Town-Crier Newspaper October 9, 2009

VINCEREMOS HARVEST FEST

The Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center held its

Cassandra Zyavmensky. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 3

SWA Drops Landfill Sites In Favor Of Future Land Swap

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Palm Beach County Commission, meeting as the Solid Waste Authority Governing Board, rejected the two existing offers of a new landfill site Wednesday, instead pinning hopes on a future land trade with the South Florida Water Management District.

kick off Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 410) and celebrate PBCFR’s 25th anniversary. The event was held at the Chief Herman W. Brice Fire Rescue Training Complex on Pike Road just east of Royal Palm Beach off Southern Blvd. Page 9

Spor ts

Injury Adds To Pain Of Wolverines’ 13-0 Loss To P.B. Lakes The image is a familiar one. Another long delay. Another rushed ambulance. Another serious head injury to a Wellington High School football player. The victim: sophomore running back Grant Smallridge. Page 15

The SFWMD is the public entity negotiating the state’s purchase of 73,000 acres of U.S. Sugar property for Everglades restoration, and the commissioners decided to delay choosing a new landfill site for 12 months with the goal of getting some of that land in exchange for 1,600 acres already owned by the Solid Waste Authority near the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.

The commissioners generally agreed that the prices being asked for the two sites on offer were inflated to about three and a half times their appraised value, and also noted that falloffs in the

county’s population growth and economic activity have extended the life expectancy of the existing county landfill, giving them more time to reach a decision. The Solid Waste Authority is also planning a waste-to-energy plant that will reduce the waste going to the landfill by as much as 75 percent, according to SWA staff.

The commissioners also agreed to remain open to other possible garbage disposal alternatives.

The current SWA site west of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge was purchased in 1996, but plans to place a landfill there have drawn opposition from environmentalists, refuge representatives and others, according to SWA Deputy Director Dan Pellowitz, who gave commissioners status reports on the landfill sites. The site’s previous owner, a subsidiary of Florida Crystals, retains an option to buy it back for $10.5 million if the SWA decides not to use it for a landfill.

A search for alternative sites and willing sellers began in August 2007, and of 11 initial submissions, the SWA narrowed its choices to two: one at State Road 80/U.S. 98 and another on County Road 880.

The SR 80/U.S. 98 site drew opposition from residents both of Wellington and the Glades over concerns of “visual pollution.” The County Road 880 site drew objections from environmentalists over its proximity to Stormwater Treatment Area 1West.

The 1,733-acre SR 80/U.S. 98 site was offered for about $68 million. The 1,493-acre site on County Road 880, dubbed the “Hundley site,” was offered for about $54 million. Although both of the sites were priced at more than 3.5 times the appraised value, Pellowitz pointed out that the SWA has the right to negotiate the best and final price.

A cost analysis projected See LANDFILL, page 16

Brockovich: Answers Needed On Acreage ‘Cancer Cluster’

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

About 500 people concerned about a possible “cancer cluster” in The Acreage turned out at the Palm Beach County Convention Center on Thursday to meet with well-known environmental activist Erin Brockovich and two legal firms she serves as consultant for.

Brockovich gained fame after she led a successful water-contamination case in California — an effort chron-

icled in the Julia Roberts film Erin Brockovich.

The two legal firms present at Thursday’s meeting became involved in the Acreage “cancer cluster” after the Florida Department of Environmental Protection started testing to determine if heightened cases of cancer are present in The Acreage, then testing wells in The Acreage for possible contamination that could be causing it.

Attorney Lem Srolovic of

See CANCER, page 5

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

After serving in the top spot on the Royal Palm Beach Village Council for 11 years, Mayor David Lodwick announced this week that he will not run for re-election when his current term expires in March.

Lodwick, who has been on the council for the past 17 years, hopes that upon looking back, residents will approve of the accomplishments of the council he has led.

Among those accomplishments, Lodwick pointed out, are major road and park improvements, the merger of the village’s fire and police departments with county agencies, and the sale of the village’s water utility to the county during the height of the real estate market, which created an ongoing revenue stream that has reduced taxes.

Some of the challenges were heartening and some are still unresolved, said Lodwick, who will retire as the longest-serving mayor in the village’s 50-year history.

“It has been a challenge,” he told the Town-Crier on Tuesday. “That’s not to say in a bad way. You meet lot of different challenges. Some are a lot of fun to see them resolved; some you shake your head and wonder how you got there.”

By Ron Bukley

Town-Crier Staff Report

It has been over a decade since Royal Palm Beach Vice Mayor Matty Mattioli narrowly lost a mayoral bid to David Lodwick, and now that Lodwick has announced plans to step down, Mattioli has launched another try for the job.

Mattoili confirmed to the Town-Crier this week that he will indeed run for Royal Palm Beach mayor in the March 2010 election.

The mayor’s seat is one of three seats up for election next year. The others are Seat 3, currently held by Mattioli, and Seat 1, occupied by Councilman David Swift.

In what may shape up to be an active election season, RPB community activist Richard Valuntas declared his candidacy for Mattioli’s Seat 3 last week, although he did not know at the time that Mattioli would be running for mayor.

Mattioli, a 30-year RPB resident, will try again for the top position after losing a close election to Lodwick in 1999.

“I lost by 13 votes,” recalled Mattioli, who is 82. “I just didn’t quite make it. Now that Lodwick’s not running, I thought I might get to hit that last rung of the ladder before I retire.”

Mattioli feels that the RPB council has been very cohesive during his 16 years on the dais.

Dealing with issues outside the village, such as getting the Roebuck Road extension built, tends to be more frustrating, Lodwick said. “Once you get out of our little part of the world, you get into politics downtown or politics in Tallahassee, it almost stops being about the residents,” he said.

Holding a degree in chemical engineering while working in the insurance industry, Lodwick said he prefers to address problems directly. He credits his four partners on the council with the village’s successes.

“I have served as mayor with four other people on the council who truly care about the residents more than worrying about their own personal agenda,” Lodwick said. “We’ve had a staff that worries about getting things done and getting things done right.”

Several controversial decisions during his tenure turned out extremely well for the village, Lodwick said.

“On my first night as mayor, we merged with Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue,” he said. “As we look back, hopefully history judges that we’re getting a much higher quality service, great response times and better public safety.”

Lodwick is also proud of the village’s police depart-

See LODWICK,

“I think we did a lot for the village, moved in the right direction,” he said. “With the economic crunch that we’re having — and I hope that it’s over in a year, but it might not be — I’d just like to keep us on the steady course that we all seem to agree on.” Mattioli said there are several big projects he and the council have worked hard on that he would like to lead to completion, such as the extension of Roebuck Road, which he considers his number one priority, the completion of improvements on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. north of Okeechobee Blvd. and the construction of Royal Palm Beach Commons Park.

Extending Roebuck Road to the western communities is in the county’s road plan but had been hotly contested by West Palm Beach and residents of communities near the road’s future path. The Royal Palm Beach Blvd. work, meanwhile, is currently in progress. “The median has been done, as well as the landscaping and utilities, and now they’re getting ready to let a contract for curbing and guttering like they did on the south end of Royal Palm Beach Blvd.,” Mattioli said. The infrastructure is currently going in at the 160-acre Commons Park, formerly the Tradition Golf Course. The park, being built in phases,

Initiative Focuses On More Employment Centers

By Lauren Miro Town-Crier Staff Report

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce unveiled plans this week to bring more employment opportunities and economic growth to the western communities. At a luncheon Monday at the Wellington Community Center, members of the chamber’s Economic Development Committee unveiled an initiative to bolster local industry. The initiative aims to attract key industry employers to the area by buying land and developing employment centers that are “shovel-ready,”

or able to be purchased and built upon within 12 to 18 months. In a video presented by Vice Chair for Economic Development Susan Giddings, committee members explained that although the population of the western communities is close to 250,000, many residents commute to work each day, leaving the area a “ghost town.” Commuting residents don’t shop in local stores or eat at local restaurants during the week, and the area functions as a bedroom community for many.

According to the presentation, the communities of Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee Groves, The Acreage, Greenacres and the Glades have essentially fed major employment centers in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and the Jupiter/ Palm Beach Gardens area, who banded together in the past to promote employment and capitalize on their location along the I-95 corridor. Now the chamber hopes to band all the western communities together to capitalize on the recent expansion of See CHAMBER, page 16

PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRO/TOWN-CRIER

Palms West Chamber Vice Chair for Economic Development Susan Giddings presents a certificate of appreciation to Andrew Duffell of the Business Development Board at Monday’s luncheon. (L-R) Mike Horwitz, Giddings, Duffell,

Third Annual Harvest Fest fundraiser last Saturday at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center on Forest Hill Blvd. The event featured carnival games, a barbecue lunch, pony rides, costume contests and riding demonstrations. Shown here is first-place costume winner “pirate” Victoria Carroll with “convict”

Erin Brockovich meets with reporters Thursday.

Erickson: MPO Plan Snubs Sem Pratt Extension

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Hopes for a north-south link between The Acreage and the Beeline Highway have dimmed as the Palm Beach Metropolitan Planning Agency comes close to approving a road plan that ranks an extension of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road as a lowpriority project.

The MPO manages the distribution of federal and state transportation funding in Palm Beach County. The organization is scheduled to review and approve its 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan, a 25-year forecast intended to serve as the foundation for future transportation planning within Palm Beach County, next week.

Indian Trail Improvement District Supervisor Mike Erickson has been representing the district at numerous meetings on transportation issues and has lobbied hard to keep the Seminole Pratt extension a high priority, citing its potential as an evacuation route. He said he feels MPO staff lowered the priority of the six-mile, four-lane extension to allow inclusion in the plan of several additional intersection flyovers on State Road 7.

But MPO Director Randy Whitfield said the lowered priority for Seminole Pratt is unrelated to the addition of the flyovers, or “urban interchanges.”

“We expected the urban interchanges to be included in the program,” Whitfield told the Town-Crier Wednesday. “We had not put them together yet because we were still identifying them and coming up with a cost estimate. We basically don’t look at building an interchange unless we have 100,000-plus cars per day passing through the intersection.”

Earlier drafts of the plan made the Seminole Pratt extension a high priority. “The

Election

Valuntas To Run

continued from page 1 will be under construction for the next two to three years, he said.

Mattioli feels the purchase of the old golf course was a great move for the village because investors were starting to look at the property, which could have led to heated rezoning battles.

“We now have one of the choicest pieces of real estate right in the center of town that we own, and we can control its destiny forever,” Mattioli said. “Once it gets out of your hands, you can’t control it.”

Mattioli said he is proud to be a member of a council that has reduced the tax rate for 15 consecutive years. “I’d sort of like to make it 16,” he said.

Valuntas, an attorney, originally chose to run against Mattioli for Seat 3 because he perceived some inconsistencies in Mattioli’s policy decisions. Although he was not aware at the time that Mattioli would be running for mayor, Valuntas told the Town-Crier he is not interested in a mayoral run and will continue his bid for Seat 3.

“Most of my interactions with Mr. Mattioli have been good, just a lack of consistency that I viewed on the board, particularly with growth issues,” Valuntas said, explaining that Mattioli had voted for increased density for the Cypress Key mixed-use development near Valuntas’ home a few years ago.

“They created a new zoning designation in the village, but they never applied it anywhere else,” Valuntas said. “It dramatically increased the density. At this point, there is no density increase because there is nothing there, but it’s supposed to get built.”

In contrast, Valuntas noted that about six months ago, Mattioli voted against increasing the density on a piece of property east of Victoria Grove that the village had annexed from the county. “Hey, I’m glad he did it, but I found it contradictory,” Valuntas said.

Valuntas, 39, feels he has the experience, education and a diverse background to of-

staff-recommended plan has removed Seminole Pratt with the stipulation that they would put it back in if they could find a way to do it less expensively,” Erickson told the Town-Crier Tuesday. Erickson said he suspects the extension’s estimated price tag of more than $160 million is inflated. “As it goes forward, they can amend it to have it recommended if it becomes cost feasible,” he said.

Erickson said the cost estimates have escalated because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requires the entire stretch be bridged to preserve a greenway between the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area to the west and ITID’s former Development Unit 11, which the district ceded to the county several years ago. The county purchased the individual lots in Unit 11 under a bond issue for preservation of natural areas.

When ITID turned jurisdiction of Unit 11 over to the county, Erickson explained, it stipulated that the transaction would not jeopardize the extension of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, but the Army Corps has a different point of view. As the county started to go through the permit process for the extension, corps officials said accommodations must be made for environmentally sensitive lands.

Erickson said ITID maintains that the extension should be built because of the overall good that has been done in the area with the conversion of Unit 11 to wetland.

“Our position has been that we’re going to improve the wetlands all around this because of bond money on environmental lands, but the intention has always been that we are going to the Beeline, and that cannot be changed because we’re augmenting wetlands here; you cannot See ROAD PLAN, page 16

fer to the residents of Royal Palm Beach. With three young children ages one, four and six, he said he offers a family perspective that he feels most of the sitting council members have outgrown, pointing out that Councilman Fred Pinto is the only incumbent with a school-age child.

“I don’t guess I’m really young, but I guess I’m the younger end of our spectrum,” Valuntas said. “Mr. Pinto and I could fit into that younger family bracket.

Valuntas grew up in Broward and moved to Palm Beach County in 1998 when he got a job with a local legal firm after graduating from law school at Florida State University. He moved to Royal Palm Beach in September 2001, and soon after became a member of the Recreation Advisory Board.

As a member of that board, he said he is familiar with and has followed with great interest the progress on Commons Park. Other issues he wants to study closely are the proposed opening of the Madrid Street connection to the State Road 7 extension. “I’m completely sympathetic with the people who don’t want it opened,” Valuntas said. “I relate it to the mixed-use that was put next to me.” However, he can also relate to people who could save time commuting in and out of the village, which would actually reduce traffic.

Another issue Valuntas is concerned about is the county alarm ordinance that RPB residents are subject to due to the presence of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in the village. Currently, if village residents have a home alarm and do not pay a $25 alarm fee, the PBSO will not answer a call from the security firm that calls in the alarm, Valuntas said. A local ordinance would clarify the role of PBSO, he said.

Qualifying runs from noon Jan. 26 to noon Feb. 9, 2010. The election will be held Tuesday, March 9.

Richard Valuntas Matty Mattioli

VINCEREMOS HOSTS ANNUAL HARVEST FEST AT JIM BRANDON CENTER

The Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center held its Third Annual Harvest Fest fundraiser last Saturday at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center on Forest Hill Blvd. The event featured carnival games, a barbecue lunch, pony rides, costume contests and riding demonstrations. For more info., visit www. vinceremos.com or call (561) 792-9900.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Julia Schack with her Breyer horse costume contest entry.

Tony Pelligrini walks A.J. Zembrzuski on Misty May while his mom Danielle and therapist Heidi Spirazza help out.

Gold Coast Arabian Horse Club President Carol Walter, Keith Wagner and Vice President Nancy Brann.

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Unit deputies Denise Frazier on Mo Mo and Brian Daly on Arthur.

Scott Baker jumps over the highest jump in the contest.

Scott Baker on P.J., Fabian Haas on Rio and Vanessa Gergara on Rosie.

OUR OPINION

Landfill Vote: Sometimes The Right Decision Is To Wait

After postponing the decision six months ago, the Palm Beach County Commission this week revisited the issue of choosing the location for a new landfill. Sitting as the Solid Waste Authority Governing Board, the commissioners again made the smart move with their decision to buy more time. The latest plan gives the county another 12 months to find a site while the South Florida Water Management District negotiates with U.S. Sugar for the sale of land for Everglades restoration. The plan is to set aside some of those 73,000 acres for the landfill, giving the county a clean slate by taking the previous options off the table and avoiding sites that were financially, environmentally and economically problematic.

Originally, the new landfill was slated for a parcel of land west of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, which the SWA purchased in 1996. However, concerns raised by environmentalists have since made this option no longer viable.

The search for a new location began a little more than two years ago, with the plan eventually narrowing to two options: the Hundley site, on the north side of County Road 880 about four miles west of 20-Mile Bend, and a tract of land located directly along Southern Blvd. (State Road 80) at the intersection of U.S. 98. The negative impact the latter would have on the Glades and western communities is quite clear. Having a landfill at such a prominent location would be disastrous for our shared economic futures. And the manner in which it was initially pursued — with little public input — drew much criticism from elected officials

Kudos To Schofield

I am not a believer in encouraging self-esteem in elected officials or government employees in general. My approach to government officials is to try to call attention to their shortcomings or mistakes. Those folks usually have enough of an ego to believe that they are correct in what they do. They don’t need to be told that they’re doing something right. But I want to make an exception to my usual practice.

I want to strongly commend Paul Schofield and his administrative staff of the Village of Wellington. He and they have engineered a complete, positive turnaround in the way the village is administered. He has reorganized and reconfigured staff so that the village is providing practically every service that they have done in the past, while at the same time cutting spending by huge amounts. The budget for next year is a whopping 19 percent less than last year’s, which in turn was 15 percent less than the previous one. These are huge reductions. Actually, the village is providing even more services with these reduced budgets. In the latter part of this year, and for next year, Mr. Schofield became proactive in dealing with neighborhoods that were showing signs of becoming havens for crime. While there have been some incidents this year that are completely unacceptable, the new Safe Neighborhoods program has the potential of decreasing the dangerous conditions that gave rise to those crimes.

To their credit, the council members have been almost completely supportive of Mr. Schofield’s efforts. Reverting to my usual critical mode, however, I must say that I disagree with those council members who took the opportunity, during final passage of the budget, to posture in such a way that they could say “I told you so” if some problems arise with some of the changes that have been made in order to save the public’s money. Phil Sexton Wellington

Change Yes, Socialism No

I must respond to Richard Nielsen’s letter last week “Healthcare Change Is Needed.” That much is true, and there are a lot of things we can do to make it better. For example, get rid of the “preexisting condition” clause, going over state lines, keeping your insurance when you change jobs, tax vouchers. But what we don’t need is socialized healthcare.

The public option in Obama’s plan is pure socialism. Anyone who would praise Cuba’s healthcare has never been to Cuba and seen the conditions those poor people live in. It’s beyond poor under a ruthless dictatorship. I don’t see a whole lot of Canadians running to Cuba for healthcare, or anyone else for that matter, but they sure do come here, don’t they? That’s because we have the best healthcare in the world. As for cost, we have no idea what the government plan would cost, but we do know it won’t be cheap. Canadians pay 54 percent of their salary in taxes, and their healthcare is still in financial trouble. They cut costs at the patient’s expense, and that’s a fact! No, Mr. Nielsen, you keep your socialism. I’ll take the freedom without government intervention every time, thank you.

Tom Euell Wellington

Thanks To Bowen For ‘Straight Talk’

I would like to commend our mayor for his straight talk concerning the direction of our village and the 2010 budget.

Too many citizens don’t understand that capital budget monies are already in place and cannot be expended elsewhere. The village hall should have been built during the financial “good times,” but [former mayor] Tom Wenham and his council refused. So our village works out of decades-old trailers and a strip mall because much of the money was squandered elsewhere. These

and residents alike, including Wellington Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto, who was among those leading the charge to oppose the plan.

While the Hundley site, in the opinion of this newspaper, would have been better than the SR 80/U.S. 98 site, we understand the concerns of environmentalists given the proximity to sensitive stormwater treatment areas. Further, if either of these plans had been given the green light, there would be a huge, unnecessary financial burden to the county. Both of the sites were priced at more than 3.5 times their appraised value, and overpaying for land is the last thing the county needs to do at this time.

Hopefully, the extra year that the commissioners bought for the county should be enough time for a deal to be reached that will ease environmental and financial concerns, and quiet the concerns of community leaders both here and in the Glades. Further, using the original environmentally problematic SWA site as part of a land swap with the SFWMD will make acquiring the landfill far more affordable. Southern Blvd. runs right through the heart of the western communities, serving as a border between Wellington, Royal Palm Beach and Loxahatchee Groves. It is the region’s main thoroughfare, and it’s the only roadway that stretches clear across the county. The county commission deserves praise for not making a hasty decision that would ridiculously overpay for a landfill while putting it in the wrong place. While we understand that a landfill needs to go somewhere in the western part of the county, the proper space needs to be found that won’t harm our shared economic and environmental futures.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

funds cannot be used to offset our budget!

The biggest detractor to the proposed four-day, ten-hour work week for village services is Councilman Matt Willhite. I find it ironic that his employer, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, and a host of other organizations like the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and numerous hospitals and businesses have used this system for years. He is also unhappy with the closing of the Village Park gym on Friday nights, implying that he is a young parent and the other council people might not understand.

A bit of history: Wellington recreational facilities were probably in place long before Mr. Willhite even had children. He is a recipient of the previous boards, and all the activities his children participate in are because of the people he followed. He is a recipient of their largess and shouldn’t think that he has a monopoly on children’s welfare.

Mayor Darell Bowen, as a parent, a coach and a fan, was using these facilities probably before Mr. Willhite even moved to Wellington. Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore’s children and now grandchildren use these facilities.

Here is a hint: most 13- to 16-year-olds don’t want to be in adult-supervised circumstances (the ones who do are participating already) and numerous other attempts to involve these youths have failed. Ironically, less than 20 percent of our population uses the recreation, translating to 80 percent not using facilities. It is too easy to criticize and complain about individual cuts, but true leadership translates into doing what is unpleasant, uncomfortable and sometimes unpopular to control our village budget.

Lastly and possibly the most important issue is our “donor” status, which involves millions of dollars that Wellington spends subsidizing surrounding communities’ fire-rescue. In the firerescue campaign to get an increase in sales tax to subsidize their budget, their campaign argument was/is that we indeed are a donor city. The quickest way to serious-

ly assist our community and its budget is to use fire-rescue’s own words to facilitate some more equitable distribution so that Wellington is not subsidizing its surrounding communities. This largess could be in the millions.

George Unger Wellington

Code Violation

More Than Just A Fine

Accused of watering our lawn on an off day, we got tagged with a $30 violation fee. A code enforcement worker was asked if there was a warning notice and, in a matter-of-fact tone, she said “there is.” Given this suspect premise, we’ve fashioned out a three-part rebuttal. PART I: WHAT WARNING LETTER?

• Imagination’s figment — My wife said she didn’t see any warning letter. Is she a liar? I didn’t see any letter either; does that make me a liar, too? No matter pittance if our character is impugned, we go through the depths of hell to get vindicated.

• Forces of nature and human frailty — Was there a storm-force wind that might have blown such warning notice away or heavy downpour that might have rendered it indiscernible? Were there kids playing pranks in the neighborhood who might have mischievously hid it or passers-by who might have inadvertently taken it? Stranger things have happened, so there’s a strong possibility.

• 100-percent sure — Without a shadow of doubt, was the worker sure that the notice was personally retrieved by us?

• Things disappear — You bet your bottom dollar they do! Lost items, either dropped on our doorstep or tossed in our front yard mailbox, run the gamut from my son’s college dorm rent letter to a condo auction notice to UPS-delivered home décor.

• Proof, a mirage — We’ve received several letters to appear before a magistrate, but much to our chagrin, no warning notice copy was ever attached.

• Door knock — Had the

worker knocked on our door and handed the notice to us, wouldn’t this matter have been put to rest?

• Paltry sum — $30 might not be such a big deal if you’re a Bill Gates; but to ordinary citizens like us, amid deepening financial crisis, it is. But is it enough to scam the whole city for it? Delusional, we’re not!

• Tinge of discrimination — It’s sad that a multitude hasn’t taken Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s poetic wisdom to heart when judging someone. By descent, we’re Asians. Hence as minorities who sport brown skin, does it mean we’re second-rate citizens who can summarily be discriminated against? Let’s grow up and rid ourselves of this scourge that has plagued us through time. PART II: WHO ARE WE?

Ne’er do-well migrants? In all humility, here’s who we are:

• A former Guinness world record holder, high school salutatorian and college honor student, our only child wants to serve in poor, ravaged areas of the globe. Is $30 enough to drag his reputation through the mud?

• An unassuming registered nurse, my wife has helped the sick and infirm for over 30 years without regard for fame and fortune. Is $30 enough to sully her name?

• I’m writing books (comprehensive primer on the war against terror; rays of hope, verses of inspiration) with bulk of the proceeds to charity. Is $30 enough to derail these worthwhile projects?

• We toured each continent, seen the new seven world wonders and set foot on about 70 countries. Is $30 enough to throw this lifetime achievement away?

PART III: WHY FAMILY VALUES?

A selfish clan that cheats to stay ahead? Not so fast!

“We’re willing to lose everything but our honor” is our family touchstone. We take to the straight and narrow. The food that we put in our mouths and clothes that we place on our backs is not a product of cheating and scamming but hard work. Mindful that we won’t be judged on our massive mansions and lofty titles, but on how we’ve rushed to the rescue of the less fortunate, we follow the lead of the honorable Commissioner Jess Santamaria who firmly believes in helping the needy.

Welfare of all RPB citizens in tow, here are our final thoughts that could pull us all through trying times: We can live like animals tearing each other apart given the slightest opportunity, but is this truly our destiny as a human race to go on living in anger bereft of any modicum of decency? No it’s not! We must curb our savage nature and unleash the human being in us, making every effort to live with each other, regardless of class, creed and color, in the spirit of peace, brotherhood and harmony. Touched by the audience’s applause at the end of my rebuttal and true to our avowed values of empathy and compassion, the Casuga family commiserates with all RPB workers who, like us, are getting the brunt of this current nationwide economic fiasco. We willingly pay, without owning up to any guilt, the $30 tab as our contribution to alleviating the plight of our beloved city. We might have lost the battle, but clearly won the war!

Mario Casuga Royal Palm Beach

SEND IN YOUR LETTERS

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

Sports Potpourri: From Classy Coaches To Ridiculous Injuries

Let’s take a break to enjoy a bit of sports potpourri...

One of the most poignant, true sports tales of the year comes from the west coast, where Oregon University football coach Chip Kelly opened a strange letter recently. Enclosed was an invoice for $439 from an Oregon alum, Tony Seminary, covering costs of the trip he made to watch his alma mater drop a 19-8 decision to Boise State. A caustic note with it said, “I feel as though I’m really entitled to my money back.” A few days later, Seminary re-

Footloose

and...

By Jules W. Rabin

ceived a check from the coach. “I think of Coach Kelly as a totally different person now,” Seminary said… after returning the check. “He showed an incredible amount of class.” I’ll second that!

And how about 66-yearold golfer Vinny Giles, who

recently captured the United States Senior Amateur championship. He immediately morphed into only the second golfer to win the United States Amateur (1973) and Senior Amateur titles. Giles also set a record for the most years between USGA championships (37). Giles also won the British Amateur (1975) and was a key member of three winning Walker Cup teams.

And speaking of remarkable performers, look no further than Nathan Sherr, a runningback at Massachusetts

Maritime Academy. Sherr broke the school’s single game rushing record with 325 yards gained against MIT. Sherr scored three touchdowns, one on a 95yard run. And his heroics helped the Bucaneers snap a 12-game losing streak. Included in what seemed like an inordinate number of baseball injuries during the just-concluded regular season, there were a quartet of lulus! For example, Toronto Blue Jays rookie pitching phenom Ricky Romero wound up on the disabled list

after sneezing heavily getting a strain. Romero, who now says he remains afraid to sneeze, had a pre-sneeze ERA (Earned Run Average) of 1.71. Post sneeze, it ballooned to 4.66. And, let’s not forget Chicago Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster. He jumped over the dugout railing to celebrate a Cubs win and broke a toe. His stay on the DL was three weeks. The injury bug also hit Seattle Mariners closer David Aardsma. On a fivehour trip from Seattle to Tampa he curled up with a

good book to weather the flight. Upon landing, he discovered a debilitating stiff back. And then there was José Guillen of the Kansas City Royals, who tore a knee ligament while putting on a shin guard. But ending on a positive note, there was the “Welcome to Cleveland” party where Shaquille O’Neal — who will play for Cleveland this coming season — told the adoring crowd, “everything is here… the Browns are here… LeBron James is here… and now I’m here!”

RAIN DOESN’T DAMPEN SCHOOL SPIRIT AT PBCHS

Palm Beach Central High School celebrated homecoming last week, and the rain last Friday could not dampen the school spirit as the Broncos trounced the visiting John I. Leonard Lancers 25-0 on the football field. During the downpour, Anne Marie Van Castern was named homecoming queen, while Peniel Jean was named homecoming king.

DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

PHOTO BY

tended earlier meetings in The Acreage and decided because the DEP was moving forward with well testing, there were grounds for his firm to move forward as well.

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above what it considers acceptable levels of radium 226 and 228 in the wells. Weitz & Luxenberg did tests of the well water in 10 homes of cancer patients that all showed some levels of radium, explaining that in the firm’s opinion, no level of radiation is acceptable.

“We feel we are at the point that we can enter into agreements if you want us to represent you,” Srolovic said.

Attorney Jack Scarola of Searcy, Denny, Scarola, Barnhart & Shipley said his West Palm Beach firm had teamed up with Weitz & Luxenberg to represent clients, clarifying that anyone who felt they needed legal representation were free to engage any firm they wished.

Scarola said he understood the concerns of most of the people in the audience.

“There is absolutely noth-

ing about the circumstances that bring us together that make us happy to be here,” he said. “I expect almost everybody here has serious economic concerns. We are all very sorry about that. We are honored that our firms have been asked to provide assistance. Together I believe we are as strong as any team could be.”

Brockovich, whose self-titled movie is based on a true story about her battle with Pacific Gas & Electric over contaminated wells in Hinkley, Calif., said she and the legal firms were there to find answers.

“It will be long and daunting,” Brockovich said. “Because of the film Erin Brockovich, people think it could be another $333 million settlement. Some may think there could be another film.”

Brockovich encouraged

cheerleaders

the residents attending to believe in each other to protect their homes, their families and their health and become wary of what is going on around them. She noted that the Hinkley water pollution case evolved in a similar manner.

“It was a few of your community members who asked about what appeared to be too may kids with brain tumors and cancer, and began to apply common sense,” Brockovich said, adding that is was to the state’s credit that it did studies, found concerns and went to a Level II study.

“Many of these agencies are understaffed and underfunded,” she said. “Often they have to rely on information being given to them.”

Madrid Connection Meeting Set For Oct. 21

The Royal Palm Beach Village Council will hold a special meeting later this month to hear public input on the possibility of opening a connection from Madrid Street to the State Road 7 extension. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). The meeting is open to public, but residents of the La Mancha neighborhood are specifically invited. In anticipation of a large crowd, respondents will be given up to three minutes each to speak. For more info., call (561) 790-5100.

The Broncos face the Lancers on the football field.

Homecoming Court seniors Emily Pain, Danika Fox and Nathalia Takabatake.

Michelle Kimelstein and Kristen Duncan.

Deberly Anzueto, Rebecca Tanner, Tiffany Mason and Siara Gill show Bronco spirit.

Homecoming Queen Anne Marie Van Castern and Homecoming King Peniel Jean are crowned.

PBCHS

(front row) Diara Bradley and Alaina Wallace; (back row) Melissa Racher, Brittani Julius, Yushondria Jackson and manager Gi-Gi Greene.

Consultant Erin Brockovich (center) flanked by attorneys Thursday night at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

Man Arrested For 10 RPB Burglaries

By Lauren Miro Town-Crier Staff Report

SEPT. 24 — A Loxahatchee Groves man was arrested on Thursday, Sept. 24 for burglarizing several vehicles in Royal Palm Beach’s La Mancha neighborhood. According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, deputies from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach obtained the license plate number from a vehicle suspected to be involved in 10 vehicle burglaries that occurred in the neighborhood on Sept. 23. They responded to the home of the vehicle’s owner, 19-year-old Cesar Lopez, and identified the vehicle, which contained stolen property from several of the burglaries, according to the report. Lopez was arrested and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail.

OCT. 2 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded to the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Belvedere Road last Friday regarding a retail theft. According to a PBSO report, 22year-old August Prestano II of Wellington, was observed selecting two Xbox 360 remote controls from the electronics department and cutting open the packaging before concealing the items in his waistband. Prestano then walked to the exit, passing all points of sale before being apprehended by a loss prevention officer. The items were valued at $99.92. Prestano was placed under arrest and charged with retail theft.

Trail regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 2 and 4 a.m. last Saturday, someone entered an unlocked vehicle parked in the victim’s driveway and stole a cigar lighter valued at approximately $50. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

OCT. 5 — A resident of South Rambling Drive called the PBSO substation in Wellington on Monday regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 11 p.m. last Saturday and 8:30 a.m. Monday, someone smashed the passenger window of the victim’s Ford F-150 and removed a wallet containing the victim’s driver’s license and five credit cards. DNA evidence was taken from the truck, but there were no suspects at the time of the report.

OCT. 5 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded Monday morning to a home in the Isles community regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 11 p.m. last Saturday and 10:20 a.m. Monday, someone entered an unlocked vehicle parked outside the victim’s home and stole a garage door opener and a pair of sunglasses valued at approximately $150. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects at the time of the report.

OCT. 2 — A West Palm Beach woman was arrested on drug charges following a traffic stop late last Friday night in Royal Palm Beach. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation observed a vehicle speeding on Southern Blvd. near 103rd Avenue and initiated a traffic stop. Upon making contact with the driver, 25-year-old Carrie Mosher, the deputy discovered that her driver’s license was suspended. Mosher consented to a vehicle search, and the deputy found a bag containing approximately 11.9 grams of marijuana in her purse. Mosher was placed under arrest and charged with possession of marijuana.

OCT. 3 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched to the Isles community last Saturday morning regarding a vandalism incident. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 4:20 a.m. at least two white males driving separate Ford Mustangs ran up Median Hill and placed a foaming substance in the fountain located at the entrance to the community, causing approximately $1,000 worth of damage and clean-up expenses. Employees obtained the license plate number of one vehicle, but there were no suspects at the time of the report.

OCT. 5 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched Monday to a home on Hickory

OCT. 5 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded Monday to a home on Periwinkle Place regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 10:30 a.m. and noon, someone entered an unlocked vehicle parked outside the victim’s home on Periwinkle Place and stole a digital camera sitting on the center console valued at approximately $240. There were no suspects at the time of the report.

OCT. 6 — A Wellington man was arrested late Tuesday night on drug charges following a traffic stop. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 10:15 p.m. a deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington pulled over a vehicle driven by 25year-old Gary Byrd at the intersection of Wellington Trace and Old Englishtown Road. Byrd was found to be in possession of two ounces of marijuana and half of an oxycodone pill. He was taken to the county jail and charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and possession of marijuana under 20 grams.

OCT. 6 — A man was arrested for trespassing Tuesday evening outside the Dunkin’ Donuts on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 6:25 p.m. a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation observed 41-yearold Eric Brooks walking out from the wooded area behind the restaurant. When Brooks saw the deputy, he turned around and walked back into

See BLOTTER, page 16

toos on both arms and on his left wrist. Miller is wanted for grand theft of a motorcycle and failure to appear in court on a charge of driving under the influence. His occupation is unknown. His last known address was South Grandview Court in Royal Palm Beach. Miller is wanted as of 10/08/09. 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.crimestoppers pbc.com.

Jose Villa Gary Miller

Area Kindergartners Visit St. Peter’s Pumpkin Patch

By Lauren Miro Town-Crier Staff Report

The kindergarten classes at Golden Grove Elementary School in The Acreage were treated to some fall fun Wednesday at the pumpkin patch outside St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in Wellington. Students spent part of their school day with Mr. Scarecrow, played by John Sullivan.

After waking Mr. Scarecrow, who’d fallen asleep counting the over 2,500 pumpkins outside the church, the students were given the

task of finding his square pumpkin. Once found, Mr. Scarecrow led the classes inside for a story about the special pumpkin, followed by singing, dancing and a puppet show. At the end of the day, students each received their own small round pumpkin from the church. The pumpkin patch at St. Peter’s is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. except Sundays, when the hours are noon to 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.stpetersumc.org or call (561) 7935712.

A DAY OF EQUESTRIAN-THEMED FUN IN NICOLE HORNSTEIN’S MEMORY

Nicole Hornstein Fun Day was held last Sunday at the newly named Nicole Hornstein Equestrian

Acreage (formerly Hamlin Equestrian Park). The event featured a barbecue, bounce houses, water slide and trail rides. The event was held in memory of Hornstein, a 12-year-old Acreage girl who died in a tragic horse riding accident in 2006. “Nicole’s Law,” a new Florida statute mandating that youths wear helmets

(Clockwise from above left) Mr. Scarecrow, played by John Sullivan, asleep before the children arrive; Mr. Scarecrow, with his square pumpkin, asks the students to hop on one foot as they explore the pumpkin patch; Golden Grove kindergarten students gather for a group photo; and kindergartner Andrew Maag points out Mr. Scarecrow. PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRO/TOWN-CRIER

Park in The

while riding horses on public land, went into effect Oct. 1.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-

Samantha Hornstein rides with help from dad Gary.

Linda Renna gets a surprise nuzzle from Chip.

Gary and Monique Hornstein with daughters Lynda Richardson and Brittney Hornstein by the park sign. Madeline Riol rides Chip.

New C-Section Operating Room — (L-R) Susan Easlick, Dr. Claudio Ruiz, Dr. Marcos Kornstein, Gwen Johnson and Mike Patterson participate in the Sept. 28 ribbon cutting at Palms West Hospital.

P.W. Hospital Opens

Second C-Section Operating Room

Physicians and staff from Palms West Hospital’s Obstetrics Unit proudly cut the ribbon to open their new Cesarean section operating room on Sept. 28.

The 1,190-square-foot Csection room, the hospital’s second, has been outfitted with the latest, state-of-the-art equipment. The $1.4 million C-section room was added to the existing wing of the Obstetrics Unit and is part of a total department renovation, which will be completed by the end of the year.

“When a Cesarean birth is

the medical option, the additional C-section operating room will safely and efficiently enhance the care of maternity patients at Palms West Hospital,” said Dr. Marcos Kornstein, chief of the Obstetrics/Gynecology Department.

At Palms West Hospital, skilled clinicians and friendly staff are ready to meet the ordinary and extraordinary needs of each mother-to-be and her family. For more information about obstetric services at Palms West Hospital, call (561) 798-6034.

Annual Horse Country Race In Wellington

The Wellington Runners Club and the Village of Wellington will present the Fifth Annual Horse Country TenMiler on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 7:15 a.m.

The ten-mile course is quiet and serene and shows off the beautiful equestrian and aeronautical communities of Wellington. New to the race is the addition of Sebastian’s 5K run/walk, held in memory of Sebastian Sarmiento, a courageous nine-year-old Wellington boy who recently lost his battle with cancer.

The race will start at 13900 Greenbriar Blvd. in front of New Horizons Elementary School. Ten-Miler advance registration is $25; $30 on race day. Sebastian’s 5K Run/ Walk is $20; $25 on race day. Race day registration begins at 5:45 a.m. Pre-registration is available online at www. active.com or you can pick up a registration form at Fit2Run in the Mall at Wellington Green, the Wellington Community Center and Village Park. Information and application forms are available at www.wellingtonrunners.org.

The race will be chip-timed by AccuChip, and the course will have splits at the fivemile marker. There are complimentary post-race refreshments for registered partici-

pants and first aid stations on the course.

The run will benefit the Kids Cancer Foundation of South Florida, a local foundation for children with cancer and blood disorders. Sponsors include Celsius, Starbucks, Strathmore Bagels, the Children’s Hospital at Palms West Hospital, Flex Power, Fit2Run, Culligan, Greens and Riverside Bank.

For more information, call (561) 801-3420.

Seniors Club Show Oct. 25

The Wellington Seniors Club will hold a comedy show, dinner and dance at the Wellington Community Center on Oct. 25 in the Grand Cypress room.

The event will feature simultaneously intelligent and wacky entertainer Todd Charles, who has a background in stand-up, musical comedy, theatre, circus arts and magic. There will also be a DJ and dinner catered by Park Avenue BBQ. Tickets are $25 for members and $35 for guests. The event is BYOB with setups provided by the club. To make reservations, or for more information, call Joan Kahler at (561) 798-9052

World Food Day Potluck

St. Michael Lutheran Church in Wellington will be

holding a potluck dinner to observe World Food Day on Friday, Oct. 16. The evening will feature an illustrated talk by Michele Sagarino, vice president for development of Cross International, an interdenominational Christian aid organization sponsoring missions in 36 countries. Sagarino will summarize the work of Cross International and give a presentation about an inspiring mission in Guatemala that saves the lives of malnourished children and carries out restorative plastic surgery.

The potluck dinner is open to the community. Please bring a dish to share. The church is located at 1925 Birkdale Drive at the corner of Forest Hill Blvd. For more info., call Pastor Marjorie Weiss at (561) 793-4990.

Wellington’s Fall Festival Set For Oct. 24

Join the Village of Wellington and the Palms West Chamber of Commerce as Royal Palm Nissan presents the 2009 Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Village Park gymnasium located at 11700 Pierson Road. Activities require the purchase of an all-access bracelet for $10. Advance bracelets are on sale now for only $7 at Village Park or the Wellington Community Center.

New this year is “Paintless Paintball.” Check out this exciting game for $5 for a three-game ticket. The fun begins at 5 p.m. with the “Old Gym Haunted Hallways.” You’ll scream through 3,000 square feet and 15 minutes of twisting and frightful hallways. The evening continues with a costume contest. Costumes will be judged on originality, scariness and best look-alike character. Festivities will continue throughout the evening with hayrides, door-to-door trick-or-treating, inflatable rides and more.

The Village of Wellington is currently accepting volunteer applications for those wishing to frighten eventgoers in the best haunted event in the western communities. Volunteer service hours will be awarded. Sponsorship opportunities for this event are available. Call Catherine at (561) 790-6200 for details.

The Wellington Fall Festival is a great way to celebrate Halloween with friends and family of all ages. For more information, call (561) 7914005, ext. 0. Sponsors include Royal Palm Nissan & Mazda, Waste Management, Jet Hauling, Suggs Lawn Equipment, D.W. Recreation Services, Rep Services, Odums Sod and Zambelli International. For information on other village programs, visit www. wellingtonfl.gov.

PBCFR HOSTS FIRE PREVENTION WEEK OPEN HOUSE/SAFETY

Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue held an open house/ safety fair on Saturday, Oct. 3 to kick off Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 4-10) and celebrate PBCFR’s 25th anniversary. The event was held at the Chief Herman W. Brice Fire Rescue Training Complex on Pike Road just east of Royal Palm Beach off Southern Blvd.

DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Auxiliary Hears POW Presentation — The members of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 367 invited American Legion Post 367 Commander Bob Meyer to their Oct. 5 meeting to tell them the significance of the items placed on the table during a POW/MIA ceremony (shown above). Meyer explained that the small table set for one symbolizes the frailty of one prisoner against his or her oppressor. The table is covered with a white cloth to symbolize the purity of their intentions to respond to their country’s call. The single rose in a vase is a reminder of the families and loved ones who keep faith while awaiting their return. The red ribbon tied prominently on the vase is reminiscent of the red ribbon worn on the lapels and breasts of thousands who bear witness and demand a proper accounting for those missing. A slice of lemon is on the bread as a reminder of their bitter fate. Salt on the bread plate is symbolic of the family tears as they wait. The inverted glass is there because the POWs cannot make a toast, and the chair is draped with the POW/MIA flag and empty because they are not there.

Labor Day Boot Drive A Success

The 2010 IAFF/MDA boot drive was once again very successful. Over Labor Day weekend, the citizens of Palm Beach County filled the boots of firefighters from the Professional Firefighters & Paramedics of Palm Beach County IAFF Local 2928, donating a total of $110,000. The IAFF/MDA boot drive has been a longstanding tradition and commitment of the IAFF for 55 years and will continue to be until a cure is found for those affected by neuromuscular diseases.

The money raised during the boot drive stays in Palm Beach County and is used to purchase wheelchairs, braces, communication devices and provides clinics with funding to assist families. The clinics give families a place to go for support groups, vaccinations and specialized treatments and care for those with muscular dystrophy.

Each year, the 2,000 firefighters and paramedics of Local 2928 are the manpower needed to be in the streets with the boots, but the real heroes are those that donate anything they can. Without the help of

people rolling down their windows to donate, and the support of local governments, the event would not be as successful as it is today.

Farmer’s Market

Starts Oct. 10

A farmers market and arts and craft fair will be held on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the northeast corner of Southern Blvd. and Jog Road. The fair will continue each Saturday, rain or shine. There will be plenty of vendors, fresh produce and fresh baked goods, honey, gourmet foods, local artist, plants, orchids, live music and fun for the entire family. Be sure to bring an appetite. For more information, call (561) 687-0243.

Wag-O-Ween In The Acreage

This Halloween, children and dogs alike can dress up and snag some tasty treats at Wag-O-Ween on Saturday, Oct. 31 at the Publix Plaza in The Acreage. Stores in the plaza will be holding a costumed dog parade and children’s costume contest, as well as

giving out treats and canine cookies.

The dog parade begins at 4 p.m., and anyone wishing to enter can register his or her dog at the postal center. The parade will be followed by a costume contest for children 12 and under at 4:30 p.m. and trickor-treating around the plaza until 6:30 p.m.

The Publix Plaza is located at 7040 Seminole Pratt Whitney Road. For more information, call (561) 333-6536.

Census Rep At LGLA Meeting

The Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. at Palms West Presbyterian Church (13689 Okeechobee Blvd.). The guest speaker for the evening will be a representative from the U.S. Census Bureau. The census representative has also been asked to discuss the benefits that a municipality can hope for when residents list every person living at their address. For more information, call LGLA President Marge Herzog at (561) 791-9875.

(Clockwise from top center) Deputy Chief Jim St. Pierre welcomes visitors; Regis and Tom Wenham with Lauren, Brad, Madeline and Angela Angelo; Ryan Dawson takes a hose lesson from PBCFR volunteer Kristin Hartig; Seth Yurick with Sparky; and Wellington Councilman Matt Willhite with sons Mark and Luke atop an antique fire truck.

CCCS’ Annual Purse Strings Benefit Oct. 22 In CityPlace

More than 90 handbags, wallets and accessories from well-known designers, manufacturers, local boutiques, individuals and artists will be up for bid at Purse Strings, an event to benefit Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast (CCCS).

The silent auction and reception will be held on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the Harriet Himmel Theatre in CityPlace. Tickets are $50 in advance and $55 at the door. “Our goal for Purse Strings is to raise funds to provide valuable education and counseling programs for women and families, and perhaps more importantly, to bring awareness to the need for women to take charge of their financial future,” said Jessica Cecere, president of CCCS, a non-profit, community service agency dedicated to empowering consumers to achieve a lifetime of economic freedom.

Chris Radentz of Wachovia will chair the event with Phil Arvidson serving as honorary chair. Committee members include Elizabeth Arevalo, Dorothy Bradshaw, Toby Chabon-Berger, Michele Gurto-DeLong, Kelly Fason, Terry Gearing, Jacquelyn Halderman, Mary Hammond, Lesley Hogan, Laureen Hunter, Jill Kaplan, Lisa Johnson, Sharon Levinsohn, Trish Lowry, Beverlee Miller, Christine Pitts, JoAnn

ENTER THE COOL ZONE

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Enter the Cool Zone Air Conditioning in Greenacres. Owned by Ana and Carlos Daza, the business offers exceptional personal service, honesty, promptness, affordability and reliability. Carlos Daza has 15 years of air conditioning experience. To have your home or business air conditioning serviced or replaced, call (561) 688-1688. Pictured above are the Dazas with Palms West Chamber of Commerce ambassadors.

Chamber University Money Maker Nov. 10

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with ProActive Training & Consulting, will host “Chamber University Money Maker” on Tuesday, Nov. 10 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Beef O’Brady’s Family Sports Pub (1179 Royal Palm Beach Blvd.). Attendees can learn effective networking skills and build their business through generating appointments from chamber events. The cost is $5 for chamber members and $10 for non-members, and includes a light breakfast. Admission is limited to the first 50 people. To RSVP, visit www.palmswest.com or call the chamber office at (561) 790-6200.

Wagner, Lee Williams and Sheryl Wood. Wachovia is the presenting sponsor, and the Quantum Foundation and Toshiba Business Solutions are the haute couture sponsors. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, call Cecere at (561) 515-2301 or e-mail jessica. cecere@cccsinc.org.

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast is a nonprofit community-service agency that provides confidential budget counseling, money management education, debt management programs, bankruptcy counseling and education, and comprehensive housing

counseling. CCCS is part of the CredAbility Network, a family of agencies serving consumers in north Georgia, south and central Florida, middle Mississippi and east Tennessee as well as nationally via telephone and the Internet.

CCCS is a United Way partner and is certified by the Center for Non-Profit Excellence, accredited by the Council on Accreditation, and is a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Consumers can speak to counselors in English and Spanish 24 hours a day at (800) 330-CCCS, and also access the agency’s web sites, www.cccsinc.org and www.cccsenespanol.org.

Top Awards For PBC Boys & Girls Clubs

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County received top honors at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Convention held May 14-16 in Atlanta, Ga. The organization, which competed against clubs from throughout the country, received the highest award possible for its comprehensive marketing plan and came in second place in the special events category.

The Boys & Girls Clubs marketing staff won the most prestigious award given by Boys & Girls of America — the Comprehensive Marketing and Communications Gold Medal. Vice President of Special Events & Marketing Deb Wrazin, Director of Special Events Michelle Klein, Director of Development Lottie Gatewood and Special Events Coordinator Sara Mariani were thrilled to win the gold for the sixth time in the past seven years.

“It’s a testament to all the hard work we do throughout the year to promote the clubs,” President and CEO Mary O’Connor said. “But it’s also about the efforts of our boards and so many oth-

er volunteers who want people to know just how incredible the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County are.”

The organization also won the Silver Award for the creativity and tremendous success of its special events. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County puts on several huge events throughout the year, including the annual Winter Gala, Barefoot on the Beach and the Wackenhut Golf Tournament.

It’s the fifth straight year the Special Events Team has won one of the top awards from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County is the county’s largest youth development organization and offers a broad range of programs and activities in six core areas including: education and career development; character and leadership development; sports, fitness and recreation; health and life skills; technology; and the arts. The clubs serve more that 7,500 youth each year.

For more information, call (561) 683-3287 or visit www. bgcpbc.org.

Send business news items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.

We've been helping friends and neighbors with our hometown style of banking --friendly service, helpful solutions, and supporting the local community. You might say we put the "community" in community banking. We invite you to come experience the hometown banking difference so many people have come to enjoy.

Award Winners — Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County employees (L-R) Deb Wrazin, Sara Mariani, Mary O’Connor, Michelle Klein and Lottie Gatewood with their awards.

Tammy Allen from CCCS, Committee Member Kelly Fason, and Julie Bennett enjoy Purse Strings 2008.

Rainbow Week At Ideal Elementary

The kindergarten students at Ideal Elementary School in Royal Palm Beach recently celebrated Rainbow Week.

For five days, the students studied the colors of the rainbow through identifying and writing color words, graphing with colorful candy, reading about the colors, singing about the colors and participating in many more colorful activities. The character

ROY-G-BIV even made a

special appearance in the kindergarten class to illustrate the different colors of the rainbow. Kindergarten student Alyssa Haggerty said pink was her favorite color, but after Rainbow Week, all the colors of the rainbow are her favorites.

For more information about Ideal Preschool, Ideal Elementary School and Dream Middle School, visit www.dreamideal.com.

Western Pines Students Of The Month

Bob Hatcher, principal of Western Pines Middle School in The Acreage, recently announced the students of the month.

The awardees were selected by their language arts teachers as students who exemplify the best character qualities, and exceptional and consistent high grades in class.

Sixth grader Jonathan Roblero is a well-mannered, conscientious young man who maintains high grades and quality work all the time.

Breanna Reinhardt is another exemplary student

who consistently gets high grades and follows all of her teachers’ instructions. She goes above and beyond what’s needed to help out fellow students. Reinhardt has helped new students around the campus and is a friend to many.

Finally, eighth grader Jazmyn Brown is an honorroll student who always works to the best of her abilities. She is a talented writer and an avid reader. Brown has a quiet sense of humor, actively participates in class and is a member of the Western Pines band program.

Sacred Heart School Celebrates 65 Years

Sacred Heart School in Lake Worth is celebrating 65 years of academic excellence and will hold homecoming week activities Nov. 13-22.

• Friday, Nov. 13 — The public is invited to tour the school. An open house will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Saturday, Nov. 14 — The Fun Festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. rain or

shine featuring inflatable rides, a rock wall, food, live band, games, Star Wars characters and more. The cost is $10 for wristbands. A Corvette show will take place from noon to 3 p.m.

• Friday, Nov. 20 — The 65th anniversary gala dinner will take place at the Palm Beach Hilton. The cost is $100 per person. Reservations are required. To RSVP, call the school office at (561) 582-2242.

• Saturday, Nov. 21 — Sacred Heart’s inaugural alumni golf tournament will begin at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start at Lake Worth Municipal Golf Course. The cost is $100 per person, including a buffet lunch. To make reservations, call Joe Cialone at (561) 722-0214. • Sunday, Nov. 22 — An alumni brunch will take place at noon in Madonna Hall. The cost is $20 per person. Reservations are required. Call Debi Poje at (561) 722-6456 to RSVP.

Sacred Heart School is located at 425 North M Street. Visit www.sacredheartschool lakeworth.com for more info.

Seminole Ridge Announces Homecoming Week Schedule

As Seminole Ridge High School prepares for its annual homecoming week — this year with a “superhero” theme — the student government association reminds all Hawks that clothing and attire for the week’s Spirit Days must follow dress code.

The following exceptions are permitted: clothing decorated specifically for the Spirit Day, Spirit Day-related headwear OK (ball caps/visors are not), team t-shirts or jerseys are OK for Sports Day and sleeveless tops are OK; tank tops of any kind are not.

The 2009 homecoming week schedule of events is as follows:

• Monday, Oct. 12 Monday is Spirit Day, with Hawks dressed in red and silver. A pep rally will be held. Students must be dressed in Spirit Day attire to attend.

• Tuesday, Oct. 13

Tuesday is Sports Day, in which students wear their favorite teams’ colors/jerseys. A powder puff football game will take place at 5 p.m.

• Wednesday, Oct. 14 — Wednesday is Flashback Day. Students dress in the style of their favorite decade.

• Thursday, Oct. 15 Thursday is Superhero Day in which students dress as their favorite superheroes (no masks or full face paint). A DJ will provide music during lunch, and a homecoming carnival will be held in the courtyard from 6 to 8 p.m. Carnival wristbands will be sold from 7 to 7:30 a.m. in the school store, Room 6-101 or in the cafeteria during lunch for $2. Wristbands cost $5 at the door. Only one wristband is allowed per person; students must have their SRHS ID to enter the carnival, even with a pre-pur-

chased wristband. IDs are required to purchase carnival wristbands at the door as well. Only SRHS students are allowed at the carnival.

• Friday, Oct. 16 — Friday is a teacher workday, and there will be no school. The varsity Hawks will play a homecoming football game against Palm Beach Gardens at 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, Oct. 17 — The homecoming dance will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. in the gym.

HAWK ART EXHIBIT

Seminole Ridge student artists Brianne Codner, Andrew Fearson, Amy Minker, Molly Pinkser and Natanya Robinson will have their work on display at the Eg2 Gallery in CityPlace (477 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach). The exhibition, “Color Wheel of Fortune,” is open to the public.

Works by Minker, Robinson and Kylene Culbert are also on display as part of the exhibit “Imagine World Peace,” shown alongside the artwork of John Lennon at the Cornell Museum (51 Swinton Ave., Delray Beach).

BABY HAWKS WIN

The Hawk freshman football team was in action Sept. 24, taking on the Palm Beach Lakes Rams. The final outcome was never in doubt, as the Hawks dominated the Rams 43-6. Omar PierreLouis started the scoring outburst with the opening play, going for 45 yards and a touchdown. The next score came from cornerback Nigel Allen, who picked off an errant Lakes pass and took it to the house, 60 yards away. Pierre-Louis scored the twopoint conversion. The scoring continued into the early evening: Dan Cor-

rea scored two touchdowns, and Mike Pacillo added two additional touchdown runs. Antwan Washington scored a two-point conversion, and passed for another to wide out Rayfield Dixon. The final scoring was done by Derek Falk with one PAT kick.

The Baby Hawk defense was again outstanding. The Rams’ scoring play was the result of a busted play and some excellent open-field running by the Rams quarterback. Jason Shephed had two sacks, and Kyle Shortridge consistently stopped any Ram threat.

GUIDANCE UPDATE

• PSAT — The PSAT is a practice test for the SAT. It provides useful feedback about the sections of the SAT on which students can improve. The PSAT will be administered on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Juniors should reg-

ister to take the PSAT Oct. 29 during any lunch. The cost is $15, payable by cash or by check made out to Seminole Ridge High School. All sophomores and freshmen will automatically be signed up to take the Oct. 14 PSAT at no cost. The College Board recommends that students not take the actual SAT until the second semester of their junior year.

• FCAT Retakes — Juniors and seniors who have not yet passed their reading or math FCAT will be taking those tests Monday, Oct. 19 (reading) and Tuesday, Oct. 20 (math). FCAT tutoring is being offered after school for all eligible students. Sign up in the Student Services office.

• ACT — SRHS is now a testing site for the ACT. Visit www.actstudent.org for more information.

Students Of The Month — Jonathan Roblero, Principal Bob Hatcher, Breanna Reinhardt and Jazmyn Brown.

Ideal kindergarten students meet ROY-G-BIV.

Area Youth Make Service Trip To Haiti

The Step by Step Foundation recently gathered a group of youth from South Florida for a community service trip to Haiti. The youth traveled to the remote fishing village of Lahaie on the southwestern tip of Haiti, where the foundation is building a school and providing educational supplies, school uniforms and personal water filters to school children.

The trip not only provided the youth with an opportunity to bring much-needed educational supplies to the school, but also to consider how they could continue to help through community service and social enterprise activities in the short and long term. One of the youth, Salomon Gicherman, introduced a lifesaving personal water filter (the LifeStraw) to the Step by Step Foundation last year. During the mission, Salomon proudly demonstrated to teachers how to use the filter to prevent waterborne disease.

“Bringing LifeStraws to

the community felt amazing,” Salomon said. “Seeing their appreciative faces as I gave them a way to have one year of clean water was indescribable.”

“The Step by Step Foundation has been working in Lahaie for several years, and completing the construction of the Tipa Tipa elementary school is our priority,” said Liliane Stransky, president and founder of the foundation as well as the owner of Stransky Mission Farm in Wellington. “It is a symbol of hope and aspiration for the entire community. The community also lacks access to safe water and health services, so we are expanding our program to encompass those and other development projects.”

Liliane’s daughters Daniela, 13, and Samantha, 21, also joined the mission. For Daniela, it was her first opportunity to see the community she has supported over the years through her equestrian jumping. Daniela gives proceeds of her prize money

Project Lifesaver Palm Beach County Executive Director

Michelle Damone was given the Fearless Caregiver Award at the Fearless Caregiver Conference, held in Boynton Beach on Sept. 30. Through her work with the Project Lifesaver Program and the LoJack SafetyNet System, Damone has united law enforcement and community service agencies in Palm Beach County to help assure the safety of people with cognitive conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, autism, dementia and Down syndrome who wander, common yet life-threatening behavior. Through her leadership efforts, she is promoting peace of mind for caregivers and family members of area residents with cognitive conditions. Pictured right, Damone (third from right) receives her award.

to support the school and is recruiting more youth riders to do the same. “It’s not hard to help,” she said. “Everyone can help in their own way. My passion — and hopefully my career — is riding, so I decided that’s how I could help.”

The Step by Step Foundation will hold an inaugural “All in for Charity” poker tournament on Jan. 29, 2010 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in

Hanley Elected To Student Senate

Chris Hanley of Royal Palm Beach won a senate seat during the University of Central Florida’s 2009-10 Student Body Senate election last week.

Hanley, a sophomore and dual pre-med and political science major, won one of two senate seats representing the College of Medicine. He is also the 2009-10 treasurer for UCF’s pre-med medical student association, the American Student Medical Association.

Wellington to raise funds to finish the construction of the school, and to provide water and health services to the community. Sponsorships are currently being sought, and the tournament is open to everyone. To enquire about sponsorships and the event, contact Kathy Andersen at kandersen@development connect.com.

For more about the Step by Step Foundation, visit www. stepbystepfoundation.com.

RPB ROTARY CLUB TALKS EDUCATION

Junior Achievement of Palm Beach County President James Gavrilos recently met with the Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club to discuss the plight of dropouts from schools in Palm Beach County and the rest of the country. “Shockingly, 80 percent of the dropouts have passing grades,” Gavrilous said. Rotary clubs and Junior Achievement have a solid relationship in helping students prepare themselves for life’s lessons regarding finances and business, such as the responsibilities of handling a credit a card. Shown left is Gavrilos with RPB Rotary President Keith Jordano.

There were 52 open seats representing the 53,000 students and the 400-plus registered student organizations at UCF. The student government has a yearly budget of $13.6 million. Hanley is a 2008 graduate

BLOMS WELCOME SON

Proud parents Greg and Dawn Blom hold their new son Brody, who was born on Friday, Sept. 25 at Palms West Hospital. Greg is currently in the military and was granted a 48-hour leave to be present for the birth of his son. Dawn spent the later part of her pregnancy in Wellington with her parents and in-laws while Greg was stationed in Nevada for military training. The couple’s home is in Oklahoma. They will be returning there in December when Greg’s training is complete.

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Chris Hanley

of the Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach and was president of the student government his senior year. His parents are Brian and Mary Anne Hanley of Royal Palm Beach.

PHOTO BY KATHY ANDERSON

Daniela and Liliane Stransky hand out supplies.

Saturday, Oct. 10

• The Okeeheelee Nature Center (7715 Forest Hill Blvd.) will hold a “Tortoise Trek” on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 1 p.m. for ages five and up. Learn something new about tortoises during a short walk with a naturalist and investigate the life of a gopher tortoise. The cost is $3 per person; reservations are required. For more info., call (561) 233-1400 or visit www.pbcgov.com/parks/ nature.

Samaritan Medical Center. RSVP to Dee Weber at (561) 626-2027.

• Classes on “Designing, Creating & Maintaining Your Home Landscape” will be held on Wednesdays, Oct. 14, 21 and 28 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Mounts Botanical Garden (531 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach). The cost is $50 for members and $60 for non-members. For more info., call (561) 233-1757 or visit www.mounts.org.

• A Gun Show will be held Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 10 and 11 at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds (9067 Southern Blvd.). A concealed weapons course will be available at the show. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission costs $8. For more info., visit www.flgunshows.com.

Monday, Oct. 12

• The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association will meet at Riverbend County Park in Jupiter on Monday, Oct. 12 at 8 a.m. to help clear the hiking trails. Riverbend Park is located on Highway 706 about a mile west of Florida’s Turnpike. Call Gail at (561) 968-3887 for info.

Tuesday, Oct. 13

• The Moms Club of The Acreage and Loxahatchee invites local moms to attend their monthly “plan and play” meeting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at Acreage Community Park. The club meets at the fenced-in play area south of the fields. While the kids are playing, club members will plan upcoming activities. For more info., e-mail kidno6@yahoo. com or visit www.moms club.org.

• Na’amat-Sharon Club of Royal Palm Beach will meet on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 11:30 a.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way, Royal Palm Beach). The guest speaker will be Bea Perkins of the Palm Beach County League of Women Voters, whose topic “No More Gerrymandering” will include the proposed Florida constitutional amendment regarding redistricting. Refreshments will be served. For more info., call Annette Haber at (561) 793-1484.

• Temple Beth Tikvah (4550 Jog Road, Greenacres) will hold free Yiddish Classes beginning Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. Classes will be ongoing until April conducted by Jack Herskovitz. Call (561) 967-3600 for more info.

• The South Florida Science Museum (4801 Dreher Trail North) will premiere the movie Blast! on Tuesday, Oct. 13. A reception will be held at 6:15 p.m. with the show at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for non-members and $15 for members. For tickets, call (561) 832-2026 or e-mail programs@sfsm.org.

• Artist Helen Hajjar will be the featured guest at the next Wellington Art Society meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). Hajjar will demonstrate the art of encaustic wax painting. Light refreshments will be served at 6:30 p.m., followed by a brief business meeting at 7 p.m., with the demo starting about 7:15 p.m. There is a $5 fee for the demo for nonmembers. For more info., call Adrianne Hetherington at (561) 784-7561 or visit www.wellingtonartsociety. org.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Anime Grab Bag” on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 6:30 p.m. for ages 12 to 17. Pocky will be provided. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register or for more info.

• A meeting for Cancer Survivors & Patients will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 13 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at center court in the original Wellington Mall. For more info., call (561) 798-4110 or (561) 436-3900.

Wednesday, Oct. 14

• The Northern Palm Beach Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association will meet Wednesday, Oct. 14 at the PGA Doubletree Hotel (4431 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens). Networking will take place from 6 to 6:30 p.m. with dinner and the program beginning at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $35, and guests are welcome. The speaker will be Mary Jean Houlahan of the Cancer Institute at Good

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Writers’ Critique Workshop” on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 6:30 p.m. Share your writing in a supportive atmosphere led by Florida Writers’ Association member Mark Adduci. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• First Baptist Church of Wellington (12700 Forest Hill Blvd.) invites the public to a revival Oct. 14-18 at 7 p.m. each night. The guest speaker will be Cecil Seagle, director of the Missions Division of the Southern Baptist Convention. For more info., call (561) 793-5670. Thursday, Oct. 15

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Styrofoam Container Puppets” on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 3 p.m. for ages six and up. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Teen Game Night on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m. for ages 12 to 17. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will hold a Wine and Cheese Pairing on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. The cost will be $5 per person. To pre-register, call (561) 904-4000.

• Palm Beach Community College (4200 Congress Ave., Lake Worth) will present Neil Simon’s Rumors Oct. 15-17 at 8 p.m. in the Duncan Theatre. Tickets are $12 general admission, and $5 for PBCC students, faculty and staff. For more info., call (561) 8683309. Friday, Oct. 16 • Coldwater Creek will hold a Fashion Show on Friday, Oct. 16 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). The show will feature the store’s fall and winter lines. Admission is $10, which includes food and beverages. There will be door prizes available as well. For more info., call (561) 790-5149 or (561) 7925503.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Science Club: Seed Anatomy & Morphology” on Friday, Oct. 16 at 3 p.m. for ages eight and up. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Meet the Author: Patrick Kendrick” on Friday, Oct. 16 at 3 p.m. The author will chat about Papa’s Problem, a historical mystery novel set in Key West during the days when Ernest Hemingway lived there. A book signing will follow. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. • The Okeeheelee Nature Center (7715 Forest Hill Blvd.) will hold a “Sunset Safari” on Friday, Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m. for ages nine and older. When the sun goes down, some animals in the Pine Forest are just starting to wake up. Go on the evening hike to find out which animals stay up all night long. The cost is $3 per person; reservations are required. For more info., call (561) 233-1400 or visit www.pbcgov.com/parks/ nature.

• The Palm Beach International Raceway (17047 Beeline Highway) will hold its “Ford Power Festival” Friday through Sunday, Oct. 16-18. For more info., call (561) 622-1400 or visit www.racepbir.com.

Saturday, Oct. 17 • Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will hold a free Halloween Party on Saturday, Oct. 17 from 1 to 2 p.m. Learn easy and fun ways to make Halloween parties a hit. For more info., call (561) 904-4000.

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

Injury Adds To Pain Of Wolverines’ 13-0 Loss To Rams

The image is a familiar one. Another long delay. Another rushed ambulance. Another serious head injury to a Wellington High School football player. The victim: Grant Smallridge, sophomore and Wolverine running back.

In the third quarter of Wellington’s 13-0 loss last Friday night to Palm Beach Lakes, Wolverine quarterback Brett Alfredson pitched the ball to Smallridge, who was met simultaneously in the backfield by a Rams defender. The ball popped loose, Lakes recovered and brought the ball inside the Wolverine ten yard line. That was not the issue. The hit was brutal.

I stood in the press box behind the Lakes coaching staff during the play, and roars of approval quickly changed to a somber hush. I then walked to the Wolverine coaching room, through a door just feet away.

Raindrops created streaks on the window between my vision and the field, and I fixed my eyes on a kneeling Alfredson. The team gathered in a line parallel to the sideline, and off to the right, Alfredson sat in silence. “I felt really bad for him and his family,” he said. “I was upset that he wouldn’t be able to play.”

The raindrops continued to trickle down the window — suggesting Wolverine hope sliding away with every drop. The situation

Wolverine Watch

By Josh Hyber

evoked memories of two seasons ago, when Trauma Hawk was called to lift Phil Marfisi off the field on homecoming night; the crowd was utterly shocked.

Smallridge said he does not remember anything about the play or lying on the field. Head

Coach Chris Romano did say that Smallridge had “strength” and was verbal while he was on the ground. “It was just standard procedure,” Romano said. “It looked much worse than it actually was, and he’s doing well.”

“I feel great,” Smallridge later told me.

To this point, the Wolverines had held the Rams to just six points — a touchdown with a missed extra point coming midway through the first quarter. With the Rams heavily favored, the muck factor actually played in Wellington’s favor. Both teams ran plays that were stopped due to runners slipping without contact in puddles and mud.

Meanwhile, the ball was still placed inside the Wolverine ten yard line. Three consecutive stops resulted in a fourth-and-goal decision for Lakes from the Wolverine two yard line. However, the passing and kicking games were absent from the outset. The Lakes team was obviously going to run, and did, right behind the offensive line and into the end zone. The kick was good, and the Rams led 13-0.

With 2:34 remaining in the third quarter, the Wolverines finally gained an initial first down. On the ensuing play, they picked up another, on a nice run by Alfredson. But yet another three-and-out possession forced Nick Brewer to punt.

Time ticked away for the Wolverines to upset the Rams. On the first Lakes’ drive of the fourth quarter, junior defensive lineman Austin Delgado recovered a fumble — one of the Rams’ seven — and the Wolverines took possession. They were, however, unable to put the points on the scoreboard.

The score was 13-0, but the Wolverines did not want to “put up a goose egg” and fail to score any points. Alfredson escaped an allout blitz by the Rams defense and somehow managed to throw an awkward-looking pass to senior Winter Cullen. The play resulted in 15 yards.

The drive continued with an Olympic Trials-looking run by senior tailback Mike Garafine. The play was a pitch to the left, and like Alfredson, he somehow eluded the defense with several hurdles and cutbacks. After the torrential downpour had ended, I made my way down into the bleachers and sat with some friends in the second row. After the run, one turned to me and said, “ask him if he’s ever ran hurdles!” The two brilliant plays were not enough. Later in the drive, instead of attempting a field goal to avoid being shut out, Romano opted to go for a fourth-down conversion. Once again, the conversion failed. The loss could have easily been more than a loss in the case of Smallridge. The sophomore was taken to Palms West Hospital and released later that night. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion and his status was probable for Wellington’s game this Friday. According to Romano, he would play.

A promising season is quickly taking a turn for the worse. With the Wolverines’ record just 2-5 at press time — they host West Boca Raton on Friday, Oct. 9, after this story has gone to press — the team still has tough games against Seminole Ridge and Suncoast to look forward to.

Busy Weekend For The Wellington Wave U-14 Blue Team

Last weekend was a busy one for the Wellington Wave Soccer Club’s U-14 blue squad after losing a tough match against Delray Beach the prior week. On Saturday, the Wave girls bounced back with a 3-1 victory over the Royal Palm Beach Strikers black team.

The Lady Wave dominated most of the first half, but the girls could not finish any of their shots, and the score was 0-0 at the end of the half. About eight minutes into the second half, the Strikers drew first blood, driving the ball up the right side and slipping though the defense on a through ball, and put it in the back of the net to make the score 1-0.

The Wave pressured continuously, working the Strikers goalkeeper. The Strikers defense committed a foul in the penalty area, giving up a penalty kick. The chance to even up the match was denied by the Strikers keeper. Only minutes later the Wave struck

The Royal Palm Bassmasters held their monthly fishing tournament on Sept. 13 on the Lake Osborne chain.

First place was awarded to the team of Stuart Shoemaker (boater) with two fish weighing 8 lbs., 7 oz. and partner Maria Shoemaker (non-boater) with one fish weighing 1 lb. for a team weight of 9 lbs., 7 oz.

Second place was awarded to the team of Mike Gershberg (boater) with four fish weighing 5 lbs., 10 oz. and partner Jim Caughey (nonboater) with no fish for a team weight of 5 lbs., 10 oz.

Third place was awarded to the team of Tex Miller (boater) with two fish weighing 5 lbs., 7 oz. and partner Tone

Wellington Grapplers Win

In Boca Raton

Wellington Wrestling Club wrestlers Jake Ferrara (11th grade) and Cody Walker (ninth grade) traveled to Olympic Heights High School in Boca Raton last Saturday and brought home championship medals. The team had many young wrestlers compete and finished with a promising 22-16 overall record. Also placing for Wellington were: Tim Skaryd (second place, 10th grade), Justin Bergin (third place, 10th grade), Mikolaj Wilga (third place, 11th grade), Eric Melmaed (fourth place, 10th grade), Kenny Nelson (fourth place, ninth grade) and Matt Philmus (fourth place, 10th grade).

The Wellington Wrestling Club will travel to Lake Gibson High School this Saturday to compete in a 10-team tournament that has drawn the top five teams in the state. The Wellington Wrestling Club serves all ages and runs on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8 p.m. for kindergarten through eighth grade, and Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8 p.m. for grades six through 12. For more information on joining the club, email Travis Gray at graytra@palmbeach.k12.fl.us.

back when midfielder Claudia Petrizzi took the ball on a bounce and lifted it over the Strikers keeper who was way off her line, tying the game at 1-1. The Wave defense responded well when they locked down the Strikers attempts at any offense. Five minutes later, Petrizzi made her second score of the game, making it 2-1. Petrizzi and Tanairi Rivera provided plenty of entertainment on offense. With about seven minutes left in the game, Christina Barbera took a one-touch shot off of a corner kick by Lindsey Guthrie, driving the ball almost through the net to make the final score 3-1. The Wave dominated possession and shots on goal. On Sunday, the Lady Wave faced the Royal Palm Beach Strikers white team and came up a bit short, 2-0. On paper, the first half favored the Wave in possession and shots on goal, but it ended 0-0. Neither team was able to capitalize on offense. Both defensive units provided plenty of intense play.

The second half became very physical as both teams were desperate to put a goal on the board. It wasn’t until about 22 minutes into the second half that the Strikers found a hole in the Wave defense, taking the lead 1-0. The

Wave girls fought right back, continuing to pressure the Strikers defense, but could not finish on several shots at the net. The Strikers hit again, when a low Wave corner kick was intercepted, and the Strikers went nearly unchallenged down the left sideline.

The Wave defense tried to recover, and challenged to

Bassmasters Fish Lake Osborne Chain

Young (non-boater) with no fish for a team weight of 5 lbs., 7 oz.

The Big Fish was awarded to Stuart Shoemaker with a bass weighing 6 lbs., 8 oz. Bassmasters meetings are

WCFL Pro Colts Defeat Chiefs

The Western Communities Football League Pro Colts improved their record to 6-1 as they disposed of the Chiefs last Saturday with their unique offensive style. The defenses struggled on both sides the first half as the Chiefs took an 18-16 first half lead. The Colts outscored their opponent 28-8 in the second half to propel them to a 44-26 victory behind stellar blocking from the offensive line. The Chiefs took an early lead as they readily moved the ball 52 yards down the field, scoring on a 15-yard touchdown run. The Colts responded with a touchdown up the gut by Weston Wohlert, but their defense quickly allowed an aerial and ground attack to lead the Chiefs back into the end zone with a 10-yard run by Cole Smallridge. The Colts were not to be deterred and took possession on their 11 yard line and ground it out to conclude on a cleat-shedding 44yard touchdown run by Gabe Hineman. The score flipped once more as the Chiefs completed a 35-yard touchdown pass and subsequently found the clock to be their friend; the Colts were left stranded two yards from scoring at the end of the half.

held on the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center (100 Sweet Bay Lane). The club is now accepting new boaters and non-boater

members. Come and check out the fun you have been missing. For more information about the Bassmasters, e-mail Gershberg at doctorrehab@ aol.com.

SPORTS BRIEFS

Kerlvin Elice jump-started the Colts’ offense with an 85yard kickoff return touchdown and then a swift-footed 78-yard run to put the Colts up 32-18 early in the third. The Colts defense found their groove forcing errant throws, which led to a spectacular interception by David Henry and tight coverage of the air attack by Asante Long. Offense resumed its form as Mikey John pounded it out, making his way into the end zone, shortly followed by a 57-yard touchdown run by Hineman as he barreled his way through Smallridge to seal the deal for the Colts.

WCFL Prep Chargers Still Undefeated

The Western Communities Football League Prep Chargers improved their record to 7-0 with a 28-18 win over a very tough Prep Falcons team. The Chargers totaled 276 yards on offense, their highest for the season, and scored 25 or more points for the sixth-consecutive game. Offensively, the Chargers were led by fullback John Smith, who had 176 yards rushing and three touchdowns (58 yards, two yards and 20 yards), and quarterback Justin Kolnick, who had a 21-yard touchdown. Running back Tre Jackson had 62

yards rushing, and running back Cole Martin ran for 43 yards, which helped set up several of the touchdowns. Both Jackson and Martin had several key first-down runs to keep drives alive.

The offensive line players had their best game of the season by dominating the line of scrimmage. The offensive line was led by Josh Rayfield, Connor Worontsoff, Nick Shibley, Brandon Schloss, Jackson Herrod, Hunter Wagner and Alex Lawson. The Charger defense was able to hold the Falcons’ high-powered offense to only 18 points. The defense was led by Jahcobi Neath, who had 11 tackles and an interception, Sammy Eagen (nine tackles), Andrew Sweat (seven tackles), Jonathan Mogbo (six tackles) and Dylan Skinner (six tackles). Also contributing on defense were Reggie Williams (two tackles), Bryan Zuver (two tackles), Gavin Hendrix (five tackles) and Andrew Szrejter (four tackles). The Falcons were led by quarterback Jordan Travis, who scored all three of their touchdowns, and running backs William Hawkins and Ajay Belanger.

FTI Returns

As WEF Title Sponsor

Equestrian Sport Productions, owner and manager of

deny the shot, but a solid shot from the left side struck the right corner of the net making the score 2-0. The Lady Wave continued the pressure to get back into the game with little time left, but again, could not finish on their shots.

The weekend saw solid play by defenders Natalie Kelly, Molly Cuthbertson,

Alyssa Randell, Amanda Nardi and keeper Antoinette Walton. The U-14 blue team is currently 2-3 overall for the early season. The regular season will start after the holidays. Coach Kevin Bovett was pleased with his team’s overall performance for the weekend but admits there is still work to be done.

JV WOLVERINES ON A WINNING STREAK

Wellington High School’s junior varsity football team defeated Spanish River High 23-6 on Sept. 28. It was the Wolverines’ third-straight win of the season. Wellington’s JV squad defeated Forest Hill in its season

followed by a win over Suncoast.

JV Wolverines offense attempts a run.

the Winter Equestrian Festival, recently announced that it has signed a sponsorship agreement that extends FTI’s title sponsorship of the Winter Equestrian Festival for the 2010 show season.

The sponsorship includes the $500,000 Grand Prix during Week 11 on Saturday, March 27, 2010.

The renowned FTI Winter Equestrian Festival is the largest and longest-running equestrian event in the world. During the 12-week show circuit, the world’s top riders compete for close to $6 million in prize money and awards. The festival is attended by participants from 46 states and 23 countries including many Olympians. The influx into the Wellington area during the festival season is estimated to involve approximately 10,000 people and 5,000 horses.

The contract will enable Equestrian Sport Productions to continue with their vision to elevate the quality of equestrian sport in the U.S.

“We are honored to have FTI as our title sponsor for the Winter Equestrian Festival,” CEO Mark Bellissimo said. “Dennis Shaughnessy and FTI have shown amazing support of this sport, the riders, this venue and our company. As they continue to distinguish themselves in corporate America they clearly have

made their mark in highlevel equestrian sport.” Shaughnessy, FTI’s CEO, was equally enthusiastic. “We are delighted to again be the title sponsor of the Winter Equestrian Festival and increase our commitment of the FTI Grand Prix, as well as continue with the FTI Rider’s Challenge,” he said. “Clearly, the Winter Equestrian Festival has become the premier destination for the world’s top riders, and FTI is proud to support such an exciting competition.”

Highlights of the festival include the $500,000 FTI Grand Prix, FTI Riders Challenge, the CN Nations Cup, the $50,000 CN Derby at the Stadium, the Battle of the Sexes, USHJA Hunter Derby, World Championship Hunter Rider Spectacular, George Morris Equitation Championship and the $200,000 Exquis World Dressage Masters. New for the 2010 WEF are the USEF World Equestrian Game Trials, two Young Rider Grand Prix, a $75,000 Grand Prix on the Grass at the Stadium, a junior/amateur team jumping competition, a pro/am charity event, a series of hunter classes, and jumper derbies on the grass for juniors, amateurs and adults.

For more about the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, visit www.equestrian sportproductions.com.

Mike Gershberg Stuart ShoemakerMaria Shoemaker

Molly Cuthbertson defends by intercepting the ball while Amanda Nardi assists.

opener,

Pictured above,

Natalie Kelly blocks a hard shot.

Neve Myburgh: Horse Trainer In Search Of A Client Base

Neve Myburgh seemingly has it all: a pleasant personality, a solid European background in training and riding, a strong work ethic, and a lot of common sense about what’s truly important in terms of riding and competing — all she needs is clients.

“I don’t own any horses, so I’m not out there competing,” she said. “Not a lot of people have heard of me yet, so I have to build my reputation from scratch.”

Neve, 30, is originally from South Africa. Right now she’s renting a house in Loxahatchee. She trained and rode for 12 years in Italy, France and Germany. She completed a exhausting three-year apprenticeship in Germany.

“This is a very intense program,” Neve explained. “You ride all day and learn everything. At the end of three years, you spend two weeks at the state riding school clinic in preparation for the exam. The exam takes two days and covers everything. You have to ride and demonstrate everything from lunging to jumping to dressage, and then you also have to stand in front of a panel of judges and answer their questions, explaining various points of riding theory. It’s very nerve-wracking.”

But Neve persisted and passed, earning her license as a trainer and instructor. She worked with many top-level grand prix riders and trainers. After teaching in the south of France, she decided to give the U.S. a try. “I had never been to the States before,” she said. “I wanted to see what it was like.”

Lodwick Retiring

continued from page 1 ment merging with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in 2006. “I think history is judging that very favorably,” he said. “We’re getting a very high level of service. Our residents are very safe. That’s the number-one goal of why we all serve.”

The past 11 years have also been marked by numerous road and park improvements and expansions, Lodwick noted. “As you look around

Chamber Bringing More Jobs

continued from page 1 Southern Blvd, the proximity of three Florida’s Turnpike exits and proximity to Palm Beach International Airport to promote employment and economic gains in the area. This, combined with a ready workforce, will serve as an incentive for prospective employers, chamber officials said.

According to Kelly Smallridge, president and CEO of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, the biggest challenge she faces when meeting with CEOs to bring their companies to the area is a lack of shovel-ready properties. “Companies like to be aggregated within a larger area where they can share technologies and ideas with other companies that are in close proximity,” she said.

Andrew Duffell, Business Development Board senior vice president for business recruitment, retention and expansion, agreed. “Shovelready sites are crucial,” he said. “If you want to have an employment center, you need to have somewhere for a large company to come in relatively easily and know the time frame and the steps they need to go through in order to develop a large building.” Duffell said that “ease of process” will be most helpful to new businesses, and that it’s important that policies are clearly set so employers know what permits and documentation they must have to build and operate in the western communities.

This major chamber initia-

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg

Neve came for a short while a year ago and things seemed good, so she flew back to France, and then came to stay on a five-year work visa. When she first arrived, in the fall of 2008, Wellington was bustling with show people. When she returned in April 2009, things were starting to slow down. The show people had followed the circuit elsewhere. Then summer hit. “This is a serious dry spell, in terms of earning a living,” Neve said.

However, she’s still hopeful and upbeat. “My background and experience makes me a good fit for a lot of riders and horses. I love teaching,” she added.

Neve hopes she’ll find the kind of riders she really loves to work with, the ones who are truly interested in learning how to ride and train a horse. Teaching is her passion, and she loves working with riders who are serious about bettering themselves and their horses. “I love working with young or green horses and taking them from knowing nothing to where they’re willing and able to understand and accept whatever you ask of him,” Neve

Palm Beach Commons Park.

said. “A lot of amateurs, especially in America, define success in the horse world by how many ribbons they win or how many people they beat out in a class. I think that’s missing a lot of the pleasure of riding. I have a different, more German, mindset.”

Before you can show and win, there’s hard work to do. “Many of these amateurs want to show and win, period,” Neve said. “They’re not willing, or able, to put in the hours and hours of groundwork and practice needed to bring themselves and their horses along. They just want a top-level horse who’s already made; a push-button horse and a trainer to tell them which buttons to push when. They never see the joy of learning and growing. It’s all about winning, and I find that sad.” Neve also dislikes the way some of the judging is done in dressage. Although there are set standards, people are people, and some results tend to be more subjective. She has ridden great tests that received low scores, and inferior tests that earned high marks. She recalls riding a test before three judges and receiving three different scores. Which one should she believe?

“Riding at home, working on the basics, slowly improving — that’s what it’s really all about,” Neve said. “Showing is important, too. Bringing your horse to a show and presenting it — it’s a way of saying this is what we’re working on, and this is what we can do so far. It’s fun to compare yourself with others, but it’s all about learning and improving.

Equestrian trainer Neve

has the skills, but not the clients.

When you can approach riding as a way to further your skills, to keep learning more, that’s the most important thing, and much more rewarding than placing first in a show.” For more information, call Neve Myburgh at (561) 308-7353.

continued from page 1 that the Hundley site would be the least expensive and have less visual impact than the SR 80/U.S. 98 site, Pellowitz said. The SR 80/U.S. 98 property would be about 11 percent more expensive to operate.

In March, commissioners decided to work on a deal to give the SFWMD six months to arrange a possible land swap if the SFWMD decides to use the SWA-owned site as an additional stormwater treatment area. Pellowitz said SWA Executive Director Mark Hammond and Commissioner Karen Marcus met with the SFWMD’s director and staff several times with positive results for a possible swap.

town, we’ve improved or updated virtually all of our parks, including the Marcella baseball complex, the Katz field for soccer, and of course, what we have going on now with Commons Park,” he said. Lodwick was the central figure in the acquisition of the 160-acre Tradition Golf Course on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. between Okeechobee and Southern. “I had a strong hand in that — perhaps too strong,” he said of the decision to buy the land now being developed into Royal

tive will identify and develop sites for employment centers to help expedite the process for large-scale employers to move or expand their businesses. One of the silver linings of the recession is that land prices are lower, which may be a “golden opportunity” for the chamber to create such shovel-ready properties.

“This initiative is just the first step in a long-term process for the central western communities,” Giddings said.

The end goal is continued economic growth for the area.

“The chamber is taking the initiative to help create a long-term plan for economic stimulus and self-sustainability for the central western communities,” Palms West Chamber of Commerce

Chairman Kevin DiLallo said. “The next step in this process is to create a task force to bring all the stakeholders together.”

According to DiLallo, who is also the CEO of Wellington Regional Medical Center, the task force will identify key industries to bring to the communities, locate potential sites for development and develop policies to create shovel-ready land. The task force will also advocate for private and public sector incentives to help drive key industries to the western communities.

In addition to bringing in new industries, the chamber will embrace industries already in the community.

Chamber officials highlighted medical research as a goal in the presentation, with opportunities provided by the two area hospitals, Wellington Regional and Palms West. Agricultural research and alternative energy research, made possible by the Florida

Any transaction with the SFWMD is contingent upon closing of the U.S. Sugar acquisition, and a land swap requires the participation of Florida Crystals because Florida Crystals has the right of first refusal on the existing site, Pellowitz cautioned.

“The South Florida Water Management District has expressed optimism and a willingness to work with the [Solid Waste] Authority, but there are several critical issues,” he said.

Marcus said she felt positive about a deal between the SWA and the SFWMD.

“There are things we can do as far as effecting some sort of a swap,” she said. “To me, cost is the issue.”

Marcus said the SWA is anticipating nearly a billion dollars in facility upgrades and expansion. “You’re looking at the only mass-burn facility being built in this country in the last 20 years,” she said.

Some council members chastised Lodwick at the time for orchestrating the purchase largely single-handedly, although he was having conversations with the village manager throughout the process.

“Publicly, what they were saying was there was a better process to do this, and they were not wrong,” Lodwick said. “I felt we had an opportunity, perhaps a once-in-alifetime opportunity, to take 160 contiguous acres in the heart of our town, an historic

Power & Light plant under construction near 20-Mile Bend, were also highlighted. More obvious, the equestrian industry provides opportunities for research, education and manufacturing that could help the area develop.

But before the chamber can support furthering these industries and bringing in new ones, the community at large must be on board.

“To really bring such an ambitious initiative to fruition, it is absolutely essential to bring all of the community stakeholders together,” Duffell said. “That does include all of the policy makers, all of the chambers, all of the resident groups, all of the environmental groups, all of the various industries that are strong within this region, to really bring together a cohesive unit that speaks with one voice to the outside world.”

According to Duffell, one of the most important ways to bring in and sustain largescale employment in an area is by word of mouth. “It’s almost an organic process that doesn’t require millions of dollars in advertising,” he said. “You, the community, can drive that process by being good businesspeople and

“We’ll have two when we’re done. To me, any way we can minimize the cost to the taxpayer, I think we have the option to wait because the landfill hasn’t been filling up as rapidly as we thought and development is down, so we have a longer life cycle. I believe we can make a meaningful swap with water management.”

Marcus said the SFWMD is in the final stages of closing on the U.S. Sugar deal and was optimistic that the SWA can reach an agreement on a swap shortly thereafter.

“The bottom line is the money,” Marcus said. “If we can do an equal swap and don’t have to do any cash out for the land, good for the public, and buy down that billion dollars of investment that we have.”

SFWMD Deputy Executive Director Ken Ammon said there have been open and honest discussions of potential options and if the

part of our town that needs reinvestment, and we would have the opportunity to do something special. We had a landowner who said, ‘I’m willing to talk to you but not play politics.’” Lodwick said he jumped at the opportunity, because if the negotiations had failed, the village would have been stuck with a huge eyesore or an inappropriate development.

“I thought we could do better than that, and the good news is we are,” Lodwick said. “The project is moving

encouraging others to be a part of the group.”

Another important component to sustaining the employment centers, according to Duffell, is education. He emphasized the need to focus on education not only on the K-12 level, but also at community colleges and local universities.

“We need to make sure that the needs of the business community are catered to in those educational systems so that when students graduate, they are able to come work right away without having to go to Atlanta or Nashville to get a decent job,” Duffell said.

The luncheon was sponsored by Live Arts Florida, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing live arts to the western communities.

The group’s Western Communities Concert Series kicks off with a performance of the Brass Evolution on Saturday, Oct. 17 at the Wellington High School performing arts theater. For more info., visit www.liveartsfl.org.

For more information about the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, call (561) 790-6200 or visit www.palms west.com.

SFWMD closes on the U.S. Sugar deal there will be many opportunities for different available sites in the area.

“It would be premature to point on a map or get into significant negotiations until that closing in fact takes place,” he said.

The sale’s bond validation has been appealed to the Florida Supreme Court, but with the support of Gov. Charlie Crist, who has been the driving force behind the acquisition, the SFWMD anticipates an expedited bond hearing of about March 2010.

County Commissioner Burt Aaronson made a motion to reject the current offers and give the SFWMD 12 months to find a specific site to offer for a swap, and failing that, to invite proposals for more potential landfill sites. Commissioner Steven Abrams seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

forward, and in two to three years, when it’s all dedicated and open, I hope to be invited to the grand opening and see just a great place for people to spend time with their families to come out to walk, jog, kayak, canoe, just spend time outdoors and have a good time. I think it will boost everyone’s property values around that park.”

Lodwick is proud that the village has been able to lower the tax rate for 15 consecutive years. “We’ve have tried to find ways to operate as frugally as we can, to be fair to our property owners, whether you’re a residential or a commercial property owner,” he said, adding that the village has been able to set up other revenue streams. One of those revenue streams is interest on money from the sale of its water utility to the county. “We probably sold that right at the peak of the property market,” Lodwick said. “We haven’t wasted it. We invested it very conservatively following all state guidelines, and we’re using that revenue stream to offset property taxes that we would have to charge to our residents and businesses.”

Lodwick, 51, also plans to cut his hours back at his insurance firm to have a little more free time. This would allow him to focus on local issues such as road improvement.

“I will probably stay involved in some of those issues, at least as a resident,” he said. “I know the council will stay diligent on them as well. I do worry. As you look at Royal Palm Beach, I think our opinion is respected

Road Plan A High Price Tag

continued from page 2 use that against us for permitting,” Erickson said. “Obviously they started to, which is where they then raised all the cost estimates.”

Whitfield confirmed that the Seminole Pratt extension lost priority because it had become too expensive.

“The county engineering department had applied to the Army Corps for the permit,” he said. “At the time they applied for it, the estimate was around $38 million, which provided a bridge over a portion to allow water flow and the animals to pass through it. When the corps came back, their issue was that the amount of wetland that would be disturbed was not acceptable. They suggested the entire section be bridged. When you look at that, you’re looking at $160 million-plus. To try and have a bridge that long, it becomes financially unfeasible.”

Whitfield said the extension is still in the plan, albeit in the “low priority” category. The county engineering department has withdrawn its permit application with the Army Corps and is continuing to work on the project

“If the corps and the county come to some sort of compromise so that it gets the cost within reason, we’ll be glad to look at putting it back into the plan and see if we can find funding for it,” he said.

Erickson said a more positive aspect of the plan is that it still prioritizes a further northward extension of State

downtown, where once upon a time it wasn’t.” Lodwick said he might consider another elected position if the right one comes up, possibly as a county commissioner. “The day might come where looking at something downtown might make sense,” he said. If the opportunity should present itself, Lodwick said he feels his credentials are good. “Royal Palm, I think, is in the best shape a city could hope to be in at this point in time,” he said. “We have a great management team in place. We’re financially sound. We have capital projects planned and underway that will continue to make this town better.”

When he first ran for mayor, Lodwick noted that one of his platforms was for open government. “I was looking through my original literature the other day,” he said. “I said we need to run in an open and honest fashion, and we have done so. I said we need to run in a businesslike fashion, and we have done so. Our whole goal was to leave the town better than we found it, and I think we have done so.”

Road 7 to Northlake Blvd. Erickson said ITID is supporting the Town of Loxahatchee Groves in its opposition to another component of the plan, a two-lane extension of Okeechobee Blvd. west of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road. “I believe that is not needed,” he said. “Does it need to be a shortcut for Southern Blvd. traffic? No. I’m going to work with our neighbors for the right answer.”

The MPO is scheduled to consider adoption of the 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan at a public hearing Oct. 15 in the Palm Beach County Commission chambers, on the sixth floor of the governmental center at 301 North Olive Ave. in West Palm Beach, at 7 p.m. The organization has established a web site at www.palmbeach 2035plan.com to serve as an information source about the plan.

Blotter continued from page 6 the woods despite the deputy’s orders to stop. The deputy followed Brooks into the woods where he found him hiding under shrubbery. According to the report, Brooks was under the influence of alcohol and became argumentative, refusing to provide his name. After Brooks identified himself, the deputy discovered that he had prior warnings for trespassing on the same property. Brooks resisted when the deputy placed him under arrest. He was taken to the county jail and charged with trespassing and resisting arrest without violence.

Myburgh

Andrew Duffell of the BDB

Win Blodgett of Live Arts Florida

Mayor David Lodwick

Until The Meteor Arrives, I’ll Gripe About The Florida Heat

You know all those movies about a gigantic meteor hurtling toward earth, causing panic and mayhem as it blocks out the sun?

Exactly when is that meteor going to arrive? No, really. I only ask because I am so sick of summer.

Oh, I know it’s blasphemy, especially here in postcard-perfect South Florida. People up north are already leafing through pamphlets and saving their pennies to come down here. My parents said it’s already 40 degrees in Wisconsin. Maybe by the time this column appears, it’ll be cooler here, too. But a word of warning to those admiring the sandy beaches and gently rolling waves. Postcards don’t sweat. People do. There’s a reason all those colorful canvas umbrellas dot the shoreline — it’s called melanoma.

And it’s not just the heat, it’s the brighti-

Deborah Welky is The Sonic BOOMER

tude. That’s right, you heard me. Brightitude. Up north we wore ski goggles to avoid snow blindness, and I’m thinking of getting a pair to wear down here. The more of my face they cover, the better. After all, I don’t have time to run to the dermatologist every time I get a freckle. Maybe I’ll get a ski mask, too. Just to protect myself. But that might make it difficult for me to patronize convenience

stores. If I pop in for a bottle of water, the clerk might pull out a gun from underneath the counter.

“You looking for trouble?”

“No, just the Dasani.”

“Aisle 3.”

Speaking of water, I now drink two gallons a day. I don’t do it because it’s the right thing to do; I do it because my mouth is dry, my skin is dry, my scalp is dry and my tears have evaporated. If I could, I’d cry about it. I’m also sick of summer clothing. It’s all the same — floral prints and pastels. Bleh. Give me tweeds, corduroy and wool. Give me styles with substance. Give me layers.

But it is not to be. If I walked down Greenview Shores Blvd. wearing kneesocks and a cape, they’d lock me up. “But the fall issue of Vogue is out!” I’d argue.

“Verboten,” they’d answer. (That means “forbidden” in case you haven’t seen Hogan’s Heroes lately.) “If you want variety, get a new pair of sandals.”

I guess I’m not transitioning well. My first year in Florida, I bought and carved a pumpkin on Oct. 1. That was a mistake. Within three days, it was nothing but a rotting pile of mush, a doorstep breeding ground for flies and gnats. The neighbors pointed and laughed. Then things got personal. “Hey, Yankee, what are those things on your feet?” they taunted. They were only socks, required apparel in Wisconsin... but in Florida, not so much. So I guess, by now, you’re wondering why I don’t just leave. Pack up my mukluks and go. The answer is: the meteor. It’ll be here any day. I just have to be patient.

Polanski Allies Think Rich And Famous Are Above The Law

The Roman Polanski mess is one symptom of why Hollywood no longer makes many movies that catch the interest of Americans. When major celebrities are completely tone-deaf about how truly horrid they sound, it leaks its way into the scripts of the movies they create. Almost all the hits this summer were science fiction or alternative history. Why? Because the reality of Hollywood has nothing to do with our reality.

The debate over Polanski and his legal problems does not follow the usual left-vs.right partisanship. When Gloria Allred and Glenn Beck sound like they’re singing from the same songbook, it clearly demonstrates that this country is not only revolted by Polanski, but by the showbiz types who think talent entitles them to abuse anyone. A bit over 30 years ago, Polanski brought in a 13-year-old girl for a “photo shoot.” He fed her champagne and a quaalude. Then he raped her. She asked him to stop several times, and he paid no attention. The prosecutor, not

‘I’ On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

wanting to put the young girl through a very nasty, high-profile court case, allowed a plea bargain that would allow Polanski his freedom after serving six weeks in jail. He pled guilt to one charge, sex with a minor, but when he heard the judge might renege on the deal, left the country and has not returned. He has been protected by “sophisticated” Europeans ever since. The Swiss arrested him last month, and the celebrity world went crazy. Having Woody Allen leading the charge to declare that Polanski’s having sex with an underage girl is OK sounds like something

out of a Saturday Night Live sketch! Whoopi Goldberg humiliated herself on The View by saying that what happened was not “rape rape.” She later non-apologized, saying she had only been talking about the plea deal, making no sense at all. Being a celebrity means never having to say you’re sorry.

Over a hundred moviemakers demanded that President Barack Obama or Gov. Arnold Schwartzenegger (the crime took place in California) step in and issue a pardon.

The celebrities involved all seem to think that because they are artists, they are allowed to do anything they want. It was an open secret in Hollywood that Polanski liked very young women. He had a relationship with 15year-old Nastassja Kinski right after he fled. Does anyone really believe that Polanski had never abused young girls before or since?

As the father of two very remarkable daughters, I get angry to hear these kinds of defenses. There is no defense for a 44-yearold man drugging and raping a 13-year-old.

I’m sure the Palm Beach County Jail is right now holding more than a handful of 16-yearold boys who had sex with 13-year-old girls. No one seems to care that in some countries, often the native countries of these young men, the difference of those three or four years does not make a difference. They serve their time, often bewildered by different customs.

Polanski has lived in Paris and other European hangouts for the past 30 years. He has been free to make more movies, one or two of them exceptional, most mediocre. But that should never excuse what he did to that girl 30 years ago. The fact that movie people think they, as well as Polanski, are above the law convinces me that most of what they turn out will probably be distasteful. I may admire the work of some of them, but I doubt I could ever respect or like them.

Harvey Weinstein, a major movie producer, argues that the celebrities are our moral compass. If that is true, the compass now points south instead of north.

My VA Hearing Test: I May Be Going Deaf, But Very Slowly

For the last several years, I have noticed my hearing isn’t as good as it use to be. It really didn’t bother me until just about everyone I know began telling me I need to go for a hearing test. Others were telling me I need to get a hearing aid. Of course, I ignored the advice. I thought my hearing was good enough to hear whatever I wanted to hear. Yes, I was developing a case of selective hearing.

Wondering & Wandering

By Ernie Zimmerman

was also told I had ringing in my ears. This they didn’t have to tell me, because I have been hearing music in my ears every day, 24 hours a day, for the past 42 years. The tune never changes, it only gets louder.

I can trace my ear problems back to my military service in Vietnam, and the Veterans Administration has stepped up to the plate and has taken full responsibility for my ears.

So I called the VA and made an appointment for a hearing test. I had that test last week. As I went to the VA the morning of the test, I didn’t know what to expect. When I finally found a parking spot, I went to the audiology and speech pathology area of the hospital. A friendly person greeted me at the information window. She took all my information and led me in for my hearing test.

The last time I had a hearing test was in 2003. At that time, I was told I had a slight hearing loss, but nothing to worry about. I

I was only hearing about three quarters of what people were telling me. When I was watching TV and someone started to talk to me, I could only hear the TV or the conversation. I couldn’t hear both. If someone was talking to me from another room, I could not understand what they were saying. However, the thing that convinced me it was time for a hearing test was when I started to notice that when I was watching Law & Order, I was able to understand what the actors were saying just fine. That is until the background music started to play. Law & Order episodes often feature loud background music. Don’t the producers realize that a large portion of their viewing crowd are Baby Boomers and seniors? This is the group of folks who have problems hearing the shows when the music begins.

The VA knew all about my military history. They knew I was assigned to an eight-inch artillery unit in Vietnam. They knew we fired

about 200 rounds a day. They also knew all about my flying around in helicopters (we were a mobile air unit). I don’t remember giving them all of that info. The hearing test showed I only had a slight hearing loss since my last hearing test. They told me I was borderline for a hearing aid — I don’t really need one at this time unless I want one, but I will most probably need one in a few years. No one in my family agreed with the results, but I do, and that’s all that matters.

The friendly young lady who gave me the hearing test gave me a “Sound Plus TV Infrared Listening System,” a device to help me hear the TV better. Yes, it really works! I want to thank everyone at the VA for being so nice and treating me like a hero (which I am not). It was a lot different than the way I was treated in 1968 when I came home from Vietnam.