MEET THE VALEDICTORIANS AND SALUTATORIANS FROM WELLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL AND PALM BEACH CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL – SEE STORIES, PAGE 3
WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE • WESTLAKE Your Community Newspaper
INSIDE
Volume 47, Number 8 April 17 - April 30, 2026
Serving Palms West Since 1980
WELLINGTON EGG HUNT RETURNS
Opponents: Tango Postponement Shows Project ‘Half-Baked’
The request by Project Tango developers to pull the item from the Thursday, April 23 agenda of the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners shows how “half-baked” the plan really is, Arden Homeowners’ Association President Raymond Penuela said this week. Page 4
Wellington Welcomes Councilmen Johnny Meier & Stephen Levin
The Village of Wellington held a swearing-in ceremony Tuesday, April 14 at Wellington Village Hall to welcome newly elected councilmen Johnny Meier and Stephen Levin. A well-attended reception was held in the lobby before a formal ceremony in the council chambers immediately before the first meeting of the new council. Page 5
Court Ruling Could Complicate PBC Plan For Speed Cameras
The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners is interested in installing traffic speed cameras in school zones, but a recent court decision could complicate the program’s implementation. The commissioners considered an ordinance for a preliminary reading at their meeting on Tuesday, April 14. Page 7
SRHS Volleyball Boys Eye Another Trip To Final Four
Seminole Ridge High School remains home to one of the leading boys high school volleyball programs in Palm Beach County. It is one of the top 10 programs in the Florida High School Athletic Association’s (FHSAA) Class 3A, and also one of the top 20 programs in the state. Under the leadership of head coach Scott Barnwell, the Hawks have had another strong regular season. Page 21 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 18 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 7 SPORTS..........................21 - 24 PEOPLE................................. 25 SCHOOLS.............................. 26 BUSINESS............................. 27 COLUMNS............................. 28 CLASSIFIEDS................ 29 - 30 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
The annual Wellington Egg Hunt was held on Saturday, April 4 at Village Park. Several hundred people attended the family-friendly event celebrating the Easter season. The event featured two Easter Bunnies in attendance. Volunteers from Christ Fellowship Church handed out breakfast and snacks to participants, who were eagerly searching for eggs with special winning tickets. Shown here, kids race out onto the egg field. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 16 PHOTO BY FRANK KOESTER/TOWN-CRIER
Westlake Council OKs Plan For Walmart Superstore
By Louis Hillary Park Town-Crier Staff Report The Westlake City Council approved the site plan for a 188,000-square-foot Walmart Superstore on Tuesday, April 7, despite concerns voiced by a number of residents during the nearly four-hour session. Located on 24 acres, the Westlake Walmart will include a grocery store, a pharmacy, a garden center, an automotive center, a vision center and a liquor store. In a separate 1,618-square-foot structure will be a convenience store with 10 gas pumps. There will be parking for 768 cars and trucks, plus golf cart parking and charging stations for electric vehicles. Walmart is the second major national retailer landed by the city’s primary developer and landowner, Minto Communities USA, in the last eight months. In August 2025, the site plan was approved for a Lowe’s Home Improvement store that also will serve as the company’s regional headquarters. However, resident Marge Perry reflected the sentiment of many in attendance when she spoke during public comment.
“Walmart is not why I moved to Westlake,” she said. “I understand that it’s Minto’s decision to rent or sell to whomever they want. But I think as a city and as a council, we haven’t been proactive enough in talking to Minto about what we want here.” The city’s authority is limited in what it can do in the situation. “State law is very strict,” Vice Mayor Greg Langowski said this week. “If it meets the proper codes, we can’t stop a business from coming.” Langowski said Walmart has addressed two major concerns often voiced by residents. It will not operate 24 hours a day, he said. Hours will be 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and there will be no overnight parking, including for recreational vehicles. Signage will be placed in the parking lots to that effect. Representing Minto was land planner Donaldson Hearing of Cotleur & Hearing. “I think people will find that the new Walmart is significantly different from the Walmart of 10 years ago. It’s clean, beautiful. It has a great product line,” Hearing
said. “It even has a sushi department.” The Walmart store will be located directly south of the Lowe’s on the west side of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road near 60th Street North. It will feature extensive landscaping along Seminole Pratt with a water feature and a 1,000foot setback from the road. There also are two outparcels from the main structure that will be available for other businesses. “It’s going to be a beautiful store with amazing landscaping,” Hearing said. “It’s not your cookiecutter Walmart.” To the east, the nearest multipurpose Walmart is at the intersection of State Road 7 and Belvedere Road in Royal Palm Beach. Going west, the nearest Walmart is in Clewiston or Okeechobee. Hearing said he expects the store to draw shoppers from Wellington, Arden and Avenir. “It’s suited for a relatively highend economic market,” Hearing said, likening it to the store in Jupiter. Hearing said he believes that Walmart “will create a lot of See WALMART, page 14
Developer Pitches 620 Apartments At Mall’s Shuttered Nordstrom Site By Patrick Sherry Town-Crier Staff Report Developers are considering replacing the long-closed Nordstrom store at the Mall at Wellington Green with 620 apartments amid ongoing shifts in retail trends that have troubled enclosed shopping malls across the nation. Wellington-based real estate and apartment management firm Bainbridge Companies submitted an application to the Village of Wellington to demolish Nordstrom, one of the mall’s original anchor stores, and build a multifamily residential apartment complex. The project will cover just over 18.4 acres, consisting of three seven-story apartment buildings and a new parking garage. Up to 1.5
acres of private recreation space will also be provided throughout the development, including a clubhouse with a pool, fitness amenities and open space. The proposal was submitted on March 31 and is currently making its way through the Village of Wellington’s staff review. Wellington Planning, Zoning & Building Director Tim Stillings said that no timeframe has yet been set for public meetings on the proposal. “This redevelopment is an investment in the property,” Stillings explained. “The future residents are likely future shoppers, restaurant and business patrons for the mall and surrounding businesses.” If approved, the project will See NORDSTROM, page 14
CAFCI ANNUAL PICNIC
CAFCI held its annual Picnic in the Park on Saturday, April 11 in the Tuskegee Pavilion at Okeeheelee Park. The event featured lots of food, a DJ, dancing, a bake sale, raffles, games and more. Shown here are Genieve White and Pauline Ivey at the picnic. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 18 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
New Lox Council Starts Tenure ITID Sues SID Over With Change In Town Leadership Access To ‘Very By Patrick Sherry Town-Crier Staff Report Hot off the heels of the recent municipal election, the newly reorganized Loxahatchee Groves Town Council is aiming to make changes as quickly as possible, including bringing in a new town manager. The council began its meeting on Tuesday, April 7, by recognizing the service of outgoing council members Marge Herzog and Todd McLendon. “It has been a pleasure serving the town for all these years,” Herzog said. “I enjoyed working with various people who stepped forward and helped to make this town what it is today.” McLendon went on to thank
the council for appointing him to the position last year. He also congratulated the two newly elected councilmen. “I’m here if you ever need any support to try to move this town forward,” McLendon said. “I’m not going anywhere.” Manish Sood and Joe Stephens were then sworn in, with Sood serving a three-year term and Stephens a one-year term. With the two taking their seats on the dais, the council needed to choose a new mayor and vice mayor. In keeping with town policy, former Mayor Anita Kane stepped down from the position but continues to serve on the council. Councilman Paul Coleman and Councilwoman Lisa El-Ramey
were both nominated for the role of mayor. After a vote to appoint Coleman failed, El-Ramey secured the position on a 4-1 vote with Kane dissenting. Coleman and Sood were subsequently nominated to become vice mayor, with Sood being chosen on 3-2 vote, with Coleman and Kane dissenting. The newly organized council went on to add several agenda additions. Top among them was putting Town Manager Francine Ramaglia on administrative leave ahead of her contract expiration in September. Before the meeting, Ramaglia gave formal notice of her retirement from the position upon the See LOX COUNCIL, page 4
Critical’ M-2 Canal
By Louis Hillary Park Town-Crier Staff Report Representatives of the Seminole Improvement District (SID) have until Tuesday, April 21 to respond to a suit filed by the Indian Trail improvement District (ITID) in an effort to maintain continued access to the M-2 Canal — a major drainage artery during hurricane season. ITID filed the suit March 28, “to get ahead of this thing, and make sure we had access during the litigation,” which could last through the 2026 storm season or beyond, said Bernard Lebedeker of the firm Xenick Lebedeker Pepin, the attorney for ITID on the matter.
Lebedeker said he’ll be seeking an injunction to prevent SID from cutting off access while the suit moves forward before Circuit Court Judge Caryn Siperstein. While SID has not cut access to date, ITID officials felt they had to take action before hurricane season begins June 1, he said. SID Manager Lynne Ladner and ITID Executive Director Burgess Hanson referred all questions to their respective attorneys. SID attorney Seth Behn of the firm Lewis, Longman & Walker did not return calls requesting comment. ITID President Elizabeth AcSee LAWSUIT, page 7
At Council Meeting, Wellington Community Foundation Presents $56,000 To Support Key Village Initiatives By Shannon Anastasio Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington Community Foundation announced the awarding of $56,000 in funding to support a series of impactful community initiatives in partnership with the Village of Wellington at the Tuesday, April 14 meeting of the Wellington Village Council. WCF Chair Jim Sackett addressed the council and other community leaders, emphasizing the organization’s ongoing mission of “building a stronger community” through programs that support seniors, children and veterans. He also recognized the foundation’s board of directors for their continued leadership and service. The newly approved funding will directly benefit a range of
programs designed to enhance the quality of life and expand access to essential resources for Wellington residents. These initiatives were selected following a thorough review process, with priority given to projects demonstrating meaningful community impact and alignment with the foundation’s mission. Funded programs include the Holiday Toy Drive, which brings joy and support to families during the holiday season, and the Boys & Girls Club Summer Camp Sponsorships, providing children with safe, enriching environments and mentorship opportunities. The foundation is also supporting the return of the Back-to-School Event, helping local students preSee FOUNDATION, page 14
Big Check — (L-R) Dr. Gordon Johnson, Councilman Stephen Levin, Barry Manning, Vice Mayor Maria Antuña, Councilwoman Amanda Silvestri, Mayor Michael Napoleone, WCF Chair Jim Sackett, Don Gross, Maggie Zeller, James Seder, Roxanne Stein, Michael Gauger and Councilman Johnny Meier. PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER