YOUNG ARTIST SEEKS NATIONAL AWARD SEE STORY, PAGE 3
STUDY LOOKS AT SOUTHERN CORRIDOR SEE STORY, PAGE 7
WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE • WESTLAKE Your Community Newspaper
INSIDE
Volume 47, Number 7 April 3 - April 16, 2026
Serving Palms West Since 1980
SPRINGFEST FUN IN WESTLAKE
State Sen. Harrell Wary Of Broad Property Tax Cuts
As a special session of the Florida Legislature looms to address the state budget, State Sen. Gayle Harrell (R-District 31) said property tax reductions or elimination is possible but not without a cost to local services. Property taxes “are how we pay for local government services,” said Harrell, who sits on the Joint Legislative Budget Commission. Page 3 Thousands of people were on hand when the City of Westlake held its annual SpringFest celebration on Saturday, March 28. The free family-friendly event included Easter egg hunts for various age groups; live music and entertainment; face painting and balloon twisting; food trucks and market vendors; and, of course, photos with the Easter Bunny. Shown here are Alexa Gonzalez; Alina, Riana and Ivy Onescar; and Vera Gonzalez. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 16 PHOTO BY FRANK KOESTER/TOWN-CRIER
Village Of Wellington Thanks McGovern And Siskind For Service
The Village of Wellington celebrated Vice Mayor Tanya Siskind and Councilman John McGovern on Monday, March 23 at Wellington Village Hall. The celebration took place just one day before their final meeting on the Wellington Village Council, capping more than 10 years of service each. Page 5
Palm Beach County Postpones Decision On Acreage ER Project
A decision regarding the proposal to build a new standalone emergency room in The Acreage was postponed by the Palm Beach County Commission on Thursday, March 26. The project has been proposed by HCA Florida Palms West Hospital. Page 7
Seminole Ridge Flag Football Team Having A Dominant Season
The Seminole Ridge High School girls varsity flag football team is having another sensational and, perhaps, historic season. With an 11-1 record, the Hawks are focused on repeating as Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 3A state champions. 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
Acreage Park’s New Turf Field Cleared For Play, But For Who?
By Louis Hillary Park Town-Crier Staff Report The long-awaited synthetic turf field at Acreage Community Park South is ready for play, members of the Indian Trail Board Improvement District Board of Supervisors were told at their Wednesday, March 25 meeting. However, the question that hangs over the $1.8 million football/soccer field is: Who will be allowed to use it? The money for the field is part of $3 million parceled out to ITID from Palm Beach County’s 2016’s one-percent infrastructure sales surtax. County officials “are insisting the field be set aside for open play,” ITID President Elizabeth Accomando said this week. “It appears we are obligated to maintain the field but have no control over it. The county is setting the rules.” “Open play” would mean unrestricted use by teams and individuals on a first-come, first-served basis whether residents of the district or not. “I’m worried about groups from outside the district trying to take
it over,” Supervisor Richard Vassalotti said. Supervisor Betty Argue said the “open play” rule would defeat the purpose of constructing the field. It was intended, she said, for use by Acreage Athletic League teams and others that normally play at Acreage Community Park North. The switch would allow that grass field to rest after periods of intense use. “Now the county is dictating how it’s to be used,” Argue said. “The whole point was to address the lack of field space.” The $3 million was originally earmarked for a community center at the park but was reallocated when that project became too expensive due to pandemic delays and construction cost increases. Ground was broken on the turf field Dec. 5, 2025, after a year in permitting. The issue is further complicated by the fact that the county owns the land upon which Acreage Community Park South sits. ITID operates and maintains the park under a long-term lease. ITID Executive Director Burgess Hanson said he’ll ask the district’s legal team to look into the
lease to determine whether it gives the county this type of authority. “I don’t think this has to be a hostile discussion,” he said. “We just need to make this more compatible for ITID residents who are, after all, county residents.” For now, however, Hanson said the field will be for “general play” while being closely monitored by parks and recreation staff. “The big thing for us now is being able to properly manage the field without it being abused,” he said. “We don’t want leagues taking it over before we can get a better handle on this.” Parks & Recreation Director Kenny Lawrence said the $1.2 million remainder of the funds will be used for construction of an open-play grass field at the park, plus related infrastructure, such as lighting and additional parking. Also, some invasive trees will be removed from the area. In February, supervisors voted to amend the scope of the Acreage Community Park South expansion by removing a $346,000 restroom and an $80,000 scoreboard. An event is planned for some See NEW FIELD, page 14
Wellington’s PBCFR Response Times Tick Down, Despite An Increase In Calls By Patrick Sherry Town-Crier Staff Report With hundreds more emergency calls, the Wellington Village Council said Tuesday, March 24 that Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue (PBCFR) is continuing to be an excellent, dedicated partner. PBCFR officials presented the council with its annual report presentation that showed firefighters’ continued service to the village. Of the 51 fire stations in the county, four serve the village, with an additional four nearby stations serving as backup. “You are never without coverage,” PBCFR District Chief Amanda Vomero said. In 2025, firefighters responded to 6,863 incident calls in Welling-
ton — 440 more than the previous year. Despite the increase in call volume, agency officials were able to decrease response times by four seconds. The majority of incidents were medical calls, totaling 5,016. Alarms, vehicle accidents and assists/investigations made up most of the remaining incidents. Firefighters responded to only 100 fires during the year, which was one percent of total calls. Agency officials began satisfaction surveys in 2022. Vomero told the council that since doing so, patients in Wellington have continued to give firefighters a perfect overall satisfaction rate. “We have a 100 percent overall See PBCFR, page 4
SECRET GARDENS
On Saturday, March 21, the Wellington Garden Club hosted a self-guided tour of several unique gardens that the owners opened to the public for just one day. Shown here are Nina and Ramsey Williams at the garden in their Paddock Park home. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 18 PHOTO BY FRANK KOESTER/TOWN-CRIER
Arden Slated To Have A Fire Teachers’ Union Station Right Outside Its Gates Chief To Talk About AI Data Center Plan Monday At Arden
By Louis Hillary Park Town-Crier Staff Report The distance between the Arden neighborhood near 20-Mile Bend and the nearest fire station five miles away in Wellington has been a slow-burning frustration for residents of the fast-growing community for several years. However, an end to that frustration is months, not years, away, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Assistant Chief David Woodside said recently. The department already has a basic site plan for a temporary station on a 3-acre parcel on Cane Field Trace between Saddle View Elementary School and the proposed AI hyperscale data center known as Project Tango, he said. Permitting and construction
should take about 18 months, Woodside noted. Six firefighters will be on duty around the clock manning a fire engine and an advanced life support transport unit, he said. “We’ve been looking at this from a number of levels,” he said, with Arden’s growth, call volume and the longer-than-optimal response times fueling the decision. Arden Homeowners’ Association President Raymond Penuela said he is pleased with PBCFR’s decision to erect the temporary station but doubts concern for the community’s residents is behind the move. Penuela said he and others in the community believe that the decision was made for the benefit of the controversial data center and
warehouse project known formally as the Central Park Commerce Center, which is located on 202 acres only some 1,500 feet from the school and some homes. “I’m very appreciative for what [PBCFR is] doing,” Penuela said. “But they did not place the station there for the good of the Arden residents. It’s there for Project Tango.” Project Tango representative Ernie Cox said Wednesday that its developers were “not involved in the [fire station] decision at all.” However, the fact that Woodside made the announcement of the station placement at a Feb. 25 town hall meeting organized by Palm Beach County Mayor Sara Baxter to share information about See ARDEN, page 4
By Louis Hillary Park Town-Crier Staff Report With a key April 23 date approaching regarding the planned AI hyperscale data center near 20-Mile Bend, both its opponents and proponents are trying to get their messages across ahead of what could be very contentious zoning hearing before the Palm Beach County Commission. On Monday, April 6, Gordan Longhofer, president of the Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association, will speak to “parents, educators, community
leaders and citizens” regarding their concerns about the 202acre project, according to a press release from the Western Palm Beach Community Alliance Inc. The event will be held near Saddle View Elementary School on Cane Field Trace at 3:30 p.m. The public is invited. Meanwhile, representatives of the Central Park Commerce Center — also known as Project Tango — will be hosting two informational webinars on its web site Wednesday, April 8 from noon See DATA CENTER, page 14
RPB Council OKs Contract For Recreation Center Expansion
By Patrick Sherry Town-Crier Staff Report The Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center is poised to get a $20.1 million renovation and expansion. The Royal Palm Beach Village Council approved a construction contract update on Thursday, March 19 that allows the long-planned project to move forward. Village officials plan to build a new gymnasium and meeting rooms totaling 25,000 extra square feet of space at the facility, located off Sweet Bay Lane. “This is one of our largest projects, and it has proven to be pretty challenging,” Village Manager Ray Liggins said. The original recreation center
was built in the 1990s. Since then, there has been an increased need for space for programs, and for the village’s growing population. The village started the expansion project in 2022 after agreeing with DHGA Design-FL to design the new expansion and renovations. However, the company ceased operations before those plans could be completed. Village staff then selected Kaufman Lynn Construction last year to finish the design work. The company and village staff held multiple meetings to gain public input from residents who use the recreation center. Their feedback was heavily used in the design process. Kaufman Lynn Construction’s team said it was a
pleasure working with the staff and getting the design finished. “The real pleasure that we find is going to be in construction… I think it’s going to be a great addition for the residents of Royal Palm Beach,” said Mishel Mako, senior vice president of operations at Kaufman Lynn Construction. The project is expected to take 17-and-a-half months to complete and will be done in four phases. Construction of the expansion area will be done first and is slated to be finished next year in March. Renovations will be done in two phases during this year and next summer break, when schools will be closed. Village officials expect the project to be completed in September 2027.
The Royal Palm Beach Village Council — (L-R) Councilwoman Selena Samios, Councilman Richard Valuntas, Mayor Jeff Hmara, Vice Mayor Sylvia Sharps and Councilwoman Jan Rodusky.
PHOTO COURTESY THE VILLAGE OF ROYAL PALM BEACH
“[The project] gives us a great opportunity to be able to serve our residents long into the future,” Parks & Recreation Director Mark Pawlowski said. The council unanimously approved the contract update.
Kaufman Lynn Construction is expected to begin the work within 30 days of the meeting. In other business, the council held its annual reorganizational meeting, which included the See RPB COUNCIL, page 14