ZUCKERMAN, FUNG SEEK COURT SEAT SEE STORY, PAGE 3
FRONTIER HELPING HURRICANE VICTIMS SEE STORY, PAGE 4
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TOWN-CRIER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
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More Community Partnerships Urged At RPB Ed Board Meeting
Volume 39, Number 40 October 19 - October 25, 2018
Serving Palms West Since 1980
‘ROCKTOBERFEST’ AT THE PARK
Royal Palm Beach’s newest school principal, as well as the youngest member of the Royal Palm Beach Education Advisory Board, spoke during the board’s Monday, Oct. 15 meeting, and both had similar messages: community partnerships are crucial to education. Page 3
Lox Zoners OK Site Plan For Project With Aldi, Wawa And Chase
The Loxahatchee Groves Planning & Zoning Committee recommended approval Tuesday, Oct. 16 of a site plan for the development of an Aldi, Wawa and Chase Bank at the Groves Town Center, as well as an equestrian trail that will border the overall development. Page 7
St. Peter’s Church Hosts Movie Night, Party At Pumpkin Patch
On Saturday, Oct. 13, St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in Wellington held a movie night at the pumpkin patch. Samantha Scott, a member of St. Peter’s and the organizer of the event, was excited to see everyone having a great time. Page 7
Relay For Life Of Western Palm Beach County Holds Kickoff
The Relay for Life of Western Palm Beach County held a kickoff party on Wednesday, Oct. 10 at the Wellington Community Center. The 2019 theme is “Relay for Life: Get Your Heart in the Game.” The goal is to raise $150,000. The event will be held March 30 at the South Florida Fairgrounds. Page 17
Royal Palm Beach held its first “Rocktoberfest” event on Saturday, Oct. 13 and Sunday, Oct. 14 at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park. Replacing the village’s fall festival, “Rocktoberfest” was a two-day, fun event for families with live music, costume contests, a kids fun zone and food. Shown above are Wynter Coleman and Olivia Rada in the pumpkin patch. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
ITID Hears Feedback From Equestrians On Horse Trails
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors received community feedback in a workshop Wednesday, Oct. 17 about the condition of horse trails in The Acreage — and the consensus was that they are badly in need of care. ITID President Betty Argue said the workshop was to answer questions about the district’s equestrian trails and receive comment as to what the community would like to see improved. “I’ve been hearing some different ideas from community members, and one of the most important things in our role on the board is to hear from the community, discuss it and have a plan,” Argue said. At one point, ITID did some trail planning, which did not come
to fruition. ITID Manager Rob Robinson referred to a map that was dated 2006. “That showed four phases of equestrian trails, but it didn’t have any timing laid out,” Robinson said. Phase 1 had a trail laid out to run along Grapeview Blvd. from Orange Blvd. up to Northlake Blvd., with another segment on Cheetham Hill Blvd. Phase 2 was planned for 130th Avenue North along the east side of the M1 Canal, Grapeview Blvd. north of Northlake Blvd., as well as a small section near Hamlin Park. Phase 3 was a county project that ran along the M Canal from 110th Avenue North to Little Gator Lane to the pump station and then back east to the M2 Canal. Phase 4 was to run along 110th
Avenue North from 60th Street North to 40th Street North, and also along Banyan Blvd., zigzagging from Seminole Pratt Whitney Blvd. at 93rd Road North and along the M2 Canal to 60th Street North. ITID Engineer Jay Foy said the maps were the result of a planning committee led by former Supervisor Mike Erickson in an attempt to satisfy members of the equestrian community. “As I recall, the board never officially adopted anything to put it in the budget,” Foy said. Supervisor Ralph Bair said there were plans dating back to 1993 where a supervisor got county help on plans for horse trails that went west from West Palm Beach to Lake Okeechobee. “Nothing ever got done about See TRAILS, page 20
League Of YES Will Host Baseball Game In Wellington Oct. 27
By Chris Levy Town-Crier Staff Report The League of YES will host a showcase baseball game on Saturday, Oct. 27 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Wellington’s Village Park. The event will allow children with disabilities to experience playing the game of baseball in a safe and supportive environment. The League of YES — which stands for You Experience Success — was founded in 2015 by Kristine Fitzpatrick on Long Island in New York. Since its inception, it has grown to include more than 30 children in each of the leagues located in the New York area. The League of YES describes itself as “a baseball program for individuals with special abilities.” Players of all ages and abilities are invited to play in a showcase game, in a relaxed, judgmentfree zone. Everyone is assigned
a buddy/volunteer and everyone gets to bat each inning. Wellington resident Kris Riedell attended high school with Fitzpatrick in East Islip, N.Y. The two played softball together at East Islip High School, with Riedell playing third base and Fitzpatrick playing catcher. Riedell’s eldest son Andrew is a senior at Cardinal Newman High School, where he is a pitcher on the baseball team. In 2015, Andrew and the Wellington Colts travel baseball team held an Autism Awareness Day event to support his younger brother, Bryan, who was being bullied for having autism. Ever since the success of that event in 2015, Riedell has received encouragement from both her high school teammate Fitzpatrick and her son Andrew to start a League of YES program in South Florida. See YES LEAGUE, page 20
FASHION SHOW IN RPB
The Village of Royal Palm Beach held its 10th annual fashion show, presented by Dress Barn, on Friday, Oct. 12 at the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center. This year’s theme was “Cruise into Fashion.” There was a box lunch by Chick-fil-A served by Girl Scout Junior Troop 20093. The scouts also picked winning tickets and presented prizes. Shown here, Yvonne Sakawat receives her prize from Leah Marino. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 19 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
State Rep. Willhite Faces Off Capitol Carpet Sign Against Laurel Bennett, Again Request Concerns Wellington Board
Broncos Withstand Late Sem Ridge Rally For Sixth-Straight Win
The Palm Beach Central High School football team weathered two storms, an early rain delay and a late surge by Seminole Ridge High School to win their sixth-straight game of the season 27-14 on Friday, Oct. 12. Page 23 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 19 LETTERS.................................. 4 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 7 PEOPLE................................... 8 SCHOOLS................................ 9 COLUMNS............................. 18 CALENDAR............................ 20 BUSINESS............................. 21 SPORTS..........................23 - 24 CLASSIFIEDS................ 25 - 26 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
By M. Dennis Taylor Town-Crier Staff Report State Rep. Matt Willhite (DDistrict 86) is seeking re-election during the Tuesday, Nov. 6 general election against Royal Palm Beach businesswoman Laurel Bennett, the same opponent he defeated to win the seat in 2016. Willhite, a Democrat who previously served two terms on the Wellington Village Council, took 57.6 percent of the vote in 2016 to defeat Bennett, the Republican nominee, who garnered 42.4 percent of the vote. District 86 includes much of the western communities, including all of Wellington, Royal Palm Beach and Loxahatchee Groves, and several areas further east. The seat trends Democratic and was held by former State House Minority Leader Mark Pafford before Willhite won the seat two years ago. The Town-Crier reached out to Willhite and Bennett, asking them to consider what they wanted voters to know about them and their stand on the issues in the final days
before the election, and to address their remarks directly to the voters. MATT WILLHITE
Willhite is finishing up his freshman term in Tallahassee. “It has been my greatest honor to represent our community as your state representative,” he said. “As a former corpsman in the U.S. Navy, a Wellington councilman and a 22-year veteran of Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, I have been proud to dedicate my life to public service, and I thank you for that opportunity.” Willhite then shared his priorities for the next two years, including supporting and achieving quality in public schools. “Our children are our greatest asset and our future leaders,” he said. “As a product of public schools and a father of two in our public-school system, I believe investing in education is the single greatest investment for our future. I’m proud to have the support of Palm Beach County and Florida teachers, and I will never stop
fighting for the world-class education that our students deserve.” Willhite said that he has also been fighting for senior citizens. “All around Florida, but particularly here in Palm Beach County, issues facing senior and retired citizens have been in the spotlight,” Willhite said. “That’s why I’ve worked hard to be a champion for our seniors, advocating to expand alternative care programs, secure additional funds for Medicare and lower the cost of prescription drugs.” Focusing on public safety is another big issue for Willhite. “As an elected official, I’ve dedicated my career to ensuring that our police, firefighters and nurses have all the resources they need to protect our community and keep themselves healthy,” he said. “This past session, the state passed my bill that ensures that our first responders receive the treatment and benefits they deserve for illnesses developed in the line of duty.” Willhite added that he has proSee DISTRICT 86, page 20
By Chris Levy Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington’s Architectural Review Board met on Wednesday, Oct. 17 to discuss signage issues at several proposed commercial developments, as well as a trio of houses requesting paint colors not currently on the village’s approved color charts. The Shoppes at Isla Verde on State Road 7 was the subject of two agenda items before the board. The first involved Capitol Carpet & Tile and Window Fashions that is currently in negotiations to move into the former Sports Authority site. When the Sports Authority vacated its bay, it was redeveloped into three smaller bays, one of which will be taken by Sprouts, an organic grocery store. Capitol Carpet would occupy the 5,000-square-foot end bay, but only if their signage and modifications are approved. Staff recommended a sign with
a height of 37 inches, but Capitol Carpet requested a sign with a height of 51 inches — well larger than both the size recommended by village staff and the smaller 24-inch sign prescribed by the village code. Lou Morano, president of Capitol Carpet, was on hand to plead his case. He argued that he needed a larger sign because he had expanded his company’s name to include “Window Fashions,” which meant he needed two lines of text. “When we added ‘Window Fashions’ to our signs in Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Palm Beach Gardens, window fashions became 20 percent of our business,” Morano said. “In our stores without the signage, it’s only five percent of our business.” Morano went on to explain that because the location would be 525 feet back from SR 7 and behind the CVS Pharmacy, it would be difficult to see. “It’s a dead spot,” See ARB MEETING, page 4
Wellington Opens Senior Room At Community Center
By Chris Levy Town-Crier Staff Report On Monday, Oct. 15, the Village of Wellington held a grand opening event for the new senior room at the Wellington Community Center. The room is located on the first floor of the building in the Polo Conference Room and offers spacious seating, games, coffee, tea and a spectacular view of Lake Wellington. At the event were Village Manager Paul Schofield, staff from the Community Services and Parks & Recreation departments, members of the Wellington Seniors Club and former Wellington Mayor Tom Wenham. An array of donuts was provided courtesy of Wellington Regional Medical Center.
“I had to wait until I aged into it,” Schofield quipped prior to the ceremonial ribbon cutting after being asked why it took so long for Wellington to get a dedicated senior venue. Howard Trager, president of the Wellington Seniors Club, was on hand to cut the ribbon. “It’s a start,” Trager said. “The room is charming, functional, welcoming, warm and hospitable. It was met with great anticipation. The more it’s used, the greater it will grow.” “I hope it gets so much use that we have to expand it,” Schofield added. Wenham also participated in the ribbon cutting. “This is a great place for seniors
to come and meet on a day-today basis and make friendships,” Wenham said. “It’s a great place — great for the community. I hope it grows extensively.” Both Trager and Wenham are United States Air Force veterans, with Wenham serving during the Korean War and Trager serving in the Vietnam War. “There are more than 8,000 seniors in Wellington,” Trager said. “The seniors club is at 780 members and growing. It’s time the seniors had a place of their own.” He thanked Community Services Director Paulette Edwards and Community Services Specialist Jenifer Brito for making it happen. Following introductory stateSee SENIOR ROOM, page 7
Wellington Seniors Club President Howard Trager and former Wellington Mayor Tom Wenham with Community Services Specialist Jenifer Brito prior to the ribbon cutting of the senior room.
PHOTO BY CHRIS LEVY/TOWN-CRIER