NEW MEMBERS SEATED ON LOX COUNCIL SEE STORY, PAGE 3
BIKE RODEO AT RPB PARK ON MARCH 29 SEE STORY, PAGE 7
WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE • WESTLAKE Your Community Newspaper
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Wellington Committee Learns About Growing Danger Of ‘E-Bikes’
Volume 46, Number 6 March 21 - April 3, 2025
Serving Palms West Since 1980
INAUGURAL TASTE & TOAST EVENT
More than a dozen arrests in Wellington, and multiple deaths including one this month in Jupiter, are turning the spotlight on an exploding profusion of small electric vehicles, including bicycles, scooters and motorcycles, increasingly falling under the handlebar grip of young teenagers. Page 3
Gourmet Mushroom Farm Funds Rare Fruit Experiment
Did you know that the common banana might go extinct? The species faces a serious threat from a fungal ailment called Panama disease, which could lead to its extinction. Other familiar fruit crops could face a similar threat. But Loxahatchee farm owner Troy Schick may have the solution. Page 7
Wellington Spotlights Mental Health At Women’s ‘Tea Talk’
The Village of Wellington held its third annual Women’s History Month “Tea Talk” on Friday, March 14 at the Wellington Community Center to celebrate the outstanding contributions of women in Wellington and beyond. The afternoon featured traditional tea and delightful light bites at an event that highlighted the important topic of mental health for women and teens. Page 16
On Friday, March 7, the Village of Wellington partnered with the Mall at Wellington Green and Star Wine & Spirits to host the inaugural Taste & Toast event. The outdoor event near the main entrance to the mall featured more than 60 vendors on hand offering spirits, wine, food and desserts. Taste & Toast raised money for those affected locally by the October tornado. Shown above, Sharon Will, Julie Schalm and Jennifer Fortin enjoy the evening. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO BY FRANK KOESTER/TOWN-CRIER
Hmara, Sharps Win Seats In Royal Palm Beach Election
By Joshua Manning Town-Crier Staff Report Jeff Hmara, who has been serving as mayor of Royal Palm Beach since the unexpected passing of former Mayor Fred Pinto last September, was elected to the position by village voters Tuesday, March 11. Hmara garnered 1,498 votes (58.33 percent), while Vice Mayor Selena Samios took 928 votes (36.14 percent). Candidate Justin Plaza got 142 votes (5.53 percent). Hmara claimed a one-year term to fill the unexpired portion of Pinto’s term. “I am honored to be able to continue to serve as the mayor,” Hmara said after his election victory. “I am grateful not just for my supporters, but to all of the voters who came out to express their desires and opinions, so we can work together for the greater good of Royal Palm Beach.” In the race for the Group 3 council seat, Sylvia Sharps narrowly claimed victory with 984
votes (40.31 percent), leading Steve Avila with 965 votes (39.53 percent) — a 19-vote margin of victory. Fred Pinto’s widow, Donielle Pinto, placed third with 492 votes (20.16 percent). “Thank you for your trust in me, your belief in me and honoring me with your vote. I promised that I would be a representative of the people, and I will do just that,” Sharps said, inviting residents to call her if they need anything. Hmara and Sharps were set to take the oath of office Thursday, March 20 during the village’s annual reorganizational meeting. Hmara met with supporters after the polls closed at the Royal Palm Brewing Company. He said that it is now time to get to work. “That is what I am doing,” he said. “We will have a new village council with two brand-new council members and a newly elected mayor. That is a substantial change, and an opportunity to continue those things that are really sound and making changes with
fresh eyes and fresh leadership.” Hmara believes that his many years of community service gave him the edge in the election. “I think a lot of the voters know me and [my wife] Carolyn because we spend a tremendous amount of time out in the community listening to people,” he said. “We put forward a vision that makes sense to most community members and something we can actually achieve.” This will require working with other people and other government entities. “It is always about relationships,” Hmara added. “I know the power of trust.” His first goal is for the new council to “come together around a strategic planning activity and come to a common vision and direction.” “I am excited about having the new members to bring us together in a new way,” Hmara said. His priorities remain dealing with the village’s traffic woes See RPB ELECTION, page 4
Wellington Council Moves Forward With Lake Worth Road Roundabout
By Charles Elmore Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington Village Council agreed to move ahead with a $257,000 engineering consulting contract to get things moving with a roundabout at busy Lake Worth Road and 120th Avenue South, approving the deal in a meeting Tuesday, March 11. That makes possible a timeline to get the project built by December 2026, rather than waiting for a possible $1.5 million grant that might not see the roundabout constructed until 2029. “As much as I’d like to get grant money for this, I don’t want to push this out three more years,” Mayor Michael Napoleone said. “As we all know, this is an inter-
section that is highly used, and it is in desperate need of some sort of better traffic control than just a four-way stop sign… I’m for getting this resolved as quickly as we can.” Vice Mayor John McGovern agreed. “You speak for us all,” he said. Design options yet to be determined could include a four-way or five-way roundabout, which could ultimately cost $4 million or more. The village is budgeting for an amount in that range. A five-entrance option could, for example, connect 40th Street South, which leads mostly to horse farms, directly to the circle. “We have the [grant] application See ROUNDABOUT, page 14
DADDY DAUGHTER DANCE IN RPB
The Village of Royal Palm Beach hosted its annual Daddy Daughter Dance on Saturday, March 15 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center with a “Disney Sing-Along” theme. Family couples danced the night away and even had a chance to sing on stage. Shown above are Mitchell and Viviana Longley with Mila and Mike McKeehan. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 18 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
ITID Board Supports ‘Day Pass’ Paul Coleman Wins Plan To Use Some Park Fields Seat On Groves Town Council
Israeli Tennis-Playing Troupe Visits Wycliffe
For the eighth year, a delegation from the Israel Tennis & Education Centers (ITEC) paid a visit to the Wycliffe Golf & Country Club on Thursday, March 13. The purpose of the visit was to showcase how tennis is being successfully used to bridge gaps between children of different backgrounds in Israel. Page 21 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 18 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 7 SPORTS..........................21 - 24 PEOPLE................................. 25 SCHOOLS.............................. 26 BUSINESS............................. 27 COLUMNS............................. 28 CLASSIFIEDS................ 29 - 30 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
By Louis Hillary Park Town-Crier Staff Report The Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 at a meeting Tuesday, March 18 to establish a permitting procedure for anyone wishing to use the ball fields at Acreage Community Park North. It came as part of a package of changes to the district’s Parks & Recreation Policy recommended by staff. ITID President Elizabeth Accomando, who voted with Supervisor Betty Argue and Supervisor Michael Johnson to support the change, pointed out that the “day pass” will be free and available online and will involve only the playing fields at Acreage Community Park North. “You’ll be able to do it from your [cell] phone,” ITID Parks & Recreation Director Kenneth
Lawrence said on Wednesday. No permit will be necessary to access the park itself, or for individual, family or small group athletic use at Acreage Community Park South or ITID’s nine other parks. The change was requested to protect the fields from overuse and to avoid possible confrontations between park staff and non-permitted individuals or groups trying to use the facilities, ITID Executive Director Burgess Hanson said. Acreage Community Park North underwent a 10-month, $850,000 renovation before reopening in March 2023. It has three football fields and four baseball/softball fields. “I’m not down with a permitteduse-only facility,” said Supervisor Richard Vassalotti, who joined with Supervisor Patricia Farrell in voting against the idea. “As
I’ve said before, this is Acreage Community Park, not Acreage Permit Park, not Acreage Athletic League Park.” The Acreage Athletic League is the longtime youth sports provider for the area that now operates under a nonprofit athletic user agreement with ITID. As such, it has priority scheduling for all fields. Vassalotti suggested that three of the four baseball/softball fields be set aside for use by the AAL or other organized sports teams or leagues, while one is reserved for casual play, such as a father wanting to toss a baseball with his son, friends wanting to “shag flies” together or toss a football around. Aside from excessive wear on the fields, Hanson said having un-permitted fields puts park staff in an untenable position trying to determine who is merely a dad, See DAY PASS, page 14
By Joshua Manning Town-Crier Staff Report In the three-way race for Seat 4 on the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council, candidate Paul T. Coleman II was the clear choice of the voters, winning a three-year term at the election held on Tuesday, March 11. Coleman took 227 votes (64.12 percent), while Brian William Zdunowski was second with 70 votes (19.77 percent), and Steven Hoffman was third with 57 votes (16.19 percent). A resident of Loxahatchee Groves for 48 years, Coleman moved to the community as a child with his family. He currently works as a senior structural building inspector for Palm Beach County.
This was his second attempt at local office. He narrowly lost to incumbent Robert Shorr three years ago. On Tuesday, March 18, he replaced Shorr on the dais. Coleman believes that voters chose him because of his “history in the town and my years of dedication to preserve our way of life.” His top goal now that he has secured a seat on the council will be to work together to move the community forward. “We are a team and have a large task ahead to make sure we are fixing our infrastructure and protecting our way of life while being fiscally minded and focused on our town’s vision and charter,” Coleman said. He also congratulated Lisa See COLEMAN, page 7
New PBSO Captain For Acreage, Groves & Westlake
By Louis Hillary Park Town-Crier Staff Report In the early 1990s, when Robert Sandt first trekked through the palmetto scrub of what is now part of the western communities, he was hunting hogs and a good time with his buddies. Today, Sandt is here hunting lawbreakers as the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office captain overseeing District 15 (Acreage/Loxahatchee), District 17 (Loxahatchee Groves) and District 18 (Westlake). Based out of Royal Palm Beach, Sandt’s command includes a large swath of the western communities. He took formal command on Feb. 12, replacing Capt. Craig Turner, who was shifted to District 16 in the City of Greenacres. “One of the guys took me out [to The Acreage] and I was like, ‘Oh, my God. This is crazy.’ It was so
wide open. There was nothing,” recalled Sandt, a New York native, of his first visit to the area all those years ago. “And I didn’t like tromping around, chasing after a hog all day long. I quickly realized this was a different lifestyle that people wanted to live, with their dune buggies and ATVs and everything else that goes with that.” “Snapshot, fast forward,” said Sandt to The Acreage of today, where some 45,000 people live on 17,000 lots spread over 110 square miles. In the middle of that is the fast-growing planned community of Westlake. “That whole [rural] lifestyle is being squeezed. The criminals begin to see a lot more opportunities out here.” That’s where his job with the PBSO comes in. “My job as commander of this district is to really understand
that,” he said. “I need to make sure my staffing is such that I have men and women who want to work the rural type of policing. It’s very important to have law enforcement that is able to relate to the community that they are serving.” Sandt said that is why he has focused on choosing liaisons to the semi-rural communities who can relate to their citizens, plus someone more attuned to the suburban vibe of Westlake. It’s a technique Sandt said he employed extensively and with success while commander of District 4, which serves western Delray Beach. However, Sandt said his biggest accomplishment during his years there (2018 to 2025) was getting the many gated communities of the area to communicate with each other and with the PBSO.
PBSO Capt. Robert Sandt in his office. “The goal was to push crime road,” he said. “We had to get completely out of [the area] as everyone working together.” much as possible, and not to simEventually, Sandt’s team deply harden one gated community veloped an intranet system that to have it pop back up down the See CAPT. SANDT, page 14