Town-Crier Newspaper February 19, 2010

Wellington Candidates Court

Senior Vote At Luncheon Forum

By Carol Porter

Town-Crier Staff Report Candidates seeking seats on the Wellington Village Council addressed members of the Wellington Seniors Club at a luncheon Wednesday, Feb. 17.

Mayoral candidate Carol Coleman did not hesitate in attacking incumbent Mayor Darell Bowen. She spoke about what she felt was a lack of transparency and a lack of acknowledging senior issues. Coleman, 60, said the recom-

mendations from the Senior Citizens Task Force had been considered but not implemented.

“In 2005, a senior task force was established,” Coleman said, “and at that time, they sent out 1,800 questionnaires. The responses came back with the items they chose to implement. Unfortunately, those have never been implemented. I want to make sure we have a senior-friendly village.” Coleman also criticized what she felt was a “giveaway” on the

part of the council related to the K-Park land on State Road 7, which had been considered for a Palm Beach State College campus. She said that if the college wants that land, it should pay for it. “In the area of finance, we were promised we would not sell any more land,” Coleman said. “We are paying $40,000 a month in debt service. We can’t afford to give this away.” Coleman also said she is not

See FORUM, page 22

Polo Leader Under Investigation After Crash Kills Wellington Man

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

An early morning car crash on Friday, Feb. 12 left a Wellington man dead and a prominent equestrian leader under investigation for his role in the incident.

Scott Patrick Wilson, 23, died shortly after 1 a.m. when his 2006 Hyundai Sonata was struck by a 2007 Bentley GTC driven by International Polo Club Palm Beach owner and founder John Goodman, according a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report.

According to the report, Goodman’s Bentley went through a stop sign at the intersection of 120th Avenue South and Lake Worth Road, striking the passenger side of Wilson’s Hyundai, which was traveling westbound on Lake Worth Road.

The Bentley pushed the Hyundai into a canal on the south side of Lake Worth Road, where it landed upside down. Wilson died at the scene.

Goodman was taken to Wellington Regional Medical Center

where he was treated for minor injuries. According to the PBSO report, alcohol and/or drugs may have played a role in the crash, which is under investigation.

Wilson, who was born in West Palm Beach, was the son of William Wilson Jr. and Lili (Milian) Wilson. A graduate of Wellington High School, he graduated from the University of Central Florida last May with an engineering degree and lived in Orlando, where he was looking for work. Accord-

See CRASH, page 22

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

Wellington mortgage brokerage owner Jason Biro is determined to save Americans from present and future financial pitfalls with his book, Saving Your American Dream: How to Secure a Safe Mortgage, Protect Your Home and Improve Your Financial Future

But bigger than the book is Biro’s two-part campaign: to educate readers on the financial industry and to offer personalized help. Proceeds from the book are put into a fund to help struggling families recover financially.

In late 2007, the severity of the economic downturn hit home for Biro when a neighbor and family

friend fell on financial hard times and tried to commit suicide.

“He had lost his job and all of his equity,” Biro recalled. “He lost all hope, and we found out he tried to take his own life.”

Throughout their years of friendship, there had been no indication of financial hardship, Biro said. The friend never sought help, despite Biro’s 15 years’ experience.

“Jason has so much background in the industry, he could have helped if we’d only known,” said Carolyn Rodi, Biro’s wife. “But so many people don’t even realize they have options. They just lose hope.”

Weeks later, Biro’s phone start-

ed ringing off the hook with friends and family suddenly worried about their own situations, Biro said.

“Many people are afraid to ask for help,” Rodi said. “People wanted to know what they could do to prevent foreclosure, or if the subprime mortgage mess would affect them.”

It was becoming evident to the couple that their friends and families were worried for their futures. “There were a lot of fear-based questions,” Biro said. “At that time, with our experience and the background that we had, we knew that we had to do something to help people.”

So they began work on the

By Lauren Miró

Next

of the village’s public records.

The records will be accessible on the village’s web site and will include all financial contract information, invoices, budgets and general records such as agendas or meeting minutes. Anyone will be able to search the files and print out anything they might need or want. The program is expected to be unveiled at the Wellington Village Council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 23 and will be implemented in two phases, expected to start as early as this month.

“Just about any record we have available to the public now will be online,” Village Manager Paul Schofield told the Town-Crier on Wednesday. “This is information that is readily available. If you asked to see it, we’d have to give it to you by law. We’re just making it easier for our residents to get to the information. All you will have to do when it’s finished is to log on to our web site and click Open Wellington.”

The program had been something the village had thought about doing, but it was spurred into action by state legislation, Schofield said.

2009 Senate Bill 1796, the Transparency Florida Act, requires municipalities to provide their governmental spending information to a state-run web site to be archived for public use; and pending Senate Bill 690, Local Government Accountability, would define what financial information must be provided on a local municipality’s web site.

“In doing this, we’re already ahead of the game,” Wellington Chief Information Officer Tom Amburgey said. “It’s something we were already working toward.”

Changing the files over to digital records and creating the database is expected to cost the village approximately $20,000, Amburgey said. “Ultimately, the cost is going to be in the programming and data collection,” he said. “But the good thing about the new system is that once it’s in place, there won’t be a maintenance cost.”

Currently, residents have to file a records request, submit it to the village, and often pay a small fee for the printed paper, Schofield said. Although the process doesn’t take very long, it doesn’t have the ease of being able to print the records out from a home computer at no cost.

“We hope to save some money from the bigger picture, which is customer service,” Amburgey said. “We don’t have to have someone making physical copies of the records, so we can save money on staff time and paper.”

With up-to-date information and a full two-year archive, the system will be useful for anyone looking for present or past financial records, he said.

“The biggest thing is that it’s going to have up-to-date data along with the two previous years, and all of this year’s information, too,” he said. “It’ll be updated once a day, so you’ll be able to find current records.”

But the digital records won’t replace the paper records, which the village is required by law to keep, Schofield said.

“We’re just trying to get away from using paper and ink to give the records to the public,” he said. “But we’re still required to maintain those records.”

The village has a history of making its information available online, with council meeting agendas, meeting backup, bid information and meeting video available on its web site.

“Our goal has been to say that these are public records, so let the public have them,” Schofield said.

Royal Palm Party Puts Focus On Filling Out Census Forms

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Village of Royal Palm Beach will promote the 2010 Census with a Family Census Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 6 at Veterans Park.

The promotion will include a business expo along with interactive games, music, a disc jockey, free hot dogs and lemonade, said Carlos Morales, the facility supervisor at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center.

“We’re looking for people who want to promote their local businesses,” Morales said.

Exhibitors can get a free 10-by10-foot space at the park, Morales said. “We’re looking for local restaurants if they want to give out free tastes of their products and their specialties,” he said. “We’re also going to have a chili cookoff, and it’s free to register for the chili cook-off. It can be a business, restaurant or a mom-and-pop type of thing. There’s going to be judging, and prizes will be given out.”

The featured event will be a kids’ fun run around the perime-

book, which was released in January. The book covers topics ranging from how to build your credit, what to look for in a loan when buying a home, how to avoid foreclosure and how to start over when you’ve lost everything.

“I knew that finance was a confusing topic for people,” Biro said. “Sometimes I read papers from top economists and even I have a hard time understanding what they really mean. I wanted to write something without all the detailed jargon, something so elementary that people would respond to it.”

The book details personal and secondhand stories of financial hardships and gains, but Biro

ter of village hall for boys and girls ages 6-8 and 9-12. “There’s free registration for that. It’s a fun run with no real winners,” Morales said. “It’s just to promote healthy living and also to help with the Family Census Day.”

The purpose of the entire event is to get everyone in Royal Palm Beach to fill out their census forms, Morales said.

“The Census Bureau is going to be on location passing out promotional materials, getting people more aware and answering any questions they may have about the census, about how really quick it is to do,” he said. “It’s not really a long process. People might get intimidated by it, but it’s really just a quick little thing, and it will help fund many local programs.”

The questionnaire has 10 questions and should take minutes to complete, he said. An accurate census is essential for residents to receive their full share of funding for programs in the community, according to census officials.

The federal government allo-

See CENSUS, page 22

Author

The St. Peter’s United Methodist Church Child Enrichment Center held its second annual Sweetheart Dance on

Deadly Crash — A makeshift memorial marks the site where 23-year-old Scott Wilson died early last Friday morning.

PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

The Little Smiles stars with their statues.SeaTime TV’s Hollis Langer interviews Zoe Farrell.

Maureen Gross, Julie Tannahill, Irma Saenz and Maggie Zeller.

Little Smiles Board members Bill Blakey, Bill Tavernise, Maggie Zeller, Matt Curran, Paul “Chip” Donohue and Ken Blumbek.

Honorary chairs Bland and Erika Eng, Auction Chair Susan Giddings, and co-chairs Maggie Zeller and Dr. Alberto Marante.

Cole Malone with two shopping bags full of candy.

Little Smiles’ 2010 Stars Ball “A Night at the Oscars” was held Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Harriet Himmel Theater at CityPlace. Arriving via limousine, the young “stars” — pediatric patients who benefit from the Little Smiles program — walked the red carpet, talked to reporters, signed autographs and received gifts, including their awards. For more info., visit www.littlesmiles.org.

ITID Pushes Ahead With Park, But Not Community Center

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors decided in a workshop on Wednesday, Feb. 10 to move ahead with expansion plans for Acreage Community Park, but to hold off for now on the development of a planned community center.

At the workshop, the supervisors extended the build-out date for the park’s development order until December 2013, perhaps later, depending upon discussions with county planners.

ITID and the county are working on a trade in which the county would take ownership of seven acres of property owned by ITID west of the Publix shopping center on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road for a branch library. In return, ITID will get a package of about 46 acres of land that would be leased to the district for the expansion of Acreage Community Park. About 28 acres of the county land was obtained through a Florida Communities Trust grant. The county is prohibited from selling that land outright to ITID because of FCT regulations.

Collene Walter of Urban Design Kilday Studios updated supervisors on plans for the park, which include returning the community center to the middle of the park rather than the north end, where it would have been on the FCT-controlled land. Moving the community center to the middle of the park would assure that ITID would retain ownership of the building if terms of the lease change, Walter said, pointing out that the original plans called for the community center to be built on a three-acre parcel

owned outright by the county and new plans with the community center on FCT land might not be allowed.

“Due to the grant funding, there are some limitations on the development that’s allowed on the property,” Walter said. “We need to take a look at rooting the community center back into that threeacre area outside the Florida Communities Trust agreement.”

Other changes include the removal of four baseball fields at the center of the park site where the community center and an amphitheater would be built. A BMX bike park and skate park is now planned for the north end of the site.

Walter suggested starting with building two multipurpose fields and parking lots on the south end of the new park.

Supervisor Mike Erickson said he would like to draft language to have the ability to own the property where the community center would be built so as to retain ownership. He added that he would like to execute both agreements, the lease for the park land in trade for giving the county the library land, simultaneously. “I want a library, and I would like to go into further discussions on what we do with the park,” Erickson said. Supervisor Ralph Bair agreed that the district needs to assure that it will retain ownership of the community center if the lease should be terminated.

During discussions of the square footage allotted for the community center, Walter said traffic performance standards on 140th Avenue North would support a building as large as 45,000

Wellington, Workforce Alliance Partner On Job Assistance Program

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

The Village of Wellington and the Workforce Alliance have formed a partnership to give unemployed residents access to job postings and career resources to help them find work.

“I’ve been in your chair,” said Rick Hemming, project director for the Workforce Alliance, speaking to several dozen residents and business owners at a village forum on Friday, Feb. 12 at the Wellington Community Center. “I know what you’ve been going through. When you lose your job, it’s like losing a member of the family. We can help you. It may not be the same job at the same wage, but you need to get yourself back in the labor market.”

The Workforce Alliance is a non-profit organization that matches employees with open job positions based on their qualifications, Hemming explained. Employers agree to list their open positions with the organization before the openings are advertised, and applicants are selected from the database based on how well they match employers’ requirements.

“Sometimes employers are hesitant to put a ‘now hiring’ sign out in front of the store because they get inundated with résumés,” Director of Placement Mimi Coenen said. “Those who enroll with the Workforce Alliance get to look at jobs before they are published anywhere else because employers know we will prescreen the applicants.”

To enroll in the program, residents should visit www.employ florida.com and submit an application, Coenen said. The program is available to all potential employees, regardless of skill or education level.

And that’s where the village comes in. The Safe Neighborhoods Office at 1100 Wellington Trace has three computers dedicated to the Workforce Alliance, neighborhood advocate Meridith Tuckwood said.

“If you don’t have Internet access at home, or if you’re having trouble with the application, we can help,” she said. “Our employees have been trained to help you with the application and enroll in the program.”

Mayor Darell Bowen encouraged residents to use the program and to continue to seek help if they needed it.

“I hope you all can find something that will help you,” he said. “But if you don’t, call on us. We’ll try our hardest to find you help.”

In addition to the Safe Neighborhoods Office, the Workforce Alliance also has a mobile unit —

on-board computers —

and career centers throughout the area.

The career centers offer not only Internet access, but also a space for residents to come in and get help with anything from their résumés to their interviewing skills. “We’re like a library to get employment,” Coenen said. “We have tools you might not even have thought of.”

The program offers job listings along with career development resources and workshops that cover all areas of job searching, from résumé writing to interview skills.

“I know when you’re not working, you’re working on that résumé to get it perfect,” Coenen said. “But don’t have just one résumé. You have to target your résumé to the job you’re looking for.”

The Workforce Alliance can help the unemployed do that, she said. And when applicants get an interview, staff can help them prepare for it.

“Getting back into it is tough,” she said. “You’re a different interviewer if you’ve been unemployed for a week versus for six months. Some of us just aren’t great at talking ourselves up and saying why you should hire me.”

The program also offers special help for veterans and youth residents, who qualify for certain jobs, she said. For residents who don’t have the skills necessary to get employment in their fields, they can qualify for the Workforce Investment Act and upgrade their training.

Additionally, degree-holders and those with at least five years of management experience may qualify for different jobs, Senior Career Placement Specialist Audrey Arthur said.

“Different types of jobs are looking for different types of qualifications,” she said. “I work with professionals and have built a talent-management system. You build a profile and go through our workshops, and we’ll help you build a competitive résumé.”

But the program isn’t like many sites where residents fill out an application and wait for calls, Arthur said. “If you haven’t gotten any calls, we’ll look at your résumé,” she said. “We want you to have an ongoing working relationship with us.”

The biggest piece of advice for unemployed residents waiting to hear from employers is to maintain professional contact information, Coenen said. “Have a professional voicemail,” she said. “I know some people enjoy their songs, but do not put that on your phone. Also make sure your email address is professional.”

For more information, call the Safe Neighborhoods Office at (561) 791-4796.

Among the many difficulties researchers have had to deal with regarding the “cancer cluster” in The Acreage is outdated population information. The most recent count is from the 2000 Census, which put The Acreage’s population at 29,000 residents. Fortunately, a new snapshot of the nation is about to be taken. Forms for the 2010 Census will be in the mail over the next several weeks.

This couldn’t come at a more crucial time. With no end in sight to the fiscal belt tightening, local governments need every bit of outside funding they can get, and an accurately updated census is the key to making that happen. For instance, the Village of Royal Palm Beach has reduced its millage rate again this year, further shifting the source of its income from homeowners to the state and federal governments, which according to village statistics, account for approximately 25 percent of Royal Palm Beach’s total revenue.

Far more than a mere reference guide or glorified national almanac, the 2010 Census will have a huge impact on communities across the country. As evidenced by the situation in The Acreage, the western communities are especially in need of updated census information. This area has been historically undercounted, and has missed out on its share of government funding as a result.

The western communities have experienced massive growth in the 10 years since the last census was conducted. But our voice over the past decade has not been as loud as it should have been in Washington, Tallahassee or even West Palm Beach because of the population figures in the last census. We often complain about not getting our fair share of tax dollars.

The census is one important way to help ensure that more of that money does come our way. But it’s relative to our participation, and the fewer residents who step forward to make themselves counted, the fewer of those dollars we’ll see over the next decade. That’s why it’s important that every home in the western communities must fill out this form. The past 10 years should serve as a lesson on the consequences of an undercounted population.

The motto on the Census Bureau web site reads, “We can’t move forward until you mail it back.” That holds equally true for the western communities. Filling out the census form takes 10 minutes for the average household, but waiting for the next opportunity takes 10 years. And we don’t need to be in that position again. For more information, visit www. 2010.census.gov.

11, 2001. It serves the additional purpose of recognizing the efforts and sacrifices of public safety personnel whose entire careers are spent in service to the communities of this nation. As a nation and as a community, we celebrate and remember many things, in this case it is a remembrance of the more than 2,900 people from more than 90 different countries who lost their lives on 9/11. The 411 emergency workers who gave their lives that day are heroes; most of them went into the World Trade Center with the certain knowledge that they might not come out, still they went in to help.

I respectfully point out that this city has a history of commemorating 9/11. There is no nationalist rhetoric, it is a simple ceremony that honors the fallen. We will continue with our plan to build the memorial, and we hope that you will come and see both the memorial and the ceremonies before you condemn them.

Paul Schofield

Wellington Village Manager

Put Acreage Cancer Fears

In Perspective

First of all, I am a Realtor, but more importantly, I am an Acreage resident for 22 and a half years. I am completely disgusted with the hysteria and unwarranted negativity that is happening in this wonderful community. I have lived in this “cluster” at 68th Street and Coconut for 10 years — 74th Street and 140th Avenue for four years, and now at 82nd Lane and

By Dr. Alec Pridgeon

Special to the Town-Crier Solèy kouche; malè pa janmen kouche. (Translated from Creole: The sun sets; misfortune never sets.)

“Arms and legs were sticking out from the rubble. People were crying.” Despite the chaos and panic, Mike Henry was struck by the faith of the people in Port-auPrince. Mike, who is project manager of Cross International (www.crossinternational.org), was in Cross’s offices in Port-auPrince when the earthquake struck and helped to rescue some who were buried a few hundred yards away. “The people’s faith is all they have,” Mike wrote. “It is more real to them than anything around them. Their homes are gone, their children are gone; all that they have is their faith. From every direction you could hear crying, but they are praying while they’re crying.”

Misfortune is no stranger to Haitians. As the result of this cataclysm, an estimated 230,000

140th Avenue for the past eight and a half years. My wife and I have raised two boys here where they played multiple sports and attended all of the local Acreage schools. In all three of my homes, I installed a good water system and drank about one gallon of the well water each day. I do not believe the problem is the water, and I do not believe there will ever be a “smoking gun” for this issue. While I empathize with those families that have contracted various cancers, I believe that certain diagnoses are rising everywhere in our country. If one was to take a close look at many communities comparable to the size of ours (40,000-plus), I think the results would be very similar. Especially since it is known that pediatric brain tumors are on the rise. Also, if we knew the causes of any cancers, we’d certainly be better off! My wife and I have been selling real estate out here for a combined total of 31 years. Prices were slowly beginning to rise, and sales for the past eight to nine months were very promising. But now with all of the negative press, and the unwarranted hysteria being portrayed, one must wonder what is next for our community. People, please put things in perspective. Instead of a norm of 1.5 cases of pediatric cancer in a two-year period, we have three, which is statistically high by EPA standards that were set only who knows how long ago. The world in The Acreage in not ending! Stop, take a deep breath, and let the experts determine if we have any issues or not. Right now, after six months of addressing this issue, there is no conclusive evidence pointing anywhere.

It is my hope, and the hope of most in this community, that the people behind this probe do not continue to beat on this issue until they get the answers they want. There can only be so much testing.

Carl Knottnerus

The Acreage

Petrone Should Focus More On The Positive

Thank you for a good start on the candidate questions in both villages. As an 11-plus-year resi-

died; one million are said to have lost a family member. More than 10,000 drowned or were washed out to sea in the hurricanes in 2004. Hundreds more died in the hurricanes of 2008. Tuberculosis, malaria, dengue fever and typhoid are widespread. Corrupt governments, international exploitation and deforestation over the centuries have all brought nothing but misery. The government of Haiti is unable to cope with increasing demands for housing, utilities, medical care, education, food and employment, and so over the years, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as churches of all denominations have helped to fill the gap.

In February of last year, I traveled to Haiti with Cross International, an interdenominational Christian aid organization, to visit the Calvary Baptist Church schools and orphanage in Port-auPrince and five Roman Catholic missions: Pwoje Espwa (Project Hope) in Les Cayes, a home for children with special needs and a

dent in Royal Palm Beach, I will be following our village’s candidates’ responses to the questions published.

After reading both Royal Palm Beach and Wellington candidates’ responses, I quickly noticed that the only negative responder was Steve Petrone. Quotes from his responses: “teased with so-called millage rate reductions,” “our current leaders are out of touch with the realities of today’s economy,” “Royal Palm Beach is long overdue for some good, positive change.”

Until I read the responses I was undecided on either mayoral candidate, now I’ve decided. It should give any voter pause to wonder if Mr. Petrone could work within the framework of the village council and departments.

I am not naïve about negative political advertising and comments, I am tired of reading and listening to these negative responses in order to bring one’s self up. It only serves to show that the individual must attack negatively to draw attention away from their own shortcomings.

I respectively ask all candidates to let the voters know what you can do and how you are going to do it. Keep it positive and respect your opponent. Challenge us, the voters, with this attitude and educate us on how you are going to serve and represent us.

Tom Parker Royal Palm Beach

Support For

Richard Valuntas

In the upcoming Royal Palm Beach Village Council election, there is a candidate who stands above the rest. Richard Valuntas is running for Council Seat 3 in the March 9 election. Rich is a fellow attorney whom I have had the honor of working with for almost three years. In addition to being an excellent and hardworking attorney, Rich also has the ethics and dedication that you would want in your representatives. Rich has three young children and a wife, and is a devoted family man, as well as involved in his community. In working with Rich, I know what an asset he would be to Royal Palm Beach, because he is a person who gives 100 percent to everything he is involved with. He

hospital in Port-au-Prince, an orphanage for children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS in Pétionville, a shelter for young girls from high-risk situations in Jacmel, and a clinic/pharmacy and school feeding program in the village of Viloux. I filmed true heroes (www.stmichaelelc.com/ outreach.html), all of them testament to the truth that one person can make a difference to hundreds or even thousands. What they have in common is the ability to instill hope in all those that their lives touch.

The earthquake on Jan. 12 leveled the Calvary Baptist schools. However, there was little loss of life because the hundreds of children had just been dismissed from their classrooms for the day. All the Catholic missions in Port-auPrince and elsewhere sustained varying amounts of structural damage but no casualties. But even as far away from the epicenter as Les Cayes on the southwest coast, the tremors were felt, followed several days later by an in-

listens, he works through problems in a thoughtful way, and he cares. In essence, Royal Palm Beach will be a better place with Rich Valuntas as a councilman. In fact, as a Wellington resident, I only wish I had the opportunity to vote for him.

Tatiana Yaques Wellington

Howard Coates

A Great Asset

To The Council

Wellington’s Councilman Howard Coates has been given four more years on the village council. It is of great tribute to him that his unanimous re-appointment was without any opposition in the election! That is a first in the 14 years of home rule in Wellington. Mr. Coates is amicable and respected by all, and careful and considerate in his voting record. He has served capably on the council, and it is for that reason that he was unopposed in the bid for his seat. I personally look forward to his continued presence at council meetings for as long as term limits allow.

Good for us, Wellington! Sam Nebb Wellington

Jobs, Not Charity Needed In Pahokee

Editor’s note: The following is the first of three letters by Frank Morelli regarding the economic hardships facing the City of Pahokee.

On Thanksgiving Day of this year, church groups, including one I attend, distributed more than 65,000 thanksgiving meals to families in need; 3,000 of those meals were distributed to families in Pahokee who are unable to find employment. There are plans for a 40church revival in Pahokee, but what Pahokee needs even more than spiritual revival is economic revival. Today, the people of Pahokee would not need Christian charity or welfare checks if they had jobs, and they are straining at the bit to plow a path through the darkness of despair into a brighter future.

Those who say money cannot

flux of refugees from Port-auPrince. A tent city has sprung up on the soccer field in Les Cayes, and a hundred orphans have made their way to nearby Pwoje Espwa, established by former U.S. Navy chaplain Father Marc Boisvert in 1998 as a home for orphans and restaveks — children sent by their parents to work as domestic servants in the homes of wealthier people in exchange for feeding and schooling the children. More often than not, though, these children are subjected to physical and sexual abuse and escape to the streets. Before the quake, 700 boys and a few girls from 2 to 22 were fed, clothed, educated and given the love they deserve. Today there are almost 900.

In my travels through Haiti, what struck me most was the resilience of the Haitian people. Their stoicism and strength in the face of disaster and their hope for the future, as bleak as it might seem to us, help them to place one foot in front of the other and carry on day to day. Their religious faith

buy poverty are wrong. U.S. Sugar Corp. closed its Bryant Mill near Pahokee in 2007 and intends to sell almost half its land to the State of Florida so that Florida can create more public works projects. Thanks to Gov. Charlie Crist, taxpayers will pay $536 million for 73,000 acres of farmland if the deal is approved by the Florida Supreme Court, and the people of Pahokee will once again fall victim to fewer jobs.

Pahokee has never shared in the wealth of Palm Beach County. New production jobs would create wealth for the inhabitants and the City of Pahokee. Full employment for Pahokee is crucial. Government officials can address this need by partnering with the private sector, and together they can create full employment, one job at a time. This is a strategy that can be implemented now. Pahokee was once known as the “Winter Vegetable Capital of the World.” Today it is known for the “Muck Bowl,” a high school football game that took its name from the rich dark soil that is unique to the area; soil that has supported agriculture and many generations. Years ago, Pahokee had hotels, restaurants and clothing stores just like every other prosperous city. Since then the winds of change have blown across the fertile fields of “muck,” leaving behind a hopeless and desperate population. Volunteerism and Christian charity are admirable, but alone they cannot eradicate poverty.

Next: millions of dollars, but still 40 percent employment.

Frank Morelli Wellington

Rosenberg

Column Unfair

To The Fair

I am writing because of an article I read in your paper written by Ellen Rosenberg about the South Florida Fair and horse tent. This is the most inaccurate article I

have ever read from any newspaper.

First of all, Ms. Rosenberg obtained her information about the horse tent from a lady named Sharon (a member of a horse club) who has to be one of the most negative people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. One of the complaints was that there weren’t any horses there. Well, Ms. Sharon never brought any of her horses to the fair, not a single day! But almost all of the horse committee members brought their horses, and many of the horse clubs also had representatives bringing horses on scheduled days.

As far as no horse activities, what about the 1,500-plus children who got to interact with horses almost every evening by bowling against the horses and several other games that involved horses and children with their parents? Not only was there interaction, but all of the children got some kind of free prizes that were donated by local businesses and even the local horse clubs. Drill teams came back after the competition day and helped tremendously with other activities involving horses and spectators. Yes, there was roping in front of the horse tent to a mechanical calf, but do cows and horses not kind of go together? I feel as though Ms. Rosenberg being a reporter would have wanted some opinion from more than just one person and maybe should have been by the horse tent more than on the last day of the fair. I’m not sure why this reporter picked one of the most negative people I saw at the fair to interview for a story, but I think the fair and the horse tent was very good. I’m not from West Palm Beach, but I have had the good fortune of being a volunteer for the fair this year and have gotten to know a lot of good and hardworking people trying their best to provide a good horse tent and fair that West Palm Beach can be very proud of.

Jerry Monday Tennessee

The Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep letters brief (300 words). Submit letters, with contact name, address, and telephone number (anonymous letters will not be published), to The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414; fax them to (561) 793-6090 ; or you can e-mail them to letters@goTownCrier.com

and — to an increasing extent, their faith in America — are the bedrock foundations of that hope. Many of you have already given generously to the charity of your choice to relieve suffering and rebuild lives and even an entire nation in a sustainable way. But the reconstruction will require decades of sustained input from individuals, NGOs and governments around the world. Haitians have one overriding plea: Pa bliye nou Sak vid pa kapab konpe. (Don’t forget us. The empty sack cannot stand.)

(Above) Father Marc Boisvert and children from Pwoje Espwa.

(Left) Earthquake damage in a neighborhood of Port-auPrince.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CROSS INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE

Armand

Wellington, RPB Residents Observe Home Burglaries

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

FEB. 15 — A Sugar Pond Manor resident called the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in Wellington late Monday afternoon to report a theft. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 5 p.m. an unknown black male and an unknown Hispanic male entered the victim’s patio and stole two BMX bicycles. The victim observed the men taking the bicycles and ran outside to stop them. When he observed the victim chasing them, the black male dropped the bicycle and ran, while the Hispanic male rode the bicycle he had stolen away from the area in an unknown direction. The deputy canvassed the area, but could not find the suspects. There were no further witnesses at the time of the report.

FEB. 15 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched Monday to a home in Counterpoint Estates regarding a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 2:45 p.m. the victim was asleep in his bed when a man opened his bedroom door and the two made eye contact. The suspect fled out the front door of the home, but the deputy was unable to find him in the area. According to the report, no items were stolen during the incident, but the suspect caused $400 worth of damage to a roll-up window and screen. The suspect is described as a black male between 5’8” and 5’11” tall, wearing a white and black shirt with a skull on the back side, black jeans, black shoes, an earring and short, cropped hair. • • •

FEB. 10 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was dispatched to a home in Royal Ascot Estates last Wednesday regarding a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 1 and 2 a.m. someone entered the shed behind the victim’s home and stole a Toro riding lawnmower. The victim did not have a serial number, so it could not be entered into the PBSO database. There were no witnesses or suspects at the time of the report.

FEB. 11 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded to a home in Saratoga Pines last Thursday evening regarding a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim left her home at 7:15 a.m. after locking the house, but when she returned shortly after 6 p.m., she found her front door was unlocked and someone had rifled through the bedrooms. The deputy found that the door from the laundry room to the garage had been damaged. The suspect(s) stole two Tiffany necklaces valued at $500, along with three boxes of 40-caliber ammunition. A shotgun was removed from one of the closets in the master bedroom, but was left in the home. A fingerprint was taken off the shotgun, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

FEB. 11 — A Royal Palm Beach woman was arrested on drug charges early last Thursday morning after shoplifting at the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Belvedere Road. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal

Palm Beach substation responded to the store at approximately 12:28 a.m., after a loss prevention officer observed 27-year-old Shayna Delaney shoplifting in the shoe department. The officer reported seeing Delaney remove an item from its box and conceal it in her purse. Delaney then went to the register to pay for other items, but didn’t pay for the item in her purse. On her way out of the store, Delaney was apprehended by the officer and escorted to the Loss Prevention Office where the item, valued at approximately $22.72, was recovered. The deputy arrived and arrested Delaney for shoplifting, but discovered a black hidea-key box in her purse with several straws and two small bags of cocaine, along with a black credit card tray with white residue, which tested positive for cocaine. Delaney was taken to the Palm Beach County Jail and charged with shoplifting and drug possession.

FEB. 11 — A Palm Beach Gardens man was arrested early last Thursday morning for drunk driving after he was observed speeding on Southern Blvd. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was monitoring traffic on Southern Blvd. at approximately 2:28 a.m. when he observed 39-year-old Craig Hindmon traveling at 87 miles per hour in a 50-mph zone. While the deputy initiated a traffic stop, Hindmon’s Nissan drifted between lanes and made lane changes without signaling. He came to a stop at the intersection of Benoist Farms Road and Southern Blvd., and the deputy made contact with Hindmon. According to the report, the deputy smelled alcohol on Hindmon, and his eyes were red and glassy, and his speech slurred. The deputy asked Hindmon to exit the vehicle and perform some field sobriety tests, but Hindmon declined. He was arrested and taken to the county jail where he was charged with driving under the influence.

FEB. 11 — A Wellington man was arrested last Thursday evening for drug possession following a traffic stop for a broken tail light at the corner of South Shore Blvd. and Pierson Road. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Wellington substation was on patrol when he observed a white van with a broken tail light driving on South Shore Blvd. The deputy initiated a traffic stop and made contact with the driver and his passenger, 23-yearold Michael Nelson. The deputy smelled marijuana coming from the car, and Nelson said they had come from visiting a friend who was smoking it. According to the report, the deputy had Nelson and the driver exit the vehicle, and found a clear bag of marijuana in Nelson’s front pocket. Upon searching the vehicle, the deputy found a marijuana cigarette between the driver’s seat and passenger’s seat. Nelson was arrested for possession of marijuana and released at the scene with a notice to appear in court.

FEB. 15 — A Fort Myers man was arrested for drunk driving early Monday morning after he was observed speeding on South

Candidate Question 2: ‘What Are The Three Most Important Issues In This Campaign; What Would You Do About Each?’

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:

“What are the three most important issues facing the village today; what

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

MAYORAL CANDIDATES

DARELL BOWEN

The three most important issues facing Wellington are:

The Budget — The budget continues to be our number-one issue. Due to the decline in property values and reduction in fee income, our annual budget has decreased from $113 million when I came into office to $83 million this year and will most likely be $75 million next year. So far our cuts have had little effect on our service levels, and I am confident that if we keep applying sound business practices to our decision making, we will be able to continue balancing the budget without cutting essential services. With the construction of the new municipal complex, completely funded by builder impact fees, we are able to consolidate village operations in a single location and save the village $500,000 per year. We must be vigilant in continuing to look for ways to

Foreclosures — Foreclosures are still an issue in Wellington. We have committed more than $1 million to help revitalize our older neighborhoods and assist with the

issues plaguing our community. We have hosted several foreclosure workshops to help our residents navigate this complicated process. We must continue to deal with this issue in order to protect our residents’ property values.

Planning for the Future — It is imperative that we look for ways to broaden our tax base so we are not so dependent upon the real estate market. We have recently dedicated a new “Medical Arts” district, to attract new businesses, a new medical school and a senior center. We have also adopted a set of economic development initiatives that include incentives to help attract new businesses to our community. With the implementation of these plans, we can secure our future.

CAROL COLEMAN

The three most pressing issues facing Wellington today are home foreclosures, the need to maintain resident services and improving leadership.

Foreclosures affect not only the property in question, but neighborhoods as a whole. They push down property values, reduce the village’s revenues and hamper Wellington’s ability to deliver services. We need new leadership and new ideas to combat these problems.

Wellington’s Foreclosure 911 [program] is not enough. Other cities are partnering with their counties, banks and non-profit agencies to prevent foreclosures and keep people in their homes. They are adopting ordinances that encourage banks and lenders to properly maintain their vacant property. New code enforcement policies will improve Wellington’s appearance and save tax dollars. Good programs are out there, and we are in need of new ideas. We should adopt the practices that have been shown to work elsewhere.

Resident services are exactly why Wellington is the place we all call “home,” but we have a whole host of challenges — neighborhood street lighting, traffic issues, road repairs and paving projects — that all need our attention.

Some homeowners’ associations are contracting directly with the sheriff’s office to protect their neighborhoods. Our athletic fields aren’t being maintained to our high standards.

Fixing these root causes of our declining tax revenues will allow us to restore village services. It is unacceptable that village offices now operate on a four-day week. It is unacceptable that our sports fields and equipment are in disre-

pair. It is unacceptable that our gym closed on Fridays until public outcry forced a significantly scaled-back reopening. As we address foreclosures and declining tax revenue, I will return these services to acceptable levels.

As to leadership, Darell Bowen’s biggest push on the council has been his effort to give away millions of dollars worth of public parkland. He wanted us to continue to service the debt at a cost of $40,000 a month in exchange for $10 a year. That’s not leadership, and it’s certainly not fiscally responsible for the taxpayers of Wellington. I’m not opposed to attracting a higher education facility, but I believe a better leader would construct a better deal. And if K-Park land is in question, it should be put to a vote of the people. We need a new mayor with new ideas. I offer new leadership, I’m bringing those new ideas to the table, and I ask for your vote for mayor.

COUNCIL SEAT 2 CANDIDATES

ANNE GERWIG

The most critical issue is the budget. Our budget is on a yearly decline, from $113 million two years ago to $83 million this year and most likely $75 million next year. We must continually look for ways to maximize our dollars by improving delivery of services, eliminating duplication of services, looking for more public/private partnerships and increasing the

number of grants the village applies for. For example, by using builders’ impact fees, which must be used for municipal projects or the money is returned to the builders, we are building a new municipal complex at no cost to our residents and will save our taxpayers $500,000 per year by moving all departments to one central location.

The second most important issue is related to number one above. The foreclosure rate in Wellington is the highest in the county. This accounts for a huge part of the budget shortfall. The village has been trying to tackle the foreclosure issue by hosting foreclosure workshops, committing funds in distressed neighborhoods and maintaining homes that are designated as foreclosed property. I support these efforts.

Economic development is also a priority. I support the recently formed Economic Development Task Force, bringing together the western communities to look for ways to increase our financial and employment base. I believe designating the new “Medical Arts District” near Wellington Regional Medical Center will not only be an economic driver for our community, but will bring the best medical technologies and care to our community.

WISMICK ST. JEAN

It is a well-established fact that Wellington is facing major challenges in certain known neighborhoods with crime; Wellington is also leading Palm Beach County in foreclosures, and Wellington’s

would you do about each?”

unemployment rates are on the rise. Those are the three most important issues facing the Village of Wellington at this present time. These issues are interrelated, and I believe my educational background, business experiences and my community involvement place me in the best position to tackle those challenges head-on.

The issue of safety is everyone’s business, and it affects all of us either directly or indirectly. I know you can appreciate my interest to safeguard our community for the well being of your children and mine. I own a number of properties here in Wellington, including my own building for my business. I understand how crime affects our property value; that’s why I have been actively working with the sheriff’s office in the past to put crime under control. I am the only candidate with such experience. When I become your councilman, I will pass ordinances that will strengthen the sheriff’s authority to put crime to an end. I will work closely with the safe neighborhoods project to help them create more cost-effective strategies to help our troubled areas, such as creating neighborhood associations, putting in more street lights and creating exclusive entrances and exits in some known transitional neighborhoods.

As a Realtor, I know for a fact the reason people want to move to Wellington is because they love our quality of life and the fact that properties in Wellington tend to retain their value over time more than other cities in Palm Beach County. The fact that we are num-

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

MAYORAL CANDIDATES

MATTY MATTIOLI

Like all municipalities in Palm Beach County, our budget is the number-one issue. With declining property values and a struggling economy, we must be ever vigilant with cost controls and spending. We are always looking for ways to maximize our dollars to benefit our residents. The village has been diligent about applying for grants. I also support public/ private partnerships whenever available. We have the second lowest tax rate in Palm Beach County, and I want to ensure that we are able to keep that distinction without a reduction in services. I want to continue to reduce our tax rate, as we have done for 15 consecutive years.

Royal Palm Beach High School continues to be an issue of concern. The high school currently has a D rating and has the second highest violence rate of any public school in Palm Beach County, while most of the surrounding schools have an A or B rating. I support Councilman David Swift’s Ad Hoc Educational Task Force, which is looking into the issues at RPBHS and working with the Palm Beach County School District to find a remedy for these problems. Even though the public school system is not in our jurisdiction of authority, it is imperative that we not only make our concerns known to the school board, but demand solutions. Our children and grandchildren deserve to be educated in a safe and nurturing environment.

Business expansion is another key issue. We have joined the western communities task force to look for ways to bring new businesses and possibly an educational institution to our area. We are also exploring the possibilities for redevelopment of the old village water plant.

STEVE PETRONE

Waste and abuse are the top two issues I see facing our village. Our budget is laden with unnecessary,

unwanted and wasteful projects and expenditures, and our manager and department heads are receiving obscenely excessive and unwarranted salaries. Can a village with a population of approximately 30,000 and a median household income (in most cases with two people working), of $69,000 afford to pay a manager more than $214,000 a year, an assistant manager/engineer $166,000, and various other department heads between $108,000 and $125,000 each? And no, we are not getting our money’s worth. Cutting executive salaries — starting at the top — would result in significant savings. How can our leaders claim we are financially stable when over the past 10 years we have had to sell off our police, fire and water departments to stay afloat? What will they sell next? Though we are receiving better service from the county’s fire-rescue and sheriff’s departments, it did not come at any great savings to taxpayers, who simply pay another agency for the service. When they claim the sale of the water department was a good thing, take a closer look. They say our water rates were locked in for 10 years. But they fail to mention that they were locked in at the highest rate in the county. And what happened to the money from the sale? It wasn’t used to erase village indebtedness or lower taxes.

Fifteen years of minuscule “millage rate reductions” have meant little to the average homeowner. In fact, in most of those years, the average tax bill did not go down. The waste continues with the numerous pricey projects going on around the village. Did we really need to spend more than $100,000 for a statue at Royal Palm Beach and Okeechobee boulevards? Is the massive “Village Commons Park” project really justified? Leaders claim there was significant citizen input for this project. But that input has been largely overlooked or ignored. A less aggressive, more passive and natural plan would save us millions. The third issue — using the

speculative approach to zoning and annexation has contributed to the overall poor economic picture. We now face the arduous task of cleaning up this mess, filling vacant office and store spaces, and helping put people back to work. The solutions are simple: less waste and abuse, more fiscal restraint and aiding economic recovery. Our citizens deserve better.

COUNCIL SEAT 3

CANDIDATES

TINU PEÑA

The Village of Royal Palm Beach has been faced with different issues over the past years that would have affected our quality of life. However this year, the three forecasted issues will likely be taxes, state of the high school and traffic. The effect of the economy has been felt by us all, and as a homeowner and small business owner, I understand like all of you the impact it has had on our bottom line. I believe an innovative approach to address the tax issue is needed in order to deal with the shortfall from decreased revenue to the village.

While this might appear to be a daunting task, I believe a solution can be reached on this issue that will be palatable to the citizens of Royal Palm Beach. Keep in mind, that in past years the village had reduced the millage rate and still

maintained the community, and I will work diligently with the council if elected to ensure that the tax base does not adversely impact the taxpayers.

The state of the high school in our community is one of great concern not only for the council but for the community as well. I have had the opportunity to meet and discuss the high school’s status with key persons who are working to find a solution, as well as with concerned residents. What I am finding is that they want a thorough solution and enough of the bureaucracy. I strongly believe that we have to work with the school board not only in time of crisis but continuously to ensure this situation does not occur again. So as your councilwoman and a parent, I will be very vigilant on this issue to ensure it does arise again. However, the village will need the support of the community as well, so if you are able to volunteer on the village’s Education Advisory Board, that is one way to stay involved, or just making the meetings.

While traffic will most likely be an ongoing issue, one way to address this issue is to reconsider the traffic signal green light length during peak hours. I believe by increasing the green light time for those heading east could reduce some congestion off of Royal Palm Beach Blvd. Also, with the widening of Okeechobee Blvd., I

ber-one in property foreclosures not only devalues our properties but also threatens our quality of life. I think Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto, as a licensed real estate agent, understood this issue very well when she voted against the millage rate increase, which worsened the foreclosure situation. When I am elected as your councilman, I will continue to advocate for lower property taxes just like I have done in the past. We’ve got to find ways to strengthen our small businesses in the community in order to maintain and create sustainable employment. When I am elected, I will work closely with both the Wellington and Palms West chambers of commerce to boost and bring meaningful jobs into Wellington. I believe we should offer tax breaks and lower the permit fees for our small businesses.

ERNIE ZIMMERMAN

Two years ago our budget in Wellington was over $100 million. In two years, our budget will be less then $80 million. With the building boom over, we (the village) must find new ways of bringing money into the village without raising our taxes, water bills and keeping our services at their present levels.

One way we can do this is by enforcing the occupational license laws that we already have on our books. Most of our businesses in the village are run by honest, hardworking folks who do the right thing. They get their occupational license. But there are some folks

See CANDIDATES, page 22

believe some of the congestion will be alleviated as well. Remember, as your councilwoman, my oath of obligation will be to the citizens of Royal Palm Beach, and I am ready to roll up my sleeves and work on all the issues that affect you.

RICHARD VALUNTAS

The three most important issues facing Royal Palm Beach today are the situation at Royal Palm Beach High School, the difficult economy and traffic. I was educated in Florida’s public schools. As a father of three young children, I want them all to be educated right here in Royal Palm Beach. My oldest son is receiving an excellent education at Cypress Trails Elementary School, and Crestwood Middle School consistently receives an A rating from the Florida Department of Education. The situation at Royal Palm Beach High School, however, is far from ideal.

Royal Palm Beach High School recently received a D rating. Even more disturbing than the low rating is the fact that the high school had the second-highest rate of crime and violence in Palm Beach County’s schools. It is extremely difficult for our children to succeed if they are not provided with a safe learning environment. I will address this issue by supporting Councilman David Swift’s effort to work with the Palm Beach

County School District in order to find a solution to this difficult problem. I will also encourage more parents and citizens to become actively involved with the school district so that our voices will be heard. If the residents of Royal Palm Beach come together to confront this issue, I am positive that our high school will get back on the right track.

Royal Palm Beach is currently suffering from the downturn in the economy. The unemployment rate in Florida exceeds eleven percent. Property values are down, which reduces the village’s tax base. In order to address these problems, I will support the development of the village’s property at the north end of town to attract businesses and create new jobs for our community. However, I will also be mindful of the surrounding neighborhoods to ensure that they are not negatively impacted by the development. Traffic remains a huge issue in Royal Palm Beach. Although the State Road 7 extension has provided some relief, we still spend countless hours stuck in traffic each year. I will address this issue by working with our neighboring communities to ensure that Roebuck Road remains on the county’s five-year road plan. I am also committed to helping the county do whatever it takes to make certain that Roebuck Road is completed.

Ernie Zimmerman Wismick St. Jean Anne Gerwig

Darell BowenCarol Coleman

Tinu Peña

Richard Valuntas

Matty MattioliSteve Petrone

WESTERN EXECUTIVES’

ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

NEWS BRIEFS

Wellington Candidates

Luncheon

The Law Office of Alexander L. Domb, P.A., will sponsor a “Meet the Candidates Luncheon” on Wednesday, Feb. 24 during the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

The event will feature candidates for Seat 2 on the Wellington Village Council as well as mayoral candidates. The election will be held on Tuesday, March 9.

The Law Office of Alexander L. Domb specializes in estate planning law, including the preparation of wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney, healthcare surrogate designations and living wills, as well as real property law, including single family and commercial real estate transactions. For more information, visit www. aldlaw.org.

Scott’s Place

Grand Opening March 1

It has long been a dream of Del and Barbara Williamson to see children playing together regardless of their physical abilities. They’ll get to see their dream come true at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, March 1, when Wellington opens Scott’s Place, the barrier-free playground made possible by a donation from the Williamsons.

In honor of their late son Scott, the playground was designed in an

equestrian theme, complete with a life-size horse statue. It includes large play structures designed with ramps that enable any child to reach all the play areas. Wide walkways and turf surfaces will allow wheelchairs access throughout the playground.

Honored guests include the Williamsons, the Wellington Village Council and many of the 300 volunteers who donated their time in building Scott’s Place at the Community Build held on Jan. 16 and 17.

Scott’s Place is located near the Wellington Community Center in Wellington’s new Town Center, a gathering place that will also include an amphitheater and Wellington’s new municipal complex, both of which will open later this year. For more information, call Michelle Garvey at (561) 7914082.

Help For Homeowners

This Month

This month, the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA) will help homeowners in Palm Beach County looking for mortgage solutions. NACA is a non-profit community advocacy organization that is also a HUD-certified counseling agency. The corporation is funded in part by government grants and have secured contracts with the largest lenders in the country. NACA works directly with the lenders/servicers, who will be onsite at the “Save the Dream” event

Feb. 25 to provide same-day solutions. NACA counselors can help you re-underwrite or restructure your mortgage to an affordable monthly payment. Workshops will be held at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) on Saturday, Feb. 20 from 9 to 11 a.m., noon to 2 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.

The “Save the Dream” event will take place on Thursday, Feb. 25 through Monday, March 1 at the Palm Beach Convention Center (650 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach). Priority service will be assigned to those that register in advance. Residents are encouraged to pre-register at www.naca.com or by calling (888) 499-6222.

Several Board Vacancies In

Royal Palm

The Village of Royal Palm Beach has term expirations/openings on the Planning & Zoning Commission, the Recreation Advisory Board and the newly restructured Education Advisory Board.

The Planning & Zoning Commission currently meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m., the Recreation Advisory Board meets the third Monday each month at regular intervals at 7 p.m., and the Education Advisory Board meets the second Monday of the month at regular intervals at 7 p.m. in the council chambers. If you are a resident of Royal Palm Beach and would like to volunteer your service and exper-

tise on any of these government boards, pick up an application at the Village Clerk’s Office or download it from the village’s web site at www.royalpalmbeach.com. Return the completed application to the Village Clerk’s Office no later than noon on March 19 for Royal Palm Beach Village Council consideration at its meeting scheduled for April 1. For more information, call the village clerk at (561) 790-5102.

Stopek To Speak At Garden Club Meeting March 1

The Wellington Garden Club will meet on Monday, March 1 at Village Park on Pierson Road. The luncheon and business meeting will start at 11:30 a.m. with the program following at 1 p.m.

The featured speaker will be Alan Stopek, one of the leading landscape designers/horticulturalists in the coastal areas of South Florida. He has produced a wide variety of plant species in his own nurseries ranging from assorted palms, flowering trees and shrubbery, to edibles, bromeliads, orchids and succulents.

Along with his amazing photographs, Stopek will educate attendees about how the many varieties of succulents, including agave, aloes, kalanchoes, euphorbias and sedums provide an aesthetic weight and value to any landscape design. The public is invited, and a light lunch will be served. Seating is limited. RSVP to (561) 793-6013 or (561) 798-9217.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Western Executives celebrated its one-year anniversary Wednesday, Feb. 10 at the Players Club in Wellington. Guests enjoyed refreshments and raffles while networking with other area professionals. For more info., e-mail westexec@earthlink.net or call (561) 793-5509. (Above) Kimari Rhoads gets a gift from Western Executives’ Ingrid Webster. (Below) Mark Plaxen, Peter Ranta, Johnny Vega, Tony Scholl and Troy Webster.

VALENTINE’S ‘SWEETHEART DANCE’ AT ST. PETER’S METHODIST CHURCH CEC

The St. Peter’s United Methodist Church Child Enrichment Center held its second annual Sweetheart Dance on Thursday, Feb. 11 for ages three to five. The event featured a balloon drop, Valentine’s card making, music and dancing, and plenty of lemonade and mini cupcakes. For more info., call (561) 798-3286 or visit www.stpeterscec.com.

Romano, Julia Greenlund, Alex Greenlund and Donella Romano.

Michelle Garcia helps Jenna Larsen, Abigail Sheldon and Molly Evans decorate Valentine’s Day cards. Event Chair Cindy Greetham with her husband Don and children Nathan, Camron and Emma.

the featured speaker. For more information about the club, contact Nancy Pena-Brink at (561) 512-9728 or nancy@brinkbiz.com.

words. Speaker Kellie Kuecha addresses club members.

Organizer Nancy Pena-Brink says a few

Sandy Koffman, Kellie Kuecha and Nancy Pena-Brink.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Dominic

Carol Coleman for Mayor

Dear Voter,

I’m running for Mayor because Darell Bowen has done a lousy job. Our facilities are closed every Friday, our recreation programs are suffering and seniors still don’t have the services they deserve.

Bowen wanted to give away K-Park land worth millions until public outrage stopped his plans. I would never give away a precious public asset without insisting on a vote of the people.

Services have been cut while our tax rate and other fees have been raised.

I want to restore our superior Parks and Rec Programs. I want to provide a Senior Center in our new facilities. I want public land giveaways to be voted on by the people. I want an open, transparent Village government.

We need a new leader who will restore the Wellington Way. I am that leader. If you want a return to Wellington as it was please cast your vote for me.

Sincerely,

Carol Coleman

in

Marc

Maralyn

on Thursday, Feb. 11 at the White Horse

Kampsen and Nicolas Roldan competed against female equestrians

Maria Rivas, Maria Schaub and Sandy Van Dyke to see who could raise the most money. All tips and 50 percent of the evening’s proceeds went directly to the YMCA’s Polo with Pedro Brunch on Feb. 28. For more info., visit www.polowithpedro.org or e-mail info@polowithpedro.org.

and Peter Raines.

A Celebrity Bartending Challenge to benefit the YMCA of the Palm Beaches

Tavern

Wellington. Polo players Nacho Figueras,

Ganzi, Kris

Marley Goodman,

Little,

POLO & EQUESTRIAN

Lucchese Defeats Hawks 12-9 To Claim The Ylvisaker Cup At IPC

Lucchese defeated the Hawks 12-9 to claim the Ylvisaker Cup on Sunday, Feb. 14 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington.

Pancho Bensadon scored six goals to lead Lucchese, and Luis Escobar added three goals. It was Lucchese’s first high-goal tournament championship in Florida. There were four ties in the match. The last tie came early in the fifth chukker when the Hawks’ Mariano Aguerre scored to make it 7-7. But Bensadon and Escobar soon scored to give Lucchese a 97 lead.

Fred Mannix Jr., who scored five goals for the Hawks, scored on a penalty shot to cut Lucchese’s lead to 10-9 with three minutes to play, but Bensadon and Andres Weisz scored for Lucchese to seal the victory.

In other matches, Mt. Brilliant defeated Lechuza Caracas 9-8 in the George Haas Cup, and Faraway Polo defeated Patagones 1210 in the Wellington Invitational. The 26-goal 2010 C.V. Whitney Cup is now underway at IPC. On Sunday, Feb. 21, Las Monjitas plays Crab Orchard at noon and Pony Express meets Valiente at 3

Barrios Rides G&C LaGran To A Grand Prix Win In WEF Week 5

Pablo Barrios of Venezuela rode G&C LaGran to a first-place finish in the $150,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix, CSI 3* on Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington.

It was Barrios’ first victory in a major FTI Winter Equestrian Festival grand prix.

“I’ve been second and third before, but it’s my first victory here,” Barrios said. “I’ve been here eight years. It’s not easy winning here.”

The other double clear round for second place went to Jeffrey Welles on Armani. Darragh Kenny of Ireland and Obelix finished third.

Barrios and G&C LaGran finished in 41.75 seconds.

“Everything ended up good, with a victory,” Barrios said. “I tried to stay just a little faster than Jeffery and tried to be clear.”

Welles and Armani were clocked in 45.54 seconds. Kenny

NEUROSCIENCECENTER

and Obelix had the best time of the night, 39.78 seconds, but four faults knocked them down to third place.

“The horse felt really good,” Kenny said. “I tried to be as quick as I could, but it didn’t pay off. That’s the way it happens.”

The grand prix was the highlight of a full schedule of jumper, hunter and equitation classes during the fifth week of the Winter Equestrian Festival.

Beezie Madden and her new mount Mademoiselle, owned by Abigail Wexner and C&S Partnership LLC, produced a flawless round in a time of 67.897 seconds to capture the Sentient Jet $8,000 1.45m Jumper class on Wednesday, Feb. 10. Second place went to Lauren Hough on Casadora. Eric Lamaze, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist, and his mount, Coriana van Klapscheut, won Thursday’s $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round Five. Mario

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Deslauriers on Urico finished second.

Marie Hecart of France and Ryan Star du Rezidal scored their second win in the $6,000 Spy Coast 1.40m Speed Challenge last Friday. The $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Classic ran first on Sunday morning, and Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam on Zamiro 16 brought home the win over Hough and Casadora. In the $25,000 G&C Farm Grand Prix on Sunday, David Arcand of Montreal and Santo’s Utopia finished first. Second place went to Clementine Goutal on Wintina Deus. Entries in the hunter division increased as competitors began making their final preparations for the AHJF Hunter Spectacular week.

Louise Serio piloted Bright Star 158 LLC’s mount Kid Rock to the championship in the Second Year Green Working Hunter division.

The pair won both classes over fences last Wednesday and took home the first and second place ribbons over fences last Thursday. The reserve championship was awarded to Caroline Weeden and Valentino. Amateur and Junior Hunter competition began Friday, and Leah Schwendeman on Gisele dominated the Amateur-Owner 3’3” Hunter division. They won three classes over fences and placed fifth in the under saddle to lock up the championship. The reserve championship was awarded to La Fayette, owned and ridden by Deborah Perkins. Sloan Brown dominated the Illustrated Properties Adult Amateur 36-50 Hunter division, claiming the championship and reserve championship with her mounts Stella Blue and Dark Star, respectively. For full results, visit www. shownet.biz or www.equestrian sport.com.

Pablo Barrios aboard G&C LaGran.

(Above) Luis Escobar of Lucchese with Fred Mannix Jr. of the Hawks in pursuit. (Left) Lucchese ace Pancho Bensadon scored six goals.

BY

PACHECO Lechuza Caracas team captain Victor Vargas with the ball, followed by teammate Tomas Goti (#3 in white) and surrounded by Mt. Brilliant players

From left to right: David Petruska, MD –Neurosurgeon; Ali R. Malek, MD –Interventional Neurologist; Renee Scharf, MD –Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Jacques Farkas, MD –Neurosurgeon; Jeffrey Rubin, MD –Neurologist

A FUN NIGHT FOR ALL AT POLO PARK DANCE

On Friday, Jan. 29, Polo Park Middle School’s PTSA hosted a dance for all students in the school cafeteria. DJ Pure Energy supplied the musical entertainment, and students played games, danced and enjoyed pizza, snow cones, soda and popcorn. The dance ran from 7 to 9:30 p.m., and everyone had a blast. (Above)

Sixth graders (front row, L-R) Sam Forkle, Megan Michael, Julianne Dragunat, Nya Jones and Ali Hopkins; (back

Schools Participate In Fundred Dollar Bill Project

Palm Beach County schools and the Fundred Dollar Bill Project invite students and community members to participate in a nationwide art and environmental health project.

Students are encouraged to create a “fundred dollar bill” — an original, hand-drawn interpretation of the $100 bill — until March when an armored truck picks the bills up at Seminole Ridge High School.

The armored truck, retrofitted to run on waste vegetable oil, is currently on a 17,000-mile crosscountry trip to pick up the bills.

By summer 2010, the armored truck will deliver the fundreds to Washington, D.C. Once the delivery is complete, a request will be made of Congress for an even exchange of the value of the art currency for actual funds and services to support the implementation

of Operation Paydirt, a citywide landscape recovery program for New Orleans.

Students at Seminole Ridge, Elbridge Gale Elementary School and Olympic Heights High School are currently creating fundreds, however all schools are welcome to participate. The armored truck is scheduled to pick up all the fundreds on March 22 at SRHS.

Teachers, students and community members may visit www. fundred.org to download and print the fundred dollar bill template, or to have pre-printed templates sent directly to their school or organization.

For more information, call Elbridge Gale art teacher Nicole Crane at (561) 422-9318 or Seminole Ridge art teacher Gwenn Seuling at (561) 422-2600.

The Fundred Dollar Bill Project is raising nationwide awareness of

A student creates a “fundred dollar bill.”

the environmental threat of leadpoisoning by collecting the funds necessary for a model remediation effort in New Orleans. The project will collect at least three million

fundreds, or the equivalent of $300 million, the estimated cost of making the soil in New Orleans lead-safe. For more information, visit www.fundred.org.

Media Night At Golden Grove Elementary School

Golden Grove Elementary School continues to serve the community by providing activities for parents, teachers and students during its Media Night.

Media Night is intended to be a community outreach program and is organized by media specialist Deanna West. It is held every third Thursday at Golden Grove from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. All parents, teachers, students and siblings are invited to a night of media fun and activities.

Each month has a different

theme: October was “Not-Too Scary Stories,” November was “Thanksgiving/Fall,” December was “Winter/Polar Express” and January was “Science.”

In December, hot chocolate and cookies were served and it was designed as a pajama party. In January, West read theme-related stories and participants did crafts that were related to the theme.

At Media Night, students are allowed to check out books, do Reading Counts work, research,

etc. West also created library cards for preschool participants, and they are allowed to check out as many as 10 books each month. They bring them back the following month and get 10 more.

West gets the support of volunteers at each Media Night. Part of the help given by volunteers include helping parents in the computer labs to access educational sites from which both parents and their children may benefit.

Teachers/staff who have helped

at Media Night include: Joy Blanar, Lori Bednarek, Starr Boldt, Diane Kinne, Louise McGinnis, Peg Pervenecki, Connie Black, Sophia Grunder, Carol Lenhart and Terry Pentz. Media Night has been very successful. Some families attend every month. It is very exciting to see fathers and mothers doing the crafts with their children. This gives both moms and dads the chance to see the library and experience the kinds of things their children do at school.

row) Alyssa Gates, Jessica Dudman and Atlanta Hackney. (Below) Students enjoy dancing along with DJ Pure Energy and his dancers.

Panther Run Helps Shoe-Recycling Company

Wildcat Med Students Visit P.B. Atlantic

The medical science students at Royal Palm Beach High School recently visited Palm Beach Atlantic University. The purpose of the visit was to learn about the school’s medical programs, the admission process, and to obtain information about scholarships and financial aid.

The day was filled with exciting activities such as a tour of the campus and various health-related facilities, and a chance to meet with professors and take part in hands-on activities. Additionally, they were invited to have lunch with faculty members, staff and students. To conclude the day, an information session with the admission counselors took place, and RPBHS students learned about financial aid and resources to obtain scholarships.

“The students enjoyed the tour and the hands-on activities. I think this is a great opportunity for them to see and feel what college is all

about,” medical science teacher Crystal Amado Kucharski said.

RPBHS Does Well In Latin Competition

The South Florida Regional Latin Competition recently took place at J.P. Taravella High School in Coral Springs and a team of ten members from the Royal Palm Beach High School Latin Club participated. The team captured a total of 32 awards in 12 different categories.

The Latin Club at RPBHS obtained four first-place finishes, five second-place finishes and 11 third-place finishes. This competition takes place once a year and high schools from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties participate. Royal Palm Beach High School was the only school from Palm Beach County that attended the competition.

The students who participated in the tri-county competition were Emily Stanton, Jennipher Castillo, Robin Smyth, Alexandre De-

Panther Run Elementary School students have been busy helping collect footware for the shoe-recycling company Shoes for the Cure.

New and used shoes of all sizes are being recycled at Panther Run in Wellington. This project is headed by Susan Bryant, a second-grade teacher and the school’s Going Green coordinator. Shoes are collected in bins supplied by Shoes for a Cure, a professional recycling company that has been around for more than 15 years.

The purpose of the project is to protect the environment and teach students about being responsible citizens. The project also prevents shoes from overburdening the landfills and at the same time provides shoes to those who cannot afford them. All shoes are recyclable.

Shoes for the Cure sends some shoes to thrift shops where they are cleaned, displayed and sold. The company also donates and recycles the shoes for future products made from recycled materials. Some are sent overseas, most recently to Haiti.

Shoes of all conditions are welcome. For more information, visit www.shoesforthecure.com.

Castro, Tepu Khan, Albert Kranz, Jennifer Shamblin, Anne-Marie Oliver, Valeria Nasiri and Christopher Hendriks. Latin teacher Jacqueline Rapke is the club’s sponsor.

Haiti Relief

Effort At H.L. Johnson

The H.L. Johnson Elementary School community recently reached out to the needs in Haiti following the devastating January earthquake. Students, administrators, teachers, support staff and many individual parents committed their time and energy to supporting the Haitian disaster relief effort. They named their outreach Helping Hands for Haiti.

Each grade level was assigned a specific item needed by the hurting island nation. Kindergarten brought in jars of peanut butter; first grade, granola bars; second grade, non-perishable dried fruit snacks; third grade, packaged rice; fourth grade, packaged dried beans; fifth grade, canned pasta

In other Panther Run news, this year’s Calypso Cats have already performed at the South Florida Fair and the Royal Palm Beach Green Market. The Calypso Cats are the school district’s one-of-akind steel drum band. Every year, new fifth-grade students audition for the Calypso Cats. This year, 10 lucky students made the cut. Along with the fifth graders are two “kitties,” younger siblings of the fifth-grade Cats who play the smaller backup instruments.

The Calypso Cat students are: Dani Lieberman, David Mendelson, Carsen Jessell, Jake Guelli, Julian Cardona, Paul Richter, Danielle Sturm, Luke Ferraro, Amanda Castro and Isabella Morello. All members of the Calypso Cats are in the fifth grade. The Calypso Kitties are third graders Adrianna Richter and Teddy Mendelson.

The Calypso Cats will perform on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 11 a.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Green Market at Southern Palm Crossing on Southern Blvd. in front of Stein Mart. The band will also perform there on March 21, though the time has yet to be determined.

meals; and teachers and staff contributed boxes of much-needed garbage bags. Classroom parent volunteers collected the donations, filled a large pickup truck and four family vans and drove them to the World Harvest Mission in Lake Worth for distribution.

Pierce Hammock

Seeks Vendors

For Annual Fair

Pierce Hammock Elementary School will be sponsoring its fourth annual Western Community Fair March 5-7. The school is in need of vendors, underwriters and items for the silent auction. The cost for vendors is $35 per day, $50 for both Saturday and Sunday for crafts and home business, and $50 per day or $75 for both days for other businesses. Vendors will be available on Saturday and Sunday only. Contract and payment must be received before the event. For more info., call Sharon Ward at (561) 6334500.

CHARACTER COUNTS AT CRESTWOOD MIDDLE

Crestwood Middle School’s Character Counts winners for February are Carson Ruffa, Leore Arms, Sydney Tate and Frank Gutierrez. They were nominated by their teachers as students who exemplify character. Crestwood students learn about a character pillar each month. February’s pillar is caring. They have already discussed trustworthiness respect and responsibility Pictured above are: (front row, L-R) Ruffa, Arms, Tate and Gutierrez; (back row) guidance counselor Cora Edwards, Elias Svetlana and Principal Stephanie Nance.

LITERACY WEEK AT WES

Wellington Elementary School recently participated in the state’s “Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! Champions Read, Readers Lead” celebration. More than 150 parents, students and community members volunteered their time to read to classes and participate in reading activities throughout the school. The school partnered with Disney’s “Give a Day-Get a Disney Day” program and was able to offer volunteers a Disney ticket. Shown above are Barbie Brown and Mrs. Gladys Navarro reading to Navarro’s first-grade class.

Second graders Phi Hung Tran and Domenica Hall

The Calypso Cats at the Royal Palm Beach Green Market.

PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Shady Ladies Auction Raises More Than $60,000 For Lupus Research

The 2010 Shady Ladies “Guys and Dolls” Dinner and Celebrity Sunglass Auction was held on Saturday, Jan. 30 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington to benefit the Lupus Research Institute. The event took place at the International Arena and featured cocktails and a silent sunglass auction followed by a ringside dinner and live auction during the exciting $50,000 Nespresso Battle of the Sexes exhibition. Decorations for the evening were provided by David Negri/ Sutka Productions and included elements of the movie Guys and Dolls, including a 30-foot art deco bar, a 1950s streetscape vignette, pinstriped black-and-white tablecloths with matching antique café lamps and a smattering of effervescent orange, the signature color of the Lupus Research Institute.

Guests were welcomed by the original film Guys and Dolls as it was projected on the marquis entrance tent. More than 200 people attended and in three hours the event raised over $60,000 for the Lupus Research Institute. Guests bid on celebrity sunglasses autographed by Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa Springsteen, Roy Orbison, Badgley Mischka, Kelly Osbourne, Carrie Ann Inaba, Melissa Joan Hart, Lil’ Kim, Khloe Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Karina Smirnoff, Aaron Carter, Kathy Griffin, Tom Berensen, Sharon Lawrence, Cheryl Burke, Derek Hough, Joanne Krupinski and Samantha Harris.

The silent and live auction of sunglasses raised $7,500 with the highlight of the evening: auctioneer Steve Williams revving up the crowd during the exciting live

auction. $2,500 was the high bid from Elizabeth Press for the Badgley Mischka package of sunglasses, necklace and earrings from their 2010 jewelry collection plus a stunning Fireworks Jacquard Ivory Dress. The package also included two tickets to the Badgley Mischka fall or spring fashion show in New York.

David Reimer bid $1,150 for the Bruce Springsteen rocker glasses and autographed CD collection, and $650 was the highest bid from Mark Oken for a very hip pair of Patti Scialfa Springsteen sunglasses and autographed CDs for his daughter. Chris Paradysz bid $550 for the Roy Orbison package of sunglasses along with a package of goodies sent by Barbara Orbison, which included the Roy Orbison Anthology collection and videos. Guests received a lovely gift

bag filled with goodies such as perfume from Badgley Mischka, as well as the new perfume “Pretty Woman” by Barbara Orbison. As the world’s leading private supporter of innovative research in lupus, the Lupus Research Institute champions scientific risktaking in the hunt for solutions to the disease. The American Institute of Philanthropy recently ranked the Lupus Research Institute an “A-plus” for its efficiency and value in supporting and funding novel research, innovation and new ideas.

The Shady Ladies dinner and auction was planned thanks to honorary chairs Mark Badgley and James Mischka, as well as vice chairs Toni and Jean Goutal, Chris and Angela Paradysz, Corry Terfloth Walker, and Teri and John Wood. The event was produced by Tudor and Company.

RPB FAMILY TAKES PART IN ANNUAL SLEEPOUT TO BENEFIT THE LORD’S PLACE

Lido, May Named To Dean’s List

At Emory

Peter Lido and Philip May, both of Wellington, were named to the dean’s list at Emory College for the 2009 fall semester. Emory College is the undergraduate, liberal arts college of Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. Students must be in the top 20 percent of Emory College or have approximately a 3.850 grade point average or higher to be named to the dean’s list. Lido is the son of Peter Daniel Lido and Geraldine

Lido, and May is the son of Alan May and Sherry May. Emory University is known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate experience, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-theart research facilities. For more information, visit www.emory. edu.

Briyah David Graduates Army Basic Training

Army Pvt. Briyah David has graduated from basic combat

Brian Hanley presents the check to Lord’s Place Executive Director Diana Stanley.

training at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C.

During the nine weeks of training, David studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, the military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field-training exercises.

David is a 2009 graduate of Royal Palm Beach High School.

Manopla Makes Nichols College Dean’s List

Mandy Manopla of Wellington was named to the Nichols College dean’s list for the fall 2009 semester.

The Nichols College Dean’s List gives recognition to those students who achieve high grades during a single semester. In order to be included in the dean’s list, a student must have a minimum grade point average of 3.2 for at least 12 credit hours and must have received no

Brian Hanley with Commissioner Jess Santamaria and State Rep. Mark Pafford, Lord’s Place director of leadership giving. grades below C-plus during the semester.

Located in Dudley, Mass., Nichols College strives to develop tomorrow’s leaders through a dynamic, career-focused business education. For more information, visit www.nichols.edu.

Three Make Dean’s List At Northwood

Northwood University’s Florida campus has announced that Timothy Bates, Ariel Gonzales and Jessica Wittenbrink, all of

Wellington, are among the students listed on the dean’s list for the fall term. In order to achieve dean’s list status, students must have earned a minimum grade point average of 3.25 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 about Northwood University, visit www.northwood.edu.

Mark Badgley, Kim Renk and James Mischka at the “Guys and Dolls” Dinner and Celebrity Sunglass Auction.

PHOTO

The Hanley family at the overnight event.

PALMS WEST PEOPLE

P.W. PRESBYTERIAN HOSTS ‘SOUPER BOWL’ SUNDAY

Palms West Presbyterian Church in Loxahatchee Groves celebrated “Souper Bowl Sunday” by serving soup to the congregation for a small donation. All proceeds went the Youth Group, which in turn donated locally to feed the hungry, and CROS ministries (Christians Reaching Out to Society). Palms West Presbyterian Church is located at 13685 Okeechobee Blvd. For more info., call (561) 795-6292.

Caldwell Earns Degree From Kaplan University

Christa Caldwell of Wellington has been awarded an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Kaplan University.

Caldwell’s accomplishment was celebrated during a live graduation ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 30 in Miami. General Colin Powell served as the commencement speaker.

“You can improve yourselves using the incredible power of this revolution [in online education]...

It’s how Kaplan University has grown and continues to grow,” Powell said. “This revolution will speed through this country because of its effectiveness and power. Today, celebrate your achievements; tomorrow, get back online and determine what you are going to do next.”

The Kaplan University winter 2010 class of more than 3,300 students earned their degrees, as well as professional certificates, com-

pletely online. Many of them traveled from around the country and the world to attend the ceremony, meeting face-to-face for the first time.

Kaplan University offers a different school of thought for higher education. It strives to help adult students unlock their talent by providing a practical, student-centered education that prepares them for careers in some of the fastestgrowing industries.

Based in Davenport, Iowa, the university is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Kaplan University offers more than 125 academic programs and serves more than 63,000 online and campus-based students.

To learn more about Kaplan University, visit www.kaplan.edu/ talent.

Martin Wins Engineering Week Poster Contest

Nine-year-old Cheyenne Martin, a fourth grader at Binks Forest Elementary School, recently won first place in the third-grade division in the Engineers Week poster contest. She was also chosen as the overall winner in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Before the contest, Martin contemplated the various careers she would like to explore. Although her mother, a math teacher, is her main inspiration, Martin believes now more than ever that she can become an engineer.

Martin’s winning poster was chosen to be the on the cover of the Palm Beach chapter of the Florida Engineering Society’s banquet program. This is the third annual EWeek poster contest celebrated by the Palm Beach chapter as part of Engineer’s Week, Feb. 14-20. The theme for this year is “Leaders by Design.” Winners were judged based on clarity of message, conveying the theme, attracting attention, artistic merit and neatness.

Anderson, Swisher Make Virginia Tech Dean’s List

Joshua Anderson of Royal Palm Beach and Lisa Swisher of Wellington were named to the Virginia Tech dean’s list for the fall 2009 semester.

To qualify for the dean’s list, students must attempt at least 12 credit hours graded on the A-F option and earn a 3.4 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) during the semester.

Anderson is a sophomore majoring in history in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Swisher is a sophomore majoring in finance in the Pamplin College of Business. Virginia Tech is the most comprehensive university in the Commonwealth of Virginia and is

among the top research universities in the nation.

Today, Virginia Tech’s nine colleges are dedicated to quality, innovation and results through teaching, research and outreach activities. At its 2,600-acre main campus located in Blacksburg and other campus centers in northern Virginia, southwest Virginia, Hampton Roads, Richmond, Southside and Roanoke, Virginia Tech enrolls more than 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries in 180 academic degree programs. For more information about Virginia Tech, visit the school’s web site at www.vt.edu.

Melanie Herschock and Hannah McLeod.Brianna Giles and Bruce Hoffman.

chance to be one of the charities chosen

ITID

Community Center As Later Phase

continued from page 3 square feet. Bair said he was satisfied with the 26,000 square feet in the original plans, but does not want to build something smaller and decide later something larger is needed.

Walter asked if the board would be interested in allotting 45,000 square feet in case board members change their minds, recognizing that the 45,000 square feet would be there and vested for them.

ITID President Michelle Damone felt that would be in the dis-

to earn part of the evening’s proceeds. The event will include a number of different charities, and at least five charities will be chosen randomly from the pool of valid applicants. Along with the contributions from each family’s team, there will be a special “charity bowl” where riders from the entire FTI Winter Equestrian Festival can donate any of their prize money that week, as well as donations from sponsors, vendors and spectators. Sixteen families in the equestrian community will each donate $15,000 to sponsor a team consisting of one professional worldclass or Olympic athlete who will ride with two juniors and/or ama-

trict’s best interest. “I think the community center tends to be the priority, but that’s up to you guys to decide,” Damone said. Erickson said he was reluctant to commit to the total cost for park improvements, estimated at between $3.1 million and $6.7 million, with between $2 million and $5.6 million for the community center.

Erickson said he did not support building the community center now. “I haven’t supported it from day one, and my position hasn’t really changed,” he said. “This community is an outdoorsy community. Most of these basketball courts and everything we’re talking about building are outdoor courts. If we look at the original layout, we would get a theater

teurs. The competition will be a three-person relay team, all going over the same 1.20-m course — a speed round for each person. The fastest cumulative team time wins for their assigned charity. Chosen charities will also have the chance to sell a certain section of general admission seats for the event to their supporters to further increase donations.

“This is a great opportunity for our organization as well as the exhibitors and participants at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival to give back to the community and worthy causes, as well as showcase our top athletes to a broader audience,” Equestrian Sport Productions CEO Mark Bellissimo

room that would be dual purpose, and we would get a small gymnasium. I don’t think that the theater at the high school is over-utilized. I don’t think the demand is there. I believe that right now we need to be fiscally conservative.”

Erickson said he would prefer to get the less expensive outdoor fields, courts, skate park, BMX track and parking lots done, and take on the community center as a later phase.

While Erickson also worried about the cost of running a community center, Damone disagreed.

“Since 1999, when we began discussing it, like the library, a community center has been something that I’ve consistently heard,” Damone said, adding that the community needs meeting rooms

said. “This also gives these charities an opportunity to convey their message during these difficult fundraising times.”

Charities chosen will get the chance to introduce their chari-

ty to the equestrian community at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in the week preceding the event. Charities must be an existing qualified non-profit in existence for over two years with

a valid tax ID to participate.

If you would like your charity to be included in the pool for a chance to be chosen, e-mail your information to wefcharity@ equestriansport.com.

Lox Landowners’ Meeting Set For Feb. 25

The Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association will meet on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. at Palms West Presbyterian Church (13689 Okeechobee Blvd.).

The guest speaker for the evening will be Michael Breen and a representative of the West Palm Beach CRA Farmers Market. They have been asked to

for arts and crafts and summer camps. “When it’s totally raining, you can actually have indoor soccer, indoor basketball and basketball tournaments. I agree with you on some of the little points, but I absolutely believe the community center should be the priority.”

Supervisor Carol Jacobs agreed with Erickson, especially given that residents have been calling for lower taxes. “I think moving forward with this community center would be a big mistake,” she said.

Supervisor Carlos Enriquez said he felt residents are sensitive about the district making improvements now. “We’re going into uncharted waters,” he said. “I’ve felt uncomfortable up here all day because we’re talking about this.”

District Administrator Tanya

give an overview of their businesses. Breen has been asked to talk about his fish business and issues with weather and the economy. The farmers market representative has been asked to talk about ideas about how their new venture might be of interest to the plant and nursery growers who are

Quickel asked if her staff should continue working with the county on the agreement. “We know where we want the building to go,” Quickel said. “We know we need to lease the entire parcel, and they can proceed with developing a 99-year lease. We can continue working with Kilday on the conceptual plan because we know that has to be done.”

Walter said the supervisors do not need to immediately proceed with the development order. “Let us confirm with the traffic engineer how far out we can get a build-out extended, if she can push it out to 2015 or 2016,” she said.

Damone said she agreed with that idea. Erickson said he was still hesitant, but wanted to keep the planning process going.

looking for a way to market their goods. They have also been asked to discuss other items such as honey, baked goods, garden supplies or crafts that might be marketed at this indoor location. For more information about the Feb. 25 meeting, call LGLA President Marge Herzog at (561) 7919875.

‘I think moving forward with this community center would be a big mistake.’

— Supervisor Carol Jacobs

“Continue, level it out, put grass on it with what we have,” Erickson said. “Those type of things still allow usage of it. Staff would save a lot of money just doing the grading and bringing it to elevation and using our own engineers where we are not spending a lot of money.”

The board agreed to direct Urban Design Kilday Studios to proceed with the conceptual plan and the agreement with the county.

Division Of Forestry Urges Groves Town Council To Get Firewise

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The recent freezing weather has made tinder of plant material that could easily catch fire and spread rapidly, a Division of Forestry official warned the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Scott Peterich said large amounts of dead foliage that accumulate during dry periods are a hazard for the town. He attended the meeting to make council members aware of the federal Firewise program, a voluntary plan that allows communities to reduce wildfire hazards with help from state and federal agencies.

“The standards were set up to allow a community to work together to reduce wildfire hazards,” Peterich said. “A local committee

is organized to maintain the Firewise programs and keep the standards up.”

A Firewise Day is designated each year and a minimum of $2 a year per capita is required to go to annual Firewise projects, he said. “If you have 1,000 people, you have to spend $2,000 annually on fire mitigation activities, and then you submit your report to Firewise Communities USA,” he explained.

The Community Wildfire Protection Plan was authorized by the Healthy Forest Restoration Act, which went into effect in 2003. It allows communities to influence how federal agencies implement wildfire fuel reduction projects such as prescribed burns or mowing on U.S. Forest Service and Department of Interior lands to

reduce the danger of municipal and private property burning in a wildfire. The program influences how federal money will be spent on non-federal lands, including private lands, and federal agencies are under instruction to favor direction of money to Firewise communities.

The fire protection plan should be developed by local governments with assistance from state and federal agencies and any other interested parties, Peterich said. It can be as simple or complex as necessary as long as it effectively addresses wildfire fuel conditions.

Peterich said he felt Loxahatchee Groves would qualify because of the large lots with large amounts of wild growth on them. The planning process for Loxahatchee Groves would need to in-

volve the town, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, the state Division of Forestry and a federal agency, probably the Department of Interior because of the town’s proximity to the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, he said. Councilman Dennis Lipp said he lives across from the Pines Natural Area, where he has not seen a prescribed burn for 10 years. Peterich said the Division of Forestry looks upon prescribed burns as a preferred method of wildfire fuel reduction. “Florida was made to burn,” he said. “If we weren’t here, it would burn, because 35 percent of fires are caused by lightning, and we can’t stop lightning.”

Peterich noted that his staff had done a small prescribed burn on

B Road recently and was pleased that there were no complaints from residents. “We would like to do more of these burns,” he said, suggesting that some property owners be put on a rotation for controlled burns. “You need to do it about every three years here in South Florida.”

Lipp added that water levels in the canals is another issue that presents fire hazards because they are subject to South Florida Water Management District regulations, which restrict the amount of water that the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District can backpump during the dry season. He recommended that the council set an agenda item to create a task force to organize a fire protection plan for the town.

Peterich said his department

does not have resources to control a wildfire in some conditions, especially when spot fires are created from airborne embers.

“Even though we are in an urban area, if you take a look at an aerial, it wouldn’t take but the right bad day,” he said. “We just don’t have enough resources to be putting out 20 spot fires. I’m not sure about Palm Beach County FireRescue, but they would be stretched, too. You guys want to stay rural, which is great, but it puts you at risk.”

Peterich recommended a visit to www.firewise.org, which offers information on how to reduce susceptibility to wildfires, including keeping roofs clear of leaves and pine needles, and maintaining a defensible open space around homes and other structures.

WELLINGTON COUPLE HOST CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISER FOR CAROL COLEMAN

Avril and Ross Mills hosted a campaign fundraiser for Wellington mayoral candidate Carol Coleman on Monday, Feb. 15 at their home in the Equestrian Club. Coleman met with supporters, including former councilman Bob Margolis and former mayor Tom Wenham. Coleman is challenging incumbent Mayor Darell Bowen in the March 9 municipal election.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Forum Speaking To Seniors

continued from page 1 only an equestrian, but also a grandmother, mother and businesswoman, which she felt gave her some experience needed on the council. “I want the seniors to have the village that I knew,” she said. Incumbent Mayor Darell Bowen responded to Coleman’s charges by describing his business experience and his commitment to working with county, state and federal officials.

Bowen said that when it came time to build the village’s projects, the council has looked to other funding sources as much as possible so that taxpayers would not bear the burden. He also felt he was doing right by the taxpayers and by the seniors.

“I heard my opponent talk about grants,” Bowen said. “The amphitheater is being built with county money. This park is being built by private donations. Section 24, a very large tract of land that will

Biro Wellington Author

continued from page 1 knows that everyone’s situation is different. To be of greater help, he established a fund dedicated to helping families in financial distress.

“We’ve established a fund where we can help people outside of the book,” Biro said. “Each copy of the book comes with its own ID number and an application to tell us how you need help. There are so many unique issues out there that we wanted to make a bigger impact.”

Readers can write to Biro and Rodi and tell their story. But the fund is not a handout — the money comes with stipulations.

“We feel like we are responsible to give any help we can,” Biro said. “But it’s not a blank check. There’s going to be accountability. We want to counsel them and help them use the money to work through their problems.”

Already dozens of people have written in, and many received a surprise when Biro called them to offer his personal financial advice, Rodi said. In fact, many readers sent along their financial documents for him to review.

“I wanted to give people a tool, which is the book, but I also wanted them to have access to knowledgeable people,” Biro said. “This is an ongoing pro-

Candidates Question 2

continued from page 7 who do not play by the rules. For three years (while working for the village), I went after the delinquent businesses that did not bother to renew their occupational license. I brought in a lot of money for the village. I estimate that there is between $500,000 to $1 million in occupational license fees that are owed to the village. In Boca

filter the runoff before running into the Everglades, will become a passive park. It will foster wildlife and be a great place to visit. That $18 million price tag will be paid for by the South Florida Water Management District. We secured stimulus funding for Forest Hill Blvd. I can assure you that when I am re-elected, I will pursue grants and other sources to fund our projects.”

Bowen also noted several of the initiatives taken by the village to combat the foreclosure crisis, and lauded the Safe Neighborhoods program designed to clean up troubled neighborhoods.

Bowen was asked about transportation for seniors and said the council would consider a voucher program in the upcoming budget. Funding sources were just not there for any other option, he said.

“Qualifying seniors would be able to use the local cab company,” Bowen said. As far as the proposed college campus, Bowen said, the land be-

cess. We want to help as many people as we can, whether it’s by helping them lower their mortgage or giving them money if they need the extra help.”

The campaign is funded by the couple’s own money and profit and proceeds from the book, along with donations from partners. Money will be awarded based on the situation and how much is needed.

“We could just help someone pay their rent for a while,” Biro said. “There are so many possibilities and instances where people need real help just to get by.”

Ultimately, Biro knows that money is only a temporary fix — it’s education that will help America get out of the financial crisis and stay out.

“Our goal is for people to learn about the industry,” he said. “They can’t go into it blind. We don’t have the luxury of paying cash for our large purchases. Almost everyone will have to take out credit at some point, and not learning about it can hurt you in the long run.”

Saving Your American Dream: How to Secure a Safe Mortgage, Protect Your Home and Improve Your Financial Future retails for $16.95 and can be found at www.savingyouramericandream.com or retail bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books-AMillion, independent bookstores and online retailers. Ordering from the web site guarantees that all the proceeds will go directly into the fund.

Raton, they have three full-time code officers assigned to enforcing their occupational license laws. We need to do the same. In these hard times, we can’t give land away for free. If anyone wants the land where K-Park sits, they should at least pay fair market value. I will not allow any village property to be given away for free to Palm Beach State College or to anyone else. A large group of folks in our village who are almost forgotten

ing considered is public land that is currently being paid for, but not being utilized.

“We can get some good out of it,” Bowen said. “It’s public land. That’s my proposal. I’m open to all ideas. The college thing was dropped into my lap. I did not seek it out. It was there.”

Also speaking at the luncheon were Wismick St. Jean, Ernie Zimmerman and Anne Gerwig, the three candidates running for Seat 2, currently held by term-limited Lizbeth Benacquisto.

A Realtor and mortgage broker, St. Jean said he would do more to address the foreclosure crisis and stem the tide of rising crime.

He was also very upset with the council’s decision last year to raise the property tax rate — a decision he lobbied the council against making.

“Just recently, the council voted to increase the millage rate,” St. Jean said. “I applaud Ms. Benacquisto and [incumbent Howard] Coates for voting against it.”

Zimmerman related his experiences working for the Village of Wellington, and before that as a police officer in New York City. He said he would be open to meeting with residents any time of the day, and he would be easily accessible by telephone.

Zimmerman said he would sup-

Census RPB Event March 6

continued from page 1 cates more than $400 billion annually to states and communities based on census data. Census data is used to determine locations for retail stores, schools, hospitals and other community facilities. Census data also is used to determine legislative districts. The Census Bureau is prohibited by law from sharing personal information with any other agency. With village property tax income decreasing, it is essential to maintain the state and federal revenue stream by conducting a com-

are our seniors. The seniors are more than 20 percent of the population of Wellington. In 2006, the Senior Citizen Task Force issued its final report. It included nine vision statements, some of which are: better transportation in the village, affordable housing for seniors, assisted living for active adults, minimal or some assistance housing and a nursing home, healthcare programs and by an 80 vote by task force members, they asked for a permanent Senior Cit-

port service cuts before further increases to the tax rate. “I have been taking surveys with residents and asking them if they would rather have service cuts or a tax increase,” he said. “Be prepared. Service cuts will be here. Until times get better, it’s going to be like this.”

He was also against what he called the land “giveaway,” stressing that the college should pay its way.

“Nobody is against higher education,” Zimmerman said. “I have a college degree. We want higher education, but we want to sell land at a fair market value. They paid $200,000 to change the signs for the school, but they have no money to buy the land.”

Gerwig focused on her business experience, and the fact that she and her husband had raised children in the community. Gerwig emphasized her membership in both local chambers of commerce, as well as working with the Citizens Volunteer Organization. She said she wanted to be a strong advocate for everyone in the community, seniors and youth.

As for the future of the Wellington Community Center, she said seniors should have some say on plans to revitalize it after the new village hall is completed.

“We need input from seniors on what they want done,” Gerwig said. “I know there are accessibility issues with this building. We can determine what needs to be done in here. I live, work and play here. I’ve always enjoyed that.”

Gerwig said that on the council she would also be a voice for local businesses. “The businesses are closing down, and we need something to do about that,” she said. The election will be held on Tuesday, March 9.

plete census, noted Royal Palm Beach officials. Population-driven revenue generates more money for RPB than property taxes and makes up about 25 percent of the village’s total revenue. The Census Bureau will mail the questionnaires over the next month. They also will be available at Village Hall for residents who did not receive one in the mail. From May through July, census takers will visit households that did not return a questionnaire, and on Dec. 31, the Census Bureau will announce the nation’s population count.

For more information about Family Census Day in Royal Palm Beach, call Morales at (561) 7905149.

izen Advisory Board in the community. I am sorry to say that three years later, not one of the recommendations made by the task force has been acted on.

The Village of Wellington has a great set of codes on the books (most probably the best in the state). All the village has to do is enforce the codes that are already on the books. The village, like the rest of us, is starting to show its age. I want my Wellington back.

Wellington Candidates’ Forum Set For Feb. 25

The Palm Beach County League of Women Voters is sponsoring a Wellington candidates’ forum on Thursday, Feb. 25 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Wellington Community Center. The three Wellington Village Council Seat 2 candidates and the two mayoral candidates will be present. League member Mary Jane Range will serve as moderator. Although the forum will be televised, voters are urged to come and ask questions. The league is a nonpartisan po-

Crash Investigation Could Take Months

continued from page 1

ing to reports, Wilson was on his way from Orlando to visit his mother and sister, and participate in his sister’s birthday party.

A statement from Goodman’s attorney, Roy Black of the Miami firm Black, Srebnick, Kornspan & Stumpf, said Goodman was devastated to learn that the driver of the other vehicle was killed.

“He asked me to express his deepest sympathy and regret to the family and friends of Scott Patrick Wilson,” Black wrote in a prepared statement. “Mr. Goodman has remained in contact with officials investigating the accident and will continue to cooperate as needed.”

A well-known criminal defense lawyer, Black’s clients have included William Kennedy Smith and Rush Limbaugh.

Goodman captains the Isla Carroll polo team, based at his Wellington farm. The Isla Carroll team has won polo’s U.S. Open twice, as well as many other high-profile tournaments. In 2004, he revolutionized Wellington’s polo community with the building and opening of the International Polo Club. He also owns the Wanderers Club at Wellington golf facility. The PBSO is continuing its investigation of the crash but no charges have been filed and no arrests have been made. “It takes weeks or months sometimes,” PBSO Information Officer Teri Barbera said. “The report we have to submit is very detailed.”

Blotter continued from page 6 Shore Blvd. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Wellington substation observed 47-year-old Mark Boyhan traveling at a high rate of speed. When the deputy tried to pace the car, Boyhan made a quick right turn into a parking lot without signaling and attempted to get out of the car and leave. The deputy conducted a roadside sobriety test and placed Boyhan under arrest. According to the report, Boyhan said he had been drinking and did not want to get caught.

FEB. 15 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington

litical organization. Its purpose is to promote political responsibility through informed and active participation in government. The league does not support or oppose candidates, but will study issues that are pertinent, arrive at a consensus and then actively support or oppose legislative bills.

All Wellington residents are encouraged to attend this forum so they may make an informed decision on March 9. For more information, call the league at (561) 276-4898.

Investigators look at many different factors, including mapping and computer modeling, she said.

“They have to go out and re-create the entire investigation,” Barbera said. “It takes time to get it all together, including the toxicology report.”

Once the PBSO has gathered the information, the report is turned over to the State Attorney’s Office, which has several weeks to study the report and decide whether charges should be brought.

Assistant State Attorney Ellen Roberts said an arrest is not usually made immediately after a fatal traffic accident.

“We rarely arrest someone after a crash like that, because after we arrest them, we have speedy trial issues,” Roberts said, explaining that the State Attorney’s Office must bring charges within 30 days after a person is arrested relating to a fatal accident. “We always wait until our investigation is complete and everything is done, and it takes a very long time sometimes.”

Roberts noted that reports on fatal crashes can be extremely detailed.

“Sometimes these reports are three and four and five inches thick by the time they come into my office,” she said. “It takes a long time to do any of them. Unfortunately, we’re not working just one case. We’re working a whole bunch of them.”

There will be a memorial service for Scott Wilson at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20 at St. Rita Catholic Church in Wellington. A funeral mass will follow at 2:30 p.m. Services are being handled by Palms West Funeral Home & Crematory.

was dispatched to a home in Palm Beach Polo Monday afternoon regarding a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between noon last Thursday and 2:30 p.m. Monday, someone entered the victim’s home while they were out of the country. The caretaker of the property arrived Monday to find that a 32-inch flat-screen television and a long-board skateboard had been removed from the home. According to the report, the point of entry appeared to be the front door, but there were no signs of force. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

Danny Arendt, Jodie Bailey, Peter Pletcher, Carmen Paperniti and Carol LeMaster.Carol Coleman with Andrea and Roger Plevin.

Jeff Dever and Carol Coleman with Anthony and Paulette Jurak.

Candidates Darell Bowen and Carol Coleman

Antiques Festival March 5-7 At The Fairgrounds

A record number of dealers set up for the February Antiques Spectacular, traditionally the largest show of the season for the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival. The March 5-7 edition of the festival is also shaping to be a red-letter event with a strong complement of regular dealers augmented by many new faces. Page 32

Tree’s Wings: Keeping Prices Low And Quality High

Tree’s Wings & Ribs in Royal Palm Beach is famous for its chicken wings and baby back ribs. The restaurant has been serving the western communities for more than 14 years. “We love being a part of the community and feel we have something great to offer,” owner Andy Maynard said. Page 35

Shopping Spree Shopping Spree

A TOWN-CRIER PUBLICATION

INSIDE

BUSINESS

Economic Development Meeting Feb. 24

On Wednesday, Feb. 24, the Economic Development Committee of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce will hold the first meeting of a task force organized to develop a viable plan for responsible economic development in the region. The meeting will be held in Building 1 at the South Florida Fairgrounds. The public is invited to attend. Page 36

Spor ts

Wildcats, Hawks Eye Baseball Glory

The Royal Palm Beach High School varsity baseball team, which finished 14-10 last year, hope that by perfecting the small things, they will be competitive in District 9-6A. But in order to win the district, they’ll have to get past a number of good teams, including rival Seminole Ridge High School. Coming off a winning season last year, the Hawks are also taking aim at the district title. Page 41

THIS WEEK’S INDEX

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

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

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

BUSINESS NEWS................................35-39

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

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

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

Christy Cotton: It’s Time We Had ‘Food Stamps For Horses’

Christy Cotton has been around horses all of her life.

Growing up on Niskey Lake near Atlanta, Cotton had a neighbor who would ride her horse every afternoon past Cotton’s house.

“I’ll never forget the sound of the horse’s footsteps on the asphalt as she rode by,” she recalled. “I would run as fast as I could down a long curving driveway, just to be there when she passed by. I’m sure I begged her many times for a ride, because I was so fascinated by her horse.”

That early fascination was nurtured when, at the age of 12, her parents bought her a horse, and that love grew into a career working with horses.

Cotton started breeding Appaloosas when she was 21, and a few years later became a professional horse trainer and instructor.

In 1999, she started the Indian Rose & Co. in Plantation Acres, and in 2002 she bought her first equine facility in Loxahatchee.

Her timing couldn’t have been worse. Like many other horse owners, she watched as the economy declined, starting in 2007. And, like many others, the downturn brought hardship. Her business mostly depended upon local clientele, and people didn’t have money for riding or boarding anymore.

“I was living on fumes. I had to do something,” Cotton said. “I tried asking for help. I called a former client and asked if they could donate some feed, help me out. At first they said no, then they called back and offered to buy me five bags of grain. It was so terrible that the horses had to suffer, through no fault

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg

of their own, for what some stupid, greedy people had created.”

Cotton had to sell most of her horses, the Quarter Horse broodmare and the lesson horses, to economize; feeding a horse isn’t cheap, especially in South Florida, where there’s no locally grown hay, so everything is trucked from up north — which is reflected in the price. A nice green bale of T&A (timothy and alfalfa, the most commonly fed hay) goes for $13 to $18 per bale, and horses eat a lot of hay.

“I sat there and watched my revenue diminish day by day,” she said. “I knew I had to reinvent myself somehow. So I sat down at my computer, day after day, and started doing research, looking for something. What I found was the issue of horse slaughter. So many horses in the U.S. are sent to slaughter every year. I couldn’t believe it.”

Cotton found that, especially after the job market shut down and the foreclosures started in earnest, horses became one of the early casualties of the new reality. She realized there was a black market for horse meat in the Miami area, in particular. Horses were being il-

legally slaughtered. Other horses, abandoned or given up, were being trucked across boarders, to slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico.

In 2008, more than 86,000 American horses were exported for slaughter: former show horses, race horses, lesson ponies, even wild horses and pregnant mares. Transported often without adequate food, water or rest, in double-decker trailers, suitable for cattle but not for horses, they are sometimes trampled or injured by the time they arrive at the slaughterhouse. There is no humane way to slaughter horses for food.

Investigators from the U.S. Humane Society have documented horrendous abuses in how horses are killed in Mexico. At one plant in Juarez, horses are stabbed with short “puntilla” knives, a method that leaves them paralyzed and unable to breathe. The animals may still be conscious as they are hoisted up by chains and their throats slit.

In Congress, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Representative Dan Burton (R-Ind.) introduced the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act. While that bill was voted favorably out of the House Judiciary Committee, time ran out before it could be considered by the full House and Senate. In the 109th Congress, legislation to stop horse slaughter has seen favorable results in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. However, a final bill has not been enacted.

Thinking back to when her friend had helped out with the feed, Cotton came up with

‘I was hoping to get some support or funding for the bill nationally, through large corporations or wealthy horse lovers. But it didn’t come together. I didn’t give up. I just started thinking harder. There had to be a way to get it done.’

— Christy Cotton

an idea: food stamps for horses. She did more online research and then put together a prospectus that she hoped could become a bill to help save abandoned horses or horses destined for slaughter.

“I was hoping to get some support or funding for the bill nationally, through large corporations or wealthy horse lovers,” she said. “But it didn’t come together. I didn’t give up. I just started thinking harder. There had to be a way to get it done.”

She corresponded with federal grant riders and other people involved in various horse rescue operations. Then inspiration struck: She started thinking of old automobile tires.

Not too long ago, old tires were a big problem. When people got new tires, the old tires accumulated in huge numbers in junkyards around the country. You couldn’t burn them, See ROSENBERG, page 28

February Is My Most Favorite Month... Let Me Explain Why

I just love February — have I told you that already?

First, there’s Groundhog Day with that adorable Punxsutawney Phil coming out of his hole to see why there’s a TV crew outside his front door. I like him so much I bought a plush groundhog at the zoo and named him Rover. When my nieces and nephews were young, I’d take Rover with me whenever I traveled to see them, and I’d pop him out of the suitcase dressed in an outfit I’d concocted in their honor. It started out with a red striped nightgown and matching nightcap, but soon took off from there. When my nephews moved to California, Rover was dressed in baggies and sunglasses. When my niece had her piano recital, Rover wore a tuxedo and carried a maestro’s baton. And when my daughter graduated from the University of

Deborah Welky is The Sonic BOOMER

Florida, Rover was there in a cap and gown (with gold cords, of course).

Close on the heels of Groundhog Day is my birthday, which, amazingly, people are still celebrating despite all the trouble I’ve caused them over the years. It’s reaffirming and gives me the strength to carry on (and cause more trouble).

Then comes Valentine’s Day when I receive

Hoffman’s Chocolates, which, in my humble opinion, are the best chocolates in the world. I stretch them out as long as I can, sometimes eating only one every other day until Easter finally arrives and I get my big chocolate rabbit. The chocolate rabbit is big because he has to last all the way until I get my chocolate Santa in December. That’s an exercise in discipline. I have to eat the rabbit’s ears last, too, because my Grandma (who has been gone about 30 years now) told me that’s the way it must be done. (I use them as sort of a handle, but you can imagine what they look like by Dec. 24. Who cares? It’s chocolate!)

But back to the February calendar when, almost as a respite from near-constant partying, comes the more serious Presidents Day where everything shuts down and I can finally read a magazine. Presidents Day has been

rescheduled for the convenience of our government and now takes place on neither Lincoln’s nor Washington’s birthday, but on a somewhat random Monday. I keep my antiques store open because people always forget they have the day off and are roaming around with nothing to do. We love people with money who have nothing to do.

Last but not least, there’s leap year — but not always. February keeps us guessing right up until the very end. (“Is today still February or are we into March now?”) People who were born on a leap day technically only have one birthday every four years. I feel sorry for them — so sorry that I will dress Rover in his birthday hat and eat one of my Valentine chocolates.

OK, I’m better now.

I don’t know about them.

Werewolf Movie ‘The Wolfman’ Just A Poor Slasher Flick

The new movie The Wolfman is a sad one, a real disappointment. We have gone through a renaissance for the vampires, so why should we not also love shape-shifters? We even had some in the latest teenage vampire flick Twilight New Moon. Of course, their being able to turn into actual wolves with the help of computer-generated effects while being able to turn back into hunky teens made the whole thing seem, well, fun.

There is little room for fun in this movie. Lawrence Talbot (Benicio del Toro) is a Shakespearean actor during the Victorian era, called back to the family estate on the moors because his brother has disappeared. He goes out looking at the urging of his brother’s fiancée (Emily Blunt, not nearly as interesting as she was in The Young Victoria), gets bitten, and if you can’t figure out the rest, well, you probably are unable to even read this.

Why is vampirism so engaging to us while lycanthropy is not? Vampires are all about living forever (or maybe unliving forever). Victims are selected generally for their desirability and are generally seduced into joining. The typical movie has the very

Rosenberg Food Stamps For Horses

continued from page 27 because of all the toxins. There were all sorts of schemes, including dumping them in the ocean to create artificial reefs. That didn’t work either. Now, every time you buy a new tire, you pay a small disposal fee. It goes to the EPA, and the tire is recycled.

Cotton made the connection between discarded tires and discarded horses. Many horses were now being discarded by people.

In early 2009, Cotton incorporated Food Stamps for Horses, a nonprofit corporation to act as a clearinghouse to help people afford to feed their horses, and to help care for abandoned horses.

Food Stamps for Horses is being

‘I’ On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

good-looking fangster mesmerizing the innocent damsel, exchanging body fluids (Freud would have had a field day with the whole biting and infection bit), and followed by the former victim’s joining in a form of unholy matrimony with her seducer.

Audiences lovingly follow the seduction, rooting against the final joining. And the vampire can generally only be killed by a wooden stake through the heart. We have all the symbols of love, interestingly perverted in a Victorian sense, presented.

That has probably accounted for a lot of the different types of vampire stories. Dracula is the first and probably greatest and has been updated in many ways, from classic re-

developed as a way to accept donations by credit or debit card via the Food Stamps for Horses’ web site.

“We want people to be able to feed their own animals, but we also want to locate abandoned, neglected and starving horses. One video on our web site shows a horse chewing on a canvas tarp, because he couldn’t find anything else to eat,” she said. “In a nutshell, we would ask anyone breeding a horse to pay five percent of the breeding fee to sustain this program, just like the disposal fee pays to recycle old tires.”

Cotton also wants to start a national petition supporting the bill by Conyers and Burton. “Food Stamps for Horses wants to bring a solution as fast as possible to a cause where one horse is being destroyed every five minutes,” she said.

The recommendation for the equine breeder “byproduct” fee is

tellings to a Mel Brooks spoof to teenage fanged angst.

On the other hand, werewolves merely tear people apart. In this version, del Toro is always clearly a man, one with a lot of extra hair, claws and fangs, and one who suffers the pain of the change. He also kills in wholesale lots. There is no seduction, just mass killing. He actually longs for release even if it means death.

That is the real difference. If vampire flicks are a twisted version of love stories, then this film is just another view of slasher movies. There is no wit and very little charm. Although del Toro hams it up enough in terms of his own pain and suffering to be eligible for the grand slam at Denny’s, most of the cast is going through the motions. I hated watching Anthony Hopkins, one of the finest actors around, essentially just phoning in his role as Talbot’s father.

The best movie involving shifting was An American Werewolf in London. While presenting the story in a modern way, it also had a real wit to it. After all, using Blue Moon as its theme song immediately indicated that it would not take itself seriously. Yet, despite

five percent of each stud fee and no less than $50 for stud fees less than $1,000. If the stud fees of mares used for their urine in manufacturing drugs are encapsulated within their programs, the fee would be a percentage of the value of the drugs yielded by their urine or, if outside entities are paid stud fees for impregnating these mares, then the five percent fee would stand. All breeders should be licensed with the responsibility to castrate males outside the first, second and third string of foal crops each year.

Funds distributed through Food Stamps for Horses would pave the way to absorb the ill-fated horses by financially stimulating the horse industry and the economy through distributing food stamps for horses and additional cash assistance grants to eligible rescues and sanctuaries across the country.

These subsidies would produce

all the jokes, it did. David, the lead character, hated the change, wanted nothing more than to be able to really love the nurse who was helping him. His dead friend, appearing as a ghost (yet disintegrating, as his corpse would) urges him to suicide and, in the end, to some degree he does. They brought back the love story and, as a result, it was a really good movie. The audience hated the fact that David died, even though he was a wolf and had killed people.

There is no real wit in the current version. Thirty years ago, werewolf films could be funny. This time around, the movie has the charm of something like Saw V: a lot of blood and spatter and no reason at all to really root for the lead. The film reprises much of the old Lon Chaney version. It might have worked well decades ago but it basically just lies around now.

We are in the February doldrums right now, the time when many movies that were not good enough to be released at the big filmgoing and awards season came out. This is one movie that could have sat on a shelf for years. And, please, if your kids express an interest, suggest other films.

a domino effect to not only horserelated industries, but to other support industries. Current ranches and sanctuaries would generate income where none presently exists or have evaporated. There would be a need to hire ranch hands. New incomes could reactivate their mortgages, reinstating taxes and insurances on their properties. Feed manufacturers would have more feed to produce and distribute. Farmers would have more hay to bale. More horse bedding would be manufactured. Trucking companies would have more loads to haul. Veterinarians would have more calls to make. Farriers would have more horses to shoe. Horse specialists would benefit from more horses to care for. Feed stores would have more grain, hay, supplies, equipment and services to render.

“Everybody has a stake in this,” Cotton said. “It’s a common sense

‘It’s a common sense way to solve this problem and stop all this needless suffering. Our goal is to make the horse business a no-kill industry. This is a simple solution to a national problem.’

— Christy Cotton

way to solve this problem and stop all this needless suffering. Our goal is to make the horse business a nokill industry. This is a simple solution to a national problem. Everyone wins.”

For more information, visit www. foodstampsforhorses.com.

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.

Everglades Youth Conservation Camp — Make the Florida Everglades your child’s backyard this summer. The Everglades Youth Conservation Camp (EYCC) is located in the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area in western Palm Beach County. The residential summer camp program is for campers eight to 14 years old. The EYCC also offers a junior counselor program. Also, the FAU/Pine Jog Summer Day Camp is the perfect balance of environmental education, arts, culture, sports and outdoor fun. Pine Jog will be offering a full summer program for children who have completed grades K5. Visit www.pinejog.fau.edu for more information on either program.

West Palm Antiques Festival March 5-7 At The Fairgrounds

Peter Mellon displays more than 2,000 watches, chains, knives and lighters at his booth at the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.

A record number of dealers set up for the February Antiques Spectacular, traditionally the largest show of the season for the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival. Festival owners Kay and Bill Puchstein said attendance surpassed even that of the January show, which was the largest up to that time under their ownership.

The March 5-7 edition of the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is also shaping to be a red-letter event with a strong complement of regular dealers augmented by a growing number of new faces and the expectation of improving weather for the South Florida region. All 900 of the inside dealer spaces have been sold out for weeks.

One of the members of the regular dealer corps is Peter Mellon of Pompano Beach. Mellon got into the general antiques business as the result of a storage problem. He and his wife had accumulated more antiques than they had room for. His brother-in-law was an antique watch dealer and suggested Mellon specialize, too.

So Mellon did, taking a series of horology classes to bolster his knowledge. He has been at it for more than 20 years now, and his personal knowledge of watches has

far outstripped the level of the classes he took.

He sets up shop at the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival with an inventory of over 2,000 pieces consisting of watches, pocket knives and lighters. The most frequently asked question of Mellon during a show is, “Do all of these watches work?” The answer is “most of them.”

One of the few that don’t work also happens to be the oldest in the inventory. It is a 200-year-old French watch made by Charles Odin, who made this type watch only between 1809 and 1830. The watch needs approximately $400 worth of repair work to fix it, but it has more than $500 worth of 18karat solid gold in the case at current scrap prices. Mellon will sell it for anything above the scrap value. The most expensive watch in the inventory at $1,500 is a three-register chronograph with 40 jewels and a sapphire crystal made by Tag Heuer. Mellon gladly gives free market-value appraisals of time pieces brought to his booth by show visitors and makes an active market both buying and selling time pieces.

Mellon also has a large inventory of pocket knives in all sizes. He

says vintage American-made blades are the favorite of his regular customers. Another set of items popular with Mellon’s customers is his large collection of lighters, including vintage Zippos, logo lighters and character lighters with depictions of Wonder Woman, Babe Ruth, Howdy Doody, Superman, Mickey Mouse, Star Trek and many more, but his personal favorites are the Zippos. He has learned how to read the date code on the bottom of a Zippo and will gladly tell you how old your vintage Zippo is.

The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival is held at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds. Show hours are noon to 5 p.m. Friday, March 5; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 6; and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, March 7. Early-buyers admission (9 a.m. to noon on Friday) is $25 and is valid for the entire weekend. Daily admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, and $1 discount coupons for adult admission are available on the festival’s web site. Anyone under 16 is admitted free. There is no charge for parking at the fairgrounds. For more information, call the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival at (941) 697-7475, e-mail info@wpbaf.com or visit www.wpbaf.com.

Celebration Of Jewish Music And Arts March 6-11 At FAU

“Kultur Festival 2010” will take place March 6-11 at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. The six-day celebration of Jewish music and arts will kick off on Saturday, March 6 at 3 p.m. with “Klez4Kidz,” a multimedia presentation of the critically acclaimed children’s book The Kugel Valley Klezmer Band. The festival will conclude on Thursday, March 11 at 7 p.m. with “Hazzanut Espagnol, Mizrachi & Ladino Love Songs,” a performance of songs from Persia, Iraq, Morocco, Turkey, Salonika and Spain. The 25-member Klezmer Company Orchestra (KCO), conducted by Aaron Kula, will present the festival’s main event, “JudeoJazzistico,” on Sunday, March 7 at 3 p.m.

Kula, also director of music collections and performance at the FAU libraries, created the festival and tailors the events to showcase the library’s special collections and archives. The music and art presented during the festival this year will expand its scope from European cultures to include fine and performing arts from the Americas, Mediterranean and Middle East.

“The main event of the festival with KCO will highlight the rich print music collection at the FAU libraries,” Kula said. “The inaugural festival was such a success that

we want this to be an annual tradition.”

A pre-festival event, “Conversations & Coexistence: Cultural Diversity at FAU,” a student forum representing Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist students, will be held on Wednesday, March 3 at noon at the Wimberly Library. The event is free and open to the public.

The kickoff event, the reading of The Kugel Valley Klezmer Band, will be brought to life by narrator Riva Ginsburg and five KCO musicians. The event will be at the Wimberly Library and is appropriate for the entire family. Everyone is encouraged to bring blankets and be ready to dance to the musical interludes.

“Tantz & Salsa,” a lively social gathering, will follow on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Live Oak Pavilion. Participants can have fun with traditional Latin and Jewish folk dancing led by professional instructors.

The festival also features Dr. Henry Abramson and Dr. Zion Zohar, two renowned Jewish scholars who will deliver the keynote address titled “Coexistence Through Culture” on Sunday, March 7 at 1 p.m. at the Live Oak Pavilion.

“JudeoJazzistico” will be performed on Sunday at 3 p.m. at FAU’s Carole and Barry Kaye Per-

forming Arts Auditorium. KCO turns up the heat with the new Klezkatz vocal ensemble to present a tour-de-force concert of new orchestrations. The concert will feature masterfully blended jazz and ethnic music.

The festival offers three traditional events that highlight Yiddish culture, including Dr. Jerry Glantz’s lecture on his book The Man Who Spoke to God, the story about his dad, Cantor Leib Glantz, on Tuesday, March 9 at 3 p.m.; “Yiddish Zingfest,” with singer and actress Phyllis Berk, who will sing songs from albums in FAU libraries’ Judaica Sound Archives on Wednesday, March 10 at 3 p.m.; and the screening of Yifl mitn Fidl, a presentation that will feature KCO violinist Randi Fishenfeld on Monday, March 8 at 7 p.m. The events will be at the Wimberly Library.

Book arts collector Arthur Jaffe, curator of the Arthur and Mata Jaffe Center for Book Arts, and Jewish musicologist Cantor Morton Kula will explore the meaning, artistry and music of the Haggadah on Monday, March 8 at 2 p.m. An evening of songs and theater by Jewish composers and playwrights from Argentina will be performed on Tuesday, March 9 at 7 p.m. The festival also features an invitation for musicians to bring instruments and music

stands, and jam with KCO and Kula on Wednesday, March 10 at 7 p.m. Both events will be at the Wimberly Library. The finale, Hazzanut Espagnol, Mizrachi & Ladino Love Songs, will take place at 7 p.m. at the Barry and Florence Friedberg Lifelong Learning Center. Kultur Festival 2010 is sponsored by the by FAU libraries with additional support from the Jewish Cultural Society at FAU, the Nathan and Marion Crosby Holocaust and Judaic Library Collections Endowment Fund, WXEL and the South

Florida Association of Jewish Libraries.

Now in its second year, the Kultur Festival will feature 12 events on FAU’s Boca Raton campus (777 Glades Road). Tickets for events, excluding the concert, range from $5 to $12. Concert tickets range from $18 to $42. Festival passes are $110 and include entrance to all events, premier concert seating and a copy of KCO’s award-winning CD Beyond the Tribes. For info., call (800) 564-9539 or visit www. library.fau.edu/news/kultur.htm.

Conductor Aaron Kula with the Klezmer Company Orchestra and KlezKatz.

Tree’s Wings & Ribs: Keeping Prices Low And Quality High

Tree’s Wings & Ribs in Royal Palm Beach is famous for its original Buffalo-style chicken wings and baby back ribs. The restaurant has been serving the western communities for more than 14 years and has been deemed the “Best of the West” 10 years in a row. Tree’s Wings & Ribs’ delicious chicken wings are cooked to perfection, and the ribs are so moist that they fall off the bone the moment you pick them up.

A tradition at Tree’s has always been enjoying its secret recipe “house” dressing with the wings.

“We never get tired of hearing our customers rave about our secret sauces and house dressing,” Tree’s owner Andy Maynard said. “We love being a part of the community and feel we have something great to offer.”

With the recent increase in the price of chicken wings, many restaurants have passed the price hike onto their customers. Tree’s Wings & Ribs has taken steps to avoid doing this.

“Our business is wings and ribs,” Maynard said. “Our customers have always received and continue to expect a good value when they dine with us. We have made adjustments on our end to help absorb those costs for our customers, especially as the economic times have made it more challenging for average families to dine out. We are continuously looking for ways to give back to the community, and one way will be to provide a great place to eat at an affordable price.”

Tree’s Wings & Ribs opens seven days a week at 11 a.m. and is located at 603 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. in the Royal Plaza just north of Southern Blvd. The restaurant offers dine-in, take-out and delivery. Tree’s also offers a private party room as well as a large menu of party trays and on-site catering.

For more information, call Tree’s Wings & Ribs at (561) 791-1535 or visit the restaurant’s web site at www.treeswingsandribs. com.

Tree’s Wings & Ribs owner Andy Maynard with tray of wings.

Economic Development Committee Meeting RIBBON CUTTING FOR HUGS AND KISSES

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting at Hugs and Kisses Inc. (10131 Southern Blvd., near Bealls). Hugs and Kisses raises money for local cancer patients with desperate financial needs, but does so in a unique way — by making bracelets out of buttons. Founder Jean Morris came upon the idea during a period of intense personal struggle, as her mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Students are mentored in all parts of the business. Money raised covers living expenses for cancer patients in financial need. Students qualify for scholarships based on their commitments to Hugs and Kisses. Scholarships are also available for children of families touched by cancer. For more info., call (561) 819-9471 or visit www.hugs andkissesinc.org. Pictured above are Hugs and Kisses staffers and volunteers with chamber ambassadors.

On Wednesday, Feb. 24, the Economic Development Committee of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce will hold the first meeting of a task force organized to develop a viable plan for responsible economic development in the region. The organizational meeting will be the first of many that will bring together the stakeholders of the central western communities in an effort designed to ensure that the heart of Palm Beach County remains a great place to live, learn, work and play.

Begun in 2006, as a result of a strategic planning workshop held by the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, the plan has gone from a dream to a vision with a clear mission that will result in achieving balanced and appropriate business growth that will meet the needs of the community.

Some of the focus areas that the task force is expected to pursue include: securing professional and technical employment centers, green energy and cutting-

edge technologies, education across all levels, and cultural arts and entertainment. The task force will foster intergovernmental agreements, develop land use maps, identify “shovel ready” land and propose policies to enhance economic development opportunities. Additionally, the task force will be charged to develop incentives for target areas of growth, identify resources and create a marketing strategy to promote the heart of Palm Beach County.

The task force will be com-

prised of representatives from governmental agencies, community leaders and technical experts from across the region. The organizational meeting will be held in Building 1 at the South Florida Fairgrounds. The public is invited to attend. However, public comments will not be taken at this meeting.

For more information, contact Vice Chair of Economic Development Susan Giddings at economic development@palmswest. com or call (561) 790-6200.

Elegant Swirls Opens At Wellington Green

Sweet treats are in store for shoppers at the Mall at Wellington Green with the addition of Elegant Swirls, which opened Friday, Feb. 12. An eye-popping variety of cupcake, cookie and cake creations awaits visitors to Elegant Swirls. Key Lime, Cappuccino Creme, Cranberry Crunch, Red Velvet and Peanut Butter Fluff are but a few of the fabulous cupcake flavors. Further tempting taste buds are the gourmet cookie

bar and the vast selection of treats: funnel cakes, cotton candy, chocolate-covered pretzels and more, as well as gorgeous cakes and customorder creations.

A children’s party room, for cupcake baking and decorating parties, tops off the flavorful fun.

Elegant Swirls is the first of a new cupcakery franchise from accomplished pastry chef Alethea Hickman, who has been creating delectable

treats and cakes that double as works of art for more than 30 years.

Hickman, who has competed on the Food Network series The Challenge, also owns the award-winning Passion for Pastry retail shop in Boca Raton, where her “World’s Largest Cupcake” earned a spot in this year’s Guinness Book of World Records.

“Shoppers will find Elegant Swirls hard to resist,”

Wellington Green Marketing & Sponsorship Director Rachelle Crain said. “It’s the perfect complement to our great restaurant offerings, and we’re excited to welcome them to Wellington Green.”

Elegant Swirls is located on the mall’s upper level, near JC Penney and overlooking the children’s play area. For additional information, visit the Mall at Wellington Green’s web site at www. shopwellingtongreen.com.

South University Dedication Feb. 26

South University will hold an official building dedication on Friday, Feb. 26 at 8 a.m. for its new 40,000square-foot campus in University Centre located at State Road 7 and Belvedere Road in Royal Palm Beach.

The event will include tours and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This marks the first of three buildings that will comprise University Centre, a Rendina Companies development.

“South University has been in Palm Beach County for 27 years, and our campus and the county have both changed a great deal,” Chancellor John T. South III said. “The western communities have grown significantly, and so have we. Today, our stu-

dents can attend classes and learn on a campus that was designed for them and built for them. The dedication of the new campus marks a significant milestone for South University; to stand here and see the result of the years of planning and hard work by so many people is gratifying.”

The West Palm Beach campus offers quality programs in the areas of professional nursing, business, healthcare and legal studies that are designed to prepare students for career and personal development by offering relevant coursework and practical experiences. Through small class settings, a supportive learning environment is encouraged by faculty members who are fo-

cused on student achievement.

“Students face serious competition in the work force today, and South University offers quality programs with rigorous curriculums to prepare our graduates for brighter futures,” West Palm Beach Campus President David McGuire said. “Each student makes a serious and longterm commitment when they decide to pursue higher education, and the new campus reflects our commitment to deliver quality and to be an active member of the Palm Beach community for the long term.”

The West Palm Beach campus offers the following degree programs: business administration (AS), infor-

mation technology (AS), business administration (BBA), healthcare management (BS), information technology (BS), business administration (MBA), healthcare administration (MBA), physical therapist assisting (AS), health science (BS), paralegal studies (AS), criminal justice (BS), legal studies (BS), psychology (BA), professional counseling (MA), nursing (BS) and nursing RN to BSN.

South University is a private academic institution dedicated to providing educational opportunities for the intellectual, social and professional development of a diverse student population. For more information, visit www.southuniversity.edu.

ABWA Chapter Dinner Meeting March 10

The Northern Palm Beach Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association will host its monthly meeting Wednesday, March 10 at the PGA Doubletree Hotel. Networking will take place from 6 to 6:30 p.m. with

the dinner and program beginning at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $35, and guests are welcome.

The speaker will be Tammy Saltzman, the “Achievement Avatar.” The program title is “The Art of Develop-

ing Successful Business Relationships.” To make reservations, or for more information, call Sharon Maupin at (561) 624-3816. The Doubletree is located at 4431 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens.

The mission of the Ameri-

can Business Women’s Association is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others. For more info., call Carol O’Neil at (561) 389-1227.

RIBBON CUTTING FOR WESTSIDE BAGELS TOO IN WELLINGTON

The Palms West Chamber of

recently held a

100). Mitch Shidlofsky said freshness is the number-one ingredient in all of the food at his restaurant, where 95 percent of the products are made on-site. Westside’s bagels are baked fresh daily, right in the store, crusty and irresistible. Eggs are offered wrapped in a challah tortilla; on a sandwich with ham, salami or lox; or any style you like. In addition to bagels, Shidlofsky said his customers love Westside’s made-to-order salads. The restaurant offers custom catering for all occasions, including deli platters, salad platters, cookie/pastry platters, fresh fruit platters and much more. Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. For more info., call (561) 422-6114 or visit www.mitchs westsidebagels.com. Pictured here are Mitch’s Westside Bagels Too staffers with chamber ambassadors.

Commerce

ribbon cutting for Mitch’s Westside Bagels Too in Wellington (2465 State Road 7, Suite

RPB Baseball Coach: Focus On ‘Little Things’ Key To Winning

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

The Royal Palm Beach High School varsity baseball team knows what it will take to set it apart from the rest of the district this season.

“We’re focusing on the little things,” coach Doug Marcello said Monday. “By taking care of the little things, the big things should work themselves out.”

The Wildcats, who finished 1410 last year, hope that by perfecting the small things, they will be competitive against Palm Beach Central, Park Vista, Jupiter and Boca, which have dominated District 9-6A.

“It’s going to be a tough district this year,” assistant coach Ryan Peterson said. “So whichever team does all the little things right is going to win it.”

Marcello said the team’s strength should be its pitching and defense.

Although he admits the hitting could use some work, Peterson is confident it will be solid by the time the season starts.

“The hitting is going to come around,” Peterson said. “It’s not there right now. We’ve got good hitters, but they’re just not hitting. We’ll score some runs if we play the game and do the little things — hit, run, bunt, steal. If we do all those things, we’ll score some runs.”

Returning to the team are seniors Julian Landron, a pitcher; Bryan Carnahan, an outfielder; Austin Perez, a pitcher; and Daniel Glevenyak, an infielder. Junior outfielder Justin Bryant also returns. The

Wildcats lost star players and cocaptains Robert Marcello and Joseph Sharkey, but have picked up some senior talent in pitcher Derek Earl and Brandon Thomasson.

“We’re pretty solid at the top half of our [pitching] staff,” Peterson said. “We’ve got a good group this year and the talent to do what we need to do.”

And what they need to do is win, he said.

“As far as our goals go, number one is win the district,” Peterson said. “With good pitching and good

defense, we hope to score as many runs as we can.”

But Marcello said there is more to high school sports than building a winning team.

“The thing we’re trying to build more than athletic ability is just getting them to be good people,” he said. “If we can teach them to be good people, I don’t even worry about them being good baseball players.”

The Wildcats hosted Jupiter High School in a pre-season game on Thursday, Feb. 18.

An Older SRHS Baseball Team Looks To Use Its Experience

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

The Seminole Ridge High School varsity baseball team, coming off a winning season in 2009, has a specific goal this year: win the District 9-6A title.

“We had a really young team, so they had the opportunity to get a lot of experience,” coach Trent Pendergast said. “We’re looking to im-

prove on that and have a better year this year.”

Last year marked the first time in the five-year history of the school that the team won a district playoff game.

“We’d like to progress in the district tournament to get to the championship game and go to regionals,” he said. “That’s always our goal, and when you get the first win of districts that becomes a little bit easier. We always like to improve our win total every year, so we’re focusing on that, too.”

The Hawks return 10 players, including co-captains Shaun Garner, a pitcher, and Steven O’Connor, an infielder, and juniors Kenny Miranda, an infielder, and T.J. Farjad, a starting pitcher and a solid hitter. Combined with new talent from J.J. Salazar, who transferred from Wellington Christian School, and junior Matt Gray, Pendergast has reason for optimism.

“We’re in a really awesome district, maybe one of the toughest in the state,” he said. “So it’s definite-

ly going to be tough.”

The Hawks will take on highly competitive teams such as Royal Palm Beach, Palm Beach Central, Wellington, Jupiter, Park Vista and Boca Raton.

The team’s strength is its pitchers, led by Farjad, Garner and senior Joey Rubiano.

“I think that’s really our biggest strength, and I think our defense will be good this year, too,” Pendergast said. “I think offensively we’ll have some challenges. We’ve got some guys who will put the bat on the ball, but I don’t know if we’ll be as strong offensively as some of the other teams in our district. We’re going to have to pitch and play defense, and win close games. ”

But with a good defense, Pendergast is still confident that the team will succeed.

“I’ve got a really great group of kids this year,” he said. “One of the best groups I’ve seen since we’ve been here, for sure. They work really hard, so I hope we’ll be successful.”

Shaun Garner takes a swing at the ball.

Head Coach Trent Pendergast with SRHS baseball co-captains Shaun Garner and Steven O’Connor.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Justin Bryant is tagged by Rudi Heselbauer.

Rosko Gudino pitches to his teammate during a practice.

Head coach Doug Marcello with senior Wildcat players.

SPORTS & RECREATION

Wellington Dancers Compete In Orlando

Fame Dance & Performing Arts Studio in Wellington was one of 19 studios that participated in the Access Broadway competition the weekend of Feb. 5-6 in Orlando.

The studio, under the direction of Amber Prosnick, took a total of 35 vocal, acting and dance routines. Of the 35 routines performed consisting of solos, duets and small/large group numbers, more than half received Platinum awards (the highest award possible with a score of 96plus points out of 100). In addition, eight received first place and the title in their respective categories.

Also, for the second year in a row, Fame won “Best Studio,” the highest award that the competition presents. Only routines receiving a score of 96-plus points are included in the calculation for Best Studio. Fame is now eligible to participate in the nationals, to be held in Orlando in July.

The dance, vocal and acting routines were choreographed by: Heather Back-

Fame dancers celebrate after the Access Broadway competition in Orlando.

man, Christina Ciotoli, Julie Callea, Jeremiah Cummings, Kennith Fowler, Traci-Ann Pearce, Shawn Thomas and Julia Wyda. Fame company members are: Amy Billings, Rachel Billings, Emily Broglio, Rachel Buckley, Candace Carter, Shelby Closson, Amy-Lynn Cwick, Emma Difiore, Gabby Edwardo, Le-

onardo Faife, Alexandra Faife, Tyla Francois, Jalayna Hewlett, Victoria Hockton, Christina Ibarra, Rafeal Ibarra, Joya Johnson, Katia Lago, Natalia Lombardo, Mikey Madden, Demi Master, Jade Master, Daylin Miller, Julie Miller, Lillie Mysel, Maureen O’Shea, Danielle Palaza, Jordan Perez, Amber Prosnick,

Daniel Rabinowitz, Jordan Rahm, Alexa Roosevelt, Skylar Schoemig, Michelle Shannon, Courtney Sheehan, Brittany Weger, Katie Winslow and Megan Zimmerman.

For more information about Fame Dance & Performing Arts Studio, visit www.famedancestudio.com.

Hawk Wrestlers Finish Fourth Districtwide

The Seminole Ridge High School wrestling team, coached by Frank Lasagna, finished fourth overall at the Feb. 7 district wrestling tournament. Individual placewinners and qualifiers for the upcoming regional tournament are Brandon Short, district champion; second place: Trace Thome and Scott Watson; and fourth place: Logan Broberg, Joe Brow, Greg Coulanges, Sam Hargesheimer and Austin Rodriquez.

• Seminole Ridge Shooters Take Silver — The Seminole Ridge Army JROTC marksmanship team, under the command of Lieutenant Col. Hans Hunt, placed second at a Feb. 6 shooting competition at Atlantic High School.

Cadet Major Sam Buckley received two medals for placing third in the standing and kneeling event, and Cadet 1st Lieutenant Ryan Espinoza received a fourth-place medal

in the crouching event.

Marksmanship training and competitive events with the air rifle (pellet gun) are sanctioned programs within the guidelines of the U.S. Army JROTC program.

• Flag Football Plays Sun Life Field — The Seminole Ridge flag football team recently had the opportunity of a lifetime: playing at Sun Life Field, the site of Super Bowl XLIV, in the National Football League’s inaugural “Girls High School Flag Football Showcase.” NFL players Braylen Edwards of the New York Jets and Brandon Jacobs of the New York Giants gave a motivational speech to the girls, signed autographs and posed for pictures. The Hawks won their first game of the four-team tournament, defeating Tallahassee’s Lawton Chiles High School 22-6, but fell in the finals to Boca Raton High School 13-12 in overtime.

Wellington wrestling state qualifiers Brandon Lustgarten, Jake Ferrara and Zach Katz.

Wellington Wrestlers Finish In Fifth Place

The Wellington High School wrestling team recently finished fifth as a team at the regional tournament and qualified three wrestlers for the state tournament.

All three wrestlers are juniors and are first-time state qualifiers. They are: Zach Katz (30-12), 135 pounds, fourth place; Jake Ferrara (41-5), 140 pounds, first place; and Brandon Lustgarten (37-6), 189

pounds, third place.

Katz and Lustgarten both needed to defeat the wrestlers they lost to the previous week at districts to qualify for states; both of them came through with wins by pin.

Ferrara also had a rematch in the regional finals, taking on Steve Santil from Treasure Coach, who had defeated Ferrara both times they wrestled this year. Ferrara defeated him in overtime 5-3.

WLMS Girls Soccer Team Is On A Roll

The Wellington Landings Middle School girls soccer team is currently undefeated at 4-0 this season. The Lady Gators have mounted a staggering 20 goals in just four matches — and just one goal has been scored against them. Their recent move to 4-0 came with victories against Polo Park Middle School and Osceola Creek Middle School. The Gators defeated crosstown rival Polo Park 31. Eighth grader Taylor Pak scored two goals in the contest, and eighth grader Darby Bach also added a score.

Wellington Landings led at the half 2-0, then added its final goal midway through the second half. With only minutes left to play, Polo Park finally got on the board from a set play on a free kick. The high looping shot curled over the keeper’s fingertips into the net, ended the match 3-1.

Wellington Landings later defeated Osceola Creek 5-0 with eighth grader Alex Gillotte accounting for four

of the goals. Seventh grader Makaylan Clark also scored for the Gators. The Gators midfield and defensive unit shut down any potential Osceola Creek threats by keeping possession. The Gators managed seven to eight touches before firing a shot on goal, dominating the field of play most of the game.

The Wellington Landings girls soccer team is preparing for some tough competition from Crestwood Middle School. Both teams are unbeaten and will battle for first place in the division. The Gators are coached by Rob Danion.

Team members are: Kaitlyn Anders, Darby Bach, Christina Barbera, Alexia Barletta, Makaylan Clark, Nicole Dorminey, Juliet Fern, Alex Gillotte, Jessica Hole, Natalie Kelly, Mallory McGuire, Amanda Nardi, Riley Nicholson, Taylor Pak, Katie Smith, Hannah Tanone, Antoinette Walton and Casey Williams.

MEET THE COLTS

The newly formed Wellington Colts 13-U baseball team is currently in season, playing throughout Palm Beach County with home games at Olympia Park. Players include Austin Aloi, J.J. Broderick, Tyler D’Amico, Richie Ellis, Josh Elpern, Ryan Graves, Jonathan Haines, Brendan Hessler, Jimmy Marchand, Isaac Mercado, Matthew Miller, Brett Pizzi and Alex Vargas. The team is coached by Head Coach Tony Pizzi, Manager Brian Miller, and assistant coaches Ron Hessler, Bill Haines, Dennis D’Amico and Rich Ellis.

BMX State Qualifier At

Okeeheelee Park

The Florida BMX State Qualifier will take place Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 2728 at the Okeeheelee Park BMX track.

The competition will include riders from throughout

Florida. There will be pros and people of all ages in the race. There will also be bounce houses, food and vendors. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.okeeheeleebmx.com.

COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR

Saturday, Feb. 20

• Mounts Botanical Garden (531 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach) will present “Growing & Using Herbs in South Florida” on Saturday, Feb. 20 from 9 a.m. to noon featuring Dennis Gretton of D&D Growers. The cost is $45 for members and $55 for non-members. Call (561) 233-1757 or visit www.mounts.org for more info.

• The Seminole Ridge High School Hawk band will host its annual BBQ & Family Fun Day on Saturday, Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school grounds. Admission is free. For info., call Roland Greenspan at (561) 792-6704 or e-mail bandbbq@aol.com.

• Engineering Family Fun Day will be held Saturday, Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Dreher Park in West Palm Beach. The annual event is jointly presented by Society of Women Engineers and National Society of Black Engineers to enlighten students in third to 12th grade about the various engineering fields through hands-on activities. For more info., call Tinu Peña at (561) 3153598 or e-mail tpena@motreco.com.

• The Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service and its community partners are hosting a free “Moneywise Expo” on Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Clayton Hutcheson Agricultural Services Center (559 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach). For more info., call (561) 233-1742.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Writing & Publishing Mystery” for adults on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. Meet a panel of mystery authors from Oceanview Press. Chat, ask questions about their books and craft, and get the scoop on their success. A book signing will follow. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host a Chess Club meeting for ages eight and up Saturday, Feb. 20 at 2:30 p.m. Basic chess knowledge is required. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “TAP: Teen Advisory Posse” for ages 12 to 17 on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 2:30 p.m. Find out what’s coming and share your ideas for future teen programs. Snacks will be provided. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will feature “Bento Box: Japanese Lunch” for ages 12 to 17 on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. Learn how to make and creatively pack a Japanese-style lunch. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Epilepsy Foundation of Florida and Fine Art at West Best Gallery Director Ursula Fernandez invite the public to “Meet the Artist” on Saturday, Feb. 20 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the gallery (2602 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach) featuring original works by award-winning artist Nancy Fontana Greenfield. Admission is free, and complimentary wine and cheese will be served. For more info., call (561) 301-6848.

• The Vintages Gala to benefit the Diabetes Research Institute will be held Saturday, Feb. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington. Dinner, a live auction and dancing will follow cocktails and a silent auction. For tickets, call Sheryl Sulkin at (954) 964-4040 or (800) 321-3437 or e-mail vintagesdri@ gmail.com. For more info., visit www. vintagesdri.org.

Sunday, Feb. 21

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will present a free screening of the movie Food Inc. on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. Complimentary organic popcorn and assorted drinks will be available. To preregister, call (561) 904-4000.

• The Crestwood Performing Arts League (C-PAL) will present “Rhythms!” on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). This Tropicana-style revue highlights the heritage, culture and pulsating rhythms of the Latin sound. Tickets cost $15 for adults; accompanied students are admitted free. For more info., call (561) 798-0627 or (561) 793-2984.

• The fourth annual “Wild Things Art Show” benefiting the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation will be held on Sunday, Feb. 21 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Pferdekamper Studio (14281 Collecting Canal Road, Loxahatchee Groves). The show will feature wildlife-inspired art, sculpture and fine jewelry from some of the area’s leading artists and designers with special “wild” guests from the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary. For more info., visit www.rarespecies.org or call (561) 422-3037 or (561) 596-6196.

• Maltz Jupiter Theatre (1001 E. Indiantown Road, Jupiter) will present the Beatle Maniacs on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. Call (561) 972-6132 or visit www.jupiter theatre.org for more info.

Monday, Feb. 22

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host the Workforce Alliance MoSee CALENDAR, page 48

COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR

CALENDAR, continued from page 46 bile Vehicle for adults on Monday, Feb. 22 from noon to 5 p.m. Job seekers can fill out online application forms and learn about career opportunities. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Become an Effective Entrepreneur” on Monday, Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m. Productivity coach Claudine Motto will cover strategies designed for entrepreneurs and home-based business owners. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

Tuesday, Feb. 23

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Meet the Author: P.J. Parrish” for adults on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. The best-selling mystery author P.J. Parrish is actually two sisters, Kristy Montee and Kelly Nichols. Chat, ask questions and get the scoop on The Little Death, the latest in the “Louis Kinkaid” series. A book signing will follow. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Wellington Village Council will meet on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Call (561) 791-4000 or visit www.wellingtonfl.gov for more info.

Wednesday, Feb. 24

• The 2010 Lusitano Collection International Horse Auction will be held Feb. 2427 at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center. Visit www.lusitanocollection.com for info.

• The Wellington Chamber of Commerce will host a luncheon at noon Wednesday, Feb. 24 featuring Wellington Village Council candidates seeking office in the 2010 municipal election. The luncheon will be held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. RSVP to (561) 792-6525.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Taking Your Case to Mediation or Small Claims Court” for adults on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. An attorney from the Palm Beach County Bar Association will describe both options for resolving your dispute. Call (561) 7906030 to pre-register.

• The organizational meeting of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Task Force will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at the South Florida Fairgrounds in Building 1. For more info., call (561) 790-6200 or visit www. palmswest.com.

Thursday, Feb. 25

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civ-

ic Center Way) will host “Quiet Day Story Time” for ages three to five on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 2:30 p.m. Hear stories and listen to songs that are quiet and not-so-quiet. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Meet the Author: Shutta Crum” for first graders through adults on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m. This children’s author will perform traditional storytelling, share one of her books and discuss where she gets her ideas. A question-andanswer period will follow. Call (561) 7906070 to pre-register.

• The Jewish Community Center of the Greater Palm Beaches’ annual book festival will host “An Evening with Chris Bohjalian” on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. at the Players Club (13410 South Shore Blvd., Wellington). Admission is $36 and includes wine, cheese and dessert. For more info., call Sharon Lowenstein at (561) 676-4104, e-mail sharonl@jcconline.com or visit www.jcconline.com.

Friday, Feb. 26

• The Palms West Hospital Health Lecture Series will present a free lecture on arthritis and joint pain on Friday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). Call Dolly Hughes at (561) 790-5149 for more info.

• Family Winterfest will be held on Friday, Feb. 26 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). The event is sponsored by the Potter’s House Church of West Palm Beach. For more info., call (561) 793-5232 or visit www.palmbeachmiracle.org.

• The West Palm Beach Spring Home Show returns to the South Florida Fairgrounds Friday through Sunday, Feb. 26-28. Admission costs $9 for adults and is free for children under 16. Visit www.acshome show.com for more info.

• The Palm Beach Opera will present Don Giovanni Feb. 26 through March 1 at the Kravis Center. Call (561) 833-7888 or visit www.pbopera.org for more info.

Saturday, Feb. 27

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Five Steps to Permanent Weight Loss” for adults on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. with Dr. Sabrina Morgen. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

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.

VOLUNTEER AT AN ANIMAL

SANCTUARY HORSE FARM - 14 and up, community Service. (561) 792-2666

TEACHERS/TUTORS P/T

Flexible Hrs. Great Pay. MATH • STUDY SKILLS SAT/ACT

Certification/Experience Required Fax: 828-8128

Email:tutorking@wpb3331980.com

STYLIST NEEDED — Must have following. Very Friendly. Salon atmosphere. 561-793-9459 561317-1579

EXCELLENT PRESCHOOL — is offering a wonderful opportunity for a teacher who has a CDA. Salary open! Call Miss Kathy 561-7901780

J.Crew - Store Director - Palm Beach Gardens — Want to love your job? If you're friendly, smart and creative, you might be a perfect fit for J Crew.An icon of style, J Crew is known worldwide for its sophisticated, fun clothing and accessories to live, work, play and even get married in. Please email your resume to: Jennifer.pacella@jcrew.com.

Wanted ONE TEMPORARY FARM WORKER-FORT SALONGA FARMS-LI NY 4/1-11/1 30hr/wk $10hr includes housing. ¾ of contract Guaranteed. After ½ of term employer will reimburse trans costs. Upon completion of contract employer will reimburse return transportation costs. Job DescOper. maint. repair equip.& tools for plowing, fertilz. irrigating, etc. Identify insects, weeds, fungus, pests for spraying pesticides. Monitor weather & timing of sprays. Harvest, store, pack crops. Dig & Plant Trees. Report or send resume to the nearest SWA office, ref. JO# NY0930941

FRESHLY PAINTED 2 BEDROOM/ 2 BATH - Utility room washer/dryer, vaulted ceiling, fenced patio w/store room. $850 monthly. 775-0717

2 BEDROOM/2 BATH VILLA - Stainless steel appliance, tile, laminate floors $1,000 per month. 561-2013111

JOHN C. HUNTON AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION, INC. —Service & new installation FPL independent participating contractor. Lic. CAC 057272 Ins. "We are proud supporters of the Seminole Ridge Hawks" 561-798-3225. Family Owned & Operated since 1996. Credit Cards Accepted

A/C SALES & SERVICE — New, used, scratch & dent. If you used anyone but Glover’s A/C, you probably paid too much! U10163. 7937388

ARE YOUR TREES READY FOR A HURRICANE? — Florida Arborists has highly trained professionals to provide superior and quality services. 561-568-7500

WELLINGTON BARN BUILDER— Repairs/remodeler.Get an expert that can do it right! EUROPEAN QUALITY AT AN affordable price. 30 years experience, licensed and insured. Homes, condos, bath, kitchens, additions, small stuff. Call 561-723-5837 561-792-2666. ALAN TOBIN CONSTRUCTION, INC.

J.C. TEETS & CO. — Get your general ledger ready for tax season today! Professional. affordable fullservice bookkeeping. Quickbooks Expert. Call 561-632-0635

MEDICAL AND PROFESSIONAL BUILDING CLEANINGS SPECIALISTS — • Pressure Cleaning • Office Cleaning • Residential Cleaning • Parking Lot Maintenance • Concrete Coatings. Call for Free Evaluation. 561-714-3608

HOUSECLEANING - Reliable with long term clients. Over 12 years experience. References available. Karen 561-632-2271

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

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

COMPUTER REPAIR — We come to you! After hours and weekends services available. Spyware/ Adware/Virus Removal, Networking, Wireless, Backup Data, Upgrades. Call Anytime. 561-7135276

MOBILE-TEC ON-SITE COMPUTER SERVICE — The computer experts that come to you! Hardware/ Software setup, support &troubleshooting www.mobiletec.net. 561-248-2611

D.J. COMPUTER - Home & office, Spyware removal, websites, networks, repairs, upgrades, virus removal, tutoring. Call Jeff 561-3339433 or Cell 561-252-1186 Lic’d Well. & Palm Beach

DADS DOORS & WINDOWS, INC.

IMPACT WINDOWS & HURRICANE SHUTTERS — Sliding Glass Doors, Mirrors & Shower Doors. 561-355-8331 U 19958 U20177

CASTLE ROCK, A DRYWALL CO. — “BUILDING ON EXCELLENCE” Framing /Hanging /Finishing Popcorn and Wallpaper Removal Drywall Repairs & Remodels Custom Built-Ins “TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR GREAT PRICES”Licensed & Insured Lic. #SCC131150623 Eric Rouleau 561-307-5202

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

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

THE MASTER HANDYMAN — no job too big or small done right the first time every time 40 years of satisfied customers Tom (954) 4443178

ANMAR CO.—James’ All Around Handyman Service. Excellent craftman Old time values. Once you’ve had me! You’ll have me back! Lic. Ins. Certified Residential Contractor CRC 1327426 561-248-8528

HOME INSPECTIONS — Mold inpections, air quality testing, US Building Inspectors mention this ad $20.00 Off. 561-784-8811

LOOKING TO SAVE

LICENSED PLUMBER - Beat any legitimate estimate. A/C service lowest price. Complete service, new construction, replacement.

CAC058610 Bonded & Insured. 561-601-6458

POOL PLASTERING AND RESURFACING — Lic. U19996. 561722-7690.

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

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

RESUMÉ’S R US — Resumé writing, cover letters, advice/counseling. Mention this ad for special rates. www.Ineedaresumenow.com 561-228-1378

MINOR ROOF REPAIRS — Roof painting.Carpentry.Lic. #U13677.967-5580.

HORIZON ROOFING QUALITY

WORK & SERVICE — Free estimates, No Deposits. Pay upon completion, residential, commercial, reroofing, repairs, credit cards accepted.561-842-6120 or 561784-8072 Lic.#CCC1328598

ROBERT G. HARTMANN ROOFING — Specializing in repairs. Free estimates, Bonded,insured. Lic. #CCC 058317 Ph: 561-790-0763.

ROOFING REPAIRS REROOFING

ALL TYPES — Pinewood Construction, Inc. Honest and reliable. Serving Palm Beach County for over 20 years. Call Mike 561-309-0134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC-023773 RC0067207

JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio rescreening. Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed! CRC1329708 798-3132.

SCREEN ETC. — Rescreening and installing all types of enclosures since 1976. 561-319-2838 for free estimate. U-10521

AQUATIC SPRINKLER, LLC — Complete repair of all types of systems. Owner Operated. Michael 561-964-6004 Lic. #U17871 Bonded & Ins. Serving the Western Communities Since 1990

INSTALLING TILE IN SOUTH

FLORIDA FOR 25 YEARS — Free estimates, residential/commercial, bathroom remodeling, floors, walls, backsplashes, custom design GOLDEN TILE INSTALLATION 561-662-9258 Lic.&Insured U21006

BIG BLUE TREE FARM, INC.

GO GREEN! — Growers of QualityLandscapeTrees www.BigBlueTree Farm.com. 561793-4370 Bus. 561-202-7679 Cell

ClubZ! In-Home Tutoring

All Subjects: PreK- Adult $25/ HR.

HOME BUDDIES PROG. 333-1980

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America’s Largest In-HomeTutoring Co.

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

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

SHARE HOME IN ROYAL PALM

BEACH — With retired female$120 weekly. Utility, cable & Internet + private bath. Security required. 561-422-6197

ADDITIONS, ROOFING, PATIOS & REMODELING - Cell 561-202-7036 561-798-6448 Licensed & Insured.

CBC 1250306 CCC1326386

PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD CALL 793-7376 TODAY

FOR MORE INFORMATION

FIVE ACRE EQUESTRIAN ESTATE$1,400,000 View Virtual tour 10265@Virtualviewhomes.com. BrokersWelcome! Call Seller 561791-4599 or 561-889-5487

Have your horses summer in Vermont! - Gentleman's farm in famous Stowe. 5BR, 7BA house designer barn (chandeliers), 55+ac, countless trails, 3 bridges, waterfalls & Incomparable views. $2,850,000 Caretaker house on 18 Ac w/barn, 180 ft. riding ring, & lunge ring also available. For details call Pall Spera 561.762-8188or Pall.Spera@PallSpera.com

1997 GREY SEBRING JXI CONVERTIBLE — new a/c, clean & well maintained. Engine & transmission in excellent condition and new top. Feel free to take it to a mechanic & check it out. Mint condition. $3,300 (561) 793-5569 (917) 494-3422

MOBILE HOME FOR SALE -3 bedroom, 2 baths, single wide 3 car parking. $8,500 OBO. (561) 2018805

BOCACCIO 150 SCOOTER — 6 months old. Blue & White. Body in excellent condition needs new motor. $500 or best offer. . 561-3151508 (paid $1,600).

WROUGHT IRON STANDING

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

MOVING SALE MANY PIECES

AVAILABLE! - Lights, sofas, chairs, tables, fans, credenzas, W&D, wicker pieces and much more! Best offers. 561-818-3279