A NEW HOME FOR WELLINGTON STAFFERS SEE STORY, PAGE 3
RPBHS TAPS BUENO AS FOOTBALL COACH SEE STORY, PAGE 7
THE
TOWN - CR IER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
Your Community Newspaper
INSIDE Lox Groves Council To Get Costs On Building North Road Culvert
Volume 32, Number 1 January 7 - Januar y 13, 2011
A TOAST TO THE RETURN OF POLO
The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council agreed Tuesday to get bids for the cost of building a culvert bridge across the North Road Canal to 40th Street in or der to see if an of fer of $50,000 by a title company will cover the cost. Page 3
CAFCI Hosts New Year’s Eve Celebration In RPB
Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) held its 21st annual New Year’s Eve party on Friday, Dec. 31 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. The evening included great f ood, mingling with friends, a buffet, a champagne toast at midnight and music from DJ Toots. Page 5
The International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington kicked off its 2011 polo season Sunday, Jan. 2 with the Herbie Pennell Cup match between EFG Bank and Valiente. EFG Bank won 1413 in sudden death overtime. Shown here are Dr. Howard and Rachel Routman with Dr. Veronica Pedro and her husband Kirk Alexander at last Sunday’s polo match. MORE PHOTOS, PAGES 2 & 17 PHOTO B Y DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
FOCUS ON 2011: ROYAL PALM BEACH
Water Plant’s Future, Commons Park Project Among Top Issues Wellington Celebrates With Entertainment, Fireworks And More
The Village of Wellington concluded its community celebration Friday, Dec. 31 by ringing in the New Year at the Wellington Am phitheater. There was live ent ertainment, vendors and a Zambelli fireworks display. Pages 9 & 15
OPINION To Bring Recovery, Solve The Foreclosure Mess Here in South Florida, a lasting economic recovery is intrinsically linked to a healthy real estate market, and more specifically, solutions to the ongoing foreclosure crisis. Although it’s a problem affecting all of Florida, the western communities are especially suffering. It’s not just a problem for homeowners, but for the overall regional economy. Le t 2011 be the year we put the mess behind us. Page 4
Page 40 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS ............................. 2 - 15 OPINION ................................ 4 CRIME NEWS ........................ 8 NEWS BRIEFS .....................10 POLO & EQUESTRIAN .........17 PEOPLE........................ 18 - 19 SCHOOLS .............................20 COLUMNS .................... 29 - 30 BUSINESS ................... 37 - 39 SPORTS ....................... 43 - 46 CALENDAR...................48 - 49 CLASSIFIEDS ...............50 - 55 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Despite a difficult economy, Royal Palm Beach officials enter the New Year with optimism that they can weather the storm buoyed by wise decisions in the past. Royal Palm Beach Mayor Matty Mattioli said his top goal for the village in 2011 is to keep it fiscally sound. “Everybody is running a tight ship,” Mattioli told the Town-Crier on Monday. “And we’re going to insist that we keep it that way through this year, and hopefully next year we will not raise taxes or get into our reserves to balance the budget.” Mattioli wants to continue moving forward on the 163-acre Royal Palm Beach Commons Park, where Phase 1 grading, contouring and lake digging was recently finished. Phase 2 will include roads, buildings and landscaping. He said it’s one of his top priori-
ties to make Commons Park a reality over the next two years. Royal Palm Beach, with a $70 million reserve from the sale of its water utility to the county, has weathered the economic storm well, recently enacting its 16th tax rate reduction in as many years. But Mattioli said that he cannot predict whether that will continue, with economists pessimistic about the next year or two. “We’ll have a tremendous expense with the opening, operation and maintenance of Commons Park,” he said. “That could be a million and a half dollars, and that isn’t pocket change that’s laying around.” Mattioli said he would rather use the interest from the reserve fund than raise taxes. “Why not use some of that money to increase the quality of life for everybody?” he said. “Let’s get through the next two years and hope this world’s going to change for the better [so
we can] be fiscally sound without going to reserves or raising taxes.” Vice Mayor Martha Webster said her priority for 2011 is the citizens’ task force to find a viable use for the 150-acre decommissioned wastewater treatment plant site. Webster volunteered to head the task force, which includes 12 residents who will have their first meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 10. “I’m really looking forward to the input of all the citizens on how we move forward and what we’re going to come up with,” she said. “We’ll know by April 16, but that’s definitely a great effort in a partnership with the interested citizens.” Webster also looks forward to progress on Commons Park, with advertisements for bids for Phase 2 set to be placed in the spring. She predicted that residents who See ROYAL PALM, page 22
FOCUS ON 2011: LOXAHATCHEE GROVES
Final Comp Plan, Okeechobee Design Top Goals For The Town By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Loxahatchee Groves Mayor Dave Browning’s top goal in 2011 is to resolve comprehensive plan issues that have stalled the new town’s ability to enforce zoning and codes. The Florida Department of Community Affairs approved the plan in the spring of 2009, but it is not yet in effect because of a legal challenge involving traffic issues from Callery-Judge Grove. “The first thing we’re trying to work on is to get the Callery-Judge issue with the comprehensive plan settled,” Browning said. “If we can come to terms on that, it allows us to finalize our comprehen-
sive plan with the DCA. It also allows us to begin to enforce our new land use regulations and begin doing what people expect us to.” Browning said the town has been doing some limited code enforcement using the county code until the town can enforce its own code. “We don’t have visions of grandeur,” he said. “There’s not a lot of things that we want to do. We’re just trying to get into the rhythm of doing business as a town.” Browning added that the council is planning a workshop with property owners along Okeechobee Blvd. to see what their views are on commercial uses there and
to get something resolved regarding two large commercial properties on Southern Blvd. Browning looks forward to continuing the good relationship that the council has developed with the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District after a rocky start when the town first incorporated. He also noted that in the town election in March, Seat 5 held by Vice Mayor Dennis Lipp will be up for grabs. “I don’t know if he’ll have opposition or not,” Browning said. “He’s done a good job, but we’ll see. You never know what will happen.” Browning is satisfied with the progress the town has made. See LOX GROVES, page 22
Serving Palms West Since 1980
FOCUS ON 2011: THE ACREAGE
ITID Balances Fiscal Restraint Against Road, Park Projects By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Indian Trail Improvement District President Michelle Damone’s top goals for 2011 are to move ahead on the Acreage Community Park expansion while not increasing taxes. “Our top priority going into the New Year is continuing to keep taxes at a reduced level,” Damone told the Town-Crier on Monday. “There are not to be any tax increases going into the new budget year.” A workshop with residents regarding Acreage Community Park took place Dec. 4, and the board will have a conceptual workshop Jan. 12. Bidding and permitting are scheduled for the fall, with construction to begin in the winter of 2012. Damone said she also looks forward to construction of the Acreage library east of the Publix shopping center on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road. That project is to begin this month. The library will be built on 6.5 acres that the district traded to Palm Beach County in return for about 46 acres of property for the Acreage Community Park expansion. Road work is also high on the agenda. “It’s crucial this year to get some finalization and funding for the State Road 7 extension to move northward to Northlake Blvd.,” she said. The R3 Plan designed to improve the road network in The Acreage and eventually provide a coordinated traffic-calming plan will move forward, but Damone said she does not see the board making it a huge priority. “Unfortunately, with the R3,
trying to plan it and putting a dollar amount with it scares people,” Damone said. “As we pave roads or make road improvements with the R3 Plan, all the improvements are the same across the community. During harsh economic times, you put a dollar amount to it and it scares people.” Money will be put toward the project as it becomes available. The plan is to use money from retired road improvement bonds for that purpose. Damone vowed that taxes will not go up. And although it will not be completed in 2011, Damone said that $5.3 million remains in the county’s five-year road plan for the extension of the State Road 7 reliever road to 60th Street North. Damone said she also looks forward to completion of the house at Nicole Hornstein Equestrian Park. The house was purchased by ITID as part of that park’s expansion, and the Seminole Ridge High School Construction Academy is assisting in its retrofit. “We don’t have a lot of meeting places in our community,” Damone said, noting that completion of the library and the house at the park will give The Acreage two great locations for the community to gather. The Callery-Judge Grove agreement with Loxahatchee Groves will also affect The Acreage, with an improved connection at 140th Avenue North and E Road and a possible new connection at Sycamore Lane, she said. “Right now, that’s probably the only switchback, which is a Southern term for going in one direction and abruptly going in the See ACREAGE, page 22
FOCUS ON 2011: WELLINGTON
Road Work Wraps Up, Focus On Med District By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report This year is set to be much quieter for Wellington, which saw the culmination of several large projects in 2010. Instead, the village will continue the projects it started last year and do behind-thescenes work on several major undertakings. Deputy Village Manager John Bonde told the Town-Crier on Tuesday that residents can look forward to a year of continued high-level services and small capital improvements. “There won’t be anything quite as glitzy as the new municipal center,” he said, “but we will continue to make necessary, continued improvements. With the economy as it is, the revenue isn’t coming into the city as it was. We’ll still be doing smaller capital improvements.” Probably the biggest-ticket item that will come up in 2011 will be the Wellington Village Council’s decision on the fate of the Wellington Community Center, he said. “The decision of its future, whether it is to be remodeled or replaced, is sure to come up this
year,” Bonde said, adding that the council will decide what it can afford. Other projects begun last year are slated to wrap up in the coming months. Most notably are the improvement projects on South Shore and Forest Hill boulevards. “[South Shore] is already more than 50 percent completed,” Bonde said. “That’s something that’s been on our books for over five years.” The improvements are on schedule to be finished in April, and include road reconstruction, sidewalk construction, street lighting, landscaping, accent lighting and construction of a bridle trail and bike lanes along South Shore. The village plans to build a 16foot bridle path along the west side of South Shore Blvd. Additionally, a 5-foot bike lane will be built along both lanes, and a sidewalk will be built on the east side of the road. It will also improve the horse crossings on the southern corners of Pierson Road and South Shore Blvd., with increased lights and signs on both sides of the road, designate a horse crossing area for See WELLINGTON, page 22
Wellington Officials Celebrate New Municipal Complex
Grand Opening — Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen, Councilwoman Anne Gerwig, Vice Mayor Matt Willhite and Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Carmine Priore reveal the plaque to adorn the new Village Hall. PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER
By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Fifteen years to the day after the Village of Wellington was born, current and former village officials, staff members and guests looked on as the Wellington flag was raised over its new municipal complex Friday, Dec. 31. “It’s a building that will join all the other first-class facilities we have here in Wellington,” Mayor Darell Bowen said. “This is the last piece of the puzzle. Now we have the best Village Hall. I am extremely proud of this building, and I know that you will all feel the same as you come in and see the facilities we have and the way that we will be able to conduct business.” The $10.5 million, 54,000square-foot building is the new
home of the village’s council chambers and administrative offices. It was paid for using builder impact fees. By consolidating various village offices into one place, Wellington officials expect to save more than $500,000 a year. “It will eliminate a lot of rental facilities,” Bowen said. “This is something that we all will benefit from, whether it makes it easier to do business with us or because it brings increased value to our community.” In addition to cost savings, Bowen noted that having a centralized location for the village to operate out of gives Wellington credibility. “It brings far more credibility to the village when we meet with private investors who want to
come to the community and make an investment,” he said. “When they see how we run our city, and they see the facility that we have, it makes it a lot easier to sell it. I’m anticipating that in the future, we will bring a lot of that into Wellington.” Vice Mayor Matt Willhite thanked former council members for their foresight in purchasing the land for the municipal complex. He noted that the building is part of a continuing vision for Wellington’s future. “It’s always said that home is where the heart is,” he said. “And a city hall is where the heart is of most municipalities across the United States. This facility will now be the heartbeat of the future of this city. It will serve for future See OPENING, page 7
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January 7 - January 13, 2011
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The Town-Crier
NEWS
WELLINGTON POLO SEASON GETS UNDERWAY AT THE INTERNATIONAL POLO CLUB The International Polo Club Palm Beach in W ellington kicked off its 2011 polo season Sunday, Jan. 2 with the Herbie Pennell Cup match between EFG Bank and Valiente. EFG Bank won 14-13 in sudden death. For more info., visit www.internationalpoloclub.com. FULL POLO RECAP, PAGE 17 PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER
Diagnostic Centers of America staff and guests enjoy a polo tailgate.
EFG Bank and Valiente battle for control of the ball.
Rommy Revson, Linda Juckette, Karen Hardin and Doli Rodriguez.
Sandra Garcia, Silvia Garcia and Katrina Alvarez.
Joe and Ashley Maguire toast the new year and new season.
Maggie Zeller (front row, second from right) with family and friends.
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January 7 - January 13, 2011
Page 3
NEWS
Wellington Staff Members Move Into New Municipal Complex By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report One week into the New Year, Wellington staff members are settling in to their new digs at Village Hall on Forest Hill Blvd., and the transition has been fairly smooth. Despite several offices converging into one place, Deputy Village Manager John Bonde said that staff members and residents are enjoying the new building. “I think that everyone loves the building,” he said, “not only the residents who have come in and commented on it, but also staff.” The village reopened after the holidays on Monday, Jan. 3, in the new $10.5 million, 54,000-square-foot building. The facility consolidates almost all of Wellington’s offices into one place at an expected savings of more than $500,000 a year. Bonde noted that some small adjustments have had to be made, most notably to the new phone system, which uses Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) services. “We were having some problems with the phones [on Monday],” he said. “Sometimes the calls were cutting out, but we tweaked it. The problems had to do with bandwidth.” Making calls over the computer is a
great asset to the village, Bonde said. In addition to saving money by eliminating long-distance charges, it allows employees to keep a record of callers and see their information right on the computer screen. “It records who has called and for how long,” he said. “The information shows up on the computer screen, and you can look back and see when someone called.” Another advantage to the new system is that employees can use a video conferencing system to conduct meetings from their offices. “If you need to talk to someone downstairs, you can just conference them in,” Bonde said. “You can have a meeting with two other people without leaving your desk. In the past, if you wanted to have a meeting, you’d have to call someone to set it up, find somewhere to hold the meeting and set a time. That could take 30 to 40 minutes.” Additionally, the system allows for employees to set their status to “available,” “away” or “busy” so they can be contacted at appropriate times. Bonde said that the biggest adjustment for staff has simply been working in a new environment with people they didn’t normally work with and identifying where everything is. “There’s some adjusting to be made,”
he said. “Change is difficult for some people to accept. We have centralized supplies now, and a new coffee maker. It takes some getting used to. I’m sure if you talk to 100 different people, you’d find some complaints.” But the benefits outweigh the adjustment time, Bonde said. In addition to new technology, employees also have more parking and better amenities, and they spend less time commuting between offices for various reasons. Residents are also smoothly transitioning from the village’s old offices to its new location, Bonde said. “I think we did a good job promoting the move,” he said. “Residents who do a lot of business with us know we’ve moved.” Bonde noted that one of the advantages for residents is a consolidated space for them to do all of their business with the village, either in person or on the village’s kiosks. “People who don’t have access to the Internet can come in and pay their bills right on the kiosk,” he said. “Or they can walk another couple of feet and get service in person. They can pay bills, pull permits and get all their information in one place.” Also, residents have the benefit of a receptionist to point them in the right direction.
Mayoral Welcome — Mayor Darell Bowen, joined by his wife Sherry, holds open the door to the new municipal complex, which opened for business on Monday, Jan. 3. PHOTO B Y LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER “We have someone to give customers help with whatever they need,” he said. “They can notify people who can help them. We’ve never had anything like that before.” Bonde said that although the move is a
major change, it will benefit Wellington and help it to continue to grow. “This isn’t just a change; it’s a quantum leap,” he said. “The building provides a core and an identity to the city that it hasn’t had before.”
Lox Groves Council To Get Costs On Building North Road Culvert By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council agreed Tuesday to get bids for the cost of building a culvert bridge across the North Road Canal to 40th Street in order to see if an offer of $50,000 by a title company will cover the cost. In late 2009, the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District sought to prevent the use of a road that residents call 40th Street North, which is actually a maintenance road for the North Road Canal. The disputed roadway is used by property owners north of the canal for access. The district asked the town to build and assume ownership of the culvert because it is not authorized to do so. Town Manager Frank Spence reported that in 2009, attorney Barbara Richardson of Title Insurance Fund, representing property owner Golden Harvest Enterprises Inc., had made an offer of $80,000 to build the culvert.
“Since that time, the title company has reevaluated the situation and revised their offer to $50,000,” Spence said. “This means that if the town or district wants to take over the responsibility of building the culvert, they would have to pay anything over $50,000.” The title company’s engineer had estimated the cost at $70,000 to $80,000, Spence said. The title company also offered to furnish design and construction documents it had generated, valued at about $12,000. Spence recommended that the town build the culvert, accept the $50,000, agree to pay anything over that for construction, create a special improvement district to assess all benefited property owners to recoup the costs, and authorize the town attorney and manager to move forward with the project, including advertising for competitive, sealed bids. All expenses, including the time of attorneys and engineers, will be
documented and included in determining the final cost, he said. “This has been kicking around long enough,” Spence said. Councilman Jim Rockett said he would favor looking for alternatives. “My concern is that we think this is the only answer, and we have to move forward, and we’re trying to tinker with the funds that are provided for the culvert,” Rockett said. “Initially, when we talked about taking title to a bridge because it was convenient so we could get this project done, I was reluctant to do so, but it didn’t seem like it would cost us anything. At this point it’s going to cost us something, and whether we get money from the residents or otherwise, I think we need to rethink and start from scratch.” Rockett said a possible option might be to widen the canal bank. “I think there are ways to get that property widened, make it safe, make it no different than a district road,” he said. “I don’t see that we
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I N D E P E N D E N T
would have an idea of what they might have to pay, he said. Jarriel said he wants to talk with the property owners there and make sure they like the idea, especially in the event that a northern access road is needed as part of the Callery-Judge settlement. He did not favor accepting the title company’s offer immediately. “Once we accept it, the title company’s through with it,” he said. “I at least want to know that the residents are going to support us in this… but I am getting some negative vibes from people who don’t like the idea of roads going into another development.” Jarriel said that with the slow economy, he is optimistic that the town could get a bid under $50,000 for the culvert. Jarriel made a motion to seek bids, which carried 4-0 with Councilman Ryan Liang abstaining. Liang’s family is among the affected property owners.
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Benefiting Palm Beach Harvest Wednesday, January 12th 8am-10pm
Come, shop and help us Stuff the Truck with non-perishable groceries for those in need! 5% of the day’s net sales and all of your donated non-perishable goods will go to Palm Beach Harvest Inc., a local community based organization that collects and transports donated food to non-profit distribution centers throughout Palm Beach County. “feed the need” kick-off: wednesday, january 12th 7:00pm-9:00pm Join us in the café as we celebrate Palm Beach Harvest’s new Feed the Need program. Attendees will enjoy appetizers, a wine tasting, silent auction and live music, for a $10 donation. RSVP by calling the Whole Foods Market Customer Service Desk at 561-904-4000. See wholefoodsmarket.com/wellington for details.
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Callery-Judge development if this economy ever allows them to have a development,” he said, explaining that the North Road culvert could be part of that solution. Jarriel added that there has been research done, and it was determined that construction of the culvert would be the most effective and cost-efficient solution. “We cannot afford to widen that street on the north side of the canal,” he said. “It would cost us a fortune. This is the cheapest route to go, and if we can get $62,000 from the title company to invest in this town with a culvert, then I support it.” Vice Mayor Dennis Lipp said he was ready to accept the title company’s offer. “We have been around this mountain several times, and I think moving ahead would be to take the $50,000, agree to put the culvert in and go out and get quotes. By going forward, we’ll at least have an idea of what it’s going to cost.” That way, the property owners
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need to do the culvert. If we get to the point where that’s what we want to do, then I can support it.” Councilman Ron Jarriel said he favored building the culvert but did not want to rush the project. “I personally think it’s a good idea, but we don’t need to be in a hurry taking this project on,” he said. “The title company told us that the maximum that they’re going to give us is $50,000. I want to know how the residents on that street feel about it. The [title company] put about $12,000 into engineering, so we’re talking about getting approximately $62,000 from them, and I do believe that we could possibly build this culvert for $50,000 or less.” Jarriel said he is not sure that the four property owners should be assessed the difference if there is any because he thinks the culvert can be beneficial to the town. “We’re under mediation with Callery-Judge [Grove] right now; we’re talking about two north streets that might connect to the
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January 7 - January 13, 2011
The Town-Crier
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OUR OPINION
To Bring Lasting Recovery, We Must Solve Foreclosure Mess The New Year is a time of new beginnings. As we move ahead into 2011, many of us look to resolutions to change bad habits or improve aspects of our lives. But there are some things we can only hope will improve, knowing there’s a good chance not much will change. Let’s hope the economy does not fall into that category! Here in South Florida, a lasting economic recovery is intrinsically linked to a healthy real estate market, and more specifically, solutions to the ongoing foreclosure crisis. Although it’s a problem affecting all of Florida, the western communities are especially suffering. It’s not just a problem for homeowners, but for the overall regional economy. The foreclosure issue is closely linked to unemployment and shuttered storefronts. Let 2011 be the year we put the mess behind us. For our area’s economy to recover, the No. 1 thing that needs to happen is homes in or approaching foreclose must move quickly but fairly through the process and return to the market so they can become owner-occupied once again. It is a necessary step to move past the wreckage of the housing bubble debacle. But as long as this pain continues year after year, we Floridians will never be able to put the disastrous effects of this crisis behind us. Unfortunately, what needs to happen is counter to what is currently happening. The whole cottage industry of people who are both trying to prevent the foreclosures from taking place and those trying to push them through post-haste has created an extremely disorderly process with competing points of view. The bottom line is that in this
area, hit hard by the foreclosure crisis, we cannot move forward as long as an unacceptably high percentage of people living here are living in houses they know they can’t keep for the long term. So far, the State of Florida in general and Palm Beach County in particular have been unable to find the proper middle path that can give the people who own the homes but can’t afford them their rights versus also moving the process through the system to get the bad mortgages wiped out, get the home through the bank repossession system and back onto the market, and allow us to put together a real recovery of the housing sector. In this process, the first things cleaned up were the mortgages from which people walked away. Those homes, where ownership was clear and foreclosures not contested, are largely through the process and back in the hands of new homeowners. Now the system is bogged down in case after case of situations that are not clear-cut. Homeowners are angry, banks are angry, attorneys are fighting. Some have legitimate causes. Those who want to stay in their houses need a better system in place so they can get the refinancing they need to make their mortgage payments affordable. For those who can’t afford their homes, there needs to be a swift but legal process to decide the issue quickly on a case-by-case basis. That is the only way that 2011 will see any type of housing recovery take hold. But if the two sides continue prolonging the problem, we’ll be at this same exact place come 2012.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Citizens’ Rights Versus Rights For Illegals And Terrorists Political correctness and the U.S. Constitution are only for the people living here illegally and the terrorists who kill us and are awaiting trials in this country or Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They have all the rights of citizens, fair trials, attorneys, all the comforts of home, which most of them never enjoyed in their own countries, all paid by Americans’ tax dollars. The Muslim world was given the right to build their mosque in the shadow of the World Trade Center site through the Constitution of the United States. This is a fact. All the mainstream media and most political entities agree on this and are very verbal to let the world know what a wonderful free and fair country this is, even though Muslim terrorists destroyed this site along with thousands of innocent people. This is in itself based on the same constitutional rights.
Why are Americans’ rights to the same Constitution being taken away and denied? If Muslims can have the right to build this mosque, Americans should have the rights of the Fourth Amendment, as the Muslims have had their right to freedom of religion through the First Amendment. The Fourth Amendment speaks of unreasonable search and seizure. As Americans, we are stopped and searched. Now we are touched all over our bodies or photographed showing every part of our bodies. We have just lost our Fourth Amendment rights. Why do Muslims have their First Amendment rights, while we, because of them, lost our Fourth Amendment? These airport screenings are illegal. The Israelis screen people without naked pictures or the fondling of people’s private areas... We could do what they have perfected... Americans seems to be fighting a battle we can’t win. Our government is on the enemy’s side. They are protecting their constitutional rights that they should not have and taking American citizens’ rights away. This is really fright-
ening. Our treacherous government is suing the State of Arizona to protect the illegals’ rights in this country, which they should not have. How is this happening? The Latino groups and the Mexican president have said the Arizona law is unconstitutional. Do you think it is? What I’m saying above is happening to you today! The Muslim terrorist tried in New York recently faced 280 charges of murder in which he was convicted in a military court. Our treasonous government decided to try him in civil court represented by an attorney, paid for by American tax dollars, and he was found guilty on only one count. He has no right to be tried as a citizen of this country because he’s not. His crimes were committed in another country, not the United States. If his crimes were against this country, he is not a citizen and does not share our rights the Constitution provides American citizens. Amendment 14, citizens rights: “1) All persons being born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United
States and of the state wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Amendment 14 is titled citizenship rights and that is who it speaks about only. Illegals are not naturalized. Muslim terrorists are not naturalized. They have the rights intended for Americans, and we are losing them, but they are not. We must take a stand. Become active in taking back your country! Ronald Piretti Royal Palm Beach
Is There Intelligent Life In This Country? Who let whom down? The Democrats let President Obama down. Everything he promised could have been accomplished if
the Democrats had supported him. They voted for him, too, and then they turned their backs. The people didn’t speak in the midterm election, as the Republicans would have you think. No, the Democrats did not speak. The horror of the idiotic thinking in this country is that the people believe “lockstep talk” (i.e., Republicans). This should be a lesson for the Democrats. You cannot reason with unreasonable people. That is the lesson President Obama needs to learn. When 100 percent of Republicans lockstep into “get rid of
Obama at any price to the country” and people listen, then there is only one conclusion to come to — ignorance. When will the American people start thinking instead of just following? I’ve had it with all of them. Everyone out for themselves, and when it is time for someone to stand up for you, where will they come from? Who will be next? Who can we tear down next? Who can we demolish next? Who can we sabotage next? It might be you. Shirley Bass Wellington
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OPINION
Are Power Balance Bracelets Good For You? Is Grapefruit Juice Bad? Would you spend $29.95 for a colorful silicone wristband that purportedly improves balance, strength and flexibility? Well, Shaquille O’Neal swears by the Power Balance bracelet and tells the world, not in advertising commercials, that it gives him a competitive edge. The company behind the Power Balance bracelet has advertised its wildly popular product worldwide. But in Australia, the authorities challenged the company huckstering. Guess what? The firm distributing the multi-
Footloose and... By Jules W. Rabin color wristbands and pendants admitted “there is no credible, scientific evidence that supports our claims.” The company began selling bracelets in 2007 and embedded them with holograms ostensibly designed to interact with the
body’s “natural energy flow.” It must have been superior marketing, because England’s soccer icon David Beckham, L.A. Lakers star forward Lamar Odom and even actor Robert De Niro are active wearers. For a company that sold $8,000 of merchandise the first year, there must be many happy faces at corporate headquarters these days. The company is reporting sales of $35 million in 2010! Oh yes, and the company has agreed to give refunds to cus-
tomers who believe they were cheated. How about that? ••• It is hardly a topic of general conversation, but when the August Mayo Clinic Health Letter reveals possible problems concerning what you eat and the prescription medications you take, it is surely worth investigating. Let’s take a quick look... High on the list of “no-no” food is grapefruit juice. This popular morning waker-upper is a real problem if you take certain statin drugs including Zo-
cor, Mevacor and Lipitor. It is definitely not good either if calcium channel blockers like felodipine, Procardia XL and Sular are involved in your medical treatment regimen. Additionally, don’t drink grapefruit juice if taking organ transplant drugs like Neoral, Sandimunne, etc. Then there is vitamin K (spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts, etc.) where large amounts should be avoided if you are on the blood thinner Coumadin. The vitamin K can decrease the desired ef-
fects of Coumadin. Watch out, too, for caffeine. Some drugs like Cipro exaggerate the effects of caffeine. Dairy products, especially those containing large amounts of calcium, decrease the effects of some antibiotics like Ciloxan, Levaquin and doxycycline. Also, high calcium intake can affect the thyroid replacement drug Synthroid. Remember, your food intake can delay, increase or decrease drug absorption. Be warned… be sure!
NEWS
Lox Council Agrees To Fund March Election, But Cost A Concern By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council approved an agreement Tuesday with the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office to provide equipment and services for the town’s March election. But the council stopped short of initiating a filing fee to help defray costs. Seat 5, held by Vice Mayor Dennis Lipp, will be up for grabs and is expected to be the only item on the ballot. The town’s cost will be at least $3,000, Town Manager Frank Spence said. Spence explained that election costs have been shifted to municipalities. “The ulterior motive is to get as many cities to hold elections at the same time as the general election so that the machines and paraphernalia in the precincts are set up for when most people turn out to vote, and that would cut down on the cost,” Spence
said. “Now, we have to agree to go along and pay the price.” Councilman Jim Rockett made the motion to pay the Supervisor of Elections Office for the service, which was seconded by Ron Jarriel and carried 5-0. Lipp proposed initiating a filing fee. “This is going to cost us about three grand without any absentee ballots,” Lipp said, adding that the processing fee for absentee ballots is $3.75 each. “Looking at these costs. I think that anyone running should be willing to pay a percentage of the cost.” Sharyn Browning, wife of Mayor Dave Browning, asked whether the town had any say-so in the number of employees or machines used, and Town Attorney Mike Cirullo said it does not. “The statutes provide a number of requirements for who has to staff the precincts, for example,” he said. “Whatever that requirement is, I think it’s seven or eight
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people, and that precinct is serving just our election, that’s why we’re paying for it. If it were a county election, it would probably be absorbed into the county election or pro rata shared.” Councilman Ron Jarriel asked whether the town would be charged if Lipp has no opposition, and Spence said it would not, other than the cost of advertising the election. Town Clerk Ann Harper said that municipalities where she has worked previously have filing fees between $10 and $150, with an average of $50. Browning suggested moving elections from March to November if it would save money, and Cirullo said the council would have to do a charter amendment and have sitting members’ terms extended to the next general election. “It’s a complex issue; you would really need to have some
formal direction to the clerk and me,” Cirullo said. Councilman Jim Rockett said he does not favor a filing fee for the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council. “As soon as they start paying the council, we’ll consider a fee to run for the council,” he said. “Until such time, I’m not in favor of a fee.” Jarriel said he does not favor legal research into the matter unless the attorney would do it for free. “I would like to see the council get paid someday after I get off the board, but we’re working for free now, and I don’t think there should be any type of fee or petition,” he said. “I think we should leave it alone.” Browning said a fee would prevent people from filing frivolously. “I know from personal experience, one of the years that I ran for the water control board, a person [had] declared, and the night
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of the election didn’t even bother to show up, so it cost the residents of Loxahatchee Groves $3,000 to have everybody sitting there with one candidate because the other candidate thought it was a hoot to file for the position. At least if you get fifty bucks from somebody, you know they’re serious.” Although the council took no action, Lipp told the Town-Crier after the meeting that the question of a filing fee would probably be put on a council agenda after the election. In other business, the council hired Municipal Code Corp. of Tallahassee to publish and codify its recently enacted Uniform Land Development Code. Spence said Municipal Code Corp. is the premier documenter of codes and the only one he is aware of, asking the council to waive competitive bidding. “It’s not the type of service that lends itself to bidding,” he said.
The cost is $8,850, which includes posting the code on the town’s web page. Spence said Municipal Code Corp. has published the codes of almost 400 Florida municipalities and counties, including all of Palm Beach County’s municipalities. Rockett asked whether the law requires codification and whether there are other providers. Cirullo said he was not aware of others but that if there are, they are not as well known. He said codification is not required legally but provided as a service to help people find subjects they are looking for. “If there is an issue, you go to the ordinance, but municipalities tend to have it codified,” Cirullo said. Lipp said codification would make the web site more user friendly. He made a motion to allow staff to enter into a contract with Municipal Code Corp., which carried unanimously.
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January 7 - January 13, 2011
NEWS
Page 5
CAFCI HOSTS ANNUAL NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION IN ROYAL PALM BEACH
Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) held its 21st annual New Year’s Eve party on Friday, Dec. 31 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. The evening included great food, mingling with friends, a buffet, a champagne toast at midnight and music from DJ Toots. For more information about CAFCI, visit www.cafci.org. PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER AND STU ULRICH/TOWN-CRIER
Genieve White (second from right) with her family.
Larry, Sherma and Ella Buck.
Ken and Pearl Tyson and Ernie Garvey.
Hope Francis and Nadine White-Boyd.
Winsom Genus-Martin.
Inez McCallum.
Brenton and Lena Humes.
Angus and Norma Burns.
Hyacinth and Newbolt Wilson, K athleen Lannaman and Lawrence Logan.
CAFCI members dance the night away.
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January 7 - January 13, 2011
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Page 7
NEWS
RPBHS Taps Coach Willie Bueno To Rebuild Football Program By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report After several months of searching, Royal Palm Beach High School announced Tuesday that it has tapped star coach Willie Bueno to lead its football program. Bueno, who has three state championships under his belt, takes over for Frank Kunf, who resigned in November. Bueno comes on as the school’s fourth head football coach in five seasons, and said he hopes to develop a hardworking team that the community can be proud of. “One thing I know we can do is we can go in there and teach the kids to practice hard,” he said. “We can teach them to be committed to their team, to their school and to their community.
Opening
New Municipal Complex
continued from page 1 generations and future leaders of our community.” Having a village hall also gives Wellington its own identity, Willhite said. He noted that although people believe it to be a small community, Wellington is the fifth-largest municipality in Palm Beach County. “This facility is not just a place for us to meet, not just a place for you to come for services, but this is now going to be known as the heart of our city,” he said. “It will help us grow. People will know we are Wellington.” Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Carmine Priore, who was on the inaugural council 15 years ago, recalled the days when his office was the trunk of his car.
Whether we win, I don’t know.” Bueno coached both Glades Central High School and American Heritage School to state championship titles. He won the title in 2000, his first year as head coach at Glades Central. In 2002, he left the school and was later hired at American Heritage. Under his guidance, American Heritage took home the state championship in 2007 and again in 2009. Bueno left the school that year and did not coach last year. The Wildcats haven’t had a winning season since 2008, when Darren Studstill coached them to an 11-2 season. Previous coach Eric Patterson also coached the team to two district titles, but under Kunf, the Wildcats went 1-9 last year. “This is a very important and touching moment for me particularly, having been with this council since its inception,” he said. “On Dec. 31, 1995, we raised our flags as the Village of Wellington. Since that time, we’ve dreamed of this facility… Finally, we have a place to meet with residents and carry out business. This is now our home.” Councilwoman Anne Gerwig echoed Priore’s sentiments. “I really can’t describe how proud I am to be involved with this group, with this city,” she said. “This is a big moment for us. It’s a fabulous building. It’s going to make it easier to get in touch with us, it’s going to make it easier to do business with the city, and it’s going to make it more of a city center.” Village operations began Monday, Jan. 3, out of the new Village Hall (see related story, page 3). For additional information about services offered, visit www. wellingtonfl.gov.
Though Bueno has hopes for a successful season next year, he noted that he would have to evaluate the team before he can make any presumptions. “I haven’t seen them play in about three years,” Bueno said. “But I’m looking forward to getting the film and watching past games so I can evaluate the returning players.” RPBHS Principal Jesus Armas told the Town-Crier Tuesday that Bueno was selected from more than 40 candidates because of his success and dedication not only to the sport but also to the kids. “We know he runs a well-disciplined program,” Armas said. “We are confident he will develop a program that will be a source of pride to the community. We
hope he’s successful on the field, but we know he will be a role model for the students.” Bueno agreed, noting that being a role model is part of the job for anyone who works with students. “Anytime you’re in front of students, you have a responsibility to practice what you preach,” he said. “And myself and all the coaches with me will do what we say we’re going to do.” He said that he chose to come to Royal Palm Beach in large part because of Armas’ administration. “I have a great deal of respect for Jesus Armas as an administrator,” Bueno said. “He’s a principal who understands the importance of athletics in school. His
administration supports athletics 100 percent. Royal Palm Beach is a great school and has the potential to be one of the best schools in the county.” And Armas has high hopes for the Wildcats football program. “Football can and will be one of our shining programs for the school,” he said. “It’s a major sport, and one of the most popular. We’d like to give the community a reason to come out Friday nights.” Though Bueno is still going through the hiring process, he expects to be on campus as early as this week and to begin officially within the month. He will take over in time for spring football, which gives him a chance to get to know the team and coaches.
Bueno noted that he has not made a decision as to whether he will keep on the coaches from last season, but he expects to bring in some of his own talent. “I haven’t had the opportunity to meet the coaches who are there now,” he said. “There will be some new coaches, but I haven’t made any decisions yet.” But Bueno is sure of one thing: He will ask for a hardworking team whose members put their effort into playing, win or lose. “I know we’re going to go out there and work hard,” he said. “We’re going to give a great effort. When you have kids who do that, the wins are going to come. I’ve been around some great teams, and I know what great teams look like.”
Wellington Village Council members, along with family members, former council members and village staf f, cut the ribbon to open the new building.
Council members on the dais in the new council chambers.
Palms West Chamber of Commerce officials with Mayor Darell Bowen (center), Ken Adams (second from right) and Director of Operations Jim Barnes (right).
Palms West Chamber of Commerce CEO Jaene Miranda tries out the village’s new gym.
PBSO deputies take a tour of the new building.
PBSO District 8 Capt. Jay Hart, Village Manager Paul Schofield, Scott Armand, PBSO Chief Deputy Michael Gauger and Sgt. Alexander Perez.
A look at the new offices of the village’s planning department.
Councilwoman Anne Gerwig in front her new office. PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER
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January 7 - January 13, 2011
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CRIME NEWS
Man Arrested Following Murder At Lox Groves Party By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report JAN. 1 — A Wellington man was found fatally shot early last Saturday morning on C Road in Loxahatchee Groves. According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Of fice report, deputies were dispatched to a home on C Road shortly after 4 a.m., after reports of gunshots being fired. There, they found 23year-old Vito Caggiano dead from gunshot wounds. According to the report, Caggiano attended a New Year’s Eve party in the area when an altercation between him and other males occurred. Caggiano was shot by one of the men, who then fled. Caggiano died at the scene. Twenty-year-old S tephen Woodman of West Palm Beach was arrested last Saturday night in connection with the shooting. He was charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to a PBSO report. ••• DEC. 29 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched to a salon on Isles View Drive last Wednesday evening regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim parked her car outside the salon while she got her hair cut. At approximately 7:10 p.m., one of the salon workers heard her car alarm going off, so the victim gave the salon worker her keys to turn the alarm off. According to the report, when the worker walked outside, he noticed her front passenger window had been smashed. The victim said she left a Coach tote bag with an HP laptop computer and Sony camera inside it on her front passenger seat. The bag had been stolen. According to the report, the deputy canvassed the area and spoke to two women who were outside at the time, but they said they did not see anything. There were no suspects at the time of the report. DEC. 31 — A Wellington man was arrested late last Friday night for drunken driving following a traffic stop near the intersection of Greenbriar and Greenview Shores boulevards. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Wellington substation was stopped at a traffic light at the intersection when he observed a black Land Rover traveling north on Greenview Shores Blvd. with its two left tires flat. The deputy initiated a traffic stop, and the Land Rover’s driver pulled up onto the curb and stopped with the vehicle’s right tires on the sidewalk. The deputy also observed the right rear passenger vomit out the window. The deputy made contact with the driver, 66-year-old Arch Cummin, and could detect an odor of alcohol on him. A second deputy arrived on scene and, after conducting roadside tasks, Cummin was arrested. He was taken to the Palm Beach County Jail where breath tests revealed he had a .120 blood-alcohol level. Cummin was charged with driving under the influence. JAN. 3 — An employee of Rita’s Water Ice on Southern Blvd. called the PBSO substation in
Royal Palm Beach on Monday to report a theft. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 6 p.m., an unknown white male walked into the store and stole $100 from the cash register. The victim said that the man reached over the counter while the workers were preoccupied, opened the cash register and took the money. The suspect is described as a white male in his late 20s, wearing a plain white t-shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers. The deputy canvassed the area but did not find the suspect. JAN. 3 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded to a home in Chatsworth Village on Monday morning regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 6 p.m. last Sunday and 7 a.m. the following morning, someone entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle and stole her wallet from the glove compartment. The wallet was found on the neighbor’s garbage can, and no items were missing from it or from the vehicle. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. JAN. 3 — An employee of the Macy’s department store in the Mall at Wellington Green was arrested Monday on charges of grand theft. According to a PBSO report, 23-year-old Raymond Andujar Cruz made $1,134.73 in fraudulent returns to himself between Sunday, Dec. 19 and Monday, Jan. 3. Andujar Cruz was arrested and taken to the county jail where he was charged with grand theft. JAN. 4 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched Tuesday morning to a home on Shoreline Drive in response to a stolen vehicle. According to the report, the victim parked her gray 2004 GMC Envoy outside her apartment building at approximately 9 p.m. Monday. When she returned to the parking lot at approximately 8 a.m. Tuesday, her car was gone. The victim said she wasn’t sure if her door was locked. The vehicle is described as having a dent on the left rear side and a broken left tail light, with a Harley-Davidson sticker in the rear window. In the vehicle were several tools, a TomTom GPS and a broken laptop. The victim said she did not loan her vehicle to anyone and that she was up to date on payments. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. JAN. 4 — An Acreage man was arrested Tuesday for driving under the influence and drug possession following a traffic stop on Okeechobee Blvd. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation observed 19-year-old Leigh Dollar driving on Okeechobee Blvd. with his high beams on. The deputy initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and made contact with Dollar. According to the report, the deputy detected that Dollar was impaired. A second deputy arrived on scene to conduct roadside tasks, but Dollar refused. He also refused to provide a breath samSee BLOTTER, page 22
Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives: • Deborah Dattilo is a whit e female, 5’10” tall and weighing 145 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. She has tattoos on her left breast, left leg, back and neck . Her date of birth is 06/14/85. Dattilo is wanted for violation of probation on a charge of battery on a child. Her occupation is unknown. Her last known addresses were 126th Driv e Nor th in The Acreage and South Beach Road in West Palm Beach. Dattilo is wanted as of 01/6/11. Deborah Dattilo • R ene Molina-Gonzalez is a white male, 6’1” tall and weighing 220 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. He has tattoos on his back and shoulder. His dat e of birth is 10/1 9/86. MolinaGonzalez is w anted f or violation of supervised o wn recognizance on charges of carr ying a concealed firearm, possession of cocaine with int ent to sell and tampering with evidence. His occupation is unknown. His last known address was Jackson A venue in Greenacres. MolinaGonzalez is wanted as of 01/6/11. Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward. Call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimestopperspbc.com. Rene Molina-Gonzalez THE INFORMATION FOR THIS BOX IS PROVIDED BY CRIME STOPPERS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY. CRIMESTOPPERS IS WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT SHOWN HERE.
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Page 9
NEWS
WELLINGTON RINGS IN THE NEW YEAR WITH ENTERTAINMENT AND FIREWORKS The Village of Wellington concluded its community celebration Friday, Dec. 31 by ringing in the New Year at the Wellington Amphitheater. There was live entertainment, vendors and a Zambelli fireworks display. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER
Robert Trepp with Sophia Rossi and Nichole Blake.
Wellington Village Manager Paul Scofield; John, Jennifer and Nancy Bonde; Bruce Delaney; Pierre Raymond; Sherry and Mayor Darell Bowen; and Bruce W agner.
The Voiles family enjoys the evening.
Ingrid and Troy Webst er with Peter Wein.
Shay Marie (left) and Meghan Ritmiller (right) onstage.
J.C. De Los Reyes, Bruce Wagner, Matt Estes, Bruce Delaney and Eric Juckett.
Don Neely with his 1939 Buick.
Heather Phoi of Groovolution swallows fire.
Rick Nelson and Buck Deal perform.
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January 7 - January 13, 2011
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NEWS BRIEFS
‘Bugz!’ Exhibit Now Open At The South Florida Science Museum Bugs are invading the South Florida Science Museum. The museum’s newest exhibit “Bugz!” will give visitors a “bugs eye” view of the creepy crawlies in an outsized backyard garden. Nozzle Nolen is presenting sponsor for the exhibit. “We are excited to present the ‘Bugz!’ exhibit for our guests to enjoy,” South Florida Science Museum President and CEO Lew Crampton said. “I think everyone will come away learning something new about insects and have a little fun with the interactive exhibit. And we are truly grateful to have Nozzle Nolen as presenting sponsor of this new exhibit and
thank Kaplan Learning Center for their support.” The large blades of grass, flowers, butterflies and insects painted on the walls of the exhibit space will mesmerize visitors as they learn more about the little creatures. Talking microscopes with insect slides and large magnifying glasses will allow visitors to examine the museum’s spectacular collection of foreign and domestic moths and butterflies. While checking out the museum’s butterfly habitat, visitors can watch the butterfly metamorphosis process from chrysalis to full flight, up close and firsthand. Eventually the museum will do
butterfly releases outdoors on the nature trail. Busy ants in the ant farm are sure to delight visitors’ curiosity with the complexity and organization of the colonies they create. After watching the tiny bugs, guests can learn more about ants by viewing the large diagram of all the parts of its body. In addition, the museum will debut Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure, a full-dome planetarium show. Shows run daily at noon. Nozzle Nolen has been in business since 1951. The Nolen name has been associated with the pest control industry since 1937 when Truly Nolen Sr. started a pest control business in Miami. Nozzle
Nolen services more than 20,000 monthly customer contracts from Deerfield to Sebastian and into the Glades, providing the very best in pest control, termite and lawn services for both residential and commercial properties. The South Florida Science Museum is located at 4801 Dreher Trail North in West Palm Beach. Museum admission is $11.95 for adults, $10.50 for seniors 62 and up, $8.95 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for museum members and children under 3. For more information about the South Florida Science Museum, call (561) 832-1988 or visit www. sfsm.org.
MLK Celebration Jan. 17 In Royal Palm Beach
program will be from 10 a.m. to noon. The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early. The event has drawn a full house over the past years. The MLK celebration is a great opportunity to reflect, participate and enjoy a very inspiring morning with friends and family. For more information, contact Elet Cyris at (561) 791-9087 or visit www.cafcipbc.org.
12300 W. Forest Hill Blvd. The free event will take place on Saturday, Jan. 8 at 10 a.m. This month’s theme is “New Year’s Celebration.” Two books will be read: P. Bear’s New Year’s Party by Paul Lewis and First Night by Harriet Ziefer. The village will provide treats and giveaways for all participants. For more info., call Volunteer Coordinator Kimberly Hengold at (561) 791-4000.
share dancing, a delicious dinner, games and pictures. Each couple will receive keepsakes to cherish the memories of the evening. The event will be most enjoyed by girls between the ages of 5 and 14. On Saturday, Feb. 5, doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with the event being held from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Village Park gymnasium (11700 Pierson Road). Tickets are on sale now. They can be purchased at Village Park or the Wellington Community Center. Ticket sales end Thursday, Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. and seating is limited, so make sure to purchase your tickets before they are sold out. Tickets are $50 per resident couple and $62.50 per non-resident couple. Additional single tickets will be sold at $20 per additional resident and $25 per additional non-resident.
Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) and the Village of Royal Palm Beach will present the ninth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on Monday, Jan. 17 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way, Royal Palm Beach). This year’s celebration theme is “Working Together is Progress.” The program will feature a variety of local professional artists including the Palm Beach Community Dance Ensemble, Iona Gamble, Blue Skies, Andrew Gibson, Copeland Davis and more. Continental breakfast will be served from 9 to 9:45 a.m. The
January Story Time Saturday At Scott’s Place The Village of Wellington invites parents and children of all ages to participate in the January Story Time event at the Scott’s Place Reading Corner located at
Wellington Father Daughter Dance Feb. 5 Fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers and all blends of family are invited to take part in Wellington’s annual Father-Daughter Dance. It will be a night of delight designed for dads and their daughters to
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Mickey Nolen, Mandy Nolen and Lew Crampton. The event is sponsored by orthodontist Dr. David Simon and Humana. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more info., call (561) 791-4005, ext. 0.
Wellington’s 9/11 Beam To Appear At Fairgrounds One of the darkest chapters in American history will become front and center at the upcoming 2011 South Florida Fair that begins on Friday, Jan. 14. Steel beam C-46, an exterior column panel from the south tower of New York’s World Trade Center complex, was transported to the fairgrounds on Monday. The beam, which was just seven stories below where a hijacked United Airlines jet hit the building on
Sept. 11, 2001, will become part of a commemoration in the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center from Jan. 14-30. The historical display is made possible thanks to the Village of Wellington. Next year, the beam will become the foundation of the planned Wellington Patriot Memorial. On Monday morning, Jan. 3, workers transferred the beam from a flatbed low rider transporter to the fairgrounds’ Expo Center west hall. Once there, volunteers added an American flag and a video photo display. During the fair, donations will be solicited to help fund the Wellington Patriot Memorial. For additional information about the 2011 South Florida Fair, visit www.southfloridafair.com or call (561) 793-0333.
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Page 11
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January 7 - January 13, 2011
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NEWS
TAILWAGGERS HOSTS AKC AGILITY TRIALS AT JIM BRANDON EQUESTRIAN CENTER Tailwaggers Learning Center hosted the AKC Agility Trials Dec. 30 through Jan. 2 at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center. Agility is an energetic spor t in which dogs run through a course with jumps, chutes and other obstacles while being timed. Owners guide their dogs using voice and hand signals only. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/T OWN-CRIER
Peggy Leach takes Molly over the tee ter board.
Labradoodle Maggie (owned by Rachel Flatley) with her ribbons.
Ashbee relaxes with owner Diane Philibert.
Le xie shakes paws with o wner Annette Smith.
Wisp, a Border Collie owned by Rachel Flatley, with her ribbons.
Stevi Quick of K9 Body Works gives Lacey a massage.
AUTHOR WARREN RICHEY VISITS THE WELLINGTON LIBRARY FOR BOOK SIGNING The Wellington library hosted “Meet the Author: Warren Richey” on Tuesday, Jan. 4. Richey w as on hand to sign copies of his book Without a Paddle, the story of his unique experience in a 1,200-mile race around Florida in a kayak. For more information about events at the librar y, call (561) 790-6070. PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER
Warren Richey with his signed “Meet the Author” poster.
Warren Richey with fans Lisa and Steve Survis.
Warren Riche y points out some of the stops on his race.
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JOIN US JANUARY 9
TH
WELLINGTON DAY At International Polo Club Special Discounted Tickets for all Wellington Residents General Admission - $10.00 Lawn Seating - $15.00 Tickets may be purchased Game Day at Front Gate 3667 120TH Avenue South Wellington, Florida 33414 T. 561.204.5687
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NEWS
WELLINGTON HOSTS 15TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AT THE AMPHITHEATER
The Village of Wellington celebrated its 15th anniversar y on New Year’s Eve at the Wellington Amphitheater. Guests enjoyed live music from local stars and Tribute to Journey Odyssey Road rocked the crowd into the New Year. The event also offered inflatable attractions, face painting, vendors and more. PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER
Miles Golden takes the plunge. The Mineo family enjoys the day’s events.
Alexa Henghold (right) with R osa Cevallo.
Bill Jones (left) with his 1977 Corvette and Jim Church (right) with his 2003 Corvette.
Jayden Sleggers comes down the slide.
Cydney Sullivan, Collin Brown, Cassidy Henghold and Sarah Brown jump in the bounce house.
Royal Palm Beach Elementary School Hosts Family Science Night Royal Palm Beach Elementary School kicked off its Science/ Math Fair by hosting another Family Science Night recently. More than 50 families attended and participated in a special science experiment. Under parental guidance, young scientists tried their hand at the evening’s science project titled “Food Coloring Movement.” The purpose of the science project was to determine if food coloring spread out faster in cold water or warm water. Students needed to make their own hypothesis, record the temperature of the water, place a drop of food coloring in warm water and then in cold water, observe
what happened in each cup and record their observations. The trial was repeated three times for accuracy. Free science books were given to the first 50 students and other cool prizes were given away, such as two tickets to Lion Country Safari, tickets for an airboat ride in the Everglades, science kits and more science-related books. Each scientist went home with a no-homework pass, a model for their science experiment and a new enthusiasm for science. The event was coordinated by the school’s science committee and “super scientist” Bruce Saulter.
Jacob Hudson works on his project while mom Amy looks on.
Sara Gonzales and Aya Leguachimi.
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Page 17
POLO & EQUESTRIAN
4,000 Fans On Hand For International Polo’s 2011 Opening Day Opening day of the much-anticipated 2011 high-goal polo season at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington brought about all of the sights, sounds and thrills synonymous with the game of polo as more than 4,000 polo enthusiasts descended upon the club Sunday, Jan. 2. It was an action-packed, exciting match as Valiente forced EFG Bank into overtime before falling in the 20-goal contest. EFG Bank won 14-13 in sudden death. Jeff
Hall led all scoring with nine goals and was named MVP while Luis Escobar’s Stretch, a 12-year-old gray mare, won Best Playing Pony honors. WPTV NewsChannel 5 anchor Jay Cashmere threw the official coin toss to begin the first match of the season, while Aiden Turner, a recent Dancing with the Stars competitor and Emmy-nominated All My Children actor, was also in attendance to take in all of the breathtaking high-goal action.
Gates open at noon every Sunday during polo season, with the game on Piaget Field starting at 3 p.m. Tickets are available and cost $15 for general admission and $25 for reserved lawn seating for 20goal tournaments. Tickets for 26goal tournaments are $20 for general admission and $35 for re-
served lawn seating. Tickets may be purchased online or on the day of the game at the gate. For more info., visit www.international poloclub.com or call (561) 2045687. The International Polo Club Palm Beach is located at 3667 120th Avenue South in Wellington.
IMAGES COURTESY LILA PHOTO
Valiente and EFG Bank players fight for control of the ball.
Aiden Turner, Kelly Hafferly, Jay Cashmere and Tim Tracy.
Elisabeth Munder, Kimberly Honig and Trisha Gregor y.
2011 WEF At PBIEC Adds Eight FEI Rolex Ranking Point Classes The 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) will run for 12 weeks from Jan. 12 to April 3 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, and this year ’s competition will offer more opportunities for show jumpers to accumulate FEI Rolex ranking points than ever before. For riders to start their year off strongly, the only place to gain this number of points in North America is at WEF. WEF will award more than $6 million in prize money throughout the circuit, and $3.2 million of that will be given in the open jumper classes. For the FEIlevel jumpers, they will compete for $2.7 million in prize money. “Adding more FEI Rolex ranking classes is part of our dedication to providing the best equestrian sport,” said Michael Stone, president of Equestrian Sport Productions. “The riders that compete at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival will have more chances to gain points this year at our events during the winter season than anywhere else in the continent.” Thanks to the support of G&C Farm, owned by Gustavo and
Carolina Mirabal, WEF was able to add eight new FEI Rolex ranking classes to the schedule. There are now 27 ranking classes during WEF, and these eight new FEI Rolex ranking classes increased more than 20 percent from last year. “Now there will be over 10,000 points available,” Stone said. G&C Farm has sponsored the 1.45m Jumper division, which adds five of the additional FEI Rolex ranking classes, and they are the title sponsor of the CSIO Week on March 2-6 and the $50,000 G&C Farm Jumping Derby at the stadium during week six. Suncast Corporation and Tom Tisbo increased the prize money to $30,000 for the 1.50m Suncast Jumper Championship in Week 11, and the final class will now be an FEI Rolex ranking class. The Mirabals have stepped up to help increase the availability of Rolex ranking classes. “Our goal is to increase the opportunities for riders in North America,” Gustavo Mirabal said. “Riders from this hemisphere deserve to be able to raise their ranking while still be-
ing able to show closer to home.” “We are always looking for ways to improve the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival,” added Mark Bellissimo, CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions. “Adding FEI Rolex ranking classes shows our dedication to advancing the sport here. The competition here is some of the strongest in the world, and riders have more opportunities for prize money. We have the best weather of any winter circuit in the world, and with the thousands of competitors here, trainers and horse dealers will find the most active horse selling market anywhere.” Equestrian Sport Productions has made the commitment to improve the footing in every schooling and competition arena on the property, so that no matter what level, horses will have the best footing available. “It really is the best equestrian lifestyle destination in the world,” Bellissimo said. “When you add up all of these amenities, there is no better place to be in the winter.” For more information on G&C
Farm, visit www.farmgc.com. For more information on Suncast Corporation, visit www.suncast.com. The 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from Jan. 12 through April 3. WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center on
Pierson Road in Wellington. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $6 million in prize money will be awarded. WEF is proud to be supported by its title sponsor, FTI Consulting Inc. FTI exists to help companies and their stakeholders protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex economic,
legal and regulatory environment. FTI is the trusted advisor entrenched in many of the gamechanging events that make headlines, move markets and create business history. For more information, visit www.fticonsulting. com. Visit www.equestriansport.com or call (561) 793-5867 for more information.
JustWorld International Fundraiser Jan. 21 Join JustWorld International for “A Night in Paris” in support of its eighth annual fundraiser on Friday, Jan. 21 in Wellington. JustWorld International is a not-forprofit, humanitarian organization working as a catalyst for positive change in the developing world by helping impoverished children. Held at Maria Newman’s Belle Herbe Farm in Grand Prix Village, “A Night in Paris” will take place in the presence of the consul general of France in Miami, Gael de Maisonneuve. The Parisian theme will be reflected through food, drinks and entertainment, as the
who’s who of the Wellington equestrian and social scene celebrate the past success stories of JustWorld International and raise money for future accomplishments. A sell-out every year since its inception, the annual fundraising event is the main source of income for supporting JustWorld’s project sites in Brazil, Cambodia, Guatemala, Honduras and Senegal. There will be champagne and fine wine accompanying French cuisine specially created by event sponsor Whole Foods Market. Cabaret dancers will encourage
guests to kick up their heels. As always, a few very special and highly sought-after items will be offered in the live auction, including a one-week stay in a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment in the exclusive Ile Saint-Louis in Paris. To buy tickets or tables for “A Night in Paris,” call (561) 3339391 or e-mail jwinfo@justworld international.org. Several sponsorship levels, including Grand Prix, Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze level, are also available. For more info., visit www.just worldinternational.org.
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PALMS WEST PEOPLE
Wellington Youths To Perform In Play At FAU
ROYAL PALM BEACH DAISY TROOP HELPS OUT FOR THE HOLIDAYS
David Mendelsohn, a sixthgrader at Polo Park Middle School, and Julia Stern, a seventhgrader at Emerald Cove Middle School, will star in the show Back To The ’80s Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 8 and 9 at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Back To The ’80s tells the story of the senior class of William Ocean High School that graduated in the 1980s, as remembered and seen through the eyes of Corey Palmer, who is now in his 30s. Mendelsohn will play the role of Palmer, a high school senior; Stern will play the role of Eileen Reagan, the new girl in school. Back To The ’80s lets you join the graduating class of William Ocean
High School as they live through their senior year, all set to the biggest hits of the ’80s! The play is being produced by Standing Ovation’s musical theater students who are in the fifth through eighth grades. Standing Ovation Performing Arts is a highenergy, education-based performing arts studio located in Boynton Beach, offering classes and workshops in stage and film acting, musical theater, improvisation, vocal, auditioning, playwriting, puppetry, stage combat and productions for ages 3 and up. To find out more about Back To The ’80s or Standing Ovation, call (561) 734-0187 or visit www. standingoh.com.
Lane Paquin Graduates Air Force Basic Training
Girls from Daisy Troop #20570 in R oyal Palm Beach t ook part in a holiday drive spearheaded by troop helper Jackie Sandt. They collected girls’ gently used bikes, cleaned them and contacted Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office District 9 Community Coordinator Diane Smith in order to donate them to girls who may not have a bike to ride. Smith worked with local leaders to donate the bikes to those most in need. “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted,” Smith said. Pictured above is Sandt with Daisy members Samantha White, Nicole Sandt, Linda Saraniti and Emily Brundage with family members.
Air Force Reserve Airman 1st Class Lane V. Paquin has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Paquin completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate’s degree in applied science through the Community College of the Air Force. Paquin earned distinction as an honor graduate. He is the son of
David Mendelsohn and Julia Stern.
BARRIOS WELCOME SON
Lane Paquin Gloria Paquin of Chuluota, Fla., and Jerry Paquin of Lake Worth. Paquin graduated in 2007 from Park Vista High School.
Stacy and Juan Barrios of Loxahatchee have announced the birth of their son Enrique Alexander Barrios on Thur sday, Dec. 23 at 11:55 a.m. at Palms West Hospital. He weighed 9 lbs., 9 oz.
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PALMS WEST PEOPLE
Kick Off For Palm Beach Walk Now For Autism Speaks A Success More than 200 people, including individuals with autism, their families and friends, enjoyed dinner while listening to motivational “Why We Walk” speeches to kick off the 10th annual Palm Beach Walk Now for Autism Speaks season. The event was held Dec. 9 at the Hilton Palm Beach Airport in West Palm Beach. Emotional and powerful speeches by Walk Corporate Chair Joe Landy; Laura Rivera, a young woman with autism; and Matt Mueller, whose sister has autism, hit home the importance of raising funds for research and increasing awareness about the nation’s fastest-growing developmental disorder, now diagnosed in more than one in every 110 American children. Established in 2000, the Walk Now for Autism Speaks events take place all over the country and are the signature fundraising events for Autism Speaks. The walks have attracted hundreds of thousands of walkers worldwide who have raised tens of millions of dollars for autism research. This year’s Palm Beach event on March 6 will also host the first
competitive 5K run before the walk to introduce Autism Speaks and raise awareness about autism to the running community in South Florida. It was announced at the event that South Florida Ford Dealers are joining the Slomin Family Center, Lesser Lesser Landy and Smith LLC, and Fetterman & Associates as Corporate Visionary Sponsors for the 2011 Palm Beach Walk. They join National Walk Sponsors Toys ’R Us Inc. and the Toys ’R Us Children’s Fund as sponsors for the upcoming Palm Beach Walk Now for Autism Speaks in downtown West Palm Beach. To form a team, walk as an individual or find out more about supporting Autism Speaks, visit www.walknowforautismspeaks. org/palmbeach or call (800) 6106227. Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that inhibits a person’s ability to communicate and develop social relationships. Autism is often accompanied by behavioral challenges. Autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed in one in 110 children in the United States, affecting four times as
many boys as girls. The prevalence of autism increased 57 percent from 2002 to 2006. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called autism a national public health crisis whose cause and cure remain unknown. Autism Speaks is the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization. Since its inception five years ago, Autism Speaks has made enormous strides, committing over $131 million to research and developing innovative new resources for families. The organization is dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. In addition to funding research, Autism Speaks also supports the Autism Treatment Network, Autism Genetic Resource Exchange, and several other scientific and clinical programs. Notable awareness initiatives include the establishment of the annual United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day on April 2 and an award-winning “Learn the Signs”
campaign with the Ad Council, which has received over $200 million in donated media. Autism Speaks’ family resources include the Autism Video Glossary, a 100day kit for newly diagnosed families, a school community tool kit, a community grant program and much more. Autism Speaks has played a critical role in securing federal legislation to advance the government’s response to autism and has successfully advocated for insurance reform to cover behavioral treatments. Each year, Walk Now for Autism Speaks events are held in more than 80 cities across North America. Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, the grandparents of a child with autism. Bob Wright is senior advisor at Lee Equity Partners and served as vice chairman of General Electric and chief executive officer of NBC and NBC Universal for more than 20 years. He also serves on the boards of the Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation, the RAND Corporation and New York Presbyterian Hospital. Suzanne Wright has an extensive history of active involve-
2011 Palm Beach Walk Now for Autism Speaks co-chairs Denise Negron, Debra Rosenfeld and Amy Schwartz. ment in community and philanthropic endeavors, mostly directed toward helping children. She serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations and is a trustee emeritus of Sarah Lawrence College, her alma mater. In 2008, the Wrights were
named to the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world for their commitment to global autism advocacy. To learn more about Autism Speaks, visit the organization’s web site at www.autismspeaks. org.
Author Tami Hoag Rings In The New Year With New Book, New Horse New York Times bestselling author and Wellington resident Tami Hoag has mastered the literary world with her spinetingling murder mysteries, and now Hoag is planning on mastering the show ring with her new 11-year-old Hanoverian named Lonestar.
In addition to riding and competing during the winter dressage shows in Florida, Hoag is also embarking on a book tour for her newest novel, Secrets To the Grave, released Dec. 28. “I bought Lonestar in June of 2010, and we are still getting to know each other,” Hoag said. “So far we’ve done a schooling show and one small sanctioned show. He got a first and a second in the Intermediare II, and I have yet to really ask him to do anything. I’ve been riding him conservatively, but still he’s been racking up a lot of 8s in his tests.” Hoag recently rode Lonestar in a clinic with World Equestrian Games star Steffen Peters. “The clinic was an excellent experience, and I really enjoyed riding with Steffen,” Hoag said. “He’s so meticulous and quiet in his work with his own horses. I try to emulate that work ethic every day. He was very excited about Lonestar, who just got bigger and better as the lesson went on.” Hoag purchased Lonestar from Neil and Cindy Ishoy in Canada, and recalled how Cindy approached her at a show to tell her about their great young Grand Prix horse they had decided to sell. “She wanted to make sure he had the right home
with the right rider,” Hoag said. “She thought I would hit it off with him, and I certainly did.” Hoag noted that her trainer Betsy Steiner has also fallen in love with Lonestar. “What’s not to love?” Hoag said with a laugh, adding that Lonestar is 18 hands, powerful and elegant. “But he is very obedient and light in the bridle, and surprisingly light over the ground. He’s by the thoroughbred stallion Laurie’s Crusador and has the trademark character and trainability of his sire. He’s a tireless hard worker, and he loves to go to the horse show.” Hoag will also show her other Grand Prix mount, Bacchus de Light, during the season. “After a long layoff with an injury, he’s finally really back and sound and fit, and happy in his work,” she said. “Rush Hour rounds out my show string. He was out all last year with an injury and is unfortunately going to start out 2011 with eye surgery to correct chronic uveitis. But he will be back in work within a few weeks of the surgery.” Hoag kicked off her book tour for Secrets To the Grave, the sequel to Deeper Than the Dead, in Rochester, Minn. On Jan. 6, the book tour took Hoag to the
Barnes & Noble in Wellington, followed by an appearance at Murder on the Beach Mystery Bookstore in Delray Beach on Jan. 7 and then at 3 p.m. at Vero Beach Book Center on Jan. 8. Hoag will speak at Shop Talk at the Wellington dressage boutique Sho Clothes on Tuesday, Jan. 11. Hoag has 15 New York Times bestsellers to her name and is getting ready to start a new book, tentatively titled Down the Darkest Road, the third book in the series that began with Deeper Than the Dead and Secrets To the Grave. The upcoming novel is about the mother of a missing teenage daughter and her need to get answers and revenge from the man she believes committed the crime. While Hoag’s fans will be eagerly awaiting another suspenseful ride, Hoag has already delighted horse fans around the world with her equestrian-themed novels Dark Horse and Alibi Man, which take place amidst the Wellington equestrian scene. For more information about Hoag, visit www.tamihoag.com. (Right) Tami Hoag aboard her Grand Prix mount, Bacchus de Light. PHOTO COURTESY SUE STICKLE
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SCHOOL NEWS
BARNES & NOBLE BOOK FAIR AN ENTERTAINING TIME FOR PANTHER RUN KIDS
The Panther Run Elementary School PTA hosted a book fair Wednesday, Dec. 15 at the Barnes & Noble store near the Mall at Wellington Green. The evening was full of fun and e xciting things such as teacher s reading books to the students. PTA Program Chair Michelle Sohn and Francesca Kramer performed a play based on the characters of Mo Willems titled What is That? Sohn was the Piggy and Kramer was the Elephant. Additionally, Panther Run kindergarten teacher Lisa Kenny and her students performed a skit from Where the Wild Things Are, and children’s author Lisa McCour t was on hand to sign copies of her book I Love You Stinky Face , which she read to the students as well.
Author Lisa McCourt reads her book I Love You Stinky Face .
Michelle Sohn and Francesca Kramer perform their play.
Lisa Kenny’s students perform a skit.
PANTHER RUN PTA, STUDENT COUNCIL DELIVER HOLIDAY GIFTS TO PIONEER PARK The Panther Run Elementary School PTA, along with families, staf f and students, made Christmas joyful for the students of Pioneer Park Elementar y School, Panther Run’s sister school. Panther Run students spent w eeks bringing in and wrapping presents for the boys and girls at Pioneer Park. Each child at Pioneer Park received a gift that was age and gender appropriate.
The Panther Run and Pioneer Park groups gather with the gifts.
Property Appraiser Offering Scholarships Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Gary Nikolits has announced that the Property Appraiser ’s Office is now accepting applications for its 2011 college scholarship. The Property Appraiser’s Office presents $1,000 scholarships each year to five college-bound students. Since 1993, the Property Appraiser’s Office has awarded $99,000 in college scholarships. The application can be downloaded from the Property Appraiser’s Office web site at pbcgov.
com/papa. The deadline to submit the 2011 application is March 31. To be eligible for the scholarship, a student must be a resident of Palm Beach County and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. The college or junior college they plan to attend must be accredited. Funds are raised through volunteer employee donations from participants in the office’s Friday Casual Dress Day. An employee scholarship committee selects the five winners. For more information, call (561) 355-3230.
Panther Run PTA and student council members bring in the gifts.
Some of the presents that were delivered to Pioneer Park.
CLUB WELCOMES NEW KIDS TO NEW HORIZONS
New Horizons Elementary School welcomes new students with its New Kid Club. Guidance counselor Lynne Bray meets with new students to help them feel a sense of belonging. The New Kid Club provides the opportunity for students to learn about school expectations, enjoy a special snack and play a game together. Students begin the process of making new friends and feeling they are a special part of New Horizons. Pictured here is Bray with some of the school’s new students.
Send school news items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.
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NEWS Art Society To Meet Jan. 12 The Wellington Art Society will hold its first meeting of 2011 on Wednesday, Jan. 12 at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Light refreshments will be served beginning at 6:30 p.m. The general meeting begins at 7 p.m., followed by a collage demonstration by local artist Adrianne Hetherington. Hetherington’s career spans 40 years of creativity and diversity. Included in her talents are textile design, handmade ceramic tiles, murals, hand-painted fabrics and mixed-media collage. Hetherington’s work has been on display from Miami to Palm Beach in exhibitions that include Art in Public Places in both Wellington and Palm Beach International Airport. The Wellington Art Society is open to artists of all media and patrons of the arts, providing both local and regional artists the platform to share their work, learn more about their craft and serve the community through their art. The Wellington Art Society is open to any resident in Palm Beach County. Membership forms will be available at the meeting if you would like to become a member. A charitable organization, the society’s mission is to educate and encourage originality and productivity among its members and area youth through programs designed to further the advancement of cultural endeavors in the western communities. For more information, visit www.wellingtonart society.org or call Wellington Art Society President Suzanne Redmond at (561) 791-2194.
PBC FOOLS Hosts Ultimate Tailgate Party Jan. 22 The Palm Beach County FOOLS (Fraternal Order of
Acreage
Community Park In High Gear
continued from page 1 other, which naturally slows traffic down,” Damone said. “They’re asking for an intersection improvement there so there’s a direct connection between Loxahatchee Groves and The Acreage. I think that will have an impact.” Callery-Judge is also asking for
Wellington
Med Arts, Patriot Memorial
continued from page 1 riders and add more space for horses to wait. “That will be finished this year,” Bonde said. “So when the equestrians come back for season next year, they will have a better, safer way to travel to the show grounds.” Construction on Forest Hill Blvd. is also scheduled to wrap up this year, leaving the village with a main street as shiny as its new municipal complex. The project will resurface the road, add and repair drainage, bring the curb to the roadway and update the look of the area, similar to the section of Forest Hill Blvd. between Southern Blvd. and Wellington Trace. “It has taken a little longer than
Royal Palm
Several Road Projects
continued from page 1 complained about some of the original dunes around the perimeter will think better of the project when they start to see the outcome. “I know we worked well with some of the residents who wanted the size of the hills reduced, and we did that in a reasonable manner,” she said. “We did that without having to spend almost $2 million to make any other changes. I know that once residents see how nice that park is going to be... they are going to be very happy.” She looks forward to working in the coming year with village staff and Village Manager Ray Liggins, the former village engineer. She said Liggins has done well in taking charge after the sudden death of Village Manager David Farber last April. “He has been doing a great job,” Webster said of Liggins. “He has made some changes in restructuring staff, and I really look forward to continuing because it’s a great staff and they’re diligent in all that they do to serve the citizens.”
Leatherheads Society) will host its inaugural “Ultimate Tailgate Party and BBQ Competition” on Saturday, Jan. 22 at Abacoa Town Center in Jupiter. Proceeds will benefit Courtney’s Wish, a campaign to raise $6 million to build a children’s cancer treatment center in western Palm Beach County. The field is limited to the first 40 entrants. Only pork butts and ribs are eligible for judging. The entry fee is $100 per grilling team until Jan. 7 and $125 after Jan. 7. To enter, visit www.ultimate tailgatebbq.eventbrite.com. On Aug. 7, 2009, Acreage resident Courtney Wolfe, the teenaged daughter of Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Capt. Larry Wolfe, was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), a form of leukemia affecting mainly children, characterized by anemia, weight loss, bone pain and fatigue. “Larry, Courtney and their entire family have been through a lot and need our help,” co-organizer and fellow firefighter Craig Gerlach said. “We wanted to do something special, something unique. They’re part of our family, and we all are happy to help.” There will be live music throughout the event plus a sanctioned cornhole competition that costs $40 to enter. Judges include local celebrities and culinary personalities. Trophies will be awarded for judge’s choice and people’s choice. The event is open to the public and free. However, donations will be accepted. The Palm Beach County FOOLS is a nonprofit organization of area firefighters established to help fellow firefighters and those in need in their communities while bringing back tradition, honor, pride and brotherhood into the service. Sponsors include Palm Beach County FOOLS, John G’s Restaurant, Saxon Archives, Slainte Irish Pub and Cheney Brothers.
Safari Welcomes Wannado City Passholders With the closing of Wannado City on Jan. 2, fellow family-oriented attractions Lion Country Safari and Jungle Island are offering a special value-added deal to Wannado City family passholders. Now through Feb. 13, Wannado City passholders who purchase a full-priced general admission ticket to Lion Country Safari or Jungle Island will automatically be upgraded to an individual annual pass for that attraction. Additionally, three months of membership will be added, providing 15 months of family fun for the price of a one-day admission. A valid Wannado City annual pass is required along with photo ID. Annual passes must be purchased at each location and will only be valid at the individual attraction. To take advantage of this offer at Lion Country Safari, bring your Wannado pass and your gate receipt to the main office or the main retail store on the day of your visit. For additional information, call (561) 793-1084 or visit www. lioncountrysafari.com.
MLK Day Celebration In Lake Worth Monday, Jan. 17 will witness a full day of activities in Lake Worth in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The highlight of the day will be the 17th annual Candlelight March through downtown Lake Worth. Participants will gather at 5 p.m. at City Hall and parade down Lake Avenue to the MLK “Ball” Memorial. A brief commemorative program at the memorial will follow. This year’s programs will develop the theme “MLK: Connecting the Generations.” Included will be young and old, veterans of the civil rights marches and sit-ins
as well as student speakers from Lake Worth High School. Following the march, a fellowship dinner is planned at First Baptist Church, located at Second Avenue South and M Street, just a block south of the memorial. Light entertainment is planned. The free dinner will provide an opportunity for warm fellowship across religious and racial lines in the spirit of Dr. King. The Lake Worth MLK Day Committee along with participating religious and civic organizations will provide the food and beverages. Members of the general public are invited to help with the dinner preparations, which will begin at First Baptist at 4 p.m., or to contribute a dessert. Earlier in the day, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church at Lucerne Avenue and Palmway will host an interfaith prayer breakfast from 7 to 9 a.m. A diverse program will feature comments from local ministers and musical performances by Lake Worth area children. Dr. King’s dream encompassed the hopes and dreams of all Americans. Members of every racial, religious and ethnic group in Palm Beach County are invited to join Lake Worth residents in their celebration of the diversity of the community and the spirit of the dream. Events are sponsored by the City of Lake Worth, the Kiwanis Club and the Lake Worth MLK Committee. All events are open and free to the public. For more information, visit www.lakeworth.org.
Jan. 8 Swimwear Fashion Show The KGModels Swimwear Showdown Fashion Show, the first and only swimwear competition in the form of a fashion show, hits South Florida on Saturday, Jan. 8. The KGModels Swimwear Showdown is an exhilarating, high-fashion extravaganza set to take place at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in
a connection to Sycamore Lane in the Royal Ascot neighborhood, where there is none now. Settling on a uniform water connection policy is also important, Damone said. “Now that we’ve had our second street come in and request it, it is absolutely necessary, and staff is working on that so there will be more uniform policies and procedures to request a hookup to potable water,” she said. Supervisor Carlos Enriquez said he shares Damone’s enthusiasm about getting the Acreage
Community Park expansion going. “We’re still focusing on the park project and trying to move that forward,” Enriquez said. “That’s going to be exciting to finally get accomplished. I know that’s going to take a couple of years to see it all the way through.” He said that architect Rick Gonzalez has an aggressive schedule of planning and phasing, and that ITID will decide this year whether to go with a community center or the other amenities first.
“We’re working aggressively to find alternate funding as far as grants to put everything together,” Enriquez said. Enriquez is enthusiastic about moving forward with road projects, adding that he wants longrange planning emphasized. When budget time comes, he will be pushing to finance more road improvements. The district used to have a retrofit program for scheduled upgrading of roads. “I would like to see that in place again,” he said. After talking with the district
anticipated,” Bonde said. “Once it’s finished, there is some landscape work to be done beyond what was funded by the [Florida Department of Transportation].” Bonde explained that since the improvements are being paid for by a $5 million transportation stimulus grant, the village must follow FDOT rules for landscaping. But once the road has been inspected, the village will add its own landscaping. “Because the project is stimulus-funded, we have to comply with FDOT first,” he said. “But we’ll come behind them and add more landscaping.” Also rounding out the look of the new municipal complex will be Wellington’s Patriot Memorial, which is being built this year, Bonde said. The memorial will feature a 36-foot by 8-foot piece of the World Trade Center and sit alongside Forest Hill Blvd. between Village Hall and Scott’s Place Playground.
“It will be finished by Sept. 11, 2011, when we host the county ceremony,” Bonde said. “Construction will probably begin in March or April. It’s not that big of a project, but we want to make sure it’s finished in time.” Another project the village will continue in 2011 is the development of its planned medical arts district near the intersection of State Road 7 and Forest Hill Blvd. But, Bonde noted, most of the work will be done behind the scenes, and construction will not begin for at least another two years. “It’s full steam ahead,” he said. “The medical arts district is underway. We’re still talking with the various interested parties within the medical and business communities.” Though he wouldn’t divulge any specifics, Bonde noted that the district has generated interest among businesses looking to move. Currently, the village is working with property owners and
the Business Development Board to bring in high-wage employers. “Build it and they will come,” Bonde said. “The future of our county and of South Florida will be medical-related business. This year, for the first time, Baby Boomers qualified for Medicare, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Our area is attractive for people looking to retire. They want the quality of life we offer, and our council has had the foresight to say, ‘Let’s not deal with the woes of today but look toward the opportunities of tomorrow.’” Though the village won’t have as many high-profile items up for decision this year, Bonde noted that it will continue to provide the level of services residents expect and will make improvements where needed. “We’re focusing on what’s important right now,” he said. “We’re looking to improve the things that add to our quality of life, that add value to the community and that contribute to our safety.”
Webster wants to see the completion of other projects as well, including sidewalk, bike path and drainage improvements in La Mancha and the Willows. “That will help complete our bike trail system between the parks,” she said. Street paving will begin in La Mancha, followed by Sandpiper Avenue and Heron Parkway in the Willows, and will include some bike trail widening and upgrades to the drainage system. “As we worked on those bike trails, we took the opportunity to replace those old French drain systems,” she said. “Now we have the opportunity with the bike trail system and the grant money that came from that to go in and do all those drainage systems for the residents of La Mancha.” Webster said the infrastructure of the village, which was once disparate subdivisions, is being tied together. “We’re an older village, and we’re connecting the projects that we have and making them more cohesive and comprehensive,” she said. Webster attended a meeting of the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation on Thursday to speak in favor of the further extension of State Road 7, which has been opposed by residents of Ibis
on Northlake Blvd. in West Palm Beach. “Royal Palm Beach is going to be very supportive of State Road 7,” she said. “We must have roads north, south, east and west that get our residents out of this area. What would happen if we had an emergency and had to evacuate? We can’t continue to let the eastern communities stop our ability to get our residents out of the area or move back and forth.” The village also supports other projects, such as the continued extension of Seminole Pratt Whitey Road, which she said will help move traffic off of Royal Palm Beach Blvd. Webster said she is glad that Roebuck Road, planned to be built from the State Road 7 extension to Jog Road north of Okeechobee Blvd., is still on the county’s fiveyear road plan despite opposition from West Palm Beach and its communities of Baywinds, Andros Isles and River Walk. Those three communities were only allowed to be built due to an agreement between Royal Palm Beach and West Palm Beach that Roebuck Road would be built, but since then the city has made every effort to block the project, Webster said. “The City of West Palm Beach
in their comprehensive plan moved their conservation area so that it completely surrounds the proposed project,” she said. “I’m sure that they are anticipating environmental mitigation to increase the cost of the road, but we will still be there to support the extension of Roebuck Road and the use of the impact fees that the City of West Palm Beach gathered to do that.” Webster said she thinks there will be projects this year that will help maintain Royal Palm Beach’s quality of life. “Economically, we’re doing well,” she said. “We’ve continued to decrease the millage rate. Whether that will continue, I’m not sure, but we are still in a very good position as compared to other municipalities.” 2010 was a year of change, but one that made Royal Palm Beach stronger, Webster said. “Mr. Liggins and our mayor and council have definitely worked together to forge ahead, because there were some great losses with Mr. Farber, there is no doubt,” she said, crediting Liggins for working hard to hold things together. “I think he’s made some changes that are appropriate for our village at this time in the personnel, so, my hat’s off to him.”
West Palm Beach. The event will be hosted by comedian Dexter Anger (who has been featured on BET’s Comic View, the Improv and Showtime at the Apollo) and opened by the live band Arrivederci. South Florida’s best designers will hit the stage for the chance to be named “KGModels’ Top South Florida Swimwear Designer.” A first-place trophy will be given to the winner. The judging panel will include special guest judge Taneish “Lava” Simpson from VH-1’s For the Love of Ray J. The event will present a selection of established and emerging designers based locally and internationally showcasing some of their recent and upcoming collections on the runway. All items will be available for purchase during the event. A number of other vendors will also be selling items such as shoes, jewelry, clothes, photography packages and more. The previous show at the Palm Beach County Convention Center was a tremendously successful event. “The event was very successful and well put together with a great turnout,” Palm Beach County Convention Center Sales Manager Nerissa Edden said. With a special invited celebrities list, networking opportunities for designers with industry buyers and insiders, in addition to national and international public relations opportunities and exposure, the show is poised to surpass expectations. Proceeds will be donated to Lance Armstrong’s LiveStrong Foundation and R.J. Hendley Christian Community School. The event is sponsored by KGModels, LiveStrong, K Link Photography, Mystique Lounge, Street Life Apparel, Dubb Rider Apparel, J-Riley.com Shoes, On Track Media, Runway Shoes, Beauty Inside Out (Body Magic) and more. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, call Kruise Link at (561) 628-0033. Cocktail hour starts at 7 p.m.,
and the show begins promptly at 8 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.swim wearshowdown.eventbrite.com.
administrator and engineer, Enriquez said he discovered that road maintenance and upgrading take a very small percentage of the district budget. “That was an eye-opener for me,” he said. “The main thing you hear is, ‘When are you guys going to do my road?’ or ‘Look at the shape of my road.’ I personally want to see more emphasis to come up with a long-range strategy [on] when we are going to do these roads, something we can put in a policy.” And although the district significantly improved its flood control equipment over the past year, Enriquez is also concerned about
having scheduled upgrading or replacement of pump stations and flood control structures. “We need to put some sort of life limit on these structures,” he said. Enriquez said he does not want to see another structure failure such as the one on the M-1 Canal at 130th Lane near Orange Grove Blvd. in the summer of 2009. The corrugated pipes had corroded, and the leaking water undermined the concrete structure. “It failed on its own instead of us being proactive and changing it before it failed,” he said. “I know it’s a big task because it’s a big district, but it needs to be in place.”
Lox Groves
Workshop Planned For Okeechobee
continued from page 1 “Right now, it’s just stay the course,” he said. Lipp shares Browning’s desire to resolve comprehensive plan issues. He also wants to come to agreement with the two large property owners on Southern Blvd. — the 90-acre Loxahatchee Groves Commons, also known as the Simon property, on the west side of D Road, and Loxahatchee Equestrian Partners/Solar Sportsystems, developer of 97 acres of pastureland on the east side of D Road. Lipp wants to get a mix of projects that will work for the community and is satisfactory for property owners as well. “We’re really trying to build consensus on what’s going to be the appropriate use of that section of our town,” he said. The town is also working with the LGWCD on a simple method to get roads paved expeditiously, as opposed to the slow progress in getting portions of A, B, C and D roads paved. That was approved over a year ago by property owners but became embroiled in legal complications. “I think there’s enough willpower and enough people who want this done that we can get it done and come up with a better solution for everyone involved,” he said. For the property owners along Okeechobee Blvd., Lipp would
Blotter continued from page 8 ple. Dollar was arrested, and a search of his vehicle found a 100mg syringe of lidocain hydrochloride, which is a controlled substance. Dollar was taken to the county jail where he once again refused to provide a breath sample. He was charged with driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance. JAN. 4 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched Tuesday to the parking lot of the Commons
Toastmasters Contests Feb. 25 In Royal Palm Area 42 Toastmasters will present its Table Topics and International Speech Contests on Friday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way, Royal Palm Beach). Registration will begin at 6:30 p.m. Club speech contest champions from Area 42 will compete to advance to the Division D contests. WPEC Channel 12 anchor Curt Fonger and District 47 Humorous Speech Champion Dawnna St. Louis will be the special guest speakers. This event is free and open to the general public. It will feature wonderful speakers, food and door prizes. The sponsors include: Boston Market (corporate), Celebration Cruise Line, Domino’s Pizza (Wellington and Royal Palm Beach), Chick-Fil-A Inc., Duffy’s Sports Grill, Everything Bagels (Royal Palm Beach), Florida Marlins, Florida Panthers, Golden Corral (Royal Palm Beach), Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando, Hilton Miami Downtown, John Di Lemme (www.lifestylefreedom club.com), Johnson’s Bakery, Jungle Queen Riverboat, the Miami Dolphins, the Miami Heat, the Okeechobee Steakhouse, Publix Supermarkets, Tree’s Wings & Ribs, Walgreens and the Women’s Prosperity Network. Toastmasters International is the world’s largest educational organization devoted to communication and leadership development. Founded in 1924, the nonprofit educational organization has nearly 260,000 members in 113 countries. For more information about the event, contact Toastmasters Area 42 Gov. Cindy Beckles at cindyebeckles@yahoo.com.
like to hold a workshop as soon as possible to figure out what the road is going to look like. “The county’s talking about a four-lane road and the need for a 36-foot median, and that ends up making a pretty big road,” he said. “We need to be sure that we have buy-in from everybody on what this road’s going to look like.” Lipp doubts that a road that big can have the “rural parkway character” that has been advocated by some council members. “Show me any rural parkway anywhere that’s four lanes with a 36-footwide median,” Lipp said. “It doesn’t exist. If you go look at Southern Blvd. right across from D Road, it has a 36-foot median and it’s four lanes. That’s what Okeechobee is going to look like? That’s going to be a real tough nut to swallow.” Lipp is glad that the council and the LGWCD are working well together but anticipates that one day, there will be only one governmental entity. “I don’t know when, but someday we need to have just one governing body,” he said. “I would envision the water control district being the public works department for the town, but essentially that group would report directly to the town council.” Other goals for Lipp include getting council meetings down to once a month, lasting only an hour. For the past year, the council has had two meetings a month, often preceded by land development code workshops at 6 p.m., with the regular meeting beginning at 7 p.m. and usually running past 10 p.m. at Royal Palm Beach shopping center on State Road 7 in reference to a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 6:40 and 6:49 p.m., someone smashed the left rear window of the victim’s vehicle and stole a MacBook laptop, valued at $1,200, that she had just purchased. The victim was shopping at the time. There were no video surveillance cameras monitoring the parking lot. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.
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Packed & Ready!
Main Street is moving to a new office this January!
5440 Military Trail, Suite 11, Jupiter, FL 33458 561.983.4133 • mainstreetsmiles.com Luis A. Matos, DMD & Kristin Igualada, DMD
Children’s Dental Special
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New Patient Exam Oral Exam (0150), Xrays (0272), Cleaning (1120) Now Includes Flouride
Braces Special
500 Off or FREE Clear Braces for New Patients* $
ADA Code 8080 – Comprehensive Tr. of Adolescent. *(Does not apply to down payment, cannot be used with certain insurance). The patient or any other person responsible for payment has a right to refuse to pay, cancel payment, or be reimbursed for payment for any other service, examination, or treatment that is performed a result of and within 72 hours of responding to the advertisement for the free, discounted fee, or reduced fee service, examination or treatment.
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whole foods market 速
wellington
fair january 15th 12:00-4:00pm This is your time to discover the best products for your whole body. Join us in our Whole Body department for informative presentations and FREE samples of our premium quality body care products, supplements, cosmetics and more! No registration required.
Visit www.wholefoodsmarket.com/wellington to learn more about all of the classes and events at the Wellington location.
2635 state road 7 wellington, fl 33414 561.904.4000 s wholefoodsmarket.com
January 7 - January 13, 2011
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© 2010 Randi Muster/Mustphoto, Inc.
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© 2010 Randi Muster/Mustphoto, Inc.
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The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival hosts Palm Beach County’s most unique entertainment option every Saturday at 6pm from January 22 to April 3. Enjoy an evening of family entertainment, complete with a children's fair, casual and fine dining, and a great variety of shopping. Take in the world class show jumping competition from a stadium seat or box seat.
For ticketing and box seating options, please contact Annette Goyette 561-779-1660 WWW.EQUESTRIANSPORT.COM Palm Beach International Equestrian Center WELLINGTON, FLORIDA
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Garson’s Shows At The Ridge A Great Place To Learn
Horse show season is about to begin. For those wanting to move up to those highly competitive and fairly expensive shows, top Olympian rider Nona Garson offers a great option: unrecognized horse shows at her Wellington facility, the Ridge. Ellen Rosenberg’s Column, Page 29
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Acceptance To Syracuse Realizes A Dream
Since he was just eight years old, Wellington High School sports columnist Josh Hyber has been dreaming of attending Syracuse University. On Dec. 26, he received acceptance to the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Josh Hyber’s Column, Page 43 Page 40
Shopping Spree A TOWN-CRIER PUBLICATION
INSIDE
Business Floor Specialists Of Wellington Caters To Customers’ Individual Preferences
Floor Specialists of Wellington looks forward to providing each client with a custom-tailored experience. Floor Specialists is a full-service floor covering store specializing in hardwood floors. Based in Royal Palm Beach, the company serves all of Palm Beach County. Owner Tom Ferris has extensive knowledge of the flooring business. He saw the need in the western communities for a quality flooring company and focused on making that a reality. Page 37
Sports New Coach, New Start For The RPBHS Girls Basketball Team
The Royal Palm Beach High School girls varsity basketball team is looking to build its program with a new coach and some y oung talent. Head coach R odrick Emerson is looking to improve the image of the team and create a competitive program. Page 43
THIS WEEK’S INDEX COLUMNS & FEATURES ...................... 29-30 BUSINESS NEWS .................................37-39 BUY LOCAL................................................. 40 SPORTS & RECREATION ..................... 43-46 COMMUNITY CALENDAR .................... 48-49 CLASSIFIEDS ....................................... 50-55
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FEATURES
Nona Garson’s Shows At The Ridge A Great Place To Learn Horse show season is about to begin. Palm Beach County offers shows for all levels of riders and horses in a variety of disciplines: everything from fun shows with costume classes and relay races to top Arated international shows; English or western; dressage or driving. There are a few circuit shows offering monthly contests that are not rated. For those wanting to move up to those highly competitive and fairly expensive shows, Nona Garson offers another option: unrecognized horse shows at her Wellington facility, the Ridge. Garson is a highly successful rider who has ridden in numerous Grand Prix and show jumping championships. She competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and particularly enjoys working with young riders who want to enter the horse business. She started offering her horse shows two years ago. “I wanted to give people a different venue,” Garson said. “My facility has great footing, wonderful jumps and a really relaxed atmosphere, very family-oriented. The ambiance is particularly welcoming to young, inexperienced riders and green horses who may have had limited show experiences. It’s a fine way to get experience or work out the kinks. We keep it low-key, friendly and affordable. People can pay for only one class — they don’t have to do a whole division — and there are no extra showing fees. People can trailer in or hack over. Stalls are available. We’re located just
Tales From The Trails By Ellen Rosenberg a few minutes from the show grounds. It’s very calmly run.” One useful innovation is that each division has three different courses already set up. Normally, in most shows, a division will have one ring with a course of jumps set up not exceeding the stated height (2 feet, 6 inches; 3 feet... whatever). A division of hunter classes will have two over-fences classes, with the course being slightly different for each class, usually taking them in a different order, and then an under-saddle or flat class. Entrants show one at a time over fences, and then everyone enters the ring together for the flat class afterward. Riders can opt to do their courses back to back, by completing one round, staying in the ring and then riding the second course, or do one round, exit the ring, wait for the class to finish, and then ride the second course when the second class is announced. Jumper classes don’t have under-saddle classes. In Garson’s shows, riders can ride one course in one ring, wait a bit or get feed-
back from a coach, then ride their second and third courses as they see fit. It makes it easier for the horse and rider, in that they can pace themselves. “This way, riders can space their classes out or get them all done in a short time,” Garson explained. “They don’t have to wait around for the jumps to be changed or reset if it’s a jumper class. It also makes it easier for riders to walk the course between rounds. In a jumper division, they don’t have to wait around to find out the results. They can call back later or check online.” Garson said she most enjoys working with young riders and horses. These shows offer them a place to train and work on their skills in a non-stressful venue. She lets people show in more than one height division during the show, which is something many shows don’t allow. “I take pleasure in seeing the youngsters moving up, transitioning to the tougher levels,” Garson said. “Jumping the same course, first at 2-foot-6 and then again at 3 feet, is a great tool for building confidence in both horse and rider.” Jackie Cahill from Wellington took Jamie, her Dutch Warmblood, to Garson’s shows last year. “Jamie was very green; he’d never shown,” Jackie recalled. “It was the perfect opportunity to let him get used to the idea and feel of a horse show in a comfortable, low-key setting. The whole setup was very inviting. I’d highly recommend Nona’s
shows to anyone who’s nervous or inexperienced. It’s inexpensive, very comfortable. We have a lot of laughs at the in-gate.” Kibby Schipper is a trainer in Wellington who enjoys bringing some of her students to Garson’s shows. “They’re very accommodating,” Schipper said. “They allow extra practice and schooling if that’s what a horse or rider needs to be successful. That makes for a positive experience, especially for someone trying to fix a problem or just starting out.” Shannon Gannon, also of Wellington, went to three or four of Garson’s shows last year. “Nona is a terrific person, very helpful, personable and approachable,” she said. “Where else could you go to a show and get advice from an Olympic trainer? The courses are safe and inviting. I’m an older rider, and this is a fine way to get my feet wet without a lot of pressure or spending a fortune. More people should come to her shows — they’re a great place to get started.” Garson’s shows have hunter, jumper and equitation classes. She also offers help and advice to anyone who asks, so the whole thing becomes half show, half clinic. The jumps range from “itty bitty” to over 4 feet. There are about six shows each winter, December through April. About 40 to 50 people attend, and auditors are always welcome. For more information, call Garson at (908) 500-0996 or visit www.theridgefarm.com.
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My Month-Long Party Is Over... Time To Get Back To Work I am just now getting back on my feet after one of the busiest Decembers ever! It was so wonderful that I’m not going to say that it went on too long, but, really, when both Christmas and New Year’s fall on weekends, I tend to overdo it. The month started with my trip to L.A. to be in the audience for the Dr. Phil show, continued with a trip to Kansas City to be with my daughter for Christmas and ended with a suitcase full of dirty laundry in Wellington. In fact, it’s the laundry that really tells the tale. There’s the red skirt I wore (now crumpled) so I could locate myself in the audience when the show aired Jan. 3. There’s the spackle-encrusted sweater I had on when I tore the 1970s wallpaper from my daughter’s bathroom for her — and inadvertently gouged a few holes in the process.
Deborah Welky is
The Sonic BOOMER And there’s “Elsie Bell’s Antique Mall” shirt I wore while interviewing prospective employees. (One of my clerks left shortly after a paranormal TV show finished taping in my shop... Go figure.) So it has been an unusual month, but now it’s back to work. Still, “work” for me isn’t a 9-to-5 desk job. I tried that, but my leg muscles started to crink up. I think the medical term is “atrophy.” So
now I cobble together a few amusing physical tasks and call it “work.” My writing, of course, still takes place at a desk. Sometimes I’ll go “old school” and trail around after an interviewee with a pad and pencil, but I always end up in front of my keyboard eventually. I try not to stay there. Other times, I’ll help out my builder husband — but he only trusts me with jobs that don’t require, well, building. I’m allowed to tear things apart, lug supplies and dig ditches — jobs he’d rather not assign to anyone with actual skills — but it’s fun. And then, in my antiques shop, there are rooms to stage. On New Year’s Day, I changed the Christmas room into a Valentine’s Day room. All the red-and-green stuff had to be packed up and dragged to the attic. Plus, we were out of boxes, so I had to run to the liquor store to see what they had. (Despite what
they had, I just took boxes.) Eight hours later, the room was all hearts-and-flowers but maybe a little too red. It’s almost blinding in there. People act all startled and shade their eyes when they enter. Eeh, it’s done. I also converted an often-overlooked room at the end of the hall to a 1920s naturalist’s office with plants, a globe, binoculars, concrete planters, crates and an old typewriter. It even feels kind of misty, which I thought was intense decorating skill on my part but turned out to be water in the pot of one of the silk trees. All that fun aside, however, today is the day I add up all my pay stubs to see if 2010 actually amounted to anything. If so, I’m staying on this track right through December 2011. If not, I may have to get me a desk job. And that thought is frightening.
Hailee Steinfeld Stands Out As Star Of ‘True Grit’ Remake The Coen brothers, best known for quirky films that seem far out of the mainstream, took a completely different path for their remake of the film True Grit, and it worked well enough to make one of the best films of the year. The 1969 film, which provided the role that won John Wayne his only Academy Award, changed quite a bit of the story of the classic Charles Portis novel. It sentimentalized a tough story of revenge in the Old West to create an (almost) children’s classic. Instead of a harsh story with a very rugged ending, it created a warm relationship movie between the young girl Mattie Ross and the grizzled marshal played by Wayne. And Wayne mostly channeled Wallace Beery. The new version is far truer to the original. Told from the point of view of Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), the Old West is far from romantic. Tough old gunman Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) is not cute and cuddly. He is as tough as an old boot, but he does have a heart and a strong sense of decency. Texas Ranger LaBeouf (Matt Damon) is also after the bad guy and manages to bring both strength and sensitivity to a tricky part. In the film, Mattie wants Cogburn to cap-
Launch Party Jan. 8 For Olympia Online Social Network The Olympia community in Wellington is launching its own social network to bridge the gap between residents and businesses. Olympia resident Cindy Fabre started OlympiaConnections.com “by the residents, for the residents” as a way to bring her community together, especially during difficult economic times. The launch party will take place at the Olympia clubhouse grounds on Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. The social network will officially go live with a community event sponsored by local businesses including Palms West Hospital, Whole Foods Market, Pura Vida Lounge, Duffy’s Sports Bar on Southern Blvd., Caribbean Choice and Campagnolo Italian restaurant. The OlympiaConnections.com
‘I’ On CULTURE By Leonard Wechsler ture Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), who murdered her father, and bring him to Arkansas for hanging. There is very little give in the young woman. She actively works against LaBeouf, who wants Chaney for an earlier murder. He would still hang, but not for her father’s death. So Mattie joins the two men, not quite accepted but tolerated, and works with them to achieve her own goal: the death of her father’s murderer. She is willing to accept any sacrifice, not only from her companions but from herself, in order to get that vengeance. Mattie is the key element in all of this. Her anger, her desire for pure vengeance, is what animates the film and turns it into a form of Greek drama. She becomes one of the Furies, not willing to give an inch in her desire launch party will feature free food, giveaways, prizes, music and entertainment for the kids. The event will last from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Olympia clubhouse grounds. “A lot of people tell me privately that they’ve been here for years and still don’t know anybody here,” said Fabre, 34, an Olympia resident since 2004. “I feel that way, and a lot people do as well. We don’t know who the local businesspeople are. We don’t know which family sends their kids to the same school. My hope is that Olympia Connections.com will help us get to know each other, deal locally and bridge a gap that has us disconnected.” OlympiaConnections.com will feature social networking; classifieds; Olympia community news; world, local and national news; helpful articles on finance, parenting and more; and fun videos and entertainment gossip. The online component will be complement-
to sacrifice everything for vengeance. In the earlier movie, Mattie was played by a grown woman who looked very young. She had to force the issue of not being too adult, so she softened the part. Steinfeld is superb. She is tough; she is determined. And that is right, because even though she goes to Cogburn because she’s heard that he’s the one with “true grit,” she’s the one who actually has it. And, even better, the ending is not softened as it was in the first. Mattie does not have an easy time in her vengeance and suffers mightily. The Coens do not try to soften it. One of the best aspects of this very good movie is the language. People in the 19th century used a more ornate form of the language than we do today, and the Coens used much of the dialogue of the Charles Portis novel. It helps set the tone, one that helps set the film apart from most others. The audience laughed at the wit shown by the characters; they are actually interesting, not cardboard cutouts. The cast is excellent. Bridges took this as his first role after winning his Oscar this past year. He avoids any references to Wayne and manages to create an award-deserving performance. Damon is also excellent. Brolin’s
part is far smaller, but he does it very well, as does Barry Pepper as Lucky Ned Pepper, the leader of the bad guys. But this is Steinfeld’s film. She is young enough to play the role without any artifice, and she holds her own with the other, far more experienced, performers. She is the rock. This is a film that works very well on many levels. It provides strong drama, a bit of comedy and a sense of theatricality that is often missing from many films these days. It harkens back to the great westerns that seldom seem to be made any more. And it does it all without much sentimentality or gimmicks. This is not a special-effects movie, but it is a special one. It is the best film I have seen during the year-end movie season, the time when we are supposed to see the best films. The vast majority of critics, both professional and amateur, have found this a good film. It may not win an award as movie of the year; it is excellent but does not fit easily into the categories that critics and insiders generally like. But is it the kind of movie that you can go to, sit back and enjoy. Go see it! I enjoyed it more than any other movie I saw in 2010.
ed by quarterly face-to-face meetings for members. For additional information, contact Fabre at (561) 249-1831 or via e-mail at cindy@ olympiaconnections.com, or visit olympia connections.com.
Brown, Dorene Ginzler, Donna Steger-Fuller from Boca Raton; Norman Fleischner from Boynton Beach; Carolyn Barth and Sharon Koskoff from Delray Beach; Bruce Bain, Kris Davis and Sonya Gaskell from Jupiter; Jon Allen from Lake Park; William “Terry” Ganaway and Daniel J. Remmel from North Palm Beach; Carmel Brantley from Ocean Ridge; Nancy Tilles from Palm Beach Gardens; and Durga Garcia, Eduardo Mendieta, Erica Rukin and Marie Scripture from West Palm Beach. The exhibition is on display through March 16 in the airport’s Level 2. For a virtual tour of the exhibition, visit www.pbcgov.com/fdo/ art/exhibitions/artatairport.htm. Artists interested in receiving “Calls to Artists” for upcoming airport exhibitions and other Art in Public Places projects can submit their contact information through the Artists’ Registry page at Palm Beach County’s Art in Public Places web site at www.pbcgov.com/art.
Art In Public Places Artist Reception Jan. 13 At PBIA Palm Beach County’s Art in Public Places program invites the public to attend an artist reception Thursday, Jan. 13 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Palm Beach International Airport (located on Level 2 Main Terminal). Parking is available in short-term levels 4-7. This exhibition features photography, paintings and mixed-media works by local artists, including Judith Eisinger and Joanne MacLeod from Wellington. Also featured are Tracie
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DINING & ENTERTAINMENT
The Phantoms Highly Recommend ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ THIS IS ONE OF THOSE FUN SHOWS THAT MAKE THEATER A GREAT PLACE TO GO! The Lake Worth Playhouse continues its 58th season with the modern madcap musical comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. The production features a cast of playhouse favorites mixed with new talent from throughout South Florida. Performances run Jan. 21 through Feb. 6, with a preview night performance on Jan. 20. Based on the popular 1988 MGM film directed by Frank Oz and starring Steve Martin, Michael Caine and Glenne Headly, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a witty musical that tells the story of two con men living on the French Riviera. One is the suave and sophisticated Lawrence Jameson who makes his lavish living by talking rich ladies out of their fortunes. The other is small-time crook Freddy Benson, who swindles women by waking their compassion with fabricated stories of his grandmother’s failing health. After meeting on a train, they unsuccessfully attempt to work together only to find that the small French town isn’t big enough for the two of them. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels had its world premiere in California at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre on Sept. 22, 2004 before moving to Broadway in January 2005. The show officially opened on Broadway in March 2005 at the Imperial Theatre and ran for 626 performances, closing on Sept. 3, 2006. The production was directed by Jack O’Brien, and the cast included John Lithgow, Norbert Leo Butz and Joanna Gleason. The show was awarded 11 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, as well as glowing reviews from the critics. The New York Post’s Clive Barnes called it, “A knockout punch to Broadway’s funnybone! One of the liveliest, funniest, best-performed musicals in years. Supersmart and superior in every way.” Dirty Rotten Scoundrels features the music and lyrics of David Yazbek (The Full Monty), a book by Jeffrey Lane and orchestrations by Harold Wheeler. The Lake Worth Playhouse production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is directed by playhouse Artistic Director Jodie Dixon-Mears, with choreography by choreographer/dance instructor Ricky Nahas, who recently co-directed and choreographed the highly acclaimed summer 2010 production of Rent and choreographed the Lake Worth Playhouse 2010-11 season opener Guys and Dolls. The 20-member cast of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels includes playhouse mainstays Tom Cooch as Lawrence Jameson, John Costanzo as Andre and Cindy Thompson as Christine Colgate, with Gina Nespoli in the role of the hometown western princess, Jolene. Newcomer Taylor Rivera of Wellington plays Freddy Benson. The schedule is as follows: preview night is Thursday, Jan. 20 at 8 p.m.; opening night is Friday, Jan. 21 at 8 p.m.; evening performances are on Jan. 22, 27, 28, 29 and Feb. 3, 4 and 5 at 8 p.m.; and matinee performances are on Jan. 22, 23, 29, 30 and Feb. 5 and 6 at 2 p.m. Dinner and Show Night will take place Thursday, Jan. 20 and includes a 6 p.m. preshow dinner at Paradiso Italian Restaurant in downtown Lake Worth prior to the 8 p.m. per-
Tom Cooch
John Costanzo
Cindy Thompson
Gina Nespoli
Taylor Rivera
Katherine Loretta McBroom
formance. The all-inclusive dinner/show package price is $50 and includes a threecourse meal plus premium seats for the preview performance. Tickets cost $25 and $29 for opening night and all regular performances. Preview performance tickets cost $22 and $25, opening night VIP tickets cost $36 and include a preshow reception, dinner and show tickets cost $50 and include a pre-show three-course dinner, and subscriptions for the 2010-11 season are also available. All tickets and subscriptions can be purchased through the Lake Worth Playhouse box office at (561) 586-6410 or online at www.lakeworthplayhouse.org... and please tell them that Joe and Kathryn, the Phantoms highly recommended that you call! Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is one of our favorite Broadway shows, we saw it in New Your a few years ago and look forward to seeing it on opening night at the playhouse. We hope to see you there! The Lake Worth Playhouse is a non-profit community theater with a diverse array of offerings, including award-winning dramas,
comedies, musicals, area premieres, Broadway favorites, children’s shows, ballets and operas on film, live concerts, improv comedy and alternative programming. In addition to its main stage theatrical fare, the playhouse presents year-round independent and foreign films in the Stonzek Theatre, an intimate black-box style theater equipped with a large viewing screen and high-definition projection. The playhouse is proud to offer a variety of educational programs for adults and children, as well as community outreach initiatives that bring cultural programs into the neighborhoods of underserved youth and also make theater available free of charge for disadvantaged citizens in the community. The Lake Worth Playhouse 58th season continues with Biloxi Blues (March 4-20) and Annie (April 15 and May 1). The playhouse is located at 713 Lake Avenue in downtown Lake Worth. It is situated on the south side of Lake Avenue two blocks east of Dixie Highway. Free, well-lighted parking is available on Lake Avenue and surrounding side streets, with free parking lots located behind the playhouse.
Cristina Justamante
Joe & Kathryn, the Phantoms, are featured writers for the Town-Crier and www.yournews.com... Comments and recommendations are welcome at thephantomdiners@aol.com.
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BUSINESS NEWS
Floor Specialists of Wellington owner Tom Ferris with Frances Elliott, Cathy Ferris and Michael Flamino. Not pictured: Bill Lindsey.
Floor Specialists Of Wellington Caters To Individual Preference By Damon Webb Town-Crier Staff Report Floor Specialists of Wellington looks forward to providing each client with a customtailored experience. Floor Specialists is a fullservice floor covering store specializing in hardwood floors. Based in Royal Palm Beach, the company serves all of Palm Beach County. Tom Ferris is owner of Floor Specialists. He has extensive knowledge of the flooring business. While growing up in the business, Ferris learned the importance of quality workmanship, working with a team and being proud of the end result. He saw the need in the western communities for a quality flooring company and focused on making that a reality. The Royal Palm Beach location has been operating since 2004. “I was very pleased to open this location,” Ferris said. “We are able to offer more of a selection to our clients than the big box stores. We have a highly trained staff that pays personal attention to each client and gives each project the proper amount of time needed. We live our mission statement every day. By listening, respecting and responding, we beat our customers’ expectations every day. We want homeowners that desire that personal touch.” Due to the current economic climate, Floor Specialists has adjusted to its client base and market by offering products in all price points and styles. Many of the company’s clients have found that since it may not be the best time to sell their home, they are updating it for themselves. Financing options are also available to Floor Specialists clients. Ferris said this area has been an ideal location to set up shop. “Customers in the west-
ern communities are such a loyal group,” he said. “The quality of life is an important factor, and all the businesses add to that overall goal. We have found that providing the service we promised with the commitment to satisfaction has led to our clients referring their family and friends. It’s about nurturing relationships and helping people create the living space they desire.” Ferris had some advice for current entrepreneurs and people thinking about starting a new business. “Hard work, persistence and always make sure to the do the right thing,” he said. “Stay knowledgeable in your industry and find your niche. We are continuously attending seminars to stay up to date with all the technical information. We try our best to stay ahead of the rest in the field.” Floor Specialists was nominated in 2009 for the industry “Floor of the Year” award. The company is a member of the National Wood Flooring Association and the Palms West Chamber of Commerce. Floor Specialists has some new initiatives rolling out in the near future. First, there is a customer satisfaction survey to help strengthen all areas of business. Second, there will be several new innovative products introduced, as well as a focus on green responsibility. “We want our clients to know we appreciate their loyalty to us and to say thank you for their business and referrals,” Ferris said. “For our new and potential clients, please come by, say hello and see some beautiful products to get some ideas for your future house project.” Floor Specialists of Wellington is located at 11453 Southern Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach. For more information, call (561) 5141912 or visit www.floorspecialists.biz.
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BUSINESS NEWS
Wachovia To Sponsor South Florida Fair Science Exhibit Most of us will never get the chance to view planet Earth from afar. The next best near opportunity will arrive at the South Florida Fair, which opens Friday, Jan. 14. “Science On a Sphere,” an imaginative and vibrant animated display, is being sponsored by Wachovia Bank, a Wells Fargo company. The exhibit will be one of the key components of the fair’s theme, “Really Cool Stuff,” centering on science, space and the environment. Created by NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “Science On a Sphere” is a large visualization system that uses computers and video projectors to display animated data onto the outside of a sphere. Fairgoers will experience a globe that shows dynamic, animated images of the atmosphere, oceans and land of a planet. “Science On a Sphere” is used primarily as an education and outreach tool to describe the environmental processes of the Earth. The system uses four video projectors to display images
onto a 68-inch diameter sphere. Each projector is driven by a computer. A fifth computer is used to control the operation of the display computers. The computers communicate with each other via a network. “Wachovia is honored to be the presenting sponsor of the Science On a Sphere exhibit,” said Dinorah Shoben, western Palm Beach County district manager for Wachovia. “When Floridians both young and old visit the South Florida Fair, they will learn just how important the environment is to our livelihoods, and that means so much to our company, which was recently named America’s No. 1 Green Bank by Newsweek, and the 13th greenest big company in America.” Wachovia, a Wells Fargo company, is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.2 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and
commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores, 12,000 ATMs, the Internet (www.wellsfargo.com and www.wachovia.com), and other distribution channels across North America and internationally. With more than 278,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in America. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 19 on Fortune’s 2009 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy all customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. The annual South Florida Fair, Palm Beach County’s largest and oldest event, will take place Jan. 14-30. It is also one of the top fairs in all of North America, ranking in the top one percent of 3,500 fairs based on attendance. Preparations for the event are well underway on the South Florida Fairgrounds on Southern Blvd., one mile west of the Florida’s Turnpike Exit 97. For more info., visit www.southfloridafair. com or call (561) 793-0333.
Science Sponsor — South Florida Fair President and CEO Rick Vymlatil, Wachovia Western Palm Beach County District Manager Dinorah Arman Shoben, Wachovia Store Manager Gizelle Reyes and South Florida Fair Vice President and COO Vicki Chouris.
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BUSINESS NEWS
Medical Center Of The Palm Beaches Opens New Facility The Medical Center of the Palm Beaches has announced that its newest location at 8200 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach is now open to new and existing patients on a walk-in and by appointment basis. Serving the western communities, the facility is the centerpiece of the center’s Total Care Organization (TCO). The Medical Center of the Palm Beaches encompasses two outpatient surgery suites, 30 examination rooms, expanded family examination rooms, two spacious waiting lounges and a children’s lounge complete with an entertainment center featuring HD televisions and educational games. “This is the first
medical facility of its kind in Palm Beach County,” founding physician Dr. Russ M. Seger said. “It was conceived, designed and built to serve as the hub of our patients’ medical care universe. In this single location, we’ve combined traditional family medicine, comprehensive urgent care and a multitude of ancillary medical services.” Services include walk-in urgent care, family medicine, orthopedic medicine, occupational medicine, chiropractic medicine, physical therapy, an on-site pharmacy, laboratory testing, dermatological services, digital X-rays, women’s health, all physicals, drug screens, and weight loss and nutrition.
The TCO model halves the Medical Center of the Palm Beaches into two distinct medical practices. The TCO model in family medicine introduces streamlined processes that increase the efficacy of the patientdoctor experience. It also offers medical services, including orthopedic medicine, occupational medicine, chiropractic medicine and physical therapy usually found in stand-alone, specialty medical practices. “Any western communities resident sustaining an injury or illness which does not require an ambulance can have their needs met here,” Seger said. “If we determine an ambulance is needed, the medi-
cal center has a direct access ambulance bay to conserve critical, possibly lifesaving minutes.” Urgent-care patients are encouraged to become regular patients of the family or primary-care practice. Having a “medical home” promotes efficiencies of treatment. “Our doctors and providers know our patients, we know their medical history and their health and wellness goals,” Medical Director Dr. Robert Campitelli said. “We orchestrate their care based on our personal knowledge of the person, not the name on a chart.” For more info., call (561) 9641111 or visit www.medicalcenterof thepalmbeaches.com.
Dr. Robert Campitelli
Installment Payment Plan Offered For County Property Owners Palm Beach County Tax Collector Ann Gannon has announced an installment payment plan option for property taxes. The plan divides taxes into four payments and is available for next year’s taxes. The application for enrollment in the installment payment plan is available online at www.taxcollectorpbc.com or by visiting one of the six service centers. To enroll, complete and bring
the application so it is received no later than Friday, April 29. If you choose to mail the application, it must be postmarked no later than Saturday, April 30. Address it to: Palm Beach County Tax Collector, Post Office Box 3715, West Palm Beach, FL 33402-3715. Property owners are officially enrolled in the installment payment plan only after the first payment is received before June 30. Once en-
rolled, continued participation is required for the entire year. Annual renewal is automatic for the following year. The installment amount for the first two payments is an estimated tax based on the actual taxes for the preceding year. Once the tax roll is certified, the third and fourth installments are adjusted to reflect the actual tax liability. The first installment payment is
due by June 30, the second is due by Sept. 30, the third is due by Dec. 31 and the fourth is due by March 31. If paying using the installment payment plan, taxpayers will receive only two notices, one in June and one in December. Each notice contains two payment coupons (June/September) and (December/ March) to attach with payments. Delinquent installment payments
(missed payments excluding June) are due in full with the next installment payment and do not receive a discount. As of April 1, all unpaid property taxes are considered delinquent. In the western communities, the service center is located at 200 Civic Center Way in Royal Palm Beach. If you are paying your annual property taxes in January, you receive a 2-percent discount.
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HEALTH & FITNESS SPOTLIGHT
New Fitness Boot Camp Program Commands Real Results By Jason Jaworski Special to the Town-Crier “Earn it.” Two simple, yet profoundly powerful words were muttered to Private Ryan by Tom Hanks’ character, Capt. John Miller, as he lie dying on the battlefield in the Oscar-winning film Saving Private Ryan. This inspiring statement often seems to fall askew in a society saturated with impressions advocating shortcuts and false pride. Just as Private Ryan went on to earn a great life worthy of all the sacrifice, we can earn our way to a great body and be proud of the sacrifice that will make us stronger people — outside and in. The comprehensive BCx Boot Camp Program at Ultima Fitness/ Xtreme Tae Kwon Do offers a nononsense, no-shortcuts approach to
attaining and maintaining the best shape of our lives. BCx is just that — a program, not a class. That’s what separates the men from the boys, women from the girls, extreme results from the average results. Far surpassing the typical boot camp class concept, the BCx Boot Camp encompasses training six days a week, accountability, diet education, support and more. Steve and Bonnie Pfiester, founders of the BCx Boot Camp, have witnessed thousands of results-driven campers transform their bodies and lives at Longevity Fitness in Vero Beach. As a well-recognized fitness expert, Steve is also trainer for weight loss reality TV’s Bridal Boot Camp on VH-1 and Fat March on ABC. Ultima Fitness has partnered directly with Steve and Bonnie to kick off
the first program offered outside of their facilities. Ultima Fitness launched the inaugural outdoor BCx Boot Camp in November, providing area residents with their first opportunity to experience extreme results — BCx style. No gimmicks, just guts. Off to a successful start, the BCx boot campers have been kicking, squatting and pushing their bodies and fitness level to the extreme. Flipping monster tires, squatthrusting sandbags, heaving medicine balls — sounds like just another ordinary day in the gym, right? Of course not! Nor should campers expect ordinary results. Drill instructors hold all campers accountable for attendance, following dietary guidelines and for giving 100 percent every session. There’s no anonymity here. Campers grow, devel-
op and achieve together. BCx sessions exude high-energy groups, where verbal encouragement from fellow campers like “Finish strong, Marlene!” and “Get a new PR, Donna!” are commonplace. The next six-week BCx Boot Camp kicks off at Ultima Fitness in late January. We never have to be alone in our fitness journey to achieve our full potential. What are goals and resolutions without follow-through? Empty promises. Private Ryan promised to “earn it.” So should we. Earn it. Inspire someone. Jason Jaworski is a certified personal trainer and BCx Boot Camp instructor at Ultima Fitness/Xtreme Tae Kwon Do, located at 12799 W. Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington. For more information, call (561)7952823 or visit www.ultimafitness. com.
Jason Jaworski
Health & Fitness Spotlight Sponsored By Ultima Fitness Of Wellington
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SPORTS & RECREATION
New Coach, New Start For Lady Wildcats Basketball Team By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report The Royal Palm Beach High School girls varsity basketball team is looking to build its program with a new coach and some young talent. Head coach Rodrick Emerson replaced Marvelous Washington this year. In the past, Emerson was an assistant coach at Suncoast High School and Lake Worth Middle School. This year, Emerson is looking to improve the image of the team, as well as build on young talent and create a competitive program at Royal Palm Beach. “Over the years, the program has been under supervision,” Emerson said, noting that past teams were
known for fighting. “This year, we have just come off probation as far as tournaments are concerned. I’m looking to change the perception about Royal Palm Beach girls athletics — especially basketball.” With a team of four returning seniors and three talented freshmen, Emerson hopes to foster and build on young talent and create a program that will be competitive for years to come. “I’m trying to rebuild the program,” he said. “Last year we lost two transfers and graduated two seniors, but we have four returning seniors and three freshmen.” Returning players include Sherrelle Wood, Michelle Harmon, Patricka Moreland and Kavonda Hammond. The Lady Wildcats lost
Patricka Moreland pushes past a Santaluces defender.
star player Patrice Collie, who now plays for Indian River State College, as well as D’Aundrianique “Dixie” Greenland, Latoya Harvin, Ashante Doby, Breonna Beck and Shanelia Buckle. Newcomers include several standout freshmen, including Chelsey Smith, Emerson said. “I’ve got some outstanding freshmen that I think will be great as far as the future,” he said. “In the next year or two, I think they’ll be some of the top in the county. I also have a few girls on the [junior varsity] team with potential.” This year, the Lady Wildcats’ strength is in its defense, Emerson said. “Defensively, in spurts, I think we See BASKETBALL, page 46
Raven Miller takes a foul shot.
Sherrelle Wood shoots during Monday’s game against Santaluces.
Michelle Harmon faces of f against a Lady Chiefs defender. PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/T OWN-CRIER
Being Accepted To Syracuse Is Realizing My Lifelong Dream It has been a dream of mine since I was 8 years old. I wrote an essay in third grade about it. I proudly wore the colors in 2003 when they won the NCAA basketball championship. Now the dream is becoming reality. On Dec. 26, I received acceptance to the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Not expecting a decision until Jan. 15, I was surprised to find an e-mail with the subject, “Syracuse application notification.” I opened it without hesitating, and when I saw “newspaper and
Josh Hyber on the field at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.
Wolverine Watch By Josh Hyber online journalism,” I knew I was officially an Orangeman. It has been a long and winding road (as any Beatles fan would call it) since I wrote that essay. From joining The Wave, the student-run newspaper at Wellington High School, to my first article in the Town-Crier to the Syracuse acceptance, I have grown as a person and as a writer. I’ve been through highs and lows, from having to miss out on nights with friends to cover a sporting event, or having to scatter meals to fit around game times. I’ve been in countless uncomfortable situations, from interviewing players after being in fights and interviewing a head coach in a meeting room with the rest of his staff looking on, to having to call a coach that I had never talked to before.
But it has been worth it. I’ve had the opportunity to meet some amazing people and to interview first-class sports figures. I want to first and foremost thank my parents for giving me the opportunities to “take my talents to another level.” To my dad, for instilling my passion for sports and always giving positive remarks. To my mom, for learning every sports trivia question that I’ve ever asked her. My brother Jason, it’ll be fun to watch Syracuse beat down Florida State in an NCAA tournament basketball game. No hard feelings. Kristi Gibbins, the advisor of The Wave, thank you for giving me the first stepping stone in my career. Jason Budjinski and Josh Manning at the Town-Crier, thank you for allowing me to take my career to the next level. I’d like to say thank you to the coaches at Wellington for giving me access to themselves and to their players. Coaches Chris Romano, Tom Abel, Vic Navarro, Matt Colin, Michael Kozlowski and Scott Riddle in particular. Ms. Robbin in the front office for all your support. To the players on the field, I can’t name all of you, but you’ve been there for me on late school nights when I call and need a quote. Four individuals in particular — Ben Aqua,
Josh Hyber outside the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Mike Lebowitz, Dakota Grealy-Miró and Francesca Ranieri — thank you for helping me edit articles and take pictures. And in the end, I still have five months left as a senior at Wellington High School. There will be more basketball games, the entire baseball season… and what I’m most looking forward to, not dealing with teachers I don’t like. The alumni list reads: “Bob Costas of NBC, Steve Kroft of CBS’s 60 Minutes, Mike Tirico of ESPN, and in around five years, Josh Hyber of Wellington, Florida.”
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SPORTS & RECREATION
ROCKHOUNDS TAKE FIRST PLACE IN DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
The Rockhounds defeated the St orm 13-2 to take first place in the Wellington Little League 13-14 Division Championship. All of the coaches were proud of the players, and the team celebrated with a par ty at coach Tony Viscusi’s home. (Front row, L-R) Coach Tony Viscusi, Alex Viscusi, Jake Quo, Derrick Michaud, Johnathan Weid, Mikey Viscusi and coach Joe Lobello; (back row) coach David Weid, Chris Szezepanski, Ben Lobello, Anthony Bevacqua, Cody Lagana, Michael Schlitz and coach Roy Lagana.
RPB To Host ‘Crazy Games’ To Fight Childhood Obesity
The Royal Palm Beach Parks & Recreation Department will offer a new non-traditional sports program in 2011 as an effort to combat childhood obesity in the community. This new program, Crazy Games, is open to all students in grades three through five in Royal Palm Beach and the surrounding areas. A free trial of Crazy Games will take place at Lindsay Ewing Park (located off Linnet Lane) on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. Crazy Games will begin as a four-week program starting on Saturday, Feb. 12 and every Saturday through March 5. The program is intended to attract children who don’t participate in traditional competitive sports and need extra motivation to be physically active. In addition, it is open to all children regardless of their athletic ability. “Crazy Games’ mission is to promote fun exercise while challenging a child’s athletic and mental ability,” Director/Instructor Nancy Molina said. “I have designed a sports program similar to Awana games, which is targeted to the reli-
gious segment and played at churches internationally. As the game director for Awana at Grace Fellowship, West Palm Beach, I have seen how much the children enjoy competing in Awana games and wanted to offer something to the public sector.” Now children in the community will have the opportunity to be competitive in a whole new way. Participants will play outrageously crazy games for 50 minutes every session. There are four colored teams (up to 12 players on each team) that compete against each other in different games. Players win points for their team, and the winning team will be acknowledged at the end of every session. Some of the games include: hopper ball races, sack races, bowling pin sprints, water balloon games, balloon relay races, American eagle tag, dodge ball scramble and big bouncy ball games, just to name a few. “It needs to be a priority to combat child obesity and offer programs that children will want to participate in,” Molina said.
Research indicates that childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. The prevalence of obesity among children ages 6 to 11 increased from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 19.6 percent in 2008 (according to www.cdc.gov) In addition, many schools are decreasing the availability of physical education programs and daily recess. Research shows that currently, only 5 percent of elementary schools and 6 percent of middle/junior high schools provide daily physical education for the entire school year (according to www.edc.org). Most schools offer traditional sports programs but fail to offer non-traditional sports programs that would appeal to other children. Crazy Games costs $25 for Royal Palm Beach residents and $35 for non-residents. That breaks down to $6.25 a session — less than the price of a movie ticket. Registration is available online with Royal Palm Beach Parks & Recreation Department (www.royal palmbeach.com), and forms will be given out on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. at Lindsay Ewing Park.
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SPORTS & RECREATION Basketball
Lady Wildcats
continued from page 43 do all right,” he said. “We need a little washing up on our help side. But the talent is there.” But, Emerson noted, the team still needs to be built up.
AYSO Welcomes VIP Players And Buddies To 2011 State Games
“I feel like some of the seniors should be playing at a higher level,” he said. “And for the freshmen, it’s their first year playing. They’ve got to get their confidence built up as well. But I think we’ll be all right going into the next season.” The Lady Wildcats lost to Santaluces High School 57-19 on Monday, Jan. 3.
PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER
Sherrelle Wood looks to pass.
Wildcat Chelsey Smith runs for the basket.
RPB’s P atricka Moreland prepares for a foul shot.
The American Youth Soccer Organization Section 14 will welcome VIPs and buddies to the 2011 State Games on Sunday, Jan. 16 from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Wellington Village Park (11700 Pierson Road, Wellington). VIPs (very important players) are those whose physical and mental disabilities make it difficult for them to successfully participate on mainstream teams. VIP teams can include those who are blind or visually impaired, have impaired mobility, are mentally or emotionally challenged, autistic, have Down syndrome or cerebral palsy. VIP allows the population with disabilities to have the benefit of sports participation in a supportive and fun environment. The players who need assistance are escorted on the fields by buddies. Buddies help guide the players on the field during the soccer
session. The AYSO needs the community’s help to make this event a huge success. This volunteer time can also serve as community service hours. All volunteers in the program increase their understanding of individuals with special needs and their lives are all greatly enriched. There is no charge for currently registered AYSO players. The cost is $12.75 if not currently registered. The fee includes T-shirt, trophy and lunch after the games. There is no charge for the buddies. The AYSO asks that attendees bring a dish, snacks or dessert to share with the players, buddies and their families. Drinks and hot dogs will be provided. For more information about the games, call VIP Administrator Rachel Forberger at (561) 762-9069 or e-mail rachforb@comcast.net.
Send sports news items to: The Town-Crier Newspaper, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Saturday, Jan. 8 • The Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Miracle League is joining forces with current and former Major League Baseball players and umpires in the inaugural Miracle League Golf Tournament to benefit retired MLB umpires. The event will be held Saturday, Jan. 8 at the Links at Madison Green (2001 Crestwood Blvd., Royal Palm Beach). The 8 a.m. shotgun start will be followed by a barbecue lunch and awards. The cost is $175 per player and $700 per foursome. RSVP to Jennifer Hernandez at (561) 784-5225, ext. 103. • The 10th annual Fords & Friends Meet hosted by Palm Beach Region 129 will be held Saturday, Jan. 8 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Holiday Inn on Lake Wor th Road at Florida’s Turnpike. The show is open to all flathead Fords, Lincolns and Mercurys. For more info., call Stacy or Dan at (561) 7129252 or e-mail horizon5@bellsouth.net. • Shred Fest 2011, a complimentary service provided by the Florida Society of Enrolled Agents, Palm Beach County Chapter, will take place Saturday, Jan. 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Palm Springs Baptist Church (3300 10th Ave. N., Palm Springs). For more info., visit www.fseaonline.org. • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will feature “Writing for Children & Teens” on Saturday, Jan. 8 at 10:30 a.m. Are you an adult who writes picture books, middle grade fiction or young adult fiction? This series is for beginning to intermediate writers wanting to improve their craft and learn about publication. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Grandma, I Met My ‘Bashert’: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Dating Online” on Saturday, Jan. 8 at 2:30 p.m. for adults. Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe returns for another hilarious look at pop culture. Call (561) 790-6070 to RSVP. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host its Chess Club on Saturday, Jan. 8 at 2:30 p.m. for age 8 and up. Chess fans unite to practice strategy skills. Basic game knowledge is required. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. Sunday, Jan. 9 • The 2011 High-Goal Polo Season continues on Sunday, Jan. 9 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (3667 120th Avenue South, Wellington). Call (561) 2045687 or visit www.internationalpoloclub. com for more info.
• Mounts Botanical Garden (531 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach) will host a Garden Digital Phot ography Workshop on Sundays, Jan. 9 and 23 from noon to 2 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 16 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the conference r oom. Expand digital photography skills with photojournalist John J. Lopinot. A digital, single-lens, reflex camera is required. The cost is $100 for members and $125 for non-members. For more info., call (561) 233-1757 or visit www.mounts.org. • The Society of the Four Arts (2 Four Arts Plaza, Palm Beach) will present the American Chamber Players on Sunday, Jan. 9 at 3 p.m. Call (561) 655-7226 or visit www. fourarts.org for more info. Monday, Jan. 10 • The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will host a luncheon Monday, Jan. 10 at 11:30 a.m. at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Chamber officials will update members on the work of the Economic Development Task Force. Call (561) 790-6200 to RSVP. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “School Sleuths” on Monday, Jan. 10 at 4 p.m. for ages 9 to 12. Play the note-passing game and help solve the mystery of who’s been sending the leader of the spirit squad threatening messages. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. • The Lifelong Learning Socie ty will present Aaron Kula and the Klezmer Company Orchestra on Monday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. at Florida Atlantic University’s John D. MacArthur Campus (5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter). Call (561) 799-8667 or visit www.lls jupiter.com for more info. • The Palm Beach County Homeschoolers Co-op Drama Club will perform Pat Lydersen’s musical Adventures of a Comic Book Artist on Monday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Lake Wor th Playhouse (713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth). General admission tickets are $5 per person and are available by contacting Melissa Moore at missym4@ bellsouth.net. Seating begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11 • Palm Beach Photographic Centre (415 Clematis St., West Palm Beach) will host the 16th Annual FOTOfusion Jan. 11-15. For more info., call (561) 253-2600 or visit www.fotofusion.org. • Maltz Jupiter Theatre (1001 E. Indiantown Road, Jupiter) will present The Sound of Music Jan. 11-30. Call (561) 743-2666 or visit www.jupitertheatre.org. See CALENDAR, page 49
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR CALENDAR, continued from page 48 • The Royal Palm Beach Sharon Club of Na’Amat USA will meet Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 11:30 a.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). The guest speaker will be RPB Village Engineer Chris Marsh, project manager of Royal Palm Beach Commons Park. Light refreshments will be served. For more info., call Cecile Millman at (561) 795-5811. • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host the “Master the Art of Reading” book discussion series on Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. for adults. Barbara Harnick will lead a discussion of Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum. Sign up and check out the book. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register. • Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host “Block Party: JustWorld International” on Tuesday, Jan. 11 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Enjoy free samples around the store and your chance to vote for your favorite team. Each department will create a dish that represents one of the projects supported by JustWorld International. Call (561) 904-4000 for more info. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Meet the Author: Trish MacGregor” on Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m. for adults. Chat, ask questions and get the scoop on this local author’s latest thriller, Esperanza. A book signing will follow. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. • The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Palm Beach County will host a presentation Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m. by Jayne Chapman from Congressman Ted Deutch’s office on “What a Congressman Can Do for You.” The presentation will be held at the United Methodist Church of the Palm Beaches on Brandywine Road in West Palm Beach. For info., call (561) 588-3477. Wednesday, Jan. 12 • The 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival begins Wednesday, Jan. 12 and continues through April 3 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. More than $6 million in prize money will be awarded. Visit www.equestriansport.com or call (561) 793-5867 for more info. • Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host a “Stuff the Truck” food drive and Five-Percent Day on Wednesday, Jan. 12. Five percent of the day’s net sales and all donated non-perishable goods will go to Palm Beach Harvest, a community-based organization that collects and
transports donated food to nonprofit distribution centers throughout Palm Bach County. The food drive will take place from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the parking lot. Call (561) 9044000 for more info. Thursday, Jan. 13 • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Animal Friends” stor y time on Thursday, Jan. 13 at 3:30 p.m. for ages 4 to 6. Listen to stories about wild animals and make a craft. Call (561) 7906030 to pre-register. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host a Teen Advisory Group meeting Thursday, Jan. 13 at 6:30 p.m. for ages 12 to 17. Snacks will be provided. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. • Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will feature a “Gluten-Free Cooking” class Thursday, Jan. 13 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. There is no charge. Call (561) 9044000 for more info. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will offer “Anime Grab Bag” on Thursday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. for ages 12 to 17. View new Anime titles from the grab bag. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. Friday, Jan. 14 • The 2011 South Florida Fair will take place Jan. 14-30 at the South Florida Fairgrounds (9067 Southern Blvd.). For more info., call (561) 793-0333 or visit www. southfloridafair.com. • Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will offer “Mom’s Morning Escape” on Friday, Jan. 14 from 9 to 11 a.m. Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register. • Bella Luna Cirque will take place Friday, Jan. 14 at 1 p.m. at the South Florida Expo Center (9067 Southern Blvd.). Visit www.southfloridafair.com for more info. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “April Armstrong: Celebrating the Dream” on Friday, Jan. 14 at 3:30 p.m. for all ages. In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., storyteller April Armstrong will tell stories of hope, strength and courage. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. • The Duncan Theatre at Palm Beach State College (4200 S. Congress Ave., Lake Worth) will present Noche Flamenca Friday and Saturday, Jan. 14 and 15. Call (561) 868-3309 or visit www.duncantheatre.org for more info. Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 793-6090. Email: news@gotowncrier.com.
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DENTAL ASSISTANT - Wellington upscale dental office, 2 Saturdays per month a requirement, must have experience and expanded duties certificate, excellent pay and benefits. Please call 561 204 4494 and fax resume to 561 204 2840. DENTAL OFFICE ASSISTANT MANAGER — Minimum two years dental experience, two Saturdays per month required, must have knowledge of PPO dent al insurance, breakdowns and verification. Excellent pay and benefits. Please call 561 204 4494 and fax resume to 561 204 2840. NAIL TECH WITH EXPERIENCE — must do acrylic, to take over full clientele F/T and P/T. Hair Stylist with experience. Must be professional and creative F/T. 561-7905777 EXPERIENCED CONCRETE FORM CARPENTER - Must be local, have ss card, drivers license and own vehicle. Call Earl 561-3295822 or 561-790-0178. CHRISTY’S BAKERY NEEDS — Full time counter help. 2 shifts 5:30am - 1:30 pm and 1:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Drop of resume. The Pointe@Wellington Green. 10160 Forest Hilll Blvd. PART TIME SECRETARY — 20 flexible hours, mornings and or afternoons. Send resume to pastorweiss@bellsouth.net (St. Michael Luthern Church) DRIVERS WANTED FULL TIME/ PART TIME —for Wellington Town Car/Wellington Cab. Retirees welcome. Call 561-333-0181 HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER opening in Wellington needs CERTIFIED PART TIME TEACHERS new and experienced elementary & secondary teachers wanted to instruct K-12 in Reading, Math, SAT/ACT Exam Prep. No lesson plans or homework, paid training and flexible hours. Please e-mail resume to marlenegiraud@wellington.com or call 561-594-1920 and leave a message TEACHERS/TUTORS P/T SAT - ACT - PREP/MATH Flexible Hrs. Great Pay. PB County Area Experience required Fax: 828-8128 E-mail tutorking@wpb3331980.com GROUNDSKEEPER — Experience required. Full time. Apply in person at the Royal Inn. 675 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. corner of Southern Blvd. Royal Palm Beach.
HAY FOR SALE - Orchard Grass delicious and yummy bales. Cash & Carry . Good Earth Farm in Loxahatchee 561-792-2666 COLLECTIBLE T OY FIRE TRUCK — Rossmoyne-Charles WilliamsDOEPKS-Mfg. Company Model Toys - American France ALFCORossmoyne,Ohio 1-509-863-3173 Loxahatchee, FL
PLACE YOUR AD HERE CALL 793-3576
T OWNHOME FOR RENT —2/2 2 car garage. Lakefront seasonal or annual lease. No Pets 561-6442019
3 BED, 2 BATH — 1,104 sq. ft. 1.14 acres of fered at $89,000 OBO. Seller financing available. 17845 38 Lane N. Call 954-561-2600 1.55 ACRE LOT — 2 story barn, with lof t horse stall, garage, water, electric, phone, $55,000. Call 561572-1782
ESTATE SALE - ACREAGE/LOX —This Saturday Jan. 8th 5 piece bedroom set, 4 piece couch/ sleeper, pair marble top tables w/ adjustable legs, pair slab wood end tables, pair bookcases, 3 single drawer file cabinets/wood, with matching desk, Zenith Stereo, large pictures & more. (off of Banyan & 72nd Rd. N) 16475 72nd Rd. N
DIABETIC TEST STRIPS — I buy your sealed, unexpired boxes. Call Mike (561) 463-3876
IN NEED OF A HOUSEKEEPER? — Over 10 years experience for private home in Palm Beach. Excellent references. Please call Amy at 561-371-6367
SCOTTISIMO: Pro Ring & Tournament player accepting stakers Email:Scottisimo@hotmail.com
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JOHN C. HUNTON AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION, INC.—Service & new installation FPL independent participating contractor. Lic. CAC 057272 Ins. "We are proud supporters of the Seminole Ridge Hawks" 561-798-3225. Family Owned & Operated since 1996. Credit Cards Accepted
JJJ AUTOMOTIVE,INC. — we’re looking out for you! John Lawson. 561-204-2855 600 Royal Palm Commerce Rd. Suite E, RPB. Lic. #MV52657
HOUSECLEANING — 20 yrs experience. Excellent local references. Shopping available. 561-572-1782
MOBILE-TEC ON-SITE COMPUTER SERVICE — The computer experts that come to you! Hardware/ Software setup, support &troubleshooting w w w.mobiletec.ne t. 561-248-2611 D.J. COMPUTER — Home & office, Spyware removal, websites, networks, repairs, upgrades, virus removal, tutoring. Call Jeff 561-3339433 or Cell 561-252-1186 Lic’d Well. & Palm Beach We accept major credit cards.
DRIVEWAYS — Free estimates. A & M ASPHALT SEAL COATING commercial and residential. Patching potholes, striping, repair existing asphalt & save money all work guaranteed. Lic.& Ins. 100045062 561-667-7716
THE MASTER HANDYMAN — All Types of Home Repairs & Improvements. No job too big or small done right the first time every time 40 yrs of satisfied customers. See me on Angies List. Tom (561) 801-2010 or (954) 444-3178 Serving Palm Beach and Broward Counties. BILLY’S HOME REPAIRS, INC. REMODEL & REPAIRS — Interior Trim, crown molding, rotttenwood repair, door installation, minor drywall,kitchens/cabinets/ countertops,wood flooring. Bonded and Insured U#19699. Call 791-9900 or 628-9215
TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS 793-3576 ANMAR CO.—James’ All Around Handyman Service. Excellent craftman Old time values. Once you’ve had me! You’ll have me back! Lic. Ins. Certified Residential Contractor CRC 1327426 561-248-8528
HOME INSPECTIONS — Mold inpections, air quality testing, US Building Inspectors mention this ad $20.00 Off. 561-784-8811 HURRICANE SHUTTERS P&M CONTRACT ORS — ACCORDION SHUTTERS Gutters, screen enclosures, siding, soffits, aluminum roofs, Serving the Western Communities. Since 1985. U-17189 561-791-9777
BOB CAVANAGH ALLSTATE INSURANCE Auto • Home • Life • Renters • Motorcycle • RV • Golfcart • Boat Serving the Western Communities for 24 years Call for a quote 798-3056, or visit our website. www.allstateagencies.com/ rCavanagh
GREENTEAM LANDSCAPING — We make your grass look greener than the other side Call now 561337-0658. www.greenteamllc.com TNT LAWN CARE - Quality Work & Dependable Service. In Business Since 1989 Monthly Lawn service, yard clean-up & mulching. Expert hedge & tree trimming. 561-6448683
MOLD & MILDEW INSPECTIONS Air Quality Testing, leak detection. US building inspectors, mention this ad for discount. 561-784-8811.
RJA PAINTING & DECORATING, INC. — Interior, Exterior, Faux Finish, Residential,Commercial.Lic. #U17536 Rocky Armento, Jr. 561793-5455 561-662-7102 J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established in 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential. Interior & Exterior painting. Lic. #U21552 Call Butch 309-6975 JOHN PERGOLIZZI PAINTING INC. — Interior/Exterior - Repaint specialist, pressure cleaning, popcorn ceiling, drywall repair & roof painting. Family owned/owner operator. Free Est. 798-4964 Lic. #U18473 COLORS BY CORO, INC. — Interior/Exterior, residential painting, over 20 yrs exp. Small Jobs welcome. Free est. Ins. 561-383-8666. Owner/Operated. Lic.# U20627 Ins. Wellington Resident
TSR PEST MANAGEMENT — Total Pest Solutions – 25 years experience. Professional Guaranteed Service for less than $25 per month. (Average Size home) Call for details. 561-324-2557
JEREMY JAMES PLUMBING - Licensed plumber, legitimate estimate. Water heaters, new construction. CFC1426242. Bonded and Insured. CFC1426242. 561-601-6458
ELITE POOL SERVICE — You dealt with the rest now deal with the best.” All maintenance & repairs, salt chlorinators, heaters, leak detection. 561-791-5073
J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established in 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential. Interior & Exterior painting. Lic. #U21552 Call Butch 309-6975
MINOR ROOF REPAIRS — Roof p a i n t i n g . C a r p e n t r y. L i c . #U13677.967-5580. HORIZON ROOFING QUALITY WORK & SERVICE — Free estimates, No Deposits. Pay upon completion, res/comm.reroofing, repairs, credit cards accepted. 561-842-6120 or 561-784-8072 Lic.#CCC1328598 ROBERT G. HARTMANN ROOFING — Specializing in rep airs. Free estimates, Bonded,insured. Lic. #CCC 058317 Ph: 561-790-0763. ROOFING REPAIRS REROOFING ALL TYPES — Pinewood Construction, Inc. Honest and reliable. Serving Palm Beach County for over 20 years. Call Mike 561-3090134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC023773 RC-0067207 ROBERT CHERRY ROOFING INC Reroofing - Repair - Waterproofing 561-791-2612 or 954-741-4580 State Lic.& Ins. #CCC-1326048
SECURITY — American owned local security company in business 30 plus years. Protection by officers drug tested. 40 hour course. Licensed & Insured. 561-848-2600
TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS 793-3576 JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio rescreening. Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed! CRC1329708 call us 798-3132. www.poolscreenrepair.com
ACCORDION SHUTTERS — Gutters, screen enclosures, siding, soffits, aluminum roofs, Serving the Western Communities. Since 1985. U-17189 561-791-9777
AQUATIC SPRINKLER, LLC — Complete repair of all types of systems. Owner Operated. Michael 561-964-6004Lic.#U17871 Bonded & Ins. Serving the Western Communities Since 1990
SPECIALIZING IN BATHROOM REMODELING — Free estimates serving South Florida since 1980. Quality you expect, service you deserve. License, bonded and insured. U21006 561-662-9258
ClubZ! In-Home
TUTORING All Subject s: PreK- Adult 561 •333 •1980 CLUBZ.COM America’s Largest In-HomeTutoring Co.
PAPERHANGING BY DEBI — Professional Installation,Removal. Repair of Paper. Neat, Clean & Reliable. Quality work with a woman's touch. 30 years experience. No Job too big or too small. Lic. & Ins. References available. 561-795-5263
WE DO WINDOWS — 20 years professional window cleaning. Residential/Commercial references available. Lic. & Ins. 561-313-7098
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2008 BMW 3 Series 328i — Exterior: T itanium Silver Metallic Interior: Other Drivetrain: 6 cylinder Automatic Model Code: 0845 / Stock: 11GC7134A 45,649 mi. $22,409 Internet Price 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser Limited — Exterior: Beige Interior: Other Drivetrain: 4 cylinder Automatic Model Code: PTCS44 / Stock: 11GC7427A 52,256 mi. $7,895 Internet Price 2008 Chrysler Town & Country Touring — Exterior: Light Sandstone Metallic Interior: Pebble Beige/Cream Drivetrain: 6 cylinder Automatic Model Code: RTYP53 / Stock: P2673 30,715 mi. $19,225 Internet Price 2005 Dodge Caravan SXT — Exterior: Black Interior: Other Drivetrain: 6 cylinder Automatic Model Code: RSKH53 / Stock: 10SF5438B 78,948 mi. $8,215 Internet Price 2008 Honda Accord Sdn 2.4 LX— Exterior: Gray Interior: Other Drivetrain: 4 cylinder Automatic Model Code: CP2638EW / Stock: 11S9036A 24,038 mi. $16,678 Internet Price 2009 Honda Accord Sdn EX-L — Exterior: Basque Red Pearl Interior: Ivory Drivetrain: 4 cylinder Automatic Stock: P2665A $22,985 Internet Price 2008 Honda Civic Sdn LX — Exterior: Gray Interior: Other Drivetrain: 4 cylinder Automatic Model Code: FA1658EW / Stock: 11S8940A 28,234 mi. $16,349 Internet Price
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2008 Honda Odyssey Touring — w/ RES/ Navigation Exterior: Taffeta White Interior: Other Drivetrain: 6 cylinder Automatic Model Code: RL3888KW / Stock: 10G4618A 47,163 mi. $26,958 Internet Price 2010 Hyundai Accent GLS — Exterior: Gray Interior: Other Drivetrain: 4 cylinder Manual Stock: 11T1362A 7,183 mi. $12,455 Internet Price 2005 Hyundai Elantra — Exterior: Red Interior: Other Drivetrain: 4 cylinder Automatic Stock: 10E9727A51,038 mi. $7,985 Internet Price
2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited X — Exterior: Green Interior: Other Drivetrain: 6 cylinder Automatic Model Code: JKJM74 / Stock: 11S0695A 40,731 mi. $23,019 Internet Price 2000 Lexus LS 400 — Exterior: Silver Interior: Other Drivetrain: 8 cylinder Automatic Model Code: 9100 / Stock: 11G4544B 54,664 mi. $14,523 Internet Price 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 — Exterior: White Interior: Other Drivetrain: 4 cylinder Automatic Stock: 11T4251A 1 1,386 mi. $19,658 Internet Price
2009 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 — Exterior: Black Interior: Other Drivetrain: 6 cylinder Automatic Model Code: B0422 / Stock: 10G6166A 22,415 mi. $28,956 Internet Price 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 — Exterior: Blue Interior: Other Drivetrain: 6 cylinder Automatic Stock: 10G8527A 20,915 mi. $25,986 Internet Price
2003 Mercury Grand Marquis LS — Exterior: Gold Interior: Other Drivetrain: 8 cylinder Automatic Model Code: M75 / Stock: 11G3763B 77,455 mi. $6,325 Internet Price 2004 Saturn Ion 2 — Exterior: Blue Interior: Other Drivetrain: Automatic Model Code: ZAJ69 / Stock: 11S9484B 60,578 mi. $7,865 Internet Price 2005 Scion tC BASE — Exterior: Maroon Interior: Other Drivetrain: 4 cylinder Manual Stock: 10SF2780A 101,443 mi. $6,995 Internet Price
2002 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS — Exterior: Black Interior: Other Drivetrain: 6 cylinder Automatic Model Code: 60552 / Stock: 11S0482A 69,311 mi. $6,985 Internet Price 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS — Exterior: Silver Interior: Other Drivetrain: 6 cylinder Automatic Stock: 11T8068A 53,431 mi. $14,256 Internet Price 2007 Hyundai Sonata GLS — Exterior: Blue Interior: Other Drivetrain: 4 cylinder Automatic Stock: 11S4001B 67,045 mi. $9,883 Internet Price
2004 Volvo C70 LPT — Exterior: Gray Interior: Other Drivetrain: 5 cylinder Automatic Model Code: C70LTACV / S tock: 11S3630A 58,730 mi. $12,991 Internet Price SELL YOUR AUTOMOBILE HERE CALL 793-3576 TODAY TO PLACEYOUR AD
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