Town-Crier Newspaper September 5, 2008

By Leonard Wechsler

Town-Crier Staff Report

The Royal Palm Beach Village Council approved the tentative village budget and operating millage rate for the coming fiscal year Thursday. At a budget public hearing held just before the regular council meeting, the council approved a small reduction in the property tax assessment rate for the coming fiscal year, from the present rate of 2.01 mills to 1.97 mills.

Finance Director Stan Hochman told the council the village lost $1.2 million in revenues, $600,000 due to Amendment 1 tax reforms as well as another $550,000 from lower state reimbursements and $168,000 from lower revenues due to less construction. The village balanced it by reducing costs and debt service by a matching amount, he said.

The budget calls for the elimination and consolidation of several staff positions, mostly in the Parks & Recreation Department, although the Community Development, Finance and Public Works departments will also take losses.

The village’s total expenditures for the coming year are budgeted at $62,973,046. The operating budget is set at $21,773,206 with almost all the rest incorporated in the capital improvement fund. The major capital improvement outlay is

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

First-term incumbent Democratic Congressman Tim Mahoney faces what could be a close race as he defends his District 16 seat against Republican challenger Tom Rooney.

Rooney narrowly defeated State Rep. Gayle Harrell and former Palm Beach Gardens councilman Hal Valeche last week to win the right to challenge Mahoney. Since then, Rooney said he has received the endorsement of his former opponents.

“We’re doing the best we can in the next 60 days so people can make an informed decision, just like we did in the primary, and we will continue to fight through the general election to take back the District 16 seat,” Rooney told the Town-Crier Thursday. Mahoney narrowly won the seat two years ago just weeks after its former occupant, Republican Mark Foley, resigned in disgrace. Until then, it had been considered a safe Republican district.

“The general election is going to focus more on why we

the start of the Village Commons Park on Royal Palm Beach Blvd.

Final approval of the budget is set for Sept. 18 with the new fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.

Mayor David Lodwick was among council members who credited Village Manager David Farber and his staff for working hard to keep a tight budget.

“At a time when city after city is announcing increases in tax rates,” he said, “we’ve been able to find the most efficient way to serve the needs of the public and keep the police on the street.”

Councilwoman Martha Webster suggested reducing the $3,500 in the budget earmarked for community contributions other than scholarships, noting that the council had previously discussed limiting village contributions because so many groups requested them.

Mattioli noted that the council had already promised a $1,000 contribution to schools for Arbor Day. Lodwick added that the council had regularly contributed to Royal Palm Beach High School’s Project Graduation, which provides a safe environment for students on graduation night.

Mattioli proposed reducing the contributions line item to $2,000 with the notation that half would go for Arbor Day and the other half for Project Graduation. The council agreed 4-0,

should take the seat back from Congressman Mahoney,” Rooney said. “In the primary, it was difficult at times because my opponents were ideologically similar. Now we can focus more on the differences in the issues, like less taxes and drilling now.”

The district includes swaths of the western communities, but the population base is largely found on the Treasure Coast. A number of rural counties are also in the district.

Rooney said he is optimistic that District 16 will return to its Republican roots, but acknowledged that it will be difficult.

“Beating an incumbent, as political science shows, is extremely difficult, but we feel very good about where we stand on the issues and where people in the 16th District stand on the issues with regard to being probusiness, limited government and more individual freedoms,” he said. “Obviously those are things the Republican Party stands for, but also timely issues like giving people more options as far as energy independence.”

An attorney with deep roots

See DISTRICT 16, page 15

In other business:

• In its regular meeting, the council approved a site plan modification to add more storage space inside an existing warehouse development in Royal Commerce Park, just north of Southern Blvd. and east of Royal Palm Beach Blvd.

C.B. Associates LLC requested approval to add a 2,500square-foot mezzanine deck to Building 2 of an existing singlestory, 11,394-square-foot office/ warehouse development of two buildings.

Lodwick suggested adding a condition that the extra space would only be used for warehousing. He said that while parking at the site would be adequate as long as the space is used for that purpose, turning it into office space would make the number of available spots less than that required by the village’s code.

The owner agreed to the condition and the council approved the modification 4-0.

• The council grudgingly approved a request for a six-month extension of site plan approval for Integrity Bank on a sevenacre site at the southeast corner of SR 7 and Okeechobee Blvd. The extension, the first of two allowed by village code, expires Feb. 16, 2009.

The developer, SSL Okeecho-

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Village of Wellington is spreading the word about its wide-ranging redevelopment plans now under consideration.

In the past few weeks, village staffers have given presentations to members of the Wellington Village Council and Wellington’s Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board on a set of “economic initiatives” that involve redevelopment of several existing areas and capitalizing on development trends already underway in parts of the village. Now the village is looking to present its concept to business interests in Wellington.

Village officials said the plan is intended to carry the village out of the economic doldrums felt nationwide, provide longrange economic sustainability for the village and re-nourish some neighborhoods that have started to decline.

“I think our first step is to identify the potential stakeholders,” Mayor Darell Bowen told the Town-Crier Thursday. “I know that some of those names are being accumulated, and I think there are people who may have an interest in it. We will try to get them on the list to be contacted as we proceed down the road, but I think the first step is just to identify who all those people are who could be stakeholders in the project.”

The main focus of the plan is the Forest Hill Blvd. corridor. One element is to create a “village center” that could serve as a commercial hub, in the area now occupied by the original Wellington Mall and the Wellington Plaza shopping areas at the intersection of Wellington Trace and Forest Hill Blvd.

Richard Schechter of the Bainbridge Companies, primary owner of the Wellington Plaza, declined to comment on the plan, saying he has not yet formulated an opinion.

County Commissioner Jess Santamaria, owner of the original Wellington Mall, told the Town-Crier no one from the village has discussed the plan with him, although he noted that Bowen and Village Manager Paul Schofield had met with him in the last few weeks regarding the Palm Beach Community College campus plan at K-Park and an $800,000 cultural arts grant the village wants to use to build an amphitheater.

Bowen said the village will make great efforts to publicize the plan, including a presentation to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 24.

“At the same time we’re going to be identifying those stakeholders and probably setting up some meetings with them and go

from there,” he said. “The first thing is to accumulate comments and answer questions before we proceed with definite plans.”

Bowen said the village is in an ideal position to take the first comprehensive look at its makeup and future potential, at a time when there is still some land to be developed and the village’s oldest areas are poised for redevelopment. “I can’t imagine that a lot of people are going to be opposed to it,” he said of the plan.

Bowen said the first step would be to build a municipal government complex near the present Wellington Community Center, to serve as a centerpiece to pull the other elements of the plan together.

Council members previously considered funding the complex with general obligation bonds, but it is now to be funded with about $15 million in available money redirected from other projects the council deemed less desirable, Bowen said.

“When we approved the budget, basically we took off all the capital projects that were on the books that were for the future,” Bowen said. “Some of those had funding and some of those didn’t, but the ones that had funding, there’s money there.” New landscaping for State Road 7 was among the abandoned projects. “You and I both know there are times when we’ve driven down the road and say, ‘what in the hell are they tearing down those trees and putting up new ones for?’” Bowen said. “That’s exactly what would happen there. You put them in but you know it’s going to change because there’s going to be development there or other changes, so why spend a lot of money on it?”

The village has about $3 million in reserves, collected from builders and earmarked for additional infrastructure as the village grows, Bowen said. Bowen also said the village would reap $5 million from the sale of State Road 7 frontage property to Sunrise Senior Living. “We’re getting pretty close to what we need,” he said. “I think we’ll be able to borrow the rest from other funds that we have. We would not go out and borrow money and encumber the taxpayers more.”

The village has discussed the idea for nearly a decade, and Bowen would like to see it put on the fast track. He would like to break ground before the end of this year and be in the new building by the end of next year. Once completed, Bowen sees savings because Wellington will no longer need to rent office

with Vice Mayor Fred Pinto absent.

Wellington Hopes To Find More Grant Money For Schools

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

The Education Foundation of Palm Beach County’s top official gave members of Wellington’s Education Committee an overview of the organization’s purpose and programs at the committee’s meeting Tuesday.

The committee invited the foundation’s executive director, Mary Kay Murray, in order to get information on how Wellington schools could qualify for more grant funding.

Murray said the Education Foundation works in close cooperation with the Palm Beach County School District but remains a separate entity. It provides a way for private donors to legally make tax-deductible contributions to local schools.

“We are a separate 501(c)3, which is a nonprofit charitable organization that can receive dollars, which are in turn taxdeductible,” she said. “We operate independently from the school district in a quasi-partnership with them. Many corporations, foundations, organizations and individuals want to contribute to the school system. They need the tax benefits. Some corporations and organizations cannot give to a government entity, and they have to give to a charitable organization.”

Murray said money donated to her organization stays in the local area. “Our purpose is to raise private dollars for education in Palm Beach County,” she said. “Our funding stays here in Palm Beach County, and it’s to support public education K through 12 here.”

Murray said the foundation has a range of programs focusing on academic improvement, literacy and leadership. Several of the programs focus on literacy, she explained, a vital skill that must be nurtured at lower grade levels. At the higher levels, she said, it is too late to play catch-up.

“One focus is literacy, and literacy especially in the first three grade levels,” Murray said. “If a student is not reading by the time they are in third grade, they have a difficult time trying to make that up. In the first three years, they are learning to learn, and after that they are reading to learn. After that, they are struggling to learn. That is one of the focus areas we have, and so does the school district. We try to get every school student to read on grade level.”

To illustrate local beneficiaries of her foundation’s programs, Murray said several teachers at Wellington schools had applied for License for Learning mini-grants, which are funded with proceeds from “Support Education” vehicle tag sales. One such teacher is Ann Jacobs of Binks Forest Elementary School, Murray said.

“Some of the grants they write are very creative,” Murray said. “A lot of the focus is on students who are English language learners coming from immigrant families, and trying to get them to speak English in the classroom.”

Murray said the foundation also focuses on teacher and administrator development and training through the Teacher’s Guild Annual Professional Development Day and the Leadership Institute. At last year’s Professional Development Day conference, 250 teachers attended, she said.

“This year we are aiming for 400,” Murray said. “We put

some money into it. We have teachers in the community and the state who attend that conference. We offer 30 to 40 training sessions throughout the day. Teacher development and training is a really big area.” Murray said that like other charitable organizations, her foundation is facing hard times, as donors cut back on their contributions.

“We are going to have to try to continue on the successes we have had,” Murray said. “We have a rather lean staff. We have two and a half people. We have two full time and a part-time executive assistant. We would like to add more, but it’s expensive. It gets expensive when you try to start hiring extra staff. We are trying to be lean and get ourselves a bit more organized. We are trying to be more efficient with what we do.”

Committee Member Dawn Ramos asked if Murray were aware of any other Wellington schools that had participated in the mini-grant process other than Binks Forest. Murray said Wellington Landings Middle School was active in the process. Murray also said Dr. Julie Hopkins of Binks Forest and William Latson of Polo Park Middle School had taken advantage of the foundation’s early career training program. Ramos also asked whether Wellington’s elementary schools could participate in the Florida Department of Education’s Supplemental Academic Instruction program, which aids schools that have students who fail to meet state academic standards. Murray said they could, but that the foundation would have to apply for the funding. Being a Title I school made it easier to take advantage of the program, and unfortunately, the drawback for Wellington is that it has no Title I schools, she said.

“Even though a school could be an A-rated school and not a Title I school, every school has struggling readers,” Murray said. “There is no criteria for that. For supplemental academic instruction (SAI), we have been able to purchase reading materials for 115 third grade teachers through the district. That’s for all schools as long as they have struggling readers. We purchase the materials that they use.”

Ventriglio, an SAI teacher in Royal Palm Beach, thanked Murray for the foundation’s support of students struggling to read. “You help us provide literacy-based instruction to our struggling readers,” Ventriglio said. “Every school in Palm Beach County has one SAI teacher irregardless of the school. Even A schools in Wellington have one SAI teacher in place.”

advice,” he said, “but I think they will not be happy if they come back in a year.”

continued from page 1

bee LLC, requested the extension to allow more time to complete the permitting process. However, Lodwick noted that a “for sale” sign is posted on the property and said he believed it is an attempt to sell the property. He suggested that the owner was using the permitting process to buy time to make a sale, and asked whether the village could deny the extension request.

Village Attorney Trela White said that previous practice has been to approve requests. Mattioli suggested the council reexamine the practice of generally approving extensions at a future date.

Lodwick noted that it would not matter in this instance. “We need to follow our attorney’s

• The council approved a variance allowing Palm Beach County to erect a large monument sign for the Northern Region Water Treatment Plant on 40th Street North about a quarter mile west of Royal Palm Beach Blvd. The design for the sign is seven feet high and 18 feet wide with a total area of 126 square feet, while village code permits signs no larger than five feet in height with a maximum area of 30 square feet. The sign will be set 150 feet back from the property line. Lodwick said that as few of the village’s residents would ever go to the plant, the sign would go mostly unnoticed. The council approved the variance request 4-0.

• The council also agreed 4-0 to name Lodwick to the Metropolitan Planning Organization, with other council members as alternatives should the need arise.

Education Foundation Executive Director Mary Kay Murray at Tuesday’s meeting.

WELLINGTON QUILTING BEE DONATES ITEMS TO CHILDREN’S HOME SOCIETY

On Thursday, Sept. 4 the ladies of the Wellington Quilting Bee presented Jane Snell of the Children’s Home Society with 30 quilts and four afghans during a potluck lunch at the Wellington Community Center. The group meets every Thursday to do patchwork, embroidery and quilting. For more information about the Children’s Home Society, visit www.chsfl.org.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Josephine Landolfi Looks on as Ann Gasser embroiders embellishments on a Japanese wall hanging.

Jane Snell and Marietta Bowie look at the Wellington Quilting Bee tag, which is sewn on every item.

Quilting Bee members Marietta Bowie and Peggy Houck and visitor Louise Connolly work on their next project.

Jane Snell of the Children’s Home Society addresses the ladies of the Wellington Quilting Bee.

Jane Snell (center) with Wellington Quilting Bee members and the quilts they made.

OUR OPINION

International Day Of Peace: Small Acts Can Go A Long Way

With the Republican and Democratic conventions now behind us and the presidential election only two months away, the race for the White House is about to reach fever pitch. But it’s not just the candidates who will be quarreling. The “red versus blue” divide will once again rear its ugly head, pitting neighbor against neighbor as tempers flare over the economy, war, taxes, energy, global warming, abortion — issues that too often act as a dividing line between people.

In the midst of all this feuding, it’s important to take time out to reflect on the greater reality: we’re all in this together. It’s easy to be cynical and scoff at such a notion, but it doesn’t require much effort to put this belief into practice. That is the idea behind the United Nations’ International Day of Peace, which is recognized every year on Sept. 21. To honor this day, the Rotary Club of Wellington will host a dedication of the newly constructed boardwalk and gazebo at Wellington Rotary Peace Park.

According to the International Day of Peace web site (www.internationaldayof peace.org), the purpose of the day is to provide “an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date.”

Sept. 21 is also the Day of Global Ceasefire. This can be personal or political. We are fortunate to live in a country where war isn’t a part of our everyday lives. Still, many

Wellington Needs AfterHours Vet Care

Quite a while ago, I suggested (through a letter to the editor) that the western communities need an “after hours” veterinary hospital. There are wellequipped vet hospitals in nearly every strip center in our community, yet none seem interested in offering extended latenight and weekend hours. The closest emergency vet facility is located over half an hour east of here, and many emergencies cannot wait that long.

I cannot imagine with the number of pets residing in our area that such a business would not be profitable. Plus, afterhours vet services typically charge higher fees to the pet owners. Yet when I raised this subject over a year ago with my own vet, I was roundly chastised for “rocking the boat.”

I believe that pet owners who read this should consider their plight in the event of an afterhours emergency with their own beloved dogs or cats. Ask your vets why no one is trying to organize this.

I’m sure that there are several locally established vet clinics that could remain open during extended evening and weekend hours with no zoning repercussions. The facility could be staffed by interested local vets on a “rotational” basis, or an outside vet could be hired for the position. No additional equipment or rent would be involved.

To my mind, it’s a win-win-win scenario. The pets are cared for...

the owners feel secure... The vets profit from this additional service to our community. Dr. Elliott Krakow Wellington

Brecker Thanks Supporters

I would like to thank every one of you who voted for me for being brave enough to be inspired to vote for someone you may not have known. You cared enough about the issues of overdevelopment, exploitation of our residents, high traffic, assessments and your neighbors to take the time to vote to protect their interests as well as your own. When you were educated on the issues, you took a stand and stated that you were not willing to take abuse from people you had elected in the past. When you went before this board and your needs were ignored, you took action. I have the highest respect for every single one of you, and I sincerely thank you for all of your help. Your neighbors should be thanking you as well, even though they may not know you. For those of you who were not aware of me because I did not take money from big developers/adversarial interest groups to leave out huge signs all over the place, know that when I decided to run for office, it was truly to protect the interests of every single one of our residents. I ran because I believed that the interests of the many should never be sacrificed for the needs of the few, and that no more should the [Indian Trail Improvement District] board be left

small “wars” take place among us on a daily basis. These are the everyday conflicts that result from a mix of selfishness, haste and impatience. Road rage is a prime example of a petty dispute turning ugly — and it’s entirely avoidable. If another driver cuts you off, just take a deep breath and let it go.

It’s unfortunate that it took an event such as the 2001 terrorist attacks to unite this country, and even more unfortunate that that spirit of togetherness was short-lived. Republicans can blame it on the Democrats. Democrats can blame the Republicans. Others can blame them both. But at the end of the day, nothing will get accomplished. Party politics aren’t likely to disappear anytime soon. Ditto for the red-blue divide. But that doesn’t mean Americans have to carry out this feud every waking hour.

As an exercise, think about a coworker, neighbor or relative whose political beliefs make your blood boil. You may not agree with that person on serious social issues, but remember: people are greater than the sum of their beliefs. That’s what being “human” is all about — understanding each other on a personal level. You can needlessly argue over dividing lines or you can bond over common ground. However, on Sept. 21, we urge you to do the latter. The dedication at Wellington Rotary Peace Park will start at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21. For more information, visit www.wellingtonrotary.org.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

to enact irrational policy decisions that harm us. No more should the power of the few determine the destiny and happiness of all of us, because this is still a government by the people and for the people. I took the time to stand against taxation without representation. It looks as though I may have to stand against it again. You will have to stand up against it again.

Barbara Brecker

The Acreage Editor’s note: Ms. Brecker was an unsuccessful candidate for the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors.

Drug Overdose: The Silent Killer

There is no doubt, the public must be warned. A cruel killer exists among us, and despite law enforcement’s best intentions and efforts, the death toll from this foe rises daily. The mortality statistics attributed to this killer are both appalling and heartrending, with approximately 22,000 yearly fatalities nationwide (CDC, 2007). Florida Department of Law Enforcement recorded nearly 3,000 lives lost to this assassin in our state alone last year and sadly, the lethal tally for 2008 reveals more of the same. The victims come from all walks and various backgrounds. The dead range in age from one to 82 years, with middle-age men far and away the most common target. Most often, this quiet slayer strikes abruptly while victims are relaxing or sleeping in their own homes. In each trag-

ic case, the decedents knew their attacker and willingly invited the assailant into their lives, and subsequently into their deaths. Evidence at casualty scenes confirms that most of the victims went to their demise quietly, their lives snuffed out without struggle, outcry or resistance. What enemy could reap such an inconspicuous slaughter? Why is there no public uproar? How can this be? Quite simply, drug overdose is a soundless, relentless and unpretentious killer.

For some time now, discouraged law enforcement insiders have stood solitary witness to this epidemic of needless and preventable drug overdose deaths. Powerless and frustrated, responding officers can offer little more than mere condolences as stricken families struggle to make sense of their sudden personal catastrophes. Social science research tells us that for each one of these deaths, six additional people are significantly and intimately impacted. Children are left without mothers, parents grieve lost children, wives mourn dead husbands and so forth and so on. The family legacy of these cases is both profound and long-lasting. Amazingly, the general public only seems interested in these deaths when celebrities fall prey. The unfortunate cases of Anna Nicole Smith and Heath Ledger provided the nation with weeks of media attention and fascination for this topic. However, public fascination wanes and curiosity fades while this killer remains potent and more active than ever.

Drug overdose deaths are

OPINION Maybe Arthur Anderson Really Is

Poor Dr. Arthur Anderson is either the unluckiest politician ever in Palm Beach County, or the most inept person ever elected to a county office. He was lucky one time (with a lot of help from a powerful friend) four years ago when he was elected Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections. Ironically, he beat Theresa LePore, who was blamed for flubbing the 2000 general election with her so-called butterfly ballot, thus setting the stage for one of the most controversial presidential elections in American history. Then, in the time it takes to cast a vote, he ran out of luck. In the span of four years he changed voting methods more times than a baby’s diaper and failed to deliver a clean election time after time. He hired his campaign consultants to advise him, brought in a public relations employee who did very little and spent much of his time coming up with clever slogans about how every vote counts, but none of those things helped him figure out how to supervise an election. And, as it turned out, every vote didn’t count. By a whisker he came in last in a three-way primary race against State Rep. Susan Bucher and Wellington Councilman Bob Margolis, who will face off in the November general election. Dr. Anderson did have the good sense not to exercise his right to challenge the results of his own vote count. How could he? If he challenged the results and won, he would undoubtedly have been skewered for messing up his own election. Or he might have been accused of finding some missing ballots in his desk drawer.

It was almost poetic that in the election he lost late last month, a lawsuit over nearly 3,500 missing votes in a close judgeship election looms over the election office, causing us all to shake our heads in bewilderment.

What was Dr. Anderson’s response to his own loss and the string of election snafus? “We were on the verge of greatness.” Huh?

I was going to call Dr. Anderson to ask him what he meant by that comment, but then I remembered that he quit returning my calls beyond my first one more than three years ago, after he goofed up getting vote tallies posted on the elections office web site. Always striving to help this column’s readers gain political insight, I’ve de-

Point of View...

By Don Brown

cided to make up how I’m pretty sure an interview would have gone:

Dr. Anderson, you said after you were defeated that you were on the “verge of greatness.” What did you mean?

“I meant that had I had just a little more time to get it right, I would have been great. I was on the verge of greatness when I got my butt kicked by a couple of fellow Democrats in a non-partisan election.”

But when you lost, you also apparently also lost nearly 3,500 votes and a judgeship election is still in doubt.

“That’s true, Don, but I would have become great after one more election. It would have been my time.”

The next election is the presidential general election, which will probably be ten times larger than this dinky primary you just screwed up … er, supervised.

“That’s true. All the more reason to be on the verge of even greater greatness.”

Wait a minute, sir. You’ve flunked just about every election you supervised. How does that lead to greatness?

“Good question, Don. I used to be a college professor, so I’ll explain. You see, we all learn by our mistakes. I’ve made a lot of mistakes since I was elected four years ago. That means I’ve learned more than most people. I am convinced that if I mess up one more election, I would have learned all I needed. Ergo, I was on the verge of greatness. That one last election I will supervise will be the general election in November. I’m confident I’ll find a way to screw it up, so I’ll achieve greatness about the time I start cleaning out my desk drawers. I’ll be much greater that my predecessor Ms. LePore because she only

TOWN-CRIER

now second only to car crashes for unintentional injury deaths in United States (CDC, 2007). In most jurisdictions, contemporary overdose statistics far outstretch the number of homicides.

Consistent research findings tell us that this spike in overdose fatalities is directly related to our nation’s ever escalating use and abuse of prescription drugs. Data suggests that every month, nearly seven million Americans aged 12 or older use prescription drugs for non-medical purposes. Plainly stated, we are a nation of ill-informed, willing prescription pill consumers, and as fate would have it, the pharmacies are where this killer stalks his victims.

Like most societal ills, the causes of drug overdose are complex. There are no simple remedies or straightforward solutions. Therefore, our approach must be both broad and flexible.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Overdose Suppression Project offers such a comprehensive strategy. The overall plan involves three separate but related components:

1) The law enforcement component aims at reducing future overdose deaths by arresting and thereby deterring drug offenders. Simply put, the law enforcement strategy involves applying

any and all relevant criminal statutes to those individuals found criminally liable for any aspect of another’s overdose death. In this effort, we have broadened the list of crimes that we now consider in these cases to include everything from delivery of controlled substances to evidence tampering to improper disturbance of human remains. If we can determine that a person took any active role in another’s overdose death, we are going to find a way arrest him or her. In addition, we are scouring the facts of these overdose cases for any potential narcotics-related intelligence. Information obtained is then relayed directly to specifically assigned narcotics agents who then open proactive investigations into suspects’ potential future crimes. 2) The quantitative research component helps explain the phenomenon of overdose death from a scientific perspective. The idea here is to conduct systematic research designed to expose any situational or demographic patterns that may exist among drug overdose deaths. Such patterns lay a foundation for future public awareness campaigns, intervention efforts or preventive legislative actions. In this endeavor, we meet with vic-

See LETTERS, page 16

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‘On The

Verge Of Greatness’

messed up one election. I admit though that it was a doozy, and I respected her for that.”

OK, Dr. Anderson, I think I’m starting to get it. How will I know that you are off of being just on the verge of greatness and basking in the glow of it?

“Hee hee. You’re pretty clever, Don, but you’ll just have to wait for my book. You’re forgetting an important detail. Ms. LePore is writing a book about the 2000 election and all she had to do to screw it up was design a goofy butterfly ballot that a bunch of idiots couldn’t figure out, and a machine that spit out pregnant chads. I could do that in my sleep. I flubbed up my elections with sophisticated, high-tech computer stuff with a paper trail. You might say I’m on the verge of high-tech greatness. For a PhD like me, it just doesn’t get any better than that.”

Do you think there’ll be a movie?

“I certainly hope so. Ms. LePore messed up just one election and they did a TV movie. Heck, I have many sequels that could be made. I would have to insist that Denzel Washington play me.”

Well Dr. Anderson, you’re a heck of a lot more educated than me. I can see how it could pay off for you. I would never have been able to suspend logic like you did and declare myself on the verge of greatness. I wouldn’t even have thought about it. If I’d stayed in college longer, I might already be great. God knows I’ve made a ton of mistakes! By the way, have you copyrighted your “verge of greatness” slogan? I think I can use it in future columns. You know, of others like yourself on the verge of greatness. “Be my guest, Don. The more people on the verge of greatness, the better. This is America. We all should strive to be on the verge of greatness. It’s a beautiful thing. I’ll send you an autographed copy of my book.”

There you have it, folks — my faux interview on the verge of greatness with Dr. Arthur Anderson. If you have any ideas of anyone who might qualify for a verge-of-greatness column, please drop me a line and I’ll consider it. If I get enough columns, I might even put together a Vergin’ Hall of Fame.

Those Movie Critics Must Be Asleep

Nowadays it is somewhat common knowledge that there are movie reviewers who can be counted on by Hollywood for favorable reviews of its productions, even at the times when the movie is not worthy of a positive review. Thus there is the current flick WALL-E, which was highly praised by the New York Times and rated four stars by Newsday, neither publication hardly to be considered even a remote possibility as a “shill.”

Which brings us to the recent foray to the movies to see the four-star rated WALL-E. Yes, the animation was fabulous, if too often repetitious. And yes, everybody loves a good love story. But a robotic garbage-com-

Footloose and...

By Jules W. Rabin

pacting little scooter (WALL-E) and some sort of space automaton? C’mon guys and gals. There was virtually no normally comprehensible dialogue, no acting, no singing and no dancing. Four stars? C’mon.

Yes, we and our good friends who joined us thought this was perhaps a movie totally intended for kids. There were not many very young people in the audience, but our fallback theo-

ry went by the boards as they continually ridiculed the movie while it was being shown. On the way out, this was overhead from one group of kids: “what a waste.”

Whatever points this celluloid epic attempted to make obviously flew right past its audience. There was, of course, goodygoody references to “greening up” America and to toxic waste, but they were ineffective and somewhat silly. When I asked my friend how many stars he gave this four-star show he quickly replied, “minus one.”

“Don’t you mean minus four?” chimed in his wife. I liked her review better.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Kickoff Party In Wellington

Organizers of the Western Communities Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk held a kickoff party on Thursday, Aug. 28 at center court in the original Wellington Mall. The event was held to ignite participants for the Making Strides 5K walk, which will take place Saturday, Oct. 18 at the Greenview Cove Golf Course (2470 Greenview Cove Drive, Wellington). Kickoff party participants enjoyed presentations by the American Cancer Society, local breast cancer survivors and local sponsorship representatives. Honorary chairs Dr. and Mrs. Sam Margiotta and Palms West Radiation Therapy Center Med-

ical Director Dr. Michael Wing gave stirring speeches on early detection and cutting-edge therapies currently used in the fight against breast cancer. Breast cancer survivor Lorna Johnson was presented with an award for her inspiring journey. Entertainment was provided by Brooke Knight, and refreshments were provided by Taverna Soho and the Gypsy’s Horse restaurant and pub. Sponsors for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K Walk include Wellington Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore, Florida Power & Light, Palms West Hospital and BE Aerospace. The next fundraiser for the walk will be held on Tuesday,

Sept. 9 at Black Canyon Grill (12040 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach). All are invited to join in for fabulous food and a wonderful evening.

The Western Communities Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K Walk is a non-competitive, inspirational event to raise awareness and funds to help fight breast cancer, and provides hope to those facing the disease. More than 800 individuals on teams representing Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, The Acreage, Loxahatchee Groves and the Glades will take part in the walk. For more information, visit http:// makingstrides.acs events.org/ westerncommunities.

Blues Show At The Silver Screen Cinema

The Silver Screen Cinema Café & Comedy Club in Wellington will feature a live performance by Nick Trill & the Thrillseekers on Saturday, Sept.

6. The band plays an upbeat blues style that is sure to “thrill” the audience. It will be a great night of food, drink, entertainment and friends. Trill has played with re-

It’s

You

nowned musicians such as Junior Watson, George Beckett, Mark Hummel, John Lee Hooker, Etta James and Robert Cray, to name a few.

The doors will open at 8 p.m. for food, drink and mingling. The show will start at 8:30 p.m. Admission costs $10 per person. The Silver Screen Cinema Café & Comedy Club is located at 12795 W. Forest Hill Blvd. in the Wellington Plaza. For more info., call (561) 795-3001 or visit www.silverscreen cinemaandcomedyclub.com.

NEWS BRIEFS

RPB ‘Story Time In The Park’ Coming Sept. 19

The Royal Palm Beach Parks & Recreation Department will offer “Story Time in the Park” every Friday beginning Sept. 19 at 10:30 a.m.

Children can read, sing and dance at Royal Palm Beach Veterans Park; bring a snack and enjoy the playground.

For more information about Story Time in the Park, call the

RPB Parks & Recreation Department at (561) 790-5124 or visit www.royalpalmbeach. com.

Student Art Program In Wellington

For the past two years, the Village of Wellington and the Wellington Art Society have presented the Student Art Program, exhibiting the artwork of elementary, middle and high school stu-

dents in Wellington. These works of art are on display for a four-month rotation throughout the year.

Embarking on the program’s eighth exhibition, the Village of Wellington and the Wellington Art Society are once again asking high school student artists attending Wellington schools or living in Wellington to submit their work for selection.

This next exhibition will begin at the end of September and run through January. Student artists interested in participating

in the high school exhibition are asked to deliver their artwork to the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) on Thursday, Sept. 18 from 4 to 6 p.m. The artwork will be judged and selected by the Wellington Art Society. Information and entry forms with program dates and guidelines are available from the Wellington Art Society at (561) 795-1691), art teachers at Wellington’s schools and on the Village of Wellington’s web site at www.ci.wellington.fl.us.

PHOTOS BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

Palms West Radiation Therapy Center Medical Director Dr. Michael Wing speaks about breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Attendees of the Making Strides kickoff party listen to speakers.

American Cancer Society administrative assistant Aversis Conception hands out literature.

More Than

$18K

Worth Of Items Stolen From Home In Royal Palm

By Jason Budjinski Town-Crier Staff Report

AUG. 28 — A resident of Sandpiper Avenue called the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in Royal Palm Beach last Thursday regarding a burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 9:15 a.m. and 12:29 p.m. someone entered the house by breaking the rear family room window. Once inside, they stole miscellaneous items valued at approximately $18,190. Stolen items included a 36-inch Samsung LCD flat-screen TV, eight Sony PlayStation/Nintendo gaming stations, more than 100 PlayStation games, several cameras, jewelry, cash and a book of unused checks. The scene was processed for latent prints, and DNA swabs were taken. At the time of the report, the victims were conducting an inventory of stolen items.

AUG. 28 — An employee of the Havana Shirt Company store in the Mall at Wellington Green was arrested last Thursday for grand theft. According to a PBSO report, 23-year-old Pamela Gil of Boynton Beach was videotaped giving merchandise to friends without receiving payment. The total value of stolen items was more than $300. Gil was arrested and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail.

AUG. 30 — An employee of the Albertsons store on Southern Blvd. called the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach last Saturday regarding a burglary. According to a PBSO report, an unknown white male entered the pharmacy at approximately 8:45 a.m. by forcing open a window and diving inside. The suspect spent three minutes inside the pharmacy before exiting through the door with nearly $1,900 worth of oxycodone. The suspect’s image was captured on surveillance film, and 12 latent print cards were taken from the counter area.

possession charges. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation pulled over 19-year-old Justin Burns for driving with his high beams on near the intersection of Okeechobee Blvd. and Fox Trail Road. Upon making contact with the deputy, Burns admitted to having recently smoked marijuana. He was found to be in possession of .8 grams and drug paraphernalia.

AUG. 31 — A resident of Cypress Green Circle called the PBSO substation in Wellington last Sunday regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim discovered that his 2006 Chrysler 300C had been broken into and his $500 Garmin Nuvi 760 GPS receiver had been stolen. There was no damage to the vehicle, which might have been left unlocked. There was no suspect information at the time of the report.

SEPT. 2 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded Tuesday morning to a construction site on Belvedere Road regarding a burglary. According to a PBSO report, the foreman said he left the site at approximately 3:30 p.m. last Sunday, leaving two trailers locked. When he returned at approximately 6:45 a.m. on Tuesday, he discovered that someone had gained entry to the trailers by cutting the padlocks. Several hand tools were stolen from the trailers, according to the report. There were no suspects at the time of the report.

AUG. 30 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched last Saturday to a house on Miramontes Circle in response to a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, at sometime between 10:30 p.m. last Friday and 8 a.m. the following morning, someone entered the vehicle and rummaged through the interior. Two watches were stolen from the glove compartment. There was no further information at the time of the report.

SEPT. 2 — A Loxahatchee man was arrested Tuesday afternoon after being caught shoplifting at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Royal Palm Beach. According to a PBSO report, a store employee observed 18year-old Jaquan Sherriffe via surveillance video select a calculator from the electronics department and proceed to the automotive department, where he removed the item from its package and concealed it inside his pants pocket. The employee then witnessed Sherriffe head to the exit door, passing all points of sale without paying for the merchandise. Sherriffe was apprehended and taken to the security office, where the $132.97 item was recovered. He was charged with petit theft and taken to the county jail.

AUG. 30 — A Pahokee man was arrested last Saturday on drug charges after a traffic stop in Royal Palm Beach. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the substation in Royal Palm Beach conducted a traffic stop on Okeechobee Blvd. in reference to two armed-robbery suspects. The driver of the vehicle, 20-year-old Liclarence Roberson, and the passenger, Wilfred Sardio, were identified by a witness as having committed the robbery. A search of the vehicle revealed six baggies containing marijuana. Roberson admitted the drugs were his.

AUG. 31 — An Acreage man was arrested last Sunday night in Royal Palm Beach on drug

SEPT. 2 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched Tuesday evening to a home on Westhampton Circle in reference to a burglary. According to a PBSO report, at about 7:30 p.m. witnesses observed 18-year-old Anquavis Weston of Wellington and 21-year-old Andres Pieschacon of West Palm Beach open a sliding-glass door and attempt to gain entry. They fled the scene after realizing they had been observed. The witnesses gave a description of the suspects, and a canvas was conducted in the neighborhood. Weston and Pieschacon were found down the street from the crime scene and were positively identified by the witnesses. They were charged with burglary and taken to the county jail.

Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives: • Daysi Cruz is a white female, 5’5” tall and weighing 100 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. Her date of birth is 08/27/87. She has a tattoo on her abdomen. Cruz is wanted for failure to appear in court and violation of supervised own recognizance on the felony charges of fraudulent use of a credit card and grand theft. Her occupation is unknown. Her last known addresses were Little Pine Lane in Wellington and 9th Street in West Palm Beach. Cruz is wanted as of 09/04/08. • Matthew Holt is a white male, 6’ tall and weighing 180 lbs., with blond hair and brown eyes. His date of birth is 03/ 10/88. He has tattoos on his right calf and scars on both knees. Holt is wanted for failure to appear in court on the felony charges of throwing a deadly missile into an occupied vehicle and criminal mischief. His occupation is mechanic. His last known address was 32nd Lane in The Acreage. Holt is wanted as of 09/ 04/08. Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward. Call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimestopperspbc. com.

Daysi Cruz

Matthew Holt

Little Smiles Planning Stars Ball 2009

The much anticipated, unique Stars Ball 2009 will be held on Feb. 7, 2009 at the newly renovated Binks Forest Golf Club (400 Binks Forest Drive, Wellington).

Honorary chairmen of “Stars in the Western Sky 2009” will be State Sen. Dave Aronberg, Mayor Darell Bowen and his wife Sherry, Wellington’s first mayor Kathy Foster and her husband Mike Nelson, as well as Palms West Hospital CEO Bland Eng and his wife Erika.

The Stars Ball is a one-of-a kind event in which local children with life-threatening diseases are made to feel like stars for the evening as they enjoy time away from the hospital. Soon, the idea developed to incorporate an “Oscar night” for these amazing children as the introduction to the annual gala.

The children are escorted down the red carpet, where “fans” and “paparazzi” greet them and seek their autographs. The children are presented with awards by a local or national celebrity. The stars and their families then enjoy their own exclusive VIP section party, and an exquisite evening of dining and dancing for all the patrons and guests.

Diana Tashman has chaired the event for four years in a row.

“Little Smiles was founded on the premise that it would do as

much as it could to make children who are ailing and terminally ill receive a gleam of happiness and feel true caring when undergoing such a painful time in their lives,” she said. “And all it took was fulfilling their tiny requests during their stay in the cold walls of a hospital. A simple concept with immense rewards to everyone involved makes me so very grateful to be a part of this wonderful organization, and gives me substance and adds gratitude to my life.”

For more about the Stars Ball 2009, upcoming events or the Little Smiles organization, call (561) 383-7274.

Jerry Sands At Temple Beth Zion Sept. 14

Temple Beth Zion in Royal Palm Beach will present Jerry Sands “A Nite in the Catskills” on Sunday, Sept. 14. Join the Temple Beth Zion Sisterhood at their first meeting after the summer from noon to 2 p.m. A mini lunch will be served after the entertainment.

Do you remember a favorite singer, comedian or performing group that brought you nights of pleasure, humor, laughter and enjoyment while you had the most wonderful time at your hotel in the Catskills? Enjoy those days again with Jerry Sands and his magic keyboard and comedy.

RSVP to (561) 798-8888. Donations are greatly appreciated.

Temple Beth Zion is located at 129 Sparrow Drive. For more info., visit www.templebeth zion.net.

Family Fun At Okeeheelee Nature Center

The Friends of the Okeeheelee Nature Center will present Family Fun Night on Friday, Sept. 19 at the nature center (7715 Forest Hill Blvd.) from 6 to 9 p.m.

Admission is free, but tickets must be purchased to participate in events. The cost is $3 for five tickets, $5 for ten tickets and $10 for 25 tickets; one ticket is good for one event.

The list of events is as follows: arts and crafts include face painting, mini potted plants, leaf/flower bracelet with masking tape, and ice cream cone bird feeder. Games include fishing games, black hole bean-bag toss, pin the beak on the owl and ping-pong toss. Contests include an ice cream eating contest, three-legged race, hula-hoop contest, spoon/egg relay and marshmallow roasting. For more information, call (561) 233-1400.

DeStefano At Cuillo Centre

Sept. 20

Comedian Mike DeStefano will perform Saturday, Sept. 20 at 8 and 10 p.m. at the Cuillo

Centre for the Arts in West Palm Beach.

DeStefano’s fearless approach to standup has quickly established him as one of the top comics working today. He continues to prove himself as one of the most unique voices in standup comedy.

DeStefano is a regular at all the top clubs in New York and was a featured comic at both HBO’s Aspen Comedy Festival and the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. DeStefano has also appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham and has been heard on The Opie and Anthony Show Tickets cost $22.75 to $32.75. To buy tickets, visit www.low browentertainmentco.com or call the Cuillo Centre box office at (561) 835-9226. The Cuillo Centre for the Arts is located at 201 Clematis Street. For more information, call (561) 835-9226. For more information about DeStefano, visit www. myspace.com/mikedestefano.

Homebound Mitzvah Needs Volunteers

For 11 years, volunteers of all ages and from all walks of life have made a difference to homebound Jewish seniors in the community over the Jewish High Holidays and Passover. The Homebound Mitzvah Program will bring volunteers and Jewish seniors together

again for the High Holidays this month. MorseLife’s Homebound Mitzvah Program is seeking volunteers — individuals, families and groups — to deliver High Holiday packages on Thursday, Sept. 25 to more than 2,400 Jewish seniors throughout the county.

Packages include kosher meals, prayer books, a DVD of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services, and other traditional items. Just as important, volunteers are asked to provide some “quality time” to Homebound Mitzvah Program recipients — sitting and talking with them for a while to bring some additional warmth to the delivery. Pickup locations for volunteers are the MorseLife campus at 4847 Fred Gladstone Drive (off Haverhill Road) in West Palm Beach or the Jewish Community Center of the Greater Palm Beaches campus at 8500 Jog Road in Boynton Beach. Since 1997, the Homebound Mitzvah Program has been reaching out to the area’s homebound elders in hopes of diminishing the loneliness and isolation frequently felt over Jewish holidays. To volunteer, call (561) 616-0707.

Business Conference Sept. 24

The School District of Palm Beach County, the South Florida Water Management District, the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, the City of West Palm Beach, the Technology Enterprise & Development Center and the Paragon Foundation of the Palm Beaches are inviting organizations “looking to make a big impression on South Florida’s small business community” to attend the 2008 Business Matchmaker Conference & Expo. The conference will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Palm Beach County Convention Center (650 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach). This one-of-a-kind event will attract participation by small businesses from a variety of disciplines and major corporations and government entities interested in doing business with small, minority- and womenowned and disadvantaged business enterprises. The 2008 Business Matchmaker Conference & Expo will feature exhibits and workshops that will give small businesses an opportunity to learn about topics such as: government and private sector contracting, marketing, technology, construction and financing. There will also be one-on-one business matchmaker appointments, time to interact with small and large companies during the continental breakfast, a keynote luncheon with Essence magazine Editor Emeritus Susan Taylor, and a networking reception. For more info., call Diversity in Business Practices Director Dr. Otelia DuBose at (561) 434-8508.

Tot Shabbat At B’nai Avraham

Congregation B’nai Avraham is happy to invite Jewish children in the western communities to its first Tot Shabbat of the school season on Friday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. The congregation welcomes all preschoolers, from those who are just learning to clap their hands up to kindergarten age. Join Miss Emily in Shabbat song and dance. In this month’s program, students will learn about the Jewish New Year and participate in special holiday activities. An age-appropriate Oneg Shabbat (dessert) will follow the musical festivities.

Tot Shabbat, conducted by Rabbi Dr. David Abrams and Miss Emily, is held the second Friday of every month except in October.

For information and directions, call the synagogue office at (561) 793-4347 or e-mail info @congregationbnaiavraham. com.

The synagogue is located in the original Wellington Mall at 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd. (on the southeast corner of Wellington Trace and Forest Hill Blvd.). B’nai Avraham is a dynamic, diverse religious community committed to traditional Judaism as interpreted by the Conservative movement and is affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

Community Of Hope Programs

Community of Hope Church is offering a Christian Divorce Recovery Group on Tuesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the media center at Royal Palm Beach El-

ementary School (11911 Okeechobee Blvd.). Using videos and discussion, this support group is designed to help people heal from the pain of separation or divorce and begin to put their lives back together. The next DivorceCare series begins on Sept. 9. Free childcare can be provided if requested in advance. For more information, or to register, call (561) 753-8883. Community of Hope is also offering Grief Share, a 13-week support group to encourage and help those who have lost a loved one. Using videos and discussion, this course guides participants through the journey of grief. Grief Share meets Tuesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the art room at Royal Palm Beach Elementary School. The next Grief Share series begins on Sept. 9. Free childcare can be provided if requested in advance. For more information, or to register, call (561) 753-8883.

CAFCI Annual Friendship Ball On Sept. 13

Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) will host its Annual Friendship Ball on Saturday, Sept. 13 from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way).

Tickets cost $75 per person and include musical entertainment, open bar, door prizes, a silent auction and more. Dinner will be served at 8 p.m. Tickets are selling fast, and space is limited.

For more information, call Alvin Nembhard at (561) 3338891, Millie Hampton at (561) 790-1751, Lawrence Logan at (561) 791-0162, Norma Morris

at (561) 632-7731, Edward Clarke at (561) 642-4226 or Daniel Nelson at (561) 7938887.

Fall Events At Temple Beth Torah

Temple Beth Torah in Wellington has several upcoming events planned:

• The temple will host a festive Shabbat dinner on Friday, Sept. 5 at 5:45 p.m. Call (561) 790-2700 for more info.

• “Havdalah Under the Stars” will take place Saturday, Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m. RSVP to (561) 793-2700.

• The first day of religious school for all classes K-7 is Sunday, Sept. 14.

• The temple is already planning for Monte Carlo Night, which will take place Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. With lots of food, music and cocktails, this will be the temple’s biggest gala of the year. For more info., contact Gregg Levi at (561) 7533012 or porky203@aol. com. Guests are warmly welcomed.

The Sisterhood of Temple Beth Torah runs a well-stocked Judaica boutique. It includes hostess gifts, children’s gifts, gifts for Jewish life cycle events, ritual items, holiday items and books. The boutique’s hours are flexible. For more information about the boutique, call the temple office at (561) 793-2700 and ask for the boutique’s voice mail if a volunteer is not available. Messages will be returned within 24 hours.

Friday evening services at Temple Beth Torah begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday morning services begin at 9:45 a.m., preceded by Torah study at 9 a.m. Birth-

day blessings occur the first week of each month.

Temple Beth Torah is located at 900 Big Blue Trace in Wellington. For more information, visit www.templebethtorah.net.

Homeschool Park Day In The Acreage

On Friday, Sept. 12 at 10 a.m., Christian Homeschool Support of the Western Communities will hold its first monthly park day of the 2008-09 school year at Kidscape Park (74th Street North and Seminole Pratt Whitney Road in The Acreage). Come hear what field trips, park days and co-ops have been planned for the coming year. All area homeschoolers are encouraged to attend. The discounted membership of $10 per family ends soon. Call (561) 753-4750 for more information.

Armory To Celebrate Montgomery

On behalf of wife Mary Montgomery and daughter Courtnay Montgomery, the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach will celebrate the life and accomplishments of the late attorney Robert Montgomery Jr. The Armory will open its Colaciello Gallery on Saturday, Sept. 20 at noon with a presentation of a timeline of Montgomery’s remarkable life, along with photographs, articles and memorabilia.

The exhibition will include contributions from the archives of many of the charities that the Montgomerys graciously supported, such as the

Palm Beach Opera, the Norton Museum, the Kravis Center, the Children’s Place at Home Safe, the Urban League, National Public Radio, the Palm Beach Cultural Council and the Armory Art Center.

The timeline will also trace Montgomery’s legal career, showing many of the groundbreaking legal cases and settlements he was responsible for, as well as the many awards he received during his life’s work.

“Bob contributed so much to all of us, and we would like to honor him with this celebration of his life’s achievements,” Armory Executive Director Jesus De Las Salas said. “We are all very grateful to have had him in our lives.”

The opening reception will be from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday and the exhibit will remain at the Armory through Oct. 15. Music will be provided by the musicians from the Palm Beach Opera Orchestra. The opening is free to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information, or to contribute articles for the timeline, contact Ilene Adams at (561) 832-1776, ext. 21.

Activities At

Grassy Waters

Grassy Waters Preserve will host the following upcoming events:

• Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Garden Party — Join volunteers and take care of the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods (FYN) Demonstration Garden on Saturday, Sept. 6 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Learn gardening skills as well as practical Florida-friendly ways to con-

serve water and protect our native habitats. See how weeding, pruning and propagating native plants can be fun while respecting, protecting and celebrating Florida’s water resources. This free event is for age ten and up, and will take place at the north campus, Everglades Pavilion.

• Meet the Marsh Boardwalk Tour — Join a naturalist and discover what’s happening in the marsh on Saturday, Sept. 6 from 2 to 3 p.m. Learn what Grassy Waters Preserve is all about while getting up close and personal with the plants and animals on the boardwalk. This allages event costs $3.50 for adults and $1 for children and will take place at the south side Charles W. Bingham Wilderness Pavilion. • Apoxee Hike — On Sunday, Sept. 7, join this easy, guided walk that meanders through the beautiful marshland and the forested upland. Bring plenty of drinking water. Apoxee Park is a unique natural area in the middle of urban West Palm Beach. The walk is for ages eight and up, and will take place from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Apoxee Urban Wilderness Park. The cost is $10 for adults and $2 for children.

• Swamp Tromp — The Swamp Tromp will take place Saturday, Sept. 13 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Bingham Wilderness Pavilion. Bring old laceup shoes, water, bug spray and a walking stick. The event is for ages eight and up, and costs $10 for adults and $2 for children. Grassy Waters Preserve is located at 8264 Northlake Blvd., just east of Ibis. For more information, call (561) 804-4985 (south side) or (561) 804-4980 (north side), or visit www.grassy waterspreserve.com.

795-1404

RENDINA, WELLINGTON REGIONAL BREAK GROUND ON NEW MEDICAL BUILDING

Representatives from the Rendina Companies and Wellington Regional Medical Center gathering on the morning of Thursday, Sept. 4 to break ground on Medical Arts Pavilion IV on the WRMC campus. The site is immediately across from Wellington Medical Arts Pavilion III. The planned four-story, 50,000-square-foot medical office condominium building is currently more than 50 percent committed and construction is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of 2009. The Rendina Companies will provide all project funding and is responsible for all project development and management from start to finish.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Richard Rendina, Dr. Jeffrey Bishop, WRMC CEO Kevin DiLallo and former Wellington mayor Tom Wenham.

Gail Wallner and South University President John Peterson.

Rena Toppe with Rendina’s Todd Varney and Gant Braley.

Cathy DeStefano, Bhargavi Vasiliou, Nancy Handwerg and Brenda Atkins.

Dr. Steven Fern and Dr. John Burigo.

Representatives from WRMC and the Rendina Companies dig in at the groundbreaking.

Richard Rendina served as master of ceremonies.

Bhargavi Vasiliou, Regis and Tom Wenham, Marsha Israel and Cathy DeStefano.

Marji Rendina, Dr. Jeffrey Bishop and Kevin DiLallo.

Math Matters — — (L-R) Poinciana Day School fifth graders Blake Clement (Lake Worth), Maeve A’hearn (West Palm Beach), Daniel Molina Vargas (Greenacres), Jonah Baumgartner (West Palm Beach), teacher Mrs. Debbie Berris (Greenacres), Juli Cooper (West Palm Beach) and Cole Fendrich (Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter) calculate the number that Jonah is building. Each of the different sized counter block represents a whole number or decimals in the tenth, hundredth and thousandth.

Poinciana Students Have Fun With Math

Poinciana Day School fifth graders in Mrs. Debbie Berris’ class have been having fun learning about decimals. To help visualize what numbers look like with decimals in the tenths, hundredth or thousandth place, students were building numbers using counter blocks. Different size blocks represented whole numbers, tenths, hundredths or thousandths.

After the students had time practicing individually, they then played a game. Two students at a time picked a number from the mystery number box. The students had to “build” their numbers and the other students had to determine what number each creation represented. The students’ hands quickly shot up as they eagerly waited to be called on to respond. The idea is that learning is fun when it seems more like play.

Mrs. Berris is a master teacher who has been recognized nationally for her lesson plans. She has had 32 lesson plans published in Mailbox magazine, a national teacher publication. Mrs. Berris has been recognized for her lesson

plans in math, social studies and language arts for various grade levels.

“At Poinciana Day School, we place an emphasis on learning through experience,” Head of School Nixie Swift said. “Mrs. Berris is a wonderful teacher and makes learning fun and enriching for her students. Her students are very well prepared when they enter middle school. The students enjoy coming to school because learning is fun. We are very fortunate to have wonderful creative teachers at Poinciana Day School like Mrs. Berris.” Located at 1340 Kenwood Road in West Palm Beach, Poinciana Day School is a small independent private school for students in kindergarten through eighth grade where “every student is an honored student.”

New students are accepted throughout the year as long as space is available. For more information about Poinciana Day School, or to schedule a personal tour of the campus, call (561) 655-7323 or visit the school’s web site at www.poincianadayschool.org.

SRHS Teachers Receive Career Education Grant

Seminole Ridge High School

freshman English teachers Mrs. Rosie Feliciano and Ms. Carly Gates have received an $800 career education grant from the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County. The grant will be used to purchase copies of Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting By in America

Students will read the wellknown journalist’s account of her struggle to live for several years on minimum-wage jobs, then recreate Ehrenreich’s experience through a series of computer tasks. “Our students will virtually live and work as Ehrenreich did,” the teachers said, “using online resources to find an apartment, shop for food and clothing, and budget their monthly income and expenses.”

In addition, the grant provides for community members — parents, former students and local professionals — to serve as guest speakers, not only on the link between academic and financial success, but also on the necessity of setting goals and planning for a career. According to the teachers, this program will enable Hawks to better understand “the relevance of obtaining a high school diploma, the educational and financial requirements involved in reaching their chosen careers, and the need to plan their high school paths accordingly.”

Credit Lab Now Forming Classes — Seminole Ridge’s credit lab offers an opportunity for students to retake, in a selfpaced setting, classes they need to graduate. Whether you’re a senior needing to make up a class or you need to retake a class for GPA, the credit lab may be able to help. Students should arrange appointments with their guidance counselors to discuss the options. Classes are forming now, and credit lab begins on Tuesday, Sept. 9. NHS Offers Free Tutoring — The SRHS National Honor Society offers free tutoring in English, math, science and history. Students must bring their books, class notes and anything else that NHS members may need to assist them. Tutoring is held on Tuesday afternoons from 3 to 4 p.m., and students must sign in at the media center circulation desk.

American Sign Language Wants You! — The SRHS American Sign Language (ASL) Club will begin a new year with an after-school meeting Monday, Sept. 15 at 3 p.m. in Ms. Rose Adams’ room, 4211. The club is open to all students interested in participating in ASL cultural activities. “Some of the activities we’ll be doing,” Adams said, “are adopting a family, putting on an ASL cultural play, offering tutoring assistance, participating in Deaf

Registration Deadline Approaching For ACT

The next ACT test will be administered on Saturday, Oct. 25. Students who wish to take the college admission and placement exam must register by Sept. 19, the deadline for having the registration postmarked.

Late registrations, with an additional fee, will be accepted until the final postmark deadline of Oct. 3. Students can register online at www. actstudent.org or pick up registration packets from high school counseling offices.

The cost is $31 for the traditional ACT and $46 for the ACT Plus Writing. Some colleges require or recommend ACT’s optional writing test

score, so students should find out the requirements of prospective colleges before registering for the exam. ACT scores are accepted by all fouryear colleges and universities in the United States.

Additional information about registration for those with special needs can be found at www.actstudent.org. Students in need of financial assistance should visit their school counselor for qualification information and to apply for a fee waiver.

ACT’s web site includes helpful information, free sample tests and the opportunity to order inexpensive test-preparation materials.

Awareness Day and our Foreign Language Fair, and attending several ‘deaf events’ throughout the year.” For more information, e-mail Ms. Adams at adamsro@ palmbeach.k12.fl.us.

Guidance Department Is Ready to Serve — Meet the Seminole Ridge guidance counselors: Mr. Kevin Cintron, counselor for students with last names A-Ch; Mrs. Heather Woeber, students Ci-F; Ms. Girselda Wallace, students G-K; Ms. Theresa Hartl, students LN; Mr. Jason Smith, guidance coordinator and students O-Se; and Mrs. Sandy Baldwin, students Sh-Z.

The SRHS guidance counselors are committed to facilitating and enabling SRHS students in making crucial decisions about their personal and educational needs, and to providing valuable information about colleges, careers and other life choices. They endeavor to meet the needs of the students in three domains: academic achievement, career awareness, and personal/social development. It is their goal to continue developing a community of lifelong learners who will work collaboratively to affect the future.

Guidance secretary Mrs. Jona Muckle will be happy to schedule an appointment with your child’s counselor. Call the guidance department at (561) 4222610 for more info.

Hawk Chorus to Hold Barnes & Noble Fundraiser — In order to raise money for their annual participation in Disney’s Candlelight Processional and for their upcoming trip to Virginia Beach, the SRHS choral groups are working with Barnes & Noble Booksellers to host a book fair at the Mall at Wellington Green. On Saturday, Sept. 13 from 1 to 5 p.m., Barnes & Noble will contribute a percentage of every sale made with a special book fair voucher. Vouchers are available from any choral student or in the choral room. Throughout the afternoon, the choral groups will present informal performances throughout the store and offer storytime, face painting and a crafts table for the little ones. For more information about this event, contact choral director Mr. Wes Rainer at (561) 4222652 or via e-mail at rainerw@ palmbeach.k12.fl.us.

Yearbook Sales Begin — The 2009 Seminole Ridge yearbook is now available for pre-order at the before-publication price of $75. The yearbook staff has already begun work to bring the Hawks the definitive record of the 2008-09 school year. Reserve your copy of this great memory item by bringing check or cash to yearbook sponsor Mrs. Susan Menke in Room 7110.

DAR Holding American History Essay Contest

The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) is sponsoring an American history essay contest. For students in ninth through 12th grades, the writing topic is, “discuss five perils faced by Christopher Columbus’ expeditions and how Columbus and his crew overcame them.” The length should be 750 words or less. For students in the fifth through eighth grades, the writing topic is, “what message did

the Gettysburg Address communicate to our war-torn nation in 1863? How are the ideals articulated in the speech still relevant for our country today?” The length should be 600 to 1,000 words. The deadline for the essay contest is Friday, Nov. 7. For more information about the contest, contact Sara Stout, chair of the American History Committee NSDAR Seminole Chapter, via e-mail at stouts@palmbeach. k12.fl.us or call her at (561) 5865900.

• • • Send school 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.

Wellington Girl Wins Animal Kindness Award

Ten-year-old Wellington resident Samantha Motsinger is a winner of the 2007 Animal Kindness Award. She was selected for her dedication to the animal-human bond and her tremendous display of passion and affection for animals in her community, according to her mother Elizabeth Motsinger. A sixth grader at Wellington Landings Middle School, Samantha has donated over $600 of her own money, contributing her birthday, allowance and Christmas money to Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control. She has also collected many blankets and towels for the animals. Samantha is still collecting items and still donating all the money she receives.

Samantha, who turns 11 on Sept. 15, said she again plans to give all her birthday, Christmas and allowance money to the shelter. She will receive the award at the Board of County Commissioners meeting on Sept. 9 along with other recipients Nancy Hall and Hannah Trammel.

Local Artists In ‘Music For The Mind’

Dr. Robert Sharon and Bryan Ingram will be among featured performers in Music for the Mind concert series at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at the Harriet Himmel Theater at CityPlace (700 S. Rosemary Avenue, West Palm Beach).

Dr. Sharon, the former music director at Wellington High School, is a graduate of New York’s Juilliard School of Music and was recently honored as a distinguished educator at the University of Florida. He has appeared on stage at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts as a featured pianist for the Palm Beach Opera and other groups.

Ingram, a vocalist, is a graduate of the King’s Academy and Palm Beach Atlantic Uni-

versity. He is the worship leader for New Harvest Baptist Church in Loxahatchee. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in worship studies from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.

Kretzer Piano presents the Music for the Mind concert series to benefit music education in local schools. Held on the third Tuesday of every month in the Himmel Theater, these concerts feature musical groups from Palm Beach and Martin counties. The series has given more than 5,500 young musicians the opportunity to perform and has raised almost $140,000.

This month’s concert, “Musicians Extraordinaire,” features amazing local musicians who will perform jazz, classical, opera and popular music. Other artists include David Crohan, Ariel Hermoso, Monte Lambert, Irwin Solomon and Tiffany Werner.

All the money from ticket sales will benefit the David Crohan Inspires program for school children. Blind from birth, David, along with his guide dog Benzie, will amaze, entertain and inspire students to reach for the stars. He holds two master’s of music degrees and an artist’s diploma from New England Conservatory of Music.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. For more info., call (866) 449-2489.

Grossman At UF’s Shands

Aaron Gabriel Grossman of Royal Palm Beach is beginning his first year as a medical student at the college of medicine at Shands at the University of Florida. He graduating with honors a year early from the University of Central Florida. Grossman, 21, received his bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and microbiology from the UCF Burnett College of Biological Sciences, where he was recognized for exemplary academic achievement. Grossman attended the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, the Bak Middle School of the Arts and H.L. Johnson Elementary School.

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

RPB Rotarian Exemplifies ‘Service Over Self’

Chick-fil-A Scholarships

Celebrating 35 years of helping its restaurant team members reach educational goals, the Chick-fil-A chain has awarded its national Leadership Scholarship to Joel Sanchez from Boynton Beach and Phillip Sewell from Lake Worth.

Sewell is the sixth scholarship student at the Chick-fil-A restaurant at the Mall at Wellington Green, which is operated by Rob Rabenecker. Sewell is using the $1,000 scholarship to study organizational management at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Sanchez is the seventh scholarship student to receive the scholarship from Chick-fit-A franchise operator Jeremiah Cillpam, who operates the Chickfil-A restaurant at the Boynton Beach Mall. Sanchez will use the $1,000 scholarship to study at Palm Beach Community College.

Historically a strong advocate of higher education, Chick-fil-

A founder Truett Cathy has regularly supported the educational goals of team members since opening his first restaurant in Atlanta more than 60 years ago. He formalized the effort in 1973, establishing the chain’s Leadership Scholarship program. Since that time, the chain has awarded scholarships totaling more than $2,253,000 in Florida and more than $23.5 million nationwide.

Each $1,000 scholarship helps support the higher education goals of restaurant employees who have attended some 2,500 institutions across the country.

Many scholarship recipients have chosen to make a career with Chick-fil-A by becoming a restaurant franchisee or working at the chain’s corporate office in Atlanta.

With more than 1,365 restaurants in 37 states, Chick-fil-A plans to open more than 88 new

About three years ago, Rotarian Tony Armour of Royal Palm Beach joined Grace Fellowship Church, where the pastor spoke several times about mission trips. Armour, a member of the Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club, heard from many people who went to Haiti, Jamaica, China, Africa and India. Although he knew there was a need to help others, to actually go to one of those places seemed out of the question.

But this past January, Armour heard the pastor speak about his son Jared and his wife Amber, who were going to India to help start an HIV orphanage. At that moment, Armour said his heart became burdened for this mission and he knew he had to do whatever he could to help those children. Many of his friends had died of AIDS, and it was time to do something about it

When they arrived, Jared and Amber took Armour and others to the orphanage, where there are 13 girls sponsored by Grace Home. The goal behind Grace Home is to provide a safe and comfortable environment for children who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Some of the children are HIV-positive,

restaurants in 2008, including 70 stand-alone locations. For more info., visit www.chick-fil-a. com.

Tax Collector

Hurricane Card

Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne Gannon has developed a wallet card sized tool to assist families in organizing family hurricane plans. While the hurricane season began June 1, the height of the season is the middle of August through the middle of October. In the midst of an active season, all Floridians should have emergency plans to review and discuss with their families.

The Hurricane Preparedness Guide contains a hurricane supplies list and information on hurricane shelters. The guide is also customizable to include personal evacuation plans and important phone numbers.

“As we have learned, it takes time for relief efforts to get un-

and the others have one or both parents suffering from AIDS. Grace Home has helped to bring the children out of terrible living conditions and gives them a great chance at life. For those who are HIV positive, Grace Home and volunteers give them the best possible treatment and care. For those who are HIV negative but affected, they give them a quality education, great meals and a loving environment. The missionaries also visited many other places while they were in Bangalore, India. Armour said he had the opportunity to attend a Rotary District Award Dinner where he presented the local club’s flag to the governor of their district. They have recently linked together to be involved in an International Project for Grace Home, which will help supply the orphanage with a mini-van for the girls’ transportation.

The team of 12 visited many other places of poverty and destitution, which Armour said allowed him to live out the Rotarian motto of “service above self.” Armour said it was truly a life-changing experience that has given him a new sense of gratitude of how God has blessed America.

derway, and we everyone to be prepared with several days of water, food, clothing, medicine and other supplies. Use this guide to plan, prepare and protect your family in the event of a hurricane landfall,” Gannon said. Visit any tax collector’s office branch location to get a hurricane guide. The Palm Beach County Tax Collector is a constitutional office that collects and distributes over $3 billion annually in taxes and fees. The Tax Collector’s Office collects property taxes for every local government agency that has the power to levy; serves the county as its agent for the administration of business tax receipts and tourist development taxes; serves the state as an agent for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Department of Revenue; and serves the public as an educational resource.

Tony Armour

District 16

Rooney Vs. Mahoney

continued from page 1 in Palm Beach County, Rooney is also a U.S. Army veteran. As a father of three small children, Rooney said he is very concerned about the future. “What kind of country are we leaving them across the board?” he asked. “That’s important for anyone who is going to take a leadership position. If it’s not, then there’s a problem.”

Rooney said he disagrees with Mahoney’s stance on utilizing only existing oil leases for drilling, which he said is too restrictive, and charged that the incumbent is bent on raising taxes.

“I just do not believe we can afford that in this country, and I think from JFK to Reagan to the current president, reducing taxes is the best thing you can do, not just for businesses, but for families,” he said.

Rooney said the nation should take a tough stance on illegal immigration and that security should be the federal government’s top priority. “How we go about protecting this country and the fact that I’m a veteran is something I’m going to focus on,” he said. “And also protecting our troops and veterans when they come home.”

Rooney disagrees with Mahoney’s insistence on a deadline to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq

Bowen Village Hall Will Save Money

continued from page 1 space in scattered locations.

“The fact of the matter is we’ll probably be saving half a million dollars a year because of the rent that we’re paying, duplication of services and travel off site,” he said.

Staff presentations suggest that rent savings would total $255,000 a year.

Bowen cited other advantages, such as renting the current small municipal complex on Greenbriar Blvd. “I imagine we’ll be able to rent that property at Greenbriar for $60,000 or $70,000 a year, but we’ll ac-

and points to the return of Anbar Province to local leaders this week as a success. “I feel the trend will continue as it should,” he said. “Setting a deadline for a military engagement doesn’t make sense.”

Meanwhile, Mahoney said Congress must face up to its responsibility to stabilize the economy as a top priority. “Our families and seniors are worried about their futures,” he wrote in an e-mail to the Town-Crier on Thursday. “It is time to put aside partisan bickering and focus on solutions that create real results for Floridians.”

To fix the economy, help small businesses and protect Social Security and Medicare, Congress must first stop the spending that has run up record deficits and restore fiscal responsibility in Washington, Mahoney noted.

Mahoney lists among his most important accomplishments as the passage of bipartisan legislation on congressional ethics reform. “I helped change House rules to prohibit lobbyist-funded gifts, meals and trips; I fought for sweeping earmark reform; and I was a lead co-sponsor of a bill that would create an independent ethics council,” he wrote.

Mahoney also cites passage in the House of the Homeowners’ Defense Act, which would create a national catastrophe insurance fund to help those devastated by natural disasters in their

tually be able to save money from our general funds because we won’t be paying as much in rent or maintenance,” he said. Bowen added he finds it hard to fathom that a community of 60,000 would not have a fullservice municipal complex.

“I don’t think you can find another community in the State of Florida our size that doesn’t have a village complex,” he said. “You need the identity. You also need the efficiencies of it. You need to have a place where people can actually come to conduct business that’s nice and acceptable. It’s embarrassing to meet someone important over in those Greenbriar facilities. We need to have all facets of the community up to that level… That part will elicit some discussion pro and con. People will ask, ‘how can you afford to

time of greatest need. The bill has been blocked in the Senate and threatened with a presidential veto.

A vocal advocate of energy policy reform, Mahoney said he supports increased drilling, starting on 68 million acres of federal land already leased to oil companies. He said he also advocates more Canadian oil imports, additional energy from nuclear and clean coal, and increasing production of alternative fuel sources such as cellulosic ethanol from agricultural waste.

Mahoney noted that he fought to include a standard on renewable fuels in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to greatly increase the use of alternative fuel sources. He worked for farm bill funding to increase the production of cellulosic ethanol with the goal of creating jobs and helping South Florida become the biofuels capital of America.

Mahoney stressed his bipartisan voting record and noted that he was recently honored for his effectiveness as a freshman representative. He dismisses Rooney’s claims of returning to the Republican tenets of lower taxes and less spending. “I think after eight years of the current administration, they are no longer credible on fiscal responsibility,” he wrote. “We are dealing with reckless spending, record deficits and a devalued dollar —

spend all that money?’ and I will say, ‘how can you afford not to?’”

Community Development

Director Jim Barnes made a presentation about the economic initiatives to Palms West Chamber of Commerce officials at a meeting Thursday morning. “It appeared to be well received,” he said. “They indicated they would look to see that what we are doing could be dovetailed into something from a more regional perspective. They serve a group that covers a group larger than Wellington, and economic development is something that works well at a local level but also on a regional scale.”

In addition to the chambers of commerce, Barnes said village officials intend to talk to individual property owners including Wellington Regional Medi-

Tom RooneyTim Mahoney

all of which have added up to an economic crisis. As a businessman and a fiscal conservative, I know what we must do to fix the mess in Washington. I worked to provide tax relief for 21 million Americans affected by the alternative minimum tax; I voted for the Small Business Tax Relief Act to ensure that Florida businesses can thrive and create jobs; and I supported the economic stimulus package that helped hardworking Americans with the high costs of gas, health care and groceries.”

Mahoney pledged to continue fighting for middle-class tax relief and a balanced budget. He said voters should re-elect him because he represents responsible leadership in Washington. “We need fiscally responsible leaders and common-sense solutions that deliver real results for Florida,” he wrote. “I pledge to continue to be an independent voice who fights for what’s right for Floridians.”

cal Center regarding plans for a medical arts district, of which WRMC would be the centerpiece. Barnes said he has spoken with the hospital’s CEO Kevin DiLallo, but he will follow up to provide more detail now that they are farther along in the process.

“We have some time set aside in the coming week to meet with Palm Beach County and their economic development folks,” Barnes said. “We wanted to present it to the council before we met with the stakeholders.”

Barnes said the plan will remain in preliminary stages for a while yet. “Now that we’re off to the races, it will be a three- to six-month process to discuss the finer details,” he said. “Even after that it is still at the early stages. This is going to be a longterm project for the village.”

JAZZERCISE CLASSES BEGIN IN WELLINGTON

Jazzercise classes began Tuesday, Sept. 2 at the Wellington Community Center. Instructor Jackie Orloff demonstrated the workout, which incorporates cardio, strength and stretch moves in one class. By combining yoga, pilates, kickboxing, hiphop and resistance training into a one-hour total body workout, jazzercise is the perfect exercise for all ages and abilities. The program will be offered 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Saturdays. For more info., call Orloff at (305) 9041474 or visit www.jazzercise. com.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Instructor Jackie Orloff leads the jazzercise class.

Jazzercise students learn the routine.

Jazzercise incorporates cardio, strength and stretch moves in one class.

Florida Democratic Leaders: We’ll Bring State Home For Obama

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

At last week’s Democratic National Convention in Denver, convention delegates from the different states gathered in various hotels for breakfast while listening to addresses from party leaders.

On the morning of the convention’s last day on Thursday, Aug. 28, speakers at a breakfast at the Red Lion Hotel next to Invesco Field included Floridian U.S. representatives Ron Klein, Robert Wexler and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Pembroke Pines Mayor Frank Ortis and Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman.

Klein told the audience that the party’s presidential nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, had done a great job of reaching out to the country in a year when both an African-American and a woman had made strong bids to become the Democratic presidential candidate.

“This election year is historic,” Klein said. “An African-American and a woman running is an incredible statement for our country. The campaign will take a lot of energy. The conventions are important as far as crystallizing what this country stands for. We hopefully will have a new leadership team in the White House after this election. We can redefine who we are and what we stand for. We hope to have a successful November and a great successful future in this country. There are so many big issues facing our country.”

Wexler, co-chair of the Obama campaign in Florida, told the audience that the American people are upset with the state of the nation under Republican leadership.

“They go to the gas pumps,” he said. “They see a war in Iraq raging on and on, and there is $12 billion a month which we spend on the war in Iraq. They drive down the road and wonder why we don’t have road construction projects in America. They wonder why we are not fixing bridges in America. They wonder why we hear that there might be the potential to close schools in Florida on a Friday to save time and money.”

Wexler said the war in Iraq was started on false pretenses. “The vice president of the United States and high administration officials were engaged in the manipulation of intelligence that brought us to war in the first place,” he said. “Americans are upset. They see the prestige and standing of America that used to be so high become so low. Since the beginning of the year we have lost 50,000 jobs. The value of the dollar has depreciated greatly.”

Obama’s stance on relations with Iraq is “100 percent correct,” Wexler said. “We need to start removing one to two brigades a month,” Wexler said. “We can be out responsibly in 16 months and bring our brave men and

women home. If you need any proof that is the correct policy, we got it from the Iraqi prime minister himself who said it was time for the American soldiers to go home. It is time for us to have a timetable. We have trained 500,000 Iraqi law enforcement security and military officials. That’s what your $12 billion a month has bought. It’s time for them to take control of their own country.”

But Wexler said Obama’s call for direct diplomatic engagement with Iran is perhaps the most compelling part of his candidacy.

“An America engaged is an America that can solve problems,” he said.

“An America that stands back from these issues will be left with two horrific choices, and one is to allow Iran to become a nuclear power, which is unthinkable, or another is to start a third front of military action. There must be another way to thwart the Iranian nuclear program, and that is what Sen. Obama is arguing for. That is, in my humble estimation, why his candidacy is so compelling.”

Wexler acknowledged that Florida will be a battleground state in the November election, but vowed that the Florida’s Democrats will be ready.

“We’re in for a tough campaign,”

Wexler said. “Once again, undoubtedly, Florida will be in major focus. I’ve been around for a bunch of campaigns. Some were better than others. No campaign has devoted the amount of people, resources, energy, planning and devotion that this campaign has already devoted to Florida. There are hundreds of young people all around this state registering people to vote, who will in fact show up in droves in November. Sen. Obama is going to engage in Florida like no other candidate has ever done.”

Citing Obama’s congressional tour abroad in July, Wexler asked the audience to recall another time in recent memory when foreigners were so thrilled to see an American presidential candidate.

“That trip that Sen. Obama took was an extraordinary trip. He showed he would be a strong commander-inchief,” Wexler said. “He showed that when he visited Iraq and Afghanistan. When he visited Israel, he showed that he would be a staunch supporter of Israel’s right for self-defense like he’s been for many years. When Sen. Obama was in Berlin, he spoke to 200,000 Germans and Europeans. When was the last time we saw Europeans proudly waving at an American flag?”

Wexler said the nation will find new purpose when Obama is sworn in as president. “We are going to repair our economy,” he said. “We’re going to repair our public schools. We are go-

ing to begin to address climate change. We are going to begin to do what we should have been doing for the last eight years. All across the world, there will be tens if not hundreds of millions of people who will take a breath and say, ‘the America I respect, the America I love, the America that is the beacon throughout the world has repaired itself.’”

State Sen. Ted Deutch of Boca Raton told the Town-Crier that fears of fragmentation within the Democratic Party had been allayed to a great extent by speeches at the convention by Sen. Hillary Clinton and former president Bill Clinton.

“We are more united than ever,” Deutch said. “Everyone got to know Sen. Obama and his family this week. They are wonderful people. I am very excited about the senator and his plans for the future.”

Convention delegate Bruce Guyton, a Riviera Beach resident and former Royal Palm Beach village employee, identified himself as a strong Hillary Clinton supporter but stressed the need for party unity. “Hillary has implored us to support Obama as we would support her,” he said.

Guyton, who is black, acknowledged that race would be the deciding factor in the race for some voters. “I hope it won’t be many with that sentiment,” he said. “On both sides of the aisle, black and white, you have people with these radical views. That is the reality of the society we live in. But for the majority of the people, I don’t think that will be the issue. The issue will be that his experience will allow him to deal with the issues that he is going to be faced with.”

Guyton has no doubt that Obama is ready to lead the nation. He compared critics of Obama’s experience to the detractors then-governor Bill Clinton faced in his bid for the presidency.

“When he ran and everyone questioned whether he had the experience, and was he old enough to deal with the issues, and even with his personal problems, he ended up being one of the best presidents that this country has ever had,” Guyton said.

Writer’s Note: My trip to the Democratic National Convention would not have been possible without the support of Wellington residents Nancy PenaBrink and Diane Rice, along with Diane’s sister Carol, who put us up for the week in her home in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Nancy and Diane were also helpful in arranging for transportation and navigating us around the Denver area. Lauren Jorgensen and her husband Toby, both Palm Beach Gardens residents, also helped by securing passes for some of the evening events.

Letters continued from page 4 tim’s family members or close friends from each and every overdose fatality. In those meetings, we inquire about many different variables, everything from the victim’s level of education to his or her drug habits. We recognize that before we can positively impact an issue as complex as drug overdose, we must first thoroughly understand the phenomenon.

3) The public relations/education component strives to raise consciousness. Community indifference to these tragedies will only change when citizens sincerely accept the notion that the next heartbreak could be their own. Such recognition promotes in-

creased risk awareness as well as cooperative prevention efforts. This multi-faceted dimension of the project includes a number of established strategic alliances: the Narcotics Overdose Prevention and Education Task Force, Lynn University (Boca Raton), the Hanley Center (West Palm Beach), the Palm Beach County Substance Abuse Coalition, the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office, the Florida Office of Drug Control and the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office. Within this component, we are forging relationships with families who have lost loved ones to drug overdose death, offering monthly support group meetings for family members

seeking comfort, designing a multimedia campaign to increase public awareness about the risks associated with prescription drug misuse and abuse, and seeking legislative changes intended to close loopholes that encourage doctor shopping and other forms of prescription drug diversion. If you would like to learn more or join in our efforts to diminish the number of drug overdose deaths in our state, please visit the PBSO’s web site at www.pbso.org, click on “Drug Overdose Prevention Information,” or contact me at (561) 688-4058 or marting@ pbso.org.

Detective Gary Martin Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

Congressman Robert Wexler. Congressman Ron Klein.

West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel with Joan and Stu Joseph.

Sen. Barack Obama greets convention delegates.

Sen. Ted Kennedy addresses the crowd.

Sen. Hillary Clinton takes the stage.

Michelle Obama with daughters Malia and Sasha.

Rev. Jesse Jackson poses with Obama supporters.

Former president Jimmy Carter and wife Rosalind. PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Wellington resident Nancy Pena-Brink with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin at the airport before the start of the convention.

Florida Congressman Robert Wexler chats with Toby Jorgensen of Palm Beach Gardens.

(Above) Former president Bill Clinton takes the stage. (Below) Delegates pack the convention hall.

Folke Peterson Center’s Garage Sale Benefits Rescued Animals

By Denise Fleischman

Town-Crier Staff Report

The Folke Peterson Wildlife Center held an indoor garage sale Saturday, Aug. 30 to benefit the many animals it took in during recent storms. The center typically takes in close to 5,000 such animals a year.

Earlier in the month, generous people dropped off items that could be sold to benefit the animals. Items including clothing, books, toys and household goods were collected and sold, as well as popcorn, snow cones, hot dogs and soda. A total of $1,800 was raised.

Folke Peterson has other fundraisers in the works.

The first public guided tours of the new Findlay Educational Trail featured non-releasable birds and mammals in nine natural settings. The Findlay Trail is not open to the public but will be seen on tours for children through their schools, camps and other groups.

Starting this month, the Batchelor Foundation in Miami is offering a challenge grant that is matching dollar for dollar (up to $300,000) money raised by Folke Peterson through August 2009. The Batchelor Foundation has

already been subsidizing the veterinary staff. Folke Peterson Wildlife Center is a nonprofit organization licensed to care for orphaned or injured native Florida wildlife. Its primary goal is to rehabilitate the animal and return it to its natural habitat. If that is not possible, some animals are used for educational purposes at the center and at other animal sanctuary facilities.

The center is located at 10948 Acme Road. For more info., call (561) 793-BIRD (2473) or visit www. fpwildlife.org.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Jessica Jerchower and daughter Jamie look at a baby alligator.

Camila Haid of Wellington.

Education Coordinator Terry Timberlake with a ringneck dove.

Volunteer Kathleen Phillips, educational assistant Nicole Krupp and Education Coordinator Terry Timberlake sell donated items.

Buddy the possum with volunteer Clara Correa.

Wildlife Care Manager Vered Lograd with a baby squirrel injured during Tropical Storm Fay.

Ridley Martin with a bag of toys purchased at the garage sale.

This stork is well enough to roam the grounds.

Veterinarian assistant Faith Denson with a far offshore sea bird that was blown in during Hurricane Gustav.

Outdoor Habitat Supervisor Virginia Bowen leads a tour of the newly opened Findlay Educational Trail.

New York, N.Y. is a wonderful place to visit: theater, fantastic restaurants, great entertainment, sightseeing, Central Park, Today Show , Good Morning America, The View, David Letterman, and Genuine Imitations of Fake Designer Handbags on every street corner!

Even though Joe is originally from south Philadelphia and Kathryn is from Yorkshire, England (but lived in New York for 15 years) we love to visit… It’s just the best city in the world!

We visit New York each year and our wish list of what to see in the Big Apple is long. Each visit always includes Broadway shows and this year was no exception: Boeing, Boeing was two hours of solid laughs. As the story goes, a rich American living in Paris is engaged to three stewardess from different international airlines and thanks to his bible “the airline timetable book” he can juggle them around. But when Boeing introduces its new and faster jets, all three girls end up at his apartment on the same day!

Boeing Boeing won a Tony as the best remake of a play. Our next show was the classic musical A Chorus Line starring Mario Lopez, who was excellent. This was a treat to see and we hope to see it again when it eventually comes on tour at the Kravis Center or Maltz Theatre. Unfortunately, it closes in New York the end of August.

We also made time to see the monthly presentation of the “Broadway in Bryant Park” series (42nd Street between 5th and 6th avenues) which features some of the most popular shows on Broadway with music from Gypsy Mary Poppins, Spring Awakening and Xanadu performed by their casts in a free open-air lunchtime concert. One of our favorite restau-

The Phantoms Spend A Week In New York City

rants is Café Boulud in the Brazilian Court Hotel, Palm Beach so when we found out famous Chef Daniel Boulud had opened a new, more affordable concept in New York, we put his Bar Boulud on our list of things to do!

Conveniently located at 1900 Broadway (between 63rd and 64th streets) near the Lincoln Center, this casual bistro is a modern version of a 300-year-old French wine cellar affording patrons a variety of dining options. There is the famous New York sidewalk patio for peoplewatching, inside dining at tables or cozy booths, a long chic wine bar, or the unique tasting table where patrons can sample an array of house-made charcuterie and French wines.

Daniel Boulud, a native of Lyon, France has primarily brought his recipes and wines from Burgundy and the Rhone Valley and added selected wines from around the world to compliment his wine cellar theme. We love a restaurant with a buzz, and Bar Boulud has one, which creates a lively atmosphere, and with the great service it all adds up to a great dining experience. The cuisine is mostly classic bistro. Starters include pates, terrines, escargot, a variety of sausage, creative soups and salads. We tried the spiced terrine of lamb with eggplant and sweet potato and a delicious crab and melon salad.

Entrée selections is where Bar Boulud sets itself apart from the competition, starting with excellent selection from the sea: butter-poached Atlantic halibut with ratatouille, wild striped

bass, sautéed skate and roasted Arctic char. In the meat department there was a choice of French classic coq au vin, braised flatiron steak; and the house favorite steak frites — a black angus New York steak with french fries. Other regional dishes, like roasted chicken breast and duck leg confit or “noir” blood sausage and “blanc” truffled white sausage with mashed potatoes, were the talk of the town.

Desserts are chocolate-coffee tarte, roasted apricots with pistachio mousse, vanilla anglaise with blueberry compote, strawberry shortcake and a delicious selection of homemade ice cream and sorbets.

Bar Boulud is open daily for lunch and dinner and also offers pre and after theater dining. Their weekend brunch is the talk of Manhattan and should be on your things to do list the next time you visit New York! Entrées range from $23 to $33, lunch from $17 to $25 and their incredible brunch is $29.

So the next time you visit New York, take a side trip to France at Bar Boulud. For further information call (212) 5950303 or visit www.danielnyc. com.

How can you see all of New York in one weekend? Easy… go to the Top of the Rock, Rock-

efeller Center’s historic observation deck, at 30 Rockefeller Center Plaza. First opened in 1933, you will have a breathtaking, un-obstructive view of New York, New Jersey, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and all of Manhattan, including a new appreciation for Central Park and a spectacular sunset followed by the parade of lights as the city that never sleeps welcomes another night in New York.

The tour to the Top of the Rock is multimedia historic event, very entertaining and educational. The multi-million-dollar facelift was well spent, modernizing the Art Deco jewel. It is not to be missed on your next trip to the Big Apple! For more information, call (212) 689-2000 or email info@topoftherocknyc. com. New York, New York is a wonderful town, if you have never been there, go… if you have been there, go again. Remember, only in America is your money valued dollar for dollar — why accept anything less?

Joe & Kathryn, the Phantoms, are featured writers for the Town-Crier newspaper. Comments are welcome at thephantomdiners@aol.com.

Boys & Girls Clubs Celebrate ‘Cow Appreciation Day’

More than 100 members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County recently dressed in cow costumes and visited local Chick-fil-A restaurants. It was part of Chick-fil-A’s Fourth Annual Cow Appreciation Day, in which any customer who wasn’t “too chicken” to dress like a cow received a complimentary meal.

Children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wellington and West Palm Beach created cow masks, dressed in black and white and some even adorned spots in honor of the celebration.

“This was such a fun day for our youngsters,” Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County President and CEO Mary O’Connor said. “They loved dressing up, and they looked

adorable. To top it all off, they had a terrific Chick-fil-A meal. They couldn’t stop smiling.” The Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, a not-forprofit organization, serves more than 7,500 disadvantaged and at-risk children from ages six to 18 at 13 sites throughout Palm Beach County. The clubs serve children, who find positive role models, learn healthy values and participate in challenging, fun programs including educational and sports-related activities. For more information, call the Boys & Girls

‘Florida Sportsman’ To Host Fishing Show

the Town Square plaza. Call (561) 791-9907 for pick-up or to place your order.

• EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS offers mouth-watering gifts that make them say wow! Are you tired of giving the same old gifts, flowers or cards to express your appreciation or acknowledge a special day? Do something new and delicious. Send a beautifully designed fresh fruit arrangement. You can even have the fruit dipped in creamy chocolate for an extra-special touch. To order your Edible Arrangement, visit the store at 13873 Wellington Trace, Suite B-5 in the Wellington Marketplace or call (561) 422-3232.

• GUN CLUB CAFÉ has two great locations in Royal Palm Beach and West Palm Beach serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. The West Palm Beach location has been serving Palm Beach County for over 25 years. Kids eat free Monday through Thursdays, with each adult entree purchased. See our ad on this page for specials or call the Royal Palm Beach location at (561) 792-8723.

• TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÉ, voted “Best of Food, Sun Fest 2007,” is located in Wellington’s Courtyard Shops plaza near IHOP. It offers not only some of the most popular smoothies but also the new six super-charged smoothies with acai or goji and pomegranate. In addition, you can choose from their wide menu items including wraps for lunch or breakfast, soups, salads, sandwiches. Tropical Smoothie also offers catering. Call (561) 296-5999 for information.

The view from “Top of the Rock” at the Rockefeller Center.

Make Sure You’ve Got Protection Before Rain Starts To Fall

OK — anybody’s who’s getting tired of rain, raise your hand. Well, that’s just about everybody. Everybody except me — I like it.

This preference for rain over sunshine isn’t normal, of course, but it’s what I know. Growing up in Milwaukee, we had plenty of rain — when it wasn’t snowing. We weren’t as bad off as Seattle, but a gray day in Milwaukee often lasted 48 hours. And I was just a kid. Rain isn’t as problematic for kids. We’re not the ones mopping mud off the floors, guarding the carpeting from harm or doing laundry that has to be wrung out before it hits the washer. Our job, mostly, is to find the biggest puddle on our block and jump into it.

Because southern sand isn’t as clingy as Milwaukee mud, you’d think a rainy day would be easier to deal with down here, but that just isn’t the case. Because we build our homes and busi-

Deborah Welky is The Sonic BOOMER

nesses about six inches above sea level, there isn’t much turf left beneath us in which to sink sewer pipes. Turns out sewer pipes are sort of necessary when you’re trying to get rid of rainwater. On the plus side, we’re not able to put in basements, so at least those aren’t filling up with water. For me, it isn’t the rain down here as much as the threat of hurricanes. Television meteorologists

who have been repeating the mantra “warm and sunny” (translation: “hot and humid”) for months get all excited when a hurricane shows up, even if it’s over near Africa. This means their news might get top billing instead of being shoved down toward the end of the broadcast. I’ve even heard them say, “we’re going to get some weather.”

Don’t we have weather every day? Isn’t that why they have to tell us it’s going to be “warm and sunny”? So we know how to dress? (Here’s a tip in case you miss the forecast: wear the same sort of clothes you wore yesterday.)

Still, even if the hurricane misses us, there’s usually a lot of rain around it. So you have to be prepared. Forget the hurricane tracking charts. You need my Prepare for Rain List:

1) Before the storm hits, go directly to the grocery store and stock up on snacks. Make sure you

have both kinds — sugary and salty — because nothing makes people crankier than being trapped in a snackless house. While you’re there, get soda, beer and enough ice to fill every cooler you own.

2) Break open the piggy bank and buy a generator, or else you’ll learn what “hot and humid” really means when the power goes out.

3) Even though they’re a poor substitute for the real thing, handheld, battery-operated video games for teens are a must if electricity is going to take a vacation.

4) Finally, make sure you have protection. Check the stats before you snicker — there’s always a baby boom nine months after a power outage. Turns out not everyone’s snacking and playing video games. I guess Hanna’s not a bad name for a kid, but Gustav?

Long Weekends Deserve More Commemorations, Fewer Sales

On Labor Day weekend my thoughts turned to the nature of holiday weekends in general. I am probably demonstrating my age, but I remember when many holidays actually stood for something that people considered important. We commemorated lives and achievements very specifically. We had days for George Washington and in some states for Abraham Lincoln. Veterans’ Day in November commemorated the end of World War I. And July 4 was, of course, the nation’s birthday. Once we began to shift to three-day weekends, the focus of attention became the time off, the extra day, seemingly celebrated most by large sales at our big stores. Years ago, there were parades on Labor Day. Now we just run to the mall for an extra 20 percent off. It obviously seemed easier to celebrate all our presidents than to dispute the greatness of Lincoln. Of course, we also demoted Washington, lumping him in with such great leaders as Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan and Jimmy Carter.

‘I’

On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

But followers of any president can celebrate, which means of course that we really have stopped celebrating the true accomplishments of any. The same is true in many ways of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Those of us old enough to remember him will discuss our memories, but as we created a new three-day weekend, we may have been setting the stage for less commemoration and more price reductions. Imagine our forefathers discussing holding a July 4 celebration on July 5 or even 6. One of patriotic rallying cries of our country in the 19th

century was based on the passing of both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the great creators of the Declaration of Independence, on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of its signing. Our fifth president, James Monroe, died on that same date five years later.

Although we hold parades and solemn ceremonies here in the western communities, they are pauses before getting to swimming pools and barbecues. And of course, we have the sales. The desirability of a long weekend outweighs history. Even Thanksgiving, officially a day of giving thanks for our blessings, has turned into a fourday, and for some people a five-day, vacation from work that many of us give thanks for. We wind up with oversized turkeys that turn into leftovers, a lot of pre-packaged side dishes and a lot of time in front of the television to watch football. But since no one really knows much about it, we sit back and watch the Dallas Cowboys play their yearly opposition. Perhaps a century from now kids will be studying the saga of how Terrell

Owens asked Tony Romo to go to Jessica Simpson and ask for her hand only to have her say (or sing), “speak for yourself, Tony.”

We should remember the reasons behind our holidays. We might never have become a nation without Washington. And we might not have remained a nation without Lincoln. And we might never have moved toward becoming a more moral nation without King. And we need to celebrate those who willingly volunteered to preserve the country itself and the deep-seated beliefs of most of us that this is a country that is blessed. Turning our holidays into sales events does not bode well. I agree that having extra days off are important. As a teacher, I was very aware of the value of “mental health days” and looked forward to long weekends. Perhaps we should simply look for two separate systems, one to commemorate our history and a second one that provides some needed time off. Excuse me, I want to relax at the pool for a while before I put the shrimps on the grill, since I can sure use that extra Monday off.

Smash-And-Dash Drivers A Disturbing Trend In Our Parking Lots

We have some very nice people living among us in the western communities. But I am sorry to say that along with the nice folks, we also have some slime. In the last week, three people I know had their vehicles (cars and a pickup truck) hit by another car while parked in local parking lots. In each case, the subhuman responsible decided to leave the scene of the accident without informing anyone of his or her misdeeds. They each fled the scene like a chicken running away from a butcher. Why anyone would do damage to another person’s vehicle and then run away is something I can’t imagine. I wonder what goes through the mind of such individuals as they are fleeing the scene. By leaving the accident site, they have committed a crime. Yes, they are now criminals in my book and in the eyes of the law. I wonder how they can look themselves in the mirror.

Wondering & Wandering

By Ernie Zimmerman

The first incident took place in the parking lot of the original Wellington Mall (home of the Town-Crier). A young lady worked very hard at her job all day and went to her car to go home. When she got to her car she was shocked; someone put a large dent in the side of it. Her car is only three months old. It is going to cost her about $870 for repairs. And she will be without a car for three days. Of course, there was no one in sight to take credit for the large dent.

The second incident occurred in a parking lot of a shopping center in The Acreage. This person had parked his business truck while he went into a store to get some food to bring home to his family. His reward for being a good husband and father was a large dent in the side of his truck. This will set him back well over $1,200, money that would have been better spent on his family. Of course, there was nobody around to take credit for this crash.

In the third incident, someone rammed into to my wife’s car as she was voting in the local firehouse. And as in the other two cases, no one bothered to stick around to tell her what happened.

My wife couldn’t have been in the firehouse more than five minutes. It cost her over $500 to get the repairs done (good thing she has a job). Her car doesn’t even have 2,000 miles on the odometer.

I would expect things like this to happen in New York, but not in the western communities. I don’t know how these mutts (I don’t mean to insult dogs) can get a good night’s sleep. I wonder if they appreciate the stress they have caused their victims.

As we all know, the economy is not in good shape, and few folks have an extra couple hundred dollars to spend at a body shop. I am hoping if you see yourself in this column, you will step forward like a real man or woman and take responsibility for your actions.

We all know accidents happen (that is why they are called accidents), but there is no reason on this green earth to leave the scene of an accident. It’s called respecting the rights of others, and quite clearly some of our neighbors (can’t blame the snowbirds for these incidents) did not learn that lesson in their school days. Shame on them!

TOWN-CRIER SPORTS & RECREATION

RPB Wildcats Defeat Glades Day 21-14 In Preseason Play

By Paul Gaba Town-Crier Staff Report

It may not count as an official win, but new Royal Palm Beach High School football coach Darren Studstill is not complaining.

“It was very exciting, for the team, the fans, the school, the whole administration,” Studstill said in discussing the Wildcats’ 21-14 preseason victory over visiting Glades Day on Friday, Aug. 29. “It was a good show for the whole school.”

Junior Javonti Green’s 60-yard score on a trap play with 4:06 remaining in the contest ended up being the difference, giving Royal Palm Beach a 21-7 advantage. Glades Day scored on the following possession to make things interesting, but the Wildcats kept their composure — and control of the ball — to earn the victory.

Green’s touchdown run was just one large chunk of a potent Wildcats offense; Green finished with 80 yards on the ground, while fellow running back Malik Mitchell rushed for 120 yards.

Despite Royal Palm Beach’s success running the ball, Studstill said an important part of the game plan was to see how senior quarterback Marvin Payne and the team’s young offensive line handled the pressure of working with a new scheme, the spread offense.

“That’s a new twist we’re working on this year,” Studstill said. “We have a real young offensive line, and we wanted to try and spread the ball around to help our young guys. We wanted the opportunity to get a rhythm with the passing game, and that’s why we passed as much as we did.

“One thing we’re blessed with is speed,” Studstill said. “After a super year [2006], where we had [senior running backs] Zach Brown and Brandon Pendergrass, we were fortunate to reload in the backfield. It’s still the same explosion together.”

Studstill, who assumed the head coaching duties after former head coach Eric Patterson resigned, said Green and Mitchell nicely complement Payne and his other offensive weapons, like wide receivers Chris Dunkley and Jarod Dangerfield. He also said the team’s senior leadership is key to this year’s

success; players like Payne, Mitchell, linebacker Jordan Lide, and defensive end Perry McIntyre, as well as key returning juniors like Jordan Dangerfield, Jarod Dangerfield and Chris Dunkley, provide stability for the younger Wildcats.

Royal Palm Beach never trailed in the contest. After stopping Glades Day on its opening drive, the Wildcats were buried deep in their own end of the field. But a 60-yard run up the middle by Mitchell got Royal Palm Beach out of the danger zone and set up a threeyard quarterback keeper by Payne midway through the opening quarter.

The Wildcats increased their lead to 14-0 after an interception on Glades Day’s next possession. Players from both teams got into a verbal altercation on the Royal Palm Beach sidelines, with Glades Day being hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the play. This gave the Wildcats the ball on the Gators’ 10-yard line, and Dunkley scored on the first play from scrimmage.

“The team went out and executed very well in the first half, but in the second half they hit a stalemate,” Studstill said. “For the game, I saw a lot of things we could take advantage of and work on. We pressed a little, and we have to do a better job with penalties.”

Both teams were hit with a multitude of penalties the first half; the second half saw a dramatic decrease in yellow flags for both teams. In addition, the Gators began to take control offensively. Glades Day trimmed the score to 147 early in the third quarter. Following a fumble recovery, quarterback Bo Schlechter connected with senior wide receiver De-Andres Jackson on a 40yard crossing route. But Green’s run late in the contest gave Royal Palm Beach a two-touchdown lead again, and the Gators were unable to make up the difference.

“Glades Day is tough and scrappy, and their quarterback is one of the best in the county,” Studstill said. Weather permitting, Royal Palm Beach will open the regular season at home Friday, Sept. 5 against William T. Dwyer High School. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Wellington Shuts Out Broward’s Upperoom Christian 21-0

By Paul Gaba Town-Crier Staff Report

The Wellington High School football team finally got the proverbial monkey off its collective back.

“I’m happy with the intensity. We ran the ball hard, and were aggressive on defense,” Coach Chris Romano said after his Wolverines shut down — and shut out — visiting Upperoom Christian 21-0 in its preseason kickoff classic Friday, Aug. 29. “Overall I was satisfied with the effort.”

The victory over the visitors from Broward County was Romano’s first as Wolverines head coach, following an 0-10 campaign in 2007.

Wellington used two junior quarterbacks to run its offense, and each contributed to the victory. Late in the first

half, Brett Alfredson gave the Wolverines the lead on a one-yard run. His counterpart, Winter Cullen, made it 140 midway through the second half on a 30-yard touchdown strike to Ramon Rodriguez.

“Both [Winter] and Brett did some nice things out there, but they’re still kind of a work in progress,” Romano said. “Competition is good, and they’re both working hard for the position.”

Junior Ken Konn capped the scoring late in the game with a ten-yard touchdown run.

While Romano is generally pleased with the results, there were still some areas he believes need to be improved upon for Wellington to be competitive this year.

“We pretty much dominated them,”

Romano said. “I think we held them to something like 50 yards of offense. But we didn’t close the door like I would have liked to. I wanted to be more dominant — not so much with points, but in terms of finishing touches.”

Romano added that Wellington took too many penalties and did not take advantage of all the opportunities handed to the team.

“Our defense was out there a long time in the third quarter due to penalties,” Romano said. “They really didn’t move the ball on us, but a lot of it was due to our mistakes. Still, overall I’m happy.”

Now that the pre-season festivities are over, Wellington needs to concentrate on its difficult district matchups.

Romano said opponents such as Royal Palm Beach, Lake Worth, Palm Beach Central and Park Vista give his Wolverines some strong talent by which to gauge themselves.

“I think it will be a tough schedule, but we’re up to the challenge,” Romano said. “It’s going to be a hard fought district. All those district teams are talented. Everybody we face has something, whether a good defense or a good offense. They are all solid coaches in the district, and I’m sure their teams will be well prepared every Friday night.”

Romano believes Wellington is prepared to take on its rivals.

“I don’t think our record last year has anything to do with this year,” Romano said. “In high school foot-

ball, it’s a year-to-year thing. I think our kids have worked extremely hard over the summer, and we are much better conditioned than we were last year. We have more people [on the team], so we don’t have as many kids going both ways, which will help.”

The team also has balance and depth, Romano said. “I don’t think any coach is ever satisfied with depth and what they have, they always want more,” he said. “But comparing this year to last year, we have more depth, which means more competition, which means kids working hard to get their spots.”

Weather permitting, Wellington opens the regular season Friday, Sept. 5 at home against Seminole Ridge. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Finding The Perfect Pony Requires Careful Consideration

Everyone loves ponies. They’re always cute, often sweet and frequently introduce children to the world of riding and showing. But which qualities make for a perfect pony, and what should raise red flags?

Julie DiRico runs Hunter’s View, a boarding and training barn in Boynton Beach, and specializes in ponies. She said parents should be careful when searching for their child’s first pony, especially if they are novices to this sport. They should take their time to really look around, ask a lot of questions and do their homework. The most important qualities to look for are safety, soundness and suitability, she said.

“All ponies are cute, and most are capable of carrying a child around, whether it’s just for backyard or trail riding, or competing in a show,” DiRico said. “But finding one that is really going to fit your child in terms of size, ability and personality takes a lot of time and work. Good ponies also tend to be more expensive, and there’s a reason for that. When you buy a pony, you are basically entrusting it with your child’s welfare. It makes sense to spend more money up front than to spend it later on hospital bills. If you’re not careful, you can end up very sorry.”

DiRico said many parents make the error of buying a young pony for their children. “Big mistake,” she said. “Inexperienced riders need older and wiser ponies. The relationship should be one where the pony is kind and patient enough to teach his rider. Green plus green almost always equals black and blue.” Parents must take their time, DiRico stressed.

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg

Don’t put a time limit on getting the pony, as in having it by Christmas or a birthday. If that’s the case, she advises to start looking well in advance. Also, don’t choose by color. Searching for only a gray or palomino is just silly. Color should be the last consideration.

DiRico also advises bringing along a trainer when pony shopping, or someone who is honest and knowledgeable about horses, preferably someone who would be available on a regular basis to help train both rider and pony. Another pre-purchase necessity is a vet exam for soundness and other considerations, such as making sure the pony can see well in both eyes.

Ponies are priced depending upon their training, ability and breeding. Ponies with less training cost less, but buyers may make up the difference very quickly in trainer’s fees. A nice backyard pony for riding around or going to local shows may cost up to $15,000. A pony that can compete at the national level can start at $50,000!

DiRico advises being very, very cautious before buying a pony. If possible, make phone calls and check the seller’s reputation. Do they really

care about people’s welfare, or are they just in it for the money?

“Unfortunately, there are dealers just out to make a buck,” DiRico said. “They don’t care about anyone’s welfare, not the child’s, not the pony’s. I’ve seen it all.”

Heather McCandless found this out. She thought she’d done her homework. She was looking for a pony for her seven-year-old daughter Autumn, and through an ad on the Internet she found Shadow, a beautiful young black pony. At 13 hands, Shadow was a good size for Autumn, who would be able to ride him without outgrowing him too soon. The owner said he was calm and child-safe, and so he seemed. McCandless brought him home. It soon became apparent that Shadow was anything but child-safe. He was hard to catch, even in the stall, and frightened of many things. He was a little jumpy about being brushed and hosed off. He swung his hindquarters like he might kick. Autumn adored riding him, but McCandless knew the pony wasn’t really safe to be around.

McCandless contacted the previous owner, who admitted that sometimes the pony had issues. The old owner offered to buy the pony back for less money, but McCandless refused. She feared that the pony would be passed on to unsuspecting new buyers, and that wouldn’t be fair to either the pony or the new owners. She had two different trainers work with Shadow and Autumn, and that improved him under saddle but not on anything else. McCandless found another pony named Indy that proved a perfect match for Autumn. McCan-

dless gave Shadow away, but even this was difficult. Many people were interested in a free pony, but few of them were truly equipped to deal with his issues. “Shadow needed to be with someone who could help him become happier,” McCandless said. “He also needed to be where he wouldn’t be a danger to anyone.” A good pony can be passed down through successive generations of riders. DiRico characterizes these ponies as calm, kind, forgiving and childproof. They’ve been everywhere and done everything. They always try to please. They may cost more and be harder to find, but they often end

Autumn McCandless rides her pony Indy while mom Heather looks on.

RPB defensive end Jordan Lide.

PHOTOS BY PAUL GABA/TOWN-CRIER

Wildcat Trevor Glover is brought down by Glades Day’s Cody Dionne.

The Wildcats say the Pledge of Allegiance before the game.

RPB captains Perry McIntyre, Jeremiah Brutue, Jordan Lide, Jordan Dangerfield and Marvin Payne during the coin toss.

RPB’s Steven Louis.

Wildcat Malik Mitchell stiff-arms Glades Day’s Eaton Spence.

Royal Palm’s Alan Morin Wins PGA Section Championship

Alan Morin of Royal Palm Beach, the first round leader, rallied with four birdies on the last nine holes Thursday, Aug. 28 to win the 30th Annual South Florida PGA Section Championship.

At 207 on a final round of four under par 68 on the Rees Jones course at Breakers West, the 35-year-old Morin finished one shot ahead of playing partner 24-year-old Nick Ayala of Boca Raton, who closed with 69-208 after a 31 on the front nine.

An assistant at the Falls Country Club west of Lake Worth, Morin had opened with 65 on PGA National’s Champion course in Palm Beach Gardens

last Tuesday but slipped to third with 74 Wednesday at Rees Jones. “I hit a lot of good putts [Wednesday] that just didn’t go in,” Morin said, “and today they did. I hit the ball pretty well all three days and just tried to stay patient because I knew the putts would eventually start to fall again… they always do.” It was Morin’s second section championship, the first coming in 2002 at BallenIsles County Club. It was also his tenth victory since 2002 in tournaments staged by the SFPGA. There are four other players with 10 SFPGA wins. Jerry Tucker leads with 13, all since 2000.

Morin earned $3,634.76 from the $38,700 purse, including $737 from the $6,700 optional bonus pool.

The victory also likely clinched SFPGA Player of the Year honors for Morin and an exemption into the Honda Classic in March. He was the only club professional to make the cut at the Honda this year after following a similar path to the first tee.

Ayala, a graduate of Boca Raton High and Florida State University, has been working as an assistant at Delaire County Club for less than a month while also playing in a few Minor League Golf Tour events in preparation for his first attempt

to qualify for the PGA Tour later this year.

Ayala made four birdies on the first seven holes but gave them all back with two bogeys and a double bogey on the back, including a two-shot exchange with Morin at the par-four 15th hole.

But then in a furious finish, Ayala birdied the 16th and 17th holes to pull even, and Morin birdied the 18th from 20 feet for the win.

There were 123 starters. After one round each at PGA National and Breakers West, the cut to the low 40 percent and ties fell at six under par 150 with 49 players advancing to the final round.

New Ownership Promises ‘All New’ Moroso Motorsports Park This Fall

A triad of local automotive and racing enthusiasts — Raymond Graziotto, Joseph Lubeck and J.C. Solomon II — recently announced the purchase of Moroso Motorsports Park. The partnership is making a multimillion-dollar investment in track and facility upgrades to the legendary facility, which had been owned and operated by the Moroso racing family since 1981. Initial changes include all new bathrooms and concessions, and a new track layout will allow for simultaneous use of the new road course and drag strip. The “All New Moroso Motorsports Park” will re-open to the public this fall under new ownership and management at 17047 Beeline Highway west of Jupiter.

“We are very proud to have entered into this venture, building upon the legendary foundation that is the Moroso racing family history,” Lubeck said. “As automotive and racing enthusiasts, we know the All New Moroso Motorsports Park to be the ideal motorsports property. We are also proud to announce the Palm Beach Driving Club, which will create a club environment for amateurs and enthusiasts to exercise their cars on a real racetrack.”

The new partnership team is collaborating with world-re-

nowned track and amenities designers in the formation of a five-star landmark racing, family fun and tourism destination. Industry expert Wayne McMurtry is consulting for the All New Moroso Motorsports reconstruction project. McMurtry has a proven history developing premium drag strips. George Case, one of the most well-respected track operators in the country, is the new drag racing operations vice president. The brand new road course is designed by in-house experts overseen by world-class road course engineer Martyn Thake. In addition, the Moroso team has employed Brian Prowell, a renowned asphalt engineer, to design the surface of the road course for the application and the South Florida climate. The newly modernized kart center has made many changes aimed at servicing the rental go-kart market.

“I am excited about the continuation of the Moroso legacy and am looking forward to my continuing role as a consultant and trusted advisor to the park,” former owner Susan Moroso Strecker said. “With the revitalization of the property, Moroso Motorsports Park is a most luxurious and heartpounding experience for racing and family fun.”

Moroso Motorsports Park offers:

• A total of 220 acres of wooded property in northwestern Palm Beach County, open year round, hosting over 1,000 events, road races, concerts and festivals annually.

• A two-mile, 11-turn road course, an all concrete NHRAsanctioned quarter-mile, stateof-the-art drag strip, eight-tenths of a mile kart track, rally cross, drifting and pocket bike facilities, and aluminum spectator grandstands.

• A newly reconfigured 40foot-wide, two-mile road course, adhering to the highest FIA safety standards, and featuring several areas of paved runoff. Soft wall barriers complement tire barriers and concrete walls. The Road Course is enhanced with the addition of lights to allow for night testing as well as 24-hour around the course events.

• A new all-concrete Drag Strip, featuring concrete retaining walls extending all the way to the shutdown area.

• A Compulink fiber optic timing and scoring system with new LED lights.

• The Palm Beach Driving Club, a private equity driving club; the first of its kind in the Southeastern United States. The facility also offers perma-

nent rest rooms and concession stands; all new merchandising and souvenirs and on-site kart storage, service and sales. Private coaching is available, as is the “Street Smarts” defensive driving school, on-site road racing school and a 200’ x 300’ asphalt skid pad.

Future amenities include a new clubhouse with locker rooms, private and public restaurants and multiple lounges; “Club Garages” to accommodate the ultimate in convenient on-site vehicle storage; a 40,000-square-foot Drivers’ Pavilion offering a mix of private and public-use spaces for visitors and racers; and a “members only” portion of the pavilion with locker rooms and an observation deck.

Moroso Motorsports Park’s road course hosts the Championship Cup Series, the Sports Car Club of America, Radical of Florida Racing School, the Skip Barber Racing School, the Ferrari Cavallino Classic, the Porsche BMW Owner’s Club, the Florida Sportscar Championship, as well as car club events and television productions such as “Pinks All Out” and “Miami Ink.” In addition, Moroso is open year-round for private rentals. For more information, visit www.racemoroso.com.

ESP Announces New Stabling Plans At PBIEC

Equestrian Sport Productions, the management company of the Wellington show grounds and the Winter Equestrian Festival, announced several different plans for stabling horses at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center for the 200809 season last week.

The stabling plans include a package of 12 weeks for the 2009 Winter Equestrian Festival from Jan. 5 to March 30 for $3,000 per stall, which amounts to $250 per week at the north (WEF) grounds. A newly created package extends stabling to 20 weeks from Dec. 1 to April 20, also at the north grounds, for $4,500 per stall or $225 per week. A previous announcement of the extended package, designed to meet the request of numerous exhibitors who said they planned to arrive earlier than previous years and extend their competition schedule beyond WEF, led to confusion for the WEF stabling program and was not included. For significant savings, stable at the south grounds, formerly Littlewood.

The six stabling packages are:

• Plan A — Premier tent boarding from Dec. 1 to April 20 at $4,500 per stall ($225 per week) located on the north grounds. This includes the Holiday, WEF and Spring circuits over 20 weeks.

• Plan B — Premier tent boarding from Jan. 5 to March

30 at $3,000 per stall ($250 per week) located on the north grounds. This includes the 12 weeks of WEF. Additional weeks may be added at $325 per week.

• Plan C — Premier tent boarding from Jan. 4 to April 20 at $3,800 per stall ($253 per week) located on the north grounds. This includes 12 weeks of WEF and the three “AA” spring shows following WEF.

• Plan D — Six-month pole tent boarding from Oct. 15 to April 20 at $3,000 per stall ($111 per week) located on the south grounds. There is a limited number of paddocks and rings; pricing available upon request. The period is 27 weeks and covers the Fall, Holiday, WEF and Spring circuits.

• Plan E — WEF pole tent boarding from Jan. 5 to March 30 at $2,100 per stall ($175 per week) located on the south grounds. There is a limited number of paddocks and rings; pricing available upon request. This includes the 12 weeks of WEF.

• Plan F — Permanent stalls from Dec. 1 to March 30 at $6,500 per stall, located on the north grounds. Permanent stalls will be assigned in priority to occupants in 2008 WEF and a waiting list established on a firstcome, first-served basis. For more info., call (561) 7935867 or visit www.equestrian sport.com.

Alan Morin with his trophy.

COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR

Saturday, Sept. 6

• The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association will hold a one-hour walk in John Prince Park on Saturday, Sept. 6. Enjoy breakfast afterward at TooJay’s restaurant in Lake Worth. Call Paul at (561) 963-9906 for more info.

• The national champion Wellington High School majorettes will host their annual Twirling Clinic on Saturday, Sept. 6 in the WHS gymnasium. The clinic starts at 9 a.m. and will conclude with a performance and awards ceremony at 3 p.m. The cost is $35 per person. Participants can register the day of the clinic. Beginners are welcome and will be provided batons if needed. For more info., call Coach Adrienne Brady at (561) 9699031.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold “Drop-In Story Times” for ages two and up on Saturdays, Sept. 6, 13, 20 and 27 at 11 a.m. No pre-registration is required. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• Our Lady Queen of the Apostles Catholic Church (100 Crestwood Blvd., Royal Palm Beach) will break ground for the construction of its new church on Sept. 6 following the 4:30 p.m. mass. Bishop Gerald Barbarito and Father Andy Rudnicki will host the ceremony. The new church is a $5.6 million project with more than $4 million raised in donations and pledges from parishioners and friends. Call (561) 7985661 for more info. Sunday, Sept. 7

• On Sunday, Sept. 7, see what natural Florida has to offer at Jonathan Dickinson State Park (16450 SE Federal Highway, Hobe Sound) with the Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association. Meet at 8 a.m. at the entrance to the parking lot. Call Mary at (561) 391-7942 for more info.

Monday, Sept. 8

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold Baby Story Time on Mondays, Sept. 8, 15, 22 and 29 at 9:30 a.m. for ages eight months and younger and at 11:15 for ages nine to 12 months. Your baby will enjoy rhymes, finger plays, songs, books and toys. Call (561) 7906070 to pre-register.

• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will dedicate its Monday, Sept. 8 membership luncheon to discussing the major presidential candidates’ positions on healthcare. Surrogates from the presidential campaigns of senators John McCain and Barack Obama will be on hand to lead the discussion. Sponsored by Vitas Innovative Hospice Care, the event will be held at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) at 11:45 a.m. The cost is $15 for chamber members and $25 for non-members. To RSVP, call (561) 790-6200 or visit www. palmswest.com.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold an English Exchange for adults Mondays, Sept. 8, 15, 22 and 29 at 1 p.m. Join Literacy AmeriCorps member Paula Alexander in this interactive program where you can practice speaking English while talking about everyday situations and current events. Basic English skills are needed to participate. Call (561) 7906070 to pre-register.

• Wellington is located only 18 miles inland from fascinating coral reefs. Dive on the reef without getting wet as Palm Beach Community College’s Learning Unlimited offers “Your Backyard Marine Ecosystem.” Get a close-up look at live species. The class is being held at the Lake Worth campus on Mondays, Sept. 8 through Oct. 6 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. The cost is $49. For more info., call (561) 868-3214.

• The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners will hold two public hearings in September for preliminary and final adoption of the fiscal year 2009 budget. Both public hearings will be held at 6 p.m. in the sixth floor commission chambers of the County Governmental Center (301 N. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach). Preliminary adoption of the budget will take place Monday, Sept. 8 and final adoption on Monday, Sept. 22. For info., call (561) 355-2754. Tuesday, Sept. 9

• The Puerto Rican Organization for Cultural Enhancement & Reaffirmation (PROCER) will present Folkloric Dance at the Boys & Girls Club of Wellington (3401 South Shore Blvd.) Tuesdays at 3 p.m., starting Sept. 9 for ages eight and up. Call (561) 7900343 for more info.

• The Palms West Chamber

of Commerce’s Entrepreneurial Academy will begin Tuesday, Sept. 9 and meet consecutive Tuesdays through Oct. 28. Classes will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Wellington campus in the Wellington Reserve on State Road 7. The registration fee is $125 per person. For more info., call Anitra Harmon at (561) 790-6200.

• The Wellington Village Council will meet Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Wellington Community Center. For info., call (561) 791-4000.

• The Girl Scouts of Palm Glades Council will hold a recruitment meeting Tuesday, Sept. 9 from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Panther Run Elementary School cafeteria. For more info., call (561) 427-6902 or e-mail sholmes@gspgc.org. Wednesday, Sept. 10

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Flick Lit: The Water Horse” for ages eight and up on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 4 p.m. A boy finds an egg and what hatches will set in motion the story of a lifetime. Pick up a book and discuss what you’ve read. Call (561) 7906070 to pre-register.

• The Studio Theatre of Wellington (11320 Fortune Circle) will offer Improvisation Classes for children ages eight to 12 on Wednesdays from Sept. 10 through Oct. 29 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. For adults, classes will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Mondays, Sept. 15 through Nov. 7. Classes for teens will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, Sept. 25 through Nov. 13. The cost is $200. Enrollment is limited. Call Paula Sackett at (561) 204-4100 for more info.

• Palm Beach County’s Art in Public Places will host an artist reception at Palm Beach International Airport on Wednesday, Sept. 10 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the airport’s concession mall, Level 2 Main Terminal, across from Travelers Lounge. The exhibition “Local Treasures” runs through Sept. 24 and features work by county artists. For a virtual tour of the exhibit, visit www.pbcgov. com/fdo/art/artworks.htm.

• The Wellington Art Society will host its annual Open House/Membership Drive on Wednesday, Sept. 10 from 6:45 to 9:30 p.m. in Room C of the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). For more info., visit www. wellingtonartsociety.com or call Adrianne Hetherington at (561) 784-7561. Thursday, Sept. 11

• Clematis by Night will hold a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony featuring Gina Sicilia on Thursday, Sept. 11 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Centennial Square in downtown West Palm Beach. For more info., call (561) 822-1515 or visit www.clematisbynight.net.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold a Teen Advisory Group meeting for ages 12 through 17 on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy snacks, conversation and good ideas. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• The Girl Scouts of Palm Glades Council will hold a recruitment meeting Thursday, Sept. 11 from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Elbridge Gale Elementary School cafeteria. For more info., call (561) 427-6902 or e-mail sholmes@gspgc.org.

• Our Lady Queen of the Apostles Catholic Church (100 Crestwood Blvd., Royal Palm Beach) will celebrate its second annual Blue Mass on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. to honor all police, fire and emergency care professionals in the community. Members of these professions are asked to arrive in uniform at 7:15 p.m. at the pavilion to process into the church. A coffee and cake reception will follow the mass. For info., call (561) 798-5661.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Pizza & Pages: Heir Apparent” for ages 12 to 17 on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. Eat pizza and discuss Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde. When 14-year-old Gianne is trapped in a virtual-reality game, she must figure out how to win or the next game-over could be the end. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. Friday, Sept. 12

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Science Club: Slime Time” for ages seven and up on Friday, Sept. 12 at 3:30 p.m. Join library staff for their Science Club debut and learn to make slime. Call (561) 7906030 to pre-register.

Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 7936090. E-mail: news@gotown crier.com.

Orient Garden Asian Restaurant Now Open In Royal Palm Beach

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Orient Garden, an Asian restaurant and sushi bar, recently opened on State Road 7 in Royal Palm Beach.

“We had our grand opening just last week,” Orient Garden manager Kam Chan told the Town-Crier on Friday, Aug. 29. Chan, who has more than 30 years experience in the restaurant industry, emphasized that Orient Garden is not a franchise and features an original menu of Chinese, Japanese, sushi and Southeast Asian selections.

“This is an original restaurant that we created from the famous Thai and Malaysian food, which we compounded with American Chinese food,” Chan said. “The combination of those tastes is totally different. There is only one with that kind of taste. Of course, we still have the American-style Chinese food, as well as a sushi bar.”

Chef Paul Jiang, who is a partner with his cousin, owner Johnny Jiang, learned his craft in New York and has 15 years experience in Asian cuisine.

The Southeast Asian selections include curry chicken and fresh mango spiced chicken entrees at $9.95, and chicken, shrimp or beef flavored with the classic Malay condiment called sambal. “The house special is a Thai curry chicken,” Chan said. “There is no other restaurant that carries this.”

The mango chicken also has a very special flavor, made with fresh strips of the fruit and seasoned with a mango sauce made in house, like many of the restaurant’s sauces, Chan said.

The restaurant stresses the use of fresh ingredients, Chan said. “The vegetables we get fresh,” he said. “We get nothing halfway prepared. Everything is prepared in-house here.”

Chan said the location was chosen because the wide-ranging Asian menu would appeal to residents of the western communities. “We found out this area has a need for a new restaurant with these combinations to serve this area,” he said.

The restaurant also offers a wide selection of Japanese dishes including tempura and teriyaki from $9.95 to $15.95, as well as a full selection of Chinese dishes from $9.25 to $10.25.

Chef’s selections at Orient Garden include Orient Grilled Shrimp, wrapped in bacon with water chestnuts and sesame seed ginger sauce ($13.25) and Orient Steak, a marinated New York strip in barbecue sauce served with garden vegetables ($15.75).

The sushi bar offers 23 varieties of seafood including fresh wild salmon and tuna, mackerel, eel, yellowtail, salmon and flying fish roe and sea urchin, most priced from $2 to $4 per piece.

“The salmon is wild; we don’t use the farm-raised,” Chan said. “The tuna is fresh daily. My sushi chef has over ten years’ experience in New York City.”

Sushi combos are also on offer, starting with the Maki Combo 1 ($12) featuring spicy tuna, a California roll and yellowtail and scallions, on up to the most expensive selection, Sushi and Sashimi for Two, which includes sushi, sashimi and rolls for $45.95.

The 22 individual rolls from the sushi bar include the Dancing Eel Roll with avocado, cream cheese and caviar ($6.95) and the Royal Palm Beach Roll with shrimp tempura and cucumber inside topped with spicy tuna and tempura crunch ($15.95).

The restaurant has a combo menu with prices from $6.25 to

$6.95 for lunch and $8.25 to $8.95 for dinner, and a wideranging appetizer menu offering Chinese restaurant standbys such as egg rolls and the pu-pu platter as well as chicken or beef satay and Japanese starters such as sunomono, a seafood salad with a vinegar sauce.

Most of menu items are available for carryout, and the restaurant will deliver a minimum $15 order in an area bounded by Lake Worth Road to the south, Okeechobee Blvd. to the north, Jog Road to the east and Royal Palm Beach Blvd. to the west.

Chan said diners can feel comfortable making any special requests about their order, as all the wait staff speak English.

“There is no language problem here,” he said. “With many Chinese restaurants it is hard to explain what you want.”

Orient Garden also features a reasonably priced beverage selection, including hot or cold sake from $4 to $6.50 a glass or $9.50 to $28 per bottle, imported and domestic beers from $2.75 to $5.50 per bottle and wines by estates such as Robert Mondavi and Kendall-Jackson.

“We carry most domestic and imported beer and mediumpriced wines to serve to our customers,” Chan said. “I don’t sell cheap wine, and I don’t sell expensive wine. Even the house wine is Sycamore Lane, a medium-priced wine.”

The restaurant also offers diners a special complimentary hot green tea steeped with toasted rice.

“We don’t charge anything for the tea, but it is very expensive,” Chan said. “This is very good for the stomach, liver and blood pressure.”

“No other restaurant uses this tea,” Paul Jiang added.

Orient Garden is located in the Publix plaza at 123 S. State Road 7, behind Crown Liquors

and near the Lowe’s home improvement store. The restaurant is open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. on Sundays. For more info., call (561) 792-6888.

RIBBON CUTTING FOR DONALD PORGES

Serving The Sushi — (Above left) Orient Garden sushi chef Jackson Chen prepares a dish.

(Above right) Sushi chef Gordon Guo with manager Kam Chan. PHOTOS BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for certified public accountant Donald K. Porges. Porges’ professional accounting firm focuses on smallto medium-sized local businesses, professional practices and individuals. Services range from basic bookkeeping to the most sophisticated tax planning and preparation. For more info., call Jonathan or Donald Porges at (561) 737-5568 or visit www.dporges.com. Pictured here are Porges and his staff with chamber ambassadors.

sports and plenty of magazines. To make an appointment, call Judy Bradfield at (561) 333-0094 or visit www.sportclips.com. Pictured here are Sports Clips staff with Wellington Chamber ambassadors.

Tanism — Located at 10160 W. Forest Hill Blvd.

at (561) 333-3644 or visit www.tanism.com. Shown here are Varvarigos and staff with Wellington Chamber ambassadors.

Fastsigns Of Wellington: Graphic Solutions For Work Vehicles

zation have any type of identifying signs or graphics? If this is not something you think about on a regular basis, maybe it should be.

“From major corporations to small individually owned businesses, companies are trying to create affordable attention by using every media available,”

vehicle graphics, and due in part to new materials, techniques and technology available, the day of the simple logo and phone number is long gone.”

planning, wedding officiant, and more. For more info., call (561) 737-6245. Pictured here is Exquisite staff with Wellington Chamber ambassadors. The last time you were on the road, did you look at the other vehicles around you? Did you notice the graphics on delivery vans, trucks and other vehicles that identify businesses and organizations in your area? If not, next time you are driving around, look at the information on vehicles — the company’s name, phone number, web site or location. There could also be photographs of people, products or facilities. Does the vehicle of your business or organi-

Fastsigns of Wellington owner Joseph Cifrodella said. “The road to advertising has taken a turn toward the big, the bold and the beautiful when it comes to

Full-color digital graphics and wide-format prints allow businesses to wrap entire vehicles both large and small in giant photographs. And thanks to a remarkable perforated vinyl material, graphics can continue across the side and rear windows without obstructing the view from inside.

The most effective vehicle graphics incorporate vivid colors and keep the message brief and memorable. Viewers typically have only a few seconds to view a vehicle in traffic, which is why the presentation should be dramatic enough to grab their attention quickly. One exception is the back of the vehicle, which drivers may see for several minutes while idling in traffic, making it the best place to list products or services. If a business is not ready to

completely wrap a vehicle, or maybe the vehicle is used for several purposes, there are still signage options available. The standard magnetic sign even has a new look. Magnetic signage has become more colorful, flexible and durable than ever before. Magnetics can be customcut in virtually any shape to conform to a vehicle or to the design of the graphic. It still creates awareness and catches the eye of the public. Thanks to advances in technology and new,

less expensive materials, highimpact vehicle graphics are now available and affordable for budgets of all sizes. Fastsigns sign and graphics centers use innovation and technology to make the sign-buying process simple by offering for a full range of custom sign and graphic products. For more information about Fastsigns of Wellington, contact Joseph Cifrodella at (561 ) 7374779 or joe.cifrodella@fast signs.com.

Western Communities Internal Medicine — Operated by Dr. Mario Guillen, Western Communities Internal Medicine is located in Building 8 of the Palms West Professional Center at

Chamber

Sport Clips Haircuts Great Service — Located at 11081 Southern Blvd., Suite 130, Sport Clips Haircuts Great Service offers great haircuts in an exciting sports-themed environment, which includes televised

1 Stop Generator Shop Helps You Get Prepared For Hurricanes

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

Hurricanes are a fact of life in South Florida, and if the power goes out for even a day or two, the warm climate can be ruinous for food supplies and unpleasant for residents. 1 Stop Generator Shop in Palm Beach Gardens has everything families need to remain comfortable.

The company is a partnership between two well-established local electrical contractors, Jon Andio and Dale Sibery. They formed 1 Stop after Andio won a contract to install generators and transfer switches in 27 Mobil gas stations in Palm Beach and Broward counties in 2003.

Andio said smart consumers turn to 1 Stop for a generator instead of one of the big-box stores, not because of price but for better service.

“Guardian and Briggs, the two big manufacturers, have price controls,” he said. “We are not allowed to sell at a lower price than they do, and they can not undercut us. Because of that, when you consider buying, you should think about who will give better service.”

Andio and Sibery are both certified master electricians. “I became a master electrician ten years ago,” Andio said. “And I started in the business as Dale’s assistant. He’s been doing this since 1974.”

1 Stop Generator Shop sells, installs and services its generators, offering customers better service than the big-box stores, which he said usually contract out their installation. “Once you sign to pay for it, you’ll probably never see the guy who sold it to you again,” Andio said.

A 1 Stop representative typically visits a customer’s home to discuss the appropriate size and setup for the generator before any sale, Andio said.

“This is a free in-home visit so we can make sure we meet our client’s needs,” he said. “There is a lot of inappropriate sizing, both under and over, when people buy generators. We try to make sure you get the smallest one that will do the job properly. Then we install it and test it. And we have service contracts.” Because many generator systems run on natural gas or propane, and there are few gas lines

in the county, 1 Stop Generator Shop partners with Dig It Construction, a specialist in propane tank installation.

Andio’s wife Jessica, who manages the 1 Stop office, said Dig It can install the appropriate size tank for the system. “The company puts in tanks ranging in size from 250 gallons, which will run power from three to five days for most homes, to large ones up to 2,000 gallons,” she said. “The big-box stores don’t provide that kind of service.”

Systems generating from seven to 12 kilowatts are adequate for most homes in Palm Beach County, Andio said. “Those size systems can run everything in a house, including up to two air conditioning systems, refrigerator and everything else,” he said.

Jessica Andio said a permanent generator system will start automatically 20 to 30 seconds after the regular power shuts down. “You don’t even realize the electricity has gone out,” she said. “Sometimes I look around and see a digital clock flashing and realize that the regular power has gone out. It’s so simple that I never noticed the switchover.”

Jon Andio added that independence from the electricity grid offers homeowners a sense of security. “When the power goes out in our neighborhood, I love to turn on all our lights so all the neighbors see how nice it is to control your own power,” he said.

Andio noted that because he and Sibery install the generators through their own electrical contracting companies — Andio Electric and East Coast Electric Construction Company — everything works from the beginning and continues to operate properly.

“We have to go out a lot to fix generators installed by other companies,” he said. “Because we do so many installations, as many as 300 to 600 per year during the building boom, all the building departments in communities around the county know us well and know we work with them. We know all the regulations, which differ for each community.”

The company’s service plans provide maintenance at least twice yearly, including an oil

change and lubrication. They guarantee service within 48 hours even after a hurricane. “We generally come right away,” Andio said. “My customers have my cell phone number. We get a lot of calls from people who bought from those big stores, and we take care of them. We’ll repair and service any system.”

Right now, 1 Stop Generator Shop is featuring a seven-kilowatt Briggs & Stratton system for $7,995 that offers portability, runs on natural gas or propane and can power a whole house including air conditioning.

“It’s ideal for zero-lot-line homes,” Andio said. “It can be kept in a garage or shed and then brought out to a spot we’ve picked with them at the right distance from their own home and their neighbors. It’s better than standard portable generators because it’s rain-proof.”

1 Stop Generator Shop is located in the Gardens Park Plaza at 8902 N. Military Trail in Palm Beach Gardens, on the southeast corner of Military Trail and Northlake Blvd., and is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and on weekends by appointment. For more information, or to arrange an in-home visit, call (561) 624-3545 or visit www. 1stopgeneratorshop.com.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL FUN AT PALMS MRI EVENT

Palms MRI Diagnostic Imaging Center in Royal Palm Beach hosted its inaugural back-to-school event on Wednesday, Aug. 27. Attendees included physicians, office staff and their children. There was a tour of the facility, and great food and beverages were provided. Palms MRI Diagnostic Imaging Center provided each child with a back-to-school packet that included supplies to get them started for the 2008-09 school year. Two lucky winners took home boy and girl Nike backpacks through a raffle. The event turned out to be a great success. Palms MRI Diagnostic Imaging Center is looking forward to hosting another back-to-school event next year. For more information, call (561) 333-3330. Pictured above are some of the students at last Wednesday’s event.

A Family Business — 1 Stop Generator manager Jessica Andio and co-owner Jon Andio with their son Sawyer.

PHOTO BY LEONARD WECHSLER/TOWN-CRIER

TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS