Town-Crier Newspaper October 1, 2010

ST. RITA CHURCH HOSTS FESTIVAL

County Referendum Lets Voters Enshrine Ethics Rules In Charter

‘Pink Champagne’ At Brighton Collectibles

Members of Your Bosom Buddies II took part in a “pink champagne” fundraiser Tuesday, Sept. 28 to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month at Brighton Collectibles in the Mall at Wellington Green. Page 18

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Palm Beach County will ask voters in November if they want to change the county charter to require it to take the steps it has already taken to re-establish trust in government after a slew of county officials have found themselves on the wrong side of the law.

The yes-no question is worded as follows: “Shall the Palm Beach County Charter be amended to require the Board of County Commissioners to establish by ordinances applicable to Palm Beach County and all municipalities approving this amendment: a code of ethics, an independent commission on ethics funded by the county commission, and an independent inspector general funded by the county commission and all other governmental entities subject to the authority of the inspector general?”

If voters approve, the Palm Beach County Commission would be prevented from doing away with the ethics initiatives and the

inspector general without approval from residents. Further, municipalities and other governmental agencies could be brought under the ordinance as well.

“Once the referendum is voted on, if it passes, then the county commission cannot remove the offices of inspector general or the commission on ethics without voter approval,” Commission on Ethics Executive Director Alan Johnson explained. “That is the underlying reason why it’s on the ballot, so this becomes the will of the people and not just an ordinance.”

Furthermore, any municipality where residents vote a majority in favor of the referendum automatically places that local government under the purview of the countywide ethics rules.

Boynton Beach and Lantana already have adopted ordinances voluntarily submitting to the policies of the commission on ethics, Johnson said. Both of those municipalities approved interlocal agreements to come under the ethics jurisdiction. The agreements

will be ratified by the county commission in October.

“I’ll go out and train their employees and they will be under our jurisdiction at that point,” Johnson said.

A similar training process will likely take place in municipalities that join the program by referendum.

Ordinances covering the code of ethics, the commission on ethics and the inspector general will require minor revisions to be made applicable to the respective municipalities if voters approve the question, Johnson said. “There are logistical problems that need to be resolved,” he said.

A committee, called the Initial Drafting Ordinance Committee, will be created that will include representatives from the Palm Beach County League of Cities, the county, and either Johnson or Inspector General Sheryl Steckler, depending on the ordinance under consideration.

“The committee will adopt an ordinance that will be countywide,

See ETHICS, page 18

Wellington Council Members Question Insurance Bid Process

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

Page

The Wellington Village Council awarded a contract for property, casualty and workers’ compensation insurance Monday to the Florida Municipal Insurance Trust despite concerns about its policy coming at a higher cost.

Although the item was originally on the consent agenda, Vice Mayor Matt Willhite asked it be removed due to concerns of cost.

“Every time staff has come before us and made a recommendation after putting out a request for proposals, it has typically been for the lowest bidder,” he said. “And here, we’re not seeing that.”

Willhite also worried that the current policy is expiring Sept. 30, giving council little room to decide on the issue.

Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Carmine

Priore noted that often insurance policies are negotiated down to deadline for the best deal for both parties.

“In this particular case, these negotiations have been going on, and I don’t think that there was an attempt in any way to bring this for a decision at the last minute,” he said.

The village put out a request for insurance coverage quotes on Aug. 5. The village received proposals from the Florida League of Cities’ Florida Municipal Insurance Trust (FMIT) and Public Risk Insurance Agency’s Preferred Governmental Insurance Trust (PRIA).

Based on pricing, services and coverage, village staff awarded the contract to FMIT, Director of Financial Management & Budget Mireya McIlveen said.

McIlveen noted that FMIT’s policy is approximately $18,000 higher, but it includes different coverage than that of PRIA. “The two policies aren’t exact,” she said. “There are a couple of smaller things in terms of deductibles, in terms of different kinds of coverage. You can’t just go by saying, ‘Hey, it’s $18,000.’ They’re not exactly the same policies.” Additionally, she noted that part of that $18,000 included two policies that PRIA did not submit a quote for: the conditional liability policy and a storage tank policy, which combined account for approximately $13,500 of the difference. “If you’re just talking about actual coverage, between the two policies it’s about a $5,000 difference,” McIlveen said. She also noted that FMIT has

See INSURANCE, page 18

“I believe that the 4.75 millage is necessary so we will not have to cut back on all these things like environmental protection, manatee protection and many other things,” Aaronson said. “But the fact is, Mr. Weisman did prepare a sheet for us, which shows that we can reduce it $4 million. That would be a suggestion. If we could get the county commission to agree on this today, to bring it down to that point, maybe we could put this to bed.” Weisman said reducing the budget another $4 million would save property owners $6.11 each based on a $191,000 property value, which Aaronson said he felt was

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

Wellington voters will get the chance to decide the fate of future Wellington elections by voting on four proposed charter amendments Nov. 2. Voters will decide whether to increase the mayor’s term from two to four years and whether to eliminate runoff elections under certain circumstances. Voters will also be asked to clarify term limit provisions and whether to expand the amount of time allowed for vacancies in the mayor’s office.

The four questions, as they will appear on the ballot, are as follows:

1. Term Of Office For Mayor — “Shall Wellington’s municipal charter be amended to provide that the mayor shall be elected to a four-year term, thus making the mayor’s term equal in length to that of the other council members and providing the four-year term would begin with the election of the mayor during the 2012 municipal elections?”

2. Clarification Of Term Limit Provisions — “Shall Wellington’s municipal charter be amended to clarify that the prohibition against serving more than two consecutive terms of office should not include time in office spent as a result of a mayor or a council member having either been appointed to or elected to a partial term to fill a vacancy that existed in the office of mayor or council member?”

3. Elimination Of Runoff Elections — “Shall Wellington’s municipal charter be amended to provide that runoff elections shall not be necessary if the candidate with the highest number of votes for any office during the first election gets 35 percent or more of the votes cast for that office?”

4. Filling A Vacancy In The Mayor’s Office — “Shall Wellington’s municipal charter be amended to provide that in the event of a vacancy in the office of mayor, the vice mayor may serve as the mayor for up to 180 days and that if there is more than 180 days remaining in the term of the mayor, then a special election shall be held in 90 to 180 days to fill such a vacancy?”

MAYOR’S TERM

Currently, the mayor serves a two-year term and may serve up to eight years total — four two-

year terms. The first ballot measure would change a mayor’s term to two four-year terms instead. Council members believe that the change would create a more stable government with the majority of seats up for election every four years instead of every two. The change would go into effect for the 2012 election.

“Originally, when the village was set up, the village decided to go with four-year terms rather than two years because they wanted stability with regard to the people in office,” Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz said. “When Wellington changed from a selected mayor to an elected mayor, they cut the mayor’s term to two years.”

Because of this, Kurtz said, each election year, three out of five officials must focus on their campaign from late December through March.

“I think that this council felt it was worth going back out to the electorate and letting them decide that issue,” he said. “The electorate wasn’t given a choice whether to modify the terms before that.”

Mayor Darell Bowen would not get a longer term if he chose to run again and won, Kurtz noted, because he would serve two twoyear terms followed by one fouryear term.

TERM LIMITS

Another election issue that the village has struggled with is whether appointed time on the council counts toward the eightyear term limit. The charter is not specific on the point. If a council member steps down for any reason short of his or her four years in office, the council must appoint a replacement. An appointed council member could serve several years before facing the electorate. In the second ballot question, the village will ask voters to decide whether that time as an appointed member should count toward that council member’s term limit. There’s no clear answer on whether it counts, Kurtz said. “There’s no case law out there that directs you one way or another,” he said.

Previously, the council has relied on the opinion of the village attorney on a case-by-case basis, but that does not count as law,

insignificant to taxpayers.

“Do we want to cut down these programs to save the owner of a $191,000 home six dollars and change, or do you want to keep it at 4.75 and still be able to give all of these

as one method of cutting the budget and rolling more money into private hands. Commissioner Priscilla Taylor said she did not favor cutting the rate further. “Do we really want to cut out jobs, roads and bridges, which means anything can hapSee BUDGET, page 18

The Acreage/Loxahatchee Relay for Life held its early bird kickoff Sunday, Sept. 26 at Acreage Community Park. Teams who signed up early joined together for food provided by Red’s

Rachel, Meagan and Nicole Hage sell “Hope” buttons.Donna Wilson and Cathy Spring run the luminaria booth.Debbie and Hannah Johnson with Donna Turpin.

The Frontier Elementary School team sells drinks to raise cash.

The team leaders gather in the pavilion.

Regina Rudnick, Kerry Bieterman, Sharon Brower and Anne Deeds represent Pierce Hammock Elementary School.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

School District Seeks Voter OK To Continue

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The School District of Palm Beach County will ask voters next month to allow it to continue levying an extra quarter-mill property tax for four years to help pay teachers as well as arts, music, physical education, career and academic programs.

The yes-no question will be on the Nov. 2 ballot for voters countywide. The money brought in from the special tax would have oversight by an independent finance committee of citizens and experts, according to the ballot question.

The money would be used to replace federal stimulus funds that were used the past two years to supplement the school budget. Those federal dollars will not be available next year, School District CFO Michael Burke said.

In recent years, the State Legislature allowed the school district a 2-mill levy for capital expenses, Burke said. In fiscal year 2009, the legislature reduced it to 1.75 mills.

“In 2010, they reduced it again to 1.5 mills, but they gave local school boards the authority to continue to levy .25 mills for critical needs, and they could be either critical capital needs or critical operating needs,” Burke said.

The tax is equivalent to 25 cents per thousand dollars of home value. For a home with a taxable value of $100,000, the homeowner would be taxed $25 a year due to

the special levy. “What the legislature did was put the burden on the school district if they were going to choose to continue that levy,” Burke said. “They could do it as a board by a supermajority vote for two years, which our board has done.”

In fiscal year 2010, the board levied it for critical capital needs such as building new schools or purchasing computers, but in the current year’s budget, it was designated for critical operating needs such as teachers’ salaries and dayto-day operations, Burke said.

The estimated $32 million a year paid for about 500 teachers of art, music, physical education and other non-core classes.

“If the school board is going to continue that beyond FY 2011, the board can’t do it alone,” Burke said. “They have to get voter approval to continue it beyond that point, so the board approved a referendum that would ask the voters to extend this levy for four years from FY 2012 to FY 2015.”

Burke said the money would be important because the federal money from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act will no longer be available in the next budget year.

“In our current budget, we’ve got $92 million in federal stimulus funds that we know will not be available next year, so it just becomes that much more critical that we keep these local dollars for our school programs,” he said.

ITID Asks County For Stabilization Money

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Under a program designed to fight foreclosure blight, the Indian Trail Improvement District has applied to Palm Beach County for federal neighborhood stabilization money for sidewalk improvements and the expansion of Acreage Community Park.

However, a letter from County Commissioner Jess Santamaria dated Sept. 28 stated that the federal Department of Housing & Urban Development said the money must be used by local governments to acquire, redevelop or demolish foreclosed properties in an attempt to reverse the effects of foreclosures on their surrounding neighborhoods.

Although the initial response from the county was not promising, ITID officials say they remain optimistic that they might qualify for money in the future.

“According to the letter the county sent, it doesn’t fall under these criteria,” Supervisor Carlos Enriquez said. “I don’t think it’s the end of story. I feel the stabilization money can be used for what it’s intended, such as further damage from foreclosure. That money can still be used for stabilization of homes, anything to avoid blight or damage that these foreclosed homes are causing.”

The ITID Board of Supervisors has been discussing the neighborhood stabilization money since its Sept. 8 meeting when it agreed to have a letter sent to the county requesting some of the money to help neighborhoods hit hardest by foreclosures.

“The Acreage continues to struggle during this difficult economic time,” a letter to the county

from ITID Board of Supervisors President Michelle Damone stated. “The Acreage’s recovery has been even more challenging due to negative information disseminated over the course of past months,” she wrote, referencing the community’s “cancer cluster” designation.

Damone’s letter pointed out that as a special district, ITID does not have authority to carry out the type of project outlined in the grant.

“Accordingly, we trust the Board of County Commissioners will share the district’s concerns and bring due attention to this matter and assist in facilitating the allocation of neighborhood stabilization funds for Acreage foreclosed properties,” she wrote.

An accompanying letter from ITID Administrator Tanya Quickel asked specifically for assistance to pave a sidewalk along Hamlin Blvd. from 180th to 190th Avenue to connect existing sidewalks that provide access for school children en route to Osceola Creek Middle School and Frontier Elementary School.

The letter from Santamaria stated that county staff is waiting for HUD officials to publish specific program guidelines, which are expected soon.

Quickel said supervisors have asked for Santamaria’s assistance for subsequent grant rounds when the guidelines come out.

“The original distribution was for just what it said, first and second mortgage relief and assistance to homeowners, and that’s certainly a qualifying situation in The Acreage as well, so we appreciate consideration if that’s how their guidelines are going to be on the second round as well,” she said.

ITID Gets Approvals To Draw Down Water

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

With the impending threat of Tropical Storm Nicole, the Indian Trial Improvement District got special permission this week to drain canals for 24 hours before the storm blew through.

The district also got cooperation it was seeking from the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area, when officials dropped the water level in the natural area northeast of The Acreage to prevent added pressure on a berm that separates it from homes in The Acreage.

“We have worked with Corbett in the last 24 hours and the South Florida Water Management District to discharge appropriately so the high level of water over there doesn’t breach the berm,” ITID President Michelle Damone told the Town-Crier on Tuesday. “They have kindly worked with our administrative staff in discharging appropriately.”

Water has breached berms in that area during heavy rains in the past. The SFWMD is the regulating agency for water levels in the area. “They gave us permission to discharge 24 hours prior to the

storm,” Damone said. “Corbett this time actually worked with us to reduce their water levels, because their water levels exceeded the allowable levels. We were concerned that if Tropical Storm Nicole turned out to be more of a rainstorm, we do not want to cause any breach of the berm that, in essence, causes flooding.”

On Wednesday morning, Administrator Tanya Quickel told the Town-Crier she anticipated that the district would get through the storm in good shape.

“We’ve been at our wet season lower levels for quite some time, as we’re supposed to be,” Quickel said. “We were in good shape going into this yesterday. We participated in a conference call with the South Florida Water Management District, and so far we’re in good shape with everything. It looks like this portion of the county is in good shape for the remainder of the event.”

The district is normally allowed to discharge a quarter inch of water per day, but the SFWMD allowed a large draw down in anticipation of the storm, Damone said.

TOWN-CRIER ENDORSEMENTS

Approve County Ethics Referendum; Support Extra School Tax; Approve All Wellington Questions Except Eliminating Runoffs

Election Day is only a month away, and Palm Beach County voters will have plenty of decisions to make when they enter the polls, which will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 2 for the general election. Over the next several weeks, the Town-Crier will offer opinions on some of the items voters will find on the ballot, starting with the following local referenda:

COUNTY ETHICS REFERENDUM — The Palm Beach County Commission recently approved an ordinance creating rigorous ethics rules and an independent office of the inspector general. Now voters are being asked to enshrine these changes into the county charter. This will make it impossible for a future county commission to undo the changes and, depending upon how individual communities vote, it could extend the reach of these new anti-corruption rules into municipalities and other governing agencies. The ultimate goal, of course, is to weed out corruption at every level. It’s an idea that is long past due, and it’s Palm Beach County’s best hope for making the pejorative “Corruption County” moniker a thing of the past. The Town-Crier strongly recommends a YES vote on the county referendum regarding ethics reform and the inspector general.

SCHOOL DISTRICT TAX REFERENDUM — This referendum would allow the School District of Palm Beach County to continue levying an extra .25-mill property tax to help prevent cuts to “non-core” classes such as arts, music and physical education, as well as career and academic programs, and those who teach them. The school district has been fortunate to get through the economic downturn without massive layoffs or cuts to extracurricular programs and arts education. It’s important to the future of the county to improve the school district and have teachers who are paid well, and there needs to be a balance between keeping taxes low and providing the necessary services. The public school system is one of the core services provided by government. That is why we are in favor of this funding in order to make it easier for the district to make it through these difficult years without harmful cuts to key programs. The Town-Crier recommends a YES vote on the school district tax referendum.

WELLINGTON BALLOT QUESTIONS

When Wellington voters go to the polls, they will be asked to make decisions on four amendments to the village’s charter, all having to do with how the village carries out its elections.

1. MAYORAL TERMS — The first amendment up for vote is to change the mayor’s term in office from two years to four years, bringing the mayor in line with the other council

Don’t Listen

To Tea Party

Misinformation

Americans who support Tea Party Republican candidates like Allen West and Sharon Angle, and pundits like Sarah Palin, seem unaware that a majority of potential voters are appalled at the campaign references to violence as a “remedy” to their political differences with progressives and/or our government. However, if Democrats and independents sit home on Nov. 2, Tea Party extremists will be allowed to pursue their agenda of eliminating Social Security, Medicare, the departments of education and energy, the EPA and a repeal of healthcare reform (which, since a public option is not included in the law, is really just a law that prevents insurance companies from raping and pillaging its customers), shutting down the government and reversing all progress.

Our corporate-owned media has spent much of the past year reporting on Tea Party rallies instead of educating the public on the benefits of the healthcare law; correcting misinformation regarding the cost of the healthcare law (unless you own a tanning salon, taxes related to healthcare reform will not increase and, in fact, according to the Congressional Bud-

get Office, it will reduce the deficit); or even explain that the stimulus bill created or saved two million jobs. They have neglected to tell us that the auto company bailout was necessary to save one of our nation’s few remaining crucial industries and hundreds of thousands of auto-related jobs, or that the Cash for Clunkers and firsttime homebuyers programs were very successful. The media hasn’t said a word about the fact that this president has reduced the deficit by 8 percent since taking office or that the trickle-down economics of the Bush years (tax cuts for the wealthy) only created 3.5 million jobs during the Republican era, while the Clinton administration raised taxes on the wealthy and created 22 million jobs. The fact is that the media is infatuated with anyone who is confrontational, salacious or anti-government, which requires voters to dig deeper than the headlines. Those of us who are concerned about the dangerously extreme Tea Party agenda need to get to the polls, because if we do not show up, the profoundly uninformed, misinformed and genuine crackpots will enthusiastically vote against their own best interests, and the best interests of the American middle class.

Gwynne Chesher Wellington

members, who serve four-year terms. Voters who want to reserve the ability to more quickly change the village’s direction will likely vote no. However, making this change will lead to more stable leadership for Wellington and give the mayor a guaranteed four-year window to make good on his or her promises, as well as focus on the issues at hand without the distraction of continually campaigning for re-election. Since Wellington’s mayor is no more powerful than the other council members, it makes no sense to hold the job to different electoral standards. The Town-Crier recommends a YES vote on the Wellington ballot question regarding mayoral terms.

2. TERM LIMIT CLARIFICATION — Wellington voters will also be asked to clarify exactly how a council member’s eight-year term limit should be counted when it includes a partial term via appointment. The current charter is not clear on the issue. This change would start the term limit clock after an appointed council member faces the electorate. This clarification is largely how Wellington has handled the issue in the past, but the referendum will put the village on solid legal footing should an election ever be challenged. The Town-Crier recommends a YES vote on the Wellington ballot question clarifying term limits.

3. ELIMINATION OF RUNOFF ELECTIONS — This amendment would allow a candidate in a race with three or more contenders to win with 35 percent of the vote, rather than the 50 percent currently required. While we understand that elections cost money, and turnout is often low on runoff elections, government’s authority is based upon legitimacy. A candidate who can claim a majority has a mandate to govern. Wellington’s runoff system has served the community well. Changing it would be a mistake. The Town-Crier strongly recommends a NO vote on the Wellington ballot question eliminating runoff elections.

4. MAYORAL VACANCIES — Also on the ballot is an amendment allowing for more time to hold a special election when the mayor’s seat becomes vacant due to a resignation or an incapacitation. Currently, a new mayor must be elected within 90 days. However, often that is not enough time to plan, run and decide an election. Doubling the amount of time to 180 days gives the village more time to prepare and run the election, as well as giving candidates more time to campaign. Moreover, the village has the potential to save money because there will be more of a likelihood the special election could be set alongside a regularly scheduled county vote. The Town-Crier recommends a YES vote on the Wellington ballot question regarding mayoral vacancies.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Some Shopping Is Needed In The Area

Editor’s note: The following is in response to Bill Louda’s letter “Attend The Meeting On B Road Projects” published last week. After reading Bill Louda’s letter about commercial property, I first want to commend him for his civic duty and his informative knowledge of the area. He obviously cares deeply about the groves. That said, I disagree with his assessment about commercial property on Southern [Blvd.] and Seminole [Pratt Whitney Road] as well as some other commercial property ideologies.

First, I have lived in Loxahatchee for over five years now and have a profound love-hate relationship. I love the peace and quiet, yet hate the distance that I must travel to purchase items and to see civilization. These lots in The Acreage are already zoned for one house per acre, and all the building in the world is not going to change that.

The issue about rezoning from my understanding is about the orange groves and farther north where Scripps was supposed to be built. The groves issue has already been settled. So building a large piece of commercial property on the Sluggett property, in my opin-

ion, is not going to cause any more traffic into Loxahatchee. Royal Palm Beach residents are not going to come here. Belle Glade’s residents, if they come (big if), will travel down to the location and back home; they aren’t going to start driving through The Acreage. So that leaves local residents patronizing these centers. Change is always a double-edged sword, and you have to take the good with the bad. We do live in Palm Beach County, and we have to realize that these areas are going to get developed. Controlled development is always the way to go, but it always seems that nobody around this area wants any commercial property being built, which leads me to wonder who are all these people. It seems the people I talk to want the commercial property, but are too busy working to get involved with local events, and feel that their voice doesn’t count. That said, I would like to see an honest assessment of the pros and cons about commercial property being developed and a true account for what the people in Loxahatchee/ The Acreage would like.

Mirla Sanchez The Acreage

President Must Choose His Words Better

Words have meaning, and the President of the United States should use words carefully. He often does not. In his press conference on Sept. 10 he said, “With respect to the mosque in New York, I think I’ve been pretty clear on my position here, and that is, is that this country stands for the proposition that all men and women are created equal; that they have certain inalienable rights — one of those inalienable rights is to practice their religion freely. And what that means is that if you could build a church on a site, you could build a synagogue on a site, if you could build a Hindu temple on a site, then you should be able to build a mosque on the site.”

First, as to his reference to the “inalienable rights,” it is quite true that the United States of America was founded on a principle involving unalienable rights. But these were not the “equal” rights that the president then went on to discuss. The unalienable rights included those to “life, liberty and the pur-

suit of happiness.” They had nothing to do with equal rights to build on property.

But that aside, it is also important that the President of the United States should not allow one side of the debate to prevail by absenting the other side. He should have added that the individual who wants to burn copies of the Quran also enjoys the right to do that, so long as he owns the copies that he burns.

Failing to address opposing sides to an issue is a common problem with the president. He is quick to claim a right to health insurance for all, but instead of recognizing the right of all citizens, even the “rich,” to the enjoyment of their earnings, he wants laws that take away those rights of the “rich” in order to pay for the rights of “all” to have health insurance. Such failure to understand that there is more than one side to an issue is typical of someone whose primary interest is in community organizing. It should not be a failing of someone who pretends to be the president of all the people. Phil Sexton Wellington

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

The Late George Blanda Was A Once-In-A-Lifetime Football Star

Footloose and...

By Jules W. Rabin

The laundry list of important accomplishments by Al Davis, the legendary owner of the Oakland Raiders, is powerful stuff. And one of this Hall of Fame (1992) gridiron great’s most defining moments came when he grabbed George Blanda off waivers for the ridiculous price of $100 in 1967. Blanda, who recently died at 83, was a once-in-a-lifetime football star. He was one of only two pro

stars to play in four decades. Blanda was a four-time league all-star, a five-time AFL all-star, a twotime All-Pro and played, mainly spectacularly, for Davis for nine seasons, finally retiring at age 48! Nobody ever played that long before or after — and nobody else ever kicked 943 extra points (out of 959 tries) either.

Blanda scored at least one point in 26 professional seasons, and no one has ever mirrored that. Blanda was an outstanding quarterback for Chicago, Baltimore and Houston before Davis “stole” him, as well as a kicker extraordinaire. In the history of pro football there have been only four quarterbacks who passed for seven touchdowns

in a game. He was one. He notched 335 field goals (out of 641 tries) and racked up 26,920 yards passing. Blanda was the first pro player to record 2,000 points as he navigated a career that had the Sporting News name him to the list of 100 greatest players ever.

Blanda’s 340-game career is a record. So is his 26 years as an active player — that’s five seasons longer than any other performer. He engineered so many late-game, winning rallies for Oakland that Davis easily named him “the greatest clutch player the game of pro football has ever known.” It was long, long overdue when Blanda, in 1981, was elected to the pro football Hall of Fame.

County Trims Committees To Fight Sunshine Law, Ethics Violations

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Palm Beach County Commission eliminated or reduced the number of members on many of its more than 90 boards and committees Tuesday to reduce potential violations of Florida’s Government-in-the-Sunshine Law and newly strengthened ethics rules. Commissioners also expressed the need to educate remaining members on the Sunshine Law and the new ethics regulations. They based their actions on legal advice that the Sunshine Law should be extended to all committees that interact with the commission. The law stipulates that no members of government boards may discuss public business outside public meetings.

Some of the boards had 35 to 50 members. Assistant County Attorney Leonard Berger, the commission’s authority on ethics and the Sunshine Law, said bloat is a recipe for Sunshine Law violations.

Some committees, Berger said, have two county commissioners among their members, which in itself could violate the law since it prohibits commissioners from discussing county business outside commission meetings. County staff members have been considering cuts in the number and membership of boards for the past year, Assistant County Administrator Brad Merriman said. “I had suggested that the commission take a look at the 90-

something boards that the county commission has created or participates [with] in some manner, with an eye toward potential reductions and/or consolidations with other boards,” Merriman said.

Berger said the Sunshine Law is simple in principle but difficult to follow. “The important part is to be mindful of the requirements in your day-to-day job,” he said. “It really does touch what you do almost every day.”

The Sunshine Law states that all meetings of public agencies where official acts take place must be open to the public.

“What courts have interpreted official acts to be has been something much more than the final vote that you take at a meeting,” Berger said. “It’s everything in the

decision-making process, and it has been extended therefore to all meetings of advisory boards and committees, even staff committees, if it has been determined that the committee has some measure of decision-making authority.”

“Authority” does not mean “final say” on an issue, Berger stressed. It includes decisions by advisory boards that the county commission overturns. “Essentially, any advisory board that you create, and any subcommittee that they create, is subject to the Sunshine Law,” he said.

Berger further noted that the law is broad. It covers any communication, including notes, e-mails, text messages, and Twitter or Facebook posts. “Any kind of twoway communication between two

members of any of these committees is subject to the Sunshine Law. It is violated if you do these kinds of things outside a public meeting,” he said.

Knowingly violating the Sunshine Law is a second-degree misdemeanor subject to a $500 fine and/or six months in jail, as well as a civil penalty of up to $500.

Agency decisions linked to a Sunshine Law violation can be rendered void, although more recently, courts have let decisions stand if the defendant(s) can show that a full airing of the decision took place.

Commission Chairman Burt Aaronson said he is concerned about the exposure of highly qualified volunteers to potential Sunshine Law violations.

“How do we get people of knowledge to sit on these boards when they are subject to a misdemeanor of a $500 fine or six months in jail?” he asked. “They are volunteering their time, and they are in jeopardy.”

Aaronson said he had asked many of the volunteers to attend the workshop so they’d understand this. “That’s why I wanted all of you here today, to let everybody know they are under the same scrutiny we are, and the only difference is we get paid for it and they don’t,” he said.

Commissioner Shelley Vana pointed out that Commission Vice Chair Karen Marcus and State Attorney Michael McAuliffe had removed themselves from the

See SUNSHINE, page 18

Jasper and Arthur Hu-Manning with Charlyne Boileau from Planet Kids II.

Jose Castaneda with his aunt Sara (left), mom Olga (right) and their dog Nikita.

T-Mobile representatives Justin Tomczuk and Anna Brows.

Schumacher client advisor Tina Mallotti lets Mike De Rosa have a seat in a 2010 Buick Lacrosse.

Pap Corps event organizers at the garage sale. Brenna Nephew, Diedre Whyte and Peter Norris of Hugs & Kisses.Vendor Maddy Smith with

Landon Carr and mom Kelly Garrett make a Halloween decoration. The Mall at Wellington Green hosted

mall’s Grand Court. Schumacher Buick and

test drive them. In addition, there

BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Suspect Escapes After PBSO Chases Stolen Car In RPB

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

SEPT. 23 — A deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in Royal Palm Beach recovered a stolen vehicle last Thursday near the intersection of Okeechobee and Royal Palm Beach boulevards. According to a PBSO report, the deputy was on patrol on Okeechobee Blvd. when he observed a silver Dodge Neon going 50 miles per hour in a 35mph zone. The deputy attempted a traffic stop, but the car made a U-turn and headed west on Okeechobee Blvd. at speeds of more than 70 miles per hour. According to the report, the deputy broke off his pursuit just past Wildcat Way, and the vehicle was seen going through the light at Ponce de Leon Street at high speeds. Minutes later, another deputy discovered the vehicle abandoned on the shoulder of the road near Royal Palm Beach Blvd. It was then discovered that the vehicle had been stolen. According to the report, the victim had seen the car in the driveway of her Royal Palm Beach home at 3 p.m., and said that her car had been stolen previously. The suspect was described as having a short haircut. A black bandana and a white brick were recovered from the vehicle.

•

• •

SEPT. 21 — A Delray Beach woman was arrested last Tuesday for shoplifting from a store in the Mall at Wellington Green. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Wellington substation responded to the store after a loss prevention officer observed 24year-old Melissa Perez conceal four watches in her purse and leave without attempting to pay for them. Perez was arrested and taken to the Palm Beach County jail where she was charged with larceny.

tion in Royal Palm Beach last Saturday evening to report a theft. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 7:21 p.m. the suspect entered the store and selected two Apple iPhone 4 phones valued at $600 each. The suspect then took off running out the east entrance. The suspect is described as approximately 20 years old with a beard, wearing a green hat, black T-shirt and black shorts. The suspect has a large teardrop tattoo near his right eye, a bull’s eye tattoo on the left side of his face and miscellaneous tattoos on his neck.

SEPT. 26 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched to a home in La Mancha last Sunday morning regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 9:30 p.m. last Saturday and 6:30 a.m. the following morning, someone stole the tailgate from the victim’s Ford F-250. The tailgate will cost approximately $800 to replace. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

SEPT. 22 — A resident of the Estates of Wellington called the PBSO substation in Wellington last Wednesday morning to report a theft. According to a PBSO report, the victim parked her car behind her apartment at approximately 10:30 p.m. last Tuesday. When she returned at 6 a.m. the following morning, she discovered her wheels had been stolen and her car was left on small concrete blocks. The stolen items were valued at approximately $2,500. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

SEPT. 23 — A resident of The Acreage called the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach last Thursday to report a delayed vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim parked his car in the parking lot of the Super Target store on Okeechobee Blvd. on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at approximately 4:30 p.m. When he returned at approximately 6 p.m. he discovered that several items, including numerous clothing items and electronics, were missing from his vehicle. The items were valued at over $15,000. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

SEPT. 25 — An employee of the AT&T Wireless store on State Road 7 called the PBSO substa-

SEPT. 26 — An employee of a pet store on Southern Blvd. called the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach last Sunday afternoon to report a theft. According to a PBSO report, a white female entered the store and ordered five exotic tropical fish valued at approximately $200, which were given to her inside a plastic bag filled with water. Surveillance video revealed that the suspect placed the bag of fish in her purse along with a bag of frozen fish food. She then approached the cash register to pay for a bag of sand. The suspect then exited the store without making any attempt to pay for the fish or the fish food. The suspect is described as a white female, approximately 5’11,” 180 lbs., with long blond hair and wearing a green blouse and jean shorts. She left the area in a black SUV headed toward Southern Blvd. SEPT. 27 — A resident of Barrington Woods of Wellington called the PBSO substation in Wellington on Monday to report an act of vandalism. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 2 a.m., the victim’s house was egged and her mailbox was hit, causing approximately $40 in damage. The victim’s house was the only one hit in the neighborhood. The victim said it was possible that some of the kids from her daughter’s high school may have done it.

SEPT. 28 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched Tuesday to the Village Place parking lot on South Shore Blvd. regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 11:17 and 11:39 a.m., someone used an unknown tool to break the victim’s rear driver’s-side window. The suspect(s) then reached in through the broken window and stole two designer handbags left on the rear seat containing miscellaneous items, including an Apple iPad. The stolen items were valued at approximately $6,400. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives: • Christopher Mills is a white male, 5’11” tall and weighing 200 lbs., with a bald head and blue eyes. His date of birth is 01/16/84. He has multiple tattoos. Mills is wanted for dealing in stolen property and false verification of ownership to a pawnbroker. His occupation is unknown. His last known addresses were Sparrow Drive in Royal Palm Beach and NW 13th Avenue in Okeechobee. Mills is wanted as of 09/ 30/10. • James Nickerson is a white male, 6’3” tall and weighing 210 lbs., with blond hair and blue eyes. His date of birth is 03/02/61. He has tattoos on both arms and on his right shoulder. Nickerson is wanted for possession of oxycodone. His occupation is painter. His last known address was Hibiscus Drive in Royal Palm Beach. Nickerson is wanted as of 09/30/10. 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.

Christopher Mills

James Nickerson

TD Bank Gets RPB Zoning OK, But Board Balks At Vehicle Signs

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval Tuesday for a TD Bank branch on a 1.1-acre site within the Target Shopping Center at Okeechobee Blvd. and State Road 7. The 3,964-square-foot bank will have a three-lane drive through.

Attorney Scott Backman representing TD Bank said the bank design would be compatible with the shopping center. “We were asked to match up with the Target center directly behind us,” Backman said.

Development Review Coordinator Kevin Erwin said the drivethrough lanes will be located away from the street and that the proposed landscaping meets or exceeds village requirements. He said village staff recommended approval of the application.

Also Tuesday, the commission-

ers, sitting as the local planning agency, recommended denial of an ordinance that would allow a 12-fold increase in the size of vehicle signs parked in residential areas.

Erwin said the change in the village sign code would allow an exception for vehicular signs in residential zoning districts to meet new criteria. “The village code currently allows a total of no more than 10 square feet per vehicle in a residentially zoned district,” Erwin said. “The proposed ordinance is going to increase the total allowable signage to no more than 120 square feet per side of the vehicle to which it is attached.”

Erwin noted that the commercial vehicle must be owned by or assigned to the resident. “You’re only going to be allowed one such vehicle, Erwin said. “If two people live in the same house and have take-home vehicles, only one will be allowed to be kept at the residence.”

Commissioner Jackie Larson noted that the Royal Palm Beach Village Council has been wrestling with the issue of commercial vehicles parked in residential areas over the last several months.

“It would appear to me this is similar in nature, with ladders, trailers and chemicals,” Larson said.

The ordinance is written to go hand in hand with regulations being developed for commercial vehicles, said Senior Planner Bradford O’Brien.

Larson said 120 square feet seemed like a big change from 10 square feet. “In theory, you’re allowing the entire back of some of these vehicles to have advertising on them,” she said.

O’Brien said it would allow 120 square feet per side. “If the vehicle is 10 feet by 12 feet, then yes this would be allowed on this vehicle within residential areas,” he said.

Larson asked if the ordinance

is applicable only in non-homeowners’ association neighborhoods, and O’Brien noted that HOAs have their own regulations, which may be more or less restrictive.

Larson asked if the HOAs allow for those types of commercial vehicles, and Commissioner Genevieve Lambiase said in her experience, HOAs do not allow any type of commercial vehicles. “HOAs are usually more strict,” Lambiase said.

Larson said she felt the ordinance would push the commercial vehicles into the few neighborhoods without HOAs.

“We do have a few,” she said. “Some of the older established neighborhoods do not have HOAs. They are completely reliant on village codes. I see this as open season on bringing all your painted-up vehicles into those neighborhoods.”

O’Brien said the council had addressed that potential problem

by requiring that the vehicle be owned by the property owner.

Larson estimated that 80 percent of the village is protected by HOAs, which would open up 20 percent of the village to relaxed sign regulations. “One van with a little bit of writing on it or one ladder parked not blocking the sidewalk, I don’t really have a problem with that, but I’m out walking in my neighborhood a lot. I go miles and miles when I walk my dogs. I have told you the number of times I have to go out in the street when these vehicles and their attached trailers are blocking the sidewalks,” she said.

Larson questioned why at a time when homeowners are trying to protect their property values, they would approve something that might reduce the value. Lambiase agreed, saying property values are why HOAs do not allow such commercial vehicles.

Commissioner Barbara Powell said she felt going from 10 square

feet to 120 square feet is too big a leap. “It seems there is something between 10 and 120 that would be tasteful,” she said. Larson made a motion to recommend denial, which was seconded by Lambiase and carried 50. In other business, the commissioners also recommended approval of creating a zoning district that would allow nine units per acre.

Ron Kolins representing the developer of the Enclave, a 30acre tract near the Victoria Grove community on State Road 7, spoke in favor of the change.

Commission Chairman Darrell Lange noted that the land has a county zoning designation of agricultural residential, but received a land use designation several months ago that would have allowed for up to nine units per acre.

“This is the zoning district that would fit that land use,” Lange said.

PBC Property Appraiser’s Ag Expert Visits With LGLA Members

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

Allen Zech, manager of the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office Agricultural Department, was guest speaker at the Sept. 22 meeting of the Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Asso-

Allen

ciation. He updated members about the effects of the troubled economy on property values and about the unusual circumstances that often involve agricultural exemptions.

Even though property values have dropped significantly, people still may be experiencing tax increases because of how taxable values have been capped, he said.

“If you bought a house ten years ago, and you paid $100,000 for it, and you homesteaded it at the time, you created a cap value that’s $100,000,” Zech explained. “In the following five years, it kept going up ten to 15 percent. Now it’s worth $200,000. You have the market value here. You are not paying on the market value. You are paying on the cap value.”

As long as the cap value is below the market value, it can rise up to three percent per year depending on the Consumer Price Index, Zech said.

“We’re in a situation where the home values are coming down, but they’re still above the cap value for many residents,” he said.

Zech explained that how much property owners pay is based on two factors — property values and tax rates — which get multiplied to determine how much owners get billed. The Property Appraiser’s Office looks at area home sales to determine the market value, but it has nothing to do with setting the tax rate.

“In essence, what should have happened, as those values went up, the millage rate should have come down a little bit,” Zech said.

If someone disagrees with the appraiser’s evaluation of his or her property, that person could go before a special magistrate to ask for it to be changed.

“Sometimes there is a lot of damage to the house that we don’t know about,” Zech said. “You always have those kind of situations. We don’t look at a petition as an evil thing, because it affords the property owner the opportunity to come in and talk about the values. If nothing else, you can go to the Value Adjustment Board and sit across the table from the special

magistrate and tell him what you think the value should be based on sales in the neighborhood or based on the situation with your house. We encourage it. The special magistrate may say you’re right and lower the value a bit.”

The troubled housing market is having severe effects on home values, Zech said, presenting an unprecedented situation for the Property Appraiser’s Office.

“For the first time ever, and I have been here about 26 years, we have been allowed to allocate some relativity to short sales just because of the situation we are in,” he said. “That’s never been the rule that was in place until last year. Market value is what a willing buyer and a willing seller would agree to as far as price, provided there were no undue forces from the outside.”

Loxahatchee Groves, which has a high percentage of its land with agricultural designations, has many agricultural exemptions, some questionable, LGLA members suggested.

LGLA members asked about ag

exemptions on property that is clearly abandoned or overgrown. Zech said his office would investigate such situations. Sometimes those situations are based on economic distress.

“If we go out to a ten-acre field, and they claim they have a farm, and it looks abandoned, we won’t grant the ag on it,” Zech said. “Because of the bad economic times, some nurseries close their gate and put a lock on it. They mow the grass every once in a while. We go along with that sometimes because it’s a decision that the property owner makes. He’s doing what he can to survive.”

Loxahatchee Groves Vice Mayor Dennis Lipp and Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Supervisor John Ryan asked why exotic or tropical bird breeding is granted agricultural exemptions.

“Aviculture is not considered agriculture,” Ryan said. “Nobody recognizes them except you. If you go to Fish & Wildlife, and ask them, they will say that exotic birds are pets, and they have nothing to do with agriculture.”

“I can look and find some information for you,” Zech replied, “but birds have been considered agriculture every since I have been here.”

Zech noted that ag exemptions on some properties are very hard to determine — horse farms, for example. When equestrians file, they sometimes file late, he said, because they are only here six months out of the year.

“We can’t go back and visit the property in January,” Zech said. “Most of the time, we deny it and let the special magistrate work it out, especially if it’s an equestrian use. We’re not picking on them, but they sometimes are seasonal. We can’t tell if they were there in January if we have a late filing in May, June or July.”

Some LGLA members asked how the “cancer cluster” in The Acreage has been factored in to property values. Zech said that it has not been.

“We don’t put a cancer cluster factor on that,” he said. “Over time the market will tell us what that’s worth.”

Visions Salon To Host Celebrity Stylist Nick Arrojo On Oct. 11

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

Visions Salon in Wellington will get a taste of celebrity hairstyling when famed hair stylist Nick Arrojo comes to town Monday, Oct. 11. Arrojo, best known for his lifechanging makeovers on TLC’s What Not to Wear, will be on hand from 1 to 3 p.m. for an open-house style reception with clients, to provide consultations and also to perform a makeover on one lucky winner.

“We’ll be doing a drawing, and the winner will receive a free haircut,” Visions Salon owner Tom

Monticello said. “Clients can stop in for a sample of the new Arrojo product line and register to win.”

The drawing will be held Friday, Oct. 8, and the winner will be notified by phone. A haircut from Arrojo is valued at $500, Monticello said. The winner must be available for a full consultation and makeover services.

Visions Salon is one of only 30 salons in the country to offer a full line of Arrojo products, which are vitamin and nutrient based, Monticello said. The salon introduced the line this summer after meeting Arrojo and learning about the hair care products at an industry

hair care show almost two years ago. “Because we’re one of 30 ambassadors, I asked [Arrojo] last time I saw him in New York, and he said he would come meet our clients,” Monticello said.

In addition to meeting clients, Arrojo will also demonstrate some of the latest hairstyling techniques to Visions staff members.

Arrojo was born in Manchester, England and began his career at Vidal Sassoon. During his more than 20 years in the industry, Arrojo went on to work as a stylist for renowned hair-care companies such as Wella and Bumble & Bumble.

In 2001, he opened Arrojo Studio in downtown Manhattan. The studio includes Arrojo Education, Arrojo Creative and the Arrojo Color Studio, and offers worldclass care on the cutting edge of style.

Arrojo rose to fame with his groundbreaking approach to hair styling — most notably his razorcutting technique. He is an acclaimed stylist, educator and leader in the business, as well as the two-time winner of BTC’s Stylist Choice Awards Platform Artist/ Educator of the year. He is a constant fixture in Salon Today’s Top 200 and also won the 2008 Global Salon Business Award for en-

Tom

trepreneur of the year.

In 2002, Arrojo began filming as the hairstylist on What Not to Wear, something he continued to do for seven years. The show, which gained eight million viewers each week, made Arrojo a household name. Last spring, Arrojo launched his

line of hair-care products, complete with an ambassador program designed to provide education to salon owners and stylists. This summer, several Visions staff members attended an advanced seminar in New York City to learn advanced razor cutting and product performance.

“We’re honored that he’s going to be here,” Monticello said. “So stop by between 1 and 3 p.m. and get a consultation.” Visions Hair Studio is located at 12793 W. Forest Hill Blvd. in the Wellington Plaza. For more information, call (561) 790-1696 or visit www.vhsalon.com.

Zech of the PBC Property Appraiser’s Office

Nick Arrojo,

Monticello and Lina Arrojo with hair models at a recent seminar.

Stylist Nick Arrojo in action.

COMMUNITY OF HOPE HOLDS $1 CAR WASH

Community of Hope Church held a car wash on Saturday,

Wellington Chamber Golf Classic Nov. 12

The inaugural Wellington Chamber of Commerce Golf Classic will take place Friday, Nov. 12 at Binks Forest Golf Club (400 Binks Forest Drive). Registration will start at 11:45 a.m.

The chamber expects that the event will set a benchmark year in the efforts to serve the business community of Wellington. The Wellington Chamber has named Alec Domb, Thomas Leinwol and Bob Salerno chairs of the event. Sponsorship commitments and foursome registration are now underway. There will be contests and great prizes, as well as a boxed lunch, drinks, award presentation and a unique dinner menu.

For sponsorship, foursome and dinner information, call the Wellington Chamber of Commerce at (561) 792-6525.

Wellington Art Society Meeting Oct. 13

The Wellington Art Society will meet Wednesday, Oct. 13 in the card room at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Light refreshments will be served beginning at 6:30 p.m., and the general meeting will begin at 7 p.m. It is free and open to the public. At 7:30 p.m., Dave Friedman, owner of the Art of Life Gallery & Frame Shop in the Pointe at Wellington Green, will present an

informative, fun discussion and explanation of framing, matting, mounting and preservation of artwork. Friedman will discuss topics such as types of glass, mounting techniques, matting capabilities, how to integrate artistic designs into matting and framing, and many other areas of picture framing.

This evening is a chance for artists and art lovers to hear what the society has planned for the coming year. Member artwork is on display in the society’s new permanent exhibit space at the Wellington Community Center. These original works are available for sale and are rotated quarterly as part of the village’s Art in Public Places program.

For more information about the Wellington Art Society, visit www.wellingtonartsociety.org or call President Suzanne Redmond at (561) 791-2194.

Dillard’s To Host Breast Cancer Benefit Oct. 8

Intimate apparel manufacturer Wacoal will continue its battle against breast cancer with its annual Fi(GH)t for the Cure on Friday, Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Dillard’s department store in the Mall at Wellington Green. Show up at Dillard’s and receive your complimentary fitting in a Wacoal or B.tempt’d bra from a Wacoal fit specialist. Women can also sign up to receive a monthly e-mail reminder to do a self breast exam. For every woman who participates, Wacoal will donate $2

to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for breast cancer research and community health programs. Wacoal will also donate an additional $2 for every Wacoal bra, shapewear piece or B.tempt’d bra purchased at the event.

Research shows that eight out of 10 women are wearing the wrong-sized bra. Women should be professionally fitted for a bra once a year to ensure their bra size has not changed as a result of fluctuations in their body. By keeping women on track through monthly breast exam reminders, the “Wacoal promise” helps women stay committed to their health. For more information, visit www.wacoal-america.com.

To contact Dillard’s in the Mall at Wellington Green, call (561) 227-5470.

Wellington Donation Drive For The Needy

Wellington Cares Clearinghouse has committed to taking a carload of donations to food for the poor in October, including 100 hygiene kits of hotel samples. The following items are needed for donation: small bars of soap, shampoo, lotion, toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, Kleenex packs, Purel and mouthwash. Also needed are children’s clothing, school supplies, medical equipment and blankets. For more information, or to schedule a dropoff time, call Ellie Caldwell at (561) 790-5499.

Wellington Cares Clearinghouse is a service project of Palm

Beach Friends Meeting (Quaker) and has been re-directing goods in Palm Beach County for the past seven years.

Jump For A Cause Nov. 6 At Brandon Center

On Nov. 6, a one-of-a-kind equestrian event will take place at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center. “Jump for a Cause” is a horsejumping relay race in which prize money will be awarded to the teams with the fastest times. The event was the philanthropic idea of Hannah Bentz, who will become a Bat Mitzvah on the same day. The event combines two of Bentz’s passions. One is horseback riding and the other is performing mitzvot or “good deeds” to help heal the world. Bentz’s Bat Mitzvah project is Jump for a Cause. She is leading the committee and is organizing the event. All proceeds raised will be donated to the American Parkinson Disease Association, with the honored guest for the evening being Temple Beth El Rabbi Emeritus Merle Singer. To support the event, you can make a donation to APDA directly, attend the event as a VIP guest and/or become a sponsor. The event will start at 4 p.m. The Jim Brandon Equestrian Center is located at 7500 Forest Hill Blvd. For sponsorship and exhibitor information, call (561) 436-1165. For VIP seating, call Bentz at (561) 789-6067. For more info., visit www.equessolutions.com.

P.W. Chamber Launches ‘Buy Local’ Campaign

By Angie Francalancia Special To The Town-Crier

In an area characterized by the daily migration of our residents to places of employment outside our borders, it’s not hard to imagine that there is a corresponding spending of household discretionary dollars outside our community. The Palms West Chamber of Commerce’s Buy Local campaign is out to change those trends in the central western communities. This month, the first Buy Local campaign has been launched with an educational series and a corresponding promotional advertising campaign.

are within our chamber’s service area.”

Studies have shown that for every $1 spent locally, it has 3 to 5.5 times the economic impact of a dollar that immediately flows out of the region, Giddings noted.

“In 2009, there were 117,700 households encompassed by the service area of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce,” she said.

“If every household would shift a dollar a day to buying locally that they would have spent anyway either outside our community or buying online, it would create a $43 million boost to the economy of the central western communities. And that’s a tremendous regional economic stimulus that requires no additional spending.”

The Economic Development Task Force was created last year to focus the chamber’s efforts on economic development.

The idea of the buy local campaign was born last summer at a business forum of the chamber’s Economic Development Task Force as local business owners discussed the monetary value of buying products and services within the community rather than online or outside the community.

“Keeping the money local has a big impact,” said Susan Giddings, the chamber vice chair for economic development. “We realized it would be a fabulous campaign for our task force.”

Often “buy local” campaigns are efforts at having residents support “mom and pop” businesses rather than large chains, but this campaign focuses solely on geography, Giddings said.

“When we say ‘buy local,’ we mean any of the businesses within the Palms West Chamber of Commerce service area,” she said.

“It goes right along with our efforts to create a community where we can live, learn, work and play.

It’s true that less money stays here from a national chain, but nonetheless, they are employing people here. Our campaign differs from many others because we consider all businesses local that

“We wanted to help create a community in which we could all live, learn, work and play,” Giddings said. “Realizing that the region has changed over the past 20 years, we launched an initiative to create a long-term plan to create true economic stimulus and selfsustainability in the area. The first step was to create the Economic Development Task Force.”

The goal of the task force, which meets quarterly, is to attract businesses that complement the existing businesses in the area, including medical, equestrian and agricultural, while strengthening the existing local businesses.

The Buy Local campaign is one of the short-term initiatives expected to strengthen local businesses. “If you have the opportunity to make one purchase here rather than near your office downtown or through an online outlet, that would begin to make a huge difference for our area,” Giddings said.

WELLINGTON QUILTERS BEE MEMBERS DONATE TO CHILDREN’S HOME SOCIETY

William Myers plays a game while Florence Warren and Linda Brigati look on.

Minor Miners’ Robert and Carrington Hearst crack a geode while Camille Hearst (back) watches.

Elizabeth Odom donated her hair to Locks of Love with some help from Pizzazz Hair Design co-owner Kristina Marquez. Nancy Colon tries dips and spreads made by Marge Matuszak at

Sharyn Vowles, Nancy Wall and Caroline Elardi with cake to be raffled off.

Wellington Quilters Bee Treasurer Eleanor Yura and founder Marietta Bowie receive a check from Howard Trager and Estelle Rubin of the Wellington Seniors Club.

Children’s Home Society of Florida volunteer coordinator Jane Snell, Marietta Bowie and CHS Program Director Julie Demar.Wellington Quilters Bee members with their quilts.

Rolando Perez gets dunked.

St. Rita Catholic Church in Wellington held its

painting, a dunk tank, a petting zoo

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

It’s

Sanctuary Equine Therapy & Rehab Center Opens Facility At PBIEC

Horses living in the Wellington area or competing at the prestigious FTI Winter Equestrian Festival will now be able to receive treatment from the world-class Sanctuary Equine Sports Conditioning & Performance Center thanks to a new Sanctuary facility that is opening on the show grounds at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington. The new Sanctuary at PBIEC will be open for the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival.

“For the past three years, we have been interested in creating a world-class conditioning and performance enhancement facility to complement our world-class competition and venue,” Equestrian Sport Productions CEO Mark Bellissimo said. “The Sanctuary is a great partner for us, and we hope this facility will offer a great opportunity for preventative maintenance and performance conditioning for the equine athlete.”

Sanctuary General Manager Brenda McDuffee noted the importance of having such a facility in Wellington.

“There is an exceptional level of high performance horses that live and compete in Wellington, and opening a Sanctuary facility is on par with what owners, trainers and competitors need and ex-

pect for their horses,” McDuffee said. “It will be a meeting of a world-class therapy and performance conditioning center with a world-class show area. Our main facility is located in Ocala, but we are looking forward to expanding into Wellington. The Sanctuary in Ocala features some of the most advanced conditioning and therapy equipment in the world, and we will have that same equipment in Wellington.”

Equestrian Sport Productions

President Michael Stone said the Sanctuary will be an exciting addition to the show grounds.

“We are constantly trying to improve our facility and keep it at the best standards in the world,” Stone said. “A center like the Sanctuary is an incredible addition to our quest to have the PBIEC at the forefront of equestrian competition venues.”

McDuffee said that the Sanctuary at PBIEC will be a full horse therapy and conditioning center featuring above-ground water treadmills, cold saltwater leg spas, two vibration plates with solarium, laser therapy, electromagnetic pulse therapy and a respiratory machine.

“The laser therapy, electromagnetic pulse therapy and respiratory machine are all mobile therapy

equipment, which means the Sanctuary staff will be able to take the equipment out on a golf cart and treat horses in their stalls if they are stabled on the show grounds,” she said.

The Sanctuary at PBIEC will be located near the FEI barn and the permanent stabling area on the show grounds.

“Many of the horses that will use the Wellington facility will be horses that are focusing on condi-

tioning and maintenance,” McDuffee said. “I know that many trainers and owners will add maintenance at the Sanctuary to their training program, as it will give their horses an edge on the competition. Our conditioning programs help horses stay strong and keeps horses less prone to injury.”

Just like the world-class, multimillion-dollar facility in Ocala, the Sanctuary at PBIEC will be run by a thoroughly skilled, trained

and knowledgeable Sanctuary staff who have a passion for horses and the desire to see each horse performing at the top of their game.

“We treat equines from every discipline, and we are dedicated to the healing, conditioning and well-being of all equine athletes,” McDuffee said.

In December, there will be a series of promotions for horses that arrive early to Wellington and/ or the PBIEC show grounds and want to take advantage of the services offered at the Sanctuary. More information on these promotions will be announced soon. For more information on the Sanctuary at PBIEC, visit www. sanctuaryequinerehab.com. For more information on the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival and the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, visit www.equestriansport.com.

Tami Hoag with Maureen Gross, Maggie Zeller and Lori Dean from Iberia Bank.

Galena Kogan of Barron & Kogan CPAs was recognized with several cupcakes with candles and birthday wishes.

Tami Hoag (center) with Palms West Chamber CEO Jaene Miranda and Director of Development Maureen Gross.

A cold saltwater leg spa (above left) and the Aqua Pacer (above right) are some of the services available at the Sanctuary.

Dream Middle School Students Study Effects Of Magnetism

Sixth-graders at the Dream Middle School in Royal Palm Beach have been studying magnetism in science class. To better understand the concepts, students magnetized iron filings and made homemade compasses, which reinforced the ideas and let the middle-schoolers see for themselves how magnets work. As part of their final exam, teacher Amanda Cooperman had the students create magnetic sculptures. “Although the students took a chapter test, a written exam doesn’t show a true understanding of the concepts learned,” she said. “Students were able to show that they had a working knowledge of magnets by teaming up in groups of four to create 10-centimeter-tall sculptures that could stand for at least two hours.”

Cooperman explained that the students had to draw a diagram and then build their sculptures. The sculptures were made of magnets and materials that they magnetize such as metal nails and screws.

“Hands-on learning is fun for our students and more importantly it reinforces what they’re learning so that they’re able to retain the knowledge,” Cooperman said. “I believe that’s one of the things that makes the Dream Middle School such a great learning environment, especially for children this age.”

The Ideal School and Dream Middle School are pioneers in the use of Multiple Intelligence Theory in the classroom. For more info., call (561) 791-2881 or visit www.idealschoolflorida.com.

CURRICULUM NIGHT AT PIERCE HAMMOCK

STUDENTS SHARE THEIR PASSION FOR READING

bookmark with an illustration depicting their favorite book or author. The students had the option of making a second bookmark to donate to the hospital. Shown above are students with their bookmarks.

Panther Run Elementary School hosted its first safety patrol dinner and PTA meeting of the year Sept. 8. Dinner was donated by Basilico’s Original Hand-Tossed Pizza in Kobosko’s Crossing. Families were able to pre-purchase their meals prior to the meeting. Proceeds went to the fundraising efforts of the safety patrol for their spring trip to Washington, D.C. Safety patrol members along with PTA members served the food (ziti, salad and garlic roll) to all that attended. Shown above, safety patrol members Caysie Caldwell and Victoria Wolliston serve dinner to

Poinciana Day School Students Discover Their Cultural Roots

Seventh- and eighth-grade students at Poinciana Day School have been learning how early explorers brought their cultures to North America in the 1700s. Social studies teacher Gerrianne Disney took the opportunity for students to broaden their horizons by learning more about their own individual cultural heritages.

Each student researched and explored his or her ethnic background and culture. The students shared their multicultural backgrounds with classmates on Sept. 17. Students brought in artifacts, food and clothing that represented their backgrounds. Blaise Vance of Palm Beach brought a four-leaf clover from

Ireland. Also representing Ireland, Cole Fendich of Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter brought a wool sweater and a shillelagh, and Catherine Alston of West Palm Beach brought in an Irish blackthorn stick used in corporal punishment as well as a collection of Irish coins. Kaitlyn Rivers of Lake Worth shared a black forest cake

from Germany. Amar Maharaj of West Palm Beach brought sweet bread from Trinidad and told the history of his ancestors working in the sugar cane fields. Maeve A’Hearn shared the American version of cannolis from Italy. When Italian immigrants first arrived in North America, they did not have access to the same ingredients as

in their native country and had to adapt recipes to what was available in their new homeland.

“The students did a great job learning about and sharing their ethnic backgrounds,” Disney said. “This project helped students see how the effects of various cultures have become an integral part of our American heritage.”

Head of School Ann Simone noted that students are encouraged to become actively involved in their lessons. “By exploring and understanding the past, students can take a more active role in their studies and their future,” she said. For more information, call (561) 655-7323 or visit www. poincianadayschool.org.

A magnetic sculpture made by sixth-grade students.

Neil Fishman, Victor Sadovic, Bjorn Corning and Chase Yarborough create a magnetic sculpture.

Pierce Hammock Elementary School held its curriculum night on Thursday, Sept. 16 and had a fantastic turnout. Parents were informed about the curriculum and had the opportunity to learn about the teachers’ expectations, procedures and rules for the school year. Shown above, students and their parents make their way down the halls.

Students in Laura Corzo’s fourth-grade classes at Elbridge Gale Elementary School recently made bookmarks for pediatric patients at Palms West Hospital. The project was an assignment in which the students had to create a

Joy Sohn, Megan Miller and Drew Leibsohn.

Children’s Author Jenny Cote Makes Second Visit To King’s Academy

Children’s author Jenny L. Cote made her second trip to the King’s Academy on Monday, Sept. 20. But this trip was one of many firsts. The award-winning author recently completed another children’s novel, The Prophet, the Shepherd and the Star, and King’s students were the first in the nation to have the opportunity to read the latest adventure of Max, Liz and friends. The newly printed novel was shipped directly to TKA, where Cote joined King’s students in viewing the completed work for the first time. While at King’s, Cote also taught writing workshops for TKA elementary students.

Cote also became the first author to visit TKA’s new Clewiston campus. There, she addressed King’s and Clewiston Christian students, discussing her novels and explaining her methods of re-

searching a new literary project. Cote’s next book The Voice, the Revolution and the Jewel was also a topic of discussion. The Prophet, the Shepherd and the Star is the first book in Cote’s Order of the Seven series and is the story of animal friends Max, Liz, Al, Kate and Nigel as they work with Isaiah, who prophesies about the coming Messiah. The team intervenes with the Assyrians who threaten to take Jerusalem and prove Isaiah’s prophecies false. They go with faithful Daniel and friends into the Babylonian captivity for the heart-pounding thrills of the fiery furnace and the lions’ den. They meet Gabriel as he appears to Daniel, and hide a secret scroll of prophecy for the wise men to someday discover as they study the Star. The book climaxes with the unfolding Christmas story as the animals once

Golden Grove Hosts Benefit Shoe

To help kick off the new school year on the right foot, Golden Grove Elementary School, along with members of Christ Fellowship Church, participated in a shoe drive for the students at Glade View Elementary School in Belle Glade.

Approximately 169 pairs of brand-new shoes were collected and donated to Glade View. Glade View Principal Linda Edgecomb,

Drive

former assistant principal at Golden Grove, accepted the donations on behalf of the Eagles.

“We were overwhelmed by the number of new shoes and by the generosity of Christ Fellowship Church and the staff of Golden Grove,” Edgecomb said. This is the beginning of a yearlong collaboration between Golden Grove and Glade View as they are now sister schools.

again see Gabriel with Zechariah, Mary, Joseph and the shepherds.

The King’s Academy is a nationally recognized private Christian school serving approximately 1,200 students from preschool

through 12th grade and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Association of Christian Schools International, and the Florida Association of Christian Colleges and

Schools. The King’s Academy serves students and their families across Palm Beach and Hendry counties at its main campus at Belvedere Road and Sansbury’s Way in West Palm Beach, its

New Horizons Celebrates The Constitution

New Horizons Elementary School students recently gathered to celebrate the U.S. Constitution. Students were welcomed by the sounds of the brass ensemble from the Wellington High School band and guidance counselor Lynne Bray, planner of this great event.

New Horizons’ own Cub Scout Troup 118 presented the flag and led everyone in saying the pledge, followed by the WHS brass ensemble playing the national anthem.

Fifth-grade students dressed in colonial garb with special guest WPTV NewsChannel 5 anchor Jim Sackett performing a narration explaining how the Constitution was written, that it is the law of the United States, and how Americans enjoy the freedoms outlined in the Bill of Rights.

Students in grades three, four and five, along with the New Horizons chorus led by music teacher Veronica Dillingham, sang and performed “We the Children of America.” A

Jenny Cote with fourth-grader Sofie Bellitto.

Jenny Cote with TKA eighth-graders.

timeout is taken from the celebration for a group photo.

Clewiston campus on Caribbean Avenue, and its satellite preschool campuses in Greenacres, Palm Beach Gardens and Royal Palm Beach. For more info., visit www. tka.net.

Area Organizations Take Part In A Roadside Cleanup In Lox Groves

The Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association recently organized an adopt-a-road cleanup as part of Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful.

Members of Girl Scout Troop 598, the Loxahatchee Garden

Club and the Seminole Ridge High School National Honor Society worked together cleaning litter from along Okeechobee Blvd. and the roadside canal.

The cleanup started at the Loxahatchee Groves Elementa-

ry School and went to Folsom Road.

LGLA is thankful for all of the continued support that has been given to this community event. This cleanup event is done two times a year in an effort to keep

the litter problems under control.

The next cleanup will take place on April 16, 2011.

For more information about the Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association, call President Marge Herzog at (561) 791-9875.

Members of the Seminole Ridge National Honor Society assist with a Loxahatchee Groves cleanup along

Anthony Vincentz

Graduates Coast Guard Training

Coast Guard Seaman Anthony V. Vincentz, a 2005 graduate of Palm Beach Central High School, recently graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Recruit Training Center in Cape May, N.J.

During the eight-week training program, Vincentz completed a vigorous training curriculum consisting of academics and practical

instruction on water safety and survival, military customs and courtesies, seamanship skills, first aid, fire fighting and marksmanship. A major emphasis is also placed on physical fitness, health and wellness.

Vincentz and other recruits also received instruction on the Coast Guard’s core values — honor, respect and devotion to duty — and how to apply them in their military performance and personal conduct.

Vincentz will join 36,000 other

men and women who comprise Coast Guard’s force.

Men and women train together from the first day in the Coast Guard just as they do aboard ships and shore units throughout the world.

To reinforce the team concept, Vincentz, and other recruits were trained in preventing sexual harassment, drug and alcohol awareness, civil rights training and the basics of the work-life balance, as well as total quality management.

Vietnam Vets To Share History At Lox Groves Event

Members of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 367, Royal Palm Beach, will hold a special event Monday, Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. at Palms West Presbyterian Church (13689 Okeechobee Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves).

Everyone is invited to come and hear the story about how a group of Vietnam veterans rebuilt a Huey helicopter, similar to those used in Vietnam. Loxahatchee Groves resident Mike Carroll, a member of the 147th Assault Support Helicopter Company (also known as the Hillclimbers) will share the history of how the idea for the restoration (known as Project 425) got started after Carroll was made aware of an abandoned Huey in the area. The project took on a life of its own after that.

Carroll will be joined by other speakers from the 147 Hillclimbers group who, like him, will give

Okeechobee Blvd.

The Hawks take a break from the cleanup activity.

Branstrom Completes UF Science Program

Isabel Branstrom, a Wellington resident and student at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, recently completed the 2010 University of Florida Student Science Training Program (UF-SSTP), a sevenweek residential summer program for gifted and academically talented high school students. The program focuses on science, mathematics, computers and engineering. Students work with UF faculty members, assisting in all aspects of graduate-level research, affording them the opportunity to engage in an authentic laboratory experience. A total of 78 UF faculty members hosted participants in their laboratories this year.

Branstrom, the daughter of James and Nancy Branstrom, worked with UF scientist Dr. Sixue Chen in the field of botany. As part of the program, Branstrom

also completed a three-credit-hour interdisciplinary honors seminar titled Applied Conservation Biology. At the program’s awards ceremony, Branstrom was recognized for Best Research Paper/ Poster and for a top-20 oral presentation.

UF-SSTP was administered by the Center for Precollegiate Education and Training (CPET) and is in its 52nd year of preparing its participants for careers in the sciences and engineering. In addition to laboratory research, the UFSSTP also included a lecture series, seminars and workshops in research and technical writing, computer applications, oral presentation and study skills, and career exploration. CPET works to discover talent in Florida schools and offer students a unique and intensive practical experience in science re-

search. In addition to the UFSSTP, CPET administers a variety of programs throughout the year, including annual events such as the Junior Science, Engineer-

ing and Humanities Symposium, and a variety of teacher training programs. For more information on programs and activities, visit www.cpet.ufl.edu.

Wellington Resident Publishes First Novel

Longtime Wellington resident Susan Kronick has announced the release of her debut novel Sarah, They’re Coming for You, offered by Wild Child Publishing. The hair-raising ghost story is inspired by actual events from the author’s life. Kronick has a master’s degree in psychology from Nova Southeastern University and a Ph.D. in paranormal studies/psychology from the Union Institute and Graduate School. She is an adjunct psychology professor at Barry University and Palm Beach State College.

A psychic and medium, Kronick has had the gift of seeing the dead since she was a child. She has taught parapsychology classes through the Palm Beach County School District, as well as at Palm Beach State College. Kronick also has extensive experience in the area of investigations of

haunting and the paranormal. Sarah, the title character of the book, is modeled after Kronick, a college professor haunted her entire life by malevolent ghosts. Restless spirits of the dead torment the living for many reasons. They seek one thing. It is not God’s blessing, but a soul for eternity. For years, Sarah was tormented by these seekers. Each passing year, they gained strength. Guided by her great, great grandfather Hermann — who intercedes on her behalf — Sarah had faith, but now, she feels her faith in Hermann is slipping, and she grows spiritually weaker.

When a mysterious woman — a link from the past — enlightens Sarah of her journey, everything falls into place. Sarah has a connection between her ancestral family and her own haunting from the rogue ghosts in the afterlife. They seek her in order to claim

two family members with a single soul. There’s one thing left to do for Sarah: go to the family home in Austria and face the ghosts head on, or lose her soul forever.

The book may be purchased at www.wildchildpublishing.com or www.amazon.com. Type “Susan Kronick” in the search box. For more info., visit www.susan kronick.webs.com.

Greene, Ushman Complete Navy Training

Navy Seaman Recruit Angel

M. Greene and Navy Seaman

Caitlin J. Ushman recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill. During the eight-week program, Greene and Ushman completed a variety of training,

which included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, and shipboard and aircraft safety. An emphasis was also placed on physical fitness. The capstone event of boot camp is “Battle Stations.” This

exercise gives recruits the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the fleet. Battle Stations is designed to galvanize the basic warrior attributes of sacrifice, dedication, teamwork and endurance in each recruit through the practical application of basic Navy skills and the core val-

ues of honor, courage and commitment. Its distinctly Navy flavor was designed to take into account what it means to be a sailor. Greene is a 2005 graduate of Royal Palm Beach High School, while Ushman is a 2007 graduate of the King’s Academy.

Golden Graduates Army OSUT Training

U.S. Army Pvt. Matthew Gold-

en graduated Oct. 1 from One Station Unit Training (OSUT) at the U.S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning in Columbus, Ga. The training consisted of basic military training and advanced individual training (AIT).

During basic training, Golden received instruction in drill and ceremonies, military customs and courtesies, map reading, tactics, basic rifle marksmanship, physical fitness, field training and first aid skills. The recruit developed combat skills and handled various weapons available to the infantry soldier.

During AIT, Golden received instruction to serve as an infantryman/mortarman using light and heavy anti-armor weapons, indirect-fire support and mechanized operations while assigned to a rifle or mortar squad. The training included weapons qualification, tactics, patrolling, navigation, field communications and combat operations; engagement in infantry combat exercises, battle drills, land-mine locating, neutralizing and extracting, and survival operations during a nuclear, biological or chemical attack.

Achille Finishes Air Force Training

Air Force Reserve Airman 1st Class Austin C. Achille has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Achille completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate’s degree in applied science through the Community College of the Air Force. Achille is the son of Felix and Burleigh Achille of Royal Palm Beach. He is a 2007 graduate of Royal Palm Beach High School. Austin Achille

Send Palms West People 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.

Isabel Branstrom in the laboratory.

Author Susan Kronick in Woodstock, N.Y.

Matthew Golden

Golden earned his Cross Rifles at Honor Hill.

Golden is the son of Randy and Stacey Golden of Royal Palm Beach, and a 2010 graduate of Seminole Ridge High School.

YOUR BOSOM BUDDIES II HOSTS ‘PINK CHAMPAGNE’ AT BRIGHTON COLLECTIBLES

Members of Your Bosom Buddies II took part in a “pink champagne” fundraiser Tuesday, Sept. 28 to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month at Brighton Collectibles in the Mall at Wellington Green. Speakers included Teresa Franzoso of Your Bosom Buddies II, store manager Connie Angrisani and Dr. Kathleen Minnick. For every breast cancer awareness bracelet Brighton Collectibles sells in October, the store will donate $10 to Your Bosom Buddies II, which will hold a breakfast Saturday, Oct. 2 at 9 a.m. at Brighton Collectibles to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For more info., visit www.yourbosombuddiesii.org.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Book Signing At Royal Palm Library Features Author Stuart Woods

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

Bestselling author Stuart Woods came to the Royal Palm Beach branch library Wednesday, Sept. 29 for a discussion of his 44th and latest book, Santa Fe Edge Woods won over the audience immediately with his charm. His appearance was part of the popular “Meet the Author” program of the Palm Beach County Library System.

Librarian Matthew Tallow introduced Woods, noting that all of Woods’ books since his 15th had been on the New York Times bestseller list. He quoted reviewers who described Woods’ books as

escapist. “For people escaping from prison,” Woods interjected with a smile.

Both Woods and Tallow thanked Murder on the Beach bookstore in Delray Beach for helping to bring Woods in person to his fans.

“It took me eight years to write my first book [Chiefs],” Woods said. “The first book is always the hardest to finish. You’re always afraid it’s not going to be as good as you told your friends it was. That’s why there are half-finished manuscripts everywhere.”

Woods told the crowd that once he finished the first book, he decided he would write one book

Sunshine Rules Are Very Strict

continued from page 4 Criminal Justice Commission recently due to possible conflicts. Also, she pointed out, “I’m getting off the Early Learning Committee” because she is a teacher.

Aaronson said he thought it ironic that commissioners and other local officials are subject to the Sunshine Law but state legislators are not. Speaking to Vana and Commissioner Priscilla Taylor, both former state representatives, he said, “You were allowed to be in Tallahassee and could talk about how you were going to vote, and you come here and you are not allowed to do that.” Marcus said she felt that she had

to resign from the Criminal Justice Commission because she never knew what would be coming before it.

While Commission on Ethics Executive Director Alan Johnson, a former assistant state attorney, said that a violation has to be willful, Aaronson noted that “inadvertent” is defined by a judge. Johnson advised that committee members ask Berger if they have questions about possible violations, noting also that they should not talk about any issues they anticipate coming before their committees.

Aaronson said the problem is not with commissioners, but with volunteers.

“I’m not so concerned about us because we have Lenny here on a day-to-day basis,” he said.

“My concern is for those who do

continued from page 1 previously offered a return of premium for renewing an agreement, which in the past has averaged about $10,000.

“Just on the premium portion of the policy, that would make those policies equal, if not better on the FMIT side,” McIlveen said. While final premium figures were not available at press time, Wellington spent approximately $1.3 million on the policies last year.

Mayor Darell Bowen said he was concerned whether the village had followed proper procedure in its selection of FMIT. “I want to be sure that the process was correct and everybody had a fair chance,” he said.

McIlveen explained that the village met with several companies to provide information about the current policy and what type of services the village was looking for. She noted that the request for quotations specified that the village could go back and negotiate the offers.

Councilman Howard Coates asked how the decision was made because he didn’t see any scoring sheets.

McIlveen noted that when the quotations first came in, she

scored them, and both FMIT and PRIA tied. “In terms of cost, PRIA scored higher,” she said, “But in other areas, in terms of coverage, FMIT scored higher. The policies aren’t exact, but they’re both very good coverages and very good companies.”

Coates also asked whether there was a specified deductible or stop loss amount listed in the request.

“That’s the problem we’re having here tonight,” he said. “Because it adds the subjective element of comparing what’s the best deductible. We’re comparing apples and oranges to some extent when we look at the two policies. It would have been easier if we had a specification for our deductible and stop loss.”

McIlveen noted that the request included the village’s current deductible as well as premiums.

Priore said he felt that the FMIT policy provided more benefit to the village.

“There are situations to where it’s obvious by those additional benefits that one company is determined to be preferable because of those benefits,” he said. The council voted 4-0 to approve the contract. Priore abstained because he sits on the FMIT board through his work with the Florida League of Cities. In other business, the village council gave final approval to a

every two years. “I worked four hours a day,” he said, “two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon, and I would do a chapter.”

He got a laugh from the audience when he noted, “Then I realized that if I wrote one every year, I’d get paid, if not twice as much, at least twice as often. And then I felt I could write two a year and do even better.”

His publisher at the time disagreed, saying that the public would get bored with his work. So he switched publishers. Now he writes three books a year. His new book was officially published this week. He has another book, one featuring New York City attorney Stone Barrington, coming out in January, with many more to follow. “I’m doing more Stone Barrington,” Woods quipped, “because that’s what my publisher says more people buy.”

Woods then took questions from the audience.

Dick Franklin of West Palm Beach asked how he was able to write 44 books. “No excuses,” Woods responded. “It’s a desire for money and a good fantasy life for the sex scenes. I write improvizationally, seeing what happens as I go along.”

Joking with the audience,

not have that advantage. That is why I wanted this meeting today.”

Commissioner Steven Abrams said one possible solution might be privatizing some of the boards, allowing them to continue to meet without commissioners or county staff present.

Abrams also suggested expanding Johnson’s and Berger’s roles to include educating committee members, and requiring all committee members to sign a form acknowledging that they had heard the ethics lecture, as county commissioners do.

Commissioner Jess Santamaria said he has no problem with the Sunshine Law. “I used the Sunshine Law against the Royal Palm Beach Village Council,” he said. “It’s the law. I don’t talk to other people. To me, it’s clear.”

$75.7 million budget for fiscal year 2011.

The budget maintains the current tax rate of 2.5 mills using $500,000 in projected net revenues, continues the four-day workweek, unpaid furloughs for employees and reduced capital improvements funding, Village Manager Paul Schofield said.

Additionally, the village will maintain its reserves between 25 and 30 percent, and a hurricane reserve fund of $3 million. The council unanimously approved the budget.

However, Willhite expressed disappointment that a resolution he passed two years ago to have a line-item budget of the legal department had not been seen yet.

“I guess our legal budget is going to be as proposed at $450,000,” he said. “We budgeted $500,000 last year, so I’m glad to see that it’s less. But I’m looking for support that we’re going to do something to try and control and lessen our budget in the future.”

Bowen noted that two years ago it was a $750,000 cost, and suggested that Willhite speak to Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz for a budgeted list.

But Willhite noted that last year the council passed a motion to have it before council at their final budget meeting. “When it comes here, it goes to the public also,” he said.

Woods went on: “After a few books, an author feels that whatever he writes, it can’t be too bad. So he hands it in.”

Woods identified Mark Twain as his favorite author, calling him “the greatest American writer.”

Woods told the audience that his hometown was Manchester, Ga., which he renamed as Delano for Chiefs. “I try to always have one character born there in each of my books,” he said. “When I’ve forgotten, I get tons of e-mails from fans asking me what happened.”

In his latest book, Santa Fe Edge, protagonist Ed Eagle winds up having to deal with his evil, psychopathic ex-wife. Several characters he introduced in other books and even other series appear, something Woods enjoys doing. In a previous book, Eagle had watched as his ex went off to serve time in a Mexican jail. In this one, she not only escapes, but manages to gain a fortune.

“The book ends as a bit of a cliff-hanger, something I generally don’t do,” Woods said. “Barbara [the ex] is such an evil character that I just don’t want to kill her off. I killed off Al Shaeffer, a divorce lawyer in Palindrome, and I’ve felt bad ever since because I could have used him a few different times.”

Wellington Garden Club Meeting Oct. 4

The Wellington Garden Club will hold a luncheon and business meeting on Monday, Oct. 4 at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). The luncheon and business meeting will start at 11:30 a.m. with the program following at 1 p.m. Charlie McDaniel will speak on the topic “Tropical Short Course.” The public is invited to attend. A light lunch will be served. Seating is limited so RSVP to (561) 7936013 or (561) 798-9217.

Ethics County Question

continued from page 1 that is applicable to all the municipalities as well,” Johnson said.

Any changes recommended by the review committee may be adopted by approval of at least four county commissioners. To protect the code, the adoption of any changes not recommended by the committee would require ap-

Questions Wellington Charter Changes

continued from page 1 Kurtz said. Instead, residents are being asked to make the decision.

“We [the village’s attorneys] are not in the position of determining that,” he said. “When someone comes up and says that a candidate is disqualified and shouldn’t be running, my opinion doesn’t mean anything.”

If someone were to challenge a candidate because of his or her appointed time, it could lead to a lawsuit, Kurtz said.

“What you’re potentially setting up is a lawsuit for people to argue about something when they’re acting in good faith,” he said. “But there’s no clear definition.”

Asked about the Kindle and its impact on printed books, Woods said that books would never go out of fashion because people could “never line up 300 of them to fill a bookshelf.” However, he had a Kindle and enjoyed it. “I could go on a book tour and I’d be able to be in the back seat of a car going from one place to another and finish off a few chapters,” he said. “But then I traded it in for an iPad, which is backlit and much more versatile.”

Budget Commission Votes 4-2

continued from page 1 pen?” she asked. “We’re nickel and diming this to death. I support the 4.75 millage, but I want to take a hard look next year at how to run government more efficiently.”

Weisman pointed out that taxes for the long-term homesteaded property owner is actually lower this year because of reduced property values. “We’ve brought them to where they are still less than in 2005 or 2006,” Weisman said.

“We really haven’t raised taxes.” Taylor said the issue is that people are upset about the tax rate.

proval of a supermajority of five county commissioners.

Johnson said one of the few issues he anticipates to be worked out will be the scope of the waiver provisions for members of county boards that have contractual relationships, which underwent considerable discussion at a county meeting Tuesday.

“The other issue to resolve will be how to determine the contribution that municipalities make to the inspector general,” he said, explaining that the fee of a quarter of a percent of each contract

RUNOFF ELECTIONS

Village officials also hope to save money by eliminating runoff elections when one candidate in a race of three or more people wins at least 35 percent of the vote. Under existing rules, a candidate must win over 50 percent of the vote or face a runoff two weeks later. In the past, this has caused several candidates who gained more votes in the initial election to lose in the runoff, and also causes an extra expense to the village.

“The majority of the council felt that the runoffs were costly and not worth it,” Kurtz said. “That’s not to say they weren’t valuable, but you’re always doing a costbenefit analysis.”

Because runoffs are typically held weeks after the initial vote, the village incurs the entire cost of the election rather than sharing it with the county, Kurtz said.

MAYORAL VACANCIES Unlike council members, the

When asked about the possibility of his books being made into movies, Woods responded with a straight face, “They’ll probably do all of them as movie features as soon as I’m dead.” His advice to would-be writers? “Write something. If you finish your book and you’re worried it will be rejected, remember that it can never be published if you never finish it,” he said. “There’s a far better chance of publishing it if you do finish and submit it.”

“We need to put this in dollars and cents,” she said. Santamaria said he would like to see several million more cut from the budget, including savings of a six-day furlough for county employees and cutting half the travel allowances for administrators.

“A six-day furlough to me would be reasonable,” Santamaria said. “I would like to set a small example on our part to show we ourselves are making an effort. Those are my two suggestions.”

Vice Chair Karen Marcus, however, made a motion to adopt staff’s recommendation of the 4.75 rate, which was seconded by Taylor before the 4-2 vote.

might not be reasonable or costeffective from a bookkeeping standpoint for municipalities with numerous smaller contracts.

“It may be necessary for there to be an equivalent,” he said. “One idea that was discussed was instead of the sum of the contracts, come up with a figure, and that municipality would pay that figure. It’s the same amount, but it gives flexibility.”

Those are the types of issues that will be vetted after the results of the referendum are known, he said.

mayor cannot be appointed. If the mayor’s seat is vacated, Wellington must currently hold a special election within three months to fill the seat. The amendment would extend that time to six months wherein the village could advertise the election and allow candidates to campaign. There is also a greater chance that the special election could fall in line with a regular county election, saving Wellington money.

“In working with the Supervisor of Elections office, getting the notices out, calling the election and allowing people enough time to actually run for the office, it can become very tight in 90 days,” Kurtz said.

Until the special election, the vice mayor would run meetings and the council would be down one member. “While 180 days is the maximum, a special election could be held sooner,” Kurtz said.

Associate Lynn Granet and Assistant Manager Julie Brophy.

Claudia Cieslak, Pat Linton and Marie Phillips check out some of the jewelry.

Store manager Connie Angrisani with YBBII members.

Stuart Woods signs copies of his latest book for fans at the Royal Palm Beach library.

Author Stuart Woods during his visit to Royal Palm Beach.

Strange Situation Leads To Horses’ Rescue

On Wednesday, Sept. 22, a blurb in the paper caught columnist Ellen Rosenberg’s eye: Animal Care & Control was asking for donations to help care for nine starving horses that had been brought in the previous day. Naturally, she had to investigate. Ellen Rosenberg’s Column, Page 23

WHS Squad Falls To Archbishop McCarthy

Despite the return of starting quarterback Tyler Vanacore and left tackle Brynjar Gudmundsson, the Wolverines were unable to secure the season’s first win after suffering a 34-14 defeat at the hands of Archbishop McCarthy High School on Sept. 24. Page 37

Business

Ambatt Roofing Owner John Davis

Overcomes Serious Injury To Persevere

During halftime break at a Miami Heat game last December, an accident occurred causing a trauma that would test John Davis, his business — Ambatt Roofing Inc. — and his family’s strength, and alter his life as he knew it. It has been a long road, but Davis is back to work, where he takes a hands-on approach. He personally knows all his customers and is involved in every project. Page 31

Spor ts

Seijinkan Dojo Olympian Karate Tournament In RPB

Hundreds of karate students filled the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center

Saturday, Sept. 25 for the 11th annual Seijinkan Dojo Olympian Karate Tournament. It featured events such as kata, fighting and weapons. Page 37

Strange Situation Leads To Rescue Of Starving Horses

On Wednesday, Sept. 22, I was reading the morning paper when a blurb caught my eye: Animal Care & Control was asking for donations to help care for nine starving horses that had been brought in the previous day. Naturally, I had to investigate.

At Animal Care & Control, Capt. David Walesky kindly met with me and walked me down to the small barn behind the main facility at 7100 Belvedere Road in West Palm Beach. One stall already held several bales of hay, shavings and bags of horse feed donated by Grand Prix Feed of Wellington and Tamara Gerber.

Walesky nodded to two stalls across the aisle. “Here are the two mares,” he said.

The mares were standing in the small outside paddock portions of their side-by-side stalls. They were small and slight, but not skeletal. They were neither friendly nor flighty. They noticed us and seemed to shrug — just more people.

Back inside the main building, Walesky and I sat down. “This is a different case from what we normally see,” he explained. “Usually someone notices thin horses and reports it, then we investigate and, if necessary, bring the horses in to get them back up to weight. In this instance, no one’s exactly sure who or where the owner is. It’s a little complicated.”

The story played out thusly: the man who owned the property where the horses had been housed was a businessman who was rarely there. He owned the property, in the back of Wellington off 120th Avenue, and another in

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg

Miami, as well as another offshore. A relative of his had asked permission to keep the horses at the Wellington property, and he agreed.

The horses, originally six stallions and four mares, all Paso Finos, were supposed to be part of a breeding operation the relative wanted to start. The property was leased to a tenant, with the understanding that, in addition to taking care of the property, they would be caring for the horses. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened.

When the property owner visited the property again after some time had passed, the tenant was gone, the relative was gone, and the horses were abandoned and in dire straits. The property owner contacted Animal Care & Control, explained the situation, and asked for their help.

“With the way this economy is, we do get frequent calls from people who can’t afford to keep their horses,” Walesky said. “We get calls every other day. But this was something else. The [property] owner was clearly in over his head, and the horses needed help.”

Animal Care & Control agreed to take in six of the horses, two mares and four stallions. The relative showed up and brought four to another property he had in Tampa.

“This is called a voluntary surrender,” Walesky explained. “It seems as if the owner of the property never had responsibility for the horses. The property was in rough shape, with a lot of clutter and dangerously bad fenc-

ing. The horses couldn’t stay there and be safe, so we stepped up to resolve the situation. Although we’re not pressing any criminal charges, we are continuing to investigate.”

Once at Animal Care & Control, the horses were evaluated by Dr. Jee Grewall, who donated his services. Most were thin but not too bad. One elderly mare had open lesions

See ROSENBERG, page 24

One of the horses recently rescued from a Wellington farm.

Put Two Morons In The Woods, And They Call It A TV Show!

So there’s this TV show called Dual Survival about two brothers who tromp through the wilderness and tell all the guys sitting home on their couches with Cheez-Its and a beer how to survive. There seem to be a lot of these shows out there now — Man Vs. Wild, one with a woman and a man in the woods, and other stuff like that. Many of the stars are British; a culture shock for us Americans who tend to view Brits as bankers in bowlers and nothing more.

Sometimes I’ll be walking through the living room and glance at the television screen where the man (who spent time in the special forces) and the woman (who spent time as a TV reporter) will be poking through “bear poo” to see what the animal ate. I’ll ask my husband, “Where are they? Borneo? The end of the earth?” And the answer will come back “North Carolina” between Cheez-Its.

“North Carolina?” I’ll scoff. “Why don’t they just meander over to the highway and walk ’til they get to a Motel 6?”

Deborah Welky is The Sonic BOOMER

In Man Vs. Wild, they take another slight little Brit (whom they call “Bear” but not of the poo variety) and drop him via helicopter into some steaming jungle landscape that looks a lot like Busch Gardens in August when I was there on a family vacation with two miserable toddlers. They will make him fight his way out with nothing but a downed airplane full of supplies to sustain him (and no screaming toddlers, either) and he will emerge three days later, victorious and wellrested while hundreds of theme park visitors will be wishing they were in his shoes.

My favorite episodes are the ones where the poor, unfortunate, highly paid star is thrust into a frozen wilderness that looks a lot more hospitable than the three miles I used to walk to school back home in Wisconsin… when I was eight.

But back to Dual Survival. In this show, the brothers always disagree about what route to take or what berries to eat or where to hunker down for the night. The barefoot brother usually wins every argument, and I think it’s because the other brother is afraid to disagree with someone insane enough to wander through the jungle in bare feet. There’s no telling what he might do, you know?

But on last night’s episode, after they’d overturned dozens of rocks in order to find enough grubs and worms to make a delicious meal, the other brother went down to the stream to get some water to take with them for the rest of the trip. And even though they’d been rubbing sticks together to make fire and biting through palm fronds with their teeth to

‘Hawaii Five-O’ Remake Not Original, But

Here comes the new TV season. And what’s the first of the new shows? Imagine a driving theme song, music that seems to pound through you. Think of zooming shots of stunning Hawaii. Of honest cops catching crooks, while the stone-faced boss eventually says to his assistant, “Book ’em, Danno.”

Wow! Great new thinking on Hawaii FiveO. Of course, many of us remember the show of the same name from a generation ago. In a display of remarkable innovation, CBS has brought it back to run at ten on Monday evenings.

‘I’ On

CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

action, running after the bad guys, shooting them.

make a lean-to and eating nothing but things that live in the dirt for days, this guy whips out a condom to fill with water. “Well isn’t that just like a guy,” I thought. “No matches, no knife, no beef jerky but he’ll have a condom with him just in case he gets lucky.” I mean, suppose Tarzan finally hit the wall swinging on that vine and Jane is out in the jungle alone and haplessly wanders into the path of these two jamokes? They’ll want to be ready, if you know what I mean. Because even though they’re soaking wet (having been rained on all night because they hadn’t been able to chew up enough fronds to make a shelter before the clouds rolled in) and their teeth are full of bits of raw grubs (rubbing two wet sticks together made it impossible to start a fire) and one of them has bare, bleeding feet, they will not hesitate to go up Jane and say, “Hey, baby. What’s shakin’?”

They think that they will need protection for this encounter — and they are right. But it’s not the kind of protection they think.

A Decent Effort

complex than in the old show where flamboyant guest stars played the villains. Also, since we live in a PC world, the bad guys were very carefully chosen to be white (and Irish… probably there are not too many organizations protesting their being picked as the bad ones). What ever happened to Wo Fat (played by the great Khigh Dhiegh), the evil Chinese man who seemed to be behind all the serious crimes as he plotted for “Red China?” Well, time will tell.

To replace the stoic Jack Lord, they’ve brought in stone-faced Alec O’Loughlin, fresh off a series of shows that sank like stones, to be the lead. His McGarrett is a bit different from Lord’s. He’s not as senior, not as much a thinker as an action hero. Lord came across as the man who completely controlled the agency (as he pretty much did the entire show).

O’Loughlin’s McGarrett is a man of

Rosenberg

Rescued Horses

continued from page 23 on her upper shoulder and was skeletal. The vet determined that the horse also had cancer, and so the decision was made to euthanize her.

Dr. Byron Reid, of Reid & Associates in Loxahatchee, became aware of the horses through Dr. Susan Carastro, an equine ophthalmologist in his practice. The three stallions were brought to his clinic and gelded, at no cost.

“We have two interns this year, and I thought it would be a great opportunity for them to learn, as well as helping out the community,” Dr. Reid said. “We also floated their teeth and took X-rays of their front feet, to check for laminitis. The horses got tetanus shots and will be staying with us for a week. Once they’ve healed, they can go back to Animal Care & Control.”

Dr. Reid described the horses as being pretty thin but fairly healthy. They are halter bro-

Scott Caan as Danny Williams, on the other hand, is a stronger character than his counterpart played by James McArthur. Instead of a young eager kid, this Williams is far tougher, actually doesn’t care much for Hawaii, but is there because his ex-wife took his daughter there. This part of the new series does work. The sparks flying between the two leading men actually prevented the usual sag in the middle of the show.

ken and easy to handle. One is about seven years old, the other two around eleven.

Walesky is grateful that the community stepped up to help out. His budget, like so many others these days, is tight. Horses are expensive, and the discretionary funding just isn’t available.

So what happens next?

“When they’re ready, we’ll put them up for adoption,” Walesky said. “We always make sure animals like these are placed in a home with proper facilities and with people who will be able to afford their care. I know a lot of people see a story like this and their heart goes out to the poor horses. But you can’t adopt a horse as a spontaneous gesture. They are an expensive, longterm commitment.”

Walesky suggests that anyone who might be interested in adopting one of these Paso Finos call him at (561) 233-1222.

“We’ll put their names on a list, and then we’ll see who might be the best fit,” Walesky said. “When they’re ready to go, we’ll consider people on a case-by-case basis.”

Of course, not having Asians as part of a Hawaii series would be a serious break of PC etiquette, particularly since they are actually a majority in Hawaii. Daniel Dae Kim, formerly of Lost, does a decent job in the first episode as Detective Chin Ho Kelly, but has relatively few chances to shine. Unlike his counterpart in the old series, he is not an oldtimer added for flavor. Kam Fong, who played the part the first time around, was actually a veteran Hawaii cop. In the new version, Kelly had been kicked out of the police academy, accused of taking bribes. He denies the charges. The new agency will allow him to redeem himself.

Grace Park plays his cousin Kona, another departure from the old show, where a huge male Hawaiian, Zulu, played the equivalent part, Kono. Since she’s adorably pretty, Park will obviously be part of the selling of the show to young men. Keeping in that mode, in the first episode she was not only shown in a very small two-piece bathing suit, but was later forced to strip to her underwear on camera. On the other hand, she’s shown to be an expert at hand-to-hand combat and is a full member of the team, a welcome upgrade from the older show, which tended to stereotype women.

The plots are also darker. The first episode deals with patricide, fratricide, arms smuggling and people smuggling. It’s far more

The show also shows parts of Hawaii that never seemed to appear in the older version. We see a trailer park, not to mention a huge dumpster that’s being used to house some of the smuggled people, instead of simply fancy homes and great scenery. We even see the creation of the unit from scratch.

The show at its start is still focused primarily on being a procedural. There are not a real lot of wisecracks. Wit is in fairly short supply, dominated more by setting up larger action scenes. That might become a flaw as the show competes for ratings with Castle, which runs on quips and wisecracks.

The show seems to be a hit in its time slot. How effective it will be as a long-time series will depend on whether the writers can keep the plots moving. Not original at all; but reasonably decent as one of the new shows of this new television year.

Knights Of Columbus Golf Tourney

The Knights of Columbus Council #8419 from St. Rita Catholic Church will hold its 21st Annual Golf Tournament on Saturday, Oct. 16 at the Links at Madison Green in Royal Palm Beach.

The Peter A. Benvenuti Golf Classic raises funds for the Dr. James R. Louwers Scholarship Fund, which awards a Catholic school scholarship to a deserving young adult from the Knights/St. Rita community. This is the Knights’ largest annual fundraiser, and all excess money is used for charitable works in the local community including young adult

activities, parish needs, and help for other worthy causes and organizations. Last year’s tournament raised more than $10,000. The cost for play is $95 per golfer or $85 per golfer if paid prior to Oct. 2. The tournament begins with check-in at noon, a shotgun start at 1 p.m. and concludes with dinner, awards and a silent auction at 6 p.m. Sponsorship opportunities are still available, ranging from $100 to $1,000.

For more information, call Manny Zapata at (561) 346-7435 or Chuck Higgins at (561) 795-2034.

WPB Antiques Festival Returns To S.F. Fairgrounds Oct. 2-3

Kravis Center Season Tickets Go On Sale

On Saturday, Oct. 2

The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts will hold its public ticket sale day for presentations and shows during its upcoming 201011 season on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 9 a.m.

The 2010-11 season at the Kravis Center will feature more Broadway, more comedy and more music superstars from Bach to rock, with knock-out performances by numerous show biz icons such as the Doobie Brothers, Shirley MacLaine, Whoopi Goldberg, Yanni, Judy Collins, Itzhak Perlman, Roberta Flack, Smokey Robinson, Pilobolus, Bernadette Peters and more.

A number of hit shows from the Great White Way will also be at the Kravis Center, including Dreamgirls, Spring Awakening, Forever Plaid, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Disney’s Beauty & the Beast, West Side Story, The Color Purple and The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein

Of the five Kravis On Broadway

shows scheduled for the 2010-11 season, only tickets to Dreamgirls will go on sale to the public on Oct. 2. The public sale date for the remaining shows are Nov. 6 for Disney’s Beauty & the Beast, Dec. 4 for The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, Dec. 11 for West Side Story and Feb. 12 for The Color Purple. Subscription tickets for Kravis On Broadway are still available for as little as $141.

Individual tickets will also be available for the Regional Arts Concert Series. Subscription tickets are still available for as little as $96. The Regional Arts Concert Series is sponsored by Leonard and Sophie Davis.

Tickets will be available for purchase at the Kravis Center’s Rinker Playhouse (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach). Guests may order their tickets in person that day or by phone at (561) 832-7469 or (800) 572-8471. Tickets are also available online at www.kravis.org.

Send entertainment 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.

The last of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival’s two-day summer shows will be held Oct. 2-3. The show will return to the three-day format in November.

Festival owners Kay and Bill Puchstein continue to be amazed and pleased that their creative scheduling of antique shows during the Florida summer has been so warmly received by customers and dealers. They reported that when the Labor Day edition of the festival opened Saturday, Sept. 4, more than 300 people were standing in line. The Puchsteins were especially satisfied that some of their new and out-of-the-box approaches have attracted a younger buying crowd. However, they noted that dealer space for the Oct. 2-3 show is almost sold out, and dealers will be signing up for the winter season beginning in November.

Every dealer who set up outside did very well for the two-day holiday show, as did most of the dealers inside with merchandise such as A.E. Backus and Highwaymen paintings, lots of oak and country formal furniture and Hoosier cabinets. Vintage jewelry, coins, silver and oriental rugs were also good

sellers, along with guns, dolls, postcards, beads, glass, pottery, vintage linens and handbags.

One of the pioneering ideas found at the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is the restoration services offered by Steve Allred and the West Palm Beach Restoration Studios. While Allred’s personal restoration specialty is high-end porcelain, Palm Beach Restoration Studios works with a network of competent and qualified restoration professionals who cover a broad range of specialties, including furniture, oil paintings, art and almost any other category of antiques and collectibles. These artisans and artists combine traditional techniques with the latest technology of the trade.

Visitors can drop off articles in need of Allred’s services and pick them up on a subsequent visit to the festival. In the Palm Beach Restoration booth, Allred displays examples of the network’s finished products as well as accepting new projects for completion before the next event. He also supervises the on-site repair of glass and crystal in the booth.

Allred has expanded both the size and the scope of Palm Beach Res-

toration Studios, expanding to a 9,000-square-foot facility and adding a consumer information service. The studio sponsors classes in porcelain restoration, wood items restoration and identification of antiques, including how to distinguish between genuinely old artifacts and reproductions or forgeries. The classes range from beginner to advanced in technicality and are open to the public. The studio also offers appraisals for damage claims and fraud and offers instruction on how to properly pack, ship and insure antiques and art. Information on all the services and classes is available at the studio booth in the festival.

Show hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2 and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 3. Adult daily admission is $7 ($6 for seniors) with a $1 discount coupon for adult admission available online at www.wpbaf. com. Anyone under 16 is admitted free. Early buyers admission on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. costs $10 and is good for both days. There is no charge for parking at the fairgrounds. For more info., contact the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival at (941) 697-7475 or via e-mail at info@wpbaf.com.

L.W. Heritage Festival Oct. 16-17

The annual Hispanic festival has changed its name to more aptly reflect the diverse population of Palm Beach County, and the newly renamed Lake Worth Heritage Festival is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 16 and 17 at Bryant Park, along the intracoastal waterway in Lake Worth.

Headlining this year’s festival is one of salsa’s most popular performers, David Pabon of Puerto Rico. He will perform his flamenco-flavored hit “Todo Lo Tengo En Tu Cuerpo,” the insistent “Ha Llegado La Hora” and the subtle, sultry “Cuando Hacemos El Amor.”

Pabon started his soloist career with the hit song “Aquel Viejo Motel.” He recorded it in 1989 and it became a No. 1 hit on Hispanic radio stations. Pabon has toured almost all the municipalities of Puerto Rico and soon found himself touring countries including Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Santo Domingo and the United States. He has performed at iconic venues such as Madison Square Garden in New York City, and with famous musicians including Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Hector Lavoe and many more.

Enjoy entertainment, food and arts and crafts at this two-day cultural event perfect for families of all ethnicities. Authentic cuisine representing palettes from the numerous nationalities that call Palm Beach

County home will be available throughout the event that features entertainment headliners Groupo Emocion, Agustin El Primo y Su Banda Duranguense and many more. Stroll along the intracoastal waterway and shop for arts and crafts that reflect the artistic flair of the diverse cultures selling their wares to the anticipated crowds. Kids will enjoy the Home Depot Kids area with interactive projects, arts and crafts a rock climbing wall and more.

The entertainment schedule for Saturday, Oct. 16 is as follows: noon, Eric Hansen; 2 p.m., Agustin El Primo y Su Banda Duranguense; 4 p.m., Groupo Emocion; 6 p.m., Luis Manual and the Charambo Band; and 8 p.m., David Pabon. The schedule for Sunday, Oct. 17 is: noon, Mountain View; 2 p.m., Illumination; 4 p.m., Finnish folk dancers; and 5:30 p.m., Downfall (classic rock ’n’ roll).

Admission to the Lake Worth Heritage festival is $5 per person or free for children 12 and under. Festival hours are noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday.

The Lake Worth Heritage Festival is produced by the Greater Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce and is sponsored in part by Gonzalez and Cartwright, Brown Distributing, Wachovia Bank, PNC Bank, Humana, JFK Medical Center, Flor-

ida Public Utilities, Costco, Braman Honda, Celebration Cruise Lines, the City of Lake Worth, Fourpoints Media Group, WRMF Radio and Mia 92.1 FM.

The Greater Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit membership-driven business organization focused on the development and retention of businesses, taking an active role in business issues, providing meaningful member services, and improving the quality of life for all residents in the community.

For more information, call the Greater Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce at (561) 582-4401 or visit www.lwchamber.com.

Palm Beach Restoration Studios’ booth at the festival shows off finished results and accepts new projects, as well as providing information about its new class schedule.

David Pabon

Ambatt Roofing Owner John Davis Overcomes Injury To Persevere

It all started on a stormy night, Dec. 18, 2009. Ambatt Roofing Inc. owner John Davis had just recovered from the flu and said he felt good just before driving away, heading toward Miami with his friend to attend a Miami Heat game. Despite the terrible weather, they arrived safely and watched the first half of the game. Then, during the halftime break, an accident would occur causing a trauma that would test Davis, his business and his family’s strength for the next six months — and alter his life as he knew it before.

It was at the halftime break when Davis recalled standing around the concession area discussing the game. It had been raining, and since he was just recovering from the flu, he had over dressed, wearing pants and a jacket. The crowd of people made it very warm and muggy, with no air flow in this particular spot of the concession area where the group was standing. Davis suddenly felt faint, started to take a step forward to get to the fresh air, but he didn’t make it. Instead, he woke up to paramedics. Bleeding and seriously injured, he was taken by ambulance to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where doctors informed him that his injury was much worse then he first realized. The impact of the fall was so intense that his jaw was broken in three places, shattered and pushed up into his temple area. He needed emergency surgery.

“Not only was I was in shock and disbelief about the seriousness of my injuries, but my emotions — thoughts of worry about my business, my family and how this was going to affect all of us — was very overwhelming,” Davis recalled.

It has been a long road, but after several weeks of lost time, two surgeries and several hospital visits, Davis has since fully recov-

ered and is now back to work. He said that he is happy that he has finally been able to move forward.

“My jaw couldn’t be repaired to its original state, but it’s better,” Davis said. “It is what it is, and I’ll have to live with it. All I know is that it’s over, and I am glad to be spending quality time with my family, coaching and enjoying community activities again.”

Davis, his family and staff are grateful to everyone who stayed supportive of them through those trying times. Most people were very understanding, Davis said, giving him and his company the opportunities they needed during a difficult and stressful time.

“Thanks to my customers, we have overcome this hurdle,” Davis said. “I, my family and our crew thank everyone for their support.”

Davis has lived and worked in the roofing trade in the Palm Beach and Broward county areas since 1985. As a small business owner, he runs the business. Davis isn’t a salesman, but the actual owner who likes to personally know all his customers and be involved in every project.

Ambatt Roofing customers know that when they hire Davis and the company to do the work, they are hiring the owner himself, who is an expert in the trade, dependable and trustworthy. Davis knows his trade and cares about people and the quality of work being done for them.

Ambatt Roofing is licensed and fully insured, providing highly experienced, honest, ethical and reasonably priced, quality roofing services throughout the area.

For more information, contact Ambatt Roofing at (561) 792-1826 or visit the company’s web site at www.ambattroofing.com.

Ambatt Roofing owner John Davis with his family.

New Device At P.W. Hospital Monitors Pregnancy Via Phone

Palms West Hospital recently announced that it has started using the new technology Airstrip OB. This technology delivers vital patient waveform data, including fetal heartbeat and maternal contraction patterns, in real-time directly from the hospital labor and delivery unit to a doctor’s smart phone.

The application gives physicians the ability to closely monitor patients 24/7 when the demands of their day necessitate their periodic absence from the labor and delivery unit. Palms West Hospital is the first hospital in Palm Beach County to use the Airstrip OB technology. Airstrip OB is the first FDAcleared application developed and is currently installed in 100 hospitals in the U.S. The development of

the Airstrip Technologies platform was driven by the desire to improve the speed and quality of communication in healthcare. The result is improved patient safety and reduced risk for doctors and hospitals.

The technology helps to alleviate anxiety that some mothers-to-be experience during labor when their obstetrician/gynecologist is not with them all the time. “I have shown the technology to several patients, and they are relieved to know that even if their doctor is not physically with them, they can monitor the baby’s status from wherever they are,” said Dr. Steven Pliskow, chief of the Ob/ Gyn Department at Palms West Hospital.

A physician can see on his phone the mother’s blood pressure, how

many centimeters she has dilated and the baby’s condition at any given moment. In addition, he or she can observe how they have progressed during the last four hours. This lets the doctor know the precise moment to be present for the delivery.

Pliskow said he likes using Airstrip OB very much. “There have been numerous times that I have used it to confirm a nursing perception of a strip,” he said. “It decreases the delay between fetal status changes and interventions.”

Other HCA facilities in the region that have recently implemented this technology are St. Lucie Medical Center, Kendall Regional Medical Center, Lawnwood Regional and Plantation General Hospital.

Wellington Native Howard Singer Develops An iPhone App

According to a 2009 study by retailer Matalan, the average person spends 15 minutes a day and 287 days over the course of his or her lifetime deciding what to wear for the day. Now, with the introduction of the Wearcast app, iPhone users are one step closer to knowing how to dress for the weather. Incorporating temperature, wind

chill, humidity and sunlight forecast data into a proprietary formula developed by CBS meteorologist Lonnie Quinn, Wearcast selects the wardrobe configuration best suited for the day’s weather. With a tap of the finger, the app detects the user’s location and displays a five-day “Wearcast” with illustrations of male and female av-

atars sporting the custom outfit recommendations. Packing for trips is a breeze with forecasts available around the world. Different styles designed by Proenza Schouler’s art director Alejandro Cardenas make checking the weather fun, while a temperature sensitivity scale allows users to customize the wardrobe recommendations to their liking.

Wearcast is the brainchild of 24year-old Howard Singer, a New York City resident who recently relocated from Wellington. With little winter wardrobe experience, Singer spent too much time in the morning peering out his Manhattan window at passersby, searching for a popular consensus on how warmly he should dress for the day. Now,

with the customized, one-touch Wearcast solution, there’s no reason to be left shivering on a surprisingly chilly day or sweating in their winter jacket when the sun is shining bright. Wearcast is currently available for iPhone, iPod and iPad on the Apple iTunes App Store for $1.99. Direct inquiries to info@wearcast.com.

Dr. Steven Pliskow with a phone that can be used with Airstrip OB.

United Way Of PBC Names New Chairs Wellington Dentist Using Drug-Free Sedation System

The United Way of Palm Beach County recently announced that Art Menor will serve as chairman of the board of directors and Frank Newman will serve as chairman of the 2010-11 annual campaign, which officially kicked off on Sept. 30.

United Way of Palm Beach County’s board of directors is composed of volunteer community and business leaders who set policy and provide the overall direction of the organization. In addition, United Way board members monitor all of the organization’s funding decisions, ensuring accountability and the investment of donor dollars in results-driven programs.

New board members include Peter Foley of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and Don Kiselewski of Florida Power & Light. Board officers elected for a second three-year term include community volunteers Steve Demeritt and Jay Shearouse, Jon Levinson of REL Enterprises Inc., Mindy Nichols of Bank of America Merrill

Lynch and Ricky Wade of “B”ing the Best Inc.

“Art Menor is the epitome of a United Way volunteer. I’m confident that he’ll be an excellent leader and will continue to elevate the bar for the entire organization,” United Way of Palm Beach County President and CEO Charles Anderson said.

Newman has pledged to chair the fundraising campaign and drive its success.

“Frank Newman is an established business and community leader and is dedicated to the success of this year’s campaign,” Anderson said.

During the 2010-11 fundraising initiative, funds will be raised through organizational and workplace campaigns, major gifts, online donations and direct mail solicitations to help support United Way’s 63 health and human service programs that provide critical services to Palm Beach County residents. Last year, United Way raised $14.1 million and provided more than 48,000 Palm Beach County residents with unduplicated health and hu-

man services.

There are 400 organizations and companies throughout Palm Beach County currently conducting a workplace campaign, which allows employees an opportunity to help people in need by making donations through an easy payroll deduction. Any company or organization interested in conducting a workplace campaign should call Vice President of Resource Development Larry Miller at (561) 375-6626. United Way of Palm Beach

County targets the community’s most pressing needs and focuses resources, agency partnerships and the energy of volunteers to create measurable results that have the greatest impact.

To invest, volunteer or make a donation, call United Way of Palm Beach County at (561) 375-6600 or visit www.unitedwaypbc.org. Follow the local United Way on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ unitedwaypbc, or on Facebook by searching United Way of Palm Beach County.

Fear and anxiety keep more than 60 million people a year from going to see their dentist. It is the No. 1 problem people have when thinking about visiting their dentist, and it has a significant impact on the overall health of the American population.

Wellington dentist Dr. Marisol Lopez-Belio believes she has found a solution to this problem. Called NuCalm, it is a drug-free sedation system that gets rid of the fear and anxiety associated with dental visits.

“NuCalm mimics the natural pathways that the body uses to prepare for sleep,” Lopez-Belio said. “Anxiety leads to high-frequency brain waves, but NuCalm causes low-frequency alpha waves in the brain, which relaxes the patient and leaves them physically unable to be anxious,” she added, noting that it is drug-free and that patients experience no side effects and

can drive, play sports or do any other type of activity with no restrictions after having the procedure.

Lopez-Belio has been a practicing dentist in South Florida for more than 20 years. She believes that NuCalm will provide a unique benefit to her patients and that she can help change the public’s view of dentistry by naturally alleviating the anxiety associated with visits.

Lopez-Belio said she is offering a natural approach to solving the No. 1 problem people experience when visiting the dentist — fear. She said it is safer than drugbased sedation and surveys show that more than 95 percent of patients would recommend it to family and friends.

More information about Lopez-Belio can be found at www.wellingtonaesthetics. com, and details concerning NuCalm can be seen by visiting www.nucalm.com.

Art MenorFrank Newman

SPORTS & RECREATION

ROYAL PALM HOSTS SEIJINKAN DOJO OLYMPIAN KARATE TOURNAMENT

Hundreds of karate students from all over the state filled the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center on Saturday, Sept. 25 for the 11th annual Seijinkan Dojo Olympian Karate Tournament. The tournament, which was hosted by Senseis Andy and Cathy Gonzalez, featured events such as kata, fighting and weapons. For more info., visit www.agk300.com or call (561) 784-4662.

Wellington Football Team Edged Out By Archbishop McCarthy

With starting quarterback Tyler Vanacore and left tackle Brynjar Gudmundsson back from reduced suspensions, the Wellington Wolverines had strong aspirations for their season’s first victory. But that did not come to fruition Friday, Sept. 24 as the Wolverines suffered a 34-14 defeat at the hands of Archbishop McCarthy High School.

Gudmundsson’s return, along with senior Lucas Riebe, who started at left guard for the first time, helped the rushing attack account for 224 yards. Vanacore rushed for 85 yards, junior Andy Lemay rushed for 67 yards, and senior Alex Dinardo added 61 yards.

This run game, along with a lack of penalties, resulted in a first half that lasted a mere 55 minutes of real time. “Our first drive was six minutes,” Wellington linebacker/running back Chris Thomas noted. “That clock management means if we have the ball and they don’t, they can’t score.”

With the game scoreless at 4:15 in the first quarter, Wellington linebacker Jake Romano intercepted a pass thrown by Maverick quarterback Michael Armiento inside the Maver-

Wolverine Watch

By Josh Hyber

icks’ own 20 yard line. Lemay capitalized with a six-yard touchdown run on the ensuing drive.

Archbishop McCarthy tied the game with one minute remaining in the quarter. Wolverine punter Nick Brewer pinned the Mavericks deep in their own territory, but quarterback Armiento ran 85 yards through the Wolverine defense into the end zone.

Riebe, who played linebacker as well as left guard, intercepted a pass at 6:49 in the second quarter. The Wolverines rallied, but Vanacore fumbled and Archbishop McCarthy recovered.

Wellington lineman Dominic Ostein recov-

ered an Archbishop McCarthy fumble on the following play to regain possession for the blue and white. With 34 seconds remaining in the half, Nick Brewer’s 56-yard field goal attempt fell short. (The attempt was more strategy, because in high school football, a missed field goal is placed on the 20 yard line.)

Archbishop McCarthy opened the second half with touchdowns on three of its first four drives. Armiento threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Michael Pearce just two minutes in, giving the team its first lead of the night at 14-7.

The Wolverines attempted to counter, but Maverick safety Cody DiBella scooped up another Wolverine fumble for a touchdown. Just 10 seconds into the final quarter, the Mavericks led to 27-7.

Wellington’s Derek May caught the last of three interceptions for the Wolverine linebacking corps with nine minutes to go in the game. Vanacore cut the deficit to 27-14 with a 23yard touchdown run. But Brewer’s onside kick was no good.

Archbishop McCarthy’s Juwan King

scored his second touchdown with five minutes left in the game to increase the lead to 34-14 and put a Wellington comeback hope to rest.

With the loss, the Wolverines fell to 0-4.

The Wolverines will travel to Palm Beach Lakes (Oct. 1), West Boca (Oct. 8) and Forest Hill (Oct. 15) high schools before returning home on Oct. 29 for a game against Spanish River High School.

Heather Kendall takes on Addison Breen.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Keilee Raudales-Baxter of Royal Palm Beach throws a kick at Alexander Gonzales.

Paul Donatelli (right) fends off a kick from Ryan Hartman.

Siblings Sophy and Brody Demoya face off.

Rachel Emery (red) in the fighting competition.

Andy Cardona (left) kicks out at Johnathan Gamboa.

Dustin Staer, Austin Peavler, Ryan Alicea, Corey Ayres, Lucas Riebe and Brynjar Gudmundsson before the game.

Jake Ferrara and Cody Walker.

Wellington Wrestlers Compete In Broward

Two Wellington Wrestling Club wrestlers recently traveled to South Broward High School to compete in the War at the Dawg Pound wrestling tournament, and both took home medals.

Senior Jake Ferrara won the championship medal at 140 pounds against Elias Khwaja from Douglas High School, who placed sixth in the FHSAA state tournament last wrestling season. Sophomore Cody Walker finished in second place in the 125pound weight class, losing a close decision (6-4) in the fi-

nals to Sal Guerriero of Saint Thomas Academy.

“Both wrestlers looked in mid-season form and have been working very hard getting ready for the high school season, which begins on Oct. 25,” coach Travis Gray said.

The Wellington Wrestling Club will travel to McArthur High School Saturday, Oct. 2. The club is open for wrestlers in kindergarten through 12th grade. For information on joining, contact Gray at (561) 827-8595 or wellington wrestling@gmail.com.

Varsity Raiders Defeat The Giants 19-13

The Western Communities Football League Varsity Division Raiders evened their record to 3-3 with a 19-13 victory over the Varsity Giants on Saturday, Sept. 25.

The Raiders were led by running backs John Smith and Kai Rosado, with Rosado scoring two touchdowns and Smith scoring one. Smith also had several pass completions to quarterback Cole Martin to extend drives. Martin had a key block on Smith’s touchdown run that helped clear the way to the end zone. Also contributing on offense

were Mikey Garofalo, Dylan Skinner, Chris Jaksch, Jack Stengel, Cameron Cohen, Abran Perez, Isaiah Perez and Fornoris Roberts.

The Raiders’ defense was led by Mikey Garofalo, Nick Walton, Matt Mueller and Dawson Schwetz, who had a key interception to stop a Giants drive. Also contributing on defense were Giorgio Demartini, Andrew Andraos, Andrew Hansen, Adrian Cabrera, Shane Drayson, John Smith and Cole Martin. The Giants were led by running back Jovares Jones Jr.

Quarterback Cole Martin blocks while running back John Smith heads in for a touchdown.

John Smith tackles Jovares Jones Jr. of the Giants.

Running back Kai Rosado runs for a touchdown.

New Wildcat Dancers Dance Team Announced At RPBHS

The Wildcat Dancers dance team at Royal Palm Beach High School would like to congratulate the dancers who were recently chosen for the 2010-11 team. The dancers were chosen from a total of 75 who auditioned.

The new dance team includes: Chary Baez, Jerrisha Cowart, Loren Estebanez, Melissa Felix, Lucas Gonzalez, Martha Heras, Carolina Reyes, Kristen Rivas (captain), Nicole Rivas (first dancer), Clarissa Rivas, Summer Rosencrantz,

Diana Salgado (co-captain), Destiny Santiago, Mariah Stephens, Kaisha Taylor, Matthew Taylor, Esther Veloz, Jammal Victor, John Whitmore and Kemar Wilson. The team is led by Master Dance Director Michele Blecher.

The new team is looking forward to an exciting dance season of shows, travel and competitions, in which they will attempt to uphold their international ranking, having placed seventh out of 676 other dance routines last year.

Tom Knapp Wins Senior Amateur Championship At The Wanderers Club

Tom Knapp of Tequesta captured the 31st annual Palm Beach County Senior Amateur Championship on Saturday, Sept. 25 at the Wanderers Club at Wellington, with a final round of 66 and a birdie on the second playoff hole. It was Knapp’s first win since regaining his amateur standing for the third time earlier this year.

Knapp and two-time former champion Marc Rosenbaum of Hol-

lywood tied at two under par 142. Rosenbaum, the county’s senior amateur winner in 2007-08, trailed Pete Wegman of Fort Lauderdale by two after the first round and closed with 70. In regulation, Knapp birdied his last three holes, and for the day made eight birdies and two bogeys. Rosenbaum had three birdies and one bogey.

For more information and tournament entry, visit www.pbcga.org.

Wave U-15 Girls Fall To Pinecrest 2-0

The Wellington Wave U-15 girls team recently took 12 players down to Pinecrest in Miami to face off against Pinecrest Premier. The Pinecrest team won the hard-fought game 2-0.

The teams battled to a 0-0 halftime tie. The Wave girls got off to a rough start, with only one substitution for the first 10 minutes playing on their back third. Wellington seemed to settle and dominate the rest of the first half, controlling possession and creating several scoring opportunities. The Wave were unable to convert any of the chances.

The start of the second half, Wellington continued to control the ball, finding space, and creating scoring chances, again not being able to capitalize. Early, after the second water break, Pinecrest added the first score on a set play. A foul just outside the 18 yard line set up the first goal to give Pinecrest a 1-0 lead. The Wave nearly got the equalizer, as forward Christiana Langsam had a break-away as the Pinecrest keeper came off her line and out of the penalty area to clear the ball but missed. Langsam appeared to have the keeper beaten, but the keeper tackled Langsam from behind, and recovered the ball without drawing a foul.

The Wave would attempt to strike again, when defender Natalie Kelly took a shot from a free kick, striking the crossbar. Defender Amanda Nardi intercepted a ball from the right side and drove another shot, but curled wide left. Just before the final whistle, Pinecrest took a shot from outside the 18 yard line, and

the ball looped high and over the Wave keeper, making the final 2-0. Wellington dominated in all areas of play but the scoreboard. Coach Ashley Dirou was pleased with the team’s overall performance. For additional information about the Wellington Wave, visit www. wellingtonsoccer.com.

Forward Christina Barbera takes the ball up field with midfielder Claudia Petrizzi trailing.

COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR

Saturday, Oct. 2

• The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 2 and 3 at the South Florida Fairgrounds (9067 Southern Blvd.). Dealers will show and sell a vast array of antiques, collectibles and decorative accessories. Admission is $7 for adults and $6 for seniors. Early buyer tickets cost $10 and are good for both days. Visit www.festivalofantiques.com for more info.

• Freddy’s Forum Toastmasters Club will host the Division D Evaluation and Humorous Speech Contest on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 8:30 a.m. at the South Florida Water Management District headquarters (3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach). The winners of the competition will participate in the District 47 contests during the fall conference Nov. 5-7 in Miami. For more info., call (561) 682-6362.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Drop-in Story Times: Safari” for age 2 and up on Saturdays, Oct. 2 and 9 at 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• Discover Okeeheelee’s natives Saturday, Oct. 2 at 11 a.m. at the Okeeheelee Nature Center (7715 Forest Hill Blvd.). Discover how native species play an important role. The cost is $3 per person for all ages. Call (561) 233-1400 for info.

• The fourth annual indie craft fair and bazaar Stitch Rock will be held Saturday, Oct. 2 from noon to 6 p.m. at the Old School Square vintage gymnasium (51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach). Stitch Rock brings back old-school crafting techniques with newschool flair full of handmade crafts and unique products. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children 12 and under accompanied by an adult. For more info., visit www.rockthestitch.com.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will offer “Creative Writing for Teens” for ages 12 to 17 on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 3 p.m. Learn about the craft of writing and do exercises to improve your skills. Bring a sample of your writing to share. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register. Sunday, Oct. 3

• The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association will hike Jonathan Dickinson State Park on Sunday, Oct. 3. Meet at 8 a.m. at the front gate on U.S. 1 about one mile north of Palm Beach County line in Martin County. Call Mary at (561) 391-7942 for more info.

• St. Michael Lutheran Church (1925 Birkdale Drive, Wellington) will hold its second annual “Paws for a Blessing” on Sunday, Oct. 3 with a service beginning at 2 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring canned pet food for donation to the organization’s food bank and shelter. For more info., call Donna Tagg at (561) 762-3185.

• TCIN.TV will feature live broadcasts of Night Shul with Matt Auerbach at 9 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3, followed at 10 p.m. by Elsie Bell’s Secrets with Deb Welky Miles. Watch this new Wellington-based Internet TV station at www.tcin.tv.

Monday, Oct. 4

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Fall Story Times” for age 5 and under Monday and Thursday, Oct. 4 and 7. Go on a safari with stories about rhinos and hippos. Call (561) 790-6070 for times and more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “Autumn Leaf” for age 7 and up on Monday, Oct. 4 at 4 p.m. Be inspired by Lois Ehlert’s Leaf Man and create characters out of leaf shapes. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host the Workforce Alliance on Monday, Oct. 4 from 2 to 5 p.m. The Workforce Alliance helps match qualified candidates with the right jobs. Assistance will be available to job seekers to fill out online applications and learn about other career opportunities. Call (561) 790-6070 to preregister.

• The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association will meet Monday, Oct. 4 at the Okeeheelee Nature Center (7715 Forest Hill Blvd.), with a social get together at 7 p.m. and the program at 7:30 p.m. The topic will be first aid along the trails. The event is free and open to the public. Call Sherry at (561) 963-9906 for more info. Tuesday, Oct. 5

• Temple Beth Tikvah (4550 Jog Road, Greenacres) will host a free Yiddish class taught by Jack Herskovitz every Tuesday, starting Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. Call (561) 9673600 for more info.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will present “Storigami” on Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 3:30 p.m. for ages 6 to 9. Learn how to make folded-paper Origami creations. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Loxahatchee Groves Town Coun-

COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR

CALENDAR, continued from page 42 cil will meet Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District office (101 West D Road). Call (561) 7932418 or visit www.loxahatcheegroves.org for more info.

Wednesday, Oct. 6

• The Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club will host a Business Seminar on Wednesday, Oct. 6 from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). The featured speaker will be Richard Flint, chairman and CEO of Flint Inc., a company specializing in the training and development of individuals, companies and associations. Advance registration is required. To register, visit www.rpbrotary.org.

• The Wellington Cancer Research Unit of the Papanicolaou Corps will hold its Fall/ Holiday Bazaar on Wednesday, Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Vendors will be selling jewelry, handbags, gift items, clothing, accessories, toys, personalized children’s items, pet portraits, decorative soaps and candles, tie-dye clothing and more. Food will be available for purchase from Chick-Fil-A and a bake sale will be held by the Lake Worth High School Culinary Academy. For more info., call Karen Paull at (561) 333-8858.

• Award-winning author Barbara Flores will host Creative Nonfiction Writing Classes on Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. beginning Oct. 6 at Palm Springs Middle School (1560 Kirk Road). The cost is $60. Call (561) 357-5017 to register or for more info.

• The Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens (4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach) will feature “Kaiju: The History and Art of Japanese Vinyl Toys” on Wednesday, Oct. 6. at 7:15 p.m. Collector Mark Nagata and Professor James B. Levy will discuss the influence of Japanese movie studio characters on American audiences. The cost is $7 for members and $10 for non-members. For more info., visit www.morikami.org or call (561) 495-0233, ext. 235.

Thursday, Oct. 7

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Election Time: Know the Issues” for adults on Thursday, Oct. 7 at 2:30 p.m. In addition to candidates, several ballot initiatives will be voted on this year. Learn about the initiatives from the county’s Legislative Affairs Department. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Open Mic Night” for adults on Thursday, Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m. Join your neighbors and perform poetry, short prose, an essay or a dance. Play an instrument or sing a song. Bring your friends to cheer for you. Pick up the rules when you pre-register. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• The Wellington Women’s Club will meet Thursday, Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Binks Forest Golf Club (400 Binks Forest Drive, Wellington). Members and guests will enjoy a buffet dinner, a cooking demonstration and a wine tasting. The guest fee is $30. RSVP to Allyson Samiljan at (561) 7986741.

• The Royal Palm Beach Village Council will meet Thursday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. at Village Hall (1050 Royal Palm Beach Blvd.). For more info., call (561) 790-5100 or visit www.royalpalmbeach.com.

• TCIN.TV will feature a live broadcast of Eye On Your Money, a financial talk show, Thursday, Oct. 7 at 8 p.m., followed by the alternative health show Health Unplugged at 9 p.m. Watch this new Wellington-based Internet TV show at www.tcin.tv.

Friday, Oct. 8

• The Palm Beach County League of Cities will hold the seventh annual Cruickshank Golf Tournament on Friday, Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. at Atlantis Golf Club. The program provides individual scholarship grants for qualified high school seniors, municipal employees and other applicants in pursuit of continuing education in public service fields. Sign up at www.leagueofcities.org/ 2010golf.

• Palm Beach Dramaworks will kick off its 11th season with George Bernard Shaw’s Candida opening Friday, Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. at the company’s downtown theater (322 Banyan Blvd.). The production will continue through Nov. 21. For ticket info., call the box office at (561) 514-4042 or visit www.palmbeachdramaworks.org.

Saturday, Oct. 9

• Wellington Christian School (1000 Wellington Trace) will host its Fall Boutique Show on Saturday, Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. More than 40 local vendors will be on hand. Limited vendor space is still available. For more info., call (561) 793-1017, ext. 2470.

Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 793-6090. Email: news@gotowncrier.com.

JOHN C. HUNTON AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION, INC. —Service & new installation FPL independent participating contractor. Lic. CAC 057272 Ins. "We are proud supporters of the Seminole Ridge Hawks" 561-798-3225. Family Owned & Operated since 1996. Credit Cards Accepted

A/C SALES & SERVICE — New, used, scratch & dent. If you used anyone but Glover’s A/C, you probably paid too much! U10163. 7937388

J.C. TEETS & CO. — Concierge Accounting. discreet, confidential, individualized service to manage all of your personalized financial needs.Visit us at www.jcteets.com or call 561-632-0635

HOUSECLEANING — 20 yrs experience. Excellent local references. Shopping available. 561-572-1782

HOUSECLEANING —Reliable with long term clients. Over 12 yesr experience. Ref. available. Karen 561632-2271

CLEANING IN WESTERN COMMUNITIES — for over 25 years. GREAT REFERENCES. Call Brenda 561-460-8380.

MOBILE-TEC ON-SITE COMPUTER SERVICE — The computer experts that come to you! Hardware/Software setup, support &troubleshooting www .mobiletec.net. 561-248-2611

D.J. COMPUTER — Home & office, Spyware removal, websites, networks, repairs, upgrades, virus removal, tutoring. Call Jeff 561-3339433 or Cell 561-252-1186 Lic’d Well. & Palm Beach We accept major credit cards.

DRIVEWAYS — Free estimates.

A & M ASPHALT SEAL COATING commercial and residential. Patching potholes, striping, repair existing asphalt & save money all work guaranteed. Lic.& Ins. 100045062 561-667-7716

PLACE YOUR AD HERE CALL 7933576

THE MASTER HANDYMAN — All Types of Home Repairs & Improvements. No job too big or small done right the first time every time 40 yrs of satisfied customers. See me on Angies List. Tom (561) 801-2010 or (954) 444-3178 Serving Palm Beach and Broward Counties.

BILLY’S HOME REPAIRS, INC. — REMODEL & REPAIRS Interior Trim, crown molding, rotttenwood repair, door installation, minor drywall,kitchens/cabinets/ countertops,wood flooring. Bonded Ins.U#19699 791-9900 628-9215

ANMAR CO .—James’ All Around Handyman Service. Excellent craftman Old time values. Once you’ve had me! You’ll have me back! Lic. Ins. Certified Residential Contractor CRC 1327426 561-248-8528

HOME INSPECTIONS — Mold inpections, air quality testing, US Building Inspectors mention this ad $20.00 Off. 561-784-8811

HURRICANE SHUTTERS P&M CONTRACTORS — ACCORDION SHUTTERS Gutters, screen enclosures, siding, soffits, aluminum roofs, Serving the Western Communities. Since 1985. U-17189 561-791-9777

BOB CAVANAGH ALLSTATE INSURANCE

Auto • Home • Life • Renters

• Motorcycle • RV • Golfcart

• Boat Serving the Western Communities for 24 years Call for a quote 798-3056, or visit our website. www.allstateagencies.com/rCavanagh

GREENTEAM LANDSCAPING —

We make your grass look greener than the other side Call now 561337-0658. www.greenteamllc.com

TIRED OF CUTTING GRASS — in 100 degree south Florida weather? Can't stand the humidity? Let us take care of it for you. Call for a free estimate. We do more than Mow, Blow n Go. 561-723-1368 561-6446250

CALL TROPICAL TREE & LANDSCAPE - Affordable arborist tree trimming. Professional landscape services include design, installation, maintenance. Residential / Commercial / HOA 561-244-5100

MOLD & MILDEW INSPECTIONS

Air Quality Testing, leak detection. US building inspectors, mention this ad for discount. 561-784-8811

PIANO,ORGAN, VOCAL LESSONS — Lessons available in group or private in my studio or your home. Call Dr. Brown Ph.D 561714-7707

RJA PAINTING & DECORATING, INC. — Interior, Exterior, Faux Finish, Residential,Commercial.Lic. #U17536 Rocky Armento, Jr. 561793-5455 561-662-7102

J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established in 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential. Interior & Exterior painting. Lic. #U21552 Call Butch 309-6975

JOHN PERGOLIZZI PAINTING INC. — Interior/Exterior - Repaint specialist, pressure cleaning, popcorn ceiling, drywall repair & roof painting. Family owned/owner operator. Free Est. 798-4964 Lic. #U18473

COLORS BY CORO, INC. — Interior/Exterior, residential painting, over 20 yrs exp. Small Jobs welcome. Free est. Ins. 561-383-8666. Owner/Operated. Lic.# U20627 Ins. Wellington Resident

ROBERT G. HARTMANN ROOFING — Specializing in repairs. Free estimates, Bonded,insured. Lic. #CCC 058317 Ph: 561-790-0763. ROOFING REPAIRS REROOFING ALL TYPES — Pinewood Construction, Inc. Honest and reliable. Serving Palm Beach County for over 20 years. Call Mike 561-3090134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC023773 RC-0067207

SECURITY — American owned local security company in business 30 plus years. Protection by officers drug tested. 40 hour course. Licensed & Insured. 561-848-2600

JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio rescreening. Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed! CRC1329708 798-3132.

LUNDY’S LOW COST SCREEN ROOMS — This month special $125 Off Rescreening with this ad 561-310-9466Lic. U-20539

LICENSED PLUMBER — Beat any legitimate estimate. A/C service lowest price. Complete service, new construction, replacement. CFC1426242 CAC058610 Bonded & Insured. 561-601-6458

ELITE POOL SERVICE — You dealt with the rest now deal with the best.” All maintenance & repairs, salt chlorinators, heaters, leak detection. 561-791-5073

J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established in 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential. Interior & Exterior painting. Lic. #U21552 Call Butch 309-6975

MRS. ADAMS PSYCHIC READER & ADVISOR — Cordially invites you for a private session and will help you select the best reading for you on a personal level. Readings consist of tarot cards, crystal, palm or psychic. Because life is so complex to solve a problem one must get to the source. Call for appointment. 561-255-9874. Located at 1225 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach. Available parties and special occasions

MINOR ROOF REPAIRS — Roof painting.Carpentry.Lic. #U13677.967-5580.

HORIZON ROOFING QUALITY

WORK & SERVICE — Free estimates, No Deposits. Pay upon completion, res/comm.reroofing, repairs, credit cards accepted. 561-842-6120 or 561-784-8072 Lic.#CCC1328598

ACCORDION SHUTTERS — Gutters, screen enclosures, siding, soffits, aluminum roofs, Serving the Western Communities. Since 1985. U-17189 561-791-9777

AQUATIC SPRINKLER, LLC —

Complete repair of all types of systems. Owner Operated. Michael 561-964-6004Lic.#U17871 Bonded & Ins. Serving the Western Communities Since 1990

SPECIALIZING IN BATHROOM REMODELING — Free estimates serving South Florida since 1980. Quality you expect, service you deserve. License, bonded and insured. U21006 561-662-9258

ClubZ! In-Home TUTORING

All Subjects: PreK- Adult 561 •333 •1980 CLUBZ.COM America’s Largest In-HomeTutoring Co.

PAPERHANGING BY DEBI — Professional Installation,Removal. Repair of Paper. Neat, Clean & Reliable. Quality work with a woman's touch. 30 years experience. No Job too big or too small. Lic. & Ins. References available. 561-795-5263

WE DO WINDOWS — 20 years professional window cleaning. Residential/Commercial references available. Lic. & Ins. 561-313-7098

DENTAL ASSISTANT - Wellington upscale dental office, 2 Saturdays per month a requirement, must have experience and expanded duties certificate, excellent pay and benefits. Please call 561 204 4494 and fax resume to 561 204 2840.

DENTAL OFFICE ASSISTANT MANAGER — Minimum two years dental experience, two Saturdays per month required, must have knowledge of PPO dental insurance, breakdowns and verification. Excellent pay and benefits. Please call 561 204 4494 and fax resume to 561 204 2840.

NAIL TECH WITH EXPERIENCE — must do acrylic, to take over full clientele F/T and P/T. Hair Stylist with experience. Must be professional and creative F/T. 561-7905777

MATURE LOVING WOMAN COMPANION NEEDED — for handicapped adult girl, light housekeeping, errands. Own car and references. Mon. - Fri. 3:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. and ability to work flexible hours.

561-422-6042

LIVE IN NEEDED FOR SENIOR WOMEN - CNA/HHA required. Room & Board provided in Wellington home, plus excellent pay. Drivers License, non-smoker & references a must. 561-790-4941

MAYFAIR

Every Thursday at 6 pm we are having an equestrian vaulting club... if you love music dance and acrobatics and horses, you will love this sport ages 6 to teen $120.00 per month at the good earth farm in Loxahatchee 561-792-2666 call for registration we need a Florida team!

Memorial Garden Niche for cremated ashes - $1,000 Contact Father Thomas at St. David's in the Pines Episcopal Church call 561-793-1976 or e-mail fatherthomas@comcast.net

9 Piece Light Oak Dining Room Set; 41" x 60" ; includes 2 extra leafs 16" ea.; 6 Chairs; Lighted Hutch & lots of storage $500 Call 561-801-1169

Lakefront seasonal or annual lease. No Pets 561-6442019

STUDIO APARTMENTS —on farm. Spanish Tile A/C furnished $450 per month and $545 per month. 561-222-9432

BEDROOM APARTMENT — includes