Town-Crier Newspaper August 2, 2013 by Wellington The Magazine LLC

ART SOCIETY ‘MEET THE ARTISTS’ AUG. 6 SEE STORY, PAGE 3

ROBBIN LEE NAMED NEW CEO AT WRMC SEE STORY, PAGE 7

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INSIDE Nicole Hornstein’s Father Pushing Helmet Laws Across The Nation

Volume 34, Number 31 August 2 - August 8, 2013

THIRD ROW CENTER WOWS CROWD

The Acreage father who spearheaded the drive to require that juvenile horse riders wear helmets in Florida has taken his campaign to other parts of the nation. Gary Hornstein has gotten a similar law through the New York legislature. Page 3

Across District And Locally, Tough Year For School Grades

Four of the 20 elementary and middle schools in the western communities saw their school letter grades change this year. In one instance, the change was an improvement, from a B to an A. But in three other schools, the news wasn’t as good. Page 3

Central Chamber Bids Farewell To Miranda

Royal Palm Hosts Indoor Flea Market

A summer indoor flea market was held on Friday, July 26 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Shoppers were treated to music and free cake and coffee as they shopped for bargains and treasures from various venders. Page 15

OPINION Communities Can Solve Water Woes Better By Working Together

Each community has its own needs and strategies in dealing with excess water. This is further complicated by the South Florida Water Management District, which controls how much water a community can drain and where that water can go. But several area leaders believe the answer is to work together to move water out of our area, and the Town-Crier agrees. Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS ............................. 3 - 10 OPINION .................................4 CRIME NEWS .........................6 PEOPLE ............................... 13 NEWS BRIEFS..................... 14 SCHOOLS ............................ 15 COLUMNS .................... 21 - 22 BUSINESS .................... 23 - 25 ENTERTAINMENT ................ 26 CALENDAR ................... 30 - 31 SPORTS ........................ 33 - 35 CLASSIFIEDS ................ 32 - 37 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

The Third Row Center Singers presented “A Royal Songfest” on Sunday, July 28 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Approximately 200 people came to watch as the Third Row Center singers performed a wide variety of music. Members of the Young Singers of the Palm Beaches performed solos, while the Women of Note Octet provided vibrant harmonies. Shown here, Third Row Center performs “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 17 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Some Wellington Departments Might Resume Friday Hours By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Some of Wellington’s departments could be going back to a five-day workweek as part of an effort to provide better customer service for residents on Friday. At a budget workshop Monday, members of the Wellington Village Council asked staff to look into the cost of moving some departments back to working five days. Wellington enacted a four-day workweek three years ago as an effort to curb costs. It was largely successful, but some council members remain concerned that residents can’t get needed help on Fridays. “Do you have any opinion whether customer service would be improved by going back to five days?” Vice Mayor Howard Coates asked. Village Manager Paul Schofield said he hadn’t heard many complaints but was considering it. “Going back to a five-day workweek has been an item of serious discussion among the management team,” he said. “Should the council desire, we are prepared to take elements of the village back to a five-day workweek.”

Coates said that in the private sector, it’s common to use Fridays to go for permits or other tasks outside the office. “I don’t hear it a lot, but occasionally I hear grumblings from residents,” he said. “I know there is some discontent that we are not open for customer service on Fridays.” Schofield said one option was to have customer service open on Fridays, but stagger the employees’ work schedules so they work only four days, but have different days off. This would also allow the village to keep customer service open later hours, he said. “The problem with a traditional five-day workweek is we find our residents like the ability to be here between 5 and 8 p.m.,” Schofield said. “We are considering being open five days, but keeping employees on a four-day workweek.” Councilwoman Anne Gerwig said she thought that could be a good compromise. “I’ve seen people here on Fridays trying to come in,” she said. “I get complaints from residents that they can’t even get in the door. But they also really like those ex-

tended evening hours. If we can vary people’s days off so customer service is open late and open Monday through Friday, I think that would be the ultimate compromise for residents.” Schofield said there has been discussion of moving some departments back to a five-day workweek, but others benefited from working four extended-hour days. “There are certain parts of the village that I would not recommend we ever take back to a five-day workweek,” he said. Among these are utility field workers and public works crews, who are able to get more field time and more accomplished in four days than they could in five. “We get more out of them in a four-day workweek, principally because we eliminate 20 percent of their mobilization and demobilization,” Schofield said. It also allows the crews to focus on and finish projects as they crop up, rather than having to delay them for a day. “If they are coming in at 7:30 a.m. and leaving at 3:30 p.m., and a project crops up in the afternoon, they generally aren’t able to start See WORKWEEK, page 4

Santamaria Forms Task Force To Address Drainage Issues By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Palm Beach County Commissioner Jess Santamaria has mobilized a flooding task force to address drainage and weather issues that appear to be cropping up not only in Palm Beach County, but nationally. “I would say next to the inspector general, my highest priorities are flood prevention,” Santamaria told the Town-Crier on Tuesday. “Every time I watch TV, what’s happening in the Midwest, what’s happened in New Jersey during Hurricane Sandy, and I’m reminded of New Orleans, and I’m thinking that could happen right here. It could cost lives and billions of dollars in property damage. That

has got to be a priority for us in the western communities.” He pointed out that flooding is a crucial issue not just in the western communities, but in other areas of the county, too, such as Delray Beach, which also had flooding recently. In addition, Santamaria is concerned about the condition of the Herbert Hoover Dike and rising water levels in Lake Okeechobee. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers activated its emergency operations center last week in response to the high water level, which stood at 15.82 feet on Wednesday and has been rising an average of 6 inches per week. “If the levees break, it affects not only the Glades, but other ar-

eas as well,” he said. Tied into the issue is the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area berm, which threatened to give way after Tropical Storm Isaac last year. Money has been set aside on the state level to strengthen the berm. “I think we had something to do with the governor approving the $4 million for reinforcing the Corbett berm, so that is a good thing,” Santamaria said. “We know the potential damage from floods because it happened last year.” Too often, he said, the county gets caught up in small issues and ignores the larger ones. “This is something that could be serious, and even if it’s only a 5 percent See TASK FORCE, page 16

Serving Palms West Since 1980

Rule Change For Vet Clinics Concerns Equestrian Board By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Members of the Wellington Equestrian Preserve Committee decided Wednesday to postpone a recommendation that could make veterinary offices a permitted use in certain parts of the Wellington Equestrian Preserve Area. Committee members wanted a second look at the ordinance with amended language to set standards for the clinics — including allowing only equine veterinary clinics as a permitted use — before sending the item to Wellington’s Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board. The petition was brought by Palm Beach Equine Clinic and would change the master plan to make veterinary clinics a permitted use in sub-area D of the Equestrian Preserve Area, which stretches from Lake Worth Road north to Pierson Road and from 120th Avenue South west to Palm Beach Point. Palm Beach Equine Clinic Pres-

ident Scott Swerdlin said he was trying to get the allowed use so he could fix up and expand the clinic, noting that he has had troubles under the current zoning. “We’ve been in the same location since 1983,” Swerdlin said. “Up until recently, we could just go into the village and ask for an application for development. In 2006, the hurricane tore down a bunch of stalls, and when we went to submit a permit, we found it was going to be more complicated.” Because of the weak economy, Swerdlin said he decided to wait to replace the stalls. Then, in 2010, when he looked into it again, he found his property exceeded the allowed floor area ratio and was now an illegal use. We were a non-conforming use,” he said. “Everything had been fine since 1983.” Swerdlin said one option was to come in for a commercial recreSee VET CLINICS, page 16

SCHOOL LANDSCAPING

Equestrian Trails Elementary School revealed its recently finished landscaping makeover Tuesday, July 30. Seacrest Services donated its time and all materials, including plants, to beautify the school courtyard and repair the irrigation system. Shown here is Silke Corredor, with daughters Leah and Nathalie, in front of the flower arch with Paul Licata of Seacrest Services and Equestrian Trails Principal Michele Johnson. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 10 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

ITID: More Money For Drainage Projects, Less Toward Parks By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors met for a budget workshop Wednesday, July 24, with the primary goal of reallocating a larger percentage of its budget to drainage issues. The workshop had been called by Supervisor Gary Dunkley to focus more of the budget on drainage, telemetry and equipment necessary to keep the district’s water systems functioning smoothly. Acting District Administrator Jim Shallman said ITID has a budget they can work with in the current year to create additional financing for some of those projects. “We’re looking for direction from the board on when these projects ought to be done,” Shallman said. Shallman also noted that ITID Vice President Carol Jacobs wanted to address staff reassignments and salaries. Jacobs said she wants to eliminate some office positions in or-

der to put more employees in the field; reducing the salary and scope of the vacant district administrator’s post and changing it into more of a manager’s position. Shallman said he had met with Dunkley, newly appointed District Engineer Jay Foy and several residents to discuss developing a long-term plan for drainage improvements within the framework of the existing budget. Foy, who stressed that his contract with ITID had not yet begun, said they were trying to figure out what the numbers in the budget actually meant. “I’m really just in the first phase of investigating this, but in my opinion, you don’t have enough in there for canal maintenance,” Foy said. “You have a failing infrastructure, which is typical of all governments that have been around for any time. Culverts wear out, especially metal culverts. You’re going to have to start replacing them or you’re going to See ITID, page 16

Music Teacher Gets National Kudos For Nutrition Show

Students dressed in recycled materials for the show.

By Anne Checkosky Town-Crier Staff Report A local music teacher received national recognition last month for a production she helped plan and put together to help kids learn about nutrition and recycling. Estibaliz Gastesi, music teacher at Golden Grove Elementary School in The Acreage, came up with the idea of having the choir — made up of third- to fifth-grade students — join first- and thirdgrade students at her school perform a show based on a nutrition program the Palm Beach County School District rolled out last year. The district introduced the “Or-

ganWise Guys” to all elementary schools in 2011-12. It is part of a national program that uses 10 characters to teach children about how to be healthy and smart from the inside out. The 10 characters are: Sid and Kid the Kidney Brothers, Sir Rebrum, Pepto, Peri Stolic, Windy, Hardy Heart, Madame Muscle, Calci M. Bone, Peter Pancreas and Luigi Liver. Their motto is: “We love who we live in, so please take care of us.” The organization started by performing at assemblies in elementary schools throughout Georgia in 1993. Now OrganWise Guys is

in more than 5,000 schools in 20 states. It has a monthly national enewsletter, The OWG News, that goes out to subscribers. The July edition included a story on Gastesi and Golden Grove. Gastesi hit on the idea of creating a show after seeing the OrganWise Guys posters in her school cafeteria. Songs from the organization’s CD were used, and different activities from art, physical education and the cafeteria were integrated into the performance. The school used recycled materials from trash for the costumes, such as plastic bags from Target, See GASTESI, page 7

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NEWS

Nicole Hornstein’s Father Pushing Helmet Laws Around The Nation By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Acreage father who spearheaded the drive to require that juvenile horse riders wear helmets in Florida has taken his campaign to other parts of the nation. Gary Hornstein’s activism began with an Acreage tragedy — the death of his 12-year-old daughter Nicole, who died after a horseback riding accident in June 2006. She suffered severe head injuries after falling from her mount while not wearing a helmet. Nicole was in a coma for 20 days before she finally succumbed to her injuries. Not only is the Indian Trail Improvement District’s horse park on Hamlin Blvd. now named in Nicole’s memory, but her father spent years lobbying in Tallahassee before the new helmet law was enacted.

Now, Hornstein has gotten a similar law through the New York legislature. As of earlier this week, it awaits the signature of Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The bill passed both houses of the legislature in New York’s state capital of Albany about a month ago and must be signed by Wednesday to go into effect. “They expect it to go into law,” Hornstein said. “There’s been no animosity, no negative feedback.” The bill was sponsored by State Sen. Kenneth LaValle (R-Long Island) and Assemblyman Fred Thiele (D-Long Island). However, with just days left in the session, prospects were not good. Hornstein had been working on the measure since 2011. “When I got up to Albany, the bill was dead,” Hornstein told the Town-Crier on Tuesday. “There were two days left, and it was put

on the shelf. They told me it might go next year.” That is when Hornstein tracked down Assemblyman David Gantt, chairman of the Transportation Committee. “By the time we walked back to his office from the Assembly room, he said, ‘Look, we’ll hold a third meeting, and we’ll get this thing passed this year.’I was very glad I went to Albany. Even Fred Thiele couldn’t believe that I had gotten it done through Nicole. I just told my story, spoke from my heart, and they went with it.” Next year, Hornstein is turning his sights on the major equestrian bastions of Kentucky and Tennessee to try to get helmet laws enacted there. Now a resident of Southampton, Long Island, Hornstein and his family lived in The Acreage when the accident happened. “I still have a house down there,

and I have my daughters down there, but I’ve been up here for a while now,” he said. It took two years to get the bill passed in Albany. “I went up the first year and spoke, and it didn’t go,” he recalled. “In the second year, they said it wasn’t going to go, and I went up there and it went. Two years to get a law, that’s pretty quick.” Hornstein pointed out that it took Florida three years to get Nicole’s Law enacted. “The average is seven,” he said. “I’m getting it down to a system now. I just went up there and pounded on every door that I could. Everybody who would listen heard about it. I carried her picture everywhere I went, and I can tell you something bigger than me was leading this thing. I’m very See HORNSTEIN, page 16

Art Society Will Host ‘Meet The Artists’ Reception At Wellington Gallery Aug. 6 By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Next week, members of the community will have an opportunity to check out local art and meet critically acclaimed local artists during the Wellington Art Society’s “Meet the Artists” reception at the Wellington Municipal Complex. On Tuesday, Aug. 6, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., 14 artists will be on hand to discuss their artwork on display

in the second-floor gallery at the municipal complex. The event is free and open to the public. “We’ve participated in the Art in Public Places program for years,” Wellington Art Society President Leslie Pfeiffer told the Town-Crier Tuesday. “When the new building was built, they included a gallery area with lighting to display artwork. We were asked to display our art there.”

Eye of Giant Buddha by Nancy Brown is one of the pieces currently on display in the upstairs gallery at the Wellington Municipal Complex. PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

The Wellington Art Society is a nonprofit organization founded in 1981. It is open to artists of all media and aims to make visual art accessible to the community. Club members have more than 80 pieces of art on display throughout the community, including 34 original pieces on display in the municipal complex. The art pieces vary from paintings to sculptures and 3-D art, and they are rotated every four months. Pfeiffer explained that group members can submit up to three pieces of art for each cycle, which are chosen by village staff members based on specific criteria. “It was the village’s idea to use the gallery space to display local artwork,” she said. “It’s a great way to showcase our local talent.” Many of the artists, though local to Wellington, have achieved national and international acclaim. “Many of our artists are wellknown,” Pfeiffer said. “This is an opportunity for people and families to come and meet the artists. We like to have a dialogue between the artists and the community about creativity and the art process.” The village’s art gallery is a stunning location to display art, Pfe-

iffer noted. “The lighting is terrific,” she said. “It allows for large pieces, as well as free-standing sculptures and 3-D pieces on pedestals.” If you can’t make the Aug. 6 reception, Pfeiffer encourages the community to check out the pieces on their own. The gallery is open to the public anytime the municipal complex is open. And starting in September, the Wellington Art Society will offer tours of the gallery on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. “It will be a guided tour of the current exhibition,” Pfeiffer said. “We invite families and groups to come. Hopefully after people come to the reception, they will bring their family and friends back on another occasion.” She said the goal is to increase community awareness of the unique gallery. “It’s open and airy and an outstanding venue for our artists,” Pfeiffer said. “There are so many things going on in the area, with the amphitheater and the community center, and this should be a stop for people to make.” For more information, visit www. wellingtonartsociety.org or call Pfeiffer at (561) 632-3677.

Gary Hornstein, instrumental in passing Florida’s law requiring juveniles to wear helmets when riding horses, is now lobbying for similar laws around the nation.

Across District And Locally, A Tough Year For School Grades By Anne Checkosky Town-Crier Staff Report Four of the 20 elementary and middle schools in the western communities saw their school letter grades change this year. In one instance, the change was an improvement, from a B to an A. But in three other schools, the news wasn’t as good. They dropped from A ratings to B ratings. Wellington Elementary School returned to an A grade this year, after dropping to a B last year, while Elbridge Gale Elementary School, New Horizons Elementary School and Crestwood Middle School each dropped from A to B. The district released the grades Friday, July 26. High school grades won’t be released until the end of the year, district officials said. Rules changes adopted last year See GRADES, page 16

SCHOOL GRADES 2012 vs. 2013 Elementary Schools Acreage Pines Binks Forest Cypress Trails Elbridge Gale Equestrian Trails Frontier Golden Grove H.L. Johnson Loxahatchee Groves New Horizons Panther Run Pierce Hammock Royal Palm Beach Wellington Middle Schools Crestwood Emerald Cove Osceola Creek Polo Park Wellington Landings Western Pines

2012 2013

A A A A A A A A A A A A A B

A A A B A A A A A B A A A A

A A A A A A

B A A A A A

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OUR OPINION

Communities Can Solve Water Woes Better By Working Together Our area has seen more rain this year than it has going back a number of years. Though there are some advantages to this — green foliage and fewer concerns about water shortages — there are also drawbacks. The abundance of water in our area in the last few years has caused concerns of flooding, water storage and how to manage water in our area. The issue has landed our communities on the map — the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood map, that is. Many of our communities could soon be declared flood zones, collectively costing residents millions of dollars in required flood insurance. We believe it is crucial that the western communities come together to work on a regional strategy for water management and alleviate flooding concerns. Each community has its own needs and strategies in dealing with excess water. This is further complicated by the South Florida Water Management District, which controls how much water a community can drain and where that water can go. This structure puts communities at risk of flooding, with each community working independently. But several area leaders believe the answer is to work together to move water out of our area, and the Town-Crier agrees. County Commissioner Jess Santamaria recently announced that he is putting together a task force of residents and water experts from across the county to tackle the issue, and the Western Communities Council has expressed interest in a similar venture aimed at changing the FEMA maps.

Having a united front will also help us sway entities like the SWFMD and FEMA — which could be very important in the near future. And having allies not only on regional water issues, but also other local issues can be beneficial to the entire area. It is crucial that area leaders and water experts sit down and make a plan to weather all storms. Though we may not be able to stop a storm, we can work together to mitigate its effects. When Tropical Storm Isaac hit, some areas of the western communities — those with more drainage rights — were high and dry, while others saw residents trapped in their homes for days. Though few houses flooded in the storm, having a regional strategy that allowed our communities to work together to drain water might have helped everyone. Unfortunately, water management is both a logistical and bureaucratic system with a lot of moving parts. If we can get those parts in synch, drafting a regional strategy, we can help to alleviate some confusion. And the time to do it is now — well before a disaster hits. What happened during Tropical Storm Isaac might have been disastrous had the J.W. Corbett Wildlife ManagementArea berm not held up. Luckily, the state has set money toward reinforcing the berm to avoid a future disaster, but there could still be unforeseen issues in the future that could continue to put our communities at risk. No matter what issue crops up, we can weather it better together.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Study Traffic At Crestwood Blvd. Intersection

Editor’s note: The following letter is addressed to the Royal Palm Beach Village Council. A copy was sent to the Town-Crier for publication. Dear Council Members: I am bringing this to your attention because of my deep concern for safety, brought on by the newly installed signalized traffic intersection on Crestwood Blvd. for the Renaissance Academy at Palms West. Heading south on Crestwood Blvd., because of the left curving of the road and landscaping in the median just before the entrance to the Renaissance Academy, a driver cannot see the traffic lights or any other signals associated with the intersection. There appears to be no provision at all for warning oncoming drivers of this newly sig-

nalized intersection. To properly alert the driver, there needs to be flashing warnings of the signals, preferably a light system showing the status of the light (green/red). Static signage before the left curve, while probably the cheapest option, would be inadequate. There needs to be an active system that draws the driver’s attention to the approaching intersection and the status of the traffic light. One could make the point that eventually drivers will get used to it. However, this approach quickly fails because it will take drivers a while to get used to it, there will always be drivers new to the area, drivers do not always pay attention to their driving and, if crossing guards are in place, they would be in danger. Taking this a step further, if this intersection is for the school children to cross a busy six-lane road, why take any chances at all? There are ways to prevent a trag-

edy from occurring. Please give this the utmost attention and study it deserves. Develop a solution and implement it with all due speed. The safety and lives of these school children depend on addressing this situation. This applies as well to drivers traversing this area outside of the school sessions. Tom Parker Royal Palm Beach

Two Inspectors General Is One Too Many

Mayor Steven Abrams has been the voice of reason leading the Palm Beach County Commission. The mayor has a keen sense of purpose and is acting as the people’s watchdog over how county tax dollars are being spent. The authority of the inspector general in the Office of the Clerk & Comptroller is limited. The ordi-

nance establishing the new Office of Inspector General (OIG) gave rise to extensive powers. If I understand correctly, Mayor Abrams is proposing the county combine the duties of the two inspectors general. His erudite proposal will automatically end the lawsuit filed by 14 municipalities. His proposal will result in lowering the cost to taxpayers, eliminating overlapping authority and guaranteeing independence from political manipulation because voters will have the final say over how the office performs. In the heat of high emotions engendered by the arrest of three county commissioners in rapid succession, voters were advised that what was needed was yet another layer of bureaucracy. That advice is costing us $7.5 million. Let me make this clear to voters and local politicians: the $3.5 million that is quoted in the news for the OIG covers salaries for 40 more government employees. That is an

average of $87,500 per employee. In addition to the cost to taxpayers of $3.5 million, the county has budgeted another $4 million to house the OIG and to comply with the mandates imposed by the OIG. The bottom line is that the proposal by Mayor Abrams will likely save taxpayers more than $4 million a year, and the combined offices will exercise all the authority granted by voters to the OIG. The lawsuit by 14 municipalities was inevitable. Sadly, early on I questioned the constitutionality of

the proposed OIG ordinance. The response from county officials was that they considered the ordinance constitutional until a judge said otherwise. I suspect that if the lawsuit is not settled, the county will lose, and at great expense to taxpayers. Mayor Abrams is proposing a plan that will make the OIG more efficient and eliminate the unconstitutional argument since the Clerk & Comptroller is constitutionally established. Frank J. Morelli Wellington

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 TownCrier, 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

Johnny Carson Lives! 20 Years Of Digitized Humor Now Available If any entertainer ’s body of work should be enshrined and then made available to the public, it surely ought to be Johnny Carson. The ringleader and 30-year host of the Tonight Show finally has had 4,500 hours of his shows from 1972-92 (the first 10 years of Carson’s Tonight Show was,

Footloose and... By Jules W. Rabin

unfortunately, erased by an NBC engineer) digitized, making it relatively easy to find the snippets you or I might want. Already there is a process where you can surf over to Apple and for $1.99 retrieve “everything Carson” from special shows to special show segments. Whether you’ve gotten your

kicks from the likes of a Robin Williams interview, Carson’s interaction with animals or his stand-up comedy, it is now easily available. Jeff Sotzing, Carson’s nephew and now president of the Carson Entertainment Group, keeps finding new ways to make the old material come front and center.

These days, increasing requests come from a family member’s ancient moment of Johnny Carson fame. The Apple affiliation started from this type of request. It was from a man who had appeared on the show, as a boy, doing bird calls, and who sought a copy of his big moment.

Thus, if you are interested in seeing a copy of a Fred Astaire interview or the hilarious Jack Benny bantering with Johnny, it is available — and at a rather fair price. With the general status of today’s television programming I’ll race you to Apple to grab a bit of worthwhile history.

NEWS

RPB Ed Board Prepares To Invite Schools, Speakers To Meetings By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Members of the Royal Palm Beach Education Advisory Board talked about plans for the upcoming year during an organizational meeting Monday. Proposals include getting speakers to explain the new Common Core system, and inviting schools to make presentations. Board members said they would prefer to hear presentations from the students, as many had done in the past year. “I don’t want to hear from the principals. I want to hear from the students,” Board Member Renata Espinoza said. Board Member David Kendle agreed, adding that he thought it gave the teachers a sense of accomplishment to bring their students in to make presentations. “Promotion is so important to schools,” Chairman Lynn Balch said. “Part of your job, which perhaps you didn’t sign up for, is to be a promoter of your school.”

Workweek

Some Employees Might Work Fridays

continued from page 1 it until the next day,” he said. “We find that when these things happen now, we have plenty of time to get them done before 5:30 or 6 p.m.” Coates asked what the savings were by moving to a four-day workweek. Schofield said it was about

Balch said he would send letters to all the schools with dates of the upcoming meetings, inviting them to make presentations. Balch also asked village staff to have someone come in to give an explanation of the Common Core state standards that are now being implemented, as well as the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers (PARCC), which is slated to replace the FCAT. “Now I’m starting to see that they’re hedging on the PARCC assessments, but I don’t know if that’s important to us,” Balch said. Espinoza said she recently attended a Common Core conference in Washington, D.C. “Because this is the last year of FCAT, everything’s changing,” she said. “They’re changing all of the books and technology. It’s coming, it’s new and a lot of teachers are not used to it.” Vice Mayor Jeff Hmara, liaison to the board, asked what the

board’s role would be in the Common Core curriculum. Espinoza said the role of the board is to help parents become educated on the issue. “You would want the parents to know,” she said. “You want to be educated as a board because you want to be educated as a board member what the Common Core is and how education is changing.” Hmara said Wellington did a presentation on Common Core a year ago that generated a lot of intense discussion. “There is great concern on everybody’s part,” Hmara said. “It’s something that is brand new, and it’s scary. What they’re talking about is critical thinking, hard stuff, postulating. Just teaching rote memory, structured thinking and the right answer is far easier than teaching people how to think about and come up with the solution to problems.” Espinoza said research has shown that Americans’ jobs are

being taken internationally, and America is trying to catch up academically. Yet Hmara still wondered what the board’s role would be, if any, with Common Core. Espinoza said that if a parent were to talk to the board about Common Core, board members must understand it, if only to direct the parent to their child’s principal for more information. “As a board, what we can do is support those schools and hope they are doing what they are supposed to be doing,” she said. Hmara suggested that hearing reports on what Tallahassee did relating to education in the past session could include Common Core. “[The legislative session is] probably a great backdrop for having a discussion about Common Core and how it’s going to be implemented,” he said. “Those two would probably work well together.”

Kendle said there is a great deal of misinformation circulating about Common Core. “This information has gotten out there, and you’ve got people believing a whole lot of junk,” he said. Espinoza suggested trying to get Kevin Baird, chairman of the Common Core Institute, and its foundation, the Center for College and Career Readiness, to Royal Palm Beach to speak, pointing out that Baird’s appearances are expensive. It was also noted that recent state legislation requires that principal evaluations be posted online and parents need to understand what the evaluations mean. Hmara said he thought that issue would work well with other legislative discussion. Members also discussed inviting the school district’s lobbyist, Vern Pickup-Crawford, back to speak on the issues, as well as state representatives and school officials. Hmara suggested match-

ing speakers with the seven school presentations. Hmara asked whether a member of the Education Advisory Board should attend school board meetings and report back with brief updates. Board Member Klemie Christie pointed out that the resolution creating the Education Advisory Board might have to be amended because that idea is currently considered outside the purview of the board. Hmara said he will ask the council about having an advisory board member at school board meetings. “I will support it,” he said. Balch also asked Hmara to bring up the terms of Education Advisory Board members. “Are we the only board with one-year terms?” Balch asked. Hmara said he will bring it up with the Royal Palm Beach Village Council, but added, “You’re right, you’re the only ones with one-year terms.”

$600,000. “Do those savings still hold true?” Coates asked, and Schofield said they did. Schofield said he would have staff investigate the cost of having the village at least partially open on Fridays. In other business, Wellington might double its expenditures on lobbyists this year. Schofield said that several national issues mean Wellington needs a voice both in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. “We anticipate a larger role for our lobbyists,” he said. “Hopefully we won’t use it all, but it’s budgeted.” Coates asked how much Well-

ington has historically spent on lobbying, and Schofield said it was between $75,000 and $80,000 a year. “We’re doubling that,” Coates said. But Wellington has spent as much as $200,000 a year lobbying at the federal level in the past, Schofield said. Council members are expected to discuss hiring a new lobbying firm next month. “The cost will depend on who we choose,” Gerwig noted. One of the largest issues that would affect Wellington is the release of new flood maps created

by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Schofield said. “They take most of Wellington, that is not currently in a flood zone, and turn it into a flood zone,” Schofield explained. “Every homeowner will have to buy flood insurance. That policy cost alone will be close to $13 million.” But Gerwig pointed out that other organizations, such as the Western Communities Council and the Florida League of Cities, will also be lobbying on the issue. Schofield said he thinks it’s important that Wellington have its own presence. “I’ve been told you cannot

abandon individual efforts with the federal government,” he said. Coates said he wasn’t sure lobbying would be valuable to Wellington. “I will have to be persuaded of the value realized from these expenditures,” he said. “These people they are supposed to be lobbying only have so much time in their day. They will be getting hit by [other organizations] on the same issue.” But Mayor Bob Margolis said having good lobbyists was key to helping Wellington alleviate its water-quality woes several years ago. “I really think the village benefited by having a lobbyist when

we were having water-quality concerns,” he said. “They brought back dollars for [the Wellington Environmental Preserve], and it was imperative that we had lobbyists in both Tallahassee and D.C. getting our feelings known.” Schofield noted that Wellington faces a similar issue with new Environmental Protection Agency standards for water quality that could affect how the village manages water. Public hearings on final adoption of the proposed Wellington budget and tax rates will take place in September, when the council will make its final decisions.

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August 2 - August 8, 2013 Page 5

NEWS

WHOLE FOODS IN WELLINGTON SERVES UP TREATS DURING ICE CREAM SOCIAL Whole Foods Market in Wellington hosted an ice cream social on Saturday, July 27. Samples of non-dairy and organic ice creams with plenty of tasty toppings were offered to shoppers, who were invited to create their own masterpieces. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Amanda DiSantis and Suzanne Redmond seve up organic frozen treats.

Diana and Maile Hart get scoops of ice cream.

Mario, J.D. and Nataly Miller enjoy their treats.

Stacie and Gavin Cowell receive a treat from Lauren Belinsky.

Amanda DiSantis, Joe Colavito and Suzanne Redmond prepare to give out samples.

Danielle Ballinger and Katie Scalisi show off their ice cream.

PBC HORSEMAN’S ASSOCIATION HOSTS FUN SHOW FOR RIDERS AT JIM BRANDON

Palm Beach County Horseman’s Association held a fun show Saturday and Sunday, July 27 and 28, at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center. On Saturday riders, horses and trainers dressed in pirate outfits for a costume contest. The show was just for fun, with no points given, but winners received ribbons. For more info., visit www.pbcha.org. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/ TOWN-CRIER

Madison Aguilar shows off her ribbons won aboard Roscoe.

Autumn Langworthy and Oliver take a jump.

Emily Yoos and Jasper dressed as pirates in the costume class.

Page 6 August 2 - August 8, 2013

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CRIME NEWS

Vandals Damage Patio Of Wellington Community Center By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report JULY 29 — An employee of the Village of Wellington called the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in Wellington on Monday to report an act of vandalism. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 10 p.m. last Friday and 9 a.m. Monday, someone entered the rear patio of the Wellington Community Center and pulled out or slashed the screens surrounding the area. According to the report, one of the patio chairs also had a large, black scorch mark, suggesting it was burned. The damage was estimated at approximately $1,000. The employee suggested that it might have been done by unknown juveniles who skateboard in the area. There was no further information available at the time of the report. ••• JULY 23 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation responded to a home on 62nd Lane North last Tuesday morning regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 1:30 and 6:30 a.m., an unknown man entered the victim’s fenced-in property and stole a barrel filled with pieces of scrap brass. The victim’s video surveillance camera caught the suspect entering the property and using a handdolly to wheel the barrel outside the fence to a waiting vehicle. The brass pieces were valued at approximately $500. There was no further information available at the time of the report. JULY23 — ARoyal Palm Beach man was arrested last Tuesday night on charges of indecent exposure. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation was on patrol in the Crestwood Square shopping plaza at approximately 9:30 p.m. when he observed 50-year-old Jorge Montoya near the far north wall of a business in the plaza. According to the report, the deputy observed Montoya unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants, then begin to urinate on the wall. The deputy noted that the area was well lit and easily visible to people nearby. According to the report, the deputy made contact with Montoya, who said he was aware that the business had bathrooms available, but chose not to use them. Montoya was arrested for indecent exposure and issued a notice to appear in court. JULY 24 — A resident of 58th Place North contacted the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation last Wednesday afternoon to report a case of fraud. According to a PBSO report, sometime last Tuesday or Wednesday, someone fraudulently withdrew approximately $16,000 from the victim’s Bank of America account. According to the report, the victim became aware of the fraud after her bankcard was rejected. The victim went online and found that the charges occurred in the Miami and Hialeah areas. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. JULY 24 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched to the Super Target store on Okeechobee Blvd. last Wednesday night following an armed robbery. Accord-

ing to a PBSO report, at approximately 10 p.m. an unknown man with a bandana over his face entered the business through the east doors, brandishing a black revolver. According to the report, the suspect approached a register and told the cashier to put all of the money into a black bag. The cashier complied, and the suspect fled the store. The suspect was described as a black male, approximately 5’10” and wearing a green Miami Hurricanes hoodie. There was no further information available at the time of the report. JULY27 — ARoyal Palm Beach man was arrested early last Saturday morning on charges of fraud and trespassing after being found in possession of stolen credit cards. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation was on patrol near the Goodwill store on Belvedere Road at approximately 4 a.m. when he observed an unknown person sleeping on a couch outside the business. According to the report, the deputy made contact with 22-year-old Alejando Morales, who said he was not homeless but did not say why he was sleeping on the donated couch. During a search of his person, the deputy found a brown wallet that contained three credit cards with different names on them. According to the report, Morales was also in possession of an empty green leather Prada purse and a benefits card in a different name. Morales was arrested and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail where he was charged with trespassing and larceny of a credit card. JULY 29 — A resident of the Lakeside Shores community called the PBSO substation in Wellington on Monday morning to report a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim parked his vehicle on his driveway last Friday night, leaving it unlocked. The following morning, he discovered a rubber glove and a paper towel in his driveway. Then, at approximately 8 a.m. Sunday morning, the victim discovered that the spare tire in his trunk was missing. According to the report, the victim also found a rubber glove on the floorboard of the vehicle. The victim said his GPS device was left in his car and nothing else appeared to be taken. According to the report, several neighbors reported finding rubber gloves and paper towels on their property as well. The stolen tire was valued at approximately $200. There were no suspects at the time of the report. JULY 29 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched Monday to a gym on Southern Blvd. regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, the victim worked out at the gym last Sunday afternoon and forgot his gym bag in a locker, which was not locked. When the victim contacted the gym Monday, he found his bag had been taken. According to the report, the victim said the bag contained his checkbook, as well as a .380 semiautomatic pistol with laser sight and a box of 50 rounds of .380caliber ammunition. The stolen items were valued at approximately $500. There were no suspects See BLOTTER, page 16

Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives: • Shawna David, alias Shawna Willhoite, is a white female, 5’1” tall and weighing 140 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. She has a tattoo of a fairy on her lower back. Her date of birth is 3/3/ 79. David is wanted for failure to appear on charges of grand theft. Her last known addresses were 39th Street in West Palm Beach and 10th Avenue North in Greenacres. She is wanted as of 07/25/ 13. • Sarah Shattuck is a white female, 5’4” and weighing 145 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. She has a tattoo on her lower back. Her date of birth is 03/ 28/78. Shattuck is wanted for violation of probation on charges of dealing in stolen property. Her last known address was 61st Street North in The Acreage. She is wanted as of 07/25/13. Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward. Call Crime Stopper s at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimestopperspbc.com.

Shawna David

Sarah Shattuck

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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August 2 - August 8, 2013 Page 7

NEWS

County’s Equestrian Trail System Being Built One Piece At A Time By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report There is a growing number of equestrian trails in Palm Beach County, and county officials hope to slowly continue increasing the trails over time. That was the message of Linda Wirtz, program director at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center, and Ginny Powell with the Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management, when they met with members of the Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’Association on Thursday, July 25. Wirtz noted that Jim Brandon itself has more than 8 miles of horse trails as well as open riding areas and arenas with spectator seating. A half-dozen other county parks also have horse amenities. “Palm Beach County is an equestrian paradise,” Wirtz said. “We have every level of competition and facility throughout the county. Some people are surprised to find out that Florida ranks third in economic impact on a national level.” In equestrianism, Florida ranks just behind California and Texas. “Palm Beach County is a major entity, as is the Ocala area,” Wirtz said, explaining that the racetracks in Miami-Dade and Broward counties also account for a large portion of the industry in Florida. “Palm Beach County really has the most diverse equestrian industry, I think, within the state, from trail riding and polo to 4-H and pony camp, as well as hunter jumper and dressage and so on. We really do have a great diversity.” The riding areas and trails at Jim Brandon are open 365 days of the year from sunrise to sunset, and there is no charge for their use, Wirtz said, explaining that the facility complies with state and federal laws such as helmets for riders under 16 and the requirement of a negative Coggins test. “We also have some general rules posted, such as the basic, ‘Don’t do anything incredibly stupid,’” she said. Other parks with horse trails include Riverbend Park west of Interstate 95 and south of Indiantown Road, which is expected to be the hub of a countywide network of horse trails one day. “It has an extensive amount of trails,

Gastesi

OrganWise Show

continued from page 1 which represented the heart, and chip bags and cereal boxes, which represented the intestines, Gastesi said. All the trash came from the school’s teachers and students. “Everybody talks about recycling, but nobody knows what it is. I think they really got the idea,” she said of the students, adding that this had a much greater impact than placing a bottle in a blue bin. The students practiced starting

and there’s places you can park,” she said. “It’s really very beautiful there.” Next up for Jim Brandon, Wirtz hopes to get a trail ride vendor on board. “One of the things we are looking to do is to obtain a vendor that will provide trail rides,” she said. “So you can pay a fee and be able to go trail riding but not have the expense of the horse.” Not only are the trails free to use at Jim Brandon, there is no fee to watch most the events put on there. Only occasional special events, such as a rodeo of the World Dressage Masters, charge a fee. The 4-H Club is also a frequent user of the center. “I’m particularly interested in working with the kids,” Wirtz said. Powell explained the county’s effort to increase the connectivity of its greenways and trails through a program called the Northeast Everglades Natural Area (NENA). “Historically, this area was the headwaters of the Everglades,” Powell said. “The vision 10 years ago was to connect all this stuff, not just conservation lands but the east coast corridor, the cord that goes up and down A1A, the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, all the conservation land, Busch Wildlife and all the parks. Riverbend is the hub, and the idea is that everything radiates out from Riverbend.” Powell said that NENA is still a vision and there are missing links. “We don’t have all the answers, and there are complicating factors with connectivity,” she said, explaining that many of the public natural areas are separated by privately owned land, highways and canals. “It’s one thing for a pedestrian or a cyclist, but for an equestrian, it’s very dangerous.” However, Powell stressed that the county is actively working on the issue, although it might take 10 or 20 years before it is all connected. There are already a half-dozen named equestrian trails radiating out from Riverbend Park. “There’s a trail coming out of Riverbend on the southeast corner,” she said. “That’s going to put you across a bridge on the east side of the C-18 Canal onto the Bluegill Trail. A lot in February for the May performance. As show day approached, they amped up the practices to once a day for an hour. “It was such a hoot, and the kids had a blast,” said Karen DeSantis, a Golden Grove volunteer. In addition, Gastesi invited local farmers to come to the performance with fruits and vegetables to share with the school and audience. “We got so many donations,” she said. There were free samples for everyone, and there were more than 300 kids in the cafeteria. The donations also underscored the importance of the idea of eating right. Instead of cookies,

Students dressed up to represent the kidneys.

Linda Wirtz (left) explains the county’s equestrian amenities, while Ginny Powell (right) shows the interconnecting trail network. PHOTOS BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

of these NENA trails are on canal banks.” Amenities on the trail include chickee shelters and overlooks. “It’s about 5 miles from Riverbend Park to the Sandhill Crane access point at PGA Blvd. and the C-18 Canal,” she said. There is also a stretch from PGA Blvd. to Grassy Waters Park on Northlake Blvd., which is currently listed as a future trail, although it can be ridden now. “It’s fine for horses, but coming down Bluegill to PGA, you’ve got a road, and that’s an issue,” she said. “There are future plans to add a safe crosswalk, crossing lights and warnings to motorists that this is an equestrian crossing.” She clarified that the trails are

multipurpose, for hiking, bicycling and riding. “When you get down to the Beeline and Northlake Blvd., it’s much more complicated,” she said. “That’s a problem that’s not likely to be resolved for a long time, but the idea is that we connect to Grassy Waters.” The Historic Jupiter-Indiantown Trail, which has some connection issues, comes out of the north end of Riverbend Park and extends to Indiantown. “That is actually a historic roadbed,” Powell said. “You can still see portions of the historic roadbed there.” A big issue with the completion of that trail will be a crossing for the St. Lucie Canal and Indiantown Road. “Once you do get across, you’re in the Cypress Creek Natu-

ral Area,” she said. “We built a trailhead there, and you can trailer your horse to Cypress Creek, and we did construct a section of trail 2 miles through our natural area. It’s a shellrock road. It’s only a small portion, but you can actually pick up and go through a portion of Jupiter Farms, and then you can go through the Hungryland Environmental Area, which is a state facility.” Portions of the historic roadbed west of Hungryland go through private property with gates. “The fact is that nothing is completely connected at this point in time, and it’s going to be a while,” Powell said. “These are pieces of trails — 2 miles here, 5 miles there — so there’s still quite a long ways to go, but you can stay on the old

canal levees and still use these trails.” A big challenge for the new trail system will be connecting to the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area, because the north side of the trail is separated at the Beeline Highway with a guardrail. But once a solution is figured out, Corbett connects to the DuPuis Wildlife & Environmental Area, which abuts Lake Okeechobee to the west. Once at the lake, it has a trail that goes completely around the body of water. However, repair work on the Herbert Hoover Dike also has portions of that trail temporarily closed, Powell said. For more about the county’s equestrian trails, visit www. pbcgov.com/parks/equestrian.

Robbin Lee Takes Over As New WRMC CEO

Robbin Lee

Wellington Regional Medical Center recently announced the promotion of Robbin Lee to chief executive officer. She took over the position Thursday, Aug. 1. Lee is a seasoned healthcare executive with 30 years of experience. She has served in various senior-level positions throughout her career and brings extensive healthcare management and leadership skills to the WRMC team. Prior to taking the position in Wellington, Lee served as the chief operating officer of HCAowned JFK Medical Center and Lawnwood Regional Medical Cen-

ter, both in Florida. She has also served as the chief executive officer of Northlake Medical Center in Atlanta, senior vice president of operations of Stamford Health System in Connecticut and associate administrator at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta. Lee is a registered nurse and earned her master’s degree in business administration from Emory University. A Georgia native, she started her healthcare career as a unit nurse at Georgia Baptist Medical Center in Atlanta. Lee has earned numerous honors and awards, and has served on vari-

ous community boards. She currently resides in Palm Beach County with her husband, Robert. Wellington Regional Medical Center is a 233-bed, acute-care facility and medical center serving central Palm Beach County and the surrounding region since 1986. It is a thriving community hospital, proud to offer the high-tech advantages of larger hospitals with the personalized care of a hometown provider. For more information about Wellington Regional Medical Center, call (561) 798-8500 or visit www. wellingtonregional.com.

candy and sugary drinks, the kids were presented with tables of fresh fruits and vegetables, Gastesi explained. The performance, which also included poems, lasted about 40 minutes. It was so successful that Gastesi hopes to repeat the idea in future years. As for the national recognition, Gastesi — who has a doctorate in piano performance and has taught for 14 years — said she was very surprised. And this coming school year, Golden Grove is going all-green, so there’s no telling what the school’s music teacher might come up with to promote that.

The cafeteria staff set out healthy fruit snacks.

Students dressed up to represent (above) the brain, the bones and the intestines, and (left) the heart.

CORRUPTION COUNTY and the INSPECTOR GENERAL

Page 8 August 2 - August 8, 2013

The Town-Crier

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REPRINT FROM: Palm Beach Post Editorial: July 29, 2013

OUR VIEWS OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

Cities’ non-offer offers Palm Beach County commissioners have correctly rejected the latest settlement offer from 14 cities suing to avoid paying their share to support the Office of Inspector General. Barring some surprising resolution, this case is going to trial. That will happen because the settlements have been unacceptable. Each one floated essentially the same plan: Instead of making cities share the cost for the inspector general to audit and investigate them, have the county impose fees directly on the businesses that cities contract with. Cities would help the county collect these fees, but they’d get a cut of the proceeds – and they wouldn’t be held responsible for collection errors. If this sounds like the makings of a raw deal, that’s because it was. The cities’ plan exempted broad categories of city contracts from the proposed 0.25 percent fee, including utility bills, legal contracts, cable TV

West Palm Beach shows that none has been serious. contracts, entertainment contracts, medical service contracts – not to mention any contract worth less than $1,000. And, of course, the fees could be negotiated only into new contracts, so for the first few years this system likely would raise scarcely any money at all. But not according to West Palm Beach’s city attorney, who claimed in a letter to county officials that the proposal “is intended to fully fund” the inspector general’s $3 million budget. Really? When we asked West Palm Beach officials how much revenue they thought their brainchild would raise, they had to admit that they hadn’t researched the question. Indeed, there’s no record that city officials did any formal study applying

the proposal to the city’s existing contracts, West Palm Beach spokesman Elliot Cohen told us. How can the cities say their proposal would not gut the inspector general’s budget if they don’t have even a rough idea of how much money it would raise? The cities have a seemingly facile response: If the money generated is too little, raise the surcharge. That sounds simple, but such a decision would have to be made by county commissioners, who would find themselves overwhelmed by opposition from businesses. Politically, it would be a non-starter. County commissioners seem to understand that under the cities’ proposal they would be left holding the bag. This would inevitably undermine the inspector general’s ability to investigate municipal government. This lawsuit has stalled for more than 1 1/2 years. Time to settle it in court. Andrew Marra for The Post Editorial Board

TIME magazine gave Palm Beach County the shameful title “CORRUPTION COUNTY.” FORBES magazine called the West Palm Beach metropolitan area the “4th MOST MISERABLE” area in the country. In 2009 the GRAND JURY assembled by the State Attorney confirmed that Palm Beach County was still “CORRUPTION COUNTY” and as a result recommended the establishment of the OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL to be the local government WATCHDOG! The Palm Beach Post, Sun Sentinal and Town-Crier newspapers all unanimously support the need for the INSPECTOR GENERAL. Over 72% of Palm Beach County voters in November 2010 demanded to include all 38 cities under the oversight of Inspector General. Why are 14 cities and a very small minority still in self-denial of the facts and continue to create any possible contrived obstacle to prevent the Inspector General to investigate local government fraud, waste and abuse of power? What are they so afraid of? Those with clean hands have nothing to fear!

REPRINT FROM: Sun Sentinel Opinion Section - July 27, 2013 By Iris Scheibi

Mayor off base on inspector general

In an earlier published opinion piece, Palm Beach County Mayor Steven Abrams proposes the Office of the Inspector General be put under the County Clerk and CompScheibi troller. He seems preoccupied with who is watching the inspector general, rather than ending the lawsuit over how the inspector general’s office is funded. He cites the “consternation of many” that the inspector general is functionally independent, but not truly independent. Who are the “many?” Are they fellow elected officials and administrators who don’t like the oversight?

Mr. Abrams raises the subject of rogue federal actions in the Internal Revenue Service and National Security Administration. However, in several national scandals, it was the inspectors general who uncovered and reported the problems, while those overseen prevented timely publication. The mayor worries about eliminating duplication and states that the clerk “already productively performs” auditing and IG functions. A quick comparison would demonstrate that there is little overlap and belies the breadth and productivity of the clerk’s IG office. Sharon Bock, our county clerk, has been politicking for this proposal while being a party to the funding lawsuit and withholding funding for the OIG, thereby directly controlling the OIG’s budget.

The clerk is an elected official. The inspector general is “prohibited from representing a political party or being on any executive committee thereof, seeking public office during his or her term of service and shall not seek public office or employment with any public entity subject to the jurisdiction of the inspector general for four years thereafter.” Who watches the transparent, independent watchdog? The public, the media and the IG Committee, which has the oversight, hiring, firing and contract-renewal role. The mayor’s proposal thwarts the independence for which more than 72 percent of the people voted, and does nothing to resolve the funding issue which has been the biggest obstacle to oversight.

Iris Scheibl has been involved with the Palm Beach County Ethics Ordinances since 2009 and served on the Ethics Ordinances Implementation Advisory Committee in early 2010.

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REPRINT FROM: Palm Beach Post Sunday, July 28, 2013

Post Special Report Inspector General Lawsuit

More than a dozen cities refuse topay for Inspector General Sheryl Steckler’s Office.

Watchdog legal fees already top $430,000 Records are spotty on costs of lawsuit about the inspector general. By Joel Engelhardt, Jennifer Sorentrue and Niels Heimeriks Palm Beach Post Staff Writers WEST PALM BEACH — Attorneys representing at least a dozen public agencies logged 65 hours at taxpayer’s expense on a single day in May 2012 trying to settle a lawsuit over who pays for the Palm Beach County inspector general. That six-hour mediation session cost taxpayers more than $11,600. And no settlement was reached. As the dispute lumbers deep into its second year, West Palm Beach has maintained that the legal costs are low because staff attorneys do most of the work. Still, the public cost of the suit over whether the county can assess cities to pay for the inspector general has reached at least $430,000, a Palm Beach Post analysis of agency billing records shows.

August 2 - August 8, 2013 Page 9

REPRINT FROM: Palm Beach Post Sunday, July 31, 2013

Cities renew refusal to pay watchdog bills Towns say state law exempts them from inspector funding. By Jennifer Sorentrue Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Fourteen cities and towns challenging bills they received for Inspector General Sheryl Steckler’s anti-corruption oversight claim state law exempts them from having to make the payments, according to a new case filing. The cities Tuesday amended their 1½-year-old lawsuit against Palm Beach County, pointing to a state law they say gives cities and towns sovereign immunity. In the amended suit, the cities argue they have not waived their right to sovereign immunity and therefore the county cannot require them to pay for Steckler’s office. “Without an express waiver, the county cannot charge the cities,” said Jennifer Gardner Ashton, an attorney with Corbett, White and Davis, which represents five of the 14 cities still in the suit. The cities also have argued that the payments constitute an illegal tax. County Attorney Denise Nieman said she could not comment. “We just received a copy of the amended complaint,” Nieman said. “It is under review.” The county this month rejected a proposal to settle the dispute. County attorneys said they planned to ask a judge to set the case for trial. Ashton said the cities’ amendments would not delay the case. Fifteen cities sued the county in 2011, arguing that the required payments were unconstitutional. Wellington later dropped out of the suit. Without a settlement, many involved in the suit say, the case will likely go on for years. Both sides agree the case would likely be precedent-setting and could face challenges from statewide groups such as the Florida League of Cities, which worries that it might allow other counties to pass unfunded mandates to cities and towns.

CITIES REFUSING TO PAY WATCHDOG BILLS 1. West Palm Beach 2. Boca Raton 3. Palm Beach Gardens 4. DelRay Beach 5. Jupiter 6. Riviera Beach 7. Tequesta

8. Mangonia Park 9. Lake Park 10. Manalapan 11. Palm Beach Shores 12. Highland Beach 13. Ocean Ridge 14. Gulf Stream

A recent Palm Beach Post inquiry states that over $430,000 has already been spent in legal fees by lawyers representing the county and the 14 municipalities refusing to pay for the office of Inspector General and this lawsuit could continue for years. The grand jury report in 2010 recommended funding the OIG with a ¼% vendor fee on all government contracts, just as Miami-Dade has done the past 14 years. Why are the County and cities charging the tax payers instead of the vendors to fund the OIG? Is it because the opponents of the OIG are hoping that they will get the support of the taxpayers? The best solution is for the 72% of voters who voted for the Inspector General to make note of the current elected officials of the 14 cities who still refuse to pay for the office of Inspector General and “vote them out of office” in their next campaign for reelection, as was done in Wellington, who withdrew their lawsuit immediately following the election of those who supported the Inspector General.

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REPRINT FROM: Palm Beach Post Editorial: July 29, 2013

OUR VIEWS OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

REPRINT FROM: Sun Sentinel Opinion Section - July 27, 2013 By Iris Scheibi

Mayor off base on inspector general

Iris Scheibl has been involved with the Palm Beach County Ethics Ordinances since 2009 and served on the Ethics Ordinances Implementation Advisory Committee in early 2010.

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REPRINT FROM: Palm Beach Post Sunday, July 28, 2013

Post Special Report Inspector General Lawsuit

More than a dozen cities refuse topay for Inspector General Sheryl Steckler’s Office.

August 2 - August 8, 2013 Page 9

REPRINT FROM: Palm Beach Post Sunday, July 31, 2013

CITIES REFUSING TO PAY WATCHDOG BILLS 1. West Palm Beach 2. Boca Raton 3. Palm Beach Gardens 4. DelRay Beach 5. Jupiter 6. Riviera Beach 7. Tequesta

8. Mangonia Park 9. Lake Park 10. Manalapan 11. Palm Beach Shores 12. Highland Beach 13. Ocean Ridge 14. Gulf Stream

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NEWS

CENTRAL PALM BEACH COUNTY CHAMBER BIDS FAREWELL TO JAENE MIRANDA

The Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce held a farewell party for CEO Jaene Miranda on Friday, July 26 at DiSalvo’s Trattoria. Co-workers and friends gathered to wish Miranda good luck in her new job as CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. In addition to food and drink, attendees shared memories and stories of working with Miranda. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Maggie Rosenberg from SOR Entertainment, Jaene Miranda and Central PBC Chamber Interim CEO Mary Lou Bedford.

Christina and Frank Gonzalez with Dr. Jeffrey and Charlene Bishop.

Jaene Miranda with members of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber staff.

Chamber Vice Chairman of Education Eric Gordon signs the banner for Miranda.

Jaene Miranda with Carol O’Neil (left) and Rachelle Crain (right).

Earl Bryant, Kathy Foster, Dr. Maria Vallejo, Eric Gordon and Silvia Garcia.

LANDSCAPING WORK UNVEILED AT EQUESTRIAN TRAILS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Silke, Nathalie and Leah Corredor look at a hanging planter made from a plastic soda bottle.

Joshua Knight tends recently planted coffee plants.

Ritchie McIntosh of Seacrest Services, Equestrian Trails Principal Michele Johnson, Director of Landscape Stephen Terzo, Vice Principal Sue Millas and Director of Business Development Paul Licata in the butterfly garden.

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NEWS

Wellington Rotary Supports Charity That Supplies School Uniforms Only weeks into its 2013-14 year, the Wellington Rotary Club is already engaged in its first community service project. Beverly Perham, executive director of “Back to Basics,” a charity that the club has long supported, asked for some hands-on assistance. Rotarians normally donate

money to the nonprofit every year and honors Back to Basics at its annual holiday luncheon. This year, club members decided to donate their time and help to assemble and package 8,000 school uniforms for the Back to Basics program. Many club members donated

more than 12 hours each at the warehouse providing Perham with the needed support to complete the project and ensure the uniforms were ready for distribution. “Back to Basics” donates these 8,000 school uniforms each year to underprivileged children attending South Florida schools.

(Above) Rotarians Maggie Zeller and Larry Kemp with Back to Basics Executive Director Beverly Perham (center). (Right) Larry Kemp in the Back to Basics warehouse.

“Back to Basics” and Perham have provided these school uniforms for the past 29 years. The goal, according to the nonprofit’s mission statement, is “to raise the self-esteem of children, which directly relates to their learning, by providing the basic necessities of uniforms, sneakers, socks and underwear.” Originally, Perham did all of this work in her own home. In 2010, with the help of the Wellington Rotary Club, she was able to relocate to a warehouse in Wellington to bet-

ter complete the work. Funding for Back to Basics is all privately donated and 100 percent of the money donated goes to the cost of the school uniforms and the other basic items. The budget for the program is between $75,000 and $100,000 annually. The program is funded by many local churches, businesses, charitable organizations and some anonymous donors. Up until this year, a large donor to the program has been the Andy Roddick Foundation. Because of the loss of this

funding, Back to Basics is looking for other ways to raise money for its needs. The program, which began in 1984, initially supported only 26 school children. For more information on Back to Basics, or how to get involved with future community outreach projects of the Wellington Rotary Club contact Maggie Zeller at maggie.zeller@yahoo.com or (561) 715-9262, or Membership Chair Jasmine Velez at realtorjasmine@ yahoo.com.

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PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Marshall Foundation Names Robbyn Ackner Chair Of River Of Grass Gala Robbyn Ackner of West Palm Beach has been named chair of this year’s River of Grass Gala benefiting the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation for the Everglades & Florida Environmental Institute. John and Nancy Marshall, along with Matthew and Thais Piotrowski, will serve as honorary chairs for the upcoming gala to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Marshall Foundation. This year’s gala will be held Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Colony Hotel Pavilion (155 Hammon Ave., Palm Beach). The members of this year’s River of Grass Gala planning committee include Amy Bernard, Erik Brown, Veronica Brown, Fredda Butowsky, Sally Byrd, Lois Cahill, Jimmy Cates, Yu Ling Cui, Norman Gitzen, Jaimie Goodman, Ashley Greenberg, Beate Hambster, Kim Hanson, Bobbi Horwich, Haylee Kaye, Bonnie Lazar, Denise Mariani, Nancy Marshall, Barbara McDonald, Thais Piotrowski, Michele Poole, Bernadette Shalhoub, Paul

Suschak, Karen Vaughn, Phyllis Verducci, Kelly Wagner, Linda Wartow, Elaine Weber, Gisele Weisman, Jody White and Barbara Wilkinson. “We are overjoyed that our valued friends and supporters have generously agreed to play leading roles in this important annual event,” Nancy Marshall said. “We know that their active involvement — and that of our soon-to-be-announced ambassadors and jewels of the Everglades — will ensure that our eighth annual River of Grass Gala will be bigger and better than ever.” The River of Grass Gala funds 100 percent of the foundation’s grassroots environmental projects throughout the year, educating the next generation about the critical importance of the Everglades. Tickets for the River of Grass Gala 2013 are $350 per person. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call (561) 203-9004 or visit www.artmarshall.org.

The 2013 River of Grass Gala Committee.

Library Poster Contest — (Front row) Alexa Lee, elementary winner Abigail Edwards, poster artist Rocky Jimenez and Lavidah Johnson; (back row) West Boynton Library Branch Manager Adam S. Davis, Tom Carreras of the Wellington Rotary; Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. Matthew Ott and and Micah Robbins.

Gala honorary chairs Nancy Marshall and Thais Piotrowski with chair Robbyn Ackner.

Previous gala chairs and honorary chairs: (front row) Roberta Drey, Joyce McClendon, Sydelle Meyer, Bobbi and Harry Horwich; (back row) Bob and Michelle Diffenderfer, Thais Piotrowski, Nancy and John Marshall and Bernadette and Bob Shalhoub.

Dr. Leslie Turner Appointed Rinker Biz School Dean Palm Beach Atlantic University Provost & Chief Academic Officer Dr. Joseph A. Kloba recently announced that Dr. Leslie Turner, professor of accounting, has been appointed dean of the Rinker School of Business. “Dr. Turner is a man of deep personal faith,” Kloba said. “He has garnered the support of his faculty and staff colleagues both in the school and throughout the campus with his humble spirit and clear style of communication.” Turner came to Palm Beach Atlantic in August 2008 and has served as interim dean of the Rinker School of Business since June

2010. Prior to coming to the university, Turner was professor and chair of the Department of Accountancy at Northern Kentucky University for four years, where he taught for 16 years prior to his appointment as chair. He also taught at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Turner has published 18 peerreviewed articles in accounting journals such as Accounting Horizons , Journal of Accounting Case Studies, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy and Journal of Management Accounting Research and Strategic Finance. Two of his articles were awarded a

certificate of merit by the Institute of Management Accountants. He has made several presentations at national and state accounting conferences. Turner is the co-author of an accounting information systems textbook published by John Wiley & Sons. He is a certified management accountant and a certified financial manager, and is a member of the American Accounting Association, the Institute of Management Accountants, and the Information Systems Audit and Control Association. He and his wife, Theresa, are active members of West Pines Baptist Church in Greenacres.

County Library Hosts South Tech Student’s Alcohol-Free Poster

Rocky Jimenez will soon see his handiwork in all 17 branches of the Palm Beach County Library System. Jimenez, a senior at South Tech Academy, designed a poster that highlights the winners from the third annual “What Can I Be If I’m Alcohol Free?” poster contest. When asked why he wanted to spend his free time working on this project, Jimenez said, “If I can make a difference in someone else’s life through my designs, I’ll take that opportunity.” The contest is a collaborative effort between the Palm Beach County Substance Awareness Coalition, Adobe, the School District of Palm Beach County, the South Florida Fair, the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, the Wellington Rotary Club and Allstate to increase the awareness among the community

about the dangers of underage drinking, while promoting the little-known fact that most teens are alcohol free. “According to the 2012 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey, seven out of 10 students are alcohol free,” said Jeff Kadel, executive director of the Palm Beach County Substance Awareness Coalition. “There is a strong correlation between more free time and risk-taking behaviors. The project is timely because summer is one of the most popular times of year that young people will experiment with alcohol and other drugs.” The poster is part of a continued effort to increase the number of drug-free youth in Palm Beach County. It will be featured in the libraries for the duration of summer.

Shuo Chen Named To Virginia Tech Dean's List

Dr. Leslie Turner

Shuo Chen of Wellington was named to the Dean’s List at Virginia Tech for the spring 2013 semester. To qualify for the Dean’s List, students must attempt at least 12 credit hours and earn a 3.4 grade point average on a 4.0 scale during the semester. Founded in 1872, Virginia Tech attracts students from all 50 states

and more than 100 countries. The university’s eight colleges achieve quality, innovation and results through teaching, research and outreach in Blacksburg and at other campus centers in northern Virginia, southwest Virginia, Richmond, southern Virginia, Hampton Roads and Roanoke. For more information, visit www.vt.edu.

Page 14 August 2 - August 8, 2013

Mitzvah Program Seeks Volunteers

Now in its 16th year, the MorseLife Homebound Mitzvah Program and its volunteers will make a difference Tuesday, Sept. 3 to Jewish, frail, homebound seniors over the High Holidays who otherwise would not be able to experience the joys and traditions of the season. According to Linda Sevich, MorseLife director of communitybased services, more than 400 volunteers of all ages and from all walks of life will have prepared Homebound Mitzvah program packages and deliver them on Sept. 3 to seniors throughout Palm Beach County and vicinity. “For some people, particularly seniors with family members who have passed on or live a distance from them, the holidays can be the loneliest time of the year,” Sevich said. “It has been such an honor for us to be able to bring the joys and traditions of the High Holidays to them. It is truly a beautiful mitzvah.” The High Holidays, the most important period of prayer, reflection and celebration of the New Year for Jewish people, begin with

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NEWS BRIEFS Rosh Hashanah on the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 4 and continue with Yom Kippur, which begins on the evening of Friday, Sept. 13. Homebound Mitzvah program volunteers will gather for their deliveries on the MorseLife campus at 4847 Fred Gladstone Drive (off Haverhill Road) in West Palm Beach, and on the Jewish Community Center campus in Boynton Beach at 8500 Jog Road from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Volunteers deliver packages to the homes of area Jewish seniors that include kosher meals prepared by Morse’s Culinary and Nutritional Services Department, prayer books, a DVD of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services and other tradition items. Just as important, volunteers provide “quality time” to Homebound Mitzvah program recipients, sitting and talking with them for a while to bring additional warmth to the delivery. Since 1997, the program has reached out to the area’s homebound elders in hopes of diminishing the loneliness and isolation frequently felt over Jewish holidays. It was founded by Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz, who had nurtured a similar program, called

Dorot in New York, to help isolated seniors. To volunteer for the program, or to order High-Holiday packages, call (561) 282-5388.

Lutheran Church School-Supply Drive Aug. 4-11

The outreach ministry of St. Michael Lutheran Church in Wellington will collect school supplies and school uniforms for two schools: Belle Glade Excel Charter School, a new school supported by Lutheran Services Florida, and Greenacres Elementary School, where 96 percent of the students are on the free-lunch program. In addition, the church is collecting gently used uniforms for the children at Greenacres. The public is invited to participate in this collection. Collection runs through Aug. 11 and will be accepted at St. Michael Fellowship Hall at 1925 Birkdale Drive, Wellington, Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For info., call the office at (561) 793-4999, Karen at (561) 3335947 or Carol at (954) 579-8830, or visit www.stmichaelelc.com.

Clerk’s RPB Expansion Set For Aug. 5

The Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller’s office operations are changing Monday, Aug. 5. Beginning Aug. 5, all clerk’s office courthouse locations will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., while the office in Royal Palm Beach is expanding its service to five days a week. The new hours will give employees more time to process electronically filed court documents now coming to the clerk’s office 24 hours a day, while the expanded service in Royal Palm Beach will allow the office to better serve Palm Beach County’s growing western communities. Clerk’s office employees will continue to work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The hour in the afternoon where employees are not available to the public will allow them time to process documents, update court files and complete other work. This will save on overtime costs, because that work was previously done before and after normal operating hours. A list of frequently asked ques-

tions about the new hours is available online at www.mypalmbeach clerk.com.

386-3146 or send an e-mail to cafci@bellsouth.net.

CAFCI Presents Annual Talent Show On Aug. 17

Temple To Hold Open House At Gymnastics Studio

Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) will presents its annual talent show on Saturday, Aug. 17 at 5 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center, located at 151 Civic Center Way. Auditions will be held Friday, Aug. 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Cultural Center. The show will feature youth stars of tomorrow. A donation of $10 for adults and $3 for children under 12 is requested to attend the show. Refreshments will be on sale. Proceeds will benefit the CAFCI Student Assistance Scholarship Fund. The event is co-sponsored by the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. Save the date, bring the entire family and come out and encourage future leaders and stars. For more information, call Shirley at (561) 719-6508, Nadine at (561) 351-6895, Marsha at (561)

The members of Congregation L’Dor Va-Dor are hosting a free open house at Genie’s Gymnastics (6752 Lantana Road, Lake Worth) on Sunday, Aug. 11 between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Congregation L’Dor Va-Dor invites all families with their kids, including current students and families, to join this fun open house. Rabbi Barry Silver is excellent at the trampoline. He will demonstrate his skills, showing how to do some impressive moves. All attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the possibility of becoming congregation members and having their children register for religious school. Religious school begins on Sunday, Aug. 26 at 9:30 a.m. Genie’s Gym is located near Cube Smart Storage, just west of Jog Road. Call (561) 968-0688 no later than Friday, Aug. 9 to RSVP.

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August 2 - August 8, 2013 Page 15

NEWS

ROYAL PALM HOSTS SUMMER INDOOR FLEA MARKET AT THE CULTURAL CENTER A summer indoor flea market was held on Friday, July 26 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Shoppers were treated to music and free cake and coffee as they shopped for bargains and treasures from various venders. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Andrea Crowley selects a skirt, while Dora Maniscalco and Mae Gold look on.

Dr. Matt McNabb gives information to Barbara Wilson.

Attis Solomon, Dolly Hughes, Vinette Tracy and Lorna Pearson show off their handmade items.

Iris Levin, Rosemarie Hosford and Marilyn Hill enjoy a day of shopping.

Marge Rosenfeld chooses a new purse.

Helen Regan buys a hat from Dick Carmine.

SCHOOL NEWS

Back-To-School Tips From Huntington Learning Center Of Wellington It is back-to-school time, and if summer has been filled with trips to the pool, hanging out with friends, television, video games and other leisurely activities, now is the time to transition from summer to school mode. “We always encourage families to relax and enjoy the less-structured pace of summertime,” said Mary Fisher of the Wellington Huntington Learning Center. “However, there are several things you can do toward the end of summer break that are immensely help-

ful in getting students ready to return to the classroom.” Fisher offers these six back-toschool tips: 1. Set goals. Goal-setting is a great way to help kids reflect on last school year and think ahead about what they want to accomplish and avoid this year. Talk about the things children are excited and anxious about, and have them set several goals and measurable milestones. Do this just before classes start or during the first week of school. 2. Organize the desk and home.

Get the house back into “school shape” by designating spots for important school papers that come home, a family calendar, backpacks, shoes, jackets and a homework station. Homework stations could be a desk in a bedroom or other room. Make sure the space is stocked with the supplies students will need for the school year, and have kids help get the space ready. 3. Reestablish a schedule. Talk about the school-day routine, including wake-up time, school hours, homework time, dinner time

and any extracurricular activities in which the children will participate in during the week. In the week or two before school, try to have them go to bed and wake up at approximately the same times as during the school year. 4. Review school work and information. Being prepared will help ease into the first weeks of school. Review assignments, spelling words and other work from the previous school year. Amp up reading in these final few weeks of summer. And find out as much as possible about what is to come:

teacher, class schedule, classroom locations and more. 5. Set a positive tone. Children who struggled last year might dread going back to school, so it is important to help them get into the right mindset for school success. Let students know that you are there to support them no matter what. Talk about things they are looking forward to this year, and offer ideas if they need some encouragement and point out some of the good parts of last year. Be optimistic and encourage them to embrace the same outlook.

6. Arrange for tutoring help if needed. If last year was difficult, don’t wait to reach out for help this year. Help build students’ skills, preparedness and confidence with a customized, one-toone tutoring program. Call Huntington Learning Center of Wellington to discuss needs and schedule a diagnostic evaluation before the new school year begins. For more information about oneon-one tutoring programs, contact Fisher at (561) 594-1900 or FisherM@hlcmail.com or visit www.huntingtonhelps.com.

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NEWS

Shark Week At South Florida Science Center If the lifeguards order you out of the water along South Florida beaches during Shark Week, head straight to the South Florida Science Center & Aquarium, formerly the South Florida Science Museum, for a series of Shark Week inspired activities planned for Aug. 5-9. The fin-tastic fun starts Monday, Aug. 5 and runs through Friday, Aug 9, with special sharkthemed crafts, activities and presentations. Science Center visitors will be able to create a shark tooth necklace, watch live shark and stingray feedings, learn fascinating facts about sharks and much more. On Thursday, Aug. 8, visitors will have an opportunity to speak with special guest Hannah Medd, a local marine biologist working to apply scientific research to the shark conservation message. To learn more about why sharks are so vital to the marine ecosystem, be sure to stop in and visit her at “Professor Clark the Science Shark’s” booth throughout the day. Additional opportunities for structured labs and facts will occur daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. “We love the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week,” Science Center CEO Lew Crampton said. “It’s another opportunity for us to be the community resource for continued hands-on, minds-on informal science education. Our guests

Vet Clinics

Rule Change Meets With Opposition

continued from page 1 ation zoning, but he noted there was abundance of that in the area. “We didn’t feel [the Wellington Village Council] would be comfortable taking an additional 30 acres and converting it to commercial recreation,” he said. “The next best thing was a zoning text amendment.” Committee Chair Cynthia Gardner asked whether the change would allow for a veterinarian’s clinic in barns in communities such as Mallet Hill. Growth Management Director Bob Basehart said that was unlikely. “It would have to go through the same approvals as a conditional use,” he said. “It would have to go through Wellington staff, then this board, to PZAB and ultimately to the council for final approval.” Swerdlin also said the communities have homeowners’ associations that do not allow for new commercial development. “Could they set up a vet clinic in the stable?” Gardner asked. Swerdlin said some practices, such as having liquid bags hanging in stalls for medications, were

ITID

More Money For Drainage Projects

continued from page 1 have road cave-ins and a whole bunch of problems.” Jacobs agreed there are many culverts that need to be replaced. Dunkley suggested that ITID implement a five-year plan and allot a certain amount of money each year for culverts, after identifying exactly which culverts need replacement based on their condition. “I’m glad that the board is finally coming with a direction,” Dunkley said. “Being a business person, you can’t really move to a direction until you have identified it. We have finally identified that we are a water district and our primary goal is water management.” Dunkley pointed out that the district’s $10 million budget is not a lot of money for what they need to do, and that drainage is more crucial for residents than parks. “People are going to be pissed off with me, [but] I don’t live in a park,” Dunkley said. “My home is important, and it’s the most important thing. It’s what most people moved here for — our homes.” Foy said that in order to properly address culvert replacement costs, ITID would have to take an inventory of everything it has, assign a life to each thing and develop an annual budget of when things need to be replaced. “I’m not aware of that being done, but you have to have a full inventory,” he said. “It’s like the canals. You can see if they are or are not maintained. The culverts you can’t see, typically.” A galvanized steel culvert, Foy said, will typically last 10 to 25 years, while reinforced concrete will last 50 years or more. Resident Jean Edwards had sent

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and out-of-town visitors can come in to learn more about what they saw on TV, right here in our backyard, which allows us to further our new mission of ‘opening every mind to science.’” With the new addition of a 3,000square-foot aquarium, the largest fresh and saltwater aquarium between Miami and Orlando, the Science Center is perfectly positioned for under-the-sea education. The aquarium features more than 90 different varieties of fish, including sharks. Currently home to a nurse shark and a baby marblehead shark, the Science Center has plans to add two more shark species in the very near future. Stingrays, close cousins of the sharks, also have a home at the newly expanded Science Center, and will be on display in the ever popular touch tank. And if modern day sharks aren’t enough to thrill guests, the Science Center is currently hosting “Savage Ancient Seas: Dinosaurs of the Deep” in the newly expanded exhibit hall. The traveling exhibit takes visitors on a tour of the late Cretaceous period, over 70 million years ago. The exhibit is filled with huge carnivorous marine reptiles, with double-hinged jaws and teeth, gigantic flesh-eating fish big enough to swallow an adult human whole, flying reptiles with three-foot

skulls and the biggest sea turtles to have ever lived. Also included in the display is Megalodon, an extinct species of shark, also known as “big tooth.” The waters of the earth during that time were teeming with beasts just as ferocious as their better known counterparts on land. The South Florida Science Center & Aquarium features more than 50 hands-on educational exhibits, an 8,000-gallon fresh and saltwater aquarium featuring both local and exotic marine life, a digital planetarium, Conservation Research Station, Florida Exhibit Hall and an interactive Everglades exhibit

common, but that it was unlikely someone could run a clinic out of a residential barn. “Are they going to do surgery in the garage? No,” he said. Attorney Janna Lhota, representing resident Victoria McCullough, said the process could be achieved with a conditionaluse permit rather than a master plan amendment. “We have no issue with the existing equine clinic or its plans for expansion,” Lhota said. “However, we do have a problem with why a zoning text amendment is being proposed to allow veterinary clinics as a permitted use… within a residential pod, rather than address the specific issue with this property.” Lhota said the changes would affect only Palm Beach Equine Clinic, making it a site-specific issue that would be addressed with a legislative action. She was also concerned about past incidents when master plan amendments were approved by the Development Review Committee without going before any other boards or the council. “This property is one of them,” Lhota said. “I would recommend that this specifically require review by this board as well as PZAB and the council.” Lhota added that there needed to be more guidelines for clinics, because the only requirements in Wellington’s code for veterinary

clinics now require 5 acres of land and buffers. “Other than that, there’s nothing else,” she said. “We would recommend that there would be specific standards enumerated for [new] clinics in sub-area D.” Ultimately, Lhota said Wellington would have more control of these issues with a conditional-use permit. But Basehart said a zoning text amendment would give council members more control over the issue for future vet clinics, should someone want to open a new facility in the area. “You’re safer with the master plan amendment,” he said. “Unless you can make specific findings that approval [of a clinic] would have detrimental effects, you would not have the ability to not approve a conditional use.” Village Attorney Laurie Cohen agreed. “If [the applicant] meets the conditions for a conditional-use permit, you have to approve it,” she said. “With the master plan, you have to factor in other things.” Gardner asked whether Wellington could require both the master plan amendment and the conditional-use permit, but Basehart said that would be a duplication. “You would go through the same process and before the same boards,” he said. “There is no reason to require a master plan

an e-mail that she asked to be read into the record. Among her questions was that there had been at least $3.9 million in reserves for park expansion and the community center. She had heard that the account now has $3.2 million. She wanted to know where the $700,000 went. Shallman explained that the fund started out as $4 million in 2011, and that in the 2011-12 budget year, almost $230,000 was spent on initial engineering contractual services, including surveying fees and park improvements. “It was $3.7 roughly at the end of 2012,” Shallman said, adding that very little has been spent since then. “We started this year at $3.76 million, and the rest of what she is talking about is $347,000 in encumbrances. We haven’t spent the money. It’s purchase orders that have been done for the construction company, engineers, architects, but those can be liquidated.” Edwards also asked whether an assessment has been done of the existing drainage infrastructure. Acting Director of Maintenance & Operations Henry Shaw said the system as it is now is operable, but it would take more time to get the exact information on what is needed and what the costs are to repair and maintain the system. “Hopefully this is where Mr. Foy will come into play, come out to every one of our stations and control structures, and help me do a complete evaluation of each and every engine, each and every pump, control structure and so on,” Shaw said. “I welcome that.” Shaw said one of the most important improvements needed is reliable telemetry. “The more we automate our gates, the less time a person has to go out and assure that it’s open,” he said. “We’ve had quite a few issues where we cannot rely on what we’re looking at on screen.”

Former Supervisor Mike Erickson stressed that infrastructure improvements can be made now with money from reserves, which could be replenished later. Resident Alan Ballweg said the community center stands to be a tremendous expense that the district cannot afford now, pointing out that it is not just the cost of construction, but also an estimated $500,000 for annual maintenance. Resident Patricia Curry said she thought the $3.4 million remaining in the park expansion budget should be allocated to drainage improvements. “We cannot afford a community center,” Curry said. “I would spend zero dollars on Acreage Community Park.” Jacobs recommended putting the question on the next regular meeting’s agenda. Dunkley said drainage has also become more pertinent with the recent release of Federal Emergency Management Agency maps that may require residents to purchase flood insurance. Resident Sandra Love-Semande said there were several factors in play during the Tropical Storm Isaac flooding last year. “It was not that our system failed,” Semande said. “It was that we did not have the proper staff on duty prior, during and after. That is my opinion… Also, we did not have the proper working relationship with the South Florida Water Management District to allow us to get that outfall when we needed it, and we did not have an engineering relationship with the proper people to continue the application to get additional outfall.” Semande said that she does not believe the drainage system itself failed. “I believe that our system works. Yes, it needs improvements,” she said. “I am very confident in the staff that we have, and I’m super-confident in our future engineer.”

showcasing that richly diverse ecosystem. The facility is located at 4801 Dreher Trail North, West Palm Beach and is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. General admission is $13.50 for adults, $10 for children three and up and $12 for seniors. Members and children under three are free. Planetarium shows and miniature golf are not included in general admission. For more information about the South Florida Science Center & Aquarium, call (561) 832-1988 or visit www.sfsciencecenter.org.

There’s plenty to do at the South Florida Science Center & Aquarium during Shark Week.

‘We have finally identified that we are a water district and our primary goal is water management,’ Supervisor Gary Dunkley said.

amendment and a conditional use.” Gardner asked whether clinics could be limited to equine only, and Basehart said it could be included in the recommendation. Gardner then asked whether the committee could add other guidelines and review them before the item went to the Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board. Cohen said that they would have to be discussed in public. “For you to individually comment on something you would be required to vote on, you have to do it in the sunshine,” she said. Committee Member Linda Eli suggested bringing the issue back

Task Force

Keeping Focus On Drainage

continued from page 1 chance, it’s 5 percent too much,” Santamaria said. “I’m not going to take any chances.” Santamaria said he is trying to unite the community on a common goal, starting with a task force of residents. He said the idea grew out of meetings he had after Isaac. That is when he began meeting with Acreage residents, including Patricia Curry, Anne Kuhl and Alan Ballweg, to monitor agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District. One immediate goal is to speed up the process of turning Mecca Farms into needed water storage. The county recently agreed to sell Mecca Farms to the SFWMD. Santamaria wants to get them to close on the property and begin working on water storage there for people in The Acreage. “They need more outflow,” Santamaria said. “We will be monitoring different agencies, such as the Army Corps, the South Florida Water Management District and the Lake Worth Drainage District.”

Grades

Many State Changes

continued from page 3 in the way schools are assessed is one reason many schools saw changes in their grades this year, said Frank Rodriguez, the school district’s assistant superintendent for quality assurance. “There were 18 rules changes last year and 13 or 14 this year,” added Mark Howard, district director of research, evaluation and assessment. For example, last year students had to show a proficiency of 3.0 in the writing portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). This year, that benchmark was upped to 3.5, Rodriguez said. Science achievement levels were also raised. A new reading threshold was established this year as well, Rodriguez said. If 25 percent of students were shown not reading at grade level, that would cause a school to drop one letter grade. Meanwhile, the state is in the middle of changing how it assesses school performance. It’s currently switching from using the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards to the Common Core Standards. That change won’t be fully implemented until 2014-15, Rodriguez said.

Shop And Share To Support Education Foundation Aug. 3 Join in a day of shopping, sharing and supporting the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County on Saturday, Aug. 3. That is the day the Gardens Mall will donate 5 percent of the day’s logged sales to the foundation to support K-12 public education in Palm Beach County. In order for a donation to be credited to the foundation, shoppers must validate their receipts at the information desk on the lower level grand court of the mall (across from Macy’s). “Partnering with the Gardens Mall, over the sales tax holiday weekend, is an exciting opportunity for the foundation. Parents, students and teachers will be able to do their back-to-school shopping, save on sales tax and support the Education Foundation. It’s a win-win,” said Mary Kay Murray, executive director of the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County. Legislation was passed to create a three-day sales tax holiday that begins at 12:01 a.m., Friday, Aug. 2 and ends at midnight Sunday, Aug. 4. During this period, no Florida sales tax or local option tax will be collected on sales of clothing, foot-

wear and certain accessories selling for $75 or less per item, on certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item, and on computers and certain related accessories selling for $750 or less per item when purchased for noncommercial home or personal use. Founded in 1984, the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing excellence in Palm Beach County’s public schools by increasing public awareness and inspiring community and business support for programs focused on learning, literacy and leadership. With the support it receives from contributions and grants, the education foundation provides resources for innovative programs to improve academic achievement. For more information, call (561) 434-8428 or visit www.education foundationpbc.org. For more information about the Aug. 3 event, call Tracy Rudnick at (561) 434-8428. The Gardens Mall is located 1 mile east of I-95 on PGA Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens. For more information, visit www.thegardens mall.com.

at the board’s next meeting in two weeks. “Is there any reason we can’t push this decision to the next meeting and have staff come back with new language and to answer our questions?” she asked. Committee Member Michael Whitlow said he didn’t want to push back Swerdlin’s approval to conflict with the equestrian season. “I don’t want to do anything to handicap them from doing what I think is a good thing,” he said. “I don’t think anyone here has problems with what they’re trying to do with their clinic.” But, he noted that the Planning,

Zoning & Adjustment Board meeting in August is canceled, meaning that board would not be able to hear the issue before September. Swerdlin said he was not opposed to postponing the issue but was concerned that his clinic might not meet whatever guidelines the committee wanted to add. Eli made a motion for staff to work with both Swerdlin and Lhota to address some of the concerns and bring back new guidelines for clinics at the next meeting. The motion passed 5-0 with committee members Linda Smith Faver and Carlos Arellano absent.

So far, about eight people have signed up to take part in the task force on flood prevention, but he expects about 12 people as a starting group to be the nucleus. “We’ve got to get serious about this, and we’ve got to follow up on the different agencies that are working on it, and give them a bit of a nudge here and there to make sure they are giving every effort,” Santamaria said. “I don’t want to wait for another flood before acting.” Santamaria said he was able to convince other commissioners two weeks ago to draft a resolution in support of a flood prevention program. A draft was completed by County Administrator Bob Weisman last week. “I am tweaking it a little bit, and I will submit if for a final vote by all of the commissioners to support flood-prevention methods and a system of monitoring the different agencies, so that each one does what they’re supposed to do,” he said. Santamaria expects the resolution to be on the commission’s agenda Tuesday, Aug. 13. Once created, he plans to recruit professionals, including new Indian Trail Improvement District Engineer Jay Foy, a stormwater specialist, and Palm Beach County Water Resources Manager Ken Todd, to help out.

“We have to start worrying about this flooding issue,” Santamaria said. “It seems to be becoming more rampant and more frequent.” Although few homes were actually flooded during Isaac, Santamaria said people should not be stuck in their homes for a week due to impassible roads. “Right now it’s an inconvenience, but it can be a catastrophe,” he said. “I don’t want to wait for a disaster. I want to do something now.”

In 2012, the state was granted a waiver to the Elementary School Education Act so it could change accountability systems, Howard explained. Drops in letter grades could have been worse for some schools. On July 16, the Florida Board of Education voted 4-3 to support an emergency rule, suggested by Education Commissioner Tony Bennett, that schools would not drop more than one letter grade in 2013 and through the state’s transition to the Common Core Standards. District documents show that Crestwood Middle School was helped by this measure and could have had a grade lower than a B. The letter grades are important because they are supposed to be reflective of a school’s performance, Howard said. “It’s misleading to the public,” he said about this year’s letter grades. The action taken by the state board was intended to mitigate any confusion. Overall, the school district lost its coveted A rating, dropping to a B. After no F-rated schools last year, there were two elementary schools, two charter schools and one alternative school receiving F ratings this year. And the number of A-rated schools dropped by 30 percent this year, from 87 last year to 61 this year.

Hornstein

Resolve Born Of Tragedy

continued from page 3 humble and grateful that this got done. If it saves one kid’s life, I’ve done my job.” Hornstein said a common reaction by lawmakers and other officials is that they could not believe an equestrian child helmet law had not been enacted already. “It’s common sense, especially with all the helmet awareness that’s out there,” he said. Hornstein also called attention to new designs in helmets that sense when a person is falling and will automatically fill an airbag. “The technology that’s out there these days is amazing, for protective gear on your head, for vests that actually fill up with CO2,” he said. It’s very important. The brain is nothing to mess with. I’ve learned that and I see it, and I’m grateful that kids are putting them on.”

Blotter

continued from page 6 or witnesses at the time of the report. JULY 29 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was dispatched Monday to Palms West Hospital regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, the victim, a hospital patient, said that sometime between 5 p.m. last Sunday and 1 a.m. the following morning, someone stole her Steve Madden wallet containing her bankcard. According to the report, the victim went to visit her mother in the intensive care unit last Sunday evening and placed her wallet on her bed beneath a blanket. When she returned to her room, she was given pain medication and went to sleep. According to the report, when the victim awoke, she could not find her wallet. The victim asked her nurses, who said they had not seen the wallet. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

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NEWS

THIRD ROW CENTER SINGERS PRESENT â€˜ROYAL SONGFESTâ€™ AT CULTURAL CENTER

The Third Row Center Singers presented â€œA Royal Songfestâ€? on Sunday, July 28 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center as part of Royal Palm Beachâ€™s summer 2013 concert series. Approximately 200 people came to watch as the Third Row Center singers performed a wide variety of music. Members of the Young Singers of the Palm Beaches performed solos, while the Women of Note Octet provided vibrant barbershop harmonies. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Young Singers of the Palm Beaches member Cara Young sings â€œGirl in 14G.â€?

Michelle and Gianna DeSanti enjoy the music.

Donielle Jones and Royal Palm Beach Councilman Fred Pinto.

Third Row Center singers gather around Dolly Hughes (center) with a thank-you gift.

The Women of Note Octet performs â€œCabaret.â€?

Claire Freed and Hank Morris.

Newly Formed Mental Health Group Serves Palm Beach County A new initiative in Palm Beach County aims to increase understanding of mental health issues and raise awareness of resources available for those in need. The Palm Beach County Action Alliance for Mental Health (AAMH) includes mental health service providers, school officials, advocates and other stakeholders working together to promote and support education, early identification and awareness of available services throughout the county. New donations totaling $150,000 will support the AAMH mission to â€œbreak the silenceâ€? and end the stigma around mental illness that discourages many people from seeking help.

The Palm Beach County AAMH was founded through the efforts of a local nonprofit organization, Boca Ratonâ€™s Promise, which received a donation of $100,000 from the Jacobs Charitable Trust and a private donation of $50,000. The new funding will be used to enhance AAMH efforts countywide, with stakeholders working together to support initiatives and programs that lead to early identification of mental health issues and foster an atmosphere in which adults, children, parents and grandparents feel comfortable seeking help for themselves or their loved ones. A workshop event in Boynton

Beach on Sept. 21, â€œBreaking the Silence in Boynton Beach and Lake Worth,â€? is supported by the group and aims at assisting people in both communities. Boynton Beach Mayor Jerry Taylor will be among those in attendance. â€œWe realize the challenges of todayâ€™s world and the opportunities to shape tomorrowâ€™s world. We seek to find and assist such opportunities. We are pleased to contribute to the combined community energies of the AAMH currently underway in Palm Beach County,â€? said Lord Anthony Jacobs of the Jacobs Charitable Trust. The AAMH will coordinate efforts among invested agencies, organizations and individuals to

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WILL THE PALM BEACH HORSE PARK HAVE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR VISITORS? Yes. The Southeast corner of the Palm Beach Horse Park property, fronting SR7/US441, will be the primary commercial area--The Promenade. It will include a major flagship hotel and an assortment of approximately 30 carefully selected, upscale shops, restaurants and services from various parts of the United States that reflect the Western influences of the Horse Park. As the anchor of this commercial complex, the 130 suite, major flagship hotel will accommodate up to 300 out-of-town guests per night. The conference rooms, ballrooms and catering facilities, adjacent to the hotel, will enable the Horse Park to host an array of National conferences, trade shows, concerts, etc. Visitors and local residents, alike, will enjoy the Western amenities of The Promenade. We welcome your input and ideas â€“ this is YOUR community. Please contact us at: 561-333-3100 or Email: palmbeachhorsepark@gmail.com www.PalmBeachHorsePark.com

ultimately create an appropriate level of respect for mental health issues among all community members and public officials. Organizations committed to AAMH include the School District of Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach County Health Departmentâ€™s Community and School Division, the Alpert Jewish Family and Childrenâ€™s Service, the American Association of Caregiving Youth, the Health Care District of Palm Beach County, the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Palm Beach County, the Mental Health Association of Palm Beach County, the Faulk Center for Counseling and others. â€œFar too many individuals and

families struggle with mental health issues in silence and fear,â€? said Rita Thrasher, Palm Beach County AAMH founder and president/CEO of Boca Ratonâ€™s Promise. â€œIt is especially heartbreaking for parents of struggling children who feel helpless, fear discrimination and donâ€™t know where to turn for help.â€? Thrasher stressed that the group will be active countywide. â€œWorking together, AAMH members will be active in all communities raising awareness so that mental health and its impact receives the respect it deserves,â€? she said. â€œThis generous infusion of financial support will benefit all AAMH members and community

stakeholders, and hopefully result in people of all ages having a greater awareness of existing resources to improve their quality of life.â€? Boca Ratonâ€™s Promise is celebrating its 15th year of working to â€œbreak the silenceâ€? by encouraging the community and schools to recognize that keeping silent is a problem that impedes progress, especially for youth. The organizationâ€™s founder, Dr. Merrilee Middleton, was honored at a recent anniversary event where she expressed gratitude for the longtime support of entities such as Boca Raton Regional Hospital, the Schmidt Family Foundation, Palm Beach State College and the Jacobs Charitable Trust.

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Fireworks And Horses: Always A Bad Match, Part 2

Ellen Rosenberg continues her two-part series on the dangers of fireworks and horses. In this week’s column, Patricia Davidowitz of The Acreage explains how illegal fireworks led to the tragic demise of Emily, a rescue horse who was very sensitive to and frightened of loud noises. Ellen Rosenberg’s Column, Page 21

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Page 19

Quarterback DeCosta Leads Hawks To Victory

Seminole Ridge High School starting quarterback Zach DeCosta has been training through the summer to improve his skills for the coming fall season. The 6-foot, 180-pound senior has had the starting quarterback job since the spring of his sophomore year. Page 33

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Business

Foster’s Grille In RPB Re-Launches Under New Ownership, Management

Sports

PBCHS Graduate Patrick O’Donnell To Play For Miami

Patrick O’Donnell grew up in the prime era of University of Miami football. Now he will become part of the Hurricane family. The former Palm Beach Central High School punter is returning to South Florida, where he will join the Miami football team after four years at the University of Cincinnati. Page 33

THIS WEEK’S index COLUMNS & FEATURES.........................21-22 BUSINESS NEWS................................... 23-25 DINING & ENTERTAINMENT........................ 26 COMMUNITY CALENDAR........................30-31 SPORTS & RECREATION........................ 33-35 CLASSIFIEDS..........................................32-37

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Stuﬀed Mushrooms $8.50

Chicken Under A Brick Dinner $16

Shrimp Portoono Dinner $15

Create Your Own Pasta from $11

Lunch portions also available

Lunch Portions Also Available

2535 S State Road 7 · Wellington, Florida 33414

561-792-2248

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Fireworks And Horses: Always A Bad Match, Part 2

“I live in The Acreage, and I’ve noticed the fireworks getting progressively worse each year,” Patricia Davidowitz said. “I currently have three horses. But last year, I also had Emily, a rescue horse who was very sensitive and frightened of loud noises. I decided to be smart and move her out of this area for the Fourth of July, so I brought her to a friend’s house.” Despite this precaution, it was not enough to protect Emily. “Unfortunately, someone set off some firecrackers near that farm. She panicked, ran through a fence and completely fractured a hind leg. We put her down immediately. It was horrible, just tragic,” Davidowitz recalled. Part of the problem are the competing reasons people move to communities such as The Acreage. “I think new people move to rural areas like this, see a lot of open space, and think it’s the perfect spot to shoot guns and set off fireworks,” Davidowitz said. “I speak with my neighbors, and most of them are very nice and understanding. But you can’t talk with everyone. Someone on my street set off a couple of rockets horizontally. One hit someone’s carport, another hit the roof of my barn. Luckily, nothing caught on fire. Thank God I was home. I never leave my house on the Fourth of July. I refuse to leave my horses unsupervised.”

Get updates all week long... follow Ellen Rosenberg on Twitter at twitter.com/HorseTalkFL or stop by the Tales from the Trails page on Facebook and click “like.”

Tales From The Trails By Ellen Rosenberg According to Davidowitz, the problem has been getting worse. “It got so bad this year, fireworks going off night after night, that I decided enough was enough. Every year I call the police and complain, and they usually send someone out. This year, they said they were overwhelmed and couldn’t send an officer. I decided to do something about it. I was on a mission,” she said. “I contacted the Indian Trail Improvement District to find out about having a neighborhood meeting. I e-mailed the fire marshal, Gov. Rick Scott, two senators, both congressmen and West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio. I got no personal response, just a message saying they’d received my e-mail.” Davidowitz believes changes need to be made. “Ethically, something must be done. Maybe there could be some different laws regarding equestrian areas,” she said. “There are all these big tents that sell fireworks just down the road each year, along with other stores. Why are the interests of non-horse owners more important than those of horse owners? I don’t understand

Streets signs like this one get posted in Wellington each year before the holiday. why no one does anything about it. Fix the stupid scaring-the-birds loophole before someone gets seriously hurt or killed. There are endless scenarios of what could happen.” I, too, was curious about why illegal fireworks can be sold. “Illegal fireworks can’t be sold by any retail

stores or tents,” explained John Harsch, a fire marshal inspector. “Stands and retail stores can only sell small stuff, sparklers and showers of sparks. They can’t sell things that report: anything that explodes, like roman candles or bottle rockets. We have a very strict building See ROSENBERG, page 22

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I Tripped Last Week, But I’ll Just Keep Ignoring The Pain I tripped last weekend. There was a little piece of brick sticking up from the hearth and, as I approached the front door, my foot caught it, and I went down like a sack of potatoes. (I would say “like a sack of bricks,” but that would be redundant.) I suppose it was my own fault. I was looking off to my left and wondering if those doodads on the shelves could be arranged in a more pleasing fashion. That’s why I couldn’t pay attention to where I was going. The next thing I remember is a concrete step zooming up to greet my face, because my husband, Mark, was politely holding the door open for me. My face did not hit the step, thank goodness, and that is because, deep in the recesses of my brain, my subconscious remembered that my parents had paid for four years of braces for me and smashing my teeth into a

Deborah Welky is

The Sonic BOOMER slab of concrete would’ve made me appear ungrateful. So I swerved. Or flipped. Or something. I don’t know. I only remember sudden pain — and Mark standing there in horror. So here’s what I told him: “Drag me outside and close the door. You’re letting the air conditioning out.” Ah, yes. Frugal to the last. “Are you OK?!” he demanded (after closing the door).

“I feel like I’m going to throw up. I feel dizzy. I may be in shock. Can you prop me up against the wall there?” So he propped. But I slid off to the side and was soon lying on the porch. “My knees hurt. My fingers hurt. Maybe my feet should be higher than my head.” So Mark maneuvered me around a little bit, and pretty soon I was able to sit up without listing. A brief inspection uncovered two bruised knees, two bruised arms, a black and blue toe, and a little finger that did not want to be bent backward ever again. “We’ve got to go,” I said. “To the doctor?” “No, to the wedding,” I replied. “It’s five hours away, and we’re not quite sure where we’re going.” “Don’t you think you should see a doctor?”

“Maybe next week. When we get back.” So we went to the wedding (arriving with four minutes to spare) and Mark, because he is so good, did not mention my near death experience. He merely kept bringing me ice wrapped in napkins to keep my pinkie from swelling up. And he guarded my left foot, where the miserable toe, had anyone stepped on it, would’ve let the cat out of the bag — a screaming, shrieking cat that may have detracted from the sweetness of the day. I still haven’t been to the doctor, but today might be the day. The bruising has gone away but the finger looks a little crooked now that the swelling has gone down. And it refuses be used — not for the brushing of teeth, the combing of hair or even the typing of columns. The teeth and hair can wait, but I must be able to type. It’s the only mental therapy I have.

Plot Is Derivative But Jackman Is Great In ‘The Wolverine’

If you feel you’ve seen the new movie, The Wolverine, before, you are correct. It is pretty much the same story we saw in Iron Man 3 and a host of early Superman flicks. The hero loses his superpowers just as a real threat arises, but somehow gets them back just in time to finally save the day, usually with help from the supporting cast. That said, the movie is enjoyable, just terribly derivative. Logan (Hugh Jackman), known as the Wolverine, saved young Japanese officer Yashida (Ken Yamamura) at a prison camp just outside of Nagasaki when the atom bomb went off. How a man who can reasonably fight his way out of anything with his knife-like claws and ability to immediately heal wound up in a prison camp is never shown. At any rate, at the current time he is in the backwoods of Canada, peacefully coexisting with a bear, when Yukio (Rila Fukushima), an emissary from the nowdying age officer (Hal Yamanouchi) who has become the head of a gigantic financial empire, finds him and gets him to return to Japan so the man could say goodbye. The old man offers him something unexpected:

Rosenberg

Fireworks And Horses continued from page 21

code governing stores that sell fireworks that report, including fire alarms, sprinkler systems and adequate exits. We inspect them four times a year.” A search turns up nine such stores from Stuart to Boca Raton. “Anyone who is going to set off fireworks that report needs a permit,” Harsch said. “Signing a waver doesn’t really protect you. It’s my understanding that setting off such fireworks without a permit is not legal, but it’s nothing we enforce. That’s up to the PBSO.” People always need to be aware of their surroundings when setting off any type of fireworks, Harsch said. “They cause many injuries, burns and fires,

an honorable death. Since Logan is immortal and longs for death so he can be with his beloved Dr. Jean Grey (Famke Janssen, seen in his dreams), he considers it but decides to not follow that course. The old man dies and, at the funeral, he rescues the man’s granddaughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto). She resists at first and, as expected, falls for Logan. The rest of the movie is a struggle between Logan, Mariko and Yukio for survival and control of a great financial empire. Of course, the struggle involves a lot of sword fighting, arrows flying and death. One by one, villains die and it turns out there’s another villain waiting. The theme of the film is loyalty. Logan is the most loyal of men. He saved the officer

because the man was decent to him. He protects Mariko through that sense of loyalty as just about everyone else in the film finds a way to betray her. He winds up losing his power several times, taking away the easy advantage he usually has. And in the end, he is victorious. Jackman gives a typical Jackman performance: all-in. He is pumped up for the role and carries through dialogue that would, in most cases, be weak. He is the center of the film and does an exceptional job. Okamoto as the girl at the center of the plotting is a bit weak; that probably is a flaw of the script rather than the actress. At times she is strong, other times particularly helpless. I really liked Fukushima. Her character, who had been rescued by Mariko’s grandfather when he saw her as a starving child so that his granddaughter could have a friend, has plenty of spunk. She wields a sword expertly and does dialogue almost as well. When she tells a weakened Logan that she is his bodyguard, it stands as a meaningful declaration rather than a joke. Svetlana Khodchenkova as the Viper was a particularly effective villain. Unlike some of the

other X-Men villains, she had no redeeming features. But she was a worthy (and beautiful) opponent. As noted above, the theme of the picture is loyalty vs. betrayal. One by one, characters betray the young woman for their own purposes. It was painful the first couple of times but, after a while, almost expected, even though there were quite a few plot twists and turns. X-Men movies have a sort of sameness, if only because all superhero films have to deal with the obvious disparity in power between the hero and all the villains. And, as I pointed out earlier, this is pretty much the same story as Iron Man 3. As Neil Diamond wrote, “except for the names and a few other changes, the story’s the same one.” But even with that caveat, this is a fast-moving action movie that will hold your attention until the end. As I have been writing about movies all summer, it is a good, not great movie. Good with popcorn, nachos or any of the increasingly complex menu items the theaters now serve. If you are a Hugh Jackman fan or an X-Men fan, you will pretty much get your money’s worth.

especially in a dry year. Sparks can smolder and later burst into flame. And, of course, if there’s alcohol involved, people get a little crazy and a little careless,” he said. “Alcohol and fireworks are a bad combination. My advice is go watch a big show, and leave the fireworks to the professionals. They know what they’re doing.” Indeed, some years back, one of my neighbors who has since moved away, was feeling no pain, as they say, and set off a whole bunch of bright, loud rockets. The palm tree on his front lawn caught fire. We saw the blackened husk of it the next day. Luckily, nothing else burned. “I don’t want to ruin anyone’s fun, but there are lots of big shows put on by all the towns,“ Davidowitz continued. “Why can’t people just attend those and forget the backyard fireworks? I think if people really understood the situation, they might think twice. I desperately want large roadside signs, like they have in

Wellington, and a visible police presence.” Wellington does, indeed, place large 4-foot by 4-foot A-frame signs in eight different locations within the community a week before the Fourth of July until the day after. “The signs sure help remind people that this is an equestrian area, and that fireworks are illegal,” said Gary Goodwin, graphic artist and maintenance worker with the Wellington Public Works Department. “I’ve been with the department seven years, and I think the signs help keep down problems and complaints.” Acreage official are aware of the issue. “Out here in The Acreage, the fireworks and gunshots usually run from the end of June through mid-July,” said Jennifer Hager, president of the Indian Trail Improvement District. “Then they do it all over again for New Year’s. The worst ones are the mortar-type bombs and the whistling bottle rockets. I’m thankful my three horses don’t react, but I always stay out in the barn with them, keep the radio on and

throw a lot of extra hay. I definitely get the problem and understand horse owner’s fears.” Hager said she favors a community meeting on the issue. “I like the idea of having a meeting and discussing this problem. I’d like to include the Acreage Horseman’s Association,” she said. “What we have to do is educate the non-horse people and teach them to be considerate and respectful. I honestly think that they just don’t know.” Linda Rainbolt, president of the Acreage Horseman’s Association, wants a solution to the problem. “I hate all the fireworks. We have to do something,” Rainbolt said. “Horse owners in these areas can never go anywhere around the Fourth of July. Sure, I’d like to go see a show. I don’t dare leave my horses. Twenty years ago, when it wasn’t this bad, I had a horse get so scared by fireworks that she jumped a fence. I didn’t find her for three days. These people are breaking the law. It’s really hard on horse owners.”

‘I’ On Culture By Leonard Wechsler

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Jon Rosen and Adrianna Alexander at Foster’s Grill in Royal Palm Beach.

Foster’s Grille In RPB Re-Launches Under New Ownership, Management

Good vibes abound at the recently renovated Foster’s Grille in Royal Palm Beach. After a full makeover that included corporate ownership and new managers, Jon Rosen and Adrianna Alexander, weekly traffic has surged. “We’re happy to be in Florida and exploring other opportunities on both coasts of Florida,” said Brad Hockenberry, vice president of operations for Foster’s Grille. “We painted, cleaned, redid the floors and brought it back to company specs.” And as word of new management spreads, it’s enticing former customers to come back and give Foster’s another try, said Rosen. “Things are going really well,” Alexander said. “Saturdays are especially busy since we’re located right on Southern Blvd. The atmosphere around here is definitely positive.” Foster’s Grille was also awarded “Best Burger of the Palm Beaches” by the readers of AroundWellington.com. The fresh, new staff is committed to maintaining Foster’s reputation as a restaurant that offers fast, casual, family dining and serves a high-quality product to its clientele. Foster’s started flipping burgers in 1999 and instituted its national franchise program in 2005. The Royal Palm Beach restaurant opened in 2009 as a franchise. There are currently 12 employees, Rosen said. Its menu features chargrilled burgers that are never frozen. Customers on Yelp and Google+ reported on the tastiness of Foster’s wings, hand-cut Idaho potato fries,

old-fashioned milkshakes and fresh-squeezed lemonade. Other menu items include: grilled or fried chicken sandwiches, a Buffalo chicken sandwich, Philly cheese steak, chick Philly, their famous grilled hotdog, oven-roasted turkey sandwich and a backyard garden burger. A kid’s menu is also available. In addition to serving a spread of all-American goodness, Foster’s Grille has its eye out for the neighborhood. “Our Dining for Dollars fundraising program donates a percentage of proceeds to various community groups, such as schools, charities, nonprofits and sports teams,” Hockenberry said. “It has been successful in multiple communities.” Dining for Dollars is similar to the Groupon program, Rosen said. Diners purchase coupons for $10 but they have a $20 value. Royal Palm Beach is one of 16 Foster’s Grille locations, and one of three in Florida, with others situated in Fort Myers and Cape Coral. There are also restaurants in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. Foster’s Franchise Concepts, located in Haymarket, Va., and is currently accepting new franchise applications. The company has plans to grow its presence in the mid-Atlantic and southeast regions, and then expand into other states. Foster’s Grille is located at 11071 Southern Blvd., Suite 100, Royal Palm Beach in the Southern Palm Crossing shopping plaza. For more info., visit www.fostersgrille.com or call (561) 333-6720.

A+ rating with Better Business Bureau

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Business News

P.B. Medical Group Offers A Variety Of Healthcare Services

Chamber ambassdors welcome Juan Roca of First Investors.

First Investors Help Clients Meet Goals

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Juan Roca of First Investors. First Investors offers a competitive array of financial products and services to help individual investors and everyday families reach their financial goals through its nationwide network of registered representatives. Since its founding in 1930, First Investors has followed the guiding principle of personal service connecting Main Street to Wall Street. Its products and services include

mutual funds, annuities and life insurance. First Investors was one of the original companies to offer mutual funds in the United States. Today, it is a recognized leader in the financial services industry, serving the broad middle market with more than 550 financial services representatives in offices across 26 states. Clientele includes individual investors, school districts, government agencies, private banks and family offices. For more info., call (561) 2893124 or visit www.firstinvestors. com.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to welcome Palm Beach Medical Group. The physicians of Palm Beach Medical Group in Wellington meet the needs of patients seeking help with cosmetic dermatology, internal medicine and/or hormone replacement therapy. Dr. Khongruk Wongkittiroch is a board-certified physician and a fellow of the American Society for Mohs Surgery. She specializes in general, surgical and cosmetic dermatology with a focus on Mohs micrographic surgery, skin cancer detection and treatment, photodynamic therapy and cosmetic surgery, including mini-facelifts and blepharoplasties and aesthetic enhancement with Botox and dermal fillers. She has a particular interest in the creative nature and skill of cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Wongkittiroch has presented medical posters at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meetings and has lectured at several national conferences in Las Vegas, Orlando, Miami, San Francisco and other cities. She has also pub-

lished medically related articles in local and national publications and peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Cutaneous Oncology, Cutis, Practical Dermatology and others. She is a fellow of the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, the American Society for Mohs Surgery and an affiliate member of the American Academy of Dermatology. Dr. Raj S. Borade specializes in internal medicine, gastroenterology and hepatology. He is certified by the

American Board of Internal Medicine and offers patients a wealth of experience gained through his training and work on three continents. Dr. Marlynn Nunez specializes in minimally invasive surgery and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. She is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Palm Beach Medical Group is located at 3319 State Road 7, Suite 207, in Wellington. Call (561) 7531101 for more information.

Wellington Chamber ambassdors welcome Palm Beach Medical Group.

The Town-Crier

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Business News

August 2 - August 8, 2013

Page 25

Fit2Run Moves To New Location In The Mall At Wellington Green Fit2Run, the runner’s superstore, held its first fun run Thursday July, 18 in conjunction with the opening of its new location in the Mall at Wellington Green. The fun run celebrated Fit2Run’s new location in the mall and kicked off a regular schedule of fun runs that take place every Tuesday and Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. Runners meet at Fit2Run, and then run around the entire perimeter of the mall. Fit2Run is more than a running store; it’s a resource for the Wellington and Royal Palm Beach running community. Fit2Run offers services such as video gait assessments, which allows professionally trained staff to customize a runner’s shoes to their specific gait patterns. Another addition is Fit2Run’s new partnership with Dr. Jon Chung of Keystone Chiropractic, located at 420 State Road 7, Suite 170, in Royal Palm Beach. Fit2Run and Chung have joined forces to create a partnership that offers the running community educational seminars that will enhance the overall running experience. Chung is a chiropractor who focuses on structural correction, with a focus on structural shifts of the spine. He graduated from the

University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and molecular biology before earning his doctorate from Life University’s College of Chiropractic. Chung is certified in pediatrics from the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, and is a structural chiropractic researcher who has been published in scientific

peer-reviewed journals. “Fit2Run is a central hub for Wellington and Royal Palm Beach’s running community,” Store Manager Brenda Browning said. “Each week we host runners from the Wellington Runner’s Club, as well as casual runners throughout the county. Dr. Chung is a staple of our running community. His unique

Fit2Run Store Manager Brenda Browning with Dr. Jon Chung.

approach to chiropractic, as well as his willingness to give his time and knowledge to the local community through his running presentations, are a valued asset to Fit2Run.” Chung said it is an honor to partner with Fit2Run. “Fit2Run and Keystone Chiropractic share a similar goal in helping Wellington and Royal Palm Beach runners make the

most of their running experience,” he said. “The proper running shoe, proper gait and optimal structure are equally critical. As one of the few chiropractors in Florida who focuses on structure, it is gratifying to know that Fit2Run recognizes the importance of spinal structure and humbling to be a part of this fantastic relationship.”

Dr. Jon Chung works with a Fit2Run patron.

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August 2 - August 8, 2013

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Dining & Entertainment

The Town-Crier

Lynn University Announces 2013-14 Live At Lynn Series

Season subscriptions and individual show tickets are now available for the popular Libby Dodson’s Live at Lynn theater series at Lynn University in Boca Raton for 2013-14. Scheduled headliners at the Keith C. and Elaine Johnson Wold Performing Arts Center include a return visit by the Capitol Steps, a book musical featuring songs by Johnny Cash, a tribute to the Bee Gees, a salute to tap dancing, four Broadway headliners and the Tony Award-winning Sweet Charity. “Once again, this year’s Live at Lynn Theatre Series will host six amazing shows that will delight entertainment fans of all ages. Anyone who loves beautiful music and dance, all brilliantly performed by top-tier talents, should plan now on attending every knock-out production,” said Jan McArt, producer and director of theatre arts program development. The Capitol Steps will perform on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 20 at 4 p.m. This show puts the “mock” in democracy. Capitol Steps was born in 1981 when some senate staffers wanted to stage a nativity play, but in the whole Congress they couldn’t find three wise men or a virgin. So, they dug into the headlines and created song

parodies and skits that convey their special brand of satirical humor. Ring of Fire, based on music by Johnny Cash, will be performed on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. This toe-tapping, book musical features 14 performers, including two-time Grammy Award winner Lari White and Tony Award winner Jarrod Emick. Coming from Broadway, this theatrical delight includes 38 hit songs by the legendary man in black. Tap: The Show will be performed on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 5 at 4 p.m. Tap your feet to the beat. This nonstop, rhythmic energy show is wrapped in dazzling costumes and backed by a soaring orchestra score. An extravaganza of award-winning dancers and singers, this show brings you re-creations of Broadway show-stoppers, soft shoe, flamenco, Irish step and more. Stayin’Alive One Night of the Bee Gees will be performed on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday Feb. 16 at 4 p.m. This show pays homage to one of the most legendary groups of all time, the Bee Gees, who provided the soundtrack to the blockbuster disco flick, Saturday Night Fever. Three talented singers will rekindle the magic memories of

numerous mega-hits such as “How Deep is Your Love.” Sweet Charity will be performed on Saturday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m. and again on Sunday, March 16 at 4 p.m. Winner of five Tony Awards, this tender, poignant and consistently funny show created by Neil Simon follows the love-challenged misadventures of Charity Valentine, a “lady of the evening” who always gives her heart and her earnings to the wrong man. The tuneful score by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields includes “Hey, Big Spender” and other audience favorites. It’s a girls night out on March 29 and 30 with Broadway headliners Christine Andreas (La Cage aux Folles), Andrea McArdle (Annie), Maureen McGovern (Little Women) and Faith Prince (Guys and Dolls). This show presents these four award-winning show biz veterans performing some of the biggest hits from Broadway. Performance times for “4 Girls 4” are Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m. Also during 2013-14 season, the Wold Performing Arts Center will be home for the “American Songbook Series,” featuring musical tributes by Marshall Turkin and the Classic Jazz Ensemble to immortal songwriters and singers

Photographic Centre To Present Two Exhibitions Focused On Cuba

The Palm Beach Photographic Centre recently revealed two upcoming exhibitions, both focused on Cuba and running simultaneously. They open Aug. 24 at the nonprofit museum located within City Center in downtown West Palm Beach. The Conflux of Eternities: Historical Discourse in the Work of Kadir López Nieves — Nieves was born in 1972 in the Cuban province of Las Tunas. His talent was recognized at the early age of 12, when he was chosen to receive a formal art education from grade school through

graduate studies as part of Cuba’s education system. He graduated from the prestigious Instituto Superior de Artes (ISA) in Havana in 1995. Like many artists of his generation, Nieves came to artistic maturity at a time when the image and illusion of the Cuban Revolution’s triumph was greatly diminished. Much of his work is inspired by a meditation on time: in blurring the lines between past, present and future, he critiques the effects of progress, or lack thereof, on society in spiritual, economic and political arenas. For example,

“Monopoly” by Kadir López.

in his recent body of work “Signs,” Nieves repurposed porcelain-lacquered steel advertising signs from pre-revolutionary Cuba that celebrate the island as the economic and cultural capital of the Americas by fusing black and white photographs chronicling events of a bygone era. The irony achieved by juxtaposing image and text serves to provide a deeper, more complicated reading of the island’s history. An American Presence in Cuba — This exhibit features works by a wide variety of photographers. This exhibition will provide a glimpse of pre-embargo Cuba with shots of numerous island visitors from celebrated artists and athletes to U.S. presidents, as well as movie stars and business tycoons. There will be an opening night reception with Nieves on Aug. 23 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend this free event. The Palm Beach Photographic Centre is in the City Center complex at 415 Clematis St. in downtown West Palm Beach. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, call (561) 253-2600 or visit www.work shop.org or www.fotofusion.org.

Tap: The Show will be featured as part of Libby Dodson’s Live at Lynn theater series at Lynn University in Boca Raton. including George Gershwin (Nov. 3); Marvin Hamlish, Dave Brubeck and Whitney Houston (Jan. 12); the music and times of African-Americans and all that jazz (Feb. 2); Cole Porter (March 9); and Jerry Herman (April 27). All performances are at 4 p.m. The 750-seat Wold Performing Arts Center, located on Lynn University’s campus in Boca Raton, is easily accessible by both I-95 and Florida’s Turnpike.

Season subscriptions are now available at a 25 percent discount: $225 for orchestra seats (regularly $300) and $202 for mezzanine seating (usually $270). Individual show tickets are $40 for box, $30 for orchestra and $25 for mezzanine. Both season subscriptions and individual show tickets can be purchased by phone at (561) 2379000, online at http://give.lynn.edu/ theatrearts or at the box office at the Wold Performing Arts Center.

Clay-Glass-MetalStone Gallery Will Break Records Aug. 2

On Friday, Aug. 2, Clay-GlassMetal-Stone Cooperative Gallery will be breaking all records, and then making art out of them. Several hundred of those old vinyl records no one plays anymore wandered into the gallery one day. A dozen of the gallery’s artists pounced on them, making them into unique and unusual works of art. The gallery will serve its usual gallery feast from bowls formed from these discs. This event takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. and is free to the public. Studio Dance of Lake Worth’s Michael Puccio will teach swing dancing in the streets during the event. Dance to the tunes of the ’60s and ’70s from the records not broken. The section of J Street in front of the gallery will be closed between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. for this fun event. Poutine Dog, the Canadian hot dog restaurant next door to the gallery, will serve hot-diggity dogs all evening long. Art, food and dancing in the streets is what J Street is becoming. Join in the fun. “Evenings on the

Avenue” are offered every first and third Friday, and all events are free to the public. On Friday evening, Aug. 16, Craig McInnis of Jerry’s Artarama will offer free art lessons using the remaining records to create one-ofa-kind paintings. This will be part of a special event featuring four of Clay-Glass-Metal-Stone’s newest artists. Clay-Glass-Metal-Stone Cooperative Gallery is sponsored by the Flamingo Clay Studio, a nonprofit arts organization, whose mission is to provide affordable studio and gallery space for three-dimensional artists. The gallery is located at 15 South J St. in downtown Lake Worth. Hours are Sunday through Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Gallery openings are the first and third Friday of each month from 6 to 9 p.m. with many special events in-between. For information call Joyce Brown at (215) 205-9441 or JCLay6@ aol.com. Call the gallery at (561) 588-8344.

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Health & Fitness Spotlight

August 2 - August 8, 2013

Page 29

Have A Fun And Fit Summer With These Exercise Ideas By Tania Artiles Special To The Town-Crier Summer is the perfect time to set an exercise plan in motion. Warm temperatures, longer daylight hours and ample outdoor opportunities allow exercisers to burn calories while enjoying the vibrant season. So why not have fun by trying more invigorating and challenging workouts on the weekend? Outdoor activities such as biking, hiking and inline skating allow you to reap up to six times more fat-blasting, body-shaping benefits than cruising around the neighborhood on foot. And you don’t have to be a hard-core athlete or fitness freak to get the most out of them. Here are some fun ideas for summer exercises that will leave you feeling fit and having fun: • Swimming — A perfect pastime for long summer days, swimming is actually a great form of exercise. Not only do you get to keep cool while being active, but you can burn plenty of calories. Generally, a person weighing 150 pounds can burn 360 calories in 30 minutes of swimming. There are many exercise options when in a swimming pool — tread

water, swim strokes, perform water aerobics and more. • Hiking — Enjoying the great outdoors is part of making the most of summertime. To get in a little exercise while communing with nature, grab your hiking boots and head to the nearest park. Hiking, especially in hilly terrain, is akin to strenuous exercise. Just make sure to pack some sunscreen, comfortable socks, a hat and maybe even a walking stick for sure footing. Hiking can burn up to 400 calories per hour and improve cardiovascular fitness. Plus, hiking builds stronger, leaner thighs and firms the body from the waist down. For local hiking clubs, check out the American Hiking Society. • Cycling — Riding a bike is the perfect exercise; it’s a fun way to work those leg muscles. Biking burns 500 to 700 calories per hour, depending on speed and terrain. It builds muscle in the thighs, calves and caboose. Stay safe while riding by wearing a helmet. Cycle shorts provide padding and wick away moisture, preventing chafing. For biking trails, consult www.bicycling.com. If you don’t own a bike or the equipment, Ultima Fitness can

help. Ultima offers indoor cycling classes on a daily basis. Check out the group fitness schedule online at www.ultimafitness.com. • Kayaking — Pulling the paddle against the water is great resistance. It targets shoulders, triceps, biceps, back and core. Burn up to 340 calories per hour for a sculpted upper body. Kayaking is like meditating on water; the perfect vantage point for taking in the abundant wildlife and sea life. Beginners should use an open kayak, or take a lesson to learn how to escape the kayak first. To find local instructors, visit Kayak Online (www.kayakonline.com). For an indoor option, Ultima Fitness has equipment available that can do the job, such as the Concept 2 Rowing Machines. These rowers target the same muscle groups. • Inline Skating — Sculpt your buns and thighs without pounding your knees. Skating is much less jarring than other high-intensity sports like jogging. It provides a high-adrenaline release from mental baggage and burns 800 calories per hour. Don’t be intimidated. Ease into it by taking lessons. Use an empty parking lot or driveway for

practice. For courses in the area, visit the Inline Skating Resource Center (www.iisa.org). • Ultima Fitness — Not a fan of the summer heat? Try an indoor option at Ultima Fitness. There is no excuse for not having a good workout during the summer months. Come try Ultima’s summer specials such as fitness memberships, personal training sessions and specialty programs like BCx Fusion Boot Camp. For a complete one-hour workout, try one of the group fitness classes. Ultima offers more than 45 classes per week, including Zumba, yoga, indoor cycling and more. If you need assistance, a one-hour session with a certified personal trainer can be scheduled. For an intense workout, try one of the BCx Fusion classes. To find out more about the options, and to take advantage of a free trial workout, visit www. ultimafitness.com. • Tae Kwon Do — Located inside Ultima Fitness is Xtreme Tae Kwon Do. This program is offered to both children and adults all

year long. Each summer, there is a special for the entire family. Children and adults can benefit from this “sun-proof workout” that will strengthen both the mind and body. Parents have seen their children focus better and achieve success in academic studies. Adults are more confident and feel better about themselves with increased energy and concentration. In tae kwon do, you will learn to respect life through mental, physical and philosophical studies. For more information, visit www.wellington taekwondo.com. All of these activities make great summer exercises, but be proactive and don’t partake in any activity without taking safety precautions. Every day is a great day to work out, so put excuses aside, get out there and have some fun. For more info., call (561) 795-2823 or visit www.ultimafitness. com. Tania Artiles is sales and marketing manager at Ultima Fitness/ Xtreme Tae Kwon Do.

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August 2 - August 8, 2013

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The Town-Crier

Community Calendar

Saturday, Aug. 3 • The Audubon Society of the Everglades will host a carpool tour around the stormwater treatment area managed by the South Florida Water Management District on Saturday, Aug. 3 at 7 a.m. The tour will include views of the birds that accumulate in the waters. Space is limited. Call Linda at (561) 742-7791 to RSVP. Visit www.auduboneverglades.org for more info. • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host Java Jam on Saturday, Aug. 3 at 2 p.m. Experience a caffeinated collection of local talent or bring your acoustic instruments and jam out. Coffee will be provided. Call (561) 681-4100 for more info. • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host Lego Builders Club for ages 6 to 12 on Saturday, Aug. 3 at 2 p.m. Meet fellow builders and work on creative projects. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register. Monday, Aug. 5 • The Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation Department is offering a Summer Nature Camp for children ages 9 to 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, Aug. 5-9 at the Okeeheelee Nature Center (7715 Forest Hill Blvd.). For more information, drop by the Okeeheelee Nature Center, call (561) 233-1400 or visit www. pbcparks.com/nature. • Whole Foods Market in Wellington (2635 State Road 7) will host a Kids’ Cooking Camp for ages 6 to 12 Monday through Friday, Aug. 5-9, from 9 to 2 p.m. Take a road trip around the U.S. and cook regional foods. The cost is $175 for the week. Pre-registration is required at the customer service desk. Call (561) 9044000 for more info. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature Art Club for ages 8 and up Monday, Aug. 5 at 4 p.m. Live through your art by exploring different mediums. Dress to get messy. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info. Tuesday, Aug. 6 • Polo Park Middle School (11901 Lake Worth Road, Wellington) will hold a threeday preparatory program for incoming sixth graders Tuesday, Aug. 6 through Thursday, Aug. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon. The school will also offer parents a preparatory session Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 9 a.m. For more info., call (561) 333-5500. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature Hurricane Preparedness for adults Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 2:30 p.m. Mike

Geier from the Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management will discuss how to prepare for, survive and recover from hurricanes. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will feature Clay Pendants on Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 5:30 p.m. Sculpt clay pendants from air-dry, red clay that mimic textures created by Florida’s first people. Call (561) 681-4100 for more info. • The Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce will host a mixer Tuesday, Aug. 6 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina (11121 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach). To RSVP, call (561) 790-6200 or visit www. cpbchamber.com. • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host Japanese Anime & Culture Club for ages 12 to 17 on Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 6:30 p.m. Hang out and watch Anime, talk about Japanese culture and eat snacks. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register. • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host Crochet Club for ages 9 and up Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 6:30 p.m. Learn basic stitches and socialize while you work on projects. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register. • The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council will meet Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District office (101 West D Road). Call (561) 7932418 or visit www.loxahatcheegroves.org for more info. • The Audubon Society of the Everglades will host its annual ice cream social followed by a picture show Tuesday, Aug. 6 at FAU’s Pine Jog Environmental Education Center (6301 Summit Blvd.). Members are invited to bring their best nature photos to share. Doors open at 7 p.m. The meeting is free and open to the public. For more info., visit www.auduboneverglades.org. Wednesday, Aug. 7 • Whole Foods Market in Wellington (2635 State Road 7) will host Toothpaste Swap Out on Wednesday, Aug. 7 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Swap out conventional toothpaste for a free, full-size tube of Himalaya neem and pomegranate toothpaste, while supplies last. Limit one per household. Call (561) 904-4000 for more info. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature Not Your Grandma’s Bingo for ages 5 and up Wednesday, Aug. See CALENDAR, page 31

The Town-Crier

Community Calendar CALENDAR, continued from page 30 7 at 10:30 a.m. Create your own card and see if luck is on your side. Call (561) 7906070 for more info. • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host Shark Story Time for ages 4 to 7 on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 3:30 p.m. Take a bite out of a good book during a shark-themed story time. Call (561) 7906030 to pre-register. • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host American Girl: Samantha for ages 6 to 12 on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 4 p.m. Celebrate Samantha with turn-ofthe-century crafts and games. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature Hooked on Crochet for adults Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m. Learn beginning techniques or bring current projects. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info. • The Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors will meet Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the district office (13476 61st St. North). Call (561) 793-0874 or visit www.indiantrail.com for more info. • Company, the award-winning musical by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth, concludes the summer season at Palm Beach Dramaworks with performances Wednesday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 18 at the Don & Ann Brown Theatre (201 Clematis St., West Palm Beach). For tickets, call the box office at (561) 514-4042 or visit www.palmbeachdramaworks.org. Thursday, Aug. 8 • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host Fantastic Phonemes for ages 4 to 7 on Thursday, Aug. 8 at 2 p.m. Play fun learning games and puzzles and listen to a story filled with fantastic phonemic sounds and funny onsets and rhymes. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature eBook Assistance: Oneon-One for adults Thursday, Aug. 8 at 2:15 p.m. and Thursday, Aug. 22 at 10:15 a.m. Call for an appointment with a librarian and learn how to borrow the library’s eBooks. Bring your compatible eReader, tablet or mobile device, and a laptop computer. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info. • Wellington’s Food Truck Invasion will take place Thursday, Aug. 8 from 5 to 9:30 p.m. at the Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Call (561)

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753-2484 or visit www.wellingtonfl.gov for more info. • Whole Foods Market in Wellington (2635 State Road 7) will host The Sushi Stop featuring the vegetarian green dragon crunch roll with brown rice Thursday, Aug. 8 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. There is no charge. Call (561) 904-4000 for more info. • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host Drawing Basics for ages 12 to adult Thursday, Aug. 8 at 5:30 p.m. Render a two-dimensional still life using basic drawing techniques. Call (561) 6814100 to pre-register. Friday, Aug. 9 • KWP Productions’ Second Stage Players will present A History of the American Film by Christopher Durang at Atlantic Arts Theatre (6743 W. Indiantown Road, Suite 34, Jupiter) Friday, Aug. 9 through Sunday, Aug. 11, with performances at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The show is for mature audiences. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students, available at www.kwpproductions.com. Call (561) 575-4942 for more info. • KWP Productions will present The Story of Hansel and Gretel with the Overtures, a cast of elementary and middle school actors, at Mo’s Art Theatre (700 Park Ave., Lake Park) Friday, Aug. 9 and Saturday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 11 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students, available at www. kwpproductions.com. Call (561) 337-6763 for more info. • The Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) will present a free screening of the movie Oz The Great And Powerful on Friday, Aug. 9 at 8 p.m. Call (561) 753-2484 or visit www.wellingtonfl. gov for more info. Saturday, Aug. 10 • “It Could Be a Wonderful World,” a concert for children, will be presented at the Lake Worth Playhouse on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 2 p.m. The concert features five of the region’s most popular performers, along with animals from the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary. Tickets are available at the Lake Worth Playhouse box office and at www. lakeworthplayhouse.org. For more info., contact Andy Amoroso at (561) 533-5272 or Joyce Brown at (215) 205-9441. Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@gotowncrier.com.

August 2 - August 8, 2013

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Sports & Recreation

August 2 - August 8, 2013

Page 33

SRHS Quarterback Zach DeCosta Leads Hawks To Victory

By Gene Nardi Town-Crier Staff Report Seminole Ridge High School starting quarterback Zach DeCosta has been training through the summer to improve his skills for the coming fall season. The 6-foot, 180-pound senior has had the starting job since the spring of his sophomore year, when former SRHS quarterback Antwan

Washington transferred to Glades Central High School. Critics doubted DeCosta’s ability to lead the football powerhouse at such a young age, and after a rough 0-2 start last season against William T. Dwyer and Park Vista high schools, a successful season appeared as if it was out of reach for the Hawks. “The losses brought us closer

DeCosta stays in the pocket and looks to throw down field in the “Best of the West” game against crosstown rival Royal Palm Beach. Photos by Gene Nardi/Town-Crier

together as a team and motivated us,” DeCosta said. “We focused on what we needed to do, watching film and training.” The Hawks won a pivotal game against Wellington High School the following week, and continued their streak, winning their remaining seven regular season games. DeCosta directed the Hawks to a district championship, and led them through a 35-31, come-from-behind rematch victory against Park Vista. DeCosta threw a 46-yard touchdown pass at the end of the game to send the Hawks into their much-anticipated match-up against rival Palm Beach Central High School. “We knew we had to play together as a team to beat them this time,” he said. Under DeCosta’s leadership, the Hawks won decisively, 31-7, over the Broncos. The Hawks season came to an end in the final eight in the FHSAA regional tournament, where they fell to Broward powerhouse Cypress Bay High School, 31-14. DeCosta is no stranger to football, he has played the sport in the Acreage/Loxahatchee area since he was 5 years old. DeCosta put up 868 passing yards last season, six post-season touchdown passes and received honorable

mention in last season’s Palm Beach Post all-county. He noted that the Hawks are not primarily a passing team, but can put the ball in the air when necessary. DeCosta credits his success to his team, offensive line and Hawk quarterback coach Frank Binstead. He also looks forward to his senior season with new head coach Scott Barnwell, who served as assistant coach last season. DeCosta believes Barnwell can carry on the SRHS football tradition and continue the team’s success. DeCosta has not had much time off through the summer, preparing for his senior season. He attended four camps in addition to keeping a strict schedule in the weight room to improve his strength, as well as throwing to hone his accuracy. DeCosta puts an emphasis on education. He finished his junior year with a 3.6 GPA. “If I decide not to play football in college, I would like to attend a university in Florida,” he said. Amherst College and Methodist College are a couple of the schools that have expressed interest in DeCosta, and that list is sure to grow at the conclusion of the fall season. With his senior year still to unfold as a Hawk quarterback, there will be

DeCosta looks down field for a receiver in the Hawks’ pivotal 26-7 victory over Wellington. many new chapters to write, but it is clear that DeCosta has been committed to excellence in developing himself as a leader for the Seminole Ridge football team.

Former PBCHS Kicker Patrick O’Donnell To Play For UM

By Joshua Hyber Town-Crier Staff Report Patrick O’Donnell grew up in the prime era of University of Miami football. He watched and admired the All-Americans, the record-setting amount of top draft picks and the BCS national championships. He was raised a Hurricane. Now O’Donnell is truly part of the Hurricane football family. The former Palm Beach Central High School punter is returning home to South Florida, where he will join the Miami football team after four years at the University of Cincinnati. “I’ve always been a Hurricanes fan, listening to them on the weekends growing up. It’s pretty much embedded into my family,” O’Donnell said. “Watching the great players come from this program, it’s exciting to be a part of it.” O’Donnell graduated from Cincinnati and, because of a fifth year of eligibility, is able to transfer to Miami, where he will receive a master’s degree in liberal arts. O’Donnell was the first-team punter when UM head coach Al Golden released the Hurricanes depth chart on April 16. The PBCHS alum is also one of 25 players on the “watch list” for the 2013 Ray Guy Award, given to the nation’s top collegiate punter.

Although he has already had such success, O’Donnell is actually fairly new to kicking. He began playing football in high school as a tight end and linebacker. It wasn’t until his junior season, when he saw Wellington’s Matt DiLallo receive a scholarship to the University of Colorado, that he saw a future in kicking. As a senior, O’Donnell earned first-team all-state and all-district honors, and was the co-winner of the 2008 Lou Groza Award, given to the top kicker in Palm Beach County. That season, he was part of the first winning team in PBCHS history. He made sure of it by kicking a game-winning field goal against Boynton Beach High School in overtime in the last game of the season. “I just remember we had a great coach, Rod Harris, who brought that team together,” O’Donnell said. “It prepared me a lot... I think it definitely prepared me for college ball and to play at that high level of competition and to excel.” Travis Simmons was the Broncos’ quarterback at the time. He also held O’Donnell’s field goal attempts, including that last game against Boynton Beach. The Broncos were down three points with less than two minutes to go in the fourth quarter. O’Don-

nell made a 40-plus yarder to force overtime. He later hit a go-ahead field goal in overtime to give the Broncos the lead for good. “Pat was a great teammate on and off the field and took football very seriously,” Simmons said. “He made everyone around him better when it came to both football and academics. Pat and I spent a lot of time hanging out and going to kicking camps during the off season. Every game Pat kicked he was automatic and made very few mistakes.” O’Donnell was lured to Cincinnati by the success of the UC program (they had just won the Orange Bowl) and by head coach Brian Kelly. At UC, O’Donnell was first team AllBig East in 2011, averaging 43.8 yards per punt. He was UC’s primary punter for the past three seasons, averaging 42.6-yards a punt. In his four years as a Bearcat, UC won the Big East three times. Now he’s happy to be home, and especially to once again be on the same field as Shane McDermott, another former Bronco playing at UM. “It’s exciting to get back in the same locker room as him,” O’Donnell said. “He was one of my good friends at Palm Beach Central and good friends period growing up. Hopefully I can ACC championship with him this year.”

Palm Beach Central alum Patrick O’Donnell practices his kick. He will play for the University of Miami next season. Photo courtesy O’Donnell family

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sports & recreation

Williams Wins Gold At RPBHS Dancers Shine At Disney World The Wildcat Dancers Dance er and Dance Director Michele Disney resort hotel. The rest of the USA HP Championship Team from Royal Palm Beach Blecher. weekend was team bonding time at High School performed during The large audience at Disney’s Walt Disney World. prime time at Downtown Disney’s Waterfront Main Stage on July 26. The RPBHS dancers worked over the summer for two weeks learning seven new dance routines choreographed by master teach-

Royal Palm Beach volleyball player Bailey Williams recently returned from the USA HP championship in Fort Lauderdale. The Florida region Girls National Select team won the gold medal, defeating teams from Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Iowa and southern California.

Waterfront Main Stage enjoyed the team’s performance, which was a mix of routines in the dance styles of jazz, lyrical and contemporary. After the team’s performance, they enjoyed a pool party at a

Blecher, team members and parents were thrilled with the successful opening season performance and look forward to the team’s 2013-14 season of shows and competitions.

Wildcat Dancers — Will Benacourt, Maureen Derius, Rachel Lambe, Loida Jimenez, Ana Rolden, Yoreli Maderia, Captain Bryce Blecher, Dance Director Michele Blecher, Brittany Canales, Bianca Labady, Stephanie Sanchez, Bri Gribble, Tatyana Blackmon and Andres Cazares.

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sports & recreation

August 2 - August 8, 2013

Page 35

Bassmasters Host Fishing Tourney Out Of Belle Glade

The Royal Palm Bassmasters held its monthly fishing tournament July 15 out of the Belle Glade boat ramp on Lake Okeechobee. First place was awarded to the team of Larry Payne (boater) with five fish weighing 14 lbs., 1 oz. and partner Herman Parker (co-angler) with five fish weighing 6 lbs., 3 oz., for a team weight of 20 lbs., 4 oz. Second place was awarded to the team of Phil Northrop (boater) with five fish weighing 14 lbs., 1 oz. and partner Irene Northrop (co-angler) with two fish weighing 2 lbs., 6 oz., for a team weight of 16 lbs. 7 oz. Third place was awarded to the team of Ed Singleton (boater) with

five fish weighing 10 lbs., 11 oz. and partner Chris Schultz (co-angler) with five fish weighing of 5 lbs., 11 oz. for a total weight of 16 lbs., 6 oz. The big fish of the tournament was caught by Payne; a bass weighing 6 lbs., 11 oz. The Royal Palm Bassmasters meet on the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center (100 Sweet Bay Lane). The club is now accepting applications for new boater and non-boater members. For more information about the Royal Palm Bassmasters, e-mail rpbassmasters@gmail.com. or visit www.royalpalmbassmasters.org.

Ed Singlton and Chris Schultz.

Irene Northrop.

Larry Payne and Herman Parker.

The Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation Department is offering a summer nature camp for children ages 9-12 at the Okeeheelee Nature Center, Aug. 5-9, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Participating campers will have fun celebrating 500 years of Florida, exploring cultural and natural

history through field trips and fun activities that might include an airboat ride in the Everglades, snorkeling at the beach, visiting historical sites, animal encounters, crafts and games. The fee is $150 per child. Registration is open until filled and is limited to 20 campers. For more

information, or to get a registration form, visit the Okeeheelee Nature Center or www.pbcparks.com/ nature and click on the Okeeheelee link. The Okeeheelee Nature Center is located in Okeeheelee Park at 7715 Forest Hill Blvd. Call (561) 2331400 for more information.

Page 36 August 2 - August 8, 2013

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EMPLOYMENT DRIVERS: $5,000 Sign-On Bonus! — Consistent Freight, Great Miles on this Regional Account. Werner Enterprises: 1-888-567-4854

WELLINGTON

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F O R R E N T: 3 B ed , 2 bath , Townhome — W/garage!!! Great Location In Gated Community. Background Check Req. Pets Ok. $1,600 Per Month! Call 561-790-6944.

TEACHER AND TEACHERS ASSISTANT POSTIONS — Needed for Pre-School Monday-Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. or 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Please call 561-790-0808

F O R R E N T: 3 bed , 2 bath Single Story Home — With Garage & Screened Patio!! Beautiful Home In Gated Community. Background Check Req. Pets Ok. $1,600 Per Month! Call 561-790-6944. FOR RENT: 4 Bed, 2.5bath, Lakefront, 2 Story Townhome — W/garage & Screened Patio!!! Beautiful Home In Gate d C o m m u n i t y. B a c k g r o u n d Check Req. Pets Ok. $1,800 Per Month! Call 561-790-6944. F O R R E N T: 2 B ed 2 bath Single Story Townhome — W/ garage & Screened Patio!! Great Location In Gated Community. Background Check Req. Pets Ok. $1,400 Per Month! Call 561-790-6944. OFFICE/WAREHOUSE SPACE Available Now 2,500 and 3,000 sq. ft. Space with paint booth. Located behind Al Packer West

Call 561-662-0246 or 334-740-3431 For More Information.

TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS CALL 561-793-7606 TODAY

VOLUNTEERS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS AGES 14 AND UP — to help out our non-profit animal sanctuary . 2 days a week for 4 hours a day. Get community hours and have fun. Call 561-792-2666

SUMMER CAMP VOLUNTEERS Community service hours needed to work with horses & children 561-793-4109

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A/C AND REFRIGERATION

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

PAINTING

SCREENING

JOHN C. HUNTON AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION, INC.—Service & new installation FPL independent participating contractor. Lic. CAC 057272 Ins. “We are proud supporters of the Seminole Ridge Hawks” 561-7983225. Family Owned & Operated since 1996. Credit Cards Accepted

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 CRC1327426 561-248-8528

COLORS BY CORO, INC. — Int./Ext. residential painting, over 20 yrs exp. Small Jobs welcome. Free est. Ins. 561-3838666. Owner/Operated. Lic.# U20627 Ins. Wellington Resident

JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio rescreening. Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed! CRC1329708 call us 7983132. www.poolscreenrepair.com

YOUR AD HERE CALL 793-3576

PLUMBING

HURRICANE SHUTTERS

JEREMY JAMES PLUMBING — Licensed plumber, legitimate estimate. Water heaters, new construction. CFC1426242. Bonded Insured. CFC1426242. 561-601-6458

CLEANING - HOME/OFFICE WE CLEAN OFFICES & PRIVATE HOMES — Licensed & Insured. Call for an estimate and to schedule your apartment. Discount for Central Palm Beach County Chamber members and to all new clients for first cleaning. 561-385-8243 Lic. #2012-252779 CLEANING — Residential & Commercial home & office cleaning. Home organization for closets / bathrooms & more. Since 2005 in Palm Beach County references available.Call Vera 561-598-0311

Town-Crier Classifieds 793-3576 COMPUTER REPAIR D.J. COMPUTER — Home & office, Spyware removal, websites, networks, repairs, upgrades, virus removal, tutoring. Call Jeff 561-333-1923 Cell 561-2521186 Lic’d Well. & Palm Beach. We accept major credit cards.

DRIVEWAY REPAIR 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

HANDYMAN 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) 8012010 or (954) 444-3178 Serving Palm Beach and Broward Counties.

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

INSURANCE 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

MASSAGE THERAPY MOBILE MASSAGE THERAPY — Feeling Run Down From Everything Life Throws At You? Look After Your Health & Wellness With Therapeutic Massage Especially For Women” From Full Body Swedish Massage to Targeted Deep Tissue Massage. Mention This ad Save $15. Call Florence 561-255-8470 Lic#MA 54559

PAINTING J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential. Interior & Exterior painting. Certified pressure cleaning & painting contractor. Lic. #U21552 Call Butch 309-6975 or visit ourwebsite 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

PRESSURE CLEANING J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential. Interior & Exterior painting. Certified pressure cleaning & painting contractor. Lic. #U21552 Call Butch at 309-6975 or visit us at www.jbpressurecleaningandpainting.com PLACE YOUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LISTING HERE CALL 793-3576

ROOFING M I N O R R O O F R E PA I R S D on H artmann R oof ing — Roof painting, Carpent r y. L i c . # U 1 3 6 7 7 9 6 7 - 5 5 8 0 ROBERT G. HARTMANN ROOFING — Specializing in repairs. Free estimates, Bonded,insured. Lic. #CCC 058317 Ph: 561-790-0763. ROOFING REPAIRS REROOFING ALL TYPES — Pinewood Construction, Inc. Honest and reliable. Serving Palm Beach County for over 20 years. Call Mike 561-309-0134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC-023773 RC-0067207

SECURITY SECURITY — American owned local security company in business 30 plus years. Protection by officers drug tested. 40 hour course. Licensed & Insured. 561-848-2600

SHUTTERS/PANELS ACCORDION SHUTTERS — Gutters, screen enclosures, siding, soffits, aluminum roofs, Serving the Western Communities. Since 1985. U-17189 561-791-9777

SPRINKLER SYSTEMS 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

TILE / CERAMICS S P E C I A L I Z I N G I N B AT H ROOM REMODELING — Free estimates serving South Florida since 1980. Quality you expect, service you deserve. Lic. bonded & Ins. U21006 561-662-9258

TREE SERVICE TREES TRIMMED AND REMOVED — 561-798-0412 D.M. YOUNG TREE SERVICE. Family Owned & Operated Lic. & Insured 1992-12121 Visit our website at dmyoungtreeservice.com

WATER SYSTEMS TROPICAL WATER SYSTEMS —Whole House Reverse Osmosis, Sale & Repair of Water Systems, Well Drilling, pumps, and sprinkler installation repair. 561-795-6630 561-718-7260(Cell)

WALLPAPERING 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

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August 2 - August 8, 2013

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FREE-W

IFI!

grill subs salads soups tacos burritos coffee smoothies self-serve frozen yogurt

Summer Special 10% OFF Frozen Yogurt Valid for frozen yogurt purchases. Must be redeemed by 8/31/13.

Welli Deli is open Sunday-Thursday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., serving breakfast and lunch. 13501 South Shore Blvd â€˘ Wellington, Florida 33414 â€˘ 561.784.5833 WelliDeliPWTW6.28.13.indd 2

6/24/13 11:22 AM