Town-Crier Newspaper October 25, 2019

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HISTORICAL SOCIETY LUNCH & LEARN SEE STORY, PAGE 3

LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR ON ‘SHARK TANK’ SEE STORY, PAGE 7

THE

TOWN-CRIER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE

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INSIDE

Tuttle Returns To RPB With Additional Charter School Request

Volume 40, Number 40 October 25 - October 31, 2019

Serving Palms West Since 1980

ROYAL PALM GREEN MARKET OPENS Indian Trail Beefs Up

Services For Citrus Grove Trunk-Or-Treat

Developer Brian Tuttle returned to the Royal Palm Beach Village Council on Thursday, Oct. 17 with new information and requests regarding his Tuttle Royale project on the south side of Southern Blvd. just west of State Road 7. Page 3

Wellington Hosts Groundbreaking For New Boardwalk Project

The Wellington Village Council was joined by village staff and residents on Tuesday, Oct. 22 to celebrate the groundbreaking of a long-planned new boardwalk, which will be located along Lake Wellington behind the Wellington Community Center. Page 10

PBCHS Broncos Earn Big 42-13 Homecoming Victory Over Jupiter

On Thursday, Oct. 17, the Palm Beach Central High School football team hosted Jupiter High School in a district matchup and defeated the Warriors 4213. The homecoming victory improved the Broncos’ record to 6-2 (3-0 in the district) and landed them in the district title game against Palm Beach Gardens High School. Page 19

Pumpkin Chunkin’ Fun Brings Crowd To Community of Hope

Hundreds of people flocked to Community of Hope Church in Loxahatchee on Sunday, Oct. 20 as it hosted its seventh annual Pumpkin Chunkin’ event. Teams equipped with homemade catapult contraptions competed for the trophy. With the help of his friend Eric Mitchell, Jeff MacIntosh built the trebuchet that clinched the competition with a 582-foot launch. Page 20 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 18 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 7 PEOPLE................................... 8 SCHOOLS................................ 9 COLUMNS............................. 16 BUSINESS............................. 17 CALENDAR............................ 18 SPORTS......................... 19 - 20 CLASSIFIEDS................ 21 - 22 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

The Royal Palm Beach Green Market & Bazaar opened for the season on its new day at its new location Saturday, Oct. 19 near Village Hall at the corner of Okeechobee and Royal Palm Beach boulevards. Visitors had the opportunity to purchase a wide array of groceries and delicacies, as well as handcrafted goods. The green market will be open every Saturday until the end of April. Shown above, Hans Konter of AK Caribbean sells rich green herbs. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 12 PHOTO BY MEREDITH BUROW/TOWN-CRIER

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Due to ever-larger turnouts for what has been largely a private Halloween trunk-or-treat event in The Acreage, the Indian Trail Improvement District will open its public restrooms and other facilities at Citrus Grove Park on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 31. The trunk-or-treat event has been put on by Acreage residents for years along Citrus Grove Blvd. as a way to provide a Halloween experience for youngsters despite the long distance between homes and unlighted streets in The Acreage. “ITID will be shutting down the road, as we have done in the past,” ITID President Betty Argue told the Town-Crier on Tuesday. “We’re opening up the park. There’s going to be parking in the park. The restrooms will be

open. There will be lights. They’ll be able to set up tents to hand out candy. There will also be a safe area for smaller children to run around. There will be a playground area there as well. That’s what we’re doing in addition to what we’ve done in past years. In past years, we hadn’t opened up Citrus Grove Park.” This latest ITID action is largely due to an effort by recently appointed Executive Director Burgess Hanson, who has placed an added emphasis on recreation activities. “He believes that we can do more, and be more community oriented,” Argue explained. Hanson stressed that even with ITID providing support services, the Citrus Grove trunk-or-treat remains a community event. “The event is still neighborSee CITRUS GROVE, page 4

Beloved Wellington Principal WELLINGTON FALL FEST Buz Spooner Dies At Age 85

By M. Dennis Taylor Town-Crier Staff Report Henry David Thoreau famously said that the only important thing is to have been important in the life of a child. Beloved former Wellington Elementary School Principal F.E. “Buz” Spooner passed away Thursday, Oct. 17 at age 85 after positively impacting the lives of tens of thousands of children in Wellington and across Palm Beach County. Residing in Boynton Beach, he was born in Washburn, Maine. He served as the founding principal of the first school in Wellington. When it opened, it was the first time that children in the rapidly growing western communities did

not have be bused east for school. Spooner grew Wellington Elementary School from a cluster of portables in 1980 to a full-fledged school that once taught up to 1,500 students per year as the Palm Beach County School District raced to keep up with the area’s explosive growth. He worked for 20 of his 43 years with the school district leading Wellington Elementary School, inspiring students with his unique style and zest for excellence. “Charismatic. That’s the word that I would use to describe him,” said Elaine Cittadino, the original secretary of the school who worked with Spooner for 18 years. See SPOONER, page 7

F.E. “Buz” Spooner

Sponsors Step Forward To Support WCF Fundraiser

By Callie Sharkey Town-Crier Staff Report Putting on a successful event like the Wellington Community Foundation’s Red, White & Blue Jeans “A Salute to Our Heroes” fundraiser on Friday, Nov. 8 at the Wellington National Golf Club is no easy task, and it is impossible to do without a small army of sponsors willing to support the undertaking. Sponsors for the event include

diamond sponsor Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith; ruby sponsor Wellington Regional Medical Center; sapphire sponsor Thomas & Regis Wenham; and table sponsors Jim & Paula Sackett, Dr. & Mrs. Gordon Johnson, Palm Beach Urology Associates, Medicare Maggie, Barry & Phyllis Manning, Barron & Kogan CPAs, First Bank of the Palm Beaches and Dr. Humberto J. Caldera. Mickey Smith, a partner with

the law firm Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith, is proud to sponsor the fourth annual event. “This event is all about community — neighbor helping neighbor,” Smith said. “This appeals to us the most, as we strive to give back to the communities we serve.” The Wellington Community Foundation’s programs focus on helping some of the most vulnerSee WCF EVENT, page 7

The Wellington Village Council presented a proclamation this week designating Nov. 8, 2019 as “Wellington Community Foundation Day.” (L-R) Councilman John McGovern, Councilwoman Tanya Siskind, Mayor Anne Gerwig, Wellington Community Foundation Chair Tom Wenham, WCF board members Maria Becker, Mickey Smith and Dr. Gordon Johnson, Vice Mayor Michael Napoleone and Councilman Michael Drahos.

The Village of Wellington’s Fall Festival returned to Village Park on Saturday, Oct. 19. The event included food trucks, trick-or-treating, bounce houses, pony rides, a petting zoo, face painting, hayrides, costume contests for all ages and a scary Haunted Hallways experience. From pumpkins and vendors to laser tag and lawn games, there was fun to be had for all ages. Shown above, Addison Kratman and Maeson Frost took first place with their team costume. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO BY CALLIE SHARKEY/TOWN-CRIER

Wellington Council Presents Keely Spinelli Grants To Local Schools

By Gina M. Capone Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington Village Council presented its annual Keely Spinelli Grant awards to principals from local schools on Tuesday, Oct. 22. The grant program supports programs that educators put in place to meet the needs of local students, particularly those who need some extra help. This year, the council approved $400,000 from the general operating fund to go toward the Keely Spinelli Grant for 11 schools. Each school was awarded $35,363 to create programs designed to make advancements for low-achieving students. On Tuesday evening, the principals picked up their checks. The Wellington Education Committee voted to create the Keely Spinelli Grant in 2013, with the intent of offering financial assistance to village schools. The

council agreed and has supported the program ever since. Each school receives grants that principals put to use to help students achieve elevated reading skills while offering tutoring tools to advance the abilities of children in science and math. Each year, the principals must reapply for the grant, explaining what the money will be used for. The grant is named for the late Binks Forest Elementary School Principal Keely Spinelli, a literacy educator who put a focus on struggling readers. She died after a long battle with cancer in 2008 but left a lasting legacy with local educators. The Keely Spinelli Grant money must be used to focus on one or more of four long-term outcomes. The first outcome increases proficiency in third grade reading to 75 percent or higher. The second See SCHOOLS, page 4

FPL CEO Gives Presentation On Company’s Future

By Callie Sharkey Town-Crier Staff Report Florida Power & Light CEO Eric Silagy was the keynote speaker at the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Luncheon held Thursday, Oct. 17 at the Breakers West Country Club. Silagy’s presentation centered on FPL’s focus on forward-thinking technology. Silagy was introduced by Central Palm Beach County Chamber Chair John Carter, who shared some insights on the future of FPL. “When it comes to clean energy and resiliency, FPL is leading the way. As you may know, FPL is rapidly expanding solar energy across the state, including right here in Palm Beach County,” Cart-

er said. “FPL’s plan to install 30 million solar panels in Florida by 2030 is making our state a world leader in solar energy. I think that speaks volumes, and we all ought to be very proud they are located right here in our hometown.” Silagy thanked the room full of business and civic of leaders in attendance. He noted that the contributions of both government entities and businesses keep the area both stable and strong. “We are really excited as a company at all the opportunities across the state, starting right here in Palm Beach County. A thousand people a day are coming in and moving to Florida,” Silagy said. “It’s because this area, as well as the whole state, is a very attractive place to live,

grow your business and relocate to. Palm Beach County is one of the top 50 places to locate your business. That doesn’t happen by accident.” Silagy provided statistics to support the growth and importance of Florida, which now has a onetrillion-dollar economy. If Florida were a country, its economy would rank as the 17th largest in the world, in front of Switzerland and Argentina. “I’m proud of how this state has managed its finances. We have a AAA rating as a state, and you shouldn’t underestimate the value of that,” he said, noting that FPL’s parent company NextEra Energy has a footprint across the country. See SILAGY, page 18

Central Palm Beach County Chamber Chair John Carter, FPL External Affairs Manager Stephanie Mitrione and keynote speaker PHOTO BY CALLIE SHARKEY/TOWN-CRIER FPL CEO Eric Silagy.


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