Town-Crier Newspaper April 29, 2011

COUNTY PREPARES CHARTER REVIEW SEE STORY, PAGE 3

RPB FINALIZES VACANT PROPERTY RULES SEE STORY, PAGE 7

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TOWN - CR IER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE

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INSIDE

Volume 32, Number 17 April 29 - May 5, 2011

THE INAUGURAL STILETTO AWARDS

Wellington Egg Hunt

Wellington held its annual egg hunt last Saturday. Children age 10 and younger were invited onto the softball fields to hunt for Easter eggs containing special treats. Page 2

Tennis Agreement Leads To Contract Reform Discussion

Concerns over Wellington’s contract-awarding process were raised once again Tuesday as the village was set to renew its contract with longtime tennis provider Cheatham Inc. Page 3

The Palms West Community Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, hosted the inaugural 2011 Women of the Year Stiletto Awards luncheon on Thursday, April 21 at the Breakers West Country Club. The foundation recognized four leaders in the local community: Julie Kime, Maggie Zeller, Sharon Gill and Susan Giddings. Shown here are the winners with all the nominees and Palms West Community F oundation representatives.

MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 15 PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Wellington To Continue ‘Pill Mill’ Moratorium An Additional Year ‘International Weekend’ At Polo Club A Success

The International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington held its inaugural International Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, April 23 and 24. Page 22

OPINION Cities Must Pony Up

Cities throughout Palm Beach County have been complaining that they should not have to pay their fair share to fund the inspector general’s office. Put simply, they’re wrong. With budgets in the millions, $100,000 is a small price to pay for good government. Page 4

DON’T MISS!

Gathering Time At The Wellington Amphitheater

Folk-rock music will be featured Friday, April 29 at the Wellington Amphitheater as the popular Ne w York trio Gathering Time takes the stage. Dubbed the “Great Folk-Rock Festival,” the FREE concert will focus on music of the ’60s and ’70s. The amphitheater is in front of the Wellington Community Center.

The concert will begin at 8 p.m.

DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS ............................. 3 - 15 OPINION ................................ 4 CRIME NEWS ........................ 6 NEWS BRIEFS .......................8 SCHOOLS ..................... 16 - 17 PEOPLE........................ 18 - 19 COLUMNS .................... 27 - 28 SUMMER CAMPS ........ 29 - 32 ENTERTAINMENT ................33 BUSINESS ...................35 - 37 SPORTS .......................41 - 44 CALENDAR...................46 - 47 CLASSIFIEDS ...............48 - 53 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington Village Council gave preliminary approval Tuesday to an ordinance that would extend a moratorium on new pain management clinics opening in Wellington.

While not a large problem in Wellington specifically, disreputable pain management clinics known as “pills mills” are a growing problem in the greater South Florida area.

Last May, the council approved a one-year moratorium on pain clinics in order to give the Florida Legislature time to enact a new law.

The council also passed an ordinance defining what a pain clinic is and made them a conditional use, meaning any new clinics would have to come before the council for approval.

But because the legislature still has not passed new pill mill legislation, Wellington staff proposed extending the moratorium, which expires May 25.

“This is an extension of the existing moratorium,” Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz said. “They are still establishing what the regulations will be for pill mills. Based on last year’s rationale, we would suggest an extension.”

Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Carmine

Priore said that he still has the same reservations he had last year about the ordinance. He worried that it would prevent legitimate businesses from opening.

“This doesn’t differentiate between physicians who are boardcertified, practicing physicians who practice pain management,” he said. “I am opposed to that because it penalizes those who are legitimately trying to open offices to provide those services.”

Priore noted that the legislature has several bills pending regarding the issue and hopes they will be resolved by the time the ordinance is presented for its final reading. “I believe that this is a medical issue that we are attempting to resolve with a land use ordinance,” he said.

Priore said he would support it, however, because it is Wellington’s only option to control the proliferation of pain clinics.

Councilwoman Anne Gerwig also said that she had reservations about regulating the business. “I support this because it’s all we can do,” she said. “But I’d like to see the professional board of regulators and the state regulate this.”

Gerwig noted that Wellington already has pain clinics within its borders, so it wasn’t as if no one could come to Wellington for pain medication.

“If you need legitimate pain management within Wellington,” she said, “this is not preventing someone from getting that treatment.”

Mayor Darell Bowen noted that the council could revoke the ordinance if necessary.

“If something changes, like a legitimate pain clinic coming, we can change it,” he said. “Or if the legislature comes up with something that is reasonable, we can just follow their law.”

Vice Mayor Matt Willhite wondered what the process to revoke the ordinance would be, and whether it would apply to just one doctor, to an area of Wellington or to the whole village.

“What’s the process for revoking the ordinance to allow a legitimate [pain clinic] to come forward?” he asked.

Kurtz answered that revocation would be done on a village-wide basis.

Councilman Howard Coates agreed that he did not want to restrict legitimate pain clinics from coming into Wellington. “I think our goal is to stop the infiltration of pill mills,” he said, “where there’s an abusive process going on.”

He said he would support the ordinance because he expects the See PILL MILLS, page 20

Three Candidates Seeking Two Seats On Groves District Board

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Loxahatchee Groves activist Frank Schiola is challenging two incumbents, Darlene Crawford and Donald Widing, for seats on the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors in the upcoming proxy-vote election set for the LGWCD annual meeting June 27.

Schiola said if elected, he would seek to improve service to district residents.

“I think the other two candidates ... have been doing a good job,” Schiola said. “I have a little more time to offer the district than Darlene or Don does. My major issue with the district is that I believe that [District Administrator] Clete Saunier needs to improve his customer service with the taxpayers of Loxahatchee Groves. One

of the biggest complaints I’ve heard is that he’s too quick to say he can’t help or that it’s a town problem when, in fact, it’s a district problem that the district may have caused.”

Schiola said he wants an improved level of customer service, not only from Saunier, but from the rest of the district’s employees.

“I can spend more time on district issues, and one of the issues is that the town and the district might possibly merge together,” Schiola said. “I think that’s something worth talking about.”

He said the two entities need to form a joint task force to look at the feasibility of combining. Schiola added that he would prefer to turn the district over to the town with money in the bank and problems with maintenance issues re-

solved. He is also concerned about a town charter clause that calls for a contract government with no permanent employees.

“That’s something else that the town and the district would have to work out: what do we do with the employees?” Schiola said.

“There are issues that need to be dealt with before you can bring it up for a vote by both boards, and then bring it out to both the district landowners for their vote on it and to the town voters for their vote on it.”

Schiola, 48, is a Riviera Beach firefighter. He is married with two children, 8 and 10.

Crawford said that since the town incorporated, the big issue has been whether the water control district is necessary anymore.

“I think that has been a quesSee LGWCD, page 20

Serving Palms West Since 1980

RPB Council: Finish Delayed Road Work

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Royal Palm Beach Village Council heard an update Thursday, April 21 about road work on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. north of Okeechobee Blvd., inquiring about the length of time the project has been going on and when it will be complete.

Village Engineer Chris Marsh said there have been some unanticipated delays due to underground utilities and inaccurate surveys. The $3 million project began April 5 of last year.

Councilman David Swift had asked for the report, explaining that he had received calls from residents in the area of Ponce de Leon Street and Royal Palm Beach Blvd. about the amount of time the project is taking.

“I’ve been calling it Project Forever,” Swift said. “There’s a lot of construction that has been going on for quite a long time. When are we going to finish this thing?”

Marsh said the project will be

substantially complete on June 4, including 65 days added to the original contract awarded to Semper Fi Services to allow for unforeseen difficulties encountered, with additional cleanup work to continue in the area for another 30 days.

“There have been several issues because we’re retrofitting an existing roadway,” Marsh said.

The work relied on existing survey information that was not always accurate, he said, adding that some unanticipated problems had arisen through the course of the project, including the coordination of work with a forced sewer main and other underground utilities.

“It is moving along now, but there have been some issues with underground utilities,” Marsh said, adding that some drainage improvements that began recently on Ponce de Leon Street involve easements on residents’ property there.

Swift said he would like to see See RPB BLVD., page 20

Sluggett Property Is Now Up For Sale

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report “For sale” signs went up recently on the 64-acre Sluggett property at the corner of Southern Blvd. and Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, which recently received a commercial land use designation from Palm Beach County.

The land now carries a designation with a potential of 281,000 square feet of commercial use, according to a sales flier.

“My father is trying to find the best approach for what to ultimately do with the property,” said owner Richard Sluggett’s son Geoff Sluggett.

Although the signs have raised the ire of neighboring Fox Trail residents, who have historically opposed the land use change from agricultural/residential to commercial, agent Bob Bentz of Land Design South said the development has received letters of approval from local organizations, including the Acreage Landown-

ers’ Association and the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors, and the support of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce.

“Richard has always acknowledged that he is the property owner, not the ultimate developer,” said Bentz, who guided the property through the land use change with the county. “I think he has placed the signs on the property to look for proposals from different developers for opportunities of how to develop the property. I think it’s a way of taking a piece of property and bringing it to the public to solicit ideas from commercial real estate developers and see what kind of interest it would generate.”

Bentz said the commercial use is capped at 10 percent of the total land space, which is 281,000 square feet. “That is the maximum square footage he can get on that property,” Bentz said, pointing out See SLUGGETT, page 4

EASTER BUNNY VISITS LOCAL HOSPITALS

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Pepsi representatives, along with the Easter Bunny, visited Palms West Hospital and Wellington Regional Medical Center on Friday, April 22 to deliver stuffed bunnies to young patients. Shown here are Pepsi rep Brad Hoffar and the Easter Bunny with patient Yensi Heredia at Palms West Hospital. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 13 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Amanda Devine Fighting For Safer Roads

Seven years after the Wellington accident that nearly killed her, Amanda Devine now lives in Georgia and is still recovering from her injuries.

By Chris Felker Town-Crier Staff Report A former Wellington resident severely injured in 2004 when a dump-truck driver ran a red light and crashed into her SUV is conducting a personal crusade to see that Florida keeps its law allowing enforcement cameras at intersections.

Amanda Devine, now 25 and living in Adairsville, Ga., was a senior at Wellington High School, excited about her upcoming graduation and planning to go to college, when she was driving home from school on Jan. 28, 2004, and in line behind several other cars to make a left

turn on Southern Blvd. from Binks Forest Drive.

As she was turning, the truck hit her broadside — investigators estimated the driver ran the light as long as 12 seconds after it had turned red, according to Amanda’s father, Donald Devine — and the lights went out for Amanda.

“By the glory of God, I did not die,” Amanda said, “but spent the next three months in a coma and seven months in the hospital recovering.”

Her injuries included severe brain trauma, for which she underwent surgery three times in the following five months, and nerve palsies in her face. She had to re-

learn how to eat and underwent several years of physical, occupational and speech therapy. As recently as September 2009, Amanda had a nerve transplant from her right leg to her face in hopes of correcting one of the nerve palsies.

She’s still seeing a specialist in Atlanta for neuro-muscular facial retraining as a result of the transplant.

The medical bills from all that treatment have amounted to nearly $3 million so far, all covered by her father’s group health plan and the trucking company. Donald Devine was retired after many years as a law-enforcement officer in Broward County.

Amanda had been a youth counselor at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County at the time but has not been able to work a regular job since, mainly because she continues to suffer seizures and debilitating migraine headaches. She still suffers from facial paralysis and extensive memory loss. “I am unable to remember anything that happened in my life before the accident, including valuable childhood memories,” she said.

Amanda eventually did finish her high school studies but has been unable to attend college due to her injuries. To pass her time See DEVINE, page 20

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April 29 - May 5, 2011

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The Town-Crier

NEWS

LOTS OF EAGER YOUNG COLLECTORS ENJOY WELLINGTON’S ANNUAL EGG HUNT

Wellington held its annual egg hunt Saturday, April 23 at Village Park on Pierson R oad. Children age 10 and younger were invited onto the softball fields to hunt for Easter eggs containing special treats. Additionally, there was a visit from the Easter Bunny and a raffle to win assor ted Easter baskets. For more info., visit www.w ellingtonfl.gov.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER

Madison Dejoy and Sydney Williams open and sor t their eggs.

Emilia Gambarrotti with her bucket of eggs.

Jordan Lewis and Yuvari Bhandary gather eggs.

Sara and Natalia Gonzalez.

Brennan Soyke with the Easter Bunny (Chris Degler).

Olivia and Roman Karo enjoy the egg hunt.

Parks and Recreation Director Bruce Delaney with Mayor Darell Bowen and his wife Sherry, and Councilwoman Anne Gerwig.

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April 29 - May 5, 2011

Page 3

NEWS

Wellington Tennis Agreement Leads To Call For Contract Reform

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Concerns over Wellington’s contract-awarding process were raised once again Tuesday as the village was set to renew its contract with longtime tennis provider Cheatham Inc. After much controversy last year over Wellington’s decision to seek bids for programming and maintenance of the Wellington Tennis Center, the Wellington Village Council elected to award Tommy Cheatham a one-year contract with four one-year renewal options.

Cheatham has been Wellington’s tennis provider since the facility’s opening in 1999. His contract officially expires with the village on Sept. 30 but must be renewed by June 1.

But an appeal from the secondhighest scoring provider caused several council members to question whether Wellington’s selection process was objective enough to be fair to all applicants.

Wellington has adjusted its process over the past year, including the addition of a local preference policy to support business in the western communities.

Councilman Howard Coates requested Monday that the item be taken off the consent agenda for discussion.

“I really don’t want to be in a position where we’re up here debating tennis every year,” he said.

“But I also want to make sure that if there are other providers out there that want a shot to provide the service, they get that shot.”

Coates said that often, contract renewals are placed on the consent agenda and approved without discussion unless there are problems. He said he worried that the council would continue to renew the contract without considering other options.

“Effectively, it’s almost like a five-year contract,” he said. “I don’t know if the intent of the council was to award a five-year contract.”

Though he said he is not questioning Cheatham’s service, he wanted the ability for the contract to come up for debate regularly, but not necessarily every year.

Coates said he would be in favor of renewing the contract for another year.

“But I’d like to make it subject to a [bid] going out next year,” he said, “or maybe the year after. I just want to put us on a schedule where periodically this thing comes up, we put out a [bid] and give people who want to provide the service an opportunity to do so.”

Coates said he had received proposals from other vendors who want to provide services in the village.

Mayor Darell Bowen suggested that Wellington open the program up for bids and change the contract instead to a three-year term.

“I think that by offering a threeyear contract, we should get more favorable terms,” he said. “I don’t

County Prepares Charter Review

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Palm Beach County staff explained what will happen with this year’s county charter review process at Commissioner Jess Santamaria’s monthly public forum meeting Wednesday, April 20 at the original Wellington Mall.

“It’s up to you to decide if you want to be part of the charter for Palm Beach County for the next 10, 20 or 30 years,” Santamaria said, encouraging those attending to get involved in the review that is now underway to evaluate the charter and decide what can be done to improve it. “We will have ongoing discussions on this topic.”

Assistant County Administrator Brad Merriman said the county commission has been discussing the possibility of doing a charter review for the past six months. He said several different approaches can be taken, and that the most common way is to appoint a committee that meets over a period of time, gets input and makes recommendations to the commission, which decides what questions, if any, to put to a referendum.

“We decided we were going to use a little different process be-

cause our charter does not include any kind of formalized, structured charter review process,” Merriman said.

Instead, the county will go out into the community and get input directly. County staff would then take the suggestions, prioritize them and give them to the commissioners, who would decide what, if anything, to put on the ballot.

Merriman said the meeting that evening would be a prototype for meetings that will be conducted throughout the county in coming months.

“This is not an official charter review meeting,” he said. “This is kind of our dry run, and you’re getting to see it before it’s actually rolled out.”

In addition to getting ideas, Merriman said the meetings will explain to residents what the charter is and why it exists, and give an idea of the timeline.

Merriman said Florida became a state in 1845, and counties were recognized in 1885. The Florida Constitution provides for five commissioners in each county who are elected countywide on a partisan basis with no term limits — and five constitutional officers:

the sheriff, property appraiser, tax collector, clerk and supervisor of elections.

“That’s what it says in the constitution, and 45 of the 67 counties use that system,” Merriman said. “In Palm Beach County, we have seven commissioners, and they are elected from single-member districts on a partisan basis. We have five constitutional officers.

Three of them, by virtue of a charter change, are nonpartisan, and we have term limits for our county commissioners.”

He said the charter is comparable to a local constitution and explained that the authority to have a charter is granted by the state, which sets forth the governmental boundaries, powers and structure, and determines the methods of finance and means of electing officials.

The counties with charters are primarily those with bigger cities and larger populations. He pointed out that Broward County has nine commissioners elected to single-member districts and that Miami-Dade has 13. Merriman said some counties have a mixture of at-large and single-member district commissioners, such as HillsSee CHARTER, page 20

think this is an issue we should be dealing with every year.”

But Councilwoman Anne Gerwig said she worried that it could lock the village into a bad situation. “If we’re unhappy with the provider,” she said, “we’re stuck with them for three years.”

Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Carmine Priore agreed, noting that even though contracts have clauses regarding how to end the contract, they can be costly.

“I don’t consider it a problem to renew anyone’s contract with us on an annual basis,” he said, “to determine if they’re carrying out the responsibilities that their contract calls for. That’s what we’re here for. I’m reluctant to award anyone a three-year contract.”

Priore wondered whether the existing contract prevented any provider from approaching the village and requesting to submit a bid for the opportunity to work with the village.

Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz said

it does not preclude anyone from approaching the village, but that renewing the contract would keep the village from discussing the contract with any other provider.

Coates wondered whether the proposals that staff has received had been considered in the renewal process.

“They’re not getting presented to us in the context of the debate on the renewal,” he said. “If not for the fact that we got them, [council members] wouldn’t have known that they had been received at all.”

Kurtz said that Wellington would not evaluate the proposals unless directed to do so by the council.

Priore wondered whether the renewal of the contract meant the costs and other numbers remained the same.

Kurtz said that the contract included some increases each year but that to change them would require renegotiation.

“The decision tonight is to di-

rect staff whether we should put this up for renewal,” he said. “If you do not choose to renew it, then staff would have to draft a [request for proposals] to put it out for bid.”

If that is the case, Kurtz estimated that proposals would go out in May, be reviewed in June and come before the council in July.

Renewing the contract, however, would mean it would be valid until Sept. 30, 2012.

Priore noted that Cheatham hasn’t had even one full year of operation under the new contract.

Vice Mayor Matt Willhite said he thought the vendor should have more than six months of operation to be evaluated on. “We’ve only given the current contract six months,” he said. “Yet we’re already questioning whether we stay with him again for a year.”

He suggested renewing the contract, which would give Cheatham 18 months more as the tennis provider, before evaluating him.

Gerwig wondered whether See CONTRACT, page 20

TONY COPPOLA ACCEPTS AWARD

Tony Coppola (left), owner of the Tackeria, recently accepted his 2010 Wellington The Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year Award from Barry Manning. All through last year, the magazine profiled successful local business leaders. Those 12 profiles became the nominees for the year-end award.

Coppola first operated the Tackeria, a tack store providing horse supplies, from a bus on the sidelines at polo matches during the 1970s in the sport’s infancy in Wellington. Since then, he has expanded to a large store in the heart of Wellington’s equestrian community.

PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER

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April 29 - May 5, 2011

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OUR OPINION

Inspector General’s Bill Is Not Too Much To Pay For Good Government Municipal officials across Palm Beach County have let slip recently what they have surely believed all along — they don’t really want to deal with an inspector general, nor do they feel their particular government should have to. And they certainly don’t want to be responsible for their fair share of the costs. Put simply, they are wrong — and not just because the voters have spoken.

The Office of the Inspector General is both critically necessary and immensely popular.

After a decade that has seen corrupt official after corrupt official head to jail, county voters had enough, pushing the Palm Beach County Commission to create the inspector general’s position, and then enshrining it in the county’s charter by an overwhelming margin. Voters also specifically decided to give the inspector general authority over municipalities as well.

First, there was an attempt to dumb down the office’s authority, and now city bean counters are questioning the budget put forward by Inspector General Sheryl Steckler. Steckler’s current budget is about $1.5 million. Her proposed budget for next year is about $3.5 million, the large increase mainly due to the 16 employees she wants to assign to the municipalities (with one employee for every two municipalities). Because municipalities must pay part of the cost, based on a tiny percentage of their contracts, many of them have spoken out in protest. For Wellington, its share of the cost is approximately $76,000 for the year, whereas the county’s largest city, West Palm Beach, would pay approximately $335,000. Perhaps six years ago, this wouldn’t have been seen as such a hardship, but with the past few budget cycles seeing more

and more belt tightening, this cost will have to be made up somehow. Had they known the cost from the beginning, some officials argue, they wouldn’t have supported it in the first place.

The problem with that, however, is that it wasn’t up to them, but the voters who overwhelmingly supported it. And despite attempts to suggest otherwise, we believe the voters knew that there would be enforcement costs involved, and supported the inspector general anyway.

Looking at these attempts to scale back the inspector general’s budget, clearly the people involved don’t understand that corruption is still a problem in this county, and it won’t be solved without taking extra measures. As long as government officials inclined to break the law feel they can get away with it, there’s no reason for them to stop. The pressure of knowing their actions are being closely scrutinized will go a long way toward preventing such crimes.

Of course it isn’t going to be cheap to fix. Examining all the departments in 38 municipalities is a massive undertaking. But the alternative — leaving things as they are — is not an option. The honor code failed. We tried the self-policing approach and look what happened.

Some may look at officials being arrested as proof the system works. Sorry, but the point is to prevent it from happening in the first place. In the future, after the Office of the Inspector General and the Commission on Ethics have done their jobs — and a significant amount of time has passed and Palm Beach County is no longer seen as corrupt — perhaps it will be time to start scaling back. But it will take more now, not less. A hundred thousand dollars or so in municipal budgets that reach into the millions isn’t too much to pay for honest government.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Webster: Support Task Force Work Editor’s note: The following letter is in response to last week’s letter “Disappointed In The Task Force” by Guenter Langer I wish to take this opportunity to correct the misinformation contained in the recent letters to the editor. It is important for the readers to have an accurate accounting on the mission and process of the Royal Palm Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant Task Force.

Mr. Langer attended only the last two meetings of the task force, missing all of the information of the exploratory and education elements that the task force members diligently participated in and arduously discussed. So let me begin: I will restate the mission of the task force as it was included on the initial volunteer application, “to deliver a land use recommendation for the wastewater treatment plant site to the Village of Royal Palm Beach Council.” All activities of the task force in their pursuit of a recommendation are recorded in the agenda and minutes which may be accessed on the village web site, www.royalpalm beach.com. I would also like to commend the Town-Crier for their objective reporting of every meeting.

1) Membership was determined from publicly advertised applications submitted and includes two representatives from Madison Green, Hawthorne, Huntington Woods and La Mancha; with one representative from Saratoga Pines (only one applied), Counterpoint, Willows and Strathmore Gate.

2) A timeline was identified when the process was approved by the council and provided at the task force orientation meeting.

3) Informational/educational presentations with opportunities for discussions were delivered by experts on specific and relevant topics.

4) Supporting materials were provided including the environmental assessment, budget documents, housing and census, as well as other materials requested by the members.

5) Legal, senior planning and administrative staff, throughout the scheduled meetings, provided clarification to the members on ordinance and approval processes.

The task force members who represent each of their communities have volunteered four months of dedicated time and effort to work toward a comprehensive recommendation to the council in the coming week. They are well informed and know what the current land use is. They have spoken freely together during the four-month process — “in the

Sluggett

For Sale

continued from page 1 that 10 percent is a very low ratio.

Although there is a potential for a residential mixed use, Bentz said it is not required. “I think people realize this is not CityPlace, so I think the intent of trying to mix residential and commercial on the same site may not be the most appropriate thing to do,” he said. “In a low-density location, it does not tend to work very well.”

Bentz said Sluggett is still constrained to a design that is consistent with the rural nature of that

sunshine” — at publicly noticed meetings with the presenters on current and future land uses for that property. Each member indicated that they had reached out to their communities for input, including neighborhood public meetings and distribution of questionnaires. In addition, they requested and reviewed a community needs assessment tool that was conducted by the village in 2008.

The members of this task force are individuals who should be supported and respected by their fellow neighbors, whether you agree or disagree with their conclusions.

They have stepped up to serve as leaders in your community.

Martha Webster, Councilwoman Royal Palm Beach

who were the three council members who voted to approve the $485,000, while Mayor Bowen (who did donate $1,000) and Councilwoman Anne Gerwig voted against such a large amount.

Not a single past council member of Wellington or past mayor of Wellington donated anything, nor did our county commissioner. The total lack of support is evident.

I did take the time to wade through all the comments attached to the two Palm Beach Post articles on the subject. The comments were overwhelmingly against this project funding at $485,000, as are the e-mails the village has received. With that said, a number of the commenters were in support of the 9/11 memorial had it stayed at $80,000. Bottom line is that there is no public support and this project should be limited to the $80,000 as first promised. I challenge Councilman Coates or Councilman Priore to step up to the plate and ask that this issue be revisited.

Mike Nelson Wellington

Congress is looking everywhere to cut spending and increase tax revenue — everywhere that is, except the third rail of entitlements, Social Security. Although Social Security is not “broke” right now, it is paying out more money than it is taking in.

Since 1982, Social Security has had surpluses from $89 billion to $190 billion. By law these surpluses are sent to the government, which must pay them back with interest. In fact, in 2009 the Social Security Trust Fund had a balance of $2.5 trillion. Wow! In 2010-11, the fund will spend $48 billion more than it will take

Editor’s note: The following letter was addressed to the Wellington Village Council. A copy was sent to the Town-Crier for publication.

Dear Council Members: After sitting through the April 12 council meeting and listening to the deliberations and public input regarding the proposed $485,000 to be spent on the 9/11 memorial, I was questioned by a number of village residents as to how the $485,000 got approved after the council had previously approved an amount of approximately $80,000. They wanted to know who was pushing this issue and if there was really any public support.

On Wednesday, April 13, I posed questions and requested the following from [Village Manager Paul] Schofield: • Did the $485,000 include all costs to date, including employee time and other expenses spent in transit of the steel to Wellington?

• Is a list available of those who have donated the approximately $112,000 to date? If so, please provide.

• Have either the firefighters or police unions donated any funds?

The response and documents clearly indicate that the public is not getting the true picture, and that there is really no public support for this project. I base this on the following: • The $485,000 did not include

other expenses such as employee hours spent accompanying the steel, employee travel expenses, expenses of the firefighters who accompanied the steel, ongoing village expenses such as the renderings and time spent with outside vendors and other relevant costs. When asked for an accounting of these expenses, an accounting was not available, and I have been advised that one would be completed before the next council meeting. My estimate is that it will far exceed $50,000, bringing the cost of the 9/11 memorial to above a half-million dollars when the public understood it to be $80,000.

• A donor list was provided, and it indeed proves the point of a serious lack of public support. Of the approximately $112,000, an amount of $61,500 came from the village’s charitable gift fund, which was the money received from recent equestrian events.

That represents 55 percent of the $112,000. In essence, the village donated to itself. There were six large donations ranging from $5,000 to $10,500 from local businesses, totaling $40,500. That represents 36 percent of the $112,000.

The total of the above is $102,000, which is 91 percent of the $112,000.

The village raved about the acceptance of the display to raise funds at the recent South Florida Fair. Over the 17 days, it raised a total of approximately $3,500.

That equated to approximately $205 per day with the village manning the display with village staff and expenses, which I am sure exceeded $205 per day.

The booth at the Royal Palm Music & Art Festival returned only $201 over a two-day period while being staffed by the village.

I am sure the $201 did not cover the village cost of manning the booth.

As far as individual donations, there were only 16 totaling $1,300. That is approximately one-tenth of one percent of the $112,000.

Regarding the firefighters and police unions, each donated $1,000. Based on calls to each union, the firefighters have approximately 2,000 members and police approximately 4,000 members. Breaking down the $1,000 by member count equals a whopping support by the unions of 50 cents per union member for the firefighters and 25 cents per union member for the police. That is hardly an outpouring of union support.

What was really surprising was who has not donated. None of the four people who gave input at the April 12 meeting who tried to shame the council into approving the $485,000 donated anything.

Neither did Carmine Priore, Howard Coates or Matt Willhite,

portion of the county. He said the buffers along the populated boundaries will still be retained, and that the property is more than capable of providing that space.

“You only need about 30 acres of land on which to build 281,000 square feet, maybe a little bit more than that, and Richard has 64 acres,” Bentz said. “He has literally double what you actually need for that development.”

Bentz said a portion of the land is a 200-foot-wide drainage easement that runs along the western and most populated boundary of the property. “That by itself provides 14 acres of green, open

space,” he said. “In addition to that, we still have the requirement for a 10-acre open space somewhere. When I hear there are concerns by the community, I’m at a loss to see why because, first off, there is a strong need for commercial use in that portion of Palm Beach County. It’s very heavily underserved from a commercial needs perspective. Residents have to drive outside their area for basic services.”

But Fox Trail resident Nancy Gribble has a different point of view. “Mr. Sluggett never informed the community that he had no intention to develop that prop-

erty,” Gribble said. “Instead, he presented us with a site plan to try to get the community to buy into his commercial development. We didn’t support it. We were skeptical. We asked for conditions; he got them removed.”

Conditions requested by residents included a restriction to 161,000 square feet, which was later increased to 281,000, and a condition that it be a “traditional marketplace” design, which was modified only to require the developer to design it so it is compatible with the surrounding area, Gribble said. “We’re going to be stuck with somebody who possi-

bly doesn’t live in the area and has no respect for the wishes of the residents of Fox Trail,” Gribble said. “We were right from the beginning. We said it was about greed, and it is about greed.”

Gribble also criticized the Palms West Chamber of Commerce and others who got up in support of the land use amendment when it went before the Palm Beach County Commission.

She added that the residents in the area do not need more commercial services. “We have the mall in Wellington, and we have plenty of commercial on Southern,” Gribble said.

NIMBY In RPB NIMBY (not in my back yard) is alive and well in Royal Palm Beach. The Wastewater Treatment Plant Task Force had too many lapses to be taken seriously. The statement “There are no parks or recreation north of Okeechobee Blvd.” seems to overlook Vivian A. Ferrin Memorial Park, Crestwood Park, H.L. Johnson Park, Earth Day Park and Todd A. Robiner Park. Is that an oversight or obfuscation?

The statement talking about, “The major intersection of Okeechobee Blvd. and 441” is either from ignorance or misinformation. The two roads do not come together except in the minds of the task force members.

The resulting final proposal seems to show the task force could not come to a unified point, but each segment seemed to get a little piece of what they wished for, ending with a hodgepodge wherein each segment does not complement the other. Fortunately, the council is and mostly has been too wise to take this fractured effort seriously.

Albert Wahl Royal Palm Beach

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in, and starting in 2015, it will spend more than it receives, every year in the foreseeable future.

Not to worry. The Social Security Trust Fund, with the interest it receives from the government, comes to the rescue until 2020.

The government will owe the fund $3.1 trillion. Will it have it? If it does, we are safe until 2037; then the money runs out. The fund will then run deficits for the foreseeable future.

What to do? Start executing a change now! There have been a lot of suggestions. Raise the age new retirees can receive benefits.

Have employees/employers keep paying all year into the plan at the current rate beyond the threshold of $106,800. Use mean testing, that is, let people earning more than a certain amount pay in a higher percentage than the 6.2 percent for the employer/employee current rate.

The additional revenues will ensure the fund will not run deficits, and the money will help bring down our national debt. We will have to do it some day soon. Why not now?

Morley Alperstein Wellington

Nelson: Little Support For The Patriot Memorial

BARRY S. MANNING Publisher

JOSHUA I. MANNING Executive Editor

JODY GORRAN Associate Publisher

DAWN RIVERA General Manager

JASON BUD JINSKI Community Editor

RON BUKLEY Managing Editor

EDITORIAL STAFF/ Chris Felker • Denise Fleischman • Lauren Miró CONTRIBUTORS/ Josh Hyber • Jules Rabin • Ellen Rosenberg Leonard Wechsler • Deborah Welky ART & PRODUCTION MANAGER/ Stephanie Rodriguez ADVERTISING MANAGER/ Scott Hyber ADVERTISING/ Betty Buglio • Evie Edwards • Wanda Glockson STAFF/ Shanta Daibee • Linda Dyer • Carol Lieberman • Geri O’Neil

Memorial Is Not Needed It’s apparent that the Wellington Village Council doesn’t read any of the comments that are online at WPTV’s coverage of the Patriot Memorial dispute or the Palm Beach Post article. There were tons of comments, most all negative.

I just read the Town-Crier article about the latest meeting (“Wellington To Stay The Course With Patriot Memorial Despite Expense,” April 15) in which it seems that the only people who made any sense were Mr. [Mike] Poza and Mayor Darell Bowen.

The mayor is right, it would make Wellington look bad. So why spend $485,000 when there are so many people out of work and some who either can’t or are barely able to put food on the table.

Mr. Poza said that in this economy we shouldn’t be spending money on a memorial of any kind, and he’s right. If Mr. [Ernie] Zimmerman thinks that Wellington should spend money that it doesn’t have, then I feel that Mr. Zimmerman should come up with the rest of the funds. I haven’t talked with anyone yet (including people from New York) who wants or thinks the money should be spent to have the memorial here. Maybe there should be a moving memorial like the Vietnam wall that goes around

the country. I believe that Mr. Zimmerman is the one who made the comment that neighbors came together after 9/11. I don’t recall that happening then. I remember that everyone felt a great pride in our flag and what it stood for. I believe it was the hurricanes where everyone became everyone’s neighbor and helped each other out.

Is the Patriot Memorial a nice idea? Yes, it is, but it should be kept on the hallowed grounds of what was the World Trade Center and be a place where people go to visit to reflect and to get the true feeling of what happened that terrible day — just as they do for all the other memorials. Why do we need to have it here? Why the eternal flame (who’s paying for that to burn?), and why the etchedglass wall (wait until it gets spray painted or broken)? Are we also going to ask for a piece of the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania and a piece of the plane and/ or the Pentagon? What about all the people who died there?

The council is trying to shove 50 pounds into a five-pound bag.

In the same area with little parking we already have an amphitheater with limited seating, and a playground that certainly was the best idea so far and it is well used.

I’m sure if there was an inch more, someone would try to cram something else in. Then down the street is a very nice and pretty Veterans’ Memorial. But again, it appears that not much thought was put into placement. How many veterans can actually get to the area when there is a need: no parking except what has to be taken away from the merchants at the nearby shopping center, and for disabled vets, that’s a long walk to visit in their honor.

I recently read a letter to the editor by Mrs. [Elizabeth] Cayson, and she is 1,000-percent right. It is a disgrace the way the military is treated, with the recent threat that their paychecks would be delayed if Washington shut down.

Wasn’t it interesting that at the same time those families would be doing without that the Congress and president would still be getting their paychecks? Wonder why those making big money for being in Congress, be it Washington or Tallahassee, make cuts to everyone but themselves? The kids need to stop fighting and play nice in the sandbox so they actually get important work done.

Barbara Tucker Wellington

The Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep letters brief (300 words). Submit letters, with contact name, address, and telephone number (anonymous letters will not be published), to The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414; fax them to (561) 793-6090; or you can e-mail them to letters@goTownCrier.com.

Signs have gone up offering the Sluggett property for sale.

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April 29 - May 5, 2011

Page 5

NEWS

CAFCI ANNUAL EASTER PICNIC A FUN AND RELAXING DAY AT OKEEHEELEE PARK Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) held its annual Easter Picnic and Family Fun Day on Saturday, April 23 at Okeeheelee Park’s Micanopy Pavilion. There was a domino tournament, dancing, raffles, an egg hunt, sack races and children’s activities. Proceeds will benefit the CAFCI scholarship fund.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER

Prudel Belle, Nicole Pearson, Vinett e Tracey and Lorna Pearson enjoy lunch.

Genieve White and Winsom Mar tin serve food.

Tafari Marseille gets some rice from grandma Michelle Marseille.

Kathleen Lannaman and Ed Clarke enjoy the day.

The Event Committee: CAFCI President Ernie Garvey, Yvonne Lawrence, Lauriston Simms, Henworth Ferguson, Betty Mallory, Percival Wood and Bill Turner.

George Stewart, Ed Clarke, Doreen Baxter and Donald Coote play a game of dominoes.

Union Protest In Wellington Takes Aim At State Sen. Benacquisto Members of the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans (FLARA), the Florida American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFLCIO), and other local unions protested State Senate Bill 830 outside the Wellington Community Center on Thursday, April 21.

Union members staged similar protests across the state.

SB 830 would bar payroll deduction for union dues and prohibit those dues from being used for political activity without written consent, something union members worry would cut their political power.

FLARA President Tony Fransetta, a Wellington resident, said that the group was protesting outside of State Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto’s office in the community center to encourage her to vote against the bill.

Protesters carry signs outside Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto’s office at the Wellington Community Center on Thursday, April 21.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER

Page 6

April 29 - May 5, 2011

The Town-Crier

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CRIME NEWS

Vehicle And $14,000 In Items Stolen From A Business In RPB

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report APRIL 23 — The owner of a consulting firm in Ponce Plaza called the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in Royal Palm Beach last Saturday to report a burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim received a phone call from his alarm company at approximately 1 a.m.

However, he told them not to send the PBSO to the site as there had been several false alarms recently. When the victim arrived at work at approximately 11 a.m. that morning, he discovered that someone had smashed the side window of his office building and entered the business. The perpetrator(s) stole several items, including a GPS survey unit, a hand-held computer, a magnetic locator and more. The stolen items were valued at approximately $13,992.

According to the report, the victim also discovered that the perpetrator(s) stole his blue 2006 Ford F-150 truck that was parked in the parking lot. The victim called his employees, who said that they did not have the truck.

DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

••• APRIL 21 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched to a home on Shoma Drive last Thursday regarding a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 6 and 6:30 p.m. last Tuesday, someone entered the victim’s home through the unlocked front door and stole an Xbox 360 game console and a BB gun. The victim said her daughter left the house and left the front door unlocked. Her daughter returned to the home to find the front door locked, suggesting that someone was inside. According to the report, the daughter ran to a friend’s house to find an adult, who returned to the home to find the door unlocked. The stolen items were valued at approximately $310. The victim said neighborhood juveniles might have been responsible for the crime.

APRIL 21 — A juvenile suspect was arrested last Thursday morning on drug charges. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation was on Shoma Drive investigating the juvenile for a possible truancy. The deputy made contact with the suspect and found her to have approximately 1.5 grams of marijuana and a smoking pipe in her possession. The suspect was arrested and taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center.

APRIL 22 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched to the Crossroads Shopping Center on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. late last Friday night regarding an act of vandalism. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 11 p.m. last Thursday and 11:20 p.m. the following night, someone spraypainted several words on a wall in the plaza. The perpetrator(s) painted in red spray-paint the words “one,” “the one,” “scope” and “bomb the world.” The deputy also observed the initials “A.M.” There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

APRIL 23 — Two residents of the Village Walk community called the PBSO substation in Wellington last Saturday to report vehicle burglaries. According to separate PBSO reports, the victims had items stolen out of their unlocked vehicles. According to one PBSO report, a deputy from the Wellington substation recovered a pair of stolen sunglasses and made contact with the victim.

The victim said she parked her vehicle in her driveway on Nevis Place at approximately 6 p.m. last Friday and left it unlocked. When she returned to her car at 6 a.m. the following morning, she discovered that she was missing several items. The perpetrator(s) took two pairs of sunglasses, an auxiliary cord for a cell phone, Apple headphones and $7 cash. The stolen items were valued at approximately $98. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. In a separate PBSO report, sometime between 7 p.m. last Friday and 9:20 a.m. the following morning, someone entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle on Xanthus Lane and stole a silver Dell laptop computer with a Verizon air card, black designer sunglasses and a pack of cigarettes. The stolen items were valued at approximately $775. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

APRIL 23 — A resident of Strathmore Gate West contacted the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach last Saturday morning to report a vehicle burglary.

According to a PBSO report, sometime between 4 p.m. last Friday and 7 a.m. the following morning, someone entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle and stole his TomTom GPS unit from his glove box. The GPS was valued at approximately $130. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

APRIL 23 —AWellington resident contacted the PBSO substation in Wellington last Saturday to report a burglary to her storage unit. According to a PBSO report, an employee of the storage unit in Commerce Park East called the victim to tell her that her unit did not have a lock on it, and that the employee had placed a business lock on it. The victim visited the storage unit and discovered that it had been disturbed and several boxes had been moved or damaged. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

APRIL 23 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched to a home in Olympia last Saturday afternoon regarding an attempted residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, last Tuesday the victim received a phone call from his alarm company that the alarm had gone off. The victim’s husband was out of town, and when he arrived home on Saturday he checked the doors to the home. He discovered that one side of the rear sliding glass door wouldn’t open. According to the report, the perpetrator(s) had wedged small pieces of broken tile under the door in an attempt to pop it off the track but were unsuccessful. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

APRIL 25 — A deputy from See BLOTTER, Page 20

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Kerr is wanted for grand theft, fraudulent use of personal identification, credit card forgery and fraudulent use of a credit card. Her occupation is unknown. Her last known addresses were Sturbridge Lane in Wellington and Haverhill Circle in West Palm Beach. Kerr is wanted as of 04/ 28/11.

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April 29 - May 5, 2011

Page 7

NEWS

RPB Council Enacts Rules To Deal With Foreclosure Vacancies

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Royal Palm Beach Village Council granted final approval last week to an ordinance designed to provide for the registration of property subject to foreclosure and require maintenance of properties that become vacant.

After discussion with other elected officials, some council members said that the ordinance could become a model for other municipalities struggling with abandoned property issues.

At the April 21 meeting, Senior Planner Bradford O’Brien said the village seeks to regulate vacant and abandoned property in the village by requiring registration by the mortgagee and establishing a method to track the responsible

parties in order to establish maintenance standards and require that the properties be secured so they are not accessible to unauthorized persons.

Building Code Administrator Rob Hill explained a flow chart that illustrated what would happen with property owners who are in default on their mortgage payments.

The bank would report a default publicly and register the property at that time. Both the bank and the village would inspect the property monthly for occupancy violations, Hill said. If a property is found to be occupied, the contact information for the responsible party would be put on file with the village and the property would be placed on a watch list.

If the property is found to be vacant, 24-hour contact information would be posted on the property to provide information for neighbors, and the property would be inspected monthly to see that it is secure and maintained.

“The occupied properties continue through the code enforcement process,” Hill said. “The difference is that in that process, now we would have the contact person and the bank on board. As soon as the property becomes compliant and comes out of default, it then is removed from that list.”

Councilman David Swift asked who will do the research to find properties in default, and Hill said that currently, village staff members are doing it to the best of their ability.

“We are planning to continue doing that,” Hill said. “We are looking at some other options that would be available, perhaps with a third party, to increase our success rate.”

Swift asked for the number of currently vacant RPB homes, and Hill said more than 400 have been identified by village staff and homeowners’ associations as vacant or foreclosed properties. “Our forecast number that we’ve been provided is going to go well beyond that,” Hill said.

Swift asked how much a thirdparty research contract would cost, and Hill said that initial discussions with outside vendors had not established a price. “It would be worked into whatever fee schedule is ultimately adopted,” he said.

“It would be a portion of that, probably 50 percent.”

Village Manager Ray Liggins noted that the registration fee had been set in the ordinance at $150 per residence.

Councilman Fred Pinto asked whether the village would go through a bid process to select a vendor, and Liggins said the village could piggyback with a municipality that has a contract consistent with what the village needs.

“If something doesn’t exist like that out there, we would go out for a request for proposals,” Liggins said.

Village Attorney Brad Biggs noted that the ordinance distinguishes vacant property that is being taken care of from property that “displays evidence of vacan-

cy,” such as overgrown or dead vegetation, an accumulation of abandoned personal property or statements by neighbors.

Swift asked how the mortgagees will know they are required to give notice, and Hill said the Code Enforcement Division canvasses the properties but that the default notice is the trigger, in which case the village will give notice to the mortgagee.

Hill said his staff has been improving their research methods after attending various seminars on the subject and learning how to find out who the owner or mortgage holder is more readily. “With the implementation of this proposal, we think we will have the tools to be able to shorten that gap and See VACANCIES, page 20

PALMS WEST HOSPITAL CELEBRATES 25 YEARS WITH AN ICE CREAM SOCIAL

Palms West Hospital held a 25th anniversary ice cream social on Monday, April 25 with a 25-item topping bar for hospital staff and associates.

PHOTOS BY R ON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

Direct or of Marketing Lisa Gardi and 25-year employee Heremine Nines serve ice cream.

Nicola Brother ton and Rita Jeroloman.

Ice cream social attendees help themselves to their choice of 25 different toppings.

Royal Palm Beach Zoners OK Commercial For 4.5-Acre SR 7 Parcel

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Commission, sitting as the Local Planning Agency, recommended approval Tuesday for a land use amendment and rezoning from industrial to commercial for a 4.5-acre parcel on the east side of State Road 7 about a mile south of Southern Blvd.

The application was made by Pebb Enterprises Royal Palm Beach. Village staff recommended approval of the small-scale amendment, which means the land is less than 10 acres and does not require review by the Florida Department of Community Affairs, according to Development Review Coordinator Kevin Erwin.

The land is immediately south of the Royal Office Park and just north of the Isla Verde mixed use development in Wellington.

Erwin said the commercial designation is consistent with the current development pattern, adjacent to office use to the north and commercial retail to the south and west.

The currently vacant parcel was annexed in December 2003. The village assigned a designation of limited industrial in May 2004, and a site plan was approved in July 2008 to allow for a 48,875square-foot development consisting of a two-story, 33,000-squarefoot office building and a singlestory, 15,875-square-foot wholesale trade building.

Erwin said the applicant has submitted a marketing study showing the need for commercial development on the land, and that it meets traffic circulation requirements for efficient movement at reasonable cost and minimum detriment to the environment.

The applicant also plans to provide cross access to the Isla Verde and Royal Office Park developments, Erwin said. Water and sewer service will be provided by Palm Beach County Water Utilities.

Commissioner Barbara Powell asked about landscape irrigation for the site, and agent Donaldson Hearing with Cotleur & Hearing

Architects said irrigation will be from available stormwater sources and some wells, adding that reuse water is not available at the site.

Commission Chair Genevieve Lambiase asked whether any demographic studies had been done for the area, and Hearing said there was no demographic study but that marketing analysis demonstrated a need for commercial land use.

“This is an infill site in between two fairly large commercial sites,” Hearing said. “It’s currently an industrial use in between office use and a commercial land use, and what we’re trying to do is create a homogenous land use pattern and then be able to interconnect the properties.”

Hearing pointed out that Pebb Enterprises and their related companies own both the Royal Office Park and the Isla Verde Shopping Center on the other side. “It really gives us the ability to create some real synergies to knit the two properties together, to have a fairly lengthy area where cars can stay

off State Road 7 and travel between the different properties,” Hearing said.

Commission Alternate Michael Newkirk made a motion to approve the land use application, which passed 4-0.

The commissioners also approved the accompanied rezoning application 4-0 with no discussion to make the zoning concurrent with the land use.

In other business, the commissioners approved an application by the Links at Madison Green for permanent and retractable awnings over the new patio area and south exterior doors at its newly constructed pro shop and restaurant building.

Erwin explained that that the village had recently approved the renovation of the cart barn and the addition of the new building with a restaurant, pro shop, locker rooms and other facilities.

“The applicant is now seeking to put an outdoor seating area on the west side of that new building,” Erwin said. “They’re going to be putting awnings over it,

which requires architectural approval.”

The awning will be supported by decorative columns. The applicant also proposed two fixed awnings over the exit doors on the east and west sides of the south side of the building and a retractable awning over the triple doors on the south façade.

All the awnings will be forest green to match other existing awnings, which will be replaced to ensure that there are no colormatching issues due to fading, Erwin said, adding that village staff recommended approval.

Commission Alternate Janet Ellis asked about hurricane provisions, and agent John Szerdi said all the awnings are designed to come down. “They are rated for 90 miles per hour, but they can be taken down,” Szerdi said.

Lambiase asked whether they will obscure any homeowner’s view, and Erwin said there are no homes nearby. Ellis made a motion to approve the application, which carried 4-0.

The commissioners also ap-

proved an application by the BP gas station in the Coral Sky Shopping Center on the east side of SR 7 to change the price portion of the existing sign from white plastic changeable letters to green LED letters with a black background.

Erwin explained that changeable signs are generally prohibited by village code, except in the case of gasoline price signs, as long as they are not flashing or animated. Erwin also pointed out that the applicant has agreed to reduce the intensity of the lights if the village determines that they pose a hazard or nuisance.

The commissioners also approved the applicant’s request to move the sign from the northeast corner of the site to the middle of the property facing SR 7.

Newkirk asked that landscaping be improved in the area where the sign is now, and that landscaping be added in the area around the relocated sign. He made a motion to approve the application with the landscaping conditions, which passed 4-0.

Scott’s Place Playground Goes To The Animals For May 7 Story Time

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Scott’s Place Story Time is going wild next month when the Palm Beach Zoo drops by with some of its animal friends Saturday, May 7 at 10 a.m.

Story Time is an opportunity for children and families once a month to be entertained, enlightened and introduced to the fun of reading. Held at the reading corner in Scott’s Place Playground (12190 W. Forest Hill Blvd.), the event is free and open to the public.

The reading corner was put in

Scott’s Place at the request of playground benefactors Barb and Del Williamson.

The Williamsons donated $250,000 to build the park, a barrier-free playground named in memory of their late son, Scott.

They requested a place where children who might be too sick or tired to play could come and read with their friends.

Since its opening, the reading corner has been a popular place, complete with a trunk filled with books for the children to enjoy.

Next month’s Story Time will be the last before the program

takes a summer break in June, July and August. It will resume in September, Wellington Volunteer Coordinator Kim Henghold said.

Children will be entertained with three stories, all with an animal theme. Afterward, children will have the opportunity to learn about and interact with the special guests from the zoo.

Mommy Hugs by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben depicts all sorts of baby animals hugging their mothers. “It’s in celebration of Mother’s Day,” Henghold said.

Giraffes Can’t Dance, by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees, is

a book that celebrates the confidence to do what you love no matter what people think. The third book is A Fish Out of Water

by Helen Palmer and P.D. Eastman, a story about a little boy who feeds his fish too much and the trouble that causes.

Though there are no guarantees which animals the zoo will be bringing by, children will have the opportunity to interact with several kid-friendly creatures.

“They don’t know which animals they will be bringing until the day of the event,” Henghold said.

“It depends on the animals. Some-

times they are too tired, or may have already been used at another event. They try to do what is best for the animal.”

She said that the zoo representatives would give a small presentation about the animals. “They’ll talk about each animal and give a brief summary,” she said. “It will be an opportunity for the children to learn about and interact with the animals.”

The event is part of the Palm Beach Zoo’s continuing partnership with Wellington.

“The zoo attended our volunteer work day,” Henghold said.

“We were discussing with them what sort of partnership we wanted to have. We already refer volunteers to them for their greeting station.”

In the absence of the Story Time program, residents can enjoy story time at the Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) every Saturday at 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. for children age 2 and older.

Scott’s Place is designed with large play structures and ramps ensuring children and parents of all physical abilities can play together. For more information, call Henghold at (561) 791-4137.

Page 8

April 29 - May 5, 2011

The Town-Crier

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NEWS BRIEFS Wellington To Host Relay For Life May 14

Temple B’nai Jacob students attend a model seder on April 17.

Wellington’s Temple B’nai Jacob Hosts Two Special Seders As Jewish people all around the world celebrated Passover, the members of Temple B’nai Jacob of Wellington held two special seders of their own. The eight-day festival of Passover began at sundown on Monday, April 18.

Passover commemorates the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The Passover seder is a festive meal that goes back to the events that happened more than 3,000 years ago, as the story of the exodus is retold. Seders are held on the first two nights of Passover.

Temple B’nai Jacob of Wellington held two wonderful seders to celebrate Passover. On Sunday,

April 17, a model seder was held for students attending B’nai Jacob’s religious school. The children participated in all of the rituals of the seder and joined with the rabbi and cantor in prayer and song. Traditional seder food was part of this special morning. On the evening of April 19, more than 100 people gathered at Temple B’nai Jacob to participate in a fantastic family seder. This meaningful seder was led by Rabbi David Abrams and was highlighted by lively discussion, delicious food and most importantly, the company of family and friends.

For more information about the temple, call (561) 793-4347.

Wellington will host the American Cancer Society Relay for Life May 14-15 at Village Park, 11700 Pierson Road.

The event will start at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 14 and continue throughout the night, concluding with a closing ceremony at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 15. Teams will camp out at Village Park with the goal of keeping at least one team member on the track at all times throughout the relay. The only requirement to participate in Relay for Life is a $100 team commitment fee. Additional funds raised through individual, team and online efforts are donated to the American Cancer Society.

To register a team, join an existing team or learn more about the relay, visit www.relayforlife.org/ wellingtonfl, or contact American Cancer Society Community Representative Teri Lane at (561) 6500134 or via e-mail at teri.lane@ cancer.org.

WHS Bands Present Spring Concert May 5 The Wellington High School band program will present its spring concert Thursday, May 5 at 7 p.m. at the WHS performing arts theater.

The concert is titled “Surround Sound” and will feature music performances utilizing 360 degrees of the theater. The school’s award-

winning concert bands and jazz band will be featured, along with several smaller ensembles, performing musical styles from classical to pop to jazz.

Admission is free, and the entire community is invited to attend.

For additional information, visit www.whsband.com.

Women’s Workshop May 6 In Royal Palm Connie Ingram of Ingram & Ingram Counseling & Consulting and Rock A. Tate of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney will present a women’s workshop Friday, May 6 at 11:30 a.m. at Crispers (10287 Okeechobee Blvd., Royal Palm Beach). Ingram will discuss “Practical Steps for Dealing With Grief,” and Tate will discuss “Take Control of Your Financial Future After Death, Divorce or Illness of Your Spouse.” For more information, or to RSVP for the event, contact Ingram & Associates at (561) 792-9242.

RPB Biz Offers Mother’s Day Sweepstakes Are you looking for a perfect gift for Mother’s Day? Royal Palm Beach-based company Napkin Wizard is offering a chance to win a Mother’s Day gift from its web site, www.napkinwizard. com. The retail value is worth more than $200. The extravagant and entertaining gift set items include something for the table and

something to pamper mom. The gift set includes eight napkins by Lenox, eight designer napkin rings, a Gigi Flower Clutch by Mar Y Sol, a Caswell-Massey Damask Rose gift set, a rotunda tray and the book Elegant Entertaining by Dorothy Stapleton.

The sweepstakes ends May 1.

You must be 21 to enter. For additional information about Napkin Wizard or the sweepstakes, visit www.napkinwizard.com and click the Facebook “like” button.

American Legion Auxiliary Next Meets May 2 The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 367 will hold its monthly meeting Monday, May 2 at 11 a.m. at Palms West Presbyterian Church (13689 Okeechobee Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves).

The speaker will be a representative from the Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, who has been asked to explain “Horses for Heroes,” the center’s rehabilitation program for veterans. The representative also has been asked to discuss the proposed covered riding facility the center hopes will be available so that inclement weather will not interfere with the riding programs. The history of Vinceremos and its outreach programs will also be a topic of discussion.

The American Legion Auxiliary will provide a covered dish meal after the speaker’s presentation. For more information, or to RSVP, call Unit 367 President Marge Herzog at (561) 791-9875.

Cultural Diversity Day May 5 In RPB Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) and the Village of Royal Palm Beach will host the annual Cultural Diversity Day on Saturday, May 7 from 1 p.m. to sundown at Veterans Park.

At 4 p.m., a 65-member group from Quito, Ecuador will showcase their culture with music and regional dance performances.

There will also be exceptional performances from India, Japan, China, Trinidad, Jamaica and the United States. International music, food, displays, face painting and much more will be presented throughout the park. Entertainment is free to the public.

For more information, or to register for a display booth, call Elet Cyris at (561) 791-9087, Ernie Garvey at (561) 676-5664 or the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center at (561) 790-5100.

Pierce Hammock Roundup May 5 Pierce Hammock Elementary School will host its kindergarten roundup Thursday, May 5 at 8:30 a.m. in the school cafeteria (14255 Hamlin Blvd., The Acreage). Parents of 2011-12 kindergarten students are welcome to attend. Students must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 1 to register for kindergarten. Parents will receive a registration and informational packet for entry into kindergarten.

Packets will also be available in the front office beginning May 6.

For info., call (561) 633-4500.

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NEWS

CORNERSTONE FELLOWSHIP HOSTS ANNUAL COMMUNITY EGG HUNT & FUN DAY Cornerstone Fellowship in The Acreage hosted its sixth Community Easter Egg Hunt and Fun Day Saturday, April 23. Before the hunt, children and their parents gathered in the church parking lot before splitting into five groups that rotated around five activity areas that featured games, puzzles, crafts and a puppet show production of the story of Easter.

PHOTOS BY ERIC WOODARD/TOWN-CRIER

Brittany Schlick with her son Jacob.

Sarah Nuzzolo scrambles to fill her Easter basket.

Green Team members Kara and Kim Bishop at their table.

Kay Bellino helps Sarah Nuzzolo and Madison Blomeke make Easter prayer crosses.

Debbie Hirshfield, Kim Bennett and Pastor Mick ey Oliphant.

Kim Bishop helps Alex and Kaylin P ortieles with their fishing.

SOUTH FLORIDA FAIR, YESTERYEAR VILLAGE HONOR VOLUNTEERS AT BARBECUE The annual South Florida Fair and Yesteryear Village Volunteer Appreciation Barbecue t ook place Thursday, April 21 at the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center. Volunteers were served food by fair directors and staff. In addition to the awards, a special proclaPHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER mation was given to Ann Holt for winning the Florida Agriculture Woman of the Year Award.

Fair Board Chair Bob Broadway, Outstanding Volunteers Bonnie Dell and Debbie Hulen, and CEO Rick Vymlatil.

Fair Board Chair Bob Broadway, Pioneer Award winner B.J. Maxwell and CEO Rick Vymlatil.

Fair Board Chair Bob Broadway recognizes Florida Agriculture Woman of the Year Ann Holt.

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NEWS

ROYAL PALM BEACH SENIORS ENJOY AN EASTER-THEMED ‘SPRING FLING’ PARTY

The Royal Palm Beach Seniors Group held its Spring Fling on April 19 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. An Easter bonnet contest w as held, and the winners were Ber tha Orange (Most Elegant), Prudel Belle (Live Flowered Hat), Fran Isidro (Most Whimsical) and Ruth Hamlyn (Spring Color).

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER

Easter bonnet contest winners Ber tha Orange, Prudel Belle, Fran Isidro and Ruth Hamlyn.

Justina Searing, Ruth Hamlyn and Mary Smith.

Vinette Tracey, Prudel Belle and Sharon Lincoln.

Ilyn Greene and Eunice Gillis.

Fran Isidro and Louise Wood.

Dolly Hughes and Carl Wingo dance.

‘BEAUTY AND THE BEAST’ CONCLUDES THIS WEEKEND AT THE KING’S ACADEMY The King’s Academy production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast kicked off April 21 and will conclude Saturday, April 30 at the TKA Sports and Fine Ar ts Center. Pictured here are cast member s during a full dress rehearsal. F or ticket info., visit www.tka.net or call (561) 686-4244.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER

Belle (Lara Williams) with Madame de la Grande Bouche (Jessica Perry) and Mrs. Potts (Mikah Adams).

Gaston (Austin Herrero) in a pub.

Gaston (Austin Herrero) with the Silly Sisters.

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NEWS

PBSO, PEPSI JOIN EASTER BUNNY TO VISIT WITH CHILDREN IN AREA HOSPITALS

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Off ice and Pepsi Co. representatives, along with the Easter Bunny, visited Palms West Hospital and Wellington Regional Medical Center on Friday, April 22 to deliver stuffed bunnies to young patients. Pepsi has become a corporate sponsor of this project, which brings smiles to children in the hospital during Easter weekend.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER

Pepsi reps Lory Henke and Sue Cherry join the Easter Bunny in a visit with Diego Carrizo at Palms West Hospital.

Bryan Ariza gets a visit from PBSO District 8 Capt. Jay Hart and the Easter Bunny at Wellington Regional Medical Center.

Irina Agap, Kim France, Lisa Goddard and JoAnn Franklin with the Easter Bunny at WRMC.

The Easter Bunny with Pepsi rep Lory Henke, PBSO District 8 Capt. Jay Hart, Dr. David Soria and JoAnn Franklin at WRMC.

Pepsi’s Lory Henke, Brad Hoffar and Sue Cherry, joined by the Easter Bunny, give Lester Kirkland a bunny at P.W. Hospital.

Pediatric doctors and nur ses at Palms West Hospital.

The Easter Bunny with Patrice Peart and her dad Dave at WRMC.

Russell Barton receives a little bunny from the big bunn y.

PBSO Deputy Lillian Sutterfield, Joel Contra, Leonardo Elias and the Easter Bunny.

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NEWS

P.W. COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HOSTS WOMEN OF THE YEAR STILETTO AWARDS The Palms West Community Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, hosted the inaugural 2011 Women of the Year Stiletto Awards luncheon on Thursday, April 21 at the Breakers W est Country Club. The foundation recognized four leaders in the business community, who live and/or work in central Palm Beach County. The Golden Stiletto Award went to Julie Kime for her dedication to the area for more than 30 years. The Corporate Stiletto Award went to Maggie Zeller of IberiaBank, the Nonprofit/Education Stiletto Award went to Sharon Gill of the Oasis Compassion Agency and the Entrepreneur Award went to Susan Giddings of Spare Hands. Through the Stiletto Awards program, the foundation sought to honor women who have become leaders in the business community and, in the process, have helped to strengthen and enrich the quality of life in central Palm Beach County by helping to advance the educational, cultural and economic interests of the community. The nominees were submitted by community members. For more info., visit www.palmswest.com.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER

CHECK OUT VIDEO FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

Entrepreneur Award winner Susan Giddings (center) is honored. (L-R) Maureen Gross, Hope Barron, Joanna Boynton, Monica Hoffman, Meg Roy and Rachelle Crain.

Nonprofit/Education Award winner Sharon Gill with Maureen Gross, fellow nominees Wellington Councilwoman Anne Gerwig and Terri Priore, and Rachelle Crain.

Corporate Award winner Maggie Zeller is honored.

(L-R) Chamber Vice Chair of Marketing Rachelle Crain, Zeller, Maureen Gross and nominee Terri Wescott.

Golden Stiletto Award winner Julie Kime (center) with Palms West Commuity Foundation Director of Development Maureen Gross and Palms West Chamber CEO Jaene Miranda.

Kings Management Inspires Wellington Man To Pursue New Career The treasurer of the Wellington’s Edge HOA, Jamil “Jimmy” Meni, has been motivated to enter the profession of community association management himself by the association’s current manager, Bruce King of Kings Management Services.

Meni moved to Florida in 1992 from New York City, where he had extensive experience in management, finance, insurance, problem solving, human resources and organizational skills, which led him to own and operate his own businesses.

In 1999, Meni settled into a home in Wellington’s Edge and became active in the community HOA by attending many board meetings before deciding to run for a seat on the board. For the past seven years, he’s been an active board member, was elected vice president and now is treasurer of the association.

“In my service on the board, I gathered knowledge of Florida

statutes and association budgets,” he said. “Utilizing my business and financial skills has helped me safeguard the assets of our homeowners’ association, give our homeowners peace of mind and protect our home values.”

Sitting on the board has given Meni a first-hand look at the property management profession.

“Throughout the years of being in the community and watching several management companies come and go,” Meni said, “I have been very impressed with our current management company, Kings Management, owned and operated by Bruce King. Bruce’s philosophy, professionalism, integrity and successful management style has inspired me in starting a new career in property management.”

So that is just what he did. Meni studied for many hours while taking the course in community association management. He recently took the state CAM examination and passed it to become a li-

censed community association manager.

King himself had been driven to open his family-operated business back in 1995 through the same impetus — serving on his community’s board of directors. In addition to becoming a licensed community association manager, he brought to the table a wealth of experience useful to the multi-faceted aspects of association management.

As owner and president, King has a thorough grasp of community association management, with extensive experience in specialty construction, including familiarity with engineering and architectural procedures, a fluid knowledge of general accounting and financial reporting principles, experience in community and municipal interaction and a personal understanding of community needs.

“The growth of Kings Management can be attributed to our con-

sistent reputation as a company focused on resident satisfaction and community success,” he said.

“At a time when nearly all communities have experienced an increase in delinquent dues and foreclosed units, we have successfully sought cost-saving alternatives for associations through legal and financial strategies.”

And Meni is happy to have such a strong role model when pursing his new career.

“As a community association manager, my objective will be to utilize my acquired practical knowledge and schooling to make life in the community I run a positive experience for all residents,” Meni said. “I am very passionate about property management, and it is due in large part to Bruce King of Kings Management Services.”

For more information about Kings Management Services, visit www.kingsmanagement.com or contact Bruce King directly at (561) 627-0480.

Jamil “Jimmy” Meni of Wellington’s Edge with Bruce King of Kings Management Services.

PHOTO COURTESY LINDA KING/PALMBEACHCREATIVE.COM

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SCHOOL NEWS

Seminole Ridge Student Competes In Robotics World Championship Seminole Ridge High School freshman Connor Piegaro joined nearly 10,000 middle school, high school and university participants from 16 countries to compete in the action-packed 2011 VEX Robotics World Championship April 14-16 at Disney World. Teams from the U.S., Canada, China and New Zealand triumphed or got toasted during the intense threeday tournament.

Round Up, the 2010-11 VEX Robotics competition game, is played on a 12’x12’ field where two “alliances,” composed of two teams, compete. Each match consists of a 20-second period where robots are controlled by onboard software, followed by two minutes of human-operated play. The object of the game is to attain a higher score than your opponent’s alliance by having your robot place round tubes on goal posts, by owning goal posts, and by having your robot climb the ladder in the center of the field and hanging high off the ground.

Erich Landstrom, coordinator of SECME (Science, Engineering, Communication and Math Excel-

lence), applauded Piegaro’s perseverance and said that “giving SECME students the opportunity to work with the VEX robots promotes education in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math, and teaches critical life skills such as teamwork, project management and problem solving.”

• Hawk Teacher South Africa Bound — SRHS social studies teacher Andrea Caceres-Santamaria has been selected to participate in the Council for Economic Education 2011 study tour to the Republic of South Africa this summer. The tour, funded by the U.S. Department of Education and coordinated by the Department of State, will include school visits, observations of teacher training activities, and meetings with officials, economists and leaders in the field of education.

Caceres-Santamaria will participate in discussions on education reform, teacher professional development, economics in the curriculum, assessment and testing, standards, and teaching methodologies.

NEW HORIZONS DUALLANGUAGE STUDENTS STUDY NONFICTION

New Horizons Elementary School students read nonfiction with the help of technology. Third-, fourth- and f ifth-grade dual-language students were giv en the opportunity to participate in “Achieve Kidbiz.3000.com” where students visited the web site, read nonfiction articles in Spanish, and completed a five-step response to each article. Barbara Garcia’s third-graders accepted the challenge and won with 100-percent student participation.

The dual-language third-graders won for a second year in a row.

Students will receive a certificate and a party in a box. Shown above are third-grade dual-language students with Garcia in the computer lab.

• Building the Best with SECME Students — The South Florida Science Museum and the Florida Engineering Society held their annual engineering competition “Drop It, Build It, Fly It, Launch It, Thrill It” Saturday, April 16. Seminole Ridge congratulates all its students who showcased their skills.

The competition challenges kids to use engineering principles in five design contests: build an unbreakable bridge, create a container protecting an egg in a threestory drop, fly the furthest-flung paper airplane, launch a model rocket with longest time aloft, and construct a model roller coaster with a thrilling theme.

SECME coaches Ed Batchelor and Erich Landstrom applaud the award-winning performances of Mark Blanar and Joe Pavicic (Thrill It, first place and $200) for their “Collision Course” coaster, with a time of 28 seconds; Sam Smith and Cody Summerlin (Thrill It, second place and $100) for their “Flight of the Bumblebee” coaster, with a time of 29.7 seconds; and Arnold Banner

(Drop It, third place and $50), with a 21.5-gram egg container • Holocaust Awareness Week — Kylene Culbert, Rachel Dorleans, Isabelle Dunne, Nicole Tamaras and Jessica Watts, students from Stuart Sabin’s and Rebecca Senecal’s Holocaust Studies courses, presented school board members with copies of Children of the Holocaust April 20 and accepted the district’s proclamation of Holocaust Awareness Week May 1-8 for all Palm Beach County schools.

• Artists Deliver for the Memory Project — SRHS artists have once again brought joy to their counterparts a world away with the delivery of individual portraits to Indonesian children through the online organization the Memory Project.

“The kids were very excited by the whole experience, and incredibly warm with thanks,” project coordinator Ben Shumaker said.

“You have given the kids unique gifts to last a lifetime.”

• Herff Jones to Sponsor Scholarship — The Herff Jones company has announced a schol-

Seminole Ridge freshman Connor Piegaro at the 2011 VEX Robotics World Championship at Disney World. arship for Seminole Ridge students titled the Hawk Tradition Award. Applications for this $1,000 scholarship are available in the guidance office and school store and are due by Friday, May 6.

The Hawk Tradition Award is

a one-time, need-based scholarship to a graduating senior from Seminole Ridge. The recipient will be one who exemplifies the Hawk tradition of community service, citizenship, extracurricular involvement and academic excellence.

Berean Students Help At Special Olympics Event Berean Christian School students Rachel Romnosky, Stacy Cabral, Amber Johnson and Derek Medellin assisted at a local Special Olympics event April 9 at John I. Leonard High School.

The students volunteered to help time track races for the event athletes after Johnson shared her previous volunteering experience with her classmates at school. She had been looking for a way to give back to the community that would apply to her life.

An aspiring dentist, she learned that disabled citizens often volunteer to have dentistry students practice on them. In appreciation, and because of her athletic talents as a softball pitcher, Johnson looked into and volunteered with the Special Olympics. Then, excited by what she experienced, she shared with her classmates and asked them to join the cause. Berean requires students to participate in community service but encourages them to find causes they care about.

• Berean Goes Green — The West Palm Beach Farmer ’s Market recently held a “Green Revolution” event hosted by the Smith-

sonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.

There were a variety of ecofriendly vendors and nonprofit groups to encourage visitors to live sustainably. Among them was Kristen Alyce, an eco-friendly artist and fashion designer who teaches art locally at Berean Christian School. Her fashion show featured a line of clothing made completely from recycled materials.

Some of her students served as models, walking the runway clad in dresses made of plastic bags and newspapers.

Students also helped build a couch out of plastic bottles and created trees from recycled magazines, which were on display in the Centennial Pavilion at the waterfront in downtown West Palm Beach. Kristen Alyce teaches students at Berean how to make “treasures” out of what most people would consider trash, and frequently gives them opportunities to display their work in the community. The plastic water bottle couch will be on display again in May at an event in downtown Palm Beach Gardens.

• Floetry Night — Poet Paul

Berean students Derek Medellin, Amber Johnson, Rachel Romnosky and Stacy Cabral with a Special Olympics par ticipant.

Dunbar’s lines “We wear the mask that grins and lies/It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes” inspired Berean’s students to “take off their masks” for the school’s seventh annual Floetry Night. This event allows the students to showcase their many talents ranging from poetry to acting, singing to dancing; all work must be original. There were monologues, a piano composition, breakdancing, rapping, standup comedy and more.

• Choir to Sing at Rodger Dean Stadium — The Berean Christian High School choir will sing the pre-game music and national anthem May 12 at Rodger Dean Stadium prior to the Jupiter Hammerheads-Daytona Cubs game. The game starts at 6:35 p.m.; the choir performance starts at 6 p.m.

For more information about Berean Christian School and its upcoming events, visit the school’s web site at www.berean wpb.org.

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SCHOOL NEWS

Dream Middle School Students Hold Mock Trial Dream Middle School hosted its fifth annual mock trial event April 6. Students in the seventhgrade class were assigned either to the defense or prosecution team in the mock reckless driving case against fellow classmate Phillipe Urreiztieta.

“Both sides offered several witnesses to help prove their case.

Grant Ganzi and Meehan Shirey tried to help explain the different ways that Philippe was at fault,” Dream Middle School social studies teacher Amanda Cooperman said. “At the same time, Brenton Hilyer and Katie Fischer tried to describe problems created by the fictitious intersection to make the case that the accident was not Philippe’s fault.”

Dream Middle School parent and trial attorney Alex Borrell assisted the prosecution team in preparing their case against the defendant. Throughout the trial, he helped guide the nervous lawyers

on both sides on when to object and how to proceed with questioning.

“One of the hardest parts of the mock trial is that the students do not have an opportunity to practice prior to the performance,” Cooperman said. “Although they were allowed to read through all of the statements and questions, they couldn’t question the opposing side.”

In the end the mock jury returned a verdict of “guilty.”

“Both sides did an amazing job presenting their case; however, the prosecution’s evidence was just a little stronger,” Cooperman said.

The Ideal Elementary School and Dream Middle School employ unique, project-based curriculums encouraging both understanding and application of knowledge. To find out more about the school, visit www.dreamideal.com or call the main office at (561) 791-2881.

Brenton Hilyer is sworn in by Shaun Stratton during Dream Middle School’s mock trial event.

TKA Luncheon & Fashion Show Raises $18,000 The King’s Academy held its fifth annual luncheon and fashion show Saturday, April 16. TKA parents were joined by daughters, grandparents and alumni, making this a spectacular multi-generational event.

More than 200 guests enjoyed waterfront dining and a fashion show featuring Lilly Pulitzer fashions modeled by TKA students, courtesy of C. Orrico Palm Beach.

Floral garden centerpieces, gener-

ously donated by TKA parent Helene Austin, created a festive spring atmosphere.

Guests were delighted that the colorful pashminas wrapped around each chair were theirs to keep. Live entertainment was provided by cast members of TKA’s spring musical Beauty and the Beast, and a fabulous trunk show including 15 specialty vendors, was enjoyed by all. Prizes were awarded to the ladies with the

most fashionable hats.

Thanks to a generous sponsorship by King’s Academy parents John and Liz Raese, all proceeds raised from the event will benefit the King’s Academy’s annual fund. The school would like to thank luncheon committee members Liz Raese, Teddy Walker, Helene Austin, Andrea Titus, Irelys Pattee, Denise Meers and Connie Tuller for their tireless dedication to and support of TKA.

The King’s Academy serves students and their families across Palm Beach and Hendry counties at its main campus at Belvedere Road and Sansbury’s Way in West Palm Beach, its Clewiston campus on Caribbean Avenue, and its satellite preschool campuses in Greenacres, Palm Beach Gardens and Royal Palm Beach.

More information about the King’s Academy is available online at www.tka.net.

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PANTHER RUN PTA OFFERS SUPPORT AT PIONEER PARK

The Panther Run Elementary School PTA helped students at Pioneer Park Elementary School through the test-taking process as they completed their FCAT exams. Panther Run PTA members delivered snacks donated by students to help keep Pioneer Park kids alert and focused. Pioneer Park has been Panther Run’s sister school for more than two years now. Pioneer Park is located in Belle Glade where these children often may not get a good breakfast. Shown above are Pioneer Park Principal Adam Miller (far left), Panther Run PTA member and former president Theresa Levi, Panther Run PTA President Kristi Bomar, Pioneer Park Assistant Principal Michael Rieckenberg (standing in back), Pioneer Park Secretary Jeannie Britt, and Pioneer Park custodian Joe Milton (far right).

Send school news items to: The Town-Crier Newspaper, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414.

Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.

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PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Area Teens Named Top Finalists In ‘Do The Write Thing’ Challenge Three teens from the western communities have been recognized for their essays about youth violence in the Do the Write Thing Challenge, a middle-school program from the National Campaign to Stop Violence.

Jacob Wesson of Wellington, Nathanael Carman of Loxahatchee and Robert “R.J.” Brown of Royal Palm Beach were named the first-, second- and third-place “ambassadors,” respectively, in the competition that attracted more than 19,000 participants from Palm Beach County schools.

Wesson, an eighth-grader at the Bak Middle School of the Arts, and top girl ambassador Christina Gambale, a sixth-grader at Palm Springs Middle School, will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. in July to represent Palm Beach County at a national ceremony recognizing the top participants from across the nation.

Sixth-grader Brown, who attends Western Pines Middle School, and Carman, who is in the seventh grade at Osceola Creek Middle School, are among 210

students, plus their parents, teachers and principals who will be recognized Monday, May 9 at a luncheon at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach.

Approximately 40 students will read passages from their entries.

Congressman Ted Deutch will speak, American Idol finalist Brett Loewenstern will perform his original song about bullying and Miami Dolphins wide receiver Davone Bess will describe how he overcame violence.

For the fourth consecutive year, the luncheon is being underwritten by West Palm Beach-based Florida Crystals Corporation, North America’s largest sugar producer. More than 600 guests are expected at the May 9 event.

All six finalists receive cash prizes, and the William H. Pitt Foundation will provide $500 grants to the school principals who had the highest participation in the program. The law firm of Larmoyeux & Bone is providing administrative support for organizing and directing the efforts of the steering committee.

OLQA HOSTS CLOTHING DRIVE FOR MIGRANTS

All of the entries were read by multiple panels of volunteer judges representing a cross section of Palm Beach County educators, law enforcement and judicial leaders.

Submissions were evaluated solely for their content, not for grammar, spelling or structure.

Not all participants are at risk or have experienced violence. Some may have witnessed it.

The Palm Beach County Steering Committee for the 2011 Do the Write Thing Challenge includes: Bill Bone, Esq., campaign chairman; the Honorable Ronald Alvarez, Judicial Circuit Judge, Juvenile Division; Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw; County Commissioner Paulette Burdick; Don Carson, retired executive vice president, Florida Crystals Corp.; Barbara Cheives, vice chair, Criminal Justice Commission; Congressman Ted Deutch (D-District 19); Pepe Fanjul Jr., executive vice president, Florida Crystals Corp.; Palm Beach County Public Defender Carey Haughwout; Palm Springs Middle School Principal Sandra Jinks; Palm Beach Coun-

Jacob Wesson

Nathanael Carman

Robert “R.J.” Brown

ty Schools Superintendent Bill Malone; Jeffery Lindskoog, captain, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office; State Attorney Michael McAuliffe; West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio; Liz Perlman, director of curriculum, Palm

Beach County Schools; U.S. Rep Allen West (R-District 22); Kim Williams, assistant director, Department of Safe Schools, Palm Beach County School District; and Alan Gallardo, special assistant to the committee, director of

client services, Larmoyeux & Bone, PL. For more information about the Do the Write Thing Challenge or the luncheon at the Kravis Center, call Bill Bone or Alan Gallardo at (561) 832-0623.

Jelencovich Performs On Tour With Yanni Wellington native Lauren Jelencovich, winner of Star Search and official singer of Palm Beach, is a lead soloist on the 2011 Yanni tour.

She performed at the Kravis Center on April 15, only days after performing for a sold-out crowd in New York City at Radio City Music Hall.

It was apparent the audience loved the combination of Yanni’s music and Jelencovich’s pure melodic tones, as they demanded to hear more. “This concert at the Kravis Center was one of the best,” Jelencovich said. “Performing with Yanni has been amazing,

and I am thrilled to see what else is to come.”

Jelencovich has already garnered great acclaim for her sparkling portrayals of opera and musical theater roles, as she has performed at Carnegie Hall three times and made her Off-Broadway debut in the world premiere of The Music Teacher by Wallace and Allen Shawn.

Jelencovich’s opera debuts include the lead roles of Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi and Suor Genovieffa in Suor Angelica at Opera Tampa as well as the role of Mrs. Nordstrom in A Little Night Mu-

sic at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Mo. In November, Jelencovich was flown down from New York City to Florida to sing in studio for Yanni. From there, everything fell into place, as she was then flown to Puerto Rico to sing for almost 12,000 people. After the U.S. tour concludes, Jelencovich will have performed in 42 states for over 50,000 people, with one of the most memorable shows being the one in West Palm Beach.

For more information about Jelencovich, visit her web site at www.laurenjelencovich.com.

Lauren Jelencovich

Salvator Ferro Preparing For Army Deployment Our Lady Queen of the Apostles Catholic Church in Royal Palm Beach recently held its “Long-Sleeve Relief Drive.” The program was run by Liz Bell and the Council of Catholic Women and took place during the Lenten season in March. The purpose was to collect long- and short-sleeve shirts for the poor migrant workers who work out in the fields. Over the four weeks, the women collected be tween 400 to 500 shirts to give to the migrant workers.

Shown above is Hugh Caulfield with the truck that transported the shirts to the Delray Beach collection area.

Army Sgt. Salvator S. Ferro has been mobilized and activated at Joint Base Dix-McGuire-Lakehurst, N.J., in preparation for deployment to serve in support of either Operation New Dawn in the Iraqi Theater of Operations or Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and the Southwest Theater of Operations.

Ferro is a member of the 108th

Training Command, based in Charlotte, N.C. The soldiers are normally activated from Army Reserve or Army National Guard units from throughout the United States.

They go through a series of in-processing procedures and training classes that prepare them for skills and situations they may face in their deployed environment.

Operation New Dawn transitions and signifies a formal end to U.S. military combat operations in Iraq. The transition shifts the U.S. emphasis from predominantly military to predominately civilian as the U.S. officials assist Iraqis in accordance with the Strategic Framework Agreement.

Operation Enduring Freedom is

the official name given to anti-terrorism military operations involving U.S. troops and allied coalition partners.

Ferro, a military police member, has served in the military for six years.

He is the son of Francine Ferro of Royal Palm Beach and a 1990 graduate of Wellington High School.

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PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Groves Volunteers Join Great American Cleanup Several groups in Loxahatchee Groves took part in the Great American Cleanup on April 16: the Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’Association, the Seminole Ridge High School National Honor Society under the direction of Shawna Ahmad, the Loxahatchee Groves Garden Club, the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 367, and U.S. Naval Sea Cadets under the direction of Capt. Dave Boucher.

Ahmad and her group of more than 40 NHS volunteers worked along Okeechobee Blvd., cleaning the litter along the north and south side of the road. Boucher and his group of 30 USNSC vol-

unteers removed floating debris from some of the local canal waterways.

Auxiliary and garden club members helped with registration, handing out T-shirts, collecting bags of garbage, directing handcleaning stations, and serving hot dogs, chips, fruit and drinks to the volunteers.

The LGLA was pleased once again with the turnout of volunteers and the amount of work that was done to make Loxahatchee Groves look a lot better than it did before the cleanup.

For more information about the LGLA, call Marge Herzog at (561) 791-9875.

Volunteers clean a canal in Loxahatchee Groves.

Castro Awarded Congress-Bundestag Fellowship Morgan Castro, a 2009 graduate of Wellington High School, has been selected to participate in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX), a year-long, federally funded fellowship for study and work in Germany. Castro has studied at Tallahassee Community College and was selected as one of 75 participants from more than 500 applicants for this unique fellowship program.

Since 1984, approximately 1,500 Americans have been awarded this opportunity to gain cultural, theoretical and practical work experience in Germany, and Castro will be participating in the 28th year of the program. While in Germany, Castro will attend a

two-month intensive German language course, study at a German university or professional school for four months, and complete a five-month internship with a German company in her career field of marketing and advertising. Participants are placed throughout Germany and have the opportunity to learn about everyday German life from a variety of perspectives.

Conceived and supported by members of the United States Congress and the German Parliament [Bundestag], the CBYX program is financially supported by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State under the authority of the Fulbright-Hays

Act and by the Bundestag.

Participants come from nearly every career field, and from all over the United States. The program is designed primarily for young adults in business, technical, engineering, vocational and agricultural fields, though candidates in all career fields are encouraged to apply.

Participants must be United States citizens or permanent residents between the ages of 18 and 24 and have clear career goals and experience in their professional fields. German language ability is not required, but is strongly recommended.

Interested applicants can visit www.cbyx.info for more information. CBYX is a reciprocal schol-

arship program. While American participants like Castro will experience life in Germany, young German professionals will live here in the United States during the upcoming academic year. German participants study at U.S. colleges in the fall and work at local businesses in the spring, all while living with an American host throughout the year.

CBYX for Young Professionals is currently looking for interested host families, host companies and host colleges that would like to take part in this exciting cultural exchange. Anyone interested in becoming involved in the program or hosting a German participant can contact CBYX via e-mail at cbyx@cdsintl.org.

Ruth Keen presents a Blue Star Banner to Monica Holzemer in honor of her son Brian, who is serving in Iraq.

American Legion Auxiliary Unit Honors Local Air Force Member During the April 4 meeting of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 367, Ruth Keen presented a Blue S tar Banner to Monica Holzemer in honor of her son, Major Brian Keith Holzemer, who is serving with the Air Force in Iraq. The Blue Star Banner will be hung in a window in Monica’s home to let others know that a family member is in the service.

Also at the meeting, Fred Burton talked to auxiliary members about working as a radioman and storekeeper in 1945 during his service time in World War II when

he was in the Navy.

Larry Calhoun discussed some of the Merchant Marine assignments in 1945 during his tour of duty in World War II working in the engine room on board Liberty ships. Calhoun talked about some of the dangers they experienced while shipping supplies and personnel to areas in the Mediterranean Sea. To learn more about how to get involved with the American Legion Auxiliary and what the auxiliary does to help veterans, call Marge Herzog at (561) 791-9875.

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Devine

Fighting For Red-Light Cameras

continued from page 1 and show gratitude for her life being spared, she does volunteer activities for her church and the Immanuel Broadcasting Network, a Christian radio station in Adairsville. “I work full time for God,” she said.

She also wants see to it that others don’t have to go through what she did.

“Since my accident, I’ve learned a lot about safety cameras,” Amanda said, “and it breaks my heart to know that lawmakers

are trying to ban them. I’ve learned that a red light is run every 20 minutes and that Florida is the third-deadliest state in the nation for red-light crashes.”

This has spurred Amanda to action. “I’ve also learned that 66 percent of those hurt in red-lightrunning accidents are the innocent people like me, not the red-light runners themselves,” she said. “I truly believe that the cameras and the signs do make people drive more safely. I just wish they’d had a program in my town before my accident and perhaps, right now, I’d be graduating from college, planning my wedding or even raising my own children.”

The driver of the dump truck was cited for disregarding a traffic signal, and to Donald Devine’s

NEWS

knowledge, never offered any explanation as to why he ran the light so long after it turned red.

As for Florida lawmakers’ attempts to ban red-light cameras, it’s unclear whether they might succeed, with only a week to go in the 2011 regular legislative session. A 12-10 vote April 20 in the Florida House Appropriations Committee sent to the floor Committee Substitute/House Bill 4087, a measure to repeal the bill authorizing red-light cameras that thenGov. Charlie Crist signed into law last summer. That law is known as the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act and named after a man from Bradenton who was killed in 2003 by a red-light runner.

Wandall’s wife Melissa said she had been going to Tallahassee for

six years after his death to keep a vow she made to do something about people who run red lights with disregard for the safety of other drivers.

The State House bill is sponsored by State Rep. Richard Corcoran (R-District 45) of New Port Richey, who has been tapped by Republicans to be House speaker in 2017. Despite the clout this gives him, the bill has met with some opposition from other Republicans, although all those on the appropriations panel voted to advance the bill; every Democrat voted against it.

The State Senate measure, Senate Bill 672, sponsored by State Sen. Rene Garcia (R-District 40) of Hialeah, is in the Community Affairs Committee after having

(Left) Amanda Devine’s vehicle after the crash. (Right) Amanda in the hospital shortly after the accident.

RPB Blvd.

Road Work Is Delayed

continued from page 1 work finished as soon as possible on people’s property in the area.

“We have improvements to make to their property, and it’s taking quite a long time,” he said.

Village Manager Ray Liggins said Royal Palm Beach could expedite the work on those residents’ property separately from the overall job, explaining that the nearby La Mancha Blvd. project is a drainage improvement that began

LGWCD

Three Seek Two Seats

continued from page 1 tion that has been asked for a long time,” she said, noting that the two entities have done a better job working together recently, but there is still money wasted having both governments. “From what I can see, they are coming together, and people I thought would never say it’s time to become a dependent district are saying [so]. I think that’s pretty amazing, and it’s a good thing.”

When she ran unsuccessfully for the inaugural town council in 2007, Crawford said she envisioned that the LGWCD would eventually become the public works department for the town. “It was never a question; the timing

Pill Mills

One-Year Moratorium

continued from page 1 issue to be resolved by the state legislature during the current session. “This will take care of itself,” Coates said. “Then we can withdraw this when it is regulated at the state level.”

If the state does not come up with adequate regulations, Coates

Vacancies

Registry Process

continued from page 7 make the lenders more responsive,” he said.

Liggins said that the most effective portion of the ordinance is that the village will now notify the mortgagee that it is responsible for maintenance of the property.

Vice Mayor Richard Valuntas read a comment card from Mat-

Charter

Review Process

continued from page 3 borough County, which has four commissioners elected from districts and three elected at large.

Merriman noted that Broward County has four elected constitutional officers, with a tax collector appointed by the county commission. Miami-Dade elects the property appraiser and clerk, while the commission appoints the sheriff, tax collector and supervisor of elections. Orange County has a sixth constitutional officer, an elected comptroller.

Merriman said that in a charter county, the government structure

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won approval by a 4-2 Transportation Committee vote in March.

State Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, (R-District 27) of Wellington — whom Amanda said she had written to regarding her accident and the attempt to overturn the law — voted against the bill in committee. The Senate bill still must go before the Budget Committee, if reported out of Community Affairs in time.

Asked whether Amanda’s accident influenced her vote on the bill, Benacquisto said: “Yes, I did remember hearing about her situation and her story. And yes, her accident and every other accident or fatality [caused by a red-light runner] did influence my vote.

Public safety is just too important.”

An analysis by State House staff found that repeal of the red-light camera law would cost municipalities more than $71 million and the state about $86 million next year.

Now, $83 of the $158 fine to drivers caught by the cameras goes to the state; $75 goes to the municipality operating the camera.

Tea Party and libertarian groups, including the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida, staged statewide protests in mid-April to support the repeal bill. One of the pieces of the Florida RLC’s 2011 agenda includes banning red light cameras because “our Constitution says citizens have a right to face their accuser, yet their accuser in this case is a machine.”

Wellington’s intersections are still camera-free after the Wellington Village Council decided last October to withdraw an ordinance to implement them, electing instead to wait until the state finalized its laws and rules regarding municipalities’ use of the red-light cameras. That decision came just after the Royal Palm Beach Village Council had voted to remove its red-light cameras entirely after a pilot program was deemed unsuccessful.

Elsewhere in the county, redlight cameras are in operation in Boynton Beach, Juno Beach, Palm Springs and West Palm Beach. Other municipalities have backed off installing them until the current state laws and rules are clarified, or, as in the case of Royal Palm Beach and Haverhill, have dropped them entirely.

Amanda, however, continues to contact lawmakers and write letters in support of the intersection cameras. She had a letter to the editor published recently in The Palm Beach Post, speaking out against that newspaper’s support for repealing the red-light camera law.

“I want to tell anyone who will listen to support traffic safety programs — most especially intersection safety cameras,” she wrote. That way, she added in an interview, “maybe, just maybe, I can do something to prevent another person from suffering as I have.” quite a bit of financial criteria and have standard practices,” he said.

“With every one of our jobs, we manage the time aggressively from the beginning to the end.”

Using legal means to recoup money from tardy contractors also helps, he said.

“You’re not getting guarantees of time, but you’re getting liquidated damages, and unfortunately, we’ve assessed quite a bit of that,” Liggins said. “We’ve been in court once this year over liquidated damages, and all of the others we’ve managed to settle with significant monies back to the village.”

a few weeks ago.

The main Royal Palm Beach Blvd. project does not involve residents’ rights of way, Liggins said.

“There’s two large unknowns of the job right now, crossing underneath the forced main and final milling and leveling of the existing road,” Liggins said. “That particular task, because we’re fitting a curb to an existing road, is pretty daunting.”

He said the contractor has asked for an additional 30 days to do indepth survey work to match new curbs to the existing roadway. “We have not granted that 30 days,” Liggins said. “We’re still in dis-

cussion with them, but it’s an unknown at this time.”

Swift asked if they had learned anything from their experience with the contractor. “We’ve got a contractor that really seems to have difficulty performing,” he said. “I hope we’re learning something.”

Marsh said the village could use other forms of contracting than taking the low bidder for projects.

“We save money with that,” he said. “Typically, when you take a low bidder, they’ve often missed something in their bid. That does create issues, but overall we save money using this process.”

Marsh noted that there are penalties built into the contract, and that in this case, Village Attorney Brad Biggs was enlisted to send a letter to the contractor when it was not performing to their satisfaction. “That stirred the pot and got them going,” Marsh said.

Liggins said there are other contract delivery methods to guarantee delivery time, but they are more expensive. “The school board uses it,” Liggins said. “It’s called ‘construction management at risk,’ where you get a maximum guaranteed price, and with that, assuming there are no significant changes in the plans, you get a

more guaranteed time. The school board uses it because school starts in August. If they miss it, it is a very significant impact.”

Liggins said the method incurs about a 20 percent to 25 percent higher bid for the work. “We have the ability to use that method,” he said. “It’s not a delivery method we think the village should use, though.”

Liggins said he felt that the method of taking low bids for an estimated time frame is the most economical for the village.

“They’re not just anybody, they’re bondable, and to get bondable, contractors have to meet

had to be right,” she said.

One of the issues to resolve will be the rights of property owners who are not town residents.

“There’s a lot of discussion that has to go forth to protect people, because right now in the district you can be a landowner, but you have no right for voting in the town because you are not a resident,” she said.

Crawford is also concerned about water allotments from the South Florida Water Management District, which she said is a concern for both the town and district.

“It affects our citizens and our ability to put fires out,” she said.

“It affects people’s ability to get insurance.”

Another concern is to get OGEM paving for residents who have approved it. “That’s been a nightmare,” Crawford said, noting that the projects have been stalled

for almost two years due to questions involving rights of way.

One of her goals is to get use of canal maintenance roads for pedestrians and equestrians. “I would like to experiment starting with E Road, north of Okeechobee,” she said.

Crawford, 43, is a registered nurse practitioner. She has four children, 5, 9, 11 and 14. She was appointed to the board in April 2009 and elected in June 2009.

Widing said he thinks the LGWCD has demonstrated its ability to keep assessments low and work with property owners despite economic woes. He also credits the town with helping the district with gas tax money for projects it could not afford otherwise.

“We’ve been able to maintain a consistent level of assessments,” Widing said. “I think it’s also pru-

dent for the district and the town to continue to look at our revenue sources. Because we overlap each other in a lot of ways, it is important for us to continue working together.”

He said that the LGWCD becoming a dependent district may eventually become reality. “I’d like to think that it’s done in a sensible and practical approach, not something that’s crisis-driven,” Widing said.

One of his big concerns is Gov. Rick Scott’s proposal to cut water management district financing by 25 percent. “We are a small water control district, and we interact with the South Florida Water Management District tremendously,” Widing said. “My concern is if they are going to have that kind of economic restraint, we [may be] looking at some unfunded mandates for water quality. How is that

going to [affect] us?”

Another concern is whether the district will have to cut back on watering roads to control dust. “In a per(L-R) Schiola, Crawford and Widing fect world, I would like to see the town and the district get LGWCD attorney will run the together and maybe… do a com- election, beginning with a call for munity bond issue to get these nominations for the first seat. roads straightened out once and “All three can run for that seat, for all,” he said. or just two, or just one,” Saunier Widing, 61, has been fire chief said. “If it’s just one, [that person in Oakland Park for seven and a is] deemed elected to that seat, but half years and a fire administrator if it’s two, then everybody casts for 35 years, including in West their votes based on acreage.”

Palm Beach. He is married with The loser or losers for that first two adult children and four grand- seat are eligible to be nominated children. for the second seat, and another With two seats open and three election will be conducted for that people running, Saunier said the seat.

said, he would like to see the ordinance brought back to be tailored to preventing pill mills while allowing legitimate businesses.

Priore said he expects that the bill being considered in the State Senate, which does not limit how many patients a clinic can treat, would be more likely to pass.

“When you attempt to try and shut these [pill mills] down,” he said, “you can close legitimate operations that provide a needed service. Then all you hurt are the

patients and the doctors who are providing a legitimate service.”

Willhite wanted to know whether an existing business could relocate in the village, and Kurtz said it could not.

Willhite said he felt that there should be some language in the ordinance that would allow a legitimate business that already exists in Wellington to move. “What happens if the landlord of a pain clinic were to cancel their lease?” he said.

Priore agreed that the language should be modified to allow for relocation or expansion.

“We don’t have a true pill mill within our borders,” he said. “We have legitimate, practicing clinics.”

Kurtz said that there have been no issues with the physicians practicing in the village.

Director of Growth Management Bob Basehart noted that when the council approved the moratorium last year, there were

thew Leger of the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches reiterating that group’s opposition to the ordinance. At previous meetings, RAPB representatives said the ordinance would put an additional burden on property owners already in financial trouble.

Biggs, however, said the burden is on the bank, not the homeowner. “Ultimately, this will benefit most neighborhoods,” he said. “It will benefit sales in the neighborhoods. I see it as a positive thing for sales.”

Pinto said he thought village staff had done a good job refining language in the ordinance. “I think if this passes, we might see other municipalities look into this to adopt similar laws,” Pinto said, and Valuntas agreed.

Councilwoman Martha Webster said the ordinance appeared to have been well-researched.

“This appears to be a very good ordinance because it gives us what we need to do to keep the community up,” she said. “I believe this will keep the mar-

ket moving along better.”

Swift said he attended a recent Western Communities Council meeting where the abandoned housing issue was discussed. He said Loxahatchee Groves Councilman Jim Rockett expressed frustration that the Groves could not locate mortgagees on abandoned properties there. “I sent him a copy of our ordinance,” Swift said.

Pinto made a motion to approve the ordinance, which passed 4-0 with Mayor Matty Mattioli absent.

two pain clinics in Wellington.

Now there is only one, located on the campus of Wellington Regional Medical Center.

Gerwig said that by preventing legitimate businesses, the village would be leaving patients without the care they need.

“I didn’t mean to suggest that we have pill mills,” she said. “But we do have pain management clinics here. I don’t want to [pass] something that means a cancer patient or someone with legitimate back injuries can’t get the medication they need.”

is specified in the charter, and that in a non-charter county, the structure is specified in Florida law and the constitution. Charter counties have powers of self-government as long as they don’t conflict with state law. The charter can provide for initiative, referendum and recall at the county level, where county statutes do not provide for that.

The charter also can provide for administrative codes and regulations, where state statutes do not require that.

“Our charter provides true home rule,” Merriman said. “It provides initiative procedures that allow the voters to create new and modified local laws. It provides a process to amend and modify the charter itself. It allows voters

through their elected officials to have greater independence in determining how their government will function and what services it will provide.”

A proposed charter amendment gets on the ballot by an affirmative vote of at least four of the seven county commissioners or a petition of at least 7 percent of registered voters. Once on the ballot, a majority of the voters must approve it.

The Palm Beach County charter was adopted in 1984. Since then, numerous changes have been made, such as the addition of a non-interference clause in 1986, which prohibits county commissioners from interfering with the day-to-day operations of county government without going

through the county administrator.

Other changes have included the addition of impact fees, traffic performance standards, singlemember commission districts, term limits and annexation rules, among others.

Merriman said county staff would be going out to many communities to educate people on what the charter is about and hear what possible revisions they would like to see. County staff will also conduct written and online surveys and incorporate the input they get into a meaningful document.

The results will be presented to the county commission later this year. If commissioners agree, voters can expect to see them at the 2012 general election.

Contract

Tennis Renewal

continued from page 3 Wellington had received any complaints about the facility, and Village Manager Paul Schofield said that there had been no complaints since the contract was awarded last September.

Willhite suggested renewing the contract, and next year putting it out to bid as a two-year contract.

“That would give any vendor who won it a substantial amount of time to get their feet wet,” he said.

Willhite noted that often, ven-

Blotter continued from page 6 the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched to a home in Sugar Pond Manor on Monday regarding an act of vandalism. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. last Friday, someone spray-painted the letters “ZOE” on the victim’s Jeep Cherokee, which was parked in front of his home. The victim said that he had not been having problems with anyone, and that he had no idea who could have done it. There were no sus-

Basehart said that the moratorium does not classify cancer centers or other medical centers as a pain management clinic.

The ban would apply only to pain management clinics in particular.

“So nothing is going to interfere with cancer treatment or any other treatment,” he said.

Bowen suggested they pass the ordinance with modified language to allow an existing pain clinic to move or expand. The first reading of the ordinance passed unanimously. dors plan events up to six months out, and not knowing if they will continue the contract could be discouraging to anyone looking to bid. “You could put all this together just to get kicked out in six or eight months,” he said.

Kurtz suggested that Wellington staff should have a request for proposals ready when the council reviews the contract next year to expedite the process in case the vote is to open the program up for bids.

The council voted unanimously to renew the contract with Cheatham, but directed the staff to have a bid request ready next year when the contract comes up for review. pects or witnesses at the time of the report.

APRIL 25 — A Miami man was arrested Monday on shoplifting charges after he was caught stealing from the Aldo store in the Mall at Wellington Green. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Wellington substation was dispatched to the mall after 35-year-old Carlos Napoles was observed shoplifting a white belt valued at $28 from the store. He was arrested and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail where he was charged with petty theft.

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NEWS

WELLINGTON’S POLO CLUB HOSTS ITS FIRST-EVER ‘INTERNATIONAL WEEKEND’ The International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington held its inaugural International Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, April 23 and 24. Guests had the opportunity to see a unique sports spectacular featuring teams representing the U.S. and South Africa in rugby, cricket, women’s field hockey, polo, tennis and croquet. On Easter Sunday, children were invited on to Piaget Field for an egg PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER hunt. For more info., visit www.int ernationalpoloclub.com.

Veronica Borges gather s some eggs.

President of Club Operations John Wash with the Easter Bunny, who dropped by to deliver the eggs.

A group of children make a dash for the eggs.

Croquet was one of the sports on display at the e vent.

A cricket player swings at a pitch.

Sophia and Julia Smerling have fun on the field.

MOUNTED POSSE HOSTS SPRING FESTIVAL RANCH RODEO AT BRANDON CENTER The Palm Beach County Mounted Posse held its Spring Festival Ranch Rodeo on Saturday, April 23 at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center. Children competed in poles, barrels, goat tail tying and steer riding, and adults competed in poles, barrels, bull riding, team roping, and more.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER

Winners Kendall Kennedy, Camryn Kennedy, Kaitlyn McKay, Austlynn Mott, Maya Suchy and Britta Strain.

Kaitlyn McKay on Rusty.

Brooke Mosley aboard Mollie.

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Didi Burton Agency

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Ranch Rodeo A New Event For Mounted Posse

Saturday, April 23 was a perfect day for the Palm Beach County Mounted Posse’s first Ranch Rodeo, held at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center. It featured events that are traditionally used during everyday cattle ranching operations.

Ellen Rosenberg’s Column, Page 27

April 29 - May 5, 2011

Page 25

Naccarato Signs To Play At American International On Wednesday, April 13, Wellington High School girls varsity volleyball player Nikki Naccarato signed a letter of intent to play for American International College in Springfield, Mass.

The Wellington setter led Palm Beach County in assists.

Josh Hyber’s Column, Page 41

Shopping Spree A TOWN-CRIER PUBLICATION

INSIDE

Features Phantoms Recommend The Culinary Creations Dinner At The Kravis Center

Hats off and forks up to the American Culinary Federation Palm Beach County Chefs Association, which will host the 12th annual Culinary Creations dinner June 13 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.

The culinary dinner, inspired by some of the region’s most talented chefs, will be in honor of the Quantum Foundation as part of the Quantum House 10th anniversar y celebration. Page 33

Sports Bronco Flag Football Defeats Okeechobee In Semifinals Game

The Palm Beach Central High School girls varsity flag football team defeated Okeechobee High School 13-7 in the district semifinal competition Monday, April 25 at home. The win advances the Lady Broncos to the district f inals where they will f ace Seminole Ridge High School. Page 41

THIS WEEK’S INDEX COLUMNS & FEATURES .......................27-28 DINING & ENTERTAINMENT ..................... 33 BUSINESS NEWS .................................35-37 SPORTS & RECREATION ......................41-44 COMMUNITY CALENDAR ..................... 46-47 CLASSIFIEDS ....................................... 48-53

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FEATURES

Ranch Rodeo A New Event For Palm Beach Mounted Posse Saturday, April 23, was a perfect day for the Palm Beach County Mounted Posse’s first Ranch Rodeo, held at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center. A ranch rodeo includes events that are traditionally used during everyday cattle ranching operations, such as roping, horsemanship and ground-working skills.

Although they share some events with regular rodeos, ranch rodeos create a more genuine presentation of real-life ranch work.

The rodeo started at 10 with a Slack Barrel Racing and Pole Bending class. Barrel Racing and Pole Bending are two of the most popular classes, so entries tend to be high. To help the rodeo move along in a timely fashion, the first 10 people who called in to preregister were put into the actual classes, which began at 6 p.m. All other entries for these classes were put into the Slack class — literally, to take up the slack.

The Pee Wee classes, for cow folk ages 10 and under, and Junior classes, riders ages 1117, began at 1 p.m. Events included a Calf Scramble, in which everyone (including spectators) was invited to chase and catch a calf.

The Pee Wees could enter Barrel Racing, Pole Bending, Mutton Bustin’ (riding a sheep) and Goat Tail Tying, where the rider races in, dismounts, runs to a goat that’s being held, and ties a ribbon to the goat’s tail.

Junior riders could choose from Barrel Racing, Pole Bending, Goat Tying (in which they race in, dismount and tie three legs of a staked-out goat), Steer Riding and Steer Undecorating, where horse and rider chase a

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg steer, after it’s released from the chute, and the rider leans down to pluck a ribbon from the steer’s back.

The regular performance classes got under way at 6 p.m. There were Barrel Racing and Pole Bending classes, along with Bull Riding, Goat Tying, Steer Roping (single and teams, which included simulated “branding“ by touching the steer with a stick), Buddy PickUp, Steer Undecorating and Wild Steer Decorating for co-ed pairs, in which one person grabs the steer while the other ties a ribbon to its tail.

Special Events Coordinator Renee Kitching was very pleased with the rodeo.

“You know, I’ve attended a lot of rodeos in Glades and Hendry counties, so I decided it was time to bring a rodeo home, right here to Palm Beach County,” she said. “It’s a nice way to give more people around here the opportunity to compete in something like this.

With high gas prices, hauling horses for miles and miles gets real expensive. This was a good time to offer a great competition like this close to home.”

Haley Patterson, of Loxahatchee, entered the Barrel Racing and Pole Bending classes with Buck, her 9-year-old Quarter Horse.

“This rodeo is awesome,” she said. “I love it. I enjoy being around the folks who run it — they’re good people. I enter all the Posse shows, but this is pretty special. I hope they do it again.”

Maya Suchy, 9, from Loxahatchee Groves, entered all of the Pee Wee classes with Christie, her Appaloosa.

“I never did Goat Tail Tying before,” she said. “I did really great in the Barrel Racing today — I even beat my mom! I’ve been showing since I was 2. I like riding in a show and having fun.

Haley Patterson of Loxahatchee with Buck .

I was never in a rodeo before.

This is a great day.” to run straight and not duck. The bulls need Of course, if you’re going to have a rodeo, the right temperament and good workability. you’re going to need all that extra livestock. They know their job — stand quiet in the Chris Caldwell, from Clewiston, is a mem- chute, come out bucking like mad, then run ber of the Hendry County Rodeo Association. back out of the arena. They all have to load He supplied 11 head of steer, one calf, four and haul quietly.” sheep, four goats and five bulls. How does For Caldwell, it’s all for the kids. “To me, he know which animals to bring? the most important reason we hold a rodeo “I work with a lot of rodeos on a regular like this is for the kids who come out and learn basis,” he said. “These animals need to know the sport,” he said. “Not every kid is involved their jobs and be good at them so everyone in football or baseball. This is a whole differcan have a safe and fun time. The steer have See ROSENBERG, page 28

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FEATURES

I’m Writing Yet Another Book That Won’t Get Published I’m thinking of writing yet another unpublishable book. I have boxes of them lying around. Some are even copyrighted, which, I believe, means that the Library of Congress also has to keep them in boxes somewhere.

You’d think I’d take a hint and stop, but I can’t. I enjoy writing. I just don’t enjoy doing the work of getting my writings published.

Eventually I’ll go into box manufacturing — where the real money is.

At heart, I must be an entrepreneur.

“You are!” my daughter enthuses. “And you’re a good one, Mom!” “Yeah, sure,” I whine. (It was a whiny kind of day.) “Entrepreneurship... last bastion of the unemployable.”

It’s true — writers are fairly unemployable.

You go to monster.com, a web site that posts thousands of jobs daily, and type in “writer” and see what you get — nothin’. Who can’t

Deborah Welky is

The Sonic BOOMER write? We learn it at age 6.

Some of the other career-building web sites even try to get you to go into a different line of work. Type in “writer,” and you get: “Writers! Would you like to work at McDonald’s with lots of pay and good benefits? Click this link!” And don’t be so smug as to think that you’ll be writing ad campaigns or even menus for the red-haired clown.

No. You will be mopping up the indoor play-

ground until your diligent work gets noticed by your pimply faced supervisor, at which point you may — don’t get your hopes up — may be promoted to shake machine.

At least at that point you can start bragging to your friends about your job. But a writer? No way.

“And what do you do, Debbie?”

“I write.”

“No, I meant for a living.”

Sigh.

My husband put it pretty succinctly. He said, “All you really do is rearrange 26 letters over and over again.”

Yup, that’s it. Just like a monkey at a typewriter. Except the monkey has four hands, and I have only two. I have half the productivity of an animal sporting a tail. And if the monkey uses its tail to hit the space bar, I’m down to less than half.

But enough about monkeys and how they can do my job.

I was saying that, despite my whining, I’ve been inspired to write this uplifting book. It’ll be full of rah-rah go-getter messages for the next generation. I happen to know for a fact that the next generation likes nothing more than to turn off their electronic devices and sit at rapt attention while I spout wisdom at them — tell them all things they should do that I didn’t do but could’ve. (Oh, yeah, I could’ve!)

The book will start out, “Do as I say, not as I do.” No, wait. That’s been used. How about, “If you want to know the truth, ask your mom.”

I like that one.

In fact, maybe I’ll call my mom and ask her what she thinks of writing as a career.

I’m sure she’ll tell me the truth.

‘Atlas Shrugged’ A Movie That Will Get Viewers Thinking Atlas Shrugged: Part 1 is a new movie that a lot of critics want to make certain you never see. Why? Well, it is a movie of ideas. And, even worse for some of them, dangerous ideas. Based on Ayn Rand’s 1957 landmark novel, or at least the first part of it, it is a libertarian view of the dangers of overly large government. In this movie, the good guys are very good indeed and the bad guys are all horrid.

Does that mean it is a bad movie? Not at all.

It will not rank among my top 10 of all time (and not even my top 100), but it is very interesting. Unfortunately, many critics wear their politics on their sleeves, and if they like the message, then the movie is great, and if not, they look to sabotage it. After reading a handful of reviews that not only revealed bias but also the fact that the reviewer had not bothered to see the film, I felt obliged to see it for myself.

It was not easy to find the movie. It was made for very little money, financed by a couple of Rand true believers. I had to go up to Palm Beach Gardens to see it, although more theaters will be showing it each week as more prints are made. Interestingly, the theater was really packed, and the audience applauded loudly at the end.

Rosenberg

Ranch Rodeo

continued from page 27 ent type of sport, involving horses and other animals. It’s something to keep kids, especially young boys, off the streets.”

Alyce Michelbrink is president of the Posse. “We thought this would be a great addition to our regular shows,” she said. “Last year, we had a fun show and offered some of these events, and it was a big hit. With our regular shows, most of the contestants are female. A rodeo seems to bring a lot of guys back into the sport, the reiners, ropers and bull riders. It’s also a nice way to make things a little more country.”

Michelbrink was very pleased, all in all. More than 150 came out to watch or cheer, and more than 75

‘I’ On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler I read the novel years ago and thought it was interesting. The message that truly creative entrepreneurs should be allowed to do whatever they want or that the government might actively work against a lot of the people just did not ring true. Objectivism, Rand’s basic idea, that you owe nothing to others was interesting even if not remotely possible.

The movie, very true to the start of the 1957 novel, takes place in 2016. To appreciate it, you have to assume that the government is willing to limit production of key resources for the benefit of Washington lobbyists who know exactly whom to pay off and that the government really is not interested all that much in the average person. Dagny Taggart (Taylor Schilling), the protagonist, is a woman working hard to keep her railroad line go-

people competed. The all-around big winners were Kendall Kennedy in Pee Wee and Cali Harris in Junior.

Chris Caldwell took All-Around Cowboy, and Courtney Kitching was All-Around Cowgirl.

“I couldn’t have been more thrilled with the event,” Michelbrink said. “This was a real family experience. The response was great. We had people stop by who’d never been to the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center before. We introduced a lot of people to this place and to horse events. It was part fun, part community education. We’re planning to hold another rodeo over the Fourth of July weekend called Barrels and Bulls. I think we’ll have another success.”

For more information about the Palm Beach County Mounted Posse, visit www.pbcposse.com.

ing (the high price of gasoline having made trains far more important than they are now) despite the efforts of government bureaucrats.

When old track and the lack of upgrades threaten the valuable oil lands of Colorado, where vast deposits have been found, she teams up with industrialist Hank Rearden (Grant Bowler) to use the most modern materials to rebuild the line. They are hampered every inch of the way by crooked government officials, scientists who distort the truth for political reasons, corrupt unions and dishonest media.

And just about all of this was published in 1957. And, according to some, the government is really here to help all of us, no special favors are given to the very large and powerful corporations, unions always want the best for the public and media people never lie. If you believe that, you will hate the movie.

My wife, who had never read the book, had very little trouble following the plot, although there were some critics who seemed to find it impossible to understand. Taggart not only battles evildoers but has to face the fact that her best people are leaving. And their only real hint as to the reason is the question, “Who is John Galt?”

Because it is likely that the answer to that

(Above) The visiting steers. (Right) Maya Suchy, 9, from Loxahatchee Groves, with Christie.

will not be fully revealed for a couple of sequels, you will have to read the book to find the answer.

This is a movie of ideas. It assumes that its audience has enough intelligence to deal with the issues even if, just as Rand did, it presents things in a very black and white fashion. Those bad people make almost no effort to be good; they mouth a lot of slogans that sound good, but each is clearly out for himself. That does limit the drama somewhat. The problem is not that it is difficult to follow but that it presents things very simply. There are no shades of gray, just white hats vs. black hats. The lead actors are generally unknown, but quite a few of the supporting players will look and sound familiar. In general, the performances are good, although not a lot of real emoting is done. As I wrote before, this is a movie of ideas.

For people who are frustrated with the government, this is a movie they will love. For those who hate that kind of message, well, it will not be nearly as much fun. On the other hand, if you are not certain of where you might stand, this film will probably make you think.

That does not happen very often these days.

It is worth seeing.

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April 29 - May 5, 2011

Page 29

Academy for Child Enrichment — In the heart of Royal Palm Beach, the Academ y for Child Enrichment offers free all-day VPK. Infants through after-school day and night care, 6:30 a.m. t o midnight (Monday through Friday), meals included. Qualified staff. Se habla Espanol. Special rates for all registration. The Academ y for Child Enrichment is located at 700 Camellia Drive in Royal P alm Beach. Call (561) 7983458 or visit www.smallworldpbc.com for info.

Full day camps (Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) for ages 6-11 will include ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and more. Early care and af ter care are available at an additional fee for the full-day camps. A pizza par ty and performance will be held each Friday of the full-day camp sessions. The studio is conveniently located on State R oad 7, just south of Okeechobee Blvd. F or more information, call (56 1) 792-9757 or visit www.movementartsdanceacademy.com.

Breaker s West Summer Camp — For the summer of a lif etime, children ages 5-14 are invited to join the 2011 summer camp at Breakers West. Enjoy wildlife demonstrations, science e xperiments, magic shows, arts & crafts, cooking classes, golf, tennis, baske tball, soccer, daily swimming instruction and much more!

Camp runs June 6 - Aug. 19 (excluding July 4-8), Monday –through Friday from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sessions are $300 per camper, per week , plus a one-time registration fee of $50, which includes a camp essentials bag. Discounts are offered to families regist ering multiple children and/or for multiple sessions. Af ter-care is available. Space is limit ed. To register for Breakers West Summer Camp, call (561) 653-6333.

Noah’s Ark — Noah’s Ark is located on Okeechobee Blvd. in Loxahatchee Groves. They of fer free all-day VPK. Lower rates and special registration for fall. Meals are included. Noah’s Ark offers care for infants and preschool children as well as after-school care. Se habla Espanol. Conveniently located at 14563 Okeechobee Blvd. between Royal Palm Beach and Loxahatchee Groves elementar y schools. Call (561) 753-6624 f or more info.

Camp Giddy-Up — Ravenwood Riding Academy has been located in Wellington for 21 years. Licensed and insured, with all safety equipment provided, they are located on a beautiful, safe and clean f arm with plenty of shade. Ravenwood is now accepting 12 students per session, ages 6-14. Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. Campers learn safety, horse care and grooming, with riding lessons daily, as well as scheduled visits with a blacksmith, horse vet and equine dentist. Weekly sessions are $185. Sibling discounts or multi-session discounts are available. Camp Giddy-Up has a full staf f and a hands-on director. Register today by calling (561) 793-4109 or visit www.ravenwoodridingacademy.com.

Hurry, sessions f ill up quickly!

Casperey Stables Horse Camp — Casperey Stables is a small, fun-filled day camp for children ages seven to 14. With four riding opportunities each day, arts & crafts and outdoor games, camper s find little time to be bored. The lo w counselor-child ratio ensures your child will receive individual attention. There are camp sessions for spring and winter school breaks, and during the summer, each two-week session has a theme, such as Indian Days, Circus Days and Medieval Days. Casperey Stables has a weekly swim party and ends each session with a horse show and family BBQ. Call soon — this small, q uality program fills quickly! To learn more about the camp, locat ed at 2330 D Road in Loxahatchee Groves, call (561) 7924990 or visit www.caspereystables.com.

St. David’s Episcopal School — Howdy Pardners, mosey on over to St. David’s Ranch and be a part of west ern-themed summer fun! Campers ages two and a half to eight are invited for arts and crafts, Bible stories, music, games, a shaded outside playground, water play, movie days and more. All activities are super vised by the teaching staf f and take place on the St. David’s campus. The round-up has already star ted, so come in soon to reserve your place. The ranch will be open from June 6 through August 12. For your convenience, y ou may register for one week, or as many as you want. Camp is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. t o 3 p.m.; campers can pick Monday through Friday, Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursda y. So saddle on up and head on over to become a par t of this rootin’-tootin’ summer fun.

For more information, call (561) 793-1272 today or visit www.stdavidsepiscopal.com.

High Touch High Tech — High Touch High Tech has been providing hands-on science experiments to children in South Florida for over 15 y ears. The program brings science to life for children in preschool through middle school. They are happy to introduce “The Lab,” a hands-on science facility now open in Wellington. The y offer summer cam p programs, after-school enrichments and bir thday parties at a new location off Pierson Road. The camp offers af fordable pricing, hands-on science experiments with lots of cool science take-homes, nature experiences, as well as art projects that relate to the scientific investigations. High Touch High Tech knows that children are naturally curious. They tap into that natural curiosity and provide safe, exciting and fun experiments to help them under stand the world around them. The ultimate goal is to give children the tools t o be able to think scientif ically in order to solve problems. Kids will erupt volcanoes, pan for gems, launch rockets, make ice cream, gro w plants, make fossils, observe live animals, dissect o wl pellets and much, much more! Come visit and explore the all-new High Touch High Tech science laboratory! High Touch High Tech is at 3080 Fairlane Farms Rd., Suite 2. For more info., visit www.ScienceMadeFunSFL.net, call (561) 792-3785 or e-mail info@ScienceMadeFunSFL.net.

Call now to book a free tour.

Jewish Summer Camp — Enjoy a Jewish summer camp on a f arm for girls ages 7-11 at the Good Earth Farm. Featuring a six-week cer tificate of hor se care competency. Candy making, soap making, painting, drawing, 3D design, sewing and crafts. Kayak instruction; European spa comes to the camp for beauty day. Jewish music singing, ar t and a Shabbat program with a local rabbi. Direct or Nancy Fried Tobin (BFA, MAT, MFA, RM, Equine Certified Specialist/Instructor) has been working with kids for year s. Regist ering now; call (561) 792-2666. Located at 2141 B Road in Loxahatchee Groves, the f arm is 25 minutes from anywhere in the Palm Beach area.

The King’s Academy “Camping Around the World” — TKA’s summer cam p welcomes ages 5 through 8th grade. Experience different cultures through craft projects, science experiments, f ield trips, music and more. Counselors are q ualified teachers, first aid certified and offer a lo ving environment. Day camp/ sports camp with daily lunches run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m with many options and before/after care. Field trips to Calypso Bay, the South Florida Science Museum, the Palm Beach Zoo, Lion Countr y Safari and more, all for one inclusive price. Regist er now at www.tka.net and sa ve $25 when you mention this offer.

Call Helga Van Wart (56 1) 686-4244 for more info.

The Learning Foundation of Florida’s Academic Summer Camp — TLFF’s Elementary, Middle, & High School Summer Academic Camp Program has several different ser vice options available to assist the diverse needs of students. TLFF’s kindergarten thr ough eighth grade summer program focuses on individualized academic remediation using thematic units and a varie ty of teaching strat egies, including a multi-sensory, hands-on approach. TLFF’s high school program focuses on grade f orgiveness and or acceleration. Students who have received Ds or Fs in classes can redo them for a higher grade. Both programs are open Tuesday through Thur sday from 8:30 a.m. through 12:30 p.m. For more information, call (561) 795-6886.

Loxahatchee Countr y Preschool — Loxahatchee Country Preschool will start of f this summer with a “home run!” Baseball, football and soccer activities will take place throughout the summer. The school has been here for 20-plus years and provides a safe environment with small ratios for summer campers, which means the children are well supervised. Throughout the summer, the camp program offers ar ts and craf ts, field trips (attended by the management team), swimming lessons, Spanish lessons, movies, a bounce house, bowling and much more. A free pizza lunch will be pro vided Fridays. The school provides a safe envir onment for the children, while providing an excellent educational program. In a letter sent to the school, the Kings Academy wr ote, “ What preschools are better prepared for Kings? Loxahatchee Country Preschool was mentioned with enthusiasm!” Call (561) 790-1780 for more info.

Movement Arts Dance Academy — Movement Ar ts will be holding five w eeks of fun-filled summer camp from June 20 through July 29. Weekly themed mini camps (Monday through Thursday from 9 - 1 1:30 a.m.) for ages 3-5 will include arts and crafts and games in addition to learning se veral styles of dance.

The Royal Palm Beach Elementar y Bobcat Summer Camp — Bobcat Summer Camp offers a magnificent schedule of f ield trips, four or five times per week, which include: bowling, skating, swimming, the Discovery Museum & IMAX Theater, Rapids W ater par k, fitness festival, Chuck E. Cheese, Fun Depot, Veterans Park, movies, Lion Country Safari, Super Play USA, U-Bounce, Golf World, the zoo, Carnival Fun Station and an Orlando trip. On campus activities include: sports, craf ts carnivals, computers, academics, game room, shows, carnivals, D.J. par ties and more. The professional staf f is dedicated to providing a q uality summer camp. It is Gold Seal certified and an award-winning camp. For a summer of fun, call Deb Pagliaro at (561) 633-4431, ext. 30.

Temple Beth Torah’s Leonie Arguetty Preschool — If y our child is between 2 and 6 years old, “Summer of Fun” Enrichment Camp at Temple Beth Torah’s Leonie Arguetty Preschool is the place to be! Here, your child will enjoy a variety of fun activities that will mak e them smile, while promoting learning and social development. A ctivities include: arts & crafts, gymnastics, computers, spor ts, nature, cooking, water play and a state-of-the-ar t playground. They’re sure to love the weekly entertainment, including High Touch High Tech, storytellers and animal shows. All of this in a loving and nurturing environment. Eight w eeks, full and part time. Free summer VPK. Now enrolling for preschool 2011-12. Contact Sandy for more information at (561) 793-2649 or psdirect or@templebethtorah.net.

TNT Gymnastics Center — TNT is of fering a great summer program with flexible hours and fun-filled days.

They pr ovide a safe, positive environment for your child to enhance self-esteem and physical fitness through gymnastics, trampolines, rock climbing, group games, arts & crafts, water play, martial arts and much more! TNT owner Tina Tysk a is a former Class 1 gymnast coached by two-time Olympian Kim Chase.

She has over 25 years of coaching experience, including toddlers thru Level 9 gymnasts as well as specialneeds children. TNT Gymnastics is located at 3120 Fairlane Farms Road in Wellington. F or more info., call (561) 383-TNT1 (8681).

Wellington Tennis Center — Have fun and learn to play tennis this summer! Children ages 6 to 13 at all levels of play (beginners through advanced) are welcome. All instruct ors are USPTA/USTA QuickStar t certified. The new QuickStart format will be used for ages 6 to 8. Camp runs Monday through Friday, June 6 - Aug. 12 (excluding July 4-8). Tennis camp only (9 to 11 a.m.) is $100 for Wellington residents ($120 for non-residents) per camper, per week. Extended camp (9 a.m. t o 1:30 p.m.) includes tennis, lunch and super vised swim and costs $150 for Wellington residents ($170 for non-residents) per camper, per week .

Discounts are offered for registering multiple children in one family or for multiple w eeks. Pick your weeks and register early! Space is limited. To register, call the Wellington Tennis Center at (561) 791-4775.

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TREAT YOUR KIDS TO A

Summer OF fun

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Page 31

2011 Breakers West Summer Camp Calling all campers for a summer of a lifetime. Sports-minded, adventure-seeking, nature-loving kids, ages 5 – 14, will find something for everyone at Breakers West, where there is fun for all and all for fun.

Daily Golf, Tennis, Basketball, Soccer Play & Swimming Instruction Arts & Crafts | Magic Shows | Cooking Classes Wildlife Demonstrations | Science Projects Friday’s Famous Family Cookout And Much More...

After Care Available

WEEKLY SESSIONS: June 6 – August 19, 2011 {Excl. July 4 – 8} Monday – Friday 8:45 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

For more information or to register, please call 561-653-6333.

Weekly sessions are Monday – Friday. No camp July 4 – 8, 2011. Discounts will be offered to families registering multiple children and/or for multiple sessions. Additional fees apply for After Care. Restrictions apply.

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DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

Upcoming Musicals For Maltz Jupiter Theatre Conservatory The Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s Conservatory of Performing Arts has three exciting student productions coming up in May, June and July: Cats, Footloose and Honk! Jr. Originally playing for two performances only — Friday and Saturday, May 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. — Cats has been so popular with local theater patrons that a third performance has been added: Sunday, May 22 at 2 p.m.

Based on the popular poetry of T.S. Eliot, Cats tells the story, in song and dance, of the annual gathering of Jellicle cats at which time one special cat is selected to ascend to the Heaviside layer. A true musical theater phenomenon, Cats will be directed by two conservatory instructors and original Broadway cast members: Anna McNeely, the original Jennyanydots on Broadway, and Brian Andrews, a 10-year cast member of the Broadway show (starring Betty Buckley). Also directing is Leah Roy. “Anna and Brian’s incredible knowledge of the show and how it was brought to life will provide an educational opportunity unlike any other in the area,” said Julie Rowe, the conservatory’s director of education.

“Learning the original Cats choreography, students are challenged to rise to the caliber of Broadway’s dancers. We also acquired the original Broadway costumes for our show,

which is very exciting for our students and audiences.”

Andrews and McNeely both said they are extremely proud of the young cast.

“The work ethic and commitment from our performers — from our youngest third-graders to our college-bound seniors — has carried them to a level of excellence that has surprised even them, setting a new standard that we will be able to bring to our future productions,” Andrews said. “I can’t wait to share their talent with the world.”

McNeely praised the show for what it offers young performers. “This particular show is a wonderful opportunity to introduce children to theater for the first time, and I feel so proud that we are directing it together,” she said. “I don’t know of anywhere else in the area that students have had the opportunity to perform this show with the guidance of two original cast members, and we have seen tremendous growth since we started rehearsals.

They have really stepped up to the plate.”

A special sneak preview of Cats will take place Sunday, May 1 at 1 and 2 p.m. at the Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens.

In June and July, the conservatory’s vacation camps include three-week Junior and Senior Conservatory summer camps (grades 35 and 6-12) that will culminate in full perfor-

mances of the musicals Footloose and Honk!

Jr. on the theater’s main stage.

Footloose performances are slated for June 24 and 25 at 7:30 p.m. Honk! Jr. performances will take place July 29 and 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets for the three shows cost $20 for adults and $15 for children. Footloose, a stage adaptation of the 1984 film, offers a message of tolerance and celebrating life. “Footloose is all about dealing with adversity in a positive way, and the music in the show is fast and fun,” Rowe said. “A high-octane rock musical with power and flair, the show offers an all-singing, all-dancing journey through the ’80s.”

Rowe noted that Honk! Jr. is a contemporary, comic adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Ugly Duckling that brings a message of acceptance and self esteem. “It gives young ones the opportunity to explore characters in a fun and exciting way,” she said.

“Since all of the characters are barnyard animals, it also provides a fantastic outlet for imagination and creativity.”

The Maltz Jupiter Theatre Conservatory of Performing Arts offers a challenging, innovative and quality theater experience to students of all ages and abilities. In addition to a full schedule of classes, the conservatory’s workshops and master classes offer students

an opportunity to learn first-hand about the world of theater from nationally known composers and performers, agents and local instructors. To purchase tickets for any of these shows, call the box office at (561) 575-2223.

For more information on the conservatory’s programs, call (561) 575-2672 or visit www. jupitertheatre.org.

Ed Asner Stars In ‘FDR’ June 1-5 At Boca’s Caldwell Theatre In a major coup for the Boca Raton regional theater, the Caldwell Theatre Company has booked legendary film and television star Ed Asner to star in Dore Schary’s oneman show FDR. Performances will run June 1-5.

FDR explores the life of one of America’s best-loved presidents and the events and decisions that shaped a nation. This powerful play follows the iconic president as he reflects on his years in of-

fice, from inauguration to the trials of World War II. Asner is best known for his comedic and dramatic crossover as the gruff but soft-hearted journalist Lou Grant, the role he originated on the landmark TV newsroom comedy The Mary Tyler Moore Show and continued in the newspaper-set drama Lou Grant, which earned him five Emmys and three Golden Globe Awards. Asner received two more Emmy and Golden Globe

awards for the mini-series Rich Man, Poor Man and Roots. Most recently, he provided the voice of Carl Fredricksen in the award winning Pixar animated film Up. “This is such an incredible opportunity for Caldwell to be in a position to offer to our patrons,” Caldwell Theatre Company Artistic Director Clive Cholerton said. “To not only land a true icon in Mr. Asner, but more so, to have him in a role that he has portrayed to such criti-

cal acclaim. This is simply a theatrical event not to be missed.”

Laurence Vittes of the Hollywood Reporter wrote of the performance, “Asner’s pacing is immaculate, and his absorbing phrasing communicates directly to the audience.”

There will be seven performances in total with extremely limited seating. Tickets cost $40 to $75 depending on performance and seat location, with $10 student rush tick-

ets for full-time students. The Caldwell Theatre Company is located at 7901 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton.

For ticket information, call (561) 241-7432 or visit www.caldwell theatre.com. Group pricing rates for all performances are available.

Groups must consist of at least 15.

Groups receive one comp for every 20 tickets purchased. Contact Group Sales at (561) 995-2333 or group sales@caldwelltheatre.com.

Phantoms Recommend Culinary Creations Dinner At Kravis

Breakers Executive Chef of Banquets Jeff Simms and Quantum Foundation President Emeritus Jeannette Corbett.

We attend a number of charity dinners throughout the year, and this is the best of the best and sells out. Alerting you about this fantastic evening is our way to thank our readers and at the same time help one of our favorite charities — the Quantum House, Palm Beach County’s version of the Ronald McDonald House. We had such a good time. Each of the 25 teams prepare their own appetizers, entrées and desserts, place them on the table and then you pass it around. Yum! Our hats off and forks up to the American Culinary Federation Palm Beach County Chefs Association, which will host the 12th annual Culinary Creations dinner June 13 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. The spectacular culinary dinner, inspired by some of the region’s most talented chefs, will be in honor of the Quantum Foundation as part of the Quantum House 10th anniversary celebration. Proceeds from the evening will benefit the Quantum House and the Palm Beach

County Chefs in Distress Endowment Fund.

Culinary Creations celebrates the extraordinary talents of some of the finest chefs in South Florida. This unique evening is unlike any other food and wine event in Palm Beach County. Guests enter into an amazing champagne reception featuring delectable hors d’oeuvres. The foodie-themed evening flows into the silent auction where guests can bid on private chef dinners, wine tastings and other spectacular items.

The once-in-a-lifetime dinner also features four amazing courses served round-robin style. Guests have the opportunity to experience a dish from each of the 25 chefs such as lobster and roasted corn pot pie, lamb osso bucco cannelloni and crab-crusted local yellowtail snapper. Some of the participating clubs and restaurants include the River House, the Sailfish Club of Florida, the Breakers and Café L’Europe.

Diners will leave with a full stomach and a

full heart because 100 percent of the proceeds from the dinner will benefit deserving charities.

“Having all these award-winning chefs under one roof preparing such a gourmet feast to honor Quantum Foundation for our 10th anniversary is spectacular,” said Robi Jurney, Quantum House executive director.

We guarantee this will be one of the best dinner experiences of your life, prepared by 25 executive chefs and their culinary teams.

Tickets are on sale now for $125 per person or $1,000 per table of 10 and can be purchased at www.quantumhouse.org.

Quantum House is a caring and supportive home that lessens the burden for families whose children are receiving treatment in Palm Beach County for a serious medical condition. The Quantum House is the only facility of its kind between Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. For more information, call (561) 4940515.

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

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BUSINESS NEWS

GRAND OPENING FOR TOTAL WINE & MORE IN SHOPPES AT ISLA VERDE A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Wednesday, April 20 at Total Wine & More, a new store located in the Shoppes at Isla Verde near Best Buy in Wellington. The store offers approximately 8,000 wines, 3,000 spirits and 2,500 beers.

As part of the ceremony, the company donated $10,000 to the American Cancer Society. For more info., call (561) 795-9229 or visit www.totalwine. com.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER

The ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Terry Lamb, Mik e Gibbins, Gabe Schnirman and Rob Cecil.

Larry Garroway of Southern Wine and Spirits and Penfolds Winery rep Brian Koziol offer Wellington Mayor Darell Bo wen a sample.

Total Wine donated $10,000 to the American Cancer Society: (L-R) Teri Lane of ACS, Bill Smith, Martha Gilmartin, Total Wine & More District Manager Don Bergenty and Store Manager Brent Pulisic.

Buddy Hubbell and Jeannie Carroll get their bottle signed by Paul Castronovo.

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ABWA To Meet May 11 In P.B. Gardens The Northern Palm Beach Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association will meet Wednesday, May 11 at the PGA Doubletree Hotel in Palm Beach Gardens. Networking will take place from 6 to 6:30 p.m. with the dinner and program beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The cost is $35, and guests are welcome.

The speakers will be Kathy Gallagher and Lois Baron, and the program topic is “A View of ABWA from National.” Gallagher is president of Key Technical Resources, a member of the ABWA Coral Springs Charter Chapter and South Broward Chapter, and the 2009

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American Business Woman of ABWA. Baron is vice president of Chelsea Information Systems Inc., a member of ABWA Coral Springs Charter Chapter, Tri-County Council chair and 2011 National Women’s Leadership Conference cochair. There will also be a presentation on WIN. The Doubletree Hotel is located at 4431 PGA Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens. To make reservations, or for more information, call Sharon Maupin at (561) 624-3816.

For more about the chapter, call Carol O’Neil at (561) 389-1227 or visit the organization’s web site at www.abwapbflorida.org.

BUSINESS NEWS

Local Moving Company Honored

Two Men and a Truck West Palm Beach, serving Wellington, Royal Palm Beach and greater Palm Beach County, was recently recognized as a top performer in the United States for 2010 at the annual Two Men and a Truck International conference held in Hilton Head, S.C. It ranked No. 12 out of more than 200 locations across the country.

Franchises are judged annually based on a scorecard system measuring excellence in customer service, operations, education, citizenship and community involvement.

Two Men and a Truck West Palm Beach was also awarded the “Newsmaker Award” for the Southeast Region of the United States for the fourth consecutive year. This award recognizes the franchise with the

best positive, unpaid media coverage. “These top franchises define what our system is all about… customer satisfaction, serving as a role model in the community and in the industry,” said Matt Cutler, chief operating officer at Two Men and a Truck International Inc. “We are honored to recognize the dedication and commitment of these business leaders.”

Two Men and a Truck West Palm Beach offers local and long-distance moving services for home and business customers, as well as storage, boxes and other moving supplies.

Owned and operated by Janelle and Joel Dowley, it will complete its sixth year of operations this summer. For info., visit www.twomen andatruckwestpalmbeach.com.

Local Two Men and a Truck owners Janelle and Joel Dowley at the conference.

HealthSource To Host Patient Appreciation Day May 21 On Saturday, May 21, HealthSource Chiropractic and Progressive Rehab will host its Community/Patient Appreciation Day to honor the clinic’s patients and say “thank you” to the community as a whole.

The event will take place from 9

a.m. to 1 p.m. and include tours of the facility, educational programs and festive activities for all ages. It is open to the public.

The goal of Community/Patient Appreciation Day is to encourage residents and patients to participate in fun activities that highlight

how chiropractic can be beneficial to their overall health and wellness.

At the Royal Palm Beach HealthSource clinic, Dr. Sandra Hernandez and the staff work hard to offer exceptional care to each and every patient who suffers from injuries

such as back and neck pain, leg pain, arm pain, carpal tunnel, headaches, shoulder pain and fibromyalgia. The clinic employs a combination approach called “progressive rehab,” which is quickly becoming the treatment of choice by many doctors.

HealthSource is a fast-growing

chiropractic franchise, with more than 240 clinics nationwide.

To meet Hernandez and her staff, or to see if HealthSource Chiropractic and Progressive Rehab can help, visit the office at 125 S. State Road 7, Suite 103. For more information, call (561) 792-4016.

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

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BUSINESS NEWS

South Florida Fair’s Bettye Thompson Earns Certification There are more than 3,200 fairs in North America, but only a select few can tout supervisory personnel who have been awarded the prestigious distinction of Certified Fair Executive. That honor was bestowed to Bettye Thompson, veteran agriculture manager of the South Florida Fair, during the International Association of Fairs and Expos annual management conference in Louisville, Ky. The certification is based on a rigid scorecard of management skills, education and leadership. Only 15

fair executives qualified for the coveted CFE award in 2011. Thompson is a native of Louisville, so the award had double meaning for her.

“I was born in Louisville, so it was really rewarding that I receive the designation there,” she said.

Thompson has been with the South Florida Fair since 2004 and resides in Loxahatchee, where she raises and shows Brahman cattle.

Prior to managing agriculture, Thompson was a 20-year volunteer at the fair, where she once chaired the agriculture committee.

As South Florida Fair agriculture manager, Thompson oversees a robust, year-round operation which includes a sprawling complex of structures commonly referred to as the Agriplex. It is one of the fair’s most popular attractions in an increasingly urbanized community.

The annual South Florida Fair is licensed as an agricultural event by the State of Florida. As such, it becomes a showcase of farm animals, crops and information during the 17-day event, which draws over 600,000 people each January.

The Agriplex recently completed a spring break “agucation” camp for children that included hands-on interactive activities with animals as well as farm field trips. Another camp is planned for the summer.

Each year, more than 10,000 students tour the Agriplex and Yesteryear Village as part of a Palm Beach County School District-sanctioned school curriculum.

For more information about the South Florida Fair Agriplex, call (561) 790-5229 or email bettye@ southfloridafair.com.

Bettye Thompson

Marshall Foundation Names Boiton To Advisory Board

Tomas Boiton

Nancy Marshall, president of the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation, recently announced that transportation consultant Tomas Boiton has joined the nonprofit organization’s 25-member advisory board.

Boiton designs and implements transportation programs for nonprofits such as the Children’s Services Council, the Area Agency on Aging, the Center for Independent Living Options and the Mae Volen Senior Center. In addition, as mobility manager for Palm Beach County, he develops transportation programs to serve seniors, children

at risk, low-income families, and the mentally and physically disabled.

As the founder of the nonprofit Citizens for Improved Transit, Boiton sits on the Palm Tran Service Board overseeing the Palm Tran Bus and Palm Tran Connection services for the disabled, as well as the South Florida Regional Transit Authority’s Citizens Advisory Board (Tri-Rail), the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Citizens Advisory Board and the South Florida East Coast Corridor Passenger Rail Advisory Board. He also participated in the Arthur R. Marshall

Foundation’s historic River of Grass canoe expeditions in 2010 and 2011.

“With his proven ability to bring hundreds of people together on behalf of a good cause, combined with his personal commitment to preserving and protecting the Everglades, Tomas Boiton is sure to be an outstanding asset to our advisory board,” Marshall said.

Based in Palm Beach County, the Marshall Foundation champions the restoration and preservation of the greater Everglades ecosystem through science-based education and outreach programs. Annually,

more than 15,000 elementary and high school students in Palm Beach County actively participate in the Marshall Foundation’s various education programs.

Founded in 1998, the nonprofit organization has in recent years awarded more than $400,000 in scholarships and internships, planted nearly 100,000 native Florida trees in wetland areas, and involved more than 5,000 volunteers in hands-on restoration projects.

For more information about the foundation, call (561) 233-9004 or visit www.artmarshall.com.

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SPORTS & RECREATION

Bronco Flag Football Team Bests Okeechobee In Semifinals

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report The Palm Beach Central High School girls varsity flag football team defeated Okeechobee High School 13-7 in the district semifinal competition Monday, April 25 at home.

The game started off slow, with the Brahmans scoring first. A successful extra-point attempt made the score 7-0 early on.

“They made the play that they needed to when we left the opportunities open for them,” Palm Beach Central head coach Raymond Atkins said. “But when we decided

that we wanted to fight, we made our own opportunities.”

The Lady Broncos (9-1) held Okeechobee back the rest of the quarter but were unable to score. In the second quarter, Palm Beach Central intercepted a pass and ran in a touchdown. The extra-point attempt failed, making the score 7-6.

In the second half, the Lady Broncos came back stronger. They were able to hold Okeechobee back, and at the end of the third quarter Sara Rajda ran in a touchdown. An extra-point attempt was caught by Ashante Doby, putting the Lady Broncos in the lead 13-7.

Sarah Beinstein has her flag pulled as she crosses the line for a Bronco first down.

“Both teams fought hard,” Atkins said. “We left some opportunities open for them in the first half, but in the second half we just said, ‘No, we’re not going to give you those chances.’”

Though Okeechobee fought to score again, the Lady Broncos defense held strong. By the end of the fourth quarter, Palm Beach Central’s offense was running out the clock to hold on to their lead.

Atkins said that his team is one filled with heart. “They’ve really come together,” he said. “They decided, ‘We’re going to make something special happen.’”

The win advances the Lady Broncos to the district finals where they will face Seminole Ridge High School. The Hawks defeated Palm Beach Central early this season in a shutout match, but Atkins is optimistic about their next game.

“We’re a different team now,” he said. “We’re going to come out swinging.”

Atkins said that coming off of a shutout against the Hawks will hopefully motivate his team to play their hardest.

“If they don’t come out with a little fire in their bellies then something is wrong,” he said. “You don’t need to get fired up for a game like Seminole Ridge. You know what you have to fight for.”

Palm Beach Central’s Ashante Doby runs with the ball.

Bronco Mykayla Sims takes the ball across the field.

Palm Beach Central’s Sara Rajda (right) goes for the flag pull.

Bronco quarterback Sarah Beinstein looks to pass.

Sarah Beinstein tries to navigate around the Brahman defense.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER

Naccarato Signs To Play Volleyball At American International On Wednesday, April 13, Wellington High School girls varsity volleyball player Nikki Naccarato signed a letter of intent to play for American International College.

The Wellington setter, who led Palm Beach County in assists, chose the Springfield, Mass. school over the University of Massachusetts at Boston.

“I love the feeling of diversity at the school and also how supportive the school showed toward academic achievement and athletics,” she said.

Naccarato also said that although being away from her family and the beach will be

Wolverine Watch

By Josh Hyber hard, it will be a “good learning experience” and that she feels her new coach and teammates at American International College are a perfect fit.

Nikki Naccarato with parents John and Michele and her niece Kylee Remson.

Nikki Naccarato displays the letter.

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SPORTS & RECREATION

SEMINOLE RIDGE Wellington Summer Sports Academies will be offering through Thursday, June 6-9 cost is $200 for residents and Sunday, Aug. 5-7. The cost LIFTERS TAKE STATE nineWellington different sports acade- and Monday through Thurs- non-residents. is $65 for residents and mies for youths this summer. day, June 13-16. The cost is • Soccer — The soccer $81.25 for non-residents.

CHAMPIONSHIP They are as follows: $75 for residents and $93.57 program is for ages 5-14 • Wrestling — The wres• Baseball — The baseball for non-residents. and will run Monday tling program is for ages 5-

The Seminole Ridge High School weightlifting team was victorious at the state championship April 16 and 17.

Individual winners by weight class were as follows: first place and state cham pions – Sam Jansen and Eric Strickland; third place – Dominic DeCesare, Fred Grunwald and Austin Rodriguez; and sixth place – Steven McPherson and Andrew Perkins. Seminole Ridge congratulates the w eightlifting team and coaches Justin Hilliker and Ben Kenerson for their success. Pictured above are the team members and coaches displaying their championship medals.

program is for ages 6-14 and will run Monday through Thursday, July 11-14 and Monday through Thursday, July 18-21. The cost is $75 for residents and $93.57 for non-residents.

• Basketball — The basketball program will have two sessions. The first is for ages 7-10 and will run Monday through Thursday, June 20-23, and the second is for ages 11 and older and will run Monday through Thursday, July 11-14. The cost is $75 for residents and $93.57 for non-residents.

• Fishing — The fishing program is for ages 6-13 and will run Monday through Thursday, June 20-23 and Monday through Thursday, July 11-14. The cost is $95 for residents and $118.75 for non-residents.

• Football — The football program is for children entering fifth through eighth grades and will run Monday

• Golf — The golf program is for ages 7-17 and will run Monday through Friday, June 20-24 and Monday through Friday, July 25-29. The cost is $150 for residents and nonresidents.

• Horseback Riding — The horseback riding program is for ages 6-17 and will take place in five sessions Monday through Friday from June 13 through July 25. The

through Thursday, June 616 and Monday through Thursday, Aug. 8-11. The cost is $105 for a two-week session or $60 for a oneweek session for residents and non-residents.

• Volleyball — The volleyball program is for ages 1016 and will run Friday through Sunday, June 24-26; Friday through Sunday, July 22-24; and Friday through

15 and will run Monday through Friday, July 11-15 and Monday through Friday, Aug. 8-12. The cost is $100 for residents and $125 for non-residents.

For more information, call the Wellington Village Park front desk at (561) 791-4005 or visit www.wellingtonfl. gov and click on the “Parks & Recreation” link on the home page.

CHELSEA FENIMORE TAKES FIRST AT ISI ICE SKATING COMPETITION Chelsea Fenimore of Wellington came out on top at the Ice Skating Institute’s Sea Shore Classic held Sunday, April 17 at Palm Beach Skate Zone Ice & Inline Center in suburban Lake Worth. She won first place for her Freestyle 3 Solo performance and Freestyle 3 Compulsory performance. Fenimore trains at Palm Beach Skate Zone (8125 Lake Worth Road, just west of Florida’s Turnpike). For more information about Palm Beach Skat e Zone, call (561) 963-5900 or visit www.pbskatezone. com. Shown here is Fenimore with one of the medals she won at the April 17 competition.

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SPORTS & RECREATION

PBSC Foundation Hosts Annual Golf Classic At Bear Lakes With the theme of “Serious Fun,” a helicopter hovered over the 18th green at the Bear Lakes Country Club and unleashed dozens of golf balls as one of the fundraising contests at the Palm Beach State College Foundation annual Golf Classic held April 8.

It was a fitting end to a successful tournament, as the Palm Beach State College Foundation successfully raised more than $110,000 for student scholarships and programs.

Andre Wade lines up a shot.

The “copter drop” contest winner, Murrell Perry, won a Dell laptop computer as a result of having the numbered ball closest to the pin.

A field of 30 foursomes got their putts in gear, taking to the Jack Nichlaus-designed Lakes course for the 12:30 p.m. shotgun start.

“The support for this year’s golf tournament was phenomenal,” said Suellen Mann, executive director of the Palm Beach State College Foundation. “Our community partners demonstrated their commitment to our students by funding scholarships and programs. This was the second consecutive year we held the Golf Classic at Bear Lakes, and the players enjoyed a beautifully prepared course, perfect weather and a real spirit of fun.”

The Pepsi Beverage Company team of Charlie Gantz, Vinny McCarthy, Tim McDulin and Angel Monguzzi took first place with a score of 60.

“Our company always looks to higher education as the future and a great vehicle for us to be involved in the community,” said McDulin, key account executive for Pepsi Beverages Co. “Having a positive impact in young people’s lives and helping them achieve a college degree. There is no better place we can

spend our dollars. We consider it an honor and a privilege to be involved in the Palm Beach State College golf tournament.”

Golfers had a chance to win a 2011 Honda Insight hybrid and a set of golf clubs from two different hole-in-one challenges. Other course challenges included a Longest Drive contest, Straightest Drive contest and Closest to the Pin contest. Foursomes also competed against local youth golfer Andre Wade in a “Beat the Junior Golfer” tee-off challenge.

The Golf Classic ended with a cocktail reception, award ceremony and raffle drawing. The grand prize, a MacBook Air laptop computer, was won by Phil Rich. Frank Damelio won second prize, an iPad2, and Jay Hoffman won a $500 shopping spree as third prize.

Attendees at the reception got a chance to hear from Palm Beach State College student Betsy Unger talk about how foundation events like the Golf Classic benefit her directly.

Major sponsors of the Golf Classic include 97.9 WRMF, Balfour Beatty Construction, DPR Construction, Fastrack MCI, Hedrick Brothers Construction, Lotspeich Co. of Florida, McDonald North

First-place winners the Pepsi Beverages Company team: Angel Moguzzi, Tim McDulin and Charlie Gantz.

County, Mills Gilbane, Pepsi Beverages Company, James B. Pirtle Construction, Software AG and Suffolk Construction Co. “I believe in giving back by providing young people the opportunity to earn a college degree that I achieved,” Hedrick Brothers Construction President Dale Hedrick said. “I will never be a teacher or professor, but that doesn’t mean I

can’t make a difference. The Palm Beach State College Foundation was set up for people such as myself who want to work with the college, support higher education and created a stronger, more educated workforce.”

For more information about the Palm Beach State College Foundation, visit www.palmbeachstate. edu/foundation.xml.

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Saturday, April 30 • Acreage Pines Elementary School (14200 Orange Blvd., Loxahatchee) will celebrate its 20th anniversary Saturday, April 30 as part of the annual Acreage Pines Fox Family Festival. For more info., call (561) 904-9500.

• The Wellington Landings Middle School Band will host its second annual Pancake Breakfast and Silent Auction/Raffle on Saturday, April 30 from 8 to 11 a.m.

The event will include performances by all four school bands and will be held in the school cafeteria. Breakfast tickets can be purchased at the door for $7. The silent auction/raffle will include items and ser vices from area businesses. For info., contact Barbara Lagana at barblag2001@aol.com.

• The Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis will be held Saturday, April 30 at Village Park in Wellington on Pierson Road.

Walk day sign in begins at 8 a.m. Register online at www.cff.org/greatstrides. E-mail Beth Goldstein at bgoldstein@cff.org or call (561) 683-9965 for more info.

• The South Florida Fairgrounds will host its Spring Flea Market and Garage Sale on Saturday, April 30 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. More than 100 vendors will display everything from clothing, books and equipment to household items and all kinds of trinkets. Admission is $3. Children 12 and under will be admitted free. Parking is free.

For info., visit www.southfloridafair.com or call (561) 793-0333.

• The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission will host free courses on hunter safety and bow-hunting Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Everglades Youth Conservation Camp (12100 Seminole Pratt Whitney Road). RSVP at www.myfwc.com/hunter safety or by calling (561) 625-5122.

• The Medical Science Academy at Royal Palm Beach High School will hold its second annual golf tournament at the Links at Madison Green in Royal Palm Beach on Saturday, April 30. Registration will begin at 7 a.m. with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. An awards banquet and barbecue will be held at 12:30 p.m. The entry fee is $125 per player or $500 per foursome. Call (561) 792-8659 for more info.

• Discovery Key Elementary School will host its annual spring carnival on Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day of fun for all ages will include inflatables, fun attractions, games, entertainment, arts/

crafts, yummy carnival foods, crafters and vendors, silent auction, more. Contact Kimberley Briard at (561) 307-5485 or kjbpink@bellsouth.net or visit www.dkepta. com for more info.

• The Dolly Hand Cultural Ar ts Center (1977 College Drive, Belle Glade) will present King Arthur’s Quest on Saturday, April 30 at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Call (561) 993-1160 or visit www.dollyhand.org for tickets.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host Yoga for Kids for ages 4 to 9 on Saturday, April 30 at 11:30 a.m. Yoga mats will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register.

• The American Cancer Society’s West Palm Beach Relay for Life will be held Saturday and Sunday, April 30 and May 1 at Yesteryear Village at the South Florida Fairgrounds (9067 Southern Blvd.). The event starts at 4 p.m. Saturday and ends at 10 a.m. Sunday. Call (561) 366-0013 for info.

Sunday, May 1 • The Temple Beth Torah Brotherhood will hold its annual golf tournament at noon on Sunday, May 1 at the Palm Beach Polo Golf & Country Club in Wellington. Proceeds will help fund programs for the congregation, educational scholarships and annual donations to the community. For more info., call Gregg Lowenstein at (561) 307-4243 or visit www.tbtbrotherhood.com.

Monday, May 2 • Ultima Fitness/Xtreme Tae Kwon Do in Wellington will feature a week of fitness events May 2-8 to benefit New Hope Charities and Wellington High School’s thinkPINKkids. Visit www.ultimafitness.com for the full schedule. For more info., contact Meggin Gray at (561) 795-2823 or meggin@ultimafitness.com.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host Summer Story Time Sign-Up for children under age 5 on Monday, May 2 at 10 a.m. The librar y is now taking sign-ups today for the session that runs from June 6 to July 28. Drop by or call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• American Legion Auxiliar y Unit 367 will meet Monday, May 2 at 11 a.m. at Palms West Presbyterian Church (13689 Okeechobee Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves).

For more info., call Marge Herzog at (561) 791-9875.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern See CALENDAR, page 47

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR CALENDAR, continued from page 46 Drive) will hold “CARPe Diem: Seize the (Children’s) Day” for ages 8 to 12 on Monday, May 2 at 4 p.m. In Japan, Children’s Day is celebrated on May 5 with the flying of carp kites. Participants will make a carpshaped kite to fly. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

Tuesday, May 3 • The Palm Beach County Commission will meet Tuesday, May 3 at 9:30 a.m. at the Government Center in the Jane M. Thompson Memorial Chambers (301 N. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach). Visit www.pbcgov. com for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Learn About Import/Export” for adults Tuesday, May 3 at 2:30 p.m., presented b y Ted Kramer from the Small Business Development Center. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

Wednesday, May 4 • New Horizons Elementary School (13900 Greenbriar Blvd., Wellington) will host its kindergarten roundup Wednesday, May 4 at 8:30 a.m. in the school cafeteria.

Parents and children are invited to visit the school and learn about kindergarten. All children must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 1 to be eligible to enter kindergarten in August. For info., call (561) 651-0500.

Thursday, May 5 • Executive Women of the Palm Beaches will host its 2011 Women In Leadership Awards Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 5 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Dr. Melanie Bone, Nancy Marshall and Lois Gackenheimer have been chosen as honorees, and filmmaker and environmentalist Céline Cousteau will be the keynote speaker. Tickets are $100 for members and $125 for non-members. For more info., call (561) 68 4-9117, e-mail info@ewpb.org or visit www.ewpb.org.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will hold a Mother’s Day Celebration for ages 4 to 6 on Thursday, May 5 at 3:30 p.m. Listen to stories about mothers and make a painted tile as a gift for her.

Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will host a Teacher Appreciation Social on Thursday, May 5 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the original Wellington Mall (12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington). For more info., contact Mary Lou Bedford at (561) 790-6200 or marylou@palmswest.com.

• The Royal Palm Beach Village Council

will meet Thursday, May 5 at 7 p.m. in the Village Meeting Hall. Visit www.royalpalm beach.com for more info.

Friday, May 6 • Seagull Industries for the Disabled will hold its tenth annual golf classic on Friday, May 6 at Bear Lakes Country Club. To register for the golf tournament, or become a sponsor, visit the Seagull Industries web site at www.seagull.org or contact Anne Dichele at (561) 842-5814, ext. 111 or adichele@ seagull.org.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Teen Gaming” for grades six to 12 on Friday, May 6 at 4:15 p.m. After a hard day at school, come and enjoy friends and the Wii. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• Clay-Glass-Metal-Stone Cooperative Gallery (605 Lake Ave., Lake Worth) will celebrate its second anniversary Friday, May 6 at 6 p.m. with the release of hundreds of butter flies from its showcase windows, a huge anniversary cake and mimosas for all who visit. For info., call (561) 588-8344 or visit www.clayglassmetalstone.com.

• The multicultural event For Sistahs Only will take place Friday, May 6 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Harriet Himmel Theater in CityPlace. Catering to more than 3,000 women on Mother’s Day weekend, the event will offer hair and makeup seminars, shopping, boutiques, giveaways and a live performance by R&B artist Sean Garrett. For more info., e-mail kailey.mills@cbsradio.com.

• Free Movie Night at the Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) will present The Day After Tomorrow on Friday, May 6 at 8 p.m. Call (561) 253-2484 for more info.

• The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival will be held Friday through Sunday, May 6-8 at the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center (9067 Southern Blvd.). Visit www. southfloridafair.com for more info.

• Palm Beach Dramaworks will conclude its 11th season with The Beauty Queen of Leenane, a dark comedy by Mar tin McDonagh. The production will run Friday, May 6 through Sunday, June 19 at the company’s downtown theater (322 Banyan Blvd., West Palm Beach). For ticket info., call the box of fice at (561) 514-4042 or visit www. palmbeachdramaworks.org.

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

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HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER opening in W ellington needs CERTIFIED PART TIME TEACHERS new and experienced elementary & secondary teachers wanted to instruct K-12 in Reading, Math, SAT/ACT Exam Prep. No lesson plans or homework, paid training and flexible hours.

Please e-mail resume to marlenegiraud@hlcwellington.com or call 561-594-1920 and leave a message TEACHERS/TUTORS P/T SAT/ACT/FCAT- MATH Flexible Hrs. Great Pay. PB County Area Experience required Fax: 828-8128 E-mail tutorking@wpb3331980.com

NEED COMMUNITYSERVICES HOURS? — Camp Counselors needed for Camp Giddy Up. Call for info 793-4109 14 and over w/horse experience.

OWN A COMPUTER? PUT IT TO WORK— up to $500 dollars-$3,000 dollars a month. PT/FT free info! www.global2global.com or call 601653-6412 Searching for an experienced part time bookkeeper for the front desk position. We are located and serve the western communities of PBC. Seeking motivated individual with excellent communication skills. Candidate must be proficient with Quickbooks. Will be answering phones and completing bookkeeping / clerical tasks. Email resume to palmbeachinc@gmail.com

VOLUNTEER NEEDED — 14 years and over for community service. Have fun with animals & kids 792-2666 WINDOW INSTALLERS WANTED Lic. & ins. subcontractors only. Top Pay. No Brokers. Call Matt 561714-8490 PART TIME MEDICAL ASSISTANT— needed for busy medical office. Must have pediatric experience. Fax resume to (561) 7930490 or call (561) 793-3232

SECRETAR Y NEEDED FOR LEGAL& ACCOUNTING OFFICE — 30 hours per week. Heavy Phones, computer literate, will train! Fax resume 561-333-2680

P A R T - T I M E S E C R E TA RY WA N T E D — Work with local religious organization 15 hours per week. 3 or 4 Days W eek.

E-Mail your resume to RABBIM@BELLSOUTH.NET DRIVERS WANTED — Full-Time/ Part-T ime Wellington Town-Car NIGHT DISPATCHER — for Wellington Town-Car. Call for details 561-333-0181 CHRISTY’S BAKERY NEEDS — Counter help. Experienced only.

2 shifts 5:30am - 1:30 pm and 1:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Drop of resume. The Pointe@Wellington Green. 10160 Forest Hilll Blvd.

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JOHN C. HUNTON AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION, INC. —Service & new installation FPL independent participating contractor. Lic. CAC 057272 Ins. "W e are proud supporters of the Seminole Ridge Hawks" 561-798-3225.

Family Owned & Operated since 1996. Credit Cards Accepted

AUDIO PLUS ELECTRONICS — for all your electronic needs, home theater, stereo, plasma TV, satellite, security systems, computer systems. 561-471-1161

JJJ AUTOMOTIVE,INC. — we’re looking out for you! John Lawson.

561-204-2855 600 Royal Palm Commerce Rd. Suite E, RPB. Lic. #MV52657

HOUSECLEANING — 20 yrs experience. Excellent local references. Shopping available. 561572-1782

MOBILE-TEC ON-SITE COMPUTER SERVICE — The computer experts that come to you! Hardware/ Sof tware setup, support &troubleshooting w w w.mobiletec.net.

561-248-2611 D.J. COMPUTER — Home & office, Spyware removal, websites, networks, repairs, upgrades, virus removal, tutoring. Call Jef f 561333-1923 or Cell 561-252-1186 Lic’d Well. & Palm Beach We accept major credit cards.

DRIVEWAYS — Free estimates.

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

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

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

BOB CAVANAGH ALLSTATE INSURANCE Auto • Home • Life • Renters • Motorcycle • RV • Golfcart • Boat Serving the Western Communities for 24 years Call for a quote 798-3056, or visit our website. www.allstateagencies.com/ rCavanagh

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

MOLD & MILDEW INSPECTIONS Air Quality Testing, leak detection.

US building inspectors, mention this ad for discount. 561-784-8811.

RJA PAINTING & DECORATING, INC. — Interior, Exterior, Faux Finish, Residential,Commercial.Lic. #U17536 Rocky Armento, Jr. 561793-5455 561-662-7102 J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established in 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.

Interior & Exterior painting. Certified pressure cleaning & painting contractor. Lic. #U21552 Call Butch 309-6975 visit our website at www.jbpressurecleaningandpainting.com

BACHE DEVELOPMENT INC. — General Contractor Christopher G. Bache 561-662-8353 CGC 1510884. New construction, barns, kitchens, baths, complete remodeling, flooring, painting. Residential and commercial visit us at www.bachedevelopment.com

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

BILLY’S HOME REPAIRS INC. REMODEL & REPAIRS — Interior Trim, crown molding, rottenwood rep air, door inst allation, minor drywall,kitchens/cabinets / countertop s, wood flooring.

Bonded and Insured U#19699. Call 791-9900 or 628-9215

ANMAR CO.—James’ All Around Handyman Service. Excellent craf tman Old time values. Once you’ve had me! You’ll have me back!

Lic. Ins. Certified Residential Contractor CRC 1327426 561-248-8528 ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS HERE CALL 793-3576

JOHN PERGOLIZZI PAINTING INC. — Interior/Exterior - Repaint specialist, pressure cleaning, popcorn ceiling, drywall repair & roof painting. Family owned/owner operator. Free Est. 798-4964 Lic. #U18473 PLACE YOUR AD HERE CALL 793-3576

COLORS BY CORO, INC. — Interior/Exterior, residential painting, over 20 yrs exp. Small Jobs welcome. Free est. Ins. 561-383-8666.

Owner/Operated. Lic.# U20627 Ins. Wellington Resident

MR. CLEAN PRESSURE CLEANING — 27 years. Roofs $100+up • Wall $75+up • Driveways $50+up and Patios $20+up (Chlorine PreSoak). Licensed & Insured 561541-4339

ClubZ! In-Home Tutoring

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS HERE CALL 793-3576

America’s Largest In-HomeTutoring Co.

MINOR ROOF REPAIRS DON HARTMANN ROOFING — Roof painting, Carpentry. Lic. #U13677 967-5580 HORIZON ROOFING QUALITY WORK & SERVICE — Free estimates, No Deposit s. Pay upon completion, res/comm.reroofing, rep airs, credit cards accepted.

561- 842-6120 or 561-784-8072 Lic.#CCC1328598 ROBERT G. HARTMANN ROOFING — Specializing in repairs. Free estimates, Bonded,insured. Lic. #CCC 058317 Ph: 561-790-0763.

ROOFING REPAIRS REROOFING ALL TYPES — Pinewood Construction, Inc. Honest and reliable. Serving Palm Beach County for over 20 years. Call Mike 561-309-0134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC-023773 RC0067207 ROBERT CHERRY ROOFING INC Reroofing - Repair - W aterproofing 561-791-2612 or 954-741-4580 State Lic.& Ins. #CCC-1326048

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

JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio rescreening.

Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed!

CRC1329708 call us 798-3132. www.poolscreenrepair.com

Great Rates!

All Subjects: PreK- Adult 561 •333 •1980 • CLUBZ.COM

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

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

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT — in Wellington Commerce Park off Pierson Road. Furnished or Unfurnished 575 Sq. Ft. with beautiful view of water. 2 upscale private offices, reception area, bathroom and storage loft. AvailableImmediately $600 per month (561) 722-7195

2000 HONDA ACCORD — 209,000 miles, red w/cream leather interior good running condition, good A/C $5,000 OBO 561-7137794

ACCORDION SHUTTERS — Gutters, screen enclosures, siding, soffits, aluminum roofs, Serving the Western Communities. Since 1985.

U-17189 561-791-9777

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

SPECIALIZING IN BA THROOM REMODELING — Free estimates serving South Florida since 1980.

Quality you expect, service you deserve. License, bonded and insured. U21006 561-662-9258

JEREMY JAMES PLUMBING — Licensed plumber, legitimate estimate. Water heaters, new construction. CFC1426242. Bonded and Insured. CFC1426242. 561-601-6458

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS HERE CALL 793-3576

J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.

Interior & Exterior painting.

Certified pressure cleaning & painting contractor. Lic. #U21552 Call Butch at 309-6975 or visit us at

$1000 REWARD JACK RUSSELL — female smooth coat, all white, except for face tri-color. Mostly brown. Cropped tail. Call Rose 561305-5058

www.jbpressurecleaningandpainting.com

SPECIAL SUMMER ACADEMY

MULTI-FAMILY YARD SALE — Saturday, April 30, 7a.m. - Noon.

Electronic Video Games, clothes, books, etc. 15741 60th Place North.

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APARTMENT FOR RENT — 1 bedroom, 1 bath, kitchen, living room, private entrance, electric & cable included. $700 mo. 561-252-2622 ACREAGE/LOXAHATCHEE — Fully furnished/full Kitchen, 2 beedroom, large living area Washer/ Dryer. Private entrance, no pets, electric & cable included $1,200 mo. 561-389-8023

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EFFICIENCY FOR RENT — fully furnished/full kitchen,TV,washer/ dryer. Private entrance. No smoking.No Pets. Single adult $700 per month includes all! 561-6320464 561-790-0857

ROOM FOR RENT — Furnished bedroom near turnpike $600/mo with $200 Security, Includes utilities & cable. 684-1401

2/2 NEW APPLIANCES — good condition “The T rails” good area. pool and amenities. 561-714-8376 561-793-1718 $900 monthly. Cable included.

TOWNHOME FOR RENT — 2 / 2 2 car garage. Lakefront seasonal or annual lease. No Pets 561-6442019 ROOM AVAILABLE FOR RENT — in Wellington professional only. Use of amenities, and access to pool.

561-236-9702 RENTING OR SELLING REAL ESTATE PLACE YOUR AD HERE CALL 793-3576 FOR INFORMATION 3/2 CONDO THE SHORES — Bright spacious end unit with open floor plan. Community has Pool, Tennis and Unfurnished $1275/ month, call 561-723-8461 for more information

WELLINGTON LAKES BANK APPROVED SHORT SALE

$139,000 3 bed/2 bath. Call Michelle Burgess 239-834-3589.

Tannassee Realty.

Make an offer now.

RLS4634 DPBR STATE OF FLORIDA — Serving Acreage, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Palm Beach Country Estates, Jupiter Farms and Coastal areas East Florida Site Planning, Dep Compliance Assured Mapping. 561-5960184 Cell Call for a Quote.

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