Town-Crier Newspaper January 15, 2010

TOW N - C R I E R THE

4-H ITEMS ON DISPLAY AT S.F. FAIR

Wellington Rec Confident In Baseball Program’s Success

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

The Village of Wellington’s youth baseball program looks forward to a successful season this year, despite a changing of the guard.

Last month, the Wellington Village Council decided not to allow Wellington Baseball Inc. to continue as the village’s provider for the sport. The decision was made after the year-old non-profit organization said it would not abide by a 2008 must-play rule that requires children who play travel baseball to also play in the recreational league.

Village staff will oversee registration and daily operations of the new program, but it will still be mostly volunteer-run, Village Manager Paul Schofield told the Town-Crier Tuesday.

“There won’t be village employees coaching the teams,” he said. “The coaching, the concessions and much of the program Tim Butters

Indian Trail On Road Work: In-House Or Contract Out?

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors reviewed recently completed road projects Wednesday, Jan. 13 to compare the cost of in-house staff working on the projects versus having them done by contractors. The Persimmon Blvd. improvement project was done to accommodate increased traffic after the road’s connection to the State Road 7 extension. ITID staff worked with contractors to widen the two-lane road from 20 to 24 feet, improve the traffic islands to include curbs, and put another layer of asphalt on the traffic humps at Mango Blvd. and 110th Avenue North.

“Time was of the essence,” ITID engineer Keith Jackson said.

“We did a piggyback with Palm Beach County.” Other work included the installation of swales and improvement of driveways to include new culverts. Jackson pointed out that the project came in under budget, which was insisted on by Supervisor Mike Erickson.

“Supervisor Erickson looked me in the eye and said, ‘It better not be over $250,000.’ On time and on budget is what we strive for on these projects,” Jackson said. “It looks very good.” Jackson said there were some savings with what he called a “light engineering project,” with a less extensive set of plans than usual. Adding to the savings, Indian Trail staff did some of the improvements.

The project started Sept. 7 and

finished Oct. 29 at a cost of $194,000, plus ITID labor and equipment at $29,000.

After some discussion of what constitutes “hard” and “soft” costs, with soft costs being the $29,000 run up by ITID staff, District Administrator Tanya Quickel asked the board for a comparison to move to a recently completed project on Prado Blvd., which was completed on Sept. 29 at a cost of $236,328 compared with a budget of $301,810. In addition, the estimated expenditures for ITID labor and equipment was $138,392, which came out of the general budget and included wages, benefits, fuel and equipment. The improvements involved bringing the road from dirt to a capped surface to the extent that

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Palm Beach County Commission denied a request Tuesday, Jan. 12 from the Village of Royal Palm Beach to extend a berm across the Madrid Street connection along the State Road 7 extension.

Although the SR 7 extension opened in April, the Madrid connection remains closed, with a temporary barricade blocking access except for an opening for pedestrians and two-wheel vehicles.

“The village would like to have the ability to create a single uniform berm within the county right of way,” County Engineer George Webb said. County staff recommended denial of the request, Webb said, because when he brought the question to commissioners during a recent transportation workshop, they had not shown interest in having the berm built.

During the SR 7 design process, the village and the county had worked together to resolve project issues, according to the county staff report. In addition, the village requested and the county consented to include a connection at Madrid Street. Construction was finished, and the extension opened in April with connections from Okeechobee Blvd. to Orange Grove and Persimmon boulevards in The Acreage, but the village

decided not to proceed with the Madrid connection, which cost the county about $114,000, according to the report. Although the county could deny a permit for the berm, the decision to connect Madrid Street still rests with the village, Webb noted, adding that RPB staff has pointed out that there is sufficient space to build a berm on village property if the county denies the request. A sidewalk remains open at the connection, allowing pedestrian and bicycle access to the preserve area to the east of the reliever road. Commissioner Steven Abrams asked Webb for the basis of the staff recommendation to deny the village’s request, and Webb replied that the county staff’s position has been to have the connection open, although the village has the capability to keep it closed.

“We would like this open,” Webb said. “It is best to have another way out.”

Webb said he remains hopeful that a future council will have a different point of view. “I don’t think this council is going to change their mind. This council spent a lot of time and energy on this issue,” he said. At a public hearing in October, the council heard from dozens of RPB residents on the issue of opening the Madrid Street connection, with some wanting easier access in and out of the La Man-

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

The

At its Tuesday, Jan. 12 meeting, the council approved resolutions designating the property a civic site, permitting a daycare center and allowing new entrances to the

“This decision is the culmination of a two-year process since the temple approached the village to sell the property,” said Gary Scher, a member of the temple’s board of directors and a leader in negotiations with the village.

The council approved the temple’s $827,500 bid to buy the 2.82acre property in July. The bid was approximately $200,000 higher than the land’s appraised value.

The temple will be a one-story, 20,300-square-foot building with vaulted ceilings. It will include a social hall, synagogue and separate space for a religious preschool, and seat 210 people. There also will be a 6,000-square-foot playground at the back of the property, Planning & Zoning Manager David Flinchum said. The worship center will be built across from Grand Isles and adjacent to The Isles and Wellington Shores communities. Residents

from those communities expressed deep concerns Tuesday about increases in traffic, proximity of homes to the temple and the planned daycare center. Similar concerns were raised by neighbors when Wellington’s Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board reviewed the project last month.

The Isles has a 20-foot buffer west of where the temple will be, and there is a six-foot wall around the Wellington Shores community to the south. Additionally, a 15foot buffer will be required on the south, east and west sides of the temple, Flinchum said. The Isles Homeowners’ Association President Greg Cafaro said the buffer wouldn’t be enough.

“A 15-foot buffer doesn’t seem like a buffer if there’s a 6,000square-foot playground with kids playing on the other side,” he said.

Mike Sexton of Sexton Engineering, the firm working on the temple project, said the homes are zero lot lines and don’t have windows facing the temple property, so the proximity wouldn’t be a problem. Additionally, the temple is being built adjacent to the culsde-sac in the communities, so no home would have a direct view of the building from its back yard. Traffic was an issue for both Cafaro and Grand Isles Homeowners’ Association President Richard Tolbert.

“Originally, this seemed as if it

2010 Winter Equestrian Festival Opens 12-Week Run

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The 2010 Winter Equestrian Festival began Wednesday, Jan. 13 and will run 12 weeks through April 4, with significant improvements for spectators, riders and horses.

“This will be a very transitional and important year for the facility,” said Mark Bellissimo, chief executive officer of Equestrian Sport Productions, at a news conference Tuesday. “I think we’re at the end of what has been a threeyear, tens-of-millions-of-dollars investment in this facility, and hopefully we have created the foundation for the sport in the United States. If you look around this arena, we’ve actually tried to formalize the facility to be much more than a professional sport facility.”

Among the additions are a 22foot-by-eight-foot JumboTron to televise the competition and interact with the spectators through its camera. “This will add a lot of flair to the operation,” Bellissimo said. “We’re going to spend a lot of time this year developing our operation so we can make it a much more spectator-friendly place and try to develop the sport and try to develop the personalities within the sport.”

Dressage rider Arlene “Tuny” Page, Olympic medallist Laura Kraut and hunter/jumper rider Geoff Teall attended the news conference.

Bellissimo noted that he recently signed a two-year title sponsor agreement with Dennis Shaughnessy, chairman of FTI Consulting. Bellissimo also announced

that Michael Stone, previously executive director, had been named president of Equestrian Sport Productions.

“Michael brings a host of great experience to the facility and to the sport,” Bellissimo said. “We’re very excited about his past contributions and his future contributions.”

Stone said new events include a young rider Grand Prix competition. “The sport needs some more young rider competitions, and it has been lacking,” Stone said. “Next year, we’re hoping to be able to have a teen young rider competition.”

Those are among several additions to help grow the sport.

“We’re also hoping to have a junior amateur teen competition toward the end of the circuit,

and Corey Blecher sign their sons up for the village’s new youth baseball program.

PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Equestrian

Gone Riding

Friday,

Fete

Challenge

International

Groves Water Control District Proceeds With South C Road OGEM Referendum

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

A paving project on South C Road in Loxahatchee Groves will go to a referendum next month.

At a meeting on Monday, Jan.

11, the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors approved a referendum of South C Road landowners in response to a slim majority that favored road stabilization with open graded emulsified mix (OGEM) in a mailed survey.

The board also took into consideration the potential savings by doing the work at the same time as paving projects on three other road segments that voters have approved on North A Road, North C Road and North D Road.

“It is a very close survey,” LGWCD Administrator Clete Saunier said. “I’m not sure the board wishes to pursue a referendum with this, but if this is your wish, staff will do everything it can to make this work.”

In September, the district received a petition from residents on C Road between Okeechobee Blvd. and Collecting Canal Road requesting road stabilization. On Nov. 9, supervisors directed staff to send survey letters to the landowners of South C Road detailing the estimated costs for stabilizing the road with OGEM.

The property owners were shown the projected costs for improving their road with OGEM

stabilization, a total estimate of $452,402, compared to the projected costs for maintaining the road in its current unpaved condition over a 10-year period, which was estimated at $298,276. As of Jan. 8, the town received a response from 64 percent of affected property (239.92 acres), with 52 percent (125.88 acres) in favor and 48 percent (114.04 acres) against. The response from individual property owners was 28 (52 percent) for and 26 (48 percent) against.

The letter to the property owners pointed out that the referendum must be held no later than Feb. 8 in order to include the project with three other previously approved road projects for the 2010-11 fiscal year. The action is expected to reduce financing and interest costs for the entire OGEM project.

Saunier asked for direction from the board on how to proceed, pointing out that during the preliminary report he made in November, there were more responses against the project.

“The schedule for this is also contingent upon being able to work out a verbal agreement with Palm Beach County Information System Services, which is responsible for setting up an assessment roll to pay off the debt,” Saunier said. “They have indicated they could wait as long as March 1, although statutorily, we have to have all the information in to them to

create an assessment roll by Jan. 20.”

Supervisor Darlene Crawford cast doubt on the viability of a referendum, although she ultimately voted for it. “It doesn’t seem like they’re very into it,” Crawford said. “There are people I can think of who are against this and might rally the troops. I don’t think I’m willing to spend the district’s time and money proceeding with a referendum at this time.”

Crawford asked if any C Road residents were attending the meeting, and none acknowledged their presence.

Supervisor Don Widing said he favored the referendum, pointing out that the district might be able to get a better loan interest rate.

Supervisor John Ryan acknowledged that 52 percent is a pretty slim positive response, but called attention to the three road segments that have been approved.

“We need to make a concerted effort to take the next steps with the legal descriptions in obtaining easements and getting our financing lined up and proceed with work as soon as possible,” he said.

Ryan said with such a small positive margin, he would want to see the first three road segments done correctly, as soon as possible, and let the residents see how the process works.

“There likely will be other opportunities to survey the residents and proceed with other road seg-

‘It doesn’t seem like they’re very into it. There are people I can think of who are against this and might rally the troops.’

LGWCD Supervisor

Darlene Crawford

ments,” he said. “I’m just hesitant with such a small positive margin to delay or tie up the funding and the arrangements for the known road segments.”

Supervisor Robert Snowball said he favored moving forward.

“If we can get C Road in on the deal, it would drop the price for the others,” he said.

LGWCD Chairman David DeMarois agreed that the timing would be best now. “I think this is going to be the only opportunity for C Road to do it,” he said.

During public comment, Loxahatchee Groves Town Councilman Ron Jarriel said that as a board, it had agreed with an approval of 51 percent or more to proceed. “This is the best opportunity to get the best deal they could get,” Jarriel said. Snowball made a motion to call a referendum of the affected property owners for Feb. 25. The motion carried unanimously, 5-0.

RPB Drops Right Turn Camera Enforcement

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

With three of four vehicles not stopping completely before making right turns at the two Royal Palm Beach camera-monitored intersections, the Royal Palm Beach Village Council decided last week not to issue citations to violators, at least for now.

In November, the village’s new red-light safety cameras began taking photos of vehicles running red lights at the intersections of Royal Palm Beach and Okeechobee and Royal Palm Beach and Crestwood boulevards, primarily to stop people from running red lights, Village Manager David Farber said.

“Needless to say, this has been a topic that has been in the paper, and there have been some challenges across the board,” Farber said during the Jan. 7 council meeting. “I think from our experience during that 90-day trial period, we’ve recognized that the part of this program that’s problematic is the right-turn issue.”

Farber said questions have been raised about the cameras’ interpretation of right-turn violators.

“The problem that arises is when people make a right turn. They have the right to enter the intersection after they make a full stop at most intersections, and that’s where the problem arises,” Farber said, explaining that the cameras might be taking pictures after the cars proceed to make the right turn.

Initially, village staff established a five-mile-per-hour threshold and found that cameras showed that three out of four vehicles making right turns were in violation.

“Every one of these occurrences are reviewed by one of our police officers, and they will determine whether or not there is a problem,” Farber said. After the criteria was raised to 12 mph, three out of four vehicles were determined by the cameras still to be in violation.

“What I’m suggesting is that we eliminate the right-turn portion of

See CAMERAS, page 4

RPB Church Collecting Donation For Haitian Earthquake Victims

In the wake of the recent earthquake that devastated Haiti, Royal Palm Covenant Church in Royal Palm Beach is collecting donations for a relief effort. Donations will be accepted Monday through Saturday at the church (660 Royal Palm Beach Blvd.). For more information, call (561) 793-1077.

On Monday, Jan. 18, Americans will recognize the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the ways in which he helped bring about change in a time of great inequality. It was only a year ago that we saw the ultimate mark of civil rights progress — the inauguration of the first black president of the United States. Still, it’s equally important to recall the overt racism that surfaced during the 2008 campaign. It’s a reminder that although bigotry is no longer acceptable, it is still a very real part of our culture. Either way, equal rights was part of Dr. King’s message of peace, and right now that’s a message that needs repeating. With the exception of the short-lived wave of nationalism that followed the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the United States hasn’t been truly “united” in a long time. It has become the accepted law of the land that there are red states and blue states. And while the “red and blue” we’ve come to know in recent years may not be on the level of the “blue and gray” from the Civil War, for many Americans, their feelings of rivalry toward the “other side” are just as intense. That’s why in light of this polarized climate, it’s important to revisit Dr. King’s message of peace. Unfortunately, our country has grown so cynical that many would rather scoff at such a suggestion than take the time to consider its merits.

Seniors Deserve

More Of A Voice

In Wellington

The Wellington Village Council has created various boards for the purpose of enhancing the village administration of the public good and in an advisory capacity.

There is a parks and recreation board, a planning, zoning and adjustment board, an architectural committee, an equestrian advisory committee (of major importance to Wellington, in particular), an educational committee for the betterment of our schools, a youth council, a public safety committee, art in public places and a tree board.

In 2005, the growing senior community had a task force appointed by the council that was sunset after eight months of inception and hard work of its membership and had no comparable replacement.

The sunset senior task force surveyed most of Wellington’s 8,000plus seniors and presented the results of some 1,800 returned surveys to the council, which then thanked the task force for its diligence and service — then terminated the committee and did little to implement any of the recommendations in the report.

A site was established for an assisted-living facility but the

builder was unable to complete the construction due to the weakening economy.

Unfinished were the expressed need for public transit (attempted in 2006 and then removed from the budget) and a senior center, with the goal of making Wellington a “community for a lifetime.” I believe this council should revisit the survey and attempt to address those needs expressed by the senior community, whose ranks have grown and will continue to grow even in this shrinking economy. The council may also want to establish a more permanent committee to address those needs of nearly 20 percent of its current residents. In short, the growing senior population of Wellington is at least as important as our trees.

Sampson Nebb Wellington

Nielsen: The Public Option

Is Crucial

Editor’s note: The following is in response to Phil Sexton’s letter published in the Jan. 1 issue of the Town-Crier The main reason Mr. Sexton is reluctant to discuss the issues is not because it’s the latest “diatribe,” but because he can’t. And like most people on the far right,

it’s more comfortable for him to attack someone with a different viewpoint than it is to present a reasonable and logical argument.

Just to be against something without [saying] what you are for is woefully dishonest and totally inadequate. The healthcare industry is about to be given 30 million new customers, which without a public option will leave the insurance industry with no competition and free to raise rates.

The bill to be reconciled is a far cry from the intentions of the original bill guidelines first discussed and passed in the House. The final bill will enable the giant healthcare industry as a monolithic, unregulated and non-competitive industry because it lacks any incentives to control or reduce rates. Several states, Nevada and Colorado to name two, have only one parent healthcare insurance company, the rest are either subsidiaries or have entered into “mutual agreements.” I don’t just “think” the healthcare insurance industry is unregulated and noncompetitive; there’s just too much evidence to indicate that it is! The only two items that survive in the final bill that may be of benefit to the insured in this otherwise weak bill is the elimination of the “preexisting conditions” clause and cancellation of policies for prolonged illnesses.

At present, there are no policies,

In the western communities, the Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) and the Village of Royal Palm Beach are once again hosting their annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. The free event will take place on Monday, Jan. 18 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way), featuring local performers and professional artists. Everyone is welcome. For more information, call Elet Cyris at (561) 791-0987 or visit www.cafcipbc.org.

On a much more tragic note, the Town-Crier is saddened by the loss of life in Haiti following the massive earthquake that devastated that poor Caribbean country this past week. While we won’t pretend to speak for Dr. King, it’s likely that were he alive today, he would be involved in helping get assistance to Haiti in the wake of the massive earthquake that struck. It is in that spirit we recommend supporting the relief effort.

In addition to organizations such as the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, a local effort is being coordinated by Royal Palm Covenant Church (660 Royal Palm Beach Blvd.), which is accepting donations Monday through Saturday. For more information, call Pastor Michael Rose at (561) 793-1077.

regulations or competition that would affect how insurance rates are created or managed by the healthcare industry, and they are free to raise rates and deal with the public any way they see fit. For those who do not know, at the present time, the Medicare program is administered by the insurance and pharmacy companies. They have skillfully made sure that the Medicare program cannot negotiate prices for drugs like the VA hospitals do and just bill the government a “fair price” every year based on their formula, which means they can raise prices at will because there is no competition. The reason Mr. Sexton uses the CBO reports is that they are based on projections under the several scenarios which could be the final signed bill. No one has denied that there would be savings to the taxpayer if the final bill contained a public option, because it is obvious that if rates were controlled through competition and regulation, the insurance industry could not raise rates at will. The public option is the single-most-important part of this legislation and would have assisted small businesses in surviving the horrendous cost of providing employees with healthcare insurance. That, of course, is off the table because the healthcare industry has been successful at defeating the public option, at a cost of $1 million a day

OPINION

in misleading ads and outright lies that, if broadcasted often enough, are taken as truth.

So if you are satisfied that the richest country in the world is ranked 37th among industrialized nations in outcome and behind Cuba in infant mortality (statistics provided by the World Health Organization) while spending two and a half times what other nations are spending that are ranked higher, and look forward to more of the same from a greedy, unregulated and non-competitive healthcare industry, by all means join Mr. Sexton. But if you want real change in how healthcare is delivered in the United States, then join with me, the AMA, the ANA and every medical specialty organization, and the millions of Americans who want healthcare as a right and not a privilege.

In these United States, you have heard the cries from special interests charging that the government

is trying to get between you and your doctor. But the reality is that the insurance industry is the one that is between you and your doctor, and that’s the rub. For those who do not believe we can do better, let them ask if the people of Canada would trade their system for ours. The public option has never been proposed as a free option, nor was it proposed as a plan of unfairness where hardworking middle class families would be paying for this option. Rather, the plan was to make it contributory by the people entering the program and recovering money through a slowing and control of rates now exercised by the insurance industry; another rub, as there would be less opportunity for bonuses and golden parachutes. The insurance industry does not want any competition.

Richard Nielsen Royal Palm Beach

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

Here Are Six Easy Steps For Reducing Your Risk Of A Heart Attack

Footloose and...

By Jules W. Rabin

Dr. Valenter Fuster, a key cardiologist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and Dr. Daniel Levy, direc-

tor of the federally sponsored Framingham Heart Study in Framingham, Mass. Numero uno, keep your cholesterol in check. Diets and weight loss can do it for many. If that is not enough, talk to your doctor about statin drugs. After two decades of intensive study, they seem safe for the vast majority.

Second, exercise regularly. Even a brisk, 30-minute walk most days will do the trick. Number three, lower your blood pressure to below 120/80. Handle it just like cholesterol. Diet and exercise if possible, and use prescription drugs if necessary. Right in line with the above is number four: control your

weight! Being even slightly overweight boosts your risk of a heart attack. Push that junk food and addictive snacks off the table. In fifth place is one you have heard before, endlessly: stop smoking. Smokers are two to three times as likely to die from a heart attack. Lastly, control your blood sug-

ar. Tested, after fasting, it should be between 70 to 130 milligrams per deciliter of blood. Testing should be part of your physical exam. About 1.1 million Americans will have a heart attack this year, and some 500,000 will not survive. Follow the experts’ formula. The life you save will be your own!

County Change Would Keep Lion County Safari A Conforming Use

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Palm Beach County Commission initiated an effort last week to preserve Lion Country Safari by asking county staff to draft a comprehensive plan amendment that allows a commercial recreation land-use category in the exurban tier.

At a zoning meeting Thursday, Jan. 7, County Commissioner Jess Santamaria asked county staff to draft the amendment, which would be considered along with an application for a zoning change that has been submitted by Lion Country.

Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building Director Barbara Alterman said that when the commission was working through the now-defunct Sector Plan, Lion Country had applied for increased density on the 637-acre site.

“Obviously, the Sector Plan didn’t go forward,” Alterman said. “They’ve actually applied to change their tier boundary. They are now in the rural tier. They would like to go into the exurban tier.”

The change would allow Lion Country to go from an underlying land use of one unit per 10 acres to one unit per 2.5 acres, which they have already requested in their future land use application. “They have applied for two

things: the tier boundary change and the site-specific land-use change,” Alterman said. “What Commissioner Santamaria is bringing up is… that would make the existing animal park nonconforming because an animal park as commercial recreation use is not allowed in the exurban tier. If you approve the land change, this would allow the category of a park to be allowed in the exurban tier so that it’s not nonconforming.” Alterman said all the changes would come back before the board at the same time, and the public will have the opportunity to provide input on the proposed changes.

Santamaria said the objective of the comprehensive plan amendment would be that the existing park remains where it is and that the zoning change would only affect the remaining 300 acres that are not part of the park.

Commissioner Karen Marcus asked why they would need to make a change since Lion County would continue to exist as a nonconforming use. Alterman explained that if it is a nonconforming use, there are limitations as to improvements that can be made.

“The staff position is that if you’re going to have it there, they need to be able to make improvements and keep it up,” she said.

Commission Chair Burt Aaron-

son asked if the application would allow Lion Country to add other recreational uses, and Alterman said by allowing it to be a conforming use, it could expand.

“This is simply to say that if you allow them to go forward with the tier change and increase the density, then this will allow the park to remain and stay a conforming use in the exurban tier,” Alterman said.

Aaronson said that a nonconforming use is an existing use when the land use for the area is

Cameras

Right Turn

Concerns

continued from page 3 the program entirely,” Farber said, adding that right-turn criteria can be established as these issues are better defined. “Clearly, there is some miles-per-hour threshold that the person making the right turn, if they come around the turn on two wheels, they are clearly posing a hazard, but I’m not sure that this technology as it’s currently set up is accomplishing what we had hoped.”

Farber said his recommendation to stop issuing violations based on right-turn movements will not change other parts of the program.

changed. “If it were to have a fire and burn down, it could not be built again,” Aaronson said. “When we speak of what nonconforming means, it doesn’t mean that we’re taking it away if it’s nonconforming, it just means that if there were any damage to it, a hurricane or whatever comes along, it cannot be rebuilt, so it would disappear completely. By doing what is recommended, it becomes a conforming use, and if there is any damage done to it, it could be rebuilt again.”

“We will continue with the straight-through movement or left-turn movement, but nothing to do with the right-turn movement,” he said. “I think that’s what the county is doing as well. They’re monitoring the through traffic and left turns, but not the right turns.”

Contacted after the meeting, Palm Beach County Traffic Director Dan Weisberg said his department has not yet installed cameras, but won’t enforce right-turn camera violations after they are installed. “We decided not to do right turns on red at all,” Weisberg said Monday. “It didn’t necessarily set the same safety issue as the straight-through traffic.”

Capt. Eric Coleman, commander of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office District 9 substation in

Aaronson said Lion Country is just the sort of attraction needed to boost tourism. “We need things in Palm Beach for people to enjoy in order to stay in Palm Beach County,” Aaronson said. “When people come to Palm Beach County, and you want to keep them here, you have to have places for them to go, and we lack that greatly. Certainly, I would like to see you go forward with this. I certainly would approve it.”

Commissioner Jeff Koons asked if an overlay would address

Royal Palm Beach, said by statute, vehicles must come to a complete stop in front of a stop line before making a right turn, but officers allow some flexibility in proceeding past the bar, but the traffic cameras do not appear to be allowing that.

“In practice, an officer is a little more forgiving,” Coleman told the Town-Crier Monday. “What we’re looking for typically is someone who entered the intersection and endangered someone, or would have endangered someone as they entered the intersection.” Coleman said members of his department looked at each violation during the warning period and decided the cameras were catching drivers who did not constitute a danger.

the Lion Country issues. Alterman said county staff believes a comprehensive plan amendment would be the least expansive as far as allowing uses in other areas or expanding regulations. Marcus asked about how the change could apply to a similar use in another area. Alterman said her staff would include limiting factors such as minimum acreage requirements to limit the ability to establish other recreational commercial uses in the exurban tier.

“We were a little more aggressive during this warning period to get the word out, but we were aware that the camera caught some things that an officer might not have considered a violation,” Coleman said.

Mayor David Lodwick agreed that the right turns warrant further research, adding that the strobe flashes of the right-turn camera monitor at night might constitute distractions. “I think it’s the right move,” Lodwick said. “I’m glad staff is already on top of it.”

Councilman David Swift agreed that he would rather not enforce right-turn violations unless they are sure the technology supports them. “I think that’s a good move, a wise move,” Swift said.

PHOTOS

Abruzzo with school district and FRLAEF representatives.

Sara Fain and Mark Perry of the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation.

WHS Culinary Academy teacher Scott Riddle talks to Rep. Abruzzo.

Environmentalists Drew Martin and Laurie MacDonald. The PBAU dancers conclude one of their numbers.

Former State Rep. Richard Machek with Misty and Michael Minton.

State Sen. Dave Aronberg with Nancy and John Marshall.

Congressman Tom Rooney, Patty Rooney and SFWMD Governing Board Member Pat Rooney.

WHS Principal Mario Crocetti with State Rep. Joe Abruzzo.

Resort

Spa

Gardens, celebrating the 25th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference and the

anniversary of

Florida Water Management District. Hosted by the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation, speakers included U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, Congressman Ron Klein and various local dignitaries, and there were performances by the Palm Beach Atlantic University dance ensemble.

The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Educational Foundation hosted a tour of its Culinary Arts ProStart Program on Jan. 7. FRLAEF President and CEO Carol Dover provided State Rep. Joseph Abruzzo (D-District 85) with a tour of ProStart high schools. Abruzzo visited the Culinary Arts Career Academy divisions at Jupiter and Wellington high schools. During Abruzzo’s visit to WHS, he also checked out the equestrian academy and a student government class.

Crestwood Student Robbed On The Way Home From School

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

JAN. 7 — A Crestwood Middle School student called the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office last Thursday regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation met with the victim at Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 28 on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. The victim told the deputy that he was walking home from school on Sparrow Drive when two teenage boys stole his MP3 player. The victim said the suspects approached him and asked him to show them the device. When he did, the suspects took it and ran away toward the Royal Palm Beach Recreational Center on Sweet Bay Lane. The officer took the victim and his father to the recreation center to look for the suspects, but the victim was unable to find them. According to the report, the suspects are black teenagers, approximately 5’9” and 5’11” with thin builds and short hair. One wore a black jacket, and the other wore a purple jacket with a hood.

• • • JAN. 1 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded to a home on Braeburn Place on Friday, Jan. 1 regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime around noon, someone stole the victim’s table and chair set, valued at approximately $600, from the front of her house. There were no suspects at the time of the report.

JAN. 4 — A business in Wellington’s Commerce Park East was burglarized early last Monday morning. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 2 and 7:30 a.m., someone entered the business with a key and stole $50 cash, personal checks and a computer valued at $650. There were no security cameras or alarm system in place at the time. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects at the time of the report.

JAN. 6 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched to a home in Meadowland Cove early last Wednesday morning regarding a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim left her home on Dec. 18 and returned last Wednesday to find that someone had broken into the house through the rear slidingglass door and stolen her 35-inch television, stereo system, jewel-

ry and several other items. The stolen items were valued at approximately $2,300. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects or witnesses available at the time of the report.

JAN. 9 — A business in Royal Office Park was burglarized last Saturday night. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded to the business after an employee noticed that the dead bolt had been removed from the front door. The employee entered his office and discovered several items missing from his office, including a television and a computer. The suspect did not go through any drawers or storage space. The stolen items were valued at approximately $1,900. There was no surveillance video inside the office and no witnesses, but fingerprints were taken from a cable where the computer was disconnected.

JAN. 11 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded to a Kings Way home on Monday morning in reference to a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 8 and 11:30 a.m., someone entered the home through an unlocked window and stole several items including jewelry, computers, game systems and an iPod, using black garbage bags to carry out the items. The suspect(s) also attempted to pry open the victim’s son’s gun safe, but were unsuccessful. According to the report, a West Palm Beach resident called the victim’s home and her husband’s company after finding the victim’s husband’s briefcase. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no witnesses at the time of the report.

JAN. 12 — A woman was tasered Tuesday after resisting arrest for shoplifting from the Macy’s department store in the Mall at Wellington Green. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded to the mall after loss prevention officers at Macy’s observed 24-year-old Daphne Acosta steal $788.31 in women’s clothing. After she was arrested, Acosta tried to flee from the security room. She resisted being handcuffed and was tasered. Acosta was taken to the Palm Beach County Jail where she was charged with felony retail theft, resisting arrest and battery on an officer.

Abruzzo To Chamber: Let’s Work Together To Move Florida Forward

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

Florida State Rep.

Joe

Abruzzo (D-District 85) told members of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce on Monday that the Florida Legislature will need to be creative in dealing with the state’s continuing financial problems this year.

Abruzzo, speaking at a chamber breakfast held at Gypsy’s Horse Irish Pub & Restaurant in Wellington, added that the legislature likely would consider offshore oil drilling and Seminole Indian gaming at this year’s session beginning March 2 in Tallahassee.

Abruzzo recalled how Gov.

Charlie Crist signed a deal with the Seminole Indians in 2007 giving them the exclusive rights to blackjack. Then-Speaker Marco Rubio sued Crist, and it went to the Florida Supreme Court, which voided the contract. But now the Seminoles have blackjack without a contract, and as a result, the state receives no money. The legislature’s gaming committee is considering several options, and Abruzzo recommended that the issue go before the voters.

“Things have changed dramatically in Florida, and it needs to go back to the public,” Abruzzo said. “You all need to decide how we go forward.” Abruzzo said a more realistic

Palm

date to consider offshore drilling may be 2011. The State House passed an offshore oil drilling bill last year, but the measure did not make it out of the Senate. Abruzzo said State Senate President Jeff Atwater (R-District 25) would likely block a bill again this year.

But Abruzzo said the bill would have a good chance of being heard in 2011 when a new Senate president and speaker take office.

Abruzzo noted that he is excited about working with incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon (RDistrict 35).

“As we go through these tough economic times,” Abruzzo said, “it cannot be so much about partisan bickering. It has to be let’s buckle down and get some good things done for Florida. I think you will see that attitude throughout the legislature, even though it’s 2010, and things might get a bit heated.”

Abruzzo said he has filed three bills so far for 2010. One of those bills is related to the “pill mill” pain clinics that have cropped up in South Florida. He filed that legislation with Sen. Dave Aronberg (D-District 27). The legislation also is a top priority for Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.

Another bill is related to the trust funds for families who had lost a loved one in combat. “If something like this is set up for military families, you cannot go in there and take these dollars,” he said. “It has to go to the military families.”

His third piece of legislation would protect environmentally sensitive land from people who claim to have deeds on the property.

“We have run into a problem with people coming back and trying to claim deed on it, and take the land back,” Abruzzo said. “If the land was purchased for envi-

ronmentally sensitive purposes, it has to stay that way.”

Abruzzo also said he plans to file a bill called the Equestrian Safety Act, which would address the growing horse slaughter problem in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, as well as the shocking deaths of 21 polo horses in Wellington last year. He is working with a number of local veterinarians and other equestrian professionals on the bill.

“This is going to tighten up the restrictions on administering certain drugs to horses within the State of Florida,” Abruzzo said.

Abruzzo also addressed the Port of Palm Beach’s inland port proposal, noting that the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation backs the idea. He stressed the goal of making sure the inland port remains in Palm Beach County. “We’re going to see what we can do as a legislative delegation,” Abruzzo said. “It’s very important for jobs in the Glades.”

Abruzzo also recalled his accomplishments during the 2009 legislative session.

Among them was the passage of Nicole’s Law, which he cosponsored with Aronberg. The bill requires horse riders under the age of 16 to wear a helmet while on public roads or trails. The bill was named after Nicole Hornstein, a 12-year-old Acreage girl who died in 2006 after a tragic horse riding accident. Under the law, anyone who allows a child under 16 to ride a horse without a helmet would be fined $500.

Another of Abruzzo’s ideas that passed was the Energy Star bill, which offers savings for consumers when they purchase a new Energy Star-rated appliance. As well as saving money, consumers will be helping the environment, Abruzzo noted, adding that the bill also secured some of federal stimulus funding and backing.

“I know there is a lot of debate about the stimulus funding,” Abruzzo said. “If I didn’t secure this stimulus funding, it’s not like it would come back to us. It would have gone to a different state. We know where a portion of this money is going, and that’s right back into our pockets.”

Abruzzo said his ability to work well with Democrats and Republicans has been beneficial. “Even though I am a Democrat,” Abruzzo said, “I have worked both sides of the aisle. When we get into the issues in the legislature that need to be debated, my debate is always based on facts. I never attack personally, and I always try to work out differences.”

In a recent special session Abruzzo supported the CSX highspeed rail bill, which he favored because it was able to use additional stimulus money.

“It will help create jobs throughout that region, in Orlando, as well as here in South Florida,” Abruz-

zo said. “Snuck into that bill was also the dedicated funding source for Tri-Rail… Rest assured that our public transportation now has a dedicated revenue stream. They’re saying that within the next six months, over 7,000 jobs will be created from this deal alone, and over 100,000 jobs in the long run.”

The chamber breakfast was sponsored by TD Bank, represented by Danny Singh.

“We have 34 branches locally, from Miami to Palm Beach,” Singh said. “We are actively looking for a location in Royal Palm or Wellington, but part of our brand is a location at a corner of a busy intersection. Those locations are hard to come by… The plan for the year is to open up another 50 or 60 branches to fill out the footprint from Maine to Florida.”

For more information about the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, call (561) 790-6200 or visit www.palmswest.com.

Beach Central Students Question Attorney General Holder

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

Students

“We always like to warn our speakers in advance that sometimes the hardest-hitting questions come from our students in the audience,” noted Bob Bertisch of the Forum Club.

Members of the PBCHS debate team, who were there with their coach Daryl Hall, were given the first opportunity to ask questions of the country’s first AfricanAmerican attorney general.

The first question focused on race relations, probing Holder about the progress that has been made in America since the 1950s and 1960s. Holder, who was born in 1951, said the election of Barack Obama as the first AfricanAmerican president was a clear sign of progress, but that many problems remain.

“The reality is, we still have a lot more work to do,” Holder said. “We see disproportionate amounts of crime and disproportionate amounts of poverty in neighborhoods of color, and so we have to deal with those issues. At the end of the day, the only way we can make real progress is for us to understand the problems that afflict those people in the blighted neighborhoods. These are American problems. We need to think of these problems in this way, and when we work together as Americans, we will address these problems that have long bedeviled us.”

Another student questioned Holder about upholding the rule of law, and applying the law as it was written, without it being politicized. Holder noted that he has served under both Republican and Democratic administrations, and he felt there was little politicizing going on with the current admin-

istration. The people serving in the Department of Justice, he said, are not Republicans or Democrats, but public servants.

“It is my responsibility to give them the tools and resources that they need, and make them understand that the only thing that we want them to do is that which is the right thing,” Holder said. “It is our responsibility, given the great power that we have in the Department of Justice, to do the right thing.”

Holder recently made the controversial decision to try the suspects in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in civilian court in New York. The possibility of terrorist attacks in the United States was illustrated again on Christmas Day in the failed attempt to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. “[President Obama] has made clear that we must acknowledge recent failures,” Holder said. “As we move forward, we must also identify vulnerabilities. We must be honest about this. We must transform our individual anger and individual anxieties into a collective and unwavering resolve, and a shared striving toward a stronger and more effective security infrastructure.”

Holder warned against politicizing the fight against terrorism.

“This is not a place for political gamesmanship,” he said. “The safety of the American people is, I believe and I hope, beyond the partisan negativism that passes for criticism in Washington, D.C. The president says we are at war, and in this time of war, the protection of our national security is and will remain our top priority. We will use every component of American power to keep the American people safe.”

Holder said he expected some outcry over the decision to hold the 9/11 trial in New York.

“Looking at the case that involved these five people,” Holder

said, “it was my decision that the place we had the best chance at being successful in taking the case was in… New York. I’m confident in working with the mayor, the governor and the police commissioner that we can do this.”

Holder is well aware of the call for more full-body scans at airports after the incident in Detroit. However, he warned that use of such technology must be balanced against personal privacy.

“In order to ensure our safety, we have to give up certain amounts of privacy,” Holder said. “We have to ensure that we use all the means that we can to make sure that people fly safely. The impact that it would have had if he was successful in Detroit would have been huge to our economy and to our system of governance.”

Holder noted that as the administration works to improve security, it is imperative that the president and others do not neglect their ability to safeguard and

strengthen the American economy. The nation’s prosperity, prospects for growth and position in the global marketplace must all be defended, and that’s why threats to the economic system must be addressed with the same seriousness and the sense of purpose that guide the efforts to protect the American people.

“One of our greatest and most glaring threats facing our economy is the presence of financial fraud,” Holder said, “particularly our security and financial markets. Across numerous administrations, Democratic and Republican alike, the Department of Justice has worked hard to combat financial fraud and to recover the ill-gotten gains of those who have benefited from that kind of fraud.”

Holder cited the Ponzi scheme perpetrated by Bernard Madoff, noting that Palm Beach County was “ground zero” for the largest investment fraud scheme in U.S. history.

When the house of cards that Madoff built collapsed in 2008, he was likely a neighbor and associate to many people at the luncheon, and his former Palm Beach house was just a short way from where Holder was speaking.

Holder said the hopes of many were destroyed by one man’s greed.

“We know that we will never recover all the money that Madoff stole,” Holder said, “and as a result of this crime, too many people’s dreams of retirement are gone, and too many people who once looked forward to the future now fear it. Too many promises can no longer be kept. Promises made to charities and to schools, and to churches and to synagogues, and to children and to grandchildren cannot be kept. The ripple effect of Madoff’s greed and deception is as breathtaking as it is heartbreaking.”

Unfortunately, Holder said, Madoff’s crime represents a much

larger problem on which he, and the Department of Justice, had been focusing on the past year. The cornerstone of his work is a new financial fraud and enforcement task force established to address the country’s financial crisis. “In establishing the task force,” Holder said, “the president recognized that mortgage, securities and corporate fraud schemes have eroded public confidence both at home and abroad, and the strength and integrity of America’s markets… These crimes have devastated and driven away many who were willing to invest in our economy. They have placed unfair challenges on our tax-strapped governments, local police departments, small businesses and American workers and consumers. We are fighting back.”

For more information about the Forum Club, call (561) 304-0570, e-mail forumclubofpb@aol.com or visit www.theforumclub.net.

State Rep. Joe Abruzzo, TD Bank’s Danny Singh and Palms West Chamber President Kevin DiLallo.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

State Rep. Joe Abruzzo addresses members of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce at Monday’s breakfast.

(Above) Palm Beach Central High School Debate club students at the Jan. 8 luncheon.

(Left) Attorney General Eric Holder at the podium. (Right inset) PBCHS student Rose Hyppolite asks a question.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

NEWS BRIEFS

CodeRED System

CERTIFICATION

P.B. ZOO EARNS LEED ‘GOLD’

On

Updated In Royal Palm Beach

The Village of Royal Palm Beach has announced that it recently updated its CodeRED highspeed emergency notification system.

The CodeRED system provides Royal Palm Beach officials the ability to quickly deliver messages to targeted areas or the entire village via voice, e-mail and text messaging. This update will allow residents to easily identify calls coming through the system. A message recipient’s caller ID will read Emergency Communications Network or (866) 419-5000, depending on local telephone providers.

“Residents can simply dial the number displayed on their caller ID to hear the last message delivered,” Village Manager David Farber said. “This will greatly reduce the number of inbound inquiries handled by our office and will offer residents an immediate replay of the message.”

All businesses should register, as well as all individuals who have unlisted phone numbers, changed their phone number or address within the past year, or use a cell phone as their primary number.

If you are not sure that you are included in the database, simply visit the village’s web site at www.royalpalmbeach.com and follow the link to the CodeRED Community Notification Enrollment page. Those without Internet access may call the village clerk’s office at (561) 790-5100

from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to supply their information over the phone. Required information includes first and last name, physical street address, city, state, zip code and primary phone number; additional phone numbers can be entered as well.

Independent Film Fest In Royal Palm

Royal Palm Beach’s Studio D114 has been planning the Royal Palm Beach Independent Film Fest 2010 to premiere and showcase films from Palm Beach County and areas throughout Florida. The studio’s latest work — including Count Osaka, a vampire horror movie filmed locally — will be screened along with other independent and student films during this film festival running through Feb. 3. Local entertainer Gene Rouzzoe of Boynton Beach sees this as an opportunity for not only films, but for talent including music and fashion to network with directors, producers, production workers and media throughout Florida.

“In all my time in Palm Beach County, I have seen the amount of talent and production necessary for a film of superb quality,” Rouzzoe said. “Everything you need is here!”

Count Osaka was produced, directed and written by local filmmaker Gary Davis of The Acreage. Davis’ new mission is to inspire a new young breed of independent filmmakers and work

with the diverse ethnicities in Palm Beach County and the surrounding areas. This is the main purpose behind Studio D114. Studio D114 opened its doors last summer. It was created for independent, low-budget filmmakers and student filmmakers. In addition to filmmakers, there are opportunities for local actors, models and musicians.

Tickets to the Royal Palm Beach Independent Film Fest 2010 cost $10 or less. Studio D114 is located at 9250 Belvedere Road. For more information, visit www. chocolatestar.net or www.my space.com/studioD114, e-mail studio114@gmail.com or call (321) 208-5880.

Wellington Garden Club To Meet Feb. 1

The Wellington Garden Club will hold a luncheon and business meeting on Monday, Feb. 1 at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). The luncheon will begin at 11:30 a.m. with the program starting at 1 p.m. Florida butterfly expert Alana Edwards, education and training coordinator for Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Environmental Studies, will introduce attendees to the magical world of butterflies. She will demonstrate ways you can invite them to take up residence in your own back yard.

Edwards has been an avid “butterflier” for 12 years. She cofounded the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Atala

Chapter in West Palm Beach and is co-creator of the acclaimed Edwards Butterfly Garden in Delray Beach. Edwards was the lead coordinator of a survey to identify rare and endangered South Florida butterflies, sponsored by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and conducted by NABA. She will help the club create a garden of paradise.

A light lunch will be served. The public is invited, though seating is limited. RSVP to (561) 7936013 or (561) 798-9217.

RPB To Begin Census Work

The 2010 Census is fast approaching, and a complete and accurate census count for the Village of Royal Palm Beach is extremely important. More than $300 billion in federal funding is allocated each year based on census numbers.

The first major Census 2010 operation is address canvassing, which begins in April. This operation helps to confirm the village’s master address file and make sure the 2010 census questionnaires are mailed to legitimate and existing addresses. To complete this operation, the U.S. Census Bureau will hire thousands of new employees. These hires will be stationed out of their homes and generally work out of their community.

Village officials believe that this will not only help residents by providing employment opportunities in these tough economic times, but it will benefit the community as a whole by helping to ensure a complete and accurate census count.

Directors Lauriston Sims and Henworth Ferguson are sworn in by Mayor David Lodwick as Genieve White holds the Bible.

CAFCI board members and committe heads display their certificates of appreciation for their hard work in 2009.

PHOTOS

Ray Skidmore, State Rep. Kelly Skidmore and State Rep. Adam Fetterman. Barbara Magovsky and Lake Worth Mayor Rene Varela.

CEREMONY FOR

CAFCI HOLDS SWEARING-IN

Tom Conboy and Audrey Piedra. Members of the Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) gathered at the Harvin Center in Royal Palm Beach on Saturday, Jan. 9 for the swearing in of the 2010 Board of Directors. Royal Palm Beach Mayor David Lodwick administered the oaths of office and was presented with a solar globe and two logo mugs in appreciation of his support of CAFCI. It’s not simply about portfolio holdings and account balances. It’s about your complete life. You should have a wealth management partner who understands that. Who cares about your personal goals for your family, your business, your future. Who can give you comfort in making decisions that not only support your financial objectives, but that help ensure you have time to do the things you enjoy with those you love. AN INDEPENDENT FIRM BENJAMIN G. BOYNTON, CFP & JOANNA J. BOYNTON, CFP 561.795.9156 Toll-Free 888.795.9156 Fax 561.795.6812 12400-B South Shore Blvd. Wellington, FL 33414 … it s about your complete life it s about your Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. curities and investment advisor y services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Inc member FINRA/SIPC

The Fun Returns This Weekend As The 2010 South Florida Fair Opens

The largest and oldest event in Palm Beach County, the annual South Florida Fair, opens this weekend featuring an abundance of rides, entertainment and lots of family fun.

The South Florida Fair midway, provided by Wade Shows, is known for a dizzying array of rides and attractions. Each year, more than 90 rides populate the midway from children’s rides to the most thrilling spectacular attractions.

Each year, Wade Shows brings exciting new attractions to the South Florida Fair, but 2010 promises to be the greatest selection of unique rides ever in South Florida. Headlining the 2010 midway are the Fighter and the Drag Strip Mega Slide, two rides that can only be found on a Wade Shows midway. President Frank Zaitshik said the two rides are the most exciting purchases in his 45year career in the amusement business.

“These two attractions have been turning heads wherever they go,” Zaitshik said. “They are both amusement park-caliber rides, and I am looking forward to bringing them to West Palm Beach for the South Florida Fair.”

The Fighter, manufactured by Mondial of Holland, has played some of the largest fairs in North America such as the Minnesota State Fair and Texas State Fair. The ride travels on four large tractor trailers and stands 50 feet tall. The four large arms spin riders around while also breaking into a

twisting motion as the ride turns. The action of the ride is unique, and the attraction has been a favorite at some of the largest events in the world. Also appearing at the South Florida Fair in 2010 is the Drag Strip Mega Slide, the largest portable slide in North America. The ride has eight lanes for riders and stands at a height of more than 70 feet. Thrill seekers of all ages can climb the stairs to the top of the Drag Strip and enjoy the most exciting family ride on the midway.

These two new rides, combined with the RC-48 roller coaster and dozens of other unique rides, will make the South Florida Fair midway the place to be for the best amusement rides around.

While the large rides get all the headlines, Wade Shows is also committed to bringing the best in kiddie and family rides to the South Florida Fair midway. This area will also get a new ride debut in 2010 — the Wiggle Worm. The Wiggle Worm consists of cars shaped like mommy and daddy birds that chase the worm in order to feed the baby birds in the center of the ride. Bright colors, fun sounds and exciting motion draw in the crowds. The large cars can accommodate both adults and children, so the whole family can ride together. The Wiggle Worm is loved by children and adults alike. With new rides for the most daring riders as well as attractions like the Wiggle Worm for the whole family, the Wade

Shows midway at the South Florida Fair promises something for everyone.

In addition to the array of rides, the 2010 South Florida Fair brings a full slate of top-notch entertainment. A years-long tradition of the South Florida Fair is the lineup of top national recording acts. This year is no exception with a blend of country to classic rock and contemporary Christian. The shows are free with fair admission. Seat upgrades are available for a nominal charge. The following are scheduled to perform:

• Luke Bryan, Tuesday, Jan. 19

— Bryan debuted in 2007 with the single “All My Friends Say,” a top-five single on Billboard Hot Country. His debut album I’ll Stay Me was released in 2007, producing chart singles “We Rode in Trucks” and “Country Man.”

Luke co-wrote Billy Currington’s 2007 number-one hit “Good Directions.” A fourth single, “Do I,” charted in early 2009 as the first single for his second album, Doin’ My Thing

• Chris Young, Wednesday, Jan. 20 — With an ear toward the past and an eye on the future, Young is quickly distinguishing himself as a newcomer who honors country music’s best traditions while adding a fresh new chapter to the genre’s legacy. With his rich, warm baritone and penchant for writing relatable, slice-of-life songs, Young’s sophomore project showcases a new traditionalist poised to take his place among his musical heroes. One of those he-

roes, the legendary Willie Nelson, joins Young on his new album. • David Nail, Wednesday, Jan. 20 — In 2002, Nail debuted with the single “Memphis” on the country charts and the leadoff single to his unreleased, self-titled debut album. In 2007, he signed to MCA Nashville and released his second chart single “I’m About to Come Alive.” It was followed in 2009 by “Red Light,” his first Top 40 country hit. Both of these songs are on his debut album I’m About to Come Alive, released last August.

• Blue Oyster Cult, Thursday, Jan. 21 — An American rock band that was formed in New York in 1967, Blue Oyster Cult is still active in 2009. The group is especially well known for songs including “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper,” “Astronomy,” “Godzilla,” “Burnin’ for You” and “Cities on Flame with Rock ’n’ Roll.”

• Los Tucanes De Tijuana, Actuacion Especial De Bronco, El Momento De Guanajuato, Sunday, Jan. 24 — Three great Mexican bands liven the fair’s Party Pavilion. There will be more than eight great hours of festive music. This concert requires a specially priced admission ticket.

• Eric Church, Tuesday, Jan. 26 — Church’s songs are as straightforward as he is. His music looks its listener in the eye and speaks plainly about the human condition. It is a line that passes through Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings to John Prine and

Steve Earle, and is finding a handful of torchbearers in this new century. His album Carolina is one of the nominees for a Nashville Music Award as Country Album of the Year.

• Sevendust and Hed PE, Wednesday, Jan. 27 — An American metal band from Atlanta, Sevendust released its sixth full-length studio album Alpha in 2007 and debuted at 14 in the U.S., the band’s highest chart position to that time. The album sold 42,000 copies in its first week of sale. Later, its songs “Feed” and “Driven” were used in the soundtrack to WWE Smackdown vs. Raw in 2008. California-based rock band Hed PE fuses punk rock, hip-hop with influences of heavy metal and reggae. The band has released seven studio albums, one live al-

bum and a compilation album.

• MercyMe, Thursday, Jan. 28

— For the men of MercyMe, worshipping the lord and leading others in praise is very much a lifelong calling. The band includes Barry Graul (guitar), Robby Shaffer (drums), Mike Scheuchzer (guitar), Nathan Cochran (bass), Jim Bryson (keys) and Bart Millard (vocals). Its commitment to Christ has guided the band through the creation of six independent projects and six albums as one of the flagship artists of INO Records.

The South Florida Fairgrounds is located on Southern Blvd. one mile west of Florida’s Turnpike. There is always free parking. For more information, call (561) 7930333 or visit www.southflorida fair.com.

PALM BEACH COUNTY 4-H YOUTH GROUP PARTICIPATES IN FAIR COMPETITION

Palm Beach County 4-H youth groups brought their handcrafted items to the South Florida Fairgrounds on Jan. 9 to be judged. The items will be on exhibit in Building 4 during the 2010 South Florida Fair.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Elias Eades shows judge Sue Urban the wood clock he made.Christine Bailey with judge Carol Stuyvesant.

Judge Cesar Asuaje looks over Ashley Hatch’s poster showing horse behavior signs.

One of the rides at the South Florida Fair.

SCHOOL NEWS

PALM BEACH CENTRAL BRONCO PLAYERS SHINE AT THE DISTRICT COMPETITION

During the annual District X Thespian Festival Competition held on Saturday, Jan. 9 at West Boca High School, students representing Palm Beach Central High School performed their individual events and took home seven Superior ratings. Along with a Superior rating, Jamison Hudson received one of two thespian scholarships awarded this year. All of the students receiving Superior ratings for their performances now qualify for the state thespian festival competition to be held April 7-10 in Tampa. Palm Beach Central would like to congratulate Theater Director Gail Marshall and all her students who showcased their extraordinary talent at the district competition.

The Bronco Players patiently await the results of the day’s events.

Whitney Dunn (Superior, Solo Musical and Small Group Musical), Cali Weinstein (Superior, Solo Musical and Small Group Musical) and Meagan Dobson (Superior, Small Group Musical).

Ernesto Gonzalez (Superior, Solo Musical) and Cole Friedman (Superior, Duet/Monologues).

Taylor Rivera (Superior, Solo Musical) and Jamison Hudson (Superior, Duet Scene and the Thespian Scholarship Award).

Cypress Trails Celebrates 20th Anniversary Jan. 22

Cypress Trails Elementary School in Royal Palm Beach will hold a 20th anniversary celebration on Friday, Jan. 22 at 9 a.m. on school grounds.

Cypress Trails is calling all former students and teachers.

Twenty years ago, a time capsule was buried at the school. It will be opened during a ceremony to uncover the past. A new time capsule with present-day memorabilia

will be buried at the end of the ceremony. There will also be student performances and a tour of the campus.

The school is looking for students and teachers who were a part of the Cypress Trails community in the past to participate in the ceremony. Anyone who would like to be part of the celebration should call Clare George at (561) 9049004.

WCS Hosts German Exchange Student

Marie Farmann left behind her friends, family and home country of Germany to experience life as a student in America. Arriving on Aug. 2 and planning to stay until Jan. 15, Marie is enjoying her experience in America. She is staying with a host family and attending Wellington Christian School as an exchange student in the 11th grade.

“It is the best thing I ever decided to do,” Farmann said. “I have learned so many things about the USA, improved my English and have met so many nice and great friends.”

Farmann noted the differences between the two countries as well as her likes and dislikes. “My favorite thing about America is how the people interact with each other,” she said. “Everybody is so

friendly and nice to each other.” Farmann gave the example of how she was surprised when a cashier asked how she was doing. “Everybody wanted to know how I am — that is so friendly!” Farmann said, adding that her least favorite thing about America is the public transportation. “Without a car, you get nowhere.”

Farmann is enjoying the many sports offered at Wellington Christian. She participated on the school’s volleyball team and has made many new friends that she will miss when she returns to Germany. “I am going to miss my new friends, the American lifestyle, the weather, talking in English and my host family,” Farmann said.

For more information regarding Wellington Christian School, visit www.wellingtonchristian.org.

Osceola Creek Honors Its Scholar-Athletes

Osceola Creek Middle School has announced the recipients of its Scholar-Athlete Award. The award is sponsored by the school police and honors varsity athletes who also excel in academics, effort, behavior and school spirit, and serve as role models for others. The honorees carry high grade-point averages as well as play varsity sports.

Girls volleyball honored eighthgrader Sarah Damico, 14.

“Sarah has been a great addition to the volleyball team this year,” Coach Shayne Sanderford said. “It is her first year playing volleyball, and she has shown great ability as well as a great attitude. She’s a wonderful young lady, and I enjoy having her on my team and look forward to her continuing to play at the high school level.”

Sarah has a 3.50 grade-point

4-H Offering $10,000 In Scholarships

Palm Beach County 4-H has announced $10,000 in scholarship awards for 4-H seniors graduating in 2010. The Palm Beach County 4-H Advisory Board will again award a total of $10,000 among applicants.

Last year, four awards from $1,500 to $3,500 were offered to senior 4-H members to attend the college or trade school. For infor-

average. She wants to attend Florida State University’s nursing program and go into the nursing profession after graduation. Sarah is also a student council representative and was honored as “Best Performer” last school year in the Drama Club.

Twelve-year-old Kyle Garcia was honored by boys soccer. “Kyle Garcia is a seventh-grader at Osceola Creek, but this kid plays soccer with the best of them,” Coach Tony Bugeja said. “He is a leader on the field and in the classroom. Kyle has no trouble keeping up with the demands of the classroom and soccer. Kyle has a bright future here at Osceola, and we are blessed to have him in our program.”

Kyle, who is carrying a 4.00 grade-point average, wants to play soccer in college and afterward on the professional level.

mation on this and other scholarship opportunities within the community, visit www.pbcgov.com/ coopext/4h.

New National Board-Certified Teachers Named

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards recently announced that 33 Palm Beach County teachers gained national certification in 2009. Palm Beach County now has 737 national

Supporting the Scholar-Athlete Award program are Subway and Burger King (located at Seminole Pratt Whitney Road and Orange

Scholar-Athletes — Osceola Creek Principal Dave Alfonso, Kyle Garcia, Sarah Damico and School Police Officer Sandy Molenda. Blvd.) and Dairy Queen (at Royal Palm Beach and Okeechobee boulevards), which donated free food coupons.

board-certified teachers.

“The School District of Palm Beach County is proud to welcome our new national board-certified teachers to our list of talented and dedicated educators,” said Lisa Helfrich, the school district’s professional development manager. Florida leads the nation in the number of public school teachers gaining national certification. The voluntary certification process takes one to three years to complete. National board certification is the highest credential available

in the teaching profession and is a symbol of teaching excellence.

The new national board-certified teachers from western communities schools are as follows: Lillian Burris of Cypress Trails Elementary School, Andrea Faller of Seminole Ridge High School, Concepcion Martinez of Equestrian Trails Elementary School, Vicki Mauney and Diane Wells of Royal Palm Beach Elementary School, and Daniel Moody of Royal Palm Beach High School. For additional information, call Helfrich at (561) 776-3673.

TKA Choral Department Leading The Way Among Private Schools

For many years now, the King’s Academy Choral Department has been one of the finest in Palm Beach County, especially among private schools.

As the King’s Academy enters 2010, students, teachers and staff can look back on some amazing accomplishments from 2009. According to department head Mark Aliapoulios and assistant department head Sonia Santiago, TKA has the most all-state participants for a private school in Palm Beach County.

Last year’s results for the choral departments’ ratings are as follows: 27 Superior and 10 Excellent ratings at states, 12 Superior and five Excellent ratings at yearend states, and All Choirs Superior rating at districts.

“We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of this talented group of choral students,”

Aliapoulios said. “They have worked very hard to use their God-given talents in amazing ways. It’s really wonderful to see so many of them recognized by

the All-State committee.”

Here are a few other highlights from winter 2009:

• December — “His People” and selected students from “His Voice” performed 22 run-out Christmas programs in and around the community.

• Dec. 11 — The TKA Secondary Christmas Program featured “His People,” “His Voice” and “In Him,” along with the band and dance departments.

• December — Senior Kelley McGillicuddy won first prize in the Watch a Rising Star vocal competition sponsored by Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches. Finals were held at the Borland Center for the Performing Arts in Palm Beach Gardens.

• December — McGillicuddy won first prize and junior Mikah Adams won fifth prize in the Rising Star Vocal Competition sponsored by the Women of Note. Finals were held at the Eissey Campus Theatre in Palm Beach Gardens.

• Dec. 22 — Fifty-six high

Vocal competition winner Kelley McGillicuddy.

school members of the Vocal Arts Department and one TKA faculty member performed in the Candlelight Procession, the telling of the Christmas story with 300 voices, orchestra and celebrity narrator at Walt Disney World’s Epcot.

• Jan. 6-9 — Seventeen members of the Vocal Arts Department

won the honor of and will be performing in the Florida Vocal Association’s All-State Festival in Tampa.

The King’s Academy is a nationally recognized private Christian school serving approximately 1,200 students from preschool through 12th grade and

Seminole Ridge Swimmers Make All-Conference

Coached by Mrs. Marie Pelfrey, numerous Seminole Ridge High School swimmers were selected for West Area All-Conference.

The school would like to congratulate the following SRHS athletes: girls individual — Victoria Ho (200-meter freestyle) and Nicole Infinger (200-meter individual medley); girls relay — Danielle Davis, Brittany Godfrey and Taylor Godfrey (200-meter medley), Jaymie Davis (200meter free) and Kemeta Quammie (400-meter free); boys individual — Austin Coleman (100-meter breaststroke) and Patrick Costan

(500 meter freestyle); boys relay — Eric Dennis (400-meter freestyle), Patrick Soucy (200-meter medley backstroke), and Joey Tigeleiro and Brad Trammell (200-meter medley).

• SRHS Joins the NFL — Seminole Ridge has been granted membership in the National Forensic League and is now part of the nation’s largest speech and debate honor society, with more than 93,000 active student members in all 50 states. The league is a nonpartisan, notfor-profit educational honor society established to encourage and

motivate high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts of debate, public speaking and interpretation. Since its inception in 1925, the league has enrolled more than 1.3 million members, among them former U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey, Oprah Winfrey, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and actor Brad Pitt. More than $153,000 in college scholarships are awarded at each annual league national tournament, enabling talented and deserving students to pursue post-secondary education. Through its tourna-

ments, services and outreach, the league aspires to continue its tradition of excellence and pursue its mission of giving youth a voice.

• ASPA Honors Lit Mag — The 2009 issue of the Seminole Ridge literary magazine Mirage has received two awards from the American Scholastic Press Association: a “First Place with Special Merit” award and an “Outstanding Story” award for class of 2009 graduate Nick Antonopoulos’ short story “Best Laid Plans.” The magazine is produced annually by SRHS student staff under the direction of Mrs. Carly Gates.

WRMC Auxiliary Scholarship Applications Available

The friends of Wellington Regional Medical Center Auxiliary — a nonprofit volunteer organization of WRMC — is once again offering college scholarships to high school seniors pursuing careers in the healthcare field.

The Camilla Combs Memorial Scholarship Fund grants awards to graduating high school seniors pursuing careers in human healthcare and medically related fields who reside in the following zip

codes: 33406, 33411, 33413, 33414, 33415, 33417, 33460, 33461, 33463, 33467 and 33470. Consideration for an award will be based on the following criteria: academic competency, extracurricular activities, community service, financial need and acceptance by an accredited college or university. Applications are available in the guidance offices of the following high schools: Wellington, Seminole Ridge, Palm Beach Lakes,

Royal Palm Beach, John I. Leonard, Park Vista, Palm Beach Central, Lake Worth and Forest Hill high schools. Qualified seniors attending private school and living in the above-mentioned zip codes may also pick up an application from one of these area high schools.

All completed applications are to be mailed to: Friends of Wellington Regional Medical Center Auxiliary, c/o Bea Fries, Scholarship Committee Chair, 10101 W.

Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington, FL 33414. Applications must be received by Friday, March 5. Qualifying applicants will be interviewed by a scholarship committee in mid-March. Winners will be notified in writing shortly thereafter.

The Friends of Wellington Regional Medical Center Auxiliary is proud of its continuing commitment to honor the achievements of young scholars in the communities it serves.

is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Association of Christian Schools International and the Florida Association of Christian Schools.

The King’s Academy serves students and their families across Palm Beach County at its main

campus at Belvedere Road and Sansbury’s Way in West Palm Beach and its satellite preschool campuses in Greenacres, Palm Beach Gardens and Royal Palm Beach.

For more information, call (561) 686-4244 or visit the school’s web site at www.tka.net.

BINKS FOREST STUDENTS BRING SWEET SURPRISE TO HOSPITAL PATIENTS

Students from Binks Forest Elementary School’s thinkPINKkids Wellington Club recently brought holiday cheer to patients and their families at Palms West Hospital as they delivered handmade candy-cane reindeer. Pictured above are (L-R) Hayley Rust, Julia Chaplin, Jennae Jacob, Michelangelo Mignone, Cameron Duran and Maria Puleio.

The King’s Academy combined choirs perform.

Wellington’s Debra Marcus Wins First Place In High School Poetry Contest

Miles Coon, director of the Palm Beach Poetry Festival, and Dr. Blaise Allen, the festival’s director of community outreach, have announced the winners of the festival’s annual High School Poetry Contest.

The first-place prize of two passes to the festival and $50 was awarded to Wellington High School junior Debra Marcus for her poem “Circus Water.”

The four runners-up, who will each receive one festival pass and $25, include:

• Benjamin Copan, 16 of Wellington, a junior at Wellington High School, for his poem “E.O. Wilson’s Ants and the Hofstaderian Brain.”

• Rachel Katz, 17 of West Palm

Beach, a junior at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, for her poem “I’ve Put on My Makeup for You.”

• Adriana Ugarte, 16 of West Palm Beach, a junior at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, for her poem “Autumn.”

• Melissa Dubey, 15 of Jupiter, a ninth-grader at Jupiter High School, for her poem “Changing.”

Open to Palm Beach County public and private high school students, the 454 entries received in this year’s High School Poetry Contest were judged by Dr. Jeff Morgan of Lynn University’s Department of English. In addition to the festival passes and cash prizes, the winning students will have their poems published on the fes-

tival’s web site at www.palm beachpoetryfestival.org.

In addition, the five winning students will get to read their poems at a special presentation ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 21 at 8 p.m. at Old School Square’s Crest Theatre in Delray Beach. The event is open to the public.

Eight faculty poets, two Florida poets and two performance poets will be featured at nine ticketed public events Jan. 18-23, including readings, talks and a lively panel discussion. In addition, the workshop participants will give two afternoon readings, free to the public. For a complete list of the public events, visit www.palmbeachpoetryfestival.org.

Tickets are available for pur-

Project Lifesaver Poker Run Jan. 30

Project Lifesaver of Palm Beach County will hold a poker run on Saturday, Jan. 30 beginning at noon at the Palm Beach Kennel Club in West Palm Beach.

For $30 per rider, participants will get one hand of poker and food at the completion of the ride at Rooney’s All-In in West Palm Beach. Also included is one T-shirt guaranteed to the first 200 registered riders. The last ride in is at 5 p.m. All proceeds raised will support the Project Lifesaver program. The route is approximately 44 miles round trip. It will begin at the kennel club and will stop at Chili’s restaurant; the Iron Eagle Motorcycle Co., which will include food and entertainment by the Electric Hearts Band; the Ice Cream Club; Phipps Park in Palm Beach; and end at Rooney’s AllIn. Other sponsors include Allstate agent Elvis Perez and Lo/Jack Safety Net.

On Saturday, Jan. 21, the Project Lifesaver Committee will host a kickoff party at Rooney’s Pub in Abacoa beginning at 6 p.m. Anyone who pre-registers the evening of the kickoff party will be entered to win a special prize.

“We are eager for our first poker run event, which has been greatly supported by the Palm Beach Kennel Club and law enforcement,” said Michelle Damone, executive director of Project Lifesaver of Palm Beach County. “We are anticipating an exciting event with loads of entertainment and surprises along the route.”

Theresa Hume, Michelle Damone, Kelly Fason, Chelsea Cai Chilcutt and Clue get ready for the Jan. 30 poker run.

Palm Beach Kennel Club Publicity Director Theresa Hume agreed.

“Project Lifesaver is a wonderful and important cause, and it is our pleasure to participate in this inaugural event,” she said. “We are looking forward to seeing the participants at our restaurants and at the poker room.”

Project Lifesaver of Palm Beach County is a nonprofit organization. Project Lifesaver’s mission is to support the efficient and safe return home for individ-

uals who are at risk for wandering through the use of the most modern, reliable personal tracking equipment with the secondary impact of providing peace of mind to their caregivers.

Project Lifesaver has recorded five rescues in Palm Beach County since the program’s inception in July 2008.

For more information about Project Lifesaver, or for a poker run registration form, visit the organization’s web site at www.pbc projectlifesaver.org.

chase through the festival web site at the Crest Theatre box office at Old School Square or by phone at (561) 243-7922. General admission ticket prices per event are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for students. Special student group rates are available. Presented in partnership with Old School Square, the Palm Beach Poetry Festival is sponsored by Morgan Stanley, the Palm Beach County Cultural Council, The Palm Beach Post, WXEL and Murder by the Sea, Delray Beach’s independent bookseller. All events will take place in the Crest Theatre, Cornell Museum and Vintage Gymnasium of Old School Square in Delray Beach.

Air Force Airman Michael T. Conners graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Conners completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate’s degree in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force. Conners is the son of Sherry Conners of Wellington and a 2004 graduate of Wellington High School.

FROST, HOLZEMER TO WED IN MARCH

Ms. Susan Frost and Mr. Graham Frost of Royal Palm Beach are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter Shannon Frost to Andrew Holzemer, the son of Donald and Jane Holzemer of Altamonte Springs. The wedding will take place on March 14 in Orlando.

WHO’S NEW!

Violet Nicole Dinolfo daughter of Jamie Dalton and Christopher Dinolfo of Loxahatchee was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Dec. 24.

Eli Matthew Grave de Peralta — son of Stephanie and Roger Grave de Peralta of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Dec. 27.

Peyton Nicole Goldasich — daughter of Lauren and Aaron

Goldasich of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Dec. 29.

Aiyana Rose Perkins daughter of Katrina Zeitlin and Ty Perkins of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Jan. 1.

Jadon Niles Jones — son of Tracy and Ollie Jones of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Jan. 6.

Michael Conners

High school poetry contest winners with Palm Beach Poetry Festival organizers.

Michael Conners Graduates Air Force Training

2010

Opening

continued from page 1 again, trying to help some of the less-known riders who don’t get featured in the big classes,” Stone added. “We’re trying to put those under the lights.”

Fifteen night events include the FTI $500,000 Grand Prix, the Nations Cup, the World Dressage Masters and the Battle of the Sexes, offering close to $6 million in prize money and awards. Two new teams from Germany and Denmark are coming for the Nations Cup.

The facility has added two arenas for the hunter divisions complete with pink “Olympic” footing that has been used in the other arenas.

“We said we should give the hunters the respect they deserve and have the same footing as everybody else,” Stone said, adding that the pink footing has now been installed in five of the rings.

New jumps have been designed for the jumper and hunter rings. “It’s the continued investment that we’re putting into the sport to elevate it at both the competition and basic level,” Stone said. Other amenities have been added that might not be noticeable, such as wash racks compliant with the South Florida Water Management District’s requirements and drainage that will reduce flooding during rainstorms. “A lot of this stuff is under the ground, so you don’t see it,” Stone said. “But you will notice it if it starts pouring rain during the circuit.”

Shaughnessy said people have asked him why FTI is involved in equestrian sports. “Sports in general have been a great outreach for us and for our clients,” Shaughnessy said. “Our partnership with the Yankees here and in Asia, we sponsored Padraig Harrington for those of you who follow golf around the world. One of the most meaningful relationships has been the equestrian relationship.” FTI’s business focuses on complex investigations. For example, it was hired by the government to participate in the Bernard Madoff investigation.

“We’re the ones trying to find out where the money is and bring it all back in, and then very quickly after that, we were hired by the SEC to do the same thing with Stanford, which had connections to the equestrian world,” he said. “All this is about trust, integrity and performance. People are hav-

ing problems, that’s why they bring in FTI all around the globe. They have to trust us, they have to trust our integrity, and we have to perform. I’ve never seen a sport so aligned with those two elements as the equestrians and jumping.”

Equestrian sport involves two athletes, a horse and rider that have to form a partnership to navigate a complex course and get over jumps over and over again in a test of time and competition, Shaughnessy said. “It is a beautiful sport. It is a global sport, so, for a company like FTI in 23 countries, it’s a perfect sport for us to be involved with,” he said. Winter Equestrian Festival events run Wednesday through Sunday at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, located at 14440 Pierson Road in Wellington. For more info., call (561) 793-5867 or visit www.equestrian sport.com.

ITID

Road Costs

continued from page 1

ITID can perform within the special district statutes, Jackson said. The scope of work involved road enhancements from Cheetham Hill Blvd. west to 180th Avenue. The work included clearing portions of the 80-foot-wide easement of trees and shrubbery, building drainage swales on both sides of the crowned roadway, replacing 37 existing driveways and drainage culverts, building a fivefoot jogging path and an eight-foot equestrian trail, removing existing millings, building a roadbed and road base, and enhancing the base with an asphalt surface. The elevation had to be increased, involving extensive earthwork. Jackson pointed out that the project was underway when new

Director of Operations & Maintenance Michael Michuda came on board. Problems existed with the road that had to be adjusted, Jackson said.

“There are many safety issues in this district regarding roads and shoulders and swales and swale depths and headwalls,” Jackson said, adding that six of the culverts had to be relocated in order to execute a good swale on the road.

Jackson said the design goes back to road plans that were used in past projects, and at one point the project had to be started over.

“I think what we have now is a road that is very safe, it’s enhanced, it’s got the first coat of asphalt on it, and I think it was as efficiently done as could be,” Jackson said.

Although ITID staff was used for much of the project, Jackson

said specialists should be hired for certain portions of such projects, such as finishing the road base or finishing the asphalt.

“You need to do what you’re good at,” Jackson said.

Supervisors also looked at a project on Indian Trail Drive that was scheduled to be completed on Jan. 15 almost 60 percent under budget using ITID staff and equipment.

The half-mile project included improvements to the road, swale, sidewalk, driveways and culverts. The costs for contracted portions came to $81,265 compared with a budget of $221,000. ITID labor and equipment came to $88,765. Jackson said he did not have plans on Indian Trail Drive, but worked with ITID staff to get the project done, pointing out that if it were contracted out, the project would have needed plans.

Next C-PAL Concert Set For Jan. 24 In RPB

The Crestwood Performing Arts League (C-PAL) will present the Coastmen Chorus of the Palm Beach County Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society on Sunday, Jan. 24 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way).

Originally organized in 1949, the chorus is part of an international organization with approximately 800 chapters, 2,000 registered quartets and a membership of more than 30,000 male singers in the United States, Canada and other countries throughout the world.

The barbershop harmony is a unique form of four-part, a capella harmony that includes lead, ten-

or, baritone and bass. The Coastmen singers are all amateurs who have a variety of backgrounds and musical skills. The chorus competes on a semi-annual basis in statewide competitions. Over the years it has represented the Sunshine District in ten international competitions.

Further performances in CPAL’s 2010 season include:

• Sunday, Feb. 21 — Hot Latin Rhythms features a Tropicanastyle review that highlights the heritage, culture and pulsating rhythms of that famous Latin sound. They will also salute some of South Florida’s favorite Latin recording artists.

• Sunday, March 21 — Two

shows featuring pianist Al Carmen Guastafeste and Rene Casey will entertain audiences. Guastafeste has performed throughout the United States and abroad as a piano soloist and guest artist with orchestras and symphonic bands. He will perform pops, jazz and classical pieces. Casey comes direct from Las Vegas and will entertain with songs from a variety of musical shows and productions. Tickets for all concerts this season are $15 for adults, while student admission is free. Performances begin at 4 p.m. Concerts are subject to change without notice. For more information, call (561) 798-0627 or (561) 7932984.

Riders Arlene “Tuny” Page, Laura Kraut and Geoff Teall at Tuesday’s press conference. PHOTO BY LINDSAY MCCALL/PHELPS MEDIA GROUP

Cocktail Party Held For USET Foundation At Page Home In Wellington

Baseball Village-Run Program

continued from page 1 will still be volunteer-run.”

Although the program was only halfway into its registration period at press time, 369 players had registered, Community Programs Director Ivy Fivey said. The last chance to register is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16 at Village Park on Pierson Road.

Last year’s league had 600 children, but several families pledged to leave if Wellington Baseball wasn’t reinstated as the program’s provider.

“Given the change of program, it’s unavoidable to lose some children,” Fivey said. “But if we don’t make 600 this year, I’m sure we will make it up in the next two seasons.”

However, the village is confident that parents and children will see little difference in the programs because of the changes.

“People will find that the quality of the program will be every bit as good,” said Bruce Delaney, Wellington athletics manager and the new league’s vice president. “People want to know that the program is run well. They want to be sure their games are on time and that the teams have uniforms, and we appreciate that. Will there be bumps? Probably, but that’s with any start-up program.”

Fivey added that the village successfully runs several other recreational programs.

“Anyone who signs up can expect the same quality given to all our recreational programs,” she said.

The village has a number of young players this season, with the 5-6-year-old and 7-8-year-old age groups raking in the highest number of registrations. This will eventually feed into other groups, helping to build the program, Fivey said.

The 11-14-year-old age group took the biggest hit, but not an unexpected one.

“When kids turn 13, 14 and 15, they may want to play more competitively,” Schofield said. “They go to play for school teams or on travel teams.”

But the village has no current plans to start its own competitive travel team and doesn’t expect any competition with its new program.

“Generally speaking, recreational and travel programs don’t overlap each other,” Schofield said. “Yes, you have some kids who play both, but most decide they want to play for fun or they want to compete.”

Details of the former travel program are still being negotiated with Wellington Baseball, which still runs the Wellington Colts.

“They have four teams remaining on the travel side,” Wellington Director of Operations Jim Barnes said. “Their board is currently reviewing a proposal to use our fields for that program.”

The proposal offers the organization use of village fields for its teams in exchange for use of equipment that it purchased for the recreational league, he said.

“It’s fairly new equipment that was bought for the league,” Barnes said, adding that the village would consider use of the equipment payment for renting the fields.

The village would have to actually buy the equipment and put the funds toward the rental payments, Schofield said. “Whatever its value will offset the cost of using our fields,” he said.

Otherwise, the village won’t spend any additional money on the program thanks to registration fees.

“We have always put out money toward the program,” Schofield said. “The village never received payment for the lights or setting up the fields for the games. Those are expenses we always had.”

Additional expenses would come from uniforms and hiring umpires. The registration fees cover those expenses, Barnes said.

In honor of a new year and support of future dressage endeavors, Tuny Page and Kimberly Boyer hosted the USET Foundation appreciation cocktail party at the Wellington home of Tuny and David Page on Saturday, Jan. 9.

The chef of the evening, Fred Boyer, created culinary works of art for guests to enjoy as they mingled under the vaulted ceilings.

International dressage competitors

Todd Flettrich, Courtney King, Tuny Page, Lars Peterson, Betsy Steiner, Lisa Wilcox and George Williams were all in attendance.

Gathering in the great room of the Page home, attendees listened as Kimberly Boyer, Tuny Page and USET Foundation Executive Director Bonnie Jenkins thanked them for their generous support over the years. Boyer explained the idea of the night “was to have a meeting of people who have been very influential and supportive of our team and our program in the past, and to bring everyone together to discuss going forward in the new year.”

Tuny Page thanked those who have given donations, promising them that their “support of this foundation is so thoughtfully used by these committees, every decision is worked over, analyzed, checked and double checked.”

International dressage judge Anne Gribbons spoke as the new

“The balance of requirements to run the program is no different than when it was run by a nonprofit,” he said. “They used registration fees to offset the cost of uniforms and umpires, too.”

And with the municipal pool closed for repairs, much of its staff is helping set up and run the youth baseball program this season, Schofield said.

“We are fortunate to have folks who are very well-trained, who would be working at the pool right now,” he said. “Since the pool is closed until next summer, it has freed up program coordinators to help set up and run the league.”

Even when the pool reopens, there won’t be a need for additional staff because of the seasonal nature of recreational programs, Schofield said.

“The hardest thing is getting a new program set up and running,” he said. “The neat thing about these programs is that they have different seasons, which means someone who is running basketball can also run baseball when they’re not running soccer or summer camp.”

Although the village is confident in its ability to run the new program, it doesn’t mean that Wellington Baseball was unfit to do so, Schofield said.

“I’ll never say that they didn’t do a wonderful job running this program,” he said. “But at the end of the day, I had direction on the program, and it said the must-play rule means must play.”

For more information on the village’s new youth baseball program, call the Wellington Recreation Department at (561) 7914005.

would help ease traffic, she said. “If you just have one on Barefoot Lake Drive, it will cause too much traffic for Wellington Shores residents, and if you have one just on Lake Worth Road, it will require eastbound traffic to make U-turns at the Isles traffic light,” she said.

Tolbert also was concerned that children would have to cross the temple’s driveway on their way to and from school.

“A car turning right would have to come to a complete stop to let them cross,” he said. “We’ve seen the rippling effect it causes when someone has to stop before turning onto Barefoot Lake.”

high performance dressage team’s technical advisor. Reflecting on the history of the team, Gribbons announced her intentions to further not only the high performance team, but also the young rider programs, for they are “the future of the sport.”

In closing, Jenkins welcomed Gribbons aboard, and thanked the Pages and the Boyers for their generosity.

The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is the nonprofit organization that supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America’s elite and developing international, high-performance horses and athletes in partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation.

For more information on the USET Foundation, call (908) 2341251, or visit www.uset.org.

Madrid County Vs. RPB

continued from page 1 cha community, and others opposed to the increased traffic. In the end, the council voted 4-1 against the connection with Councilwoman Martha Webster dissenting.

Webb said putting in a berm is not as problematic as taking out the road connection, which the village also requested. “What got built out here is just dirt,” Webb said. “What they want to do is remove the asphalt, which we strongly object to.”

Commissioner Karen Marcus said she feels it is important to have planned connections open in order for the roadway design to function properly.

“We’ve got to have every access point we can to have this work,” she said. “There are many years of history here, and it is best to have every connection possible.”

Webb said the county spent about $25 million on the road, with another $7 million or $8 million budgeted to extend the road another mile and connect it to 60th Street. Webb added that during his 12 years of involvement in the project, three connections had always been shown, including one at Madrid Street.

“During presentations, there was always discussion of the Madrid connection. Turn lanes were built, and it was ready to go,” Webb said.

Webb noted that the village made significant road improvements in La Mancha, which furthered a presumption that the connection would be made.

Commissioner Jess Santamaria said that as a 35-year resident of Royal Palm Beach and having once lived a few blocks from Madrid Street, he had expected the connection to be implemented.

Santamaria said he hoped that

a future council might not object to a Madrid connection.

Webb said that because of the success of the extension, there has been at least a temporary relief for Ponce de Leon Street travelers trying to get onto Okeechobee Blvd., where the traffic light timing has been changed to be more tolerable for those drivers.

During public comment, Royal Palm Beach Councilman David Swift — a La Mancha resident who has long opposed the Madrid connection — said inaccurate statements had been made regarding the county’s agreement with the village. Swift said the county had offered the village the option to connect the reliever by building the Madrid connection. “The connection would be left entirely up to the village after meeting with the residents of the La Mancha subdivision,” Swift said.

He pointed out that the village worked with the county for traffic relief on Okeechobee and Royal Palm Beach boulevards to move the reliever road as far west as possible in order to reduce its impact on environmentally sensitive land, including providing 20 acres of land and drainage improvements for the reliever road.

Royal Palm Beach Vice Mayor Matty Mattioli said he felt the village has lived up to its commitments to the county.

Webster, however, said she disagreed with her fellow council members on this issue.

“Our taxpayers have paid for these improvements,” Webster said. “A good portion support opening this connection. I also would hope that in the future, we have a more educated council that can make the best decision.”

Santamaria said that some residents of Persimmon Blvd. had complained about the connection and the county had indicated it might sue the Indian Trail Improvement District to force the connection. “We provide this road at taxpayers’ expense, and then we

succumb to people later on, after the money has already been spent,” he said. “So maybe we have to rethink Roebuck Road as well.”

Abrams said he did not feel the commission is succumbing to a particular group. “Sometimes we do succumb, but the village, the mayor and the majority of the council has spoken, and that’s the basis for my position,” Abrams said.

Marcus said the county has already spent the money, and the village should have complained beforehand. “We could have saved ourselves some money,” Marcus said, explaining that she could not imagine that village residents had not been aware of the connection plans. “I think they had to know. Why would you build this and not have a road connection? It makes no sense, so with all due respect to Royal Palm, that would have been the time to say, ‘No thank you,’ instead of all the taxpayers footing the bill for this.”

Santamaria agreed. “If there had been opposition, it should have come before we spent the money, not after we’ve spent the money and the road is there after the fact,” he said. “Maybe we should not have built this road, but now the road is there, the connections are needed to relieve traffic.”

Marcus made the motion to deny the request for the berm, which was seconded by Santamaria. The motion carried 5-2 with commissioners Shelley Vana and Abrams dissenting. Commissioner Burt Aaronson asked that county staff work with the village to come up with another solution and bring it back to the commission within 60 days. “I feel that it’s better to work together to a solution that may not be the best for everybody, but at least the effort will be there, and maybe a solution could be had with Royal Palm Beach without damaging too many people,” he said.

on Lake Worth Road, said Andrea Troutman, the village’s traffic consultant. A traffic study conducted by Sexton Engineering concluded there were only 19 right turns made onto Barefoot Lake Drive, and code requires 80 to warrant a deceleration lane. Having two points of access to the property

But Troutman said children are instructed by crossing guards to walk on the north side of the road, so that would not be a constant problem.

Cafaro suggested that the new driveway be moved closer to the intersection to allow for a deceleration lane, and Councilman Howard Coates agreed. Code requires a 245-foot gap between right turns on county roads, and with a 300-foot gap, the

temple is already cutting it close, Troutman said.

Coates also was concerned that the temple might require more parking if it grew.

“We don’t want overflow parking on Lake Worth Road,” he said. “Is there anywhere they could have overflow parking?”

Scher said he had discussed using the parking lot of nearby St. Therese de Lisieux Catholic Church if extra parking is needed on a weekday and the parking lots of nearby schools if needed on a weekend. Members could park and take a shuttle bus to the temple.

But Mayor Darell Bowen doubted there would be issues, because the temple has almost twice the amount of parking required for services. “The temple has 210 seats, and it needs one parking space for every three seats,” he said. “That would be 70 spaces, and they have 112.”

Also of concern to residents was the daycare center and whether approving it would have consequences if the temple sold the property. “To put the title of day-

care on this property is very alarming to many residents,” Cafaro said. “We are concerned with whether the title would be passed on to future owners.”

The daycare designation was the closest in the village’s code that applied to the property, Scher said, explaining that the temple will have a religious preschool and not a typical daycare center.

Benacquisto echoed residents’ concerns that the property’s daycare designation could be passed on to future owners who could build a commercial daycare facility. However, Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz said the contract is deed restricted and states it is for a house of worship and a religious preschool.

The council voted unanimously in favor of two of the resolutions, and 4-1 in favor of the resolution allowing access on Lake Worth Road, with Coates dissenting.

In other business, the council unanimously approved the second and final reading of an ordinance tightening restrictions on clustered developments in the Equestrian

Overlay Zoning District.

Economic Development Director Marty Hodgkins said that although the .33-acre maximum lot size remained, staff had removed the requirement that all properties have access to the amenities by a bridle trail or other means.

Councilman Matt Willhite opposed the changes and said he wanted a situation like in the Aero Club, where most homes have a taxiway to the runways in the development, adding that riders might want to be able to ride to and from their homes.

But Bowen said that is not necessary for all developments, and by removing the provision, they allowed for developments that had barns and equestrian amenities removed from the homes.

Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore agreed, stating that the regulations must be open for all types of equestrians. “These are two separate issues — polo and show grounds,” he said. “Some people like to tack up their horse and ride to the show grounds, but it’s almost non-existent for polo players to ride their ponies to the polo

matches. We don’t want to preclude different types of developments.”

During public comment, equestrian development consultant Michael O’Dell told the council that the new regulations would act as a planning tool that would force developers to step back and look at a parcel of land and how they could expand its equestrian uses without curbing the residential aspect. “One of the things that has happened is that we are in a competitive market,” he said. “We have moved from the mom and pop and the horse in the back yard to a very competitive nature. The mom and pop people are still here, we’re just not serving them, but that’s not to say they won’t come back. Casual riders do these things, they do bring their horses home for lunch.”

New clustered developments would still have to be approved by the Wellington Equestrian Committee and the Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board before seeking council approval, Hodgkins said.

Fred Boyer, David and Tuny Page, and Kim Boyer.

PHOTOS BY LINDSAY MCCALL/PHELPS MEDIA GROUP

Kathy Connolly with Anne and David Gribbons.

Betsy Steiner, Chris Hickey and Jane MacElree with Janna & Stan Rumbo.

Parents line up to register their children for baseball this spring.

Lars Peterson and Melissa Taylor.

Big Plans For Horse Tent Events At The S.F. Fair

It’s hard to believe that the 2010 South Florida Fair is now open. This year’s horse tent events have a new slant: each day there’s going to be a Kids’ Time, with an hour or more devoted to games for youngsters who love horses but don’t have ready access to them. Ellen Rosenberg’s Column, Page 25

‘Beauty And The Beast’ On Stage At Sem Ridge

Starting Jan. 15, Seminole Ridge High School is staging Disney’s musical Beauty and the Beast. Playing the lead roles are Janine Campos as Belle and Scott Smith as the Beast. The show will be filled with original choreography by Brian Padgett set to the timeless songs of this wonderful childhood favorite. Page 30

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BUSINESS

Meet Your Fitness Goals With Help

From Training Expert Kenny Andrade

Results Strength & Conditioning in Wellington is ready to assist you in meeting your fitness goals. With one-on-one personal training, professional strength coach Kenny Andrade will create a customized workout and fitness plan to accommodate your schedule and get you on your way to becoming stronger and healthier in the new year. Page 33

Spor ts

SRHS Basketball Boys Top P.B. Central

The Seminole Ridge High School boys varsity basketball team defeated the visiting Palm Beach Central Broncos 55-51 on Friday, Jan. 8. In other basketball news, the Royal Palm Beach High School girls team easily topped visiting Seminole Ridge 69-45 on Thursday, Jan. 7. Page 39

THIS WEEK’S INDEX

COLUMNS & FEATURES......................25-26

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT...............28-32

BUSINESS NEWS.................................33-37

SPORTS & RECREATION.....................39-43

COMMUNITY CALENDAR....................44-46

CLASSIFIEDS........................................47-53

Big Plans For Horse Tent Events At The South Florida Fair

It’s hard to believe that the 2010 South Florida Fair has arrived. There’ll be the usual rides, the food, the games, the food, the exhibits, the food, the racing pigs, the food, the chickens and the cows and the goats and the food, and, of course, the horse tent. (Did I mention the food?)

This year’s horse tent events have a new slant: each day there’s going to be a Kids’ Time, with an hour or more devoted to games for youngsters who love horses but don’t have ready access to them. Co-chairs Pam and Charlie James of The Acreage started working on this year’s events just after last year’s fair closed.

“I guess I raised my hand or scratched my head or something at the wrong time, and I got selected to be in charge,” Charlie laughed. “Thank goodness I’ve had everyone’s help. My wife Pam and I couldn’t have put all of this together without the whole committee, which includes Steve and Amy Jones, Ed and Sandra Schulter, George and Cathy Middleton, Jerry Monday and especially Ruth Phillips, who ran it last year. Without their help, we’d be lost.”

“A lot goes into getting something like this together,” Pam added. “We’ve helped out in the past, and been involved with the fair for many years. Our daughter rode on various drill teams, so we naturally came and helped out. But running it — that’s a whole different ball game. The hardest part is coordinating all the different horses and groups for all the events.”

The horse tent events will start with a bang

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg

at noon on Friday, Jan. 15. The opening ceremony will feature Carmen Keen and military personnel riding in on horseback carrying flags.

“It’s going to be really, really nice,” Pam said. “It’s a great way to honor our military community members during these tough times.”

The riding competitions start the next day, Saturday, Jan. 16, with the drill team competitions. These will start at 11 a.m. Four teams have signed up: the South Florida Mustang Drill Team, Freedom Riders, Spur of the Moment and Outsiders. The drill teams will also present exhibition rides on Sunday, Jan. 17 from 1:30 until 9 p.m.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 18, horse tent will feature a 4-H show. The Fassy Spurs, Pony Trails and Fearnly Flickaf teams have signed up to compete, but more may decide to join in. There will also be two rounds of mutton busting, where youngsters ages five to 12 can attempt to ride sheep, at 2 and 4 p.m.

The following weekend, at noon on Jan. 23, the Bureau of Land Management will

present a demonstration about working with wild Mustangs. There will also be exhibition rides by the Peewee Posse from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., and the Dusty Rose Drill Team from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 24.

The traditional Open Horse Show will be held on Jan. 30, the last Saturday of the fair, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Local English and Western riders are invited to join in and compete in the friendly atmosphere. Later, the Outsiders and Freedom Riders drill teams will put on exhibitions. Finally, on Sunday, Jan. 31, the Freedom Riders will again be showing off from 10 a.m. to noon, and the Peewee Posse will ride from 3 to 4 p.m.

But the best part, according to Charlie, will be the Kids’ Times happening every day.

“We really have a lot of fun stuff organized for kids,” he said. “They’ll get to be part of

the show. There’s a miniature bowling alley, and they’ll be bowling against me — but I’ll be on a horse! They’ll be able to interact with miniature horses and have their pictures taken. They can try roping mechanical bulls and riding hobby horses. No experience necessary. I think they’ll have a blast.”

This year’s fair theme celebrates’s our national parks, so to go along with that, some of the local groups will be creating and decorating horse camp sites in the horse tent as if they were in various national parks. There will also be a Parade of Breeds, on-going talks and demonstrations, and horses of various breeds on display in stalls within the horse tent. It sounds as if everyone should find something fun and enjoyable there!

For more information, visit www.south floridafair.com.

The horse tent at the South Florida Fair stacked with bales of shavings that will be used in the stalls once the fair opens on Friday, Jan. 15.

Don’t We All Fondly Recall Our First Time... Buying A Car?

My nephew Connor has taken all his holiday gift money and put it into the bank so he can buy a car next year when he turns 16. He’s excited about this, and I’m excited for him.

After years of riding my bicycle and the bus, I remember getting my first car in 1971. It was a 1961 Rambler with push-button transmission. I paid $60 for it, which I thought was pretty reasonable considering it was only 10 years old. After all, it had retailed for $1,845 brand new off the lot!

Because I earned $20 a week at my parttime job and paid for my own college tuition, books and midday meals, it should’ve taken me months to save up the $60. But I had already been saving for a trip to Washington, DC.

Risking that Washington might still be there in 1972, I boldly walked to the bank, with-

Deborah Welky is The Sonic BOOMER

drew my entire life’s savings and drove that little Rambler right on home. My parents knew I was coming when they saw the big cloud of black smoke. When I took it to the gas station, they’d say, “Check the gas and fill the oil, right?”

“Right!” I’d smile, not knowing (or caring) that it was really the other way around. Sometimes, if I really wanted to spoil Harvey (that was my car’s name), I’d buy him a

retread tire — five bucks — and right away start saving for another one.

I loved that little car. The push-button transmission lit up when you turned it on, with a red light for Park, orange for Reverse, yellow for Drive, something like that. To complement this, I used my brother’s model paints to paint the metal dashboard with a rainbow, birds and an apple tree. What can I say? It was the Age of Aquarius.

When the exterior started to show a little rust, my uncle gave me a slough of paint cans that he’d used in his body shop. They were meant to be used with a compressor, but I pried them open and, using the powder puff from my container of pink bath powder, slapped on a few layers. I changed my car from faded red to four shades of blue. The wheels were midnight blue, the bottom half was medium blue, the top half was light blue,

and the roof was pale sky blue.

“I’ll say one thing,” my Dad offered. “That car is never going to rust again.”

It also gained a few pounds, in paint. I was cheerfully oblivious.

I must say I became really popular the moment I got that car. I thought it was maybe because I’d finally gotten pretty, like my mother had been promising, but now I think it had more to do with the divided bench seat in the front — it folded back to form a bed. Fortunately, I was oblivious to that, too. I thought it was in case I ever wanted to go camping.

Eventually, those seats were discontinued for safety reasons (probably the safety of the daughters of Rambler’s engineers) and that was a shame.

Because, I had just decided I wanted to “go camping.”

‘Young Victoria’ A Fascinating Glimpse At A Little-Known Time

There is a lot to like in the new film The Young Victoria. Although primarily a historical drama, it brings in some of the soap opera elements of the queen’s early life and fuses them to make a movie that both informs and entertains.

Victoria (Emily Blunt) became heiress to the throne of England when still a child as the only surviving, legitimate grandchild of George III. Although under the strict control of her mother, the Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson), and her lover, Sir John Conroy (Mark Strong), the 17-year-old stands up to pressure to sign over her powers and becomes the direct heiress of her uncle William IV (Jim Broadbent). Soon after turning 18, she becomes queen but learns that her planned role is to be a chess piece in a power game of English factions, exacerbated by pressure from her uncle, King Leopold of Belgium (Thomas Kretschmann).

Most of the movie revolves around her two great loves, Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany) and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg (Rupert Friend). Melbourne, who becomes her protector, also is conflicted by his own political ends, and Albert, set to be a pawn in the big game, becomes her knight.

‘I’

On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

Although Melbourne was more like a father to her than the young Melbourne portrayed (he was close to 60 at the time she ascended the throne), Bettany’s very strong performance moves him closer to the center of the fray than was the case. And since Friend’s performance is not nearly that vivid, he seems off-stage for much of the movie even when he appears on screen.

Yet the film works well, primarily because of the glowing performance of Blunt. We are so used to the typical presentation of Victoria as a plump old lady, that seeing a young, vibrant woman at first is a shock. But Blunt’s eyes seem to know more than a typical young woman would, and watching her begin to listen more to Albert’s interest in social justice than Melbourne’s assurances that doing any-

thing to improve the plight of the poor is a waste, creates a learning experience not only for the queen, but for the audience. England of the early 19th Century was not a calm place, but was filled with social unrest, only a bit of which crawls onto the screen. Melbourne was more interested in holding power than doing good. But his personality was such that he had more support than might ever have been the case.

The slow pace of Victoria’s courtship of Albert (he is set up to marry her, then decides that he actually likes her and develops feelings for her, but she is the one who must make the decision about her own marriage) at first seems a bit wearing, but as she learns more about her heart and finally proposes, I was won over.

The scenes showing their wedding night and honeymoon combined sensuality with a modesty that was, well, Victorian, again demonstrating that in scenes dealing with sex, less is often more.

Blunt and Bettany lead an exceptionally fine British cast, doing what the Brits seem to do better than anyone, presenting history with a dash of sex and a lot of class. Blunt’s performance may well be mentioned at Acad-

emy Award time. She moves into the top rank of British actresses with this performance.

I usually enjoy historical movies (although there were, according to at least a few historians, several changes made for dramatic purposes in the film besides the change in Melbourne’s age) because it is a great way to learn about times we often know little about. There have been dozens of movies about Britain in the Napoleonic era, and quite a few showing England somewhat later in the century. The time of the young Victoria is far less known. Watching what seemed like an episode of Dynasty set in England of nearly 200 years ago serves to remind all of us that many things never change, including the drive for power and for love.

The movie is a welcome change from some of the so-called blockbusters presented for us as part of the winter “awards” season. There are no special effects, no quick, easy jokes. The movie could have been made 50 years ago, a time when far more quality films were made. For a good change of pace, see The Young Victoria. It is for adults, not because there is anything a child should not see, but because it will engage your brain and general sensibility.

10-13 Club Has Special Meaning For Retired NYPD Officers

The most important call a New York City police officer can hear on the radio is the signal 10-13: officer in trouble, needs help immediately.

When the 10-13 call comes, just about every cop who hears it responds to the location. On good days, the call will be unfounded. But when the call is for real, the cops will do anything to help their brother or sister officer. Once you put on the uniform I once wore, you are a member of the same family. And nobody, especially cops, likes to see their family members getting hurt.

The reason why I am telling you about the 10-13 signal on the police radio is simple. Even though a cop may retire, he will always be a cop. Retired New York City police officers formed a club more than 30 years ago called the 10-13 club. There are

Wondering & Wandering

By Ernie Zimmerman

chapters of this club throughout the country. There are at least 13 chapters of the 1013 club in Florida, including one in Palm Beach County. I have been a member of this club for more than 20 years. There is only one requirement to be a club member. You must be a retired member of the NYPD. There are more than 5,000 retired New York City police officers who live in Florida.

Because of the busy and “exciting” life that I live, it has been many years since I have attended one of the monthly meetings of the Palm Beach 10-13 club.

All that changed last week, when I ran out of excuses to not attend the meetings. The best excuse was that the group meets in Boynton Beach. But that excuse went out the window when one of my friends said the magic words: He would drive me to the meeting. I had no more excuses.

The last time I went to one of these meetings, about 30 folks were present. When we arrived at the meeting, I was shocked to see at least 90 of my brothers and sisters in attendance.

Some I knew, and others I was meeting for the first time. I felt comfortable at this meeting. After all, I was among family.

When I was asked to reintroduce myself

at this meeting, I told them what I had been doing for the past 10 years and what I expect to be doing for the next 10 years. Words cannot describe the reception I received.

Through this meeting, I have been invited to at least four more police type meetings in the next couple of weeks.

I think the thing that surprised me the most was how many retired NYPD members live in the western communities.

Next week, I plan on going to the Broward County 10-13 meeting. I was told that about 300 retired cops attend that meeting. I also was told that many western communities retired cops travel to Broward for the meeting.

If anyone wants more information about the 10-13 meetings, drop me a note via the Town-Crier. You won’t be sorry.

‘Beauty And The Beast’ Runs Through Jan. 24 At SRHS

Starting Jan. 15, Seminole Ridge High School is taking the stage to perform Disney’s classic musical Beauty and the Beast

Playing the lead role of Belle is Janine Campos, a senior at Seminole Ridge. She is joined by fellow senior Scott Smith, who plays the role of the Beast. The show will be filled with original choreography by Brian Padgett set to the timeless

songs of this wonderful childhood favorite. As fantastical as the plot of this story is, the costumes must fit the production. A dancing array of enchanted forks, spoons, knives and plates, Cogsworth the austere grandfather clock (played by Gennaro Ballero), Lumiere the laidback candlestick (Andrew McKenzie), Babette the voluptuous feather duster (Stephanie Plateroti), Ms.

Potts the motherly teapot (Kristen Davis), and the former operatic star Wardrobe (Katie Aucoin) all live, and sing, in the castle of the Beast where they keep Belle and her father Maurice (Alessandro Alonso) captive until Belle learns to love the Beast for who he is.

Seminole Ridge has also reached out into the community to get young students involved in theater. Assuming the role of the childlike enchanted teacup Chip will be four students from various Palm Beach County elementary schools (Aiden Dunn, John Phelps, Jonathon Hubble and Thomas Samarripa), and two students from H.L. Johnson Elementary School (Rowan Pelfrey and Savannah Marcino) will also be present in the ensemble.

Beauty and the Beast at Seminole Ridge High School runs through Jan. 24 in the school auditorium. The show runs about two and a half hours and the tickets will be available at the door. Admission is $10 for students and senior citizens, $12 for adults, and free for children under two.

Show times are 7 p.m. Jan. 15; 2 and 7 p.m. Jan. 16; 2 p.m. Jan. 17; 7 p.m. Jan. 22; 2 and 7 p.m. Jan. 23; and 2 p.m. Jan. 24. For more information, call (561) 422-2600.

The Phantoms Recommend ‘Swing!’ At Lake Worth Playhouse

A dynamic dance musical with big-band flair!

The Lake Worth Playhouse continues its 57th season with the dynamic Broadway dance musical Swing! The show runs from Jan. 22 through Feb. 7 at the playhouse, located at 713 Lake Avenue in downtown Lake Worth.

Conceived by Paul Kelly, Swing! is a high-energy song-and-dance revue that celebrates the music of the swing era of jazz (1930s to 1946) and includes well-known tunes by legendary artists such as Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, William “Count” Basie and others. Songs from the original Swing! score include: “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got that Swing),” “Throw That Girl Around,” “Hit Me With a Hot Note and Watch Me Bounce,” “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree,” “In the Mood,” “Blues in the Night,” “Cry Me a River” and “All of Me.”

Swing! opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on Dec. 9, 1999 and ran through Jan. 14, 2001, enjoying 461 performances and garnering numerous Theatre World, Drama Desk and Tony awards, including the 2000 Tony Award for

Best Musical and the 2000 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Musical.

The playhouse production of Swing! is co-directed and choreographed by Marc Carmen and Joanne DePrizio, with music direction by Glenn Rovinelli. The cast includes Kendra Spring Adams, Shane Blanford, Antonio Bluntson, Sebastien Cajuste, Tom Cooch, C.C. Currie, Giraldo Esteban, Gregory Johnson, Jamie Lynn Marineau, Courtney Mullen, Gina Nespoli, Heidi Schalk, Kara Saadet Schwarz and Conor Walton. The set was designed by Kat Wickes Davis, and lighting design was coordinated by Herman G. Montero.

Opening Night for Swing! is Friday, Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. Performances take place at 8 p.m. on Jan. 22, 23, 28, 29 and 30, Feb. 4, 5 and 6; at 2 p.m. on Jan. 30 and 31, and Feb. 6 and 7; and at 7 p.m. on Jan. 31. Swing! closes Sunday, Feb. 7.

The playhouse dinner and show preview night is Thursday, Jan. 21 and includes a pre-show dinner at Ouzo Blue Greek Taverna in downtown Lake Worth prior to the 8 p.m. performance for a single $50 ticket price.

• • •

Individual show tickets range from $25 and $29 and can be purchased through the Lake Worth Playhouse box office at (561) 5866410 or online at www.lakeworth playhouse.org. Opening night VIP tickets are $36 and include a preshow reception with hot hors d’oeuvres, and wine and cheese. Dinner and show tickets are $50 and include the meal at Ouzo Blue.

The 57th season of the Lake Worth Playhouse continues with Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap (March 5-21) and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (April 16 through May 2).

The Lake Worth Playhouse is located at 713 Lake Avenue in Downtown Lake Worth. It is situated on the south side of Lake Avenue two blocks east of Dixie Highway. Free, well-lighted parking is available on Lake Avenue and surrounding side streets, with free parking lots located behind the playhouse.

For additional information about any of the productions, call the Lake Worth Playhouse at (561) 5866410, and tell them that Joe and Kathryn, the Phantoms recommended you call!

Joe & Kathryn, the Phantoms, are featured writers for the Town-Crier newspaper and www.yournews.com... Comments and recommendations are welcome at thephantomdiners@aol.com.

Gaston (Domenic Servidio) with “Silly Girls” Kali DeCarlo, Courtney Hubble and Karista Macrostie.

Ms. Potts (Kristen Davis), Wardrobe (Katie Aucoin) and Belle (Janine Campos).

Meet Your Fitness Goals With Help From Training Expert Kenny Andrade

Results Strength & Conditioning in Wellington is ready to assist you in meeting your 2010 fitness goals. With one-on-one personal training, professional strength coach Kenny Andrade will create a customized workout and fitness plan to accommodate your schedule and get you on your way to becoming stronger and healthier in the new year.

“You are in charge of your own fitness destiny,” said Andrade, explaining his fitness philosophy. “So let Results Strength & Conditioning guide you to a better and healthier lifestyle.”

Andrade has been in the business of personal fitness and sports coaching for 15 years. A former elite ice hockey and soccer player, Andrade has used his expertise in athletics and military training to assist athletes and health-conscious professionals in meeting their personal fitness goals.

After he served as a prominent soldier in the U.S. Army, Andrade earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts. Born and raised in Boston, Andrade moved to West Palm Beach two years ago and has steadily increased his clientele and coaching opportunities throughout the area.

Andrade has trained hundreds of athletes — from those at the professional level to young athletes who want to improve their overall fitness and build self-confidence. These athletes have seen tremendous changes in their athletic abilities, both physically and mentally. As well as working with sportspecific athletes, Andrade also works to motivate health-conscious individuals and professionals who want to stay in shape and feel good about themselves.

Andrade’s professional credentials have made him an asset to the fitness profession. He holds certifications in master fitness (both military and civilian), biomechanics and is a conditioning specialist. Andrade’s passion for athletics has led him to be a sought-after strength coach. He previously worked as an assistant to the head strength and conditioning coach for the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, as well as strength coach instructor for the USA Hockey Southeast Region coaches clinic and the Washington Capitals Youth Hockey League.

Currently, Andrade is the strength and conditioning coach for the Palm Beach Hawks, a junior hockey league, and the Palm Beach Blackhawks youth hockey program. His expertise in coaching also led him to be the head coach for the Bantam AA Blackhawks last year. Not only does Andrade assist athletes in meeting their athletic goals, but he has started a training camp for the parents of his athletes. Many parents have seen improvements in their children’s athletic abilities and have been motivated to improve their own strength and fitness levels.

Results Strength & Conditioning is also focused on individuals who want to improve, meet athletic goals or simply to get into shape. Andrade offers a variety of ways to help ev-

eryone to become stronger, more flexible and to have a healthier lifestyle:

• Strength and Conditioning — This is an intense program designed to meet the athlete’s needs in order to compete at his/her sport. This program will enhance their strength, speed, agility, flexibility and power, and will concentrate on sport-specific movements that are applied on their playing field. Some of Andrade’s clientele include marathon runners, soccer players and baseball players.

• Personal Training — This is a program designed for the everyday person who wants to live a better and healthier lifestyle. Each workout is designed according to the needs of the client. A fitness evaluation is conducted prior to training, and an assessment will be made in order to create a program that will help achieve the client’s goals.

• Speed & Agility — This is a program designed for athletes in the sixth grade up to collegiate athletes. It will help the athlete increase speed and agility as well as explosive starts. Each athlete will be carefully monitored and given feedback on their conditioning performance.

• Team Training — This is done under the supervision of professional strength and conditioning coaches. The program is designed for the team to meet the demands of their upcoming season. Team members will build their muscle and improve their overall conditioning while building team cohesiveness. Andrade trains clients at Evolution Wellness, located on Pierson Road in Wellington. If you are ready to get stronger and want to see positive results, now is the time to contact Andrade at (561) 676-9294 or via e-mail at kenny@resultsathletictraining.com. Results Strength & Conditioning will give you a free training session if you mention this article.

Kenny Andrade

Palms West Hospital Receives Chest Pain Center Accreditation

Palms West Hospital has received chest pain accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers. Palms West Hospital undertook a rigorous evaluation of its heart care processes in order to integrate the industry’s best practices and newest processes into its cardiac-care services.

As an accredited chest pain

center, Palms West Hospital ensures that patients who come to the ER complaining of chest pain or discomfort are given the immediate treatment necessary to avoid as much heart damage as possible. Protocol-based procedures developed by leading experts in cardiac care to reduce time to treatment in the critical early stages of a heart

attack are part of Palms West Hospital’s overall cardiac care service.

In establishing the interventional cardiology program and preparing for chest pain center accreditation, Palms West Hospital partnered with its sister facility JFK Medical Center, a recognized leader in cardiovascular services as demonstrated

by its high volume and superior outcomes in cardiac surgery and interventional and diagnostic cardiac medicine.

“People tend to wait when they think they might be having a heart attack, and that’s a mistake,” Palms West Hospital Chest Pain Center Medical Director Dr. Lawrence Lovitz said. “The average patient arrives in the emer-

gency department more than two hours after the onset of symptoms, but what they don’t know is that the sooner a heart attack is treated, the less damage to the heart and the better the outcome.”

For more information on Palms West Hospital’s Cardiac Services, visit www.palms westhospital.com or call (561) 784-3280.

Start The New Year Off Right By Getting A Handle On Debt

Now that the holidays are over, many consumers are haunted by the shopping ghosts of holidays past, as bulging bank and credit card statements arrive in the mail. The momentum turns from holiday cheer to panic and fear for those who piled holiday charges onto an alreadyheavy debt load.

“This is the time of year for many consumers when the joy of the holiday season becomes a distant memory and the consequences of overspending begin to set in,” said Jessica Cecere, president of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Palm Beach Coun-

ty and the Treasure Coast (CCCS). “It is also a great time to get a handle on debt and make changes to ensure a healthy financial future.”

Average credit card debt for households with at least one credit card has more than tripled over the last two decades. As balances begin to bulge, consumers should not take the power of budgeting for granted. CCCS offers these tips to help consumers get started on a strategy to reduce and eliminate debt:

• Keep track of your bills — Designate a filing cabinet or secured box for bills and financial statements. Make

separate files for bank statements, tax documents, credit card bills, medical receipts, mortgage statements and other records.

• Create a monthly budget — To create a budget plan, determine your monthly income and recurring expenses such as rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, etc. Then identify other recurring and periodic expenses such as clothing, gifts, insurance and vacations.

• Prioritize expenses and spending — After writing down your expenses, prioritize them based on your needs versus wants. Set

spending limits and estimate costs for each expense. If any funds are left over after monthly expenses are paid, split them between debt reduction and savings. Pay down high-interest credit card bills and loans. Use extra funds to increase your savings and look for ways to reduce daily spending.

• Develop a diversified savings plan — Savings should not be limited to retirement planning. It’s important to save for a down payment on a home or vehicle, or for uncovered medical expenses. Make regular deposits in an interest-bearing ac-

count. Take advantage of employer-sponsored benefits, such as retirement and flexible spending accounts.

• Recognize signs of debt trouble — You may be approaching a debt crisis if: you’re behind on the mortgage or rent and utilities, you’re using credit to buy items you should be able to buy with cash, you’re skipping some payments to make others, you’re getting notices or calls from bill collectors, or if more than 25 percent of your take-home pay is going to credit card debt.

• Take action and get help — If you know you are go-

ing to have problems making payments, you can contact your creditors to explain your situation and what you’re doing to meet your debt obligations. Depending on the creditors’ policies and your situation, credit and payment history, you may be able to negotiate the amount of your next payment or a lower interest rate. You can also work with a certified credit counselor who will help you assess your situation and provide tools to help you develop a plan of action. For more information, call (800) 251-CCCS or visit www.cccsinc.org.

Gardens Mall Holds Charity Shopping Event

Thousands of shoppers gathered at the Gardens Mall on Thursday, Dec. 10 for shopping, tasty treats and prizes during “Imagine: A Progressive Day of Shopping,” a one-day, multi-store charity event.

The mall raised money to support a variety of nonprofit organizations, including Opportunity Inc., the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Susan G. Komen South Florida Race for the Cure, the Quantum House and Karma Krew.

“Thanks to the generosity of our customers and retailers, the money we raised for charity exceeded our expectations,” Gardens Mall Marketing Director Deborah Negri said. “We look forward to making the event even bigger and better in 2010.”

Retailers donating a portion of the day’s proceeds were: Bloomingdale’s, Eileen Fisher, Lilly Pulitzer, lululemon athletica, Saks Fifth Avenue, Vera Bradley, Louis Vuitton and Ann Taylor. Other retailers offered refreshments, raffles and special offers to entice customers.

The event concluded with three VIP lounges for customers spending more than $1,000. The Bloomingdale’s Lounge featured a wine bar courtesy of Vive magazine, food courtesy of P.F. Chang’s and the Komen Kandy Bar. Representatives from the 2010 Race for the Cure were on hand to register participants.

The Nordstrom Lounge featured sample products and shoulder massages from the PGA National Resort & Spa. Shoppers browsed Romero Britto’s work, and a portion of proceeds were donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Guests snacked on desserts from Brio Tuscan Grille and coffee from Starbucks.

The Saks Fifth Avenue Lounge featured food and sake from Teriyaki Experience, a wine bar courtesy of Vive magazine and models showcasing new fashions.

The Gardens Mall is located one mile east of I-95 on PGA Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens. The 1.4-millionsquare-foot regional shopping center features more than 160 retail specialty

shops and restaurants. The mall is anchored by Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and Sears.

For more information about the Gardens Mall, call (561) 775-7750 or visit the mall online at www.the gardensmall.com.

Wellington Chamber Ambassador Of The Month: John Mercer

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce has named John Mercer its ambassador of the month for January.

Mercer works with Cypress Financial Group, an office of MetLife, as a financial services representative in Fort Lauderdale. In 2008, he was awarded Conference Leaders Recognition. Mercer had been with AXA Equitable since 1998, and during his tenure received the President’s Cabinet Award. Prior to that time he was marketing director with Pepperidge Farm Inc. for South Florida.

Mercer and his wife Saundra moved to the Wellington area in November 1999 from Pompano Beach, where they had lived for 26 years. Since 2000, Mercer has served on the Wellington Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors where he chairs the Ambassador’s Committee and is chair of Flavors of Wellington.

For the past five years, Mercer has served as ser-

geant-at-arms for the Wellington Rotary Club as well as on the board of directors for Save a Pet. John and Saundra Mercer are past board members of the South Florida Opera Company, and they were instrumental in bringing the children’s opera Peter and the Wolf to the western communities.

The Mercers belong to St. Therese de Lisieux Catholic Church, where they have served as instructors in the Catholic education program for the past nine years.

John Mercer

(Above) Sandy Spender and Deborah Negri register shoppers for the 2010 Race for the Cure. (Below) Jill and Lou McKay enjoy the Komen Kandy Bar.

SRHS Basketball Boys Top Palm Beach Central 55-51

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

The Seminole Ridge High School boys varsity basketball team defeated the visiting Palm Beach Central Broncos 55-51 on Friday, Jan. 8.

The first quarter saw both teams struggling to keep the other from taking off with the lead. Only minutes into the game, the Hawks sat on top 8-4, with Palm Beach Central struggling to catch up in points while keeping the home team from scoring again.

Two foul shots by Mauricio Neira helped to narrow Seminole Ridge’s lead, but two points by Raymond Collet for the Hawks kept the Broncos at bay 10-6 with only a minute left in the first quarter.

Palm Beach Central responded with back-to-back two-point baskets by Max Martial and Greg Etienne, tying the score at 10 with only a few seconds left in the first quarter. But Shane O’Hara put in three points for the Hawks to end the quarter with a 13-10 Seminole Ridge lead.

The second quarter began with a series of fouls that gave both teams opportunities to jump ahead. Earl Bailey made two foul shots to narrow the Hawks’ lead to just one point. Zach Whitehead missed his foul shots for Seminole Ridge,

along with the opportunity to extend the team’s lead. Only a minute into the quarter, Neira sunk another two foul shots, putting the Broncos on top for the first time in the contest.

But the Hawks wouldn’t let the lead go easily. Joe DeCamillo made a foul shot to tie the score at 14. Foul shots by Etienne and Jamal Smith regained the lead for Palm Beach Central 18-14 with less than three minutes left in the half.

The Hawks missed an opportunity to narrow the Broncos’ lead when O’Hara missed foul shots. Additional baskets by Smith, Bailey and Owens helped the Broncos to a 23-14 lead with a minute left in the half.

DeCamillo responded with two points, and a foul shot coupled with a three-point basket from Whitehead narrowed the Broncos’ lead to 23-20.

But with only seven seconds left in the half, Bailey scored a twopoint basket and was fouled in the process, making the score 26-20. But a basket at the buzzer by David Galvez for the Hawks brought the score to 26-22 at halftime.

In the second half, the Hawks came out determined to take back the lead, while the Broncos struggled to keep it.

Only seconds into the third quar-

ter, Jarrod Kuse and DeCamillo scored four points for the Hawks to tie the score at 26. From there, both teams fought to break the tie with the ball changing hands rapidly and neither team able to capitalize on possessions.

It wasn’t until halfway through the quarter that the Hawks broke the tie with a two-point basket to take back the lead. But Anthony Adams tied the score again on a two-pointer for the Broncos only seconds later. It would be the only basket they made until the end of the quarter.

Back-to-back baskets by O’Hara helped the Hawks pull away 33-28 with less than two minutes left in the quarter. Three more baskets by DeCamillo padded the Seminole Ridge lead 37-28 with only seconds left. But right at the buzzer, Martial put in a two-point basket for the Broncos, making the score 37-30 at the end of the third quarter.

The Broncos began the fourth quarter with a three-point basket from Neira, making the score 3733. Both teams fought right to the buzzer to take the win, with neither willing to give up. But the Broncos hindered their chances by racking up fouls and giving away points.

The Broncos gave away 13 points

in the last quarter with successful foul shots by Mickel Pringle, O’Hara, Collet and a final basket by DeCamillo just before the buzzer to seal the Hawks’ win.

Neira and Martial each scored

seven points, including two threepoint baskets by Neira that helped lessen the Hawks’ lead, and Owens contributed with four points. But it wasn’t enough, and the Hawks took the win 55-51.

Lady Wildcats Basketball Team Defeats Seminole Ridge 69-45

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

The Royal Palm Beach High School girls varsity basketball team topped visiting Seminole Ridge 6945 on Thursday, Jan. 7.

The game began with three successive fouls against Seminole Ridge that put the Lady Wildcats on the board 4-0 within the first minute of play. Royal Palm Beach continued to dominate with back-to-back two-point baskets by Patrice Collie and Sherrelle Wood.

The Lady Hawks responded with a two-point basket, but it was quickly countered by Royal Palm Beach with another basket from Wood, making the score 10-2. Rebecca Lane scored four more points for the Lady Hawks, making the score 106 halfway through the first quarter.

The Lady Wildcats continued to pull away with additional baskets from Latoya Harvin and Collie. But then Lane scored six more points for Seminole Ridge, bringing the score to 16-12 at the end of the first quarter.

Within the first few seconds of the second quarter, Leah Egezeino narrowed Royal Palm Beach’s lead to just two points, but five points by RPB’s Kavonda Hammond kept

the Lady Hawks behind 21-14. A rebound and two-point basket by Lane narrowed the Lady Wildcats’ lead, but baskets by D’Aundrianique Greenland made the score 25-16 with three minutes left in the half.

The quarter continued with the Lady Wildcats pulling away slowly, gaining a lead of more than 10 points, while the Lady Hawks fought to sink baskets and keep Royal Palm Beach from pulling away too far. Additional RPBHS baskets by Ashante Doby, Harvin, Greenland, Collie and Wood, along with baskets by Megan O’Hara, Amanda Eden and Lane for Seminole Ridge, made the score 39-24 at the end of the half.

Collie opened the second half with a two-point basket in the opening seconds. A second basket by Harvin extended the Lady Wildcats’ lead to nearly 20 points. Minutes later, O’Hara responded with a three-point basket that brought the score to 43-27, but Collie quickly sunk another two-point basket and two foul shots to keep RPBHS far ahead.

Both teams struggled in the middle of the quarter to score, with the ball exchanging hands rapidly and

neither team able to capitalize on its possessions. With 2:11 left in the quarter, the Lady Hawks finally broke the stalemate with a threepoint basket, making the score 4730.

The next score came over a minute later when Katie Macomber charged up the middle for a twopoint layup for the Lady Hawks.

Royal Palm Beach responded with

back-to-back two-point baskets by Greenland and Doby, and O’Hara finished the quarter with a two-point basket for Seminole Ridge at the buzzer, making the score 51-34 with one quarter to go.

Royal Palm Beach continued to dominate in the fourth quarter, with the Lady Hawks struggling to close the gap. Two minutes into the quarter, Royal Palm Beach was able

break through Seminole Ridge’s defense for a two-point basket. But Macomber was fouled in the process and scored a foul shot, making the score 53-35.

Additional baskets by Egezeino, Lane and Eden, along with baskets by Patricka Moreland, Raven Miller, Wood, Buckle and Collie finished out the game 69-45 in Royal Palm Beach’s favor.

Bianca Lagos tries to take the ball from Sherrelle Wood.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Patrice Collie lines up for a foul shot.

Shane O’Hara runs the ball around Greg Etienne.

PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

WHS Basketball Boys Win Big In Orlando

After three games in Orlando over the course of three days, the Wellington High School boys basketball team was pushed to the limit in a 65-60 double-overtime victory over host Bishop Moore on Dec. 30 to earn the Jim Clark Hornet Holiday Classic championship.

The Wolverines overcame deficits in regulation and both overtime periods to survive a raucous home crowd and a game effort by the Hornets, who were looking to win their own holiday tournament for the first time in 24 years.

Behind 15 points and 10 assists from junior guard Scott Witkowski, Wellington overcame a four-point deficit with less than three minutes remaining to tie the game at 50 at the end of regulation.

John Harvill, a junior guard, gave Wellington a spark in the extra periods, scoring all six of his points in the extra session, including a key three-pointer with two minutes remaining in the second overtime that gave the Wolverines a 60-58 lead they would not relinquish. Junior

forward Davis Martin anchored Wellington’s efforts in the paint, scoring 14 of his game-high 20 points in the first half, and grabbing a team-high 12 rebounds.

Sophomore center Stephane Beneche set the defensive tone for the Wolverines, finishing the game with a careerhigh 10 blocks, in addition to his 11 points.

Two days earlier, Wellington opened the tournament on Dec. 28 by defeating Orlando’s Timber Creek 60-42 in the quarterfinal round. After a physical first half saw the game tied at 22, Wellington outscored the Wolves by a 22-13 margin in the third quarter behind the hot outside shooting of senior guard Bruce Fleming, who keyed the run with back-to-back three-pointers. Fleming, who finished with 17 points, and Witkowski, with 12 points and a game-high nine assists, did most of their damage in the second half. Martin once again carried Wellington in the first half, scoring 14 of the Wolverine’s 22 points.

Wellington continued its

winning ways on Dec. 29, defeating Celebration 67-40 in the tournament semifinals. The win, which set up the matchup with host Bishop Moore, came from a strong second half surge after Wellington led the Storm by just 28-23 at halftime.

Fleming, who finished with a season-high 23 points, led the charge after intermission by draining three of his four three-pointers during the pivotal third quarter, which

ended with Wellington leading by 16. Martin was strong inside once again, adding 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Wellington also got steady play from Witkowski and junior guard Kendall Johnson. Witkowski, Martin and Fleming were selected to the All-Tournament team, with Witkowski named tournament MVP.

The Wolverines opened district play on Jan. 8, defeating Lake Worth 54-45.

RPB STRIKERS TEAMS FIRST IN SHOOT-OUT

The WHS boys basketball squad.

The Royal Palm Beach Strikers U-16 and U-19 boys soccer teams each took first place in the Wellington ShootOut held Jan. 9-10 at Village Park on Pierson Road. Shown here are the U-16 (above) and U-19 (below) teams.

WHS Soccer Teams Celebrate Crosstown Wins Over Broncos

A game-winning goal in stoppage time, bruising collisions, two one-goal games and a halftime altercation for the ages — Jan. 11, 2010 was a night to remember at Palm Beach Central High School.

While the social networking site Facebook may “help you connect and share with the people in your life,” for Wellington sports fans, it is also a place to talk smack about the crosstown battle between the Wellington and Palm Beach Central soccer teams. Only part of the rivalry for one year, Wellington backup goalkeeper Sydney McElwain created the Facebook group “Wellington High School vs. PBC,” which encouraged fans to come to the Jan. 11 games.

“I just thought it would be a great way to bring in fans,” she said. “I knew it was going to be one of our best games of the season… so why not invite people to show them what Wellington is made of.”

By the time the games had started, the group had reached 178 members.

The Wolverines prevailed over the Broncos in both matches. The girls’ game finished dramatically with a game-winning goal in the 78th minute by Wolverines freshman Ilana Krausher. The boys’ game was also decided by one goal as WHS rallied in a 2-1 thriller.

The girls were the night’s opening act. Bronco Kierston Presnell had the first scoring chance, a breakaway coming just six minutes in. Wolverines goalkeeper Sam Bandremer turned it away. Bandremer made another crucial save moments later when she

Wolverine

Watch

By Josh Hyber

ran forward to retrieve a ball to prevent a two on zero.

As with most Wellington-Palm Beach Central matchups, the game started to become physical. WHS junior Natalie Puñal was “shadowed” all night. Wolverines junior Melissa Welch opened the scoring at the 27:20 mark of the first half, with assists coming from junior Kaelin Ferreira and sophomore Katie Casey.

In the half’s final minutes, the Wolverines gained momentum once again. Puñal and freshman Anna Talbot both had scoring chances. In stoppage time, freshman Ilana Krausher scored on a pass from Talbot, which brought the Wolverines lead to 2-0.

The second half was dominated by the Broncos, in particular sophomore Natalia Hernandez. Just minutes in, she chipped a ball just past Bandremer to make the score 2-1. The Wolverines almost responded when junior Chelsea McCaulley headed a ball off the crossbar moments later.

For the next 20 minutes, the game’s pace slowed dramatically. Although, perhaps it was

the fact that my hands were too cold to take notes or that I couldn’t see because my glasses were fogging because of the cold.

Hernandez forced me to write once again when she scored her second goal of the game with 19 minutes remaining. Bandremer saved an initial shot attempt, but Hernandez pounced on a rebound after the goalkeeper lost control. The game was tied 2-2.

However, the final 10 minutes was all Wellington. The Wolverines eventually broke through with seven seconds remaining in the game. Krausher scored her second goal of the contest on a scramble in front of the net. “I felt that I really helped the team tonight… and I looked cute doing it!” Krausher said jokingly after the game.

“These games come down to heart,” Puñal said. “And this game, we wanted it more.”

Wellington’s final regular-season game was held on Wednesday, Jan. 13 against Boca Raton High School. The result was not available at press time. The win over PBCHS brought the WHS girls’ overall record to 126-1, while the Bronco girls stand at 12-4.

For their male counterparts, the game was a bit more… belligerent. Eighty minutes of an 11 vs. 11 emotional battle, with 22 passionate players giving all-out, heartfelt efforts. After all, the Broncos have never beaten the Wolverines in boys soccer.

The Broncos came out firing. A scramble in front of Wellington keeper Aaron Dupere’s net resulted in a booming shot heading for the back of the goal. However, the shot rang

off the right post. Several chances followed as Palm Beach Central dominated early play. Later in the half, the team capitalized on a goal by senior Mike Gomez. The Broncos looked poised and in control.

Wolverines senior Max Zoete responded. Dribbling the ball in the goalkeeper’s box, he was fouled by a Broncos defender, resulting in a penalty kick. The senior blasted a shot into the top right of the net to tie the game 11. Zoete was given a yellow card after the goal for excessive celebration.

Although the game was anticipated to be a “blood bath,” as Wellington’s players joked, the most heated moment of the night actually came when the clock was turned off and both teams were off the field. Before the Broncos settled into their respective team huddle, goalkeeper Nico Ravecca exchanged positive messages with Broncos’ fans sitting in the adjacent bleachers, trying to excite the crowd for the second half. According to Ravecca, the moment took a turn for the worse when the Broncos’ junior varsity coach chided him for talking to the fans.

Instantly, Ravecca’s father came to support his son. Ravecca, his father and the coach began a heated argument. Students, parents and players from both schools were in a state of shock. Bystanders yelled frantically, some in effort to stop the argument, a few trying to antagonize it, and many to even call the police.

When asked about the events after the

See HYBER, page 43

New Karate School Opens In RPB

Florida Genbu-Kai Karate has opened a new location in Royal Palm Beach. The school is in the former Caullett’s Martial Arts Academy location, behind Al Packer Ford West off Southern Blvd.

Genbu-Kai Karate teaches authentic Japanese Shito-Ryu Karate, along with Kobudo (Okinawan weapons), battodo (Japanese sword), aikido, judo and ju-jistu. The school offers classes for all ages. Sensei Keith Moore, along with his wife Karin and daughter Maritsa, own and operate the school. Sensei Moore has been in tradition-

Hyber Soccer Games

continued from page 42 game, PBCHS coach Ron Mattella said it had no effect on his team’s play. However, the senior goalkeeper disagreed, saying, “It took my mind off the game a little bit.”

When contacted on Tuesday, the day after the game, Ravecca said the issue had

al martial arts for more than 30 years. Students “learn to earn” their ranks. Emphasis is placed on respect, perseverance, patience and discipline as well as learning how

to defend and protect yourself.

To learn more, call (561) 804-1002, stop by for a complimentary class or visit www.floridagenbukai.com.

WHS Wrestlers Win Again

The Wellington High School wrestling team extended its undefeated conference record Jan. 7 by defeating Seminole Ridge 39-32. The dual came down to the final match of the night, with WHS leading 33-32. At 103 pounds, Wellington freshman Cody Walker pinned Semi-

been settled and the individual parties had resolved the problem.

The second half took on much of the emotion. Both teams played intense defense. Wellington wanting to keep its unbeaten all-time record against the Broncos, and the Broncos wanting to finally prevail. Wellington overcame the tie on a free kick goal from junior Kamil Balcerzak in the 60th minute. The Balcerzak goal was the game’s

WAVE U-9 BOYS WIN SHOOTOUT

nole Ridge wrestler Pierce Beaubien in the first period. Winning WHS wrestlers were Cody Walker (103), Eric Melamed (112), Austin Schnaderbeck (119), Zach Katz (135), Jake Ferrara (140), Jeff Mazza (145), Brandon Lustgarten (189) and Austin Delgado (215).

last, as the Wolverines held on to a 2-1 victory and their undefeated record against PBCHS.

The result brought the Wolverines’ overall record to 11-5-2, and the Broncos to 94-2.

From 7 to 11 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 11, the Palm Beach Central athletic field was the stage for a dramatic soccer battle. In the end, the game lived up to expectations and received five stars.

The Wellington Wave U-9 boys soccer team, coached by Alfonso Undiano and Jorge Suarez, went undefeated in the Wellington Wave Soccer Shootout held Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 9 and 10 at Village Park on Pierson Road. The boys beat out the Weston FC Laser team in the championship match. Wellington Wave U-9 boys soccer team members are Blake Weger, Dustin Nicholson, Morgan Suarez, Logan Fenimore, Luke Mattessich, Casper Gundersen, Alex Lawson, Zelden St. Surin, Nicholas Nermesan and Jack Schmell.

COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR

Saturday, Jan. 16

• On Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 16 and 17, Wellington residents are invited to gather for a Community Build at the future site of Scott’s Place park near the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). With guidance from professional installers, residents will help assemble the large pieces of play equipment that will go into the barrier-free playground. There will be a morning and an afternoon shift each day. Call Rachel Fenech at (561) 791-4787 or register at www.wellingtonfl.gov.

• Join the Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association for a one-hour stroll in Okeeheelee Park on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 7:30 a.m. Call Daisy at (561) 4395780 for more info.

• Wellington Cub Scout Pack 125’s annual Pinewood Derby will be held Saturday, Jan. 16 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church (12200 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington). The public is invited. Hot dogs, hamburgers and other refreshments will be available for purchase. For more info., call Lois Spatz at (561) 7971056.

• Little Smiles invites the public to its “Red and White Party in the Park” on Saturday, Jan. 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Tuskeegee Pavilion at Okeeheelee Park (7715 Forest Hill Blvd.). The event is a gift gathering for the Little Smiles 2010 Stars Ball in February. Guests are asked to bring a cash donation or gift valued at $50 or more. RSVP to Raina Ruelle at (561) 2628590 or via e-mail at rruelle@littlesmiles. org.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will hold a “Whole Body Fair” on Saturday, Jan 16 from noon to 4 p.m. with makeup makeovers from noon to 3:30 p.m., aromatherapy from 1 to 2 p.m. and “New Year, New You” from 3 to 4 p.m. No pre-registration is necessary for the fair. Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register for classes, and visit www.wholefoodsmarket.com for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “Create the Life You Want” for adults on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. Educator Kathy Andio will help you discover how to live the life you dream of living. Learn journaling techniques and other tips based on the book The Artist’s Way Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Palm Beach Maritime Museum will welcome the 122-foot square-top sail

schooner Lynx, which will sail into the Port of Palm Beach at the entrance to the Lake Worth Inlet on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 3 p.m. For more info., call (561) 848-2960 or visit www.privateerlynx.org.

• The South Florida Science Museum exhibit “Diggin’ Dinosaurs: An Adventure Millions of Years in the Making” will open on Saturday, Jan. 16 and continue through May 2. For more info., visit www.sfsm.org or call (561) 832-1988.

• The Norton Museum of Art (1451 South Olive Ave., West Palm Beach) will open the exhibition “Habsburg Treasures: Renaissance Tapestries from Vienna” on Saturday, Jan. 16. It will remain on display through April 11. Call (561) 832-5196 or visit www. norton.org for more info.

Sunday, Jan. 17

• Grace Fellowship Church’s Acreage Campus will celebrate the community’s international flavor by inviting residents from different countries to join in a special Sunday service at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 17 at Seminole Ridge High School. Participants are welcome to wear the traditional dress of their family’s heritage. For more info., call Pastor Jim Sims at (561) 333-4222, ext. 244.

• More than 20 chefs from the American Culinary Federation’s Palm Beach County chapter and local restaurants will join together for “Taste of Compassion,” a gourmet event to benefit the Quantum House. The event will take place at the Harriet Himmel Theater in CityPlace on Monday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. with a VIP reception at 6 p.m. For more info., call Bryn Little at (561) 4940515 or visit www.quantumhouse.org.

• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will present the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio and the Miami String Quartet on Sunday, Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. Call (561) 6514257 or visit www.kravis.org for more info.

Monday, Jan. 18

• The Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) and the Village of Royal Palm Beach will present the eighth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Monday, Jan. 18 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). Continental breakfast will be served from 9 to 9:45 a.m. with the program to follow. The event will feature local performers and professional artists. Admission is free. For more info., call

See CALENDAR, page 46

COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR

CALENDAR, continued from page 44 Elet Cyris at (561) 791-0987 or visit www. cafcipbc.org.

• Palm Beach Dramaworks (322 Banyan Blvd., West Palm Beach) will host Master Playwright Series: The Old Neighborhood on Jan. 18 and 19 at 7 p.m. featuring a staged reading of one of David Mamet’s important plays. Call (561) 514-4042 or visit www.palmbeachdramaworks.org for info.

• The sixth annual Palm Beach Poetry Festival returns to Delray Beach Monday through Saturday, Jan. 18-23. For more info., visit www.palmbeachpoetryfestival. org.

Tuesday, Jan. 19

• A kickoff gathering for the American Cancer Society’s Wellington Relay for Life will be held Tuesday, Jan. 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. on the patio of the Players Club restaurant (13410 South Shore Blvd., Wellington). Participants are asked to bring a $100 team commitment fee. RSVP to Event Chair Bill Smith at (561) 654-6644 or community representative Lindsay Martin at (561) 650-0136. For more info., visit www. relayforlife.org/wellingtonfl.

Wednesday, Jan. 20

• VITAS Bereavement Services Manager Karen Modell will provide six sessions of group counseling for anyone who has had a loss on Wednesdays, Jan. 20 through Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way). There will be no charge to join the group, which is open to everyone. Call Modell at (561) 7336326 to register and for more info.

• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will host a Networking Mixer on Wednesday, Jan. 20 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at DiSalvo Financial Services (1760 N. Jog Road, Suite 150). RSVP to Catherine Engel at (561) 790-6200 or catherine@palmswest. com.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Socrates Café” for adults on Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m. The Society for Philosophical Inquiry initiated the concept for this discussion led by Marji Chapman. Call (561) 790-6070 for info.

Thursday, Jan. 21

• The Wellington Chamber of Commerce will feature Speed Networking on Thursday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. at the Binks Forest Golf Club. The cost is $25 for chamber members and $35 for non-members. RSVP to (561) 792-6525.

• The Armory Art Center (1700 Parker Ave., West Palm Beach) will host “Bands

and Bikers at the Armory” on Thursday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. Tour the studios and see classes in progress, participate in handson activities, check out the exhibition “Crafted Melodies” and socialize with other young professionals who appreciate the arts. There is a $5 cover charge. Call (561) 8321776, ext. 15 or visit www.armoryart.org for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Dungeons & Dragons” on Thursday, Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. for ages 12 to 17. Enjoy role playing the old-fashioned way. Snacks will be provided. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• American Legion Post 390 of Wellington will hold its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. at Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 30 (9610 Stribling Way). For more info., call (561) 3012961 or e-mail wellingtonlegion390@ gmail.com.

Friday, Jan. 22

• The Palm Beach Opera will present Otello by Giuseppe Verdi Friday through Monday, Jan. 22-25 in Dreyfoos Hall at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach). Call (561) 833-7888 or visit www.pbopera.org.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Science Club: I Spy” on Friday, Jan. 22 at 3 p.m. for ages eight and up. Do you have good observation skills? Let’s see through “I Spy” and other tests. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Palm Beach Zoo will host its gala “Where the Wild Things Are” at the Breakers Hotel Palm Beach on Friday, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. For more info., call (561) 547-WILD or e-mail info@palmbeachzoo.org.

• The 2010 JustWorld International Annual Fundraising Dinner will be held on Friday, Jan. 22 at Belle Herbe Farm in Wellington. Money raised will go directly to helping educate impoverished children around the world. For more info., visit www.justworld international.org.

Saturday, Jan. 23

• Temple Beth Torah (900 Big Blue Trace, Wellington) will hold its second annual Monte Carlo Night on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. Great food will be served and lots of prizes will be awarded to winners. Guests should be 21 and older. For more info., call Lois at (561) 793-2700.

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.

County

HOUSE FOR RENT — Three-bedroom, two-bath villa-style home in desirable River Bridge gated community. Newly renovated, modern kitchen with granite and stainless appliances. Tile floor throughout. Two-car garage. Move-in ready. Steps from community pool. Access to private rec facilities. Cable TV, lawn maintenance and nighttime security included. Available for rent, $1,650/month. Call Mr. Manning at (561) 315-6727 for more info.

1ST FLOOR OVER 55 COMMUNITY — Greenway Village South 2BD 2BA, Enclosed porch with windows overlooking courtyard. Community Pool & Exercise Room $750 includes water, cable & pest control. No Pets. 561-793-2059

SINGLE FAMILY HOME — Furnished 3/2/2 with private enclosed pool, granite in bathrooms & kitchen tile in living areas, carpet in bedrooms pets O.K. Close to Polo/ Equestrian Grounds. (Seasonal or Annual)561-972-0219

FIVE ACRE EQUESTRIAN ESTATE $1,400,000 View Virtual tour 10265@Virtualviewhomes.com.

Brokers Welcome! Call Seller 561-791-4599 or 561-889-5487

ACREAGE: LIKE NEW 4/2.5 HOME ON 1.78 ACRES. STUART: 5/4 HOME. MORE HOMES AND LOTS: AT WWW.PALMSWEST REALTY.COM. Call Janice 561-791-8998.

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

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

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

MEDICAL AND PROFESSIONAL BUILDING CLEANINGS SPECIAL-

ISTS — • 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

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

1995 TOYOTA COROLLA DX - 92K, cold A/C, power windows, power door locks, great on gas,

1997

VOLUNTEER AT AN ANIMAL

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

$20-$30/HR— Teachers/Tutors P/T. All subjects Pre-K to Adult. Certification/Experience required. Palm Beach County Areas Fax 561-828-8128 or E-mail Tutorking@WPB3331980.COM

DRIVERS WANTED FOR WELLINGTON CAB/Wellington Towncar,F/T,P/T,references, retirees welcome. Call 333-0181

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

1998

561-315-1508

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

18’ PONTOON BOAT — Lake Wellington. Bimini top, Ray outboard w/tilt&trim, new batteries, CD/ AM/FM. Recently serviced, running great, $6,500. 561-798-5109

TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS CALLTODAY TO PLACE YOUR AD 793-7606

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 561-2488528

KGS LLC — Water damaged, drywall, remodels, Kitchens & baths, woodwork, flooring, paint & textures, stucco, windows & doors, all concrete work, design, additions, enclosures,solar installation & sales, excavating and more prompt, honest & reliable. cbc056820 CVC56757

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

LOOKING TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR CAR INSURANCE - Your local Geico office has been saving people money for over 70 years. Contact (561) 616-5944 for a free rate quote.

PALM BEACH PET SERVICES

LLC - Pet Sitting, dogwalking, www.PalmbeachServices.com 1866-648-1150 Lic. Bonded, Insured

LICENSED PLUMBER - Beat any legitimate estimate. A/C service lowest price. Complete service, new construction, replacement. CFC1426242 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. License #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.

TREE TRIMMING & REMOVALWE DO IT ALL. Free Estimates. Licensed & Insured #200403394 Call Jimmy 329-0213

BIG BLUE TREE FARM, INC. GO GREEN! Growers of Quality Landscape Trees www.BigBlueTree Farm.com. Any Tree up to 12 feet $199 +tax Delivery & InstallationAvailable 561-793-4370 Bus. 561-202-7679 Cell

ClubZ! In-Home Tutoring

ALL SUBJECTS • PRE-K - ADULT STUDY SKILLS • HOMESCHOOL

• LD/ADD • FCAT/SAT/ACT

• AFFORDABLE RATES 333-1980 • CLUBZ.COM

America's Largest In-Home Tutoring Company

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

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

TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS 793-7606

ADDITIONS, ROOFING, PATIOS & REMODELING - Cell 561-202-7036 561-798-6448 Licensed & Insured. CBC 1250306 CCC1326386

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

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

est. - Insured. 561-3838666. Owner/Operated. Lic.# U20627 Ins. Wellington Resident. TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS 793-7606

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

TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS 793-7606

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

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

SAT. FEB. 6TH 9 A.M. -1P.M.

VETERANS PARK COME TO THE THIRD ANNUAL KIDS GARAGE SALE |Come Clean out your child’s room or get bargains. For more information, Call RPB Cultural Center at 790-4159