HARRELL SCORES BIG WIN FOR PARKS SEE STORY, PAGE 4
JULIE B. FOUNDATION BENEFIT SEPT. 27 SEE STORY, PAGE 7
WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE • WESTLAKE Your Community Newspaper
INSIDE
Volume 46, Number 16 August 8 - August 21, 2025
Serving Palms West Since 1980
TEACHER APPRECIATION EVENT
WCF Helps More Than 450 Students At 2025 Back-To-School Bash
The Wellington Community Foundation hosted its successful Back-to-School Bash 2025 on Saturday, July 26 at the Wellington Community Center. The event was aimed at providing essential school supplies and support to Wellington students and their families. Page 3
New Rep. Weinberger Rides House Roller Coaster For Key Wins
In her first legislative session since winning election in November 2024, State Rep. Meg Weinberger (R-District 94) made strong headway with bipartisan victories in animal welfare and environmental policy. But several reform measures on housing, education and public records stalled before reaching the floor. Page 4
Wellington Party In The Park Brightens Final Week Of Summer Break
On Friday, Aug. 1, the Village of Wellington held its fourth annual Back to School Party in the Park at the Wellington Amphitheater with a wide variety of activities for children, such as bounce houses, dance parties, and games like bean bag tossing and giant Jenga. The event was sponsored by the Christopher Aguirre Memorial Foundation. Page 7
The Mall at Wellington Green, in partnership with the Wellington Community Foundation and the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County, hosted its second annual teacher appreciation event “A Toast To Teachers” on Friday, Aug. 1, celebrating local educators with a back-to-school celebration. Shown above are mother and daughter teachers Kerry and Susan Mulligan with gifts. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 15 PHOTO BY FRANK KOESTER/TOWN-CRIER
Lowe’s And Behold, Westlake Will Be Getting Home Center
By Louis Hillary Park Town-Crier Staff Report It’s official. Not only is the City of Westlake getting a Lowe’s Home Improvement store, the location will serve as the headquarters for the company in south central Florida. On Tuesday, Aug. 5, the Westlake City Council voted 4-0 to approve the Lowe’s site plan for 147,000 square feet of main building, garden center and outdoor display space on some 12 acres to the west of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road near the north end of the community. Councilwoman Charlotte Leonard was not present. “A city getting a Lowe’s is akin to winning the retail lottery,” Mayor JohnPaul O’Connor said Wednesday. “It’s huge. It’s one of the dominoes that needed to tip to put us on the retail-commercial map.” Councilman Gary Werner
agreed. “This is a very big plus for us. Hopefully, it will bring in other big names,” he said. Lowe’s is a home improvement powerhouse founded over a century ago in North Carolina, now operating roughly 1,750 U.S. stores, with annual revenue above $80 billion. It serves millions of customers every week through its retail stores and procontractor business. “Lowe’s is the best in class when it comes to home improvement,” said Donaldson Hearing of the land planning firm Cotleur & Hearing. Hearing also represents Minto PBLH LLC, listed as an owner and applicant for site plan approval. The nearest Lowe’s store currently is located 11 miles from the center of Westlake at the corner of Southern Blvd. and State Road 7 in Royal Palm Beach. Christian Redman, Lowe’s district manager and a Loxahatchee
resident, said the Royal Palm Beach store draws customers from throughout Palm Beach County’s western communities, along with the Glades. He said he expects the Westlake store to pick up shoppers from those areas, including the west side of Wellington. “This will provide a great opportunity for everyone,” Hearing said. “It’s really, really exciting to see the City of Westlake come to life like this.” Werner said he believes the Lowe’s will help make Westlake a destination and not just a drivethrough town, something the community has struggled to capture since its inception in 2016. “Lowe’s fits perfectly within the vision of what is needed in the city,” said Werner, a professional city planner. “It’s a major brand store and national chain.” Redman said construction is See LOWE’S, page 12
New School And Speed Cameras Highlight Changes This School Year
By Joshua Manning Town-Crier Staff Report There will be a number of changes at schools in the western communities when the new academic year begins Monday, Aug. 11. There will be a new school opening, a new speed camera enforcement program and several new principals. After an accelerated building process, the new Saddle View Elementary School will open at 19830 Cane Field Trail, just outside the Arden community off Southern Blvd. near 20-Mile Bend. It’s the first new elementary school serving the western communities in more than a decade and will bring much-needed overcrowding relief to Wellington’s Binks Forest Elementary School. It also gives the fast-growing Arden neighborhood a nearby community school that doesn’t
require a five-mile trek east. “We are happy to be opening our new Saddle View Elementary School at Arden,” Palm Beach County School Board Vice Chair Marcia Andrews said. “I will be traveling with the superintendent on opening day. We will be starting at Saddle View at 7:15 a.m., and then we are heading to the A-rated Rosenwald Elementary School, and then to Pahokee Elementary School, which is another A-rated school in District 6.” Originally, Saddle View was supposed to open next year, but the school district accelerated its timeline. “The Arden community said to me that they wanted that school on the fast track, and they are so excited to have it open,” Andrews said. More than anything, Andrews is See SCHOOLS, page 12
PUPS & PILATES
On Sunday, July 27, Club Pilates Wellington and Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control teamed up for “Pups & Pilates,” a one-of-a-kind interactive adoption event at the Mall at Wellington Green. Participants had the opportunity to interact with several of the dogs up for adoption while enjoying a great Pilates workout led by Kat St. Clair. Shown above is Wandaliz Colon with a five-year-old husky. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 14 PHOTO BY FRANK KOESTER/TOWN-CRIER
Allyson Manning Takes Over At Divided Lox Council Equestrian Trails Elementary Hires Jeff Kurtz As In-House Attorney
Wellington’s Chizmar Crowned 11U Ninja World Champion
Wellington is the home to another world champion in sports. It’s 11-year-old Haven Chizmar, who has just returned from a winning performance at this year’s Federation of International Ninja Athletics (FINA) World Championship. Page 17 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 15 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 7 SPORTS..........................17 - 20 PEOPLE................................. 21 SCHOOLS.............................. 22 BUSINESS............................. 23 COLUMNS............................. 24 CLASSIFIEDS................ 25 - 26 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
By Christopher Vargas Town-Crier Staff Report One of the Wellington community’s top-performing schools, Equestrian Trails Elementary School has a new leader in Principal Allyson Manning. Manning, who was appointed in May as the last school year drew to a close, provides expertise in educational leadership along with a distinct future vision that is student-centered. “I am a proud product of the School District of Palm Beach County, where my passion for education first began,” said Manning, who earned her bachelor’s degree in education from Florida Atlantic University and her master’s degree in leadership from Nova Southeastern University. “These experiences have shaped my vision for what a supportive, inclusive and effective learning environment should look like.”
Her leadership style focuses on inspiring a common vision, empowering educators and encouraging continual growth. “Transformational leadership is, in my view, the foundation of a thriving school culture — one where collaboration, innovation and high expectations are the norm,” Manning explained. “When students see their teachers supported and inspired, that energy carries into the classroom, leading to strong student outcomes and a positive learning environment. Ultimately, it’s about building meaningful relationships, cultivating leadership at all levels, and working together to help every child succeed.” Manning most recently served as principal at Rolling Green Elementary School in Boynton Beach, where she built a reputation for accessibility, transparency and a steadfast commitment to students.
“I was reminded daily that students are my ‘why.’ Every decision I made was rooted in what was best for their growth, safety and success,” she explained. Located on Stribling Way, just off State Road 7, Equestrian Trails serves Wellington’s eastern neighborhoods. Manning said that she was especially drawn to Equestrian Trails because of its strong academic legacy and the school’s alignment with her own educational philosophy. “The school’s commitment to student achievement, innovation and meaningful relationships really stood out to me,” she said. “I’m truly looking forward to contributing to such a dedicated and high-achieving team, and I’m excited to bring my experience and passion to continue supporting the success of our students and staff.” As a STEM choice school, See MANNING, page 12
By Joshua Manning Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council agreed to hire Jeff Kurtz as the town’s in-house attorney at a meeting Tuesday, Aug. 5. Kurtz, currently special projects manager for the town, is an attorney who previously served as legal counsel for the Village of Wellington. He was set to take over the post Thursday, Aug. 7 after the council went over some final changes to his proposed agreement at Tuesday’s meeting. The vote on hiring Kurtz was 3-2 with Councilwoman Lisa El-Ramey and Councilman Paul Coleman dissenting. It was the fifth time that the council had discussed the issue since previous Town Attorney Glen Torcivia announced his res-
ignation in June. Torcivia’s firm, Torcivia, Donlon, Goddeau & Rubin P.A., has been the town’s legal counsel since 2019. At a meeting July 1, the council looked over an initial in-house agreement with Kurtz and decided to advertise the position through a request for proposals (RFP). Meeting again on July 8, Councilman Todd McLendon floated the idea of meeting with Kurtz to makes changes to his proposal to make it more palatable to the council. A revised agreement with Kurtz was the sole subject of a special council meeting on Tuesday, July 22. Not taking action that night, the council agreed to move forward with a previously scheduled Tuesday, July 28 meeting to interview the law firms that responded to the See KURTZ, page 7
Pierce Hammock Welcomes Walker As New Principal
By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report Serving the Palm Beach County community through education is a family legacy for Robera Walker, the new principal at Pierce Hammock Elementary School in The Acreage. “Education has always been a part of my life. Even as a young girl, I would go with my mom to her school, Rosenwald Elementary, and I would try to teach her kids in the summer,” Walker said. “However, I didn’t attend her school.” Walker’s mother, Mattie Walker, taught many grades, including fourth grade writing. After she retired, she returned as an academic tutor. Walker’s older sisters also teach.
Dariel McCrary is at Dr. Joaquín García High School, and Quesona Peterson is at Pioneer Park Elementary School. “There was no other way for me than education,” she said. “It’s part of who I am.” Even her grandmother, while not an educator, was known in the community for holding reading and writing sessions for local children. Walker has been in education for 25 years, starting in the front office as an attendance clerk before she went back to get her teaching degree to work with students with disabilities — her passion. Then, she was encouraged to go into leadership, where she has been since 2013. She taught at Pioneer Park
before spending 11 years as the principal at Belle Glade Elementary School. Walker’s proudest takeaway from her time at Belle Glade is the impact she had on the students and staff there. “I believe that education is the most valuable asset you can give a person, and being able to contribute to someone’s growth, whether it was a student or a teacher or even my custodians, it’s an honor,” she said. “One of my most meaningful accomplishments of that impact was being named the 2022 Principal of the Year.” Being named Palm Beach County Principal of the Year is not a small accomplishment. “That recognition is so much because it showed that the con-
tributions I’ve made to the school and community have not gone unnoticed,” Walker said. “There are so many great things happening in that school, and then to be acknowledged in that way as being the top principal in Palm Beach County, I think was just affirmation of my purpose and passion for this work. I love it.” And now Walker is excited about this new beginning and a chance to bring her passion for education to Pierce Hammock, located on Hamlin Blvd., just south of Northlake Blvd. in the northern reaches of The Acreage. “I think sometimes you can be somewhere for so long and feel like you’re not growing,” she said. “I’m in a new school, and a new community. There are going to be
Robera Walker so many new beginnings. I have a passion for developing teachers and watching students grow and reach their full potential, and See WALKER, page 7