Town-Crier Newspaper February 12, 2010

WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE

FRESH PICKS AT RPB GREEN MARKET

Cancer Cluster Meeting Packs Hundreds Into SRHS Auditorium

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

An overflow crowd of more than 800 people jammed the Seminole Ridge High School auditorium Tuesday, Feb. 9 for a meeting hosted by several health agencies to discuss the finding of a cancer cluster in The Acreage. Participating in the meeting via video from Tallahassee were State

Sen. Dave Aronberg and state representatives Joseph Abruzzo, Mark Pafford and Mack Bernard, who said they supported more testing in order to find the underlying cause.

The results of surveys have shown three cases of pediatric brain tumors of different types where less than one would be indicated in a sampling of that size, according to a report by the Palm

Beach County Health Department. Although a slight elevation was shown in cancers of all types in all ages, the elevation was not statistically significant, according to health officials. Dr. Shairi Turner, state deputy health secretary, said Florida has asked the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control & Preven-

See CANCER, page 22

Wellington’s Coates, RPB’s Swift Claim Seats Without Challengers

By Lauren Miró and Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Royal Palm Beach Councilman David Swift and Wellington Councilman Howard Coates were returned to their respective seats Tuesday when no challengers emerged to run against them by the filing deadline.

HOWARD COATES Coates, 50, was appointed to Council Seat 3 in January 2009 to complete the term of Bob Margolis, who resigned as part of his failed bid for Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections in 2008.

“Hopefully the fact that no one opposed me after getting the op-

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

Tightrope walkers, fortune-tellers and fire breathers are sights normally reserved for the circus, but every Saturday night, performers thrill Wellington residents and visitors with affordable family entertainment at Saturday Night Lights during the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Amid world-class equestrian events in the stadium, roving performers from the Key West Mallory Square Sunset Festival entertain crowds with magic, fortunetelling, juggling, fire breathing, comic relief and more.

portunity to see me in action the last year on the council means that residents are satisfied with what I’ve done,” Coates said. “I’ve always tried to be the mediator on the council. I don’t have a hardline approach, and I try to bring about a consensus.”

Coates ran for a seat on the council in March 2008, narrowly losing to Councilman Matt Willhite. He was among a number of hopefuls to apply for the Margolis vacancy.

With a four-year term ahead of him, Coates said he is excited to be able to see the culmination of the work he started over the past year.

Doors open at 6 p.m., and the event begins at 7 p.m. While visitors wait, there are opportunities to shop for various items at boutique shops, and eat and drink, all before getting to watch top equestrian athletes compete. A Jumbotron pans the crowd and highlights the competition, while announcers keep tabs on the action for horse and non-horse visitors alike.

“Our goal was to create a signature event for Saturday nights during the festival that really focused on family events,” CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions Mark Bellissimo said. “It’s a big celebration and gives families a great opportunity to come out and

Wellington Mourns Equestrian Visionary William T. Ylvisaker

By Ron Bukley

Town-Crier Staff Report

William T. Ylvisaker, whose 1970s vision of Wellington as an equestrian mecca dramatically altered the community, died Saturday, Feb. 6 at Wellington Regional Medical Center. He was 85.

Ylvisaker’s death came in the midst of the Ylvisaker Cup 20goal polo tournament at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. The tournament, named in his honor, culminates Sunday, Feb. 14.

Ylvisaker, a businessman and a former captain of the Yale polo team, is largely recognized for helping to provide Wellington with an image that went far beyond those of other South Florida communities.

“Bill Ylvisaker had the vision of what our community could be,” Kathy Foster, Wellington’s first mayor, told the Town-Crier on Wednesday. “Without his insight, vision and determination to change Wellington from a group of bedroom communities, to tie us together and create the world-class polo and equestrian resort we have today, life as we know it in Wellington would not exist.”

Ylvisaker is also attributed with significantly heightening the interest in polo throughout the United States. In addition to founding Palm Beach Polo & Country Club, he also founded the Polo Training Foundation to teach and develop young polo players. He served as chairman of the U.S. Polo Association from 1970-75. Ylvisaker was elected to the Polo Hall of Fame in 1996. During his playing career,

Ylvisaker was a 7-goal player, and won three U.S. Open championships, two Coronation Cups against England and Australia, the U.S. Polo Association Gold Cup and four national 20-goal championships.

As the CEO of Gould Electronics from 1967 until 1986, Ylvisaker transformed a $100 million battery manufacturer into a $2.3 billion diversified technology company. Under Ylvisaker’s guidance, Gould purchased companies ranging from a minicomputer maker to a producer of custom integrated circuits, and shed all of Gould’s traditional operations, including bearings and pistons, electrical equipment and finally its giant battery division. By the late 1970s, Gould had expanded into the rapidly grow-

Wellington Council OKs New Home For Boys & Girls Club

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

The Boys & Girls Club of Wellington is one step closer to a new home with the Wellington Village Council’s unanimous approval Tuesday, Feb. 9 of two resolutions authorizing the club’s lease of village-owned property near the water treatment plant on Wellington Trace.

The club currently operates out of a building at Wellington Community Park on South Shore Blvd. south of Pierson Road but has grown too big for the facility, Wellington Director of Operations Jim Barnes said.

“One thing that was important to me is that I wanted to continue the projects we have started and made progress on in the last year,” he said. “The municipal center, the amphitheater, Scott’s Place and the Forest Hill Blvd. improvements — they’ll all be completed in the next 12 months, and I’m glad I’ll be here to see it.”

Coates is aware of the challenges facing the council, such as a shrinking budget and the ongoing foreclosure crisis.

“My primary focus has been and will always be maintaining the great quality of life we have here in Wellington,” he said. “I want

see another side to Wellington.”

Bridging the gap between the non-horse residents of Wellington and its horse world is important for Bellissimo, who hopes to build a connection between the communities.

“There’s a very high percentage of people in Wellington who haven’t been to the facility and don’t even know where it is,” he said. “Sometimes I meet people who are amazed to find that there’s such a huge and unique facility right in their back yard.”

Although the Winter Equestrian Festival has been in Wellington for years and contributes much to the community, Director of

Rather than demolishing its existing 15,000-square-foot building in favor of a new facility at that site, the club will turn that building over to the village and construct a new building on vacant village land much closer to the children and families the Boys & Girls Club serves, Barnes said.

Further, the club and the village hope to partner on programs at the adjacent Safe Neighborhoods Office.

“It makes all the sense in the world to get them closer to their clients,” Mayor Darell Bowen said. “I think it’s a win for everybody.”

Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore noted that the club benefits the entire community.

“For us to reproduce the servic-

es that the Boys & Girls Club provides in this community would cost us approximately half a million dollars each year,” Priore said. “So I think this is an excellent opportunity for us to have a private-public partnership to where, not only do our residents benefit, but now we’re putting it in an area that really has a great need for it. It will serve as an exceptional benefit to the children in that area.”

The approximately 22,000square-foot, $3 million facility will be paid for by the club, which has raised money with grants and donations, and by the village, which will be responsible for construction, Barnes said. The club has raised $1.7 million to date, and Wellington will pay $700,000 in construction costs, taken from its recreation impact fees. In return, the village will save $50,000 a year in operational costs to be covered instead by the club, Barnes said. The club also has applied for a $300,000 community development block grant from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development.

The extra $300,000 needed will be raised by the club while construction is pending, or will be loaned to the club by the village to be paid back over 10 years.

“I want to commend the Boys & Girls Club for their persistence

See COUNCIL, page 22

Proposed Federal EPA Water Rule Has LGWCD Officials Worried

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District this week discussed a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency that could severely hamper the district.

The EPA’s proposed water quality standards generated concern Monday, Feb. 8 among district officials, with LGWCD District Administrator Clete Saunier describing them as “draconian measures.”

The EPA will hold public hear-

ings from noon to 5 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18 at the Palm Beach Airport Holiday Inn at 1301 Belvedere Road in West Palm Beach. The EPA standards would require the district to control the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus released into the C-51 Canal, said LGWCD Supervisor John Ryan, referring to a Feb. 1 statement from the Florida Association of Special Districts that warned that new water regulations proposed by the EPA would severely

weaken the flood protection provided by Florida’s water control districts.

The new regulations, the FASD warned, would impose new costs of as much as 400 percent on water control districts, which ultimately would be paid by Florida farmers, industries, consumers and taxpayers through assessment increases.

Saunier, who also serves as FASD president, was quoted in the statement that attempting to comply with the regulations will be

technically impossible in some cases.

“To comply with the EPA restrictions, Florida’s special districts would have to fundamentally change their water management practices from flood control to water treatment — a process that would carry a price tag reaching into the billions of dollars, while diminishing the effectiveness of the system’s intended human purposes, such as flood control,” Saunier said.

Ryan said he had reviewed

background materials from the FASD and the Florida Nursery Growers Association, which is also opposed to the EPA proposal.

“They are only some of the people opposing this proposal,” Ryan said, adding that he had also reviewed the proposed EPA rule, which he felt had been written to absolve the agency from the responsibility of dealing with the issue itself and was inappropriate for South Florida in general.

“It just goes to show that when

a government agency feels that they’re under pressure to do something, whether it’s legal pressure or political pressure, they can be as arbitrary as they damn well please,” Ryan said. “They basically said to Florida, hey, you’re doing more than anybody else. You have better data and have a more intelligent, site-specific approach, but we’re in a hurry to get environmental plans done. Even though you’re more correct in what you’re doing, we are going

See LGWCD, page 22

Wellington Zoning Board Approves Medical Arts District Concept

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

Wellington’s proposed medical arts district began to take shape last week when the village’s Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board voted unanimously Wednesday, Feb. 3 to recommend the approval of an ordinance creating a medical center zoning district.

The medical arts district, proposed for 200 acres of land on State Road 7 near Forest Hill Blvd., will include Wellington Regional Medical Center and other healthcare services.

The complex is part of the Village of Wellington’s economic development initiative to create more high-paying jobs in the village. Strategic Planning & Economic Development Director

Martin Hodgkins said the village is focusing on healthcare because it anticipates growth in the industry.

“The zoning district is part of the economic development initiative to find sustainable employment and increase property values,” he said. “We will have an overall master development plan for the 200 acres rather than the piecemeal approach that has been done before.”

If the Wellington Village Council approves the ordinance, staff will begin traffic and utility studies this year, Hodgkins said. The village is in the process of collecting signatures of intent from the eight property owners who own the land. At the time of the meeting, Hodgkins said the village had collected six signatures

and anticipated getting the other two by the end of this week.

“This has to be done with the cooperation of the property owners,” Hodgkins said. “I think there is a lot of support for this concept, but we need to get everyone headed in the right direction.”

Getting all the property owners on board was a concern to Board Member Craig Bachove. “The master plan requires all landowners to come together to work,” he said. “How difficult will that be?”

Hodgkins said that several of the owners had come together with the village to see what ideas they had, but that the village is still in the site planning stage.

“We knew that it would be a difficult step to get everybody together,” he said. “But everyone we’ve talked to understands that

there are some good incentives for individual property owners.”

Once the properties are rezoned and have approval from the village to build, Board Member Steve Delai was worried that property owners could sit on the approval and not develop. “If they don’t move along in the next five to 10 years, would they still retain approval?” he asked.

The village has a “use-it-orlose-it” policy that would give Wellington the right to remove the approvals if the property owners don’t request an extension, Hodgkins replied.

Part of the ordinance requires that no other hospital be built within three miles of the complex, a fact that concerned several board members.

“It may preclude us from hav-

ing another hospital,” Board Member Eugene DiFonte said, adding that he might approve of a specialized hospital closer than required.

PZA Board Chairman Carmine Priore III noted that originally the distance between hospitals was farther, but could be changed by the council. The board agreed to leave in the provision, as long as another hospital could still be approved by the council, which Hodgkins said could be done.

Additional concerns from DiFonte were that some of the permitted land uses, such as a church or daycare center, might not be compatible with the medical arts concept. He suggested they might be better listed as special uses.

“My concern is their compatibility with medical arts,” he said.

“I think hospital-related things like a doctor or offices are fine. I’m just not sure how compatible some of these things are.”

The village’s plan is for a campus-like atmosphere with several necessities in one area, Hodgkins said.

“We’re hoping for something that approaches a real campus feel,” he said. “We have to consider hotels, dormitories, or second- and third-floor loft apartments. As part of a campus, a church would be a good fit.”

In other business, the board unanimously approved the recommendation of an ordinance creating a mixed-use planned development zoning district. With it, an employer can choose to have a variety of uses on its property, in-

See PZA BOARD, page 22

The Wellington community lost one of its true visionaries last weekend. William T. Ylvisaker, perhaps the single-biggest influence behind Wellington’s status as an equestrian mecca, passed away Saturday, Feb. 6 at the age of 85. While the equestrian and polo world mourns Ylvisaker’s passing, the entire Wellington community continues to benefit from the fruits of his labor, which began here more than 30 years ago.

Few people have left the kind of mark that Ylvisaker has. As a sportsman, he is a member of the Polo Hall of Fame, having won three U.S. Open championships; he also served as chairman of the U.S. Polo Association from 1970 to 1975. As a businessman, Ylvisaker was a captain of industry, conquering one industry after another, from electronics to land development. And as a man of international renown, his list of friends included the British royal family, which resulted in Prince Charles’ historic 1980s polo matches at the old Palm Beach Polo stadium.

While Ylvisaker was not Wellington’s “founder” — his company Gould Florida arrived when development was already underway — it can safely be said that he left more of his imprint on the community than anyone else. He was behind the development of Palm Beach Polo & Country Club and the Aero Club, two of the most prestigious communities in the area. Further, he saw in the young community not suburbia

difference between the two. I strongly object to the use of the victims of the Sept. 11 tragedy for political purposes. This divisive proposal amounts to nothing more than a permanent piece of propaganda on our landscape.

in the making, but a community with a unique equestrian element. He built Palm Beach Polo and used his personal connections to make it known the world over. Then Ylivsaker convinced his friend Gene Mische to set up shop in Wellington, leading to the creation of the Winter Equestrian Festival.

For the past couple of decades, residential development has been as prevalent in Wellington as, well, its annual polo matches. But in the mid 1970s, the area was mostly cow pastures and strawberry fields, with a few patches of homes. It was a plan without a true vision. If another residential developer had come along and built up the area, at best, Wellington would have been just another sleepy suburb — a nice place to live, perhaps, but nothing resembling the international equestrian sport destination it is today.

Ylvisaker saw opportunity where others saw barren land. He took a chance when others played it safe. That is the very definition of a pioneer. And it is because of that spirit that Wellington is not just another suburb, but a world-class community. It’s hard to imagine Wellington without its equestrian roots — and that is the world we live in today because of the contributions of one man. For that, we are grateful to Bill Ylvisaker and the legacy he left behind.

piles of dirt and manure were stored on the property creating foul odors and swarms of flies. This activity was a clear violation of regulations and ordinances.

A complaint was filed with Palm Beach County Code Enforcement, and they took no action to enforce existing regulations. This type of activity was not permitted in 2002, and it is not permitted now. I hope the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council will preserve the rights of all land owners and enforce land use regulations that provide for the peaceful enjoyment of property.

Fred Schriefer

Loxahatchee Groves

Don’t Confuse

Patriotism With Nationalism

Distinguished Council Members and Fellow

Wellington Residents:

I strongly object to your proposal to establish a so-called “Patriot Memorial” in the village and implore you to reconsider your decision. This project is not about patriotism but nationalism. There is a

I spent seven long years in a little topsy-turvy Third-World country, living on the local level, and I could gladly give you a firsthand account of what life is like on the receiving end of American foreign policy. It ain’t pretty. It seems Washington is willing to overlook shortcomings among our “partner nations” such as murder, election-rigging, environmental rape, trafficking in drugs and human beings, and much more, as long as they play our game. That includes voting our way in the U.N. General Assembly, and laying out the welcome mat for American corporate exploitation. For seven years my neighbors and friends, the “little brown people,” asked me, “Americans say they love democracy — why don’t they help us put a stop to this?” It’s a tough question, but I know the answer. It’s printed on the label of the underwear you’re wearing.

We don’t care to understand that we force conditions on other people that we ourselves would not tolerate. The 9/11 hijackers were mainly from Saudi Arabia, a supposedly friendly country that Muslims worldwide consider holy ground. We built our military installations there. No big deal? Consider this: if the Saudis were to insist on camping their army near Philadelphia, in the interests of “regional stability,” would American patriots not line up around the block to take lessons on steering jetliners into Saudi skyscrapers?

With sincere respect to the families of those lost on 9/11, the victims were not heroes. They were simply in the worst place at the worst time, or doing the job they signed on for. But we, the selfappointed keepers of the patriotic flame, want to make them martyrs on the altar of freedom. Your monument will serve as an annual gathering place for “patriots” to wrap themselves in Old Glory, shake the fist of vengeance and give speeches in which they will predictably say, “the eternal flame represents our need for eternal vig-

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Vacant commercial space in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach reflects the current economic doldrums — and it is one symptom of a larger issue that members of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce are trying to address.

Palms West Chamber CEO

Jaene Miranda noted that the recently formed Economic Development Task Force is attempting to reduce those vacancies by finding businesses to locate here or by helping current businesses expand. “That’s what they have been working on,” Miranda said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Miranda noted that the priority for most of the management companies or individuals who own shopping centers and office buildings is to keep their existing tenants. As the co-owner of Nicole’s Pasta & Grill, Miranda said she

recently renegotiated a lease with her landlord at Mizner Place in Wellington. “One of your highest expense lines is your location,” Miranda said. “Yes, you can cut office supplies and try to improve your productivity and reduce your overhead, but I know that many landlords have been working with their current renters or lessees to try and keep them in business.”

Once a landlord loses a tenant, it’s hard to replace that tenant, Miranda said, explaining that the commercial real estate market has followed the residential market’s slump. On the bright side, it is a renter’s or buyer’s market for commercial enterprises. “If anyone is going to go into business and needs office space, this is the time to do it,” Miranda said. “You’ve got the upper hand in the negotiation because the landlords are looking to rent their spaces.”

ilance against those who seek to enslave us.”

This is just more of the empty propaganda that gets people killed. The village would provide a focal point for its residents’ fear, anger and ignorance. A star-spangled boob job to pump up our selfesteem and show everybody we are well-endowed with nationalist fervor. Surviving these difficult times will require our wisdom and careful consideration. This monument reflects no wisdom at all. It only panders to the lowest, most ignorant emotions: fear and revenge and a foolish sense of superiority.

London is full of old imperial monuments to the British belief in their own national superiority, a notion now as dead as their colonial empire itself. This monument you promote, a stone’s throw from your ballyhooed playground, likewise belongs in a bygone era, and its prejudices are just as bankrupt.

Wellington is no place to memorialize hate, either American hatred of an enemy it doesn’t care to understand, or of an enemy that hates us for our conduct, not our ideas. You would better serve American interests and American ideals by relocating the Rotary Club’s peace pole to the heart of the village. Please make your public showcase a place for peace and understanding, not belligerence and anger.

Mark Allan Lioi

Wellington

Starace: Elect Mattioli Mayor

It is so wonderful to be back in Royal Palm Beach, just in time to support a man with whom I have worked and admired for years. His name: Vice Mayor Matty Mattioli.

We all know that one person cannot take credit for this wonderful village. It is and always will be a council, a mayor and a manager effort. That is why it is so reassuring to see that the council and mayor have given their support to Vice Mayor Mattioli in his run for mayor of Royal Palm Beach. We also know from working with Matty that he is a hands-on leader. We always know that Vice Mayor Mattioli brings to the table the voice of the residents. He is

and always will be a 24/7 man for the residents.

His leadership and experience in building consensus between residents, council, county and state levels is a well-established fact. And this is what is needed to move Royal Palm Beach forward.

I am here to support and help elect Vice Mayor Matty Mattioli for mayor of the Village of Royal Palm Beach, and I ask for your help and your vote for him on March 9.

Carmela Starace Royal Palm Beach

Editor’s note: Ms. Starace is a former member of the Royal Palm Beach Village Council.

Louda: Points To Consider In Cancer Probe

I attended the public information meeting concerning the Acreage cancer phenomenon on Tuesday night. I fully understand the angst and frustration of the residents in attendance, as I am a cancer survivor and, living in Loxahatchee Groves, my wife and I draw from the same surficial aquifer as does The Acreage. Finding a cause, causes or synergism of stressors for cancer will be a long process. No immediate answers are forthcoming. Studies must be done and then double-checked to rule out or in potential carcinogens. As I had to leave early, I did not have the opportunity to forward a few potentially pertinent pieces of information. First, the high(er) radioactivity detected around water softeners is completely understandable. That is, radium is a Group II alkaline earth metal and behaves chemically in the same reactions as does calcium and magnesium, the components of water “hardness.” Water softeners use ion exchange to remove this hardness and replace it with sodium/potassium. Thus, the radium becomes concentrated in the softener and most will be flushed out during the recharge cycle of the softener.

Second, the radium is to be expected around any carbonate platform, such as Florida, due to the co-precipitation of uranium car-

bonate when the calcium/magnesium carbonates formed in the ancient seas. Uranium decays into radium and it into radon.

Third, future epidemiology studies should include questions of the mothers of affected children regarding their consumption of (nitrite) cured meats during pregnancy. These nitrites have been shown to lead to N-nitroso compounds, and these have a direct relation to pediatric brain cancers. And fourth, those affected with brain cancers, children and adults, should be DNA screened for the “nonnull alleles of GSTM1 and GSTT1” which interfere with the proper formation of an enzyme (glutathioneS-transferase) making a peptide (glutathione) that counteracts reactive oxygen species. These last two points are not given here to scare anyone, but rather to point out just how tough of a job the professionals at the health and other state and federal agencies have. Everything must be examined — what to rule out and what to rule in. They are to be thanked for carrying on the search, often in the face of harsh criticisms when answers do not magically appear.

Dr. Bill Louda Loxahatchee Groves

League Of Women Voters Birthday

Valentine’s Day represents a double celebration for women. On Feb. 14, 1920, the League of Women Voters was founded just six months prior to the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote —

certainly an occasion for a lovein. In these 90 years, this grassroots organization has spawned 850 leagues throughout all of the 50 states. Highly respected for its achievements in voter education, the strictly non-partisan league (which now includes men) has been the leader in presenting local candidate forums, explaining ballot amendments, publishing voters digests, supporting action toward ethical government, and encouraging informed and active participation in all levels of government. Celebrations of this anniversary will be taking place across the country all year, and the Palm Beach (www.lwvpbc.org) and Broward county (www.lvwbcfl. org) leagues have partnered for a mega celebration to take place on April 10 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in West Palm Beach at noon, featuring Muriel Seibert, the first woman to have a seat on the New York Stock exchange, as the keynote speaker.

Emily Rosen, Publicity Chair

Palm Beach County League of Women Voters

For The Record

In the article “Lox Council Eyes Permit Process For NonConforming Town Businesses” published last week, Loxahatchee Groves resident Fred Schriefer’s name was misspelled, and the date he moved to Loxahatchee Groves should have read September 2002. The Town-Crier regrets whatever confusion this might have caused.

Landlords, however, are not going to sacrifice their future for short-term gain, meaning that if the business is inappropriate for their plaza, they are not likely to offer space for rent to anyone for the sake of filling space for a short period of time, she said.

“They will still need to be a legitimate business,” Miranda said. “You’re still going to need to show that you can sign for the lease and that your business plan makes sense. They’re still looking for the common sense, but this is the perfect time for someone who has been looking for office space to go out and start negotiating.”

It’s a phenomenon that’s not just happening at small shopping plazas, Miranda said. It can also be found at larger locations such as the Mall at Wellington Green.

“They’re working hard over there to make sure they keep their spaces full, because nobody wants

to walk into an empty mall,” she said. “They’ve put together some good programs for their renters. The smart landlords are working with their renters, because chances are, if someone does go out of business, it’s going to be a while before you fill it back up.”

Miranda said the chamber is working with the county’s Business Development Board to get the local economy moving.

“We’re working on our end to get this Economic Development Task Force going, but it’s going to take a while,” she said. “It’s not going to happen overnight to be able to have those kinds of connections and be able to know all the right ways to market our area. It’s taking the effort of many people, the government leaders, the community leaders and organizations like ours and the BDB.”

The Economic Development Task Force will hold its first orga-

nizational meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at the South Florida Fairgrounds, said Sue Giddings, the chamber’s vice chair for economic development.

“Our broad picture at this point, which I’m sure will narrow down to specific tasks, is twofold. It’s to bring in other employers that complement what we have in our area but bring higher-paying jobs,” she said. “The other area that we’re going to work on is the retention and expansion of existing businesses.”

Another component is educational. In order to bring employers to the area, they need to be able to recruit educated young people, Giddings said. “I don’t think we’re down at the level of filling empty storefronts yet,” Giddings said. “We’re still at the 10,000- or 50,000-foot level of the big, bold and long-term picture of what we have to do and

as we break down into committees and workforces, then we will be working on specific tasks.”

The goals of the task force are designed to complement the character of the existing communities. “We’re looking to build upon the existing businesses and bringing in potential growth areas that fit within our communities, because the one thing that we don’t want to lose is the unique familyoriented environment,” she said. “We’re not talking about changing the entire lifestyle. We’re looking at high-quality, sustainable education and industry centers that promote this type of thing long term, but we want to build on what brought people here to begin with.” For more information about the Feb. 24 meeting, e-mail Giddings at economicdevelopment@palms west.com or call the chamber at (561) 790-6200.

Glenna Evinson of the Tyler McLellan Foundation takes donations outside the Winn-Dixie in Royal Palm Beach.

Catholic Church in West Palm Beach. Lord’s Place staff, clients and supporters explained

to help people deal with homelessness. There were inspirational

place.org.

Lord’s Place Executive Director Diana Stanley thanks Jazlyn Bryant for her contribution of $400.

Pam McIver, County Commissioner Jess Santamaria, Diana Stanley and David Unversaw.

Lord’s Place founder Jack Scarola addresses the crowd.

Golf Cart Stolen From Farm In Wellington’s Saddle Trail Park

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

FEB. 8 — A deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in Wellington responded to a farm in Saddle Trail Park on Monday morning in response to a vehicle theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 7 and 8 a.m. someone entered the victim’s garage and removed a Club Car golf cart. The cart has the farm’s name on the back and is valued at approximately $6,000. There were no witnesses or suspects at the time of the report.

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responded Tuesday to a home in Oakmont Estates regarding a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim’s son left the home on Vanderbilt Drive at approximately 8:15 a.m., and when the family returned at 7 p.m. they discovered that someone had stolen a flat-screen television, laptop and a Rolex watch. The victim said that all the doors and windows were locked and the deputy did not see any pry marks or signs of forced entry. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no witnesses or suspects at the time of the report.

FEB. 5 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation responded to a home in The Acreage last Friday night in response to a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 2 and 4:15 a.m., someone entered the victim’s unlocked car outside her home on 51st Court North and attempted to remove her stereo receiver. The car’s ignition was also dismantled, but nothing was taken. A blood sample found on the exterior passenger-side door was taken as DNA evidence, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

FEB. 6 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched to a store on State Road 7 last Saturday afternoon regarding a credit card fraud complaint. According to a PBSO report, a woman attempted to use a counterfeit credit card to purchase $400 worth of shoes. The woman had three cards that would not read, including a Chase Master Card, which was taken into custody as counterfeit. The suspect is described as a 5’3” Hispanic female with penciled-in eyebrows.

FEB. 7 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation responded to a home in Loxahatchee Groves last Sunday morning regarding a vandalism complaint. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 10 p.m. last Saturday and 9 a.m. the following morning, someone damaged the victim’s mailbox and recycling bins. The victim said drag racing or careless driving on C Road probably caused the damage. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

FEB. 9 — A Wellington woman was arrested Tuesday after she was caught shoplifting from the Dillard’s department store in the Mall at Wellington Green. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Wellington substation was dispatched to Dillard’s after 31-year-old Roseline Lima was observed stealing a white coat valued at approximately $130. Lima was arrested and charged with theft.

FEB. 9 — A West Palm Beach woman was arrested for shoplifting Tuesday at the T.J. Maxx store in Royal Palm Beach. According to a PBSO report, a store loss prevention officer observed 38-yearold Angela Narolis enter the store and select merchandise from various departments throughout the store. She was seen concealing the items in her purse and a baby bag. According to the report, Narolis then proceeded to a register, where she paid for select items while leaving the others concealed. Narolis was apprehended after exiting the store without paying for the concealed items, which totaled $166.37. A records check revealed there was an outstanding warrant for her arrest for failure to appear in court.

FEB. 9 — An Acreage man was arrested Tuesday night on drug charges following a struggle with police. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Acreage/ Loxahatchee substation was dispatched to 32nd Lane North to assist another deputy with a domestic dispute. He arrived to find the other deputy standing near a white Dodge pickup, and could smell marijuana coming from the vehicle as he approached. According to the report, the other deputy advised him that she observed what looked like marijuana in the subject’s lap. The deputy opened the door of the truck and made contact with 22-year-old Jadiel Ortega, who was reaching into his pants pocket and refused to show the deputy his hands. According to the report, the deputy commanded Ortega to exit the vehicle several times, but he would not cooperate. The deputy then removed him from the vehicle with force, causing a brief struggle. After Ortega was taken into custody, the deputy found approximately three grams of marijuana in a plastic bag that had been concealed in a pack of cigarettes, and another bag with one gram in Ortega’s front pocket. Ortega was arrested and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail where he was charged with marijuana possession and resisting an officer without violence.

FEB. 9 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded to a home in the Archstone Hidden Harbor community Tuesday morning regarding a vehicle theft. According to a PBSO report, the victim parked her 2000 Chrysler 300M in the parking lot outside her home. Her husband last saw the car around 9 p.m. Monday night and it was missing at 6:30 a.m. the following morning. The vehicle was locked, and the victim still has the keys. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

FEB. 9 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington

FEB. 9 — A West Palm Beach woman was arrested on shoplifting charges Tuesday after she was caught trying to steal items from the Macy’s department store in the Mall at Wellington Green. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Wellington substation responded to Macy’s after a loss prevention officer observed 24year-old Brenda Earls remove the sensor and tags from two shirts. Earls then placed the shirts into a bag and exited the store without attempting to pay for the items. The stolen items were valued at $64.38. Earls was arrested and charged with theft.

From now until the March 9 election, the Town-Crier will ask questions for publication each week to the candidates seeking seats on the Royal Palm Beach and Wellington village councils. This week’s question: “Tell us a little about your background and explain what makes you the most qualified candidate in the race.”

Royal Palm Beach Candidates For Mayor And Village Council Seat 3...

MAYORAL CANDIDATES

MATTY MATTIOLI

I have had the honor of serving as your village councilman for the past 16 years. During that time, I have been a strong champion for our residents.

I am the only candidate for mayor who understands our issues and has a proven track record of looking out for our residents. During my tenure, we have lowered our tax rate for 15 years in a row. We are the only municipality in Palm Beach County with that distinction. In fact, RPB has the second lowest tax rate of Palm Beach County’s 38 municipalities. Only Loxahatchee Groves is lower.

We have been innovative in ensuring our village’s financial health. For example, selling our water utility to the county gave us $60 million in net revenue which, when invested conservatively, will provide a reserve fund for decades to come.

We have a comprehensive parks and recreation program, and we’ve built several new parks and preserved green space. The construction of our new state-of-theart, 160-acre Commons Park, currently underway, and the rebuilding of many of our roads, are creating new jobs for our residents during these tough economic times.

I am proud to have the endorsement of the Professional Firefighters and Paramedics of Palm Beach County and our entire village council: Mayor David Lodwick, Councilman Fred Pinto, Councilman David Swift and Councilwoman Martha Webster.

As your mayor, I will be able to use my experience to do even more.

STEVE PETRONE

I moved to Royal Palm Beach 35 years ago this month after grad-

uating from the University of Rhode Island with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Before that, I earned an associate’s degree in business administration. I raised my family here. I have two wonderful children, a 21-year-old son and a 17-year-old daughter who grew up here and attended our local schools.

I worked as a reporter for a number of years and covered our village government. In that capacity, I was able to closely observe some of our development and growth.

But my real education in village government came when I began working as manager of the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center in 1997. In the more than 10 years I performed at that job, I was involved in many community events, programs and activities, as well as the management of that facility.

Being on the “inside” of village operations for more than 10 years, I got to see many things that most people do not. That experience has led me to the conclusion that there is a tremendous amount of waste, abuse and arrogance in our village government.

For the past 17 years, we have been teased with so-called “millage rate reductions,” which, until property values recently fell, did nothing to lower our taxes. Eliminating some of this waste could result in more significant, and needed, tax cuts for our already overburdened residents, while still providing all the services and benefits we need and want.

What I propose is bringing a more realistic, more fiscally responsible and more hands-on approach to managing the village. Our current leaders are out of touch with the realities of today’s economy, and we are grossly topheavy with management salaries.

The Village of Royal Palm Beach is long overdue for some good, positive change.

COUNCIL SEAT 3 CANDIDATES

TINU PEÑA

The qualities that any public servant should have in order to serve the people of his/her community include leadership, dedication and commitment; under this umbrella of qualities you will find transparency, which encompasses one’s integrity, ability to listen and facilitate, being fiscally responsible, and the ability to go the distance in order to address issues that affect the community. These qualities and more, I embody. Hence, they qualify me as a viable candidate to sit on the Royal Palm Beach Village Council.

As a mother, my aptitude for being an attentive listener and objective when addressing matters at home allows me to put forth amicable resolutions. As a home manager and small business owner, these two areas have enabled me to be fiscally responsible and ensure that the bigger picture is always kept in mind when dealing with financial matters. As an engineer, my analytical skill provides me that platform to be able to examine an issue by evaluating

various options and reviewing research data to come up with alternatives that will address the issue based on information provided.

Moreover, my involvement in community and professional organizations such as the Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Commission, Society of Women Engineers Southeast Florida and Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement Inc. (CAFCI) has given me the opportunity to become involved and take on leadership roles. I have been able to meet the people in our community and get to know them on a personal basis. It has also made it feasible to engage other residents in conversations that focus on issues that affect us in Royal Palm Beach. Not only have I gained insight from these conversations, but it has made me realize that issues I thought were isolated to myself are in fact shared among my fellow residents. Therefore, I will be coming to the council not as an individual seeking an office, but a voice for my fellow residents. As your councilwoman, my keen community-service mindedness, business insight, positive attitude and being a strong advocate for maintaining our quality of life

Wellington Candidates For Mayor And Village Council Seat 2...

MAYORAL CANDIDATES

DARELL BOWEN

As a 25-year resident of Wellington, I’ve seen firsthand the changes that have shaped our community. During that time, our population has grown from less than 10,000 to now more than 50,000 residents. My wife and I raised our two daughters here. They attended our public schools and participated extensively in the parks and recreation programs offered by the village. I have been involved in numerous community and charitable causes over the years. And, I’ve owned two successful businesses in our community.

When I ran for mayor two years ago, I made three promises: to bring fiscal responsibility to the village, to improve relations with our neighboring communities and to develop a plan for our future. I am proud to say that we have:

• Begun construction on a new municipal complex, completely funded by builder impact fees. By consolidating operations in a single location, the village will save $500,000 per year.

• By applying good business practices, we reduced spending by more than 25 percent without reducing essential services.

• Committed more than $1 million to help revitalize our older neighborhoods and assist with the foreclosure issues plaguing our community.

• Dedicated a new “medical arts” district to attract new businesses, a new medical school and a senior living center.

• Begun the renovation of our community pool.

• Begun construction on a $1 million amphitheater, paid for entirely with county funds.

• Joined with our neighboring municipalities on an economic task force to improve the financial and employment base in the western communities.

I am running for re-election so I can continue to work with our council and accomplish even more.

CAROL COLEMAN

I’m running for mayor because I believe I can do a better job. I have three advanced degrees in speech and language therapy, judge for the U.S. Equestrian Federation, serve on the board of the Equestrian Preserve Committee and am an executive director of

the Palm Beach Sports Commission. Wellington has been my home for 11 years. Bowen promised a new “business sense” but what did we get? We’re building a new village hall while closing existing facilities on Fridays. Bowen pushed to give away millions in precious public land while our tax rate and fees have risen. Homes are in foreclosure, businesses are failing, and yet Bowen hasn’t put forward even one “business sense” idea. I plan to adjust our code enforcement practices with respect to financial institutions. Other cities are saving money by making banks maintain their foreclosure properties. I plan to help residents stay in their homes through innovative foreclosure prevention programs. Other cities are enacting big ideas to meet today’s challenges, why not Wellington? I have “business sense.” I built a successful shoe company, creating hundreds of franchises and thousands of jobs, but I also have “common sense.” I know from my experience as a mother and grandmother that kids need a place to play. Our parks and recreation programs attract new families and Wellington kids grow up through our sports programs. Now our fields are suffering and equipment is in disrepair. Our gym no longer operates full-time. I’m running for mayor because Wellington can do better. Resident services are being cut while tax rates and fees are on the rise. I want to restore our core values — safe neighborhoods, superior recreation programs and a commitment to open parkland.

I offer new leadership and new ideas. I’d like your vote for mayor.

COUNCIL SEAT 2 CANDIDATES

ANNE GERWIG

I am running to fill the seat of outgoing Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto, the only female on the council.

As a 19-year resident of Wellington, a 40-year resident of Palm Beach County and as someone who has been actively involved in our village, I have seen firsthand the many changes that have shaped our community over the past four decades. I remember when anything west of Military Trail was considered the western communities.

I grew up in West Palm Beach, attended Palm Beach County public schools, married and raised my family right here in Wellington. My husband and I designed and built our home from the ground up and started our engineering firm, Alan Gerwig & Associates Inc., here. I plan to stay in Wellington and am vested in our community. I will bring this wellrounded experience to the village council.

Running for the village council is the next logical step in my continuing commitment to Wellington.

A few of my community activities include:

• Palms West Chamber of Commerce Leadership Palms West, graduate

• Scott’s Place playground, volunteer

• Wellington Citizens Volunteer Organization (CVO), Paint Your Heart Out, volunteer

• Binks Forest Elementary School, PTA, former executive board member

will enable to me to serve the citizens of Royal Palm Beach with the utmost integrity, loyalty and dedication.

RICHARD VALUNTAS

My family moved to South Florida in 1973. I was educated in Florida’s public schools and universities. Due to my family’s limited financial resources, I earned scholarships, obtained student loans and worked part-time jobs to finance my college education. My wife Lori and I have been married for more than 12 years, and all of our children (C.J., Riley and Christina) were born at Palms West Hospital. I am a board-certified attorney, and the majority of my law practice involves the representation of condominium and homeowner associations. My association and property rights expertise will be of real value to the council. My education, experience and community involvement make me the most qualified candidate for the council. I earned bachelor’s, master’s and law degrees from Florida State University. I also received a master’s in public administration from Florida Atlantic University.

• Binks Forest Elementary School, School Advisory Board, former business partner

• Tiger Shark Cove Park, volunteer

• MOMS Club of Wellington, former area coordinator for the Southeastern Florida District I believe that an elected official is there to do what is best for their residents and should always have an open door. Be assured, I will also be accessible to listen to your concerns, comments and suggestions.

Wellington is truly the shining star of Palm Beach County. I want to use my experience and commitment to our village to ensure that it stays that way.

WISMICK ST. JEAN

Parallel to the challenges Wellington is facing, I believe that my business background and my community involvement make me the best candidate for the job.

Wellington’s unemployment rate is about 8.5 percent. The council has identified eight transitional neighborhoods plagued with safety concerns. Wellington has the highest rate of foreclosures in Palm Beach County. In the meantime, the current council has voted 3-2 to increase our property taxes. Wellington is facing some serious challenges, and it is time that we have a community leader like myself who will address those problems head-on.

As a business owner, community activist and real estate broker who has lived in Wellington for many years, I know that I am in a unique position to offer solutions and new insights to the village council that can ease some of the undue burden of our residents and maintain our quality of life.

I have extensive governmental experience in Florida that includes employment as an assistant attorney general, a Palm Beach County traffic court hearing officer and a child support case analyst. I can work through the red tape of government bureaucracies.

As an assistant attorney general, I represented the State of Florida in hundreds of cases and even had the honor of arguing several cases before the Florida Supreme Court. During my tenure as a child support case analyst, I helped hundreds of Florida’s children obtain the child support they needed. As a traffic court hearing officer, I resolved traffic citation cases and interacted with our citizens and law enforcement personnel.

Most importantly, I am an active member of the community. I have been on the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Advisory Board since 2002 and currently serve as its chairman. I have also attended many village council meetings over the years in order to provide input on important issues affecting our community. In addition to being the most qualified candidate, I truly care about the quality of life of the citizens of Royal Palm Beach.

The Florida Association of Realtors has named me as one of its spokespersons in South Florida because they know I understand the real estate market and the issues that affected our property values. I am the only candidate who has appeared both in front of the county commission and the village council advocating for lower property taxes.

I was an underprivileged child who came out on top because I had many who mentored me along the way, and this is why I dedicate a good portion of my time to mentor other young adults who are exposed to drugs and crimes. I have worked extensively with the sheriff’s office to organize marches against violence and helping them to hire and put more deputies in the street so that you and I can feel safe.

ERNIE ZIMMERMAN

I have been a resident of Wellington for over 27 years. There are three generations of my family that live in Wellington. All of my kids attended Wellington schools. I now have grandchildren who are attending Wellington schools. I am a husband to my beautiful wife Sharon for more than 37 years. I am a father, grandfather, Vietnam veteran, retired New York City police officer and I have worked in Wellington for First Wellington (the original master HOA), the Acme Improvement District and the Village of Wellington for more than 19 years. I have had a career of being a dedicated public servant. Nobody knows the village from the inside and the outside as well as I do. I have always worked at jobs

where I can help my fellow residents, and becoming a member of the Wellington Village Council will allow me to continue to serve my fellow residents. Even though sitting on the council is a part-time job, in me the residents of the village would get a full-time council person. I have no wishes to ever seek higher office. Wellington is where I will be for the rest of my life. An affordable quality education is a vital tool for success. However, Wellington taxpayers should not be stuck paying the bill for the land giveaway Palm Beach Community College wants. They want property near State Road 7 that the village presently owns. The college wants the land for free.

If PBCC wants land in Wellington, we (the village) should not give the land away for free. Wellington and PBCC, and anyone else who wants to put a college in the village, should negotiate a reasonable price for the land. (PBCC just spent more than $200,000 to change its signs for its new name.)

Wellington Regional Medical Center is looking for a site to build a medical school. Florida Atlantic University is also looking for a site to build a medical school. I think a medical school would be a wonderful addition to our community. I will take each issue that comes before the council and do what is best for Wellington. I do not owe anything to any special interest groups. My campaign is a grassroots campaign. In me, the residents of the village will have someone on the council who will truly represent and do what is best for all the residents of Wellington, not just a few.

Tinu Peña

Ernie Zimmerman Wismick St. Jean Anne Gerwig

Darell BowenCarol Coleman

Richard Valuntas

Matty MattioliSteve Petrone

NFL PLAYERS VISIT

PALMS WEST HOSPITAL

NEWS BRIEFS

Spring Garage Sale Feb. 13

At Fairgrounds

Bargain hunters will have a chance to do some discount shopping this weekend. The annual Spring Garage Sale will take place on Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds.

If you’re looking for a good deal on attic treasure, this is the place to be. More than 100 local vendors will display everything from clothing, books and equipment to household items and practically every trinket imaginable. Browse the selection in air-conditioned comfort. Parking is free, and admission costs $2.

The Spring Garage Sale is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For additional information, visit www. southfloridafair.com or call (561) 793-0333.

Wellington Offers New Spanish Class

The Village of Wellington is offering a new interactive and innovative Spanish class called “Spanish Fun for Adults.”

The class combines language and culture for an hour of fun and learning. Instructor Margarita DiPasquale, will offer beginner classes beginning on Monday, Feb. 22 at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. An intermediate class will be available beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. All classes will be held at the

Wellington Community

located at 12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd. For more information on these classes, call (702) 277-7020 or email maleca01@aol.com.

Efrem Sigel To Read At RPB

Library Feb. 16

Efrem Sigel will be reading from and signing copies of his new novel The Disappearance on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach library. The book, published last year, received three and a half stars from People magazine and was hailed by Booklist as “gripping, emotional and tender… it has a deep emotional core that will resonate with any reader.”

The Disappearance, published by the Permanent Press, is the story of the disappearance of 14-yearold Daniel Sandler from a small town in Massachusetts. With lyrical prose and suspense that builds inexorably toward a resolution, it portrays the anguish of the boy’s parents, Joshua and Nathalie Sandler, as they struggle to solve the mystery of their missing son.

The Disappearance was named an Indie Next Notable Book by the American Booksellers Association and was recently released as an audio book from Blackstone Audio. Sigel is also the author of a previous novel The Kermanshah Transfer. His short stories have appeared in Xavier Review, Pleiades, Quercus Review, Nimrod, Lynx Eye Potomac Review and elsewhere and have won a num-

ber of prizes. His pieces about Israel have appeared in The Jerusalem Post, Midstream and Congress Monthly. Sigel is also the author of five nonfiction books. The Royal Palm Beach library is located at 500 Civic Center Way. For more information about the reading, call (561) 790-6030. To learn more about Sigel, visit his web site at www.efremsigel.com.

Cypress Trails To ‘Jump Rope For Heart’ Feb. 19

Cypress Trails Elementary School will conduct a “Jump Rope for Heart” event on Friday, Feb. 19 at 8:15 a.m. on school grounds (133 Park Road N., Royal Palm Beach).

The purpose of the activity is to benefit the American Heart Association. Jump Rope for Heart is a fun event that promotes the importance of exercise, teamwork and community service while raising money for the AHA.

Heart disease is the number-one cause of death, and stroke is the number-three killer of Americans. Obesity and diabetes are increasing at an alarming rate among the nation’s youth, and the AHA wants to reduce this trend. Every year, about 870,000 Americans die from cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Cypress Trails has set a goal to raise $12,000 this year. Last year, the school exceeded their goal of raising $7,000 for the program. If the students reach this year’s goal, one of their physical education teachers will get slimed. The stu-

dent who raises the most money gets to do the sliming while the rest of the school watches on inhouse TV. For more information, call Principal Gale Fulford or Assistant Principal Katy Thomas at (561) 904-9000.

Portuguese Festival In Lox Groves

The Portuguese American Cultural Society of Palm Beach County will host its third annual Portuguese Cultural Festival on Saturday and Sunday, March 6 and 7 at the club’s facilities located at 13265 Okeechobee Road in Loxahatchee Groves. The outdoor festival will feature many different traditional food specialties from Portugal, the Azores and Madeira Islands, and other countries with Portuguese heritage such as Brazil, Angola, Mozambique and Cape Verde.

The festival will take place from noon to midnight on Saturday, March 6 and from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 7. There will be traditional art and musical artists from Cape Verde (Toi Pinto), Portuguese Folklore dance groups from the Portuguese Clubs of Palm Coast (Saturday) and Fort Lauderdale (Sunday), and much more. The admission is free, and parking will be for a donation of $3. All are welcome.

For more information, visit the Portuguese American Cultural Society of Palm Beach County web site at www.pacsflorida.com.

Center

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Three former NFL players visited pediatric patients at Palms West Hospital on Saturday, Feb. 6. Reggie Givens of the San Francisco ’49ers, Godfrey Myles of the Dallas Cowboys and Lorenzo Hampton of the Miami Dolphins signed autographs for the young patients and their parents. Their visit coincided with the week’s Super Bowl festivities. (Above) Myles, Hampton and Givens visit Oden Dawkins. (Below) Hampton signs an autograph on the wall of the pediatric unit.

Medical Arts District The Topic At Palms West Chamber Luncheon

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

The chief executive officer of Wellington Regional Medical Center stated the hospital’s case for a proposed medical arts district at a Palms West Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the hospital Tuesday, Feb. 9.

CEO Kevin DiLallo, who is also the chamber’s chairman, said the Village of Wellington’s plans to join with the hospital in forming a medical arts district would be a way of bringing more medical professionals to the community.

“The medical arts district is something the Village of Wellington and WRMC have come together and put together as a way to develop an economic development plan for the village,” he said. “What we’ve done to this point is outline certain landowners that are adjacent to the hospital to try to bring the medical arts district to town. This is a preview.”

DiLallo said the plan was a vision of what the hospital could be like in 10 to 20 years, and some components of the plan would likely be worked on by village and hospital representatives. He also pointed out that the hospital, which opened in 1986, sits at the gateway to the village with its location at the intersection of State Road 7 and Forest Hill Blvd.

“As you can see on this diagram, there are several landowners that are adjacent to the hospital, and several areas of land that are vacant and are available for economic development as we move forward,” DiLallo said. “Some of the buildings are existing, and some of the buildings as we move forward will be designated for either medical use, a medical school, research, and there is also a hotel. This is at least a 10- to 20-year plan as we move out. It makes Wellington a destination as we move forward.” DiLallo was enthusiastic about

plans to bring a medical school to the hospital’s vicinity.

“We are still in active negotiations with a medical school to bring them to town,” he said. “This is extremely exciting. We will be having them right here on our campus, and right within the medical arts district.”

Dr. David Soria, the hospital chief of emergency medicine, gave chamber members an update on the treatment in facilities such as the primary stroke center, interventional cardiology services and the intensive care unit. Soria, saying the hospital can “walk the walk” when it comes to emergency treatment, discussed the plan for the emergency room to become a zero-wait facility.

“The way it works is you walk into the emergency room and the process starts immediately toward getting you a bed,” he explained.

“There is no wait time prior to getting you into a physical room inside the emergency department.

It’s really that simple. We put you in a room. There is no wait. Study after study has shown the patient felt their emergency visit was better and shorter when that period of time was eliminated. Clearly, there is a reason why we are doing this, and it improves the quality of care you are there for.” Soria also noted the success of the hospital’s primary stroke center, which opened one year ago. “We think our goal has been achieved as far as our patient population in the community,” Soria said. “That is why we set these goals. If you have chest pain, or you have signs and symptoms of a stroke, I don’t ever want you to wonder if you are going to the right place. We have the resources and the expertise to take care of you. You don’t have to go anywhere else.”

Another major plus is that the hospital will be implementing EKG transmission from the field, Soria said.

“Not many facilities do this,” he noted. “We will hopefully get this in place soon. This allows us to make decisions when the patient is still in the ambulance. They are already gathering and getting the team together while the patient is on the way.”

For more information about services available at Wellington Regional Medical Center, visit www.wellingtonregional.com. For more information about the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, call (561) 790-6200 or visit www.palmswest.com.

A VARIETY OF GOODS FOR SALE AT THE ROYAL PALM BEACH GREEN MARKET

The Royal Palm Beach Green Market is open each Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

front of Stein Mart. The market features approximately a dozen booths offering

baked goods

Events

At Temple

Beth Torah

Temple Beth Torah in Wellington will hold “Friday Night Live” on Friday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Be ready to sing, dance, shout for joy, or just be amazed and inspired.

On Sunday, Feb. 28 at 10 a.m.,

Temple Beth Torah will host a Purim celebration featuring a carnival, a Megillah reading and the popular Purim Spiel. The temple will hold a social action weekend Friday, March 5 through Sunday, March 7. This special weekend will follow the Temple Beth Torah tradition of community service, culminating in Mitzvah Day when the temple’s

congregation turns out to serve the local community with various projects designed to help “repair the world.”

Temple Beth Torah is located at 900 Big Blue Trace in Wellington. For more information about programs or services, call (561) 7932700 or visit the Temple Beth Torah web site at www. templebeth torah.net.

‘Stranger Danger’ Tae

Kwon Do Class

Ultima Fitness/Xtreme Tae

Kwon Do in Wellington will be offering a free “Stranger Danger” tae kwon do class on Saturday, Feb 13. The class will run from 11:15

a.m. until noon and will concentrate on strategies and techniques in dangerous situations. The class is geared toward boys and girls 10 to 13 years old. Space is limited to 20 participants so it is important to register early. Come prepared to work out, learn and have some fun.

Ultima Fitness/Xtreme Tae Kwon Do is located in the Well-

ington Plaza at 12799 W. Forest Hill Blvd. Call now to reserve your spot. For more information about the Stranger Danger tae kwon do class, call (561) 795-2823. For additional information about Ultima Fitness/Xtreme Tae Kwon Do, visit the facility’s web site at www.ultimafitness. com.

Laurie Raid of Seed to Bloom with some of her flowers.Carolyn Dwyer of Cottage Garden Gourmet Teas.

Wellington Regional CEO Kevin DiLallo

WRMC Chief of Emergency Medicine Dr. David Soria

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Rosey Vassilatos and her dog Bradley check out a treat held by Happy Dog Bakery’s Hannah Rothman.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Palms West Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Task Force Organizational Meeting

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 South Florida Fairgrounds Building 1 7:00 p.m.

Notice is hereby given that elected officials from municipalities within the Palm West Chamber of Commerce area may attend and participate in the discussions. The Public is invited to attend; however, public comments will not be taken at this meeting.

It’s

You should have a wealth management partner who understands that. Who cares about your personal goals for your family, your business, your future. Who can give you comfort in making decisions that not only support your

A gift-gathering party was held Saturday, Feb. 6 at the Wellington home of Irwin and Laurie Cohen. The gifts are to be auctioned to raise money for St. David’s-in-the-Pines Episcopal Church’s Mission and Ministries at the second annual St. David’s Golf Tournament, Dinner & Auction on March 27 at Binks Forest Golf Club. For more info., visit www.saintdavidsinthepines.org.

Cheyenne Olson with her grandpa Rusty Boatwright.

Brian Hanley and his daughter Lauren with Bert Winkler and his daughter Emily.

PHOTOS

Jim and Rosita Stilwell with their daughter Laurie Cohen.

Hanne-Mette Wilson checks in Marianne Davidson’s Italian-themed gift for auction.

Bob and Shirley Fenner hand their basket to Bob Wilson.

The Village of Wellington hosted its annual Father-Daughter Dance

The event featured dinner, party favors, magicians and photos, and concluded with dancing in the gym.

Craig Stein and his daughters Andrea and Jennifer.

Dan Gulkis with his daughter Katie.

Bianca Scarselli and her father Marc.Dave and Amanda Bilkis with Steve and Rebecca Pomarico.

Greg Guzik and his daughter Hailey. Glenn Hubelbank with his daughter Mara. Chris Roberts and his daughter Gracye.

Ylvisaker Cup Finals This Sunday At The International Polo Club

Carlos Gracida scored eight goals and Patagones held off Bendabout 12-9 in a 20-goal Ylvisaker Cup game Sunday, Feb. 7 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington.

Patagones led 8-7 after four chukkers and increased its lead to 11-7 before Bendabout rallied on goals by Owen Rinehart and Ulysses Escapite.

A moment of silence was held before the game for polo pioneer and Hall of Famer William T.

“Bill” Ylvisaker, who died Saturday, Feb. 6 (see related story, page 1). The tournament is named after Ylvisaker.

In other games Sunday, Faraway Polo got four goals each

from Julian Daniels and Pelon Escapite to defeat Yellow Cab 106, and Lechuza Caracas slid past the Hawks 11-10 behind six goals by Tomas Goti. The Ylvisaker Cup semifinals were played Wednesday, Feb. 10. Zacara played the Hawks in the first game, and Wanderers/Isla Carroll faced Lucchese in the second game. Results were not available at press time. The two winners meet in the final at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 14. In a Wellington Challenge match at 10 a.m. Sunday, Faraway Polo will play the winner of Thursday’s game between Yellow Cab and Patagones. Lechuza Caracas plays Mt. Brilliant at noon Sun-

day in a George Haas Cup match.

Tickets for the Nespresso Grande Pavilion range from $40 for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres to $85 for field-side Sunday brunch with service beginning at 2 p.m. General admission tickets are available for $15, lawn seating is $25 and box seats are $100. The Wellington Zone, which offers food and beverages for purchase, is open to the public and admission is free. Parking is $5. To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit www.inter nationalpoloclub.com or call the box office at (561) 282-5334. For team information and field assignments, call the polo hot line at (561) 282-5290.

WEF: Skelton Wins Grand Prix, Van Grunsven Takes Dressage Title

Nick Skelton of Great Britain and Carlo 273 overtook Pablo Barrios of Venezuela and G&C Quick Star 11 on Sunday, Feb. 7 to win the $75,000 Adequan Grand Prix CSI 2* at the 2010 Winter Equestrian Festival.

Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11, a 10-year-old Dutch Mare, set the early pace in the jump-off with a clear round in 40.00 seconds.

Skelton and Carlo 273, a nineyear-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Beverly Widdowson, made two neat rollbacks on the course and finished in 39.72 seconds. Skelton and Carlo 273 had finished second in three major events in the first three weeks of the festival.

“I knew I couldn’t hang about,” Skelton said. “I watched Pablo on the screen outside. I did what I could do. Maybe I was a little bit faster to the last jump.”

On Saturday, Feb. 6, Anky van Grunsven of the Netherlands and Salinero won the Exquis World Dressage Masters musical festival, defeating U.S. favorite Steffen Peters on Ravel and Isabell Werth of Germany aboard Satchmo. It was van Grunsven’s second straight title in the World Dressage Masters.

Van Grunsven and Salinero, who won the individual gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, scored 84.450 percent. Steffen and Ravel had 81.700 percent, and Isabell and Satchmo were third with 78.950 percent.

“Everything just worked out how it should be,” van Grunsven

said. “I was really, really pleased with [Salinero]. I am very proud.”

In jumper division competition, which was run Wednesday, Feb. 3 through Saturday, Feb. 6, Laura Kraut of the United States and Tortola, owned by Widdowson, won the $8,000 Sentient Jet 1.45m Jumpers. Barrios and G&C Napoleon were second. Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11 won the $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round Four on Thursday, Feb. 4, edging out Louis Jacobs on Kachina.

“I have some very nice horses and a great opportunity to ride for G&C Farm,” Barrios said. “With good horses, you can start to ride better, and right now I am learning and understanding how to win.”

Richard Spooner aboard Ninno produced a faultless round in a time of 60.824 seconds to capture the win in the $6,000 Spy Coast 1.40 Speed Challenge on Friday, Feb. 5. Spooner was able to maintain the top position on Ninno even though he went early in the class.

Leslie Howard on Jeans Glove Varnel won last Saturday’s $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Classic with a time of 41.604 seconds.

Elizabeth Towell Boyd of Camden, S.C. rode Renowned to a first-place finish in the First Year Green Hunter competition. Boyd and Renowned placed first over fences on Wednesday, Feb. 3 as well as sixth and first over fences on Thursday, Feb. 4 to earn the championship tricolor. The re-

serve championship was awarded to That’s Classic, owned by Samantha Leder and ridden by Vinissa Blann.

The winner of championship in the Pine Hollow Adult Amateur Hunter 3’3” was Sheila Motley, guiding Evie Jaeckle’s Remark. Remark and Motley were second and first over fences on Thursday, and combined with the pair’s first, fourth and sixth-place ribbons on Friday, the duo totaled 28.5 points for the championship. Kathy Mailloux and Margaret Taylor’s Classic Control garnered the reserve championship.

John Ingram and Hush were awarded the Amateur-Owner Hunter 36 & Over Championship on Saturday in the E.R. Mische Grand Hunter Ring. The pair earned a first and sixth over fences on Friday, as well as a second and seventh over fences on Saturday, and a win in the under saddle. The reserve championship was awarded to Jane Gaston and her mount Lumiere. Also victorious on Saturday was Caitlin Ziegler riding Artisan Farm’s Safari in the Small Junior Hunter 15 & Under. The pair won both classes over fences on Friday, as well as placing second and fourth over fences on Saturday, and third in the hack to secure the championship. The reserve championship was awarded to Abigail McArdle, riding Amelia McArdle’s MVP.

Victoria Colvin, 12, rode Vanity Fair to the championship and For The Laughter to the reserve

championship in the Large Pony Hunters. Between her two mounts, Colvin won every large Pony Hunter class last weekend. Vanity Fair, a nine-year-old bay gelding, won both classes over fences on Saturday, was second in the under saddle, as well as second and first over fences on Sunday to claim the championship over his seven-year-old barn mate, For The Laughter. For The Laughter placed third and second over fences on Saturday, won the under saddle, and won the first over fences class on Sunday.

The World Dressage Masters competition ran Thursday through Saturday. Peters and Ravel took the opening Grand Prix class with a score of 76.851 percent in the Nurnberger Versicherungsgruppe Grand Prix. “The ride today was one of his best ones,” Peters said. “It felt really good. He felt extremely supple. A little bit more energetic than at Aachen. It’s a really good start to the season.”

Fellow Californian Leslie Morse and Tip Top 962 were strong in the Grand Prix Special and finished first in that event.

Bringing together three of the world’s top dressage riders, the Exquis World Dressage Masters saw them compete head to head in the Grand Prix, and they battled for the top three spots. While Ravel was unbeatable, second place went to van Grunsven on Salinero with a score of 74.638 percent, and Werth and Satchmo took third with 72.553 percent. This was Werth’s first time in

Wellington and only her third time back in competition since giving birth to her son Frederik. In the Moorland Stables $41,000 Grand Prix Special, Mor-

(Above) Tomas Goti of Lechuza Caracas. (Right) Julio Gracida of Patagones with Nicolas Roldan and Owen Rinehart of Bendabout. PHOTOS BY ALEX PACHECO

Anky van Grunsven of the Netherlands and Salinero won the Exquis World Dressage Masters musical festival on Feb. 6. se and Tip Top won with a score of 65.708 percent For full results, visit www. shownet.biz or www.equestrian sport.com.

Wolverine Band Program Off To A Good Start

Wellington High School band members had a very successful first semester this year.

The Mighty Wolverine Sound Marching Band members earned their 15th straight Superior rating at the Florida Bandmasters Association District Marching Assessment, held at Santaluces High School on Oct. 24.

The band members earned Superiors in all judged categories, including music, marching, general effect, auxiliary and percussion. In preparation for the event, the marching band performed in the Park Vista High School Invitational on Oct. 10. The band earned Superior ratings in all categories in this performance and was named second runner-up for the entire event — a first in the band’s history.

Three members of the Wellington High School band were selected for the Tri-State Honor Bands, which performed at Florida State University on Dec. 6. Seniors Bianca Becker, Carl Saville and Courtney Smeriglio were selected on the basis of musical skill and

The

achievement, and were chosen to perform with the top 400 band students in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. Bianca Becker was also selected by audition for the All-District Jazz Band I; she was the first WHS student to place in the top band in six years. Becker performed along with the best jazz students of Palm Beach County in a concert on Nov. 5. After her successful all-district jazz performance, Becker received notification of another outstanding achievement — she has been accepted to the 2010 American High School Honors Orches-

tra and will perform with the best high school musicians in the country at Carnegie Hall in June. Becker earned this high honor through an application and a recorded audition.

The WHS band’s majorettes, under the direction of Coach Adrienne Brady, were honored with the Best Performing Group award in the Lake Worth Holiday Parade on Dec. 12.

Finally, the wind ensemble — the most advanced concert band at WHS — was selected as the only band in Palm Beach County to be featured in the school district’s holiday music program

“Holiday in Paradise,” which was shown on the Education Network in December.

The Wolverine band members and school staff sincerely thank the entire Wellington community for its continued support throughout the year.

To help support the WHS band, the Wolverine Band Boosters Association has a corporate sponsorship program. Sponsorship rewards are available for donations as small as $50. For more information or to download a sponsorship form, visit www.whsband.com.

SRHS Chorus Hits High Note In District Competition

Under the direction of Wes Rainer, the Seminole Ridge High School chorus participated in the annual Florida Vocal Association District 14 solo and ensemble music performance assessments Jan. 29-31.

Seminole Ridge would like to congratulate the soloists and ensembles who received “Superior” ratings, qualifying them for state assessments in April: soloists Tania Chatelain and Lorelle Wrice; the Mu Epsilon Nu “Philammonus” concert men’s ensemble: Daniel Adkins, Justin Bishop, Kyle Burke, Andrew Castillo, Damion Davis, Blaine Gardner, Jay Hutton, Courtney King, Andrew McKenzie, Brandon Nieves, Orlando Plain, Ariel Reda, Domenic Servidio, Scott Smith, Saran Wattanakam and Joshua Wilson; the Theta Omega “Thamyris” concert women’s ensemble and “Thamyris” junior varsity show choir: Danielle Davis, Vanessa Engelhardt, Lindsey Fisher, Ashley Fontalvo, Cassandra Hirtreiter, Stephanie Jean, Belinca Joseph, Stephanie Kendle, Tiffany Kielman, Savannah Kowalski, Vanes-

sa Lopez, Karista MacRostie, Stephanie Major, Hilary Ritchey, Aliseit Rogers, Kerri Wilson, Lauren Verrochi and Lorelle Wrice; the Psi Omicron “Musagetes” chamber ensemble and “Musagetes” varsity show choir: Zachary Brown, Kyle Burke, Michael Canlas, Andrew Castillo, Tania Chatelain, Jonathan Chirinsky, Damion Davis, Ashley Fontalvo, Jared Forrester, Ashley Gannon, Johnathan Gonzalez, Nickolaus Hofmann, Courtney Hubbell, Stephanie Jean, Vanessa Lopez, Karista MacRostie, Stephanie Major, Andrew McKenzie, Hilary Ritchey, Scott Smith, Kerri Wilson and Lorelle Wrice; and the Psi Omicron “Musagetes” women’s show choir: Tania Chatelain, Ashley Fontalvo, Ashley Gannon, Courtney Hubbell, Stephanie Jean, Vanessa Lopez, Karista MacRostie, Stephanie Major, Hilary Ritchey, Kerri Wilson and Lorelle Wrice.

Seminole Ridge would also like to congratulate the soloists and ensemble members who received an “Excellent” rating. They are as follows: soloists Ashley Gannon,

Karista MacRostie, Andrew McKenzie and Scott Smith; and the Sigma Lambda “Euterpe” beginning women’s ensemble: Enelia Carrero, Sheena Colon, Nicole Escudero, Katya Gonzalez, Madyson Hunt, Charisse Jones, Kara Kershaw, Shannon Lewis and Elizabeth McGoldrick.

• TV Production Places Statewide — SRHS television production students have placed in yet another statewide video contest. Grant Grillo and Hailey Mears earned the regional gold for their public service announcement in a contest sponsored by Florida KidCare Insurance. The two Hawk students created a 30-second video focusing on the affordability of Florida KidCare, which provides healthcare to otherwise uninsured children for less than $20 per month.

For their efforts, Mears and Grillo were recognized Jan. 29 at an awards presentation in Orlando, each receiving a $500 gift card for BestBuy. TV production teacher Mr. Earle Wright was presented with a $1,000 check for the program. Florida Kid-

Care plans to use the winning video to market its program online.

• LitMag Earns NCTE Superior — The SRHS literary magazine Mirage has been selected to receive a “Superior” rating from the National Council of Teachers of English under their program to recognize excellence in student publications. The magazine is published annually under the sponsorship of teacher Ms. Carly Gates, with Linh Pham as this year’s editor in chief.

• Interact Looking for Books — The Seminole Ridge High School Interact Club is holding a children’s book drive throughout the month of February. Students who donate will earn one community service hour for every five books donated. Bring donated books to room 6103, room 4-202, the media center, the guidance office, or the student services office. Only children’s books are allowed.

The donated books will be given to a local elementary school to help build its library collection.

RPBHS Photography Students Excel In Regional Competition

Students in Royal Palm Beach

High School’s photography program represented the school exceptionally well in the latest competition. Schools from Martin and Palm Beach counties recently competed in a regional competition. Students submitted their work digitally.

“This is a prestigious nationwide competition meant to recognize creativity in the arts,” photography instructor Cindy Oakes said.

Each entry is juried, and accepted pieces are awarded the Gold Key, Silver Key and honorable mention. Many students from RPBHS were categorized in each of the three ranks.

Receivers of the Gold Key award from RPBHS were Lauren Rice and Sara Walde, who get the opportunity to compete with the

rest of the nation in New York City. Receivers of the Silver Key award were Amanda Alard, Charlotte Ford, Marisa Gianoutsos and Lauren Rice.

Receiving honorable mention were Charlotte Ford, Jawanna Moore, Jillian Reilly, Marisa Gianoutsos, Stephanie Lorelli, Alex Spears, Allison Leonard, Amanda Alard, Brandon Weaver, Brittany Dampier, Emily Mille, Lauren Rice, Maggie Anderson and Rachelle Parry.

“I’m very proud of my students,” Oakes said. “They have worked very hard the past three to four years in photography, and their work has become purposeful and outstanding.”

The students’ work will be displayed at the EG2 Gallery in CityPlace now through March.

Jake Noble

SUPPLY DRIVE FOR HAITI

Members of the New Horizons Elementary School Student Council organized a food and supply drive for the earthquake survivors of Haiti. The school partnered with Missionary Flights International. During the week of Jan. 25-29, the students collected needed supplies such as snack foods, granola bars, cereal, peanut butter, blankets, towels, washcloths, soap toothpaste, shampoo and first aid kits. The drive was a huge success. All of the supplies were delivered to an approved drop-off location, thanks to the help of Student Council member Trident Nottingham and his parents. Pictured here are student council representatives John Campagnuolo, T.J. Palazzo, Daniel Diaz, Casey Mangini, Oriann Bell, Megan Ihle, Brody Lombardo, Logan Dragone and Nottingham.

CRESTWOOD HELPS HAITI

Crestwood Middle School’s Student Council and National Honor Society sponsored a school-wide collection of food, first-aid supplies, toiletries, blankets and other items to help residents of the earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Student Council and NHS representatives, along with faculty and staff members and members of the PTO, volunteered their time on a recent Friday afternoon to gather the collections into boxes that were labeled and taken to New Beginnings Chapel in Lake Worth. More than 50 boxes of donations were collected. Shown above are Jhanelle Bisasor, Shyanne Watkins, Diamond Cowart and Joyrina Mignano.

H.L. Johnson To Hold ‘Treasure Hunt’ At Winn-Dixie

H.L. Johnson Elementary School kindergarten and firstgrade students, along with their families and teachers, will meet on Tuesday, Feb. 23 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. for an evening of fun, learning and “treasure hunting” at the Winn-Dixie supermarket in Royal Palm Beach at the corner of Royal Palm Beach and Okeechobee boulevards.

Students will search the aisles for answers to math and reading questions on the hunt’s activity sheet. They will be focusing on skills learned in their classrooms by finding and comparing costs, sizes, letter sounds, syllables and identifying their favorite foods. Students from the school will receive prizes for completing the treasure hunt. These prizes will be

provided by Winn-Dixie and the H.L. Johnson teachers. In addition, a representative from the Royal Palm Beach branch library will be available to issue library cards to interested families.

Second- and third-grade students from H.L. Johnson will be invited to participate in an additional treasure hunt night on Tuesday, April 20.

This is the second H.L. Johnson evening event hosted by the Royal Palm Beach Winn-Dixie. Last year, approximately 60 students participated. This year’s event is expected to exceed that number.

For more information, call H.L. Johnson teacher Patrice Fletcher at (561) 904-9300

Spelling bee winners Angelica Coello and Sophia Hage.

Exciting Year So Far At Pierce Hammock

Pierce Hammock Elementary School has been involved with many family events this year, including the annual spelling bee, Math Games Night and Sweet Night of Success. Studies show that students with involved family members are more likely to achieve higher grades, attend school regularly, have more proficient social skills and are more likely to pursue higher education past high school. Pierce Hammock held its annual spelling bee on Friday, Jan. 29. The winners were fifth graders Sophia Hage (first place) and Angelica Coello (runner-up). The school would like to thank all the spelling bee participants along with judges Missy MacQueen, Kathryn Koerner and Dan Harvey. Pierce Hammock held its fifth

annual Math Games Family Fun Night on Friday, Jan. 29. Students and their families enjoyed delicious hot dogs, grilled by Principal Jeff Eassa and parent Dan Harvey. Students enjoyed playing math games created and invented by students.

Sweet Night of Success was held on Tuesday, Feb. 2. Parents and students joined together to review the FCAT diagnostic results, as well as devise achievable goals for the upcoming FCAT in March.

A “caring box” school-wide project to help Haiti was held Jan. 18-29. Many students, faculty and staff collected items needed for Haiti. Canned food, toiletries and many baby items were donated. Pierce Hammock would like to thank the Walker family for their assistance.

PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Keeney To Be Featured At Two Top Art Events

Award-winning photographer Lisa Keeney, best known locally for her work with the Town-Crier newspaper and Wellington The Magazine, will be featured as part of the 2010 ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival, taking place this weekend in the Abacoa Town Center in Jupiter. ArtiGras, which traditionally attracts 150,000 visitors, has been named one of the top 50 art festivals in the country and top 20 events in the southeastern United States. The event showcases a ju-

ried exhibition of outstanding fine art along with activities, which include live entertainment, artist demonstrations, children’s interactive art activities, celebrity art doodles and a Youth Art Competition Gallery. More than 300 of the top artists from around the world, including Keeney in Booth 554, will be available to meet Saturday through Monday, Feb. 13-15. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (5 p.m. on Monday). Admission is $10 for adults and free for children 12 and

William Wilkins

Graduates Army

Basic Training

Army Pvt. William Wilkins III has graduated from the basic combat training program at Fort Knox, Ky.

During the nine-week basic combat training period, Pvt.

Wilkins received instruction in drill and ceremony, weapons, rifle marksmanship and bayonet training, chemical warfare, field training and tactical exercises, armed and unarmed combat, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, and Army history, traditions and core values. Wilkins’ wife Amanda is the

under. See for yourself why this Wellington native is in such esteemed company. Can’t make the date? On Saturday and Sunday, March 13 and 14, Keeney will again be a featured artist at the 22nd annual Art Fest by the Sea in Juno Beach. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., along Highway A1A between Donald Ross Road and Marcinski Road in Jupiter. The festival is a springtime tradition, bringing together favorite artists as well the newest names on the

contemporary art scene. Guests will be able to view Keeney’s photography as well as life-size sculptures, spectacular paintings, oneof-a-kind jewelry pieces and ceramics. There is no admission charged for the event. Visit Keeney’s online gallery at www.lisakeeney.com for a preview of her nature- and destination-related works. Keeney also uses her artistic vision to capture the true spirit of weddings and special events. To contact Keeney, call (561) 254-8564.

PACK 165 SHOWS WELL AT PINEWOOD DERBY

Wellington Cub Scout Pack 165 held its annual Pinewood Derby races at Wellington Landings Middle School on Saturday, Jan. 16. The pack sent its top three racers from each rank to compete at the Trade Winds District Pinewood Derby races at the South Florida Fair on Sunday, Jan. 24. Pack 165 had a terrific showing with scouts that placed third overall in the Tiger Division, second overall in the Wolf Division, and second overall in the Webelos II Division in the District races. The District Pinewood Derby race winners will advance to the Gulf Stream Council competition later this year.

daughter of Richard and Pamela Vann of Wellington.

Bradley Gardner Completes Navy Basic Training

Navy Seaman Apprentice Bradley Gardner, son of Shari and David Sleeth of Loxahatchee,

recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill.

During the eight-week program, Gardner completed a variety of training, which included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, and shipboard

RPB SENIORS ATTEND LECTURE ON DIABETES

Debbie Bomford, a registered nurse with Palms West Hospital, recently presented a lecture on diabetes at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Bomford (above, right) explained to the group of seniors gathered for the afternoon event that diabetes can lead to heart problems if left unchecked, and that people with diabetes should check their blood sugar levels in the morning before breakfast. The next lecture will focus on arthritis and joint pain, and will take place on Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. For more info., call (561) 790-5140 or (561) 792-5503.

and aircraft safety. An emphasis was also placed on physical fitness. The capstone event of boot camp is “Battle Stations.” This exercise gives recruits the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the fleet. Battle Stations is designed to galvanize the basic warrior attributes of sacrifice, dedication, teamwork and en-

durance in each recruit through the practical application of basic Navy skills and the core values of honor, courage and commitment. The distinctly Navy flavor of Battle Stations was designed to take into account what it means to be a sailor. Gardner is a 2009 graduate of Seminole Ridge High School in Loxahatchee.

PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Local Photographer Participates In International Model Search

Bill Barbosa

Local photographer Bill Barbosa of Photo Designs Inc. is participating in the 2010 International Charity Model Search to select North America’s Cutest Family and to raise funds for the non-profit Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation (NILMDTS). Last year’s competition featured 2,000 models and raised $164,775 for NILMDTS.

Participating photographers submit portraits of local families for online voting. Finalists will be determined by online votes. Each vote is $1, and all proceeds from votes benefit NILMDTS. The grand prize international winner will be determined from the 52 city finalists. Many exciting priz-

es will be awarded, and the grand prize winner receives a new car. The winners will be selected from the finalist gallery by photography and modeling industry experts. The winning family also receives a session with the renowned portrait artist Sandy Puc’ and international recognition. Model search sponsor Sandy Puc’ has long believed charitable work is the backbone of the community. She created this contest to highlight excellence in the portrait photography industry as well as raise funds for NILMDTS, the organization she co-founded in 2005. People who want to enter their families in the contest may do so by calling Photo Designs

Inc. at (561) 704-4200. The contest is open to residents of the United States and Canada. For additional information, visit www. sandypucmodels.com.

Barbosa has been a professional photographer practicing in the Palm Beach County area since 1995. His interest in photography started as a young child when his mother gave him his first camera at the age of five. Barbosa has worked as a professional photographer for more than 15 years. Specializing in fine portraiture for families, babies, maternity, models, weddings and other momentous occasions, Barbosa also finds time to do corporate work for country clubs, re-

sorts, fine hotel chains and corporate retreats. Barbosa also competes on a state and national level in the industry’s professional organizations, and he has been honored with numerous awards for his work.

Barbosa has earned his Florida education degree and continues to grow by attending (and assisting with) seminars, conferences and a local photography masterminds group. Barbosa received two merit awards during the Florida Professional Photographers Convention held Aug. 19-25 in Orlando for his portrait work and for his wedding album photography/album design. To view Barbosa’s photography

work, visit www.photodesigns inc.com or stop by his office in Palm Beach Gardens. To contact Barbosa, call (561) 242-2455.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep is a non-profit organization committed to assisting parents and families going through the difficult time when they experience an early infant loss. NILMDTS connects families with volunteer photographers and provides them with a reproducible CD of the images of their baby at no cost to the family. For more information on NILMDTS, visit the organization’s web site at www.nowilay medowntosleep.org.

Grillo, Mears Among Winners Of Contest Promoting Florida KidCare

Florida Healthy Kids Executive Director Rich Robleto recently announced four Palm Beach County students as winners in the statewide Florida KidCare ActOut for Health contest. Among the regional winners were Grant Grillo and Hailey Mears from Seminole Ridge High School, who entered in the commercial PSA category. The contest challenged middle and high school students to create television public service announcements (PSAs) or billboard ads promoting Florida KidCare, the state and federally supported health insurance program for children under the age of 19.

During an awards ceremony in Orlando at Florida Hospital, Robleto announced the 12 regional winners for both categories and

then revealed the statewide billboard winner and statewide television PSA winner.

High school junior Michael Cardona from South Tech Academy received the top statewide award for his billboard entry, which is now featured on a billboard in his hometown of Boynton Beach. Cardona was joined by his South Tech Academy graphic design instructor, Mickey Schemer.

“Research shows that Florida children between the ages of 12 and 18 are the least likely to have health insurance, and I believe this non-traditional approach to outreach could be a win-win for this age group,” Robleto said. “The students who entered the contest had the chance to win prizes, and the uninsured children who en-

tered the contest or heard about it, could tell mom and dad to sign them up for Florida KidCare. We’re also taking this outreach a step further and using the winning ads in a campaign this spring to reach families with uninsured kids.”

Last fall, the contest was promoted in public and private schools across Florida and a lesson plan was provided to help technology, broadcast and art instructors incorporate the contest into their curriculum.

Students created and submitted their billboard designs through the interactive web site www.actout forhealth.net and many of the television PSA entries were created as a class project.

Florida KidCare accepts applications year-round, and children

enrolled in the program receive regular doctor’s visits, immunizations and routine vision and hearing screening. Most families pay a premium of $20 per month; many pay nothing at all.

Nearly 1.6 million children are served by Florida KidCare, of which 1.4 million are Medicaid customers and more than 255,000 are enrolled in MediKids, Children’s Medical Services or Healthy Kids.

Florida KidCare offers affordable, quality health insurance for children under the age of 19 whose parents can’t afford private health coverage. Children enrolled in the program receive regular doctor’s visits, dental check-ups and immunizations. For additional information, visit www.florida kidcare.org.

Wellington Boy Donates Piggy Bank To Red Cross

Braden Garay, a six-year-old child from Wellington and a kindergartener at New Horizons Elementary School, has learned all about the earthquake in Haiti by watching local news. Feeling compelled to help, the young boy asked his father Sebastian if he could donate his piggy bank.

Braden surrendered over two years’ worth of savings to the Greater Palm Beach Area Chapter of the American Red Cross during a special event the organization planned to recognize the child’s generosity. Greater Palm

Beach Area Chapter CEO Larry Casey rewarded Braden with a certificate for his kindness, acknowledging that no gift is too small. Braden also received a Red Cross pin and t-shirt while others in the room clapped to celebrate his generosity. With the Garay family by his side (mother Tricia, father Sebastian, sister Madelin, 3, and brother Kevin, 7 months), Braden poured open his fire-truck shaped piggy bank, emptying out a hardearned collection totaling $34.77. Sebastian Garay, a firefighter

with Palm Beach County FireRescue, wrote a check to match Braden’s donation. “I’m proud of Braden every day,” he said. “He’s a great boy with a big heart.” The Greater Palm Beach Area Chapter of the American Red Cross is still collecting money for disaster relief in Haiti. To follow Braden’s example, you can donate by calling (561) 833-7711, visiting www.redcross-pbc.org or sending a check to American Red Cross, 825 Fern Street, West Palm Beach, FL 33401.

Braden Garay

Farina Makes Northwood University President’s List

Northwood University’s Florida campus has announced that Jonathan Farina of Royal Palm Beach is among the students listed on the president’s list for the 2009 fall term. In order to achieve president’s list status, students must have earned a minimum grade point average of 3.85 for the term.

Northwood University is committed to the most personal attention to prepare students for success in their careers and in their communities; it promotes critical thinking skills and personal effectiveness, and the importance of ethics, individual freedom and responsibility. For more information, visit www.northwood.edu.

Send Palms West People items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.

Hailey Mears, teacher Earle Wright, Grant Gillo and Florida Healthy Kids Executive Director Rich Robleto.

RPB Council Seeks More Applicants For ‘New’ Education Board

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Royal Palm Beach Village Council last week postponed the appointment of new members to the recently restructured Education Advisory Board in order to get more applicants to choose from.

The restructuring was recommended at the Thursday, Feb. 4 meeting by Councilman Fred Pinto, the liaison to the Education Advisory Board.

“What the council wanted to do was to restructure the model that the Education Advisory Board operated under,” Pinto told the Town-Crier on Monday. “When they initially formed it years ago,

Election

Coates, Swift Keep Seats

continued from page 1 to be sure we continue to provide all the same services and serve our residents, which may be a difficult task over the next 12 to 24 months.”

Although the budget is expected to shrink nearly $10 million, Coates said Wellington is prepared to handle it. “Wellington is wellpositioned from an economic standpoint to weather this storm,” he said. “Past decisions from sav-

it was structured similar to some of the other committees, but there’s a big difference in this committee. It’s not a committee that has to meet on particular issues where they would take a vote to recommend to the council.”

The Planning & Zoning Commission, for example, reviews specific proposals and makes recommendations to the council whether they meet the requirements of the code, Pinto said. “That was not the kind of role that the EAB played,” Pinto said. “It does not have that kind of a mission. It is trying to be an ‘eyes and ears’ committee on what’s going on in the educational sector.”

ings in the capital improvement funds have allowed us to complete several projects that other cities wouldn’t be able to.”

One council seat and the mayor’s post will be up for grabs Tuesday, March 9. Mayor Darell Bowen is seeking re-election, facing a challenge from equestrian Carol Coleman. Anne Gerwig, Wismick St. Jean and Ernie Zimmerman are seeking to replace termlimited Lizbeth Benacquisto in Seat 2.

DAVID SWIFT

Swift has served on the Royal Palm Beach Village Council on and off since 1988. His current 16year stint on the council began in 1994.

The Education Advisory Board was created to pursue the acquisition of local schools for Royal Palm Beach in a time when many students were bused east, Pinto said.

“It was a working group that was pulled together to focus on moving the issue down the path to see that a high school was built in Royal Palm Beach, which ultimately was accomplished, then the mission of that committee became a little less clear,” he said.

When Pinto became involved with the committee, its primary role was to select recipients for the scholarships awarded annually by the village. His goal has been to

He said he was relieved that he would not have to mount a re-election campaign.

“The village is much larger than it used to be,” Swift said. “I used to try to walk the entire village back in the old days, if you will, and it’s just too big now. You have to raise probably $8,000 or $9,000 to run an effective campaign. To raise money and run advertising takes quite a bit of time and effort, so I’m not unhappy that there weren’t challengers.”

Swift said he was not sure if people are happy with the status quo, but felt that if there were serious unresolved issues, he probably would have faced an opponent.

strengthen its mission and give the board more direction. Last November, the council approved an ordinance to amend the membership composition and procedures of the Education Advisory Board and to provide for greater flexibility of the board. Under an accompanying resolution, the council now appoints the chairman and has the power to appoint additional specialists.

Pinto noted that the EAB is not a participant in the research of underperformance at Royal Palm Beach High School being conducted by an ad hoc committee headed by Councilman David Swift. Members of that panel in-

“We have improved police and fire in terms of coverage and professionalism, and we have made major renovations to the parks and upgraded the southern and northern end of the village with more to come,” he said.

The village also has the 160acre Commons Park under construction. “I think people see that the council and its management is effective in reducing taxes, so I can’t see beating plowshares into swords because nothing is happening at this time,” Swift said.

One big issue to address in his new term, he said, will be to improve the D rating at Royal Palm Beach High School. Although he was unopposed, he participated in

clude Principal Guarn Sims, Chief Academic Officer Ann Killets and School Board Member Dr. Sandra Richmond. The EAB could take part in the research, though, if the council thinks it is necessary, Pinto said. “The work that needs to be done addressing the issues we have at the high school right now is not going to happen immediately — it’s going to take quite a few years to really get it to the point where we’d like to see it,” Pinto said. “There could be several initiatives that come out of this process over the next several years, and certainly we would look to utilize the EAB.”

Under the new structure, the

a debate put on last week by the Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement, where he was asked about the high school.

“There is a lot of interest about the high school because people would like to be able to send their kids to a local school and have them be safe,” said Swift, who is leading a village task force looking into the issue.

The village’s budget will be another concern as the difficult economy continues.

“Hopefully, we can hit that without raising taxes, but it’s not going to be easy,” he said, explaining that the village will have a shortfall with less state and ad valorem tax revenue.

council has the authority to augment the EAB with subject matter experts, depending on the issue at hand, Pinto said.

“It gives us a lot more ability to structure them to handle specific tasks as we go forward,” Pinto said, adding that he wanted to thank the previous EAB members for their work. “The members of the previous committee served us in an outstanding way, and we really appreciate their volunteer service that they provided for many years.”

For information on applying for a seat on the restructured Education Advisory Board, contact the Village Clerk’s office at (561) 7905100.

Another issue is the census, he said, explaining that a thorough count will bring more state and federal money. “The census is very important because we actually get more money from the state than we do ad valorem tax dollars,” he said. “It’s based on your population. For every person that’s counted, that’s about $150 in state revenues that we would receive.”

In other village elections, Vice Mayor Matty Mattioli and former RPB employee Steve Petrone are running for mayor, while attorney Richard Valuntas and engineer Tinu Peña are seeking the council seat being vacated by Mattioli. The election is March 9.

PBSO

Ylvisaker

Wellington Visionary

continued from page 1

ing business of land development.

That brought Ylvisaker to Wellington, with Gould Florida buying out the community’s original developers — Alcoa Florida and the Investment Corporation of Florida — to become Wellington’s sole owner.

In 1978, Wellington had just a handful of homes built when Gould Florida began changing the face of the community by introducing Palm Beach Polo to the project. In 1979, Palm Beach Polo opened. Later that same year, Gould broke ground on the Aero Club, an aviation-themed commu-

WEF Saturday Night Lights

continued from page 1 Sponsorship Meg Krueger knows that some residents know nothing about its seasonal community.

“It’s a really interesting time for the community,” she said. “There’s not anything like this anywhere else in the world. It’s something residents should be proud of, support, and recognize how it makes Wellington unique.”

General admission is free for most events and parking is $20 per

Cancer Lots Of Anger, Few Answers

continued from page 1

tion to help in the cancer cluster investigation.

“We want to find an answer,” Turner said. “I’m a mother and a pediatrician. I can only imagine the fear and frustration. How do I protect my child, my family? Who is helping me? We are sorry for your losses to your children, your property value. We share your frustration. We are the agency you look to. There is no clear cause, but we are committed to finding an answer.”

Dr. Sharon Watkins, the state epidemiologist, said that although the expression “cancer cluster” might elicit an emotional reaction, in statistical terms, “cluster” means an elevated rate in a specific disease in a specific age group in a specific time period.

LGWCD

New EPA

Water Rule

continued from page 3 to enact some super-safe criteria and put everybody in default.”

Ryan said he felt the proposal was vulnerable to attack from a scientific standpoint. He urged as many people as possible to attend the public hearings.

“The impact of this is that they would look at us like they would look at a factory that’s depositing effluent,” he said. “While we want to take floodwaters and put them in the C-51, they would want us to measure the phosphorus and

nity, in a further attempt to bolster Wellington’s image as a retreat for the wealthy.

Bringing polo to Wellington was not Ylvisaker’s only credit in establishing the community as a haven for equestrian sports. He was also instrumental in convincing Gene Mische to move his winter show jumping series from Tampa to Wellington, leading to the creation of what is now the Winter Equestrian Festival.

In 1986, three years after his son William died, Ylvisaker retired from Gould and established Corporate Focus, a firm that specialized in acquiring and operating privately held manufacturing and industrial service companies.

Equestrian Mason Phelps, whose family was close to the Ylvisaker family, said he came to

car, which makes the event cheaper for most families than going to a movie, Bellissimo said. “It’s great for families who are looking for something different to do,” Bellissimo said. “People come for a new experience.”

Each week at the International Arena is a new experience — from the diverse equestrian schedule to the changes in shopping, food, drink and entertainment.

“We like to have different options for people who come,” Krueger said. “We’re always expanding our food options to meet everyone’s needs.” Each night also has different forms of family entertainment from face painting to pony rides. And to bring the communities closer together, there will be priz-

Wellington because of those family ties and his own love of equestrian sport.

“There’s no question that Wellington would not be here were it not for Bill Ylvisaker’s vision,” Phelps said. “As president and CEO of the Gould Corporation, he had the vision to create Palm Beach Polo to unite the polo community into one group and give it a winter base. Also, along with that same theme, he provided a stage for what is now known as the Winter Equestrian Festival.”

Phelps said all equestrians, no matter what the discipline, be it dressage, show jumping or polo, are in Wellington because of Ylvisaker’s vision in the mid1970s. “I’m happy to say that I have been here every winter since 1978 as a result of Bill’s encour-

es and giveaways for riding lessons. “The response has been amazing,” Bellissimo said. “We want people to be comfortable in the environment over time and get them to know where the event is and what we’re doing here.”

On Saturday, Feb. 13, riders compete to qualify for the 2010 FEI World Cup, and Saturday, Feb. 20, the event returns with the American Hunter-Jumper Foundation/ World Champion Hunter Rider Hunter Spectacular.

The Palm Beach International Equestrian Center is located at 14440 Pierson Road in Wellington. For more information, or for a full schedule of events, call (561) 793-5867 or visit www.equestrian sport.com.

“It’s an estimation based on numbers,” she said. “I’m talking numbers, but these are children and we realize that.” Watkins said that detailed interviews of 12 of 13 families identified as having similarities have been completed and are being analyzed. “We used templates from other studies,” she said. “It was a very long questionnaire. When the results are complete, they will be shared with the community.”

One resident asked why different types of brain tumors were included in the study, and Watkins said part of the challenge was dealing with small numbers in the study area. Turner said the next steps will include discussion with the CDC over the results of its tests.

Aronberg noted that more testing would be done as needed, stressing his belief that there is an underlying cause to the issue, not just a culmination of various lifestyle factors. “This is not in our minds,” Aronberg said. “This is reality. This is more than cell

nitrogen and chlorophyll against some very harsh criteria and possibly be legally responsible for not discharging floodwater but putting it into a treatment area and cleaning it up to a certain level before we could discharge it.”

Ryan said the EPA is ignoring agencies such as the South Florida Water Management District, which has the responsibility for treating storm water. “It is so impractical to think that we would have the financial ability to do a full scope of treatment, rather than relying on a body like the South Florida Water Management District that is already in place,” he said. Ryan said it was unreasonable

phones and diet soda.”

Mary Jean Yon, director of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Department of Waste Management, said her staff had conducted a study of groundwater in The Acreage in August with no indication of hazards.

“The idea behind that was to do a preliminary assessment to see if there were any hazards that may be threatening the community,” Yon said. “As the Department of Health goes forward, we’re here to help them. When we sampled in August, all we did was groundwater. We’re starting on a small scale, but it’s just a starting point.”

County Commissioner Jess Santamaria read a letter to Gov. Charlie Crist signed by himself and Indian Trail Improvement District President Michelle Damone asking him to become directly involved. “I don’t live in The Acreage, but I consider myself to be your neighbor and friend,” Santamaria said. “Your government has not done enough. It is time for us to have more ag-

for the EPA to hold a public hearing in February for a proposal that is to go into effect this year. He said he has spoken with U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, who said he is working with the state congressional delegation, but feels that they need to see a groundswell of opposition.

Saunier said based on information he had received from county officials, 80 percent of South Florida’s natural streams would not meet the EPA criteria.

“The only reason they know that is that Florida leads the entire United States on the amount of water quality data that we record in this state because of our concern to be good stewards for our waters here,” Saunier said.

agement and been a resident since 1988,” Phelps said. Ylvisaker had residences in Barrington, Ill., and at Palm Beach Polo in Wellington. In his later years, during the off season, he lived in Middleburg, Va., where he owned Cotswold Farm for breeding horses. He is survived by two daughters, Laurie Ylvisaker and Elizabeth Ylvisaker, both of Woodstock, N.Y., and a son, Jon Ylvisaker of New York City. He was pre-deceased by a son, William, and a daughter, Amy. He is also survived by four grandchildren: Maren, Brieze and Marlia Keeley of Chicago, and Alastair James Ylvisaker of New York City. His sister, Sara Heller of Westport, Conn., died in 2001. Services are set for 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 12 at St. David’s-inthe-Pines Episcopal Church in Wellington. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made to the Polo Training Foundation or the Polo Hall of Fame in Ylvisaker’s honor. Bill

Council

B&G Club To Move

continued from page 1 on bringing us to the table,” Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto said. “And I think that when this effort moves forward in its new location, you’ll see more donors come along and help complete the facility.”

There has been no decision on how the village will use the existing building on South Shore Blvd., Barnes said, but because it has a restroom, it will remain open to serve the adjacent park, which is required by law to have a working restroom on site.

In other business:

• The council unanimously approved the final rezoning of 122 acres of industrial space along Pierson Road from Light Industrial to the newly created Flexible Use Zoning Employment Center (FZEC).

The council approved the new zoning classification in June to encourage new businesses to locate

gressive and decisive action.”

The letter included a request for state and federal assistance, especially with water issues.

“While individual water wells might not be the cause, we ask for financial help for public water distribution through federal and state funding,” Santamaria said.

Dr. Jeffrey Buchsbaum, a pediatric oncologist who spoke during the public input session, said he sees hundreds of children with tumors in his practice and found the statistics to be unusual.

“There are two clusters of histologies that were shown to you; there’s ependymomas and different grades of glioma,” he said. “What’s unusual to me is that the most common pediatric brain tumor is the medular blastoma, which is absent. There’s some interesting stuff there. It’s rare to see a kid with a glioblastoma.”

Buchsbaum added that care should be taken drawing conclusions with the small numbers in the study. “Cancer is an inherently frustrating business,” he said.

PZA Board

K-Park As Mixed Use?

continued from page 3 cluding commercial or office space, Hodgkins said. “Mixed use is a very popular type of development,” he said. “It gives the property owner the ability to be more specific on what uses they want. This would give us the ability to tell developers ‘yes, we have that type of zoning.’”

Several board members were immediately concerned with the inclusion of K-Park in the staff report’s list of possible properties

in Wellington and existing businesses to expand in the community. The rezoning is a part of the village’s Economic Development Initiative, planner Bill Nemser said, explaining that the focus is on bringing more jobs to the industrial area, commonly known as Commerce Park. Under the FZEC, businesses that are compatible with those in the Commerce Park area are subject only to staff’s approval. Councilman Matthew Willhite wondered whether there would be any other locations where the rezoning would be available without making any changes, but Nemser said the rezoning would apply only to Commerce Park.

• An ordinance requiring property managers of foreclosed homes to register with the village was withdrawn from the council’s consideration.

The Real Property Mortgage Registration would have required annual registration of all foreclosed properties in an effort to identify a local property manager who would have to maintain the

“Everyone who does it for a living is frustrated because it’s hard to cure.”

Buchsbaum stressed that the medical experts in the county are there to help. “I don’t want anyone in the room to feel that they are being left alone without someone to talk to in the medical community,” he said. “There’s a lot of stress here, and there are people here who do this for a living. I see this stuff all the time. A glioblastoma for me is a normal thing to treat. I just want to put that in perspective. It’s not a fun thing to treat, but for me, it’s what I do day in and day out. If anyone has issues, find an expert, talk to them. Get some help, and stick together so the community doesn’t fall apart.”

Greg Dunsford, the father of a boy who had a brain tumor removed a few years ago, worked with his wife Jennifer to initiate the original investigation into a cancer cluster after they found what they thought was an usually high rate of brain tumors in their

that could be rezoned, although Hodgkins assured them that it is just an example.

“It raises a flag to include this property,” Board Alternate Alan Johnson said. “It’s a huge change for K-Park to even consider doing this. I don’t want it to be seen as a back-door deal for the property, which is supposed to be zoned for a public institution, to be opened up to commercial uses.”

But Hodgkins said the property was not being rezoned but was only being included to illustrate the types of properties that would qualify for mixed-use zoning.

“K-Park jumps out in the list as the one which doesn’t belong,”

property. Fines were to be levied against managers who didn’t comply with the village’s codes.

However, Village Manager Paul Schofield suggested that the council withdraw the ordinance after discussions at the agenda review meeting on Monday, Feb. 8 suggested that the ordinance needed revision.

“During the discussion yesterday evening, it was evident that there was no real agreement on the means, methods and enforceability of the ordinance as drafted,” Schofield said. “It was my impression that although everyone on council felt that some help was needed in the pre-foreclosure stages of mortgages, that there was no consensus that the current version of the ordinance could be enforced.”

Although several residents came to speak against the proposed ordinance, they supported the council’s decision to withdraw it, and chose not to speak. Village staff will reconsider the ordinance and try to find something that will better solve the problem, Schofield said.

community. He asked why the study had focused on the pediatric cancers and not the overall cancer rate in all ages, which he felt was also high.

“I think we have a misconception here,” Dunsford said. “This is not pediatric only. We have roughly five times the amount of adults being stricken with brain cancer as you do pediatrics. I would encourage you to continue whatever you’re doing, whether it’s going to be federal, whether it’s going to be local, whether it’s going to be state. These people need answers.”

Dunsford also implored members of the audience to be civil while the meeting continued.

“I know we are all angry, and we have a good right to be angry,” he said. “We’ve had people say some really dumb things to us… but other than that, let’s help find some answers. Let’s do whatever we can.”

A video of the meeting is on the county web site at www.pbcgov. com.

Johnson said. “Some thought must have occurred to include it, and I think the public needs to be cognizant of its inclusion.”

Delai agreed that the public should be informed.

“If we possess something which could change its use in the future, then I think we want that highlighted,” he said. “If K-Park can be rezoned to mixed use, I see that as an issue for some people. If it becomes contentious, it could shoot the whole ordinance down.”

But Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz said that K-Park was only listed in the staff report, not in the ordinance. Therefore, passing the ordinance would have no effect on the property.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

PHOTO BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Corporal Carlo Cardarelli presents a plaque to Elizabeth Williams of Wellington and her son Kenneth. Crossing guards from the western communities.

Members of the Wellington Wave U-8 boys soccer team, along with their coaches, paid a special Valentine’s visit to Palms West Hospital’s pediatric ward, bringing balloons and greetings to the young patients and their parents. Along with the boys were coaches Adrian Hasback and Javier Escalera, and Manager Jenny Caro. Shown above are Wave members with balloons inside the hospital.

Ylvisaker (right) chats with Jeremy Chisholm fieldside during Palm Beach Polo’s heyday.

PHOTO COURTESY JEANNE CHISHOLM

Will Soto juggles swords while walking a tight rope.

PHOTO BY JACK MANCINI The Budweiser Clydesdales were a hit as the opening exhibition before the recent “Battle of the Sexes.”

PHOTO BY RANDI MUSTER

Valentine’s Day Brunch and Polo

February 14th, 2010

Presented by Bistrot Bagatelle of NYC

Nespresso Grande Pavilion at the International Polo Club Palm Beach

Brunch Hours: 2pm – 5pm

Featured Match Begins at 3pm

Enjoy the featured Sunday Match, and take in all the breathtaking high goal polo action, from this field side oasis, which will also feature special fashion shows, musical entertainment, complimentary champagne and a gourmet brunch.

Pavilion Tickets – Select Cocktails and Hors d’oeurves only – $40.00

Brunch Tickets – Includes Gourmet Field Side Brunch – $85.00

Purchase Tickets @ internationalpoloclub.com

Purchase Tickets in front of Pavilion

For Further information: polorsvp@internationalpoloclub.com

Highs And Lows At The South Florida Fair

Columnist Ellen Rosenberg had an enjoyable time visiting the South Florida Fair, but she couldn’t help but think that there was something missing from the fair’s traditional equestrian element — and she found several others who shared a similar point of view. Page 27

Binks Forest Elementary Golf Tourney

Charity and generosity were in full swing during Binks Forest Elementary School’s golf tournament Feb. 6 at the Binks Forest Golf Club. The event raised more than $5,000, which will be used to refurbish the school’s playground. Page 44

Shopping Spree Shopping Spree

A TOWN-CRIER PUBLICATION

INSIDE

BUSINESS

PMI: Remaking Homes, Buildings & More Paul’s Maintenance Inc. — better known as PMI — is on standby to fulfill all your home and building needs. PMI specializes in maintenance, repair and remodeling jobs of all sizes. Co-owners Paul Tonks and his son Philip want their Wellingtonbased company to be the one-stop shop for quality workmanship at affordable prices. Page 35

Spor ts

Big Basketball Win For Wellington Boys Over Rival Palm Beach Central

Behind junior guard Scott Witkowski’s 25 points, the Wolverines boys basketball team defeated the Palm Beach Central Broncos 63-42 on Friday, Feb. 5. Meanwhile, the Royal Palm Beach High School girls varsity basketball team was knocked out of the running for the district championship with a 74-65 loss to Palm Beach Gardens. Page 41

THIS WEEK’S INDEX

COLUMNS & FEATURES.......................27-28

SUMMER CAMPS.................................30-31

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT...............32-34

BUSINESS NEWS................................35-38

SPORTS & RECREATION......................41-44

COMMUNITY CALENDAR....................46-48

CLASSIFIEDS.......................................49-55

Highs And Lows: Thoughts About The South Florida Fair

Sunday, Jan. 31, was the last day of the South Florida Fair, and I was going. It was overcast, cool and breezy — nice walking around weather. I stopped by a friend’s house on the way, and we began talking about the fair. Susan, Bob and John were sitting on the back porch enjoying brunch. The consensus was that the fair wasn’t as good as it used to be.

Susan said she looked forward to it every year, especially seeing the animals.

“I went to see things I didn’t see every day. The livestock used to be a mainstay of the fair,” she said. “The goats, the cows, the bunnies, the chickens, and especially the horses. Now, the animals are minimal. The horse shows used to be big. Local people and people from all over the state competed. Now, the shows are barely there. And the cows — there used to be so many cows, aisles and aisles of cows, every breed you could imagine, one prettier than the next. The last time we went to the fair, a few years ago, they were just in one small area. You have to look hard to even find them. The agricultural part used to be the center, the heart of the fair.”

“They used to have a lot of horse competitions, big shows, lots of drill teams, draft horse pulls,” Bob said. “We went every night just to watch the horses perform.”

“The fair lacks character,” John said. “It’s very commercialized. I liked the mom-andpop booths. Now, most of the stuff is manufactured.”

“Yesteryear Village is one of the best parts,” Bob said.

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg

“Yep,” John agreed. “It’s nice to see the machinery, the old steam engine single-piston chuggers. Up in Massachusetts, some of those fairs have been going for a hundred years. We used to save all year to go.”

“Now you go to the fair to buy a hot tub or roofing or plumbing,” Susan said.

“It’s half home show,” John agreed. “I used to go to the South Florida Fair two, three, four days in a row to see it all. Now I might go for a day, and that’s it.”

And so, feeling rather blue, I headed out to the fair.

Yesteryear Village was going strong. Crowds wandered the village green, kids ran and played as an Indian tribe sang and danced. A man dressed as if he’d just walked out of a saloon in Tombstone, headed for the OK Corral, leaned against a tree. Ron Davis, from Jacksonville, was waiting his turn to perform; he plays and sings classic country and bluegrass music.

“I’m here just for the fair,” he said. “I used to come every year from the late 1980s until about 2004. This is my first time back since then. I love this fair. The fact that it has a theme

every year makes it stand out. And I’ve gotten to see Yesteryear Village grow. Even the trees have matured. It’s like a real town now.”

I started feeling better as I walked to the agricultural part. Here were the chicken, rabbit and “moo-ternity” tents, the cow building, and the horse tent and arena.

About 25 people, most with excited children, strolled the sawdust aisles of the rabbit tent, examining the bunnies in their cages. The poultry tent was humming. Kids were clutching paper cups of bread crusts to feed to the fowl. There were about 60 people gazing at the chickens.

“It was like a zoo yesterday,” said Lee Salmon, president of the Poultry Club. “They were packed in. It has been great, compared to past years.”

The “moo-ternity” tent held three Holsteins

awaiting the arrival of their calves. People walked through quietly, stopping to look and then moving on.

The cattle building was bustling. There were Jersey and Guernsey cows, standing or lying about in the open stall area. Children led cows to the covered arena for a show, where the judge explained the best points of each cow. Someone brought a cow to an automated milking machine and we watched as it was hooked up and milked. There were young cows, old cows, even nursing newborns. You could reach out and pet the cows, especially those cute calves.

So things were looking up. People seemed to be finding the animals and enjoying them. And then I went into the horse tent. It was 1 p.m. It was quiet and nearly deserted. The See FAIR, page 28

(Above) Shelly and Stephanie LeConte with Charisma. (Left) Ron Davis in period clothing.

Yes, It’s My Birthday... But Don’t Expect Me To Act My Age!

Today is my birthday, so we are going to play a little birthday game. The game is called, “Guess which birthday I’m celebrating?”

When I was younger, this was the most fun game ever. Now? Not so much.

As a toddler, I couldn’t wait to tell people — especially complete strangers — how old I was (“I’m two!” “I’m free!” “I’m four!”).

When I turned 10, I proudly wrote in my diary that I was “into the double digits — finally!”

And when I became a teenager, I embraced the typical surly, defensive response employed by teenagers everywhere, mostly because we adults are trying to keep them out of places they want to be. (“I’m 16! Of course I can drive this car!” “I’m 18! Of course I can see this movie!” or “I’m 21! Of course

Deborah Welky is The Sonic BOOMER

I’m old enough to drink!”)

By the time I was in my 40s (and a lot less surly), I noticed that women around me wouldn’t divulge their ages. I couldn’t understand why. What was the big deal?

Now I know. It’s hard to admit you’re over 40 (or 50 or 60 or 70) when you still feel like you’re 17. It’s even harder as time marches

on. You look in the mirror and ask, “Who is that person? She certainly doesn’t look like she’s 17. Yet she does resemble me...”

The obvious answer is to stop looking in mirrors.

But now it’s my birthday and a host of wellmeaning family and friends have sent a flurry of cards insisting that I am yet another year older. The 17-year-old in me is tempted to write, “Not at this address,” and put the cards back in the mailbox. The mature adult wants to open them and see whether there are any checks in there. Well, OK, the immature adult.

But back to our game. Here are your clues:

• I am old enough to drive to any movie I want and have a glass of wine afterward.

• I am old enough to have been here when Elvis really was alive.

• I am old enough to remember when TV advertising focused on Hula-Hoops and Fizzies, not pharmaceuticals.

• And I am so old that I have started using up all the pretty pens and stationery I’ve been saving.

• I am so old I light my decorative candles even when no hurricane threatens.

• I am so old that I actually smile when my guests use the little shell-shaped soaps in the bathroom.

OK, give up?

The answer to the question at the top of the column (“Guess which birthday I’m celebrating”) is this: “mine.” It’s a trick question! Isn’t that annoying?

Telling annoying jokes is definitely a sign of old age.

The Hurt Locker: A War Movie Unlike Any Other I’ve Seen

The Hurt Locker probably is the best film you didn’t see this past year. Coming out in the middle of the summer blockbuster season, it was generally ignored by the public despite getting excellent reviews.

Now it has been nominated as “Best Picture” for the Academy Awards, and its director Kathryn Bigelow has won just about every possible award for her work. She is the odds-on favorite to be the first woman to win an Oscar for directing.

Is the film that good? It is an exceptional film, although somewhat overlong. It is harrowing, following a bomb demolition unit in Baghdad in 2004. Led by Sgt. 1st Class William James (Jeremy Renner), an adrenaline junkie who replaces a man who was killed by a remote bomb, the group has to defuse the many bombs planted in the city. His team, consisting primarily of riflemen Sgt. JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) are called to the sites of bombs with James assigned to either defuse or explode them. The relationship between the three men, each with a markedly different personality, is a key element in the film.

Fair Rosenberg

Column

continued from page 27

fair’s National Parks theme was evident in the mock camping sites and re-creation of Mount Rushmore: booths created by some of the horse clubs. There were two small square pens, each with a horse and owner. And ... well, that was kind of it. I walked to the back and the stalls that competitors used. But the stalls sat mostly empty. In the ring, someone rode a horse and led a second one around, and a kid was riding a pony. Exactly three people sat in the viewing stands.

Back in the display area, four people wandered through. Sharon Felt, president of the Arrowhead Appaloosa Horse Club, was sitting in one of the camping chairs by her club’s

‘I’ On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

The tension involved is well-played with paranoia, a dominant feature. Watching the crew checking rooftops and windows for snipers as well as people who might set the bomb off remotely as James works his way through the complex wiring brings home the incredible stress soldiers face. After watching one scene with a bomb inside a car, I felt like a victim of post-traumatic stress syndrome — and I was sitting at home watching on pay per view.

There are several similar scenes, meaning the audience is put through an immense amount of stress throughout the film. There are several major subplots, including a gunfight where the crew helps a group of wellarmed military contractors fighting against

booth. It was her 25th year coming to the fair.

“There have been a lot of changes in the horse tent,” she said. “When people come into a horse tent, they want to see horses, not campsites. A lot of people don’t even know they can go in the back. Those two stalls up here are often empty. You walk in the chicken tent, the rabbit tent, the cow tent — you see animals. Look in here and you see campsites.”

Felt wished there was more of an emphasis on horses at the fair.

“Nothing against the management. They’ve done a good job,” she continued. “But the volunteers are asked to do more and more and get less and less. I know there were budget cuts. But if you only get four free entry badges or 20 tickets per club, how do you distribute them fairly? And how can you ask someone to pay $15 per person to bring his horse? People used to want to

some of the enemy. Ralph Fiennes as the lead contractor gives a vivid performance in what is not much more than a cameo role.

A more important subplot involves James’ relationship with a young boy who calls himself Beckham (Christopher Sayegh), who sells pirated DVDs in a market near the base. When he finds what he thinks is the boy’s body, torn apart with a booby trap attached — one designed to kill unwary soldiers — James breaks down and searches for the boy’s family. After being rebuffed, he has a long trek back to the base. When he discovers that Beckham has not been killed, he refuses to deal with him as if making any more connections would be too painful.

Several veterans of the Iraq war have praised the film, although several have pointed out technical errors that only veterans would notice. The film’s essential focus on James, a man who only seems to live for action, has been criticized, particularly by antiwar critics who found fault with the film’s lack of condemnation of everything American.

This film is very different from the string of anti-American movies put out by Holly-

bring their horses and exhibit them. Now, how do you afford that?”

Felt pointed out that there were far fewer drill teams at the fair, and there were too many events that were not horse-related.

“I used to love coming out to the fair. A lot of small farms came and brought their horses and riders,” she said. “The Sheriff’s Mounted Unit used to come, and the Posse always was here in force. A lot of people loved watching them barrel race and demonstrate types of riding. Not even the Arabian club came this year.”

Felt’s memories reminded me of the year I was boarding my mare at a barn in Loxahatchee. When the fair opened, the whole barn packed up and moved to the fairgrounds. Our horses stayed there the entire two weeks, and that’s where we rode and worked them. It was a good way to familiarize young or inexperienced horses with the sights

wood the past few years. Rather than ranting about America’s guilt (for just about everything, since the country seems to be blamed for supporting Saddam Hussein as well as for removing him), it focuses on the grunts — the people doing the fighting.

The lack of trust for the local population is presented as a fact of life and in context. This is not an easy film to watch. However, it is extremely well-done, and its cast is uniformly excellent. Renner deserved the Oscar nomination for Best Actor he received. The film itself was shot in Jordan, only a few miles from the Iraqi border, as a way of ensuring realism, and most of the Arab performers were Iraqis.

The film is a bit too long, and there is very little time spent on humor or breaking the tension. But if a film is supposed to present at least some realism to teach its audience about life, it succeeds quite well.

The film is no longer in theaters but is available on DVD or on pay per view. See it; it will be time well spent. It is not a fun movie, but it is one that presents a difficult topic in a gritty, realistic way and comes out a winner.

and sounds of the crowds, and people loved stopping by and watching us ride and train.

I definitely hadn’t seen anything like that going on here, but that was also back when the horse area included barns and a couple of large sand rings. The horse club booths were set up around the main ring, all housed under a huge tent, and spectators could simultaneously browse past the booths and watch horses getting worked. It was a bittersweet memory of what the fair used to be to the horse community.

Charlie James, this year’s organizer, along with his wife Pam, acknowledged that this was a tough year financially for a lot of people. Traveling with horses gets expensive, so many out-of-town groups chose not to come. But, he said, they were hoping to make it next year, and the horse tent would also change. Felt’s suggestion about opening up the back stall area and

including a showcase of breeds was being seriously considered.

Aha! So maybe next year people would walk into the horse tent and see… horses!

When I had stopped by on the first Saturday, during the drill team competitions, there had definitely been more horses and enthusiastic people around. But I had to agree that it was less than it used to be, diminished by a combination of the rough economy and the large numbers of horse people who had moved away.

As I was leaving, Ed Schluter and a few others were standing outside the tent demonstrating how to throw a lasso. Everyone and anyone was invited to step up and try to lasso a fake cow. I tried a few times and was coached in a friendly manner, and I almost managed to rope my cow. No, it didn’t exactly involve a horse, but it made me feel good.

The fair had been fun.

Academy for Child Enrichment — In the heart of Royal Palm Beach, the Academy for Child Enrichment offers free all day VPK. Infants through afterschool day and night care, 6:30 a.m. to midnight (Monday through Friday), meals included. Qualified staff. Se habla Espanol. Special rates for all registration. The Academy for Child Enrichment is located at 700 Camellia Drive in Royal Palm Beach. Call (561) 798-3452 or visit www.small worldpbc.com for more info.

Casperey Stables Horse Camp — Casperey Stables is a small, fun-filled day camp for children ages seven to 14. With four riding opportunities each day, arts & crafts and outdoor games, campers find little time to be bored. The low counselor-child ratio ensures your child will receive individual attention. There are camp sessions for spring and winter school breaks, and during the summer, each two-week session has a theme, such as Indian Days, Circus Days and Medieval Days. Casperey Stables has a weekly swim party and ends each session with a horse show and family BBQ. Call soon — this small, quality program fills quickly! To learn more about the camp, located at 2330 D Road in Loxahatchee Groves, call (561) 792-4990 or visit www.caspereystables.com.

Movement Arts Dance Academy Movement Arts will be holding seven weeks of fun-filled summer camp. Weekly themed mini camps for ages three to five will run the weeks of June 14, July 19 and July 26. Students will have fun with arts & crafts and games in addition to learning several styles of dance. Full day camps for ages six to 11 will be held from June 21 through July 16. Classes will include ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and more. A performance will be held at the end of each two-week session. The studio is conveniently located on State Road 7 just south of Okeechobee Blvd. For more information, call (561) 792-9757 or visit www.movementarts danceacademy.com.

The Town-Crier

Noah’s Ark — — Noah’s Ark is located on Okeechobee Blvd in Loxahatchee Groves. They offer free all-day VPK. Lower rates and special registration for fall. Meals are included. Noah’s Ark offers care for infants and preschool children as well as after-school care. Se habla Espanol. Conveniently located at 14563 Okeechobee Blvd. between Royal Palm Beach and Loxahatchee Groves elementary schools. Call (561) 753-6624 for more info.

Scuba Works This summer, your child (ages eight to 16) can spend a week with Scuba Works and earn a PADI Jr. Open Water Certification, a PADI Jr. Advanced Open Water Certification or a PADI Master Seal Team Certification. Student divers will attend classes on SCUBA diving and Reef Check, an underwater environmentalist course, spend time in the pool and dive two days in the ocean! The courses run Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The courses are taught by PADI five-star certified instructors and are limited to 12 student divers per session. Student divers will need a mask, fins and snorkel. For more info., call (561) 575-DIVE or visit www. scubaworks.com.

The Camp at St. David’s — The Camp at St. David’s is designed for young children ages three to eight and summer VPK is also available. This year’s theme is “Under the Sea” and each week, campers will investigate creatures that live in God’s oceans. Activities include Bible stories, crafts, water play, music and movie day. Camp runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Sign up for two days or five days, one week or the whole summer. For more info., call (561) 793-1272.

Bobby Rydell To Perform Valentine’s Day Concert At Maltz

Bobby Rydell

He was a teen idol in the 1950s. He was a mainstay of 1960s television. And half a century later, Bobby Rydell fills theaters around the world with the magic sound that made him famous.

Rydell performs a Valentine’s Day show at 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14, presented with Via Productions Inc. as part of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s Jukebox Series.

A polished performer by the age of 19, Rydell was the youngest person ever to headline the famous Copacabana in New York. His recording career earned him 34 top-40 hits, placing him in the top five artists of

his era. Rydell’s hits include the million-selling singles “Volare,” “Wild One,” “We Got Love,” “Kissin’ Time,” “Swingin’ School” and “Forget Him,” selling a combined total of more than 25 million records.

Rydell starred in hit films such as Bye Bye Birdie and musicals such as West Side Story. And he made network TV appearances on dozens of shows, including those of Ed Sullivan, Jack Benny, George Burns, Milton Berle and Perry Como, and, of course, American Bandstand. He also was a semi-regular on The Red Skelton Hour for many years.

Today, Rydell has a busy schedule throughout the world as a headline solo act. Australia has welcomed him for 20 tours down under. He also performs regularly in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. For the past 25 years, Rydell also has performed in more than 700 shows as part of “The Golden Boys,” a funfilled look back at music of the ’50s and ’60s with his childhood pals Frankie Avalon and Fabian.

Rydell’s influence on popular music has been profound. When the producers of Grease wanted to pay tribute to the era in which the popular musical was set, they named the

high school where most of the action took place “Rydell High” in his honor.

In 1995, his hometown of Philadelphia named the street where he was born “Bobby Rydell Blvd.” Wildwood, New Jersey, also has a street named for Rydell in appreciation of his massive hit “Wildwood Days.”

Tickets for Rydell’s show at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre cost $55. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call (561) 575-2223 or (800) 445-1666. Tickets also are available on the Maltz Jupiter Theatre web site at www.jupitertheatre.org.

Palm Beach Fine Craft Show March 5-7 At PBC Convention Center

The White House Collection of American Crafts features 72 works by 77 of America’s leading craft artists, two of whom will be at the Palm Beach Fine Craft Show, which opens to the public on Friday, March 5 at 10 a.m. at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. The show will continue through Sunday, March 7.

Ceramist Cliff Lee creates meticulously carved and beautifully glazed porcelain pottery. He gained prominence through his inclusion in the 1993 White House Collection of American Crafts curated by Michael Monroe, who was then the director of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution. Lee’s work is now included in the perma-

nent collections of several museums, including the National Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution, the Yale University Art Gallery and the Peabody Essex Museum. Lee was recently selected as one of four artists to participate in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s biennial Renwick Craft Invitational.

The artwork of woodturner Mike Shuler was added to the White House Collection of American Crafts in 1994. Shuler’s work can also be found in the permanent collections of the National Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. Shuler also has exhibit-

ed at the Palais du Louvre, Musee Des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, France. Shuler’s passion for wood began at age six, and by the time he was 14 he was working on a lathe.

The pieces within the White House Collection of American crafts illustrate the skill, imagination and vitality characteristic of fine craft in America. Using glass, wood, clay, fiber and metal, these artists reveal their ability to manipulate materials in inventive ways, expressing their creative vision in objects of startling beauty.

The Palm Beach Fine Craft Show has been ranked number one by the Art Fair SourceBook, finishing ahead of much larger and more established shows. It features muse-

um-quality art objects, couture artto-wear, hand-crafted furniture and more.

The Palm Beach County Convention Center is located at 650 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. General admission tickets cost $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, and children 12 and under are admitted free. Special group rates are available for groups of 12 or more. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit www.craftsamericashows.com. A special preview event will be held on Thursday, March 4 from 6 to 9 p.m. to benefit the Armory Art Center. Tickets cost $95 and $150 and include repeat admission.

The Phantoms Review Todd English’s Wild Olives In Boca Raton

“Buzz” is a term in the restaurant industry that is essential to success. It is a feeling you get as soon as you enter this trendy new eatery. There is plenty of buzz at Todd English’s newest eatery, Wild Olives in Boca Raton! The smiles on everyone’s face as they entered was contagious, and there was a good reason, because an enjoyable evening was about to begin...

Wild Olives is located in the space previously occupied by Opus 5 on Military Trail just north of Palmetto Park Road. After a minor facelift (after all, this is Boca), the results were amazing, with muted colors of browns and beige, large accent mirrors, and a much-needed divider to separate the bar dining area from the main dining room, creating an attractive New York look. This is the new place to see and be seen, with a reputation for good food, wines, cocktails and friendly professional service — a tribute to the training and watchful eyes of General Manager John Schultz and Assistant Manager Steven Irving.

We often are invited to review new establishments, but rarely do we find restaurants that hit the ground running and have their act together as well as Wild Olives, and there is a very good reason — owners Lirim Jacobi, John Watson and Dixon Li have more than 50 combined years of successful restaurant experience, and it shows!

So, we have now established we have a great place to enjoy a memorable dining experience. The food was scrumptious, and with more than 100 wines from around the world, priced from $27 to $298, there is something to please the pickiest of connoisseurs.

For starters, we had one of the best Caesar salads of all time ($10) and carpetbagger oysters ($16). These Prince Island tender beauties are lightly battered and fried, then wrapped in beef carpaccio and served over truffle-whipped potatoes. If you love oysters, try this treat; if you’ve never tried oysters, now is the time with this excellent dish. Braised mussels ($12), a su-

perb spicy dish, was another winner, with a roasted tomato sauce infused with Calabrese peppers and served with garlic brochette, excellent for soaking up the sauce! Other starters include crispy calamari, asparagus frites, yellowfin tuna tartar and a choice of five delicious flat breads. We tried the roasted tomato, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil.

Executive Chef Rich Leadbetter’s and Chef Jamie Pruitt’s entrée creations cover the entire food chain with a variety of gourmet pastas like tortellini of butternut squash or spaghetti Polpettine with meatballs. Veal specials were Milanese and osso buco, beef tenderloin and ribeye steak was available, as well as seafood specials such as red snapper, wasabi-crusted tuna and panseared Florida grouper — in other words, something for everyone!

Our selections were pan-seared scallops ($26) served with celery root puree, frisee salad, apple and shaved fennel, and swordfish ($28), a signature dish cooked to perfec-

tion and accompanied with asparagus butter risotto and warm rock shrimp vinaigrette. From the land offerings, we chose brown sugarcured bone in ribeye ($32), served with parmigiano-reggiano whipped potatoes and a melody of oven roasted veggies, a most delicious dish resulting in a explosion of flavors with just a hint of sweetness. Each entrée arrived hot, cooked as ordered and served with the perfect sides to enhance your dining experience.

Desserts ($9) included nine scrumptious offerings and too high in calories to mention them all. We indulged in the signature apple cobbler served warm, topped with vanilla gelato, and Todd’s ricotta cheesecake. Being Italian, Joe knows “Italian cheesecake” and this was as good as it gets.

ful experience. Also, we would be remiss not to mention our server, Dwane Buchanan. His attentiveness and overall personality added to our experience, and he is the most-requested server.

Todd English’s Wild Olives is located at 5050 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton. It is open for lunch and dinner daily and has one of South Florida’s best “all-day happy hours” from noon to 7 p.m., offering halfpriced wines by the glass along with house and premium cocktails, as well as half price on those delicious appetizers, served in the bar area, so we hope to see you at Wild Olives soon. For reservations or further information, call (561) 5448000 and please tell them that Joe and Kathryn, the Phantoms, highly recommended you try this four-star gem!

The final analysis is that our best compliment to any restaurant we review is to return when we are not “working,” and we most definitely will return soon and bring along some friends to share this wonderJoe & Kathryn, the Phantoms, are featured writers for the Town-Crier and www.yournews.com... Comments and recommendations are welcome at thephantomdiners@aol.com.

Update: Wild Olives Café has just opened a location in CityPlace, on Rosemary Avenue, just north of Macy’s. It is open for lunch and dinner, and has a lighter menu than the Boca Raton restaurant.

A vase made by Cliff Lee.

OntheGroundsoftheWorldRenowned2010FTIWinterEquestrianFestival

HAPPYHOUR:5:00PM-6:00PM,WEDNESDAYSANDSUNDAYS

2for1Beer•HalfPriceMartiniMenu

LoungeMenuNowAvailable

OPENAT5:00PMWEDNESDAY-SUNDAY

ComplimentaryValetParking

WELLINGTON’SBEST KEPTSECRET

ReservationsSuggested 561-333-1150

3401EquestrianClubRoad•Wellington,Florida

One of PMI’s sample kitchen design concepts.

PMI: Remaking Homes, Buildings And More

By Damon Webb Town-Crier Staff Report

Paul’s Maintenance Inc. — known as PMI — is on standby to fulfill all your home and building needs. PMI specializes in maintenance, repair and remodeling jobs of all sizes. Based in Wellington, PMI works in all parts of Palm Beach County. Co-owners Paul Tonks and his son Philip want their company to be the one-stop shop for quality workmanship at affordable prices.

For more than two decades, PMI has been serving its customer base in South Florida. The company’s motto, “one call repairs it all,” is more than a slogan; it’s a commitment the company lives by on a daily basis. This has come to be appreciated by businesses and residents alike.

Philip Tonks has been with PMI over the span of its 20-plus years and has witnessed the evolution of the company from simple maintenance jobs graduating into more complex remodeling jobs and multiple services. He made it clear that despite the recent downturn in the economy, PMI has remained committed to the fundamentals of its business — customer service, integrity and quality workmanship with a warranty.

“We have become more hands-on with the daily operating tasks,” Philip Tonks said. “This has helped with curbing costs and still maintaining high quality in all areas.”

PMI covers a variety of repair services including plumbing, electrical work, carpentry, installation, painting and air conditioning. All professionals are licensed and ready to assist clients with any and all needs.

For people looking to remodel or renovate their homes, PMI provides visual aids by providing a showroom to view. Company representatives consult with their clients to help make the needed decisions on the design

project. Tonks noted that PMI also works closely with local real estate agents. This makes it easy for Realtors to focus on what’s important to them by leaving all the general contracting work and responsibilities to PMI.

PMI’s use of cutting-edge technology sets the company apart from its competitors. “We saw such a huge potential not only for ourselves, but the entire contracting market adapting to technology, that I invested in www. myonlinetoolbox.com,” Philip Tonks said.

“So far it has been a great application for us and dozens upon dozens of our subcontractors. I have been excited to watch the solution I use grow and win a 2008 Dell Top 10 Innovator Award and a 2009 Forbes America’s Most Promising Opportunity Award.”

Tonks pointed out that getting started is easy. There are two ways to proceed: by calling the PMI office and speaking to a representative, or by visiting the company’s web site, where potential clients can receive a free estimate. Once contacted, a PMI employee will create a seamless experience from beginning to end.

PMI is located at 3340 Fairlane Farms Road, Suite 6, in Wellington’s Commerce Park. For more information, call (561) 7985722 or visit www.pmi1call.com.

PMI’s trucks can often be seen around the western communities.

Medical Center Of The Palm Beaches To Get New Facility

The Medical Center of the Palm Beaches has announced the start of construction on its new medical center facility, located at 8190 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach.

The Medical Center of the Palm Beaches is currently serving residents of the western communities from a leased facility within the same plaza at 8140 Okeechobee Blvd.

The 10,000-square-foot facility is slated for completion in May 2010. The new facility will have the latest in medical, therapy and imaging

technology, as well as a full staff of physicians, physician’s assistants, nurses, therapists and patient care providers.

“Our new home is the culmination of a great deal of hard work by our entire medical team,” founding physician Dr. Russ Seger said. “Their consistent, compassionate care for our patients is the reason for our exponential growth over the past decade. This new facility will accommodate our growing patient base in the western communities in a state-of-

the-art medical facility. We’ve taken care to create a comfortable, warm environment which is a departure from the clinical atmosphere found in so many medical offices.”

With locations at 4623 Forest Hill Blvd. and its temporary home at 8140 Okeechobee Blvd., both in West Palm Beach, the Medical Center of the Palm Beaches is open seven days each week and accepts most major insurance plans.

Seger developed the practice to provide patients imme-

diate access to a variety of medical care services, including urgent care, family medicine, adult and pediatric care, occupational medicine, physical therapy, laboratory testing, pain management, orthopedic, chiropractic, nutrition, wellness and diagnostic imaging (x-ray and MRI) all under one roof. Additionally, the Medical Center of the Palm Beaches has an onsite pharmacy for its patients’ convenience.

The center’s mission is to provide quality, expedited medical care in one centrally

An artist’s rendering of the Medical Center of the Palm Beaches’ future facility.

located state-of-the-art facility. Reach the Medical Center of the Palm Beaches at

(561) 967-8888 or visit www. medicalcenterofthepalm beaches.com.

Grand Prix Feed & Supply Official Dealer Of Chaffhaye

The fast-growing quality forage supplier Chaffhaye Inc. recently announced the addition of Grand Prix Feed & Supply in Wellington as its newest dealer to offer what many call “pasture in a bag.”

Chaffhaye has gained worldwide notoriety for its revolutionary premium forage that combines all-natural ingredients with 100-percent organic probiotics for the ultimate in animal health. The

most recent dealer to offer Chaffhaye premium forage, Grand Prix Feed & Supply has served the community since 1995.

Chaffhaye offers premium bagged forage that captures the key characteristics of fresh pasture, while also offering a guaranteed level of nutrition. It is ideal for ensuring maximum health for a wide variety of animals, including horses, deer, goats,

llamas, alpacas and exotics.

“Providing farmers and ranchers with a high-quality forage on a consistent basis can be a huge competitive advantage for an agricultural business, and Chaffhaye can keep animal’s digestive systems properly functioning and meet a large percentage of the animal’s daily nutrient requirements at a lower annual cost,” Chaffhaye President Steve Rader said. “We

are very pleased to welcome Grand Prix Feed as our newest dealer, and we look forward to delivering a premium forage product to their customers.”

Chaffhaye is made with alfalfa or grass that is carefully selected and harvested at peak leafiness to maximize nutrients, palatability and digestibility.

While still fresh, the pasture is chopped, lightly mist-

ed with molasses and compressed into air-tight bags in which an all-natural fermentation takes place. The fermentation closely mimics an animal’s digestive process and features active yeast, beneficial enzymes and bacteria to “pre-digest” the feed. The end result is animals receive greater nutrition at a significant cost savings. Chaffhaye is available in 50pound, weather-resistant

bags that can be stored outside. With facilities in Houston and Dell City, Texas, Chaffhaye Inc. sells its products through more than 300 dealers in the United States and Japan.

Grand Prix Feed & Supply is located at 13086 Pierson Road. For more information, call (561) 792-1253. To learn more about Chaffhaye products, visit www.chaffhaye. com or call (281) 888-2917.

CCCS Offers Advice For Saving Money On Valentine’s Day

Love may be in the air, but for many consumers, paying for Valentine’s Day may last well into the summer and beyond. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers plan to spend $103.50 on Valentine’s Day gifts and merchandise this year, about the same as last year.

While Valentine’s Day might offer a post-holiday boost for retailers, for wouldbe Cupids, the holiday takes aim directly at their wallet.

“Showing someone that you care shouldn’t involve going into debt,” said Jessica

Cecere, president of Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast. “Thoughtful, creative gifts are much more appreciated and won’t result in late fees and interest penalties.” For many couples, agreeing not to go overboard on Valentine’s Day is important. If you set a spending limit and you don’t stick to it, it could be a sign of financial challenges in your relationship down the road. CCCS offers the following creative ideas to keep you in love and out

of debt this Valentine’s Day:

• Have dinner in — Instead of making reservations, make her favorite meal and plan a night in. You can have a wonderful meal, complete with dessert and a bottle of wine for a fraction of the cost of eating out.

• Get crafty — Gather your favorite pictures of the two of you and tickets, postcards or anything else that reminds you of good times. Compile them all in a scrapbook or photo album and present it to your sweetheart.

• Valentine’s Day cards —

For free e-cards, try www.bluemountain.com or www.hallmark.com.

• Skip the flower delivery – Instead of spending a small fortune on flowers, hand deliver a single rose or a handpicked bouquet of wildflowers to your favorite girl. If you want to have something delivered, consider a flowering plant instead of cut flowers. A flowering plant is just as beautiful, and just like your love, can grow.

• Make sweet music — Make a CD of his or her favorite songs, songs special to

your relationship or love songs. Add your own voice between tracks, whispering sweet nothings that make it complete.

• Satisfy a sweet tooth — Make heart-shaped cookies or cupcakes and deliver them to your special someone at work.

• Be hands-on — A massage package from the spa is always a big hit, but for Valentine’s Day it is more intimate and cost effective to do it yourself.

• Volunteer — Spend an evening together helping oth-

ers. Work side-by-side in a food kitchen or spend time working at an animal shelter.

• Go parking — Arrange for a romantic evening at the park. Pack a picnic dinner, grab a lantern or candles and head outdoors. If it’s too chilly, move your picnic inside.

• Go Hollywood — Create your own premiere event by renting the movie each of you likes best. Add some popcorn and candy and you’ll be the star of the evening.

For more information, visit www.cccsinc.org.

TAX COLLECTOR’S OFFICE DONATES MORE THAN $10,000 TO CHARITIES

Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne Gannon recently presented monetary donations on behalf of her staff to State Rep. Mark Pafford of the Lord’s Place, Sue Beard of Forgotten Soldier’s Outreach and Debbie Wemyss of Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Gannon’s employees contributed money to “dress down” on Fridays and those funds, which totaled more than $10,000, were donated to charities chosen through an employee election. “Our employees are proud to go above and beyond for those in need in our community — the homeless, the sick, and the men and women who serve in the military,” Gannon said. (Left) Pafford, Gannon and Beard.

(Right) Gannon with Debbie Wemyss, development director of the Susan G. Komen South Florida affiliate.

Martial Arts Corner: Stranger Danger, Safety & Personal Space

By Gustavo Pope-Guerriero Special to the Town-Crier

I have been teaching tae kwon do and self defense for a long time, and parents often ask me, “How do I teach my son or daughter to defend him or herself?” and “How do I explain to them when it is OK to fight back?”

For the most part, my answer is always the same: “They need to protect their personal space.”

What is personal space? I am sure that we all know what personal space is, but this is how I explain it — it is an invisible boundary or a line around you; if people move inside this invisible boundary or line when they are talking to you, it may make you feel uncomfortable. One way to protect against this is to move back and keep that personal space.

Everyone’s personal space is different. How close you normally stand to someone else when you are talking to them will depend on who it is you are talking to, and under what circumstances.

Here are a few facts about personal space:

• When you are talking to a stranger, the personal space should be bigger than normal (arms extended 360 degrees around).

• The better you know the person you’re talking to, the smaller the personal space may be.

• The personal space may be very small for a man and a woman if they are in a relationship.

• The personal space may be larger than normal for a man and a woman who are strangers to one another.

And here we are back to the original idea: “protect your personal space.” I am not by any means encouraging fighting, but what I do encourage is for people to protect themselves. From my own experiences as a child growing up in a big city, more often then not, I was able to protect my personal space by talking and defusing the situation. There were a few times that talking didn’t work, and I had to defend my personal space by using self defense and self control (I think these two go hand in hand) by deflecting and evading my attacker.

This violation of personal space and the discomfort that it causes works to keep you safe from potential threats such as those of a stranger who might wish to harm you.

Be alert! If someone keeps invading your personal space and makes you feel uncomfortable, most likely this person is going to keep doing it until it gets physical. Be alert and prepare to defend your personal space.

When we teach children tae kwon do, we teach much more than just the physical, per-

sonal protection aspect. We teach them confidence, respect, self control and self defense.

• Confidence — to carry themselves in a way that they are not going to be a target.

• Respect — to know where the other person’s personal space or boundaries start.

• Self Control — to be able to control yourself in difficult situations (such as, when someone calls you names).

• Self Defense — to be able to protect yourself in the case of a physical confrontation.

I firmly believe that children who take tae kwon do are much better prepared to deal with the “lead up” (someone picking on you) to a potential physical or violent confrontation and thereby take the necessary steps to successfully navigate and control the potential outcomes. To be safe and to protect your personal space means that you are going to watch out for yourself.

So back to the question from the beginning: “How do I explain to them when it is OK to fight back?” It all comes down to our personal beliefs, but I hope that with this article, you have a way to explain to them “when it is OK to fight back.”

Ultima Fitness/Xtreme Tae Kwon Do is located in the Wellington Plaza at 12799 W. Forest Hill Blvd. For more information,

Master Gustavo Pope-Guerriero

call (561) 795-2823 or visit Ultima’s web site at www.ultimafitness.com.

Gustavo Pope-Guerriero is the director of Xtreme Tae Kwon Do. He is a Grand Master seventh-degree Black Belt.

Health & Fitness Spotlight Sponsored By Ultima Fitness Of Wellington

Loss To Gardens Ends Basketball Season For Lady Wildcats

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

The Royal Palm Beach High School girls varsity basketball team was knocked out of the running for the district championship with a 7465 loss to Palm Beach Gardens on Friday, Feb. 5 at Jupiter High School.

“When you start out slow against a good team, that’s going to be the result,” coach Marvelous Washington said. “We got a late start this time.”

The Lady Gators put the pressure on Royal Palm from the beginning and led 6-2 in the first minute. Patrice Collie scored to narrow the gap, but Kiara Pleasant quickly an-

swered with her own basket, setting the tone for the remainder of the half. The Lady Wildcats had trouble holding on to the ball the remainder of the half and trailed 35-21 at halftime.

But midway through the third quarter, the Lady Wildcats began to rally, sparked by a technical foul against Washington for disputing a foul against Royal Palm Beach.

“In doing that [risking a technical foul], I was telling them, ‘Look, I’m fighting for you, you’ve got to fight for me,’” she said. “It’s a good motivator for them.”

It was enough motivation for the Lady Wildcats to quickly cut into Palm Beach Gardens’ lead. Collie

hit three three-pointers to bring Royal Palm Beach within 10 points. Dixie Greenland hit a three-pointer with 17 seconds left, then stole the ball from Fabieane Gachette and scored another basket, cutting the Lady Gators’ lead to five points going into the final quarter.

“Once they got their jitters out they were able to close the lead,” Washington said. “It’s not the first time we’ve made a comeback. We’ve been making them all year. I always teach them that you’re never down and out until that whistle blows. It’s all about attitude, and they’ve fought hard all year.”

But Royal Palm Beach never was able to catch up. In the fourth quarter, the Lady Gators turned up the heat again and held off RPB’s comeback.

Collie led the Wildcats with 23 points, and Greenland added 20.

Jalisa Gandy led Palm Beach Gardens with 22 points. Kiara Pleasant added 15 points, and Brandie Robertson scored 13.

The Lady Wildcats finished the season with a 10-11 record, but Washington is optimistic about next season. “I think my underclassmen have really benefited from having a year in my program,” she said. “I hope everyone comes out to support us next year, because we’re going to be bigger and better.”

WHS Boys Basketball Gets 63-42 Senior Night Win Over Broncos

It was not just Senior Night. Not just the 17th victory of the season. The jubilant atmosphere in the Wellington High School gymnasium was the real story Friday, Feb. 5. Behind junior guard Scott Witkowski’s 25 points, the Wolverines boys basketball team defeated the Palm Beach Central Broncos 6342.

Before the game, forward Sean McCarthy and guards Tyler Wood and Bruce Fleming were honored as the lone seniors on the squad. Wood has been on the team for two years, and McCarthy and Fleming one each. Fleming, the only starter of the group, has adapted nicely to his new team, hearing “Bruuuce” chants upon entering each game or after hitting big shots. “It’s a wonderful feeling. To have the support of the fans makes me want to give my all every minute I’m on the court,” he said.

As Vic Navarro had done two weeks before with the girls’ team, coach Matt Colin adjusted his starting lineup so each senior started. “It meant a lot to me,” Wood said. “It was the first start since my JV years, and it was a really cool experience to have in my last high school game.”

Witkowski and junior Rex Kirby were the other starters.

The Wolverines controlled the opening minutes with a 7-3 outburst. The first basket was scored on a lob pass from Fleming to Witkowski, who rose high above a Broncos defender and laid the ball in. Witkowski was

Wolverine Watch

By Josh Hyber

on the other side of a similar play moments later, as he threw an ally-oop pass to Rex Kirby for a basket.

As any basketball game is, the “run” was quickly answered. Anthony Adams scored the first five points for Palm Beach Central. Julian Owens hit a three-pointer later in the quarter. Although the Wolverines held momentum early on, the quarter ended 12-12.

The Wolverines went on another quarteropening run. A junior trio of John Harvill, Davis Martin and Kendell Johnson (a former Bronco) scored a combined eight points before Broncos guard Mauricio Neira ended the run with a three-pointer to cut Wellington’s lead to 20-15.

The Wolverines’ defense then started to take over. Yet again, the Wolverines scored eight points while the Broncos scored two. Witkowski was awarded two points during the stretch as he fought hard for two offensive rebounds before banking in a shot.

Davis Martin furthered the momentum with a basket, bringing the lead to 30-17. It was

then that the crowd was most involved. Cell phones and iPods were put away and a certain charisma flowed throughout the gymnasium. The moment of the night was about to come.

After a Wolverines defensive rebound, Kirby was left alone behind the Broncos defense. The center retrieved the ball in stride and had a clear lane to the basket. With the crowd on its feet in anticipation of a throw-down, the junior did not successfully make the dunk. Moments later, the crowd received what it wanted.

After Kirby stole the ball on the defensive end, he threw an outlet pass to Witkowski. The 6-foot-4 point guard had his mind set on a dunk, and this time it went down. It was as if a switch went off in the bleachers. Everyone in the building was on their feet. “[Kirby] missing gave me a little extra [motivation] to go for it, but it was more the fans. We were on a run, and I hadn’t had one all year, so it was really exciting to get one,” the junior said.

The score was 32-17 at this point and the Wolverines did not let up.

Kirby had a chance to follow with a dunk of his own, but the Broncos fouled him before he started his ascent. The center made one of two free throws. Two more baskets, scored appropriately by Kirby and Witkowski, closed the half. The Wolverines had a 21point lead at 38-17.

The Broncos outscored the Wolverines in

the third quarter 13-7, but the lead remained at a commanding 15 points. To set the stage for the fourth quarter, Witkowski swatted a Palm Beach Central shot away with seven seconds remaining, much to the delight of the home crowd.

With the score 51-40 midway through the fourth quarter, the lead started to slip away. However, one Wolverines fan was excited by the closeness of the game. Before tipoff, WHS student Ben Aqua predicted a 62-45 final. As the waning minutes of the game ticked away, Aqua’s prediction seemed more and more realistic. Kendell Johnson scored four more points for the Wolverines, and Fleming made a three-pointer. Aqua’s prediction was off by just four points, as the game ended 63-42. With their inspired performance on the court, one Wolverine paid respect to the people on the other side of the out-of-bounds line. “The fans played a big factor,” Witkowski said. “As we would go on runs they got really into the game, and I think it helped me and the team to continue pushing and to get a bigger lead.”

The Wolverines (17-8) played host to John I. Leonard High School in the team’s first district playoff game on Wednesday, Feb. 10. The Wolverines lost to the Lancers 70-65 on Jan. 22. Results were not available at press time. The Broncos (5-15) took on the Seminole Ridge High School Hawks on Feb. 8, a 51-34 Bronco win in their opening-round playoff game.

Kristen Durham guards Ashanti Doby.

Brandie Robertson charges past Sherrelle Wood.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Dixie Greenland takes the ball down the court.

SRHS Seniors Sign To Play College Football

Seminole Ridge High School seniors signed collegiate football letters of intent on Feb. 3, national signing day for college athletics. Varsity defensive back Woodley Cadet will play for the University of Central Florida, linebacker Tacius PierreLouis will join Illinois State, and running back/defensive back Javian Wrisper will go to Wingate University in North Carolina.

ly — and I wish them the best as they begin their college years,” head football coach Matt Dickmann said.

SRHS Athletic Director Scott Parks echoed the sentiments. “We’re very proud of Tacius, Woodley and Javian,” he said. “Their signing today culminates successful careers at Seminole Ridge, not only as great football players, but as fine young men who’ve worked hard on their academics. Their signing is a testament to the great program that Coach Dickmann and his staff have built.”

“I’m proud and happy for the success these three young men have enjoyed — academically and athletical- Tacius Pierre-Louis, Woodley Cadet and Javian Wrisper.

WHS WRESTLERS WIN AT TOURNEY

The Wellington High School wrestling team had nine wrestlers finish in the top four of their weight class at the Class 3A, District 9 wrestling tournament. The wrestlers qualified for the Class 3A, Region 3 Wrestling Tournament this weekend at Park Vista High School. Second-place finishers for Wellington were Cody Walker (103 pounds), Zach Katz (135), Jake Ferrara (140) and Brandon Lustgarten (189), and third-place finishers included Eric Melamed (112), Tim Skaryd (119), Mikolaj Wilga (130), Jeff Mazza (145) and Jovaniel Paisley (171). Pictured left are the wrestlers with their awards.

ACREAGE TEAM WINS KOMEN TOURNAMENT

The Acreage Wolverines, coached by Shawn Mears and Scott O’Hara, won the 2010 Pro Division Flag Football Championship at the Third Annual Susan G. Komen Tournament held last month. During this two-day event, the Wolverines defeated five other teams from The Acreage and Wellington. The Wolverine offense, led by quarterbacks Hilary Mears and Megan O’Hara, scored a combined total of more than 90 points, while the stellar defense gave up only one touchdown throughout the entire tournament. O’Hara was named offensive player of the tournament in the Pro Division. The tournament raised more than $10,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Shown above are: Kailah Casillas, Holley Mears, Catherine Wilsnack, Madison Harding, Hilary Mears, Megan O’Hara, Kaitlin O’Hara, Ashley LaCroix, Taylor McClain and Charlene Thome.

Binks Forest Elementary School Hosts Golf Tournament

Charity and generosity were in full swing during Binks Forest Elementary School’s golf tournament held Feb. 6 at the Binks Forest Golf Club. The tournament was organized by the school’s PTA as a culmination of the school’s 10-year anniversary celebration.

The event raised more than $5,000, which will be used to update and refurbish the school’s main playground.

Among the sponsors were Home

Away from Home Learning Centers; Gonzalez and Shenkman, P.L; Village Animal Hospital; the Rabenstein family; Anderson-Moore Construction; Shields Technology; Froelich and DeLaRue, CPAs; Florida Crystals; the Town-Crier newspaper; McDonald’s; and many other local businesses that donated items for the silent auction. The winning foursome included Robert Conley, Joe Conely, Eric Johnson and Dave Kunde.

Winners Robert Conley, Joe Conely, Eric Johnson and Dave Kunde.

Ed Rowan, Tim Shields, Joe Cerasuolo and Alan Gerwig get ready to rally.

Principal Stacey Quiñones, with Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen and PTA President Shauna Hostetler.

The Binks Forest chorus was a big part of the day’s entertainment.

COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR

Saturday, Feb. 13

• The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association will hold a series of day hikes on parts of the “Ocean to Lake Trail” in northern Palm Beach County Feb. 13-16. Each of these hikes will be eight to 10 miles in length. Call Bea at (561) 9684864 for itinerary information.

• The Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League will host the Ninth Annual Barry Crown Walk for the Animals on Saturday, Feb. 13 at John Prince Park (2520 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth). Each participant will receive a customized t-shirt and free breakfast. The first 500 will also receive a gift bag. The registration fee for the walk is $30 for individuals. For more info., call (561) 472-8846.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will feature “Valentine’s Day Poetry” for ages two and up on Saturday, Feb. 13. Visit the Children’s Department between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and make a Valentine for someone special and listen to holiday poetry. Call (561) 790-6030 for more info.

• Maltz Jupiter Theatre Kids Korner will present Cinderella on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. at the theater (1001 E. Indiantown Road, Jupiter). Call (561) 972-6132 or visit www.jupitertheatre.org for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will offer “Heartfelt Wishes” for ages two and up on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 10:15 or 11:15 a.m. Be inspired by holiday stories and create a Valentine for someone you love. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• The Duncan Theatre at Palm Beach Community College (4200 S. Congress Ave., Lake Worth) will present Garry Krinsky’s “Toying with Science” on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 11 a.m. Krinsky investigates basic scientific information and delves into the imagination. Call (561) 868-3309 or visit www. duncantheatre.org for more info.

• Little Smiles’ 2010 Stars Ball “A Night at the Oscars” will take place Saturday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. at the Harriet Himmel Theater at CityPlace. Bland and Erika Eng of Palms West Hospital are the honorary chairs, while Dr. Alberto Marante and Maggie Zeller are co-chairs. Tickets are on sale at www. littlesmiles.org for $175 per person.

• Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) will hold its Valentine’s Day Celebration on Saturday, Feb. 13 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Admission is $35. For more

info., call Lawrence Logan at (561) 7910162, Lascelles Harrisat at (561) 3132488, Percival Wood at (561) 514-1788 or Henworth Ferguson at (561)-784-8804.

• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will present the Israel Ballet performing Don Quixote on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. in Dreyfoos Hall. Call (561) 832-7469 or visit www.kravis.org for more info.

Sunday, Feb. 14

• The Flagler Museum (Cocoanut Row and Whitehall Way, Palm Beach) will present “Vaudeville: From Small-Time Acts to Ziegfeld’s Follies” with Professor Jerry Dickey on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 3 p.m. Call (561) 6552833 or visit www.flaglermuseum.us for more info.

• Scot-Celtic band the Tannahill Weavers will perform on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Wellington High School performing arts theater as part of the Life Arts Florida series. Visit www.liveartsfl.org for more info.

Tuesday, Feb. 16

• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce’s group Making Connections will meet on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 a.m. at Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington). Call Debi Leed at (561) 7906200 or e-mail debi@palmswest.com for more info.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host a Mardi Gras Celebration for ages four to seven on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 3:30 p.m. Let the good times roll with carnival stories and a mask craft. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Teen Game Night” for ages 12 to 17 on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m. Snacks will be provided. Call (561) 7906070 to pre-register.

• The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. at the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District office (101 West D Road). Call (561) 793-2418 or visit www.loxahatcheegroves. org for more info.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will feature “Meet the Author: Efrem Sigel” for adults on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. Get the scoop on Sigel’s new novel The Disappearance. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach)

See CALENDAR, page 48

COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR

CALENDAR, continued from page 46 will present Gladys Knight in Dreyfoos Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. Call (561) 832-7469 or visit www.kravis.org for info.

Wednesday, Feb. 17

• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Committee will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 17 from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at O’Dell Inc. (3500 Fairlane Farms Road, Suite 4, Wellington). Call Susan Giddings at (561) 753-7296 or email sgiddings@odell-inc.com for more info.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Family Bilingual Story Time” for ages three to five on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 6:30 p.m. Join in for story time in English and Spanish. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Socrates Café” for adults on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 6:30 p.m. The Society for Philosophical Inquiry initiated the concept for this discussion led by Marji Chapman. Pre-register by calling (561) 790-6070.

• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will present Joan Rivers on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. in Dreyfoos Hall. Call (561) 832-7469 or visit www.kravis.org for info.

Thursday, Feb. 18

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will feature “Mom’s Morning Escape” on Thursday, Feb. 18 from 9 to 11 a.m. Moms are invited to enjoy a free coffee or tea and muffin from the coffee bar and bakery. They can also enjoy a relaxing five-minute chair massage by My Massage Corner in the café. Participants are required to check in with customer service. To pre-register, call (561) 904-4000.

• Free Diabetes Screenings will be held on Thursday, Feb. 18 at Kmart (10101 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach). No appointment is necessary. For more info., call Cholestcheck at (800) 713-3301.

• The Palm Beach Opera will host its “Lunch & Learn Series” on Thursday, Feb. 18 at noon at the National Croquet Club (700 Florida Mango Road, West Palm Beach). Come enjoy an informative and insightful look inside the opera’s upcoming production of Don Giovanni. Call (561) 8337888 or visit www.pbopera.org for info.

• The Wellington Chamber of Commerce will host an After-Hours Networking Reception on Thursday, Feb. 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Hair Market (12160 South Shore Blvd.). RSVP to (561) 792-6525.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will hold a free Demonstration on Gluten-Free Cooking on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m. To pre-register, call (561) 904-4000.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Anime Grab Bag” for ages 12 to 17 on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Royal Palm Beach Village Council will meet on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. at village hall (1050 Royal Palm Beach Blvd.). Call (561) 790-5100 or visit www.royal palmbeach.com for more info.

Friday, Feb. 19

• Free Cholesterol and Diabetes Screenings will be offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 19 at Schaefer Drugs (12797 W. Forest Hill Blvd, Wellington). No appointment is necessary. For more info., call Cholestcheck at (800) 713-3301.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will feature “Express Yourself: Book Discussion Series” for adults on Friday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. Barbara Harnick will lead a discussion of Loving Frank: A Novel by Nancy Horan. Call (561) 790-6030 for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Science Club: If You Build It, They Will Come” for ages eight and up on Friday, Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. Let your imagination overflow as you build things with Legos. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• Temple Beth Torah (900 Big Blue Trace, Wellington) will feature “Friday Night Live” on Friday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Be ready to sing, dance, shout for joy, or just be amazed and inspired. Call (561) 793-2700 or visit www.templebethtorah.net for more info.

• The 2010 Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center Benefit Auction Dinner & Dance will be held Friday, Feb. 19 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington. For more info., call (561) 792-9900 or visit www.vinceremos.com.

Saturday, Feb. 20

• The Vintages Gala to benefit the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine will be held Saturday, Feb. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. For tickets, call Sheryl Sulkin at (954) 964-4040 or e-mail vintagesdri@gmail.com. For more info., visit www.vintagesdri.org.

Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 793-6090. Email: news@gotowncrier.com.

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HERE CALL 793-7606

HOUSECLEANING - 20 years experience. Excellent local references. Shopping available. 561572-1782

STAFF PLUS — Looking to fill full and part-time positions in customer service. For more info. Call 1-888333-9903

PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD CALL 793-7376 TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION

GUARDSMAN FURNITURE PRO

ELITE POOL SERVICE — “You dealt with the rest now deal with the best.” All maintenance & repairs, salt chlorinators, heaters, leak detection. 561-791-5073

J&B PRESSURE CLEANING — Established in 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.Call Butch 561-3096975 BD

PAPERHANGING BY DEBI — Professional Installation,Removal & Repair of Paper clean and reliable. Quality work with a woman’s touch. 30 years experience. No Job too big or too small. Lic. & Ins. References available. 561-795-5263

WROUGHT IRON STANDING

LAMPS, CIRCA 1925 . — Have three available. $125 - $175 ea. photos available. Wrought iron bird cage hanger. $100. 561-273-3680

20 YEARS IN THE CLEANING

BUSINESS — in Western Communities and surrounding areas. Great references. Call for free estimates.Brenda 561-460-8380

— For all your furniture repair needs including finish repairs, structural repairs, Leather repairs, chair regluing, antique repairs, kitchen cabinet refurbishing. 753-8689

GRIME STOPPERS - Pressure cleaning, commercial & residential, houses, driveways, patios, screen enclosures, sidewalks. References available.561-779-1081

A CLEAR VIEW — Window Cleaning, Pressure Cleaning, Lawn Maintenance, & Property Maintenance. P.B. County Lic. #14807 Insured. “Let a Firefighter Do It Right” 561252-5648