Less than a month ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 8 ballot decision, the Wellington Village Council heard a presentation on a plan that asks Palm Beach County voters to approve a bond issue to help developers build hous ing for the increasingly pricedout middle class. County voters will decide whether to pay for a $200 million bond issue to subsidize lower borrowing costs for affordable-unit developers.
After hearing the results of a positive market study, the Wel lington Village Council moved forward Tuesday, Oct. 11 with plans for a public-private partner ship to redevelop the underutilized Wellington Community Park on South Shore Blvd., approving a financing team and updating its agreement with football star Jon Bostic and his company, Welling ton Athletics.
Royal Palm Beach’s Young at Heart Club resumed its first Friday luncheons on Friday, Oct. 7 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. This month’s theme was black and orange for Halloween. Village staff has recently worked on 22 pro grams for seniors to take part in. Page 13
Three-term incumbent Marcia Andrews faces a challenge from Wellington mother and educa tion activist Jennifer Showalter in the race for Palm Beach County School Board in District 6.
Florida Breast Cancer Foundation Benefit At Wellington National Wellington National Golf Club hosted a golf tournament to benefit the Florida Breast Can cer Foundation on Sunday, Oct. 16. The day also included a silent auction, live auction and raffles. Page 20
Andrews and Showalter ad vanced from a five-way race dur ing the August primary, which saw Andrews take 48.7 percent of the vote, narrowly missing the 50 per cent mark to win the race outright.
Showalter, a longtime advocate for students with special needs, has been a leading critic of the current school board for the past several years. She finished ahead of three other challengers, garnering 18.1 percent of the vote in the primary.
District 6 includes most of the western communities and the Glades.
Marcia Andrews — A graduate from Palm Beach County schools, Andrews was elected to the board in 2010 after a long career as a teacher and administrator with the school district.
“I have been a classroom teacher and a principal and the chief of hu man resources,” she explained. “I
have been someone who has hired teachers, so I am truly someone who understands what happens in the classroom, as well as in the school district.”
Andrews, who previously lived in Wellington and now lives in Royal Palm Beach, said that she is seeking another four-year term because she has unfinished work to do.
“Due to the pandemic, we have unfinished learning,” Andrews said. “Even though we are an A-
rated district, we still have children who will need a lot of help. Some fell behind, and we need to catch them up. Meanwhile, mental health issues are at a crisis level with some of our children. Even though we have mental health professionals in every school, it remains a priority.”
She said that school safety is her top issue.
“After the Parkland tragedy, we know that safety is the No. 1 See SCHOOL VOTE, page 14
Most of the discussion was re garding the market study by Mike Millay of Clancy’s Sports, the firm hired by Wellington to do an independent study of the market to make sure that the proposal makes financial sense.
“Our scope of work was to do an analysis,” Millay explained. “Do
we have the right demographics? Are the sports the right sports? Do the demographics fit the design being proposed?”
Millay said that Wellington is a very affluent marketplace with a large youth population of 25 percent under age 17. This bodes well for the project, he said, adding that the sports focused on by Wel lington Athletics are the right ones.
“The biggest sports right now — baseball, basketball and volleyball — are growing tremendously,” Millay said. “That is a good sign for what is being proposed.”
Today’s parents are keenly aware of health and fitness, Millay added. They are more focused on excellence today, rather than just participation.
“We are spending more money
It was a happy homecoming this year for the Wellington High School football team — and especially for its senior quarter back, Ryan Anthony. On Friday, Oct. 14, the Wolverines blanked the visiting Lancers from John I. Leonard High School, 42-0. Anthony led the way by complet ing six out of seven passes for 148 yards. Page 23
Barely more than 24 hours after Hurricane Ian turned the Fort Myers Beach Pier from one of the area’s Top 10 attractions to a ragged skeleton, Westlake Councilman Julian Martinez found himself living in a tent at the foot of its shattered pilings.
When Martinez is not helping to run Palm Beach County’s newest municipality, he is a driver/opera tor with Palm Beach County FireRescue working with a hazardous materials team as part of a special operations unit housed at Station 34 on Benoist Farms Road near Southern Blvd.
Though a South Florida native
who grew up in Broward County, Martinez, 34, said he’d never seen anything like the destruction wrought by Ian, which made land fall near Fort Myers as a Category 4 storm packing 150 mph winds that pushed ashore an 18-foot tidal surge in some places.
“When we were driving through, I was in awe,” he said this week. “Huge boats were just there on the side of the road… It looked like the area had been hit by a 30-mile-wide tornado.”
It is not something he will ever forget.
“It was shocking. Heartbreak ing, really,” he said, recalling the conditions of the community’s downtown. “Everyone’s liveli
hood was just washed away.”
Martinez was one of eight PB CFR special operations personnel who deployed Sept. 27 as part of the Federal Emergency Manage ment Administration (FEMA) Task Force 2 Hazmat Regional Response Team. They were joined by personnel with different spe cialties from the West Palm Beach and Boca Raton fire departments.
With Ian originally projected to come ashore near Tampa, Marti nez’s team was sent to an Orlando staging area. When Ian slammed into southwest Florida, they were directed to load up in their PBCFR hazmat vehicle, fire engine, rescue ambulance, 3,000-gallon water
By Melanie Kopacz Town-Crier Staff Report
The National Polo Center-Wel lington (NPC) is ready to take center stage for world-class polo. And the team behind the newly rebranded club took center stage at a Wellington Chamber of Com merce luncheon Thursday, Oct. 6.
While the upcoming winter sea son is still two months away, polo fans don’t have to wait that long to see their favorite stars in action.
For only the second time in 24 years, and for the very first time in Palm Beach County, the United States will host the XII Federation of International Polo (FIP) World Polo Championship from Oct. 29 through Nov. 6 at NPC.
The international competition is compared to that of soccer’s World Cup, bringing the best polo play ers from all over the world. Eight countries, 200 horses, 32 players,
16 games and one champion. Those countries include Argentina, Australia, Italy, Mexico, Pakistan, Spain, the United States and Uruguay.
It’s events like this that NPC, formerly known as the Interna tional Polo Club Palm Beach be fore it was purchased by the United States Polo Association earlier this year, plans to bring to the grounds to inspire camaraderie, community and excellence in the sport of polo.
“We are here to bring it to a high level of hospitality. To see the poetic expression of the drama we see in the athleticism of polo. There are so many ways to watch polo,” said U.S. Open Champion Tim Gannon, co-founder of Out back Steakhouse, who led his team in being the first ever to hold five U.S. Open titles.
He now serves as chairman of
Former Indian Trail Improve ment District President Michelle Damone loves country music, her Miami Dolphins and a night out with the girls. She has found the “sexy man” of her dreams and is helping her daughter make wedding plans. She intends to be there in Las Vegas on Dec. 3 when Marissa ties the knot. Mi chelle Damone does not intend to die. Not now. Not at a very young 52.
Damone, who was elected to the ITID board four times between 1999 and 2016, was diagnosed in February with anal-rectal cancer. She had her political consulting
business — Gamechanger Cam paigns — humming along and was feeling in good health, Damone said. She was shocked by the unexpected finding and “life just suddenly halted” as a regime of chemotherapy began.
Damone’s doctors say the can cer is in Stage 4, which means the cancer cells have spread to other areas of the body.
“No one in the medical field thought I’d be living today,” she said recently. “You know a death sentence is hanging over you. But you don’t focus on it.”
One thing Damone does fo cus on is her social media, with nearly daily posts on Facebook @ Michelle Gurlides Damone
chronicling her treatment. The good days and the bad.
On Sunday, Day 252 since her diagnosis, she wrote: “I’ve been in the hospital all week… I have eight more [radiation treatments] to go, and I really need encourage ment to get past the finish line. I’ll admit there have been moments I’ve wanted to quit, but I CAN’T.”
Damone has reluctantly come to accept that that despite being “my own patient advocate” — and an aggressive one at times — she can’t do it all on her own.
Shannon Holl, a high school friend, set up a GoFundMe page and quickly raised more than $10,000 to pay for a rental unit in Jacksonville where Damone is
staying during her radiation treat ments at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Palm Beach County Com missioner Melissa McKinlay has been helping behind the scenes to untangle red tape regarding insur ance and government benefits.
Wellington Mayor Anne Gerwig and Greenacres Councilwoman Judith Dugo also have become vital members of the “tribe” sup porting her, Damone said.
Damone grew up in Hollywood, Florida, but attended high school in Vermont before heading back south to attend Broward Com munity College from 1989 to 1991. In 1996, she moved to The Acreage with her then-husband, a
By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report
There was a celebratory atmo sphere Tuesday, Oct. 11 when the Wellington Village Council welcomed the principals from area schools for the presentation of the annual Keely Spinelli Grant awards.
The Keely Spinelli Grant pro vides nearly $400,000 to be di vided among Wellington’s 11 schools — Binks Forest Ele mentary School, Elbridge Gale Elementary School, Equestrian Trails Elementary School, New Horizons Elementary School, Panther Run Elementary School, Wellington Elementary School, Polo Park Middle School, Emerald Cove Middle School, Wellington Landings Middle School, Palm Beach Central High School and Wellington High School.
The money comes from the Community Services Department budget and is designed to help village schools support lowerperforming students.
The grant began more than two decades ago and was designed to provide direct assistance to strug gling readers and math students. It was later expanded and named after late Binks Forest Elementary School Principal Keely Spinelli. It has awarded more than $3 million to the schools since its inception.
In a video presented to the coun cil, four principals spoke about the grant.
“The Keely Spinelli Grant means the world to us,” said Mi chella Levy, the current principal at Binks Forest. “Because of this grant, we were able to increase our reading gains almost by 20 percent and our math gains by 18 percent.”
Principal Dana Pallaria of New Horizons said the grant brings “eq uity” at the school, while Principal Lindsay Ingersoll of Wellington Landings said the grant changes lives for her, the students, the staff and the community.
Principal Darren Edgecomb of Palm Beach Central explained that the grant allows for addi tional focus on the students most in need.
Students rating in the lowest 25th percentile, Levy explained, are able to be provided with tutor ing. Pallaria’s school also offers tutoring, as well as additional educational programing through more computers and iPad STEM programming. Supplemental tech nologies, classroom libraries and tutoring are provided at Wellington Landings, Ingersoll said. At Palm Beach Central, the grant provides tutoring before and after school, as well as during the weekend, and students are provided with incentives based upon their per formance.
Last year at New Horizons, Pal laria said, math learning gains in creased by 10 percent throughout the school, and the students in the
lowest 25th percentile improved from 38 percent proficient to 67 percent proficient.
“We have so many success stories due to the Keely Spinelli funding,” Ingersoll said. “Two years ago, our students had major gains in our English language arts… 72 percent of our students that we target through the Keely Spinelli Grant made more than
two years of growth in one year.”
“I can’t say enough great things about this partnership,” Burke said, adding that West Palm Beach is interested in creating a similar program.
Andrews personally knew and worked with Spinelli, she said, and received the grant when she was the principal at Polo Park.
“You are always looking at ways to improve our children, to make sure they all are success ful,” she said, calling Wellington a role model for schools across the county and state.
Mayor Anne Gerwig pointed
out that each school will receive $36,363 — and does a great deal with the funding.
“Mr. Burke, I appreciate the partnership, but you guys did the work,” she said. “This is a little commitment from us, and I just can’t imagine what you guys have done with that and how proud we are of the alliance we have with you.”
Less than a month ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 8 ballot decision, the Wellington Village Council heard a presentation on a plan that asks Palm Beach County voters to approve a bond issue to help developers build housing for the increasingly priced-out middle class.
County voters will decide whether to pay for a $200 million bond issue to subsidize lower bor rowing costs for affordable-unit developers, as opposed to other potential options, such as impos ing fees on builders of market-rate housing.
For the average homeowner, the proposal would work out to about $14 more per year in taxes, said Suzanne Cabrera, president and
CEO of the Housing Leadership Council of Palm Beach County. The nonprofit organization was formed in 2006 by business and community leaders to address home affordability.
“It will really help in terms of making sure that we have places for essential workers,” Cabrera said in a presentation to the council on Tuesday, Oct. 11.
Such workers include teach ers with salaries starting in the $50,000 range, for instance, as well as police officers, firefight ers, people who care for children and the elderly, and others, she said.
If approved, the bond money could form one component of a larger strategy to build about 20,000 “workforce” and afford able housing units over 10 years
across Palm Beach County, Ca brera said.
The idea is to offer low-interest loans to developers with rates from zero to 3 percent, in a range that would cover both nonprofit and for-profit builders.
In return, developers would agree to keep in place certain agreed-upon lower rents and prices for 20 years.
Where will these units go? Ca brera said ideal locations would be on “major thoroughfares near employment,” mentioning areas served by rail in eastern Palm Beach County, for example. To the west, the Glades will have an opportunity to add units, she said.
That touched on one of the concerns raised by a dissenting member of the Palm Beach County Commission, which voted 4-2
earlier this year to put the plan to the voters. One no vote came from Commissioner Melissa McKinlay, who represents both the western communities and the Glades. She wondered if it was a good idea to raise taxes in a time of inflation, marked by high gas prices and other costs.
McKinlay said she “didn’t want to tax the western communities’ residents if they weren’t going to receive any benefit from it.”
Before the vote, some in county government questioned the heavy focus on a bond funded by tax payers to the exclusion of other options.
The county could consider alternatives, such as fees charged to builders when they construct housing to be sold at full market rates, said Jonathan Brown, the
county’s director of housing and economic development.
“We need to make sure there is transparency in what is presented because there may be other options that are better,” he said, according to media reports.
Cabrera told the Wellington council that the imbalance be tween housing supply and de mand in the county is pricing out ordinary workers, explaining that developers need “incentives” such as lower borrowing costs to justify affordable housing projects to investors.
Mayor Anne Gerwig, who serves on the board of the Hous ing Leadership Council, said she could assure people that there will be transparency with how the money is used.
“Everything about this will be
public,” Cabrera added.
Councilwoman Tanya Siskind said that voter education on the bond issue is crucial.
“I think it’s important we edu cate people, because they hear affordable housing, workforce housing, they get nervous,” she said. “They think it’s something that it’s not. This is actually a financing mechanism that will be an incentive for the developers.”
Someone would have to make $200,000 to $250,000 a year to be able to afford the county’s average home price right now, Cabrera said.
Siskind framed the proposition as, “For $14 year, would you like to have your teacher or firefighter in your community be able to live in your community? I think that makes people feel better about it.”
The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council on Tuesday, Oct. 18 ap proved a special event request for a Halloween-themed party at Piquet Entertainment & Race Park, better known as Paintball, on Southern Blvd. west of A Road.
The party is planned for Satur day, Oct. 29. Starting at 7 p.m., the party will run until 1 a.m. Town code requires that the facility close by midnight without the approval of a special permit.
During the discussion, the coun cil also briefly got an update from Joni Brinkman of Urban Design Studio on Piquet’s redevelopment plans for the facility. Brinkman has been working with the new owners on the planned redevelopment of the old paintball facility into a more modern park.
When the council got an over view of the plans for the Hallow een party, Councilwoman Phillis Maniglia questioned the plans for alcohol sales and wanted extra security for the party. She also wanted to know where Piquet was in regard to the redevelopment.
“Can I ask staff where they are with all their permits for their go-karts?” she asked. “I’m a little confused, because I thought that they were not in compliance, and weren’t working with the town, and now they want something from the town. And, by the way, this is a little short notice.”
Village Manager Francine Ra maglia said that the company has been in discussions with the town over the larger project, but there are some things that the town must do with its code first. It is being worked on at the staff level at this
time, she said. “They have been working with the town for quite a while,” Ramaglia said. “The timeframe is dependent upon us doing a few things with our code, while they do a few things to come into compliance.”
Ramaglia also noted that the town has been in discussions with them on the Halloween party since the summer, but it took a while to get the permit documents in place. Also, if they did not require the additional hour, council approval would not have been necessary.
Vice Mayor Laura Danowski thanked the park’s representatives for coming forward and asking for permission for the extra hour, rather than having the event and then begging for forgiveness after the fact.
“I realize that this is big event, and you have thought about having
private security and the PBSO,” she said. “Good luck. I hope it is a smashing success.”
Learning more about the plans for the day, there will be a Hallow een party for kids from 2 to 5 p.m., followed by the evening party at 7 p.m., which is geared toward adults. It is basically a costume party with music, food and drinks, which will serve as an introduction of the park to the neighborhood and investors. Several hundred people are expected. The facility’s normal entertainment options, like paintball, will not be operational during the party.
Mayor Robert Shorr said he would support the extra hour but wanted additional security measures in the approval. He also asked that Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue evaluate the plan and that the town’s building official
visit the site to ensure safety.
The permit for the extra time was approved 4-1, including Shorr’s additional conditions, with Maniglia dissenting.
Brinkman thanked the town for its support, adding that she expects to have the redevelopment plans ready shortly.
“I want to thank staff. We have been working with them for quite some time on this development,” Brinkman said. “We are excited that we have a time schedule now. We will be coming before you again with more requests for the final site plan approval and the ultimate development program.”
In other business:
• After rejecting a previous sign code variance for the Culver’s Restaurant now under construction on Southern Blvd. in the Groves Town Center project, the council
unanimously approved a request for a smaller variance. The vote allows an increase of the menu board sign face from 12 square feet to 16.76 square feet, and an increase in the sign structure height from 5 feet to 5 feet, 3 inches. The council felt this request was more in line with requests granted to oth er restaurants with drive-throughs.
• After approving the first read ing of an ordinance 3-2 earlier this month to put forward a charter amendment next March chang ing the signature requirements for ordinances and resolutions, allowing the mayor alone to sign the documents after they have been approved by the council, the council backtracked, and voted 3-2 to drop the proposal.
• The council agreed to hold a Veterans Day Parade & Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 5.
“Government Lite” will remain the watchwords for Westlake in 2023, it was agreed during a Westlake City Council visioning and goal-setting workshop held Tuesday, Oct. 11. But it has to be government that works, Mayor JohnPaul O’Connor said.
“The building department is the one area where we could really improve,” O’Connor said. “Com munication needs to improve, and certainly performance needs to improve.”
Construction is Westlake’s big gest area of business, and just about its only business as Palm Beach County’s newest and fast est-growing municipality.
City Manager Kenneth Cas sell agreed that the department’s performance has been less than optimal but suggested that requests
for building permits have been overwhelming. He noted that some 1,250 building permits were issued in all of 2021, while more than 1,400 already have been issued in 2022.
Currently, building and other related permits are processed by hand, but a new computer-based system is expected to come on line in the first quarter of 2023 that should have a major positive impact, Cassel said.
“I’m truly, desperately hoping to see improvement,” O’Connor said.
“If this building department can’t get it done, we’ll get one that will.
Enough is enough.”
Cassell said the two-hour workshop was scheduled to give council members an opportuni ty to share their priorities in a “free-roaming exchange” regard ing the new fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, and to give broad
direction to him and to depart ment heads.
John Carter, senior vice pres ident for developer Minto Com munities LLC, also took the op portunity to share with the council his views on several topics. Most notably, Carter told them that he intends to continue the push to connect Westlake’s Persimmon Blvd. with 140th Avenue North in The Acreage.
The matter is currently in liti gation between Minto, Westlake’s largest landowner and developer, and the Indian Trail Improvement District. It is scheduled to go to trial in 2023.
“I have no idea how long it will take, but you have my commit ment that I will fight this fight as long as I need to fight it,” Carter said.
“The issue has to be resolved,” said Cassel, adding that, unfortu
nately, he sees little hope of reso lution outside a courtroom.
In other business:
• The council heard that they likely will be meeting in newer, larger and much grander surround ings in 2023, with Minto offering the use of the lodge building at the Westlake Adventure Park at a nominal fee. The lodge has plenty of parking, a catering kitchen and room for 350. The deal is yet to be inked, Cassel said, but added that an agreement is likely.
• The council entered into a lengthy discussion about how to better disperse funding from the city’s Housing Assistance Pur chase Program, designed mostly to help first-time homebuyers. Because many recent applicants have not qualified for one reason or another, “Right now, I’m in a condition I never wanted to be in,” Cassel said. “I have a bunch
of money sitting in the bank that should be in people’s homes.” It was suggested that with interest rates quickly rising, rather than up-front cash to put down on a home, perhaps the money could be used to help lock in a rate, or that it could be used to retrofit homes for disabled veterans.
• The council heard O’Connor report that the planned Adren alin World amusement park is unlikely to happen. “It’s not 100 percent dead, but it’s in cardiac ar rest,” he said, adding that revival might still be possible. The park was slated for a 14.4-acre site on Persimmon Blvd. with plans including the longest go-kart track in Florida. Once operational, the park was expected to create some 200 jobs.
• The council agreed that six is probably the optimum number of events for the city to sponsor each
year. The Fourth of July celebra tion (Fourthfest) and a Christmas Green Market likely should be annual events, with four others spaced quarterly.
• The council discussed the development of a Westlake app, which could be a valuable tool in the event that there is information the community needs to push out quickly, O’Connor said. Cassel agreed and said they probably would want to contract for its development and management.
O’Connor also suggested the creation of a Westlake municipal Wi-Fi. “I want to make this city in novative, like we say it is,” he said.
• The council agreed that while last year’s Christmas golf cart parade was fun and spontaneous, more attention needs to be paid to safety concerns this year, with the help of the Palm Beach County Sheriff Office.
The Royal Palm Beach Educa tion Advisory Board welcomed an update from Cypress Trails El ementary School Principal Bruce Saulter on Monday, Oct. 3.
“We are the only Title 1 ele mentary school out in the western communities,” Saulter said. “We are also the only Title 1 school in the entire district that has been A-rated consecutively for the last five years. We are very proud of that accomplishment.”
He explained that the only other A-rated Title 1 school in the district dropped in rank after the pandemic. “Even last year, despite COVID-19 with no school grades, we would have kept our A,” Saulter said.
Cypress Trails currently has 493 enrolled students, which is an increase of 70 students over the last four years. The school has a diverse population, with 42 percent Hispanic, 27 White, 21 Black and the remaining 10 per
continued from page 1 tanker truck and a couple of heavy-duty pickups, and head 175 miles south to Fort Myers Beach.
When the Palm Beach County team arrived at the foot of the pier, Martinez said he got a different kind of surprise during this, his first deployment to the site of a major disaster. Other personnel from Task Force 2, which is head ed by the City of Miami Fire-Res cue Department, already were on hand setting of military-grade tents and everything else from kitchen facilities to generators to portable toilets needed to sus tain a large contingent of rescue workers.
The efficiency and speed with which a completely self-sufficient tent city went up was mind-blow ing, he said.
Task Force 2 is made up of approximately 250 personnel from 27 agencies, according to the FEMA web site.
The main assignment for Mar tinez’s hazmat team was dealing
cent of students listed as “other.”
The Hispanic student population is the fastest growing at the school with 13 percent of the student pop ulation still learning the English language. Another 14 percent of students have disabilities, most of which are learning challenges.
The school implemented a full inclusion model for students with autism, so they are not separated from the main student body. The school also offers an Environ mental STEM choice program, which averages about 20 students each year.
Saulter is particularly proud of the teacher retention at Cypress Trails. “We’ve grown our own. We have interns that have become teachers. When we have an interim position, like maternity leave, we hire those interns, and that’s the strategy we are using,” he said.
“We are proud to be able to offer such a large, experienced group of teachers.”
Twelve percent of Cypress Trails teachers have one to three
with gas leaks from broken lines, large propane tanks and other types of potentially explosive chemical compounds. Dangerous work, no doubt, but Martinez said he loves being part of such a team — calling it the “next level of firefighting.”
Martinez said that as his team went about its work, there was little interaction with residents or business owners because access to the area was still tightly restricted. With debris of all kinds piled on the sides of roads to clear the way for rescue vehicles, the smell of rotting food permeated the air. He said he was not struck by the silence of a wrecked city without electricity, but by the lack of quiet with big machinery running day and night as rescue and then re covery efforts continued.
In the end, more than 75 people in the Fort Myers-Port Charlotte area died in Ian, mostly from drowning in the massive surge that rushed out of the Gulf of Mexico and up San Carlos Bay.
Martinez’s team returned home Oct. 9.
“There’s something to be learned from every situation,” said Martinez, a Westlake resident since 2018 and a councilman since March. But in terms of what spe
years of experience. Fifteen per cent have four to seven years teaching, and a massive 73 percent of teachers there have more than seven years of experience in the classroom.
Cypress Trails is technically still considered a Title 1 school, which requires that 70 percent of students qualify for free or re duced-price lunches. The past two years, school lunches were free to all students. The school then fell two points shy of the 70 percent requirement, but still received a slightly reduced Title 1 budget.
“It really gives us the ability to be strategic with our school im provement plan, with our family involvement, and it gives us the extra funds that we can use in a great way,” Saulter said.
Money from such programs is helping the school make strides to catch up to their pre-pandemic achievement levels.
“We cannot teach aimlessly. In math, we took a huge dip — the entire district did. That is some
thing we are really targeting,” Saulter said. “Typically, reading scores are higher than science scores. Our theory was that stu dents lacked the background knowledge, vocabulary and criti cal-thinking skills. That’s why we have a STEM lab and focused on the instructional part, and the fruits of that labor are starting to show.”
Due to the new testing format issued by the state, there will be no school grades for the coming year. The three-part testing schedule will no longer be a high-stakes test, and instead be used to track growth during the school year.
Since tight budgets mean that the school cannot afford a schoolwide field trip, they have struc tured a creative partnership with Lion Country Safari for a special family science event. The sixday event addressed a different grade level each day, and both children and parents were able to rotate through hands-on science activities and experience a spe cial science presentation by Lion
Country staff. They also received take-home activities to continue learning.
“We got creative with our bud get and used family involvement money,” Saulter said. “We are the guinea pigs with Lion Country. We are hoping this will give them new opportunities at other schools, too.”
Also at the meeting, Central In structional Superintendent Vivian Green brought updates on events at other RPB schools, but also took the time to address the Royal Palm Beach High School students in attendance.
“We are very fortunate in Royal Palm Beach to have the finest principals in Palm Beach County in our schools,” she said. “I want to thank the aspiring leaders from Royal Palm Beach High School for visiting tonight as well. As a school leader, one of your import ant responsibilities is to act as a PR person for your school. It’s your responsibility to sell your school, to market your school, to tell your
school’s story, to fight for your school. Coming to community meetings such as this and support ing your school is a part of that. It’s a great experience, and I’m glad to have you here.”
RPBHS Student Council Pres ident Javier Rivas, who also hap pened to be homecoming king, provided an update on the school’s homecoming activities.
“It was a great success. It hap pened right before the hurricane, and we actually got to have it. We are truly blessed and happy,” he said. “We created a great environ ment around the school, and I can see it lasting throughout the year.”
He noted that a lightning storm stopped the football game, and fes tivities were moved into the gym to continue the fun and camaraderie at the sold-out event.
The next Education Advisory Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 14 and will feature a presentation by Royal Palm Beach Elementary School Principal Tra cy Ghettie.
cific knowledge he can bring back to the Westlake council chambers from Ian’s destruction, Martinez said that the terrain in Fort Myers is very different from that of his community, which is some 15
miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean and about 25 miles from Lake Okeechobee — the largest body of freshwater in the United States outside the Great Lakes. It’s 467,000 acres constrained by the
BARRY S. MANNING Publisher DAWN RIVERA General Manager JOSHUA I. MANNING Executive Editor STEPHANIE RODRIGUEZ“I would just hope that if an evacuation order is given, resi dents would follow it,” he said, while noting that the sort of cata strophic storm surge seen in Fort
Myers Beach would be highly unlikely in Westlake.
On the other hand, “I haven’t calculated exactly what would happen if the Okeechobee levee were to break,” he said.
continued from page 1 on youth sports than we’ve ever spent before,” he said. “Rightly or wrongly, that is what is going on.”
The current design proposes four courts that can be used for basketball or volleyball, as well as one softball field, one baseball field and one multi-purpose field. There are also performance areas, fitness areas and support space.
“This is what many parents are spending money on outside of league play,” Millay said. “They are putting it all into one venue, which I think is actually very thoughtful.”
Millay noted that Bostic’s com pany has secured commitments from several sports leagues and tentatively hired Sports Facilities Companies of St. Petersburg to run the operation, which is the largest company in the industry. Millay also said that Bostic is a great brand asset.
“The local market has the dis posable income, population demo graphics and spending power for this facility,” he concluded. “We feel very comfortable and confi dent that this is a good program
and something worth going after.”
But there was some discussion regarding the number of basketball courts at the facility.
“Four courts are great, but seven is better for driving economic im pact,” Millay said, explaining that at seven courts, the facility could be a draw in sports tourism.
George Linley, executive di rector of the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, attended the meeting and spoke in favor of the project. He said that the four-court design is fine, but would like more, if possible.
“Our sports commission is very excited about all the sports development conservations in the Village of Wellington,” Linley said, explaining that more indoor sports space is needed across the state. “With four courts, you have a very strong recreational facility. You can have small tournaments, or you can be an ancillary site.”
He noted that there is gap in funding to get to seven courts, and the sports commission may be able to help make up that gap.
However, Linley noted that sports tourism is a good added benefit, but it will not keep the lights on day to day. Wellington Athletics would need to at least break even without it, allowing sports tourism to provide extra support.
Councilman Michael Napo leone said that the facility being a
driver for sports tourism is “aspi rational” and not key to the project moving forward. Mayor Anne Gerwig added that traffic could be an issue at the site, located near the heart of the equestrian community, if the project is too successful.
Attorney Kaitlin Guerin rep resenting Wellington Athletics said that Bostic and his partners are working with the sports com mission and others to finalize the design, while also working with contractor Verdex to keep a close track on costs.
“We are working with the de sign so that Jon can see what works for his business model and try to provide everything that we can for the village,” she said, explain ing that the number of courts was initially reduced to save costs.
Gerwig encouraged all the par ties to take the time necessary to get it right. “We’re looking for that sweet spot,” she said. “That is why we’re taking this time and having this conversation. We don’t want to get it wrong.”
Jim Arnold of Sports Facilities Companies said that additional courts are not only a capital cost for the project, but also an ongoing operational cost. “The facility does not get much money for large tour naments,” he said. “That money is going to the event holder.”
The design, he said, must be sustainable for the facility.
“The way this public-private partnership is structured, we have to be sustainable,” Arnold said. “We have to be profitable. We have to pay those debt payments.”
Linley said his support for the project does not hinge on the number of courts. “Even with four courts, this is still a very special venue,” he said. “We don’t have anything like this in Palm Beach County.”
Village Manager Jim Barnes said that Wellington’s commitment is the land preparation, which will cost approximately $1.5 million, plus guaranteeing the bonds, which would then be paid off by Bostic’s company.
Councilman Michael Napo leone asked about the additional community benefits.
Assistant Village Manager Ed De La Vega said that the village will get use of one basketball court, Monday through Thursday, from 5 to 10 p.m., at no charge for recreational programming, as well as exclusive use of the multipurpose field, and the baseball/ softball fields on Saturday after noons. Also, Palm Beach Central High School will be able to use the fields for night games.
After agreeing that the market study supported moving forward, the council heard from Deputy Village Manager Tanya Quickel on the financing aspect. While
the bond financing was initially conceived to happen at the end of 2022, that was pushed back to April 2023, Quickel said, to be more in line with when Wel lington Athletics will be ready to break ground, particularly since the design phase is taking longer than expected.
There were seven responses to the village’s request for proposals for underwriters. She recom mended going with RBC as the national team, Raymond James as the regional team and Siebert Williams Shank as the local small business. Choosing three allows the village to find the best buyers to achieve the best financing in the market, Quickel explained.
Councilman John McGovern’s motion to approve the financing team passed unanimously.
De La Vega then brought for ward minor amendments to the previously approved comprehen sive agreement with Wellington Athletics. It updates the time frames to be in line with an April 2023 groundbreaking, rather than one in late 2022. Wording required by Palm Beach County was also added.
As of now, the bond funding remains at $33 million, but that could change before the spring bond offering. Napoleone’s mo tion to approve the changes passed unanimously.
Bostic attended the meeting virtually. “We are excited about this project and are working hard to put the last few pieces together,” he said after the votes. “We have a vision to see this be one of the first of its kind in the country.”
In other business:
• The council approved a master plan amendment for the Winding Trails development, a nine-lot equestrian community off Aero Club Drive. A single owner has purchased two of the lots and re quested changes to allow the lots of be merged together, and also adding an additional access point on Aero Club Drive so the portion of the merged lot with a home can be better separated from the por tion of the merged lot with eques trian amenities. The change was approved 3-1 with Vice Mayor Michael Drahos dissenting and Gerwig not participating due to a possible conflict of interest.
• The council approved an ex tension to its employment agree ment with Barnes as village man ager. Barnes is wrapping up his first two-year contract as manager. McGovern negotiated a four-year extension that raises the base sal ary to $237,500 with five percent increases each year, but otherwise does not include many changes. The new contract, which begins Dec. 31, was approved 4-1 with Gerwig dissenting.
Each year, local animal rescue groups join together for the Count down 2 Zero (C2Z) Adoption Event in an effort to save the lives of hundreds of animals.
The Peggy Adams Animal Res cue League and Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control opened their doors on Sept. 24 to host local rescues for the daylong C2Z kickoff event. Both campuses were filled with ador able, adoptable animals looking
HCA Florida Palms West Hos pital is once again hosting its annu al Trunk or Treat Halloween event on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Departments from across the hospital will be decorating their vehicles and welcoming children with treats, while the hospital’s pediatric residents will be leading pumpkin decorating activities, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue will have vehicles and employees to greet participants.
Certified Therapy Dogs Inc. will also have their therapy dogs in costume to snuggle with the chil dren. The event is free to all who attend and will be held in the front parking lot of Palms West Hospital at 13001 Southern Blvd.
The Panther Ridge Conserva tion Center will again be hosting its popular Twilight Hours event monthly. Twilight hours are a unique experience offered during the winter months where guests can view the cats when they are most active during the night. Twi light Hours will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29; Sat
for homes. Adoption promotions and specials continued at each individual shelter and/or rescue organization through Oct. 1, and an impressive 224 animals found new homes during this week-long adoption event.
“This year’s C2Z Adoption Event truly celebrated the collab orative effort of multiple local res cues, connected passionate animal lovers from all over Palm Beach County and sent 224 amazing
urday, Nov. 19; and Saturday, Dec. 17. The price is $50 per adult and $25 for children under 12. Dates for January, February and March will be scheduled in the future. The Panther Ridge Conservation Center is located at 2143 D Road in Loxahatchee Groves. For more info., call (561) 795-8914 or visit www.pantherridge.org.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Awareness is essential because domestic violence takes place every minute of every day, occurring just about every 15 seconds. Palm Beach County issued 1,221 intimate partner violence injunctions for protection in the first eight months of the year.
In collaboration with commu nity partners, Palm Beach County Victim Services and the Certified Rape Crisis Center have teamed up to heighten awareness about domestic violence through vari ous events during October. Some of the events include Canines for Comfort, Autumn Shades of Well ness and Wear Purple Day. Library displays featuring the “Empty Place at the Table” art exhibit
animals to their forever homes,” said Sue Berry, CEO of the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League. “We are very grateful to all of our sponsors who helped make this event such a success, and to all the rescues that participated and those who came out to adopt.”
Rescue organizations that par ticipated in the ninth annual C2Z Adoption Event included: the Peg gy Adams Animal Rescue League; PBCACC; Animal Rescue Force
of South Florida; Barky Pines Animal Rescue & Sanctuary; Dezzy’s Second Chance Animal Rescue; Furry Friends Adoption, Clinic and Ranch; Shining Horse Farm and Sanctuary; the Grateful Dog Haven; and Tri-County Ani mal Rescue.
Sponsors included: MetLife Pet Insurance; PetMeds; BRK Repub lic; Camp Bow Wow Boca; Camp Rusty Dog; Conkling & Lewis Construction; Daszkal Bolton;
will be available to the commu nity at five Palm Beach County Library System locations. To see the library locations, and the full schedule of events, visit https:// fb.me/e/33QxVtY1U.
Palm Beach County victim advocates are available 24/7 to re spond to victims of violent crimes. Helpline staff is also available for immediate support. For assistance, call the helpline at (561) 8337273. For more information on the schedule, contact Jacqueline Jackson at jjackson4@pbcgov.org.
In recognition of National Cy bersecurity Awareness Month, the Palm Beach County Water Utili ties Department is encouraging customers to take action to identify and avoid fraudulent schemes.
With the national rise of e-mail and phone scams, PBCWUD is re minding customers that messages threatening immediate disconnec tion unless funds are received are not an operational practice of the water utilities department.
Scammers often use e-mails, phone calls or even text messages to trick their targets into giving out their personal information.
“Although we have not had any recent reports, it is always impor
tant to be aware of these tactics,” PBCWUD Assistant Director Stephanie Marsh-Corinthian said. “If you receive a call or e-mail and have any doubts, please contact our customer service team using the phone number on your bill.”
Other ways residents can take steps to protect their information is by recognizing the warning signs and following a few simple tips:
• Never give your personal or banking information to an unso licited caller.
• Do not respond to suspicious e-mails asking for personal in formation, such as bank account numbers, usernames, passwords or Social Security numbers.
• Pay attention to web and e-mail addresses. Malicious web sites can look identical to trusted sites, but the URL or e-mail address might use a different spelling.
PBCWUD provides many safe and secure payment options for customers that can be viewed online at www.pbcwater.com. For questions regarding a bill, contact the customer service team at (561) 740-4600, option 2.
The Palm Beach Chapter of the Rare Fruit Council International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and further cultivation and use of tropical and rare fruit
Flagler Bank; Furry Friends Adoption, Clinic and Ranch; Inn the Doghouse; Jake’s Pet Supply; Jolene & Larry Shapiro; Nozzle Nolen Pest Solutions; the Pet Taxi; Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley PA; Scenthound; Ve locity Community Credit Union; Very Important Paws; Veterinary Emergency Group; WPBF 25 News; Sunny 107.9 FM; 850 WFTL; 97.9 WRMF; New Coun try 103.1; X 102.3; Party 96.3; and
in South Florida and around the world, is hosting its annual Tropi cal Fruit Tree & Edible Plant Sale on Saturday, Oct. 22. The popular event will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Buildings 6 to 10 on the South Florida Fairgrounds. Both admission and parking are free.
At this year’s Tropical Fruit Tree & Edible Plant Sale, vendors from all over the state will offer a wide variety of delightful and delicious fruit trees, herbs and spices, plus specially formulated fertilizer and more. Fresh honey from the Palm Beach County Beekeepers Association will also be available for purchase. Visitors are encour aged to bring a wagon to help carry purchased plants. Also available will be educational information on the planting and growing of fruit trees, along with knowledgeable volunteers and vendors to answer any questions.
For more information about the Palm Beach Chapter of the Rare Fruit Council International, call (855) 732-7273 or visit www. pbrarefruitcouncil.org.
The South Florida Fairgrounds will host Costumes & Cocktails,
Fox Sports 640AM. Launched in 2014, Countdown 2 Zero is a public-private com munity collaboration, initiated by the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League, PBCACC and the Board of County Commissioners, to bring local animal welfare organi zations together and end the eutha nasia of adoptable animals in Palm Beach County. To learn more, visit www.countdown2zero.org or email info@countdown2zero.org
followed by the all-new Ghost Prowl, on Saturday, Oct. 22. At tendees must be at least 21 years old for both events.
As nightfall sets on Saturday, Oct. 22, Spookyville turns into Yesteryear Village’s biggest, craziest and spookiest Halloween celebration. Local and out-oftown zombies, vampires and superheroes take over the village and turn this normally peaceful park into the zaniest place in town. Guests can strut their Halloween costumes, dance, eat, drink and enjoy a fun, grown-up, trick-ortreat event. Best costume wins a $500 cash prize. Entertainment will be provided by DJ Cole Rippe.
All new this year, War Party Paranormal will be bringing a Ghost Prowl to the event. Starting at 10 p.m., guests will be guided to three Yesteryear Village buildings that are said to be haunted for a unique, intimate and exclusive paranormal experience.
Costumes & Cocktails will run from 8 to 11 p.m. The Ghost Prowl begins at 10 p.m. The cost is $35 per person for Costumes & Cocktails, which includes one complimentary signature drink, extended bar service, food and en tertainment. It is $60 for Costumes & Cocktails and the Ghost Prowl event. Ghost Prowl tickets cannot be purchased separately. Buy tick ets at www.southfloridafair.com.
The Village of Royal Palm Beach currently has a vacancy on the Recreation Advisory Board which meets on the fourth Monday of the month. All meetings are held in the Village Meeting Hall. If you are a resident of Royal Palm Beach and would like to volunteer your service and expertise on this local government Board, go to the Village’s website at COMMISSION/BOARD APPLICATION. Return the completed application to the Village Clerk’s office no later than November 9, 2022 for Council consideration at its November 17th meeting.
If further information is desired, please call the Village Clerk at 790-5102.
By: Diane DiSanto, MMC, Village Clerk
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(Above) Rick Febles, Os car Gonzalez, Heather Navarro, Jenifer Brito, Damien Andre, Anthony Lastra and Kyle Ostroff help bring the market to Wellington. (Right) Alexander, Stephanie and Arthur with Deputy Roy Gonzalez.
continued from page 1 issue,” Andrews said. “I am work ing closely with our school police and superintendent to make our schools as safe as possible.”
This includes using technology to make schools safer.
“Students can’t learn and be academically successful if they don’t feel safe,” she said, noting that continuing the school district’s surtax, which is also on the gen eral election ballot, will help with school safety. “Hopefully, the vot ers will support the referendum.”
As the general election nears, Andrews has been visiting homes and speaking to residents whenev er possible. “The best way to get my stakeholders involved with who I am is to see them face to face,” Andrews said. “I am going to as many activities as I can.”
On the campaign trail, she fo cuses on her key issues of school safety and mental health.
“With the way of our world today, our students need social and emotional wellness so they can do well in the classroom,” Andrews said. “I would like to see pre-kindergarten programs in ev ery school in Palm Beach County, so we can begin to work with our students earlier.”
The end goal is getting students college and career ready.
“I always ask students about their career goals,” Andrews said. “We ask that at an early level to get
continued from page 1 Broward County sheriff’s deputy. The couple had two children — Marissa and Matthew — and Damone quickly became involved in local moms’ groups.
She was first elected to the ITID board in 1999. She lost in 2002, but regained a seat in 2004 and remained in office until 2016, when she was ousted following a notably unpleasant campaign versus cur rent board member Betty Argue.
Asked then why she wanted to continue serving after more than 14 years on the board, she told the Town-Crier, “I’m still as passionate as I was when I was 29 years old and elected the first time
them in the advanced classes they need. We have to get those babies ready before they actually get to the school door, ready to read.”
For middle school students, she wants to encourage more use of choice academies, so that by the time they get to high school, they have more direction with where they want to go after graduation.
“I graduated from the Palm Beach County School District with some goals, and I want to help them get there as well,” An drews said.
Andrews also wants to see the school district work closely with some of the subgroups that lag behind in Palm Beach County.
“We want to make sure we con tinue to inspire and educate them, and affirm them in what they want to be,” she said, noting the need for more technical programs and career academies, as well as more International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement programs.
“I do a lot of on-the-ground work with the schools. We need to track students from elementary to mid dle to high school to make sure they are on the track to college or a career, so we don’t lose children as we move forward.”
Andrews is supportive of Su perintendent Mike Burke, who has been on the job just over a year.
“I think he has been doing a great job. I think we had a dia mond in the rough right here in Palm Beach County,” Andrews said. “He started working for us in finance and worked all the way up to CFO. He really knows the finances. I really love that he en
as a parks advocate. I now have grandchildren, so there’s a second generation of Damones being raised right here in The Acreage… I bring a lot of historical value to the district.”
Voters did not agree, and Argue won that race.
“We were not good friends,” Argue said today with understate ment. “[But] when I heard about the diagnosis, I sent her a message wishing her the best… I continue to hope it works out for her. No one should have to go through that.”
McKinlay met Damone, already a political force in the western communities, in the early 2000s while working as county legis lative aide. She got to know her better a few years later after feeling her out as a possible rival in the 2014 county commission race.
The two single mothers ended
joys being superintendent, on the ground and in the schools.”
Andrews would like to see more parental involvement, above and beyond existing PTA and SAC groups. “We have got to find a way to get even more parental involvement,” she said, suggesting more emphasis on board members and principals going out into the community.
As election day approaches, Andrews focuses her message on experience.
“I would like voters to know that I am someone who is already on the ground,” she said. “I know about the classroom. I am the one with professional experience, with 35 years of experience in the district. I can do the work. I have been part of developing and implementing the policies. I have seen that, and done that, and I am ready to expand that to even another level of success for our students.”
Learn more about Andrews at www.marciaandrewsforschool board.com.
Jennifer Showalter — Showal ter believes that she has the right experience that the current school board is missing.
“I have a unique perspective as a mother of a valedictorian, and I have two special-needs sons who are twice gifted,” she said. “I am a 16-year veteran as a special-needs education advocate. I am the daughter, sister and best friend to multiple schoolteachers, and I have two decades of profession al communications experience. This all leads to a well-rounded
up working together on such issues as the State Road 7 exten sion and became “strong friends,” McKinlay said. “I have a lot of re spect for her as a leader, a woman, a mother and really good friend,” she added.
Now each call from Damone, each opportunity to spend time together, has taken on an added dimension. “She’s a priority,” McKinlay said. “I know what a fighter she is. She’s fierce.”
Yet there are times when you can’t help feeling scared for her, McKinlay said of Damone.
“As a single woman, you have to do a lot of fighting alone,” McKinlay said. “But Michelle has a strong village around her in this.”
Wellington’s Gerwig, who is the mother of three, said she first became aware of Damone when they were involved in area
viewpoint and skills needed to effectively do this job.”
Showalter noted that she has been attending and speaking at school board meetings for more than two years.
“I saw what the school board was doing and saying, which was unacceptable,” she said, particular ly annoyed by the strict rules put in place that Showalter believes were used to limit public input and stifle dissent. “That’s not American, and that’s not how you treat the community.”
Through her own research, Showalter said that she found out that the school district’s statistics are being manipulated to make things look better than they are.
“What I found was very disturb ing,” she said. “I found that the majority of our high schools are failing reading or math, but they have an A grade. Teachers have told me that they are being forced to move these students forward, and that is a grave disservice to these students.”
She also called attention to the recent grand jury investigation that showed how the district was vio lating state law in multiple areas, refusing to follow mandates and wasting money by hiring outside security firms.
“They were voted non-com pliant twice by the state board of education,” Showalter said. “We need to have a board that follows the rule of law. How are you going to expect children to follow rules if the school board is not willing to do the same?”
During her campaign, Show
mothers’ groups in the late 1990s. Obviously, she was aware of Da mone’s political influence north of Southern Blvd., but they did not really connect as friends until after the cancer diagnosis.
“I think we can all relate to how life-altering this kind of thing can be,” Gerwig said. “We run in the same circle of women in elective office. It’s kind of sisterhood… I reached out to her in the beginning to let her know that I thought she was on the right track with her treatment.”
Gerwig said she stands ready to help in whatever way she can, adding that she hopes everyone in the area who remembers Damone as “a willing public servant” will support her as well.
Despite all the support Damone is receiving, there are a lot of tough days. In a recent Facebook post she
alter has been actively reaching out to voters, taking notes on their concerns. “I have been continuing to reach out to people, walk the neighborhoods and listen to their concerns,” she said.
Her key campaign themes are transparency, communications and accountability.
“As a mom of special-needs children and an advocate for special needs, I want to focus on the IEP and 504 system,” Showalter said. “As a mother whose two children were bullied in school, I am also aware of the rampant bullying that happens in our schools, K-12. As a friend of school resource officers and the PBSO, I am concerned about the refusal to follow state law in regard to school safety, and that we don’t have equipment and training to work in conjunction with the PBSO.”
She added that she has been en dorsed by the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association.
“They know that I want to work with them as professionals to create better solutions,” Showalter said.
She said that the school district needs a clean break from the past, not continuing to work with the same contracts and vendors.
“We need a fresh approach, and we need to work together,” Showalter said. “I want to have town halls at a local high school, where everyone can meet. We need students, parents, staff, of ficers and the community to take a full 360-degree look at an issue in order to fully identify the root
wrote: “The journey is not easy. It’s filled with pain and twists and turns. It’s not just about cancer, it’s surviving chemo, neuropathy, biopsies or other complications. You have to fight with the doctor’s office, medical staff, the health insurance company, and file for disability or other financial sup port and prove you are technically dying, need treatment, or that your body has earned passage to the next step. You must juggle the bills while trying to seek treat ment. Your dreams and career are set aside. Your looks are stripped, lose hair, lose weight, while trying to keep a smile… Cancer is not pretty.”
Then there are good days, like the one this week when Damone’s cousin took her for a ride on Jack sonville Beach in a beach wheel chair. Meanwhile, Damone said,
cause and work together to come up with a solution.”
Showalter is critical of the work Burke has been doing as superin tendent.
“I think our superintendent has areas of concern, including how he treats constituents,” she said. “When he said, ‘send guns, lawyers and money’ in regard to dealing with concerned parents, that was a red flag. We need to make sure that we have leadership that will follow the rule of law and be respectful to the community.”
Showalter said that the district as a whole needs to start identify ing the root causes of problems to create effective solutions.
“I do think the situation is like a ball of holiday lights,” she said. “You can’t just work on one thing. You have to work on loosening the entire ball. You’re going to have to tackle multiple issues at once in order to even finish one item.”
Her message to voters is that the district needs major changes.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. We have had 12 years of the same, and it is time for a fresh per spective,” Showalter said. “As the mother of a current public school student, I have skin in the game. As a special-needs advocate, I am acutely aware of our special-needs community. As a mother of two special-needs students, I under stand the frustration that many parents go through.”
Learn more about Showalter at www.votejenpbsd.com.
“the most wonderful man” has come into her life — Daniel Ro denberger, a facilities operations manager in Palm Beach Gardens. “He’s my rock, my angel,” she said.
Following the radiation treat ments, “there’s a good chance I can lead a normal life,” Damone said. And as part of that life, she plans to become a patient advocate at the state and national level.
Perhaps Damone best summed up her attitude, her will, her spir it during her successful 2012 re-election run when she told the Town-Crier, “I’m a leader and a fighter, and a winner, and I will always prevail no matter which position I’m in. I’ve said this many times over the years, I’m Michelle Damone before I’m anything else. With or without a title, I can still make things happen.”
During an employee engage ment event, the staff at HCA Flor ida Palms West Hospital said so long to the “dog days of summer” with some furry friends.
Sophie, Oliver and Cooper and their humans from Certified Therapy Dog Inc. mingled with visitors in the cafeteria, where the hospital’s employees enjoyed a hot dog bar during the day and night.
Palms West Hospital CEO Jason Kimbrell is working with the Cer tified Therapy Dog founder Alan Levine to train his own golden retriever, Dax, to be a therapy dog, with plans to bring Dax to comfort patients during their time at the hospital.
The certified therapy dogs were also joined by longtime volunteer
Jay Ackerman, who brought his own service dog, Vail. While there, the dogs made the rounds visiting the patients, including the children in the pediatric unit.
“Bringing our dogs to Palms West has just helped us reach the pinnacle of what we are trying to achieve,” Levine said.
Levine’s group also took their therapy dogs to the Broward County Courthouse to comfort the families during the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School sentencing trial.
Levine and his volunteers have committed to routinely visiting the patients and employees. The hos pital looks forward to welcoming volunteers, such as Ackerman, back to service before the end of the year.
Many things can have a significant impact on a cat’s longevity, but thanks to advances in veterinary medicine and pet care, our feline friends are living longer than ever. As cats live longer, their owners must adjust care routines to support a senior lifestyle. But how do you know your cat is aging? While it depends largely on the cat, owners should look for specific signs. Decreased mobility, weight loss, bad breath, changes in temperament, increased vocalization and disorientation, appetite changes, cloudy eyes, vision loss, increased thirst, and frequent urination or house soiling are indicators. The most crucial step owners can take for their senior cats is to take them to the veterinarian for regular check-ups and routine lab work. We all know that if we take better care of ourselves, we have a bet ter chance of living longer, healthier lives. So we choose our health care providers carefully, change to a healthier diet, and exercise more. Shouldn’t we be doing the same for our senior pets to help them live healthy, long lives? We’ll do our part at COMMUNITY ANIMAL HOSPITAL OF ROYAL PALM BEACH by providing your pets with unsurpassed medical, surgical, and dental health services in our stateof-the-art pet care facility. Please call 798-5508 for appointments or emergencies pertaining to your pet’s health.
are conveniently
cated at 11462 Okeechobee Blvd., 1/4 mile east of
The Greater Palm Beach Rose Society will meet Monday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Mounts Botanical Garden. The keynote speaker will be Denise Aburzzese. She will share knowledge and insights on propagating roses.
Abruzzese lives with her fiancé, Tom, in Legend Lake Estates in the agricultural zone of suburban Lake Worth, on more than an acre of land where she is on the Lake Committee and the Architectural Committee.
After moving from Long Island to Palm Beach County, Abruzzese had to “forget” most of what she knew about tending to roses over the last 40 years and acclimate to growing roses in Florida. She is a rose fanatic, spending at least two hours a day tending her 200 roses,
which multiply exponentially, through either purchases or prop agation. She grows antique roses, garden roses, floribundas, gran difloras, hybrid tea and climbers, many of which are own root, Dr. Huey and Fortuniana stock.
Abruzzese spends countless hours researching scientific studies of many rosarians and rose breed ers. She has been propagating roses for many years, although in a colder climate, and has recently started hybridization.
To attend the club’s meeting as a guest, RSVP to Maria Wolfe at (561) 386-4903. The Greater Palm Beach Rose Society is a nonprofit organization that has been promot ing rose growing for more than 40 years. For more information, visit www.gpbrs.org.
continued from page 1 the board of the newly formed USPA subsidiary, with the goal to revitalize the social club and hospitality services for all to enjoy.
Along with Gannon at the helm, is Carlucho Arellano, a Wellington native and lifelong polo player, who’s now executive director of services at the USPA. The two spoke to community leaders and members of the sold-out cham ber luncheon, sponsored by Joe DiMaggio Children’s Health Spe cialty Center Wellington, to show case the future vision for NPC.
“What we want to do is provide for excellence and host our biggest national tournaments here, and re ally open it up to the entire country, because there are 205 clubs, and those 5,000 members have an op portunity that if they make it to the finals or semifinals of a national tournament, that they would poten tially be playing that in Wellington, here,” Arellano said.
He calls this a level of excel lence as only seen in Argentina, with a big focus on the “Sunday Field” concept first presented by USPA Chairman Stewart Arm
strong, as an opportunity to grow the sport and success of future players.
“We want to build the impor tance around a National Polo Center, which is a first for the USPA,” Arellano said. “The idea is to expand, and this will be the primary National Polo Center.”
If the idea takes off, there could be other NPC locations in the fu ture. “We hope to expand to a west coast NPC, maybe somewhere in the center of the United States,” Arellano said. “But this would be primary — that’s down the road.”
The USPA’s premier event, the Gauntlet of Polo, takes place from February to April each winter season, which will be held once again in Wellington in 2023. A wide variety of events also include youth and women’s competitions.
“The spectators, the families. It’s a family sport. An exhilarating sport to watch. It brings people from all over the world,” said Gannon, who reflected on the early days of polo in Wellington more than 30 years ago, when then Prince Charles played here. He also looked back at his own stellar career with enthusiasm and how much polo means to him. “It’s an exhilarating sport! There’s nothing like it.”
And for a sport that was once in a state of limbo, he vows that it is here to stay.
That is something that Wel lington Mayor Anne Gerwig calls reassuring.
“If you notice, polo always gets pushed out,” Gerwig said, referring to other places around the United States. “It’s a sigh of relief that we’re not going to lose that open space.”
With permanence also comes an economic boost.
“Very few polo players have a place they call home, and polo players now say they’re going to
want to bring their families, their horses and buy farms,” Arellano said. “They know that polo is no longer in a state of limbo. It’s now a place of permanence.”
A permanence that helps to build the polo community, along with amenities to be enjoyed that were included in the USPA purchase of the property. That’s 161 acres, which includes fields 1 through 5, the grandstand, the pavilion, the Mallet Grille, the Seventh Chukker, the USPA Club
house shop, the Outback Field, the Outback facility, and the IPC social club and its facilities, in cluding its swimming pool, gym and tennis courts.
“This is going to be our home,” Gannon said. “Polo is about fam ily. It’s about friendship.”
Friendship through a centu ries-old sport steeped in history, with a bright future ahead of games to be played and new stories to be had for generations to come at NPC-Wellington.
The National Polo Center-Wel lington is located at 3667 120th Avenue South in Wellington. For more information, visit www. nationalpolocenter.com.
Tickets are still available for the XII FIP World Polo Championship from Oct. 29 to Nov. 6. General admission tickets start at $20. The opening ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 29 will feature Team USA versus Australia.
Learn more, and buy tickets, at www.uspolo.org.
Rustle up your little cats and bats for some ghoulish holiday fun, food and fabulous frights happening at the Mall at Welling ton Green.
Mommy & Me Costume Party — Wednesday, Oct. 26, 10:30 a.m. to noon. Set your holiday GPS for the Mall at Wellington Green for a free spectacular spookfest! Head over to the Grand Court for a pre-Halloween event for pre schoolers and stroller moms. Dress up in your cutest costume and enjoy Halloween games, sweet treats, fun photo opportunities and a chance to meet your favorite costume characters.
Kids Club Fall Festival & Costume Party — Saturday, Oct. 29, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Take a power
shopping break with the kids and (silently) scream, “We love Hal loween!” at the Mall at Wellington Green’s annual Kids Club costume party. During this free event, the Grand Court will transform into a spooktacular setting where little ghouls, superheroes and every Disney character in between will enjoy fun carnival games and fam ily-friendly entertainment. Each child will also receive a holiday goody bag and a complimentary Halloween photo from Tracey Benson Photography.
The Mall at Wellington Green is located at 10300 W. Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington. For more in formation, call (561) 227-6900 or visit www.shopwellingtongreen. com.
Palm Beach State College’s Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center in Belle Glade is “Bringing the Arts to Life” beginning in November with an entertaining lineup of per formances for the 2022-23 season.
“We are extremely excited to welcome you to our new season of live performances,” PBSC Theatres Executive Director Mark Alexander said. “We are proud to serve our community with a diverse offering of performing arts experiences that warm the heart, enrich the soul and maybe even get you up to dance!”
Get into the holiday spirit with the Celtic Angels Christmas on Wednesday, Nov. 30. Paired with show-stopping, world-class cham pion Irish dancing, Celtic Angels Christmas is sure to awe and entertain with traditional and
contemporary Irish and holi day tunes. Starring the vocals of Louise Barry, Olivia Bradley, Michaela Groth, Katie Sweeney and Chloe Haven, these dynamic divas enthrall and delight with their spine-tingling harmonies. Under the watchful eye of Assis tant Director Sarah Costello, the Celtic Knight Dancers seem to defy gravity as they command the stage with their powerful, percus sive presence.
The Latin Divos features Ernes to Cabrera, Fernando Gonzalez and Will Corujo as director and founder. They will be on stage Tuesday, Jan. 10. They are a pop/ opera trio that performs a diverse repertoire from opera to some of the all-time greatest songs with Latin flavor. In addition, the vi olin and saxophone make them
unique in the music genre as the “New Latin Pop-Opera” with great recognition from audiences across the Americas and abroad. Their repertoire includes hits sung in Italian, English, Spanish and French that are sure to be a delightful performance.
On Monday, Jan. 23, the World of Musicals will take you on an emotional journey that will leave you spell bound. Broadway is back in the Glades! Enjoy beautiful and emotional ballads from Evita and Les Misérables, and great favorites from Dirty Dancing We Will Rock You The Lion King Rocky and Sister Act
The Harlem Gospel Travelers (singers Thomas Gatling, George Marage and Dennis Bailey) will be presented on Thursday, Feb. 9. Produced by Eli Paperboy Reed,
Look Up! marks the group’s first full-length release as a trio, as well as their first collection of totally original material. The music still draws deeply on the gospel quartet tradition of the 1950s and 1960s, but there’s a distinctly modern edge. The songs are bold and re silient, facing down doubt and de spair with faith and perseverance.
Performing on Thursday, Feb. 23 are Branden & James. They’ll bring the soulful timbre of James on his cello combined with Bran den’s emotional and powerful vocals, creating a sound that leaves audiences feeling moved and inspired. Since forming a duo, they’ve been touring around the world with their innovative, classically inspired pop songs and their undeniable charm and wit. In 2021-22, they launched a 60-
city U.S. tour called the Chasing Dreams Tour to promote their recently released debut album, aptly named Chasing Dreams Shortly after its release, Branden & James were named best unsigned artists in North America by Music Connection magazine.
The Sounds of Soul is next on Thursday, March 16. Get ready to relive the hits of Motown and be yond, as this exciting, high-energy group unleashes superior vocals and slick dance moves powered by pure soul. The group is com posed of six seasoned performers who have excelled as outstanding singers, dancers and songwriters. Get ready to soak in the hits of the Four Tops, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, the Supremes, Lionel Richie, Tina Turner, Barry White and more.
London’s Kingdom Choir, best known for their show-stopping performance of “Stand By Me” at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018, will energize the audience on Tuesday, March 21. Founded in 1994 by award-winning conductor Karen Gibson, the group draws from various Christian traditions and is dedicated to creating a sound that reflects the community they share through their warm energy and enthusiastic performances.
All performances are at 7 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased by calling (561) 993-1160, online at www.dollyhand.org or visiting the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center Box Office, located on the Palm Beach State College Glades Cam pus at 1977 SW College Drive in Belle Glade.
It was a happy homecoming this year for the Wellington High School football team — and es pecially for its senior quarterback, Ryan Anthony.
On Friday, Oct. 14, the Wolver ines blanked the visiting Lancers from John I. Leonard High School, 42-0. Anthony led the way by completing six out of seven passes for 148 yards.
Two of those receptions were for touchdowns. Anthony ran for 43 yards in the game, which included
a 10-yard touchdown run. Not only was it the fourth victory of the season for the Wolverines (4-3), but it was Wellington’s second allimportant district win of the season in as many games. That means the district champion will be decided on Friday, Oct. 28 when the Wol verines travel to crosstown rival Palm Beach Central High School.
Not only will first place in the district be up for grabs, but so will possession of the Wellington Cup.
Right now, ownership of the cup is in the hands of Palm Beach Cen tral, based on the Broncos’ win last
year at Wellington High School. Right now, both teams have identi cal 2-0 records in district play. Against John I. Leonard (3-4), Wellington’s offense took a cue from its defense. On Leonard’s first offensive possession of the game, Wellington cornerback Zachary Favors picked off a pass from Leonard quarterback Jahtavi ous Gayle at the Lancers’ 39 yard line. Three plays later, with 7:13 left in the first quarter, Anthony found teammate Elvick Previlma in the end zone for a 42-yard touchdown pass. Wellington led 7-0.
Wellington’s defense stayed strong and forced a turnover on downs. Four plays later, Anthony ran around the right end from the 10 yard line and into the corner of the end zone. It was 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. With second quarter touchdowns by running back Garrens Catul Jr. on a fiveyard run, and running back Matis Gibson on a three-yard touchdown reception, Wellington led 28-0 at halftime.
The Wolverines put the game out of reach at the 8:38 mark of the third quarter when Anthony threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Soriero. Placekicker An dres Amaya’s PAT put Wellington
The Wolverines added one more touchdown when wide receiver Kevin Liriano scored on a 13-yard scamper in the final play of the third quarter.
Wellington head coach Danny Mendoza was delighted with the effort by his players in their 42-0 win. “It was a full team effort,” Mendoza said. “Offensively, we finished drives. The defense was outstanding. We are playing for
each other, and we’re communi cating well on the field.”
On Friday, Oct. 21, it will be Senior Night for the Wolverines. The visitors will be Palm Beach Lakes High School (0-7). Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
The King’s Academy Lions and the Palm Beach Central High School Broncos are two of the hot test high school football teams in Palm Beach County. Meanwhile, the Wellington High School Wol verines are finding their groove, and the Seminole Ridge High School Hawks have lost some of their early momentum.
Post-season opportunities are a strong possibility for the Lions, Broncos, Wolverines and Hawks.
The Royal Palm Beach High School Wildcats and the Berean Christian School Bulldogs have finally tasted victory and are hopeful of strong finishes to their regular season.
Since losing its lone game to Pahokee back in mid-September,
Palm Beach Central (6-1) has won three consecutive games.
The two most recent wins were a 34-13 victory against Boca Raton High School on Oct. 7, followed by a 45-6 win at Forest Hill High School on Oct. 13.
Against Boca Raton, senior quarterback Ahmad Haston ac counted for 280 yards of total offense, while senior outside linebacker Devin Wygant had 11 tackles and two turnovers.
The win against Forest Hill was Palm Beach Central’s second district victory.
“I am always happy for a win,” Palm Beach Central head coach Kevin Thompson said. “The of fense started kind of sluggish but picked it up in the second half. The defense was solid and held it down this week.”
The Broncos will conclude their regular season with three straight home games against Palm Beach Gardens (Oct. 21), Wellington (Oct. 28) and Miami Carol City (Nov. 4). The biggest of those games will be the match-up against Wellington. That game will de termine the winner of the district title. Both Palm Beach Central and Wellington are 2-0 in district play.
The TKA Lions (6-1) also have just one loss on the season, a 14-7 loss to Glades Central High School back on Sept. 1. Since that defeat, TKA has won five straight games. The two most recent wins were a pair of shutouts — a 44-0 victory against Pope John Paul II Acad emy on Oct. 7 and a 48-0 victory against Suncoast High School on Oct. 14.
In the win against Pope John
Paul II, TKA head football coach Ben McEnroe said that every player on the roster received play ing time.
“This is significant because, without a JV team this season, a large number of freshmen are get ting valuable time against varsity starters, and every player on our roster has played and will earn a varsity letter,” McEnroe said.
McEnroe is optimistic that there should not be depth issues for TKA’s football program in the next few years. “We have approximately 90 players in our middle school program in 2022,” McEnroe said.
The win against Suncoast evened TKA’s district record at 1-1. The biggest game of the regu lar season will be on Oct. 28 when See FOOTBALL, page 25
Back in January, Rick Casko voluntarily stepped down as the head football coach at Seminole Ridge High School. His departure from the local high school football head coaching ranks marked the end of a 30-plus-year run as a high school head football coach, both in Palm Beach County and in Georgia. But his plans were never to have a “cold turkey” break from the game, and he wanted to remain
connected to the football program at Seminole Ridge without hav ing the responsibility of being the school’s varsity head coach, a post now held by Chad Chieffalo.
So, Casko, who’s love for coaching football remains strong, became the offensive coordinator for Seminole Ridge’s junior var sity football team.
“I am now coaching high school football without the demands and responsibilities of being the varsity head coach,” said Casko, who remains a physical education
teacher at Seminole Ridge. “We have 52 players on the team, and 46 of them are freshmen.”
Casko has relished the chance to share his vast knowledge of the game with his young players.
“I’ve enjoyed working with young kids,” Casko said. “The players are responding well to the coaching, and we’ve had fun. I’m working with a number of players who have very little football play ing experience, but they show up at practice on time, they practice hard, and they play hard.”
Clearly, the players are listening to Casko’s words of wisdom.
“We’re scoring a lot of points and winning,” he said. “We’re 3-0 on the season.”
As a result of his coaching transition, he has had more time to spend with friends, family mem bers and his wife Debi.
“This fall on Friday nights, I’ve been to a pair of concerts, spent time with friends and gone to din ner with my wife,” Casko said.
But he has not been totally dis connected from Seminole Ridge’s varsity team.
“I admit that I have checked the scores on my phone,” Casko said. During the week, he provides
regular input to Chieffalo, but only when asked.
“I still watch film, and I’m in touch with the varsity program be hind the scenes,” Casko explained. “The transition has worked out like I thought it would. I’m preparing players for their varsity football ca reers. And I’m not doing the team’s laundry on the weekend anymore.”
Chances are strong that Casko’s tutelage may motivate some of his current players to follow in his coaching footsteps, just as two of Casko’s football coaches inspired him to become a football coach.
Casko, who played quarterback at John I. Leonard High School in Greenacres and then in college at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, is forever drawn to the posi tive power of teamwork.
“I had a high school football coach who was very passionate and really cared about kids,” Casko recalled. “I had a college football staff at Drake that really taught the game of football. In college, it was another level of concept, scheme, film and strate gies. I was drawn to the fact of 11 men working together for one common goal. I love the commit ment and work ethic required to
be successful as a team.”
While it may be a cliché, Casko enjoys the process of coaching football, as success in football is based on the ability of a team to work together with passion and commitment toward a common goal. It also helps to have a pas sionate coach on the team.
“I was drawn to the relation ships, responsibility, selfless ness, respect, trust and leadership developed through playing and
coaching football,” Casko said. “There is no better feeling than when you have a group of men working together for one common goal — selflessly — and are vic torious together. It’s not the same to be victorious alone.”
For Casko, that passion for foot ball and the commitment needed to be successful remain. And the junior varsity football team at Seminole Ridge is fortunate to have him on the sidelines.
continued from page 23 the Lions travel to Riviera Beach to play Inlet Grove High School, which is in first place in the district with a 2-0 record.
In the meantime, the Lions will be chasing their seventh regular season win this fall when they host Miami’s True North Classical Academy on Friday, Oct. 21.
The Wellington Wolverines (43) are beginning to hit their stride. After opening the season with two losses in their first three games, the Wolverines have responded with three victories in their last four games. Two of those victories were a pair of key district wins: a 34-7 victory against Forest Hill on Oct. 3, and a 43-0 shutout against John I. Leonard on Oct. 14.
After the John I. Leonard game, Wellington head coach Danny Mendoza praised his players for their most complete effort of the season. “It was a full team effort,” he said. “We are playing for each other, and we’re communicating well on the field.”
While Wellington will not over look its upcoming Senior Night game at home against Palm Beach Lakes High School on Friday, Oct. 21, the Wolverines have probably circled Friday, Oct. 28 on their schedule, when they visit crosstown rival Palm Beach Central.
The winner of that game will capture the district title, thus guar anteeing a bid in the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Class 4M state single-elimination tournament. The winner of the game also gets custody of the much-coveted Wellington Cup.
Under new head coach Chad Chieffalo, the Seminole Ridge Hawks (4-3) opened the season with a sparkling 4-0 record. Since then, the Hawks have stumbled with three straight losses. In their
close 10-7 loss to Boynton Beach High School on Oct. 7, the Hawks were leading 7-0 after three quar ters, but were unable to keep the Tigers at bay during the fourth quarter. In their 28-0 loss at At lantic High School on Oct. 13, the Hawks only trailed 7-0 at halftime, and by two touchdowns (14-0) after three quarters.
The Hawks conclude their regu lar season with one road game and two home games: at Park Vista High School on Friday, Oct. 21; at home against William T. Dwyer in a key district matchup on Fri day, Oct. 28; and at home against Wellington on Friday, Nov. 4. All games will begin at 6:30 p.m.
The Royal Palm Beach Wild cats are working on securing their second win this season. The first victory was a 17-14 game against Lake Worth High School on Friday, Oct. 7. On Thursday, Oct. 13, the team traveled to play Palm Beach Gardens High School. Gardens won big, 45-0. Then, on Tuesday, Oct. 18, the Wildcats hosted the Chiefs from Santaluces High School (6-0), one of Palm Beach County’s top teams. The Hawks (1-7) were outscored by the Chiefs, 41-0.
Royal Palm Beach head coach Chuck Kenyon is seeing real progress for his team, despite the losing record.
“We are starting to realize how to play the game,” Kenyon said. “We just need to put it all together across the board. We keep having breakdowns here and there, which really hurts us. When we put it all together, we will be fine.”
The Berean Bulldogs (1-6) are also in hot pursuit of their second victory. After defeating Miami Country Day School 14-10 on Saturday, Oct. 1, the Bulldogs lost to Miami’s Archbishop Carroll, 47-0. Berean closed out its eightgame regular season on Thursday, Oct. 20 against Pompano Beach High School, but the result was not available at press time.
At the recent Palm Beach Coun ty Swimming Championships at Lake Lytal Park on Friday, Oct. 14, two of Wellington High School’s senior swimmers — Jessica Smith and Lleyton Jobin — had strong performances in the two distance freestyle events.
Smith, who is hoping to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy next fall, had her two best personal times in the 200-yard and 500yard freestyle races. In the 200yard freestyle, she had a time of 1:57.88, and in the 500-yard freestyle, she swam the 20-lap race in 5:06.55. She had a pair of top-10 results, finishing in eighth place in the 200 and in fifth place in the 500.
Jobin — who would also like to swim at the collegiate level
but has not committed to a school — was clocked at 1:54.09 in the 200-yard freestyle and 5:09.57 in the 500-yard freestyle. His times were good enough for 11th place in the 200 and in eighth place in the 500. Jobin’s time in the 200 was a personal best.
In the team points race at the Palm Beach County Swimming Championships, the Wellington boys team finished in third place, while the Wellington girls finished in a tie for 10th place.
In the coming weeks, both Smith and Jobin will be working to qualify in both the 200-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle for the Florida High School Ath letic Association’s Class 4A state swimming championships, which will be held on Saturday, Nov. 5 in Stuart at the Sailfish Splash Waterpark.
On Saturday, Oct. 15, the Wel lington Wrestling Club competed at the Alpha Authentics Palm Bay qualifier. Two of the wrestlers from the club earned championships on the wrestling mat.
Those championship titles were won by Sam Honzik (12U, 95-pound division) and 10th grad er Sofia Toledo (Girls Varsity, 160-pound division). Both competitors won gold medals.
Wellington Wrestling Club head coach Travis Gray was extreme ly impressed with how Honzik and Toledo won their respective classes.
“Sam dominated his way through the tournament, winning all three of his matches by fall in the first period,” Gray said. “Sofia had to battle late into each match that she had, but was also able to
win her bracket, winning each match by fall.”
The victory by Toledo was memorable considering her lim ited amount of competitive ex perience.
“Sofia has only been wrestling for a couple months, so that was a great experience for her to win her first tournament,” Gray added.
Other strong performances by the Wellington Wrestling Club included Tyler Gray, who finished in second place (14U, 104-pound division) and Jacob Pellecer, who was third (14U, 118-pound divi sion).
The Wellington Wrestling Club will be hosting the two-day final Alpha Authentics Championship on Oct. 22-23 at Wellington High School. The high school athletes will compete on Saturday, Oct. 22, while the 14U and younger athletes will compete on Sunday, Oct. 23.
For more than 70 years, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital has served as a pediatric care leader for children and families locally, regionally and internationally.
Same-day* and next-day appointments with fetal** and pediatric cardiologists will be offered right here at our new Wellington location.
The Wellington Roller Hockey Association opened its new season at Village Park on Sunday, Oct. 16. Below are capsule summaries of Week 1 games.
2 — In the league’s season opener, the Prep Rangers broke open a 1-1 game with five goals in the second period to defeat the Prep Panthers 6-2. Jameson Quintus of the Rang ers led all scorers with a Hat Trick (three goals). The Rangers’Andres Suarez Paz also added a tally. For the Panthers, Arianna Mueller scored her first career goal, and Blake Cohen got the team’s first goal. Goalie Justin Spina made 12 saves in the victory for the
Rangers, while the combination of Hayden Mathwig and Jace Stephan were solid in a platoon effort at the net for the Panthers.
Prep Panthers 8, Prep Stars 4 — The Prep Panthers scored early and often to build a 4-1 lead after the first period. The Panthers add ed another four goals and led 8-3 after two. The Stars chipped away with a goal in the third period, but the Panthers prevailed 8-4. The Panthers’ Ryan Youngelson and A.J. Orlando each scored a pair of goals. For the Prep Stars, Amanda Warszycki (two goals), Cooper Mathwig (one goal, one assist) and Jordan Candela (one goal) all had points. Justin Spina made 16 saves
to lead the Panthers to victory.
Junior Bruins 7, Junior Pan thers 3 — In the late game, the Ju nior Bruins used a five-goal second period to break open a 1-1 game and jump out to a 6-3 lead. An early goal in the third concluded the scoring, with the Bruins top ping the Panthers 7-3. The Bruins were led by Luc Hanchuk (two goals/one assist) and Matthew Taylor (two goals). The Panthers got a pair of goals from Timothy Holmes, and Gelo Gonzalez added a tally. Between the pipes, Ava Taylor made 21 saves in victory.
Learn more about the league at www.wellingtonrollerhockey. com.
The Board of Directors of the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame has announced the Class of 2023 — the next inductees into the Polo Hall of Fame: Jeff Hall, Aidan Roark, Al Haagen III, Tom Hughes, and legendary horses Hale Bopp and None So Pretty.
The 34th annual Hall of Fame Awards Dinner & Induction Cer emony is one of the premier events of the high-goal polo season and is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, at the Museum of Polo, located at 9011 Lake Worth Road.
Jeff Hall is one of the most ac complished U.S. players in recent history, having won virtually every major U.S. tournament and reach ing an 8-goal handicap. He is a 10-time winner and record-holder for most wins of the USPA Silver Cup, his first in 1997 and his 10th in 2022. He won the 2003 U.S. Open with C-Spear, and his pony Harrah won the Best Playing Pony award. He reached the U.S. Open final in 2006 and 2002, both with Orchard Hill. Hall also won the 2020 USPA Gold Cup with La Indiana and has raised the trophy for the 20-goal Ylvisaker Cup four times and the Pacific Coast Open twice, as well as numerous other high-goal tournaments. Hall repre sented the U.S. as a member of the 2009 and 2018 Westchester Cup teams and the 1998 14-Goal World Championship. Also, Hall is one of the few American players to have participated in the Argentine Open.
Youth One Studio, a multi-me dia marketing service in West Palm Beach, recently announced the “Youth One Studio Basketball Turkey Shoot Out” on Saturday, Nov. 12 at Gaines Park in West Palm Beach.
The two owners of One Youth Studio, Reggie Parson and Mar cus Gaskin, grew up in the area and want to give back to their community.
“This is a great opportunity for us,” Parson said. “This will be a great day for all, young and old, to come out and have fun, get a bite to eat, listen to music and shoot some hoops — all for free.”
The Turkey Shoot Out will consist of a family and individual free-throw contest, a three-point contest, a turkey sack race and a turkey egg hunt.
Participants must be registered for all events. Each winner will receive a free turkey with all the trimmings.
There will also be a Gift Card Raffle ($25). Everyone in atten dance will receive a free raffle ticket. Finally, there will be a Turkey Drawing. There will be 100 turkeys given to everyone registered. There are only 100 slots available, so sign up early.
“With this being our first
Thanksgiving event, we are hop ing to make it a huge success, as we want it to become an annual event for the people of the com munity,” Gaskin said. “We do have other events and collaborations we are considering for the upcoming New Year.”
In-person registration is 10 to 11 a.m.; all events start at noon. Those who may be interested in helping with volunteering, in-kind donations or a sponsorship, can receive additional information by calling Reggie Parson at (561) 614-9259 or Marcus Gaskin at (561) 891-6274, or send an e-mail to youthonestudio@gmail.com.
Posthumous Hall of Fame hon oree Aidan Roark had a celebrated career both in the United States and internationally during the Golden Age of Polo prior to World War II. The Irish-born Roark was a solid fixture in California, mainly at the Riviera Polo Club in Los Angeles, establishing himself as a mainstay on the American polo scene. He was considered to be a true pioneer for polo on the West Coast for decades. Representing his adopted home, Roark was a key part of the winning team from the “upstart” West in the fabled 1933 East-West series, and again in 1934. He then represented Great Britain in the prestigious 1939 Westchester Cup at Meadow Brook. In 1949, Roark was chosen to represent the U.S. in the Inter national Match against Argentina. A veteran of the most important tournaments and venues across
Honoree Jeff Hall PHOTO BY DAVID LOMINSKA Honoree Aidan Roark MUSEUM OF POLO ARCHIVEAmerica, Roark retired from polo in 1954. He passed away in 1984.
Al Haagen III is honored with the Iglehart Award for outstanding contributions to the sport. Haagen focused his efforts on growing polo on the West Coast in Indio, California, both on and off the field. He started the Empire Polo Club in 1987 and built the 11-field club into a juggernaut that hosted the first 40-goal event in the U.S, the first U.S. Women’s Open, the Townsend Cup and the Arena Open tournament. The busy club featured at least 15 teams playing every winter, along with a polo school and Sunday polo with robust attendance. Haagen, who started playing polo in 1983, was patron of the Empire polo team for 30 years.
The posthumous Iglehart honor is awarded to Tom Hughes, whose long and illustrious career lasted some 55 years. Hughes was an early proponent of professional umpires and diligently worked to improve the quality of umpiring. Hughes worked tirelessly with the USPA, club officials and commit tees to move toward the creation of the professional polo umpire system currently in place. Hughes umpired many high-goal matches in the United States and England and also managed several clubs.
As a successful player who held a 4-goal handicap outdoors, Hughes won numerous tourna ments, including the inaugural USPA Gold Cup in 1974 with Mil waukee, the Silver Cup in 1974, as well as its predecessor the Twenty Goal four times in a five-year span, along with the 1970 America Cup and the Butler National Handicap
in 1973 and 1975. Hughes passed away in 2016.
The Horses to Remember honor ee of the early pre-Hartman era is None So Pretty, an Argentine-bred, chestnut mare owned and played by Hall of Famer and former 7-goaler Stephen “Laddie” San ford. None So Pretty was brought to the U.S. from Argentina by Lew is Lacey and purchased by Sanford in 1925 for $10,500, a record price for the era. Sanford went on to win the U.S. Open in 1926, 1929 and 1930 with None So Pretty.
The phenomenal black thor oughbred mare Hale Bopp, owned and played by Hall of Famer Adam Snow, will be recognized as the honoree of the post-Hartman era. Hale Bopp possessed amazing physical talents of speed and turn ing ability that were only topped by her assertiveness and heart.
The relatively small (15 hands) Hale Bopp started playing highgoal polo in 1998 as a six-yearold and had an 11-year career of playing in all the major high-goal tournaments, including the U.S. Open and the 40-Goal Outback Challenge matches without miss ing a game.
The Awards Gala & Induction Ceremony will take place at the Museum of Polo on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023. All are invited to attend. Reservations are $250 each (tax deductible portion $125). The Hall of Fame Awards Dinner is the most important annual fundraising event for the museum, a not-for-profit organization. Call Brenda Lynn at the Museum of Polo at (561) 969-3210 or (561) 969-7015, or e-mail polomuseum@att.net to make your reservations.
The Peggy Adams Animal Res cue League recently announced that Sue Berry, a resident of Loxa hatchee, will serve as the new chief executive officer of the nonprofit animal rescue organization.
Berry began her career in ani mal welfare as a volunteer for the New Hampshire SPCA in 2001. She joined the staff there in 2004 as director of administration and served for more than a decade, working to support the welfare of animals in New Hampshire and beyond. She was a leader of the organization’s Disaster Response Team and served on the board for the New Hampshire Federation of Humane Organizations. Sue enjoyed working directly with pets of all shapes and sizes from birds to horses during her tenure.
Most recently, Berry served as director of operations for Woods Humane Society in San Luis Obis po, California, where she oversaw all aspects of animal care, intake, adoptions, behavior and training, and facilities maintenance at two locations.
While there, she was able to implement innovative adoption and intake processes, more than tripling their adoption numbers
Adam Drew Samiljan and Kath erine “Katie” Lindsey Brown were married on Oct. 9 at the Pearl Diver in Nashville, Tenn. Adam, a graduate of the King’s Academy and the University of Florida, is the son of longtime Wellington residents Steve and Allyson Samil jan. Katie, a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, is the daughter of Robert and Jennifer Brown of Jefferson, Maryland. Serving as best man was the groom’s brother, Chad Samiljan. The couple, both of whom work for Black Box, a music marketing agency, reside in Nashville.
and increasing their life saving work.
Berry is a graduate of Daniel Webster College with a degree in man agement and informa tion technology. She be came a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) through the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement in 2020. Berry now lives in Loxahatchee with her husband, four ad opted dogs — Mason, Dudley, Jellybean and Tansy — an adopted cat named Gemma and three adopted parrots, Vito, BeeBee and Jingle.
“I am very excited to be joining such an amazing team of ded icated animal lovers,” Berry said. “Having worked for more than 20 years in animal welfare in New Hampshire and California, I am eager to bring my knowledge and leadership to Palm Beach County. I look forward to working with our staff, volunteers and supporters to build upon this incredible organization.”
The Business Development Board of Palm Beach Coun ty (BDB) and the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) recently announced that Wellington resident Kelly Small ridge, president and CEO of the BDB, was selected to the IEDC board of directors for a two-year term. The nomination was con firmed during the annual board meeting at the 2022 IEDC Annual Conference in Oklahoma City.
“Stepping into an international role as an IEDC board member, while representing Palm Beach County, is an absolute honor,” Smallridge said. “I look forward to helping shape the future of economic development on a global scale, supporting more than 4,800 economic developers through IEDC’s large organization.”
Smallridge is president and CEO of Palm Beach County’s pub lic/private economic development agency, the BDB, where she has worked for 34 years. She serves as the longest-tenured economic development president in the State of Florida and has a solid track record in facilitating some of the largest job creation projects for Palm Beach County.
In 2013, Gov. Rick Scott award ed Smallridge with the Governor’s Ambassador Medal recognizing her hard work in creating jobs in Palm Beach County. In March of 2022, she was inducted into the University of Florida’s Academy of Golden Gators. Smallridge oversees all operations of the BDB, which is one of only five accredited economic development boards in the State of Florida. In 2004, she became the first fe male president of a South Florida economic development board after serving in many different capacities within the organization, including the lead role for recruit ment, retention and expansion from 1988 to 2004.
In addition, Smallridge serves on the following boards: the Southern Economic Develop ment Council, the International Economic Development Council, the South Florida Fair, the Home less Coalition and the Education Foundation.
The IEDC is a nonprofit, non-partisan membership or ganization serving economic developers. With more than 4,800 members, the IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Economic
developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities by creating, retaining and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth and provide a stable tax base. From public to private, rural to urban, and local to international, IEDC’s members engage in the full range of economic develop ment practices.
The Adventures of Allie, Randy and Iggy, a new book by Veronica R. Johnson, has been released by Dorrance Publishing Co.
The Adventures of Allie, Randy and Iggy is a metaphorical story of friendship and realizing that read ers can embrace diversity and learn that they have more in common than their differences. Allie, Randy and Iggy were all childhood pets in Johnson’s family life. Even though this is a children’s story, it carries with it a message that rings true for everyone, regardless of age.
Johnson is a middle school music teacher who enjoys the opportunities of sharing the joy of music and all of the life lessons that come along with it. She enjoys being a part of the culture of her diverse school family, and she loves the impact that she and her colleagues have on their students and the community.
Her hobbies are writing, art work, creating unique gifts for family and friends, knitting and
learning to play the cello.
Johnson has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in music from Howard University in Washington, D.C., and is the daughter of a mu sic teacher who shared everything with her that she knows and loves today about music and relation ships with others.
Throughout her years of teach ing, among the greatest challenges for Johnson has been trying to teach the values of good character to children, who are growing up in a world dominated by technology and often lacking in social-emo tional well-being. Embracing the beauty of humanity is needed so that the upcoming generations will be able to be tomorrow’s leaders. As an educator, Johnson believes that it is important for young people to be involved in the visual and performing arts, as they provide a well-rounded avenue for self-expression and growth.
The Adventures of Allie, Randy and Iggy is a 40-page hardbound
with a retail price of $35 (eBook $30). To buy the book, visit https:// bookstore.dorrancepublishing. com/the-adventures-of-allie-ran dy-and-iggy.
With exceptional representation at the 2022 Mu Alpha Theta Na tional Math Competition, Ameri can Heritage Schools is proud to announce that its Broward campus has ranked as the No. 1 private school math team in the nation and the Palm Beach campus as the No. 2 private school math team in the nation for the 12th consecutive year.
A total of 430 students from the top math schools across the nation met in Washington, D.C., to participate in 62 challenging events. The competition covered such advanced topics as analytic geometry, logs and exponents, open probability and combinator ics, and calculus.
At the event, 76 students from American Heritage spent a week in Washington, D.C., earning a variety of awards and recognitions, including 26 perfect scores, four first-place rankings under team events, 63 students ranking in the top 5 of their categories, 18 individual first-place finishes and top-ranked private school in all three major divisions.
“From January to July, most of
the big competitions take place, and we have test practices and Saturday meetings to prepare us,” said Saathvik Selvan, a senior from American Heritage, who has been accepted to the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of California, Berkeley. “I’ve competed in these types of competitions since middle school, so I’m used to the pressure, but it is always exciting. Mu Alpha Theta has created a lot of enthusiasm for math in general and has generated a common bond among the math community.”
Due to this great accomplish ment and other winnings in state and regional math competitions, world-renowned mathematician and national coach of the USA International Mathematical Olym piad team, Dr. Po-Shen Loh, will be personally visiting both campuses in December 2022 to congratulate and meet American Heritage Schools’ mathletes.
Mu Alpha Theta is a math honor society. At the national convention, each division represents a different type of math. Mu represents calcu lus, Alpha represents pre-calculus
and Theta represents algebra/ge ometry. Each grade level competes in one of these categories based on what type of math the student studies in school. The competition consists of a general 60-minute test of 30 multiple-choice ques tions and three tests related to the specific area of math in which the students are competing. Aside from the main events, students can also choose to participate in smaller competitions, such as mental math, speed math and a presentation poster.
“Every math competition gives an individual the opportunity to demonstrate the skills and talent they have developed and hopefully win an award,” said Richard Rov ere, director of math competition for American Heritage. “With the right attitude, no one ever loses — you either win or learn.”
American Heritage Schools is a nationally ranked private, nonsec tarian and co-educational college preparatory day school with two 40-acre campuses in Broward and Palm Beach counties. For more information, visit www.ahschool. com.
HCA Florida Palms West Hospi tal, along with its sister hospitals in Palm Beach County, HCA Florida JFK Hospital and HCA Florida JFK Hospital North, are proud to sponsor the School District of Palm Beach County’s Thank a Teacher program.
In its fourth year, Thank a Teacher encourages parents and students to nominate teachers for their dedication to teaching and the impact they are making on their students.
Each week, a deserving educator is surprised in their classroom with special recognition and a $150 prize. For the program’s kickoff this year, HCA Florida Palms West Hospital’s senior leadership team joined School Superintendent Mike Burke and School Board Member Marcia Andrews, along with Principal Michelle Fleming, to surprise Royal Palm Beach High School medical academy teacher Dr. Deborah Fuchs on her nomination.
“You are building the next generation of our healthcare work force,” Palms West Hospital CEO Jason Kimbrell told Fuchs as he presented her the award. Fuchs is in her 15th year of teaching at the school.
The year-long Thank a Teacher program continues with week ly recognitions. To learn more about the winners or to nominate an outstanding educator, vis it www.palmbeachschools.org/ thankateacher.
Third-grade students in the classes of teachers Devon Straub and Karlie Young recently became “distributive doctors.” They learned that they could use the distributive property to break apart fac tors into the sum of two other easier factors that they could multiply mentally. In order to show this, they had to get their surgery attire on and cut and break apart these arrays. The students enjoyed performing their surgeries and were able to model and describe the steps of the distributive property.
REQUEST IT Visit VotePalmBeach.gov, call (561) 656-6208, or email votebymail@votepalmbeach.gov Deadline to request aVote-by-Mail ballot to be mailed to you is 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022. *A mail ballot can be requested and picked up in person until 5:00 p.m. on Nov. 7, 2022. Please have your Driver License, Florida ID card, or the last 4 digits ofyour Social Security number available when making your request.
RETURN IT Mail your Vote-by-Mail ballot using pre-paid postage, or drop it off inside any of our four offices during business hours. You may also drop it off at designated drop off locations across the county starting October 24, 2022.
TRACK IT Visit the “My Status” page at VotePalmBeach.gov. Sign up for BallotTrax to receive calls, emails and text updates.
**Your ballot must be received at the Main Elections Office by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 8, 2022. ** *In the event of an emergency, a ballot may be picked up on Election Day.
Monday, October 24, 2022 - Sunday, November 6, 2022. Polls are open each day from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Registered voters in Palm Beach County can vote at any Early
Election Day is Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
On Election Day, you must vote at the polling place that is assigned to your precinct. Know where to vote and what to bring by visiting VotePalmBeach.gov or call (561) 656-6200.
Jupiter Community Center 200 Military Trl, Jupiter
Florida Atlantic Univ. - Jupiter Campus 5353 Parkside Dr, Jupiter
Gardens Branch Library 11303 Campus Dr, Palm Beach Gardens
Wells Rec Community Center 2409 Avenue H West, Riviera Beach
Acreage Branch Library 15801 Orange Blvd, Loxahatchee
SOE West County Branch Office 2976 State Road #15, 2nd floor, Belle Glade
Belle Glade Branch Library 725 NW 4th St, Belle Glade
Howard Park Community Center 1302 Parker Ave, West Palm Beach
South Florida Fairgrounds 9067 Southern Blvd, West Palm Beach
Summit Main Library 3650 Summit Blvd, West Palm Beach
Wellington Branch Library 1951 Royal Fern Dr, Wellington
Greenacres Community Center 501 Swain Blvd, Greenacres
Lantana Road Branch Library 4020 Lantana Rd, Lake Worth
Ezell Hester Community Center 1901 N Seacrest Blvd, Boynton Beach
Hagen Ranch Road Branch Library 14350 Hagen Ranch Rd, Delray Beach
Delray Beach Community Center 50 NW 1st Ave, Delray Beach
South County Civic Center 16700 Jog Rd, Delray Beach
West Boca Branch Library 18685 State Road 7, Boca Raton
Spanish River Library 1501 NW Spanish River Blvd, Boca Raton
Boca Raton Downtown Library 400 NW 2nd Ave, Boca Raton
Sugar Sand Park Community Center 300 S Military Trl, Boca Raton
SOE North County Branch Office Northeast County Courthouse 3188 P.G.A. Blvd, RM #2401, PBG
SOE Main Office 240 S Military Trl, West Palm Beach
SOE South County Branch Office Southeast PBC Administrative Complex 345 S Congress Ave, RM #103, Delray Beach
Monday, October 24 - Sunday, November 6
7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Main Office ONLY
Monday, October 24 - Tuesday, November 8
7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
West, North & South Branch Offices ONLY
Monday, October 24 - Friday, October 28
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday, October 31 - Monday, November 7 • 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 8 • 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Secure
Intake Station hours
pursuant to
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, HCA Florida Palms West Hospital is welcoming both women and men to attend its Breast Center Open House on Tuesday, Oct. 25 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The open house will include a meet-and-greet with fellow ship-trained breast surgeons, Dr. Julian Berrocol and Dr. Beth-Ann Lesnikoski, along with board-cer tified radiologist Dr. Dianne Geor gian-Smith.
Guests can tour the facility while learning about the state-of-
the-art technology available for both mammography and bone density screenings while shopping with local vendors.
Hors d’oeuvres and wine sam ples from Scout & Cellar Clean Crafted Wine will be served during the free event.
Mammogram appointments can be scheduled for the evening by calling (561) 792-4892. The Breast Center is located at 12989 Southern Blvd., Suite 104, on the campus of HCA Florida Palms West Hospital.
During the month of October,
the hospital also hosted a lunch and learn with doctors Berracol, Lesnikoski and Georgian-Smith at the hospital, and general surgeon Dr. James Goad spoke at a breast cancer lunch and learn event at the Wellington Community Center. The hospital also participated in the Wellington Senior Health Fair at the community center on Oct. 18.
Annual mammograms remain the gold standard for the detection of breast cancer and can be sched uled at www.palmswesthospital. com.
Board-certified urologist and founder of the Urology Center of Palm Beach, Dr. Diego Rubino wicz, recently announced that his practice will now offer shockwave therapy, also known as low-inten sity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (Li-ESWT), as a treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED). ED is a sexual dysfunction that is increasingly prevalent with age. Men affected by ED are unable to develop or maintain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse despite being sexually stimulated. According to the BJU International Journal, ED could
affect as many as 76.5 percent of men during their lifetimes, and according to Sexual Medicine, a third of men may be affected by severe ED.
Shockwave therapy is an alter native to traditional treatments, such as oral medications (Viagra, Levitra and Cialis), vacuum erec tion devices, injectable medica tions and intra-urethral suppos itories. When treating ED with shockwave therapy, low-intensity shock waves are applied to differ ent treatment zones on the penis and on the perineum. Using tar geted high-energy sound waves,
Li-ESWT can speed up tissue repair, as well as improve blood flow, nerve regeneration and cell growth, which subsequently help with erections that rely on healthy blood flow. Numerous studies have attributed Li-ESWT with significant improvement in erectile function.
“I am thrilled to now be able to offer an alternative treatment for erectile dysfunction,” said Ru binowicz, who has been in private practice in Palm Beach County since 2001. “We now have a treat
ment for those patients who are diabetic or simply don’t respond to oral medications. This shockwave treatment will be a new option for those suffering with ED and truly give them hope.”
The Urology Center of Palm Beach focuses on men’s health, prostate health, kidney stones, bladder health, urinary condi tions, oncology, sexual health and more.
The practice is committed to providing personalized, compas sionate and state-of-the art uro
logical care to men and women.
The practice believes in educating, guiding and empowering patients.
The Urology Center of Palm Beach strives to offer its patients the most innovative technology and latest procedures available.
The Urology Center of Palm Beach is located on the campus of Palms West Hospital and offers bilingual (English and Spanish) options. For more information, or to schedule a consultation, call (561) 615-1234 or visit www. urologycenterofpalmbeach.com.
Empowerment of the next generation of women leaders was built this year with mentorship, scholarships, and even hammers and nails. On Wednesday, Oct. 25, the Executive Women of the Palm Beaches Foundation (EWPBF) will celebrate the people and programs that have embodied its mission of empowerment at its Fall Foundation Luncheon, which takes place from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the West Palm Beach Mar riott (1001 Okeechobee Blvd.). It is open to the public.
Featured speakers include Bar bara Stark, executive director of the Milagro Center and recipient of the 2021-22 Lois Kwasman Community Outreach Grant. She’ll share how teenage girls embrace non-traditional career options through its program, Girls Go Build.
The Milagro Center received a $5,000 grant last year from EW PBF’s Lois Kwasman Program for Community Impact, which helped it to continue its Girls Go Build program. The grants change the lives of children, teens and young adult women. In the program, the hammer in the hands of the teen age girls drives home the point that non-traditional careers such as engineering and construction are within their reach.
In addition, guests will hear from Dr. Debra A. Schwinn, president of Palm Beach Atlantic University, and representatives of other area colleges where young women further their education with scholarships from EWPBF.
The Fall Foundation Luncheon was made possible with support from Palm Beach Atlantic Uni versity, Keiser College, and A-1
Moving and Storage.
The event kicks off a year of celebration as EWPBF marks its 40th anniversary. Since its found ing in 1982, EWPBF has awarded more than $900,000 in grants and scholarships.
“Our mission is empowering women to succeed and lead, and the heart of our mission is the empowerment we share with the next generation of women lead ers through our scholarships and grants,” EWPBF President Katie Klause-Newitt said. “There’s noth ing like hearing first-hand how our work has impacted their lives, and we welcome the public to join us at our Fall Foundation Luncheon.”
The luncheon is a fundraiser to support the Kwasman grants and annual scholarships. Tickets are $50 and are available on the events page at www.ewpb.org.
HallowThanksMas is coming — that magical time of year that has become a blur of festivities culminating in a pile of invoices that arrive right after the first of the year. (“Happy New Year! That was fun. Now pay up.”)
But we start slowly, with Halloween. What began as trick-or-treating in the neighborhood and maybe a costume party for the adults has evolved into quite a bit of theatrics. There are scary-movie festivals that go on all night. There are numerous plays and shows like Little Shop of Horrors and The Nightmare
Before Christmas. Theme parks around the globe host horror nights, and just about every community hosts a haunted
I sometimes go to the movies so you don’t have to sit through really bad films. Recently I saw two stinkers. The first, Amsterdam, bothered me because it was made by David O. Russell, who has made some really good movies, like Three Kings, American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook. And there were some really fine actors: Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Chris Rock and Robert DeNiro.
Deborah Welky is The Sonic BOOMER
house or two. The entire country seems swathed in orange and black. And kids still trick-or-treat, but they also “trunkor-treat” from vehicle to vehicle in what is more-or-less a controlled environment, confusing little ones who (the rest of the year) are repeatedly told, “Don’t go up
to a stranger’s car just because he offers you candy!”
By mid-November, having done our best to dispose of all this sugar in the best way we know how (eating it), we swear off candy for life and turn a baleful eye toward the next edible holiday — Thanksgiving, celebrated this year on November 24. In good conscience, we will try to make up for All Hallow’s Eve (and the weeks of gluttony that followed) by ingesting a good amount of vegetables with our turkey, but then there are those heavenly toasted rolls... those buttery mashed po tatoes... those mouth-watering pies! With each family cook all amped up by cooking shows and glossy magazine photos, with
each trying to out-do the next, with tradi tional family recipes lavishly interspersed with all that’s new, how are we supposed to resist? It’s culinary heaven topped off with a fight for the “good” chair as we settle down in our team hats to doze off and on in front of seemingly unending football games.
Christmas comes next and, for those who do not celebrate it, congratulations. As much as I love retail and commercial ization and the creativity that must go into thinking that a Santa “Claws”-emblazoned litter box would be a hot seller, I have to admit that we Christians have gone a bit past the original intent of the holiday. I mean, all Joseph and Mary wanted for
Christmas Eve was a hotel room. And they didn’t get it.
There is very little that our loved ones want that they don’t get these days — candy, food, presents — and I could go on about how you can’t buy love, or hap piness, or health. But I kind of like that, for the entire season of HalloThanksMas, we try. We shower our kids with candy because it’s our way of showering them with love. We bake until we ache because it’s a way to honor the cooks of our past while encouraging the cooks of our future. We try to find perfect gifts for all those people who play such an important part in our lives every day. And if a Santa-themed litter box says, “I cherish you,” so be it.
The problem was that the plot was to tally muddled. It started out as a comedy of manners in Amsterdam (not that much time was spent there and nothing about the city really played that much into the plot), but eventually turned into a political drama about the rise of fascism in America in the 1930s. Mel Brooks might have made that funny (see The Producers and Blazing Saddles as examples of finding humor in strange places). Russell’s comedy became a whiny critique of fascism that resonated
with critics who hate Donald Trump. Add to that, the history was just wrong. On top of that, time seemed to drag. And then there is Bros, supposedly a charming romantic comedy about two gay guys. It did terribly, so Billy Eichner, who created the movie and starred in it, went through social media to denounce ho mophobia. If the idea of two men together doesn’t make you want to spend $10 plus per person, you clearly hate gays. Interest ingly, several gay critics pointed out that Eichner managed to insult many gays by
denouncing all but the most flamboyant.
The first movie is estimated to lose perhaps as much as $80 million and the second at least $40 million. Even today, that is a lot of money. And revenues for these films are worldwide and include showings on streaming platforms and cable television.
So why were they made? From reports, Russell put together the plot for his film on napkins scribbled out at a series of lunches with Bale over a number of years. And the movie certainly reflects that. But Russell has been remarkably successful, and quite a few actors have given great performances for him. Chances are, mov ie-making companies and distributors were ready to bid for his work. And they make those bids generally before they actually see the film.
But we also know that the films that do best are PG rated (or PG-13), and generally are family friendly in the sense
that they provide life lessons, even if very simple. Things like “good is better than evil” and “it’s right to stand up for what you believe.” Not surprisingly, the Marvel Universe had most of the year’s top films: Spider-Man: No Way Home, Shang-Chi, Venom, Black Widow, F9, The Eternals, Sing2, No Time to Die. Either superheroes or heroes, plus a cute singing cartoon. There are some variations in lists of movie grosses, but all of the above were near the very top of all lists.
But movie moguls and auteurs (those are producer/directors with dreams of glory) seem more interested in making movies to impress each other. The public must be instructed to want to see what the filmmakers believe they should see. Frankly, that doesn’t work. Many movies that cost fairly large amounts are simply going straight to streaming services be cause distributors realize few people will pay to see them. A Batgirl movie that cost
$90 million to make was simply tossed away because it was considered so bad it would ruin the whole franchise. And the people who did it were criticized not for making a bad film, but for not risking their franchise since there was some non-tradi tional casting.
Yes, there are non-superhero/hero films that do well. A Quiet Place, Dune, The Conjuring and The Candyman made it into the top 20 or so, but so did a lot of other films that reflected the early list. People will stay away in droves from things they don’t want to see. Not wanting to see a poorly made rom-com about gays does not make you homophobic. Not wanting to see a film that muddles a story about American fascism a century ago does not make you a philistine.
If the entertainment business wants to keep making money, it should think more about what the audience wants to see rather than what it feels they should see.
A breast cancer diagnosis is scary. It can turn the world upside down and leave your head spinning as your schedule fills up with doctors’ appointments.
Physicians Eva Suarez, MD, a radiation oncologist, and Margaret Thompson, MD, a surgeon, specialize in breast cancer treatment at Cleveland Clinic Florida’s Maroone Cancer Center. They realize that juggling appointments is an added concern for those diagnosed with breast cancer.
“A breast cancer diagnosis involves a multi-disciplinary team of doctors working together to create a treatment plan. Our patients appreciate the ability to see multiple doctors in one place and at one time. It helps to relieve their fear and anxiety, and it gives us all the ability to answer questions that they may have,” says Dr. Thompson.
The new multi-disciplinary clinic at the Maroone Cancer Center features leading-edge medical technology to treat breast cancer.
Dr. Thompson focuses on the surgical evaluation and surgical management of the breast and Dr. Suarez specializes in radiotherapy – a key modality used in the treatment of breast cancer.
Since their specialties work hand in hand in breast cancer treatment, working together in a multi-disciplinary clinic allows them to provide their patients with real-time answers regarding the treatment approach.
Drs. Suarez and Thompson’s team approach provides many benefits for their patients:
• Instant communication: Instead of waiting for a call, email or page to be returned, the doctors are able to speak with the patient directly – right then and there.
• Team approach: “Not only are Dr. Suarez and I a team, but we’re a team with our patients,” says Dr. Thompson. “Being in one location keeps us all closely connected.”
• Expedited care: “In many instances, if a medical issue arises in the office, treatment can take place immediately without having to schedule another appointment at a later date,” says Dr. Thompson.
• Comprehensive view: Dr. Suarez feels that working in tandem gives physicians the opportunity to collaborate in effort to provide a comprehensive view of each individual patient’s treatment.
“By creating what is essentially a one-stop shop for our patients, we are providing expert care while simplifying logistics during a complicated time,” says Dr. Suarez.