PBSO UPDATES RPB ON BODY CAMERAS SEE STORY, PAGE 4
KCF HOSTS BREAKFAST WITH SANTA SEE STORY, PAGE 13
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ITID Discusses Money For Road Projects And Santa Rosa Groves
Volume 42, Number 28 December 31, 2021 - January 13, 2022
Serving Palms West Since 1980
WELLINGTON LIBRARY REDEDICATION
Attorney Mark Raymond, who has represented the Indian Trail Improvement District since the early 1990s in connection with its borrowing needs regarding bonds and bank loans, met with the ITID Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, Dec. 15 regarding the district’s R3 road plan, as well as financing for improvements in the Santa Rosa Groves neighborhood. Page 3
Wellington Seniors Club Hosts In-Person Lunch At Village Park
The Wellington Seniors Club held its first in-person luncheon in nearly two years on Wednesday, Dec. 15 at the Village Park gymnasium on Pierson Road. Elvis impersonator Matt Stone delighted the seniors with a performance. Page 8
Aguirre Foundation Sponsors Toy Giveaway At Wellington B&G Club
The Christopher Aguirre Memorial Foundation sponsored a toy giveaway event at the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club in Wellington on Friday, Dec. 17. It was the program’s sixth year. Page 16
Jason Shwartz Is A Star On The Course And In The Classroom
Young golfer Jason Shwartz, who has been establishing a name for himself both in the classroom and on the course, is on an impressive athletic and academic journey. Shwartz and his family moved to the Wycliffe Golf & Country Club last June. He soon enrolled at the American Heritage School in Delray Beach, joining the boys varsity golf team. Page 21 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 18 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 7 SPORTS......................... 21 - 23 SCHOOLS.......................24 - 25 PEOPLE................................. 26 BUSINESS............................. 27 COLUMNS............................. 28 CLASSIFIEDS................ 29 - 30 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
A rededication and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Saturday, Dec. 18 at the Wellington branch library. The library recently reopened after a year-long, $4.2 million renovation project. Sponsored by the Friends of the Palm Beach County Library, the rededication included the naming of rooms in the building in honor of former Wellington Mayor Kathy Foster and former Wellington Mayor Tom and Regis Wenham. There were tours of the new CreationStation and co-space locations. Shown above, county officials join Wellington representatives for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 18 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
ITID Includes Improvements Near Loxahatchee Groves Elementary In Road Program
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors recently added road improvements near Loxahatchee Groves Elementary School to the district’s R3 road improvement program. The decision was made on a 3-2 vote at the board’s Dec. 15 meeting. Supervisor Betty Argue said she has worked closely with the school’s principal, Richard Myerson, in the past. “Back before I was on this board, I was president of the school’s PTO, and we had issues with traffic back then. It has only gotten worse as a result of people’s changing behavior, the increase in traffic and more students coming to the school,” Argue said. “We’ve been receiving complaints from residents regarding traffic on 162nd [Drive
North] and Okeechobee [Blvd.], and there’s a bit of concern about health, safety and welfare. All the lanes get blocked, and there’s no way to get through.” She said Myerson has been working with the school district and others to look at solutions. “There’s obviously long-term solutions, which involve improvements to the school property, and that’s going to take a little bit longer to happen,” Argue said. “And then there’s the part that our district can play to help solve the problem.” Argue said that she has talked with ITID Engineer Jay Foy and ITID Executive Director Burgess Hanson about issues there. Foy said there are issues with vehicles parking on the easement and right of way on 162nd Drive. “People have been parking there and on private property, blocking
people from getting out of their own driveways. There has been a history of problems,” Foy said, adding that there are existing turn lanes on 162nd and an additional lane in the parking lot that is not used for stacking. Also discussed has been adding turn lanes on 162nd, and a new parents’ entrance at the south end of the school property, north of the bus loop. “That gives you a lot more stacking distance, so they’ll eliminate a lot of traffic,” Foy said, adding that some drainage improvements would be necessary. He estimated the cost to be approximately $115,000 to ITID, adding that construction costs are going up, and the cost could rise by the time it comes to bidding. “This is construction cost only,” Foy said. “It does not include conSee ITID, page 4
Royal Palm Council Agrees To Sell Property At Back Of Royal Plaza
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Royal Palm Beach Village Council on Thursday, Dec. 16 discussed the possibility of splitting a small parcel of village-owned property between two nearby commercial property owners. Two property owners at the back of the Royal Plaza commercial complex applied to buy the approximately one-acre piece of village land at 6845 Camellia Park Drive on the south side of Seminole Palms Drive west of the recently vacated Ideal School. Paint Lux, an auto body business, and Keiser University, which purchased the former Ideal School site, both want the village-owned property, which is adjacent to both businesses. Angelle and Corey Gibson, owners of Paint Lux at 500 Royal Plaza Road, have been in business for 10 years. They requested to purchase the parcel with the intent to change the use to a private, secured parking area and enclose the site with a fence, hedge and gate, and install lighting and security cameras. “There are very few familyowned body shops in Royal Palm Beach,” Corey Gibson said. “There have been resolutions passed to allow our body shop to exist. I know we do not have the same resources as Keiser, but we are a small, local business.” She said their shop does not have adequate space to store vehicles that are in the shop for repair, and that more families are opting to refurbish their vehicles rather than buy new ones, adding that they have a contract with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to repair its vehicles. Keiser University intends to incorporate the parcel into its recent purchase of the two former Ideal School buildings, also known as
the 300 and 400 buildings at Royal Commerce Park. Attorney Andrea Keiser, representing Keiser University, Southeastern University, Primrose Preschool and Artemis Investments, said there is a daycare shortage nationwide. “More than 50 percent of families don’t have access to childcare, and we understand that the Ideal School was a pivotal school in your community, and we want to continue the operations of the preschool,” Keiser said, adding that Keiser University has more than 40 years of experience in workforce training. “We actually want to take it a step further and engage in this exciting new collaboration between Keiser University and the preschool.” She explained that the preschool will be located in the 400 building of the campus, with university classes located in the 300 building, which was once Ideal’s middle school. “The students in the early learning program will go over to the preschool program and get handson training,” Keiser said, explaining that the university would like to purchase the village property on the west side of the 300 building for parking, so parents can park their cars and drop off their children, as well as for students to park. “We want to landscape it and beautify it and make it look like it’s incorporated into our development.” She added that if the university does not have additional parking, it would not be able to have as many students there. For its initial year, the university expects to have 150 to 200 students, but future phases would require additional parking. She added that the children’s playground on east side of the site will have to be See RPB LAND, page 4
HOMETOWN HOLIDAY TOY GIVEAWAY EVENT
Tax Collector’s Office Moving Soon From RPB To Westlake
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Palm Beach County Tax Collector’s Office in Royal Palm Beach will permanently close on Friday, Feb. 11, and the agency’s new office in the City of Westlake will open on Tuesday, Feb. 22. The new, 23,735-square-foot service center is located at 16640 Town Center Parkway South in Westlake, about nine miles from the current Royal Palm Beach location. The agency, which collects taxes and issues automobile registrations, boat registrations, state IDs and driver’s licenses, acquired the 4.63-acre site from Westlake’s primary developer, Minto Communities. The parcel is adjacent to Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 22, which opened in January 2020 on a site donated by Minto.
The Palm Beach County Tax Collector’s Office is constitutionally authorized to collect taxes for local government agencies authorized to levy them. As an agent for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the office is responsible for issuing licenses and other state ID cards, and titles and registrations for cars and trucks. It is also responsible for issuing state hunting and fishing licenses. Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne Gannon has said that the Royal Palm Beach office is no longer able to provide adequate services due to the growing population. The Westlake civic site is expected to eventually take on other county services currently located at the Midwestern Communities Service Center at 200 Civic Center
Way in Royal Palm Beach, including the District 18 Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation, a youth services center, offices for the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser and the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections. The new Tax Collector’s Office will be bordered on three sides by other civic uses and separated from yet-to-be-constructed homes to the east along Ilex Way, which will intersect at that point with Town Center Parkway. With a towering glass and steel framework, the building was designed by Song & Associates, which has designed several civic buildings throughout Palm Beach County. Many services provided by the Palm Beach County Tax Collector’s Office can be done online. Learn more at www.pbctax.com.
The Village of Wellington’s Hometown Holiday Toy Drive culminated with a giveaway event on Thursday, Dec. 16 at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church. Dozens of volunteers, joined by village officials, were on hand to help selected family representatives pick out toys for children. Volunteer gift wrappers were also on hand to make the toys holiday ready. Shown above is PBSO Deputy Casey Lussier with Jennifer Alba. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Local First Responders Receive Equine Training At Vinceremos
By Callie Sharkey Town-Crier Staff Report As the area prepares for its annual influx of more than 15,000 horses, the Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center offered free training sessions for local first responders to better prepare them for any emergency that could involve horses. During three different sessions in December, first responders primarily from the western communities attended a three-part training on basic handling, emergency care and an abbreviated equine therapy session. “It’s our opportunity to give back to the community and really help our first responders,”
Vinceremos CEO Susan Guinan explained. “One thing Vinceremos has done in our 40 years of existence is look at our community and see what our community needs are. Adaptive riding was a big part of it, then hippotherapy, then equineassisted learning, and now we help address so much of the mental health issues.” Each session began with a basic introduction to horses from Vinceremos founder and lead instructor Ruth Menor. “We are excited to have you, and we are very fortunate that we have not had to call you very many times,” Menor said. “Vinceremos’ day job is our therapy horseback riding center. Today, we will also
cover handling horses, because if you haven’t had that experience, it becomes more dangerous for everybody.” Mental health therapist Carly Brown teamed up with Menor to discuss a bit of horse psychology as well, so participants can better understand the animals. “Horses are a prey animal. This means they are a flight animal that is going to run before they fight. Very much a herd animal, they see safety with others,” Brown explained. “They are going to feed off our tone and regulation. They communicate with their bodies, and that’s what we are going to do today. We’ll talk about safely approaching a horse. Horses have
Dr. Janet Greenfield Davis of the Palm Beach Equine Clinic gives insight into the physiology of horses. most of the emotions we have. right now, and then they move on They can be curious, nervous, to the next moment.” frustrated and excited, but they Vinceremos instructors and don’t feel shame or guilt. They volunteers began working with only think about what is going on See VINCEREMOS, page 17
Page 2
December 31, 2021 - January 13, 2022
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Page 3
NEWS
ITID Discusses Funding For Road Projects, Santa Rosa Groves
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Attorney Mark Raymond, who has represented the Indian Trail Improvement District since the early 1990s in connection with its borrowing needs regarding bonds and bank loans, met with the ITID Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, Dec. 15 regarding the district’s R3 road plan, as well as financing for improvements in the Santa Rosa Groves neighborhood. ITID Executive Director Burgess Hanson said that several months ago, the board asked district staff to look into bringing forward some projects to implement the R3 road plan. The R3 road improvement plan, approved in October 2019, has the goal of paving or placing millings on certain roads that the board has
deemed to benefit all residents of The Acreage, with a specific focus of improving access to schools, parks, impoundment areas, ITID facilities and Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue facilities. “Because of construction on all the county roads in the area, we were concerned with cut-through traffic, so we brought forward the idea of having speed tables be the first phase,” Hanson said. After discussions with Raymond and ITID Engineer Jay Foy, they decided on the R3 roads as a project that needed to be carried through. “The R3 roads need to be done,” Hanson said. “From a funding capacity, it’s much easier to go out once for everything, and in conjunction with that, bid out for the entire R3 project to do the entire road system.”
He added that the R3 plan has been in development for three years. “Tonight, we have Mr. Raymond here to talk about some of the financing options that we have for the R3, and then also we’ll talk about Unit 20, which is the Santa Rosa Groves activation, and about how we can go about financing that unique area,” Hanson said. “Many of the lots do not have any structures on them, they are still undeveloped.” Hanson added that the board should also look at taking out a short-term loan for litigation expenses. Raymond said that he has been involved with ITID since the early 1990s in connection with its borrowing needs. “When the district approves a
plan like it has for R3 and decides that it wants to finance the construction of those improvements, the next step is to approve a resolution authorizing the incurrence of the debt, and then to find a lender for that debt,” he explained. The scope of the R3 project, and the nature of the improvements being long-term capital improvements, led Raymond to suggest pursuing a 30-year loan. “The way that occurs is for the district to engage the services of an investment banking firm, not a commercial bank, that will market the bonding issue to its customers, investors throughout the United States, and purchase all of those bonds at one time from you, and, therefore, provide you with the funds to construct the project,” he said.
Aside from simply buying the bonds, the investment banker would also help ITID achieve the best possible interest rate, which involves getting a credit rating, which the district did during financing of the R2 project funding in 2005. “There’s no reason to think that the district won’t be successful in getting the investment rating for bonds, which will give you an even lower interest rate,” Raymond said, adding that the interest rate would be lower than a home loan or commercial loan. “One reason is that the interest would not be subject to federal tax, which immediately knocks off about 20 percent of what the rate would be if it wasn’t tax exempt.” He added that Unit 20, Santa
Rosa Groves, is not different from the R3 project, except in magnitude. The Unit 20 project is about $1 million for a project that will be financed by about 100 different property owners. “If the district wants to borrow money for that project, I think the appropriate course is to seek a proposal from a financial institution in commercial banking, not an investment banker,” he said. “It’s not enough debt, you do not want to pay if off over 30 years, and even if you did, it wouldn’t be cost effective because it’s not enough money to justify the expense of floating the bond issue.” Supervisor Betty Argue made a motion to schedule a meeting for Wednesday, Jan. 19 to discuss further bond counseling, which carried 5-0.
Wellington Library Rooms Named To Honor Former Mayors And Advisory Board Chair
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington branch of the Palm Beach County Library System recently re-opened after a major renovation project, and the much-improved building now includes two rooms named in honor of longtime Wellington community leaders. At the Palm Beach County Commission meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 7, Commissioner Melissa
McKinlay made motions to rename the conference room and children’s activities room in the building. Carried unanimously, the motions named the conference room at the library the “Mayor Tom and Regis Wenham Conference Room,” and the children’s meeting room the “Mayor Kathy Foster Children’s Activities Room.” The Wenhams and Foster were at the library’s rededication cer-
emony (see related photos, page 18) on Saturday, Dec. 18, where the new names were unveiled. In November 2021, staff was given direction to provide a plan to name a room at the Wellington branch after Tom and Regis Wenham. Tom Wenham served as a U.S. Air Force flight engineer with the 8th Bomb Squadron during the Korean War. In 1994, he was elected to the Acme Improvement
Commissioner Melissa McKinlay and Kathy Foster by the room now named for Foster.
District Board of Supervisors, Wellington’s pre-incorporation government. In 1996, he was elected to a council seat in the newly incorporated Village of Wellington. He was appointed mayor in 2000, and after the charter was changed to allow voters to directly elect the mayor, Wenham was elected mayor in 2003 and served in that post until 2008. Since then, he has remained active in the community, and currently serves on the village’s Architectural Review Board and as chair of the Wellington Community Foundation. Regis Wenham also has a long history of community service, particularly when it comes to the Palm Beach County Library System. In October 1999, she was appointed to the Library Advisory Board, and has been continually reappointed to the board for the past 22 years. She served as chair of the Library Advisory Board in 2007-08. Regis Wenham said she and her husband never expected to have a room at the library named after them. “It took me aback, it really did,” she told the Town-Crier. “It was one big surprise.” The Palm Beach County Commission also decided to honor Foster for her many years of community service. Foster was the first woman elected to a seat on the Acme Im-
Tom and Regis Wenham outside the conference room that now bears their name. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER provement District board in 1990. citizens in the community. It was the first popular election in The Wellington branch library the community’s history. From re-opened on Tuesday, Nov. 9 1992 to 1994, she served as presi- after closing in December 2020 dent of the Acme board. In 1996, for $4.2 million in renovations Foster was elected to the inaugural that included air conditioning and Wellington Village Council and lighting upgrades, new flooring was chosen by the council to serve and added amenities. Originally as the village’s first mayor. built in 1997, the building was last Foster is an interior designer remodeled with a major expansion with a degree from Brooklyn in 2007. College in textiles and designs. Located at 1951 Royal Fern She is a longtime member of St. Drive, the Wellington branch is Rita Catholic Church and ran two one of 17 locations of the Palm nonprofits after leaving office, the Beach County Library System and Adam Walsh Children’s Fund and is expected to serve some 141,000 Junior Achievement of the Palm residents and school students in Beaches. Foster is also the founder the area over the next decade. For of Wellington Cares, a nonprofit more info., visit www.pbclibrary. that provides services for senior org/locations/wellington.
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December 31, 2021 - January 13, 2022
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NEWS
Board OKs Isla Verde Design Changes, Site Amenities At Lotis
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington’s Architectural Review Board recommended approval of several items on Wednesday, Dec. 15, including color palette and monument signs for the Isla Verde shopping center; the parking garage, retail and office buildings at Lotis Wellington; and wall and ground signs at Luxe Healthcare at Wellington Green. The board recommended approval of color palette and monument signs for the 19.22-acre Shoppes at Isla Verde, a multiple-use development of 163,000 square feet of commercial space with 350 dwelling units built in 2006. The request was for approval of monument and multi-panel signs along the east side of State Road
7 with technical deviations and for the exterior color palette. Senior Planner Kelly Ferraiolo said the northern portion of the plaza underwent major renovations in 2018 when the Sprouts organic grocery store was built. “There are 14 technical deviations that have been granted for larger signs for this plaza, however the sign code has changed and only eight would be considered technical deviations today,” Ferraiolo said. The applicant is requesting a new color palette to complement the already updated Sprouts portion. “The applicant is requesting a new color palette for the Shoppes at Isla Verde,” she said. “The recent addition of Sprouts includes a refreshing, more contemporary
palette that includes whites and grays with a copper accent. The remainder of the project and all amenities will be updated to complement the already updated Sprouts portion.” Board Member Dayna Bertola made a motion to recommend approval of the changes, which carried 5-0. Also at the meeting, the board recommended approval of the Lotis Wellington parking garage, office building and site amenities. Senior Planner Damian Newell said the applicant is requesting approval of combined retail/office/ restaurant buildings, apartments, a parking garage and site amenities for the project, located just north of Forest Hill Blvd. on the west side of SR 7. “The parking garage is mainly
to serve the future medical office building, but it will also provide parking for the other uses in the commercial section,” Newell said, adding that the site has 28 acres of open space with a lake, cypress preserve, dog park and greenway with a multi-use pathway open to the public, fitness stations and shade structures around the lake. He said staff recommended approval of the application with 11 conditions, including that the 42-inch parapet along the top of the parking garage be increased to 5 feet (60 inches). Brian Terry with Insite Studio, representing the applicant, said that a 42-inch parapet along the top of the three-story parking garage should keep parked cars on the top level of the garage well concealed from view.
Board Member Tom Wenham made a motion to recommend approval with a 42-inch parking garage parapet height, which carried 5-0. In other business: • The board also recommended approval of wall and ground signs at Luxe Healthcare at Wellington Green, which is a rebranding of an existing senior and rehabilitation care facility on Nu Vista Avenue near the Mall at Wellington Green. Newell said the applicant is requesting a technical deviation for two wall signs where they are allowed only one, and to amend the master sign plan to include a directional sign. “This facility recently changed ownership, so the current owners are looking for some additional signage,” Newell said. “You’re
going to have additional traffic looking for the site. With that, they are requesting a total of two wall signs on the principal façade.” Staff recommended approval of the application, and Board Member Roger Grave de Peralta made a motion to approve staff’s recommendation, which carried 5-0. • The board also recommended approval of an alternative fence design at 12623 Quercus Lane in the Pinewood East neighborhood where 675 feet was installed by a contractor that allegedly continued work after the building permit had been denied due to the horizontal fence type. Peralta made a motion to approve staff’s recommendation with a portion of the fence moved back and a hedge installed. The motion carried 4-1 with Bertola opposed.
PBSO Updates Royal Palm Council On Deputy Body Cameras
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report PBSO Capt. Ulrich Naujoks recently updated the Royal Palm Beach Village Council on the status of body-worn cameras for Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies. “In July of last year, support teams met with seven different vendors to go over what they had to offer and what kind of
technology they had,” Naujoks said at the council’s Thursday, Dec. 16 meeting. “After that, they created a request for proposals, and of those seven vendors, five responded that met the criteria we had laid forth.” The PBSO body-worn camera team then developed scenarios that it wanted to test the cameras in, and the vendors are now supplying the agency with cameras.
The PBSO hopes to have them deployed in a test environment in January 2022. The council has long supported having cameras on Royal Palm Beach deputies. “What I’d like to remind the public and the council, is this is not as easy as just getting a GoPro and walking around and filming everything,” Naujoks said. “There has got to be a lot of policies and
procedures, directives on who gets them and when they turn them on. Not only will this affect 1,500 to 2,000 deputies, it’s also going to affect about 1,000 cars.” He explained that Sheriff Ric Bradshaw wants to be able to get a view of the overall scene of an incident from the deputy’s vehicle, as well as the body cam. “The sheriff wants to upgrade the car system, too, so you actu-
PBSO Seeking Information On Unexplained Death Of RPB Middle Schooler, Found Christmas Day In Pond
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating the tragic death of 14-year-old Vensly Maxime, whose body was found on Saturday, Dec. 25, just before 5 p.m., in a retention pond near the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center. Maxime had been reported missing three days earlier. His body was found by family members searching for him. During an initial investigation, detectives learned that Maxime and a friend met up after school on
Wednesday, Dec. 22. Soon after, according to the friend, Maxime started to not feel well, so the friend told detectives that they began walking home. For unknown reasons, Maxime began to act in an unusual manner. The teens separated, with the friend continuing home, and Maxime remained behind in the area of the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center. He was not seen again until his body was discovered on Christmas Day. In conjunction with the Palm
Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office, the PBSO’s preliminary investigative findings have not revealed any signs of trauma or injury. Foul play is not currently suspected, and initial findings indicate that Maxime may have suffered a medical episode prior to entering the water. This investigation is continuing and ongoing. Anyone who may have additional information is urged to contact Detective J. Gomez at (561) 688-4052 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS.
RPB Land
Parcel Could Be Split In Two
Vensly Maxime
State Attorney Aronberg Supports Hate Crimes Bill
State Attorney Dave Aronberg recently announced his support for new legislation that broadens the prosecution of hate crimes in Florida. The bill, sponsored by State Sen. Tina Polsky (D‐District 29) and State Rep. Emily Slosberg (D‐
District 91), closes a loophole in the current law that was identified following the disturbing vandalism of a Delray Beach crosswalk caught on video. In that pending case, the defacing of a gay pride streetscape last June did not meet the existing
standard for hate crime penalties because the city itself was the victim, not an individual. Under SB1208/HB883, local governments for the first time can be considered victims of crimes of prejudice. “This important bill will close a glaring loophole in
state law that allows defendants to avoid hate crime charges even though their actions were motived by prejudice. This bill gives prosecutors the tools needed to hold fully accountable those who harm our community with hateful conduct,” Aronberg said.
Wellington Earns American Heart Association Honor
The American Heart Association recently recognized Wellington for its implementation of quality workplace health programs and a culture of health best practices. Wellington achieved bronze-level recognition in the American Heart Association’s 2021 Workplace Health Achievement Index
ITID
Roadwork Planned Near School
continued from page 1 struction of the northbound turn lane. It also does not include any work inside the school property. It does include the driveway to get to the school property.” Argue said the school district is advocating for improvements on 162nd Drive, as well as the internal parking lot loop. Myerson said that with Loxahatchee Groves Elementary School being a choice school, it pulls some students from all over the region. It is also a pre-K cluster site, drawing 135 to 200 children every year. It also provides exceptional student education (ESE) programs for children with special needs. “Enrollment has increased due to a number of factors,” Myerson said. “One factor is Westlake. We have about 35 children enrolling this year. Also, in the older part of Loxahatchee, younger families are moving in, so we’ve seen an increase of 50 or 60 children already this school year. We anticipate at least 100 to 150 children over
for taking significant steps to build a culture of health in the workplace. The village is one of more than 450 organizations nationwide that completed the index assessment this year, evaluating the time period of July 31, 2020, to June 30, 2021. Of the organizations that completed the assessment, nearly
all earned gold (43 percent), silver (31 percent) or bronze (19 percent) status. A unique feature of the index is that it calculates an average heart health score based on the American Heart Association’s seven risk factors for cardiovascular health: smoking status, physical activity, weight, diet, blood glucose,
cholesterol and blood pressure. Companies receive benchmarking reports that allow them to identify potential areas of employee health improvement. The framework of the Workplace Health Achievement Index was created to help organizations improve the health of their workforce from one year to the next.
the next four or five years as they build out Westlake, before a new school is built inside of Westlake. So, whatever traffic issues we’re having now, it’s only going to get compounded by more and more children coming to our school.” Myerson added that COVID-19 has added to the problem due to parents not wanting their child to take the bus and parents not carpooling as much. He noted that traffic is stacking south of the school for the first time by parents who do not want to wait on Okeechobee. “Traffic in the morning and afternoon is sometimes backed up on Okeechobee to Seminole Pratt, which is causing a problem for the entire community,” he said. Supervisor Joni Martin asked what the school’s responsibility is for fixing the problem. “Are they responsible for creating that flowthrough?” she asked. “They made a plan, but are they not responsible for making the construction?” Myerson said he is working with School Board Member Marcia Andrews and the school district to find a solution. Argue noted that the school district is not responsible for ITID roads, of which 162nd Drive is a part. “Okeechobee Blvd. is county,”
she said. “At our last meeting, it was reported that the county is actually looking at making improvements on Okeechobee. We’ve also requested there be improvements made on Okeechobee between Seminole Pratt and 162nd, but it’s going to take between five and six years for that to happen.” Argue said the school district is more concerned with new construction than providing funding for improvements to existing schools. Martin said she was concerned whether ITID could afford the project. “I certainly sympathize. I had a child, I sat in those school lines, and I know how important it is and the safety of that,” she said. “But listening to all the entities that are involved, it would seem that Westlake should be taking part in this, if that is where the children in that community are zoned for… I don’t feel it should all be coming to the district.” Supervisor Keith Jordano agreed that ITID should not bear the brunt of the costs for the improvements. Argue clarified that ITID’s costs would only be for improvements on ITID property. “The school district will be responsible for improvements on
their property,” she said. “There is no method for getting money from Westlake or Wellington to be paying for our roads, and quite frankly, I’m not in support of that, mainly because they don’t own our roads.” Supervisor Michael Johnson asked if the road improvements meet the criteria of the R3 road improvement program, which calls for improvements around public property, including schools, and Hanson said it does. Martin said such a program should get the support of the school district, the county and other involved parties before ITID commits to such a project. Argue made a motion to give direction to ITID staff to amend the R3 program to include the 162nd Drive North project, which carried 3-2 with Jordano and Martin opposed. In other business, the board held its annual reorganizational meeting, tapping Johnson to serve as ITID’s new president. Argue, who has served as president for the past several years, passed the gavel to nominate Johnson as president and herself as vice president, Martin as treasurer, Jordano as assistant secretary and ITID Attorney Mary Viator as secretary. Her motion carried 5-0.
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BARRY S. MANNING DAWN RIVERA JOSHUA I. MANNING Executive Editor Publisher General Manager RON BUKLEY Senior Editor
ally have a full picture of what’s going on,” he said. “He wants to do it right the first time. If it takes a little longer, that’s what he’s going to do.” Naujoks added that the goal of setting up the system is to see what the officer actually sees. “There’s a lot of nuts and bolts to move through, but we are moving forward,” he said. “With an agency this size, it’s not as easily implemented.” Councilman Jeff Hmara asked if there is a particular police department that has modeled the use of body cameras, and Naujoks said there have been several.
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EDITORIAL STAFF/ Meredith Burow • Erin Davisson • Denise Fleischman Mike May • Louis Hillary Park • Callie Sharkey • M. Dennis Taylor CONTRIBUTORS/ Jules Rabin • Leonard Wechsler • Deborah Welky ADVERTISING/ Betty Buglio • Evie Edwards • Joetta Palumbo STAFF/ Yolanda Cernicky • Shanta Daibee • Jill Kaskel • Carol Lieberman
continued from page 1 expanded, which will eat up more parking spaces. Village Manager Ray Liggins said the village property is about an acre, which could accommodate about 100 cars. Mayor Fred Pinto suggested splitting the property between Paint Lux and Keiser. “Half is better than nothing,” he said. Kaiser said she would be happy to talk to her client as well as the Paint Lux owners about splitting the property, reminding the council that Keiser’s intention to add more students would require additional
“That’s what the beginning of this process was, benchmarking with those that have already had it for a while and were successful,” Naujoks said, adding that there are many issues, such as when children are involved, where technicians have to redact information. Mayor Fred Pinto said the information was an important update because it has been more than a year since the council last received information about the use of body cameras. “We understand that it takes time if you want to do it right,” Pinto said. parking, because Ideal’s old middle school did not require parking. Liggins added that the body shop is a legal nonconforming use, and Keiser is not. Village Attorney Keith Davis said splitting the property would need to come back to the council for further consideration. “If the buyers are interested in purchasing, they have to figure out how to divide it,” Davis said. Liggins suggested letting the two interested parties discuss it. “To develop it, it would have to be platted,” he said, adding that the discussion for the evening was whether or not the council wanted to sell the land, which is currently underutilized. Councilwoman Selena Samios made a motion to approve the conveyance of the property, which carried 5-0.
OPINION
Thoughts At The Start Of 2022
2022 may be the most highly anticipated new year of our lives. It seems people have been wishing away 2021 for months (and 2020 before it), ready to put this challenging time behind us and move on. However, as we approach a new year, I am mindful that it is not the changing of a calendar year that will bring us a new beginning; it is our own drive, perseverance and resolve that will propel us to a better tomorrow. As we forge ahead, I offer up a few themes to reflect upon as you consider making any positive changes in your lives, whether or not you call them “resolutions.” Take care of yourself. Mental wellness has never been more important. The global pandemic has forced all of us to exercise patience and resilience at extraordinary levels. It is imperative to take time for self-care. Take advantage of the great resources we have in Wellington and the western communities, which offer care, counsel and support through a variety of programs and services. Or simply take time to read a book, take a walk, breathe fresh air, meditate or pray. Exercise, eat well and get enough sleep. All of those things you have no doubt heard before, but now may be understanding their value on a new level. Take care of others. The Wellington community and western communities in general have come together like never before during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we must continue to do so. Reach out to your neighbors. Serve the community
to the extent that you can. Donate your time, talents or treasure to our robust nonprofit community, from the Wellington Community Foundation, to the Wellington Rotary, Kiwanis and Back to Basics. Many people would be surprised by the volume of needs met by our charitable organizations, and those needs can only be met with ongoing support from residents like you. Be kind. It is a simple concept we learn as children, but in the age of social media and political division, civility and common courtesy too often are taking a back seat in our society. It does not have to be that way, and we each have the power in our daily interactions to treat others with respect. Thanks to the leadership of the Wellington Village Council, we look forward to our continuing service to the residents of Wellington and the western communities in 2022. As we move forward, I know that we will usher in a promising new year the same way we tackled the last one — together. Jim Barnes, Wellington Village Manager
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NEWS
VILLAGE OF WELLINGTON TOY DRIVE CULMINATES WITH BIG GIVEAWAY EVENT
The Village of Wellington’s Hometown Holiday Toy Drive culminated with a giveaway event on Thursday, Dec. 16 at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church. Dozens of volunteers, joined by village officials, were on hand to help selected family representatives pick out toys for children. Volunteer gift wrappers were also on hand to make the toys holiday ready. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Councilman Michael Drahos, Councilwoman Tanya Siskind, Mayor Anne Gerwig, Shelly Albright, Paulette Edwards and Vice Mayor John McGovern.
Volunteers gathered to help families pick out toys.
Mayor Anne Gerwig, Alma Henry Morman, Mable King, Debra Jackson, Paulette Edwards and Bernita Cox. Chey Anderson gets toys for three children with help from Mayor Anne Gerwig.
Jenelle Bentley shops with Councilman Michael Napoleone.
Vice Mayor John McGovern selects toys with Alvina Boza.
Volunteer Jenny Pettis-Hassell tidies up a gift table.
St. Peter’s Church Director of Children and Youth Ministries Shelly Albright.
Mayor Anne Gerwig, Community Services Director Paulette Edwards, Ian Williams and Gus Ponce with (seated) Danielle Zembrzuski and Chris O’Connor.
Chandre Zimbrick gets help from John Bromfield.
PBSO Deputy Glenn Palmer, Vice Mayor John McGovern and Deputy Ashley Carseni.
Alan Klarich helps Andrew Trammell.
Jessica Ivarrola gets help from Patricia Baldeo.
Mangel Ramirez gets help from Diane Gutman.
Brunny Riviera gets some help from Julia and Councilman Michael Drahos.
Volunteer gift wrappers Ivan Serafin, Lisandra Bromfield, Mable King and Debra Jackson.
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NEWS
Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Board Supports Adoption Of Home-Based Business Rules To Comply With New State Law
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Commission, sitting as the Local Planning Agency, recommended approval Monday, Dec. 20 of an ordinance that would amend the village’s code to ensure that all applicable village definitions for home-based businesses comply with a recently passed law. Last July, a bill passed by the Florida Legislature and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis was enacted prohibiting local governments
from taking certain actions relating to the licensure and regulation of home-based businesses, authorizing home-based businesses to operate in areas zoned for residential use. The village amendment ensures that all village definitions and regulations for home occupations conform with recent legislative action to provide consistency between parking and home occupation regulations within the village. “The item you have before you is the result of last year’s, I’ll
say, intense legislative session,” Village Attorney Amity Barnard said. “This is another preemption bill that was passed that requires amendments to the village code so the village code is not running afoul of state law.” The revisions include two sections of the village code that conflicted with the new state statute. “There was one substantive change,” Barnard said, regarding square footage restrictions for home-based businesses. “We’ve maintained every instance where
we can regulate signage, parking and aesthetics that’s permissible under the new state law, but this does clean up the village code to make sure there are no conflicts between these two new sections of the state law.” Barnard said she would answer any questions, but the ordinance was mandated by the state. “We have to make sure that the village code conforms with state law so we don’t get unnecessary lawsuits or have issues that are preventable,” she said.
Commissioner June Perrin made a motion to recommend approval of the ordinance, which carried 5-0. Royal Palm Beach Village Manager Ray Liggins told the Town-Crier that one major change in the village code due to the new state law was to repeal the number of people allowed to come to a home-based business. “The significant change was that we did not allow home-based businesses that required customers to come to your residence,” Liggins
said. “The state law was not that restrictive.” The state law allows homebased businesses to have customers visit, as long as the number of cars is not out of the ordinary for a residential area. “We didn’t allow employees, and we didn’t allow customers coming and going,” Liggins said, explaining that the change allows home-based businesses to operate “as long as there is not a violation of parking rules that’s customary for the number of cars at a house.”
St. Rita Knights Of Columbus Reach Out To Families In Need
During the 2020 holiday season, members of the Knights of Columbus Council 8419 at St. Rita Catholic Church in Wellington decided to start a Families in Need program. With help from St. Rita pastor Father Mario Castañeda and his staff, the group got a list of 10 families who were in most need of help at that time. Grand Knight John Kingston and Deputy Grand Knight Manny Zapata went to each of the homes
and gave wrapped toys to all the children and gift cards to the parents. The response was emotional and heartwarming, and the decision was made to continue the program this year. During May 2021, members Ken Deischer, John Kapos, Ivan Barin and George Barin suggested doing the same program, but making it much bigger. The initial goal was to raise $20,000 to fund the “Help Us Help Families
Edgar Burroughs and John Bosso ran the kitchen.
in Need” program. Committees were formed, and the work began. Funds were raised through several initiatives. Initially, members were asked to donate what they could. Next, the council was set up by Publix for eight days at four different locations to request donations. The council then did a drive-through dinner with the proceeds going to the program. Requests were also conducted after all masses on two weekends. In all, the council was able to raise more than $25,000. The Council of Catholic Women also asked if they could participate. After several meetings with that organization, they agreed to decorate the stage and purchase three gifts for each child under age 13. The CCW decorated the stage with three Christmas trees and numerous other decorations to make a beautiful setting for Santa and Mrs. Claus, the elves, a reindeer and the Grinch. Again this year, Father Mario Castañeda and his staff provided the council with the names of 19 families with 42 children under age 12, and 12 children age 13 and above. All of these families were invited to come to the parish center for dinner and a visit to Santa on the evening of Friday, Dec. 3. Beginning at 6 p.m., Father Mario came out and offered a blessing be-
Art Society To Feature Ted Matz Jan. 12
The Wellington Art Society will feature a presentation by artist Ted Matz on Wednesday, Jan. 12. The meeting and presentation will take place at the Wellington Community Center (12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). The meeting will open with a meet-and-greet at 5:30 p.m., followed by a member spotlight and brief meeting. The event will conclude with a presentation by Matz on how to best represent beautiful landscapes through the medium of oil paint. The public is invited. Social distancing will be observed, and masks are required. For more info., contact Laura Jaffe at presidentofwas@gmail.com. Matz majored in painting at Eastern Michigan University and is a graduate from the Kendall College of Art and Design. He has worked in design-related positions with Jacobson’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor. He is currently the president of Ted Matz Fine Art Inc., teaching classes and workshops in both abstract and realism. He offers classes in oil and acrylic painting, watercolor and plein air painting at Easel Art
MLK Celebration Jan. 17 In RPB
CAFCI and the Village of Royal Palm Beach will host their 20th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Monday, Jan. 17 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Royal Palm beach Cultural Center, located at 151 Civic Center Way in Royal Palm Beach. The public is invited to this free cultural event. For more information, visit www. cafcipbc.org.
Wellington Seeks Vendors For Bridal Show
Are you a DJ, baker, caterer, entertainer, photographer, planner, or other service professional in the wedding and event industry? Wellington is seeking vendors for its first annual Bridal & Wedding Show. The event will be hosted in the ballroom of the Wellington Community Center (12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) on Sunday, Feb. 27 from 1 to 5 p.m. and is expected to feature more than 30 vendors from the wedding and event industry, food, live music, bridal fashion, give-a-ways and more. The cost for vendor space is $250 and includes a 10-foot-by10-foot space (unless otherwise specified), a six-foot table with a tablecloth and two chairs. Vendors interested in participating in the bridal show are asked to submit
Supply in Lake Park. He also conducts private mentoring sessions, in-studio classes and workshops, as well as online classes. “I love nature and the beauty that the natural world gives to us, therefore I have a very strong desire to record as much of it as possible… for future generations,” Matz said. He employs various mediums, including oil, pastel, watercolor, gouache and acrylics. Working in both realism and abstraction, he enjoys being open to a range of mediums and styles, giving him the freedom to choose those that best represent the subject for each piece he creates. Matz was the co-founder and past president of the New Studio for the Visual Arts in Jupiter and previously held the position of chair of painting and drawing at the Lighthouse ArtCenter in Tequesta. He also founded and chaired the first, second and third annual Lighthouse ArtCenter’s Plein Air Festival and acted as consultant to the fourth annual festival. The event draws 35 nationally recognized juried plein
fore the meal, the council members served the attendees a turkey dinner, which included mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls and desert. Thirteen turkeys were purchased and prepared by council members. John Bosso and Edgar Burroughs headed up a group of knights in the kitchen all day preparing the meal. After dinner, one family at a time was called up on to the stage, where they met Santa and Mrs. Claus and their entourage. The children under 13 received wrapped gifts. The older children and their parents received gift cards. When all was said and done, there were many happy people.
Vince Devore, Father Mario Castañeda, Bryan Quinsey and Francesco Truglio.
Group Brings ‘Holiday Tip’ Program To Local Restaurant
Friday, Dec. 17 was a special day in Wellington. That’s when Hope Barron invited her friends to join her at Short Stacks restaurant for a holiday lunch — with a twist. Everyone was to come for lunch and bring a $100 bill to donate. Unbeknownst to the staff at the restaurant, this holiday party was going to be their secret santa! With a $100 bill from each attendee, and donations from friends who could not attend, the group was able to surprise the staff and make their holiday a little brighter. It was a heartwarming event to be a part of and one that will, undoubtedly, continue each year. The secret santas at the luncheon were Linda McGill, Maureen Budjinski, Maureen Gross, Mark Elie, Sherri Mauck, Lisa Bee, Robin
Ted Matz air artists from across the country and Europe. Matz’s next exhibition will be Jan. 4 through Jan. 31 and will show his abstract landscape work at the Eissey Gallery at the Palm Beach State College campus in Palm Beach Gardens. He has had his work shown in feature articles in Plein Air Magazine and is currently in the December/January issue. Learn more about Ted Matz and his artwork at www. tedmatzfineart.com.
Schwartz, Janna Zaidspiner, Marlene Scher, Pauline Parlato, Allyson Samiljan and Hope Barron.
Other donors were Herta Suess, Sharon Martinelli, Andrew Burr and Meg Roy.
The event made the holiday brighter for Short Stacks employees.
The secret santas enjoy lunch at Short Stacks.
NEWS BRIEFS a vendor interest request form online at www.wellingtonfl.gov/ bridalshow. For additional information or sponsorship inquiries, contact Debbie Liquori at (561) 753-2484 or dliquori@wellingtonfl.gov.
Daddy Daughter Dance In RPB
The Village of Royal Palm Beach will host its annual Daddy Daughter Dance on Friday, Feb. 11 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Come by for a fun-filled night at this annual event featuring dinner, desserts and dancing. Registration is now open and continues until Feb. 4 or until filled. The cost is $25 for Royal Palm Beach residents, and $30 for nonresidents. For more information, contact Steven Poyner at (561) 790-5192 or spoyner@ royalpalmbeach.com.
American Heritage Open Houses Feb. 1 And Feb. 5
The prestigious American Heritage Schools, voted one of the Best Private Schools in America by Niche, will host several spring virtual open house events that will stream live for prospective families interested in enrolling their children at its Broward or Palm Beach campuses.
Each open house offers parents and children an opportunity to meet with the American Heritage team, including the admissions directors, teachers, program directors and principals. The Palm Beach campus will host its virtual open houses on Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 9:30 a.m. for grades PK3 through 5 and Saturday, Feb. 5 at 10 a.m. for grades 6 through 12. The spring virtual open house will start with a brief introduction from school administrators, then will break into smaller groups to tour the campus. Participants will have the opportunity to hear about American Heritage Schools’ extensive curriculum from the educators. The school’s goal is to introduce guests to the campus, the curriculum, philosophy and culture so they can learn what has made American Heritage Schools ranked the “Best College Preparatory School in America.” American Heritage Schools in Broward is the No. 1 high school in Florida for the highest number of National Merit Scholars; the school’s Palm Beach campus is No. 2 in National Merit Scholars out of all schools in Florida. The combined students from both campuses comprise nine percent of all National Merit Scholars Semifinalists throughout the 2,227 public and private schools in Florida. This marks the 12th consecutive year that American Heritage has had the highest number of National Merit Semifinalists in Florida. One in four students in the class of 2022
scored in the top one percent of students in the nation. If families are unable to attend one of the Spring Virtual Open House events and/or would prefer a one-on-one virtual tour, call the admissions office at the Palm Beach campus at (561) 495-7272, ext. 219, or e-mail admissions. bd@ahschool.com. For more information, and to reserve a spot, visit www.ahschool. com/open-house. Spaces are limited, so RSVP as soon as possible. For more information about American Heritage Schools, visit www.ahschool.com or e-mail admissions@ahschool.com.
with any other non-organic materials. In general, tree decorations are not recyclable. Residents should re-use them, donate them or dispose of them in the garbage bin. Trees will be recycled into mulch and used at the Wellington Environmental Preserve at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Everglades Habitat. For single-family residents who are not able to drop off trees for recycling should be sure to remove all decorations and place trees in the swale or vegetation container for regular vegetation collection.
Free Christmas Tree Recycling In Wellington
Wellington Wins Youth Council Video Competition
As the holiday season comes to an end, many people are left wondering how to discard their Christmas tree. Wellington offers a green solution with its free tree recycling service. Residents and businesses can drop off their discarded trees now through Saturday, Jan. 15 at Greenbriar Park, located at 2975 Greenbriar Blvd. Posted signs will direct residents to the drop-off location at the easternmost park entrance. The collection site will be open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Artificial trees are not accepted. Remove all lights, tinsel, nails, tacks, tree skirts and stands, along
The Florida League of Cities, the voice for Florida’s municipal governments, recently announced the winners of the 2021 Municipal Youth Council Video Competition. The goal of the competition is to provide a way for Florida’s youth councils to showcase their ideas, creativity and commitment to their communities. The 2021 Municipal Youth Council Video Competition winners are: the Village of Wellington Youth Council, the City of Gulf Breeze Municipal Youth Council and the City of Sanford Mayor’s Youth Council. “It’s incredible seeing how
engaged these students are,” said FLC President Phillip Walker, a commissioner for the City of Lakeland. “Not only are they actively involved with their local government, but they’re also identifying local problems and finding local solutions to solve them. If this is any indication of what’s to come for Florida’s cities, towns and villages, our future looks bright. Congratulations to this year’s competition winners!” This year’s video competition asked councils to decide the most critical youth issue they’d like to address in the coming year, focusing on how young people can be part of the solution and how their local government and community can work together to resolve the issue being addressed. The Wellington Youth Council produced a video on the topic of “Closing the Literacy Gap.” Municipal youth councils are special councils that typically serve as an advisory board to the local government. They are composed of high school students within the community and are sometimes referred to as youth corps, teen advisory boards or mayor’s youth councils. Winners will be showcased on the league’s web site and social media platforms, be recognized in the league’s Quality Cities magazine, and receive a monetary award and a plaque. Additional information on the winning videos is available at www.flcities.com/youthcouncils.
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NEWS
WELLINGTON SENIORS CLUB HOSTS IN-PERSON LUNCHEON AT VILLAGE PARK
The Wellington Seniors Club held its first in-person luncheon in nearly two years on Wednesday, Dec. 15 at the Village Park gymnasium on Pierson Road. Elvis impersonator Matt Stone delighted the seniors with a performance, and Wellington Regional Medical Center sponsored dessert. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Councilwoman Tanya Siskind, Vice Mayor John McGovern, Mayor Anne Gerwig and Eileen Kuhnel.
Susan Odell, Nancy Korloff, Hala Bunce and Chris Wodka.
Ingrid Biegler, Carmen Benetiz and Anneliese Kraizgrun.
Senior Services Manager Jenifer Brito, Parks & Recreation Director Eric Juckett and Programs Coordinator Kyle Ostroff.
Liz Monaco, Mina Anafi, Matt Stone, Geri Skrob and Maria Anatra.
GiGi Matthews, Evelyn Hampstead, Pat Kohn, Virginia Pagan and Kim Lopez.
Ruth Schmick, Marilyn Lapsley and Ginny Williams.
Olga Herrero, Elfriede Beyer and Dora Bogholtz.
John and Elissa Harduby.
Matt Stone performs as Elvis.
Matt Stone with Cecilia Torrisi.
Mayra and Richard Hart.
Stephanie Parreco and Cecilia Torrisi.
Liz Monaco, Mina Anafi, Lucille Puglisi and Carmeline Cannella.
ARTHUR R. MARSHALL LOXAHATCHEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE is hosting a virtual public meeting January 5, 2022 at 6 pm to discuss a prescribed burn in the Strazzulla Tract in January 2022. Go to www.fws.gov/refuge/ARM_Loxahatchee/ for the link to join the virtual public meeting. There will be a brief presentation followed by a question and answer session.
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PBC Sheriff ’s Deputies And My Brothers’/Sisters’ Keeper Deliver Bags Of Turkey And Ham With All The Trimmings To 150 Families In The Glades, Plus $100 Super Walmart Certificates During the past 13 Christmas holiday seasons, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies have brought more than 1,000 families in the Glades to the Super Walmart in Royal Palm Beach on buses, and My Brothers’/Sisters’ Keeper Charitable Trust provided the funds to enable these families to buy food, clothes and toys to enjoy the Christmas holiday season. This Christmas holiday season, due to the pandemic, and to avoid having families close together on the buses, PBSO Major Eric Coleman and Jess
Santamaria decided to deliver the bags of turkeys and hams with all the trimmings to the homes of each of the 150 families in the Glades. In addition to the turkeys and ham, the sheriff’s deputies also gave each family $100 Walmart certificates to do their own individual shopping. This year, the Jess Santamaria family and the Ken Adams charities provided funds used by the My Brothers’/ Sisters’ Keeper, which resulted in the hundreds of happy faces during this year’s Christmas holiday season.
(Above and below) Deputies deliver bags of turkeys and hams with all the trimmings to more than 150 families in the Glades, producing many happy faces during the Christmas season.
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With Vanilla Ice 2021 A Smashing Success PHOTOS COURTESY OF TERRI MONAHAN
The Wellington Chamber of Commerce is Delighted to Announce Another Smashing Success! Winterfest with Vanilla Ice 2021 was presented by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Village of Wellington. The gracious Host Venue Sponsors, the Santamaria Family, the Royal Inn and the Original Wellington Mall allowed the largest and most successful Winterfest to date, providing a line-up of exceptional holiday performances, phenomenal food vendors, holiday shopping, business and service exhibitors, ice skating, Santa, the Blizzard Beach Winter Wonderland Village and snow! Local celebrity musical sensation, philanthropist and Emmy Award-nominated DIY Network star Vanilla Ice performed his iconic celebrated musical hits to an overflowing crowd. Winterfest is one of the most anticipated holiday events of the season. The exceptional hard work and dedication of sponsors, vendors and the professionals at the Village of Wellington allow the chamber to celebrate the success of this event. Each has so many individual gifts and talents; collaboratively they are among the very best event/venue professionals in the industry. A very special thank you to Michelle Garvey and Rick Febles for their extraordinarily hard work. The performers could not have been more phenomenal! The talents of these local superstars are amazing. If you have not heard or seen of the following, make it a point to check them out. They are exquisite!
Thank you to master of ceremonies Wes Kain, Tom Blake, Michaela Paige, Nicky Greed, Vell P, Precision Dance Conservatory and Sekond Nature. Thank you to the exceptional volunteers from Palm Beach Central High School, Wellington High School, Suncoast High School and Polo Park Middle School. A very special thank you to Meghan Buser, Penny Price, Desiree Lancaster and Jane Springer for their time, talents and diligence, along with the Wellington Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Wellington Village Council and Village Manager Jim Barnes. Local superstar and philanthropist Vanilla Ice is astounding each year. His spirit of giving and dedication to the community is outstanding. His efforts and those of his team make this event possible. Each is to be commended and thanked for their generosity and for giving back to Wellington. The chamber is grateful to have the privilege of collaborating with them! The chamber also salutes all the exhibitors, sponsors and performers for making their contribution to Wellington’s unique lifestyle, its economy and this spectacular event. And to everyone who attended, thank you for being part of this event and for being a part of the community. The chamber looks forward to seeing everyone next year! Happy Holidays!
The Wellington Chamber wishes to thank its sponsors, without which they could not host such a spectacular event.
HOST VENUE AND TITLE SPONSORS The Jess Santamaria Family The Royal Inn The Original Wellington Mall
PRESENTING SPONSOR
Joe DiMaggio Children’s Health Specialty Center Blizzard Beach Family and Ice-Skating Sponsor
Winter Equestrian Festival
Entertainment Sponsor
360 Photo Booth Promenade and VIP Photo Booth Sponsor
Gast Construction Group
Wellington Regional Medical Center
Snow Globe Photo Booth Sponsor
Liquid Sky Laser Sponsor
Union Color Salon
Shapiro Pertnoy Companies
Valet Sponsor
Shuttle Bus Sponsors
Foreign Auto Specialists
Christ Community Church Wellington
Lounge Sponsors
First National Bank Coastal Community Wellington My Community Pharmacy
4Ever Young Anti-Aging Solutions Wellington Hack Tax & Accounting Services LLC Professional Bank Wellington Snow Sponsors
Premier Integrative Medicine and Premier General & Cosmetic Dentistry Wellington Bay
Comfort Station Sponsors
Dave Knows Health Massage Envy Wellington
December 31, 2021 - January 13, 2022
HOSTED BY:
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:
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With Vanilla Ice 2021 A Smashing Success PHOTOS COURTESY OF TERRI MONAHAN
The Wellington Chamber of Commerce is Delighted to Announce Another Smashing Success! Winterfest with Vanilla Ice 2021 was presented by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Village of Wellington. The gracious Host Venue Sponsors, the Santamaria Family, the Royal Inn and the Original Wellington Mall allowed the largest and most successful Winterfest to date, providing a line-up of exceptional holiday performances, phenomenal food vendors, holiday shopping, business and service exhibitors, ice skating, Santa, the Blizzard Beach Winter Wonderland Village and snow! Local celebrity musical sensation, philanthropist and Emmy Award-nominated DIY Network star Vanilla Ice performed his iconic celebrated musical hits to an overflowing crowd. Winterfest is one of the most anticipated holiday events of the season. The exceptional hard work and dedication of sponsors, vendors and the professionals at the Village of Wellington allow the chamber to celebrate the success of this event. Each has so many individual gifts and talents; collaboratively they are among the very best event/venue professionals in the industry. A very special thank you to Michelle Garvey and Rick Febles for their extraordinarily hard work. The performers could not have been more phenomenal! The talents of these local superstars are amazing. If you have not heard or seen of the following, make it a point to check them out. They are exquisite!
Thank you to master of ceremonies Wes Kain, Tom Blake, Michaela Paige, Nicky Greed, Vell P, Precision Dance Conservatory and Sekond Nature. Thank you to the exceptional volunteers from Palm Beach Central High School, Wellington High School, Suncoast High School and Polo Park Middle School. A very special thank you to Meghan Buser, Penny Price, Desiree Lancaster and Jane Springer for their time, talents and diligence, along with the Wellington Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Wellington Village Council and Village Manager Jim Barnes. Local superstar and philanthropist Vanilla Ice is astounding each year. His spirit of giving and dedication to the community is outstanding. His efforts and those of his team make this event possible. Each is to be commended and thanked for their generosity and for giving back to Wellington. The chamber is grateful to have the privilege of collaborating with them! The chamber also salutes all the exhibitors, sponsors and performers for making their contribution to Wellington’s unique lifestyle, its economy and this spectacular event. And to everyone who attended, thank you for being part of this event and for being a part of the community. The chamber looks forward to seeing everyone next year! Happy Holidays!
The Wellington Chamber wishes to thank its sponsors, without which they could not host such a spectacular event.
HOST VENUE AND TITLE SPONSORS The Jess Santamaria Family The Royal Inn The Original Wellington Mall
PRESENTING SPONSOR
Joe DiMaggio Children’s Health Specialty Center Blizzard Beach Family and Ice-Skating Sponsor
Winter Equestrian Festival
Entertainment Sponsor
360 Photo Booth Promenade and VIP Photo Booth Sponsor
Gast Construction Group
Wellington Regional Medical Center
Snow Globe Photo Booth Sponsor
Liquid Sky Laser Sponsor
Union Color Salon
Shapiro Pertnoy Companies
Valet Sponsor
Shuttle Bus Sponsors
Foreign Auto Specialists
Christ Community Church Wellington
Lounge Sponsors
First National Bank Coastal Community Wellington My Community Pharmacy
4Ever Young Anti-Aging Solutions Wellington Hack Tax & Accounting Services LLC Professional Bank Wellington Snow Sponsors
Premier Integrative Medicine and Premier General & Cosmetic Dentistry Wellington Bay
Comfort Station Sponsors
Dave Knows Health Massage Envy Wellington
December 31, 2021 - January 13, 2022
HOSTED BY:
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:
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December 31, 2021 - January 13, 2022
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NEWS
HOLIDAY PARADE AND CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA HELD AT ACREAGE PARK
Residents of The Acreage enjoyed a Frontier Holiday Parade & Round-Up, followed by a Christmas Extravaganza at Acreage Community Park, on Saturday, Dec. 18. The event included a fun parade from Citrus Grove Park to Acreage Community Park. The parade included hayrides and beautifully decorated golf carts. At the end of the parade, Santa Claus appeared with Mrs. Claus to meet children at Santa’s Workshop. The Jeffrey James Gang band performed on stage during the evening hours. The event was sponsored by the Acreage Landowners’ Association and the Indian Trail Improvement District with support from James Clapp PHOTOS BY ERIN DAVISSON/TOWN-CRIER and the Clapp family.
Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus greeted guests at Santa’s Workshop.
ALA President Bob Morgan, Secretary Jennifer Davis, Vice President Perry Williams and Treasurer Ashley Davis.
Fire trucks lead the Frontier Holiday Parade.
The Jeffrey James Gang band performs on stage.
A wide array of decorated vehicles participated in the festive holiday parade.
Kids Cancer Foundation Hosts Annual Breakfast With Santa
The Kids Cancer Foundation hosted its annual Breakfast with Santa event on Saturday, Dec. 11. For the first time, the local nonprofit held its biggest event of the year at the Life.Church Wellington campus. There was an overwhelming feeling of warmth and love as soon as the attendees arrived. Families were greeted with the delicious
aromas of a hot breakfast with all the fixings. Breakfast with Santa is a wonderful event with a beautiful and loving environment far removed from the hospital, allowing children and their families to connect with one another and have a morning of fun just for them. Children were able to ride in on a big fire truck and meet Santa.
Then, once back inside, the families were able to have breakfast and travel around the auditorium to various gift, game and crafts stations. Many generous volunteers, including those from Life.Church and Journey Church, banded together in support to create this spectacular event. As if the generosity wasn’t
already enough, KCF President Kelly Weiner’s son and his Florida State University Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity put together a giving fundraiser before the Breakfast with Santa and presented the foundation with a check for $12,000 during the event. For more information about the Kids Cancer Foundation, visit www.kidscancersf.org.
Santa with Kids Cancer Foundation patients.
FSU Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity presents a $12,000 check to the Kids Cancer Foundation. Shown with KCF volunteers are students JD Wiener, Carson Wiener, Jesse Hoffman, Joaquin Lopez, Brandon Marsh, Ajay Sasser and Teddy Miloch.
Kids Cancer Foundation patients and siblings with Santa on the fire truck.
Santa listens to a Christmas wish from Spencer, a KCF patient.
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December 31, 2021 - January 13, 2022
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NEWS
GOLF TOURNEY AT WELLINGTON NATIONAL SUPPORTS BOYS & GIRLS CLUB
The twice-rescheduled Neil S. Hirsch Wellington Golf Classic was held Friday, Dec. 17 at the Wellington National Golf Club. The event is a fundraiser for the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club in Wellington. This year, the annual golf classic was renamed to honor Neil S. Hirsch, the club’s benefactor who died earlier this year. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Johnny Meier, Herman Cole, Eric Depp, Chris Cole and Ralph Jimenez.
Eric Lindskog, Michael Lindskog, Alex Rosen and Peter Anderson.
Max Westerman, Elliot Bonner, Doug Marty, Ray Mooney and Charles Lerman.
Closest to the Pin winner Collin Morris.
Richard Pinsky, John Greene, Joe Casella and Matt Willhite.
Longest Drive winner Trey Kauffman.
Glenn Berger, Scott Berger, David Langsam and Rick Silverman.
Residents Gather To Thank Beloved Wellington Employee
Known for cheerfully waving at passersby from his maintenance cart, longtime Village of Wellington employee Horace Reeves was celebrated Friday, Dec. 17 when a number of residents came together to surprise him at the original Wellington Mall. “We simply wanted to do something to show Horace how much we appreciate him,” said a local teacher, who organized the event. “For nearly three decades, Horace has taken care of this community. Not only does Horace work hard keeping our environment clean and free from litter, he brightens our day every time he interacts with us and is truly a beloved member of the community.” Those who routinely pass Reeves along his route have learned that acts of kindness don’t have to be grand or elaborate to be impactful. When Reeves waves to
motorists and chats with the pedestrians he meets, he turns their days around for the better. The idea to collectively recognize Reeves this holiday season originated when residents began sharing stories on social media about their friendly encounters with him. Once everyone began swapping their “Horace Stories,” the public sentiment was clear. All that was needed was someone to steer what was already in motion, so the event organizers opened a crowd-funding page and publicized it. Rick Darquea, a local law professional and DJ, was instrumental in pushing the campaign online. Reeves was surprised by a few dozen well-wishers when he arrived at the original Wellington Mall for what he thought was a work-related errand. The flashmob style ensemble was com-
First place award: Elena Corsano, Mike McDermott, Doug Marty, Danny Navarette, Peter Scrocca and Louis Eisenberg.
Well-wishers gather to thank village employee Horace Reeves. posed of residents eager to tell Horace Appreciation Fund.” him about the ways he has affected Reeves, who commutes from them over the years. He was met Pahokee and is grandfather to with cookies, balloons and a card six grandsons, was delighted and from everyone who chipped in moved. “How sweet it is to love toward what was dubbed “The and be loved,” he said, tearing up.
Tim Tracy, Lisa Marchitto, Elena Corsano, Nicole Miranda and Caroline Larris.
Dolly Hand’s 40th Anniversary Season Is Getting Underway
The 40th anniversary season at the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center (1977 SW College Drive, Belle Glade) gets underway in January. Be sure to catch these upcoming shows: Blind Boys of Alabama — The Blind Boys of Alabama will be performing Saturday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. The cost is $30 for adults and $15 for age 17 and under. The Blind Boys of Alabama are recognized worldwide as living legends of gospel music. Inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and winners of five Grammy Awards, they are known for crossing multiple musical boundaries from traditional gospel favorites to contemporary spiritual material. Drumline Live! — Drumline Live! Will be performing Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. The cost is $29 for adults and $15 age 17 and under.
Don’t miss Drumline Live! at Dolly Hand on Jan. 11. Drumline Live! was created by the musical team behind 20th Century Fox’s hit movies Drumline and Drumline: A New Beat. Complete with dazzling choreography and explosive percussion, it is a thrilling spectacle with musical highlights from hip-hop, American soul, gospel, jazz and more. For tickets, call the box office at (561) 993-1160 or order online at www.dollyhand.org.
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December 31, 2021 - January 13, 2022
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NEWS
AGUIRRE FOUNDATION SPONSORS TOY GIVEAWAY AT WELLINGTON B&G CLUB
The Christopher Aguirre Memorial Foundation sponsored a toy giveaway event at the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club in Wellington on Friday, Dec. 17. It was the program’s sixth year in which Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue members shop with Aguirre Foundation representatives and then help hand out toys to Boys & Girls Club members. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
State Rep. Matt Willhite, Laura DeLuca Hirsch, Grace De la Gueronniere, Louis Eisenberg, Charles Lerman and Nicolette Goldfarb with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The Aguirre and Voils family representing event sponsor the Christopher Aguirre Memorial Foundation.
Christopher Napoleone, Councilman Michael Napoleone, Councilwoman Tanya Siskind and Vice Mayor John McGovern with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Miguel Contreras visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Vice Mayor John McGovern and Councilman Michael Napoleone help kids pick out toys.
Leoni Elliott visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Anthony Davis, Maria Jose and Lucenia Silva-Harper.
State Rep. Matt Willhite and Laura DeLuca Hirsch with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Dousten Hernandez with his new toy.
PBCFR driver Gerrit Moore, Capt. Chris Berry and firefighter Jon Rudolph.
Krystel Huaman Gonzalez and Ariella Mudrie with their new toys.
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NEWS
Vinceremos
First Responder Training
continued from page 1 attendees in small groups, showing them tips and tricks on improvising a harness, de-escalating excitement in a panicked horse, leading the animals and how to make crucial herd observations. First responders also practiced leading horses through an obstacle course without touching the animal. Veterinarians from the Palm Beach Equine Clinic also came to offer guidance on dressing open wounds, placing tourniquets and safely sedating a horse, if necessary, until experienced help arrives. The training also gave Vincer-
emos a chance to share the wide range of programs that the nonprofit offers to the community. “We work with kids dealing with physical and cognitive challenges. We treat a lot of individuals on the autism spectrum. On the emotional side, we work with children in foster care and individuals who have been trafficked. They all have these trust and anxiety issues. And then we work with veterans and first responders who have the same issues with depression and anxiety, often based in PTSD from what they’ve seen and handled while on the job,” Guinan said. The Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center is located at 13300 6th Court North in Loxahatchee Groves. For more information about Vinceremos, call (561) 792-9900 or visit www.vinceremos.org.
Volunteer Coordinator Megan Tessaro coaches driver/engineer Chris Allegianis on harnessing.
Dr. Charley McColough and therapeutic riding instructor Sean O’Malley provide details on horse physiology.
“I Wish Mommy & Daddy Could Buy A NEW HOME With A BIG BACKYARD, So I Could Go Out And Play All Day”
Firefighter Michael Meyer leads Rosie through an obstacle course.
Attendees of the Dec. 6 training at the Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center.
PHOTOS BY CALLIE SHARKEY AND COURTESY VINCEREMOS
Founder Ruth Menor gives first responders a Horses 101 introduction with help from volunteer Ash Herrmann.
First responders work as a team to gently guide horse Desi around the arena.
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PBCFR Battalion Chief Bruce Arbeit, Palm Beach County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay, Wellington Councilwoman Tanya Siskind and PBSO Sgt. Jeff Israel.
Capt. Justin Heinrichs works with Sugar on leading without contact.
Carly Brown provides some insight into horse psychology and how to read their body language.
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December 31, 2021 - January 13, 2022
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NEWS
REDEDICATION CEREMONY AND RIBBON CUTTING AT WELLINGTON LIBRARY
A rededication and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Saturday, Dec. 18 at the Wellington branch library. The library recently reopened after a year-long, $4.2 million renovation project. Sponsored by the Friends of the Palm Beach County Library, the rededication included the naming of rooms in the building in honor of former Wellington Mayor Kathy Foster and former Wellington Mayor Tom and Regis Wenham. There were tours of the new CreationStation and co-space locations. Entertainment included performances by violist David Pedraza and whistling renditions by Rajesh Koppikar. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Gloria Kelly and Natalie Kelly in the CreationStation.
Mickey Smith, Maria Becker, Assistant County Administrator Dorritt Miller, Mayor Anne Gerwig, Vice Mayor John McGovern, Councilman Michael Drahos, Councilwoman Tanya Siskind, County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay, Councilman Michael Napoleone, and (front) Tom and Regis Wenham.
Wellington Vice Mayor John McGovern, Mayor Anne Gerwig and Councilwoman Tanya Siskind with library mascot Dewey.
Violist David Pedraza plays with Jared Peroune on the piano.
Library Director Douglas Crane addresses the gathering.
Assistant County Administrator Dorritt Miller at the podium.
Kathy Foster, Melissa McKinlay, and Regis and Tom Wenham. Alexander Garcia and Jack Nelson try out the computers. County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay.
Vice Mayor John McGovern, Kathy Foster, County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay, Tom Wenham, Mayor Anne Gerwig, Regis Wenham, Library Director Douglas Crane, Dewey and Assistant County Administrator Dorritt Miller.
Friends of the Palm Beach County Library President Marc Bressman.
Library Board Vice Chair Gloria Kelly.
Whistler Rajesh Koppikar performs at the event.
Mayor Anne Gerwig, Councilwoman Tanya Siskind, Vice Mayor John McGovern, County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay, Councilman Michael Drahos, Assistant County Administrator Dorritt Miller, Councilman Michael Napoleone with his son Luca, and (front) former Mayor Kathy Foster with Jack Nelson.
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OPEN HOUSE OF BEERBAUM AND HELGSTRAND On January 11th 2022
We are delighted to welcome you to the 2022 Open House of Helgstrand and Beerbaum, for an extraordinary evening with presentations and clinics for both dressage and show jumping presented by Andreas Helgstrand and Ludger Beerbaum.
PROGRAM OF THE DAY 4:00 pm
Doors open; option to walk around the property
5:30 pm
Welcome by Andreas and Ludger Dressage clinic w/Andreas Helgstrand Show Jumping clinic w/Ludger Beerbaum
7:30 pm
Danish and German servings and wine
9:00 pm
We wish you a great evening
PLEASE RSVP VIA EVENT@HELGSTRANDDRESSAGE.DK We look forward to welcoming you on January the 11th 2022! Feel free to contact our Head of Event & Partnership Martin Thorbøll Pedersen at mtp@gegroup.dk, if you have any questions. Parking is available on the property.
January 11th 2022 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
13625 50th St. Wellington FL 33414
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December 31, 2021 - January 13, 2022
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Experience the
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Sunday Brunch & High-Goal Polo EVERY SUNDAY from January 2 - April 24
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Visit Internationalpoloclub.com for tickets
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Page 21
SPORTS, PAGES 21-23 • SCHOOLS, PAGES 24- 25 • PEOPLE, PAGE 26 • BUSINESS, PAGE 27 • COLUMNS, PAGE 28 • CLASSIFIEDS, PAGES 29-30
SPORTS & RECREATION
Wellington Wolverines Capture Tournament Title In Vero Beach
By Mike May Town-Crier Staff Report In the days leading up to Christmas, most people were busy with holiday shopping, gift wrapping and making plans to visit relatives for the holidays, but the Wellington High School boys basketball team was doing what it does best — excelling on the court. On Dec. 20-22, the Wolverines played in the annual Holiday Hoopla high school basketball tournament hosted by Vero Beach High School. The Wolverines had a daunting schedule, playing three games in three days on a neutral court in Indian River County with very little time to prepare for the next opponent. Meanwhile, the Wolverines were still attending daily classes at Wellington High School. “We were one of the few counties that had school until Wednesday, Dec. 22,” Wolverine head basketball coach Matt Colin said,
who added that his squad focused on playing one game at a time. On Monday, Dec. 20, the Wolverines played Centennial High School from Port Saint Lucie. Going into the game, Centennial was undefeated on the season with a 9-0 record. The Wolverines won every quarter and prevailed 80-61. On Tuesday, Dec. 21, Wellington played the Kowboys from Kissimmee’s Osceola High School, a school that Wellington has faced in past state tournament games in Lakeland. The Wolverines played like state champions, defeating the Kowboys 70-33. That win propelled Wellington into the championship game of the Holiday Hoopla tournament against the home team, the Vero Beach Indians. After having won two games in two days on the same court, the Wolverines felt somewhat at “home” against the Indians. After four quarters of play,
the Wolverines prevailed, 54-45, thanks in large part to strong play from Reggie Reinhardt, Shawn Cineus and Zayin Humber. Reinhardt was named the tournament’s most valuable player, while Cineus and Humber were selected for the all-tournament team. According to Colin, Reinhardt averaged 17.3 points and four rebounds per game for the threeday tourney. Cineus averaged 12.0 points per game and grabbed seven rebounds per game in that three-game stretch. Humber was also a key part of the offense, but his biggest contribution was on defense. “Zayin held the opposing teams’ best players to 27 percent shooting in all three games,” Colin said. Humber also averaged 6.3 points, 4.8 assists and seven rebounds per game in the trio of contests in Vero Beach. Between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, the Wolverines
The Wellington High School boys basketball team celebrates the tournament victory in Vero Beach. (9-2) played in the Palm Beach Holiday Basketball Classic of the Health, but results were not availCounty Sports Commission’s Palm Beaches presented by Baptist able at presstime.
Jason Shwartz Is A Star On The Course And In The Classroom
By Mike May Town-Crier Staff Report Young golfer Jason Shwartz, who has been establishing a name for himself both in the classroom and on the course, is on an impressive athletic and academic journey. Shwartz and his family moved to the Wycliffe Golf & Country Club last June from Texas. At the beginning of the school year, he enrolled at the American Heritage School in Delray Beach, joining the boys varsity golf team. By the end of the first semes-
ter in December, he had earned straight As in the classroom and had led the Stallions golf team to a 10-1 regular season match record. During the postseason, Shwartz won the local district title, finished ninth in the regionals and had helped propel the team to the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Class 2A state golf tournament, which was held in mid-November at the Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-inthe-Hills, Florida. It was a 36-hole event. The Stallions finished fifth in the overall team competition,
American Heritage School golfer Jason Shwartz takes his shot.
and Shwartz was fourth in the individual standings. As an individual, Shwartz had a strong performance, but it could have been better. After two days of play, he shot 71-77, which was the best score on his team. His 148 total was seven shots behind the winner. On the back nine of the second round of this year’s state golf tournament, Shwartz had a fourshot lead with four holes to play. The individual state championship title was a strong possibility. But then the “golfing gods” took over and a small disaster took place on the 33rd hole of the tournament. He recorded a quadruple-bogey eight and tumbled down the leaderboard to end up finishing in fourth place. “I tried to play a hero shot after a bad drive, and I walked away with an eight,” said Shwartz, a sophomore at American Heritage. “It stung for a while, but I have gotten over it. I have two more chances to win a Florida state high school golf championship.” In many respects, golf is a reflection of life — you live and you learn from your mistakes. Shwartz has learned from his mistakes and won’t forget that lesson. Shwartz is already thinking about next year’s FHSAA Class 2A state golf tournament. Don’t be surprised if the Stallions capture the team title next year. “This year, we had three freshmen, two sophomores and one junior on the team,” said Shwartz, who has a handicap of +2.4. “We are really young, really good and really motivated.” Another person who is excited about Shwartz’s immediate future is the head coach of the American Heritage boys golf team, Frank Lostaglio, who also serves as a golf professional at the Seagate Country Club in Delray Beach, the home course for the Stallions. “Jason has been the leader of our team since he joined us in August,” Lostaglio said. “Talentwise, he leads the pack. It has been a pleasure to have him on our team.” Not only is Shwartz a talented individual golfer, he’s an invaluable teammate. “Jason is happy to offer course management ideas and swing tips with his teammates,” Lostaglio said. “Jason has the mental game to go as far as he wants to go in golf. He also has an incredible work ethic.” As a result of his memorable fall 2021 season, Shwartz was named
Palm Beach County’s Top Boys High School Golfer for 2021 by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The Palm Beach Post recognized Shwartz as one of 12 finalists for Palm Beach County’s top male golfer, which will be announced this coming spring at the Palm Beach County High School Sports Awards. In the meantime, Shwartz will continue to focus on what he must do as a high school student-athlete: play golf, attend classes and earn good grades. To improve his golf game, he enjoys practicing and playing golf at Wycliffe. “The golf professionals [at Wycliffe] have done an incredible job creating facilities for me to optimize my game,” Shwartz said. His favorite classes in school are chemistry and the business classes. “I love chemistry, as it gets my blood flowing,” Shwartz said. “In my family, the ‘student’ always comes before ‘athlete,’ and that’s the way it always has been.”
Jason Shwartz stands next to a statue of the late golfing great Payne Stewart in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
Darin DeCosta Steps Down As Head Football Coach At RBPHS
By Mike May Town-Crier Staff Report The football program at Royal Palm Beach High School needs a new head football coach now that Darin DeCosta has stepped down from the role. The school is conducting a search to fill the vacancy. DeCosta, who has been the head coach of the Wildcats for the last two years, decided to step down from his position and pursue other professional opportunities within the School District of Palm Beach County. RPBHS athletic director Eric Patterson said he will miss DeCosta’s passion for coaching young high school athletes. “Darin’s professionalism, organization and attention to detail will be missed,” Patterson said. “During the past two years, Darin had to overcome a number of obstacles to his student-athletes getting ready to play on a daily basis. Ultimately, Darin has been instrumental in the development of the program and the student-athletes.” At RPBHS, DeCosta, who is also an ESE teacher at the school, provided great leadership during uncertain times.
“Royal Palm Beach High School is thankful for everything coach DeCosta has done for the athletic program during the pandemic,” RPBHS Principal Michelle Fleming said. “His leadership contributed to the sense of connectivity that the student-athletes had to the campus. Now that we are in-person, his leadership has positively impacted student-athletes transitioning to brick-and-mortar settings. We wish him the best as he moves forward to his next endeavor.” DeCosta started coaching football at Royal Palm Beach nearly three years ago. “I joined the staff at Royal Palm Beach in January 2019, and I worked the spring jamboree as the defensive coordinator,” DeCosta said. “That fall, under Davis Lowery, I continued as the defensive coordinator. In December 2019, after Lowery resigned, I was named head coach. I have coached for a total of three years at Royal Palm Beach. I have been coaching high school football in South Florida for more than 15 years.” DeCosta may be leaving the sidelines of the school’s football
Darin DeCosta team, but a part of him will always be associated with the Wildcats’ football squad. “I have enjoyed my time at Royal Palm Beach with my past staff and my small current staff,” DeCosta said. “I felt like I had the support of the administration and the athletic department. I will be leaving Royal Palm Beach to continue to advance my teaching career. My plans to coach and referee in the future have not been decided yet.”
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SPORTS & RECREATION
Bronco And Wolverine Boys Soccer Teams Off To Strong Starts
By Mike May Town-Crier Staff Report At the halfway mark of the current high school soccer season, the top performing boys varsity soccer team in the western communities is from Palm Beach Central High School. After seven games, the Broncos have a spotless 7-0 record. The Bronco defense has been brilliant, only allowing three goals in seven games. Palm Beach Central’s goal scoring has been on point with the team producing 20 goals to date. The next game for the Broncos is on Wednesday, Jan. 5 at Seminole Ridge High School. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Palm Beach Central’s crosstown rival Wellington High School is also having a strong season. After nine games, the Wolverines have only lost one contest. The other eight games have produced four wins and four ties. Wellington head coach Chris Carrera’s squad has had a pair of big wins to date: an 8-0 shutout versus Boynton Beach on Nov. 18
and a 5-1 victory against Seminole Ridge on Nov. 12. Wellington is rock-solid at home, where the Wolverines have produced three wins and three ties. The Wolverines return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 5 when they host Park Vista High School. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Looking ahead, a key game on the schedule for both Wellington and Palm Beach Central is when both teams meet on Jan. 19 at Wellington. The Royal Palm Beach High School boys soccer team is having a solid season, but their record would be more impressive had the Wildcats turned some of those close losses into ties or victories. After 14 games, Royal Palm Beach has had just two ties, while the remaining 12 games have generated six wins and six losses. Three of the losses were by one goal to local rivals Palm Beach Central and Seminole Ridge. On Nov. 17, Palm Beach Central defeated Royal Palm Beach 2-1, while Seminole Ridge
prevailed over Royal Palm Beach 1-0 on Nov. 18. On Dec. 8, Palm Beach Central blanked Royal Palm Beach 1-0. The Wildcats play again on Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 6 p.m. against Olympic Heights High School. The Seminole Ridge Hawks have had a season filled with highs and lows. After 12 games, the Hawks have a record of 4-7-1. Going into the break, the Hawks concluded play by recording four losses and a tie in their most recent five games. The Hawks hope to start the New Year off on a positive note with a victory when they resume play. On Wednesday, Jan. 5, they host undefeated Palm Beach Central at 7:30 p.m. The King’s Academy Lions are having another solid season. After nine games, TKA has a record of 3-2-4. Their biggest wins on the season have been a pair of shutouts. In the season-opener back in November, TKA blanked Cardinal Newman High School 6-0, and on Dec. 7, the squad defeated Highlands Christian from Pompano
7-2 after two periods. The teams traded goals for the remainder of the game. Ethan Hoodack of the Bruins led all scorers with four goals, one of three Bruins with a Hat Trick. Jeremy Jones (three goals, one assist) and Ben Schwartz (three goals) were the others. Additional Bruins points came from Matt Golbois (one goal, two assists), James Warszycki (three assists) and Sean Giannotti (one goal). The Panthers were led by Luc Hanchuk (two goals) and
Matthew Taylor of the Junior Panthers challenges Ethan Hoodack of the Bruins.
Richard Jones (one goal, one assist). Other Panthers with points were Matthew Taylor (one goal), Jorge Argeaz (one goal) and Gelo Gonzalez (one goal). Nico Sanfillippo made 24 saves in goal, while Tim Taylor backstopped and made 25 saves of his own. Prep Panthers 8, Prep Rangers 1 — On the Prep circuit, the Prep Panthers scored five unanswered goals in the second period to take a 7-1 lead over the Rangers, eventually coming out on top 8-1
PHOTO BY RYAN JOHNSON
PHOTO BY JENNY SCHARTNER
Beach 4-0. The Lions open up the New Year on Thursday, Jan. 6 when they play at Trinity Christian Academy in Lake Worth. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. The Bulldogs of Berean Christian School are 3-4-1 after eight
Wellington Roller Hockey Week 8 Update
The Wellington Roller Hockey Association is continuing its season at Village Park. Shown below are capsule summaries from WRHA Week 8 games. Junior Bruins 12, Junior Panthers 5 — In a Thursday night special before the holidays, the Junior Bruins broke open a tight game in the second period to defeat the Panthers 12-5. The Panthers’ 3-2 lead after the first period was erased with a four-goal Bruins flurry, putting them up
Justin Wright controls the ball for TKA.
Berean Christian School’s Giovanni Sanchez in action.
in a rain-shortened game. Lauren Deguzman led all scorers with five goals and one assist. Additional Panthers scoring came from Christopher Akner (two goals), Logan Stepp (two goals, one assist) and Felipe Deguzman (one goal). The Rangers’ lone tally came from Valentino Olivas. Panthers goalie Justin Spina was solid in victory, making 11 saves. Learn more about the league at www.wellingtonrollerhockey. com.
The Prep Panthers and Prep Rangers face off under the lights.
games under head coach Luke Schartner. To date, the two strongest performances by the Bulldogs were a 2-2 tie at home against Royal Palm Beach on Dec. 6, followed by an impressive 4-1 road victory against Glades Day School
on Dec. 9. Trey Lane scored twice in that road win. The Bulldogs resume their season on Friday, Jan. 7 when they travel to Santaluces High School in Lantana to play the Chiefs. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.
WHS WRESTLERS WIN IN JUPITER AND AT DISTRICT DUALS
On Friday, Dec. 17, the Wellington High School varsity wrestlers competed at the Jupiter duals and finished 3-0 with a 67-12 win over Belen Jesuit, a 66-18 win over Fort Lauderdale and a 57-21 win over Lincoln Park Academy. The next day, the varsity, junior varsity and girls teams competed in the individual Jupiter event with many standout wrestlers. The next weekend, Wellington High School captured the District 12 Dual Team Championship over Olympic Heights High School 48-21. Both teams had previously won four consecutive district championships but were moved to the same district this year. Both teams move on to the regional dual event, which will be held on Feb. 13.
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BINKS STUDENTS RUN IN 5K AND COLLECT TOYS FOR HOLIDAY
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SCHOOL NEWS
Busy Holiday Season For RPBHS Dancers
The holiday season was very busy for the Wildcat Dancers Dance Team, Elite Dance Team, RPB Dancers, Disney Performance Team, and Michele Blecher, master teacher and dance department director. The dancers and Blecher hosted this year’s annual toy drive for Children & Family Services. The participation from RPBHS made this a year to remember. The drive collected 20 boxes filled with toys for the drive. On Thursday, Dec. 9, the Wildcat Dancers Dance Team, Elite Dance Team, Disney Performance
Team and RPB Dancers performed for the first time in two years with their midterm exam show, “Dance Again,” choreographed by Blecher. A total of 24 different dance routines were included in the dance styles of ballet, jazz, hip-hop, musical theater, country, contemporary and ethnic. The highlight of the show was the surprise engagement of RPBHS guidance counselor Gary Harmon to his fiancé Anna. The Wildcat Dancers Dance Team danced to “Marry Me,” and at the end of the dance routine, the dancers flipped over signs that
spelled out, “Marry Me, Anna?” There was not a dry eye in the audience. On Sunday, Dec. 12, Blecher choreographed another show for a performance at Disney Springs. She selected 13 lucky dancers to be a part of the Disney Performance Team. The Disney Imagination Campus leaders were so impressed by the performance that they cheered as loudly as the audience. The Disney team was impressed that people stopped, filled the entire seating area and stood behind the filled seating area to view the dancers’ performance.
Dance Captain Gshaline Rampersad with toys collected as part of the toy drive.
Fourth-grade students in teacher Brandie Soto’s class at Binks Forest Elementary School spent the holiday season in service to the community. They recently ran in the Wellington Jingle Bell 5K with their teacher and also donated unwrapped toys to Palms West Hospital.
PWH Gets Donation From Renaissance Wellington
Students and staff from the Renaissance Charter School at Wellington recently donated two wooden tables and chairs to the pediatric unit playroom at Palms West Hospital. The set will liven up the room that the pediatric patients use as a respite to play games, color and relax.
In addition, 50 boxes of crayons and 50 student-created coloring books were also donated with hope and love, and they will also be shared with the Palms West Children’s Hospital Emergency Department. Each coloring book features 24 individual student drawings for an amazing total of 1,200 drawings.
Renaissance Wellington civics teacher Joe Cominio with Palms West Children’s Hospital Child Life Specialist Stacey McCarty.
The Disney Performance Team included: (front row) first dancer Aracely Prado, co-captain Jasmine Ramirez, captain Gshaline Rampersad and co-captain Kylie Nguyen; (middle row) Jena Obilas, Kayla Mondesir, Kim Pierre and Kimora Miller; and (back row) Destiny Williams, Darynn St. Jules, Lashandra Pierre and Gianna Nembhard.
The cast of “Dance Again” at Royal Palm Beach High School.
OSCEOLA CREEK DONATES TOYS TO PALMS WEST
Christopher Forte and his fellow teachers at Osceola Creek Middle School recently challenged their students to collect toys for the children in the Children’s Hospital at Palms West — and wow did they deliver. Each gift was wrapped and labeled “To Kids from Kids.”
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SCHOOL NEWS
American Heritage Schools Ranked #1 By The ‘South Florida Business Journal’
The South Florida Business Journal (SFBJ) recently announced its new rankings for its annual “Book of Lists” publication. American Heritage Schools has been ranked as #1 Private School, #14 in Corporate Philanthropy and #19 Largest Employer in South Florida. SFBJ is a leading source for business news, data and networking in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. The “Book of Lists” provides readers with more than 1,000 of the most significant area companies in their fields, by ranking. “We are honored to be named #1 Private School, #14 in Corporate Philanthropy and #19 Largest Employer in SFBJ’s 2021 ‘Book of Lists.’ Achieving this recognition in one of the most prestigious
publications for our academic and philanthropic distinctions is an honor,” said Dr. Doug Laurie, president of American Heritage Schools. “The pride felt by the students at American Heritage Schools is reflected in their desire to learn and succeed. The expert faculty, extensive curriculum and state-of-the-art facilities are a testament as to why American Heritage continues to remain on top.” Since its founding more than 55 years ago, American Heritage has become known as a leading private school for academic excellence throughout the nation, and enrollment has steadily increased to its current total of 4,650 students in PK3 through 12th grades at the Broward and Palm Beach campuses.
One of the pillars of American Heritage Schools is compassion, which is instilled daily both in and out of the classroom. With more than 85 student-run clubs, as well as the schools’ pre-professional program partnerships with local hospitals and nonprofit organizations, the philanthropic desire to help others locally and globally is at the heart of everything the students, families, faculty and administrators do. Each year, fundraising goals are surpassed, and there is no limit to what can be accomplished. A strong work ethic is evident in all facets of American Heritage Schools. The high school has had the highest number of National Merit Scholars in Florida for 12 consecutive years, and the math competition team ranks first out
of all private schools in the U.S. The Model UN team is top 5 in the nation, and the speech and debate team is in the top one percent in the nation. American Heritage is also No. 1 in science and ranks among the top private STEM schools in Florida, according to Niche, a market leader in connecting colleges and schools with students and families. American Heritage Schools, founded in 1965, is a nationally ranked private, nonsectarian, and co-educational college preparatory day school with two 40-acre campuses: the Broward Campus in Plantation and the Palm Beach Campus in Delray Beach. For more information, visit www.ahschool.com or e-mail admissions@ahschool.com.
Crestwood Honors Recent Character Counts Winners
Crestwood Middle School in Royal Palm Beach recently honored its Character Counts winners for November. The November 2021 winners are: sixth grader Leeland Bishop for Citizenship, sixth grader Aaron
Owens for Respect, sixth grader Xyann Pagan for Respect, sixth grader Gisselle Perez for Caring, sixth grader Flor Rivera for Responsibility, sixth grader Aiden Vazquez for Respect, sixth grader Lyla Woods for Caring, seventh
grader Julie Calsetta for Caring, seventh grader Branae Gilbert for Trustworthiness, seventh grader Haley Gatti for Fairness, seventh grader Izabela Mateo-Fernando for Responsibility, seventh grader Eva Purcell for Citizenship, eighth
grader Stephanie Atkinson for Respect, eighth grader Remi Brutus for Respect, eighth grader Cienna Collado for Caring, eighth grader Ange Marcelin for Citizenship and eighth grader Malia Rhone for Responsibility.
Page 25
RPBES STUDENT COUNCIL HOLDS PAJAMA DRIVE
Students in the Royal Palm Beach Elementary School Bobcat Student Council recently held a holiday pajama drive to collect pajamas for the patients at Palms West Children’s Hospital. Together, the students collected nearly 40 sets of cozy PJs to help the young patients feel a little cozier as they heal. Shown here are students from the Bobcat Student Council with RPBES Principal Tracy Ghettie, Palms West Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Sheila Sanders and PWH Director of Communications Julie Houston Trieste.
TKA Teacher Honored As Instrumental Music Teacher Of The Year
Wesley Lowe Jr., director of instrumental arts at the King’s Academy, has been named the Palm Beach Symphony Instrumental Music Teacher of the Year. “In what may be a first, our winner was nominated by six different people who all praised his innovative approach and total commitment to his students,” Palm Beach Symphony CEO David McClymont said. “With a passion for developing his students into skillful musicians, Wes uses music as a vehicle to produce dynamic young leaders who will seek to have a positive impact upon the community.” A local native and TKA alum, Lowe was named the school’s director of instrumental arts in 2019 and has been recognized by the school with its Teacher Excellence Award and Bright Idea Award. The program at TKA has doubled in size through his strategic planning and innovative performance opportunities, including the creation of a new curriculum that extended the school’s instrumental music education to fourth-grade students. Lowe has been nationally recog-
nized as a quarterfinalist for the 2022 Music Educator Award presented by the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum. He developed and manages a student jazz ensemble that received the Improvisational Excellence Award from the Essentially Ellington Festival in 2018 and was named Sweepstakes Award winner at the Atlanta Southern Star Music Festival in 2019. Similarly, the new marching band program he created called the King’s Regiment is gaining national recognition through game day performances with the Miami Heat and Miami Marlins, as well as in Walt Disney World parades. Lowe’s students have gained additional acclaim with the symphonic band winning the grand champion title at the Atlanta Southern Star Music Festival in 2019 and the middle school and high school concert bands taking home the Best Sounding Bands honors at Festival Disney in 2018. Fueled by Lowe’s excitement for music and grounded in the techniques he taught them, graduates of his program have continued their studies at such prestigious schools as the
Eastman School of Music, the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Indiana University, the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, New York University, Boston College and Northeastern University, among others. Lowe is a member of the National Association for Music Education, National Band Association, Jazz Education Network, Florida Music Educators Association and Florida Bandmasters Association. He holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Palm Beach Atlantic University following his receipt of an undergraduate degree in music education from Bob Jones University in South Carolina. The announcement was made at the sold-out Holly Jolly Symphony Fête Luncheon, which grossed $214,411 to support the symphony’s educational programming that has served more than 56,000 students in recent years and is a key component of the symphony’s mission to serve Palm Beach County’s broad and diverse community. The recognition comes with many
educational opportunities for the honoree’s students, including coaching sessions by Palm Beach Symphony musicians for spring semester music students, a classroom visit by Symphony Music Director Gerard Schwarz, complimentary tickets for the winner’s classes to attend a Palm Beach Symphony concert and the opportunity for a student music ensemble of the winner’s choice to perform at a Palm Beach Symphony event. Lowe also received a “Basket of Indulgences” filled with gift items and gift certificates. The annual award honors educators who demonstrate an ability to teach and inspire students as well as who take an active role in the community as performing arts educators. Nominations will open again in fall 2022 for educators in grades K-12 at public, private and charter schools in Palm Beach County with a minimum of three years of experience. Submissions that meet all eligibility requirements are reviewed by a panel of judges that includes musicians, industry professionals and other educators in Palm Beach County.
Wesley Lowe Jr. with Olga M. Vazquez, Palm Beach Symphony’s director of education and orchestra operations. PHOTO BY CAPEHART PHOTOGRAPHY
Pets Are Family, Too! By Randall S. Dugal, D.V.M.
EXCITEMENT URINATION
Does your puppy pee while playing, when you come home, or when unfamiliar people visit? Excitement urination is common in puppies under one year of age, and they typically grow out of it. Patience and understanding will go a long way toward training your puppy out of this behavior. To begin with, having a calm and quiet demeanor and being consistent are essential. If there’s an accident, don’t make a big deal about it, simply clean it up. Give your puppy treats and lots of praise when it urinates in the appropriate places. Change will not happen overnight. If you have exhausted all avenues and cannot stop your puppy from urinating when excited, seek help from a licensed behavior specialist. There’s always lots to learn when a new pet joins the family, and we bring you our pet care column to help you learn how to best provide for your new friend. Whether it involves learning about new puppy behavior, which shots to get when, or healthy dietary suggestions, we invite you to consider COMMUNITY ANIMAL HOSPITAL OF ROYAL PALM BEACH as your headquarters for your pet’s comprehensive health care. We offer a full range of medical services for small pets of all kinds, of all ages, in a warm, caring, and friendly environment. We are conveniently located 1/4 mile east of Royal Palm Beach Blvd., at 11462 Okeechobee Blvd. Please call 798-5508 for appointments or emergencies. OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK P.S. Take your puppy to the vet to rule out and health problems before trying behavior changes.
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PALMS WEST PEOPLE
Loxahatchee Resident Sara Duff Named A 2022 Warrior In Pink Susan G. Komen Florida recently announced its 2022 Ford Warriors in Pink. The survivors were chosen for their passion in defeating breast cancer and will serve as ambassadors for Komen, as well as the Komen More Than Pink Walk in West Palm Beach on Saturday, Jan. 29. The 2022 Ford Warriors in Pink demonstrate that breast cancer can strike anyone, regardless of family history, age, ethnicity or race. They will carry their message of breast cancer awareness to their own communities and act collectively to build support for Komen’s 360-degree approach to the fight against breast cancer by taking action, focusing on research,
connecting people to care and impacting communities in need. Among the 2022 Warrior in Pink is 36-year-old Sara Duff of Loxahatchee. She is a human resources manager for Buckeye Plumbing. She was born and raised in Loxahatchee, where she still resides with her husband of 14 years and two children, ages 11 and 6. When she isn’t working, Duff loves spending time with her family, traveling, boating and playing volleyball with her daughter. “Being a warrior for me means that for this time and place, my small story, this time of trauma, confusion and unknown, can be celebrated for the difficult time it has been,” Duff said. “The war-
rior-like qualities are bigger than all the sad parts to this journey, and showing others that toughness can give them hope, that they can bring those same qualities to those in their life battling, or for themselves one day, if they ever have to go down this road.” Duff is thankful for the support of her family and her faith during her difficult journey. “[That includes] the faith that was instilled in me by my parents that this can’t be the end, but just a part of my life,” she said. “The hope that I could be the woman that they could say walked the walk and talked the talk. When things got tough, she didn’t give up.”
TBT Brotherhood Donates At The Holiday Season
The Temple Beth Torah Brotherhood recently selected the Village of Wellington Holiday Food Drive, the Palm Beach County Homeless Coalition and the Wellington High School Student Government Association’s annual Rosenwald Toy Drive for its annual charitable donations. The money was primarily raised from past brotherhood golf benefits. For more than a decade, the Temple Beth Torah Brotherhood has consistently supported local charitable and governmental agen-
cies, including funding scholarship and educational programs at Wellington’s Temple Beth Torah through its fundraising endeavors. “Our synagogue community takes great pride in all of the Brotherhood’s efforts to help make our world a better place,” Rabbi Andrew L. Rosenkranz said. “They understand the commandment in Judaism to treat everyone with kindness and compassion.” On Sunday, May 1, the Brotherhood will hold its annual golf benefit at the Wanderers Club in
Wellington. Each year, the event attracts more than 120 golfers and corporate sponsors. More information, along with the opportunity to register for the event, will be posted soon at www.tbtbrotherhood.com. Temple Beth Torah is a Reform synagogue whose members reside throughout Wellington and beyond. Affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism, Temple Beth Torah was founded in 1978 and serves more than 375 member families.
Duff has some advice to offer those recently diagnosed with breast cancer. “Feel the feelings, all of them, and don’t be sorry if that makes people uncomfortable,” she said. “There were times early in my diagnosis when you just feel like you can’t be here, this didn’t happen and then you’re angry. ‘Why me? What did I do wrong?’ Family and friends might be around trying to be supportive, but… you are beat up and need some time to be sad, you just need time to allow your mind and heart to get around this life-changing diagnosis.” The other 2022 Komen Florida Ford Warriors in Pink are: Sherri Boyce of Jupiter, Sharon Perry
of Jupiter, Kelly Stephens of Boynton Beach, Danette Volmy of West Palm Beach and the late Chakela Montgomery of West Palm Beach. “The personal triumphs these six women have realized on their breast cancer journeys is nothing short of amazing,” said Tia Isoff-Celestin, development director at Susan G. Komen Florida. “As warriors, they are accomplishing in their own communities what Komen strives to do all across world.” Susan G. Komen is the world’s leading nonprofit breast cancer organization, working to save lives and end breast cancer forever. For more info., visit www.komen.org.
Sara Duff
Palms West Hospital Holiday Sing-Along Professional singer, songwriter, vocal coach and Wellington resident Tara Simon treated patients in the Palms West Hospital Pediatric Unit to a holiday sing-along on Wednesday, Dec. 22. Simon and her guitarist led the children and their parents in beautiful renditions of Christmas favorites, such as “Frosty the Snowman” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Smith also presented each child with a golden ticket to use musical lessons through her web site, www. tarasimonstudios.com. After the sing-along with the children, Simon and hospital staff were greeted with smiles and waves from adult patients and nurses as they strolled the hospital halls singing “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Simon has amassed 780,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel, Tara Simon Studios, which will feature video of her visit to the hospital.
Tara Simon sings for Palms West Hospital patients.
Deborah Burggraaf Releases New Book
Stephen Levin, Brotherhood President Joel Zaidspiner, Homeless Coalition CEO Pamela Payne and Keith Epstein.
Wellington High School Rosenwald Community Service Chair Julia Carvalho with Brotherhood Secretary Paul Gaba.
Award-winning author and retired middle school teacher Deborah Burggraaf has announced the release of her 17th book, Sparky’s Rescue: A Place to Call Home. Burggraaf has once again teamed up with Steve White of Protective Hands Communications in Riviera Beach to produce this inspirational tale about a rescue dog named Sparky. Matthew Lumsden has designed colorful and creative illustrations throughout the book that will delight and inspire children on each page. Set in a present day, east coast community, the gardener at the “Rescue Ranch” opens his heart and welcomes Sparky, a rescued Husky, into his forever home. Burggraaf is the recipient of 12 Florida Authors and Publishers Association (FAPA) Awards, as
The front cover of Deborah Burggraaf’s new book. well as four International Book prolific writer of children’s books. Awards, for her children’s books. Books are available for purchase She has established herself as a at www.dburgg.com and Amazon.
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BUSINESS NEWS
Holiday Event Helps Those Suffering From Hair Loss This time of year is all about giving. Evelyn Metellus, founder of the Hair Doctor, has been helping women who suffer from hair loss feel more beautiful by creating customized wigs. On Sunday, Dec. 26, Metellus hosted a special holiday event, and
Aneta Nichols
Deb Wilfong
Palms West Hospital has honored two of its exceptional medical professionals as its Daisy and BEE award winners for the winter quarter. The Daisy Award honors “the super-human work nurses do for patients and families every day,” according to the Daisy Foundation. Recognized in December is Palms West Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurse Deb Wilfong. She was nominated by a mother who had experienced her care firsthand while her child was in the NICU. Aneta Nichols, who works in ultrasound at the hospital is the recipient of the BEE (Beyond Exceptional Expectations) Award for the quarter.
Nichols is a highly skilled sonographer and has been recognized for her kind and compassionate care. Her specialty is pediatrics, and Nichols is known for taking her time while scanning her young patients and calming them at the same time. Nichols has been mentoring students from Palm Beach State College for the past three years, and because of her training skills and high standards, Palms West Hospital has since hired three of those students to its team. The BEE Award is a nationally recognized honor that recognizes team members outside of nursing for going above and beyond to care for patients, visitors and each other.
all attendees were encouraged to donate their gently used hair wigs. One woman cut off more than 12 inches of her own hair for donation. “Creating these special wigs for my clients is my passion. I love to help bring back their self-confidence,” Metellus said. “These
survivors are brave and strong, and they encourage me to keep doing what I love.” Metellus normally hosts a gala once a year to help collect donations to create wigs. Since the events were postponed this year due to COVID-19, she asked her
local community to help continue her tradition by donating their gently used wigs. The Hair Doctor is located in the Mall at Wellington Green at 10300 W. Forest Hill Blvd, Suite 270, in Wellington. For more information, visit www.thehairdoctor.info.
Palms West Hospital Honors Two Staff Members With Awards
Miss Royal Palm Beach Tallie Titus with Evelyn Metellus.
Dr. Coltz Boubert, Debbie Kahn and Rose Fervil.
Darnel Gardner, Evelyn Metellus and Yves Merelus.
Local Man Opens Marco’s Pizza Location In WPB
Marco’s Pizza recently opened its newest location in West Palm Beach. Located at 1540 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., Suite 120, pizza lovers can expect only fresh, high-quality ingredients. Bringing Marco’s pizza-making prowess to West Palm Beach is local resident Johnny Wong. Having grown up in his family’s Chinese restaurant, Wong had the privilege to learn about the restaurant industry from an early age. Most recently, Wong was the general manager at a pizza restaurant and
named No. 1 general manager every month for the two years he was there. Now, he has the expertise to open a Marco’s Pizza successfully and share his love with the West Palm Beach community. “I love the fresh, authentic taste Marco’s has to offer, as well as the opportunities that come with owning a Marco’s Pizza,” Wong said. “I’m excited to open my first location and look forward to serving the West Palm Beach community.” The menu features a mix of
classic and original specialty pizzas loaded with fresh toppings, including the White Cheezy, Deluxe, All Meat or Build-Your-Own Pizza, plus a variety of its signature Pizza Bowls. Marco’s was the first national pizza delivery brand to offer Pizza Bowls, a crustless pizza baked in a bowl to meet consumers’ ever-changing dietary preferences. Customers can also choose from oven-baked subs, along with creations like the CheezyBread, Chicken Dippers and
Wings, salads and desserts. With carryout, delivery, app and online ordering options, Marco’s offers the convenience of picking up a quick meal or having it delivered to your door. For more information about the new Marco’s Pizza location in West Palm Beach, visit www. marcos.com, download the mobile app or call (561) 835-5300. If you would like to join the Marco’s team as a delivery driver or pizza maker, visit apply.marcos. com.
Local Pulmonary Patients Invited To Participate In Research Trial
The Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Disorders Institute of South Florida (PCSI), an integrated pulmonary and chest specialty group in Palm Beach County, is now recruiting patients to participate in a research trial. Patients who meet the study criteria to participate will be compensated for their time. The purpose of the study is to validate Sylvee, a medical device that monitors pulmonary volumes, trapped air, respiratory and heart rates, breathing sounds, and temperature. Sylvee uses ultrasound technology to distinguish the type of sound produced in the lungs. For example, if air is trapped, the sound will differ from that produced after blowing air out of the lungs. The sensors in the device are then connected to a smartphone app, where results are made available for healthcare providers, patients or their caregivers
to monitor lung function and discover a problem early. Sylvee gathers data on how the estimated 100 million people suffering from COPD, asthma and COVID-19 might optimize their day-to-day respiratory health. The PCSI study will also specifically assess patients with long-COVID syndrome to determine if they are trapping air as COPD patients do. Dr. Luis Javier Peña-Hernández felt it was essential to participate in this research trial and has hope for what this will do for patients and medicine going forward. He and his team find the product to be the potential next-generation method to accurately measure the degree of airway obstruction. “In the future, there is no doubt that we will implement more and more accurate technology to early identify those patients
who are developing exacerbations of their chronic conditions, to intervene early and prevent hospital admissions, hospital-related complications, deterioration of the quality of life and even death. This product could be a game-changer in our mission to achieve that goal,” Peña-Hernández said. Sylvee, invented by Respira Labs, is worn on the lower part of the rib cage using adhesive patches. It has embedded speakers and microphones that measure changes in acoustic impedance as a proxy for changes in lung air volume. The device is currently in the prototype stage, pending FDA approval. Inclusion criteria for long-COVID patients are men or women over age 21 with a history of confirmed COVID-19 infection. Patients must demonstrate the persistence of symptoms, such as dyspnea or increased respiratory effort, fatigue,
chest pain or cough 28 days or more after COVID diagnosis. Participants must also have a negative history of smoking and a body mass index (BMI) less than 30. Inclusion criteria for healthy subjects are men or women over age 21 with no previous history of smoking nor diagnosed chronic lung conditions. Patients must be vaccinated against COVID-19 and have a BMI under 30. Participants in both test groups will be reimbursed for study participation at $100 for each completed visit, for a possible total of $300 at the end of the study. Payments will be made with Amazon electronic gift cards. For more info., contact karen@respiralabs.com. “We are committed to providing our patients the opportunity to benefit from this and other evolving technologies that will impact their well-being and their health. This research trial opens the door to ap-
The Sylvee device with its app. ply cutting-edge technology for inpatient home monitoring, a field in which we have been pioneers during the last few years,” Peña-Hernández said.
Page 28
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FEATURES
Stories I’ve Heard Have Led To A Lengthy List Of Resolutions
New Year’s Eve! New Year’s Day! The time of year when we celebrate having made it through the holidays by having way too much to drink and making all kinds of resolutions to never do that again, whatever our personal “that” was. I, myself, have a lengthy list, all based (unfortunately) on real life... but not all mine. Resolution #1 — I resolve not to “gift” my doctor and his office workers with holiday goodies that give them food poisoning, forcing them to close the office and retire to their home bathrooms. I heard about this one when my store manager had to re-do the work schedule due to her doctor’s visit having been rescheduled. The domino effect of yucky Christmas
Deborah Welky is
The Sonic BOOMER “treats” now has me coming in on Monday despite having entertainment-deprived holiday guests in town. Resolution #2 — I resolve to avoid becoming a hoarder. Despite owning two antiques stores packed to the gills with unusual and questionable merchandise (I was
going to say “crap” but see Resolution #4), my own home stays pretty neat. This is in direct contrast to the California woman I heard about — a legally blind hoarder who had been living with her dead son’s corpse for 20 years. “I thought he’d moved out!” the startled woman told police. Resolution #3 — I resolve to clean up my language. It’s not what you think. It’s not that I have a potty mouth. It’s semantics. Having discovered through trial and error that using subjective assumptions and character profiling to keep thieves out of my store, I will — from now on — refer to what I am doing as “data analytics.” You know, instead of packing heat. Resolution #4 — I resolve to upgrade
my fashion choices. Maybe I’ll even purchase some of those new false eyelashes they’ve come out with. They seem lighter and airier than the old-style ones that were so heavy they weighed down your eyelids until you looked stupid instead of sexy and had you tripping over furniture and stumbling down the stairs. Or maybe I’ll do what my 94-year-old mother did last year — buy the magnetic ones. “It’s the latest thing!” she explained. Resolution #5 — I resolve not to nag independent thinkers about wearing their masks to keep the rest of us safe. I hate to keep bringing this up but, like you, I’ve lost a number of friends this year, and they all died shortly after their last Facebook
posts about the virus being a hoax. Resolution #6 — I resolve never to breastfeed my cat on a Delta Airlines flight. I first heard about this from my flight attendant sister, then saw it on the Internet, then heard back from my sister that “legal” assured them that the story was true and, in fact, that the woman had first slathered herself with butter to help the cat “latch on.” What has happened to us women when our goal is to have a sharp-toothed feline hanging off our chest, pawing us with razor-like claws? In short, I resolve to become a safer, more conscientious and more beautiful woman — a woman who, if Resolution #6 is a sign of the times, will never own a cat.
Did We Need A ‘West Side Story’ Remake? No, But It’s A Good Film Was anyone really desiring a new version of West Side Story? Or even thinking about it? I doubt it, but Steven Spielberg decided we needed a new version. I am still not certain why, but the final result is certainly not as bad as I worried it would be. But it is also not really better than the original. The central change screenwriter Tony Kushner made was to toughen up the characters, to make the young lovers, particularly Tony (Ansel Elgort), not so much an innocent juvenile. While it takes away from Shakespeare’s glorious young lovers theme (remember, West Side Story is based on Romeo and Juliet), it makes him more understandable. In the new version, he has a reason for wanting to avoid a nasty gang fight; he is on probation for a previous act of violence. Also, his buddy Riff (Mike Faist) is a really just-on-theedge-of-being-psycho leader of the Jets gang. Russ Tamblyn in the original was
‘I’ On CULTURE By Leonard Wechsler more of a mischievous guy. Everyone knows the story, although it starts differently. In the original, we have the swooping, glorious shot of Manhattan. In the new one, it is a sign that the west side neighborhood is being torn down to create Lincoln Center. All the kids, as well as their folks, will be displaced. That leads to much hostility in the area. Tony meets Maria (Rachel Zegler) at a dance in the gym, not knowing she is the younger sister of the Puerto Rican Sharks’ leader Bernardo (David Alvarez). They meet, kiss
and a fight begins. Bernardo’s girlfriend Anita (Ariana DeBose) tries to keep him occupied, but the story goes on. Tony and Maria meet and sing on the fire escape, the gangs fight, and Bernardo kills Riff before Tony kills Bernardo. Then Tony and Maria mourn together. A main complaint by the makers of the film was that Rita Moreno, as Anita, was the only Puerto Rican starring in the original. Thus, Latinos were cast in the key parts of this film, although, in a lovely bit of irony, Alvarez is originally Cuban, Zegler half-Columbian and DeBose half-Puerto Rican. So, there was only a half-Puerto Rican starring in this one. On the other hand, they basically re-created the “Doc” role around Moreno, who is fantastic and does a gorgeous job singing “Somewhere.” So, Puerto Ricans do play a central part. The songs are the magnificent ones written by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen
Sondheim, although Lin-Manuel Miranda, added a Spanish twist to a couple of numbers. The score, rated one of the best in Broadway history, is here in all of its glory, and the actors actually sing their parts. The choreography by Justin Peck is also excellent. It is not quite up to the standard of Jerome Robbins’ work from the original, but then again, Robbins was both a genius and a perfectionist. Ironically, Robbins spent so much money directing and choreographing the music that he was kicked off the film, but his dances remain. Peck’s work is more concise with many different camera angles and brilliant editing. It works well, but is not nearly as artistic. The performers are all very good. I liked Alvarez particularly. He brought dignity, an iron will and more than a bit of anger to Bernardo. And Moreno might even be more wonderful than she was in the original, where she won an Oscar.
Now age 90, she is a national treasure. The real decider in whether or not the film is better would be whether you prefer a tragic story of young love, following essentially in the footsteps of Romeo and Juliet, or a tale based on the disintegration of family and decency due to issues of urban renewal. Yes, the story is the same, but in the original, we mainly see our innocent lovers. In the new one, we see them as part of a greater tragedy, the breakdown of society. The power of love and loss is still there, but merely part of the tapestry. The new film is beautiful and disturbing. Was it worth the hundred million dollars or so it cost? To me, no. But other people find it blends in well with today’s standards. Very different, but still the same. Or, as a song in another film sang, “It’s still the same old story, a fight for love and glory, a case of do or die.” The fundamentals are still there, the music still sings and the lovers love.
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St. Jude’s Novena May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved and preserved throughout the world now and forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us. St.Jude, worker of miracles, pray for us. St. Jude, help of the hopeless, pray for us. Say this prayer 9 times a day by the 8th day, your prayer will be answered. It has never been known to fail. Publication must be promised. Thank you, St Jude for granting my petition. B.B.
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poomanpumping247@gmail.com 561-318-8416 561-540-5929
561-425-5409 www.singerelectricalcontracting.com
piwanska@yahoo.com
Homes | Apartments | Offices
SOUTH FLORIDA WEB ADVISORS, INC.
children • community • seniors
WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA DESIGN, HOSTING AND OPTIMIZATION
The Wellington Community Foundation, Inc. is a Charitable organization committed to benefiting the residents of Wellington by supporting and improving their quality of life.
PHILIP LEVINE
PRESIDENT
561-333-9843
7525 NORTHPORT DRIVE BOYNTON BEACH, FL 33472 561-337-7806
Learn More About Becoming Involved By Visiting Our Website Today!
www.wellingtoncommunityfoundation.org
PHILlp@SFLWA.NET HTTP)IWWW.SFLWA.NET
The Town-Crier r.com
www.gotowncrie
- May 6, 2021 Page 30 April 23
L PALM BEACH INGTON • ROYA
WELL
• LOXAHATCHEE
• THE ACREAGE
-1555
Call Today! 561-689
Proudly Serving County! Greater Palm Beach
OFF $10 Coupon
All Types of Pressure
Trap Pumping
•Septic Tank & Grease Stations Drain Fields • Lift •
Cleaning,
Chemical Roof Cleaning, and Patios, etc. Houses, Driveways, Interior/Exterior Painting
idential Commercial/Res • Drain Cleaning
www.Dannys-Septic.com ptic.com Customer@Dannys-Se
HURRICANE
WHITE
IMPACT
VES GLO cleaning service
ACCORDION SHUTTERS ALUMINUM STORM PANELS
“Let the Poo Crew
P&M
www.poo-man.com.com
7@gmail poomanpumping24 561-318-8416 561-540-5929
RS CONTRACTO tors Local Contrac
561-791-9777 U-17189 Licensed
come to you”
For all your Septic and Plumbing needs!
Miami-Dade Hurricane approved
& Insured
Be Your Own Boss! Salon, Spa Suite Services
Inc. is a family Singer Electrical Contracting, and insured owned business fully licensed experience. with over 20 years of electrical
ssers, Looking for Hairdre Barbers, Nail Techs, st, Massage Therapi & Estheticians, Tattoo Artist Up Permanent Make
Residential • Lighting •
Commercial
Certified Electrical Contractor
ki Patrycja Jaskols (561) 657-0420
Homes | Apartments
| Offices
In the Town-Crier Business Directory
Jewelry Excha
Looking for Fine Gold, Silver s, & Diamond Jeweler Gemologist, Certified Watch Makers & Swiss Watch Repairs
(EC#13007941)
For information call
Call 561-793-7606 for Special Rates.
561-499-9935 x 0WC
ntracting.co www.singerelectricalco
ALL HOME REPAIRS
ONE CALL DOES IT
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piwanska@yahoo.com e, References, Experienc Professional Service
Be Your Own Boss! nge
561-425-5409m
For information call
561-499-9935 x 0WC
TOWN-CRIER BUSINESS DIRECTORY
ALL
561-662-0045
PAINTING CARPENTRY DRYWALL REPAIRS REMODELS AND ADDITIONS
E
35 YEARS EXPERIENC
IEDS SIF AGE L AS HATCHEE • THE ACRE • C L PALM BEACH LOXA WELLINGTON • ROYA
057254 STATE LICENSED CRC FULLY INSURED
Professional Services Refrigeration Services
A/C ING & REAIR CONDITION installation new JOHN C. HUNTON INC.—Service & FRIGERATION, participating contractor. Lic. CAC FPL independent are proud supporters of the SemOwned 057272 Ins. “We 561-798-3225. Family inole Ridge Hawks” 1996. Credit Cards Accepted & Operated since
Professional Services nter
Journeyman/Carpe
years experitrim carpenter, 25molding, base Journeyman, custom reasonable. Crown 5 ence. Adult, honest, ow sills & doors. 561-255-722 board, casings,wind
Professional Services
Professional Services Pressure Cleaning
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9 WASHING - (561)810-767 Grime. Support BELLA’S PRESSURE exterior of Mold andrs 5 star rated. pressure washing HomeAdviso a women Business.
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5 SERVICE — 561-689-155 Trap DANNY’S SEPTIC Septic Tank and Grease Commercial/Residential*Lift Stations *Drain Cleaning 6 i c # S R O 111 6 9 Pumping *Drain Fields Septic.com L w w w. D a n n y s -
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Roofing re, LLC — Complete OperatROOFING — SpeAQUATIC SPRINKLER of systems. Owner Bonded,inROBERT G. HARTMANN Cell: 561pair of all types Free estimates, 561-964-60 04 Ins. Servcializing in repairs. 058317 Ph: 561-790-07 63. ed. Michael Office: 1 Bonded & sured. Lic. #CCC Since 1990 236-8595 Lic.#U1787 Communiti es OOFING ALL ing the Western PA I R S R E - R ce HonROOFING RE Constructio n, Inc.CounCleaning - Home/Offi g e t y o u r Beach TYPES — Pinewood Wallpapering help Serving Palm ADY — I can 561-309-01 34 est and reliable. C L E A N I N G L than ever! Try me once and — Professional InstalPainting years. Call Mike3 RC-006720 7 & ReGING BY DEBI ty for over 20 Clean Neat, PAPERHAN INC. house cleaner disappointe d! 561-657-04 20 CGC-02377 Paper. of Lic. Ins. Bonded. 30 years CLEANING & PAINTING,cleanlation,Removal. Repair you will not be with a woman’s touch. J&B PRESSURE & ReAll types of pressure liable. Quality work too big or too small. Lic. & Ins. ROOFING — Roofing r — Established 1984.Cleaning, houses, driveways, Residential/ NEIL O’NEAL JR. & experience. No Job 561-795-5263 Electrical Contracto owned and operated. ing, Chemical Roof Coatings, & Residential. Interior INC. — roofing. Family References available. cleaning Replacement, Roof 561-656L CONTRACTING, patios etc. Commercial price, Fully Certified -pressure Commercial. Wood SINGER ELECTRICA Butch & Roof Ventilation. Exterior painting. can trust at an affordable 9 Lic. #U21552 Call Solar Vents, SkylightsCCC1330208.Free Estimates Electrical work you EC#13007941 561-425-540 website at & painting contractor. 4945 Lic. & Insured r visit our Licensed and Insured. 309-6975 o ingandpain ting.com www.jbpre ssureclean Home Improvement — Interior/ExSerI PAINTING INC. popcorn All Around HandymanOnce JOHN PERGOLIZZ pressure cleaning, owned/ ANMAR CO.— James’ Old time values. terior - Repaint specialist, & roof painting. Family Ins. Certified Lic. vice. Excellent craftsman repair back! #U18473 me drywall g Lic. have ceiling, 8 Screenin Free Est. 798-4964 you’ve had me! You’ll CRC1327426 561-248-852 owner operator. IR SERVICE Residential Contractor R E E N R E PA J O H N ’ S S C re-screenin g. Stay tight,wrinPlumbing ll Home Repairs — Pool & patioa n t e e d ! C R C 1 3 2 9 7 0 8 c a & drain m k l e - f r e e , g u a r w w w. p o o l s c r e e n r e p a i r. c o Pumping, plumbing, - D RY WA L L needs! ARPENTRY POO-MAN — — us 798-3132. your septic & plumbing 6 PA I N T I N G - C AND ADDITIONS cleaning. For all CRC come to you. 561-318-841 REPAIRS-R EMODELS . State Licensed It All Let the Poo Crew Does 35 Years Experience Insured One Call 057254 Fully ACTION BUILDERS L.L.C. 561-662-00 45 Law Firm
firm S — Private law Law. EmployHR LEGAL LOGISTIC County. Business Visit: in Palm Beach Planning. Contracts. ment Law. Estate om. Call (561) 480-0779 www.LegalLogisticsFL.c
Place Your Ad Here Call 561-793-7606
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Town-Crier Classifieds Get Results Place Your Ad Here Call 561-793-7606
Join our team
ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVE WANTED
Needed to join our display advertising team
Call Today… Start Tomorrow Call Dawn Rivera, Publisher today to set up a confidential interview (561) 793-7606 or fax your resume to (561) 793-1470
- Job Openings Front Desk Clerk Person with good verbal/written communication skills and the motivation to provide good customer service. Flexible schedule needed. Experience preferred, but we will train the right motivated person. Royal Palm/Wellington/Acreage residents will save on gas and travel time.
Housekeeper Responsible for cleaning guest rooms in a timely and thorough manner. Experience and fluency in English is preferred. Must be able to work weekends and/or holidays.
To Apply: E-mail or Fax Resume to: info@royalinnhotel.com 561-795-1502 or Apply in person
The Town-Crier
www.gotowncrier.com
December 31, 2021 - January 13, 2022
Page 31
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December 31, 2021 - January 13, 2022
www.gotowncrier.com
The Town-Crier
Saturday Night Lights World-class equestrian action, entertainment, dining and shopping for the whole family!
Every Saturday from
January 8 – April 2
FREE
GENERAL ADMISSION Parking $20/car
Palm Beach International Equestrian Center Wellington, Florida • PBIEC.com