placed first in a three-way August primary, taking 48 percent of the vote and besting both Margolis, who garnered slightly more than 26 percent, and incumbent Dr. Arthur Anderson, who drew just over 25 percent. The runoff was triggered because Bucher failed to garner a clear majority of 50 percent or more.

Bucher, who cites her accomplishments as a state representative since 2000 among her qualifications for the county’s top elections post, said she was able to bring more of the state’s turnpike revenue to Palm Beach County’s way. She also focused her time on social issues, including working on funding for healthcare and continuing to battle for the needs of children — both areas that have been hard hit by recent state budget cuts.

“I was very responsible for some social issues,” Bucher said. “I worked a lot on KidCare and healthcare issues and very much with the developmentally dis-

abled. I was active in expanding services for profoundly developmentally disabled people.”

Bucher said she feels she is a detailoriented person and very conscientious, which speaks to her qualifications as supervisor of elections. Her experience in working on state and local political campaigns will also help, she said.

“I know what we need in terms of candidates and in terms of a campaign,” Bucher said. “I think I have a very good and broad understanding of not only the law, but the kind of functions that people access at the supervisor’s office. I have been working with the people in that office, and I understand the day-to-day functions. I have an intricate understanding of what the chain of command is.”

Bucher is a member of the House Ethics and Elections Committee and said she did her part to equip Palm Beach County with new voting machines not once, but twice following the 2000 presidential election debacle. She said she lobbied hard in Tallahassee to get machines that would provide a paper trail, although she has issues with the system Dr. Anderson decided to implement.

“There was a perceived problem, and the legislature was considerate of that,”

See BUCHER, page 18

Wellington High School concluded its Homecoming Week last Friday with a parade followed by a football game against Lake Worth. The Wolverines edged out the Trojans 27-21 to post their first victory of the season. During halftime, Elliot Joffe and Marlee Carenevale were crowned Homecoming King and Queen. Shown above are Joffe and Carenevale flanked by 2007 Homecoming Queen Lauren Finley and Principal Mario Crocetti. STORY & MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 27

PHOTO BY PAUL GABA/TOWN-CRIER

PALM BEACH COUNTY SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS

See RED LIGHTS, page 10

PBC Faces Growing Homeless Problem

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The growing number of homeless people in Palm Beach County was the topic of Commissioner Jess Santamaria’s monthly forum Wednesday at the original Wellington Mall.

Speakers at the forum included Assistant County Administrator Jon Van Arnam, who spoke about the county’s ten-year plan to end homelessness; Grant Skolnick with the Palm Beach Recovery Coalition; Claudia Tuck of Palm Beach County’s Division of Human Services Homeless Outreach Program; and Diana Stanley, executive director of the Lord’s Place, a support organization for the homeless.

Santamaria said he was stricken by the plight of the homeless during a recent visit to the Lord’s Place housing facility in Boynton Beach.

“This is a very special evening for me, and as the evening progresses you’re going to find out why,” he said. “I hope this is a special evening for you because we’re going to be talking about a topic that most people don’t realize really affects every single human being in not only Palm Beach County but throughout the United States. It’s something that has been important in my life as far back as I can remember. It’s had an even greater impact on me in the last few weeks.”

Santamaria recalled how he started the My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper annual scholarship program 14 years ago, not to award elementary, middle and high school students for grades or athletic ability but for demonstrating care for others. About five years ago he started another organization with a similar concept, the My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper Charitable Trust, with the mission statement that the strong and fortunate have an obligation to care for the weak and less fortunate until they’re able to help themselves.

Van Arnam said there is a serious homelessness problem in Palm Beach County, and it’s getting worse. “Foreclosures and increased costs, the loss of jobs, it’s a difficult time economically, and that’s why we’re seeing increasing numbers of people who are without homes,” he said.

Van Arnam said that when he started working with the Community Services Department, he had to learn who the homeless are and why they became that way.

“We tend to think of the homeless as the person standing in the median with the sign asking for food or ‘I need beer money’ or whatever, but that is not the case,” he said. “It’s an increasing number of children, an increasing number of families. It’s single women. It’s single men you see out in the streets, but families are the fastestgrowing segment of the homeless population, and one of the more challenging populations for us to deal with because it takes larger facilities. It takes more services and different types of services that we have to make available to help them not just find a place to sleep for the night, but to get out of the cycle of homelessness.”

Van Arnam said he is excited about the ten-year strategic plan to end homelessness initiated by the county commission last month. “Hopefully it won’t take ten years to solve the problem,” he said. “We have a community vision now that we’re very excited about.”

The vision largely involves beefing up existing services such at the Division of Human Services, but also getting private organizations involved and coordinated.

“We need to do things more efficiently,” Van Arnam said. “What we determined was we

need the buy-in of the community. The program is not going to work with the just the county to have a plan and for individual providers to be doing their thing and individual cities to be worried about their jurisdiction.”

Tuck said the Division of Human Services has had an ever-increasing role in combating homelessness since it got its first grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 1995.

A homeless individual might be homeless for a variety of reasons, not necessarily that they’re not working, Tuck said. They could have health problems and have limited or no health insurance to address their physical problems, or they could be suffering from mental illness or substance abuse.

“Between 60 and 70 percent of the individuals we see are suffering from mental illness, substance abuse or a combination of both,” Tuck said. “Domestic violence is another area that we see. With the growing economic downturn, that’s a situation we see as well.”

Foreclosures are causing an increase in homelessness, she said, not among owners but the evicted renters.

One of the first entities involved in getting a HUD grant for homelessness, Tuck said in 1996 the Palm Beach County Division of Human Services formed a homeless outreach team that initially consisted of a social worker, a contracted person from a mental health center, a contracted person from a substance abuse center and a supervisor to oversee the process. The county commission over the years has provided additional money to the program to support two additional teams, she said.

The teams are partnering with the homeless outreach unit of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Members of the teams are out in the community at least two days a week, and they see individuals in their three offices every day.

Tuck said her department deals directly with the placement of individuals in halfway houses and provides referrals to substance abuse or mental health services if need be, with the ultimate goal of placing them in permanent housing. Last year the division placed more than 1,700 people, and the numbers are increasing this year, she said. The Homeless Outreach Team can be reached 24 hours a day by dialing 211, Tuck said. The division now has a mobile office that can go out and meet individuals and place them immediately.

Tuck said the division counts the number of homeless people once every two years. On the last count, 1,766 homeless individuals were identified in Palm Beach County, she said. The next count will be Jan. 28, and Tuck invited anyone who wants to be involved in the count to contact her office. In the case of families, the Division of Human Services partners with organizations such as the Lord’s Place, which is cooperating with the county on its ten-year plan, Tuck said Stanley said the Lord’s Place has been around for about 25 years, but its biggest step was taken in the past year with the launching of the Engagement Center on North Australian Ave. in West Palm Beach, which is designed to be a point of entry that welcomes any homeless person that walks in. Over the past year, the Engagement Center had more than 7,600 visits, served more than 7,400 hot meals and has had more than 100 families walk through its doors. Stanley said the greatest inspiration is the people they serve

Fighting Homeless Problem — (L-R) Assistant County Administrator Jon Van Arnam, County Commissioner Jess Santamaria, Lord’s Place Executive Director Diana Stanley, Palm Beach Recovery Coalition co-founder Grant Skolnick and Palm Beach County Homeless Outreach Director Diana Stanley at Wednesday’s forum hosted by Santamaria.

WRMC HOSTS OPEN HOUSE FOR NEW IMAGING, EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS

Wellington Regional Medical Center hosted a reception and open house for its new emergency and imaging departments on Wednesday. Speakers included WRMC CEO Kevin DiLallo, Good Shepherd United Methodist Church pastor Rev. Jacqueline Leveron, Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen, Chief of Emergency Medicine Dr. David Soria, radiologist Dr. Eric Baumel of Wellington Imaging Associates and Chief of Pathology/Chief of Staff Dr. Gordon Johnson.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Rev. Jacqueline Leveron, Emergency Department Director JoAnn Franklin, Mayor Darell Bowen, Dr. David Soria and Marsha Israel.

WRMC Chief Operating Officer Erik Olson, Dr. Richard Hays, Dr. Michael Mikolajczak and WRMC CEO Kevin DiLallo.

Chief of Pathology/Chief of Staff Dr. Gordon Johnson.

Dr. David Soria says a few words.

Former Royal Palm Beach mayor Sam Lamstein with Greenacres Mayor Sam Ferreri.

Former Wellington mayor Tom Wenham, Dr. Jeffrey Bishop and Palms West Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jaene Miranda.

TOWN-CRIER ENDORSEMENTS

Return Sen. Aronberg; Elect McAuliffe, Margolis To County Posts

On the Nov. 4 general election ballot, there will be candidates for a number of crucial state and county offices. Over the next few weeks, the Town-Crier will offer our opinions on many of these races, starting this week with two countywide races and one state legislative race: STATE SENATE, DISTRICT 27 — Although he was given the disadvantage of a poorly drawn district, which spans the state from Palm Beach County in the east to Lee County in the west, State Sen. Dave Aronberg has done a commendable job representing his broad constituency in the six years he has been in office. Aronberg, a Democrat from Greenacres, is one of the most capable legislators in Tallahassee and has been a staunch advocate of seniors and people who have fallen victim to fraud across the state. Aronberg’s challenger, 27-year-old Lee County Republican Matt Caldwell, is a very interesting candidate who has focused his campaign on making sure his home base has adequate representation in Tallahassee. While we do not doubt he cares a great deal about Lee County, and believe that one day he might make a very capable legislator, that day is not today. We agree that District 27 is unfairly drawn and champion more coherent district lines. But we do not accept that the western communities should be punished by having our representation taken away. The Town-Crier strongly endorses the re-election of Dave Aronberg in State Senate District 27.

STATE ATTORNEY — The two lawyers vying to replace outgoing State Attorney Barry Krischer have run extremely cordial campaigns, which is something that has been missing from the majority of other state, local and national races. Not only that, but Democrat Michael McAuliffe and Republican Joseph Tringali are both qualified candidates with prosecutorial experience; both would serve the county well. But a choice has to be made, and we believe it is McAuliffe who would bring fresh blood into the office.

Benacquisto:

More Than Just PBCC At K-Park

I have been a resident of Wellington for over 14 years. Wellington is the community I have chosen to call home because there is no better place to raise my two children. My primary reason for serving as your councilwoman these past six years was a shared vision that we could create sufficient playgrounds, ball fields and schools to adequately provide for all of our children in Wellington. We have accomplished much in these years, and it has certainly been a privilege to serve you, the residents of our village.

I would like to take this opportunity to share my thoughts (and with some, to set the record straight) on a very important issue facing the Village of Wellington. There has been much discussion and many meetings about Palm Beach Community College and the possible lease of village-owned park land to that institution. Since being elected to council in 2002, I have been a strong advocate for bringing opportunities for higher education to Wellington and the entire western communities. This dream took clear shape a few years ago after a visit to St. Petersburg College and their University Partnership Center. At St. Petersburg College, 16 college partners offer 55 different bachelor’s degrees and 42 different master’s degrees.

Students can earn traditional degrees in business and accounting and specialty degrees in many disciplines such as visual disabilities. University partners include the University of Florida, Eckerd College, Florida State University, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, the University of South Florida and many others. I encourage you to go online and review the amazing concept of the University Partnership Center at St. Petersburg College (www.upcspc. com).

To fully maximize the investment of our Wellington tax dollars, the opportunities must exist for our children to pursue a complete college education on the proposed site. This park land has been held by the village in trust for future generations of

Wellington residents. In order to continue moving forward, the PBCC proposal must adequately fulfill our needs. I have continually challenged PBCC to invest not just in buildings, but in our vision for the future. They have agreed to build our University Partnership facility in phase one of their plan. I also plan to meet with officials from Florida Atlantic University and all of Florida’s universities to begin the process of bringing them to Wellington as part of the University Partnership. Our residents deserve the very best educational opportunities. I support PBCC locating their western campus on our land if and only if it serves as the anchor for a broader educational center that has the university partners concept as its core. I am keenly aware of the importance of our recreation community and the benefits that participation in those programs brings to our residents. I understand how necessary recreation is to the fabric of our community. The current PBCC plan includes the construction of three lighted multipurpose fields that will be maintained by the college and be made primarily for use by our residents. In addition, during a recent council meeting I highlighted how we could expand on the recreational space available at the site. The vision of K-Park is ours to design. It can be an incredible place of exploration, discovery and activity. I have been under tremendous pressure from both sides on this issue to conform to their vision of “all or nothing.” My heart lies in the middle. My heart tells me not to settle, but rather to insist on a broader set of educational opportunities while at the same time preserving the park for our future. As a community divided, we may lose a real opportunity to create a unique and valuable community asset. But if we join together, we can create a place that encourages creativity and innovation, community programming, and cultural and recreational opportunities. I ask you to join me in helping to create an educational/recreational facility that will benefit Wellington for generations to come.

Lizbeth Benacquisto, Wellington Councilwoman

Build PBCC Wellington Campus Now

The Palm Beach Community College campus in Wellington is long overdue. It is necessary for our local students to advance in their careers, will be convenient for them and save on gas because of the shorter commute. It will provide construction jobs and teaching jobs for our residents.

I’m tired of people focusing on the parks and soccer fields in Wellington. That’s all I’ve heard about for over 20 years that I have lived in Wellington. We have enough of these for our local residents.

It’s time we focused on higher education. I also support the building of a municipal complex here; again it will provide construction jobs for the people in our community. While construction costs are low, now is the time.

Barbara Ricksen Wellington

Oppose PBCC ‘Giveaway’

Tom Wenham has it right. The Wellington Village Council decision to consider giving away K-Park land to Palm Beach Community College is not in the best interest of our residents. Once again, our village leaders have never met development they didn’t like. I also agree with ex-mayor Wenham’s statement that our parks and recreational programs make Wellington a great place to live, and his implied suggestion that giving the K-Park land away compromises this quality of life.

Sadly, this is only one “giveaway.” In the same Town-Crier issue where ex-mayor Wenham’s letter appears, the first lead story is the PBCC draft lease, and the second is that Sunrise is getting 5.3 acres of the KPark land to build assisted living. And if I understood the article correctly, it would give Sunrise a 25-percent “density bonus” allowing more density than zoning would normally allow.

In yet another display of dictatorial authority, it appears that the council is considering building its own Taj Mahal, better

However, it would not be a sharp change of command because McAuliffe would be going in with the support of the incumbent; Krischer and Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw strongly support his candidacy. Most importantly, in this time of rising gang violence and the possibility of a surge in crime due to a sagging economy, McAuliffe has a good working relationship with Bradshaw that will create a seamless, effective system of justice for this county. Although Krischer has done a good job as state attorney, McAuliffe has the ability to bring the office to the next level. The Town-Crier endorses Michael McAuliffe for State Attorney of the 15th Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County. PALM BEACH COUNTY SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS — The primary race for this seat saw the ouster of incumbent Dr. Arthur Anderson, who oversaw the past four years of mistakes and mismanagement. The office was already the butt of national jokes when he inherited it, yet somehow Dr. Anderson found a way to make things worse, doing nothing to alleviate fears about votes not being counted and never managing to constantly run clean elections. While we wish Dr. Anderson well as he battles his recently diagnosed illness, we will not mourn the end of his tenure as supervisor of elections. No matter who gets the most votes Nov. 4 — Wellington Councilman Bob Margolis or State Rep. Susan Bucher — Palm Beach County voters have already won. However, while Bucher has been a very good legislator and a strong advocate for positions she cares about, we are not convinced the Supervisor of Elections Office needs someone with a legislative background. Having closely watched Margolis in his work on the Wellington Village Council for many years, we know him to be a very meticulous, superorganized leader whose business career has given him the unique skills needed to effectively run this office. The Town-Crier endorses Bob Margolis for Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections.

known as a new village hall. In this economy, when individuals, businesses and municipalities are cutting back, this seems the epitome of bad timing. I am a longtime Wellington resident, and regrettably this is no longer the Wellington I loved when I moved here. The council needs to take the interests of all residents into consideration, not just businesses (are you listening, Mayor Darell Bowen?) and equestrians. We have the potential to remain a terrific community; hopefully, we can get effective leadership that will keep us that way.

Pat Keeler Wellington

Wenham Wrong About PBCC

Our recently put-out-of-office mayor Tom Wenham wants our present Mayor Darell Bowen to not make a land deal with Palm Beach Community College, stating that it would take away from future recreation facilities. From our village government comes the information that we are almost built out — that we cannot afford to add more recreation or even maintain new facilities.

We have spent tens of millions on recreation, and I applaud that, but village statistics show that 15 percent or fewer citizens use their services (when counting all age groups and nonresidents). The question begs to be asked: how important is education? Does it rate higher or lower than recreation, and why does our former mayor choose “only recreation”?

Our state government has failed us miserably, underfunding education and ignoring our smaller class-size referendum, all the while our country is dumbing down as our youth fall further and further behind many of the developed nations.

I applaud anybody who recognizes this dilemma, and I support anyone who makes a true effort to support our youth and adults in higher education.

When Tom was our mayor, he was known for his time-consuming, laborious (committee and consultants) fence-sitting decisions. Perhaps had he been more demonstrative as he seems to be now, we would not have

wasted millions when the money was pouring in. We would have addressed our senior citizens’ needs (instead of only campaign rhetoric) and perhaps we could have built a city hall instead of operating out of trailers. If Tom Wenham wants credit for the successes of his tenure, he must also accept responsibility for his failures. The people of Wellington voted for change. They voted for a new direction. They voted for a more business-minded direction. But most of all, they lost faith in the old mayor, hence his resounding defeat. George Unger Wellington

Village Hall

Could Include Post Office

Well, it looks like we are getting a new village hall. This may not be a bad idea, even in our hard times when we have an opportunity for every dollar to go further. It is important we know what we want in our plan. Otherwise, we will pay the high price of extras, sometimes higher than the building costs. I think our council should negotiate with the postmaster to incorporate a new Wellington post office in our town hall. We are known as West Palm Beach, not Wellington. Our post office now is a substation of West Palm Beach.

The good part about this is it will bring income to the village. Also, get money from them to build, offsetting our tax dollars. Bart Novack Wellington

Thanks From Ruffa Family

Editor’s note: The following letter is from the grandparents

of Carson Ruffa, a young leukemia patient for whom a recent benefit was held.

On behalf of Carson Ruffa’s family and friends, we would like to thank everyone in the community for all their support during this time of his illness. We would especially like to thank all those who volunteered their time and talents organizing and performing in the talent show last Friday night, Oct. 10 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center in benefit of Carson.

Carson’s aunt Sharon Calvo, her family and friends with help from title sponsor Ameritek Air Conditioning, did a wonderful job organizing the event. The talent, including performers from the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Giselle Dance Studio and a wide variety of other local acts, entertained the crowd with dance, song, comedy, acting and more throughout the night. The sponsors donated wonderful items toward the silent auction, which was a success because the talent show crowd was extremely generous. We thank all of you for your time, your contributions, your prayers and your love.

Also, we would like to thank St. Peter’s Church and the Royal Palm Beach Pop Warner Wildcats for all their support. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Domenic and Elaine Ruffa

Change IRA Rule To Protect Our Seniors

It is no longer an issue of who becomes president! Bilateral, non-partisan agreement must be reached to protect the individual retirement accounts (IRAs) of America’s seniors who are 70 and a half or reaching 70 and a

The Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep letters brief (300 words). Submit letters, with contact name, address, and telephone number (anonymous letters will not be published), to The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414; fax them to (561) 793-6090 ; or you can e-mail them to letters@goTownCrier.com See LETTERS, page 18

weeks before the election, 12-year GOP incumbent Mark Foley remained the strong favorite in U.S. House District 16. Then came revelations of Foley’s lewd e-mails to underage pages.” That was a reprint from a Palm Beach Post endorsement this month the paper probably wishes it had put off for a few more days.

I figure that Mr. Mahoney is thinking everything is breaking wrong for him these days. And it serves him right. The illicit affair is cascading around the first-term congressman. It now appears a member of his own staff blew the whistle on him. And the FBI and IRS are snooping into his personal and campaign business, which would rob anyone of their sleep.

he has shown should be illegal. His wife also showed some bad judgment by accompanying the philanderer to the press conference. She should have smacked him over the head with a rolling pin.

Your Town-Crier newspaper has a Mahoney distinction of its own. He visited with our editorial board for an endorsement interview Monday morning, just hours before ABC News broke the story that will likely end his short-lived political career. Perhaps our chat with him Monday will live on in Mr. Mahoney’s memory as the last time he got to sit before a panel of journalists and discuss policy issues and the good things he has done, instead of his sex life.

I visited Mr. Mahoney’s web site Thursday and found this: “Everything broke right for Rep. Mahoney, D-Palm Beach Gardens, in 2006. Six

On Nov. 18, 1973, President Richard Nixon delivered a speech during which he proclaimed, “well, I’m not a crook.” Nine months later he became the only U.S. president to resign from office — not because he was a burglar but because he tried to cover up the most famous burglary in American history, the break-in at the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. That single event in history should serve as a loud warning that the cover-up is almost always worse than the “crime.” Apparently, U.S. Congressman Tim Mahoney (D-Palm Beach Gardens) failed to heed the warning, or perhaps he was too busy having an affair with a former campaign and congressional office staffer to pay attention. Had Mr. Mahoney not tried to cover up his lapse of the family values he promised two years ago he would go to Washington to defend, probably only his wife would have been upset with him. Well, his ex-lover/staffer would likely be mad at him for firing her then discovering that he was also cheating on her with someone else. But the public outcry that followed news reports about his behavior has less to do with the affair(s) than it does about trying to cover it up. No one likes a liar.

TOWN-CRIER

I’m still trying to figure out why Mr. Mahoney dragged his wife to what turned out to be a meaningless press conference because he still wouldn’t admit the affair, saying only that he had apologized to his family and done nothing illegal. I don’t know about you, but I think judgment as bad as

There are now growing voices urging Mr. Mahoney to resign before his Nov. 4 election date with Republican Tom Rooney. Do you hear that giant sucking sound? That’s the winds of public opinion shifting away from Mr. Mahoney and toward Mr. Rooney.

Coates Asks Fellow Republicans For Support In District 85 Race

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

Attorney Howard Coates, a candidate for the Wellingtonbased State House District 85 seat, appealed to Palms West Republican Club members for their support Wednesday.

As the keynote speaker at the club’s meeting at the Players Club in Wellington, Coates charged that his Democratic opponent Joe Abruzzo had moved into the district recently while Coates has lived in town for many years.

“If I lose, I will not pack up, leave and move into another district,” Coates said. “This is my home.”

Coates grew up in Palm Beach County, attended Palm Beach County schools, bagged groceries as his first job, and did not have the money to go to college when he graduated. Yet his detractors describe him as someone who is not in touch with ordinary residents.

“I did not come from a silverspoon background,” Coates said. “I worked very, very hard for everything I ever got. I am not ashamed to say when I was a kid, I was in the grocery store, and we had to use food stamps to buy food.”

Coates went on to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps, meanwhile attending night classes at the University of South Carolina. “I thought the best way to show my patriotism was to serve my

country,” he said. “I did that for six years.”

Coates finished his undergraduate degree at the University of Florida, and went on to Yale Law School. He and his wife Cheri have been married 26 years, he said.

Coates said that if he wanted to be a career politician he would have started on that path decades ago. “I have grown wary of professional politicians making decisions about my life,” he said. “I am someone who does have the experience of walking in different shoes. I walked in a poor person’s shoes and a successful person’s shoes. I do know how hard it is to get to that point. That’s the kind of person I want making decisions for me in Tallahassee. I happen to believe that if our leaders are feeling the pain we feel, they will work harder to make decisions that are the best for everyone.”

Coates, who practiced law in Boca Raton before setting up his own practice in Wellington four years ago, said he has learned about running a small business the hard way.

“I was a partner in a large firm,” Coates said. “I thought I was running a business. I didn’t know what a business was until I started running my own practice. You can’t appreciate how difficult it is until you do that. The last four years, my wife was my business partner. We’re running a small business.”

Coates said he looks forward to working with Democrats, Republicans and independents if elected. He encouraged people to look past the party labels to the real person beneath.

“I am by far the better candidate in this race,” he said. “Anyone looking at it objectively and not through politically biased eyes can tell that. Being a leader begins with a high degree of ethics and integrity, and if you don’t have that, you should not be leading… Time and time again, our leaders are failing us. They decide things in their own best interest, rather than for the people. We should not define ourselves as Democrats, Republicans and independents. We should define ourselves as Americans.”

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, Wellington Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore urged members to vote in favor of a county charter amendment on the Nov. 4 general election ballot that would allow municipalities to opt out of future charter amendments that could affect them, as long as a majority of municipal voters reject such amendments.

The amendment was inspired by a 2004 charter amendment giving the county veto power over municipal annexations, a proposal most Wellington voters rejected.

“Every city should have the right to its own destiny,” Priore

said. “It doesn’t take away anything from the people who are in unincorporated Palm Beach County. It expands some of the voting rights and increases local decision-making.”

Priore said that while the state created the counties, groups of residents created the municipal-

ities based on the way they want to live, and the municipalities should have the power to make their own decisions.

“Remember, the counties were created by state statutes,” Priore said. “The state gave them the authority to exist and operate. The cities and towns

Hopefully we will elect people who will work for us, but this item we can control.”

Wellington Council Members Not Happy With Landfill Alternates

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

The Wellington Village Council Tuesday indicated it would continue to oppose the three landfill sites the Solid Waste Authority is considering for a future landfill in western Palm Beach County.

The county trash agency is seeking a location for a new landfill because its current landfill facility on Jog Road is expected to reach capacity in 2021.

Although the SWA originally purchased a 1,600-acre site on the west side of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, that choice raised environmental objections.

A request for alternate sites

drew offers from three private landowners for parcels in other western areas, two of them on State Road 80 (Southern Blvd.). Council members have objected to these sites due to concerns such as the use of Southern Blvd. as a route for garbage trucks, complication of Everglades restoration efforts and the possible impairment of economic revitalization of communities around Lake Okeechobee.

Schofield noted that the Palm Beach County Commission, which also serves as the SWA Governing Board, was scheduled to review the alternative sites Oct. 22, but a decision would likely be postponed to January.

Councilwoman Lizbeth Ben-

acquisto suggested the village continue to object to the alternate sites even if it means the possibility that the original site will be rejected as well. “I want to continue to be an advocate for making the right choice for the siting of this landfill,” she said.

Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore said he would not want to be on record as opposing all three sites, and said that if the “Smith site” between SR 80 and SR 98 is chosen, the village should lobby strongly for buffering and other landscaping that would block view of the site from the road.

“We should be at the meeting in January,” he said. “We need to look at the environmental and other things impacting us along

that road. The county will be pushing forward with the inland port. One of the things people might see when they come down that road is a dump. Do we want people to see that?”

Benacquisto said she saw no harm in reaffirming the council’s original summertime resolution for the rejection of the other three sites in favor of the original one.

Mayor Darell Bowen concurred. “I don’t think a letter would hurt coming from us,” Bowen said. “We would reaffirm our resolution. We could have a letter sent out saying that council discussed it and reaffirmed what we said before.”

Priore said he still had problems opposing the three alter-

nate sites. “I can’t support it,” he said. “What happens if nobody steps up, and one of those sites was the primary choice?”

In other business, the council gave final approval to an ordinance requiring the licensing and inspection of rental units. The move makes permanent a provisional rule that was to have expired at the start of this month.

It requires yearly registration, licensing and inspection mainly of apartment-type rental units, and requires owners to pay a $75 registration fee for each rental unit, as well as a $25 inspection fee. Those fees, originally intended to be paid on an annual basis, are now to be paid initially and not again until the ownership changes. Owners who

rent their freestanding houses are exempt from the provisions of the ordinance.

Priore said he hoped to see a further update from staff in January regarding an increase in the rental of freestanding homes to one or more families. “I would like to look into the process of how to address that situation,” he said. “It’s become more and more prevalent. With some of the larger homes, the owners are not able to sell them, and they rent them, and the renters are subletting them. Three or four families are living within these five- or six-bedroom homes.” Benacquisto made a motion for approval. It passed 4-0 with Councilman Bob Margolis absent.

District 85 Candidate — State House hopeful Howard Coates makes his case at Wednesday’s Palms West Republican Club meeting. PHOTO BY CAROL

TV Thieves Busted At Wal-Mart Store In Royal Palm Beach

By Jason Budjinski Town-Crier Staff Report

OCT. 8 — Two men were arrested and charged with grand theft last Wednesday night at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Royal Palm Beach. According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, a store employee observed 23-year-old Tatil Abu Jaber and 29-year-old Andrew Accardi enter the electronics department sometime just before midnight. Abu Jaber browsed the department while Accardi went to the back room where unpackaged items are stored. According to the report, Accardi returned from the back room with a 42” Vizio television, which he placed onto a loader cart and pushed it over to the craft department. Accardi removed a key from his pocket and used it to cut the tape holding the TV box closed. He then brought the TV to the customer service desk and asked the clerk if he could return it, even though he had no receipt, according to the report. After receiving $771.06 in cash, Abu Jaber and Accardi attempted to leave. They were apprehended at the exit door. A search of Abu Jaber’s pants pocket revealed he was in possession of a marijuana pipe that contained residue. He was additionally charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. Abu Jaber and Accardi were transported to the Palm Beach County Jail.

OCT. 8 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded early last Wednesday to a business on Business Parkway regarding a burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 2:30 and 2:45 a.m. two unknown males jumped the gate at the right front corner of the business. Once inside the property, the suspects proceeded to the parking lot on the west side, where several service vans were parked. According to the report, the suspects stole approximately 300 feet of half-inch and three-quarter-inch copper sticks that were sitting on top of three different vans. They left the area in an unknown vehicle. The stolen items were worth approximately $300.

OCT. 8 — A Belle Glade

OCT. 16 — The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a suspect

woman and a juvenile were arrested last Wednesday for shoplifting at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Royal Palm Beach. According to a PBSO report, 20year-old Taquanza Brown and her juvenile accomplice removed clothing from the clothing racks, concealing the merchandise inside two large handbags, which had also been taken from the store. After filling both bags with merchandise, they walked past all registers and exited the store without paying for the items. Both suspects were arrested on the scene. Brown was transported to the county jail, and the juvenile was taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center. The total value of the stolen items was $107.90.

OCT. 9 — A resident of Via Brilliante called the PBSO substation in Wellington last Thursday regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 2 p.m. on Sept. 26 and 8 a.m. last Thursday, someone stole custom sterling silver flatware (valued at approximately $30,000) and numerous miscellaneous jewelry pieces (valued at approximately $15,000).

OCT. 9 — A Coral Springs man was arrested last Thursday after he was caught shoplifting at the Dillard’s department store in the Mall at Wellington Green. According to a PBSO report, 28year-old James Milford II was arrested for stealing two pairs of men’s jeans. He was transported to the county jail for processing.

OCT. 9 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched last Thursday to the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Belvedere Road in response to a retail theft. According to a PBSO report, a store employee observed 26-year-old Jose Palomo of The Acreage enter the automotive department carrying a used car battery inside a shopping cart. He then selected an Ever Start battery and a set of speakers, placing the items inside the cart. Palomo walked to the customer service desk with both batteries and attempted to exchange the old battery for the new one, which he said was under warranty, according to the report. A custom-

under the influence. His occupation is landscaper. His last known address was C Road in Loxahatchee. Sontay is wanted as of 10/16/08. Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward. Call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimestopperspbc.com.

Ahmad Nasif

Candido Sontay

Radio Club Swap Night

Oct. 22 In RPB

The Palms West Amateur Radio Club will sponsor its first Swap Night and Mobile Install Showcase on Wednesday, Oct. 22 from 5 to 9 p.m. in the Denny’s restaurant parking lot in Royal Palm Beach. Come for dinner and show off your mobile install or bring your surplus gear to swap.

Talk-in is on the Palms West ARC repeater on 145.045 MHz,110.9 PL. The main purpose is to sell or swap items of amateur radio equipment such as radios (large and small), antennas of all sizes and miscellaneous items. If anyone has problems installing equipment in their car or any questions about home installations, there will be people available to answer questions. The swap is open to all “HAMs” in the area. This is the club’s first try at this activity, and club members hope to continue it if it becomes popular.

Denny’s is located at 300 Civic Center Way in Royal Palm Beach. For more information, contact David Fowler K4DLF at (561) 676-3007 or e-mail k4dlf@arrl.net.

JAFCO Benefit

In Wellington

Jewish Adoption and Foster Care Options (JAFCO) and BeautiControl have partnered up for a great cause. On Thursday, Oct. 23, come and enjoy a relaxing evening with friends

while being pampered from head to toe. Imagine… a heated herbal neck wrap, chilled eye pads, exfoliating hand treatment, rejuvenating foot treatment and a facial, all while earning money for JAFCO.

The event will take place at 7 p.m. at the home of Ilene Racher (11225 Marina Bay Road, Wellington). The cost is a donation of $18 payable to JAFCO. If you decide to purchase any BeautiControl products, a percentage will be donated to JAFCO. RSVP by Oct. 20 to Racher at iracher@hotmail.com or call (561) 798-5206.

JAFCO is a non-profit child welfare agency currently serving 350 abused and neglected children in South Florida. JAFCO programs include family preservation, foster care and adoptive services, and the JAFCO Children’s Village. For more information, visit www.jafco. org. For more information about BeautiControl products, visit www.beauticontrol.com.

Wellington Seeks Names For Vets List

The Village of Wellington will honor all veterans at the Veterans Day Ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 11. The Veterans Day Parade will begin at 8:45 a.m. at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) and end at the Veterans Memorial, located on the corner of Forest Hill and South Shore boulevards. The Veterans Day Ceremony will begin at 9 a.m.

If you would like to honor a veteran by having his or her name and service branch listed in the Veterans Day program, added to the pre-recorded roll call and listed on Channel 18, call (561) 791-4733 during business hours or e-mail nicolee@ ci.wellington.fl.us.

To ensure the veterans’ names are included in the pre-recorded roll call, they must be submitted by no later than Oct. 24. If you are an active or retired veteran attending the ceremony, an opportunity to register at the Village of Wellington tent the morning of the event will be extended along with recognition during the ceremony.

Change To Water In Wellington

Residents of Wellington, Wycliffe, Farmington Estates and Victoria Groves may notice a slight chlorine taste and odor in drinking water during the period of Oct. 20 to Nov. 3. This will have been caused by a temporary change in the water disinfection process. The water disinfection process will change from the present combined chlorine treatment to a temporary free chlorine treatment. Periodic use of this temporary treatment process is recommended as a precautionary measure to ensure that water to customers remains free of bacteria. These temporary conditions will not cause adverse health effects. Due to the temporary change in the disinfection process, spe-

cialized users of water (such as tropical fish owners, residents with pools, businesses, hospitals and blood/dialysis clinics) may need to make adjustments in order to continue to maintain their present water quality parameters.

The temporary treatment process will be discontinued on Nov. 3, and treatment will revert to the pre-existing combined chlorine treatment process. To learn more about your water, the Village of Wellington’s Water Quality Report is posted on its web site at www.ci.wellington. fl.us. If you have any questions, call Water Facility Supervisor Sean McFarland at (561) 7914037 or Utilities Director Ed Wasielewski at (561) 791-4014.

Women’s Chamber Mixer Set For Oct. 22

The Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County will host a business networking mixer on Wednesday, Oct. 22 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Resort at Singer Island (3800 North Ocean Drive). The resort will serve as the event sponsor as well.

The evening will include plenty of excellent food, beverages, prizes, games, fantastic atmosphere and networking opportunities. Attendees are encouraged to bring plenty of business cards.

The cost is $10 for chamber members and $15 for non-members. To register online, visit www.womenschamber.biz. For more information, call the Wom-

en’s Chamber of Commerce office at (561) 684-4523.

No Drugs Found In County Water

In March 2008, a series of articles published nationwide reported widespread presence of pharmaceutical compounds in drinking water throughout the United States. The article was based on a study conducted by the United States Geological Survey. At the request of the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department, the USGS recently tested water samples from the PBCWUD’s water treatment plants for 16 common pharmaceutical compounds. None of the pharmaceutical compounds were detected in county water. Of the approximately 50 metropolitan areas tested nationwide, Palm Beach County was one of 11 sites that had no pharmaceutical compounds detected. The PBCWUD relies solely on groundwater for its drinking supply that when treated with the county’s state-of-the-art membrane filtration and disinfection technology produces the highest quality drinking water.

P.W. Chamber’s Annual Holiday Parade Dec. 14

Palms West Chamber of Commerce will celebrate 25 years of memories and traditions with its holiday parade “Silver Bells in the City: Celebrating 25 Years” on Sunday, Dec. 14. The 25th anniversary parade will be sure to thrill the thou-

sands of parade-goers that are drawn each year to this favorite western communities family event. The parade will begin at 1 p.m. along Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington. Recognized as one of the largest parades in Palm Beach County, the always-anticipated event will bring excitement and joy to the western communities as it showcases beautiful floats, marching bands, strutting horses, clowns and costume characters, and celebrity guests such as popular news anchor Roxanne Stein of WPTV Channel 5, Santa Claus and more. Each year the event raises thousands for scholarships awarded to deserving high school students from the western communities. The parade is a production of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, with the co-operation of the Village of Wellington and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and through the generosity of presenting sponsor Royal Palm Toyota. Community partners include: the Palm Beach Post, the Harley Hundred, the TownCrier newspaper, Wellington The Magazine, Wellington Golf Cars, Wellington Regional Medical Center, Pepsi Americas, Outback Steakhouse, CalleryJudge Grove, Republic Services of Palm Beach, Boynton Financial Group, Southern Palm Crossing, the Village Shoppes, Gypsy’s Horse Irish Pub, Grapeseeker Advertising & Design, and Hill Audio Visual. For more info., sponsorship opportunities and event applications, visit www.palmswest. com or call (561) 790-6200.

Sen. Aronberg: I Bring A Record Of Success To District 27 Race

By Don Brown

Town-Crier Staff Report

Dist. 27 State Sen. Dave Aronberg (D-Greenacres) hopes to leave office the same way he arrived six years ago — as the youngest member of the Florida Senate. However, he’s hoping that won’t happen until he is term-limited out of office in 2012.

Aronberg is campaigning hard against political newcomer Matt Caldwell, a Republican from Lehigh Acres in Lee County. Caldwell, 27, wants to replace Aronberg, 37, as the new youngest state senator.

District 27 runs across the state touching five counties from Palm Beach on the east coast to Lee on the west coast, taking in large portions of the western communities.

While few political pros give Caldwell much of a chance of beating the highly popular Aronberg in a seat that leans Democratic, the incumbent is leaving nothing to chance. “I like Matt one on one, then I saw some of the nastiest TV ads you want to see,” he said. “In one of the ads, he’s actually the one delivering the attack.”

Aronberg said none of the ads have appeared in Palm Beach County and most of them attack him with allegations that he has taken special-interest money for his campaign. “They say special-interest money, special-interest money,” he said. “Well, I

ask, where did you get your money for your TV ads, bake sales?”

Aronberg claims the state Republican Party has spent $600,000 in an attempt to unseat him.

Aronberg was born and raised in South Florida. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School who returned to Florida to work at a law firm. He took a leave of absence to work with U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson helping go after European insurance companies that stole insurance policies from victims of the Holocaust, which he calls “one of the biggest consumer frauds in the history of the world.”

After working with Nelson, Aronberg headed to the state attorney general’s office, where he was assigned to the Consumer Fraud Division. In that post, he was dispatched to West Palm Beach to open a local office for the attorney general. He later received a White House Fellowship, during which he worked in the Treasury Department for a year under both the Clinton and Bush administrations. He returned to the Florida consumer fraud unit before being elected to the state senate in 2002 in his first run for elective office.

Consumer fraud continues to be among Aronberg’s top issues. He lists a consumer fraud unit in his office among his top accomplishments. “No other legislator has this kind of project

in their office,” he said. “We have volunteers and we help resolve consumer fraud complaints. We have returned to date more than $4 million to people who have called us about being ripped off. I am really proud of that.”

Aronberg said he is also pleased that as a Democratic legislator in a largely Republican body, he has been able to pass 14 of his sponsored bills. “The bill I am proudest of is the ‘ChoicePoint bill,’ which passed and serves as a model for other states,” he said. “It tightens rules under which companies can distribute personal data and prevents distribution of personal information.”

If data is compromised, the offending company is required to notify those whose information was involved. “In the past, the only time you’d be notified of that would be when your identity was stolen,” Aronberg said. “I’m really proud of that because it has made a big difference in the fight against identity theft.” Aronberg also points to his chairmanship of the Joint Everglades Oversight Committee, which he says has helped secure millions of dollars for Everglades restoration. His opponent disputes that claim, charging that as chairman, Aronberg has accomplished little.

“The same people who put

In Tallahassee, State Sen. Dave Aronberg has focused on consumer protection issues and Everglades restoration. He is now seeking re-election in District 27. PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

See ARONBERG, page 18

State Senate Hopeful Caldwell Wants District Lines Drawn Fairly

By Don Brown Town-Crier Staff Report

Matt Caldwell will be the first person to agree that he has no easy task in his attempt to unseat State Sen. Dave Aronberg from the District 27 seat he has held since 2002. But the young Lehigh Acres resident is giving an all-out effort.

Caldwell, 27, has lived in Lee County all his life and said one of his first tasks, if elected, will be to try to redraw the boundaries of the sprawling district that stretches from near the Atlantic Ocean in Palm Beach County all the way west to the Gulf of Mexico. The district also includes the central Palm Beach County communities of Wellington, Loxahatchee and Greenacres.

Caldwell, a real estate appraiser, is married and the father of a young child. He said he wants to be in office when the next U.S. Census is taken in 2010. That would trigger redistricting throughout the state. “We need to fix the gerrymandering of districts,” he said.

Caldwell said he would go a step further by redistricting so that each of the state’s 12 counties with a population of more than 500,000 has its own senate district. “Lee is the only large county that doesn’t have a resident state senator,” he said. “The situation in Lee County could just as easily happen in Palm Beach County.”

While the needs of Gulf Coast residents are important, Caldwell said he would continue to

represent Palm Beach County voters in Tallahassee. “I’ll make a concerted effort to be here at least once a week and listen to the people’s concerns,” he said.

Caldwell said he considers his personal principles among his top qualifications for office.

“People like to talk about policy positions,” he said. “People want to go right into issues such as solving healthcare or the current financial crisis. I like to focus on people’s principles and where they come from politically and philosophically. In decisions you make on a bill up or down, little intricacies might change your decision, but you need to know where a person is philosophically.”

His philosophical outlook is that “rights to life, self-defense, freedom of religion and speech are inviolate.” Caldwell said he would not vote for any bill that abrogates any of those four principals, no matter how massive or how important something else that might be in it.

“I think those things cannot be broached,” Caldwell said.

“That’s where I come from.

That’s the way I look at the world, and it’s that window through which I will view any legislation that comes before me.”

Caldwell carries a handout listing only four points, titled “Matt’s Commitment to You” — cut taxes and reduce government waste, remove barriers to lower insurance premiums, manage growth through market solutions and foster economic

opportunities, and deport illegal aliens convicted of felonies.

If those bullet points sound like they were lifted from a Republican Party handbook, that is not a coincidence. The state Republican Party accounts for a large portion of the money used to push Caldwell’s campaign.

Reports are persistent that both Republican and Democratic party bosses cut a deal to stay out of the campaigns of Aronberg and fellow Palm Beach County State Sen. Jeff Atwater, who represents District 25. However, Democrat Skip Campbell filed to run against Atwater but later withdrew his candidacy. Republican leaders reportedly tapped Caldwell to run against Aronberg in retribution.

Caldwell denies the reports and said he considered running for office as early as two years ago, but figured he would have difficulty raising the money required to wage the campaign. According to his own estimate, he has raised nearly $100,000.

“The state [Republican] party wants a majority of the seats,” he said. “There are several races where they are on the offense. That’s the nature of the party. It feels District 27 is vulnerable.”

Caldwell said he would work hard to stabilize the state’s economy by increasing industry. “Our economy rests on a threelegged stool of agriculture, tourism and development,” he warned.

Expanding the state economy would include “energy produc-

tion such as ecologically safe oil drilling that could create jobs. Oil refining is another potential avenue to create revenue and jobs.”

Caldwell pointed out that no new oil refinery has been built in the U.S. in 30 years. “There are major ports in Florida that could support an industrial sector,” he said, adding that he supports nuclear energy, noting that new technology has made the industry safer. “Every day that goes by, we get more technologically advanced.”

Redistricting, the state budget and Everglades restoration, including the state buyout of U.S. Sugar, are among Caldwell’s top priorities. “If I had a magic wand and was the state U.S. Sugar czar, I would open the lands for a stormwater treatment area and flow way for that region,” he said.

Caldwell added that the federal government has ignored road improvements on the Tamiami Trail, which forms the northern border of Everglades National Park, for a long time. “U.S. Highway 41 needs to be raised so that it does not act as a dam to the flow of water,” he said.

Caldwell said he is looking forward to making use of his passion for managing taxes and budgeting. He is proud of his work on a Lee County budget committee that he claims found $1.5 billion county commissioners were “squirreling away.” He pointed out that the total Lee

CALDWELL, page 18

Matt Caldwell, the Republican candidate for State Senate in District 27, hopes to unseat Sen. Dave Aronberg.

PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

STAINED GLASS DEMO

The Wellington Art Society held its first regular meeting of the season Tuesday, Oct. 14 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). The featured guests were representatives from McMow Art Glass of Lake Worth, who gave a demo on the art of stained glass. For more information about the Wellington Art Society, visit www.wellington artsociety.org or call Adrianne Hetherington at (561) 7847561. (Left) Shannon Materio solders a stained-glass creation. (Below) Wellington Art Society members look on as Phil Materio solders.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Council A Curfew?

continued from page 1 we have an 11 p.m., they will be here until 11 p.m.,” Willhite said. “I never thought we would be talking about a curfew. We are trying to do everything we possibly can.”

Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto asserted that the WHS fight was not an isolated incident, and she believed such things are also happening in area middle schools. Parents and council members should be concerned with the safety of youth in the schools, and parents should not have to worry about them when they drop them off, she said. “If it continues from the neighborhood, there has to be some increased efforts for security on school grounds during the day,” Benacquisto said. Mayor Darell Bowen said he doesn’t think troublesome kids should be in the schools, but the community had to educate them whether they want to be there or not. “I don’t think those kids should be on school grounds,” Bowen said. “Unfortunately, removing them is beyond our scope, even though they don’t deserve to be there. It will take an uprising for all of America to make those changes. Those kids were never going to graduate from high school. They are there to cause trouble.”

In other business, Bowen asked for an update from staff

Red Lights Cameras Coming

continued from page 1 killed because people are speeding up and down the street in our village.”

Village Attorney Trela White said the legislature failed to pass a bill that would make an unmanned camera citation a moving violation costing points on a driver’s license. White said it may pass next year, but in the meantime an attorney general’s opinion was issued that allows municipalities to use the code enforcement special magistrate process.

“We’re going to go ahead and do whatever we can right now, and if the legislation passes, so much the better,” she said.

Councilman David Swift said when he first heard about the plan, he thought there would be complaints about “Big Brother” surveillance.

Swift asked Village Engineer Ray Liggins to explain exactly how the cameras work and how they confirm an infraction.

Liggins said cameras take simultaneous pictures from two different angles, one of the car and the signal, and another of the car and the white intersection line. If the car has crossed over the white line and the signal is red, it indicates a violation.

Farber said each of the infractions will be reviewed by a person who will determine if it is a violation.

Lodwick said there is not a lot of interpretation involved.

“Light turns red, then car crosses the line and goes through,” he said. “This isn’t gray-area stuff where ‘I think I got him.’ It shows you there and then here; there’s not a lot of debate.”

Liggins said the cameras provide very compelling evidence. Councilman Matty Mattioli said he agreed with Lodwick

about a village-owned 2.82-acre parcel on Lake Worth Road near the Grand Isles subdivision. The land is currently designated for civic uses and used by the village as an emergency operations staging area. Officials from Temple B’nai Avraham have offered to buy it from the village for a new temple.

Deputy Director of Operations Jim Barnes said the village’s surplus land inventory will be discussed at the council’s Oct. 28 meeting.

Willhite suggested placing a small PBSO substation on the site to answer calls at the Isles of Wellington, Grand Isles and other neighborhoods in southern Wellington. “I propose potentially putting a small substation on that property,” Willhite said. “It would hopefully reduce our response times.” In the course of the discussion, Priore noted that Grand Isles had hired additional security of its own, and his own Olympia subdivision did the same. He asked if such actions indicated a problem with law enforcement in the village.

Schofield assured Priore that the village is not understaffed as far as policing is concerned.

“Some communities choose to contract with the PBSO, while others hire a private security company,” Schofield said. “That is what they choose to do. We are not understaffed. We have adequate patrols. I think our crime statistics bear us out.”

that the intersection at Forest Hill/Crestwood and Southern boulevards needs enforcement the most, because dump trucks getting paid per load sometimes go through at 70 mph, but Farber said that intersection is controlled by the state.

“On right-of-ways that the village controls, we make that decision,” Farber said. “Most of the intersections you’re talking about are either state right-ofways or county right-of-ways. We believe we will work in cooperation with Palm Beach County. Although that still remains to be seen, I have no reason to believe otherwise. The one vendor we have had a conversation with has indicated the state is less forthcoming at this point.”

Swift asked if the special magistrate would be able to handle the added workload, and Liggins responded that he did not anticipate a lot of contested citations.

White said she is confident the special magistrate would be able to handle it. “Quite frankly, I think when the people see the evidence presented against them it is likely they will pay their fine, as opposed to contesting it at the special magistrate hearing,” she said. Currently special magistrate hearings are scheduled once or twice a month depending on the workload, White said, so there is room to increase the number of hearings.

Lodwick said he feels the magistrate setup is stopgap measure. “We still need the legislature to allow this as a traffic offense rather than the code, because you should not only have to pay a fine, you should get points on your license for doing it,” he said, noting that the threat of rising insurance rates will help compliance. Mattioli made a motion to approve the ordinance, which was seconded by Swift and passed unanimously.

Sylvan Learning Center Honors October Students Of The Month

Sylvan Learning Center in Royal Palm Beach has announced its students of the month for October. This month’s students are a brother and sister from Wellington: Kaitlyn and Brendon Packer.

Seven-year-old Kaitlyn Packer is a second-grade student at Binks Forest Elementary School in Wellington. She has been attending Sylvan since school finished last year for help with math. Her mother Lisa Tota said she has seen Kaitlyn become much more confident.

“I enrolled my children during the summer so they did not sit completely dormant during the summer months. Now that school has started, it was fairly simple to get right back into doing homework and schoolwork with no struggle,” Mrs. Tota said. “Kaitlyn even had to stand up in front of her class and do an oral report and she did it. I

Osceola

was completely shocked. That’s a definite result of coming to Sylvan.”

“At first, mom made us come here,” Kaitlyn said. “But now I realize that Sylvan has helped to make school easier and helped with my grades. The teachers are nice, and I like earning the toys at Sylvan.” Kaitlyn’s favorite subjects are art, reading, math and science. Her hobbies include riding horses and taking care of her pet snake, two turtles and a red-eyed tree frog. “Sometimes my brother and I play with our snakes and see which one can slither further,” Kaitlyn said. When she grows up, Kaitlyn wants to be a famous horseback rider. She will celebrate her eighth birthday on June 8.

Ten-year-old Brendon Packer is in the third grade at Binks Forest. He also started in the summer and told his mother he

was a little worried about the FCAT.

“Brendon was a straight-A student last year, but I still brought him because it’s the idea to keep him going,” Mrs. Tota said. “Brendon has been asked to be in the gifted program, but I’m being proactive because eventually he may run into a wall. Sylvan has an excellent testing program, but what’s really nice is that they listen to the parent. I like that Sylvan sits down and discusses what’s happening in school. My kids are opposites, and Sylvan is very interested in learning what I see at home which I think is great.”

Brendon’s favorite subjects are art, math, reading and writing. When he’s not in school, he enjoys roller hockey, the family’s five pet snakes, and riding horses, on which he will compete in jumping soon. His favorite sports teams are the New

Creek’s Scholar-Athletes

Osceola Creek Middle School recently announced its first recipients of the Scholar-Athlete Award for the new school year. The award is sponsored by the School Police and honors varsity athletes who also excel in academics, effort, behavior and school spirit, and serve as role models for others. This month’s honorees all carry high grade point averages as well as play varsity sports.

Baseball honored eighth grader Anthony Schroder. Coaches

Jay Mermelstein and Derek Kervi said Anthony is a dedicated member of the boys baseball team.

“On the field he displays tremendous heart and passion for the game,” his coaches said. “He is focused and dedicated as well as smart and responsible. This baseball season, Anthony missed his first two games due to an injury he suffered over the summer. However, he showed up to all the tryouts, practices and games to root for his teammates and to make sure he would be up to speed when his injuries healed. Since then, Anthony has played in every game and has a .750 on-base percentage. Anthony demonstrates academic excellence in the classroom. He is a straight ‘A’ stu-

dent who is respected by his teachers and peers alike. As an eighth grade student, he is enrolled in advanced classes and is only one of a handful of students to be enrolled in Algebra I Honors. He is carrying a 4.16 grade point average.”

Anthony is undecided on a career. However, he wants to attend the University of Florida.

Samantha Chung was honored in softball. “Sami is one of the captains on the girls softball team,” Head Coach Deb Galavan said. “She has played for Osceola Creek for three years. But even more importantly, Sami has been an integral member of the team. She is a true leader in both the academic arena and the sports arena. She talks to her teammates, giving them encouragement and guidance when needed. She leads on and off the field. She exemplifies a true sportsmanship-like attitude. She plays hard and always gives 100 percent whether she playing in a game or practicing. She has pitched in every game this season. She is our starting pitcher and in many cases is our closer as well. It’s for these reasons and many more that Sami was selected as our scholar athlete this month.”

York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies. His favorite bands are Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones, which were introduced to him by his parents. When he gets older, he wants to be a lawyer and make millions. “But I’m going to work hard,” said Brendon, who celebrated his ninth birthday Oct. 1. Sylvan Learning, a leading pre-K-12 education services company, has been coaching students toward academic success for more than 25 years. Services include the Sylvan Skills Assessment, a unique, diagnostic test that identifies a child’s unique needs and strengths and pinpoints the exact areas requiring strengthening or enrichment. It serves as the blueprint for the student’s personalized tutoring program. Additional offerings include tutoring in reading, math and writing, study skills for schoolwork and homework,

For October

Sami, an eighth grader, is also achieving success off the diamond as exemplified by her 4.00 GPA. Sami, who does volunteer work at the Royal Palm Beach library, would like to play in the new National Professional Fastpitch League and then go on to a journalism career. She has narrowed her university choices to Tennessee, Michigan or Virginia.

Supporting Osceola Creek’s Scholar-Athlete Award program are Moroso Motorsports, which donated free passes to the honorees, Subway and Burger King (located at Seminole-Pratt Whitney Road and Orange Blvd.) and Dairy Queen (Royal Palm Beach and Okeechobee boulevards), which donated free food coupons.

SAT/ACT test preparation, academic camps and enrichment programs. Sylvan locations in Palm Beach County include Jupiter, Lake Worth and Royal Palm

BOWEN VISITS SCHOOL

The students prepared a skit and sang songs for the mayor. They also let him know they are praying every day for him and his leadership in the community. Every student had the opportunity to ask Bowen a question. One question in particular was, “what advice would the mayor give to school children if they wanted to become mayor some day?” Bowen’s response was that the children should get involved in community service. This would prepare them for the amount of selfless service they would need as a community leader. Bowen explained to the children that the reason he wanted to become mayor of Wellington was that he wanted to make a difference in the community. His hope is that the children would want to stay in Wellington to raise their families one day. Each student shook Bowen’s hand and thanked him for visiting their school and classrooms. Pictured above, Bowen speaks with Wellington Christian School students.

Beach. The Royal Palm Beach center is located at 1169-B Roy-

Kaitlyn and Brendon Packer

Scholar-Athletes — Osceola Principal Dave Alfonso, Anthony Schroder, Sami Chung and School Officer Sandy Molenda.

Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen visited second graders at Wellington Christian School on Oct. 3.

Palm Beach Central Band Excels In Regionals

Palm Beach Central High School would like to congratulate its Bronco Band, which had a great night on Saturday, Oct.

4 at the North Port State Marching Band Regional Competition.

The band competed against bands from throughout the state and won many honors, including Best General Effect in the Gold Division, Best Visual Performance in the Gold Division, Best Percussion in the Gold Division, Best Color Guard in the Gold Division, Best Drum Majors in the Gold Division, first place in the Gold Division and Overall Grand Champions of the entire competition.

The band also received a qualifying score for the State Marching Band Championships in November in Tampa. This is the third year in a row the band has qualified for the state championship.

• Foreign Exchange Students — Once again, PBCHS will be hosting students from Austria. If you are interested in hosting a student, plan to attend a parent meeting on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.

• French Honor Society

The French National Honor Society is a group that promotes the learning of French and is

sponsored at Palm Beach Central High School by Mrs. Deborah Hiett. In order to be in the French National Honor Society, a student must be in the second semester of French 2 or higher course level with a 3.5 GPA in French and maintain a 3.0 GPA overall.

The following students are the 2008-09 officers of the French National Honor Society at PBCHS: President Ron De Luca, Vice President Karen Pinzon, Secretary Cristina Gonzalez and Treasurer Francisco Rivera. The French National Honor Society is currently working to tutor those who need help in their French studies. The society is also seeking ways to promote the French language in the school and community. In addition, the members of the society will be participating in National French Week activities planned for Nov. 5-11.

• French Teacher Honored — Mrs. Deborah Hiett recently attended the 81st Annual Convention of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) held July 16-19 in Liege, Belgium. Hiett was an active participant in this unique

Safety First — Students at New Horizons Elementary School recently participated in “Safe Kids Walk This Way Day.” Students were greeted by Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen and given pencils and snap bracelets donated by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to remind them to walk safely. Deputies walked with students to demonstrate how to safely cross the street. Students participated in a poster contest to show how safe kids walk. Winners received prizes donated by the PBSO. Shown above are Mayor Bowen; students Kalena Miles, Chandler Miles, Jonathan Neff and Richard Green; crossing guards Kama Miles and Holly Neff; deputies Mike Leatherman and John Wink; and Sgt. Cafaro of the School Police.

VI representative Dr. Randa Duvick, attended the annual AATF convention in Belgium.

gathering of more than 400

French teachers from around the U.S. and from several other countries.

The convention was filled with sessions, discussions and animated conversations about techniques for teaching French and promoting the study of French language and the cultures where French is spoken.

AATF members were treated to special events such as a dictée, walking tours of the city and special sessions by local experts on history, culture and politics. In addition, more than 90 participants enjoyed pre-convention excursions to Brussels and Spa and post-convention excursions to Antwerp and the local beer-producing areas.

Student Film Contest Offers Over $25,000

The Palm Beach International Film Festival, in collaboration with the Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission, recently announced an official call for entries for the 2009 Student Showcase of Films. Film students enrolled in Florida colleges and high schools are encouraged to submit their entries no later than Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009. The Student Showcase of Films (SSOF) is the largest statewide competition for Florida student filmmakers. The juried competition recognizes outstanding high school and college students by presenting over $25,000 in cash awards, prizes and scholarships in five film categories: Feature/Shorts and Documentaries, Animation, PSA/Commercial, Music Video and Audience Award. The competition also includes awarding

a $5,000 Burt Reynolds scholarship to two Palm Beach County high school seniors, a screenwriting competition and a $1,000 poster competition open to middle and high school students.

The professionally produced live Student Showcase of Films awards ceremony, a much anticipated signature event of the Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF), will showcase the finest student works. Entries are judged by industry professionals from around the United States.

The awards ceremony will be held on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 in Palm Beach County at Palm Beach Community College’s Duncan Theatre at the Lake Worth campus.

For more information, or to submit an entry, visit www. pbfilm.com.

Students at New Horizons Elementary School in Wellington recently participated in the school’s annual walkathon. Students walked with their classmates to focus on a healthy way to exercise as well as to raise money for the school. The New Horizons PTA provided juice and water for the walkers. Teachers walked with the students to support the event. (Above) Fifth-grade students Jessica Underhill, Jessica Hole, Emily Hessler, Jamie Hole and PTA parent Mrs. Hole. (Below) Kindergarten student Kenia Cesar with staff members Mary Schriner and Edie Tetrault.

Hiett Honored — PBCHS French teacher Deborah Hiett, shown here with American Association of Teachers of French Region

Grand Prize — Palms West Hospital lactation consultant Margie Forrest presents Cristy and Adam Schaffner a Medela breast pump to help as they bring home new son Hunter.

Hospital Celebrates Breastfeeding Week

Palms West Hospital recently celebrated World Breastfeeding Week. Hospital officials recognize that human milk is the preferred way to feed newborn babies and celebrated the week Oct 6-10 with daily in-services for day and night nursing staff, quizzes with prizes and breastfeeding awareness banners. All breastfeeding mothers received a gift bag packed with items they will find useful in their first weeks as a new mom.

Highlights of the week were the daily drawings for breast pumps for breastfeeding mothers supplied by Medela. The grand prize, a deluxe breast pump valued at more than $250, was won by new mom Cristy Schaffner, who welcomed her son Hunter on Oct. 6.

Palms West Hospital’s Lactation Corner is a full-service lactation center providing help and encouragement to inpatients and

Cub Pack 147

Plans Yard Sale

Cub Scout Pack 147 will hold a yard sale at Temple Park on Temple Blvd. in The Acreage from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18. Lightly used goods will be for sale to raise funds to support scouting. For more info., call Renee McDonald at (561) 795-5181 or e-mail andrewmcdonald@bell south.net.

outpatient follow-up appointments as well as a variety of breastfeeding supplies available for rent or purchase. Most of all, the hospital’s lactation consultant provides reassurance to new mothers as they learn to rely on their own instincts.

Margie Forrest, a board-certified lactation consultant at Palms West Hospital, has assisted new mothers with breastfeeding since 1997. “Breast milk is the perfect food,” Forrest said. “You can’t improve on the best!” The Lactation Corner also offers a prenatal breastfeeding class for expectant parents. Classes are complimentary for moms who are preregistered to have their baby at Palms West Hospital, and there is a nominal fee otherwise. Breastfeeding classes and follow-up care are available to new mothers in the community.

Episcopal Church Bazaar

The Episcopal Church Women of St. David’s-in-the-Pines, located at the corner of Forest Hill Blvd. and Wellington Trace in Wellington, will host their annual Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 15 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Sunday, Nov. 16 after Sunday services until 1 p.m. There will be many handmade items, a bake sale, jewelry and hotdogs for sale. Come

Poinciana Students Receive Honors From Duke

Two Poinciana Day School seventh-grade students were recently honored by the Duke University Talent Identification Program for their academic excellence. Shelley Martin, daughter of Shannon Martin from Atlantis and Doug Martin from Royal Palm Beach, and Alden Thompson, daughter of Alyson Limehouse from Singer Island and Michael Thompson from Juno Beach, have scored in the 95th percentile or higher of all seventh grade students across the nation.

Due to Poinciana Day School’s small class size (maximum of 15 students), these students make up 28 percent of the seventh-grade students in the school. Typically, anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of the seventh-grade class re-

ceive these honors.

“Our small classes allow us to enrich all our students’ education,” Head of School Nixie Swift said. “We are very proud of Shelley and Alden for their superb academic excellence.”

The Duke University Talent Identification Program seeks out highly gifted and motivated students in a 16-state region. This program follows the identified students throughout high school and offers unique programs and information to help further develop their academic talents.

Located at 1340 Kenwood Road in West Palm Beach, Poinciana Day School is a small independent private school for students in kindergarten through eighth grade where “every student is an

New Rotarians The Acreage/Loxahatchee Rotary Club installed six new members at its weekly meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 8. Rotary District 6930 Governor Betsy Owen performed the installation ceremony. Pictured above are (L-R): Gov. Owen, Carlos Yanes, Laura Pedersen, Kenneth Bell, Steven Goldberg, Brian Cuenot, Richard Saulsberry and Assistant Gov. Terri Wescott.

browse, shop and enjoy lunch. For more information, call the church office at (561) 793-1976.

Miguel Romero

Navy Basic

Grad

Navy Seaman Recruit Miguel A. Romero, son of Miguel Romero and stepson of Tia L. Hanson of Lake Worth, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill.

During the eight-week program, Romero completed a variety of training that included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, and shipboard and aircraft safety.

The capstone event of boot camp is “Battle Stations,” which gives recruits the skills and confidence to succeed in the fleet. Romero is a 2007 graduate of Palm Beach Central High School.

honored student.” All students pursue a strong academic curriculum as well as a wellrounded specialty program consisting of visual arts, performing arts, technology, sports and Spanish. For more information about Poinciana Day School, call (561) 655-7323 or visit the school’s web site at www. poincianadayschool.org.

David Hobgood of Palm Beach Gardens and Kristen Mills of Wellington were married March 15 at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in West Palm Beach. The reception was at Frenchmen’s Reserve in Palm Beach Gardens. The couple went to Vale, Colorado for their honeymoon. The bride’s sister Lauren Mills was the maid of honor, and Tim Hurless was the best man. The bride is a University of Florida graduate with a bachelor’s degree in finance. She is presently working as property manager for Paramount Real Estate Services in Wellington. The groom has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a contractor’s license. He is currently a supervisor for Hobgood Construction in West Palm Beach.

Alden Thompson and Shelley Martin.

AREA BOY SCOUTS MEET

The Gulf Stream Council of the Boy Scouts of America convened at the Tanah Keeta Campgrounds in Tequesta last weekend. The boys had a great time earning belt loops and pins, doing crafts, playing sports, learning about patriotism and just hanging out. The older scouts taught the younger ones how to play basketball and volleyball, and helped them complete the requirements for advancement. Shown here are pictures of last Saturday’s activities. (Above) Sheri Aikey shows Daniel Cabrera and Nathaniel Vera how to raise the U.S. flag as Kyle Uhler looks on. (Below) Daniel Gouge of Troop 111 in Royal Palm Beach teaches Cub Scouts volleyball. (Bottom) Ronnie Gilbert and Noah Britt.

Ian Baenziger Begins Service As Missionary

Ian Baenziger, son of Colin Baenziger of Wellington and Susan Merrill of McLean, VA, recently accepted an assignment from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon Church) to serve as a missionary for two years. Ian will be serving in the Canada-Toronto West Mission. Ian entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah on Sep. 10, almost exactly six years after his older brother Sean started his twoyear mission to Guatemala.

Ian is thrilled with the idea of being a missionary and doing the Lord’s work. After training, he will arrive in Canada and spend six and a half days per week spreading the gospel and doing community service projects for those in need. His days will start at 6:30 a.m. and finish at 9 p.m. With this demanding schedule, it will be a challenge for Ian, who likes to sleep, yet is confident he will be able to do what is needed.

The Toronto West Mission covers much of Ontario. The boundaries start about 20 miles west of Toronto and proceed south to Windsor (adjacent to Detroit), west along Lake Huron to the eastern half of Lake Superior and then north to the Hudson Bay. Most of his work will be in southern Ontario where the population is the greatest, but he will likely spend some time in points north. Ian was told to wait until he arrived in Canada to purchase a winter coat — anything he bought in

Ian Baenziger

the United States would not be warm enough!

Ian is a 2007 graduate of Wellington High School, where he was active in sports and extracurricular activities. From there, he attended Brigham Young University, where he completed his freshman year with a 3.96 GPA. His hard work shows in his GPA and will pay dividends as he serves the people of Canada. Ian is one of more than 52,000 full-time missionaries serving throughout the world in one of 348 mission areas. Ian is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Wellington Ward, located at 990 Big Blue Trace in Wellington. For more information about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or regarding missionary service, visit www.lds.org or call (800) 443-9911.

Chance, Smythe Earn Degrees From WGU

Two local residents recently graduated from Western Governors University in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Rebecca Smythe of Wellington graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in interdisciplinary studies. Timothy Chance of Wellington graduated with a master of business administration degree.

Western Governors University is a fully-accredited, non-

profit, online university that was created by 19 western governors to give access to education for adult learners. WGU, which is competency-based, offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in information technology, business, teacher education and healthcare.

For more information about Western Governors University, visit the school’s web site at www.wgu.edu.

West Palm Beach Antiques And Collectibles Show Coming To Fairgrounds

After a summer break, the West Palm Beach Antiques & Collectibles Show will extend its 18-year run, opening the new season on Friday, Oct. 31 at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fair. With much of the world’s attention turned to “green” issues that involve renewable energy sources, conservation of existing resources and the recycling of existing assets, now is a great time to take advantage of the opportunity offered in antiques and collectibles.

The West Palm Beach Antiques & Collectibles Show offers between 400 and 1,200 dealers with innumerable choices for recycling perfectly good, attractive and useful articles priced very reasonably.

Suppose you are redecorating an office or showroom. Why spend thousands of dollars on new furniture and fixtures when you can acquire an antique desk with some history and character for half the price of a new one? And save a few hundred trees and a lot of finish material in the process. The same holds true for lighting, accessories, art, upholstered goods, linens and a host of other categories. It is just as easy to find a valuable and intriguing collectible for an appropriate gift as it is to buy something new, saving the additional resources used in the new production.

Shopping in a concentrated area of well supplied and knowledgeable dealers also

saves fuel and emissions by driving to only one location rather than trekking around town to a dozen or more locations. As an added bonus to the resources you may save, you will have the opportunity to discuss interesting items with knowledgeable dealers who may be able to shed some light on a minor mystery you have run across.

The entire concept of the West Palm Beach Antiques & Collectibles Show is to give decorators, designers, collectors, hobbyists and the curious shoppers the easy and convenient path to help the “green” movement along.

A final bonus is the fact that many antiques and collectibles hold their value or even appreciate over time rather than los-

ing value immediately as so many new items tend to do.

The Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds is located off Southern Blvd., 1.5 miles west of Florida’s Turnpike and one mile east of State Road 7. Show hours are noon to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

Daily admission for the show is $6.50 for adults, $5.50 for seniors 62 and over, and $11 for multi-day tickets. Children under 12 are admitted free. There is no charge for parking at the fairgrounds.

For more information about the West Palm Beach Antiques & Collectibles Show, visit www.wpbantiques.com or call (561) 640-3433.

My Gym Children’s Fitness Center To Host Open House

My Gym Children’s Fitness Center in Royal Palm Beach will host an open house for local residents and kids to meet the staff, see the facility, play and have fun.

The open house will take place on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 from 10

a.m. to 3 p.m. at the fitness center, located at 518 N. State Road 7.

“We are excited for the opportunity to let the Royal Palm Beach community know what My Gym is all about,” owner Chris Prieto said. “My Gym is more than just a fitness facility for children. It’s a place to empower them by helping to develop the skills, confidence and positive self-image they need to become healthy young adults.”

During the open house, parents will be able to register their children for My Gym’s various fitness classes and birthday parties. In addition, My Gym of Royal Palm Beach will offer new members that enroll during the open house celebration over $100 in enrollment savings. During this free event, there will also be hourly visits by characters.

Created in 1983, My Gym Children’s Fitness Centers are bright and exciting facilities where children actively participate in a variety of structured, weekly physical education

classes to gain social skills and self-esteem. My Gym instructors receive extensive training and their five-to-one student/ teacher ratio allows children more individual attention. From sports, dance and gymnastics to birthday parties and mommyand-me programs, My Gym Children’s Fitness Centers has grown from its initial two locations in Southern California to more than 200 locations worldwide today.

“There is no such thing as fail-

ure at My Gym, and we are delighted to be serving the families of the Royal Palm Beach community,” Prieto said.

For more information about My Gym of Royal Palm Beach’s open house, or to register your children for classes, call Prieto at (651) 798-5656.

My Gym’s wide variety of physical early learning/pre gymnastics classes, birthday parties and camps offer children an outlet for fun and fitness in a controlled and safe

Two Local Authors To Debut New Book At The Coffee Shack

Two local authors have collaborated on a new 50th anniversary retrospect on a classic horror movie. The new book will make its Florida premiere just in time for Halloween at the Coffee Shack in Wellington.

On Sunday, Oct. 26 from 1 to 4 p.m., authors David Goudsward and Diane Kachmar will be signing The Fly at Fifty at the Coffee Shack.

environment with state-of-theart facilities and highly-qualified professionals. My Gym was recognized as a leading franchise in Entrepreneur magazine’s 2005 “Franchise 500” and “America’s Top Global Franchise” list. More than 30 gyms are scheduled to open in the next 12 months domestically and abroad.

For more information about My Gym Children’s Fitness Centers, visit www.mygym. com.

The Fly at Fifty is a look back at the original 1958 film about science gone horribly wrong. The movie made a star of David Hedison (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea) and cemented Vincent Price’s place among horror film immortals. The movie’s concept, ending and the quote “help me, help me!” have permeated pop culture from 1958 to The Simpsons to the new opera based on the 1986 film remake by David Cronenberg. The book includes reminiscences from the film’s stars, David Hedison and Charles Herbert, and covers the history and legacy of this seminal film. It includes more than 50 photographs including rare, never-

before-seen preliminary test shots of the fly makeup and behind the scenes photos from David Hedison’s personal collection. David Goudsward is a Lake Worth resident. His most recent book is Shadows Over New England, a guide to the settings of horror movies and stories. He has also authored Ancient Stone Sites of New England and America’s Stonehenge: The Mystery Hill Story, both of which deal with controversial pre-Columbian archaeological research in New England. He can be found online at www.shadows-over. com.

Diane Kachmar is a Royal Palm Beach resident. A librarian at Florida Atlantic University, she is also the author of Roy Scheider: A Film Biography. She can be reached at www.authorsden.com/diane kachmar. The Coffee Shack is located at 9108 Forest Hill Blvd. in the Kobosko’s Crossing shopping plaza. For more information, call (561) 333-0294 or visit www.yourcoffeeshack.com.

• • • Send 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.

Dealer Jeff Cotton with one of the items from his award-winning booth.

Parents watch as their children explore My Gym Children’s Fitness Center.

King’s Academy Marching Lions Place First At Park Vista Invitational

By Candace Marchsteiner Town-Crier Staff Report

The King’s Academy Marching Lions won first place in their class at the Fourth Annual Park Vista High School “Striking Cobra” Invitational band competition on Saturday, Oct. 11. Out of nine competing bands, the Marching Lions were rated Best Percussion, Best Brass, Best Music, Best Visual Performance and Best Drum Major. They also earned superior ratings in every category, including Auxiliary and General Effect, with a higher level of dis-

tinction rating going to their drum majors.

Directed by Eric Dunn of Royal Palm Beach and assisted by Kimberlee Aliapoulios, the 54-member Marching Lions made full use of the field in their show titled “Groove,” which included songs “Let’s Groove,” “Tango” and “Dance! Dance! Dance!”

“This is the best band I’ve ever had,” Dunn said. “All of the kids really want to be with each other and really work hard.”

Bass line leader and senior Steve Fraga said it was the best

show the band has done so far.

“Everything was clean,” he said. “We had our parts memorized. Everything moved the way it should.”

In addition to performing at varsity football games, the Marching Lions are slated to compete at John I. Leonard High School’s 20th Annual Lancer Jamboree on Oct. 18, at the Florida Bandmasters Assessment held at Olympic Heights High School on Oct. 25, and at Santaluces High School’s Invitational on Nov. 8. The Marching Lions will head to the state semi-

finals in St. Petersburg Nov. 22. This is the group’s fourth year to qualify as a state semifinalist. In the same competition at Park Vista, Seminole Ridge High School’s Winged Regiment took first place in their class of six bands, winning for Best Auxiliary, Best Woodwinds, Best Visual Performance, Best General Effect and Best Drum Major. Rating superior in Music, Visual Performance, General Effect and Overall Scores, the Hawks garnered a level of distinction for their auxiliary and percussion.

CARS OF DREAMS ANNUAL CLASSIC CAR SHOW BENEFITS PBSO PROGRAM

On Saturday, Oct. 11, Cars of Dreams in North

PHOTOS BY CANDACE

Junior Lauren Jadotte dominates the marimba.

Bass line members senior Steve Fraga of Wellington, sophomore Todd Lowen of West Palm Beach, freshmen twins Cristian and Justin Molina of North Palm Beach, and freshman Whitnee Smith of Loxahatchee.

Instrumentalists groove to the percussion section.

The color guard energizes the field.

Atlantic Auto Group COO John Pickett (center) presents the PBSO’s Carol Verdigi $40,000 that was raised for Shop with a Cop while John Joseph, Michael Brown of Staluppi Auto Group and PBSO Capt. Frank DeMario look on.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Don Cleveland with his 1931 Model A, winner of Sheriff Ric Bradshaw’s Choice Award.

Michael Brown, Jeanette and John Staluppi (owner of Cars of Dreams), and John Pickett, who donated the 2009 Toyota Camry being raffled off.

Margolis Underdog Touts Biz Experience

continued from page 1 saw [Assistant County Administrator] Brad Merriman come in and clean it up in three days,” he said.

Margolis said he decided to run for supervisor of elections after Anderson internalized the office’s finances. He said he would return financial oversight to the Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller Sharon Bock in order to bring fiscal transparency back to the office.

Margolis said he would also improve the training of poll workers, utilizing his Proctor & Gamble training experience. “In my years of training, I have learned to bring skills to workers,” he said. “Poll worker education is paramount to getting an election right.”

Margolis said there is currently no performance rating system for the office. “The current office is running in a thousand different directions,” he said. Taking the election supervisor’s office “off the radar screen” is Margolis’ chief aim, he said, and the way to do that is to run the office efficiently so there are no errors.

The county, meanwhile, is

Wants To ‘Restore Integrity’

continued from page 1

she said. “Gov. Crist vowed he would fix it, and that’s exactly what he did.”

contemplating asking voters whether the supervisor of elections should be an appointed position. Margolis said he would favor a referendum on the question. He said he believes voters are tired of having a supervisor who is more political than professional. “They should have the right to say, ‘make this an appointed position,’” he said. If voters approved such a measure, the supervisor would be hired by the county administrator, currently Bob Weisman. “I have utmost confidence in Bob Weisman,” Margolis said.

Margolis said that if he were elected and voters approved the appointed-supervisor format, he would be comfortable interviewing for the position.

“If I’m not doing a good job, I shouldn’t be in there,” Margolis said. “It should go to the person who has the best skills. I’m tired of term-limited state legislators looking for jobs.”

Continuing the jab at Bucher, Margolis said he is not shopping for a job, and would face a salary and benefits cut if elected.

Margolis said that if he does not win the position he will still honor the resign-to-run rule and leave the Wellington council. While he would accept re-appointment if the council chooses to do so, it is not something he is seeking.

Resigning was difficult, Margolis said, because he wants to

take part in the resolution of several issues the village is now facing. Still, Margolis said he will have no regrets. “My life will be less stressful,” he said. “I had two jobs, now three jobs with the campaign.”

If he wins, Margolis noted that he would leave his job with Proctor & Gamble to work full time at the supervisor’s office.

As the underdog candidate, Margolis said the campaign has been especially tough. “I knew it would be an uphill battle,” he said. “The voters know me out here, but Susan had name recognition all over the county. I thought people would look beyond the name recognition.”

On the bright side, Margolis said only 16.7 percent of voters turned out for the primary election, and in the general election there will be five or six times that many. A registered Democrat, Margolis said he hopes his bipartisan image will draw support from both Republicans and Democrats.

Margolis said if Bucher is elected he will congratulate her, but he hopes people will see his qualities and the election will lead to a different conclusion.

Margolis said his weaknesses include perfectionism, and said he must remind himself that he can’t do 100 percent of everything all the time. “People say I’m too nice of a guy to be in politics,” he added. “I try to

treat people as I expect to be treated.”

He claims a willingness to work really hard for people as one of his strengths. “I love public service although it is a thankless job,” he said.

Margolis cites his ability to work with others as another strength. “My people skills are unsurpassed,” he said. “I have the ability to train and be a role model to people.”

Margolis credits Bucher for excellent debate skills. “She is very proactive about her abilities and has been a phenomenal campaigner,” he said. “She has been up early and is done late. The reason is because she currently has no job.”

But Margolis said Bucher’s claim to meticulousness is an insult to other legislators who take her claim to imply that they are not as meticulous. “At the end of the day, what have you done with those skills?” he asked. “Have you been able to move forward? If you look at her record, she has not.”

Margolis also criticized Bucher as being extremely partisan.

Margolis said voters should elect him because he will take charge and fix the problems at the elections office. “I know I have the skills to run that office,” he said. “Susan says she should be there because she has run campaigns before. I have run businesses before.”

“There were also items that the clerk refused to pay for, like the gold sponsorship of the NAACP dinner, and some unrelated social events,” Bucher said, noting that such expenditures must clearly be tied to the function of the office. “For example, if they were to bring a table of voting equipment, or perhaps register people to vote there, it would have been OK.”

Restoring integrity and accuracy to the office will be the main issues for the next supervisor, Bucher said, and restoring accuracy will bring integrity. She said Palm Beach County and Florida overall are tired of the widespread perception of electoral incompetence.

“If you travel all over the country,” Bucher said, “we are

Bucher said her goals if elected include a financial audit of the office and more in-depth and detailed staff training. Financial oversight of the office should be returned to the Office of the Clerk and Comptroller, she said. Financial difficulties under Anderson, who internalized the office’s finances, mostly involved his failure to submit billing for people who worked during the primary election, and also trying to get compensation for unjustified public relations expenditures, she said.

Homeless County Programs

continued from page 2 every day. “Our ultimate goal is to go out of business,” she said.

Grant Skolnick and his mother Gail Skolnick represent a family that has joined in the fight against homelessness. Gail Skolnick runs the Palm Beach Recovery Coalition founded four years ago by opening a shelter with six beds in a house. Six months ago the organization

Aronberg A Record Of Success

continued from page 8 him in the race are the same people who asked me to lead the effort to get federal funding for Everglades restoration,” Aronberg countered. “I can say the same thing about Matt. I’ve never seen him at any meetings. I’ve been to meetings all around the state. I’ve never seen him or met him before. There had not been a [federal] water bill since 2000, and there was supposed to be one every two years. The federal government never came up with the money they promised. I went up to Washington and personally lobbied and hustled on behalf of the State of Florida. In 2007, the water bill finally passed.” Aronberg bristled at claims by Caldwell that he is more interested in his celebrity than his legislative work. “I can show you my polling, and you’ll see how far from the celebrity I am,” he said. “I walked door to door last week in Wellington in the rain with a supporter, [former

Letters continued from page 4 half in the next five years. Federally mandated withdrawals of our IRAs will begin, and with portfolios at or approaching 50 percent of their value, we cannot recover these losses. I can point fingers at both political parties, in Congress and Wall Street, but that does not restore my IRA. Action needs to be taken now! Mandatory withdrawals need to be pushed back to allow the stock market and our investments to recover, so when we begin to withdraw from our IRAs, we can have

acquired an apartment house. Participants typically suffer from substance abuse or have a mental condition, but the pattern is changing, Grant Skolnick said. “I now get calls from individuals who say, ‘I don’t have a drug problem, but can I come?” he said. Skolnick said he gets calls from the PBSO or the county to pick up individuals who literally live in the woods. “We give them a hand up, not a handout,” he said. “We give the individual 30 days to get back on his feet. We provide therapy, employ-

Apprentice contestant] Marisa DeMato, who is really more of a celebrity than I am — she was on the cover of Wellington The Magazine — and people didn’t know either one of us. I’m far from a celebrity. You cannot do this job because of the trappings of the office. You get paid $31,000 a year and you have a lot of out-of-pocket costs. You have to schlep up to Tallahassee constantly, back and forth constantly. I guess any challenger can say that about every incumbent.”

Among the top bills Aronberg said he would like to see passed if re-elected:

• A statewide law that tracks sex offenders and closes numerous loopholes passed by counties and municipalities that make it difficult for law enforcement officers to keep track of them.

• Innovative healthcare reform. There has been enough inaction in Washington, D.C., Aronberg said. Florida doesn’t have the money for universal healthcare, but “we’re paying more for costs because people get basic healthcare in emergency rooms.”

some sense of comfort that we won’t outlive our money. We are the most vulnerable group in this catastrophe. If I were 40, 50 or even 60 years old, there would be time to recover. We are mandated by law to cash in devalued investments in order to satisfy federal requirements. History tells us, with the exception of the Great Depression, most recessions recover in five years or less. Therefore, I suggest that retirees who are 70 and a half this year should not have to be required to withdraw from their IRAs until they are 75 and a half, and accordingly if you are

‘Flori-duh.’ Everyone teases us about voting, and why can’t we get it right.”

Bucher also faulted the office under Anderson’s tenure for not working harder to introduce the latest generation of voting machines to residents.

“It is very important to get the machines out into the public,” she said. “These are the people’s machines, and they have to get comfortable using them. I don’t think they are right now. You need to show the public you will establish a chain of command. We saw that very starkly when they did the recount of the judicial race.”

Bucher said it might well have been a mistake for many Democrats to demonize Anderson’s predecessor Theresa LePore, who she said she knows quite well. LePore did a very admira-

ment coaching and help them get insurance and food stamps. We have about an 85 percent success rate. Commissioner Santamaria is one of our biggest benefactors.”

Santamaria invited the speakers to return in a year to his community forum and bring some of the homeless people who have turned themselves around, as well as volunteers who have participated in the programs.

Santamaria’s next community forum is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 19.

• Closing the write-in candidate loophole. He said both parties support the write-in loophole, which allows closed primaries when one party or the other puts up a write-in candidate. Aronberg has filed legislation to close the loophole, which he said disenfranchises millions of voters who could have voted in an open primary. “It’s the biggest election scam in history,” he said.

Aronberg lists the top three issues in the state as the economy, property tax reform and insurance reform.

Aronberg’s popularity is due largely to his nonpartisan demeanor. He has appealed to both Republicans and Democrats in Palm Beach County, which makes Caldwell’s row all the more tough to hoe.

“People are so sick of the hyper-partisanship that is more severe, I think, since the Civil War,” Aronberg said. “I think we have to put someone up there [in Tallahassee] who has been working across party lines, preferably someone who hasn’t been put up by a political party for all the wrong reasons.”

69 and a half until you are 74 and a half, etc... This would give seniors who are 65 and a half or older a five-year additional window before mandatory withdrawal.

How about helping those of us who have supported ourselves and this country and now want to continue to support ourselves so you won’t have to? Dr. Carmine Priore Wellington

Editor’s note: Dr. Priore is a member of the Wellington Village Council. This letter, however, represents his personal opinion.

ble job, Bucher said, and her main fault was that she found it very hard to delegate authority, which is vital in that office.

Anderson, on the other hand, has been very difficult to work with, she said.

“I have been trying to work with Dr. Anderson since he got in the door,” Bucher said. “It has been very difficult. After a couple of years of not having responses, and being responsible for the campaign activity in our county, that’s a big part of the reason why I am running.”

The question of whether the supervisor of elections should be an appointed position has been raised for political reasons, Bucher said, but voters would decide.

“It is worth exploring with the public,” Bucher said. “I trust the voters. If it moves forward, it is because the voters want to do it. It should be up to the people. They get to vote on it.”

Bucher called her opponent Bob Margolis “a very nice man,” but mistaken in criticizing her role in the legislature as too partisan.

While admitting she has carried the Democratic Party’s banner, she said she did work with her Republican colleagues on a variety of issues. In a Republican-dominated legislature, she explained, Democratic legislation does not pass without Republican top billing.

“I worked very closely with the speaker of the house,” Bucher said. “I worked with [Republican State Rep.] Adam Hasner. I also worked and sat on a committee with [Republican State Rep.] Carl Domino. The other candidate is relying on what people have told him about me.”

Among county elected officials, Bucher said she has a good working relationship with Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne Gannon, a former legislator she worked with in Tallahassee, as well as Clerk & Comptroller Sharon Bock. She also said she works

Caldwell Draw Districts Fairly

continued from page 9

County budget is $3.5 billion.

“There’s all kinds of craziness there,” he said.

Caldwell could not point to anything specific he would do to help the western communities of Palm Beach County. “I don’t

Blotter

continued from page 6 er service associate tested the old battery and determined it was fully charged, denying Palomo the exchange. Palomo proceeded to exit the store through the tire department, passing all points of sale without paying for the merchandise. He was arrested and issued a notice to appear in court.

OCT. 11 — A Sunny Isles man was arrested on multiple charges last Saturday at the Dillard’s department store in the Mall at Wellington Green. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 1 p.m. 48-yearold Roberto Rivera stole merchandise from the store, fought with store security and ran. In

well with Property Appraiser Gary Nikolits.

Bucher asserted that Margolis had previously assured her he would not seek the elections supervisor post. “I had a conversation with him years ago and he gave me his word he would not run for this seat,” she said.

“In the arena of politics, your word is your bond. That would be his problem with me in the future. I also fail to understand how working for a company that has particular products relates to administration and the technical business of the field of elections. I don’t see the relationship there.”

know everything that is needed here, but I am familiar with issues such as the inland port [proposed for the Glades] and the U.S. Sugar buyout,” he said.

“I’ll get over here and hear what the people tell me.”

Caldwell suggested a sense of confidence might be his weakness “I tend to be self-assured, if that’s a weakness,” he said.

Bucher said she would do her best to restore respect and efficiency to the supervisor’s office. “I will work as hard as I can to make sure we get off the radar and get integrity into our elections,” she said. “I think the people in Florida are tired of being on the radar.”

“Growing up as the oldest of grandkids, I was doted on an awful lot. But I’ve learned as an adult in business not to charge too far ahead or step over other employees.” Aronberg, on the other hand, he faulted for relishing his high profile. “He enjoys the popularity of the office more than accomplishing things,” he said. While acknowledging his opponent as “a nice guy and very genial,” Caldwell counted his own affability as his strength. “I’ll always try to get back to people who try to get in touch with me,” he said.

addition, Rivera fought with the arresting deputy, according to the report. He was charged with strong-arm robbery, resisting a merchant, resisting arrest and grand theft.

OCT. 11 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched Monday morning to a home on Fox Court in reference to a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim left his unlocked vehicle parked in the driveway overnight last Sunday. When he returned to the vehicle at approximately 7:30 a.m. on Monday, the victim discovered that someone had entered the vehicle and stole a box of new Nike golf balls from the center console as well as 30 CDs from a

CD case. No damage was done to the vehicle. There were no witnesses at the time of the report.

OCT. 15 — A resident of Vinings Circle called the PBSO substation in Wellington early Wednesday morning regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim’s vehicle was left unlocked overnight in the parking lot. Sometime between 11 p.m. Tuesday and 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, someone entered the vehicle and took a Garmin Nuvi GPS from the dash, along with $8 in quarters. The deputy found no viable latent prints. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

Seeking County Post — Bob Margolis has 25 years of experience with Proctor & Gamble. His top priority in office will be poll worker training. PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

Restoring The Public’s Faith — Term-limited out of the legislature, State Rep. Susan Bucher hopes to bring her experience to the county elections office. PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

WELLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL HOMECOMING PARADE LIVENS UP THE VILLAGE

The Wellington High School Homecoming Parade returned to the streets of Wellington last Friday. The parade route began at 5:30 p.m. at Wellington Landings Middle School and continued down Greenview Shores Blvd. to the high school campus. After the parade, the Wellington Wolverines varsity football team snapped its losing streak, defeating the Lake Worth Trojans 27-21. (See related story, page 27.)

Sophomores ride their Scrabble-themed float.

Marching mechanics on the baritones: sophomore Matthew Nagata, junior Rosie DiMatteo and senior Brian Nelson.

Marching band saxophonists sound off dressed as police officers.

Junior trumpet player and “FBI agent” Jennifer Behrens.

Senior class representatives Andrew DiLallo and Kelsey Foster ride in a Bentley loaned by Steve Lavine of Palm Beach Exotic Cars.

Varsity cheerleaders ride atop an engine from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 20.

Junior Class President Madison Dapper and class sponsor and biology teacher Krista Odierna.

Clarinet “artists” junior Al Uretsky and freshmen Stuart Clarin, Evan Lee and Michael Arena.

Corey Barker, Brittiny Lartitegui, Jessica Beckner and Senior Class President Mike Carelli.

Wellington Horse Country Ten-Miler Benefits Kids Cancer Foundation

By Candace Marchsteiner Town-Crier Staff Report

More then 300 runners greeted the sunrise on Sunday, Oct. 12 for the Fourth Annual Wellington Horse Country Ten-Miler. A cooperative effort by the Wellington Runners Club and the Village of Wellington, the event was a benefit for the Kids Cancer Foundation of South Florida, an organization created to offer supportive care to area children and their families touched by cancer.

The run through the USA Track & Field-certified course promised a quiet and serene set-

ting to show off the beautiful equestrian and aeronautical communities of Wellington.

Runners and community volunteers socialized in the Tiger Shark Cove pavilion over bagels and oranges donated by Strathmore Bagels. While at the pavilion, Kids Cancer Foundation workers, survivor families and volunteers sold kid-designed Christmas cards and Bravery Heart jewelry to benefit the foundation.

Bravery Heart jewelry is sold at Palms West Hospital and currently by Elbridge Gale Elementary School as a service project. Proceeds fund a Brav-

PHOTOS BY CANDACE MARCHSTEINER/TOWN-CRIER

ery Bead program in which children receive a special bead that represents each step of the journey in their battle against cancer, including chemotherapy, hair loss, isolation, radiation and surgery, to name a few. On display was one child’s beaded garland that stretched several feet long. For more information on the Wellington Runners Club, visit www.wellingtonrunners.org. For more information about the Kids Cancer Foundation, visit www.kidscansf.org. To view complete results from the Oct. 12 run, visit www. accuchiptiming.com.

Riverside Bank’s Wellington Branch Manager Alicia Foster, Daisy Gomez and her mom Maria provide orange juice.

Stacie Wallace, Kids Cancer Foundation President Michelle O’Boyle and her daughter Megan, and Palms West Hospital child life specialist Nicole Damico.

Wellington Runners Club President John Jorgensen

Fit2Run store manager Mike Wilson, associate Linda Hines and assistant manager Jimmy Wheeler.

Curtis Reik of Loxahatchee finishes at 1:46:02.1.

Wellington’s Troy Jacob placed second in the Overall Male Masters category.

Christine Stewart of Royal Palm Beach finishes at 1:46:04.6.

Joanne Eichorn of Wellington finishes with a time of 1:44:32.5.

Kids Cancer Foundation Treasurer Sandra Erb and Elbridge Gale Elementary School ESE teacher Ana Maria Robledo proudly wear Bravery Heart necklaces.

The Caufields: Kimberly, Carol, Samantha, Peter Sr. and Peter Jr. (front), who recently completed one year of treatment for a Wilms’ tumor.

We Must All Do Our Part To Keep Halloween Alive In Florida

This is for all those who have decorated their homes for Halloween — thank you. It’s important that we preserve the ghostly magic of trickor-treat night for future generations. I know it’s hard here in Florida, where a carved pumpkin can turn to mush in the sun and decorative spider webs can be stripped from the trees by heavy rains, but we must persevere. And, yes, razor blades in apples and the fear of devil worship have taken their toll but, those trifles aside, we adults have to protect one of the best holidays ever. How often does a kid get to be a pirate or a princess for real? (Well, for as real as it gets.) How often do they get to load up on candy for free? How often do they get to roam the neighborhood at night or stay up past their bedtime for a party? Halloween rocks!

Now, I know that many adults have taken the opportunity afforded by Oct. 31 to indulge in bad

Deborah Welky is The Sonic BOOMER

behavior. I’m not talking about that. What you do in the privacy of your own haunted house is your business. All I’m requesting is that you put the little guys first. Carve a pumpkin for your stoop. Put a witch in the window. Stock up on Tootsie Rolls. And if you’ve decided that door-to-door begging is definitely out, then you are duty-bound to put on a party for your kids — or take them to a

Halloween event. And mom, when they ask if they can use your lipstick to draw on their face, the answer is yes. (In fact, this is a great excuse to get rid of that tube of brownish pink you bought on impulse last month.) Dad, when they need to borrow a shovel to add that “finishing touch” to their gravedigger’s outfit, you must agree. (Realizing, of course, that you will be carrying it most of the time — those shovels can get pretty heavy!)

Grandparents must sit by their front doors, ready to leap into action when the doorbell rings just in case it’s their own flesh and blood out there demanding candy. (Grandparents who have extra-special treats ready for those extraspecial guests get a gold star — make that a gold moon.)

And even though it seems like numbers are way down for door-knocking on trick-or-treat night, numbers are way, way up for alternative

fun. There are costume parades, haunted hayrides and Fright Nights at the fairgrounds. Some of these things cost money, but lots of them don’t. And the littlest kids don’t know or care which entertainment was expensive and which was not. They only know they had a great time and why, oh why, oh why does Halloween come only once a year?

And let’s not forget the aftermath. I don’t mean the lipstick-stained clothing, the mislaid shovel or the exhaustion of the night before. I mean on Nov. 1, when a kid wakes up thinking it was all a dream and crawls out of bed only to discover that the plastic pumpkin full of candy actually exists — right here, right now, with the very real chance of a Snickers before breakfast — that moment is one of the highlights of childhood. Halloween — the holiday that keeps on giving.

I’m Sold, So Far, On ABC’s Newest Cop Series ‘Life On Mars’

Life on Mars was the one TV series I really wanted to watch simply based on the previews. As a science fiction freak, particularly in terms of alternate history, the idea of a modern cop going back in time to 1973 New York was irresistible. My interest was piqued by the whole concept and a remarkably good cast.

‘I’

On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

The show is a remake of a very popular British TV series, and its unchanged title has a double meaning. Life on Mars was a 1973 hit by David Bowie, but in many ways things have changed so much over 35 years that detective and car-crash victim Sam Tyler (Jason O’Mara) actually landed in another world. Times have certainly changed for the police in that time. His discovery that his office desk no longer has a computer brought out the remark from another cop: “computer, you mean like 2001: A Space Odyssey?” Tyler might not have gone back to the past. He wonders, as I did watching the pilot, if perhaps he not be in a coma and dreaming everything. However, the bad guy from 1973 also has a connection to a 2008 crime in which Tyler’s girlfriend was kidnapped. O’Mara is very good in the leading role, playing the modern cop suddenly tossed into a strange old world. I did not recognize him from any previous work but he coolly played out the confused officer and held his own with a better-known cast. There was an incredible scene at one point when he turns around and sees the World Trade Center still standing.

Last week was my birthday, so I decided to give myself a present. I called my favorite doctor to arrange for my semi-annual physical. If something on my car breaks, I fix it before it becomes a bigger problem. I try to do the same with my body. If the doctor finds a problem during the exam, I get it taken care of. Going into the physical I felt fine. I really didn’t expect any type of surprise. As the nurse took my blood pressure, I noticed it was a little higher than usual, but I really didn’t think it was anything to be concerned about. I wasn’t concerned because in the previous couple of days my family threw at least three birthday parties for me. And of course at each of these parties there was plenty of food. And of course, the only diet I am on is a “see food” diet. Which means that when I see food, I

Michael Imperioli, one of the featured gangsters on The Sopranos, plays Detective Ray Carling, as if he never heard the term “political correctness.” Until Tyler turns up, he’s the really key guy in the precinct. He is an exceptional foil for Tyler, mocking any suggestion from the uptime cop. Science and any type of forensics do not seem to be part of his world. Kicking the butts of suspects until they confess is more his speed.

Gretchen Mol, an exceptionally good actress, plays Policewoman Annie Norris. Note the term “policewoman.” Back in the old days, women were not considered able to handle the same duties as men and were not full police officers. Despite having a college degree with a major in psychology, she is expected to deal with lost children and other minor problems. I have a feeling she is in for some changes as she learns to deal with Tyler, a man who bewilderingly treats her as an equal.

The other characters really make the show magic. Harvey Keitel plays Lt. Gene Hunt, a profane, loudmouthed example of everything the gurus of political correctness have taken away from law enforcement. When Tyler asks him whether they have a warrant to go into the home of a suspect, he kicks open the door growling, “there’s your warrant.”

Trying to judge a show by its first episode can often be difficult. Life on Mars has a lot of potential, but also some real problems. Connecting events of 35 years ago to the current day may not be all that easy, and there is at least some confusion even for a sci-fi buff like me.

But the cast is exceptionally strong and it is fun to dwell on the changes of a past that many actually remember. Watching Tyler trying to explain to Norris that vinyl records, then in the process of being replaced by cassettes and eight-tracks, would eventually be replaced by CDs and downloads, terms she could not even comprehend, was fun.

I will be watching future episodes. With luck and good writers, the quality will remain high. We seldom see new series with this level of acting. The contrasts between the two eras will remain interesting. Whether they can be connected to an overall story arc will be the greatest challenge. Life on Mars can be seen Thursdays at 10 p.m. on ABC.

At My Latest Physical, My Doctor Gave Me A Birthday Surprise

Wondering & Wandering

By Ernie Zimmerman

eat it. Most of the time I eat way too much. And that is exactly what I did a couple of days before my physical. I already knew I was about 20 pounds overweight. By the time I got on the doctor’s scale I was at least 25 pounds overweight. Thus I knew my blood pressure was going to be higher than usual. After my doctor came into the room to talk to

me, I almost fell off the table I was sitting on when she started to tell me how concerned she was about my blood pressure reading. I tried to explain my theory on why my blood pressure was high, but she wasn’t buying any of it. I started trying harder to convince her everything was all right. I then told her about my white coat problem (a doctor’s white coat makes my blood pressure rise). My doctor pointed out that she wasn’t wearing a white coat. Then it happened: she gave me the look I thought only my wife Sharon and number-one grandson Max could give. (I am starting to think my wife taught the doctor the look. She is also a patient.)

My doctor started to tell me about the blood pressure medicine she wanted to put me on. She knows I do not like to take pills, so she knew this was going to be a hard sell. And she was right. I

was not going to take a pill for my blood pressure without a fight. We had a Mexican standoff in her office for more than 20 minutes. Finally we came up with a solution we both could live with. It was decided I would go on a mostly fat-free diet for the next 30 days. I would eat mostly rabbit food, chicken and turkey. I would continue to walk or ride my bike every day. At the end of the 30 days, I’ll be back in her office. If I’ve lost enough weight and my blood pressure is back to normal, I won’t have to take the blood pressure medication. But if my blood pressure remains high, I go on the medicine ASAP. I will let you know what happens. Boy, what a birthday surprise this doctor visit turned out to be. The only thing I have to say is that the aging process stinks!

TOWN-CRIER SPORTS & RECREATION

Big Win For Wellington With Homecoming Victory Over Lake Worth

By Paul Gaba Town-Crier Staff Report

Wellington High School varsity football coach Chris Romano was hoping — praying — that defender Nestor Lantigua would deflect the orb spiraling his way down the east sideline, hoping — praying — that his Wolverines would live another day, or at least another play. But Lantigua didn’t deflect Lake Worth quarterback Evan Moore’s pass. He intercepted it. And with 24 ticks remaining on the clock, Romano and other Wolverine coaches were doused by Gatorade buckets that players joyfully grabbed from the benches.

“That 800-pound gorilla jumped off our back,” Romano said after his Wolverines pulled off their first regular season gridiron victory in two years, downing Lake Worth 27-21 on Friday, Oct. 10. “Our offensive line did a great job, and [quarterback] Brett [Alfredson] did a real nice job controlling the offense, he made some nice passes. It was a whole team effort.”

The homecoming game win brought a satisfying end to a less-than-thrilling day, and helped — if only for the moment — to tuck away memories of a brawl that had taken place on the school’s campus earlier in the morning.

“Nestor did a nice job breaking on the ball,” Romano said. “We had somebody bite on a hitch, and Nestor was able to break on it. I thought he was going to knock it down, but he caught it and sealed the victory.” Wellington improved to 1-5 on the season, while Lake Worth fell to 0-6.

Lantigua’s pick brought to conclusion a desperate 60-second drill by the Trojans, and almost did not happen.

One play before the interception, Lake Worth’s Marquiste McNeil — who already had one score — grabbed a Moore pass along the west sideline and had a clear shot at the end zone some 53 yards away. But the receiver stepped out of bounds. Eight seconds later, Lantigua had his own reception, of sorts. Lake Worth’s desperate drive was set up by one of the strangest offensive possessions in recent Wellington football lore. After taking over on downs at their own 27 yard line with 4:31 remaining, the Wolverines were the recipients of a triple penalty against the Trojans: a pass interference call and two unsportsmanlike conduct flags. The

strange play set up Wellington at the Lake Worth 20 yard line.

But Wellington was unable to advance the ball further, losing 10 yards before handing the ball to the Trojans with 65 seconds left. The reversal of field position was due in part to the second bizarre moment of the Wellington drive, when Romano tried to call a timeout as the play clock neared zero. The Wolverines, who were attempting to milk the clock down, received the timeout while simultaneously being assessed a five-yard delay of game penalty. Romano pleaded his case to the line judge and the head referee, but to no avail.

Two plays later, Wellington had turned over the ball on downs, setting up Lake Worth’s final clutch at victory.

The win, which snapped an 18-game losing skid, was the first for Wellington since October 2006, and had a similar feel, since that victory had also been against the Trojans and had taken place at that year’s Wellington homecoming game.

Lake Worth opened the scoring with 5:56 left in the first quarter, capping a 13-play, 70-yard drive with a five-yard scoring pass from Moore to wide receiver Salomon Albery. The score followed a series of turnovers by both teams.

Less than two minutes later, Wellington struck back, with Lantigua scoring on a 10-yard run to tie the game. The score came one play after an apparent Wellington touchdown was nullified by a Wolverine penalty.

“Although you never want to see fumbles or anything like that, the ability to drive the ball and the ability for the defense to hold them gave us the confidence that, if we stick to the game plan, there’s no need to make radical changes, and that’s what got us through,” Romano said. “You can’t shoot yourself early in the game and then stick with a game plan, especially in high school. With this game we were able to have patience and do the things we’ve been working on all season. The biggest thing is not getting in a hole in the first five minutes.”

The Wolverines went into halftime with a 14-7 lead, after successfully operating a two-minute drill. Following a Lake Worth punt late in the first half, Wellington took over at Lake Worth’s 45 yard line. With one second left on

the clock, Alfredson — having driven Wellington to the Lake Worth 4 yard line — spiked the ball to set up a 21yard Stephen Bender field-goal attempt. But the Trojans were called for an offside penalty, moving the ball to the two yard line. After the penalty, Romano changed his mind, calling Bender and the kicking team back to the sideline. The gamble worked; Tanoris Rogers scored on a sweep to the right that gave Wellington a seven-point lead at halftime. Lake Worth fought back in the second half, scoring twice in the third quarter to regain the lead heading into the final 12 minutes. Lake Worth tied the score on a one-yard run by Ross Florexil, which was set up by what only be described as a negative-yard onside kick, as the squib attempt slid backward along the turf before being recovered by the Trojans. Florexil’s run capped the three-play, 34-yard drive, and made the score 14-14.

Wellington regained the lead on Lantigua’s second touchdown of the game, a 20-yard run with 4:52 left in the quarter. Bender’s extra-point attempt was blocked, and Wellington’s lead was 20-14. But on the final play of the third quarter, Lake Worth’s McNeil hauled in a 26-yard touchdown pass from Moore, giving the Trojans a 21-20 lead.

Wellington took the lead for good when receiver John Long grabbed a 24yard touchdown pass from Alfredson with 8:11 remaining in the fourth quarter, setting up a fast and furious closing. “A win cures all ills,” Romano said. “You want to earn it the right way, and I felt the kids did. It’s the start of the second half of the season, and we shouldn’t be cautious, we shouldn’t be waiting for something bad to happen. We need to make plays and take chances, and have fun. There’s a huge difference between playing to win and playing not to lose. When you’re playing not to lose, you’re very tentative, cautious and reactionary, instead of creating and forcing the action. I’m hoping to see that now.”

Wellington played Palm Beach Gardens at William T. Dwyer High School on Thursday, Oct. 16, but the score was not available by press time. Next week, Wellington is back on the road against Park Vista on Oct. 24.

Wellington’s Delores Hunt: Lessons From A Lifetime Of Horse Riding

To her Wellington neighbors, Delores Hunt probably seems a pleasant, quiet, unremarkable woman, her lovely home furnished with many horse-themed knickknacks. But quite an interesting history dwells behind the everyday façade.

Born in Philadelphia in 1929, Hunt loved horses from an early age. She’d pick grass to feed the passing carthorses. When she turned 16, her father gave her a choice: a car or a horse. She chose the horse, and her dad bought her Lucky, a young Thoroughbred bay gelding, for $57. Hunt made a deal with a neighbor, who also had a horse, and took care of both to pay for her board. The horses lived in a small lot, their only shelter an old truck body on the ground.

Hunt was riding Lucky out on a trail one day when she met Clifford Hunt, whose father ran a riding academy. Hunt moved Lucky to the academy, and by scrimping on lunch and carfare to school, managed the daily dollar boarding fee. Every day after school, she hurried to the barn and rode, and also took a shine to Clifford, whom she married at 22.

Hunt also learned to do some trick riding from Kenny Ireland, who kept his horse nearby. After some practice, she was able to hop on and off a running horse, and do a Roman stand on a moving horse’s back. By the 1950s, Clifford, whose nickname was

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg

Trigger, was showing hunters and jumpers. They bought a farm in Buck’s County, Pennsylvania, and Hunt started teaching and holding summer camps.

“I adored teaching the kids,” she said. “There was nothing better than watching young riders grow and advance. We’d take them all fox hunting; sometimes 14 kids would come along. We looked like a gypsy caravan, all the trailers following along to get to the hunt. It was great fun.”

Some years later, Delores and Trigger divorced, and she moved to Reddington, N.J. to work as an assistant trainer to Jack Gordon.

“I was a nervous wreck after the divorce,” Hunt recalled. “I worked for Jack for two and a half years, living in grooms quarters over the barn.

But I’ve learned that every time you’re faced with adversity, something good results.”

The “something good,” in this case, was Frank

Chapot, a member of the U.S. Equestrian Team and one of the top jumpers in the country.

“Frank rented Jack’s indoor arena, and trained there every morning,” Hunt recalled.

“We became great friends. If I wasn’t up when he arrived, he’d throw dirt at my door and holler for me.”

Hunt rode with Chapot most days, especially on Boston Daisy, a five-year-old gray mare he lent her. She learned a great deal about riding and training, and best of all was invited to go along with the U.S. team to the Munich Olympics in 1972.

“You ought to come with us,” Chapot told her. “Get a passport.”

Hunt did, and Chapot got her a plane ticket and pass to the barn and stadium. She was able to stay with the team and watch them practice and compete. That year, the team of Billy Steinkraus, Neal Shapiro, Kathy Kusner and Chapot won silver medals. Hunt was thrilled when she was also invited to a special dinner with the team. She still has the menu, signed by all the members.

Hunt was present in Munich when Arab terrorists seized and killed a number of Israeli Olympians.

“We didn’t really know what was going on at the time,” she said. “All the news, on TV

and in the newspapers, was in German. We mostly kept up with it through word of mouth.”

As a result, the final ceremonies were rescheduled from Sunday to Monday, and the airport security, leaving Munich, was very tight. Hunt bounced around in the horse world after that, fox hunting in Georgia and teaching kids anywhere she could. She finally moved to Wellington in 1998, and decided to retire from riding while keeping up with judging and teaching. Now she works with private clients and coaches the Palm Beach Leather & Lace Drill Team. She finds Wellington a quiet place to live, and her philosophy of riding hasn’t changed much.

“I strongly believe in the formal, classical riding techniques,” Hunt said. “You have to know the basics before anything else. A lot of people today are impatient and want to be able to do everything immediately. That’s not how it works with riding and horses. You have to consider the rider’s and the horse’s ability at any stage before moving on to the next step. I see a real need for riders to recognize long-term goals, and make a commitment to do the work in order to improve and move up. I may be oldfashioned in that way, but riding’s been around for thousands of years, and not that much has changed about horses in that time.”

PHOTOS BY PAUL GABA/TOWN-CRIER

Wellington’s Ken Konn tries to gain ground yardage.

Wolverine Tanoris Rogers returns the opening kickoff.

Wellington’s Nestor Lantigua sweeps left.

WHS Cheerleaders greet the Wolverines as they enter the field.

Freshman representatives Brandon Owens and Olivia Dicarlantonio.

WHS Homecoming Court Senior representatives John Guzieka and Alexis Belski.

Wellington’s Nestor Lantigua dives to recover a fumble.

Wellington Head Coach Chris Romano addresses the team after the game.

Title Matches Mark End Of Wellington Volleyball’s Fall Season

By Candace Marchsteiner Town-Crier Staff Report

Tightly matched teams vied for championship titles on Sunday, Oct. 12, wrapping up the Village of Wellington’s co-ed volleyball league’s fall season at Village Park.

In the Pro Division for ages 13 to 16, the Cyclones and Ace each won a match before the Cyclones took control of the third and fourth matches to claim the victory. After losing their first match by three points in the College Division for ages

10 to 12, the Beach Babes rallied to win three consecutive matches by larger point spreads for the championship against Dynamite.

Athletic Program Coordinator Jill Denoff was impressed with the players’ skills throughout the season. “I had great, very enthusiastic coaches,” she said. “The level of play from the beginning of the season to the end was remarkably improved, and many parents told me how thrilled they were to see their child’s skills increase so noticeably.”

PHOTOS BY CANDACE MARCHSTEINER/TOWN-CRIER

Rebecca Greenspan bumps the ball over the net.

College Division Dynamite (front row, L-R): Hannah Watcke, Rebecca Greenspan, Jamie Hole, Rebecca Martinez and Ariana Rodriguez; (back row) Coach Kelly Watcke, Vanessa Boitnett, Hannah Schelle, Alexandra Gantt, Kelly Snitkin, Yanina Gonzalez and assistant coach Marc Watcke.

Pro Division Ace (front row, L-R): Charla Gilfus, Caitlin

Angelocci, Brianna German and Tracy Barlow; (back row)

Coach Kelly Barlow, AshLee Pryer, Kaila Davis, Amanda Brown, Jenifer Crupi and Thomas Barlow.

College Division Beach Babes: (front row, L-R) Naomi Cortez, Cristina Gil, Kelly Kirchner and Hannah Tannone; (back row) Coach Stephanie Tannone, Paola Cortez, Kelli Smith, Nicole Linn, Kelly Gerboc, Alyssa Rubin and Coach Lori Gerboc.

Pro Division Cyclones: (front row, L-R) Catalina Leyva, Danielle Parks, Alex Ingebritson and Olivia Fallon; (back row) Coach Nidhal Mikhaell, Jamie Manica, Brittany Barnhart, Benjamin Andrade, Madeline Schmees and Coach Kelsey Rigg.

Cristina Gil calls the ball as Kelly Kirchner watches to help.AshLee Pryer digs for a hit.

Young athletes who participated in last year’s Upward Basketball and Cheerleading program at St. Peter’s Church. Registration is now underway for this year’s season.

Upward Basketball Returns To St. Peter’s Church In Wellington

St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in Wellington will be holding its second year of Upward Basketball and Cheerleading for children in grades kindergarten through seven.

Upward Basketball is a league where every child plays, every child learns and every child is a winner. In the church’s Upward Basketball and Cheerleading league, every child will get to practice and play a game every week. They will learn techniques to improve their skills and receive special recognition awards after each game. Most importantly, they will get equal playing time and the chance to develop new friendships.

Program representatives are excited about the early interest

and calls they have already received. Their goal is to allow children in the western communities participate in an organized league in a fun environment.

St. Peter’s United Methodist Church’s Upward Basketball and Cheerleading league will run for eight weeks. Practices will be held once a week with games played on Saturdays beginning January 2009. Registration forms can be picked up at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church, located at 12200 W. Forest Hill Blvd., or by visiting www.stpetersumc.org. For more information about Upward Basketball and Cheerleading, call League Director Chris Moore at (561) 7935712, ext. 22.

Wellington Wrestlers Excel At Tournament

A group of Wellington Wrestling Club members traveled to Cooper City High School on Saturday, Oct. 11 to compete in a USA Wrestling tournament.

The Wellington team was led by some of its rookie wrestlers. Eighth grader Kenny Nelson (90 pounds, School Boy Division), and freshmen Kevin Pascal (125 pounds, Cadet Division) and Collin Bachi each earned their first career wins in their first tournament action. Nelson finished in fourth place in his division with two wins on the day. Wellington had two champions: junior Ricky Arco (119

pounds, Junior Division) and senior Zach Pincus (171 pounds, Junior Division). Sophomores Mikolaj Wilga (125 pounds, Cadet Division) and Benson Daniels (152 pounds, Cadet Division) both finished with two wins and one loss on the day.

The Wellington Wrestling Club meets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday at Wellington Village Park on Pierson Road. The club is available for preschool through high school wrestlers. No prior experience is required. For more information, contact Coach Gray at graytra@palm beach.k12.fl.us.

Pop Warner Jr. Pee Wee Wildcats Fall To Jupiter

The Royal Palm Beach Wildcats Pop Warner Jr. Pee Wee black team endured their first loss in two years last Saturday against the Jupiter Mustangs maroon, who defeated the Wildcats 25-19. The Wildcats started off with a nice 57-yard touchdown pass from Will McCullough to Spencer Longley. The Mustangs answered with a kick return for a touchdown and extra point, making the score 6-7. The Wildcats defense had some holes, and the Mustangs played tough on both sides of the ball, scoring again. Before the end of the

first half, the offense blocked well, thanks to Noah Walker, Chase Brandine, Austin Brown, Damon Schmidt, Shane Reilly, Michael Shakes and Christian Salamone. This led to Longley breaking a 51-yard run for a touchdown.

Later in the second half, McCullough connected with Griffin Schrauth for a short passing touchdown and the same for the extra point. The Wildcats tried a late onside kick to regain possession but failed in the attempt. The Wildcats are expected to make the playoffs, which begin Oct. 22.

Okeeheelee Fall Kayak Festival This Weekend

Adventure Times Kayaks and Okeeheelee Park Rentals, in cooperation with Friends of Okeeheelee Park Nature Center, will conduct the Okeeheelee Fall Kayak Festival, Friday through Sunday, Oct. 17-19 at Okeeheelee Park, 7715 Forest Hill Blvd. The event runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The Okeeheelee Fall Kayak Festival includes basic paddling instruction for adults and youth, advanced kayak rescue classes and Eskimo rolling clinics. Individual test paddling of many kayak models and kayak design information by factory reps from Hobie Kayaks, RTM Kayaks, Hurricane Kayaks, Heritage Kayaks, Native Watercraft and Current Designs are available each day.

In addition, the Okeeheelee Nature Center and trails will be open. Okeeheelee Park is the site of a beautiful paddling lake. Onsite registration will be happening lakeside. A donation of $8 for adults and $6 for youths under 18 is requested to enter. Weekend passes are available for $12 and $8 respectively. Proceeds go to the Friends of Okeeheelee Park Nature Center, a non-profit support organization for the Okeeheelee Nature Center. Your donation to the Kayak Festival qualifies you for the raffle drawing of paddling accessories at the end of each day. For more information, visit www.adventuretimes.com or call Adventure Times Kayaks at (561) 881-7218.

COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR

Saturday, Oct. 18

• Palm Beach County’s Fall Home & Garden Show will continue at the South Florida Fairgrounds (9067 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach) Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18 and 19. More than 500 exhibitors will be on hand, as well as features, experts and celebrities. Admission is $9 for adults and seniors, $4.50 for ages six to 12, and free for five and under. For more info., visit www. westpalmbeachhomeshow.

com.

• Making Strides Against Breast Cancer will take place Saturday, Oct. 18 at the Greenview Cove Golf Course in Wellington. Walk registration and survivors’ breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m., the program begins at 8:15 a.m. and the 5K walk begins at 9 a.m. For more info., call Maureen Gross at (561) 650-0136 or visit http:// makingstrides.acsevents.org/ westerncommunities.

• Meet the Loxahatchee chapter of the Florida Trail Association for a walk at Okeeheelee Park (7715 Forest Hill Blvd.) on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 7:30 a.m. Participants will meet at the western entrance. Call Daisy at (561) 439-5780 for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “Drop-in Story Time” on Saturdays, Oct. 18 and 25 at 11 a.m. for ages two and up. Call (561) 790-6070 to preregister.

• The Wellington High School men’s basketball team will host a Golf Tournament on Saturday, Oct. 18 at Binks Forest Golf Club. Proceeds from the event will go directly to the men’s basketball program and will aid in providing equipment, travel expenses, camp fees and and more. The tournament will begin at 1 p.m. with a shotgun start. Following the tournament will be an awards ceremony, dinner buffet and silent auction. Entry fees are $125 per golfer and $500 per foursome. For more information, call Matt Colin at (803) 439-5348 or e-mail matthew. colin@palmbeach.k12.fl.us.

• Ideal Elementary School and Dream Middle School in Royal Palm Beach will hold the family campout event “Koreystock” overnight on Saturday, Oct. 18 at Pony Express Polo Farm in Wellington. The fun begins at 2 p.m. and lasts until 11 a.m. the following morning. There will be live entertainment throughout the afternoon and evening, as well as fun family games, delicious barbecue and marshmallows by the bonfire. The cost is $35 for adults and $15 for children. Guests are asked to bring their own tents and camping equipment. For more info., call (561) 791-2881 or visit www.ideal elementary.com.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host the Chess Club on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 2:30 p.m. for ages eight and up. Practice your chess skills with other players. Basic chess knowledge required. Call (561) 7906070 to pre-register.

• Enjoy an evening of America’s favorite dish while supporting a good cause on Saturday, Oct. 18. It’s the Great American Mac ’n’ Cheese Event to benefit the Autism Project of Palm Beach County, held from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Whole Foods Market in Palm Beach Gardens (11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Drive, Suite 6101). Try the creations of each department as they put a twist on this classic dish. The cost is a $20 donation, and 100 percent of the donation will be used to purchase child locator bracelets. For more info., call (561) 691-8550. Sunday, Oct. 19

• The Gold Coast Down Syndrome Organization will hold its 14th Annual Buddy Walk on Sunday, Oct. 19 at John Prince Park in Lake Worth. Money raised enables the Gold Coast Down Syndrome Organization to offer services that support and enhance the quality of life for individuals with Down syndrome. For more information, call (561) 912-1231 or visit www.goldcoastdownsyndrome. org.

Monday, Oct. 20

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “Baby Story Time” on Mondays, Oct. 20 and 27 at 9:30 a.m. for under eight months and 11:15 a.m. for nine through 12 months. Your baby will love the rhymes, finger plays, songs, books and toys. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “English Exchange” on Mondays, Oct. 20 and 27 at 1 p.m. for adults. Join Literacy AmeriCorps member Pau-

la Alexander in this interactive program where you can practice speaking English while talking about everyday situations and current events. Basic English speaking skills required. Call (561) 649-5473 for more info.

Tuesday, Oct. 21

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “Anime Grab Bag” on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m. for ages 12 through 17. Pop in for some popcorn and see what’s inside the anime grab bag. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The School District of Palm Beach County invites all parents and guardians to the “Showcase of Schools” on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at the South Florida Fairgrounds Americraft Expo Center (9067 Southern Blvd.). The free event will feature choice programs available throughout the school district. Representatives from choice schools, career academies, and magnet and charter schools will be on hand. Student performances are scheduled throughout the evening. For more info., call (561) 4348755.

Thursday, Oct. 23

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “How to Reach Your Goals” on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. for adults. Local online radio talk show host and author Dean Piper will offer the simple, effective tools and techniques you need to transform yourself into a “Goal Getter” and help you on your journey to success. Call (561) 7906070 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present Teen Game Night on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. for ages 12 through 17. Play Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero, and enjoy some snacks. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association will host a candidates’ forum on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. inside Classroom 1 at Palms West Hospital. The following political candidates have been invited to participate: State House District 85 candidates Joseph Abruzzo and Howard Coates; state attorney candidates Michael McAuliffe and Joseph Tringali; and supervisor of elections candidates Susan Bucher and Bob Margolis. For more info., call President Marge Herzog at (561) 791-9875.

• The King’s Academy Fine Arts Department will present Constance Cox’s production of Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime Oct. 23-25 at 7:30 p.m. each night. Starring an ensemble cast of secondary students, the show is a comedic adaptation of the short story by Oscar Wilde. Tickets cost $12 for center seating and $10 for reserved seating. Reserved tickets can be ordered online at www.tka.net or by calling (561) 686-4244, ext. 353. The King’s Academy is located at 8401 Belvedere Road. Friday, Oct. 24

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “Science Club: Eruption!” on Friday, Oct. 24, 3:30 p.m. for ages seven and up. Participants will activate a volcano and learn what makes them blow. Call (561) 7906070 to pre-register.

• The Palm Beach Zoo (1301 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach) will host its 13th Annual Boo at the Zoo Halloween celebration Oct. 24-26. Visitors are encouraged to come in costume as they trickor-treat throughout the zoo’s 23 acres. Events will include non-stop animal encounters, costume contests, “scary” children’s entertainment and the largest haunted house in “Boo at the Zoo” history. Regular zoo admission is $12.95 for adults, $9.95 for seniors, $8.95 for children ages three to 12, and free for children under three and zoo members. For more info., visit www. palmbeachzoo.org.

• The Studio Theatre of Wellington (11320 Fortune Circle) will present its Third Annual Festival of Short Plays on Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 24, 25, 31 and Nov. 1 at 8 p.m.

The Festival of Short Plays includes original ten-minute plays presented in a staged reading format. There will be a question and answer “talk back” with the cast, directors and playwrights after each performance. Tickets are $15. Reservations are required due to limited seating. To RSVP, call (561) 204-4100. Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 7936090. E-mail: news@gotown crier.com.

Fresh Fruit Bouquet Company Offers Sweet Kosher Delights

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Fresh Fruit Bouquet Company store in the Shoppes at Andros Isle has gone kosher.

Not just the fruit bouquets, but everything in the shop on Okeechobee Blvd., from the chocolate to the gelato, is now kosher, said store co-owner Kim LevyDe Maria.

“I officially opened around Father’s Day,” said Levy-De Maria, who owns the shop with Lake Worth resident Gerard Enfort. “There’s a demand here for kosher products and kosher places to go. Since my chocolate is kosher and my frozen yogurt is already kosher, I thought that I might as well become a kosher-certified business.”

Being kosher makes preparation more time-consuming, but it also assures a quality that might not be found in other fruit bouquet shops, Levy-De Maria said.

Rabbi Petsach Weitz oversees the kosher food services division of the Orthodox Rabbinical Board. “He has done classes on how to kosherize your kitchen for the holidays,” Levy-De Maria said.

The fruit bouquets, which are the cornerstone of her business, require a more meticulous process to be kosher.

“One thing that is more timeconsuming for me is pulling the greens off the strawberries,” Levy-De Maria said. “It’s one of the kosher laws, and I couldn’t get around it because of the cleanliness aspect of it. So it doesn’t matter that it might look better aesthetically with the stems. The rabbi and I came to a middle ground. He had me type up my process of how I’m going to handle my strawberry issue and determining very gently whether someone is Jewish or not Jewish, because a nonJewish person doesn’t care if the greens are on the strawberries.”

Her fruit bouquets are all made to order with fresh-cut fruit arranged like a flower bouquet would be in various sizes of containers with or without chocolate at prices ranging from $41.99 to $299.99.

“If we know someone is diabetic and can’t have chocolate, well, we have arrangements that

would be in line with their diet,”

Levy-De Maria said. “If you want to go all out and have all your strawberries dipped in chocolate, we can do that for you, too. These bouquets are really for any occasion, not just holidays. They can be for ‘thinking about you,’ ‘I love you,’ ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘congratulations.’ I have clients who actually send them out to new customers to say ‘thank you’ or ‘welcome to our company.’ I can attach a business card or a note to the bouquet and deliver it to the individual.”

There is a charge for delivery, but the Fresh Fruit Bouquet Company delivers to all parts of Palm Beach County and has delivered as far south as Margate and as far north as Tequesta.

“I deliver in a refrigerated van at the proper temperature,”

Levy-De Maria said. “I don’t just throw them in the back of my car, so there is a cost for the refrigerated van and the gas.”

On Monday, Levy-De Maria’s assistant was arranging a birthday bouquet for a husband to give to his wife. “It’s called a rainbow bouquet,” Levy-De Maria said. “It’s strawberries dipped in white chocolate and some that are plain.”

Another work in progress was destined for a couple’s 40th wedding anniversary. “Rather than doing pineapple daisies, we’re doing pineapples in the shape of hearts. We also offer a lot of flexibility for the holidays,” Levy-De Maria said, showing a picture of a bouquet with pineapples in the shape of the Star of David. The store offers a choice of white, dark or milk chocolate.

“I have to brag about our chocolate,” Levy-De Maria said. “It is one of the country’s oldest American chocolate companies still owned by the original family, Guittard Chocolate. It’s tempered, and it’s on the same level as Godiva.”

Tempered means carefully melted and cooled rather than just using a double boiler to melt the chocolate as a person might do at home, in order to preserve its structure and consistency.

“When it’s tempered, it’s considered ready to be dipped,” Levy-De Maria said. “When I

dip the strawberry in, almost immediately it dries and can be eaten. Chocolate is very temperamental, no pun intended, because if you don’t do it properly, your chocolate won’t dry.”

Levy-De Maria describes Guittard Chocolate as fine, smooth and not overpowering like a candy bar chocolate. “It’s a French recipe, and I think that really sets us apart,” she said.

In the process of becoming kosher certified, Levy-De Maria said she has learned a lot about the process, although she was married several years to a Jewish man and made many trips to Israel.

“Although I thought I already knew a lot, I learned that everything has to be kosher,” LevyDe Maria said. “You can’t split the business up and say this will be kosher and this will not. It’s all or nothing, and that way an observant Jewish person can come in and have a kosher smoothie or have a kosher Italian gelato and still be following all the religious rules. I’m glad to be able to offer this service, because it’s something that sets me apart.”

The shop offers a variety of other temptations including chocolate-dipped honey wheat pretzels and Frogurt frozen yogurt. “It comes in either nonfat or low fat, but it really tastes like a soft-serve ice cream,” LevyDe Maria said. “I’ve set myself up to offer something to anyone who would walk through the door, from ice cream or frozen yogurt for the health conscious, to the gelato; I’m educating a lot of people about gelato. It’s different than the American ice cream.”

The shop offers parfaits made with Frogurt with up to three different toppings for $5.95, natural fruit smoothies in three different sizes from $4.49 to $6.49, coffee Frapplosions for the coffee lover from $4.49 to $4.99, fruit sundaes from $1.99 to $4.99 and fruit shakes served with a straw from $4.49 to $6.49.

Levy-De Maria said her restaurateur parents, who died 17 days apart two years ago, are her inspiration. They owned and ran the Chuckwagon Cafe and Junior’s Restaurant in Lake Worth, which they sold before they re-

with a couple of their creations.

tired to Tennessee. “My parents ran a successful business for over 20 years, not just restaurants, but catering as well,” said Levy-De Maria, who lives in Wellington with her husband Francesco De Maria, a teacher at Forest Glen Middle School in

Coral Springs, and two daughters, Danielle and Naomi Levy, ages 13 and 12 respectively, who attend Polo Park Middle School.

The Fresh Fruit Bouquet Company is located in the Shoppes at Andros Isle at 8983

Quigley Marketing Celebrates First Year

Quigley Marketing Group, a full-service marketing firm based in Wellington, just celebrated its first birthday.

“Starting a business is stressful enough. Factor in a challenged economy, it becomes twice as hard,” Quigley Marketing Group President Sandi Quigley said. “We consider ourselves very lucky to be able to do what we love everyday and are so proud to be celebrating our first birthday.”

Quigley Marketing Group offers a one-stop shop for marketing, printing, advertising, trade show and promotional items.

“We are an extension of your department without the overhead,” Quigley said. “Our cli-

ents have saved thousands of dollars per month by outsourcing their projects to us. If this concept was available when I was the client, my days would have been much more productive and my department would have been a lot leaner.”

Quigley Marketing Group prides itself on molding its service to fit the clients’ needs, especially as those needs change day to day. “Every company and industry is unique,” Quigley said. “We are continuously striving to provide programs to stretch each dollar to the fullest extent while maximizing the most return for each one of our clients such as our Q-Cash program, where our clients earn credit for products and services

they already use and need in their everyday business, credits to use when the unexpected arises so they don’t have to spend extra money out of an already tight budget.”

Quigley Marketing Group’s client list for the first year includes many large and small companies such as Centerline Homes, Lennar Homes, CharGrillers Restaurant, Luna Property Management, Little Smiles, Kings Point Homeowners’ Association, Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Dooleymack Constructors and Wellington Christian School. For more information on Quigley Marketing Group, visit www.quigleymarketinggroup. com or call (561) 313-1119.

Keeping Kosher — Fresh Fruit Bouquet Company co-owner Kim Levy-De Maria and assistant Ave Vaziriyan-Sani

PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

Dr. Fred Faragalla Now On Staff At Palm Beach Equine Clinic

Wellington’s Palm Beach Equine Clinic recently announced that Dr. Fred Faragalla has joined its staff.

With more than 17 years of specializing in equine dentistry, Dr. Faragalla will supervise the dentistry aspect of the clinic. The dental service utilizes state-of-the-art custom hand and pneumatic instrumentation, featuring no electricity, no heat production and reduced noise.

Dr. Faragalla’s service provides comprehensive dental

examinations, corrective sedation dentistry, in-house imaging and surgical consultations when indicated. Comprehensive professional dental care affords oral comfort to the equine patient, according to Dr. Faragalla. Oral comfort promotes good mastication, which enhances digestion and maximizes feed utilization. It also contributes to bit and bridle comfort, responsiveness and harmony.

Dr. Faragalla is well known throughout the industry, having published unique cases in

professional journals and horse-oriented newspapers and magazines, as well as having presented his work in veterinary conventions.

All horses require regular veterinary dental care due to the anatomy of the teeth, associated bony structures and normal wear. Abnormal and often correctable dental conditions are very common in horses.

“Dr. Faragalla joining the clinic is another step in providing complete service to our clients,” Palm Beach Equine Clinic President Dr. Scott

Swerdlin said. “Equine dentistry is an integral part of keeping a horse in shape, whether it’s your pet or a highperformance athlete.”

Palm Beach Equine Clinic features 19 veterinarians and a support staff of more than 40 who provide thorough lameness examinations, pre-purchase evaluations, internal medicine workups, 24-hour emergency coverage, intensive care and complete surgical services.

Located at 13125 Southfields Road in Wellington,

Palm Beach Equine Clinic is also a large referral facility, receiving cases from South Florida’s racetracks for orthopedic surgery, nuclear scintigraphy, advanced lameness diagnosis and complex medical cases.

Palm Beach Equine Clinic also offers cutting-edge diagnostic imaging to their patients, including digital radiography and ultrasonography.

For more information about Palm Beach Equine Clinic, visit the clinic’s web site at www.equineclinic.com or call (561) 793-1599.

International Laminitis Conference Joins Phelps Media Group

Phelps Media Group International recently announced that the International Laminitis Conference has joined the firm’s roster of equine industry clients. Phelps Media Group is an equine public relations firm based in Wellington.

The goals of the International Laminitis Conference (ILC) are the better understanding, prevention and treatment of laminitis and other diseases of the equine foot.

Next year, the ILC will present its Fifth International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot on Nov. 6-8, 2009 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach.

Dr. James Orsini is the director of the International

Laminitis Conference as well as a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania and associate professor of surgery in the School of Veterinary Medicine.

“We have had four conferences to date, and each one draws attendees from across the United States and internationally,” Dr. Orsini said. “Our goal is to coordinate the efforts of many in the field of veterinary medicine and supporting professions to unlock the mystery of laminitis and other equine foot problems. The conference is the cornerstone and provides the most current educational and research information on equine foot problems.”

Each year, Dr. Orsini works with an organizing committee

composed of the world’s experts and visionaries on laminitis to create an innovative, educational and entertaining program for conference attendees. The program is geared toward equine veterinarians, farriers, owners, managers, trainers, breeders and horse enthusiasts. The format includes scientific and practical tracks with topical sessions followed by small group practical workshops providing information that attendees can incorporate into their daily routines. At the 2007 conference, 35 presenters including renowned veterinarians, farriers and research doctors from 15 states and four foreign nations led the program sessions. The conference also features top exhibitors presenting valu-

Riverside Bank Highlights Its Stability

The FDIC-insured Riverside Bank is reassuring bank customers that while financial woes plague Wall Street, the safest place for your money is still the bank.

“Riverside Bank is well prepared to ride out the economic storm,” Riverside Bank’s Palm Beach County President Jeff Atwater explained. “And our customers should know that their deposits are safe. No customer has ever lost a penny of federally insured deposits.”

To help customers understand the strength of the banking industry, consider the following facts:

• Banks are equipped to handle economic shifts — Banks have significant capital, or a rainy-day fund, on reserve for tough economic times. This is a bank’s first line of defense to cover any losses. Riverside Bank meets all of the regulatory requirements of a well-capitalized bank.

• No customer has ever lost a penny in insured deposits — The FDIC protects consumers from losing their money. Even better, the agency has temporarily raised its coverage amount from $100,000 to $250,000 per depositor through Dec. 31, 2009. There

are legal and safe ways to get even more FDIC coverage depending on how you set up your accounts. Ask a banker at an FDIC-insured bank how. Riverside Bank can provide FDIC coverage up to $50 million due to its membership in a network called Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service, or CDARS. Contact a Riverside representative for details.

• The majority of banks are healthy — Most banks have been around for decades and are likely to be around for many more. Out of 8,430 banks in the country as of this

past August, only 13 (about one-tenth of one percent) have failed this year. In the unlikely event that a bank would fail, customers would continue to have uninterrupted access to their money.

For more information on the safety and soundness of the industry or Riverside Bank, call Riverside’s Customer Care Center at (800) 741-3283.

Since 1982, Riverside Bank has been helping people along the east coast and in heartland of Florida manage their money and achieve financial goals through a hometown style of banking.

able products and services for attendees. More than 20 exhibitors were featured at the 2007 conference, including industry leaders Auburn Laboratories, Centurion Systems, Life Data Labs, Universal Medical Systems and Schering-Plough.

Generous sponsors, both corporate and individuals, support the conference, including major manufacturers of equine health products such as Merial, Purina Mills, Nutramax Laboratories and Pfizer.

At the conference, the many trailblazers, researchers, owners and caregivers who continually advance the understanding of laminitis are recognized through the presentation of five prestigious awards including the Pfizer Scientific Award for outstanding research and

scientific achievement and the Lifetime Achievement Award for the veterinarian or farrier who has dedicated his or her career to treating horses with laminitis.

Dr. Orsini encourages equine professionals and enthusiasts from all facets of the horse world to attend the 2009 International Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot in Florida. “The conference provides something for everyone, and everyone is encouraged to attend,” Dr. Orsini said. “We want to enlist the efforts of as many of the supporters of the equine industry who train, own, show, breed or just simply love horses in our vision of conquering laminitis.” For more information, visit www.laminitisconference.com.

County To Get HUD Money

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently unveiled its Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), which will provide money nationwide to address the problem of abandoned and foreclosed properties. HUD will allocate Palm Beach County $27.7 million in NSP funds to be administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development.

Eligible uses of the NSP funds include: the establishment of financing mechanisms to purchase and redevelop foreclosed homes and residential properties; the purchase and rehabilitation of abandoned or fore-

closed residential properties; the establishment of land banks for foreclosed homes; demolition of blighted structures; and the redevelopment of demolished or vacant structures.

Palm Beach County’s Commission on Affordable Housing will be sponsoring a public input workshop to discuss the Neighborhood Stabilization Program on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 11 a.m. at 3323 Belvedere Road, Building 509, West Palm Beach. Subsequently, the county’s NSP program will be developed through the direction of the Board of County Commissioners and submitted to HUD by the application deadline of Dec. 1.

Dr. James Orsini

Dr. Fred Faragalla

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