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INSIDE Anti-Abortion Activist Takes Aim At Hastings
Volume 33, Number 40 October 5 - October 11, 2012
BREAST CANCER BENEFIT AT SALON
U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings has spent two decades representing South Florida in Washington, D.C. He is running for re-election in the new 20th Congressional District, which includes much of Royal Palm Beach and Loxahatchee Groves. The district leans strongly Democratic — so much so that the Republican Party is not even fielding a candidate. However, that doesn’t mean Hastings will be without opposition. Nationally known anti-abortion activist Randall Terry, a resident of West Virginia, is on the ballot without a party affiliation. Page 3
Generations: A Hair Salon in Wellington held its Girls Night on Thursday, Sept. 27. The purpose was to have fun while featuring stylists, supporting local vendors and raising breast cancer awareness. Pictured here are Generations staff members at the event. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 9 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Home Depot Group Helps Panther Ridge Rebuild After Storm
Twelve volunteers from the Home Depot Foundation’s Team Depot gave up hours of their day off to assist in renovations at the Panther Ridge Conservation Center in Wellington on Thursday, Sept. 27. Page 5
Family Fun At Festival Of The Guardian Angel
St. Rita Catholic Church in Wellington held the Festival of the Guardian Angel Friday through Sunday, Sept. 28-30. The family-friendly event featured carnival games and rides, a silent auction, a raffle, a bake sale, a talent show and more. Page 11
OPINION Join In The Fight Against Breast Cancer
For more than 25 years, October has been recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And that means it’s time for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, set for Saturday, Oct. 13 in downtown West Palm Beach. Everyone is touched by breast cancer in some way, whether personally or having a family member, friend, neighbor or colleague suffer from it. Take time this month to support survivors and join in the fight against this terrible disease. Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS ............................. 3 - 13 OPINION .................................4 CRIME NEWS .........................6 NEWS BRIEFS........................ 8 SCHOOLS .....................14 - 15 PEOPLE ............................... 16 COLUMNS .................... 23 - 24 BUSINESS .................... 25 - 27 ENTERTAINMENT ................ 29 SPORTS ........................ 33 - 35 CALENDAR ................... 36 - 37 CLASSIFIEDS ................ 38 - 42 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
Wellington Businesses Get Reprieve From Enforcement By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Several Wellington businesses will get a reprieve from strict enforcement of hours of operation while village officials reconsider the rules. Last week, about 13 Wellington businesses located within 300 feet of homes received letters from the village alerting them that they were out of compliance with Wellington’s prescribed 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. hours of operation. But at the behest of members of the Wellington Village Council, enforcement is suspended until council members can discuss the issue, Long Range Planning Director Tim Stillings told the TownCrier Wednesday. “We sent one letter as a courtesy to let them know that they were operating outside of the hours of operation,” he said. “Subsequently, we have sent another letter out ... reminding businesses that it was only a courtesy letter and that violations will not be issued. Wellington has suspended enforcement.” Included with the letter was an application to ask the council for extended hours of operation.
Last week, Wellington Chamber of Commerce President Alec Domb said that the application could cost a business as much as $3,000 plus fees paid to legal or planning advisers. But Stillings said businesses need not worry about applying for the hours until council members have a chance to address the matter. “We said we’d inform them when that occurs,” he said, adding that there should be a workshop soon. Wellington Mayor Bob Margolis said it was not the council’s intent to press for stricter code enforcement but, rather, to address the policy. “There are always unintended consequences,” he said. “We told staff to put everything on hold until we can make some policy decisions.” Earlier this month, the issue of enforcing hours of operation for some businesses and not others came to a head when council members chose to apply additional conditions to the Grille Fashion Cuisine, which had been seeking, among other things, extended hours. Representatives for the Grille
argued that other businesses — namely, the Players Club — are open substantially later and given a competitive advantage. Many of the businesses have been operating under their current hours — which are outside of the 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. timeframe — since before Wellington was incorporated. Stillings said those hours were part of county code at the time. “It was not something that was historically enforced by the county. When it became Wellington’s code, it was not strictly enforced,” he said. Councilman John Greene told the Town-Crier Wednesday that he thought village staff would be gathering information about which businesses were out of compliance. “I believe we have to look at the ordinance,” he said. Domb said that he was satisfied with Wellington’s response to the matter. “Our concern was that there was an enforcement issue,” he told the Town-Crier Wednesday. “Now that they have issued suspension of enforcement and are going to work on the ordinance, that’s what we wanted. We couldn’t ask for more.”
Serving Palms West Since 1980
RPB Election: David Swift To Challenge Martha Webster By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Next year’s election in Royal Palm Beach got off to an early start this week when former Councilman David Swift announced plans to challenge incumbent Councilwoman Martha Webster for her seat on the Royal Palm Beach Village Council. Webster’s Group 2 seat and Vice Mayor Fred Pinto’s Group 4 seat are up for election in March 2013. Swift, who held a council seat for 20 years, resigned last year when he retired from his job as a scientist at the South Florida Water Management District in order to protect his retirement benefits. “People have encouraged me to consider running again, so I have opened my campaign account, and I’m starting to gear up for a campaign,” he said. “I’ve got 30 years of experience in state government and 20 years’ experience in local government as a councilman here in Royal Palm Beach, so I do understand it. I recently retired, and I have more time to devote than I did before.” Swift said the main reason he is running is to restore stability to
the council. “We had lots of controversy in the village and we had meetings going to 12 o’clock, and people yelling at each other,” Swift said, adding that council members must work together to get things done. “I’m not seeing that right now.” He labeled Webster as “divisive,” adding, “I think I can do a better job.” The issue that bothers him the most, he said, is when Webster, as newly appointed liaison to the Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Commission, wanted to replace the sitting board with new members, citing occasions when she thought some members were too abrasive and difficult for applicants to deal with. Ultimately, the council removed Webster as liaison. “There’s a lot better way to have done that,” Swift said. “I’m basically interested in running to try to make a council that’s going to try to work together.” Swift said he was surprised that the current council is having problems getting along. “The people who are on there See RPB ELECTION, page 18
SUPERHERO TENDS BAR
The Kids Cancer Foundation held a “Celebrity Superheroes” bartending event Friday, Sept. 28 at the Bistro at the Players Club in Wellington. Proceeds benefited the foundation’s programs for children with cancer. Shown here is celebrity bartender Oren Hudson with professional bartenders Jessica Gonzalez and Deb Green. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 13 PHOTO BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER
11 Amendments On The Ballot Lox Council To Seek Advice On New Rule
By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report In 32 days, voters will decide whether 11 proposed amendments will be added to the Florida Constitution when they go to cast their ballots Tuesday, Nov. 6. The amendments range in topics from tax exemptions for certain residents to judicial oversight, abortion financing and funding of religious groups. The 11 amendments are numbered 1 through 12. The discrepancy is because there is no Amendment 7 on the ballot. All amendments require at least 60 percent approval for passage. Palm Beach County Legislative Affairs Director Todd Bonlarron encouraged all voters to have a grasp of the issues before going into the booth. “People need to know these amendments before they go in there,” he told the Town-Crier Wednesday. “This is a long bal-
lot, and I encourage people to be prepared on how they are going to vote on these issues so they don’t get fatigued.” Bonlarron has been out providing facts on the amendments for residents at local gatherings. He stressed that his aim is to provide facts, not to advocate for a certain position on any of the issues. Amendment 1, the “Health Care Services” amendment, would prevent the state from “compelling any person or employer to purchase, obtain or otherwise provide for healthcare coverage.” It would also allow direct purchasing of healthcare, protect residents and healthcare providers from penalties for buying healthcare, and prohibit abolishing the private healthcare market. Bonlarron said the amendment is a result of the national debate surrounding the Affordable Care Act. “It started in Tallahassee out of the national debate,” he said.
“At the time, there was still uncertainty about what would happen with the federal legislation.” Since it was placed on the ballot, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the individual mandate portion of the ACA. Though the amendment would not supersede federal law, Bonlarron noted that it could come back into force should the ACA be repealed or changed. “It’s a fallback measure for the state in the event that the federal healthcare law is repealed,” he said. “It would prevent Florida from doing what other states like Massachusetts have done, which is a healthcare plan that mandates coverage of individuals by employers, among other things. It would prohibit state legislators from drafting a similar law.” Amendments 2, 9 and 11 are similar in that they provide for additional homestead property tax exSee AMENDMENTS, page 18
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report In a 3-2 decision Tuesday, the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council authorized its attorney to ask Florida’s attorney general for an opinion on a recent amendment to state statutes regarding non-residential farm buildings, fences and signs. Town Attorney Michael Cirullo said the legislature approved an amendment that provided that those features are exempt from “any” other codes, including the Florida Building Code, or any county or municipal code or fee, except for code provisions implementing local, state or federal floodplain management regulations. “Because the attorney general is the chief legal officer of the state and this is a state statute and any
interpretation of that statute would apply statewide, and the attorney general has given two previous interpretations on this statute, I would ask your consent to prepare a request for the attorney general to give an opinion on the issue, which has been presented by members of the public to the council,” Cirullo said. “It does provide an alternative to litigation.” Vice Mayor Jim Rockett and Councilman Ryan Liang said they would prefer to seek an interpretation. Liang said he would also like to get a clear answer for all non-residential structures. “I would say move forward with it, and not only that, also specifically mention pens, cages, corrals, gatehouses, aviary cages, anything that we have in Loxahatchee Groves so See CODE, page 11
Wellington Regional Celebrates New Miller Pavilion
Universal Health Services Chairman Alan B. Miller cuts the ribbon to open the pavilion named in his honor. PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER
By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Promising a new era in patient care, Wellington Regional Medical Center cut the ribbon Wednesday on its Alan B. Miller Pavilion. The 103,000-square-foot, threestory addition adds 80 all-private acute-care suites featuring bedside computers and the most advanced patient care technology. The pavilion is named for the CEO and chairman of parent company Universal Health Services, Alan B. Miller, who was instrumental in the creation of Wellington Regional Medical Center. “Without his vision and drive that started 26 years ago and continues to this day, Wellington Re-
gional Medical Center could not be dedicating this pavilion,” WRMC CEO Jerel Humphrey told the standing-room-only crowd. Miller said that this new pavilion verified that he and his company made the right decision in investing in the Wellington community. “When we first started this project, it was a big step,” he said. “We had a small company, and it was a big investment in the middle of nowhere. We had great hopes that this was the right place and that this would be the center of the community. We were all right.” Miller said that the success of the hospital has been due to a part-
nership with the community. “We thought that as the community grows, we’ll grow and we’ll both be successful,” Miller said. “I’m glad to provide these kinds of facilities to outstanding medical staff and the community. When someone gets sick, they know that this is a place they can turn to in order to get better.” Wellington Mayor Bob Margolis agreed, expressing his appreciation for all of the work to make the project a reality. “This facility will go a long way in making sure we meet our residents’ medical needs now and for years to come,” he said. “This truly is a great moment for the people See WRMC, page 18
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NEWS
Anti-Abortion Activist Takes Aim At Congressman Alcee Hastings By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings (DMiramar) has spent two decades representing South Florida in Washington, D.C. He is running for re-election this year in the newly drawn 20th Congressional District. The district, which spans from downtown Fort Lauderdale into the Glades, includes much of Royal Palm Beach and Loxahatchee Groves. Like Hastings’ previous district, the newly drawn district leans strongly Democratic — so much so that the Republican Party is not even fielding a candidate. However, that doesn’t mean Hastings will be without opposition. Nationally known anti-abortion activist Randall Terry, a resident of West Virginia, is on the ballot without a party affiliation. Terry is also running for president, on the ballot in several states, but not Florida. Terry is using the campaign to focus on his anti-abortion message, and also to set up conditions he believes will help defeat President Barack Obama. “Randall Terry’s big way of going about things is to raise money for his national efforts, which are largely centered on anti-abortion efforts,” Hastings told the TownCrier on Wednesday. “Interestingly, he’s running for president in three other states.” Hastings said Terry’s candida-
cy points out a big loophole in Florida law that allows a person from out of state to run for office, adding that “the legislature needs to clear it up.” Hastings said that initially he thought about challenging Terry’s candidacy but decided such an effort would only give him more publicity. Hastings said he is proud to be representing Royal Palm Beach and Loxahatchee Groves in the newly drawn 20th Congressional District. “In a previous redistricting, I was given a portion of Wellington, so I’m not a stranger to the territory,” Hastings said. “Plus, I’m a small-town guy. I was born and raised in Altamonte Springs, which is 10 miles north of Orlando. Even in my representation of the overall geography, I tend to be as concerned about Pahokee as I am about Palm Beach, if not more so for the reason that small towns don’t have the economic engines that large towns do.” Hastings said he plans to demonstrate to his new central Palm Beach County constituents that he deserves their trust and that their issues are his issues. “I had the good fortune of meeting [Royal Palm Beach] Councilwoman [Martha] Webster, and we had a long talk,” he said. “I plan to meet with the full council, their time permitting.” Hastings said he and Webster talked about the Aldi grocery store chain putting its new regional distribution facility in Royal Palm
Beach, as well as other land the village is interested in developing. “I like their approach, and it’s an environmentally sensitive area; certainly Loxahatchee is,” he said. “I’ve had a demonstrated record in reference to Loxahatchee working with [former congressmen] Mark Foley, Robert Wexler and Tim Mahoney. We share lots of things, ranging all the way up from the Indian River Lagoon back out into Okeechobee.” Everglades issues are paramount in Florida, Hastings said, and bring together Florida’s representatives. “Whether it’s in Palm Beach County or St. Lucie or Martin or Hendry or Belle Glade, the fact of the matter is the Everglades are the kind of common concern that is bipartisan,” Hastings said. “It is perhaps the most bipartisan issue that brings the Florida congressional delegation together.” Hastings said he is also concerned about the economy and seniors’ issues. “I’m 76 years old, so when I talk about Social Security and Medicare, I genuinely mean it, because as I speak with you, I’ve had one of my worst days with arthritis this morning, and I know what people are confronted with,” he said. Hastings said he has also been a leader in reducing home foreclosures by supporting principal reduction programs that would set the amount people owe on their home to a level more in alignment with the current market.
“I try to get people to unthat we will fund Muslim derstand that it is not only terrorists at our gas pumps. the interest on people’s A portion of every dollar we homes that is causing probgive for gas goes to Islamic lems,” he said. “When you terrorists.” have allowed for a group of Terry said he believes people to bundle mortgagHastings is one of the most es and do all sorts of debt corrupt members of Conswaps, and allow those gress. “It’s time for him to people to make substantial enjoy the retirement he so amounts of money, and then richly deserves,” he said. cause this crisis, then I think “He’s a socialist. He bethat it should be part of [the lieves in class warfare and government’s job to] allow the redistribution of Alcee Hastings Randall Terry principal reduction for peowealth.” ple who have been responsible Terry said he is also concerned Terry founded the anti-abortion with their mortgages.” about the national debt, especialgroup Operation Rescue in 1986. In the next two years, Hastings He said his strategy in the race ly debt to China. “We’re spendsaid he looks to a couple of op- is to reach 10 million voters with ing money we don’t have,” he portunities if elected. One is that if what he calls “the truth about said. “We’re deflating the dollar, Democrats take back the House Obama and Hastings.” which causes inflation of goods of Representatives — which he “That they are the proponents and services. Our education syssaid is possible, depending on the of black genocide, child killing and tem is a mess because it’s run by coattail effect of the presidential they are attacking the freedom of bureaucrats who want to crank election — he would be in a sig- the church of Christ,” Terry told out politically correct children nificant position on the House the Town-Crier on Tuesday. who know how to use a condom Rules Committee. He said he is concerned about but don’t know how to read the “The Rules Committee is the traf- issues other than abortion. “I think label.” fic cop for Congress,” he said. that a vote for President Obama Terry said he plans to spend “When you’re in the majority in helps Muslims to murder Chris- about $100,000 on campaign adCongress, you get a chance to tians and Jews,” he said. “For ex- vertising in Florida. Terry grew up tweak all of the substantive legis- ample, he just recently gave $1.5 in upstate New York. “West Virlation that comes through. Much billion to the Muslim Brother- ginia is our adopted home, unless of what you do as a member of the hood.” I’m elected in Florida,” he said. “I Rules Committee is unheralded, In that remark, Terry was refer- lived in St. Augustine for five but there is no legislation that ring to money that went to the years, and I love Florida.” goes to the floor that those of us Egyptian government, where the When not campaigning, Terry on the Rules Committee are not Muslim Brotherhood holds a plu- writes books, gives speeches and conversant with.” rality of parliamentary seats. “The does a daily TV show called the More information about Hast- Muslim Brotherhood is the foun- Voice of Resistance. More about ings is available at www.alceefor tainhead of all Islamic terrorism,” his campaign can be found at congress.com. Terry said. “His oil policy ensures www.terryforpresident.com.
Tight Budget Has RPB Shifting Its Recreation Project Priorities By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report A $200,000 improvement project at Lindsay Ewing Park near Royal Palm Beach Village Hall planned for 2013 has been moved back to 2015 due to budget constraints. That decision was among a number of items Parks & Recreation Director Lou Recchio discussed at the Sept. 24 meeting of the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Advisory Board. Priorities were given to other projects considered more urgent, Recchio said. “Looking at the projects that we had and the financial situation that everybody is in, we felt it wise to push that back,” Recchio said. “It wasn’t a necessity. There are really other projects that need to be
done before Ewing. It’s nothing that had to be done right away.” Lindsay Ewing Park currently is largely an open area with one ball field on it and restrooms. “Every weekend we have a group out there playing cricket,” Recchio said. Projects that Recchio and his staff gave preference to include the $35,000 replacement of accordion divider partitions at the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center. That will enable the large meeting room to be divided into two smaller rooms, and allow the teen room to be divided into three separate rooms. Recchio said the existing dividers have been there since 1992 when the building was constructed. “They already have been removed and should be completed
in the next couple of weeks,” he said. Todd Robiner Park at La Mancha Avenue and Las Palmas Street recently had its 10-year-old playscape replaced. “We received a lot of comments on this as it was going up, and people were anxious to get their kids on that apparatus,” Recchio said. “It’s not your typical playground. It has things that kids can climb all over and get some good exercise out of it. It’s a beautiful park, and it gets a lot of use.” In other business, the committee heard plans for a skate park to be built in 2013, which had been brought up to the Royal Palm Beach Village Council by a group of skateboarders. Recchio said two options had
been discussed; one to build it from scratch at a cost of about $200,000 at Camellia Park, and another to use an underused existing roller hockey rink at Preservation Park near the recreation center. “Part of our responsibility is to make the best use we can of the facilities we have,” Recchio said, explaining that one of the rinks had been converted to a remote control car track. “For a few people to go out there and use it once a week doesn’t make sense. What we are planning on doing is converting that. The surface is already there, so we don’t have to pour any concrete or lay any asphalt.” Water fountains and lights are already there, and the recreation center and restroom facilities are easily accessible. “It’s close to the
middle school, which I think will get a lot of middle school users,” Recchio said. “We’re confident we’re going to save ourselves about $100,000 by doing this.” Recchio said he is working with the committee of kids who came to the council and the Recreation Advisory Board to get input on the creation of the skate park. Other capital improvement projects include $150,000 for the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. “The kitchen is in dire need of renovations,” he said. “That’s the original kitchen from ’92 when the facility was built. The restroom facilities need to be renovated.” Recchio noted that the use of the center has changed significantly, since it became a seniors facility by day and social center at
night and on weekends. “We need to make better accommodations for that,” he said. Field 5 at the Bob Marcello Baseball Complex at Willows Park is scheduled for $190,000 in renovations in 2013 and another $210,000 in 2014. “This is one of our oldest parks in the community,” Recchio said. “The lights have been there since 1988, and we’re constantly running into maintenance issues.” In addition to light replacement, plans are to expand the field and improve drainage. “If we get any rain at all, that field is underwater, because there is no place for that water to go,” he said. Tennis and basketball courts are also set to be redone at Crestwood, Willows and Preservation parks at a cost of $170,000, Recchio said.
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OUR OPINION
Breast Cancer Awareness: Join The Fight Against This Disease For more than 25 years, October has been recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And that means it’s time for the American Cancer Society’s annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, which this year is set for Saturday, Oct. 13 in downtown West Palm Beach. Everyone is touched by breast cancer in some way, whether personally or having a family member, friend, neighbor or colleague suffer from it. Making Strides is a way to empower people to not only fight back against the disease but join together to support survivors and those who are still struggling. According to the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer web site, the origins of the walk started in 1984, when Massachusetts cancer survivor Margery Gould Rath decided there should be an event that celebrates survivors and raises money for the American Cancer Society. The first walk was referred to as “move-along-athon” and saw approximately 200 people come together in Boston to support the cause. Making Strides became an annual event and continued locally each year before falling under the banner of the American Cancer Society in 1993 and spreading to Manchester, N.H. That year saw some 4,000 participants between the two cities. Now, nearly 20 years later and almost three decades since the very first event, the walk draws millions of people each year nationwide. Though Rath passed away in 2001, her legacy is more alive than ever. Money raised goes to
anything from supporting cutting-edge research to paying for lodging and transportation for breast cancer patients in need. While Making Strides is the staple breast cancer awareness event this month, there are several more events happening locally. Your Bosom Buddies II, a local support group for breast cancer patients and survivors, will host or take part in several gatherings throughout the month, starting Saturday, Oct. 6 with the Pink Ribbon Brunch & Fashion Show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Binks Forest Golf Club. Other events include Girls Night Out on Thursday, Oct. 11 at the Players Club, a Quarters Auction on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center and Petals and Bows on Thursday, Oct. 18 at Spa Zen. Also, the group is holding month-long fundraising at Brighton Collectibles in the Mall at Wellington Green, and Hi-Tech Plumbing is donating 5 percent of all its sale proceeds to the group during October. For more information about Your Bosom Buddies II, visit www.yourbosombuddiesii.org. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer will take place Saturday, Oct. 13 at 9 a.m. at the Meyer Amphitheatre. For more info., visit http://makingstrides.acsevents.org. Next year, the event will celebrate its 20th birthday with the American Cancer Society. Because of its success, many of its participants will continue to celebrate their own birthdays well into the future. For more about National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, visit www.nbcam.org.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Mayor Should Stop Chastising The Chamber Editor’s note: The following letter, addressed to Wellington Mayor Bob Margolis, was sent to the Town-Crier for publication. Dear Mayor Margolis: You have a bad habit of chastising and blaming the Wellington Chamber of Commerce for any business that fails and for empty storefronts. Let me give you something to think about. As you are well aware, the Village of Wellington was incorporated in December 1995 with its first council seated March 1996 and shortly thereafter the Mall at Wellington Green opened. What else occurred around the same time? Today is the 14th birthday of Google, which started in 1998. Hard to believe they have been around only 14 years. How about Yahoo? Started in 1995. How about eBay? Started in 1995. How about Craigslist? Started in 1996. How about Amazon? Started in 1995. Talk about major competition for the merchants in the existing shopping centers in Wellington. Not only did they have to compete with a brand-new regional mall, but even tougher is the competition of lower retail prices simply a click away. Tell me you have not shopped online. The point is that instead of finding fault and pointing fingers at the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, which is fighting daily for the business community and for the residents of Wellington — who frequent the local businesses and are employed by the local businesses — you need to be out there promoting those businesses that were able to fend off the mall and online retailers and encouraging others to open, instead of stifling their operations with arcane codes and your “we are only a bedroom community” attitude. Instead of pointing out a few empty storefronts, how about crowing about businesses that were here when we incorporated, when the mall opened and when the behemoths of online retail started and are still here serving Wellington? Pick any shopping center you want, and we have the heroes of the business community. How about Gabriel’s, Backstreets, Schaefer Drugs, Scotty’s, Tackeria, Pizzazz, Horizon Pools, Ultima Fitness, Woody’s, Sanda
Gané, Town & Country Travel and so many others out there working hard every day since well before we incorporated. Try to focus on the hardworking business success stories instead of your focus on those who tried and could not make it as they had a difficult time competing with the Googles of the world and major chain store retailers in the mall and along State Road7. Mike Nelson Wellington
Allen West? No, Thank You Congressman Allen West is a prolific fundraiser (which he spends mostly on raising more money — nationwide). He is bombastic, incendiary and not always factual. West’s recent TV ad features [challenger] Patrick Murphy’s arrest at age 19, for which charges were dropped, but fails to mention his own military record in which he was criminally charged with violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice, found guilty of three counts of aggravated assault and relieved of his command. In the final Army report, West “performed illegal acts… merited court martial… faced 11 years in prison.” Instead he plays up his military experience, frequently using his picture in uniform along with the American flag to give the impression that he was a valiant warrior. West also uses (and I mean uses) veterans to give support to his military image. Shameless. As for his legislative accomplishments as a United States representative — not much. And he wants to be re-elected? I give my vote to Patrick Murphy. PatriciaAbbott Royal Palm Beach
If The NFL Can Compromise, So Can Congress Isn’t it amazing that the NFL realized it was in the best interest of its fans to sit down and compromise an agreement with its officials? Yes, the NFL found a way to compromise. I wonder if the Republicans in Congress can take a cue from the NFL? After all, our country has much more at stake than the results of any football game. Bob Still Royal Palm Beach
P-Card Audit A Waste Of Money Based on comments by Wellington Mayor Bob Margolis at a recent agenda review meeting, it appears that he agrees that expenditures investigated by the inspector general did, in fact, serve a public purpose. It seems odd, then, that he instigated the audit, which cost tens of thousands of tax dollars to perform, when he could have reached the same conclusion by simply looking at the expenditures, in readily available public records. I hope the village will now proceed without altering its policies on sending greeting and sympathy cards and flowers, providing snacks and water at meetings, providing retirement gifts, and paying for moderately priced lunches when employees are expected to conduct business during their usual lunch times. These expenses have been minimal (as the mayor knew or should have known) and have clearly served a public purpose. Phil Sexton Wellington
Don’t Waste Our Tax Dollars I’m sorry, but Wellington village staff spending my and your hardearned money using p-cards for their own gratification doesn’t pass the smell test! Do teachers get to use school funds to provide the same parties, flowers and refreshments for themselves? I think not. As a retiree of Pratt & Whitney, I would have been reprimanded and my career busted had I purchased flowers for my secretary or staff for any reason. Didn’t you build the village hall with water fountains? Come on! Use our tax money wisely, and if any employee is suffering from poor morale, perhaps seeking employment in another municipality might boost it. Jay Manning Wellington
Don’t Let GOP Hide Its Agenda From Voters It’s tempting to want to respond point by point to Frank J. Morelli’s one-and-half-column-foot long list of Fox News–generated complaints against President Obama
(“Support For Mitt Romney,” Sept. 21). All are easily refuted, but there’s a more important idea to think about when deciding your vote on Nov. 6. It’s who got us into the mess the president found when he took office and whether we really want to hand the keys to the country to the same crowd again. The Republicans bang the drum loudly for “freedom” and “independence,” but we need to understand what these code words mean in the Republican lexicon. Since the days of Herbert Hoover, the GOP has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the rich and the corporations. The “freedom” they seek is the unhindered ability of business to do what it likes, even if that includes polluting the earth and cheating consumers and workers alike. The “independence” is the idea that each of us is on our own in life, and should therefore not depend on anyone else, or society in general, when we age or should misfortune strike. This idea has advantages to the party’s backers. If there were no Social Security, Medicare or other safety net programs, taxes could be lower, a benefit that gets larger as the rich get richer. Or better yet, these programs could be privatized, creating billions in new profit opportunities. The weakening of these protections have marked virtually every GOP administration, and especially that of George W. Bush. Romney would be no different, and would likely be worse, as he has even stronger ties to the worlds of wealth and big business. The Republicans have built their campaign on the question, “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” The real question is, “Will you be better off four years from now if Mitt Romney is elected?” Given the beliefs he and his party have always held, and continue to hold today, the answer is pretty obvious, isn’t it? Look beyond the sniping and the pretty red, white and blue wrapping the GOP uses to hide its true intent, and vote in your own selfinterest. Vote Obama in 2012. Jay Schleifer Wellington
Republican Party Has Drifted Too Far To The Right Mitt Romney is the end result
of a once-relevant GOP gone haywire. All of the Republicans who are lamenting their choice of Romney as the party’s standard-bearer have no one to blame but themselves. In 2010, due to the apathy of Democratic voters, the Republican faithful voted into Congress the rabble known as the Tea Party, which at once held the entire country hostage in order to advance a political agenda bordering on domestic terrorism. As a result, the choices offered in the Republican primary were a collection of escapees from an insane asylum. The party itself is being led by the rants of Rush Limbaugh and dictated by a nobody named Grover Norquist. The majority of the electorate — those people who actually determine who will lead the country — are moderate and rational. The problem with the new version of the Republican Party is the absence of anyone who possesses moderation or rationality. Look in the mirror, Republicans. You are your own worst enemies. J.R. Pisani West Palm Beach
Not Impressed By LGWCD Yesterday, my wife and I spent an enjoyable but tough afternoon clearing our road of overhanging trees and bushes. It was made even harder by huge water-filled potholes all along our street. We live on Timberlane Place, and the whole road is an embarrassment to the Town of Loxahatchee Groves. We pay the same taxes as folk living on C Road, who seem to get it done for them. A good amount of those taxes go to the totally non-productive Loxahatchee Groves Water Control Disctrict. [LGWCD Supervisor] Frank Schiola says, “They only move water around and grade the roads.” I’ll go further: They do both poorly. The canals are a filthy, rubbishstrewn disgrace and the OGEMing is reminiscent of cheap road work in Central America. (I used to live there, so don’t argue.) It happens there because highly paid local government officials are over-
paid and corrupt, handing out contracts to shoddy contractors who give them a backhander and then use low-quality materials and labor. Of course, that couldn’t happen here in the U.S. Loxahatchee Groves pays a top engineer (why do we need an engineer to move water and throw cheap tarmac onto dust anyway; I could organize that in my spare time?) over $3,000 a week to make it right. Yep, that’s your money and mine these monkeys are wasting. Given that top guy in charge, I just can’t work out how OGEMed C Road is collapsing into the canal, the speed bumps are sinking into the road, the signs are falling down, the canals are a health hazard, and no one at the town can be bothered to take care of my road! All that expensive machinery sits in those sheds on D Road on weekends, while the roads are washboards. If the wheels ain’t turnin’ they ain’t earnin.’ Maybe we should only pay taxes for five days a week’s road grading? Perhaps I’ll find some time to think about it all while I’m waiting for the town to come and take away the piles of dead branches along both sides of our road. Something about not having a contract finalized… OMG — is there any wonder the town is crumbling, and the country is on its knees with jokers like this in charge? Or is it just me? Tim Hart-Woods Loxahatchee Groves
The President’s Policies Have Clearly Failed This letter is not about abortion, global warming, gay marriage, separation of church and state, animal rights or healthcare. This letter is about the economy, the bills that have been enacted and the policies that were put into place. American credit has been downgraded twice in the past three years. The current national debt is $16 trillion. It is more than 100 percent of the gross domestic profit, which includes government spending; in other words, as a See LETTERS, page 18
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OPINION
‘One Wellington’ Program Aims To Bring Community Together Wellington is a unique community for many reasons. For too long, Wellington has been divided into the equestrian and non-equestrian worlds. The majority of residents are not aware of Wellington’s equestrian offerings, and many equestrians have not been exposed to the broader Wellington community. In 2008, Wellington Equestrian Partners sought to change that perspective. We purchased the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and expanded the worldfamous Winter Equestrian Festival. Using only private resources, we spent $30 million elevating the quality of the equestrian facilities and expanded international interest while at the same time making the equestrian world more relevant, accessible and affordable, whether it is for riding, jobs, spectator entertainment or philanthropy. Economic impact on the community doubled to $120 million annually. Our FTI Consulting Great Charity Challenge, driven by many generous equestrian families, has raised and distributed close to
POINT OF VIEW By Mark Bellissimo
Managing Partner, Wellington Equestrian Partners
$3 million to Palm Beach County charities in three years. At a time when we should be strengthening the community, there are forces that are trying to restore the divisiveness under the guise of preservation. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are being spent by the village and others in response to these efforts via litigation-related costs. Morale within the village is at an all-time low. The business community is in an uproar, divisive factions throughout the community are emerging, and Wellington is
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developing a reputation as anti-business. It will impact our future, and it needs to stop. These efforts are creating rifts within our council, between its citizens, and wasting resources that should be directed toward investing in our future. As a community, we need leadership from our elected officials and our citizens. We need to focus on what is important, celebrating all that is great about this community and building its future. In August, I presented a $10,000 donation to the Western Communities Football League to support scholarships and new equipment purchases. It was their 20th anniversary celebration. I was so impressed by the quality of the facilities, the thousand attendees, the volunteers, the engaged village staff and families having a great time. They highlighted success stories and honored Joe Piconcelli, the program’s visionary founder. It is a microcosm of what is great about this community. Investments in time, money and resources all directed to developing the next
generation — our children. When I thought about the hundreds of thousands of dollars, potentially millions, being wasted on engineers, consultants, lawyers and staff on frivolous lawsuits, it put everything in perspective for me. Not a week goes by without a request to me from an organization seeking money in support of a great cause. Relatively small amounts of money, which could have a great impact on our community in these tough times, are less available while significant money is wasted daily. So today, we officially launch “One Wellington.” It will highlight what is great about Wellington with the goal of unifying the community. It will celebrate the unsung heroes in our community and identify fundraising initiatives for the missions they pursue. It will be a grant-based organization that will provide ad-hoc grants. Fundraising initiatives will also occur throughout the year. Our organization and some partners will seed the fund with $50,000. It is our goal to distribute hun-
BARRY S. MANNING Publisher
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EDITORIAL STAFF/ Chris Felker • Denise Fleischman Jessica Gregoire • Lauren Miró CONTRIBUTORS/ Jules Rabin • Ellen Rosenberg • Leonard Wechsler • Deborah W elky ART & PRODUCTION MANAGER/ Stephanie Rodriguez ADVERTISING/ Betty Buglio • Evie Edwards • Wanda Glockson STAFF/ Shanta Daibee • Carol Lieberman • Geri O’Neil
dreds of thousands of dollars annually to Wellington causes. At our Holiday & Horses event in early December, we will select and honor a “Wellington Hero” nominated from within the community. Nominations for the “heroes” and grant requests can be entered at www.one-wellington.com. The board will be made up of diverse members of our community. Our inaugural donation will be $14,000 to the Wellington High School band in support of its new uniform initiative. It will match a donation we made to the Palm Beach Central High School band in 2011 for uniforms. We need to stop building walls and start building bridges so that we can focus our money, time and energy on those things that enhance the community. While others obstruct and divide, we will invest and unite. I am hopeful that over time, this will be a model for how communities work together and that one day it can truly be “One Wellington.”
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October 5 - October 11, 2012 Page 5
NEWS
Home Depot Volunteers Help Panther Ridge Rebuild After Storm By Jessica Gregoire Town-Crier Staff Report Twelve volunteers from the Home Depot Foundation’s Team Depot gave up hours of their day off on Thursday, Sept. 27 to assist in renovations at the Panther Ridge Conservation Center in Wellington. The 13-year-old exotic cat sanctuary developed water damage after Tropical Storm Isaac dropped more than 13 inches of rain on the western communities and overflooded canals. The water reached and filled many of the cat cages with up to 3 feet of water. Many of the cats were relocated to other cages on the property until their cages are renovated. This was extremely devastating for founder and Executive Director Judy Berens. “Most of the cages were under water at least partially,” she said. “We had to remove all of the cats from their enclosures and keep them in large rolling cages for six days.” A few months prior to Isaac, Berens wrote a letter to Team Depot asking for assistance. “I told them what my needs were and how much I needed the help,” she said. Berens was glad they agreed to assist in some renovations. “Since most of the things I have here that I used to build everything originally was from Home Depot, they agreed to help me out in refreshing a lot of things,” she said. “They realized it was all the more needed after Isaac, so they decided to come out today.” Berens first heard about Team
Depot during one of her frequent visits to the home improvement store. “They have a poster that shows all of the community service projects they have completed,” she said. “And I thought to myself, ‘Why not me?’” After a lengthy process of talking to the right people, Team Depot coordinators from the Home Depot at Southern Blvd. and State Road 7 came out to the conservatory to assess the amount of work needed to be done and decided it was a capable project. Team Depot is a volunteer-based project through the Home Depot Foundation, to which Home Depot donates resources, from tools to employees to assist in community service projects. The volunteers sent to Panther Ridge worked on rebuilding tree houses and decks, and improving walkways. Berens saw the enthusiasm in the volunteers’ faces. “They are very proud to come out and help the people who are their constituents,” she said. Team Depot volunteers like Grace Huber were hard at work from as early as 8 a.m. “I just love it out here,” she said. “I think it’s great what [Berens has] done. I have heard about the conservatory before, but now that I’m actually out here, it’s unbelievable to hear the stories, and now I can pass them on to others.” Berens has always been an exotic cat lover and started out by having one small exotic cat as a pet. “Over the years, people would call me over to take a look at their
cats,” she said. “And if I would take a look at them, chances were they would be going home with me.” At one point after opening the conservatory, Berens had as many as 24 exotic cats at once. “It just grew and grew and grew,” she said, “because I was good at taking care of cats, and they’re a lot of work for most people.” Keeping exotic cats such as cheetahs, panthers and ocelots as pets is an extremely difficult task that should be left to an experienced professional. Many people can’t handle them, and these big cats often end up abandoned. Berens could not stand to see this happen and realized that she needed to start a conservatory to create a safe place for exotic cats — some place where they can receive the proper amount of food,
nutrition, medical attention, large open space and a better standard of life. “If you don’t have the time and the knowledge to take care of these cats, then they’re not for you,” Berens said. “I even have a few cats here that were confiscated from people who did not have licenses, and we give them a permanent comfy home.” Panther Ridge Conservation Center currently has 14 cats. “Many are adopted, which does not mean they get to take them home,” Berens said. “It just means they are responsible for the upkeep of the animal.” Panther Ridge Conservation Center is located at 14755 Palm Beach Point Blvd. in Wellington. For more information, visit www. pantherridgesanctuary.org or call (561) 795-8914.
Panther Ridge Conservation Center founder and Executive Director Judy Berens with staff and Team Depot volunteers.
MBSK Charitable Trust Benefits Back To Basics During a board meeting Monday, Oct. 1, My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper Charitable Trust presented Beverly Perham of Back to Basics with a check for $2,500. The money will be used for the Back to Basics Angel Christmas Gift program, which provides more than 5,000 Palm Beach County underprivileged children with sneakers, socks, underwear and a small gift. Schools and agencies provide cards with names and sizes of the children for Back to Basics, and the cards are then given out to churches, businesses, clubs, etc. The requests are filled, and then the items are returned to Perham, who makes sure each child receives the basics of sneakers,
socks and underwear with the help of her volunteers. There are other programs throughout the year, such as the Angel Uniform Program, which provides 10,000 school uniforms for selected elementary school children every August. For more on the Back to Basics Angel Program, or to learn how to donate or volunteer, contact Perham at (561) 795-7766 or backto basics@bellsouth.net. (Right) Eric Gordon presents a check to Back to Basics’ Beverly Perham while other My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper board members look on. PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Panther Ridge Conservation Center founder and Executive Director Judy Berens (center) with staff members Ashley Flaig and Eric Alexander.
Team Depot captain and Home Depot Assistant Store Manager Thom Roberts lends a hand. PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER
ACREAGE TOY DRIVE Acreage Flag Football, Acreage Tackle Football League and Acreage Cheerleading held a toy drive Saturday, Sept. 29 to help support Toys for Tots. If you would like to donate a new, unwrapped toy, bring it to Acreage Community Park any Saturday in October and give it to a board member at the board’s tent. For more information on sports programs in The Acreage, find the Acreage Athletic League on Facebook or visit www.acreageathleticleague. org. Shown here are AFF President Carlos Castilla, ATFL President Ron Florez and Acreage Cheerleading League President Marisa Hopkins.
Page 6 October 5 - October 11, 2012
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CRIME NEWS
Jewelry Stolen From Royal Palm Home By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report OCT. 1 — A deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched Monday night to a home on Lakeview Drive regarding a burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 5 p.m. last Friday and 10:30 p.m. Monday, someone entered the home through an unlocked, open sliding glass door and stole $5,518 in jewelry. The victim said her coworker was watching the home. According to the report, the coworker said he had friends over and believed one of them unlocked the door and returned later for the jewelry. There was no further information available at the time of the report. ••• SEPT. 28 — An employee of the Target Superstore on Okeechobee Blvd. contacted the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach last Friday regarding a case of shoplifting. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 7 p.m. last Thursday three white males entered the store separately, and one of them entered the electronics department and selected a 47-inch flat-screen television from the shelf. According to the report, the suspect then exited the store out the front door without making any attempt to pay for the item. Video surveillance footage showed the suspect put the television in a blue Ford Escape and then returned to the store. The three suspects then exited the store one at a time, got into the vehicle and fled in an unknown direction. The stolen television was valued at $619.99. According to the report, the same three men returned to the store last Friday but were deterred from stealing another television by a loss prevention officer. The suspects were then seen inside another Target store on Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., where another loss prevention officer stopped them from stealing a third television. According to the report, two of the men fled the Palm Beach Lakes store, but one was apprehended. According to the report, photos and video surveillance footage place all three suspects at each location. The apprehended suspect was able to identify the other two men, but no arrests had been made at the time of the report. SEPT. 28 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched to a business on Business Parkway last Friday afternoon regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim arrived for work at approximately 6 a.m. and left her Coach purse containing her car keys, credit cards, driver’s license and $2,800 cash under the front passenger seat. The victim said that at approximately 3 p.m. she noticed that her driver’s-side front window had been smashed out. According to the report, the perpetrator(s) removed the purse from the car. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. SEPT. 28 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched to a home on Regal Court East last Friday evening regarding an attempted burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim arrived home for lunch at approximately 3 p.m. and recalled locking up the home before leaving. When she returned at approximately 4:45 p.m. and attempted to enter her home, she discovered that her key would not turn and that there were deep pry marks next
to the lock. According to the report, the victim then went to her patio, where she observed more deep pry marks on her rear sliding glass door. The victim contacted the PBSO, and deputies arrived to clear the home, which appeared neat and secure. According to the report, the deputy believes that entry was made only on the porch. There was no further information available at the time of the report. SEPT. 29 —ARoyal Palm Beach man contacted the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach last Saturday regarding a case of aggravated battery. According to a PBSO report, the victim said he was walking on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. near the Crossroads Shopping Center late last Thursday night when he was approached by two unknown black male teenagers wearing gray hooded sweatshirts. According to the report, one of the suspects had a revolver in his hand, pointed toward the ground. The victim said he struck the suspect with his elbow and began to run away but was tackled from behind by the second suspect, causing him to fall. According to the report, the first suspect then hit him on the hand with the revolver as the victim tried to defend himself. The victim said he was able to subdue one of the suspects by lifting him up and driving him into the ground. According to the report, the victim was able to flee to his home. The victim said he later saw two men he believed to be the suspects with a third teen. There was no further information available at the time of the report. SEPT. 30 — Two Wellington men were arrested last Sunday morning on drug charges following a shoplifting incident at the Walmart Supercenter on Belvedere Road. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation was called to the scene after a loss prevention officer observed 63-year-old Anthony Forgione and 18-yearold Michael Morosco conceal candy bars and an energy drink, then leave the store with no attempt to pay for the items. A deputy arrived to arrest them, and upon searching their vehicle discovered a glass bong, a glass pipe and 1.4 grams of marijuana. The men were arrested and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail, where they were charged with drug equipment possession and possession of marijuana under 20 grams. SEPT. 30 — AWest Palm Beach woman was arrested last Sunday afternoon on charges of shoplifting from the Walmart Supercenter on Belvedere Road. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 1:14 p.m. a loss prevention officer observed 31-year-old Tanika Williams enter the electronics department, along with an unknown male. According to the report, Williams was pushing a shopping cart with a large plastic tote inside. The officer said he observed Williams and the male suspect put several items, including headphones and a camera in the tote. They proceeded to exit the front doors without making any attempt to pay for the items. According to the report, a loss prevention officer stopped Williams, but the male fled on foot into the parking area. The officer recovered $1,554.38 in stolen items. According to the report, Williams refused to reveal the identity of the male suspect. She was taken to the county jail, where she was charged with felony retail theft.
Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives: • Victoria Amoroso is a white female, 5’4” tall and weighing 130 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. She has multiple tattoos. Her date of birth is 07/13/92. Amoroso is wanted for violation of probation on charges of burglary of a dwelling and grand theft from a dwelling. Her occupation is unknown. Her last known address was Alworth Terrace in Wellington. Amoroso is wanted as of 09/27/12. • Conroy Raymond is a black male, 5’11” tall and weighing 300 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. His date of birth is 07/26/75. Raymond is wanted for burglary of an occupied dwelling with assault/battery and aggravated battery. His occupation is unknown. His last known address was 76th Road North in The Acreage. Raymond is wanted as of 09/27/12. Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward. Call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimestopperspbc. com.
Victoria Amoroso
Conroy Raymond
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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October 5 - October 11, 2012 Page 7
NEWS
SFWMD Officials Discuss Storm Response With LGLA Members By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Representatives from the South Florida Water Management District brought the Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association up to date last week about what was done to deal with the deluge of 12 to 18 inches of rainfall from Tropical Storm Isaac. “We have about 1,600 miles of canals,” explained SFWMD outreach specialist Laura R.H. Corry. “The natural Everglades went way east. That’s why they built I-95 over there. Most of where we’re at right now were wetlands, marshlands, part of the natural Everglades.” During a storm bringing 4 to 6
inches of rain over 24 hours, people can expect to see water on the roads and in swales, Corry said. Seven to 10 inches in 72 hours will fill swales and roads, but buildings should remain dry. “If you get 10 to 20 inches in 72 hours, you expect it to be flooded,” she said. “We had 15 inches within 48 hours or less, so I think that the system actually worked really well. Was it inconvenient for a lot of people? Absolutely. Would we rather have been able to move the water more quickly? Yes. The district was prepared to handle the water that was coming in. It’s just that it was a huge amount of water.” Corry said the SFWMD started
draining the area long before Isaac came through. “We have two meteorologists that work for the district,” she said. “We have a control room manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week. From that, they are able to predict, as well as can be predicted, very specifically where water is going to come.” SFWMD Senior Engineer James Fyfe said he was surprised at how low the canals had been drawn down before the storm hit. “That storm was not predicted to bring a lot of rain,” he said. “It was very unusual that there were feeder bands that came on. There was a train of storms that came up from Miami and worked right to Vero. It was just unrelenting.”
The forecasts can predict the amount of moisture that is going to be in a storm but not exactly where it is going to fall. “Certain areas can have a very big difference,” he said. “This storm was a perfect example of that.” Corry said hurricanes and tropical storms vary greatly in their makeup, such as Hurricane Andrew, which was small and compact but a Category 5 hurricane that devastated Homestead while delivering only 6 inches of rain. Tropical storms such as Isaac tend to be wetter than hurricanes but not as predictable as to where rain will fall. During the storm, all drainage
districts were able to participate in conference calls with the SFWMD to coordinate stormwater management, Corry said. “Everybody was participating along with the county, and that is standard procedure,” she said. Fyfe added that the conference calls enable everyone to be aware of any faults in the system, such as malfunctioning gates, and coordinate information about forecasts. Corry said the bands had been predicted to hit Miami-Dade the hardest. “Obviously, it hit us a whole lot more,” she said. “I think we moved 88.1 billion gallons of water.” Emergency orders were issued
and stormwater was discharged through the C-51 Canal east and west to Stormwater Treatment Area 1E and Lake Okeechobee, and through the L-8 Canal to the L-8 Reservoir, she said. “If you saw how quickly that lake was rising, it was pretty incredible, seeing that it is the second-largest freshwater lake in the United States,” she said. Corry said the SFWMD set up about a dozen temporary pumps, including at the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area and in the Deer Run community, to help control flooding. “These are huge pipes,” she said. “We had staff working 24 hours a day trying to See LGLA, page 18
Envirothon Organizers Seeking Sponsors For Local Competition By Jessica Gregoire Town-Crier Staff Report For the past 21 years, the Palm Beach County Envirothon has given high school students throughout the county an opportunity to express their passion for environmental sciences. Preparation starts months in
advance, from putting together a team to understanding and studying the extensive resource material. However, many students might not have the opportunity to participate this year since a lack of financing has put the Palm Beach Envirothon in jeopardy of being canceled.
Palm Beach Soil & Water Conservation District Administrative Director Laura Bloom-Fincannon and Chair Eva Webb.
The Palm Beach Soil & Water Conservation District coordinates the program, and organizers need $5,000 more in order to put on the competition this year. Money is needed for resource materials provided to students. According to Palm Beach Soil & Water Conservation District Administrative Director Laura Bloom-Fincannon, her district pioneered the event in Florida. “We were the first county to do the event in the State of Florida,” she said. “And we have had some of the largest numbers of teams in the state.” Without the money, though, the Palm Beach County Envirothon will not happen, and Palm Beach County students will have to participate in another county. For Jupiter High School teacher and Envirothon advisor Phil Weinrich, this is very discouraging for the students on the teams he assists. “When we have it in our county, I’m able to take as many as five teams, and that is 25 students who get to actually participate,” he said. “One year, when we had to go to a different county, we were
only able to bring two teams, and a lot of kids were disappointed.” The best teams at the countylevel events go on to compete at a regional level, then winners of regional competition advance to the state competition. The winning team then competes on the national level at the Canon Envirothon, where more than $100,000 worth of scholarships and prizes are awarded. It’s is the largest high school environmental education competition in North America. Students are given hands-on, interactive, problem-solving, environment-related questions. The purpose is to provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to become environmentally conscious and devoted individuals who enhance the quality of the environment. For 2013, the regional competition will begin in early spring, but students have already begun preparing. Jupiter High School students are proud to have brought home the state title to Palm Beach County for three years, and have placed in the top 10 out of 54 teams in
Envirothon first-place winners with County Commissioner Paulette Burdick, Jupiter High School teacher and Envirothon advisor Phil Weinrich, Amanda Fernandez of Whole Foods Market in Wellington and Palm Beach Soil & Water Conservation District Secretary/Treasurer Drew Martin. PHOTO COURTESY JOSEPH ALBERS PHOTOGRAPHY
previous years at the national competition. “I have very enthusiastic kids, and I have had them come up to me in August before school even starts and ask, ‘When do we get together for Envirothon?’” Weinrich said. “They are ready to go at the beginning of the year, and I meet with the kids after school every Tuesday to practice.”
Weinrich has been competing for 20 years. He first learned about the program when he was a teacher at Forest Hill High School. Weinrich has seen how the program has positively influenced the students in many aspects of their lives. “It’s one of the best things that happens anywhere in the country toward helping kids really focus on See ENVIROTHON, page 18
ITID Candidate Question 3: Paved Vs. Unpaved Roads In The Acreage From now until the election, the Town-Crier will ask questions each week to the four Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors Seat 2 and Seat 4 candidates. This week’s question: What are your thoughts regarding paved versus unpaved roads in The Acreage? What criteria would you use in deciding which roads need to be improved? How should such projects be funded? SEAT 4 CANDIDATES Ken Hendrick My thoughts on paved or unpaved roads: Keep in mind this is an equestrian area, and we do not want to make it into a city. The heavily traveled roads should be paved, also the main arteries that are heavily traveled. I can only give you my feelings on this matter as it is really up to the residents. If a dirt road has the proper stone in place and is maintained correctly, it would be just like a paved road. I personally would prefer the quarter-mile roads to be dirt roads, so the horses have someplace to walk, but that would be up to residents. The roads that need improving are the main roads. You cannot just put down asphalt and do nothing with the edges of the road. There should be stone on the edge of the asphalt, so if a car goes off the asphalt, it will not be breaking down the edges; this is only common sense. I have seen many of the roads that are paved that have almost no crown in the middle for the rain to drain to the sides. Also,
the thickness of the asphalt on some of these roads is very thin, and we will have to go back and redo the job all over again because of it not being done correctly the first time. This is a waste of money and should have proper supervision when the job is being done to make sure we are getting what we are paying for. Michelle Damone The R2 road paving program in the early 2000s paved the majority of the “named” roads. However, ITID has some missing links to some of these roads or in areas where two major roads intersect. Our board also made it a policy where paved roads are to be constructed, sidewalks would be a priority as to provide safety for our children and residents. If the community desires additional paving, it would require a plan of reclamation, also known as R3, to construct those missing links. An R3 plan would cost millions, but it could be constructed over several years or decades. Some of ITID’s bonds are almost completely paid off, and if the community desires additional paving, the R3 could be paid for by new bonds. During these hard economic times, I don’t believe the community is ready for this. However, it’s worth a discussion and some future financial planning. I also believe on the small quarter-mile dirt roads that it’s up to the majority of property owners who reside on the street to decide. I’d like to see the old MSTU program resurrect-
Ken Hendrick
Michelle Damone
Carlos Enriquez
Gary Dunkley
ed with the county at 50/50 to offer to our residents.
any paved road have a sidewalk included in the project. Beyond that, we move forward with an R3 plan of improvement when the need arises and our community wants it. A comprehensive study of future demands of our roads must be completed and will be key in determining any future paving. With paved roads comes speeding, so part of our policies should provide for traffic-calming also. I am a firm believer in “pay as you go” and living within our means. So any future paving or enhancement should be done with funds that we have. I would not be in favor of borrowing money toward these projects. With a combination of efficiencies and doing more with what we have, I strongly believe we can achieve these goals. Currently, the rock formulation we are using on unpaved roads was necessitated by the
desire to achieve a better-maintained end product. The special ITID blend reduces the amount of large aggregate to better suit the district’s needs. It produces a better, more-maintainable finished road rock surface for our residents.
willing to pay, then so be it. In this economy, putting a further burden on any resident is unnecessary. ITID has a budget, which if utilized correctly, should stabilize our roads with grading and shell rock. This is one area where ITID has been failing — the budgeting for road maintenance. As a board member, I will encourage board policy where stabilizing and maintaining our roads, trails and culverts is a priority. Had the board directed staff to inspect the integrity of our paved and shell-rocked roads on a regular basis, the situation with the flooding and collapse on 140th might have been avoided. Prevention costs much less than disaster. ITID’s core mission needs to be addressed and followed. Hopefully, as a board member I can encourage the changes needed for cost savings and better service for the taxpayers.
SEAT 2 CANDIDATES Carlos Enriquez We are an equestrian community, so we must always maintain a standard that takes into consideration its requirements. As we all know, horses and cars don’t mix. So in setting policies for roads that impact both, we must always look at the needs of both. Criteria for the enhancement of roads provides set standards that assure the requirements that taxpayers’ expectations are met. The current ITID R2 plan of improvement consisted of paving several collector roads throughout the district with the purpose of bringing all residents within a quarter-mile of a paved road. Along with that, our current policy requires that
Gary Dunkley The county used to help residents requesting paving by paying 50 percent of the costs through the MSTU program. Now residents requesting paving do not have that luxury. They have to bear the burden 100 percent, so the requests have dwindled. Since we want to keep a rural character and encourage our equestrian trails, paving should always be left up to the residents. When the costs are presented, all residents of any paving project should be considered. I think if they have 100 percent consensus, and everyone is
Page 8 October 5 - October 11, 2012
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NEWS BRIEFS RPB Joins Worldwide Day Of Play Oct. 6
Genbu-Kai Karate Bicycle Safety Day Oct. 13
The Royal Palm Beach Parks & Recreation Department will offer a free session of “Crazy Games” to support Nickelodeon’s annual Worldwide Day of Play on Saturday, Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Worldwide Day of Play is an annual event designed to encourage kids and parents to turn off the television and play. The event influences kids to be active by getting their schools and educational organizations to host an event to get out and be active. Crazy Games’ mission is to give children an alternative sports program that is not highly competitive and builds self-confidence. It is also designed to motivate children to exercise and enjoy being involved in organized sports. The purpose is to create a positive athletic experience that will create lasting childhood memories. Crazy Games’ goal is to have children see the value in being active and desire to exercise throughout adulthood. For more information, call coach Nancy Molina at (561) 386-9703.
Genbu-Kai Karate in Wellington will host Bicycle Safety Day on Saturday, Oct. 13 from noon to 6 p.m., rain or shine. The event is for children and their families. Genbu-Kai has 150 free bicycle helmets to give away, as well as water bottles, whistles, wrist bands and more. Along with the day’s events, participants will be able to register to win free martial arts classes. Genbu-Kai Karate is located at 13889 Wellington Trace, Suite A21, in the Wellington Marketplace. For more information, call (561) 804-1002 or visit www.florida genbukai.com.
‘Women In Power’ Luncheon Oct. 11 In P.B. Gardens Benefiting the YWCA of Palm Beach County, PNC Bank will sponsor the first in a series of three “Women in Power” luncheons Thursday, Oct. 11 at 11:30 a.m. in the Grand Court of the Gardens
Mall (3101 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens). The honored guest is Erin Gray, actress, model and spokesperson for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, whose topic is “No Longer Silent.” The speakers for the following luncheons, scheduled for early 2013, will be announced soon. Tickets cost $50. For more information or to make a reservation, call the YWCA at (561) 640-0050, ext. 134.
Wellington Fall Festival Set For Oct. 20 Grab a costume and get ready for an evening of “spooktacular” fun at Wellington’s Fall Festival, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 20 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Village Park (11700 Pierson Road). This annual family-friendly favorite is presented by Wellington in partnership with the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce. Visit the haunted hallways if you dare, or have some lighthearted fun with laser-free laser tag, hay rides, trick-or-treating, face painting, bounce houses,
onstage performances and more. There will be a costume contest for the scariest, most original and best look-alike character costumes. Competitors will be divided into five age groups: under 3, ages 4 to 6, ages 7 to 10, ages 11 to 14, and 15 and older. Unlimited all-access bracelets are required for activities and are on sale now at Village Park and the Wellington Community Center at a cost of $7 for children and $5 for adults. On the day of the event, bracelets cost $10 for children and $5 for adults. There is an additional $5 cost to participate in laserfree laser tag. This event is made possible by title sponsors Royal Palm Nissan, Royal Palm Toyota Scion and Waste Management. Other sponsors include the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce, the Village of Wellington, Humana, Zambelli Fireworks, Med Express Urgent Care, the TownCrier, Whole Foods Market, the Palm Beach Post, the Sun-Sentinel, the Wellington Preservation Coalition, Walgreens, Sports Authority and Florida Power & Light. For sponsorship opportunities, call the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce at (561)
790-6200. For more information about Fall Festival, call Village Park at (561) 791-4005, ext. 0.
Battle Of The Bands Coming To Wellington If you’re in an amateur band and you’re ready to be discovered, here’s your chance win cash prizes and build a following at the firstever Battle of the Bands at the Wellington Amphitheater. The grand-prize winner will take home $400 and will get to work with DC Showcase Rehearsal Studios to create a music video — a total prize valued at $900 — and two runners-up will walk away with $200. All three winners will have the opportunity to be featured at a special concert at the Wellington Amphitheater at a later date. From jazz and country to classic rock and heavy metal, all sounds are welcome. Band members must be at least 10 years old by Oct. 1, at least half of them must reside in Palm Beach County, and each band must have a minimum of three instruments to qualify. Lyrics, apparel and performances
must be appropriate for all audiences. If you have what it takes, stop by the Wellington Community Center (12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) by Monday, Oct. 15 with a completed application form, proof of age (such as a driver’s license or birth certificate), a photo of your band and a $50 entry fee made payable to the Village of Wellington. The Wellington Community Center will accept registrations Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bands selected for the live audition round will be notified no later than Thursday, Oct. 18. Live auditions will be held on Friday, Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. at the Wellington Amphitheater. Finalists will play at the amphitheater again on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m., and the night will end with the announcement of the winners. The complete official rules and application form are available at the Wellington Community Center and at www.wellingtonfl.gov/community/parks-and-recreation/specialevents.html. For more info., contact Cultural Programs & Facilities Manager Joe Piconcelli at (561) 791-4756 or jpiconcelli@wellingtonfl.gov.
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October 5 - October 11, 2012 Page 9
NEWS
GIRLS NIGHT AT GENERATIONS SALON SUPPORTS BREAST CANCER RESEARCH
Generations: A Hair Salon in Wellington held its Girls Night on Thursday, Sept. 27. The purpose was to have a fun event, feature stylists, bring business to local vendors and raise breast cancer awareness. There was wine tasting and raffles; vendors sold clothes, jewelry and accessories; and pink hair extensions were sold to benefit the Komen Foundation. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Julianna Cruz models a dress for Rona Klein and Jacqueline Palmer.
Dana Lopez blow dries Shannon Quinn’s hair.
Ashley Lapulippe gives Julia Chaplin a pink hair extension.
Generations co-owners Anthony Gutilla and Monica Hoffman.
Michele Masso of Zest shows Nina Anschutz a cute top.
Sanda Gané at her jewelry table.
JOEY’S OUTBACK ADVENTURES HOSTS BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR ITS NAMESAKE
Joey’s Outback Adventures in Wellington held a “Joey’s Fifth Birthday” celebration Thursda y, Sept. 27. Joey Friedman is the son of owners Michael and Francesca Friedman. The event included face painting, a magic show, a balloon artist, free arcade games and birthday cake for everyone. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Children’s Home Society and CFC Child and Family Connections. For more info., visit www.joeysoutback .com or call (561) 204-4554. PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER
Francy Cubas paints Landon Berrios’ face.
Michael and Francesca Friedman with their son Joey.
Joey Friedman with his former foster family Charlotte, Jeff and Jeff II McKiernan.
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NEWS
LOTS OF FAMILY FUN AT ST. RITA CHURCH’S FESTIVAL OF THE GUARDIAN ANGEL St. Rita Catholic Church in Wellington held the Festival of the Guardian Angel Friday through Sunday, Sept. 28-30. The family-friendly event featured carnival games and rides, face painting and karaoke, as well as a silent auction, 50/50 raffle and bake sale. Vendors sold a wide variety of items, local entertainers performed and there was a talent contest. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Code
Dennis Marquez clips Jessica Wall’s hair for Locks of Love while mom Nancy Wall looks on.
Palm Beach Tae Kwon Do’s Sebastian Ibarrola jumps from the back of Jeff Robinson to kick a board held by Jennifer Yoon.
Donna Tucci’s School of Dance tap dancers Grace Cavin, Katerina Dopico, Ellie Burns and Jayla Jean Francois.
Jameson and Tommy Bylciw ride on a fire truck.
Marta Prado and Lourdes Nieves perform flamenco dances.
Donna Tucci’s School of Dance ballerinas Kat erina Dopico, Erin Berish, Charlotte Cagiano, Leah Rodriguez and Grace Fowler.
Letter To State AG
continued from page 1 there is a clear answer, nothing can be interpreted and it’s black and white, so in the future we don’t have any issues,” Liang said. Cirullo said the amended statute also lists an exemption from any “code,” and Florida appellate courts have distinguished “land development regulations” that govern land development from building and fire “codes.” Councilman Tom Goltzené said he thought a simpler solution would be to exempt bona fide agriculture from the town’s Uniform Land Development Code. “I think
that to ask the attorney general what the definition of ‘any’ is, and whether your ULDCs, if you change the word ‘code’ to ‘regulation, does it just go away” is useless, Goltzené said. “If I change the name of a pig to ‘chicken,’ does it become a chicken? No, it remains a pig. If it’s a code, it’s a code. We called it that for a reason.” Goltzené said he thought the real issue was what the council thinks its relationship to agriculture should be. “If we say it’s exempt from the ULDCs, done deal,” Goltzené said. “If we want to roll the dice and have the attorney general say, ‘any’ means ‘any,’and we can’t do anything, then that’s what it’s going to be. Personally, I think we ought to just say no, it’s exempt, and that’s how it goes, and
then we don’t have to deal with those issues. We have that within our power tonight to do that.” Councilman Ron Jarriel said he thought there should be setbacks for certain things, such as corrals. “I wouldn’t say let people do anything they want to,” he said. “If you allow them to do anything they want to, it doesn’t matter whether the neighbors care about it or not.” Goltzené said that under bona fide agriculture, neighbors have up to a year to complain about any aspects of the operation or any changes. “I really have faith that we’re going to get an opinion that’s going to be far-reaching, so if you really want to go there, I’m OK with it, but I think we could make it much simpler,” he said.
Mayor Dave Browning said he thought Loxahatchee Groves is a unique community with its combination of agricultural and residential uses. “It’s a balance of the two, and I agree with Ron [Jarriel], to put corrals or cages right on the fence line against your neighbor, I think those are the things that should be set back,” he said. A pasture would be different, with horses and other livestock able to come right up to the fence. “I want ag to succeed, but at the same time I want everybody to be good neighbors and do practical things,” Browning said. Browning said he would have a problem with no regulation on ag uses. “That’s a little scary,” he said. “We have to protect both.” Cirullo said the original goal of
his letter was to get clarification on specific items to the legislative amendments on the enforcement of land development regulations. “I think it’s reasonably viewed by folks as saying, ‘You can’t apply that rule to me because I’m ag,’” Cirullo said, pointing out that the word “code” is not defined. “There’s multiple interpretations.” Rockett said he would rather ask for an opinion on the specific questions that Cirullo was concerned with than broaden it with multiple questions. “Let’s get as specific an answer to that question, and if we chose to follow up, we can always go that route,” he said. Resident Howard Voren asked why, with all the agricultural communities in the state, was Loxahatchee Groves the one asking for
opinions from the attorney general that might restrict agriculture? “This doesn’t make sense for a community that supposedly is pro-agriculture,” Voren said. Resident Todd McLendon said he thought that agricultural uses were under attack. “We’re an agricultural community; act like it,” he said. “The problem is that more and more residential people are moving here who don’t have a nickel in agriculture, and those are the people who are complaining against their neighbors.” Rockett made a motion to compose a letter to the attorney general asking for clarification. It carried 3-2, with Jarriel and Goltzené opposed. Cirullo said he would prepare the letter and present it for council for approval.
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NEWS
October 5 - October 11, 2012 Page 13
PLAYERS CLUB HOSTS KIDS CANCER FOUNDATION CELEBRITY BARTENDING EVENT The Kids Cancer Foundation held a “Celebrity Superheroes” bartending event Friday, Sept. 28 at the Bistro at the Players Club in Wellington. The fundraising event included raffle prizes and drinks made by celebrity bartender Oren Hudson. Proceeds benefited the foundation’s programs for children with cancer. For more info., visit www.kidscancersf.org. PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER
Bartender Deb Green with assistant Jessica Gonzalez.
Kids Cancer Foundation Advisory Board members.
Volunteer Cathleen Cannon, Kids Cancer Foundation founder and Executive Director Michelle O’Boyle and event organizer Maureen Gross of Phelps Media Group.
Al DeMott and Frank O’Boyle.
Adam, Maggie and Chris Zeller.
Bob Wolff, Bill Tavernise and Adam Zeller.
BRIGHTON COLLECTIBLES KICKS OFF CAMPAIGN FOR BREAST CANCER CHARITIES Brighton Collectibles in the Mall at Wellington Green held its “Power of Pink” kickoff on Friday, Sept. 28. Sales of the limited-edition 2012 Power of Pink bracele ts and other jewelry items and accessories benef it Your Bosom Buddies II and other breast cancer charities this year. For more on the Power of Pink cam paign, visit www.brighton.com. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Brienne Wolters with Lily, Abbe Felton, and Heather Aho with her son Evan and daughter Mia.
Shari Zipp and Anne Marie Matozzo with the Power of Pink bracelets.
Abbe Felton (right) proposes a toast to breast cancer survivors.
Page 14 October 5 - October 11, 2012
STUDENTS GO FOR THE GOLD AT WELLINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Wellington Elementary School kicked off the school year with an Olympic-sized book fair. The aptly titled “Going for the Gold� book fair was a fun-filled weeklong event inspired by the Summer Olympics. The PTO and volunteers transformed the media center into an Olympic stadium, complete with an Olympic ring banner (shown above), sports memorabilia and volunteers wearing team shirts. The students also participated in a reading log contest, taking home the gold in reading by reading 90,478 minutes. The closing ceremonies took place at Book Fair Family Night on Frida y, Sept. 21. All proceeds from the book fair benefit the school library. For those who missed this event, Wellington Elementary School will host another book fair in February.
Send School News items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.
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SCHOOL NEWS
TKA Boutique & Trunk Show Set For Oct. 17 The King’s Academy will hold its third annual Boutique & Trunk Show on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at the M. Nelson Loveland Sports and Fine Art Center. The all-day
Shoppers peruse the items at last year’s trunk show.
event is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Feel free to spend an hour or spend the day, as there will be plenty of activity to keep you entertained. The event is open to the public, so make it a girls day out by inviting friends and family to join you as you shop more than 50 vendors selling a wide array of unique merchandise. Remember to bring your Christmas shopping list so you can complete your shopping in one place. Salads, wraps and sandwiches will be available from Chick-fil-A, and treats will be available from the Boutique Bake Shoppe, which features homemade treats baked by TKA faculty and administrators as well as TKA parents. Tickets cost $10 each and can be purchased online at www.tka. net.
Boutique Bake Shoppe volunteers Denise Meers, Stacy Montgomery, Susanne Legere and Julie Fiedor at last year’s event.
Fun Back-To-School Bash At Wellington Christian The Wellington Christian School Parent-Teacher Fellowship welcomed new and returning families to the new school year with its fourth annual Back to School Bash and Ice Cream Social on Friday, Sept. 7. Schools like WCS that include a community of students ranging from PK2 through grade 12 are always challenged to find activities and events that will be of interest to all families. But the WCS Parent-Teacher Fellowship views the events as opportunities for fellowship in which activities and in-
volvement can be geared to provide something for every student, family and faculty member. An ice cream social is great for all, providing a treat enjoyed by young and old, service opportunities for older students, and a fellowship opportunity for parents. Fellowship opportunities are an important aspect of WCS. While academics are the No. 1 priority for a school, academics in a Christian environment, with a community of families where families come together to support students, helps the school impact the whole
child, heart and mind. With all the challenges that young people are presented with today, these community connections are as important as the academics. In addition to fellowship and treats, the evening included activities and raffles. PTF Chair Chad Isaacson was grateful for the many sponsors who helped make the event a huge success. “WCS knows the importance of the community and looks to partner with and support local businesses,� he said. “For this event, we thank Jason’s Deli, IM Electric, Brooklyn
Water Bagel in Lake Worth and Publix for their support of the students and education of WCS. Face painting was also provided by Henny Bulten.� Located at 1000 Wellington Trace, Wellington Christian School is a fully accredited PK212 Christian school established in 1981. The school offers regular tours of the campus for interested families. For more information, call the school at (561) 793-1017 or visit its web site at www.wellington christian.org.
You Deserve Quality CARE
SERVING OUR COMMUNITY FOR OVER 20 YEARS
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SCHOOL NEWS
TKA’s Auction Kickoff Meeting A Success There was excitement in the air as the King’s Academy’s Auction Planning Committee met for the first time this year. Auction chairs Teddy Walker and Denise Meers were introduced, as well as theme consultant Cristina Rodriguez and event consultant Irelys Pattee. The group of 30 women discussed the upcoming events that support the auction effort, including the boutique and trunk show, Christmas open house/underwriting party, online Christmas shop, gift-gathering parties, and the luncheon and fashion show. Subcommittees were also formed for the silent auction in the areas of dining; home and garden; handbags, accessories and jewelry; family entertainment; sports and memorabilia; travel and vacation; services; and We Love TKA. The Mane Event Dinner & Auction will be held Saturday, March
2, 2013 at PGA National. The theme will be “Havana Nights.” Back by popular demand, the auction again will utilize the BidPal handheld mobile bidding devices. Also recognized at the meeting were current sponsors, including presenting sponsors Insurance Office of America (Heather and Ray Dorsey), diamond sponsors Ed and Shirleen Aiello, platinum sponsors Braman Honda (Cristina and Mike Rodriguez) and Insurance Express (the Graceffo family), and gold sponsors the Bone and Joint Center (Dr. and Mrs. Jorge Acevedo). The King’s Academy is a nationally recognized private Christian school serving approximately 1,200 students from preschool through 12th grade. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Association of Christian Schools International and the Florida Asso-
There was a great turn-out for the auction kickoff meeting. ciation of Christian Colleges and Clewiston campus on Caribbean Schools. The King’s Academy Avenue and its satellite preschool serves students and their families campuses in Greenacres, Palm across Palm Beach and Hendry Beach Gardens and Royal Palm counties at its main campus at Beach. More information about Belvedere Road and Sansbury’s the King’s Academy is available Way in West Palm Beach, its online at www.tka.net.
Berean Christian Inducts New NHS Members Berean Christian School National Honor Society inductee candidates had to patiently wait longer than planned for their ceremony to be inducted into Berean’s chapter of the National Honor Society due to Tropical Storm Isaac. The annual ceremony was scheduled to take place Monday, Aug. 27 when Tropical Storm Isaac blew through the area affecting the Palm Beaches and changing plans. The rescheduled date was Thursday, Sept. 6. Christopher Intoppa, president of NHS, opened the ceremony with prayer and an explanation of what it means to be part of the National Honor Society, including strong academic qualities, leadership skills and personal integrity. The inductees listened careful-
ly to what membership in NHS entails. The inductees were 10th-graders Brittany Belford, Stephanie Daniels, Kenny Hippler, Marissa Intoppa, Lauren Perez, Miranda Reese and Sarah Starkey; 11thgraders Alyssa Ashworth, Christopher Kaminski and Victoria Meldrim; and 12th-graders Michael Demyan and Jimmy Ortiz. William Dupere, lead administrator at BCS, concluded the evening by saying a few words of encouragement to the students. He spoke of their achievement, but “that’s not the end,” Dupere said. He reminded students of the responsibility that is involved in being an academic leader of the school and community. Dupere spoke of what it took to get in their seats on this ceremony evening and what it takes to live
October 5 - October 11, 2012 Page 15
STUDENTS PERFORM MATH-THEMED MUSICAL AT NEW HORIZONS
New Horizons Elementary School fourth-graders recently presented their annual math musical “Lions and Kings of Our Math,” an original piece created by music teacher Veronica Dillingham and fourthgrade math teacher Cheryl Lay. Students dressed in jungle costumes, and musical numbers included “Math King Chant,” “The Math Skills of Life,” “No Homework,” “I Just Can’t Wait to be Math King” and “We’re Doing Our Math Tonight.” The audience joined in singing “Hakuna Mathtata,” and students enjoyed learning math concepts in a most musical way. Pictured here are fourth-graders performing “Lions and Kings of Our Math.”
SEM RIDGE CADETS WELCOME CHICK-FIL-A
Berean’s National Honor Society inductees. out this honor, especially by putting Christ first in their lives. For additional information
about program at Berean Christian School, visit the school’s web site at www.bcsbulldogs.org.
Golden Grove Tops In Registered Summer Readers Golden Grove Elementary School has announced that it had the highest percent of its school population registered for the Summer Reading Program. Each year the Palm Beach County Library System keeps track of the schools attended by the children who sign up for the Summer Reading Program. The school with the highest percent-
age of their student population enrolled in the reading program gets a special program in November that is paid for by the Palm Beach County Library System. Golden Grove will have a special visit on the morning of Friday, Nov. 2 by this year’s author of the book chosen as our 2012 Families Reading Together book, Artful Reading by Bob Raczka.
November marks the Palm Beach County Library System’s ninth Families Reading Together Campaign. This event serves to remind the community of the importance of sharing books with children and encouraging them to read on their own. This project is made possible by community partners, including the Palm Beach County
School District. Golden Grove will be receiving special bookmarks and other materials from school media services for this campaign. Golden Grove is proud that so many of its students registered for the Summer Reading Program and enjoyed the love of reading over the summer. They are looking forward to their special visit.
The Seminole Ridge High School Army JROTC color guard and saber team participated in the recent grand opening of Chick-Fil-A’s new restaurant in Royal Palm Beach. The cadets presented the colors and led the Pledge of Allegiance, then performed a saber arch for the ribbon cutting while the “first bite” was taken. Shown above are: (front row, L-R) Vincent Luciano-Sileo, Benoit Cloutier, Devon Breen and Jose Ruiz; (back row) Geoffrey Christian, James Bukowski, Timothy Ruback, owner Rob Rabenecker and his wife Chandra, retired Lt. Col Hans Hunt, Christopher Mitton, Jamie Marchand, Desiree Galavan and John Christian.
Page 16 October 5 - October 11, 2012
YOUNG PERFORMERS LEND THEIR TALENTS TO A GOOD CAUSE
Nine-year-old Mark Ralston of Wellington and 12-year-old Jordan Alfonzo of Jupiter performed as the Blues Brothers at a benefit for local Lucille Ball impersonator Lista Faircloth on Sept. 27 at the Cottage in Lake Worth. Faircloth is battling cancer and needs financial help. For more information on donating, visit http://please helplucy.chipin.com/fundraiser-for-lucy or www.youcaring.com and search “Lucy Faircloth.” Shown above are Ralston and Alfonzo performing at the benefit. PHOTO BY GREGORY RATNER/RATNERIMAGES.COM
FOUR GENERATIONS OF WELKYS TOGETHER
PALMS WEST PEOPLE
Alex Ng Honored For His Community Service Alex Ng of Wellington High School was announced as the winner of Pediatrics After Hours’ “Every Child Makes a Difference” contest, in the 12- to 21-year-old category. The contest showcases children ages 6-11 and 12-21 who perform outstanding community service, and Pediatrics After Hours received hundreds of nominations from throughout Florida. Ng started his community service work after the hurricanes of 2004. Watching the news, he saw many children in shelters without any toys. Ng asked for help and managed to collect more than 300 toys. With the help of Mo Foster and Sally Sevareid of The Mo & Sally Show on Kool 105.5 FM, and having Sevareid teach him the word “plight,” Ng realized that it felt good to give and that there are many kids out there in need. For the past six years, Ng has visited Pleasant City Elementary School, providing students with gently used backpacks and new school supplies in August, and visiting the school’s aftercare program at Christmas time with dollar store toys. Ng also provides help to animals, as a top fundraiser for the South Florida Wildlife Center’s
Walk for Wildlife and having recently coordinated a bedding drive for Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary. Ng also volunteers his time on the soccer field, his first love, coaching a U-14 recreational team and goalie training a U-10 girls team. He earns his spending money by refereeing soccer games on the weekend, though he often refs for free for teams that scrimmage on the weekends. At WHS, Ng is enrolled in the pre-equine vet program, taking three honors and two AP courses. As winner of Every Child Makes a Difference, Ng received a crystal trophy, a letter from Gov. Rick Scott, a note from President Barack Obama, a star named after him and $2,500 in prizes. “I could not have done any of this without the help of my community: the Town-Crier for encouraging the youth in this community and getting the info out there, Rita’s Ice, Duffy’s Bar & Grill, my soccer league Royal Palm Beach Strikers, but most of all my parents, my friends and their parents and my neighbors,” Ng said. Ng’s next project is Dimes for Donations, a Black Friday sale in Belle Glade. Ng plans to go out to Belle Glade with friends the day
Send Palms West People items to: The Town-Crier Newspaper, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.
Michelle Wright of CBS News and Kelly Zampini of After Hours Pediatrics announce Alex Ng as the winner in his category. after Thanksgiving to hold a Black Friday sale for the community. For the next two months, Ng and his friends will be collecting toys, books, shoes, clothing, household supplies and furniture. These items will be stored and brought out to Belle Glade. The church will then sell $1 cards allowing the bearer to purchase up to 10 items (Dimes for Donations). The funds will go toward the church’s children’s pro-
grams and everyone will be able to shop. “I think it would be nice for them to shop for stuff rather than have them come and get handouts,” Ng said. “Anyone can afford $1; I just hope I can come up with enough donations for them.” Anyone interested in donating any items can e-mail Ng at alexng1997@aol.com or find him on Facebook under Alex Ng of Royal Palm Beach.
Monica Diesti Attends London Fashion Week At an early age, Monica Diesti began assisting her mother Claudia Diesti on photo shoots and runway shows, witnessing firsthand the drive and determination it takes to be successful in the fashion industry. Monica quickly felt the fashion industry’s addictive combination of flash bulbs, models and makeup. Immediately out of school, she began training with many of the
same world-renowned hair stylists her motherly mentor worked with years ago, including Ted Gibson, Jo Blackwell and others. But Monica knew that in order not to follow in her mother’s footsteps she needed a specialty of her own — one specific talent and title that would earn the respect of clients and industry peers alike. That specific talent would be the L’Oreal Color Specialist degree.
Lague Graduates Air Force Training Town-Crier columnist Deborah Welky recently welcomed her new grandson Orion, a.k.a. “Skippy,” born to Welky’s daughter, Jennifer Garbos, on Aug. 25. Shown here with Welky (right) are Orion’s great-grandfather Emmett Welky, Garbos with Orion and greatgrandmother Marjorie Welky.
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Air Force Airman 1st Class Gregory Lague graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Lague completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Airmen who complete basic
training earn four credits toward an associate’s degree in applied science through the Community College of the Air Force. Lague is the son of Juli and Joseph Lague of Earleton, Fla. He is a 2008 graduate of Palm Beach Central High School and earned an associate’s degree in 2011 from Santa Fe College in Gainesville.
Just returning from London for the first two prerequisite courses required before beginning her studies for the color specialist degree, Monica also had the rare opportunity for a private class with the famous Carolyn Newman, color director for London’s elite Charles Worthington Salons. In between classes, Monica also did what any fashionista would do — she enjoyed the runway shows at the Somerset House for London Fashion Week. The highly acclaimed color specialist degree is the industry’s most difficult and desired hair color educational experience. Since its inception in 2002, only 750 colorists have completed this prestigious course throughout the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, North Ireland and Wales). Those who achieve this degree participate in an illustrious graduation ceremony held at the Royal Albert Hall. Monica Diesti will become the first female in the United States to earn the distinguished degree.
Monica Diesti enjoys her time at London Fashion Weekend. The mother-daughter team of Monica and Claudia Diesti work from their private Beauty Room, located inside the Eclipse Salon & Day Spa at 3975 Isles View Drive in Wellington. For more information, visit www. palmbeachhairstylist.com.
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NEWS RPB Election
Swift vs. Webster
continued from page 1 are really pretty easy to get along with, and you can have disagreements,” Swift said, recalling several times when he and Mayor Matty Mattioli had serious disagreements. “After the meeting,
Amendments
Voters Face 11 Questions
continued from page 1 emptions for certain groups. Amendment 2 extends additional homestead tax exemptions to veterans who were disabled in the line of duty. “It’s similar to the one that’s already in the constitution,” Bonlarron said. “But that only applies to veterans who lived in Florida at the time they went into combat.” About 1,200 veterans received a discount under the current amendment, he said. The new amendment would open up the requirements. “It would extend the benefits to any disabled veteran who decided to move to Florida,” he said. Opposition to the measure, Bonlarron said, is largely by those who have fiscal concerns. “There are fiscal impacts associated with each of these amendments,” he said. “This one is approximately $15 million over the first three years, or $5 million a year. Then, in 2016, it jumps up to $7.5 million.” Amendment 9 is similar in nature, giving additional exemptions to spouses of military members or first responders killed in the line of duty. Bonlarron said that the constitution currently has such provisions for military widows, but not first responders. “This says that if their spouse is lost in the line of duty, they qualify for an additional exemption,” he said. “It could be a full or partial exemption.” He said the fiscal impact is estimated at about $600,000. In a similar vein, Amendment 11 would extend an additional exemption to seniors who are longtime homeowners. “It would provide an additional tax exemption for seniors 65 years or older who have had the title to and lived in their home for more than 25 years,” Bonlarron said. “It would apply to homes less than $250,000.” The changes, which would begin in 2014, would have a $9 million a year fiscal impact. “It passed in the House and Senate unanimously,” Bonlarron said. Bonlarron said voters would have to weigh the costs of the amendments with the benefits of helping certain groups. “You have to look at each individual amendment, or look at them correctly and ask ‘What’s the balance?’” he said. “We are helping a specific group of people. But there is a fiscal impact, and it can result in your taxes going up or your services being decreased.” Also dealing with property taxes, Amendment 4 has three components: one to reduce the annual growth and assessment limitations, one to narrow the gap between assessed value and market value for homesteaded properties, and one to give an additional exemption to first-time homesteaders. Bonlarron noted that if your home is not homesteaded, the annual growth and assessment limitation is 10 percent. “This will reduce it to 5 percent,” he said. Com-
Letters continued from page 4 percentage of the private sector’s spending, the national debt is much more than 100 percent. During the past three years, gas prices have doubled while the supply of domestic oil has been intentionally reduced. Oil rigs in the Gulf have left or shutdown. There is a moratorium on drilling for oil in the Atlantic, except that foreign nations are drilling there. The Keystone Oil pipeline construction has been stopped this year over environmental concerns. In the past three years, 111 coal-fired energy plants stopped producing electricity. That is one-fifth of the nation’s coal plants, and in the next three to five years EPA mandates will cause more than 200 more coalfired energy plants to close across 25 states. President Obama said that under his plan, the CO2 emissions limit would bankrupt anyone who attempted to build a coal-fired energy plant. Steven Chu, the current energy czar, said that he likes the European model where our gas prices would be more like $9 a gallon. Chu said that he wanted to move off of oil and into electric cars. Spain went all in for green jobs and now has 25 percent unemployment. This year, due to the government bailout of Solyndra, a solar panel manufacturer, taxpayers lost $500 million. As a result of the recent
we were still friends. We could take the ideas and make a convincing argument and not take it personally. You should be able to disagree with people on issues but still respect your fellow council persons.” Swift said he also thinks that council members must represent all of the electorate, including seniors, families, youth and the business community. “It seems to me,
and maybe I’m getting it wrong, that Martha is representing the business interests more than other folks, and you’ve got to represent everybody,” he said. Swift added that for 16 years, the previous council reduced taxes every year, and came up with a financial plan that gave the village a $70 million reserve after the sale of its water utility to the county. “That has been very helpful in
parably, homesteaded properties have a 3 percent cap. The second provision in the amendment would attempt to narrow the gap between assessed and market value for homesteaded properties. “It would allow the legislature to prevent the home’s assessed value from going up while the market value goes down,” Bonlarron said. The last provision would give first-time homesteaders — those who are receiving a homestead exemption for the first time in three years — an additional homestead exemption equal to 50 percent of the median value of the home up to $400,000. The rate would decrease at 20 percent each year for a five-year period, until the homeowner is back to their regular homestead exemption. “I think the idea is to get those people who are sitting on their hands, who want to buy a home but just haven’t done it yet, into the market,” Bonlarron said. He said that the amendment would have a fiscal impact of $85 million over four years in Palm Beach County’s government alone. “For all the government entities and municipalities in Palm Beach County, it would be $150 million,” he said. “It has a significant fiscal impact. You have to weigh the costs and benefits.” Amendment 10 is aimed at businesses and deals with tangible personal property tax exemptions, which are currently set at $25,000. The change would expand that to $50,000 in exemptions. “It would help 150,000 businesses statewide,” Bonlarron said. “It would have a $20 million a year fiscal impact.” Amendment 3 would implement restrictions on spending by state lawmakers. Bonlarron compared it to Colorado’s taxpayer bill of rights. “It would replace existing revenue limits with a new one that would be based on inflation and population change,” he explained. Bonlarron said that the amendment is an effort to curb state spending during boom years, resulting in massive cuts in hard times. “When times are really good and you have high revenue spikes, the government spends a lot of money,” he said. “Then when the downfall comes, you have deep, draconian cuts. This would say if the state is going to grow revenue, it can be no greater than the population growth.” Amendment 5 gives additional control to the state legislature over the state’s judiciary by requiring that Florida Supreme Court justices be confirmed by the state senate, and by changing the twothirds majority to overturn a Florida Supreme Court ruling into a simple majority. “It would add a 90-day provision for the senate to deny or approve the confirmation of a Florida Supreme Court justice,” he said. “It would also allow the overturning of court rulings by a simple majority.” Bonlarron said that supporters and opponents are divided main-
ly among party lines. “Some believe this would weaken the judicial branch,” he said. “Some opponents believe that this is meant to punish them for decisions that were made where people didn’t see eye to eye. Others think that some of the judges are legislating from the bench and going beyond the scope and purview of what they are supposed to decide. Supporters believe that putting more oversight by legislators will be beneficial.” Though it is currently against federal and state law to use public money for abortion, Amendment 6 would seal the practice in the constitution. Bonlarron noted that public funds could be spent only in order to save the mother’s life. One provision in the amendment, however — to overturn court rulings that have allowed minors to seek abortions without their parents’ consent under the notion of privacy — is where the controversy lies, Bonlarron said. “The arguments before the Florida Supreme Court have argued that if an individual has the right to privacy, then minors should have the right to privacy, meaning they should not need consent from their parents to have an abortion,” he said. “This would mean courts would no longer be able to use that clause in defending abortion rights.” Amendment 8 would repeal the current state ban on tax money going for religious financing. “Those opposed to it believe it is intended to expand the use of private school vouchers,” Bonlarron said. “On the other side, supporters believe that change is needed because hospitals, private colleges and pre-K programs tied to religious groups are in jeopardy of losing state funding.” Finally, Amendment 12 would create a council of state university student body presidents and appoint the council’s chair to the Board of Governors of the State University System. Under the current system, the president of the Florida Student Association sits on the board, Bonlarron said. This person has the ability to influence financing and other measures that affect universities. Some universities, he said, believe the process is unfair. “Florida State University has been lobbying for this for years,” he said. “What we have seen is that a lot of smaller universities from around the state have come together and prevented members from larger universities from being that representative [on the board].” Bonlarron noted that every amendment on the ballot has an impact — be it fiscal, social or otherwise. He encouraged residents to seek out more information. Bonlarron will be speaking on the issues at the Wellington branch of the Palm Beach County Library on Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 2:30 p.m. He will also be the guest speaker at County Commissioner Jess Santamaria’s Community Forum on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. Both meetings are open to the public.
bailout of the auto unions, the government now owns 25 percent of GM stock and produces the Volt, the totally electric car that Mr. Chu wanted. The independent Congressional Budget Agency says we should not buy the car the government is building because it costs too much. President Obama said he wanted to raise the capital gains tax for reasons of fairness. Many retirees have capital gains. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, nominally referred to as Obamacare, has slashed $715 billion out of the Medicare private insurance advantage plans, which cover most seniors and is their primary coverage. Obamacare has also imposed a new tax on everyone who cannot afford medical coverage or chooses not to be covered. If a corporation having more than 50 employees drops their employee healthcare plan and dumps their employees onto government healthcare, the tax will be less than the premiums. Obamacare requires insurers to cover “children” up to the age of 26 years, probably because many young adults in that age group cannot find jobs, even with college degrees, and are forced to live with their parents. The nation’s favorability rating in Europe under President Bush was low. The nonpartisan Pew Research Center reported
U.S. favorability in Europe is now lower than when Bush was president. President Bush obtained Congressional approval to invade Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2001, the war in Afghanistan cost $20 billion, and in 2010 the cost rose to $105 billion. In 2011, the war cost rose to $118 billion, and more Americans have been wounded or killed during President Obama’s three years than in President Bush’s eight years. Fully 70 percent of those injuries and deaths occurred under President Obama’s watch. President Obama proceeded without authority to wage war in Libya, a covert drone war in Yemen, a proxy war in Somalia, an escalated CIA drone war in Pakistan, an escalated war in Afghanistan all without success. The Muslim Brotherhood under Sharia law is in control of the vast Middle East, and testimony before House Armed Services Committee revealed that of the 85 percent of special operations forces in 75 nations around the world, only 20 percent are currently in Middle East. President Obama praised the “Arab Spring” revolution in the Middle East as the beginning of a new democracy. Obama’s policies have failed. Give us one reason why he should be given a second term. Frank Morelli Wellington
keeping our taxes low and providing services to residents,” he said. “The bottom line is I think that my re-election would help both strengthen the village council and the image of our community.” After running unsuccessfully for a council seat in 2006, Webster won election to the council in 2008 to a one-year term. She won easy re-election to a full two-year term in 2009 and was unchallenged in 2011. “I think it’s always a good thing when people step up to the plate and run,” Webster told the TownCrier this week. “I understand that Mr. Swift wants to come back, and I’m looking forward to the campaign. Mr. Swift was there for 20 years, and he definitely represents the past. I have been here for four years now, and I can say that since I’ve been here, I have worked very hard for the village.” Webster said she has always represented the best interests of the village. “I think for the four years that I have been on the coun-
cil, which is one-fourth of the time that Mr. Swift was there, that I have probably done four times as much for the village,” she said, noting her service as vice president of the Palm Beach County League of Cities and secretary-treasurer of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council. Webster added that she has worked hard for the extension of State Road 7 to Northlake Blvd. “I initiated that and have worked very hard to make that happen for us,” she said. She also headed up a committee to find future uses for the old wastewater treatment plant site after residents opposed a plan for commercial use there. “I moved forward with a task force of citizens to give them the opportunity to ask questions and learn about it,” Webster said. Most recently, Webster noted that she got a dog park reinstated in the plans for the new Commons Park. As for Swift’s comment that
Webster might be too businessoriented, she said she works for the good of the community. “I’m interested in the health of our community and what opportunities we have for the citizens,” she said. “I want what will give a comprehensive village. The village has some assets, but we can’t sit back and continue to pull from our reserves. We can’t sit and not raise taxes if we don’t make changes in the way we do business.” Webster pointed out that several statewide tax-cutting amendments will be voted on next month that could substantially reduce property tax revenue. As for the Planning & Zoning Commission, Webster said the members have three-year terms, which is longer than many other boards. “You have the discretion as the liaison to make changes if you would like to move new people in and give a new voice to the village,” she said. “Mr. Swift wants to stick with the old voice and the old ways.”
WRMC
Pavilion Opening
continued from page 1 of the Village of Wellington and our neighboring communities.” Dr. Melissa Carlson, who chairs the hospital’s board of governors, said that the new pavilion shows WRMC’s commitment to quality and patient care. “It’s not just a building,” she said. “It’s not just a group of beautiful rooms and pleasant areas in which to recover and rest. This is Wellington Regional’s commitment to quality. It’s a commitment to our patients and our community.” The new addition will bring the hospital to 233 beds, alleviating pressure on the emergency room. It also includes space for other needs, such as a unit for high-risk pregnancies. “This increase in square footage allows us to care for more acute and more high-risk patients,” Carlson said. “It all boils down to the fact that we will be able to take care of our neighbors, friends and family closer to home, even with the most complicated medical problems. This, in turn, will bring more quality positions with newer treatment options, newer techniques and newer technology.” WRMC Chief of Staff Dr. Richard Hays said that the medical staff worked hard to make this dream a reality. “They let them know the need and the desire to have this type of facility,” he said. “I have no doubt that the medical staff will see that their efforts were extremely well worth it.” Hays said that the facility would give staff a sense of pride. “Once you see the facility, you’ll understand why people clamor for this type of care,” he said. “It’s not only beautiful, but it has a state-of-the-art approach to medicine.” Margolis also noted the fiscal impact it will have on the community, providing 100 full-time positions and $5 million in annual salaries by 2017. “While I hope that neither myself nor my family will have to come through these doors as a patient, I know that if they do, they are in good hands,” he said.
Envirothon
Seeking Sponsors
continued from page 7 their environmental knowledge,” he said. Weinrich has seen Envirothon students who have gone on to careers in environmental science. One became a professor of botany and another is running a fisheries program in New Zealand. “I think it matters to all of us to do everything we can to support this new generation in having a better ability to cope with the environmental challenges that they are going to see in the future,” he said. Palm Beach County Envirothon is open to all high school students in the county. “We send out information to all of the schools, from private to home schools,” BloomFincannon said. For the competition, students are divided into groups of five, and the advisors from the schools
LGLA
SFWMD On Storm
continued from page 7 set up these temporary pumps to move the water.” Corry added that improvements to the system are already in the works. For example, she noted that the SFWMD recently finalized a deal to purchase the Mecca Farms property, which was utilized during the storm’s aftermath as an
Dr. Jorge Acevedo, Bruce White, Mike Arena and Wellington Councilwoman Anne Gerwig with her husband Alan.
Dr. Jeffrey Bishop, WRMC CEO Jerel Humphrey, UHS Chairman Alan Miller, Central Palm Beach County Chamber CEO Jaene Miranda and Wellington Mayor Bob Margolis. PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER
St. Michael Church Will Bless The Animals Oct. 7 St. Michael Lutheran Church in Wellington will hold its fourth annual “Paws for a Blessing” Sunday, Oct. 7 with service beginning at 4 p.m. Come early to have your photo taken with your pet. The service will be held indoors in the comfort of air conditioning in the church’s new sanctuary. Everyone is welcome to attend with or without a pet. Pets attending must be leashed or confined in a carrier. “Paws for a Blessing” is also a fundraiser for the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League, which will be present with their petmobile filled with loving pets looking for forever homes. Everyone attending is asked to bring canned pet food to help fill the Peggy Adams pet food pantry. Thrivent Finan-
cial for Lutherans will be matching funds raised at this event so that every $3 raised in food will be matched by $1 in cash for Peggy Adams. If you cannot attend but would like to donate, your donation can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the church (in Fellowship Hall across the drive from the sanctuary) or Sunday morning. Sunday services are held at 8:30 and 10:45 a.m. St. Michael is located at 1925 Birkdale Drive, on the corner of Forest Hill Blvd. and Birkdale Drive just west of the Mall at Wellington Green near the Wellington entrance walls. For more information, call Donna Tagg at (561) 371-3201 or the church at (561) 793-4999.
are in charge of forming the teams. “Generally there are six students on a team, and one is an alternate,” Bloom-Fincannon said. There are five main topics: aquatics, forestry, soil, wildlife and a current environmental issue chosen by Canon each year. The students spend months studying material they’ll be tested on. Along the way, they are helped by dozens of volunteers from the South Florida Water Management District, the National Resources Conservation Service, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conversation Commission and other organizations, Bloom-Fincannon said. The Palm Beach Soil & Water Conservation District is extremely supportive of the program, according to district chair Eva Webb, who is frantically trying to get sponsors to support it. “It’s a program that not many people are aware of,” she said. “I want people to know how important it is, not only to the students but to our community.” Webb is proud of what students
in the program have accomplished over the years. “Our Envirothon has sometimes been even bigger than the state one, because we have had more teams competing at the regional level, and we have even helped other counties put together their program,” she said. In order to continue raising awareness about the program, Weinrich will be giving a presentation about Envirothon on Friday, Oct. 19 at the fourth annual Learn Green Conference at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts. “It is a statewide meeting hosted here in Palm Beach County, and it brings people together to talk about green efforts they can make in their classrooms and personal lives,” he said. “My students will talk about their efforts on campus, and I will talk about the Envirothon program and how people can get the program started at their school.” For more information about Palm Beach County Envirothon, call (561) 683-2285, ext. 3, or visit www.pbswcd.org.
emergency reservoir when water in the Corbett area got too high. Mecca will be adapted eventually to provide more water to the Loxahatchee Slough, which has lost water sources due to development in its headwaters area. During the flooding, the SFWMD built a weir allowing stormwater to flow into Mecca. For the system to work properly, careful coordination is needed and local entities must make sure their systems function properly. “If you can’t drain into the local
drainage system, they can’t drain into us,” Corry said, explaining that SFWMD received at least 1,000 calls from individuals who were panicking when they saw water levels rising near their homes. “It’s the homeowners’ association in your community that needs to be able to take care of that,” she said, making sure that drains, culverts and swales are cleared and maintained so they handle the water. For more information about the SFWMD’s storm response, visit www.sfwmd.gov.
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McCullough Aims To Save Horses From Slaughter
Victoria McCullough loves animals, especially horses. She’s exuberantly ecstatic over all things equine, and lucky for them, her extremely well-heeled feet are planted firmly on the ground even while her head and heart spin grand ideas of how to save them. Ellen Rosenberg’s Column, Page 23
October 5 - October 11, 2012 Page 21
Bronco Football Squad Shuts Out The Wolverines
The Palm Beach Central High School varsity football team hosted cross-town rival Wellington High School on Friday, Sept. 28, and the Broncos shut out the Wolverines 49-0. Palm Beach Central improved their record for this season to 2-2, while Wellington’s record is now 3-2. Page 33
Shopping Spree A TOWN-CRIER PUBLICATION
INSIDE
Business Wellington Agent Susan Edens Offers Real Estate Clients ‘The Queen’s Touch’
Providing quality service with a results-driven approach, Susan Edens & Associates is a real estate agency that gives its clients that extra touch — “the queen’s touch.” Owner and entrepreneur Susan Edens has worked in the real estate industry since 1990. Her license is associated with Keller Williams R ealty, and she is based at the Keller Williams office in Wellington, where she meets with clients on an as-needed basis. Page 25
Sports AHA Kicks Off Pleasure Series At Hornstein Equestrian Park
Attracting young and old, experienced and inexperienced riders, more than 100 competitors came out to Nicole Hornstein Equestrian Park on Sunday, Sept. 30 to kick off the Acreage Horseman’s Association’s Pleasure Show Series. The shows usually take place on the fourth Sunday of each month. Page 33
THIS WEEK’S INDEX COLUMNS & FEATURES ........................ 23-24 BUSINESS NEWS.................................. 25-27 DINING & ENTERTAINMENT ...................... 29 SPORTS & RECREATION........................33-35 COMMUNITY CALENDAR ...................... 36-37 CLASSIFIEDS ........................................38-42
Page 22 October 5 - October 11, 2012
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FEATURES
Victoria McCullough’s Goal Is To Save Horses From Slaughter Victoria McCullough loves animals, especially horses. She’s exuberantly ecstatic over all things equine, and lucky for them, her extremely well-heeled feet are planted firmly on the ground even while her head and heart spin grand ideas of how to save them. Not just a few here and there, mind you; McCullough dreams big. She’s out to save them all, and, lucky for the horses, she’s just the woman to get it done. Originally from Maryland, she didn’t begin riding until she was a teenager. Her dad owned race horses, and she worked with some of the youngsters, building their confidence when breaking from the gate. Eventually that morphed into showing in the Amateur Jumpers division at shows. “I skipped right over all that equitation stuff,” McCullough recalled. “I still show Amateur Jumpers, mostly in Europe now.” Gradually, she became aware of certain problems within the horse industry; she started doing research. “I love all horses,” McCullough emphasized. “Because of my father, I have such a connection to race horses. I had no idea that 76 percent of American race horses were killed for human consumption, shipped to slaughterhouses in Mexico or Canada. I couldn’t accept those figures, and I had the resources to do something.” 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 And by something, McCullough meant ending horse slaughter. Period. “When I contacted officials within the industry and government, they told me that most of the horses going to slaughter were old or infirm. I knew that was untrue, so I decided to prove it,” she said. What she did was visit the Sugarcreek Livestock Auction in Ohio, on May 23, 2008, and buy the entire auction: every single horse that came through, first to last, all 164. “I had no idea how many there’d be, I just knew that, on that one day, not one would go to slaughter, regardless of age, breed or condition,” McCullough recalled. “I also wanted to find out exactly what was being sent through, so I could prove those numbers. What I found was that 80 percent of the horses were ex-Thoroughbred race horses, there was nothing wrong with them, and their average age was 4 years old.” McCullough borrowed a friend’s farm in Ohio and transported all the horses there. Six were in such bad shape they had to be put down. The rest were adopted with the help of
friends and organizations such as the local group Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue. “Many of these were young horses or yearlings,” she said. “Some were mares in foal. Very few were old, infirm or unsocial. Most were perfectly wonderful horses. The truth is, sending horses to slaughter is a way for owners to hide neglect and abuse. It doesn’t promote accountable ownership. I had to change this unjustifiable cruelty, just so I could sleep at night.” Through her group, the Davis McCullough Foundation, she founded the Triumph Project to make people aware of what was happening to horses, not just here in the United States but worldwide. “Our goal was to end the transportation of horses to slaughter, and create a humane and affordable euthana- Victoria McCullough loves horses... all horses. sia program for horses who are truly beyond help,” McCullough explained. Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008 “There’s a lot of greed in the horse industry. would have made it illegal to transport horses Some breeding farms are just like puppy mills. in or out of the U.S. for the purposes of I wanted to counter that by making it cheaper slaughter for human consumption. It passed and easier to have horses adopted than by the House, but a similar bill died in the Senate. sending them to slaughter. I became a horse But that didn’t stop McCullough. lobbyist.” On Sept. 19, 2011, she got the bill reintroShe was invited to speak at a hearing be- duced: HR 2966, sponsored by Rep. Dan Burfore the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on ton, a Republican from Indiana, and S. 1176, Sept. 17, 2008, in favor of HR 6598, introduced by Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat from Louby Rep. John Conyers. The Conyers-Burton See ROSENBERG, page 24
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Don’t Ask Me How I Ended Up Watching The Ryder Cup Being a person of many talents and interests — and because my husband was watching that channel — I had occasion to take in the Ryder Cup golf competition last Sunday. Hearing grown men holler “In the hole!” hour after hour never gets old for me. You’d think that someone would tell these guys that golf balls cannot hear, nor do they (evidently) choose to follow directions. Yet, championship after championship, men who hold responsible positions in society Monday through Friday turn into perfect idiots on the weekend, screaming their heads off at these little balls. It’s fascinating. In addition to the screaming, there was some real drama when one of the players went missing. Rory McIlroy, age 23 and “the No. 1 playGet your Sonic Boomer humor every day! Follow Deborah Welky on Twitter at twitter.com/TheSonicBoomer. On Facebook, stop by “The Sonic Boomer” page and click the “Like” button.
Deborah Welky is
The Sonic BOOMER er in the world,” according to Johnny Miller (whom I trust because he originally designed the Binks Forest course and, while doing so, autographed a photo for my mom, who had it hanging in the locker at her club until it was stolen by some lousy, rotten bum), was supposed to play for Europe in this big “whichside-of-the-pond-is-better-at-golf” grudge match, but, as European captain Jose Maria Olazabal put it, “All of a sudden, we realized Rory wasn’t here.” All of a sudden? He was supposed to tee off in 25 minutes, never mind the traffic and
then finding a parking space. And isn’t making sure your team shows up at the game sort of the primary responsibility of any team captain? If millions of mothers around the globe can get their kids to the sports fields on time, I would think that Mr. Olazabal could do it, especially for the money he makes. But no. Watching the Golf Channel and confused by the time difference, McIlroy sat chillin’ in front of the television set while the rest of his team ate breakfast, quipped with reporters and warmed up by hitting a few buckets of balls. By the time Olazabal woke up to the fact that his star player was missing, a police escort had to be summoned. Which begs the question — how did this get to be a police matter? But then I remembered that the Ryder Cup was being played just outside Chicago — where a five dollar bill is enough of a bribe to convince any cop to put down his doughnut and turn on his flashing blue light. At any rate, the kid made it with five min-
utes to spare, and Europe went on to win the thing. But this never would’ve happened if the responsibility had still resided with his mother Rosie, back home in Northern Ireland. I can hear it now: “Rorrrr-eeeee? Arre you up yet? Oh, don’t you use that language with me, misterr! You wanted to play golf and you’rre going to play it. Now get yourr bum out of that bed and into the carr!” And I do feel bad for Keegan Bradley, our guy from Vermont. There he is, sipping some orange juice and morosely looking out over the course, worried sick about his upcoming match play against the loudly touted “No. 1 player in the world” when Tiger Woods slides into the seat next to him and whispers, “Rory ain’t here. No one knows where he is.” So if Rory had his eye on the dashboard clock, I’ll bet Keegan was counting the seconds aloud. In the end, it wasn’t enough.
Great Science Fiction, Great Acting & Great Plot In ‘Looper’ Looper is the first must-see movie of the fall. It is smart, nervy and exciting throughout. Although it has strong — and interesting — science fiction components, it is a mostly a human drama. Combine exceptional performances, some great action sequences, along with a thoughtful plot, and you get the kind of movie people were hoping for with The Master but never quite got. The story takes place in 2044, which allows for some techie upgrades, but things are still recognizable. Criminals 30 years in their future have learned to use time travel. Scientific upgrades by then made it virtually impossible to kill someone and dispose of a body, so they send the unwanted ones 30 years back in time, where they are killed and it’s far easier to dispose of the bodies. A group of young hoods waits for the people sent back, and the hoodlums shoot them as soon as they arrive, with bags over their heads, tied up and with silver ingots attached to their backs as payment. They are dead within seconds. The hoods are called “loopers.” Since the job is emotionally demanding, most want to leave after they’ve made enough money. At that point, the criminal lords “close the loop.”
Rosenberg
Victoria McCullough
continued from page 23 isiana. The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011 was a bill amending the Horse Protection Act to prohibit shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling or donating horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption, and for other purposes. This one, too, is still in limbo, so McCullough tried something else. “If I couldn’t stop it because of the cruelty, maybe I could stop it because of the food safety issue,” she said. “Many horses, especially race horses, are given all sorts of drugs prohibited in meat meant for human consumption. The goal was to shut down the horsemeat market.”
The loopers themselves are sent back from 30 years in the future, their young versions kill them, and there are gold ingots along with them so they can spend the years left to them in comfort. Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is one of the smartest loopers, planning for his retirement even while working. He is an addict, has an incredibly sexy girlfriend (a really good Piper Perabo) and is relatively content. Then his older self (Bruce Willis) comes back and is on a mission. He overcomes Young Joe (knowing how the system works, he is ready) and begins his own mission: to stop the major crime boss of the future who killed his woman and wanted to send him back. Young Joe mostly wants to kill the older version but winds up
involved with Sara (Emily Blunt), a woman trying to raise a boy on an isolated farm. While Old Joe (Willis) races around trying to ensure that his enemy, still a kid, dies to change history, Young Joe defends Sara’s boy, who might be that enemy but is still only 10. There are more than a few time-ravel conundrums, but there is plenty of action, with a few really handy twists and turns that carry right until the end of the picture. The acting is superb. Gordon-Levitt has been in several really good movies over the past few years and has proved himself as an actor, but this cements his place as a good action hero. Although he wears a few facial prosthetics to look more like Willis, it is his performance that allows us to believe they are actually the same man. We wind up caring about a man who is a killer and an addict because of the strength of both performances. Too often, Willis is dismissed as simply an action hero. He has done a lot of sensitive performances as well; he is a great veteran actor and demonstrates his ability once again. Blunt is very strong as Sara, the protective mother figure. I have never seen a bad performance by her. She has managed to be many
different women in her performances, and she shines in this one. Jeff Daniels also is excellent as Abe, the henchman of the leader from the future, sent back to coordinate the killings. And young Pierce Gagnon as the young boy gives one of the best juvenile performances in a long time. While cute, his character is very different from the norm for a child. Writer-director Rian Johnson has managed to combine an excellent personal drama with elements of crime fiction and science fiction and even horror in a movie that holds you right from the beginning. There are a half-dozen points where I could actually hear the audience collectively take a deep breath in shock as the dramatic plot points were reached. I can usually figure out the endings to most crime stories (my wife hates to watch TV crime series with me since I guess correctly almost all the time), but I had no clue as to the ultimate ending of this movie. This is a definite must-see film. It does not have the reputation of last week’s The Master, but in this one, the audience was talking about how great it was rather than muttering. We went with friends, and there were unanimous thumbs-up for this one. See Looper.
There’s a whole laundry list of these common, legal drugs, which include wormers such as ivermectin and painkillers including phenylbutazone (bute), which all carry warning labels that these are not meant for human consumption. Indeed, they are completely banned in food-producing animals by the FDA. European Union and United Kingdom member countries have a safety policy prohibiting such horses from entering the food chain. All EU/UK horses carry “equine passports,” which declare them either eligible or ineligible for slaughter as human food. Any horse that has ever received a medication banned for use in food-producing animals is forever prohibited from entering the food chain. Horsemeat derived from U.S. horses isn’t regarded as safe for human consumption. Working with the South Florida Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, McCullough helped get HB 765 passed in 2010,
also known as the Ivonne Rodriguez and Victoria McCullough Horse Protection Act, which makes it illegal to transport, distribute, sell, purchase or possess horsemeat for human consumption unless it is clearly stamped, marked and described as such or obtained from a licensed slaughterhouse. And there are no horse slaughterhouses in the U.S. The offense is a third-degree felony, carrying a minimum mandatory fine of $3,500 and a minimum mandatory period of incarceration of one year. Ivonne Rodriguez’s pet horse, Geronimo, was stolen, tied to a tree and killed for his meat in southwest Miami in February 2009. When she’s not out lobbying to save horses, McCullough is at home on the new property she has bought on 40th Street South in Wellington. She’s completely renovating the house at the former Mida Farms, all 14,000 square feet. She has already replaced the 99
windows. “I bought half of the 52 acres,” she explained. “One part is going to be used for charity fundraisers.” The main barns are on the other half and house the remaining 22 rescued horses. “They’re treated just as well as my show jumpers,” she pointed out, and indeed, these are pampered horses. Some are still available for adoption. Some, like Walter, an ex-rodeo horse with many issues, will stay with McCullough forever, as will her favorite, Billy the Belgium. “Many of the rescued horses were adopted by people right here in Wellington,” McCullough pointed out. “This town is overflowing with real equestrians. There may be disagreements over some issues, but that’s not us; we help horses and care about each other. This is an amazing community, and when I rescue more horses, this is where they’ll come.”
‘I’ On CULTURE By Leonard Wechsler
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BUSINESS NEWS
Susan Edens at the Keller Williams Realty Wellington office, where she is based. PHOTO BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER
Susan Edens Offers Real Estate Clients ‘The Queen’s Touch’ By Jessica Gregoire Town-Crier Staff Report Providing quality service with a results-driven approach, Susan Edens & Associates is a real estate agency that gives its clients that extra touch — “the queen’s touch.” Owner and entrepreneur Susan Edens has worked in the real estate industry since 1990. She is a licensed broker in Florida and Georgia. Edens has listing partners in Puerto Rico, Mexico and Florida, which gives her access to a broader range of properties for sale and rent. Her license is associated with Keller Williams Realty, and she is based at the Keller Williams office in Wellington, where she meets with clients on an as-needed basis. Though Edens’ clients come from throughout Palm Beach County, they are mainly based in Wellington. “I have gone as far as Miami, but this community is kind of my niche area,” she said. Edens has a close connection with the Wellington community. “I’m an equestrian myself, and I’m very familiar with equestrian properties,” she said. Edens handles any type of equestrian property, from barns to stables. She also handles non-equestrian properties in all price points. “Many properties now are priced fairly reasonably, so you can’t just go in and low ball and think you’re going to get a great deal off the top,” Edens said. “There is a lot of competition out there, and our clients know that, and if they don’t, we educate them on the market.” Edens said she decided to become an agent after years of owning her own investment properties. She was drawn to the many operational aspects of being an agent. “I loved the actual variations of the different properties and neighborhoods, and the excitement that people get when they are try-
ing to sell their home and have a successful sale,” she said. Another aspect of real estate Edens enjoys is finding people the right home for their needs. “Seeing them find the perfect house is also a wonderful feeling,” she said. “It’s just exciting all the time.” Edens’ specialty is selling properties. Because of her more than 19 years of experience as a graphic designer and owning a marketing company, she is an expert in the marketing side of real estate. Edens’ former company also provided her with a wide range of connections. “I have a really extensive network throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico,” Edens said. “Combined with my marketing background, it’s a really great benefit to our clients.” With sellers, Edens finds out what their needs and objectives are, and does a comprehensive analysis of their property, comparing it with whatever is on the market. “We then find out what their time schedule is like for moving and whether they are involved in a short sale or a traditional sale,” she said. Once Edens takes the listing, she then puts together a customized marketing plan for that specific property. “No two properties are the same, and we don’t work with them the same,” she said. Edens deals with all types of clients, from experienced buyers and investors who know all about the market to first-time homebuyers who don’t know anything about the market. She is ready to assist anyone looking to sell or buy a property. Susan Edens & Associates is located at the Keller Williams Realty office at 12008 South Shore Blvd., Suite 201, Wellington. For more information, visit www.susanedens.com or call (561) 472-1236 or (561) 294-3228.
October 5 - October 11, 2012 Page 25
Page 26 October 5 - October 11, 2012
Wellington Avon Rep Wins Alaskan Cruise Avon Products recently announced that Wellington Avon representative Denise Lewis has been recognized among the beauty company’s top representatives in the U.S. The company recently awarded Lewis, along with other top Avon representatives, at the company’s annual President’s Recognition Program Celebration, a luxurious trip on a seven-day cruise to Alaska to celebrate their success. Avon’s President’s Recognition Program Celebration is an annual event at which the world’s largest direct seller of beauty and other products brings together the nation’s top achieving representatives who have distinguished themselves as top performers in sales or leadership. “I’m proud of our best Avon representatives who have achieved this distinctive honor and was excited to celebrate with them on the Alaskan cruise,” said Angelo Rossi, group vice president of Avon North America sales. “Denise embodies the entrepreneurial spirit that has been at the heart of Avon for all these years, demonstrating first-hand how Avon representatives can have eco-
nomic empowerment, financial freedom, and the opportunity to lead a team and mentor others.” In recognition of their success, the elite group of Avon representatives celebrated their accomplishments on an Alaskan Cruise from July 20-27, staying on the Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas. During their time on the ship, the top representatives got a chance to visit Juneau, the capital of Alaska; the town of Skagway; Tracy ArmFords, which is home to vast array of wildlife; and ported in Victoria, the southern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia best known for its mild climate, museums and abundant gardens. During the trip they were also recognized for their achievements with a recognition gala, hosted by Avon executives including Jorge Martinez-Quiroga, president, Avon NorthAmerica. As the world’s largest direct seller, Avon markets to women in more than 100 countries through approximately 6.4 million active independent Avon Sales Representatives. Learn more about Avon and its products at www.avoncompany. com.
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BUSINESS NEWS
Attorney Dermot Mac Mahon Joins Elite Networking Pros
Elite Networking Pros has announced Dermot Mac Mahon of the law firm Dermot Mac Mahon, P.A. as its newest member. The firm provides legal services in real estate, estate planning and probate, and corporate/business law. With more than 20 years of experience handling real estate closings, transactions and disputes, the firm strives for a professional and results-oriented approach. Mac Mahon is a Florida Bar–licensed attorney and certified with the Board of Legal Specialization and Education in Real Estate Law. Dermot Mac Mahon, P.A. is an agent for Old Republic National Title Insurance Company/Attorneys’ Title Fund Services LLC and is available to represent all your real-estate title/closing needs from contract/loan application through closing. Mac Mahon is an active member of the Wellington and Central Palm Beach County chambers of
commerce, and is a director (and past president) of the Rotary Club of Lake Worth. Born in Nassau, Bahamas, and raised in Miami, Mac Mahon currently resides in Wellington with his wife and two children. He enjoys water skiing, windsurfing, fishing and tennis. Elite Networking Pros brings together a group of Palm Beach County business owners and professionals who are truly best-inclass in their respective industries. Its members bond together to help each other succeed in business. Belonging to Elite Networking Pros is like having a team of salespeople working for you. Every member interacts with friends, clients and business associates who could use your products or services. Elite Networking Pros members will refer you with confidence because of the trust that builds as a result of being a part of Elite Networking Pros.
Dermot Mac Mahon Elite Networking Pros meets every Friday morning for breakfast from 7:30 to 9 a.m. in Royal Palm Beach. For additional information about the club, or to attend one of its weekly meetings, visit the Elite Networking Pros web site at www. elitenetworkingpros.com.
Send business news items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.
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BUSINESS NEWS
Lakeside Medical Center Recognized As Top Performer Lakeside Medical Center recently was named one of the nation’s Top Performers on Key Quality Measures by the Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of healthcare organizations in the United States. Lakeside Medical Center, which is owned and operated by the Healthcare District of Palm Beach County, was recognized by the Joint Commission for exemplary performance in using evidence-based clinical processes that are shown to improve care for certain conditions, including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, children’s asthma, stroke and venous thrombo embolism, as well as inpatient psychiatric services. “We are very proud of the dedication and commitment of Lakeside Medical Center’s physicians, nurses and staff in providing quality medical care,” said Dr. Ronald J. Wiewora, the healthcare district’s chief executive officer and chief medical officer. “This recognition highlights all of their hard work since the hospital opened three years ago to serve the rural communities in western Palm Beach County.” Lakeside Medical Center, the county’s only public hospital, is one of 620 hospitals in the U.S. earning the distinction of Top Performer on
Key Quality Measures for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance. Lakeside Medical Center was recognized for its achievement on the following measure sets: heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care. The ratings are based on an aggregation of accountability measure data reported to the Joint Commission during the 2011 calendar year. The list of top performers increased by 50 percent from its debut last year and represents 18 percent of more than 3,400 eligible accredited hospitals reporting data. “We understand that what matters most to patients at Lakeside Medical Center is safe, effective care,” said Darcy J. Davis, the healthcare district’s chief institutional officer. “That is why Lakeside Medical Center has made a commitment to accreditation and to positive patient outcomes through evidencebased care processes. Lakeside Medical Center is honored to be named to the list of the Joint Commission’s Top Performers on Key Quality Measures.” Hospital Administrator Thomas J. Leach said he is proud of Lakeside Medical Center’s staff “for always putting quality at the forefront of what we do. This recognition is a
testament to the quality healthcare our hospital delivers to patients in the Glades.” Each of the hospitals that were named as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures met two 95 percent (95/95) performance thresholds on 2011 accountability measure data. First, each hospital achieved performance of 95 percent or above on a single, composite score that includes all the accountability measures for which it reports data to the Joint Commission, including measures that had fewer than 30 eligible cases or patients. Second, each hospital met or exceeded 95 percent performance on every accountability measure for which it reports data to the Joint Commission, excluding any measures with fewer than 30 eligible cases or patients. A 95 percent score means a hospital provided an evidence-based practice 95 times out of 100 opportunities to provide the practice. Each accountability measure represents an evidence-based practice — for example, giving aspirin at arrival for heart attack patients, giving antibiotics one hour before surgery, and providing a home management plan for children with asthma. “When we raise the bar and provide the proper guidance and tools,
Top Performer Recognition — (Front row, L-R) Darcy Davis, Nancy Banner, Juan Cocuy, Sandra Chamblee and Health Depar tment Director Dr. Alina Alonso; (back row) Brian Lohmann, Dr. Ronald Wiewora, Thomas Leach, Philip Ward III and Carol Roberts. hospitals have responded with excellent results,” Joint Commission President Dr. Mark R. Chassin said. “This capacity for continual improvement points toward a future in which quality and safety defects are dramatically reduced and high reliability is sought and achieved with regularity. Such day-to-day progress will slowly but surely transform today’s healthcare system into one that achieves unprecedented performance outcomes for the benefit of the patients.”
In addition to being included in the release of the Joint Commission’s Improving America’s Hospitals annual report, Lakeside Medical Center will be recognized on the Joint Commission’s Quality Check web site (www.qualitycheck.org). The Top Performer program will be featured in the October issues of The Joint Commission Perspectives and The Joint Commission: The Source. For more information, visit Lakeside Medical Center’s web site at www.lakesidemedical.org.
Page 28 October 5 - October 11, 2012
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HEALTH & FITNESS SPOTLIGHT
Open House, Other Big Events This Month At Ultima Fitness By Lynette Laufenberg Special to the Town-Crier If you’re stuck in a rut, need a change or just want to fine tune your health, it’s time to get moving! The definition of “change” is to be different, to transform. Everyone needs change in their life. Change encompasses freshness, a new outlook and focus. Whether you are remodeling a room or remodeling your body, it takes vision, planning and implementing. Who said change was easy? Not me! But if you want to see things going in a different direction, something must change. At Ultima Fitness, we have been spending countless hours making decisions and implementing plans to create a new look inside the club. It’s amazing to me how simply updating the look and features of our business can completely create a
new feeling within the gym. How we feel is just as important as how we look. Have you ever noticed that your perception of how you look influences how you feel? All of us have experienced a time when we didn’t feel good about how we presented ourselves, and in turn had a negative self-image or low self-esteem. What if you always felt amazing in your own skin, proud of your fitness and physically capable of doing most everything you wanted to do? Imagine how strong, positive and confident you might feel about your well-being! Walking tall and believing in yourself are common benefits to exercising when you know you are doing something great for yourself, both externally and internally. It’s time to take charge of your life. If added weight, health problems
related to obesity and low energy plague you daily, then the time is now. We want to see you take steps toward a healthier you, and we are here to help you do just that. October brings us plenty of opportunity to open our doors to the public for a chance to come in and take a look around to see what Ultima has to offer in our newly renovated facility. We are having an open house on Saturday, Oct. 20 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. offering free group fitness classes, a free BCx Boot Camp class, a free self-defense class, vendor tables, door prizes and much more. If Zumba is your thing, come participate in our “Party in Pink” on Saturday, Oct. 6 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. We are opening our doors for a donation class to help raise funds and awareness for breast cancer. At the end of the month, we will be hosting a BCx Boot Camp class and nutri-
tion workshop on Saturday, Oct. 27. This will be donation class to help raise funds and awareness for Hospice of Palm Beach County. All donation classes cost a minimum suggested donation of $10. As we go through the club’s makeover and see the changes taking place each day and week, it’s rewarding to hear our members’ excited comments about their fitness facility. But for the people I see every day who I have personally observed the transformation of their bodies, nothing can compare to the amazing feeling they have about themselves. Hearing them talk about it and how it has affected their lives is priceless. That is a feeling you cannot buy — so what are you waiting for? Take charge! Make change! Lynette Laufenberg, a certified personal trainer, is program/fitness director at Ultima Fitness/Xtreme
Lynette Laufenberg Tae Kwon Do. Ultima is located at 12799 W. Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington. For more info., call (561) 795-2823 or visit www.ultima fitness.com.
Health & Fitness Spotlight Sponsored By Ultima Fitness Of Wellington
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DINING & ENTERTAINMENT
‘Talley’s Folly’ Debuts Oct. 12 At Palm Beach Dramaworks Lanford Wilson’s romantic comedy Talley’s Folly will launch Palm Beach Dramaworks’ 2012-13 season on Friday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. at the Don & Ann Brown Theatre in downtown West Palm Beach. The production will play a strictly limited engagement through Nov. 11, with specially priced preview performances slated for Oct. 10 and 11. For 12 years, West Palm Beach’s only professional, multi-award-winning resident theater has brought to the Palm Beaches a distinguished roster of plays under the guidance of Producing/Artistic Director William Hayes. Talley’s Folly, the Pulitzer Prize– winning play by Lanford Wilson, follows two unlikely sweethearts, Matt Friedman and Sally Talley, as
they once and for all settle their feelings for one another and grab their last chance at love. Set in 1944 in Lebanon, Mo., Talley’s Folly is part of the trilogy of Talley plays that also includes Fifth of July and Talley & Son. Resident Director J. Barry Lewis will direct the production, which features Erin Joy Schmidt and Brian Wallace. Set design is by Michael Amico, costume design by Brian O’Keefe, lighting design by Ron Burns, and sound design by Matt Corey. Wilson was one of the most renowned American playwrights of the late 20th century. He had a penchant for characters who were downtrodden or on the fringes of society, and through them explored big and
small themes of love and loss. A cofounder of Off-Broadway’s celebrated Circle Repertory Company, Wilson initially gained recognition in Off-Off-Broadway and quickly became a regular presence on Broadway. Among his other heralded, widely performed works are Balm in Gilead, The Hot l Baltimore and Burn This. Palm Beach Dramaworks’ season will continue with A Delicate Balance by Edward Albee (Dec. 7 through Jan. 6), A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (Feb. 1 through March 3), Exit the King by Eugene Ionesco (March 29 through April 28) and Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel (May 24 through June 16). Palm Beach Dramaworks’ perfor-
mance schedule is as follows: evening performances will take place at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday. Matinee performances will take place at 2 p.m. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Individual tickets cost $55 for all performances. Student tickets are available for $10. Group rates for 20 or more and discounted season subscriptions are also available. Dramaworks’ new Don & Ann Brown Theater is located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach. For additional information, call the box office at (561) 514-4042, open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., or visit Palm Beach Dramaworks web site at www.palm beachdramaworks.org.
Mackenzie Thorpe Sculptures At Onessimo Gallery Oct. 12 After a very busy and exciting few months in which British artist Mackenzie Thorpe has been commissioned to create a new piece of art especially for Queen Elizabeth
Waiting with Love by Mackenzie Thorpe.
II in her jubilee year, Thorpe has announced he will be in the United States for a special weekend in October. He is planning to unveil two stunning new sculptures together with a selection of specially selected, new artwork Friday, Oct. 12 at Onessimo Gallery in Palm Beach Gardens. Thorpe has been creating soldout sculptures worldwide for nearly 15 years and still remains one of the most sought-after living sculpture artists today. These new sculptures are likely to create much excitement amongst his collectors. These two new pieces include a delightfully quirky, hand-painted cast resin piece Over the Sea to Love and the thought-provoking and eye catching statement piece Out of Reach . Standing at more than 5 feet tall, this new bronze sculpture will appeal to discerning art lovers who know how much free standing floor sculptures can
enhance the internal environment. Born in 1956 into a working-class family in Middlesbrough, in the northeast of England, Thorpe’s story has been regarded as an inspiration. Over the years Thorpe has defied the odds through his journey from being a dyslexic child who was mocked and ostracized by his peers to a successful artist exhibiting worldwide. Established as a full-time artist since 1989, Thorpe has original and published art and sculpture in private and corporate collections across the globe, from Japan and the United States to the United Kingdom and Australia. Once seen never forgotten, his work is striking and distinctive, managing to embrace faultless simplicity with an unerring complexity, expressing and communicating happiness and sadness; love and hope; desperation; isolation and loneliness. In other words, the range of emotions
we all feel. The fact that Thorpe now has two pieces in the royal collection is testament to his unique art. Thorpe said he is thrilled to be returning to Onessimo Gallery, where he has a long-established successful relationship with owner Debra Onessimo. “Debra has supported my art for many years and introduced me to so many enthusiastic collectors,” Thorpe said of Onessimo. “I am really looking forward to meeting everyone again, and her events are always amazing. Also, the light and sun you get in Florida does amazing things with the pure pigments I use in my art, the only place in the world with that light, and I am always excited to see my work in the Florida sun and hear everyone’s comments.” Onessimo Fine Art is located at 4530 PGA Blvd., Suite 101. For further information on this event, con-
Mackenzie Thorpe’s sculpture titled Love in the Forest . tact Onessimo at Onessimo Fine Art contact@onessimofineart. com or (561) 355-8061, or visit the gallery on the web at www. onessimofineart.com.
‘Artists Do The Blues’ Oct. 19 At CGMS Gallery In Lake Worth
A depiction of the Blues Brothers car by Shahn Gross.
“Artists Do the Blues,” an invitational exhibition of 30 local artists, will open Friday, Oct. 19 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Clay-Glass-Metal-Stone Gallery. The exhibition is curated by Betty Wilson and Linda Manganaro, and it will be part of the weeklong Lake Worth Blues Week ending in a major blues festival Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 20-21. Invited artists throughout Palm Beach County will be participating. Many of the shops and restaurants in downtown Lake Worth will feature blues and jazz performers well into the weekend. Clay-GlassMetal-Stone Gallery is no exception. Local musicians will be dropping by to fill the sidewalk in front
of the gallery with classic blues sounds. Inside the gallery will be 30 or more interpretations of what the blues can mean or what they do to artists. All media will be represented, from photography, painting and mixed-media to pottery and sculpture. Artists will be on hand to discuss their works and mingle with visitors. Every exhibition in the gallery has its unique assortment of foods, desserts and wines. In keeping with the theme of the exhibit, Wilson and Manganaro will be setting out a wide assortment of blue food and drink. They are currently combing the aisles of specialty shops and supermarkets looking for the finest blue fare that can be
found. Suggestions are welcome. 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 605 Lake Ave. in downtown Lake Worth. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Gallery openings are held the first and third Friday of each month from 6 to 9 p.m. with many special events in-between. For more information, call Joyce Brown at (215) 205-9441 or jclay6@aol.com. The gallery phone number is (561) 5888344.
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OCTOBER 20 & 21, 2012 Bryant Park,, Lake Worth Wo or Bryant Wor
Presented by:
ARTIST PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE Saturday: noon - 10:00pm 12:30pm - Josh Rowand – The Pitbull of Blues 2:30pm - Jeff Prine Group – Featuring Juanita Dixon 4:30pm - David Shelley and Bluestone 6:30pm - Joey Gilmore 8:30pm - Bill “The Sauce Boss” Wharton
Sunday: noon - 7:00pm
Bill Wharton “The Sauce Boss”
Victor Wainwright
Damon Fowler and many more!
12:30pm - Nucklebusters 2:30pm - Damon Fowler Group 5:00pm - Victor Wainwright & the Wildroots
Tickets only $10 at the gate
Visit www.lwbluesfest.com for more information.
Visit www.lwbluesfest.com for more information!
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October 5 - October 11, 2012 Page 33
SPORTS & RECREATION
Bronco Football Squad Shuts Out The Wolverines 49-0 By Gene Nardi Town-Crier Staff Report The Palm Beach Central High School varsity football team hosted cross-town rival Wellington High School on Friday, Sept. 28, and the Broncos shut out the Wolverines 49-0. The Broncos improved their record to 2-2, while Wellington’s record is now 3-2. Palm Beach Central put up two quick scores inside the first five minutes of play. Senior running back
Lloyd Howard had a 48-yard run, which set up junior running back Tommy McDonald’s 10-yard score. On Wellington’s first possession, Bronco senior Ray Wilson intercepted a Wolverine pass, returning it 10 yards for the touchdown and an impressive 14-0 start. Wellington struggled offensively throughout the first half, managing to scratch out only one first down. This gave the Wolverine defense little time to rest. Wellington
Palm Beach Central’s Jhnard Dorsett changes direction to run up field for a first down.
did find themselves in Palm Beach Central territory when the Broncos mishandled a punt. The Wolverines regained possession on the Bronco 45 yard line and moved the ball inside the 10 yard line. The Bronco defense held Wellington to a fieldgoal attempt that went wide. Wellington’s defense seemed to find a little spark when they held the Broncos and then intercepted a Kyle Shafer pass, but the Wolverines were unable to muster anything from the turnover. Palm Beach Central continued to run right at the Wolverine defense. McDonald punched in a 2-yard run, extending the Bronco lead 21-0. Palm Beach Central’s defense shut down the Wellington offense, adding insult to injury by blocking the Wolverine punt and regaining possession on the Wellington 20 yard line. Shafer threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Blake Cassandra for the 28-0 lead. Shafer was intercepted for the second time when Wellington defensive back Shamar Jackson stepped up for the pick, but Wellington closed out the half unable to convert. Wellington received the kickoff to start the second half. Jackson had a 60-yard return, setting up what ap-
Bronco running back Kamar Downer scores in the second half. PHOTOS BY GENE NARDI/TOWN-CRIER
peared to be the start of another Wolverine comeback. Wellington put together their best drive of the night but came up empty when they turned over the ball on the Bronco 1 yard line. The Broncos capped off a 99-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Kamar Downer for the 35-0 lead. The Broncos’ Wilson and junior Jhnard Dorsett added scores to finish out the game 49-0. The victory earned the Broncos local bragging rights and the Wellington Cup for another season. The Broncos tallied nearly 300 yards rushing on 40 carries and held Well-
ington under 150 yards of total offense. “We played a good game from start to finish,” Bronco coach Rod Harris said, noting that the Bronco defense was a thorn for the Wolverines in the battle for the cup. “Defense created turnovers for us, and Howard is one of the most explosive backs in the State of Florida.” The Broncos travel to take on unbeaten Park Vista on Friday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. Also on Friday, the Wolverines will hold their homecoming match-up against Cardinal Newman at 7 p.m.
AHA Kicks Off Pleasure Series At Hornstein Equestrian Park By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Attracting young and old, experienced and inexperienced riders, more than 100 competitors came out to Nicole Hornstein Equestrian Park on Sunday, Sept. 30 to kick off the Acreage Horseman’s Association’s Pleasure Show Series. The warm-up show is the first of eight this season that will give rid-
Last year’s All-Around Champion Darcy Steffen with AHA Secretary Linda Rainbolt.
ers an opportunity to show their stuff for fun, friendly competition in classes ranging from halter to western and English pleasure, and even gaited horse and reining classes. The shows take place on the fourth Sunday of each month, except during the holidays when they shift to the third Sunday. Exact dates are available at www.acreage horseman.com. The Pleasure Show Series began last year as a small, grassroots effort by AHA Secretary Linda Rainbolt, a western pleasure trainer. “The AHA used to be known for its barrel shows,” Rainbolt told the TownCrier Sunday. “But they were trying to expand. [AHA President] John Rivera saw me out at the park giving lessons and asked me about it. My students volunteered me, and it has really grown since then.” The Acreage has a large pleasure horse community, but there were few opportunities for non-rated and affordable competition, especially not shows offering lucrative prizes — including an AHA championship pleasure saddle. “People needed a place to go,” Rainbolt said. “There was a need for something like this in the community. Now it has grown really popular. There were more than 100 people today. We had 15 people in one class; that’s the largest so far.”
The tight-knit group of riders, trainers and horse enthusiasts are a friendly bunch who may be at different levels of riding skill or who have horses of differing abilities and flashiness. But they all have something in common: They work hard and have fun showing off what they’ve learned. Some, like last year’sAll-Around Champion Darcy Steffen, use the shows as opportunities to give their horses exposure to the show environment. Her horse, Ride A Natural, got her feet wet with the AHA. “If you want to show locally, this is a great opportunity,” Steffen said. “The people are really friendly.” Now, Steffen and her horse will travel to the prestigious American Quarter Horse Novice Championship show in Tennessee next weekend. Rainbolt said she tries to make the shows friendly to riders of all abilities. “I wanted to emphasize a supportive environment,” she said. “I try to get to know everyone and help them out. If anyone needs something, we really try to make it happen.” Once a week, Rainbolt offers lessons free of charge at Nicole Hornstein Equestrian Park for anyone interested in showing with the AHA. “It’s a great experience for people who know nothing about show-
Award winners with their trophies Sunday from last year’s series. PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER
ing,” Rainbolt said. “I’m doing it so anyone in the neighborhood who has a horse, who isn’t doing anything with it, can come out. Even if they just want to come out and do halter classes, we just want to get the equestrian community active.” Additionally, the organization hosts free clinics conducted by wellknown judges and trainers. The topics range from grooming and conditioning to the popular extreme trail clinic, which brought out 45 people. “You don’t have to be a great rider to come out and enjoy your horse,” Rainbolt said. “You don’t have to know anything. We’ll help you.”
And the show is affordable, too. Competitors must pay a $20 membership fee, and classes cost $8. Or, you can elect to pay $100 and enter an unlimited amount of classes. Steffen said she was grateful for the opportunity to try out so many different classes with her horse. “This [series] was a great way to get started,” she said. “You can’t beat the environment, the great prizes or the cost. You don’t have to let finances stand in your way of trying something new.” For more information, visit www. acreagehorseman.com or contact info@acreagehorseman.com.
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SPORTS & RECREATION
Bassmasters Hold Fishing Tourney On Lake Okeechobee Royal Palm Bassmasters held its monthly fishing tournament Sunday, Aug. 12 out of the Harney Pond boat ramp on Lake Okeechobee. First place was awarded to the team of Larry Payne (boater), with five fish weighing 15 lbs., 10 oz., and partner Jim Ryba (co-angler), with one fish weighing 1 lb., 4 oz., for a team weight of 16 lbs., 14 oz. Second place was awarded to the team of Walt Zajkowski (boater), with five fish weighing 6 lbs., 12 oz., and partner Bill Latham (co-angler), with five fish weighing 9 lbs., 14 oz., for a team weight of 16 lbs., 10 oz. Third place was awarded to the team of Phil Northrop (boater), with five fish weighing 7 lbs., 8 oz., and partner Robbie Thompson (co-angler), with five fish weighing 8 lbs., for a total team weight of 15 lbs., 8 oz.
Larry Payne The Big Fish of the tournament was caught by Payne: a bass weighing 7 lbs., 4 oz. Royal Palm Bassmasters meets 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
Phil Northrop
Bill Latham
applications for new boaters and non-boater members. Come and check out the fun you’ve been missing.
For more information about the Royal Palm Bassmasters, e-mail rpbassmasters@gmail.com or visit www.royalpalmbassmasters.org.
Freshman Football Hawks Fall To Royal Palm Beach 16-7 The Seminole Ridge High School freshman football team fell to rival Royal Palm Beach High School 16-7 on Thursday, Sept. 20, in a great exhibition of defensive skill. The Baby Hawks broke through with the first score of the night as wingback Joey Schergen earned his
sixth touchdown of the season on a running play from 12 yards out. Dalton Trimble kicked the point after touchdown to put Seminole Ridge up 7-0. The subsequent kickoff produced a 70-yard return for a Royal Palm Beach touchdown. Since the Wildcats had no kicker, they tried a
2-point conversion and were successful. The score was now 8-7 in RPB’s favor. The second half was a mirror image of the first half, with both teams showing great defensive play. The Seminole Ridge defense stepped up to shut down the Royal Palm Beach
offense, with Josh Minton and Jake Fox making numerous tackles from their linebacker positions. With the game’s outcome still to be determined, the Hawks mounted their best scoring drive of the game, Joey Schergen taking the pigskin to the 1 yard line. But the Wildcats
clipped the Hawks’ wings, breaking the Seminole Ridge offensive line to recover the ball. The Wildcats marched down the field themselves to score the decisive touchdown, and another successful 2-point conversion wrapped up the score.
The Town-Crier
ACREAGE COLLEGIATE BUCCANEERS TACKLE TEAM OF THE WEEK
The Acreage Athletic League and the Acreage Tackle Football League have announced that the Collegiate Buccaneers were chosen as the Spotlight Team of the Week. The Buccaneers are coached by Mike Trujillo, Anthony Yurcak and assistant coach Mario Bastile. The coaches are very proud of how the team comes together each and every game, and continues to strive to improve. The Collegiate Buccaneers players are Alex Baron, Carlo Basile, Reyan Blake, Ryan Blake, Dylan Cates, Sebastian Cardelle, Sam Haidy, Seth Howell, Mason Long, Justin, Pena, Jimmy Roland, Jacob Smith, Cameron Spagnardi, Micah Trujillo, Evan Upson and Seth Yurcak. For additional information about the Acreage Tackle Football League and the Acreage Athletic League, find the Acreage Athletic League’s page on Facebook or visit its web site at www.acreage athleticleague.org.
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October 5 - October 11, 2012 Page 35
FRESHMAN BUCS ARE ACREAGE FLAG TEAM OF THE WEEK
COLLEGIATE BUC CHEERLEADERS ARE SQUAD OF THE WEEK
The Acreage Athletic League and the Acreage Flag Football League have announced that the Freshman Buccaneers were chosen as the Spotlight Flag Team of the Week. The Buccaneers have started off the season strong with a 4-2 record. Coaches Brett McGaw and Robert Young are very proud of the hard work and dedication of each and every player on the team. The Freshman Buccaneers team members include Breanna Masters, Brady Machado, Benjamin McGaw, Hayley Young, McKinle y Harding, Michael Kravecz, Rebekah Anderson, Riley Sullivan and Ariana Jaimes. For additional information about the Acreage Flag Football League or any other Acreage sports, visit www.acreageathleticleague.org or find the league on Facebook.
Acreage Cheerleading and the Acreage Athletic League have announced that the Collegiate Buccaneers cheerleaders were chosen as this week’s Spotlight Squad of the Week. Coached by Krysti Nast, Christina Costanza and Amber Amarescu, the Buccaneers are a very spirited squad whose members enjoy learning new cheers. The squad includes Emily Shafer, Charlotte Zottoli, Edan Wright, Alayna Salony, Dailey Colon, Emily Cronin and Emma Wiltsie. For more on Acreage Cheerleading or the Acreage Athletic League, find the AAL on Facebook or visit www.acreageathleticleague.org.
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Saturday, Oct. 6 • The Neil S. Hirsch Boys & Girls Club of Wellington will host the 31st annual Wellington Golf Classic on Saturday, Oct. 6 at the Wanderers Club with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. All proceeds will go directly to programming for more than 750 children served by the Boys & Girls Club of Wellington. For info., call (561) 683-3287 or visit www.bgcpbc.org. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host a Bilingual Fiesta for all ages Saturday, Oct. 6 at 10:30 a.m. Sing, clap, move and dance with Jody Dreher. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. • Shtulman Family Chiropractic (8855 Hypoluxo Road, Suite C-11, Lake Worth) will host a Fall Family Festival on Saturday, Oct. 6 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will feature free games and activities for kids, pumpkin decorating, face painting, mini-massages, fall treats and raffles. RSVP to (561) 275-2525 or sasha@welladjustedfamily.com. • The United States Tennis Association and the Wellington Tennis Center are calling all kids 10 and under to get up and active on Saturday, Oct. 6 as part of the USTA Free Tennis Play Days. From 1 to 4 p.m., children 10 and younger and their families can enjoy an afternoon at the Wellington Tennis Center, playing tennis and enjoying food and other activities to celebrate the day. For more info., contact Debbie Ellsworth at ellsworth @florida.usta.com. • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “Tropical Music by Grupo Alegro” for adults Saturday, Oct. 6 at 2 p.m., sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register. • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host a Bilingual Fiesta for all ages on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 2:30 p.m. Sing, clap, move and dance with Jody Dreher. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register. • The Palm Beach Zoo (1301 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach) will offer a special family overnight program called “Spooky Snooze” on Oct. 6-7, 20-21 and 27-28. The program begins each Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. and runs through Sunday at 8:30 a.m. Activities include pumpkin painting, crafts, nighttime tours, an evening pizza snack and continental breakfast. Activities are designed for family members ages six through adult. A parent or guardian must attend with their children. For more info., visit www.palmbeachzoo.org. Monday, Oct. 8 • The inaugural Foundation Classic to ben-
efit the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Foundation will be held Monday, Oct. 8 at the Wanderers Club (1900 Aero Club Drive, Wellington). Check-in starts at 11 a.m., with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. The cost is $200 per person and includes dinner. For more info., call John Flanagan at (561) 714-9058. • The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District will meet Monday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. at the district office (101 West D Road). Call (561) 793-0884 or visit www.lgwcd.org for more info. Tuesday, Oct. 9 • Na’amat USA, Sharon Chapter of Royal Palm Beach will open the fall season Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 11:30 a.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). Brought back by popular demand, there will be a Suzi Sunshine makeup demonstration and sale. To order your sandwich, call Marce Ingber at (561) 790-0404. For more info., call Cecile Millman at (561) 7955811. • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host a Poetry Recital for age 5 and up Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 6:30 p.m. Listen to children in your community recite classic poetry, as well as poems they’ve composed. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register. • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “Ar t Smarts: Making Mosaics” for ages 6 to 8 on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. Learn about mosaics and the science of color and make your own artwork. Call (561) 6814100 to pre-register. Wednesday, Oct. 10 • The Palm Beach County Solid Waste Authority Board will meet Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 9 a.m. at the administration building (7501 N. Jog Road). Visit www.pbcgov.com for more info. • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will feature “Get Started in Genealogy” for adults Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 2 p.m. A member of the Genealogical Society of Palm Beach County will explain the basics of starting your family history project. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Election Time: Know the Issues” for adults Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 2:30 p.m. State constitutional amendments will be voted on during the upcoming election. Todd Bonlarron of the county’s Legislative Affairs Department will offer an explanation of what these initiatives mean. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info. See CALENDAR, page 37
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR CALENDAR, continued from page 36 • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Board Game Challenge for age 6 and up Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 3:30 p.m. Challenge others to Chutes & Ladders, Candyland and other board games. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “Book Discussion: Frankenstein ” for adults Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. Join librarian Karl Zwarych for a chilling book discussion on Mary Shelley’s classic book. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register. • Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches (3151 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach) will host open house events Wednesday, Oct. 10 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. to noon. Tour the 54acre campus, meet the faculty, talk with current students and learn about the school. To register in advance, call Chris Marino at (561) 972-9617 or visit www.oapb.org. • The Safety Council of Palm Beach County will offer a Basic Driver Improvement Course on Wednesday, Oct. 10 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Wellington High School (2101 Greenview Shores Blvd., Wellington). Visit www.safetycouncilpbc.org for more info. • The Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors will meet Wednesday, Oct. 10 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. • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Bilingual Story Time” for ages 3 to 6 on Wednesdays, Oct. 10 and 24 at 6:30 p.m. This is a fun family stor y time in English and Spanish, where participants read, sing and create a craft. Call (561) 7906030 to pre-register. • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “American Roots by Grupo Fantasía” for adults Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy folkloric music sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Call (561) 790-6030 for more info. • The Wellington Art Society will meet Wednesday, Oct. 10 in the Grand Cypress room at the Wellington Community Center (12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Refreshments will be served beginning at 6:30 p.m. The general meeting begins at 7 p.m. with a presentation at 7:30 by Elayna Toby Singer of Palm Beach County’s Art in Public Places. Visit www.wellingtonartsociety.blogspot.com for more info. Thursday, Oct. 11 • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civ-
ic Center Way) will feature “Celebration of Blue Story Time” for ages 3 to 6 on Thursda y, Oct. 11 at 3:30 p.m. Listen to stories about things that are blue, sing songs and make a blue craft. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register. • The Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce will host a Networking Mixer on Thursday, Oct. 11 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Bimini Twist (8480 Okeechobee Blvd., WPB). RSVP to Jessica Clasby at (561) 7906200 or jessica@cpbchamber.com. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Pizza & Pages” for ages 12 to 17 on Thursday, Oct. 11 at 6 p.m. Bring the book you’re currently reading and share information on it while snacking on pizza. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. • The Safety Council of Palm Beach County will offer a Motorcycle Rider Course on Thursday, Oct. 11 from 6 to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 13 and 14 from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Wellington High School (2101 Greenview Shores Blvd.). This combined classroom and road course includes motorcycles, and is required for motorcycle endorsement. For more info., visit www. safetycouncilpbc.org. • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “Spooky Jewelry” for ages 12 to 17 on Thursday, Oct. 11 at 6:30 p.m. Create a spooky beaded necklace that looks like a vampire or zombie bite. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register. Friday, Oct. 12 • A Bealls Fall Fashion Show will be held Friday, Oct. 12 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). It will feature local seniors modeling the outfits and will include lunch, raffle prizes and entertainment. Tickets cost $15 in advance and $20 at the door. For more info., call (561) 790-5149. • The 2012 Royal Palm Auto Mall Golf Classic benefiting the Palms West Community Foundation will be held Friday, Oct. 12 with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. at the Wanderers Club (1900 Aero Club Drive, Wellington). The price of $600 per foursome or $150 for singles includes an awards reception and dinner. To register and for more info., contact Mariela Castillo at (561) 790-6200 or mariela@cpbchamber.com, or visit www. cpbchamber.com. Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 793-6090. Email: news@gotowncrier.com.
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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" 561-798-3225. Family Owned & Operated since 1996. Credit Cards Accepted
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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 COLORS BY CORO, INC. — Int./ Ext. residential painting, over 20 yrs exp. Small Jobs welcome. Free est. Ins. 561-383-8666. Owner/Operated. Lic.# U20627 Ins. Wellington Resident TOWN-CRIER NEWSPAPER GETS RESULTS CALL 793-3576 TODAY \
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) 801-2010 or (954) 444-3178 Serving Palm Beach and Broward Counties. BILLY’S HOME REPAIRS INC. REMODEL & REPAIRS — Interior Trim, crown molding, rottenwood repair, door installation, minor drywall,kitchens/cabinets/ countertops, wood flooring. Bonded and Insured U#19699. Call 7919900 or 628-9215 HANDYMAN AND CLEANING SERVICES — Caza Services for all your handyman and cleaning needs. 18 years experience. No job is too small. Call us today. Insured 561-802-8300 or 754-242-3459
JEREMY JAMES PLUMBING — Licensed plumber, legitimate estimate. Water heaters, new construction. CFC1426242. Bonded Insured. CFC1426242. 561-601-6458
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 STANS SCREENS – Re-Screening Pool & patios. Since 1973 Screening Pool & Patios. FOR A FREE ESTIMATE PLEASE CALL 561319-2838
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MINOR ROOF REPAIRS DON HARTMANN ROOFING — Roof painting, Carpentry. Lic. #U13677 967-5580 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 561-3090134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC023773 RC-0067207 JOHN C. BEALE BUILDING & ROOFING — Additions, remodeling, roof repairs & replacements, screened porches. Licensed & Insured. Call for Free Estimates. 561798-6448 ccc1326383 ccc1250306
SECURITY — American owned local security company in business 30 plus years. Protection by officers drug tested. 40 hour course. Licensed & Insured. 561-848-2600
JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio rescreening. Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed! CRC1329708 call us 798-3132. www.poolscreenrepair.com 561-577-9176 We answer our phones! Build all type ENCLOSURES, repair, reinforcements & RESCREENING, slabs/footers/fascias. If u don’t like sloppy jobs Call us! Recession rates AAA Pro Screeninglic # U-21289/ins
ACCORDION SHUTTERS — Gutters, screen enclosures, siding, soffits, aluminum roofs, Serving the Western Communities. Since 1985. U-17189 561-791-9777
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
SPECIALIZING IN BATHROOM REMODELING — Free estimates serving South Florida since 1980. Quality you expect, service you deserve. Lic. bonded & Ins. U21006 561-662-9258
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
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
APARTMENT OF RENT IN LOXAHATCHEE - Small apartment for rent. Quiet Neighborhood. All utilities included. NO PETS $700.00 per month. Call 305-481-3789
GARAGE & HOUSE SALE: THIS WEEKEND Friday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Household, furniture, tools, Electric Scooter & Lift Chair. 13554 Jonquil Place
ROOM FOR RENT — with private bath, $600/month Private. 561-9854910
HOUSE FOR RENT - Wellington Place, Mediterranean style. Quiet & pretty. Steps away from community pool. No Pets, or Smokers, 1 or 2 bedroom and 2.5 bath, email: calife@gmx.de
FURNISHED HOUSE FOR RENT/ SHORT OR LONG TERM — situated in a cul-de-sac and 5 minutes away from Spruce Meadows, this 2000 sf. 2 story newer house in Shawnessy has hardwood floor throughout and 2.5 bathrooms. Leather furniture, 48” TV and a Piano in main floor. Master bedroom has Jacuzzi. 2 large size bedrooms and bonus room. Wireless Internet, double attached garage, fenced backyard with BBQ. Weekly housekeeping, linen service and lawn cutting plus all utilities included. For more details call (403) 808-7254 OR (403) 700-2065 106.33 ACRE EQUESTRIAN FARM NEAR AIKEN, SC — Please call Debbie Harrison, Realtor with Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Co., at 803-480-5245 for details.
Beautiful Outdoor umbrella/white and green trim. Pilate machine, antique marble double sink, desk, and doll houses. Call 561-793-1148
HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER — in Wellington needs EXAM PREP COORDINATOR Bachelors Degree- Demonstrate Solid Performance on SAT and ACT (either verbal or math sections) Available to work evenings and Saturdays. Also needed: EXAM PREP TUTORS Now Hiring SAT/ACT Preparation Tutors. Must have a 4 year degree preferably in Mathmetics or English. Be available to tutor on Saturdays. Please e-mail resume tomarlenegiraud@hlcwellington.com ENTRY LEVEL RECEPTIONIST — Computer literate. Heavy phones & filing. Fax resume 561-333-2680 FRONT DESK — Loxahatchee/ Boynton Beach. Busy Dermatology practices, full-time, experience preferred, must be available for flexible hours, evenings and weekends. Fax resume to 561-790-7568 MEDICAL ASSISTANT NEEDED IN LOXAHATCHEE/BOYNTON BEACH — Busy Dermatology practice, full-time, experience preferred, must be available for flexible hours, evenings and weekends. Fax resume to 561-790-7568 WINDOW INSTALLERS WANTED Subcontractors only. Top Pay. No Brokers. Call Matt 561-714-8490 DRIVERS — DEDICATED ACCOUNT! TOP PAY! $2,000 sign on bonus. Benefits, miles, great hometime and more. 1-888-5674854 Werner Enterprises. AVON START YOUR OWN BUSINESS - $10! Sell everyday products that people love! Little risk lot of rewards. FREE ongoing training. Avon store. 798-9011 SPRAY OPERATOR/TRACTOR DRIVERS — Experience a must with fertilizer application. Knowledgeable with PPE, WPS, 45 plus hours. Apply @4003 Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd. Loxahatchee, Florida 33470
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