PBC FINALIZES ANTI-CORRUPTION RULES SEE STORY, PAGE 3
MBSK PRESENTS SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS SEE PHOTOS, PAGES 12 & 13
THE
TOWN - CR IER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
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INSIDE
Volume 32, Number 20 May 20 - May 26, 2011
WELLINGTON HOSTS RELAY FOR LIFE
Gypsy’s Horse Dinner Supports MBSK Trust
Gypsy’s Horse Irish Pub in the original Wellington Mall hosted a beer and wine pairing dinner to benefit My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper Charitable Trust on Sunday, May 15. There was a four-course dinner with diners choosing from suggested beer and wine selections to accompany each course. Page 2
Wellington residents came out to walk for a cure during the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life on Saturday, May 14 at Village Park on Pierson Road. Participants stayed up overnight walking the track to raise money. Shown here, cancer survivors carry a banner as they star t the relay with an honorary lap. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER
YouTube Star Ricky Ficarelli Of Wellington Wraps Up 27-City Tour Meteorologist Kait Parker Offers Storm Tips At Chamber Lunch
As hurricane season approaches, Wellington Chamber of Commerce members got safety tips from WPTV NewsChannel 5’s Kait Parker, the keynote speaker at the chamber’s luncheon Wednesday, May 18. Page 3
Women’s Club Presents Fashion Show At Binks
The Wellington Women’s Club held its “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” brunch, fashion show and auction May 14 at the Binks Forest Golf Club. Page 14
OPINION Advice To The Graduates
For Palm Beach County seniors, the coming week will be their last as high school students. As they come to the end of the first major chapter of their lives, now is a time for reflection, considering all they’ve accomplished and deciding where to go from here. It can be a confusing time. Because of this, every year the TownCrier offers advice to help add some perspective. Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS ............................. 3 - 15 OPINION ................................ 4 CRIME NEWS ........................ 6 NEWS BRIEFS .......................8 SCHOOLS .....................16 - 18 PEOPLE................................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
Emerging Star — Wellington teen Ricky Ficarelli has entertained millions on YouTube, and last week wrapped up a 27-city tour.
By Chris Felker Town-Crier Staff Report A Wellington teenager may be on the verge of hitting the big time in the music business after having performed in YouTube’s first nationwide Digitour, a series of concerts featuring the Internet video channel’s most popular youthful performers. Ricky Ficarelli, 17, is the youngest of several YouTube sensations — including headliner Dave Days, Destorm, the Gregory Brothers (a.k.a. AutoiTune the News), David Choi, Christina Grimmie and the “MysteryGuitarMan” Joe Penna — who have been touring since April 12, when the six-week, 27-city series of shows began in Los Angeles. It ended Sunday, May 15, with a last stop in Fort Lauderdale at the Culture Room. For Ficarelli, it was nice to end the month-long tour with “a coming-home concert.” “We’ve done shows with a hundred people, we’ve done shows with a thousand people, and this one was somewhere in the middle,” he said. The teenager loves playing See FICARELLI, page 20
Economic Task Force Aims To Put Focus On SR 7 Extension By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Gathering community support for the extension of State Road 7 to Northlake Blvd. will be among the priorities for the Palms West Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Task Force after discussion of the issue arose at its Thursday, May 12 meeting. Greenacres Mayor Sam Ferreri noted that the Florida Department of Transportation would be considering the extension this coming fall and that it would meet opposition. “The State Road 7 [issue] is going to come to a boil,” Ferreri said. “The new mayor of West Palm Beach, who is an Ibis resident, is dead set against this road. They’re already meeting.” Callery-Judge Grove General Manager Nat Roberts wondered what the next step toward approving the road was. “Are we playing defense or offense?” he asked. Ferreri said that opponents of
the plan are bringing up environmental factors and costs to combat the extension. “They say that the cost that is in the budget is not accurate,” he said. Ferreri noted that those opposing the road extension are already amassing residents to attend the FDOT hearings. “I have seen a lot of meeting signs and notices popping up along the [road],” he said. “They’re having these meetings to prepare to have a mass turnout at the hearings and giving out information.” Ferreri said that the power of social media helps spread the word but can also spread inaccurate information. “Social media can help people amass huge crowds through a lot of misinformation or not full information,” he said. Regarding Roberts’ question of whether supporters were on offense or defense, Task Force Chairman Carmine Priore III not-
ed that the western communities would need to be aggressive on the issue. “We need to be sure that the right information is out there,” he said. “We need to be out there and provide the right information to residents.” Scott Brown of the Palms West Chamber told the task force that the chamber had already begun contacting representatives from the area to support the issue. He noted that several are not taking a stance. Royal Palm Beach Village Manager Ray Liggins wondered whether the chamber could contact its membership and give them directions on what they need to do to support the extension. “That’s the next step,” Brown said. Palms West Chamber CEO Jaene Miranda suggested sending letters to the area representatives to encourage them to support the extension, but Roberts said that See SR 7, page 22
Serving Palms West Since 1980
K-Park Back Among Options As College Eyes Campus Sites By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington’s K-Park is back in the mix as a possible Palm Beach State College campus site, along with four other sites that will be considered at a PBSC Board of Trustees workshop at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 24. The 66-acre parcel on State Road 7 south of the Mall at Wellington Green was included at the request of Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen, a longtime advocate of a campus being located there. Two years ago, the idea became hotly contested by opponents who were against leasing the property to the college for $10 a year, because it had been purchased by the village as future parkland. Discussions were dropped when the economy went sour and state financing for the campus was vetoed by former Gov. Charlie Crist. PBSC recently announced it has
renewed its search after the legislature this year approved $7.3 million for a fifth campus, which is still subject to veto by Gov. Rick Scott, according to Palm Beach County Legislative Affairs Director Todd Bonlarron. The Wellington Chamber of Commerce recently sent a letter to Bowen and the Wellington Village Council supporting a PBSC campus at K-Park. “Our mission is to develop entities in Wellington to get more jobs in Wellington and do as much as we can to promote Wellington,” Chamber President Michael Stone said. “The establishment of higher education has proven in other locations to have been a great way of getting more jobs and keeping the economy moving.” The college’s board approved bids for construction management and architectural services earlier this month, according to Director See CAMPUS, page 22
Negotiation Session Moves Callery-Judge, Town Closer To Deal By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report The Town of Loxahatchee Groves inched closer to a settlement agreement with CalleryJudge Grove after both sides came to a compromise Tuesday on several points of negotiation. After three hours of discussion, council members unanimously agreed to limit new housing to an initial 179 homes with an additional 20 homes each year for 15 years. The issue of whether to support a four-lane rural parkway on Okeechobee Blvd., however, divided the council 3-2, with councilmen Tom Goltzené and Jim Rockett opposed. A third decision about future non-residential growth along Okeechobee Blvd. was postponed until a special meeting Tuesday, May 31 so that each party’s lawyer could review the issue and draft language that pleased everyone.
Over the past 18 months, the two entities worked in closed sessions to settle Callery-Judge’s long-running challenge to the town’s comprehensive plan. The council ultimately rejected the settlement after residents objected to several key points, including opening new road connections to the town and major changes to Okeechobee Blvd. But last month, both sides agreed on a few key points of future negotiation that had a potential for compromise. In a letter addressed to the council, Callery-Judge Grove General Manager Nat Roberts addressed the items, which included the building of new homes and the widening of Okeechobee Blvd. Roberts said that to settle the issue of forming connector and reliever roads, Callery-Judge would be amicable to an agreement of no more than 200 new See SETTLEMENT, page 22
ART SOCIETY SCHOLARS
The Wellington Art Society presented scholarship awards at its meeting Wednesday, May 11 at the Wellington Community Center. The students who received scholarships must be pursuing art in their continuing education at college or art school. Pictured above is Brittany Bennett with her charcoal drawing Interaction With Hands: Grief. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 9 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Indian Trail Voices Support For ‘Garden Of Hope’ Idea By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors last week asked for a group of residents to work with district staff on a “Garden of Hope” as part of the Acreage Community Park expansion. It is envisioned as a place where families who have lost a loved one can go to contemplate. Resident Diana Demarest, who sat on the Acreage Community Focus Group that met last year to review possible causes for a suspected “cancer cluster” in the community, presented the idea to the board at its May 11 meeting. “One of the things that we’ve
been talking about that we would like to see is some public garden, a Garden of Hope, an area within the park that will allow families, people who have lost loved ones, whether to disease or by accident, to be able to reflect,” she said. Demarest said the area would not need to be large, but would help ease the minds of people who have lost family members or friends, or have fought a disease and won. “We would like a small area of the park to set up a place where people can come and reflect… and maybe get to share with other people who are sitting there in the park,” Demarest said.
All costs would be covered through donations and the sale of engraved bricks, she said, showing a rough drawing of how she thought the park might look. Demarest said the Seminole Ridge High School Construction Academy has offered to build park benches for $50 each. In addition to selling engraved bricks, she suggested that flower seed packets could be sold for dispersal at the park. “This is something we would like the board of supervisors to consider,” Demarest said, adding that she also wants to work with the Acreage Landowners’Association on the project.
Demarest said that if the board is amenable to the idea, she could give a more complete report sometime in the future. She added that high school student advisers have told her they could get students out there to help build and maintain the park. “They would allow them to come out on Saturdays to build a gazebo and do the digging,” Demarest said. “We would award them community service hours for doing this. We don’t expect any tax dollars to go toward this whatsoever.” She said the park might be appropriate as part of the Acreage/ Loxahatchee Relay for Life,
which is held annually at the park, although the Garden of Hope would be for anyone who has suffered a loss, not just for those related to cancer. “It would be for anybody and everybody,” Demarest said. ITID President Michelle Damone said she liked the idea. “I love to see community involvement, and everything you’ve presented this evening touches community involvement, all the way down to the high school,” Damone said. “I think having a brick fundraiser and any other fundraiser that you do gets the whole community involved. It does take a lot See GARDEN, page 22
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May 20 - May 26, 2011
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NEWS
GYPSY’S HORSE FUNDRAISING DINNER SUPPORTS MBSK CHARITABLE TRUST
Gypsy’s Horse Irish Pub & Restaurant in the original Wellington Mall hosted a beer and wine pairing dinner to benefit My Brother’s/ Sister’s Keeper Charitable Trust on Sunday, May 15 center court in the mall. There was a four-course dinner with diners choosing from suggested beer and wine selections to accompany each course. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER
(Seated) Ron and Elaine Tomchin with (standing) Mike and Kelley Shinkevich. MBSK members enjoy the Irish-themed evening.
Barry Manning thanks Gypsy’s Horse co-o wner Colin Jackson.
Stan Kilbas and Rachel Bridge with Copeland Davis.
Radclif fe and Nova Brown with Adrienne Ferrin.
Mary Macy performs Irish dancing.
Elizabeth and Dr. Armando Marull were high bidder s in the silent auction.
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May 20 - May 26, 2011
Page 3
NEWS
Meteorologist Offers Hurricane Tips At Wellington Chamber Lunch
WPTV NewsChannel 5 meteorologist Kait Parker gives a presentation on hurricane preparedness. PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER
By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report As hurricane season approaches, Wellington Chamber of Commerce members got safety tips from WPTV NewsChannel 5’s Kait Parker, the keynote speaker at the chamber’s luncheon Wednesday, May 18. Parker, the station’s meteorologist, told members that many predictions as to whether or not a hurricane season will be active, such as the one updated by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration this week, are not an accurate representation of what the hurricane season will look like. “In 1992, when Hurricane Andrew came through,” she said, “that was a year when we weren’t supposed to have any [hurricanes]. It was supposed to be a
below-average season. It’s not about how active the season is; it’s about where those hurricanes go.” Parker explained that where hurricanes go is often affected by the Bermuda high. “It’s an area of high pressure that sits out over the Atlantic [Ocean],” she said. “It determines where the hurricanes that form off the coast of Africa are going to skew to.” Another major impact comes from El Niño, which occurs when the waters in the Pacific Ocean are warmer and produce a lower jet stream. “It means we have a less active hurricane season,” Parker explained. “In La Niña, the season is a little bit more active. But it all has to do with the jet stream.” Parker explained that when the jet stream is pushed south, it can rip through a hurricane with wind.
“If they don’t have the ability to grow,” she said, “they’re not going to come our way.” How active a hurricane season will be is determined by several factors, Parker said. They include the sea surface temperatures, the rainfall over Africa, pressure patterns over the Atlantic Ocean and upper-level winds. “It depends on a lot of things,” she said. “You can say we’re going to have an above-average season, but we could have not even one make landfall, or we could have all of them make landfall.” Parker explained that most strong storms form off the coast of Africa as tropical waves and progress to tropical depressions, storms and then hurricanes. And tuning in to local weather stations is important during a com-
ing storm, Parker said. National weather services, such as the Weather Channel, do not cover specific areas as accurately or as intensely. “We’re kind of the voice for the National Hurricane Center and for those emergency managers to get the word out on what you should be doing,” she said of her job at NewsChannel 5. “We know the area, and that’s the benefit.” Parker explained that when Hurricane Wilma came across Florida, many national services predicted it would weaken. “But it was going over the Everglades,” she said. “It was going over Lake Okeechobee. That’s like going over the ocean. It strengthened as it moved across the state.” She said that residents should See STORMS, page 7
Indian Trail Staffers Present 2011-12 Budget To ALA Membership By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report In preparation for a public hearing Wednesday, May 25 on the Indian Trail Improvement District budget, district staff gave a presentation and answered questions at the Acreage Landowners’ Association meeting Tuesday. The district anticipates an overall budget for 2011-12 slightly lower than this year, due largely to reorganization and outsourcing of some services, according to Finance Director Emily Poundstone. Poundstone said the budget will
be the lowest in five years and that this will be the fourth year of overall lower assessments, about 19 percent less than the average assessments in 2007. The proposed ITID budget for 2011-12 comes in at $11.5 million, down from $11.7 million in the current year. Financial accomplishments in the past year included implementation of a new purchase order module, improvements to records management, mowing outsourcing and a change in the sheriff’s contract, Poundstone said. She added that the proposed
budget was the product of a workshop two months ago, where supervisors told staff that they wanted a lower assessment while maintaining the current level of service, with roads being the top priority, as well as entrance signs and completion of Acreage Community Park. “Overall, in the budget we’re presenting, the largest percentage is roads,” Poundstone said. She said the district is taking a much more organized approach to planned road projects. Operations & Maintenance Director Anthony LasCasas said road mainte-
nance is much more forward thinking, as opposed to the “squeaky wheel” approach employed previously. Included in the budget is a breakdown based on cost and dollar amounts that are available in each unit and the number of projects the district plans to do in each. LasCasas cautioned that the plans could change if there are unforeseen issues that need to be taken care of, such as a road washout. “We’re trying to focus on concerns where they are the most needed,” he said.
Poundstone said the maintenance department also has implemented an evaluation system for vehicles that takes into account engine hours and miles in addition to the vehicle wear point system used previously. This was in response to former ITID supervisor Mike Erickson’s complaints that he thought many vehicles were being retired before their time. Poundstone said the evaluation system amounted to about 40 pages in the budget. Erickson, now an ALA board member, compli-
mented Poundstone and other district staff on their thoroughness. “I didn’t like the 40 pages, but I loved the analysis,” Erickson said. ALA Board Member Jay Sweet asked about gas tax money for road improvements, and District Administrator Tanya Quickel said the district is not eligible to receive that money. Erickson said the district roads are included as a portion of what the county claims to collect its gas tax revenue. Sweet asked whether analyses are available on the maintenance See BUDGET, page 22
Final County Vote Extends Anti-Corruption Rules To Municipalities By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Palm Beach County Commission gave final approval Tuesday to three ordinances that extend jurisdictional oversight of the Office of the Inspector General, the Commission on Ethics and the Code of Ethics to elected officials and employees of all 38 county municipalities. Chief Assistant State Attorney Paul Zacks, on behalf of State Attorney Michael McAuliffe, explained that the three ordinances under discussion are the product of the 2009 grand jury investigation of what had been perceived as possible corruption in Palm Beach County. That led the grand jury to recommend creating posi-
tions for the Inspector General, the Commission on Ethics and the Code of Ethics. “The grand jury did an extensive investigation and set out a road map that led us pretty much to where we are today,” Zacks said, pointing out that the 2010 grand jury was complimentary on the progress of the ordinances, and that in a few weeks a new grand jury will convene. “We really look forward to telling them that the work of the 2009 grand jury was not in vain.” Commenting on the ordinances, Wellington resident Morley Alperstein encouraged commissioners to approve them unanimously. “It will be the first small step for the Inspector General and
the first giant leap for Palm Beach County and the participating cities to put us on the path to a better government,” Alperstein said. Not all comments on the ordinances were favorable. West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio said the offices are growing too large. “I am very proud of what Palm Beach County has done with this ethics initiative, but I have to tell you that I am very concerned about the growth of the Inspector General’s office into a huge bureaucracy, in my estimation,” Muoio said, adding that the municipalities that will be paying for the offices do not have the ability to object to the anticipated $3.5 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year, of which Muoio said
West Palm Beach will pay $400,000. Commission Chair Karen Marcus asked about cities’ willingness to pay the cost of the offices, which is based on a small percentage of municipal contracts. Palm Beach County League of Cities Executive Director Jamie Titcomb said his organization is in the process of communicating with all the cities, many of which have already responded positively. Commissioner Burt Aaronson said Muoio had complained to him about what she described as an unanticipated $400,000 in her budget in the coming year. Aaronson said that he thought approval of the ordinances will more than make up for the expense.
“If we pass this, which I hope we will, we will not be known as ‘Corruption County,’” Aaronson said. “I cannot tell you how much it has cost us for businesses not coming into Palm Beach County because of that reputation. The business we get will more than make up, far more than any municipality will have to pay. The business community will prosper, and all of the county will prosper.” Commissioner Steven Abrams asked about the anticipated growth of the Inspector General’s office, and Joseph Doucette, chief of administration for the office, said that an additional 16 positions have been requested, increasing the overall number to 34. Doucette said the increase amounts to
roughly half of a full-time equivalent per municipality. Abrams asked whether other governmental bodies, such as the Palm Beach County Health Care District, constitutional officers and independent taxing districts might be invited to join in the programs. Assistant County Attorney Leonard Berger said there is a provision in the ordinance that they can be included. Abrams asked if more outreach can be done, as opposed to waiting for them to come to the county. Aaronson said he thought the ordinances should apply to any agency that collects taxpayer money, including the school district and constitutional officers. “As the See ETHICS, page 4
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May 20 - May 26, 2011
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OUR OPINION
Congratulations Graduates: Our Advice For The Class Of 2011 For seniors in Palm Beach County, this coming week be their last as high school students and their first as high school graduates. As they come to the end of the first major chapter of their lives, now is a time for reflection, considering everything they’ve accomplished and deciding where to go from here. It can be a confusing time, indeed. Because of this, each year the Town-Crier offers advice to help add some perspective, especially for those planning to further their education. • It’s your choice — Between pressures from parents, peers and society in general, deciding what you want to do versus what is expected of you can be a tough choice. It will be difficult saying goodbye to your high school friends, and the temptation will be there to want to go where they’re going. Of course it’s possible to fulfill your educational needs this way, but if you’re going to a school you otherwise wouldn’t attend just because your friend signed up, you’ll be in for a serious wakeup call. Besides, you’ll make new friends. • Think long term — Whether you’re choosing a college or accepting a job, every choice you make affects your overall path in life. Some professions require more than four years of college, and if you’re going to choose a particular path, you must be confident it’s what you want to do with the rest of your life. Some students know their path while still in high school. Others need more time. There is nothing wrong with having an undeclared major for a year or two. If you know what type of work you most enjoy and could spend the rest of your life doing, then that is the path you should take. There is, however, one glaring exception to this rule, which leads us to our next point.
• Be realistic — If your future plans involve being a famous actor, athlete or musician, that’s great, but don’t count on it. Fortunately for athletes, their sport of choice is likely offered at the collegiate level, so they will have an academic major to fall back on should their sports career not take off. For musicians, there are many jobs in the music industry besides performing. From recording and live production to working for a record label or as a music journalist, there’s a wide range of steady employment opportunities available with the right education. That way if someone tells you, “Don’t quit your day job,” you’ll be able to oblige. • Be responsible — The rising cost of tuition should serve as a deterrent for those who view college as a party with a few classes on the side. The lack of supervision and of mandatory class attendance shouldn’t be seen as a green light to slack off. Students are expected to understand the consequences at this point. Unfortunately, consequences aren’t their main concern, but they’re very real — just ask any of the scores of adults still paying off their student loans. College life can be a great social experience as long as you can balance party time and study time. Area high schools will hold their graduation ceremonies on the following dates: Royal Palm Beach High School, Monday, May 23 at 8 a.m.; Seminole Ridge High School, Monday, May 23 at 12:30 p.m.; Wellington High School, Monday, May 23 at 4:30 p.m.; and Palm Beach Central High School, Wednesday, May 25 at 8 a.m. Congratulations, 2011 graduates... and good luck!
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LG Stall Tactics Driving Up Cost The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District (LGWCD) has been petitioned to hold a referendum by more than twice the required number of the residents. The petition asks the qualified electors (a resident who is a landowner and registered voter) to be allowed to decide if they want to keep the one vote for each acre owned, or go to one person, one vote for some of the board of supervisors’ seats. The intention was to hold the petition at the same time as the yearly election held in June of each year. It was believed that by doing this it would keep any extra costs down to a minimum. This assumption worked fine until the LGWCD Board of Supervisors and the district attorney got involved with all of the what-ifs and “I need more direction and details” statements. The directions are very clearly spelled out in the Florida Statutes, so all they needed to do was to read it and follow the directions that were in front of them as the writers of the petition had to do without an attorney involved. The statutes require a list of the qualified landowners and the qualified voters be cross checked to see who is on both lists. This is the list of those who are eligible to vote during the referendum. The district was given a certified count of the qualified electors from the supervisor of elections. The dis-
trict attorney challenged the certification, even though it was double what was needed to schedule the referendum. This list of qualified electors that the district claimed was so hard to produce was quickly produced by the petitioners who used the information as the basis for who was eligible to sign the petition in the first place. The district board and attorney further drove up the costs when they delayed scheduling the referendum by the required date and asked the attorney to do more research and come back to the next meeting with direction for the board. The district board voted to hold the referendum during the same time the LGWCD supervisor election was going to be held. That election was canceled because one of the candidates withdrew. The supervisors wanted to cancel the meeting and cancel the referendum until a later date. This couldn’t legally be done. The LGWCD board decided to proceed with the referendum instead of trying to attempt to legally try to figure out how to make it go away. The supervisors have mentioned that the urban density maps the district has to draw up when the referendum passes will be challenged. How can someone say there will be a challenge to the maps and the figures the district produces for the number of seats to be selected by popular vote when the information shown on the future land use map for the
town show figures of more than 35 percent for occupied land of five acres or less? A figure of 25 percent is needed for two seats and more than 50 percent for three seats, so two seats seem guaranteed. If the maps are not challenged, there will be no other mapping costs. It just seems like the district and the district attorney are not in favor of any changes, so they want to discredit the reason for the petition and create financial fear within the residents. It should be clearly pointed out that the only expenses that will stop are the expenses for the challenge to the urban density map and the attorney fees to file the legislative changes. All of the other charged expenses will still be there to be paid whether the final vote is in favor of the referendum or opposed to the referendum question. Study all the facts. We need to allow the residents of Loxahatchee Groves to vote the same way others do. Marge Herzog Loxahatchee Groves
LGLA Comment Not Accurate The Town-Crier recently reported on presentations on ethics and the Inspector General’s Office at a Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association meeting. You quote Megan Rogers, staff counsel for the county’s Commission on Ethics as saying, “The grand jury did an investigation and uncovered a significant amount of
corruption throughout this county.” If that was said, it is not true. Actually, the grand jury uncovered no corruption at all. If they had, there would have been indictments of those implicated. There were none. What they did identify were subject areas that in their opinion and/or the opinion of the state attorney needed procedural improvement to avoid potential perceptions or risks. The public needs to be accurately informed about these issues. The county has implemented the grand jury recommendations. The grand jury report is available for public distribution. Thank you for your coverage of the meeting. Robert Weisman Palm Beach County Administrator
Don’t Cut Medicare My husband David got Medicare when he was 33 because his kidneys failed. It covered dialysis for three years and a transplant. More importantly, it allowed me at age 24 to keep my last living family member on the planet for now 20 years and counting. Losing that coverage terrifies both my husband and I. He can’t get health coverage from an insurance company at any price. Even with Medicare, I still pay $20,000 to $30,000 for additional drug coverage, deductibles, supplies, etc. Does [U.S. House Speaker John] Boehner think that terrorism
only comes from the Middle East? Right now we are being held hostage by healthy, wealthy politicians who are embracing survival of the fittest. Mahatma Ghandi said, “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.” So far, our America has proven its greatness. It gave us a “hand-up,” not a “handout.” His survival has been hard and expensive, but every moment a blessing to me and everyone who knows him. David would give his life for his country, and to my horror, it seems that Republicans would gladly take it. Stephany Kraft Palm Beach Gardens
Kudos For Oli’s Fashion Cuisine I don’t even know if you would have any interest in my experience at one of your local restaurants,
Oli’s Fashion Cuisine in Wellington. I was down in West Palm Beach a month ago and was told to go there because it was the “new spot” to get great food, so I went and it was unbelievable. The food was so good, I went back three times before I left and went back to New York City. I’m a tour manager for rock ’n’ roll bands. I travel all over the world and eat at some of the best restaurants in the world, and I have never taken the time to send a note to not only the restaurant, but the local newspaper to make sure people know what they are missing if they don’t go to Oli’s to eat. I have no idea if you have done an article or review on this restaurant yet; if not, you should! I hope I’m not wasting anyone’s time, but I had to send this e-mail because I felt that it was the least I could do to make people aware of how good this place is. Mark Seibel New York City
SEND IN YOUR LETTERS The Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep letters brief (300 words). Submit letters, with contact name, address, and telephone number (anonymous letters will not be published), to The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414; fax them to (561) 793-6090; or you can e-mail letters@goTownCrier.com.
OPINION
Disney In China: An Entirely Different Take On The Magic Kingdom It took two decades of oft-times contentious negotiations, but ground has finally been broken for the Shanghai Disney Theme Park & Resort. The estimated cost of this mammoth new project: $4.4 billion. The estimated time when China’s 1.3 billion residents can “pack up the kids and head off to Disney” — 2015.
Footloose and... By Jules W. Rabin The enormity of this undertaking is impressive. The first
phase, a 325-acre Magic Kingdom, will feature the tallest castle in the Disney theme park chain. When totally completed, there will be two hotels and a lake, plus a shopping area, which will increase the first phase acreage to 963. Eventually, the resort will stretch the land size to some
1,730 acres — a city by itself indeed. To placate the Chinese government, Disney has agreed to incorporate, and even feature, Chinese culture throughout the park. For example, the entertainment headquarters will not have a spotlighted Main Street, the first such omission for a Disney
theme park. Entrance will be through a lush, 11-acre bucolic scene of water and trees emulating the Chinese countryside. Eventually guests will be greeted by a smorgasbord of Chinese costumed characters. While Disney will own just 43 percent of the resort, the American company will hold a 70 per-
cent stake in the management company. With an ever-burgeoning Chinese middle class, there won’t be a shortage of prospective attendees. Hopefully, the ever-intrusive Chinese government will keep its nose out of the operations of this venture. But that is hardly a given. We’ll start to find out in some four years.
NEWS
RPB Selects Consultant To Help With Senior Housing Proposal By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Royal Palm Beach Village Council this month selected PMG Associates as a consultant to conduct a needs assessment for senior housing. Previously, the council set aside 9.35 acres at the new Royal Palm Beach Commons Park for a possible senior housing facility. A senior housing provider, if selected, must be able to design, construct and operate the facility in accordance with guidelines set out by the village but without village assistance. Village staff put out a request for qualifications for a consultant to help with the process in February, and received seven responses by the March 9 deadline. Those bidders, narrowed to four, made presentations to a selection committee April 14. The PMG bid was recommended by the committee and approved at a council meeting May 5. Part of the requirements for the consultant was that it be willing
to conduct workshops with interested residents in order to gauge their feelings, said Village Manager Ray Liggins. “The consultant will provide us with the decisions necessary prior to placing the property on the market,” Liggins said. “The advantages and disadvantages of each decision will be clearly identified and documented.” Liggins explained that after getting input from the community, the council would determine what type of facility it will be, whether it should be subsidized or not; forprofit or not-for-profit; independent, dependent or special needs; and what services should be provided; as well as the size and configuration. Those choices would be made, Liggins said, with the goal of reaching a decision that will provide the best likelihood of success, while meeting the needs of the community. “PMG was selected mainly for their approach and their expertise and experience,” Liggins said, explaining that the firm has 27
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years in real estate analysis for both private and government clients. Liggins said PMG will create a process that will enable the village to reach solid decisions. Councilman Fred Pinto made a motion to direct staff to enter contract negotiations, and Councilwoman Martha Webster seconded. “I think this is an important step for us to take in this long and winding road of understanding what we are going to do,” Pinto said. “This is something the council has been looking to do for several years, but this is a very diverse market space in terms of what the needs are and what the different services are, and I think our objectives here are to get on board the best talent that we can to advise us.” Pinto asked that as part of his motion, the consultant be asked to spend time with individual council members so he can hear firsthand the various concerns of council members. “I know I have specific concerns, and I’m sure
some of you have yours,” he said. PMG Vice President Philip Gonot said there are two elements to reaching good decisions, the market demand and the human element. He added that one meeting with each council member will probably not be enough. “We’re in this for the long haul to get you to the point where you feel comfortable to finalize a project,” Gonot said. “Whatever it takes,
Ethics
County Ordinances
continued from page 3 Solid WasteAuthority did, all constitutional officers should come under that umbrella,” he said. Marcus suggested writing letters to taxing bodies inviting them to participate, and Aaronson asked Marcus to draft the letter asking excluded agencies to join in the effort, starting with the school district and constitutional officers.
BARRY S. MANNING Publisher
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EDITORIAL STAFF/ Chris Felker • Denise Fleischman • Lauren Miró
we’ll be here for you.” Webster said she looks forward to the process getting underway. “This is something our community has needed for many years,” she said. “I think we have a wonderful place for it, and it’s going to be a great finished product.” Gonot said he saw his company’s role as primarily to provide information so the council can make valid decisions, but that it
could also suggest direction if the council so chooses. Resident Diane Queller said that after the recent wrangling between RPB and residents over the disposition of the 160-acre wastewater treatment plant site, she was encouraged by the company’s interest in getting input from the community. The motion carried unanimously.
Marcus also suggested removing a clause of the ordinance that reads that the Office of the Inspector General “is created in order to promote economy, efficiency and effectiveness,” which she thought detracted from another clause that says the office was “created in order to prevent and detect fraud and abuse.” Commissioner Jess Santamaria, however, urged that the commission pass the ordinance as written. “Since the grand jury made the report some two years ago, the public has again and again and
again repeatedly supported the Inspector General and Commission on Ethics,” Santamaria said. “In November, more than 70 percent voted in support of what we’re going to be voting on today. Let’s proceed and move on with this ordinance as written.” Doucette explained that the language “to promote economy, efficiency and effectiveness” is language in the state and federal inspector general laws, as well as the Miami-Dade ordinance. All three ordinances were approved unanimously.
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NEWS
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY STAGES RELAY FOR LIFE AT PARK IN WELLINGTON
Wellington residents came out to fight for a cure during the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life on Satur day, May 14 at Village Park on Pierson Road. Participants stayed up overnight walking the track t o raise money, participating in activities and enjoying live entertainment, all meant to represent the day in the life of a cancer patient. For more info., visit www.relayforlife.org. PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER
Jason Shields embraces his children Kaycee and Sean during the opening ceremony.
Members of the local breast cancer support group Your Bosom Buddies II.
WPTV’s Roxanne Stein with Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen and ACS Community Representative Teri Lane.
Your Bosom Buddies II founder and president Teresa Franzoso with event chair Bill Smith and Brandon Pilarski.
Betty Ann Baker and Christopher Park release butterflies during the opening ceremony.
Team Siegel, Family and Friends serves up some Greek food.
ANNUAL ‘BLESSING OF THE HANDS’ AT WELLINGTON REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
In honor of National Nurses Week, Wellington Regional Medical Center hosted a “blessing of the hands” ceremony Tuesday, May 10 in the hospital lobby. Clerics participating in the blessing of nurses and other staff members included Rabbi Bertram Kieffer of Tem ple Beth Zion in Royal Palm Beach, Unity of Delray Beach Assistant to the Minister Laurie Durgan and Madaline Lawrence, a licensed teacher at Unity Church of Delray Beach and chaplain at WRMC. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER
Laurie Durgan, Madeline Lawrence, Rabbi Bertram Kieffer and Wellington Regional Medical Center CEO Jerel Humphrey.
Registered nurse Alicia Van Dyke gets her hands blessed by Rabbi Bertram Kieffer.
Laurie Durgan with registered nur se Lakeshia Grant.
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CRIME NEWS
Deputies Recover Stolen Vehicle In RPB, Suspects Flee By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report MAY 14 — A stolen car was recovered last Saturday morning following a traffic stop on Fox Trail Road in Royal Palm Beach. According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation was on traffic patrol on Okeechobee Blvd. at approximately 7:53 a.m. when he observed a black Toyota two-door traveling eastbound at 55 miles per hour in a 35-mph zone. According to the report, the deputy initiated a traffic stop, but the vehicle continued eastbound and turned onto Fox Trail Road. The deputy instructed the driver to stop the vehicle over the loud speaker. According to the report, the vehicle stopped and two passengers, both black males approximately 18 years old, exited the vehicle and fled on foot into the Sunset Isles community. The driver, described as a light-skinned black male, also approximately 18 years old, then exited the vehicle, looked at the deputy and fled in the same direction. A check of the vehicle tag determined that the car had been reported stolen. According to the report, several other deputies as well as the K9 unit and air patrol arrived on scene to look for the suspects, but a canvass of the neighborhood was unsuccessful. The deputies were able to recover a pair of blue Converse shoes they believe belonged to one of the suspects. The vehicle was returned to its owner, but the suspects were not located. ••• MAY 13 — A resident of the Greenview Cove community called the PBSO substation in Wellington early last Friday morning to report a vehicle fire. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 10 p.m. last Thursday and 1:24 a.m. the following morning, someone set fire to the victim’s black Infinity SUV. According to the report, the deputy arrived to find the vehicle fully engulfed in flames and made sure to clear the nearby residence. Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue arrived and extinguished the fire. According to the report, during the investigation, several notes were found addressed to the victim that claimed she owed the writer money. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. MAY 13 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was dispatched to a nursery on Orange Blvd. last Friday morning regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 6 p.m. last Thursday, the victim parked his trailer in the nursery, which is unfenced, and locked it. He returned at 8 a.m. the following morning to discover that the lock on the trailer had been removed and approximately $2,935 worth of lawn equipment had been stolen. Surveillance video footage was available, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. MAY 14 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched to the Versailles community last Saturday morning in reference to a stolen golf cart.
According to a PBSO report, at sometime between 10:30 p.m. last Friday and 8 a.m. the following morning, someone entered the victim’s open garage and removed a Club Cart golf cart. According to a separate report, the golf cart was used to damage the pool fences at two homes on Versailles Blvd. as well as the community’s perimeter fence. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. MAY 14 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was dispatched to a home on 54th Street North last Saturday morning regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 7 p.m. last Friday and 10:30 a.m. the following morning, someone stole the victim’s General Grabber All-Terrain tires valued at approximately $4,000. The victim also discovered a Garmin GPS unit in his front yard, which he determined belonged to a neighbor. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. MAY 14 — A resident of 67th Place North called the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation last Saturday afternoon to report a theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 10 p.m. last Friday and 3:30 p.m. the following afternoon, someone stole the victim’s generator from his yard. The generator was yellow in color and valued at approximately $800. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. MAY 16 — A Pahokee woman and a juvenile were arrested Monday on shoplifting charges after they were caught stealing from the Walmart Supercenter on Belvedere Road. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation responded to the store after a loss prevention officer observed 22-year-old Alexis Greene and a male juvenile select several items and conceal them in Greene’s purse. According to the report, Greene and the juvenile then placed other items in the cart and went to the register, paying for the items in the cart. Greene and the juvenile then passed all points of purchase, making no attempt to pay for the items. A loss prevention officer stopped them and retrieved $116.99 in stolen merchandise. According to the report, as the deputy was searching Greene’s purse, he discovered two small blue plastic bags containing approximately two grams of marijuana. Greene and the juvenile suspect were arrested. Greene was taken to the Palm Beach County Jail where she was charged with petty theft and possession of marijuana under 20 grams. The juvenile was taken to the Palm Beach County Juvenile Assessment Center. MAY 17 — A resident of the Hidden Pines community called the PBSO substation in Wellington on Tuesday to report a burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 10 a.m. and noon, someone shattered the victim’s rear sliding glass door and stole three gold watches, a laptop computer and two pairs of designSee BLOTTER, page 22
Crime Stoppers of P alm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives: • Stephanie Lynn is a white female, 5’6” tall and weighing 129 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. She has scars on both knees. Her date of bir th is 08/22/84. Lynn is wanted for obtaining property in return for a worthless check , draft or debit card (f elony), and violation of probation for fraudulent use of a credit car d (felony and misdemeanor). Her occupation is receptionist. Her last kno wn addresses were Northumberland Circle in Wellington and SW 22nd Avenue in Delray Beach. Lynn is wanted as of 05/19/11. • Joseph Wittingham, a.k.a. “Joey,” Joseph Braze, Ramiro Ignacio and Joseph Wilson, is a black male, 5’9” tall and weighing 160 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. He has multiple tattoos. His date of birth is 09/01/81. Wittingham is wanted for violation of supervised own recognizance on a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon causing bodily harm. His occupation is barber. His last known address was Softwood Court in Wellington. Wittingham is w anted as of 05/19/11. Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward. Call Crime St oppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimestopperspbc.com.
Stephanie Lynn
Joseph Wittingham
THE INFORMATION FOR THIS BOX IS PROVIDED BY CRIME STOPPERS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY. CRIMESTOPPERS IS WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT SHOWN HERE.
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May 20 - May 26, 2011
Page 7
NEWS
Florida Green Conference Brings Hundreds To Convention Center By Chris Felker Town-Crier Staff Report The Palm Beach County Convention Center was the place to be Tuesday and Wednesday, May 17 and 18, for hundreds of environmentally conscious leaders during the third annual Florida Green Energy & Climate Conference/ Expo. Attending were county, municipal and state government officials, along with professionals in a wide variety of occupations. The exposition, organized by the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, featured a bipartisan panel of legislators who discussed efforts at the state level to bring Florida into the forefront of clean energy production. Unfortunately, though, they were unable to claim any specific achievements from this year’s session, as the legislature’s recent 60day meeting was consumed by other priorities. All the lawmakers, however, eagerly encouraged input and ideas from conference attendees and private citizens for initiatives they might be able to bring before the 2012 legislature. There were more than 50 exhibitors, ranging from car dealers showing the latest models of hybrid vehicles and utility companies revealing state-of-the-art energy production technologies to marketing companies focusing on enticing green-leaning consumers
and building retrofitters promising energy efficiencies and savings. Wellington touted its efforts toward sustainable growth and showcased its new LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design)-certified municipal building. A series of moderated panel discussions took place, beckoning participants on topics such as “Real World Solutions for Green Funding,” “How to Green Your City,” “International Green Construction Code,” “Natural Environment: Water Resources Past, Present and Future,” “Business Environment: Green Innovation in Business,” “The Electric Car: Is America Ready?” and “Why Green Transportation is Crucial to Florida’s Economic Future.” Several of those mini-seminars offered continuing education credits to members of the American Institute of Certified Planners and the American Society of Landscape Architects. All the while, in between presentations and discussions, participants milled around in the exhibition area and lobbies, networking, exchanging business cards or
success stories, and sharing common frustrations with suppliers, government regulators or restrictive laws. On Tuesday morning, about 70 up-and-coming young environmental scientists from county high schools and middle schools took it all in, then participated in their own two-hour breakout session and roundtable discussion. For the students, the only requirement for participation was that they write an essay about how businesses could reduce their environmental impacts. The highlight of the students’ day was when Florida Power & Light’s Don Kiselewski recognized them as they filed into the grand ballroom after lunch for the presentation of trophies to the five essay contest winners, who received enthusiastic applause from the audience. “We are really doing the right thing here, not just with this conference, but by our students,” Kiselewski said. The winners were announced by Missy Tancredi-Strauss, host of Radio Green Earth. Those students will read their essays on the RGE show at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 21, on WXEL (90.7 FM). Tancredi-S trauss welcomed the students into the fold, quoting the late futurist Marshall McLuhan: “There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.” Participants were welcomed at
the start of the conference by new West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio. She encouraged everyone to take part in as many sessions as they could and, afterward, to patronize “our great shops, restaurants and businesses at CityPlace and downtown on Clematis Street.” Muoio happily noted her city’s most recent foray into the green arena; it recently took delivery of five new, electric-powered Nissan Leafs and opened seven electric charging stations in the city’s Clematis Street parking garage, two of which are open for public use. David DeVos of Prudential Real Estate Investors made the first presentation, titled “Sustainability: A Global Perspective.” He noted that his industry has “a long way to go in developing metrics for sustainability from an investment standpoint. We face a number of data challenges,” he said, “and benchmarking is a priority — on energy and water usage, carbon emissions and other measures.” Then lawmakers on the legislative panel on energy policy took the stage. Moderated by Michael Sole, FPL’s vice president for state governmental affairs and former secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, five state legislators and U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch (D-District 19) engaged in a lively discussion of bills they’d like to see passed.
Sole noted that since 1950, energy usage in the United States has tripled and that in that time, Florida has moved up to third among the states in the amount of energy consumed, yet still ranks 49th in energy expenditures per person. He also said Florida imports nearly all of its energy resources, and that needs to change. State Rep. Clay Ford (R-District 3), chairman of the Energy & Utilities Subcommittee, said that although a wide-ranging energy bill did pass his subcommittee with both parties’ support, it “got bogged down in the Senate” and went nowhere after Gov. Rick Scott indicated he would not sign it. Noting that “energy is a nonpartisan issue,” Ford said he wants to shift strategy in 2012 and, instead of trying to pass an “omnibus”type bill dealing with several aspects of energy production, would break the issues into separate bills regarding policy matters, utilityscale solar power production, energy efficiency measures and distribution regulation. State Rep. Joe Abruzzo (D-District 85) said that one of his proudest moments was when he got the Energy Efficiency Rebate Program passed into law two years ago. That program offered up to 20 percent rebates for consumer purchases of energy-efficient appliances, and financing was quickly exhausted because of its popu-
larity. Abruzzo said he would like to see the state establish a strong loan fund for private investment in energy efficiency measures, and set goals for renewable energy thresholds. State Rep. Lori Berman (D-District 86) cosponsored House Bill 531, which would prevent county property assessors from including the value of energy conservation improvements such as solar panels in a home’s assessed valuation. It passed the House 115-0 but was not taken up by the Senate. Berman agreed with Ford that separate energy bills would stand a better chance of being enacted. State Sen. Maria Sachs (D-District 30) said she would like to see Florida establish a farm-to-fuel policy and noted that the state’s Department of Agriculture and the University of Florida have joined forces in devising ways to produce energy from farm resources. State Rep. Jeff Clemens (D-District 89) noted that Florida needs to institute tax incentives for green building initiatives and targeted tax cuts such as “energy enterprise zones.” In closing, Sen. Sachs noted that she is already working on energy legislation for consideration next year and urged interested professionals such as audience members to appear before legislative committees and testify on energy policy. “Let’s get started,” she said.
Pat Rooney: Session Was Challenging, But Largely Successful By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Issues of the state budget, program cuts and newly passed bills were the topics of discussion as State Rep. Pat Rooney (R-District 83) gave a legislative update to the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors last week. Rooney, who recently finished his first session in Tallahassee, told the board May 11 that the biggest challenge for the state legislature was to balance the budget without raising taxes. “We were facing about a $4 billion shortfall in the budget this year,” he said. “Our mandate was to come under last year’s budget, which was about $70 billion, without raising taxes or fees. So we were faced with a pretty daunting task. The good news is that we did do that.” The budget was approved at $69.7 billion, Rooney said. “But a lot of things got cut,” he said. “That’s the bad part.” Rooney said that he fought for several key items to retain their financing, including libraries and services for people with disabilities.
Storms
Kait Parker At Luncheon
continued from page 3 understand the difference between hurricane watches and hurricane warnings, a difference that could mean simply filling up your car or evacuating your home. “It’s not until a hurricane is about 48 hours [away] that we have more certainty of what is going on,” Parker said. “That’s when you get your tropical storm or hurricane watch.” A hurricane watch, she said, means that a hurricane is possible. “A warning means it is imminent,” she said. “It will occur within 36 hours.” Parker explained that each family should have a plan specific to that individual family. Things to
The original budget passed by the State Senate included no financing for public libraries, while the State House’s budget would have severely cut their allocation. “They were slated to lose over 50 percent of their funding,” Rooney said. However, by the end of negotiations, legislators budgeted $21.3 million, an increase from last year’s level. Rooney said he supported financing for people with disabilities because the cause is “near and dear to my heart.” Originally, Gov. Rick Scott pressed for deep cuts from the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. The legislature, however, was able to include $54 million for the agency to continue services. “At one point, we were trying to figure out how much we would take away from cancer research to fund people with disabilities,” Rooney said. “It was not a good situation to be in.” He credited State Rep. Matt Hudson (R-District 101) with making a plan that benefited both causes. “He was able to find a balance where we could provide consider include whether you live in an evacuation zone, what to do with pets should you need to go to a shelter, and where the safest place in the house is should you stay at home. “If you’re not evacuating, you need to know where the safest place in your house is,” she said. “It’s the bottom floor, middle of the house, no windows.” She explained that the more compact an area is, the less likely it is to be moved by wind force. As for supplies, she reminded members to be sure to have hand tools that are not powered by electricity, such as a hand-held can opener. She also recommended having a battery-powered weather radio, as well as all the necessities. For a complete list of recommended supplies, visit www.nhc. noaa.gov.
funding for people with disabilities, as well as keep cancer research funding at an acceptable level,” Rooney said. Rooney noted that a growth management bill caused concern from several groups, notably environmentalists. “It was viewed that the state was taking away a lot of requirements for environmental issues,” he said. “Basically, what it does is just take away the state’s role in a lot of these decisions. The local governments will be responsible for what type of building and development they want to have.” Another hot issue was pension reform. The legislature passed a bill requiring all government employees, including teachers, firefighters and police officers, to pay 3 percent of their salaries to the Florida Retirement System. “At the local level, it’s a much more difficult issue to deal with,” Rooney said. “We are one of the few states that did not require our public employees to pay anything into their pension.” He noted that originally, Gov. Scott wanted employees to pay in 5 percent.
“We heard from a lot of folks that it was going to be very detrimental to their way of life,” Rooney said. “We compromised on 3 percent. That’s still going to bother some folks, but it isn’t as bad as 5 percent, and it puts us on a similar level with other states.” Rooney said that one of the bills he was proudest of was the new “pill mill” legislation that would crack down on physicians and pharmacies that illegally dispense prescription drugs. He noted that although initially the governor and several legislators did not want the bill to include a prescription drug database for privacy reasons, they were finally convinced. “It was a bipartisan effort,” Rooney said. “The funding will be there, at least in the short term, through grants. I’m really proud of the legislation.” ITID Supervisor Ralph Bair asked whether the prescription drug database would target physicians or those purchasing the pills. Rooney said it was aimed at both. “It’s targeted at individuals to
Keynote speaker Kait Parker with Membership Director Cindy Boval, Treasurer Dale Grimm and Social and Retention Director Laura Hanchuk.
make sure they’re schools,” he said. not buying in “And as we learn bulk,” he said. more about the im“But it’s for docpacts of concustors, too. We’re trysions and spinal ining to figure out juries, we feel they who is [causing the are needed. If the problem] on both school does not ends.” have a trainer, it’s Another meaup to the coach to sure Rooney supdecide if a kid can ported included figo back in there nancing for the and play. And I Everglades, which don’t think that’s a he said took a hit very good deal.” this year. Rooney said that State Rep. Pat Rooney “I really believe in his experience as the Everglades is a new legislator, he a national treasure,” he said. found that the legislative process “And I believe the federal gov- could be unnecessarily time conernment… needs to be a big suming. player in its restoration. I think “Sometimes we’d schedule a they started to, and hopefully three-hour meeting and only meet they will continue to make up for 45 minutes,” he said, adding some of the shortfall that we as that many of the meetings legislaa state face.” tors are required to attend on nonOne bill that Rooney support- voting issues could be suppleed but was unable to get passed mented by video conferencing in this session was a bill that would the future. “Whatever costs it encourage athletic trainers for all would take to move to video conhigh school sports. ferencing will more than make up “Right now, athletic trainers are for the costs to send all of us up to not required to be in public high Tallahassee.”
Luncheon sponsor Brickman receives a plaque from Membership Director Cindy Boval, Treasurer Dale Grimm and Social and Retention Director Laura Hanchuk. PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER
Page 8
May 20 - May 26, 2011
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NEWS BRIEFS RPB Relay For Life This Weekend
American Idol finalist Brett Loewenstern (center) with Christina Gambale and Jacob Wesson at the May 9 event.
Do The Write Thing Challenge Finalists Honored At Kravis More than 600 community leaders, principals, teachers, parents and students gathered at the Kravis Center on Monday, May 9 to honor 210 finalists in the Do the Write Thing Challenge, a program of the National Campaign to Stop Violence. Christina Gambale, a sixthgrader from West Palm Beach who attends Palm Springs Middle School, and Jacob Wesson, an eighth-grader from Wellington attending the Bak Middle School of the Arts, are the first-place boy and girl ambassadors for their essays addressing youth violence. Gambale and Wesson will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. in July, where they and other ambassadors from
around the country will be honored in a national ceremony. Western Pines Middle School eighth-grader Kara Speranza was recognized as second-place girl, and third went to Candice Arthur, an eighth-grader from Boynton Beach who attends Lake Worth Middle School. Osceola Creek Middle School seventh-grader Nathanael Carman of Loxahatchee was ranked second among young men, and Royal Palm Beach resident Robert “R.J.” Brown, a sixth-grader at Western Pines, finished third. All finalists will receive cash prizes. For more information about the Do the Write Thing Challenge, call Bill Bone or Alan Gallardo at (561) 832-0623.
The American Cancer Society’s Royal Palm Beach Relay for Life will take place Saturday and Sunday, May 21 and 22 at Crestwood Middle School on Sparrow Drive. The event is open to the public and free to attend. The opening ceremony will start at 2 p.m., with the Luminaria ceremony at 9 p.m. Entertainment will continue overnight for 18 hours. The event offers fun for the entire family and a chance to support the teams that are raising funds to benefit the American Cancer Society. The Relay for Life is a celebration of life and the world’s largest movement to end cancer. It unites the community to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and to fight back against this disease. For more information, call Community Representative Teri Lane at (561) 650-0134.
Whole Foods Event May 29 To Benefit Troops Just in time to kick off summer and celebrate Memorial Day weekend, Whole Foods Market stores in Wellington and Boca Raton will host the “Support Our Troops Cookout” benefiting Forgotten Soldiers Outreach on Sunday, May 29 from noon to 4 p.m. With a $5 per person donation, supporters can choose from a fresh grilled hamburger, classic hot dog
or portabella burger, along with a side and choice of drink. There will also be a toiletry collection (new products only) and a letterwriting station to create encouraging cards for the soldiers. Attendees can lunch with pride, as 100 percent of the money raised will go to FSO, a nonprofit organization that collects, produces and ships care packages to U.S. troops overseas. To make the deal even sweeter, both the Wellington and Boca Raton stores will match up to $250 in donations per store. “We are so pleased to be able to help this wonderful organization again this year, and we’re thrilled that we’ve expanded fundraising efforts to the Boca Raton location as well,” said Lauren Belinsky, marketing team leader for Whole Foods Market Wellington. “This is an opportunity that hits close to home for so many people. We urge everyone in the community to bring their family and friends to have a great time and help us reach our goal.” FSO founder and Executive Director Lynelle Chauncey Zelnar said her organization is grateful to Whole Foods Market for hosting the event and supporting the cause. “Their donations will certainly help our mission of sending a little bit of home to our troops abroad,” she said. “The company is setting a great precedent in this community, and we greatly appreciate it.” Whole Foods Market Wellington is located at 2635 State Road 7. Call (561) 904-4000 for more information. For additional information on Forgotten Soldiers Out-
reach, visit the FSO web site at www.forgottensoldiers.org.
Memorial Day Observance In RPB May 30 The Village of Royal Palm Beach will host its annual Memorial Day Observance on Monday, May 30 at 9 a.m. at Veterans Park at the corner of Sparrow Drive and Royal Palm Beach Blvd. The memorable morning ceremony will be led by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard, Jewish War Veterans Post 684, Ladies of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 367, Boy Scout Troop 111, Royal Palm Beach Mayor Matty Mattioli and local dignitaries. Refreshments will be prepared by Butterfields Café and served by Royal Palm Beach Young At Heart volunteers following the gun salute. For more information, call the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center at (561) 790-5149.
Upcoming Events For Women’s Chamber Of PBC The Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County and the YWCA of Palm Beach County will sponsor a legislative wrap-up luncheon Wednesday, May 25 at 11:45 a.m. at the Airport Hilton (150 Australian Avenue, West Palm Beach). A panel of Palm Beach County state legislators will review action
taken during the recently completed session that is of special interest to women. The cost is $30 in advance and $35 at the door. For reservations, call the chamber at (561) 6844523 or the YWCA at (561) 6400050, ext. 134. In other chamber news, Women’s Chamber Foundation Chair Jane Bloom has announced that the eighth annual “Linking Women to Learning” scholarship luncheon will be held Friday, June 10 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in downtown West Palm Beach. The event will take place in the Cohen Pavilion. There will be a silent auction from 11:15 a.m. to noon with the luncheon and program to begin at 12:15 p.m. WPEC News Channel 12 anchor Liz Quirantes again will be the mistress of ceremonies. The Women’s Chamber Foundation is the education and development force of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce that serves its members and women in the community by providing financial support, mentoring, leadership and education opportunities. Proceeds from the silent auction will be used for scholarships given to both graduating high school seniors and women returning to college to further their education. For information on auction donations, sponsorships and/or tickets, contact the Women’s Chamber Foundation at (561) 684-4523 or president@womenschamber. biz. For more information on the organization and the event, visit www.womenschamberfoundation. org.
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NEWS
WELLINGTON ART SOCIETY AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS TO YOUNG AREA ARTISTS
The Wellington Art Society presented scholarship awards at its meeting Wednesday, May 11 at the Wellington Community Center. Students brought their works of art and said a few w ords about them. The students who received scholarships must be pursuing art in their continuing education at college or art school. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER
Brittany Bennett accepts a scholarship from President Suzanne Redmond.
Hannah Thaw with her spine-themed artwork.
Mehrnaz and Reza Djahanshahi accept a scholarship from Suzanne Redmond on behalf of their son Armon.
Flannery Winchester accepts a scholarship from President Suzanne Redmond.
President Suzanne Redmond with Hannah Thaw.
Mehrnaz and Reza Djahanshahi with son Armon’s “Geometric Abstraction.”
IMMEASURABLE THEATER’S ‘PETER RABBIT’ AT WELLINGTON AMPHITHEATER Immeasurable Theater presented The Tale of Peter Rabbit at the Wellington Amphitheater from Friday, May 13 through Sunday, May 15 for families to enjoy. The Tale of Peter Rabbit children’s play was based on the popular children’s story written by Beatrix Potter. For information about future performances, call Immeasurable Theater at (561) 727-6891. PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER
Cousin Benjamin Bunny (Maggie Phillipi) plays pirate.
The Rabbit family tries to wake up Peter (David Tompkins).
Flopsy (Hannah Lewis) and Mopsy (Marianne Haaland) wake up for a day of bunny life.
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NEWS
MORE THAN 100 TURN OUT FOR JUSTIN BARTLETT MEMORIAL TOURNEY IN RPB
A total of 113 golfers par ticipated in the second annual Justin Bartlett Foundation Memorial Golf Tournament held Saturday, May 14 at the Madison Green Golf Club in Royal Palm Beach. Despite interruption by a thunderstorm, organizer Dana Silva deemed this year’s tournament a success. For more info., visit www.justinbartlettfoundation.org. PHOTOS BY ERIC WOODARD/TOWN-CRIER
Andy Luque, Jayver Luque, Tom Greenen and Joe Pulice on 17.
Eric Steiner, Greg Salnick, Dale Barnhart and Ryan McCarry enjoy samples of Macallan sco tch on Hole 16.
Lauren Simon-Bower tees off on 16 while Jillian Simon-Bower watches by the cart.
Steve Booth helps himself to the buffet catered by Madison Green.
First-place team members Rusty Lamm, Barry Trombley, Michael Gauger and Karl Martin.
Matt Tavolacci, Ted Tovolacci, Charlie Sisca and Beau Sisca before teeing off on 17.
ArtStart Helps ESE Students At Wellington High School Get Creative When they learned they would be painting hearts in the style of the famous artist Jim Dine as part of a morning art lesson with ArtStart founder Jeannette Parssi, students in the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) department at Wellington High School were all smiles. “They may not have known Jim Dine by name, but they really loved making these hearts,” Parssi said, “and they did a great job.” The goal of Wellington-based ArtStart, Parssi explained, “is to make the arts accessible to all.” To that end, the organization has worked with a number of area
nonprofits to develop and implement art programs that address specific needs and help forward its goals. “We worked with the Mental Health Association, for example, to create a program that used theater to teach important life lessons to kids and teens,” Parssi said. “A program we delivered to the Potentials Charter School, which is part of the ARC of Palm Beach County, allowed students with severe disabilities to create their very own works of art; we also took those kids to museums and galleries, so they could enjoy the wonderful artwork on display.”
When the ESE department at Wellington High School asked ArtStart to develop and implement a visual arts program for students with intellectual disabilities and autism, Parssi was happy to oblige. Initial funding for the program was provided by ArtStart’s board of directors, and the program kicked off in March. The program will continue through the end of the school year. Parssi hopes to secure funding to continue into the next school year. “We’ll have something new for them when we come back, and I’m sure the students will enjoy themselves, almost as much as I
did,” Parssi said. ArtStart is a Wellington-based nonprofit with a mission to provide educational opportunities in the arts. Its goal is to cultivate the resources, leadership and partnerships that nurture and support arts and cultural programs. Anyone wishing to make a donation in support of the project should call Jeannette Pomeroy Parssi at (561) 635-2037, or visit the ArtStart web site at www. artstartinc.org (Right) ESE student Avikash Ramai works on his Jim Dineinspired piece using oil pastels.
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NEWS
CAFCI HOSTS STUDENT ASSISTANCE AND SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS CEREMONY Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) presented area students with Student Assistance Awards on Saturday, May 14 at the Harvin Center in Royal Palm Beach. The Vivian Ferrin Memorial Scholarship and Simms Award for Academic Excellence were also presented. The Winn-Dixie Foundation contributed funds for the scholarships. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER
Simms Award for Academic Excellence winner Legrans-Cia Jordonne with Royal Palm Beach Mayor Matty Mattioli.
CAFCI President Ernie Garvey, Jordan Davis, Vivian Ferrin Memorial Scholarship winner Alexander Fandrey, RPB Mayor Matty Mattioli and Babbett e Bodden.
(Front row, L-R) CAFCI President Ernie Garvey, Student Assistance Committee Chair Dr. Elaine Ealy, RPB Mayor Matty Mattioli, Nadine White-Boyd; (back row) Legrans-Cia Jordonne, Nadia Numa, Joshua Sylvester, Cassandra Knaggs, Vasthi Ciceron, Chloe Babb, Alexander Fandrey.
CAFCI President Ernie Garvey, Student Assistance Award winner Vasthi Ciceron and RPB Mayor Matty Mattioli.
CAFCI President Ernie Garvey, Student Assistance Award winner Joshua Sylvester and RPB Mayor Matty Mattioli.
Dr. Elaine Ealy, Sandra Gordon, Ernie Garvey, Dr. Janice Scott Cover, Babbette Bodden, Lauriston Simms and Royal Palm Beach Mayor Matty Mattioli.
WELLINGTON WOMEN’S CLUB PRESENTS FASHION SHOW & AUCTION AT BINKS
The Wellington Women’s Club held its “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” brunch, fashion show and auction Saturday, May 14 at the Binks Forest Golf Club. Each woman modeled two outfits, and there were Chinese and silent auctions. Proceeds benefited the YWCA Harmony House and the Wellington Women’s Club Scholarship Fund. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER
Stein Mart Assistant Store Manager Maida Malagich; models Cindy Yurecka, Denise O’Sullivan, Marianne Davidson, Joyce Collins, Edie Chodora and Marge Hartig-Specht; and Stein Mart boutique salesperson Kate Francis.
Marge Hartig-Specht (left) and Marianne Davidson (right).
The Audrey Hepburn look was popular at the show.
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NEWS
Area Company Offers Energy-Efficient, Impact-Resistant Windows By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report There is a design flaw in many local homes that is costing residents hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a year, according to Wellington Windows co-owner Matthew DeGennaro. Starting in the early 1990s, DeGennaro spent many years operating Matthew’s Improvement and Repair Service, which gave him an up-close look at hundreds upon hundreds of area homes. “There were several major weaknesses in the way Wellington was built, one of them being the use of single-pane aluminum windows,” he noted. Wellington Windows products take window design to a higher plane, offering a service that DeGennaro said will pay for itself in air-conditioning energy savings. DeGennaro, 68, retired from his repair service four years ago and recently met a man who is a statecertified oceanfront builder — Ed Harrison, owner of Greenwise Builders based in Melbourne Beach, who became a partner in Wellington Windows, along with Wellington resident Randy Pfeiffer. Harrison introduced DeGennaro to the impact window design that incorporates an outer glass pane with an inner, shatter-resistant, double-pane glass welded to a polymer, similar to automobile
windshields, which provides not only reliable windstorm protection, but also a strong insulation factor in both the glass and frame. “It will take a shot at 150 miles per hour,” DeGennaro said. “You have no problems with penetration into the house. The frames are vinyl, and they’re designed in Florida by Florida people for the Florida market and environment. It’s called the Coastal Series, and it’s designed to withstand the harsh oceanfront conditions.” It is a process that marries hurricane protection with energy savings. “We’ve identified a need here, which is that most everyone has lousy windows,” DeGennaro said. “They’re leaky, drafty, corroded; when a hurricane comes, you’ve got to put shutters on and live in the dark. You’re losing heat in the winter and gaining heat in the summer. It fades the furniture. It makes life uncomfortable. It costs a fortune. If you walk around any Wellington neighborhood, that’s what you’ll see.” DeGennaro also pointed out the labor-intensive effort required to put up hurricane shutters when that time could be better spent on other preparations. “The older you get, the harder it is to put up those shutters,” he added. Wellington Windows also installs high-impact doors for entryways. “These materials are not
only designed for maximum efficiency and safety, they also prevent break-ins and cut down exterior sound,” he said. DeGennaro said he has high regard for the manufacturer, Florida-based Cardinal Glass. Pfeiffer, who handles financials for Wellington Windows, has met with the owner at his 300,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Ocala. “He’s on the factory floor every day in his blue jeans,” Pfeiffer said. “He’s an engineer, trying to figure out how to do what he does better.” Cardinal Glass is a leading manufacturer of high-impact, high-insulation windows and doors, DeGennaro said. In addition to the double panes, a single pane on the exterior and the fused double pane inside, the space between is filled with argon gas, which prevents leakage and moisture. “These are the finest windows made,” DeGennaro said. “They stand up on Florida’s oceanfront and look brand new and still function perfectly with no leakage and no wind penetration, while the aluminum windows are breaking down and leaking like crazy.” He also pointed out that breakdown of windows and doors leads to other expensive home repairs, such as drywall problems. And DeGennaro knows from personal experience how the proper windows can help. He replaced
all the windows in his Wellington home soon after he purchased it. “When I looked at the house in August, it was 100 degrees outside,” he said. “In the house it was 92, so I said to the Realtor, ‘Let’s put the air conditioning on and see what happens; it feels very warm in here.’ He said, ‘Oh, it’s been sitting; in a couple of hours, it’ll cool off.’” DeGennaro came back two hours later and the house was still warm — all traced back not to the air conditioner, but to window issues. With the recent trend toward upgrading kitchens and bathrooms, the next step is to replace old windows with modern windows that are attractive and save energy, Pfeiffer said. “Many people are upgrading now, realizing that it makes no sense to sell because they’re not going to get a decent price for their home,” he said. “Why not upgrade and make the house more livable?” DeGennaro spoke very highly of vinyl windows in general, noting that they offer a much longer lifespan. “They don’t deteriorate,” he said. “A whole lot of the aluminum is needing to be replaced. Beyond that, it just makes life easier and more comfortable to know that you’re safe from break-ins, you’re not paying so much in en-
(Abo ve) Wellington Windows partners Randy Pfeiffer and Matthew DeGennaro. (Inset) A cross-section of the impact-resistant and energy-saving window system. PHOTOS BY R ON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER
ergy and you’re conserving energy.” The installation crews at Wellington Windows do great work at fair prices, with special low-cost financing available. “It’s a movement against what brought the
economy down; abusing everyone, charging outrageously high prices,” DeGennaro said. “Our philosophy is to be fair.” For more information about Wellington Windows, call (561) 670-2637.
Wellington Wild Softball Program Offers Fun And Competition
Wellington Wild board members Cyndi King, Traci Brinkmann, Tracey Lay, Chris P ancione, Christa McNeil, Jenny Schmidt and Rosemary Drew at the team’s fourth annual golf tourney. PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER
By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report For more than 12 years, Wellington Wild fastpitch softball has been fielding competitive girls softball teams, teeming with talent from the village’s own recreational program. “It began many years ago when the girls wanted to play more competitively,” Board Member Jenny Schmidt said. “The Wellington Wild Fastpitch Organization was created as the nonprofit organization to do this.” The teams serve girls ages 7 to 15 and recruits talent from Wellington’s recreational program, as well as from outside the village. Currently there are more than 70 girls playing in different age divisions. Schmidt noted that all of the
players follow Wellington’s must-play rule, meaning they must play at least either spring or fall on a recreational team. Additionally, travel coaches and managers also coach in the recreational leagues. Each year, tryouts are open to the entire community. Although the team accepts players from outside Wellington, Schmidt said the teams must be made up of at least 51 percent residents. “But our numbers are far higher than that,” she said. “Our girls feed into the local middle schools and then the high schools. And the schools have benefited from it.” Schmidt pointed to Wellington High School’s recent bid for the softball state championship. She said that the team members ben-
efit from having consistent coaching and a family-friendly environment. Each year, the Wild hosts a three-day tournament over Mother’s Day weekend with between 65 and 75 teams from across the state. Additionally, the team hosts family fun days to raise money for charity and let the girls have some fun. “We bring out a DJ and serve food,” Schmidt said, “and all of the families come out and play kickball. We just want everyone to mingle and get to know each other. For the past four years, over the holidays we had everyone bring a new, unwrapped toy for [local charities]. It’s a really family-oriented program.” For more information, or to get involved, visit www.eteamz. com/wellingtonwild.
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SCHOOL NEWS
Panther Run Unveils Its ‘Great Wall Of Art’
Becky DeCosmo, Traci Bartick, Valerie Mendelsohn and art teacher Lyda Barrera in front of the Great Wall of Art. Kristyn Worrell (holding the snake) and Jennifer Berthiaume of Lion Country Safari.
Crestwood Students Meet Professionals On Career Day Crestwood Middle School held its annual Career Day on Thursday, May 12. More than 70 presenters were on hand to speak to the students. There was a variety of careers represented, from doctors, lawyers, electricians, police, secretaries, designers, investigators and even elected officials, to
name some of the professions represented. The presenters were treated to breakfast and lunch by the school staff. It was an informative and enjoyable day for the students. Crestwood students and staff appreciated all the presenters for giving up part of their day to educate the students on a variety of careers.
On the evening of Tuesday, May 10, Panther Run Elementary School unveiled the Great Wall of Art in its cafeteria. The Great Wall of Art is made up of artwork created by students and faculty. Art teacher Lyda Barrera worked with the students to produce fantastic pieces of art; parents then ordered their child’s artwork printed on a tile. Faculty members also had the opportunity to create an original work of art for the wall. The tiles were then installed on a wall in the cafeteria to be on permanent display at the school. This is Panther Run’s second Wall of Art and both walls are gorgeous additions to the school. The stu-
dents are proud to see their artwork on the wall and know they have helped to beautify their school. The Great Wall of Art committee included Traci Bartick, Becky DeCosmo, Jennifer Mahoney and Valerie Mendelsohn. Panther Run would like to thank Keith Obymako and his assistant from Custom Outdoor Kitchens, BBQs and Grills in Coral Springs for generously donating their time and expertise to help install the wall. The Panther Run PTA is providing a special treat to celebrate the unveiling and will hold their annual elections immediately following.
New Horizons Students Celebrate Citizenship New Horizons Elementary School celebrated citizenship by reflecting on what students do to make their community a better place in which to live, work, play and learn. Students participate in citizenship by recycling, picking up trash and demonstrating good character traits. At a recent school-wide “Celebrate Citizenship” assembly, Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen read the Arbor Day proclamation, Wellington Tree Board Member Debbie Evans spoke about the importance of planting trees and music teacher Veronica Dillingham led students in singing “Let’s Save the Earth Tree by Tree,” with each student receiving a tree seedling pro-
vided by the Village of Wellington. Student leaders emphasized the importance of recycling by encouraging the audience to recycle plastic, aluminum cans and paper at school. Each student decorated a paper grocery bag provided by Publix with a recycle theme. These were used at Publix to remind the community to recycle. Guidance counselor Lynne Bray took the opportunity to honor fifth-graders chosen by their teachers to receive Character Counts awards. Award recipients included: Caring – Bailey Maisano and Maggy Hessler; Trustworthy – Joshua Green; Respect – Alberto Alfaro;
“Celebrate Citizenship” participants, award recipients and parents. Kindness – Ariana Valentin; Re- ness – Kristina Wantman; Citizensponsibility – Tinquisha Shaw; ship – Diana Saenz; and FriendTolerance – Caleb Murphy; Fair- ship – Mariam Atieh.
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Page 17
SCHOOL NEWS
Wolverine Band Celebrates A Successful Year At Awards Banquet The Mighty Wolverine Sound band and majorettes celebrated the end of another fantastic year at Wellington High School on Friday, May 6 during their annual band awards banquet at Binks Forest Golf Club. WHS Band Director Mary Oser and Wellington Majorette Coach Adrienne Brady presided over the awards ceremony, where more than 100 awards and several scholarships were handed out to the high school students. A portion of the evening was dedicated as a tribute the Class of 2011. WHS Majorettes started out the season as the 2010 national cham-
pions, a title they earned over the summer at the at the Drum Majorettes of America Nationals Competition in Boiling Springs, N.C. The Wolverine Band spent the year receiving top honors including several Superior and Outstanding ratings at the State Solo Ensemble Competition and the Florida Band Association Competition, as well as earning 10 spots in the All-District Band, the most students selected from any comprehensive high school in the district. For more information, visit www.whsband.com.
WHS Band Director Mary Oser with the recipients of the Band Leadership Award.
Top Wolverines fundraisers who raised 50 percent or more of their band budget were honored at the event.
Berean Christian School Students Victorious At ACSI Art Competition
Best of Show winners Riley Harrison and Tiffany Elbers.
Emily Gatlin, Nicholas Immesberger and Halie Mynahan with their award-winning art.
Berean Christian School excelled in the recent Association of Christian Schools International Art Show. Hosted by Jupiter Christian School, the show featured works from ACSI schools throughout Florida. Of the many paintings, drawings and sculptures submitted, Berean students took two Best of Show awards, which were given for seventh-grader Tiffany Elbers’ watercolor painting and eighthgrader Riley Harrison’s sculpture made of recycled rolled magazine pages. Among the other works submitted by Berean were five blue-ribbon-winning pieces created by
Stephanie Maudsley, Samantha Twohill, Halie Mynahan, Emily Gatlin and Nicholas Immesberger. The art, which has now been returned to the school, was on display at the Academic Awards Night held Friday, May 13. Berean’s art program emphasizes creativity. “Allowing the students consistent change through their projects helps them have room for their own creativity,” Berean Christian School art teacher Kristen Frerichs said. For more information about Berean Christian School and its art program, visit the school’s web site at www.bereanwpb.org.
Local Author V.R. Duin Visits Loxahatchee Groves Elementary School Loxahatchee Groves Elementary School kicked off its Literacy Week by holding two assemblies with local author V.R. Duin, a semi-retired Florida attorney who donated her time and eight books to the school. One assembly was for pre-K through second grade, and one was for grades three through five. Duin read two of her books from the Ghoopy Ghost series and The Amazing Flight of Little Ray, available at www.amazon.com or at the school. If purchased through LGES, Duin will donate a percentage of the proceeds back to the school. Duin’s books incorporate the Palm Beach County School District Character Education program and coincide with the LGES Positive School-wide Behavior program and motto, “I am a Loxahatchee Lion, I am proud to say,
I am respectful, responsible and safe all day.” Originally from Kentucky, Duin lives in Loxahatchee with her husband, three horses and two dogs. She spent time answering inquisitive students with many questions, such as about becoming an author and where her characters came from (deep in her mind at night when she lies awake, she said). The teachers believe their students were fortunate to meet with an author who lives and works so close to school and is truly dedicated to setting good examples for all the students to thrive and be successful citizens. Many of them have now expressed an interest in writing a book and developing a pen name of their own. LGES thanks Duin for donating her time and books.
Author V.R. Duin answers questions from students.
Some of V.R. Duin’s books were donated to the school.
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SCHOOL NEWS
ANNUAL ‘CRESTIVAL’ AT CRESTWOOD A BLAST FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
Crestwood Middle School recently celebrated “Crestival,” its annual school carnival. Each team and department had either games or food for the students. Crestival is the highlight of the y ear for the student body. Students enjoyed tr ying to dunk their favorite staff members in the dunk tank, getting splashed in the water balloon sling shot, climbing the rock wall, eating a “walking taco” or just mingling with friends.
Teachers Beth Marion, Havela Drucker and Penny Kudyba enjoy a quick break.
SRHS Honors Valedictorian, Salutatorian Seminole Ridge High School has announced the valedictorian and salutatorian of the Class of 2011, which will hold its graduation ceremony Monday, May 23 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. Valedictorian Andrea Comiskey has earned a grade point/honors point average of 4.97 and is a member of the National Honor Society, the Sociedad Honoria Hispanica, and the past crosscountry and track teams. She will attend Florida State University to major in the biological sciences to further her goal of a career in neurology. Seminole Ridge wasn’t what she expected, she said. “I gained a lot more experience, academic and all-around,” Comiskey noted. “SRHS helped me to become more well rounded.” Salutatorian Nickolaus Hof-
mann has earned a grade point/ honors point average of 4.90 and is a member of the National Honor Society, the Tri-M Music Honor Society, the band and chorus. “[SRHS] provided interesting challenges for me that I wasn’t expecting and improved me in ways I never considered could be improved on,” Hofmann said. “Seminole Ridge didn’t just make me into a good student; it made me into a good person.” In other school news, Hawk seniors Katie Easterling and Nicole Harner have been highly honored with the American Sign Language Honor Society commencement cords this year. “This is the first year SRHS has had students graduate with honors from the American Sign Language program,” ASL teacher Rose Adams said.
Send school news items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.
Teachers Johanna Jurado, Janelle Castillo and Claude Smith sell items to the students.
Students enjoyed seeing Principal Stephanie Nance being a good sport in the dunk tank.
Panther Run Hosts ‘Cinema Under The Stars’
Teacher Lisa Kenny announces the Chinese auction.
The Chinese auction bags were full of plenty of great prizes.
It was that time of year for the Panther Run Elementary School family: another family fun fundraiser movie night, “Cinema Under the Stars.” Despite the rain, everything went as planned and everyone had a great time. The night included a Chinese auction, a game of Panther Run trivia, popcorn, candy and Italian ices, and of course the movie. Because of the rain, students, family and friends got cozy in the cafeteria and watched the double screen movie Despicable Me. Dinner was also available either
pre-paid or a la carte. Food was provided by Chick-fil-A and Dean Anthony’s Pizza. The Chinese auction consisted of many great items or services. But the most bid on were those from teachers and staff, such as lunch with their favorite teacher, art assistant for the day and principal for the day. Mother Nature did end up impressing everyone with a beautiful rainbow and beautiful sunset. The night was a great success. Funds are being raised in order to get a canopy over the playground to shield the kids from the sun.
Music teacher Dwane Earnhardt receives a “retirement” gift from Lisa Kenny.
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PALMS WEST PEOPLE
Corzo Named Hispanic Teacher Of The Year
Natasha Araos, Laura Corzo and Alexandra Blanco.
Elbridge Gale Elementary School teacher Laura Corzo has received the 2011 Hispanic Teacher of the Year Award that was established by the Hispanic Human Resources Council to honor the many contributions of classroom teachers of Hispanic descent to the students they serve and to education in general. Corzo was selected by a judging committee based on her personal accomplishments, leadership skills and community involvement. She is a member of the Palm Beach County TESOL, Get Caught in Reading National Association, Foreign Language Association, International Reading Association and numerous other area, regional and national organizations. Corzo has developed and received grants from the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County, Target and PEN (Professional
Educators Association) of Florida for a reading at home program titled “Mrs. Corzo’s Suitcase,” which gives students additional literacy by engaging them in at home reading strategies. She is a volunteer for the Palm Beach County Literacy Coalition, a coordinator for Cell Phones for Soldiers and has received recognitions and honors from the Palm Beach Post, Indian Pines Elementary School, Sunshine State TESOL, among many others. The two second-place winners were Alexandra Blanco of Loxahatchee Groves Elementary School and Natasha Araos of West Gate Elementary School. Corzo received a $1,000 cash award, and $500 was given to the school. The two second-place winners received a $500 cash award each, and $200 was given to each school.
Former ‘Apprentice’ Star Moves To Wellington Clint Robertson, a 2010 finalist on Donald Trump’s TV show The Apprentice, is now a Wellington resident. After hearing Trump’s famous words, “You’re fired,” Robertson relocated from Texas to South Florida on Trump’s recommendation for an opportunity with Richard S. Bernstein & Associates Inc., an insurance agency in West Palm Beach. Robertson moved to Wellington
with his wife and three sons, and they look forward to being a part of the community and enjoying all that Wellington has to offer. In addition, Robertson has been making appearances throughout South Florida sharing his personal story of turning hardship into triumph. On Thursday, April 28, Robertson was the keynote speaker at the Palm Beach Business Development Board’s third quarter lun-
cheon supporting People Available and Committed to Employment. “Bring Your Child to Work Day” was the luncheon’s theme. Robertson offered the students and business leaders advice on overcoming difficult circumstances, including the crowd favorite, “Don’t take no for an answer.” He expressed the importance of doing what you love and loving your neighbor.
As a former Apprentice star , Robertson is also an expert in all things Trump and Celebrity Apprentice, and he has been tapped to talk about Trump’s recent consideration of a presidential run, as well as the current season of Celebrity Apprentice. Robertson continues to travel the country as a motivational speaker and work with charities that are near and dear to his heart.
Send Palms West People 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.
May 20 - May 26, 2011
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DIPASQUALE FAMILY WELCOMES A BABY BOY
Joe and Cherie DiPasquale of Wellington have announced the birth of their son Mason John DiPasquale. Mason was born March 31 at 5:22 a.m. at Wellington Regional Medical Center. He weighed 7 lbs., 15 oz. and measured 19 inches.
Noe Returns From Naval Deployment Navy Seaman John Noe, son of Shawn Noe of Lake Worth and David Clark Noe of Lake Worth, alongside approximately 40 sailors of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40 (VRC-40), recently returned from a six-month deployment in support of maritime security operations, while attached to aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman homeported in Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
VRC-40 is made up of four different detachments that supply carriers with high-priority cargo, mail and passengers to and from the Atlantic Fleet. During VRC-40’s last deployment they won the Battle Effectiveness Award, making it the third year in a row they have won the award. Noe is a 2004 graduate of South Plantation High School.
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May 20 - May 26, 2011
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NEWS
RPB ROTARY CLUB HOSTS BENEFIT GOLF TOURNAMENT AT MADISON GREEN
The 21st annual Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club golf tournament was held at the Madison Green Golf Club in Royal Palm Beach on Friday, May 13. The tournament was won by the team of Mike Gauger, Rusty Lamm, Larr y Wood and Mark Molsbee. Proceeds from the tournament went toward the Children’s Miracle Network, student scholarships and community service projects. PHOTOS BY JACKSON WOLEK/T OWN-CRIER
Nancy D’Angelo, Selena Smith and Terri Wescott. Tournament winners Mike Gauger, Rusty Lamm, Larry Wood and Mark Molsbee.
Eric Gordon, Glenn Wescott and Mike Gauger.
Michael Fehribach and Selena Smith with Madison Green director of catering and events Susan D'Andrea.
Joan Scherer, Joan Folkes, Roland Manuel and Roland Amateis.
Ficarelli
YouTube Sensation
continued from page 1 drums and had joined the bands in his middle school and at Wellington High School. His road to fame started when he put up his first YouTube video, drumming along with a band that started in Wellington, Hey Monday, on a song named “How You Love Me Now,” on May 4, 2010. “Really where I got my first big chunk of YouTube subscribers and views, and I guess my first video that went ‘viral,’ was the second video I did, of Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby,’” Ficarelli recalled. “That was the first video for me that really took off, and that’s when I’d say YouTube really began for me.”
After that second video, the coproducers of the DigiTour, Chris Rojas and Meridith Valiando, signed him to join the road act. He earned enough of an income to support himself without depending on too much help from his family. It has apparently paid off for him in more ways than one, too. Ficarelli said he has signed a production deal with Rojas’ company, Greehouse Productions, in Los Angeles. He said he plans to move there eventually, noting that the contract’s purpose is to help develop him as an artist and find him other opportunities. “YouTube has definitely been great to me,” Ficarelli said. “It has been crazy! I mean, I did put up videos because I wanted to search for opportunities, but I would never have pictured that after a month
and a year, I would have done a gig like that. It’s definitely what I wanted — everybody wants that — it’s just shocking that it all happened.” Ficarelli said his main passion is drums, although he also likes to play guitar, bass and piano. As for singing, he does that “only to myself.” He decides which songs to perform through suggestions sent by e-mail, Twitter or Facebook. Mostly, people want to hear him do pop, rock and rap compositions. He said he really doesn’t have a “favorite” artist, but that, “I truly respect and appreciate all other musicians and artists, as well as a wide variety of musical genres, including pop, rock, jazz, funk, fusion, rap and hip-hop.” Keeping up with all the requests and suggestions could be a full-
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time job by itself. “I get tons of stuff,” Ficarelli said. “What I really try to do is play songs that get requested most often.” And his performances have made him a favorite on YouTube. He has had more than 10 million channel and upload views, and has 60,000-plus subscribers to his own channel, as well as another 14,000 who signed on to his Daily DigiTour Behind the Scenes channel. “My goal with music,” he states in his YouTube profile (www. youtube.com/user/RickyFicarelli), “is to share my talent with the world and make as many people happy as possible playing music.” Ficarelli has worked with only a few other artists besides his YouTube cohorts. “Just before the tour, I put drums on Cymphonique’s record, Master P’s daugh-
Lynn Balch aims to putt.
‘YouTube has definitely been great to me... It’s definitely what I wanted — everybody wants that — it’s just shocking that it all happened.’ Ricky Ficarelli ter. She has a show coming out on Nickelodeon later this year,” he said. His ultimate goal is “to one day find the right band that works,” with whom he can create original music and then go on tour. Ficarelli said the most challenging cover he’s done is Ke$ha’s “We R Who We R.” “It’s all about having fun, but I would say that one has the most spiced-up drumming in it,” he said. The best thing about being on the tour, Ficarelli said, was being able to visit so many cities and sample the culture all across the
country. Each city was “a completely new experience,” he said, since he was born in Fort Lauderdale and had lived in Wellington all his life until several months ago. He does plan to continue his schooling as he did during the tour — he had to get an extension for his junior-year studies — until he gets his high school diploma. Ficarelli studied on the road through the Florida Virtual School. Ficarelli said it was nice to get home, but he was headed back to Los Angeles almost immediately to chart out his future.
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May 20 - May 26, 2011
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NEWS
Do At The Zoo: 200 Revelers Come Out To Support Palm Beach Zoo Approximately 200 revelers “got their wild on” Friday, May 6 at the Palm Beach Zoo’s spring fundraiser “Do at the Zoo.” The evening, hosted by Mary Baker, Lourdes Fanjul, Susanna Hager and Samantha Storkerson, was planned perfectly to include cocktails, a moving feast and dancing under the stars. Zoo board members Whitney Bylin and Thomas C. Quick served as event committee chairs. While mingling in the shadows of two 45-foot-tall Mayan pyramid replicas and under the steady gaze of jaguar and alligators, zoo guests savored delectable food items provided by some of the most outstanding restaurants in the area. Culinary highlights included Bang Bang Shrimp from Bonefish Grill, baby lamp chops from Outback Steakhouse, a sushi boat from Echo, hand-carved prosciutto from Café Sapori, Korean shortrib tacos from Bûccan, polpette meatballs and rock shrimp ceviché from Nick & Johnnie’s and Cucina Dell’ Arte, and vanilla panna cotta from Carrabba’s. The zoo’s Tropics Café provided more food for the guests who danced late into the evening with its signature slider and mini-hot dog bar.
Campus
Five Sites Being Considered
continued from page 1 of College Relations & Marketing Grace Truman. “We have identified five potential properties,” Truman said. Two are in Loxahatchee Groves, the 97-acre Simon property at the northwest corner of B Road and Southern Blvd., and the 90-acre Loxahatchee Equestrian Partners/Solar Sportsystems property, at the northeast corner of B Road and Southern Blvd. Other sites are at Callery-Judge Grove
Settlement
Another Meeting Set For May 31
continued from page 1 homes in the next 15 years, or no more than 14 per year. Roberts also said he would like to see a similar limitation on nonresidential building along Okeechobee Blvd. But Goltzené said he didn’t believe that the town should limit itself with a cap on housing or nonresidential development. “We would abdicate our rights as a town and set limits on ourselves which we did not intend to impose on ourselves,” he said, adding that agreeing to a cap on either would bind current and future councils. But Councilman Ron Jarriel said that the council has expressed in the past that it didn’t support large spurts of home building. “Two hundred homes in the next 15 years, for us to be able to do that in Loxahatchee Groves, I
SR 7
Community Support Needed
continued from page 1 they didn’t necessarily need support. “We just need them not to be against it,” he said. Ferreri said that several people he knows who live near the extension are already receiving fliers in the mail on the issue. “They’re saying that it’s going to mess up the environment,” he said. “But the people sending these fliers out messed up the environment when they moved there.” Priore said that the chamber and the task force need to be proactive in informing the community
Budget
Hearing On May 25
continued from page 3 of paved roads, as opposed to dirt roads. Quickel said the district itself has not done that type of analysis, but it is something that can be worked on. Sweet said that if the district could show property owners how they could actually pay lower assessments for paved roads by paying a bond over time, rather than for annual maintenance of dirt roads, they might be more amenable to paving. “I’m sure property value would go up, and your staff just answers complaints and fill calls,” Sweet said. Erickson said he is also con-
Throughout the night, guests were treated to specialty tropical rum cocktails created by Bacardi USA specifically for the event. The “Bacardi Zoo Rock” and the “Bacardi 8 Safari Sipper” were served by two world famous Bacardi Girls. Bacardi also donated several bartenders and product to stock all five of the full bars. Zoo keepers accompanied by a selection of animals welcomed guests to the Mayan Plaza and treated anyone who wanted to see more to behind-the-scenes tours. On these tours, guests came face to face with nine-year-old black bear brothers, Lewis and Clarke, as well as the zoo’s four jaguars: Maya, her parents Nabalam and Muchacho, and her older sister Izel. Muchacho’s painting talents were highlighted when one of his original pieces of artwork was raffled off at the close of the evening. Major sponsors included Thomas C. Quick, Susanna and Louis Hager, Florida Crystals, Bill and Candy Hamm, Mark and Mary Freitas, Pepe and Lourdes Fanjul, Tim and Christie Gannon, Lucy Musso, plus the many restaurants and Bacardi USA. Raffle items were donated by Valentino, House of Lavande, Lori
Jayne Monogramming, Michael Kors Worth Avenue, the Beauté Therapies, Palm Beach Grill, Trillion and more. All proceeds will help the zoo advance its mission to protect wildlife and wildlife habitat and to inspire others to value and conserve the natural world. In addition to the success of “Do at the Zoo,” zoo officials are happy to report that the tiger collection grew significantly in the wee hours of Thursday and Friday, May 12 and 13 with Berapi, a female Malayan tiger, giving birth to three healthy cubs. The zoo, which sits at 1301 Summit Blvd. in West Palm Beach, is planning a new tiger exhibit. The family of five is expected to live at the new exhibit for the next two or three years, when the cubs will be old enough to move to another zoo. Berapi arrived in November as a potential love match for Rhimba, a longtime resident of the zoo. Malayan tigers are named for their home on the Malayan Peninsula. They are among the smallest of the tiger species. Estimates of how many Malayan tigers live in the wild vary, but there may be as few as 500, according to experts.
on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road and land north of the Wellington Regional Medical Center campus on SR 7. Truman said K-Park is back in consideration because the college has received overtures from the village that it is still available and asked for consideration. She said what broke down last time with the village was a proposed lease agreement. “We just could never come to terms for the lease,” Truman said. “The village wanted to put a number of uses and stipulations in the lease that they would expect, in return for a nominal leasing rate, and it just got to the point that there was just no way to enter into this and be able to put a facility there
that would meet both sides’ needs.” Truman said the discussions ended amicably and that she felt there is a possibility of resuming them. “We have been told by the mayor that K-Park is available and would be an ideal place for it, so it is on the list,” she said. Truman said the college has been talking about a fifth campus serving the western communities for a long time and is ready to move forward. “What we’re hoping to do is get a really good read on what is available, the exact amount of acres and what type of improvements may or may not be needed to make that acreage accessible and usable,” she said. “The board is hoping at
the workshop to be able to get that information, because with some of these locations, we’re not even sure if they are available. And if it is available, is it feasible for a college campus? We’re still very much in fact-finding, but we want very much to move it along.” The college had stated originally that it needs 75 acres for the campus. “We had downsized it a bit with Wellington,” Truman said. “Now, going back to square one, we’re still saying what we need is about 75 acres.” Stone said the advantages of having a college campus at KPark far outweigh getting money for the site or leasing it to growers, which is what the village is doing currently.
“The thing about a market is you have to have a buyer,” Stone said. “I don’t know that there are any buyers out there willing to buy that piece of land at the moment. It could be four or five years before that happens.” The chamber’s view is it would be better for the village to bring in the college and create future jobs and opportunities for the citizens of Wellington. “The advantage of a college is they don’t go away,” Stone said. “They are not subject to the same economic problems that businesses are. They continue to be employers way into the foreseeable future. It’s also a year-round employer, in comparison to the equestrian industry, which is at
best a six-month employer.” Stone said the chamber’s board unanimously agreed to send the letter to the village supporting the campus, pointing out that the overall economic impact for PBSC is $380 million annually. “If we can get a percentage of that, it’s huge,” Stone said. “It’s like bringing a major business into the community. There are other locations that are just dying to get the college. We’d be neglectful not to make every effort.” The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council also has expressed support for a college campus there. On Tuesday, the council unanimously approved sending a letter to PBSC asking that it consider a campus in the town.
think would be great,” he said. “With all the foreclosures out there… I just find it hard to believe that we’d go over 200 homes.” Rockett suggested instead a cap of an initial 179 homes that could be built at any time, with an additional 20 homes per year for 15 years. Roberts noted that because each item they were discussing was connected, it was hard for him to agree to one item without knowing the outcome of others, but said he felt that compromise would be good. The council unanimously consented to the cap suggested by Rockett. “That’s higher than I came in with,” Roberts said. “But I’m asking in return that the language you propose include non-residential, so that there would be three pieces of compromise.” But the issue of the limit on nonresidential space on Okeechobee Blvd. prompted the council to call for a special meeting to give its lawyer time to come up with appropriate language.
Council members were divided on the issue. Goltzené noted that at a workshop regarding the road, the council agreed to let property owners along Okeechobee Blvd. present their ideas for non-residential development. “We’d be pretty much stabbing those people in the back tonight,” he said, “if we agreed to this [cap] without hearing what anyone along Okeechobee has actually proposed.” Rockett said that despite holding a workshop, the council remains unsure what it wants to see along the road. “If we were to try to come up with an agreement,” he said, “we would be agreeing to something that we wouldn’t have yet discussed.” But Councilman Ryan Liang said that currently in the town charter, no commercial is allowed along the road. “Until the time we get that changed,” he said, “I don’t see a problem limiting commercial growth because we can’t have commercial growth.” But Roberts said that the comprehensive plan must account for
any changes that would allow more development. “Case law says that the comprehensive plan must account for all possible growth,” he said. “So the comprehensive plan must include all future maximum potential development.” Roberts asked if the council would agree to a limit on square footage rather than the number of units. Mayor David Browning said that no council member favors extensive commercial on Okeechobee Blvd., if any at all, and instead would want to see smaller businesses that serve residents. Browning worried that setting a limit on square footage along the road would lead to a “land rush” and open the town up to possible lawsuits from property owners. Roberts suggested setting a qualitative limit instead. The council tentatively agreed to include language that would limit any development along Okeechobee Blvd. to “low-impact non-residential that would predominantly serve residents.” They agreed to meet Tuesday,
and drumming up support for the road. “We need to provide the correct facts,” he said, “and make sure it’s understood what the funding is for.” Roberts asked whether the county engineer was leading the local permitting effort, but Liggins explained that county jurisdiction ends at the 60th Street connection. “The continuation of the road to Northlake [Blvd.] is the state,” Liggins said. Priore said he felt that the task force had enough information to begin making people aware of the facts of the situation and suggested having a committee to help promote that. Royal Palm Beach Vice Mayor Martha Webster said that it would be useful to have an educational meeting to inform residents.
“We have had some of our residents at our meeting discuss [the extension],” she said. “Maybe this is where we can focus some of their energies. I know we have some very energetic citizens who could use a cause. And this is a good cause for all of us.” Webster said that although local leaders and officials are aware of what is needed, citizens often are not. “Sometimes it just comes down to citizen input,” she said. Priore agreed that the task force should conduct an informational meeting. “Hopefully we can get volunteers to come out of that to take action,” he said. Liggins noted that FDOT has its meetings on the extension at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. But Webster called the meetings “bland.”
“This is not what the other communities are doing,” she said. “They’re energizing. We’ve already been down this road in Royal Palm Beach. Let’s face it; we didn’t get Roebuck Road. And so I think we need some energy from some of our citizens.” Roberts felt that it was a good idea, and suggested using municipal mailing lists to promote support of the project. Webster noted that Royal Palm Beach has informative signs that could help spread the message. Miranda agreed. “I think we need a call to arms,” she said. Task force members agreed to work with the government advisory committee and marketing committee to put out the message and gather support from residents.
May 31 to vote on the measure, giving both lawyers time to agree on language. Several council members were hesitant to include language in the comprehensive plan to suggest the town supports widening Okeechobee Blvd. Though most of the members agreed they would want to be involved in the process if the county ultimately decides to widen it, they did not necessarily want the road widened. Goltzené said that the town is not obligated to make infrastructure improvements, and hesitated to agree to support making the road four lanes. Jarriel said he would support a four-lane “rural parkway” if it would make the road safer. “If it will make it safer for our residents, I support it 100 percent,” he said. “The only other way we’re going to see a safer road for our residents is if we can get a couple of red lights.” Rockett agreed with both points. “I am concerned about trying to come up with a solution to Okeechobee that makes it safer,” he said. “But I’m not ready to say I want to support four lanes.”
He suggested comparing options to make it safer as a two-lane road to the process of making it four lanes. “We’d be ahead of ourselves, in my mind, if we try to strike an agreement,” Rockett said. Jarriel asked the council to vote on the motion that “we will support a four-lane rural parkway on Okeechobee Blvd. that’s designed and agreed upon by the Town of Loxahatchee Groves.” The motion passed 3-2, with Goltzené and Rockett opposed. Though they dissented, both said that it didn’t mean they were unwilling to work on the design of Okeechobee Blvd. should the county decide to widen it. “Even though I didn’t vote for it, I still want to be involved with it,” Goltzené said. Browning said that although he wants to see the road remain two lanes, he believes the council needs to be open-minded. “We can’t go into everything saying that we’re not going to change anything,” he said. “It’s not like we could ignore [CalleryJudge’s] challenge. We had to deal. And that requires either negotiation like we’re doing here, or going to court.”
cerned about maintenance of paved roads, which he said tend to be ignored by the district after they are paved. He said there are some sections where the edges of the roads are breaking off due to neglect. “Shoulder maintenance is nothing more than a box blade down the side,” Erickson said. “I don’t think it’s necessarily a budget issue, but it concerns me when I see the edges breaking off, because a paved road is an investment, and the last thing I want is to ignore it maintenance-wise to the point that the shoulders are going to break off, because I know that an engineer is going to come along and say we have to dig it all out and make a new road.” Erickson was also concerned about some of the roads that were
milled with the intention of eventual asphalt capping, but LasCasas said it is not that simple. “A millings road does not behave exactly like a road base,” LasCasas said, explaining that road bases are prepared differently for asphalt paving than milling. Quickel was asked to explain how the budget process works year to year should money be left over. She said projects that are not completed are carried forward to the next fiscal year. As an example, Quickel cited the house project at Nicole Hornstein Equestrian Park, which was budgeted at $80,000 for the Seminole Ridge High School Construction Academy to do the work. At the end of the year, only $40,000 had been spent, and the remainder was car-
Luis Fernandez, Lourdes Fanjul, Samantha Storkerson, Whitney Bylin, Susanna Hager, Mary Baker and Tom Quick at “Do at the Zoo.”
ried forward to the next year’s budget. “You’ll start seeing that happen because we’re getting into the last portion of the fiscal year, and once the rainy season starts, a lot of our road projects can be greatly altered because of that,” Quickel said. “You’ll see those funds carried forward. It is our goal not to overspend.” She said the district’s new electronic purchase order module requires that funds encumbered for specific projects be used only for them. “We try to watch and guard those funds so it is done appropriately,” Quickel said. The public hearing on the budget is set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 25. The budget report can be found online at www. indiantrail.com.
Garden
A Place At Acreage Park
continued from page 1 of funding to create something like this, but the fundraising isn’t just for money. It makes people committed to what you’re trying to accomplish.” Damone said such a project would have to meet ITID standards, since it would be within Acreage Community Park. “At some point, it would be nice to have somebody from the group represented with a meeting among
Blotter continued from page 6 er sunglasses. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. MAY 17 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched Tuesday to a home in Binks Estates regarding an act of vandalism. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 11 a.m. last Wednesday and noon Tuesday, someone used an unknown object to break a bedroom window on the north side of the residence, causing approximately $250 in damage. According to the report, several small rocks were found near the window. However, there didn’t appear to be any attempted entry into the home. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. MAY 18 — A suburban Lake
our staff,” Damone said, adding that a location near the planned picnic and uplands areas might be appropriate, abutting the natural area where people could watch a scenic sunset. “Do I think something can be done? Absolutely,” Damone said. “I think what you’ve suggested is great. The board needs to give direction and you need to sit with staff and work out all those details, but I think the direction you’re going in is the right direction. I think it’s a positive thing for the community.” By consensus, the board directed ITID staff to work with Demarest and other members of her group to come up with a plan. Worth man was arrested on drug charges early Wednesday morning following a traffic stop in the Wellington Preserve community. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Wellington substation observed a Ford Mustang enter the community and begin doing “donuts” on the dirt road. The deputy initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and made contact with the driver. According to the report, the deputy could smell marijuana emanating from the vehicle and ordered the driver and two passengers to exit. A search of the vehicle discovered a bag with approximately 2.9 grams of marijuana in the right rear passenger seat. The deputy made contact with the passenger who was sitting in the right rear seat, 21-yearold Edward Brown. Brown was arrested and issued a notice to appear in court.
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Stolen Horse Story Warns Owners About Too Much Trust Taryn Compana learned the hard way the dangers of being too trusting when placing a horse in a new home. After handing over her horse Leo to a woman she met through a foster group, the woman disappeared, along with Leo. Thankfully, Stolen Horse International was there to help. Ellen Rosenberg’s Column, Page 27
May 20 - May 26, 2011
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High School Football Squads Hold Spring Games
Local high schools have been holding spring football practices in preparation for the annual spring games coming up, as well as to give their teams a chance t o see what talent they have next year. The Town-Crier visited practice sessions at three local schools. Page 41
Shopping Spree A TOWN-CRIER PUBLICATION
INSIDE
Business RPB’s Prima Salon: A Strong Team Of Stylists Offers A Wide Range Of Services
After several years based in the Crossroads shopping plaza at the corner of Royal Palm Beach and Okeechobee boulevards, Prima Salon o wner Lori Emery recently relocated the salon to the plaza just across the street, near Winn-Dixie. Prima Salon is a full-service beauty salon. Services range from hair styling, hair coloring and cutting, facials, nails, skin care, waxing, peels and more. Page 35
Sports Undefeated Hawk Volleyball Boys Win State Championship
The Seminole Ridge High School varsity boys volleyball team went all the way this season to become state champs. Af ter defeating Wellington on Tuesday, May 10, the Hawks cleared their final hurdle last weekend with a victory over Archbishop McCarthy 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
Stolen Horse Story Warns Owners Not To Be Too Trusting Some years back, I was desperate to find a horse I’d sold who’d then passed through many other hands. I needed to make sure he’d ended up in a good home. After exhausting other resources, I found NetPosse, a web site run by Debi Metcalfe. NetPosse, a division of Stolen Horse International, provides assistance in recovering lost, stolen or missing horses. It also contains a wealth of information on equine theft and loss prevention. Happily, I did find my old horse, and he’s still in a great home. NetPosse has helped many, many horse owners reconnect with their horses. Such was the case with Taryn Compana. Compana, who lives near Orlando, has a soft spot for horses in need. If she has room, she takes in horses that need help, one at a time, rehabs them and then finds them a permanent home. She had one open space a year and a half ago, when Clayton, her teenage son, spotted a picture of Leo. “We just fell in love with him,” Compana recalled. Leo was 8 or 9 years old, a 16.2-hand gray Thoroughbred jumper. He was not in good shape. “He had been kept in a very wet pasture, so his feet had basically rotted,” Compana said. “He was also underweight, which is typical of horses in need. He also had a lot of issues under saddle. He was a puppy dog to handle and work around, but try to ride him — he’d buck and rear. He was very defensive, a real problem child. Obviously, something had happened to him.”
Tales From The Trails By Ellen Rosenberg So Leo came to stay, and Compana had a farrier work on his feet, but that was going to take a long time to fix — hooves grow slowly. Leo gained weight and started learning to trust people on his back. A little. Then things got complicated. “A horse I’d sold wasn’t working out with the new owner, so I brought him back home,” Compana explained. “He was an alpha horse, and he just didn’t like Leo at all. I don’t have a very big setup, and the horses have to get along. Leo was getting picked on. It was a very uncomfortable situation. So I decided to try to find a temporary foster home for Leo, until he’d be ready for a permanent home.” This was November 2010. Compana contacted a foster group that she’d volunteered for in the past, and they said they knew of someone who could take Leo for a month. “They said they’d checked this woman out, and I believed them,” Compana said. “I contacted her, and she lived about an hour from me. But she said she’d be in the area and could stop by with a trailer and pick up Leo.” Paula (not her real name) stopped by a day
or two later, seemed legitimate and took Leo home with her. Compana called and e-mailed regularly, and all was well. And then, suddenly, Paula vanished. Calls went unanswered, e-mails ignored. “I was panicking,” Compana said. “I couldn’t reach her at all for two or three weeks. I contacted the rescue group and got Paula’s original application and tried contacting her background references, but either no one knew her or, if they did, the info was all bad. I was so angry and upset. I’d trusted Paula and this organization, and now my horse was who knew where.” Compana called the police, who said it was a civil matter, so she filed a civil complaint. But all of that would take time, and Leo was still missing. “I had Paula’s address, but I was afraid to drive out there,” Compana said. “She lived in the middle of nowhere. Once in a while she’d text me that she’d call, but then she didn’t. It was very weird. I was afraid she’d find out I was coming and hide him or sell him, and then I’d never find him.” Then Compana’s husband Jeff suggested that they contact Metcalfe at NetPosse.com. He’d run into her at an event in Ocala three years ago, quite by accident. “So many of us are trusting. We don’t think bad things will happen. But once your horse is out of your sight, you have no idea what can go wrong,” Metcalfe said. “We give horses away or lease them, and suddenly they’re not there anymore and no one knows where they’ve gone. For the most part, law enforce-
ment can’t help, and you’re basically on your own. That’s where we can help.” Compana filled out a report with NetPosse, offering a reward, and the alert went out, asking if anyone had seen Leo or knew anything about Paula. Compana found out that Paula had a habit of getting horses under false pretenses and then selling them. “Paula was giving us the runaround,” Metcalfe said. “She threatened all sorts of dire things if the listing wasn’t removed. I responded that we were just trying to locate Leo and find out how he was and get him back. Paula was very defensive and hung up.” “Two days later, out of the blue, Paula called me and said she was bringing Leo back,” Compana said. “I told her I’d come and get him, but she wouldn’t allow that. She brought him back. His feet were worse, and he’d lost weight, but at least he was safe and back with us again.” “We were glad to help, and pleased at the outcome,” Metcalfe said. “Plus, Taryn donated the reward money to NetPosse, which was so kind of her. It helps us continue our work of finding stolen or missing horses.” The moral of the story is, don’t be too trusting. “Do your own background checks. Usually, I’m a very trusting person, but this whole experience has made me not want to take in any more needy horses,” Compana said. “I’m terrified of placing them in a bad home now. Thank God that NetPosse were able to help.” For more information, visit Stolen Horse International at www.netposse.com.
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So, I Was Driving Along And Pow... My Tire Explodes... I was driving back from Okeechobee — not the road, not the lake, but the actual city itself — and I was yammering away on my cell phone because any drive that takes an hour and a half does tend to get boring, when suddenly I hear “Pow!” Then the car starts listing to the right and making a sound sort of like $50 bills flying out the window. “Hold on a sec,” I said into the phone. “I think my tire just blew out.” I don’t panic in emergencies. I save panic for later — when the bills for these emergencies start rolling in. So I pulled over, got out, walked around to the front passenger side and, yes, my tire was toast — burnt toast. “There are pieces of it actually missing,” I marveled aloud. “I’ll have to call you back.” Now, I don’t know what went wrong with this tire, but it was pretty dramatic. There were
Deborah Welky is
The Sonic BOOMER big chunks of rubber gone from both the street side and the undercarriage side, and steel bands were sticking out like porcupine quills. The car was resting on three tires and a rim. I hadn’t even hit anything lately! Immediately, I sprang into action — not to change the tire but to dial my cell phone. Let me pause here to say that I consider myself very lucky — not because I survived this vehicular tragedy but because I have
AAA. And at my house, AAA does not stand for the American Automobile Association but for my husband Mark, who earns three A’s for each day he is able to live with me. He’s up to about 13,500 hard-earned A’s by now. “Hello?” “Sweeeeeeeeeetie?” I began. “Uh-oh.” “Sweetie, are you busy at all?” I could hear heavy machinery thumping in the background and men hollering his name. A deep sigh. “No.” “Oh, good. Because I’m out here on Southern Blvd., and I have a flat tire.” This was an understatement, but Mark is used to understatements. “OK, I’ll be right there. Are you closer to Wellington or West Palm Beach? What’s the nearest intersection?” “Um, it says Hatton Highway.”
There was a long pause. “Hatton Highway?” “I guess. I’m somewhere between Okeechobee and Wellington.” “Okeechobee the lake?” “Uh, sure. I do remember passing the lake.” Eventually, we pinpointed my location, and I sat down near the canal to wait while sugar cane rustled quietly behind me and vultures circled patiently overhead. Mark was there in no time, securing his AAA rating for yet another day. Without one critical word, he handed me a bottle of water, jacked up the car, put on the spare, gave me a kiss and had me on my way in about 15 minutes. I don’t think the real AAA could’ve responded as efficiently and effectively as Mark did, even without the kiss. He’s quite a guy. I may have to up his rating to four stars.
‘Bridesmaids’ Movie A Funny Film For Women And Men Some people have called Bridesmaids a female version of the popular film The Hangover. While that is true in some ways, the female sensibility of this film, authored by women and with a female-dominated starring ensemble, differentiates it from the male version. Happily, however, it is also very funny. And there are far too few of those these days. I was not certain at first that I wanted to go to the movie, but wound up very happy that I did. The film centers on the very female rite of preparing for a wedding. Lillian (Maya Rudolph) and her fiancé begin planning for the big day, and her longtime best friend Annie (Kristen Wiig) is maid of honor. Annie is a bit of a slacker, the kind of shlump so well played by Seth Rogan when a male does the part. Her bakery has closed; she works in a jewelry store, where she does a spectacularly bad job; she has almost no money and a real heel as a lover (an uncredited Jon Hamm). But she plans to do her best for Lillian, who has been gradually moving toward the upper middle class, even upper class. Annie soon realizes that Helen
Temple B’nai Jacob To Celebrate National Parks Day May 22 Temple B’nai Jacob of Wellington has made the pledge to visit a park as part of National Kids to Parks Day. Recognizing that young people spend far too much sedentary time indoors and far too little time appreciating America’s magnificent national, state and local parks, the National Park Trust is mobilizing kids across the country for a nationwide park play-in. Temple B’nai Jacob will celebrate the end of the school year and welcome summer with a picnic Sunday, May 22 at 12:30 p.m. at Okeeheelee Park. More than 150 mayors of cities across the country have proclaimed National Kids to Parks Day as part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Cities and Towns program, which encourages elected officials to take a long-term, comprehensive approach to reducing childhood obesity. Local offi-
‘I’ On CULTURE By Leonard Wechsler (Rose Byrne), a rich, overly organized, pushy rich woman, wants to replace her. Much of the film is a hilarious struggle over whose ideas will be dominant. Much has been made by many critics of some lower forms of humor featured in the film. There are several sections, one in particular where the whole group of bridesmaids, having eaten (at Annie’s suggestion) at a particularly strange Brazilian restaurant, go to an extremely fashionable bridal shop and lose control of some of their bodily functions. I felt a bit uncomfortable, I will admit, watching the scene, but the female-dominant audience howled. Perhaps men and women do have a cials have taken the lead in this effort, and by proclaiming National Kids to Parks Day, move the call to action to their own communities’ outdoor public spaces, places freely available to all citizens hoping to run, hike, swim or row their way to physical fitness. Temple B’nai Jacob is answering the call by planning a fun, activity-filled day at the Micanopy Pavilion at Okeeheelee Park. The day will include games, races and much more for the whole family. Approximately 100 temple members and friends are expected to take part in this special day and fulfill their pledge to visit a park and join the battle against childhood obesity. Temple B’nai Jacob of Wellington is a dynamic, diverse religious community committed to traditional Judaism as interpreted by the Conservative Movement and is affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. It is located inside the original Wellington Mall at 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 6. For more information, call (561) 793-4347.
more similar sense of humor than previously thought. There is one marvelous, brilliant scene in an airplane where Annie, who has an inordinate fear of flying, gets stoned and prances all over the airplane. Wiig, who is co-author of the film, really shines as the rather depressed loser who finally, maybe, learns how to win. Too often, she has been set aside as the girlfriend of the star, the one who can handle comedy but not be in the center of the action. That should change after this film. Melissa McCarthy, as Megan, the bride’s sister, shines as the seeming true outsider, an overweight young woman who seems different from all the others. She manages to dominate the screen, finally actually dominating the action near the end in a plot twist that is brilliant. One of the best things about the film is that each of the bridesmaids is allowed her own personality and quirks. And because women are so seldom featured in these types of films, they become unique, truly special. Wendi McClendon-Covey as Rita, a longtime married
woman, living in a house with three boys (and she is hilarious as she describes their very male behavior patterns as well as those of her husband) is wonderful. Ellie Kemper as Becca, a newlywed with some interesting problems, is also a hoot. Byrne is absolutely perfect as the pushy Helen, particularly as the climax nears. Rudolph is good, but essentially plays the straight woman for the group of loonies. As for the men, Hamm is appropriately sleazy and Chris O’Dowd as the friendly state trooper who really likes Annie is fine. This is a fun movie. I think most women who have been bridesmaids will get a real kick out of it, but so will most others. And I can report that the men in the theater seemed to really enjoy it as well. There are not very many good comedies being made anymore. This was the first movie I was really able to get a lot of laughs from in a long while. The fact that it is so strongly female-dominated makes it a bit different but funny in a way that many of us have not seen. I highly recommend the movie… the best comedy in a long while.
Wellington Women’s Club Final Meeting Of The Year June 2
Wellington Women’s Club meetings and activities will resume in September. For more information, or to make a reservation for the June dinner, call Cindy Yurecka at (561) 5141497.
The final meeting of the season of the Wellington Women’s Club will take place Thursday, June 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Binks Forest Golf Club. In addition to a buffet dinner, the evening will include the presentation of a check to the YWCA of Palm Beach County, which operates Harmony House, a shelter for abused women and their children. The evening will also include the awarding of college scholarships to area high school seniors, who will read their winning essays. The Wellington Women’s Club is a social, philanthropic and educational organization open to all women residing in the western communities. In addition to monthly dinner meetings, the club offers many other programs including Bunco, Out and About, Pokeno, Out to Lunch and Movie Night.
Next LGLA Meeting Set For May 26 The Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association will meet Thursday, May 26 at 7 p.m. at Palms West Presbyterian Church (13689 Okeechobee Blvd.). The guest speaker will be Dennis Painter of A& B Engineering, who has been asked to talk about the history of surveying property in Loxahatchee Groves. He will discuss some of the changes that have hindered the surveying process in the town and some that have actually helped to improve the accuracy of the results. Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association meetings are open to the public. For more information, call LGLA President Marge Herzog at (561) 818-9114.
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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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
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TREAT YOUR KIDS TO A
Summer OF fun
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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
Don’t Miss Five Hot Shows Coming To The Kravis Center
Spanish guitarist Benise performs Nov. 6.
A scene from Brundibár, which will be performed Oct. 22.
The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts has announced five stellar performers and productions for later this year. Tickets go on sale to the public June 10. • Bryan Adams, Aug. 11 — Celebrating a career that has spanned 30 years, this legendary rocker will perform solo acoustic renditions of such classics as “Run To You,” “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” and “Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman.” Adams will appear as part of his Bare Bones Tour. The show will take place at 8 p.m. in the Dreyfoos Concert Hall. Tickets start at $25. • K.D. Lang, Oct. 8 — The chemistry between Lang and her new band the Siss Boom Bang is reflected in Sing It Loud, her first studio album since 2008’s Watershed. The legendary Tony Bennett, with whom she recorded the 2002 album Wonderful Duets, has hailed Lang as “the best singer of her generation.” Her other best-selling CDs include Angel With a Lariat, Hymns of the 49th Parallel and Torch and Twang. Lang will perform at 8 p.m. in the Dreyfoos Concert Hall. Tickets start at $25. • Sesame Street Live, Oct. 1516 — Sesame Street Live will present the show Elmo’s Super Heroes. Through song and dance, Elmo, Abby Cadabby and other Sesame Street friends explore the importance of exercise, nutrition, sleep and hygiene, all in a quest to put the “Super” back in Super Grov-
er. Show times are Saturday, Oct. 15 at 10:30 a.m., and 2 and 5:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 16 at 1 and 4:30 p.m. in the Dreyfoos Concert Hall. Tickets start at $12 general admission and $5 for infants less than a year old. • Brundibár, Oct. 22 — This children’s opera tells of a brother and sister who seek money through singing in the street to buy milk for their ailing mother, only to have the quest thwarted by the evil organ grinder Brundibár. Extolling the triumph of good over evil, Brundibár has become an allegory of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi regime. Today, the opera provides a vehicle to instruct children in the importance of responsibility and courage in standing up against bullying and tyranny. The show will take place at 7 p.m. in the Dreyfoos Concert Hall. Tickets start at $12. Brundibár is presented by Insight Through Education, Palm Beach Opera, Young Singers of the Palm Beaches and the Kravis Center. • Benise: The Spanish Guitar, Nov. 6 — Armed with his Spanish guitar, a world-class band and elaborately choreographed dancers, Benise fuses Latin styles with African rhythms and rock to create a sound that is as edgy and exotic as it is romantic and sensual. His Emmy Award-winning PBS production Nights of Fire! was dubbed “an exotic voyage through a land of romance and wonder” by The New York Times. The show will take
Br yan Adams will perform Aug. 11 in Dreyfoos Hall. place at 8 p.m. in the Dreyfoos Concert Hall. Tickets start at $25. Tickets for these five shows will go on public sale June 10 at 10 a.m. Kravis Center members have the privilege of ordering tickets in advance of Public Ticket Sale Day. The Kravis Center offers priority seating to donors according to their level of giving and by the date orders are received within each donor level. Membership begins at $75. For more information about becoming a donor, call (561) 6514320 or visit www.kravis.org/membership. To purchase tickets, stop by the Kravis Center box office at 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach, visit the Kravis Center’s web site at www.kravis.org, or call (561) 832-7469 or (800) 572-8471.
Entr’Acte Theatrix’s ‘How To Succeed In Business’ June 16-26 From its first Broadway production with Robert Morse in 1961 to the current version starring Daniel Radcliffe, the Frank Loesser/Abe Burrows musical How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying! has been a real audience favorite, winning multiple Tony Awards and even a Pulitzer Prize. With such hummable hit songs as “Brotherhood of Man” and “I Believe in You,” How To Succeed will be the latest production of Entr’Acte Theatrix, the new, hot and hip production company that was spun-off last year from Palm Beach Principal Players by founder Vicki Halmos. How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying! will open at the Count de Hoernle Theatre, home of the Caldwell Theatre Company, on Thursday, June 16, and run for 12 performances through Sunday, June 26. This will be Entr’Acte Theatrix’s fourth show, following its productions of Hair, Cabaret and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. “The goal of Entr’Acte Theatrix is to give emerging talents from South Florida the opportunity to get
critical professional theater credits before contemplating a move to New York, or any other larger arena,” Halmos said. “Unfortunately, professional performing opportunities for these young artists are relatively scarce in our area, in comparison to other municipalities around the country.” Accordingly, the upcoming production of How To Succeed will feature a large cast, many of whom are graduates of local high schools, colleges and universities. The cast includes Shane Blanford (Finch), Leah Sessa (Rosemary), John Costanzo (J.B. Biggley), Erin Pittleman (Hedy LaRue) and Jeanne McKinnon (Miss Jones). Last seen as the Emcee in the Entr’Acte Theatrix production of Cabaret, Blanford studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan and has performed all over South Florida. Past roles include Pippin (Pippin). Dr. Frank-n-furter ( Rocky Horror Show), Claude (Hair ), Joseph (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) and Roger (Rent). A member of the “tribe” in the
rock musical Hair, the inaugural production of Entr’Acte Theatrix, Sessa also starred as Sally Bowles in Cabaret. She is a graduate of the theater department at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Sessa is a veteran of several productions by the Palm Beach Principal Players, including lead roles in Bye Bye Birdie and Little Shop of Horrors. Costanzo has been a fixture in the Palm Beach County theater scene for many years, having worked at the Lake Worth Playhouse and the Royal Palm Dinner Theater. He was most recently seen as Andre in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls. Pittleman recently won the hearts of critics and patrons alike in her dual role as Little Edie and Edith Beale in the critically acclaimed production of Grey Gardens at Rising Action Theatre. Last seen as Frau Schneider in Cabaret, McKinnon grew up in a dance studio and taught dance until she graduated to the theater. How To Succeed will be directed and choreographed by Kimberly Dawn Smith, a protégé of the late
Leah Sessa
Shane Blanford
Broadway wunderkind Michael Bennett. This production will run for 12 performances at the Count de Hoernle Theatre (7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton). Show times are as follows: Thursday, June 16 at 8 p.m.; Friday, June 17 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, June 18 at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, June 19 at 2 and 7 p.m.; Wednesday, June 22 at 8 p.m.; Thursday, June 23 at 8 p.m.; Friday, June 24 at 8 p.m.; Saturday,
June 25 at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, June 26 at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $30 each for center circle seats and $25 for all others. If available, a special $10 student rush price will be offered on the day of the show. For groups of 15 or more, the price per ticket is $20. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Count de Hoernle Theatre at (561) 241-7432 or by visiting the theater’s box office.
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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. 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. 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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BUSINESS NEWS
Prima Salon is now located in the Winn-Dixie plaza at the corner of Royal Palm Beach and Okeechobee boulevards.
RPB’s Prima Salon: Strong Team Of Stylists Offers A Wide Range Of Services By Damon Webb Town-Crier Staff Report After several years based in the Crossroads shopping plaza at the corner of Royal Palm Beach and Okeechobee boulevards, Prima Salon owner Lori Emery recently relocated the salon to the plaza just across the street, near Winn-Dixie. Prima Salon is a full-service beauty salon. Services range from hair styling, hair coloring and cutting, facials, nails, skin care, waxing, peels and more. They also provide services for bridal parties and special occasions. “We have 11 stylists on hand who can work with all different hair types and styles,” Emery said. “If you can think it, we can do it.” Emery moved to the area more than three years ago. Once she was settled into her new surroundings, she decided to use her 20-plus years of experience in the beauty industry to go out on her own. “Once I took over Bella Donna Hair Studio, I learned first hand what it takes on the business side to sustain a profitable business and grow,” she said. “There’s also a great sense of freedom that I have come to appreciate as being an owner. In the past, when I worked as a stylist, I was limited to how much I could control the client’s experience. Now I’m able to do what I feel is best for my team, our clients and the salon.” Emery also strives to create an atmosphere her team wants to work in. She realized that in order for her employees to perform at the top of their game, they had to feel valued and respected. “We are a family here, and I feel that our clients pick up on that when they visit us,” Emery said. “We want them to bring their families here as well. We want to make everyone feel and look good when they walk
An inside view of the salon. PHOTOS BY DAMON WEBB/T OWN-CRIER
through our doors. We pride ourselves on knowing we add to people’s day in a positive way.” Prima Salon has continued to prosper during these uncertain economic times. “We have been fortunate during this economy to succeed and grow,” Emery said. “One of our keys to success is the stylists themselves. There have been many salons that have closed. We were able to provide a place for many stylists to call home. All these stylists are seasoned and have their own clientele that have followed them here to Prima Salon.” Emery recently added new stylists and an esthetician to her team to bring even more value to the salon. The new stylists are Debbie Skinner, Cindy Delaney and Pat Fitzgerald, and the esthetician is Sherri Stewart. “I’m glad to welcome the ladies to the salon,” Emery said. “Their skills and capabilities speak for themselves. They are now part of the Prima Salon family, and we will continue to perform at the level our clients have come to expect from us.” Prima Salon is located at 1165 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. For info., call (561) 795-8937.
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New South Florida Fair Board To Lead Century Celebration The men and women who will lead the South Florida Fair for the next year were elected at a recent annual organizational meeting. The group of community volunteers includes the 2011-12 slate of officers, trustees and directors — more than 70 board members in all who will steer the fair through its centennial celebration in January. Officers are Robert Broadway, chair; Craig K. Elmore, vice chair; Jonathan “Jack” Frost, treasurer; Michael W. Bubis, secretary; C. David Goodlett, immediate past chair; Richard J. Vymlatil, president/ CEO; and John Fenn Foster, general counsel/assistant secretary. The 17-member board of trustees, which establishes policy for the nonprofit organization, includes: William E. Bowman Jr., Robert Broadway, Michael W. Bubis, H. Michael Burkhardt, Sam L. Ellington, Craig K. Elmore, Jonathan “Jack” Frost, C. David Goodlett, Dennis Grady, Daniel P. Hrabko, Roberta Jurney, Herbert F. Kahlert, Annis H. Manning, Dare “Pete”
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2011-12 South Florida Fair Chairman Robert Broadway Peterson, William E. Pruitt, Charles “Chuck” Syfrett and Robert Weisman. County Commissioner Jess Santamaria also serves as an ex-officio member of the trustees. The fair will celebrate its 100th anniversary Jan. 13-29, 2012. Plans for the special celebration have been underway for several months. For more info., call (561) 793-0333 or visit www.southfloridafair.com.
BUSINESS NEWS
Dr. Nicholas Sama Awarded Patients’ Choice Recognition
Wellington Regional Medical Center recently announced that orthopedic surgeon Dr. Nicholas Sama has been chosen to receive the Patients’ Choice Award by Vitals. com. According to the web site, “Patients’ Choice recognition reflects the difference a physician has made in the lives of their patients. The honor is bestowed upon physicians who have received nearperfect scores as voted by their patients.” Sama is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon with expertise in fractures, trauma, arthroscopic surgery and reconstructive surgery. Sama earned his medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami. He completed an internship in general surgery and a residency in orthopaedic surgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Sama performed additional fellowship training in orthopaedic trauma and reconstruction at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and Wiell Medical College of Cornell University. Every month, tens of thousands
of patients throughout the United States provide online feedback on Vitals.com about doctors’ quality of care, bedside manner, the amount of time spent with the patient, degree of follow-up, courtesy of office staff and overall opinion of performance. Of the nation’s active physicians, fewer than 6 percent were awarded this honor by their patients in 2010. Sama is a partner of the Center for Bone & Joint Surgery of the Palm Beaches with an office located at 10111 W. Forest Hill Blvd., on the hospital’s campus. Sama joined the medical staff at Wellington Regional Medical Center in April 2007. Since that time, he has delivered numerous patient and physician lectures. He also served a two-year term as Wellington Regional’s chief of surgery. “To have patients bestow this honor upon Dr. Nicholas Sama only confirms what we already know to be true,” Wellington Regional CEO Jerel Humphrey said. “He is a leader in his field, delivering high-quality and compassionate patient care. We are very
Dr. Nicholas Sama proud to have this talented orthopedic surgeon on our medical staff. Way to go, Dr. Sama!” For additional information about Wellington Regional Medical Center, visit the hospital’s web site at www.wellingtonregional.com.
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BUSINESS NEWS
Madison Green Golf Club Names Bryan Merritt Named To Jeff Cagle Course Superintendent Geomatics Engineering Madison Green Golf Club in Royal Palm Beach has named Jeff Cagle head golf course superintendent. Cagle has an extensive background in the golf industry, having served in both warm and cool climate operations, for private, resort and public facilities. He is a member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and a graduate of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Ga. Cagle brings over 13 years progressive experience in the greens industry both in commercial turf and golf turf. He first started in the greens industry while in high school where he worked for Chattahoochee River Turf. After high school, Cagle continued his employment in the golf industry, working at the newly constructed Mirror Lakes in Villa Rica, Ga. From there, Cagle’s turf experience and supervisory skills were weaned as second assistant superintendent at Bear Creek Country Club in Douglasville, Ga. At the encouragement of the superintendent, Cagle decided to pursue a degree in the turf industry,
graduating on the dean’s list in 2005 with an AAS in golf turf management. While in school, he served an internship at the Club on Seabrook Island, S.C. Following a stint as assistant superintendent at the Polo Club of Boca Raton and the Provo Golf Club in the British West Indies, Cagle became assistant superintendent at Madison Green in March 2009. “I appreciate the opportunity to move up to the head superintendent position,” Cagle said. “I’m very excited to have the opportunity to be a part of the best golf facility in the western communities.” In other business news, Madison Green Golf Club has selected Wellington-based Liberty Media Group to oversee its marketing and public relations efforts. The facility is undergoing a multi-million-dollar renovation, with a new clubhouse, golf academy, banquet facility, restaurant, bar and grille slated to open soon. The improvements are being made, in part, to attract more weddings, bar mitzvahs and other social events to the club. The course
Advisory Council At FAU
Jef f Cagle is among the top public courses in Florida; however, ownership is making improvements in playing conditions that will make the course more enjoyable for golfers of all skill levels. Madison Green Golf Club is located at 2001 Crestwood Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach, For more information, visit the club’s web site at www.madisongreengolf.com.
Bryan Merritt, a PSM/LEED green associate and Erdman Anthony core business leader for the Geospatial Group, has been named to the Geomatics Engineering Advisory Council at Florida Atlantic University. Merritt has been with Erdman Anthony for close to 11 years and holds a degree in civil engineering from Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y. He resides in Royal Palm Beach. Members of the council advise the university on course/curriculum issues and lab equipment acquisition pertaining to geomatics engineering. They also mentor student senior projects and guide teams of students through the technical aspects of their projects. For nearly 60 years, Erdman Anthony has been providing infrastructure engineering and support services to private industry and government clients. The firm employs nearly 300 people, including 80 professional engineers and licensed land surveyors throughout its offices in Albany, Buffalo, Hudson Val-
Bryan Merritt ley and Rochester, N.Y.; Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, Pa.; and West Palm Beach and Orlando. Erdman Anthony is one of a relative handful of engineering consulting firms nationwide to have earned ISO 9001 quality certification. For more information, visit the firm’s web site at www.erdmananthony.com.
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Available for dining, catering, private parties, and special events.
Open for dinner Wednesday-Sunday. Sunday Brunch 11am-3pm.
3401 Equestrian Club Road • Wellington, FL 33414 • 561-333-1150 www.whitehorsetavernflorida.com
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SPORTS & RECREATION
UNDEFEATED HAWK VOLLEYBALL BOYS WIN STATE CHAMPIONSHIP The Seminole Ridge High School varsity boys volleyball team went all the w ay this season to become state champs. The Hawks cleared their final hurdle last weekend with a victory over Archbishop McCarthy High School. This came after defeating Wellington in straight sets (25-14, 25-18, 25-17) on Tuesday, May 10. Shown here are photos from the game against the Wolverines. PHOTOS BY BRYAN GAYOSO/TOWN-CRIER
Seminole Ridge’s Tommy Mitchell goes for the kill.
Hawk Jared Blount spikes the ball.
Seminole Ridge’s Ray Collet spikes the ball.
Area High School Football Squads Prepare For Spring Games By Jackson Wolek Town-Crier Staff Report Local high schools have been holding spring football practices in preparation for the annual spring games coming up, as well as to give their teams a chance to see what talent they have for next year. Seminole Ridge High School is coming off its most successful season in the school’s six-year history. SRHS managed to lose just one game in the regular season, and made a run in the playoffs until losing to Dr. Phillips High School of Orlando 38-28 — only the team’s second loss of the season. “The number-one thing with last year is everyone bought into the little things,” said coach Matt Dickmann, who will be entering his seventh year at Seminole Ridge. The Hawks graduated almost all of their offensive line from last year’s team, so it will be a difficult process finding a new unit that will be able to step in and get the job done. One thing that spring football allows teams to do is get to see which players can fill the open positions on the team. Spring games also help the coaches work on making the kids better players. Seminole Ridge will host Treasure Coast High School,
a team that has several potential NCAA Division 1 football players, on Friday, May 27 at 7 p.m. “They are very good defensively, and I know they’re putting in a new spread offense,” Dickmann said of the upcoming game. “I think it will be a very good test for our team.” Royal Palm Beach High School’s football team, on the other hand, is coming off one of its worst seasons, having gone 1-9 last year, with the only win coming against John I. Leonard High School. The team is now in a transition period, with a new coach, Willie Bueno, who has coached at both Glades Central and American Heritage before coming to Royal Palm Beach on Jan. 4. “We’re just trying to get better every day, and we’re not really concerned about what went on in the past,” Bueno said. “We know what we want to try to get done in the spring.” It makes no difference to Bueno whether his team wins or loses the spring game it hosts against Glades Day School on Saturday, May 28 at 7 p.m. Rather, it is the time his Wildcats spend together on the field that helps the team gain experience for next fall. “It’s the 20 practices that
we get that are improving and getting us better, more than anything else,” Bueno said. Although Palm Beach Central High School did not make the playoffs last year and had a mediocre 5-5 record, its team is expected to be better next season. It won’t be easy for the Broncos to replace players such as Gianpaolo “J.P.” Passeggiata, Johnny Roberts and Michael D’Avanzo — all of whom have recently committed to Division 1 colleges — but it can be done. In the 2009-10 season, the team had gone 3-7, so if it keeps improving at the same pace as it has been, its record should show seven or eight wins this year. “So far, our defensive line
needs to improve; we’ve just got to go out there and play harder,” coach Rod Harris said, commenting about what he has seen thus far in the spring practices. Even though the players have been working extremely hard every day at practices to get ready for their spring game against Davie’s Western High School, Harris admitted that no matter what they do, there really is no way to prepare for game speed. Palm Beach Central will host Western on Thursday, May 26 at 7 p.m. The local spring football season got underway Thursday, May 19 when the King’s Academy hosted Wellington High School. Results were not available by press time.
Seminole Ridge players hold a scrimmage game.
RPBHS Wildcats square off at a recent practice.
Palm Beach Central players prepare for a drill. PHOTOS BY JA CKSON WOLEK/TOWN-CRIER
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SPORTS & RECREATION
MOMENTUM DANCE COMPANY SHOWCASED AT MARLINS GAME
Dance Arts Conservatory’s Momentum Dance Company was showcased at a recent Florida Marlins baseball game at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. The girls were the featured dancers on the diamond during pre-game activities and afterward stayed to root the Marlins on against the Washington Nationals. Dance Arts Conservatory is located at 11260 Fortune Circle in Wellington. For more info., call (561) 296-1880. Pictured with the Florida Marlins mascots are (front row, L-R) Lara Symons, Sarah Marsengill, Tori Rosenthal, Gina Bernstein, Devan Soloman, Nyla George, Layla Chalifoux, Allyson Steinberg and Sarah Cirincione; (back row) Jordyn Kelley, Allie Terry, Andrea Rojas, Alexandra Ramey, Christina Kohlbeck, Quinn Van Popering, Cassandra Wiesner and Carlie Niedzwiedzki.
Pink Team Wins Acreage Flag Football Pro Division Super Bowl
The Acreage Flag Football Pro Division pink team, coached by Shawn Mears and Brian Houska, defeated Shockwave, coached by Willy Freundlich and Rob Herron, at the Acreage Girls Flag Football Pro Division Super Bowl, held May 6 at Acreage Community Park. In the first quarter of play, both teams’ excellent defense held the game scoreless. In the second quarter, quarterback Amber Davis connected with receiver Madeline Harding for a 25-yard pass, which set the pink team up for a first and goal. Davis connected with receiver Britani Doyle for the touchdown and center Taylor Brasseur for the extra point. Shockwave rallied back with a 55-yard punt return for a touchdown by linebacker Brook Herron; Shockwave did not earn the extra point. With less than two minutes left in the game, Shockwave began to move the ball into scoring range; however, Harding’s interception with 1:08 ended the game with the pink team prevailing. Pink team rusher Rylie Fletcher had seven sacks in the game. Shockwave rusher Alyssa Plotke had five sacks.
Pink team players and coaches: (front row, L-R) Taylor Brasseur, Tynesia Heath, Rylie Fletcher, Britani Doyle, Madeline Harding and Holley Mears; (back row) Shawn Mears, Katherine Rawls, Amber Davis, Gabi Oliver, Brittany Baxter and Brian Houska.
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14-U WHITE SOX WIN PONY LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
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SPORTS & RECREATION
The Royal Palm Beach 14-U Pony League White So x defeated the Dodgers 9-5 to win the league’s championship game Wednesday, May 11. The victory was led by an outstanding six innings of pitching by Dallas Ryder and closing pitcher Alex Amazzo. Matthew “Mohawk” Miller had a three-run triple and led the team this season with a .766 batting average. Undefeated in the playoffs, the White Sox beat the Cardinals and Dodgers to make it to the championship. The team was sponsored this season by All Paws Animal Clinic. Shown above are: (front row, L-R) Dallas Ryder, team mom Betty Miller and Alex Amazzo; (middle row) David Ozuna, Cody Underwood, Riley Gomez and Justin Vicari; (back row) assistant coach David Amazzo, Matthew Taylor, Darian Gonzalez, Matthew Miller and Manager Brian Miller.
AAGHOF Conference And Golf Tournament May 26-30 In PBG
Palm Beach County’s own Robert “Bob” Murphy is set to receive the African American Golfers Hall of Fame’s 2011 Humanitarian Award during the seventh annual AAGHOF conference, golf tournaments, reception, dinner, auction and awards celebration May 26-30 at the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott. The annual reception and awards dinner celebration will be held Sunday, May 29. The Golf Channel’s Scott Walker will serve as the master of ceremonies. This celebratory event focuses on the historic struggles, tragedies and ultimate triumphs of African Americans in the growth of the game of golf since the 1800s. Inner City Youth Golfers Inc. established the AAGHOF annual event to give the African-American Legends of Golf and other significant supporters an opportunity to be recognized for their contributions to the sport while sharing their own stories about golf then and now. Murphy joins past award recipients such as Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, Gary Player, Jim Dent, James Garvin Jr., Calvin Peete, Lee Elder, Charlie Owens, Renee Powell, Dr.
George H. Grace, Avis Brown Riley, Jim Thorpe, Dari and Billy Bowman, Earl Graves Sr., and U.S. congressmen James Clyburn and William L. Clay Jr. Other 2011 award winners are “Junior” Walker, Vernice Turner, Helen Webb Harris, Wake-Robin Golf Club Inc., Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Congressman Chaka Fattah, Eddie N. Williams, Exie Shackelford Ochier, Lorraine M. Harris, James E. Simpson, Autocrat Golf Club Inc., Pro-Duffers USA Inc. and William Brooks. The Inner City Youth Golfers Inc. Scholarship Tournament featuring the Clewis Wright Jr. Skins Game will take place Friday, May 27 at 8 a.m. at the Palm Beach Gardens Municipal Golf Course (11401 Northlake Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens). The cost is $75 for the tournament only and $20 for the skins game (optional). The entry fee includes one green fee, a half cart, practice balls, golf course hospitality, prizes and a scholarship donation. The low net prizes will be determined using the Calloway scoring system. Clewis Wright Jr. is the director
Clewis Wright Jr. of golf for Inner City Youth Golfers Inc. He is a retired educator from Miami-Dade, as well as past president of the Sunshine State Amateur Golfers Association, a member of the T&T Golf Group and Fairview Golf Club. Funds from this event will be used to assist ICYG youth with their education and golf experiences. The public is invited. For ticket and other information, call (561) 844-8774 or e-mail icyginc@aol. com. For more information about the May 27 tournament, contact Wright at (561) 684-8892 or cwrightj@comcast.net.
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SPORTS & RECREATION
Seasons End For WHS Boys Volleyball And Girls Softball With summer vacation fast approaching for students at Wellington High School, two of its athletic teams concluded their seasons last week. The boys varsity volleyball team lost to Seminole Ridge High School in the first round of the state tournament, and the girls softball team lost to Niceville High School 50 in the state semifinals. On Tuesday, May 10, the Seminole Ridge volleyball team came into Wellington with an undefeated record and fan support like an NCAA tournament basketball game. With fans chanting “Lets Go Hawks” and the school mascot on hand, the visiting team defeated the Wolverines in straight sets, 25-14, 25-18, 25-17. The first set lasted a mere 20 minutes, with the Wolverines’ last lead coming at 5-4. The second set was much of the same, with the home team actually holding a 16-15 advantage at one point, before scoring only two points for the remainder of the set. In the final set, Wellington led 10-9 before surrendering six straight points and eventually losing the match. After defeating Wellington, Seminole Ridge moved on to defeat Chaminade-Madonna, Miami Palmetto and Archbishop McCarthy high school to win the state championship. Wellington’s season ended with a record of 14-14 — 29th in the state according to www.floridavolleyball.com. Wellington’s season did not go as planned after losing last year’s Sun-Sentinel Player of
Wolverine Watch By Josh Hyber the Year Scott Witkowski three weeks into the season to a broken arm. Some players to look out for next year include Ben Silverman, Michael Morosco and Arthur Strappazzon. On Friday, May 13, the girls softball team ended its run at the state championship with a loss in the state semifinal game. The Wolverines lost to eventual state champion Niceville. The Wolverines will lose only one starter, shortstop Natalie Puñal. The team returns pitching ace Corrie Boggess, a sophomore this year, and a class of juniors that includes Macey Cheatham, Michaela Hollis, Mariah Gonzales, Alyssa Cheatham, Alana Kessler and Amy Groover. However, the team will be moved up to the tougher Class 6A division. Boggess and freshman first baseman Stephanie Schmidt were named to the Palm Beach Post first-team all conference. “We now know what we are going into next year,” Boggess said. “It was an amazing experience, playing in front of so many people. We are already looking forward to next year and hopefully again going to states.”
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Saturday, May 21 • Two new exhibits are opening at the South Florida Science Museum on Saturday, May 21. “Attack of the Bloodsucker s” and “Tree Houses” are sure to entertain, educate and excite curiosity through the hands-on, interactive exhibits. For more info., call (561) 832-1988 or visit www. sfsm.org. • HealthSource Chiropractic & Progressive Rehab (125 S. State Road 7, Suite 103) will host its Community/Patient Appreciation Day on Saturday, May 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with tours of the facility, educational programs and festive activities for all ages. For more info., call (561) 792-4016. • Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host a free “Health Starts Here” tour and demonstration Saturday, May 21 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Enjoy an informative, introductory tour that runs through the entire store. Learn about healthy eating principles, how to identify the most nutrient-rich foods and how to make them work for your busy lifestyle. The tour will will be followed by a live cooking demonstration. Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register. • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Wii Gaming: Summer Sports Paradise Island” for ages 10 to 15 on Saturday, May 21 at 3 p.m. Snacks will be provided. Call (561) 790-6030 to preregister. • The South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center will host a Gun Show Saturday and Sunday, May 21 and 22 featuring a wide collection of guns, ammo, knives, hunting supplies and accessories. A concealed weapons course will be available. Admission is $8. Visit www.flgunshows.com for more info. Sunday, May 22 • MorseLife senior care organization will host its inaugural Stroke of Hope 5K Run/ Walk on Sunday, May 22 at 7 a.m. on its 37-acre campus (4847 Fred Gladstone Drive, West Palm Beach). The event will be a chip-timed run, combining runners in fiveyear age groups. The general registration fee for the Stroke of Hope 5K Run/Walk is $25, except for children under the age of 12, who pay a $5 registration fee. To register, visit www.morselife.org/strokerunregistration, or contact Judy Gelpey at (561) 6875743 or judyg@morselife.org. • Wellington’s Temple B’nai Jacob will kick off summer with its annual Picnic in the Park on Sunday, May 22 at 12:30 p.m. at
the Micanopy Pavilion at Okeeheelee Park. It will be a day filled with fun, food and activities for the whole family. The cost is $12 per adult and $8 per child; children under 2 are admitted free. RSVP to (561) 7934347. • Renowned pianist and composer Copeland Davis will per form in concert Sunday, May 22 at 3 p.m. at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church (12200 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington) to benefit the family of Clifford J.W. Westervelt, an 11-year-old with a permanent brain injury. A reception will follow with an auction of unique items. Tickets cost $12 for adults and $6 for age 16 and under, available at the church office. Call Joy Robinson at (561) 333-6111 for more info. • Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host “Meet & Greet Our First CSA Farm” on Sunday, May 22 from 3 to 6 p.m. Meet Jodi Swank, co-owner of Swank Specialty Produce, and learn all about the new Community-Supported Agriculture drop program. Jodi will display an example of a typical share that participating customers pick up weekly and some delicious samples of amazing produce. Call (561) 904-4000 for more info. Monday, May 23 • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Legos” for age 8 and up Monday, May 23 at 4 p.m. Builders create vehicles or buildings out of Lego pieces. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. • Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will present “Thyroid: Start Thinking Outside the Drug” on Monday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m. The speaker is Dr. Tim DeCanio, a board-certified chiropractic neurologist. There is no charge. Call (561) 9044000 to pre-register. Tuesday, May 24 • Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host “Health Starts Here Lunch & Learn” on Tuesday, May 24 at 11 a.m., which will feature healthy side dishes just in time for Memorial Day cookouts and celebrations. There is no charge. Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register. • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Job Searching Online” for adults Tuesday, May 24 at 2 p.m. Business librarian Susan Berger will show how to use the Internet and library databases to help with your job search. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register. See CALENDAR, page 47
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR CALENDAR, continued from page 46 • The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will host a Networking Mixer on Tuesday, May 24 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Floor Specialists (11453 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach). For more info., contact Mary Lou Bedford at (561) 790-6200 or marylou@ palmswest.com. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Teen Game Night” for ages 12 to 17 on Tuesday, May 24 at 6 p.m. Play Nintendo Wii and board games. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. • Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will feature “Deliciously Raw with Renate: Picnic Favorites” on Tuesday, May 24 at 6:30 p.m. Celebrate your health on Memorial Day and learn to make great picnic dishes that everyone will enjoy. The cost is $20 per person. Call (561) 9044000 to pre-register. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Open Mic Night” for adults Tuesday, May 24 at 6:30 p.m. Pick up the rules when you pre-register. Call (561) 7906070 for more info. • The Wellington Village Council will meet Tuesday, May 24 at 7 p.m. at the Wellington Municipal Complex (12300 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Call (561) 791-4000 for info. Wednesday, May 25 • Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host “Wine & Cheese Pairing with the Experts” on Wednesday, May 25 at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy six wonderful pairings of wines and cheeses and learn from experts about what makes these products so delicious. Participants will also receive a free wine tote. There is no charge. Call (561) 904-4000 for more info. Thursday, May 26 • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Bee Story Time” on Thursday, May 26 at 3:30 p.m. for ages 4 to 6. Listen to stories about bees and honey, sing songs, and make a simple craft. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Reading Trivia Challenge” orientation for ages 11 to 13 on Thursday, May 26 at 6 p.m. Learn about a game where you compete against your friends to find out who can remember the most about three books for awesome prizes. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. • Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host a “Gluten-Free Cooking” class Thursday, May 26 at 6:30
p.m. Join Chef Joe as he demonstrates how to prepare a gluten-free meal that tastes great and is easy for anyone to prepare. There is no charge. Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register. Friday, May 27 • Temple Beth Tikvah (4550 Jog Road, Greenacres) invit es the community to “Thank God It’s Shabbat” Friday, May 27 at 6 p.m. Enjoy a participator y family-friendly Shabbat service with music, followed by a delicious catered meal. The cost is $13.50 for adult members, $14.50 for non-members and $8 for children under 12. Call (561) 967-3600 for more info. • The Wellington Amphitheater (12100 Forest Hill Blvd.) will present “Laugh Out Loud” on Friday, May 27 at 8 p.m. with comedians direct from performing at the Improv, Bonkers, National Lampoon and the NY Comedy Club. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own seating. For more info., call (561) 753-2484 or visit www. peterslivingroom.com. Saturday, May 28 • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Writing for Children & Teens” on Saturday, May 28 at 9 a.m. Do you write picture books, middle grade fiction, or young adult fiction? This series is for beginning to intermediate writers who want to improve their craft and learn about publication. Call (561) 7906030 to pre-register. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host a Chess Club Meeting for age 8 and up Saturday, May 28 at 2:30 p.m. Chess fans unite to practice strategy skills. Basic game knowledge required. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will hold a Teen Advisory Posse meeting for ages 12 to 17 on Saturday, May 28 at 2:30 p.m. Find out what’s coming and share your ideas for future programs. Snacks will be provided. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register. • Comedian, television host and political commentator Bill Maher will perform Saturday, May 28 at 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach. Tickets start at $30. To purchase tickets, call (561) 832-7469 or visit www. kravis.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.
May 20 - May 26, 2011
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HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER opening in Wellington 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 clubztutoring@wpb3331980.com
PART-TIME HELP NEEDED — For busy Accounting office. Must know Excel, Microsoft Word. Fax resume 561-333-2680. PART-TIME LEGAL ASSISTANT — wanted for busy Legal office. Must know Word Perfect, Wills,Trusts & Estates & heavy phones. Fax Resume to 561-333-2680 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED — Men & Women for god’s creatures, rescued and abused cats. Cat Sanctuary. 561-460-4317 ATTN: COMPUTER WORK anywhere 24/7 up to $1500/ monthPart-Time to $7,500/month Full-T ime. Training provided www.earnincome77.com or 847658-8500
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
VOLUNTEER NEEDED — 14 years and over for community service. Have fun with animals & kids 792-2666 WINDOW INSTALLERS W ANTED Lic. & ins. subcontractors only. Top Pay. No Brokers. Call Matt 561714-8490 DRIVERS WANTED — Full-Time/ Part-Time W ellington Town-Car NIGHT DISPATCHER — for Wellington Town-Car. Call for details 561-333-0181
HOUSECLEANING — 20 yrs experience. Excellent local references. Shopping available. 561572-1782 HOUSE OFFICE CLEANING — 30 yrs experience in the Western Communities. Honest-Reliable and plenty of references. Call Anytime Norma 561-719-9242 Ins. & Lic. VERAS HOME SER VICES — Housecleaning, pet sitting, home organization, and much more! References, honest & reliable. 561598-0311
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. CAMP COUNSELORS NEEDED FOR CAMP GIDDY UP NEEDS COMMUNITYSERVICES HOURS? — Call for info 793-4109 14 and over w/horse experience. ATTN: COMPUTER WORK — work from anywhere 24/7. Up to 1,500 part-time to 7,500 full-time. Training provided. www.jdincomenow.com or 754-244-2760
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 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
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 RV MOTER HOME 2005 — 31 ft. fourwinds, Chateau Class C, 4,700 miles, V-10 Ford Chasis, Fullyequipped, 1 slide out $48,000. Offers considered. 561-398-1825
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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 craftman Old time values. Once you’ve had me! You’ll have me back! Lic. Ins. Certified Residential Contractor CRC 1327426 561-248-8528
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 LANDSCAPE & DESIGN — Commercial & Residential. We meet your needs. Free Est. Tree Trimming, Landscape & Maintenance, Small & Large Gardens. 954-4718034
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
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 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
JEREMY JAMES PLUMBING — Licensed plumber, legitimate estimate. Water heaters, new construction. CFC1426242. Bonded and Insured. CFC1426242. 561-601-6458 TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS 793-3576
J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential. Interior & Exterior p ainting. Certified pressure cleaning & p ainting contractor . Lic. #U21552 Call Butch at 309-6975 or visit us at www.jbpressurecleaningandpainting.com
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS DON HARTMANN ROOFING — Roof painting, Carpentry. Lic. #U13677 967-5580 HORIZON ROOFING QUALITY WORK & SER VICE — Free estimates, Residential /commercial . Rep airs: Shingles, Flat s & tiles, Rotted Facia, & Decking. We also do Flat Roof Coating and Pressure Cleaning credit cards accepted. 561-293-0891 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 561-3090134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC023773 RC-0067207 ROBERT CHERRY ROOFING INC Reroofing - Repair - Waterproofing 561-791-2612 or 954-741-4580 State Lic.& Ins. #CCC-1326048
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
THIS SATURDAY, MAY 21st, 7a.m.- 1 p.m. — Queen/full bed frame great condition, TV, furniture, electronics, good clothes, kitchenwares, etc. 1445 Longlea Terrace (Of f of Aero Club Drive)
ESTATE SALE! — SATURDAY, MAY 27 & MAY 28 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Furniture, Household Goods, BOOKS and MUCH MORE Madison Green 1136 Oakwater Drive Royal Palm Beach (Wyndham)
SECURITY — American owned local security comp any in business 30 plus years. Protection by officers 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
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
ADVERTISE YOUR SERVICES HERE CALL 793-7606 TO PLACE YOUR AD HERE.
ClubZ! In-Home Tutoring SPECIAL SUMMER ACADEMY
Great Rates! All Subjects: PreK- Adult 561 •333 •1980 • CLUBZ.COM America’s Largest In-HomeTutoring Co.
APARTMENT FOR RENT — 1 bedroom, 1 bath, kitchen, living room, private entrance, electric & cable included. $700 mo. 561-252-2622
2/2 NEW APPLIANCES — good condition “The Trails” good area. pool and amenities. 561-714-8376 561-793-1718 $900 monthly. Cable included.
T OWNHOME FOR RENT — 2 / 2 2 car garage. Lakefront seasonal or annual lease. No Pet s 561-6442019 STUDIO APT. FOR RENT — sp anish tile, furnished on farm. References required. $595/month 9668791
RLS4634 DPBR ST ATE OF FLORIDA — Serving Acreage, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Palm Beach Country Est ates, Jupiter Farms and Coastal areas East Florida Site Planning, Dep Compliance Assured Mapping. 561-5960184 Cell Call for a Quote.
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