SCHOOL DISTRICT FUNDING ON BALLOT SEE STORY, PAGE 3
12 STATE AMENDMENTS AWAIT VOTERS SEE STORY, PAGE 4
THE
TOWN-CRIER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
Your Community Newspaper
INSIDE
State Attorney Aronberg Addresses Chamber On Corporate Theft, Fraud
The Wellington Chamber of Commerce’s luncheon on Wednesday, Sept. 26 featured State Attorney Dave Aronberg speaking on the subject of corporate theft and fraud. The white-collar division of Aronberg’s office deals with cases involving money laundering, organized schemes to defraud and elder fraud. There are currently 400 active cases being worked on by the white-collar team. Page 3
Volume 39, Number 38 October 5 - October 11, 2018
Serving Palms West Since 1980
FIRST BANK OF THE PALM BEACHES OPENS NEW WELLINGTON BRANCH
New Garbage Cans Cause Confusion In Loxahatchee Groves
Despite a sparse turnout at the Loxahatchee Groves public input meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 2, a number of people commented on issues with the town’s new containerized garbage pickup service. Page 7
A grand opening celebration was held for the new branch of the First Bank of the Palm Beaches in the Wellington Plaza at 12796 W. Forest Hill Blvd. on Thursday, Sept. 27. Wellington was selected as the second branch location for the growing West Palm Beach-based financial institution. Bank employees, customers, business leaders, and elected officials were in attendance. Shown above, First Bank of the Palm Beaches Chairman and CEO Jay Shearouse joins Wellington Mayor Anne Gerwig for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, surrounded by other VIPs. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 7 PHOTO BY CHRIS LEVY/TOWN-CRIER
Lox Workshop Will Discuss Another Road Referendum
Fundraiser For Don Gionta Was A Success
Don Gionta’s Fighting Cancer Fundraiser, “We Got This!” was held on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at the Wellington Community Center. Family, friends and Keller Williams Wellington organized the fundraiser. There was a bake sale, Black Thorne bagpipers, food, a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle, and Don’s favorite game of poker. The money raised will be used to offset Gionta’s medical expenses. Page 15
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Residents had many comments for the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council about a workshop planned for Tuesday, Oct. 9 to clarify the language of a proposed referendum question to get the town long-term bonds for road repair after a previous attempt in August was soundly defeated by voters. The plan for that bond money was to get long-term loans for residents who want their road paved. Those residents would have been able to borrow the money and pave roads through a cost-sharing plan using the town’s gas tax money. The consent item had been pulled for discussion after former
Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Supervisor John Ryan put in a comment card. “The voters out here by more than 60 percent said they didn’t really trust or feel comfortable going forward with the town borrowing money at this time, so that may be a little premature,” Ryan said. He added that the town had missed the 10-year time frame mentioned in the charter for a total charter review by a committee, and he suggested that the workshop be directed toward broader measures. Ryan also suggested that the town discuss dissolving itself. “I think that with all the concerns that have developed over the last couple of years, one of the
Late Wellington Rally Hands Seminole Ridge Hawks First Loss 22-21
The Wellington High School football squad put together a late rally behind running back Mark Antony Richards to hand visiting Seminole Ridge High School its first loss of the season 22-21 on Friday, Sept. 28. Page 19 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 15 LETTERS.................................. 4 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
cross the bridge to “Zombie Island: A quarantined place of containment for the undead to roam.” Zombie Island is rated at “Scare Factor Level 4,” designed to scare children and adults. There will also be a Kids’ Fun Zone, where children can ride daily unlimited rides with $10 bracelets, as well as a new trackless train where children and their families can take a complete tour of all the festivities on the Great Lawn. Blackbeard’s Pirate Ship offers a memorable photo opportunity with costumed pirates. There will be a costume contest for infants to adults on Saturday at 11 a.m. and a pet costume contest at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Pre-registration for the contests starts about an hour before the events. Rocktoberfest is described by the village as “featuring fun all day for the entire family.” The event boasts a pumpkin patch, petting zoo, fall crafts and a variety of vendors. There will be cold beer for purchase, a classic and custom car show from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, a gourmet food truck expo and five rock bands.
By Chris Levy Town-Crier Staff Report The Village of Wellington prides itself on being a great hometown. The village’s A-rated schools, low crime rate, abundant parks and quiet neighborhoods are a draw to residents throughout Palm Beach County, the state and, indeed, the entire country. Unfortunately, the lack of available and affordable housing has become a problem for many families, seniors and businesses. Assistant Planning, Zoning & Building Director Michael O’Dell recently spoke in detail with the Town-Crier on the subject. Statistics show that millennials (ages 16 to 34) and baby boomers (ages 54 to 70) have something in common — a desire for smaller, one- or two-bedroom homes. These include condos and rental units. However, the village does not have the supply to meet the
increasing demand. “The village is lacking in one- to two-bedroom units,” O’Dell said. “Only 23.5 percent of the units in the village are of this size.” While many baby boomers and older seniors would prefer a smaller unit, the lack of availability in Wellington has caused them to remain in their homes. As a result, many of these homes have fallen into disrepair and require the use of grant programs to bring them back up to code — particularly when it comes to the replacement of the roof. “It is a burden on the elderly to keep up with their homes,” O’Dell said. “As a village, we can only do so much.” One such development targeting seniors is Devonshire at Wellington Green, located south of the Mall at Wellington Green. However, at the Sept. 13 meeting See HOUSING, page 18
PINK RIBBON BRUNCH
other items on the workshop is it may be time to discuss a referendum to really look at dissolving the town due to its failure to live up to its charter operations and objectives,” he said. Resident Robert Shorr agreed with Ryan’s comments regarding another road referendum. “I don’t want to see anything on a referendum about paving roads in 10 years,” Shorr said. “It was voted down; drop it. They voted it down for a reason. There are a couple of things that need to be changed in the charter.” Shorr disagreed with the idea that the town should consider dissolving. “The county will come See LOX ROADS, page 18
Two Days Of Family Fun At New ‘Rocktoberfest’ In RPB
By Denis Eirikis Town-Crier Staff Report The Village of Royal Palm Beach will host its first ever “Rocktoberfest” at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park on Saturday, Oct. 13 and Sunday, Oct. 14. The free event runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. “We have taken all the best aspects of our Fallfest event, all the successful ones, but we have expanded it to two days and amped this up to more of a rock ’n‘ roll theme,” explained Mike Mikolaichik, Royal Palm Beach’s assistant director of parks and recreation. “We also changed the date to earlier in October so that there will not be a conflict with Halloween.” Last year’s Royal Palm Beach Fallfest was held on Oct. 25. In lieu of the traditional hayride, families can explore a new “Haunted Woods Walking Tour,” which event organizers describe as a “Scare Factor Level 2.” This means that the quarter-mile tour may scare sensitive children and adults. For those brave enough,
Lack of Available, Affordable Housing A Long-Term Concern
Live entertainment starts Saturday at 1 p.m. with the Brass Revolution, a band that describes itself as resembling groups like Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire and Blood Sweat & Tears. Saturday at 4 p.m., the Lazy Bonez invites fans to break out the leather, spandex and hairspray, and get ready to have a “headbanging good time.” Lazy Bonez’ repertoire consists of heavy metal and rock bands like Judas Priest, AC/DC, Ratt, Dio and more. The tribute band Kissed Alive rocks the stage starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday. The band describes itself as “from Kiss fans, for Kiss fans.” Sunday’s rock entertainment starts off at 1 p.m. with Completely Unchained, a Van Halen tribute band, and the Spazmatics take the stage at 5 p.m. Free parking is available throughout the park. The village invites attendees to avoid traffic and come early. Expect traffic delays. Bring lawn chairs, sunscreen and a blanket for a day of fun for all ages. Visit www.royalpalmbeach.com for more information.
Your Bosom Buddies II breast cancer support group hosted its Pink Ribbon Champagne Brunch & Fashion Show on Saturday, Sept. 29 at the Madison Green Country Club. Fashions were provided by Stein Mart. Shown above, Tee Franzoso gives Shari Zipp her raffle prize. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
ITID Plans Workshop On Equestrian Issues
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors will hold a workshop to get input from equestrians on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 5:30 p.m. before the board’s next regular meeting. “We’re looking for feedback from the equestrian community as to things they would like to see,” ITID President Betty Argue said. “Not all ideas have to cost money, so we’re going to pool our money and look for sponsorships, and what kind of things we can do to make it safer for our equestrians. Also, we want to preserve our equestrian lifestyle.” Argue said that the board scheduled the workshop after a discussion about trails and improving connectivity. “There’s a lot of different people who are involved in the discussion right now,” she said.
Acreage Horseman’s Association Vice President Linda Rainbolt said she will be at the meeting to hear and discuss equestrian issues. “I ride out here every weekend,” Rainbolt said, explaining that she mainly rides on the roads. “We do have the preserve, which is very nice, which we ride all the time, and then we have little pieces of property that we trail ride on.” Rainbolt said that some of the trails are locked right now, and she would like to see them opened. For example, there is a trail that goes across 140th Avenue North, she said. The trail is near Acreage Community Park, which has its southern portion under construction and has equestrian parking in the plans. “They have it locked, and it’s part of the trail system,” Rainbolt said. “They don’t want us to use See ITID HORSES, page 4
Rodriguez To Manage Expanded RPB Cultural Center
By Chris Levy Town-Crier Staff Report With the newly expanded and renovated Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center expected to be completed soon, the village recently hired a new events and facility manager. The position went to Jaclyn Rodriguez, a Royal Palm Beach resident with experience at Disney, Marriott and Hyatt. She has lived in La Mancha for the past year and a half. Rodriguez learned of the opening with the village after subscribing to a new jobs bulletin. “I jumped right on it and applied,” she said. “I loved getting a job closer to home.” Rodriguez’ background in event sales and planning with major names in the hospitality and entertainment industries made her a strong choice for the position.
“I bring a background of 10plus years in events to the table,” she explained. “I have hospitality experience with a high-end venue. Our events will include everything from weddings to graduations to corporations to New Year’s celebrations. Our clients will range from the blushing bride to the corporate client.” Rodriguez started her new position on Sept. 24 and has enjoyed her first weeks on the job. One of her first tasks was to meet with Royal Palm Beach Mayor Fred Pinto, who has ideas for groups and events for the facility. “We’re delighted to have her on board,” Pinto said. “We’re hoping that she can lead us down the path of greater utilization of our new and improved Cultural Center, and expand business events, in addition to the entertainment events
that the venue is known for. She brings a special and unique skill set to the position.” Rodriguez’ immediate supervisor is Mike Mikolaichik, recreation superintendent for the village. “She comes in with a hospitality background,” Mikolaichik said. “We’re extremely excited. She’s perfect for the venue we’re looking to present. She’s a go getter — hard worker — hit the pavement running. She has already met with hotels to partner on business conferences and drawn up plans for our other venues. She’s a perfect fit for the position.” Rodriguez has big plans for her new position. “I hit the ground running,” she said. “We’re getting everyone excited about the grand opening. I’ve been reaching out to local hotels and venues.”
She has found working at Royal Palm Beach very welcoming. “Everyone here is super nice,” she said. “I’ve been getting acclimated to the role. I’m really excited to be getting involved in community events.” Rodriguez has been keeping an eye on her future home as it nears completion by the end of the year. “I drive by and see how it’s going,” she said. “It’s getting there. It’s going to be beautiful.” With the Cultural Center still under construction, Rodriguez currently works out of the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center. “My two-year-old has soccer tots here,” she said. “I love all of the activities. I’m looking forward to the Young at Heart luncheon on Friday, Oct. 5.” Rodriguez grew up in Palm See RODRIGUEZ, page 7
Jaclyn Rodriguez, Royal Palm Beach’s new events and facility manager.
PHOTO BY CHRIS LEVY/TOWN-CRIER