January 8 - March 29, 2015
The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center 13500 South Shore Blvd. | Wellington, FL 33414 www.globaldressagefestival.com | 561.793.5867
D L O S
12290 SUNNYDALE DRIVE - Wellington, Florida 4 Beds | 4 Baths | 2 Half Baths This most impeccable estate can be best described as fresh and clean. The home enjoys southern exposure and gorgeous views of the lake and Cypress Golf course. With sunshine all day, this pristine property is a home built for relaxing and entertaining. The back yard includes an oversized screened in patio with a built-in BBQ and cabana bath, lush landscaping, upgraded exterior lighting, and a pool with spa- it’s the perfect place to call home seasonally or annually. Along with top of the line finishes, nothing has been overlooked in this home; details include: impact glass, abundant storage, and a stateof-the-art security system. This two story home with four bedrooms, four full bathrooms, and two half-bathrooms has been professionally decorated with exquisite touches
Visse Wedell • Phone: +1-561-972-1177 • visse.wedell@elliman.com 340 Royal Poinciana Way • Palm Beach, Florida
THE TEAM
Legacy Farms ofJupiter from
legacyfarmsofjupiter.com Juan Matute – Trainer Wellington, Florida 561.779.4814
The mystery of the horse is always unfolding. Deep within his soul a partnership emerges. Moment by moment, bonds between human and horse are forged. The intensity is forever.
Paula Matute riding Legacy’s Ambicioso, owned by Legacy Farms of Jupiter Photos by Maria Guimon
At www.italian-rose.com we proudly show you America’s top-selling fresh salsas, spreads and savory dips. World-class grilling and barbecue starts any time you bring www.sportsmansgold.com
Remember the Pony You Wanted for Christmas? LILA PHOTO
Surprise everyone on your gift list with a polo pony experience at the International Polo Club. The high-goal action returns January 4 and runs through April 19. Every Sunday at 3 p.m. Seating choices range from lawn seats to field-side polo and brunch. Tickets start at just $10.
For ticket options, please visit InternationalPoloClub.com or call 561.204.5687.
3667 120th Avenue South Wellington, Florida 33414
tear it. break it. overwork it.
WE CAN FIX IT.
Palm Beach OrthOPaedic institute 4215 Burns Rd #100, PBG 33410 2055 Military Tr #200, JUP 33458
561.694.7776 www.pboi.com
1411 Flagler Dr #9800, WPB 33401 10111 Forest Hill Blvd #231, WEL 33414
“Join us! We’d love you to be a part of our family.”
Photography by LILA PHOTO
– Justin Thompson, General Manager, The Wanderers Club, with his family.
Dues-Only Membership – No Initiation Fee Required Full Golf or Social Memberships Available Traditional golf with no tee times, tennis, and fitness Casual dining at The Duke’s Bar, Veranda, and poolside • Fine dining at Stables Restaurant A junior Olympic-size pool, kiddie pool, and play area • Year-round social calendar and child-friendly programs The Wanderers Club is Wellington’s family-friendly, private country club. For membership information, please call 561.795.3501. membership@wanderersclubwellington.com • wanderersclubwellington.com 1900 Aero Club Drive • Wellington, FL 33414 Dues-Only Membership may be recalled once the Club Membership reaches its full complement, beginning with the last in, unless the then established membership deposit is paid. All memberships are prorated as of initiation date.
Wellington Publix Courtyard 561-753-7937
Royal Palm Beach Costco Shopping Center 561-784-5220 vandell.com
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The Center for Bone and Joint Surgery offers leading orthopaedic care with specialties in total joint replacement, sports medicine, neck and back, shoulder, elbow, hand, foot and ankle, general orthopaedics, broken bones, trauma and reconstructive surgeries. On-site Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Aqua Therapy, X-Ray/MRI, EMG/NCS, Bracing, Casting and Wound Care. Offices in Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Belle Glade, Boynton Beach, and Jupiter.
561-798-6600 www.boneandjoint.org
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December 2014 |wellington the magazine| 10th Anniversary
contents 34
December 2014
Features
VOLUNTEERS BRING WELLINGTON HOLIDAY PARADE TO LIFE On Sunday, Dec. 14, the Wellington Holiday Parade will step off from the original Wellington Mall and head down Forest Hill Blvd. toward the Wellington Community Center, just as it has for 30 years. It’s a massive undertaking brought to the community by dozens of dedicated volunteers. By Deborah Welky
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JORDAN GARNETT HOPES TO STRIKE IT BIG IN COMEDY
47
RESCUED PUP LUKE BECOMES AN INSPIRATION TO OTHERS
53
WELLINGTON BUSINESS ICON THE TACKERIA TURNS 40
70
OLIVIA BURNS NAMED ‘WELLINGTON’S NEXT TOP MODEL’
84
WELLINGTON HERO: COMMUNITY ACTIVIST MARK HILTON
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Back in April, Jordan Garnett took the leap toward pursuing what he believes is his real muse. “I’m going to be a stand-up comedian!” he told his parents. To them, it might have sounded a lot like, “I’m going to be a starving artist!” By Chris Felker Luke is one lucky dog. He and his siblings — just six weeks old — were abandoned on the side of a road in northern Florida. Picked up by animal control, they ended up at Big Dog Ranch Rescue, and Luke started on a journey that would eventually lead him to a Palm Beach jewelry store. By Julie Unger Back in the 1970s, Tony Coppola thought it might be a good idea to start a tack business in the fledgling Wellington community. He started out in a trailer, and 40 years later, Coppola’s huge equestrian emporium is still going strong. By Carrie Wirth
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Wellington’s Next Top Model Olivia Burns stars in this month’s holiday-themed fashion pictorial featuring dresses provided by Iva Ivanova of La Casa Hermosa, hair and makeup by Claudia and Monica Diesti, and professional fashion photography by Abner Pedraza. We conclude our Wellington Hero series with a profile of community activist Mark Hilton, one of the key people working to improve the image of Wellington’s Folkestone/ Yarmouth neighborhood. By Deborah Welky
Departments 20 22 24 26 28
WELLINGTON SOCIAL SCENE Wellington Commemorates Vets Day With Ceremony And Parade Pink Fling At Palms West Hospital Honors Breast Cancer Survivors Young Professionals Host Popular Wicked At The Wanderers Event Fly-In Day Brings All Manner Of Aircraft To Wellington’s Aero Club Princess & Pirate Ball At IPC Raises Money To Help Kids In Need
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WELLINGTON HOME
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WELLINGTON TABLE
81 83 98 101 106
Wellington Home visits a breathtaking villa nestled in a lakeview cul-de-sac in Palm Beach Polo & Country Club’s Las Casitas neighborhood. With an open floor plan and a bright and airy feel, the villa features two bedrooms and two baths, an in-ground hot tub, a covered patio and more. By Julie Unger Keke’s Breakfast Café, an all-Florida franchise based in Orlando, opened its 10th location recently in the Pointe at Wellington Green, featuring a tantalizing lineup of interesting takeoffs on breakfast classics and a lunch menu that is every bit as enticing. The extensive menu offers something for every palate. By Chris Felker
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WELLINGTON REAL ESTATE WELLINGTON HEALTH WELLINGTON DINING GUIDE WELLINGTON CALENDAR AROUND WELLINGTON
ON THE COVER Wellington’s Next Top Model winner Olivia Burns felt fun and fanciful in this in-house La Casa Hermosa design favorite. The gown, with a full-feathered skirt, comes in the color of your choice. Dress and styling by Iva Ivanova of La Casa Hermosa. Hair by Claudia Diesti; makeup by Monica Dietsi. FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY BY ABNER PEDRAZA
10th Anniversary |wellington the magazine| December 2014
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publisher’s message
Wellington THE MAGAZINE
volume 11, number 12 December 2014
executive editor
Joshua I. Manning
publisher
Dawn Rivera
artistic director
Suzanne Summa
account managers
Betty Buglio Evie Edwards Wanda Glockson
bookkeeping
Jacqueline Corrado Carol Lieberman
photography
Alan Fabricant Abner Pedraza Gregory Ratner
contributors
Matthew Auerbach Kendall Bierer Ron Bukley Chris Felker Denise Fleischman Lauren Miró Julie Unger Deborah Welky Carrie Wirth Wellington The Magazine 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31 Wellington, FL 33414 Phone: (561) 793-7606 Fax: (561) 793-1470 www.WellingtonTheMagazine.com
published by
Wellington The Magazine, LLC
chairman/ceo
Barry S. Manning
vice president
Maureen Budjinski Wellington The Magazine is published monthly in Wellington, Florida. Copyright 2014, all rights reserved by Wellington The Magazine, LLC. Contents may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising. The publisher accepts no responsibility for advertisement errors beyond the cost of the portion of the advertisement occupied by the error within the advertisement itself. The publisher accepts no responsibility for submitted materials. All submitted materials subject to editing.
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Happy Holiday Wishes To All Of Our Readers! As we celebrate the holiday season in Wellington, we are thrilled to announce the winner of our popular “Wellington’s Next Top Model” contest, Olivia Burns. Stunning on the front cover of our holiday issue during her first print modeling gig, Olivia took to the camera like a pro. Many thanks to all of the nominees for joining us on this incredible journey. Special thanks as well to all of the hair and makeup industry professionals, clothing retailers and, of course, our fashion photographer Abner Pedraza for stunning portraits of these amazing young ladies. I would also like to thank all of the voters — wow, people were passionate about their favorites! We kick off the holiday season with a peek behind the scenes at the people behind the long-running Wellington Holiday Parade, produced by the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce and made possible by dozens of volunteers and sponsors. Join thousands of your neighbors on Dec. 14 and come out to Forest Hill Blvd. as float after float passes, putting smiles on faces. The Tackeria, one of Wellington’s oldest businesses, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and we take a look back with owner Tony Coppola. Also in this issue, we meet lucky rescued pup Luke. He and his siblings were left for dead, abandoned on the side of a road. Picked up by animal control, they ended up at Big Dog Ranch Rescue, and Luke started on a journey that would eventually lead him to a Palm Beach jewelry store and literary stardom. Wellington resident Dan Carr has worked at the forefront of the equestrian footing industry for more than 18 years. This month, learn why his company WestWind Surfaces stands out. Meanwhile, JustWorld International is gearing up for its annual gala, set for Jan. 16 in Wellington. On a lighter note, we recently popped into Aroma Hookah Lounge to catch a show by local comedian Jordan Garnett. Profiled this issue, Garnett hopes to strike it big in comedy. Also this issue, we wrap up our Wellington Hero series with a profile of community activist Mark Hilton, who works every day to make his neighborhood a better place. Wellington Health profiles Dr. Steven Crane of Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, while Wellington Real Estate features Jason Uhley of Tiffany Realty, who is continuing his family’s longstanding real estate legacy. Wellington Table stops by the new Keke’s Breakfast Café, which offers enticing menu options for breakfast and lunch, and Wellington Home visits a bright and airy villa in Palm Beach Polo’s Las Casitas neighborhood. As 2014 draws to a close, our wish is that all our readers find peace and happiness this holiday season. See you in 2015!
Dawn Rivera Dawn Rivera, Publisher
December 2014 |wellington the magazine| 10th Anniversary fi
Our wish is that all our readers find peace and happiness this holiday season!
MA RTHA W. JOLICOEUR Farms & Estates | Wellington, Florida
LAS PALMAS
$9,990,000
GRAND PRIX FARMS
$4,450,000
NEW L ISTING - CU STO M BU ILT Private equestrian estate on 24+ acres. 6 bedroom pool home with 2 barns totaling 20 stalls, numerous staff quarters, fabulous all-weather trail surrounding large pond.
AT THE EQUESTR IAN C LUB Spectacular 18 stall equestrian facility on 4.1 acres. Adjacent to the International Polo Club. More lots available or will build to suit.
MALLET HILL
PALM BEACH POINT
$9,900,000
E L ITE EQUESTRIA N N E IGHBO RHO O D 5+ acre farm next to the horse show. 18 stall barn, 5 bedroom, 5 bath pool home plus 2 bedroom guest house.
$3,900,000
RAR E FIND ON 10+ AC R ES Beautiful center aisle stable overlooks large Grand Prix field, scenic pond, and spacious paddocks. 3 bedroom, 2 bath managers quarters plus staff apartment.
PALM BEACH POLO
$3,450,000
130 TH AVENUE
$11,000,000
PRESTIG IOUS KENSINGTO N ESTATES Sunset and golf course views from this elegant and spacious courtyard pool home with a total of 5 bedrooms and 5.5 baths, including guest cottage.
FUR NISHED EQUESTR IAN ESTATE 10 acre farm with beautiful 12 stall center aisle barn and new 3 stall barn with tack room. Fully renovated and stunning smart home with 5 bedrooms.
PALM BEACH POLO
PALM BEACH POLO
$415,000
227 2 LAS CASITAS Adorable 3 bedroom 2 bath Las Casitas villa with pool and jacuzzi with close access to all the amenities the club has to offer. The large pool area is perfect for relaxing after a long day at the horse show.
$499,000
2856 WIND ING OAK LANE UNIT C Spacious Oak Tree villa with 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, and high ceilings. Enjoy the golf course views from your large screened porch!
MARTHA W. JOLICOEUR
M A R T H A S P R O P E R T I E S .C O M
cell: (561) 797-8040 office: (561) 793-2300 martha@marthasproperties.com
wellington social scene Photos by Julie Unger Wellington Commemorates Vets Day With Ceremony And Parade
(Left to right) Many local veterans came out to participate in the observance; American Legion Chris Reyka Memorial Post 390 was well represented in the parade; and Councilwoman Anne Gerwig helps lay the Navy wreath.
On Tuesday, Nov. 11, the Village of Wellington held its annual Veterans Day Parade & Ceremony. The parade marched down Forest Hill Blvd. to the Wellington Veterans Memorial, where local service members were honored in a ceremony. Many residents came out to pay their respects.
(Left to right) The Palm Beach County Professional Firefighters Pipes & Drums march in the parade; Mayor Bob Margolis addresses the gathering; Tom and Regis Wenham join Al Ziker to lay the Air Force wreath; Rev. Terry Townsend of First Baptist Church at the podium; and a number of Boy Scout, Cub Scout and Girl Scout groups were on hand for the ceremony.
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December 2014 |wellington the magazine| 10th Anniversary
wellington social scene Photos by Julie Unger Pink Fling At Palms West Hospital Honors Breast Cancer Survivors
(Left to right) Members of Your Bosom Buddies II breast cancer support group; Gloria Gould, Dr. James Goad, Donna Gray, Lorna Johnson and Thelma Johnstone; and Palms West Hospital CEO Eric Goldman and Chief Operating Officer Madeline Nava.
Palms West Hospital marked Breast Cancer Awareness Month with its Pink Fling on Wednesday, Oct. 29. The event, held at the Palms West Breast Center, honored those affected by breast cancer with manicures, makeovers, massages, snacks, special treats and more. Learn more about special events at the hospital by visiting www. palmswesthospital.com.
(Left to right) Richard Cioffoletti, Amy Aquino and Art Barry at the pink pumper; Nicole Ngun from Tipsy and Tee Franzoso of Your Bosom Buddies II; Colleen Campbell, Deborah Stevens, Tammy Mosley, Cambria LaGrange and Doris Silva of Palms West Hospital; Ben, Colleen and Kyle Campbell show their support; and Palms West Hospital’s Madeline Nava, Lola Cariello and Heidi Weiser.
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December 2014 |wellington the magazine| 10th Anniversary
10th Anniversary |wellington the magazine| December 2014
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wellington social scene Photos by Denise Fleischman Young Professionals Host Popular Wicked At The Wanderers Event
(Left to right) Traci Goldberg, Gemma Ford, Lisa and Tracy Ciucci, and Jeremy Metternich; Joe and Ashley Maguire; and Len Martling, Julie Jensen, and Dennis and Maureen Witkowski.
The Young Professionals of Wellington presented Wicked at the Wanderers on Saturday, Nov. 1. The evening was a costume and casino party to benefit Horses Healing Hearts. The event raised $16,000 for the local nonprofit. At the event, the group also awarded its Community Impact Award to Juan Gando, owner of the Grille, Oli’s and the Seahorse. For more info., visit www.ypwellington.com.
(Left to right) Wellington Councilwoman Anne and Alan Gerwig; Young Professionals of Wellington President Kevin Shapiro; rabbit in the hat David Scheider with magician Janna Schneider; Paulina and Juan Gando with the Community Impact Award; and Melody and Alec Domb.
Complete Equestrian Shop | Polo Outfitters since 1975
Tack, Riding Apparel and so much more!
Mail orders welcome! 13501 South Shore Boulevard, Suite 107 24
December 2014 |wellington the magazine| 10th Anniversary
561.793.2012 | www.tackeria.com |
Wellington, FL 33414
|
fax: 561.795.0691
|
info@tackeria.com
wellington social scene Photos by Julie Unger Fly-In Day Brings All Manner Of Aircraft To Wellington’s Aero Club
(Left) AOPA President Mark Baker with Larry Smith. (Right) Flight medic Wayne Gordon, St. Mary’s Medical Center trauma surgeon Dr. Michael West, Wellington Mayor Bob Margolis and his wife Linda, Health Care District pilot Shaul Fuchsman, and Trauma Hawk flight nurse Bill Crafa.
Wellington’s Aero Club welcomed Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association President Mark Baker during the community’s annual fly-in event Saturday, Oct. 25. There was lunch, flying activities, aircraft on display and entertainment for the residents of the private aviation community that has been in Wellington for more than 30 years. For more info., visit www.wellingtonaeroclub.com.
(Left to right) Marc Rodstein (center) presents a check to AOPA President Mark Baker and Vice President Stephanie Kenyon; Cassidy Daiagi, Taber Hyde and Steven Daiagi take a seat in one of the planes; Alan and Wellington Councilwoman Anne Gerwig with one of the classic planes on display; Paul Loschiavo flew in with his Pipistrel motor glider; and Diego and Alvaro Ledezma check out the aircraft.
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We’re ready to inspire your next holiday look!
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561.793.9960
Stylists/Colorists: Ashley Miller & Alfredo Van Deventer Estehetician: Michal Milstein Threader: Vivian Garakani Permanent Make-Up Maria Plesca
Located in the heart of Wellington at the Shoppes at Chancellor Plaza
Meet Our Talented Staff
www.EdmundJamesSalon.com 26
December 2014 |wellington the magazine| 10th Anniversary
PEDIATRIC CARE SHOULD BE KID-SIZED. The ONLY pediatric hospital in the Western Communities. During the busy holiday season, the unexpected can happen. And when you need the expertise of pediatric specialists in a child-friendly environment, we are here. You want the best possible care for your family, and Palms West provides the peace of mind you need and the care you deserve. Have a health question? Call our around-the-clock Registered Nurses at 561.345.7009. Or for more information, visit PalmsWestHospital.com.
13001 Southern Blvd. • Loxahatchee, FL 33470 • 561.798.3300
wellington social scene Photos by Julie Unger Princess & Pirate Ball At IPC Raises Money To Help Kids In Need
(Left to right) Richard Roberson, Pheobe Denemberg, Alex Walczak, Alexia Letsche and Charlotte Faxon enjoy the cotton candy; Elizabeth, Amy and Emma Guerrieri; and pirates Jack Swan, Jack Freitas and Liam Miller.
The Center for Family Services’ Kids Helping Kids Committee hosted its annual Princess & Pirate Ball on Sunday, Nov. 16 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. With whimsical activities like a beauty bar to be made over into a princess or a pirate, face painting, swings, a castle and more, kids of all ages enjoyed getting together to support programs that help kids in need. For more information, visit www.ctrfam.org.
(Left to right) Kids Committee chairs Liana Stoll, Jake Apple and Ava Murray; Michael and Diana Perry with Caden, Carson and Kendal; Richard Hurtado, Sarah Rettker, Donna Mulholland and Peter Lansing; Kaylee Acospa, Juliette and Carolina Swan; and Shelley Fadida, Lidy Mata and Alexandra Osfalg of sponsor PNC Bank.
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December 2014 |wellington the magazine| 10th Anniversary
s p a
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The Team at Visions Salon is honored to have been voted by Wellington readers, Best in the West 2014! Visions is set in the heart of Wellington Florida, and boasts 2500 square feet of modern interior design. Clean lines, metals, dark woods, and pops of color illuminate this bustling New York Style Salon. Every stylist is passionate about their profession and passionate about transforming each client. The key is cultivating a culture of education within the staff which equips each stylist with the ability to execute each unique design with flawless technique and unbeatable precision and artistry.
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WE LLIN G TO N’ S L EADIN G C OL OR S ALON Thank you for making visionssalon BEST IN THE WEST
We Can Save A Child’s Life.
We are a lifeline when it comes to medical, dental and vision care for the uninsured working poor in Palm Beach County.
We save Palm Beach County taxpayers $5 million a year.
If you would like to give to Caridad, please contact Dollene Ewing, Director of Development, at 561-853-1638 or dewing@caridad.org
8645 W. Boynton Beach Blvd. Boynton Beach, FL 33472 561-853-1638 www.caridad.org 30
December 2014 |wellington the magazine| 10th Anniversary
We are staffed by more than 400 volunteer doctors, dentists and outreach professionals.
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Johnathon Connolly Photography
LILA PHOTO
Maria Baiz Photography
Emindee Images Photography
The Wanderers Club is the perfect setting for love.
Let us make your wedding unforgettable.
For a private consultation, contact Whitney Buchanan at 561.795.3501 or Whitney@WanderersClubWellington.com. WanderersClubWellington.com
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December 2014 |wellington the magazine| 10th Anniversary
The Wanderers Club Offers Elegant Weddings In A Refined Atmosphere The Wanderers Club, one of the region’s leading special event and wedding venues, offers bridal parties a private club experience with its stunning ballroom, tropical veranda, picturesque pool decks and endless golf course views. Located on Wellington’s Aero Club Drive, the Wanderers Club is known for its 18-hole par-72 golf course, along with an intimate polo field that attracts world-class players. With trees lining the course more than 7,000 yards away, the grounds provide a lush emerald green backdrop with a variety of pines, palms and ponds, sprinkled with bright plants that add a pop of color. With an impressive culinary team offering five-star dining, guests will be impressed with personally inspired creations by the club’s award-winning chef. Gourmet cuisine and artistic presentations captivate the eyes and the taste buds, as attendees soak in the
lush landscape and finely detailed interior. The Stables restaurant boasts a wine list topping more than 400 exquisite wines to pair with meals inspired by flavors from around the world. The intimate atmosphere at the Stables, or the club’s two bars, overlooking the pool or the driving range and polo field, offer beautiful settings for wedding activities. For parties preferring the great outdoors, casual receptions on the pool deck provide a beautiful backdrop for photography. The club’s elegant ballroom is wonderful for a more formal affair. Custom requests are always welcome, and the Wanderers Club can enhance any wedding with a wedding canopy, theatrical entertainment, floral and décor, music, lighting, photographers and videographers. For weddings with extra flair, fireworks are also an option, upping the wow factor
of the event. All styles of weddings are possible at the Wanderers Club, where the staff is committed to providing the ultimate atmosphere for an unforgettable dream wedding. To learn more about hosting wedding-related events at the Wanderers Club, call Whitney Buchanan at (561) 795-3501, ext. 206, or visit www.wanderersclubwellington.com. Photography – Emindee Images Photography
Décor and Styling – Kathy Tyrrell | Celebrations & Celebrations by Kathy • Floral – John Varvarigos | Wellington Florist Event Planning – Zoie Burgess | Memories for You Weddings & Events Cake – Ruthie Webster | Cakes by Ruthie • Bridal Gowns – Lenyce Boyd | Bacio Bacio • Hair – Taylor Anderson | Taylor Made Hair • Makeup – Robbin Junnola | Makeup & Hair • Suit and Accessories – Mr. Formal & Tuxedo Central
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(Inside the ornament) Images from the Wellington Holiday Parade through the years. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN OF WELLINGTON THE MAGAZINE AND KIMBERLY AND DAVID LELAND OF PRINT IT PLUS
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December 2014 |wellington the magazine| 10th Anniversary
(Right) The Parade Committee is made of up many community volunteers. PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER
Long-Running Volunteers Make The Wellington Holiday Parade A Reality By Deborah Welky
On Sunday, Dec. 14 at exactly 2:30 p.m., the Wellington Holiday Parade will step off from the original Wellington Mall and head down Forest Hill Blvd. toward the Wellington Community Center, just as it has for 30 years. Upward of 20,000 people will watch from the sidelines. Produced by the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce, the parade will feature locally sponsored floats, school bands, equestrian entries and talented children from throughout the area. The biggest parade in Palm Beach County, it is an “at-a-glance” definition of our community. But what a logistical challenge! So who first got it going, signed up participants and mustered volunteers? Who attracted the first corporate sponsors, engineered the route and closed the roads? The answers come back to one man: Dennis Witkowski. Back in 1983, Witkowski was running a little restaurant called Cobblestones in the Town Square shopping center. He had always enjoyed parades and wondered if such a thing could be re-created in his adopted hometown. So, working with the chamber, he put together a committee, and the parade was born. “In Year One, it was myself, Sharon
Edelman and Mark Miles,” Witkowski recalled. “I remember Mark fondly because he had a pickup truck, and I had him running around doing everything with that pickup. But our 31st parade will be run exactly the same as the first year — the staging area, the route, the place where it ends.” The Wellington parade is also one with a strict time schedule. “We are very meticulous,” Witkowski said. “The first unit steps out exactly at 2:30 p.m., and the parade takes two hours from start to completion. If you check your watch, you’ll see Santa at the VIP judging stand at 4:30 p.m.” Due to its ever-increasing popularity, traffic control along the route has become a Herculean task. Signs are posted weeks in advance, warning that Forest Hill Blvd. will be closed, but it’s one of Wellington’s primary arteries. What keeps things running smoothly on parade day? Volunteers, of course. Betty Buglio has been helping since 1990. “I was one of those who blocked
off streets,” she said. “We didn’t have barricades. We just stood there and told anyone pulling in, ‘You can’t park here. You’ve got to go.’” Replaced by barricades at last, Buglio still finds herself standing in the street. “Today I stand in the middle of an intersection, and when the parade slows down a little bit, I hold up a sign that says ‘Keep Moving’ or, if it’s going too fast, ‘Slow Down.’ That helps keep the pace of the parade moving.” Witkowski couldn’t possibly list all the people who have helped him through the years. He credits the sheriff’s office, Wellington staffers and people from the chamber. “Thirty or 40 chamber members dedicate a whole day to make sure things go well,” he said. Jess Santamaria has allowed the parade the use of his mall property every year. “He allows us to inconvenience his businesses because the Wellington Mall is so important to the parade in terms of staging,” Witkowski said. “Dave and Kim Leland of Print-It Plus have
10th Anniversary |wellington the magazine| December 2014
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been so instrumental for many years now. They produce all the paperwork through their company — all the entry forms, maps and rules.” The Lelands also serve as staging coordinators. Large trucks gather on the Wellington Plaza side of Forest Hill, and everything else goes to the Wellington Mall. “That’s a parking lot full of high school and middle school bands, marching groups, classic cars, horses, sheriffs, dance troupes and Santa,” Dave Leland said. “We have 2,000 to 3,000 people on our side of the street, and most of them are children. It’s a pretty intensive day.” Leland, along with participants and spectators alike, are hoping for good weather this year. “A perfect day is sunshine and 70 degrees,” Leland said. Wellington High School Band Director Mary Oser is proud of the band’s long-running appearance in the parade. “Participating in the parade is our band’s oldest tradition, so it links us to our hundreds of band alumni who have gone before,” she said.
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Adrienne Brady works closely with Oser as the instructor for the 20 members of the WHS Majorettes (ages 1518). Brady also teaches the 20 Wellington Landings Middle School Majorettes (ages 12-14) and the 65-member Team Wellington at Wellington Elementary School (ages 6-12). “This is a great builder of self-esteem and a great way to show they’re proud of their school and their community,” Brady said. “It gives the twirlers a showcase for everyone to see what they’re good at. There’s no down time. By the time they’re finished, they’re pretty pooped, but it’s good for them. We love performing for our hometown. They’re cheering us on, and we love that applause.” It should be noted that while Witkowski continues to laud committee members and volunteer workers, he hesitates to put a value on his own participation. Committee meetings begin in the summer, become monthly, then weekly, as the big day approaches.
“It’s very close to my heart,” he said. “We probably have eight committee meetings, and I spend some time on the phone and with e-mail and at various meetings, but I’ve never really stopped to add up every minute I’ve spent on it because the parade has enriched my life.” In many cases, Witkowski learned as he went. For that first parade, he wanted his business represented with a float. “We built it on a flatbed truck at Cobblestones using some tables and chairs and plants from the restaurant,” he said. “As soon as the truck went around a corner, half the stuff went flying off. That’s when we learned it might be best to assemble some parts of the float once you’re in the staging area.” Usually the weather cooperates, but not always. On the 20th anniversary of the parade, the committee surprised Witkowski by insisting he ride in the parade. They put him in a white Excalibur convertible and placed him just before Santa at the end of the parade.
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“It’s very close to my heart,” Witkowski said. “I’ve never really stopped to add up every minute I’ve spent on it because the parade has enriched my life.”
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“We got about halfway down Forest Hill, and it started to rain,” Witkowski said. “This was the heaviest downpour we have ever experienced. People were scrambling. I didn’t have a hat or an umbrella, but I thought it was important that I remain as unaffected as I could for the sake of the people who were trying to hang on to catch a glimpse of Santa. My hair was matted and rain was pouring down my face, but I kept smiling and waving anyway.” In addition to massive manpower, the parade takes money. Those who donate cash, goods or services are parade VIPs. Wayne Boynton spent about 10 years running the VIP area and judging stand. “I’ve always felt that the VIPs are entitled to a little extra benefit, because without their donations, there wouldn’t be a parade,” Boynton said. “So the VIPs get a great big thank-you and a little extra privilege. A different restaurant donates food each year so the VIPs get a little lunch while they’re watching the parade. That location is also where the
different entrants stop and strut their stuff for the judges, so the VIPs also get a special show.” Sal DelGreco of the Schumacher Family of Dealerships has been a key sponsor of the parade for the past five years. “We are proud and honored to represent the western communities, helping bring a good family tradition such as a holiday parade,” he said. “Family is a large part of our tenure in the community, and it’s important to get our product and message across to the community.” In recent years, the Wellington Preservation Coalition and the Jacobs family have also been major parade sponsors. “We are proud to be a sponsor of the Wellington Holiday Parade for the third consecutive year,” said Tom Wenham, executive director of the Wellington Preservation Coalition. “The Holiday Parade has been a vibrant part of the community for more than 30 years and keeps getting bigger and better every year.”
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Wenham’s days participating in the parade date back to his time as an elected official. “One of my favorite times was when I first rode in the parade in a horse-drawn hay wagon,” he said. “We’ve come a long way since then. Through the years, I have traveled the parade route many times. I’m sure the small children I once waived to then are now all grown up and are attending the parade as adults, and perhaps with children of their own. This is what makes Wellington the great community it is and why we call it home.” Wellington Village Manager Paul Schofield also enjoys the parade, thanking the village’s hard-working employees for all that they do to make it all happen. “The Village of Wellington is very proud of its long association with the parade and the chamber,” he said. “It is one of the highlights of our year and something that we believe that our residents really appreciate.” The parade has become a generational experience for Schofield. “I remember the very first parade,” he said. “Cub Scout Pack 124 marched in that parade and won first place for marching groups. We still have the plaque. My son was seven years old, still quite cute and very blonde. Last year, I had the privilege of watching my granddaughter march — or rather, cartwheel — in the parade with Cats Gymnastics.” Wellington Cultural Programs & Fa-
cilities Manager Joe Piconcelli has been participating in the parade since his days as founder of the Western Communities Football League. “It’s a tradition that has taken on a life of its own,” he said. “It has grown from a simple parade to one of the largest parades in Palm Beach County, and the parade helps support local community activities. Sometimes people aren’t aware of the WCFL or these other groups until they see them participating in the parade. And you would think that everyone would know where the Wellington Amphitheater is, but some don’t — not until they attend the parade.” In addition to drawing the community together, the parade has always generated a positive cash flow. “Ten college scholarships per year for students in the western communities are provided as a result of the parade,” Witkowski said. “Financially, it has been a success, and it also has been a success for the businesses that surround the parade. Often, it’s their best day of the year.” Despite the superhuman feats of coordination, Witkowski enjoys his efforts coordinating the parade. “It’s just part of my fabric,” he said. “I can’t imagine our community without that parade. It’s a really, really big part of Wellington, and I hope it’s around long after I’m gone. The parade brings pride to the community and so much joy. It brings everyone together.”
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December 2014 |wellington the magazine| 10th Anniversary
Tom Wenham, Executive Director, Wellington Preservation Coalition and Presenting Sponsor; Wayne Burns, CEO, Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce; and Sal DelGreco, Executive Manager, Schumacher Family of Dealerships and Presenting Sponsor.
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Jordan Garnett Hopes To Strike It Big In Comedy Story by Chris Felker • Photo by Abner Pedraza
Jordan Garnett’s last full-time job was cleaning pools. His folks had paid for him to take the classes and get certified in the field. He lasted two weeks before deciding it was not for him. Then, back in April, he took the leap toward pursuing what he believes is his real muse. “I’m going to be a stand-up comedian!” he told his parents. To them, it might have sounded a lot like, “I’m going to be a starving artist!” They were initially not happy with his choice. After all, most comedians do tend toward the starving end of the pay scale. The 22-year-old didn’t get ridicule from his family when he told them he wanted to do stand-up comedy for a living, just some chagrin and a lot of surprise. But his father, Ed, eventually came around and is one of his biggest backers now. In fact, his dad is the doorman who collects the cover charges and checks IDs at Aroma’s Hookah Lounge in Wellington, where Jordan runs a weekly comedy show. That makes him kind of a “bouncer,” more or less, but for Jordan, his father is also his goto “bouncer-off” guy (one of his comedy testers). Aroma’s — a cozy hangout in the Pointe at Wellington Green that caters mostly to young adults and serves up beer, wine and mixed drinks, along with hookahs all around, plus flavored tobaccos — often sees its biggest crowds when Jordan “runs the room,” as he says, on Tuesday nights. Many of them might be ex-classmates; he was
born and raised in Boynton Beach and has many friends in the western communities. “I went to Trinity Christian Academy, which nobody can believe,” he said, “then graduated from Park Vista [High School] in 2010. My girlfriend is from Seminole Ridge [High School]. I met her at a comedy club… wow, it has been three years now.” They’re sharing an apartment, but Danielle had moved into his parents’ house with him until dad said, “Uh, you gotta get out of my house!” That was one of Jordan’s less funny moments at home, but he always earned lots of laughs growing up there. Since he decided to follow his true muse, it has been a little rough making ends meet. “Just this year it became a full-time gig,” Jordan said. “Thank God. I couldn’t last in any other job. I honestly cannot count on my two hands how many jobs I’ve had — even toes, I run out.” He performs off and on at Improv locations in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. “Comedy is the only thing that I have ever loved,” he said. “But it just took a while. I’ve been doing com-
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Comedy is the only thing that I have ever loved, but it just took a while. I’ve been doing comedy since about two weeks after I turned 17. Jordan Garnett
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edy since about two weeks after I turned 17. My first date on stage was March 24, 2009. I was 17 years old. It was a countywide competition, and I ended up winning first place.” His tendencies toward being a cut-up started as early as kindergarten. That was when he spontaneously put on a dance act à la Prince. (“He’s my idol; I think he’s the greatest, very talented.”) When France happened to be mentioned, he got up and danced around singing, “France in my pants.” “The teacher cracked up, and after that it was my aim to get the full attention of everybody in the classroom,” Jordan recalled. “I was always the cutup in class. My dad was always funny. Just around the house, everything was funny.” A bit overweight as a kid, comedy was one way young Jordan tried to get the attention of the opposite sex. “It wasn’t good enough with just the comedy, so I lost weight and started doing stand-up,
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and then the girls started to flow in a little bit better,” Garnett said, smiling. Much of his comedy, as might be expected, is oriented toward relations between the sexes — a subject that is always high on the minds of his contemporaries. Among his inspirations, he cites Chris Rock and Dane Cook. “Also a local guy, Ramon Garcia, who gave me my first five minutes,” Jordan said. “He has been doing comedy locally for more than 10 years — hilarious, great guy.” He continues to win competitions. Recently, Jordan was selected as a top 10 finisher out of 200 comedians in the Ultimate Miami Comedian Festival. He was also flown out to Los Angeles recently when he was chosen to audition for the MTV show Are You the One? He got the part, but turned it down. In retrospect, that was probably not the best idea. “I just didn’t want it,” Jordan said. “I should’ve taken it, because I would’ve gotten paid about
$150,000, and right now even $1,000 would change my life, but I didn’t want that stick on me. ‘Oh, he’s not a standup comedian, he’s a reality TV star,’” he said, imitating a potential comedy fan. “I wanted to be taken seriously as a professional.” Eric Vandervert, Aroma’s owner/ manager, previously had an open-mic night, but likes what Jordan has done with it. “Jordan has been much more professional; much more organized,” he said. “It has been a complete improvement. The comedy show has been the most successful event so far for us.” As for Jordan, he plans to continue on the circuit and work toward his big break. “I would like to have a real career, but it’s fun,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. I wouldn’t want to wake up, sitting in a cubicle, hating my life.” Learn more about Jordan Garnett at www. jordangarnett.com.
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Rescued Pup Luke Becomes An Inspiration To Others Story by Julie Unger • Photos by Andrea Unger
Luke is one lucky dog. He and his siblings — just six weeks old — were fragile and left for dead, abandoned on the side of a road in northern Florida. Picked up by animal control, they ended up at Big Dog Ranch Rescue, and Luke started on a journey that would eventually lead him to a Palm Beach jewelry store. He had a few hurdles to overcome first, though, before joining the others at the rescue. Luke was sick — he was fighting parvovirus and needed medication to survive. It was touch-and-go for a while; he received a blood transfusion and intravenous fluids. “The little guy had a rough beginning,” author Susan Beattie said. But survive he did. In fact, he flourished. When Luke and the others made their way to Big Dog Ranch Rescue
(www.bdrr.org), they were nursed to health before being ready for the next chapter in their lives — adoption. One Saturday, Beattie’s son, Gregory, ventured to Big Dog Ranch Rescue, where he met Luke. “He texted me a picture of Luke and said, ‘I’m adopting this dog,’” she recalled. “He was such a precious little thing, and then Luke was at work on Monday.” For a long time, Gregory James Jewelry on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach was Luke’s safe place, hanging around with his toys, puppy crate and snacks. “He was a little tiny, tiny skinny thing,” Beattie said. Like for any puppy who had gone through uncertainty and abandonment, his surroundings were scary. Flooring, people, cars, statues — they all were new and unfamiliar to Luke.
Eventually, with love, patience and care, Luke was able to overcome his fears and become the charismatic door greeter at the store. His signal that it is time for work: his red tie. And he loves his work. “Watching him make other people happy and kids happy, it’s like he knows he has this pur-
Luke on stage during a recent visit to Binks Forest Elementary School. (Above) Author Susan Beattie with Luke.
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For me, Luke “ stands for all of
the rescued and adopted dogs that we have in this world. These animals are loving and beautiful and certainly worth saving. Susan Beattie
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pose of giving back,” Beattie said. Luke has come quite a long way from that scrappy puppy. He has had his share of mischievous adventures, including missing sticky notes, snatching a roast during a grand opening, and discovering and devouring an envelope containing diamonds. He has picked up some skills along the way, too. “He knows how to open drawers and doors,” Beattie said, recounting the time Luke inadvertently locked her out. Now, at 2 years old, Luke, a black Labrador retriever and Weimaraner mix with soulful brown eyes and a shiny black coat, is an elegant dog. Instead of practically fitting on a set of hands, he is somewhere between 60 and 65 pounds, strong and sturdy. His story, as told by Beattie, has reached thousands. There are more than 1,500 copies of Luke’s Story: A Rescue Puppy’s First Year On Palm Beach & Worth Avenue in circulation, and Beat-
tie, often accompanied by Luke, has visited nearly 20 schools with student populations ranging from 300 to 1,100 students. Children are captivated by Luke, who sits with a majestic flair as he shows off his tricks for kids after they learn how he struggled to survive. A former second-grade teacher, Beattie has taught at Panther Run, Acreage Pines, Palm Beach Public and Pierce Hammock elementary schools, so she knew the importance of making Luke’s Story centered around a message. Everything that happened in the book, she said, happened in real life, and the 10- or 15-minute presentation, chosen depending on the audience, tells the story of Luke and other rescue dogs. Big Dog Ranch Rescue — located on Acme Road near the corner of Southern Blvd. and State Road 7 — is amazing, Beattie said, and its staff does a great deal of work rehabilitating animals to prepare them to rejoin society.
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“It has become
a passion of mine that we teach children the importance of taking care of animals. Susan Beattie
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“The work that they do is just phenomenal,” she said. “They’ll do just about anything to save the dog.” Through Luke’s Story, Beattie is able to explain to children the importance of caring for animals, volunteerism and compassion. “For me, he stands for all of the rescued and adopted dogs that we have in this world,” she said. “These animals are loving and beautiful and certainly worth saving.” Speaking for animals has become Beattie’s mission. “It has become a passion of mine that we teach children the importance of taking care of animals, responsibility, volunteering, and all of the things that as they get older they can do,” she said. “It starts with children, and Luke is helping to tell that story.” Though elementary-aged children are on the young side, Beattie hopes to inspire them with Luke’s Story to volunteer at shelters and learn how to take
care of animals. Volunteering can even take the form of just walking dogs, she said. Shelters are always looking for supplies such as food, treats, blankets, towels and bedding. Luke’s siblings were all adopted, and he recently had the opportunity to reunite not only with one of them and with his rescuer, but he was also able to help rescue a litter of puppies at Big Dog Ranch Rescue. Having already won his battle against parvovirus, Luke’s blood contains the antibodies that are necessary to combat the illness in other dogs. Beattie was asked to bring him in to provide a litter with a blood transfusion, and he happily gave blood. Those puppies survived, and one has even joined the Beattie family. “He is serving far beyond just being a loving pet for Greg and for me,” Beattie said. To learn more about Luke or order Luke’s Story, visit www.lukesstory.com.
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The Tackeria Turns 40 Tony Coppola’s Family Business A Community Icon In Wellington By Carrie Wirth
Forty years ago, Tony Coppola thought it might be a good idea to start a tack business. Immersed in polo as a child, he learned the sport by hot walking horses on Long Island and began playing at age 12. In 1975, inspired by the injury of a fellow player and employer, he decided to start a business to fall back on. Polo is a dangerous sport, and Coppola wanted to be sure that he would have a source of income if he were injured. “We started the Tackeria in a trailer, and then we opened at the Palm Beach Polo barns in 1980,” Coppola recalled. “In about 1983, we opened a store in the Wellington Town Square.” What started with humble beginnings has grown into one of the most comprehensive tack and equipment retailers serving the hunter/jumper, dressage and polo communities. The Tackeria is a local institution in Wellington, and also serves equestrians
around the world through its popular web site. “I started the tack business because I had knowledge of polo tack and equipment, but I had to learn about the other disciplines as we went along,” Coppola said. “Now, we cater to all disciplines. Polo is probably only 35 percent of our business, where it was 98 percent of our business at the beginning.” There’s good reason behind the store’s impressive longevity. Not only does it provide the goods and services that equestrians need, but Coppola has created a family business with a friendly atmosphere — a place where horse enthusiasts of all disciplines can shop, run into their friends and catch up on
the latest community happenings. “My nephew Lou is the general manager; my ex-wife Jesse is in the business; and my son Matt cooperates — so that’s real family,” he said. “We have employees who have been with us 20-plus years that add to our family. We don’t have turnover in staff. People come and work and stay.” Coppola is proud of his staff’s dedication. “We had one employee who started to work for us when she was going to college, and then she worked through the summer and stayed on after she graduated,” he said. “She moved out of state when she got married, and now she’s back. We have a lot of people who
(Top left) Tony Coppola during a long-ago buying trip in Argentina. PHOTO COURTESY THE TACKERIA (Top right) Tackeria owner Tony Coppola today. PHOTO COURTESY PHELPS MEDIA GROUP 10th Anniversary |wellington the magazine| December 2014
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Longtime Tackeria employee Audrey Melvin knows her bits.
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PHOTO BY CARRIE WIRTH
have been with us for a very long time. We treat our employees well.” The Tackeria has become the go-to resource for the equestrian community for anyone seeking tack, equipment, apparel, footwear or boots, supplements or horse health products. Plus, the store also provides services such as embroidery, engraving, tack repair, and stall mat and kick pad installation. Audrey Melvin has worked at the store for almost 14 years and has become an expert in many of the products. She is particularly proud of her knowledge of the huge selection of bits. “It feels really great to suggest a bit to a top rider, and they come back and tell me how well it worked,” she said. Through the years, the Tackeria has grown and flourished, and so has the Wellington community around it. The store that Coppola built is deeply involved in the community and supports and sponsors equestrian causes and events. The Tackeria is considered one
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(Above) One of the Tackeria’s earlier locations in the Wellington Marketplace shopping center. (Inset) Artwork from an early Tackeria ad depicted Tony driving his mobile store. (Right) The Tackeria today, located at the corner of South Shore Blvd. and Pierson Road, is a gathering place for the equestrian community. IMAGES COURTESY THE TACKERIA
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of Wellington’s great business citizens. “I remember when Big Blue Trace was a dirt road and Forest Hill was barely a two-lane road,” Coppola recalled. “It’s nice to grow with the community. We put our first retail store out in the Town Square plaza; there were days or times when we would go two or three days without a sale in the summer months. We’ve persevered, and we’re still here.” Lou Cuthbertson, Coppola’s nephew, first worked at the Tackeria as a marketing student. Coppola needed a catalog, so Lou came down to Wellington from Boston on a college internship basis to accomplish that project. Lou returned to work for his uncle and stayed from 1988 through 1994, left for 10 years, then returned in 2004 and has not left since. “It is a nice place to live and work,” Cuthbertson said. “It’s a fantastic community. My kids play soccer, and they are in the marching band. There’s a lot more to it beyond the equestrian world. It’s a great place to live.” The store is warmly regarded as a community hub. With its central location at the corner of Pierson Road and South Shore Blvd.,
adjacent to the Winter Equestrian Festival, the Global Dressage Festival and many of the area’s polo fields, employees and customers find it a gathering place to run into friends, as well as notables in the show jumping, dressage and polo disciplines from around the world. “I enjoy the energy and the people who come into town from all over the world,” said Kris Schmidtke, a Tackeria employee known for her great memory for customers. “It is exciting. I enjoy the customers, and it’s all about horses, my true love.” Lifelong Wellington resident Catherine Connor Zachariadis, a hunter/jumper rider who works in polo club management, shared her feelings about growing up in Wellington and at the Tackeria. “To me, the Tackeria is not just a store, but a destination,” Zachariadis said. “Just like when a college student goes home for the holidays, I get the same excited feeling when I say, ‘I’m going to the Tackeria today!’” For more information, visit www.tackeria.com or call the store at (561) 793-2012 or (800) 882POLO (7656).
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Dan Carr’s WestWind Surfaces Stands Out In Footing Industry By Kendall Bierer
Each winter, Wellington draws the top international riders, trainers, celebrities and industry leaders to what has become an equestrian mecca. The otherwise quiet community embraces the glamorous lifestyle of the elite equestrians with 16 weeks of top-tier competition. Wellington resident Dan Carr has worked at the forefront of the industry for more than 18 years. A custom footing expert, he puts the welfare of horses first, and his WestWind Surfaces stands out as a premier custom footing company, known for its dedication to quality and safety. Originally raised in horse country outside Cleveland, Carr’s passion for horses was ignited by his time spent at Thistledown Racetrack alongside his grandfather. He learned the ropes of the racing industry, and his reemergence in the horse world was something fated. In 1993, Glenn Straub purchased Palm Beach Polo & Country Club. At that time, Straub brought Carr to Wellington. He was enlisted to manage the 2,200 acres of lush landscape, the 36 holes of championship golf, two clubhouses and the top-rated country club. It was an opportunity that reacquainted him with the equestrian industry. At the time, Wellington was already firmly rooted in the highadrenaline sport of polo. In 1996, Carr left Palm Beach Polo and became co-owner in a local golf course. It was during this time that local polo patrons began asking him to maintain and build their polo fields, since he had all of the knowledge and equipment from the golf course. He became intrigued with footing for surfaces across all disciplines, finding that there is no footing that suits every horse and rider. This com-
Wellington resident Dan Carr has worked at the forefront of the footing industry for more than 18 years. PHOTO COURTESY WESTWIND SURFACES
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pelled Carr to do intense research, hands-on development and testing, leading him to become an expert in custom footing. WestWind Surfaces specializes in custom footing for all equestrian disciplines worldwide and has now become a staple across the globe as a leader in custom footing. There is no doubt that the quality of Carr’s product stands out, as he takes time to understand every aspect of a project, from the drainage to the discipline, the maintenance to the geography. He designs a truly custom blend that addresses the barn or horse show’s needs. Carr has had the opportunity to produce footing material for some of the most instrumental organizations and top equestrians in the industry, including Olympian Ben Maher, Jane Forbes
Clark, Margaret Duprey, Christine and John McCrea, Sean Crooks, Norman Dello Joio, the United States Equestrian Team Foundation and the Savannah College of Art and Design, to name just a few. WestWind Surfaces addresses each unique variable to design and create the custom footing that is both safe and paramount to the success of the horse and rider. The process begins with an in-depth consultation that addresses the horses, the purpose of the footing, maintenance, weather, location and budget. WestWind Surfaces breaks away from the typical “cookie-cutter” arena design, and instead creates unique footing to assist the horse and rider in being safe and successful. Carr has built WestWind Surfaces
into the well-respected company it is today by developing a solid reputation among the equestrian community. Whether it is replacing footing in an existing arena or designing a new facility, WestWind Surfaces does it all. Carr personally installs each project with his team of experts. Always looking to provide solutions for surfaces that will better enhance the performance of both the horse and rider, Carr designed a product that is taking WestWind Surfaces to the next level. He is making custom footing an affordable option with the all-new, cutting-edge WestWind Surfaces Performance Additive that will enhance any currently installed footing. “Sometimes new custom footing is not a feasible option for a barn or show facility. Although custom foot-
(Above) Footing projects at Savannah College of Art and Design (left) and a show jumping arena in Wellington (right). PHOTO COURTESY WESTWIND SURFACES (Below) Dan Carr installed and maintains the footing at Polo West in Wellington. PHOTO BY MARY ADELAIDE BRAKENRIDGE/PHELPS MEDIA GROUP
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ing is the best choice, it comes with a price tag that matches its quality,” Carr explained. “I wanted to be able to offer a product that would enhance existing footing; a product that would improve any surface at an affordable rate.” Carr feels that this unique product will revolutionize the industry. “The improvement to the footing is undeniable,” he said. “This product is something that will revolutionize longevity, allowing a vast improvement with minimal impact to a tight budget. Since the blend is specifically tailored to each customer, we are able to make the most of any existing footing, and the results have been remarkable.” WestWind Surfaces is unparalleled within the equestrian industry, and Carr’s expertise and knowledge are second to none — and it shows in his work. He has designed arenas, facilities and competition fields for satisfied customers worldwide. Learn more about Dan Carr at www. westwindgolfandpolo.com.
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WestWind Surfaces did a footing project at the United States Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters. PHOTO BY KENDALL BIERER/PHELPS MEDIA GROUP
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Cataract is the most common cause of vision loss in people over age 40 and is the principal cause of blindness in the world. Cataracts start off as small and inconspicuous, then gradually your vision becomes cloudy and impaired. There may be many opinions to the causes of Cataracts, but when it comes to treatment, surgery is the best option. The doctors at the Palm Beach Eye Center can discuss the best surgery options for you. Let these highly trained eye experts restore your vision. After all, there’s still a lot of the world you have to see.
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Lake Worth Wellington (561) 433-5200 10th Anniversary |wellington (561) 798-4455 the magazine| December 2014 63
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JustWorld International Saddles Up For Annual Gala In Wellington By Kendall Bierer
The blue and purple coats of JustWorld International have become a staple at horse shows around the world, and especially in Wellington during the Winter Equestrian Festival. Riders from Juniors to Grand Prix level wear the jovial colors at and away from the show grounds, and JustWorld International has become a well-known name within the community. This growing nonprofit will be on full display next month at its annual gala, set for Jan. 16 at Belle Herbe Farm in Wellington. Wellington resident Jessica Newman created JustWorld to serve as a link between the equestrian world and humanitarian efforts by providing opportunities to give back. In 1999, Newman decided to hang up her tack and leave her role as an international equestrian competitor. She volunteered for the American nongovernmental organization Trickle Up during its reconstruction efforts in Honduras following the devastation of Hurricane Mitch. Newman didn’t know the destruction she would see, or what lay ahead of her, and confronted the stark daily realities of people living in indescribable poverty. “I saw a different world, and after seeing this for the first time, there was no
JustWorld International founder Jessica Newman. PHOTO BY ANGE BOURDA PRODUCTION/WWW.ANGEBOURDA.COM
question in my mind that my life was going in that direction — that I was going to make a change to do whatever was in my power to make the world more just,” Newman recalled. During her time with Trickle Up in Honduras, she learned about Asociación Compartir and the street kids whom its programs benefit. Newman was faced with unimaginable poverty, and her conviction only grew when she visited the local garbage dump and witnessed hundreds of people and children scrounging for food and recyclables.
Since the beginning of JustWorld International 12 years ago, more than 500 Rider Ambassadors and 50 Technical Official Ambassadors, hailing from 42 countries and representing multiple equestrian disciplines, have joined together in the effort, all donating their “time, talent and treasure” to JustWorld as volunteers, spokespeople and donors. Many horse shows across the world, from Europe to Canada and throughout the Americas, assist the organization by hosting fundraising events to support JustWorld projects. These ven-
A child in Cambodia has a health check at the clinic funded by JustWorld International. PHOTO BY IAN KYDD MILLER
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TOGETHER for a JustWorld
A Cambodian child at the JustWorld project. PHOTO BY IAN KYDD MILLER
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ues include the likes of Thunderbird Show Park, the Hampton Classic and, most recently, the World Equestrian Games. Every year, JustWorld ambassadors, supporters and the surrounding community join together for a night of celebration during the annual JustWorld International Gala. This year, under a tent beneath the stars, the gala takes a step back in time to ancient Greece. Hosted by Belle Herbe Farm in the exclusive Grand Prix Village, located in the heart of Wellington, the night hosts a series of fundraising events that directly benefit JustWorld. Boasting an incredible social scene full of Wellington’s elite, and hosting more than 650 guests from here and abroad, it is sure to be a night to remember. The long-anticipated event will take place Jan. 16, when the Wellington and equestrian communities join together for JustWorld International’s largest fundraiser of the year.
Last year, the gala raised more than $440,000 to finance and support JustWorld’s mission of building a brighter future for children around the world. In the years since its inception, JustWorld has raised $7 million-plus that has been used for sustainable outreach projects in Guatemala, Honduras, Cambodia and Colombia. Asociación Compartir became its first project partner. JustWorld sponsors the Mobile Library at Compartir, a local NGO that offers literacy programs and access to books in the four main urban slums of Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras. The mobile library encourages a love of reading for more than 2,000 impoverished children in the most marginalized areas of the city. JustWorld’s initiatives provide an uninterrupted program that delivers nutrition, health and education to thousands of children. It became a platform for JustWorld, opening the door to projects in other disadvantaged countries.
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TOGETHER for a JustWorld JustWorld has since received local, national and international accolades for its good work. The nonprofit organization has had two of its four project partners recognized as CNN Top 10 Heroes. In 2008, the network named Phymean Noun a Top 10 Hero for her work as the founder of the People Improvement Organization (PIO) in Cambodia. JustWorld partnered with PIO in 2004, and assists in funding its two schools, Stung Mean Chey and Borey Keila. With JustWorld’s assistance, PIO has helped more than 1,000 children. In August 2014, Juan Pablo Romero Fuentes, the founder of JustWorld project partner Los Patojos, was also announced as a CNN Hero and shortly thereafter recognized as a CNN Top 10 Hero. Since 2008, JustWorld and Romero Fuentes have worked to make a difference in the city of Jocotenango, Guatemala. JustWorld finances a medical clinic and community kitchen, while
also providing the students of Los Patojos with after-school tutoring, scholarships and school supplies, as well as leadership and cultural development programs for children and young adults ages 4 to 21. The building also serves as a shelter away from the everyday street violence, drug dealing and criminal activity that continues to plague the country. JustWorld is working to finish constructing a second school to allow Los Patojos to double its capacity and expand both programming and sustainability. Last year, JustWorld announced at its annual gala that the organization was partnering with a new project, Fundación Social Antorchas de Vida, located in Medellín, Colombia. Antorchas is a safe haven that provides students with a welcoming environment, nutritious meals, professional guidance and access to a local public school. “My dream is that if I were to die tomorrow, this would continue on,”
Newman said. “JustWorld International provides an opportunity for people to engage at home and overseas, tackling global problems and becoming involved in social issues where they can make a difference. The truth is, JustWorld will transform you — it has become a movement.” JustWorld is a catalyst for positive change in the developing world. It has started movements and transformations in communities and countries, bringing awareness to the problems they are facing daily. It’s about more than just giving money. It welcomes and encourages people to get involved. Volunteers and supporters are encouraged to visit the projects for a firsthand, lifechanging experience to see just how much of an impact a single person can make in the lives of others. For more information, visit www.justworldinternational.org. For tickets to the 12th annual gala, e-mail jwinfo@justworld international.org.
Children at Los Patojos in Guatemala. PHOTOS BY ANGE BOURDA PRODUCTION/WWW.ANGEBOURDA.COM
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top model WELLINGTON’S NEXT
Olivia Burns
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Click Here For Behind The Scenes Photo Shoot Of Winner Olivia Burns WELLINGTON’S NEXT TOP MODEL
Olivia shines in this strapless, fully beaded La Casa Hermosa gown with a thigh-high slit. This gold couture gown is an in-house design, exclusively created for La Casa Hermosa.
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top model WELLINGTON’S NEXT
Olivia shines in this strapless, fully beaded La Casa Hermosa gown with a thigh-high slit. This gold couture gown is an in-house design, exclusively created for La Casa Hermosa.
top model WELLINGTON’S NEXT
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Although we pulled in close on Olivia’s stunning profile, you can see the full-length version of this image in our extended online edition. This custom-designed in-house La Casa Hermosa fitted and beaded gown is finished with a soft Organza skirt.
top model WELLINGTON’S NEXT
Olivia felt fun and fanciful this in-house La Casa Hermosa design is a favorite. This gown boosts a full feathered skirt and comes in color of your choice.
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The patient and any other person responsible for payment has the right to refuse to pay, cancel payment or to be reimbursed for payment for any other service, examination or treatment which is performed as a result of and within 72 hours of responding to the advertisement for the free, discounted or reduced fee service, examination or treatment. Photo on ad not an actual patient.
top model WELLINGTON’S NEXT
This La Femme designed, “Jersey” Jovani halter gown has a bold impact on model Olivia Burns with an open, low cut-out in the back and a beaded high neckline. 10th Anniversary |wellington the magazine| December 2014
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Dress and styling provided by Iva Ivanova, La Casa Hermosa. Hair by Claudia Diesti with makeup by Monica Dietsi. Designer Tarik Ediz provided a fitted gown with a beaded bodice and off-the-shoulder beaded cuffs. The flowing, sheer train is the perfect accent to this dress. The final touch was added with a one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted beaded necklace, designed by Tien and created by Charmed.
top model WELLINGTON’S NEXT
Olivia struck a pose in this La Femme designed, “Jersey” gown with an elegant sheer illusion back and plunging keyhole neckline. The final touch was added with a one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted beaded necklace, designed by Tien and created by Charmed.
top model WELLINGTON’S NEXT
Olivia struck a pose in this La Femme designed, “Jersey” gown with an elegant sheer illusion back and plunging keyhole neckline. The final touch was added with a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted beaded necklace, designed by Tien and created by Charmed.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR NOMINEES Amanda Lewis, Samanta Sabates, Shana Kirksay, Megan Shepherd and Lindsey Guthrie. AND OUR WINNER Wellington’s Next Top Model Olivia Burns
Wellington The Magazine has named Olivia Burns as the winner of our “Wellington’s Next Top Model” contest. Olivia was very excited when she received the results. “I am so honored to have been chosen as Wellington’s Next Top Model,” she said, going on to say that all of the young women in the competition were amazing and that she was happy to have even been considered to be part of such a great contest. Olivia was booked on her first modeling assignment immediately following her win. She was the featured print model for the latest looks at La Casa Hermosa, a premier destination for beautiful gowns. La Casa Hermosa provides gowns for bridal events, social occasions, red carpet moments and debutantes. Manager Iva Ivanova chose stunning gowns to showcase our winner’s flawless features and provided styling that did not leave any detail undone. Once Olivia was chosen as the winner, the wheels were in motion to prepare her for her first professional “runway look” photo shoot. Who better to turn to then Claudia Diesti, recognized as one of today’s leading stylists, with an extremely impressive resume? Her work has been featured in top industry magazines. Complimenting Claudia’s amazing retro hair look is daughter Monica Diesti, who spent time developing the perfect makeup look for the shoot, transforming Olivia from girl next store to runway superstar. On this month’s cover, Olivia shines with a vintage holiday look, including a one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted beaded necklace, designed by Tien and created by Charmed. Olivia was great on her first assignment, and we are sure that she will one day grace the pages of national magazines, becoming a great ambassador for Wellington. Special thanks to everyone who participated in this contest — each and everyone one of you made it all possible.
SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR INDUSTRY SPONSORS VISIONSsalon, Elegante Polo, the Wellington Beauty Room at Eclipse Salon & Spa, Posch Boutique Palm Beach, Nat’s Hair Design, Sola Salon Studios, Edmund James Salon, Delia’s Clothing, Tresses Color Bar Salon, Zest Clothing, Trico Salon and Nordstrom. Thank you to Iva Ivanova of La Casa Hermosa for providing all of the clothing for Olivia’s first pictorial assignment as Wellington’s Next Top Model. Special thanks as well to Claudia and Monica Diesti for amazing hair and makeup styling, and of course to our professional photographer Abner Pedraza for his incredible six months of nominee pictorials and this month’s fashion finale.
Monica Diesti, Iva Ivanova, Wellington’s Next Top Model Winner Olivia Burns, Abner Pedraza, Nicole Vega and Claudia Diesti.
ADVERTORIAL
Could you have a
Slow Metabolism?
BY KENNETH N. WOLINER, M.D., A.B.F.M.
“I was always skinny
but … now I don’t even recognize myself.” Jennifer pulled out some old college pictures from her purse. “See! This is what I used to look like!” I nodded empathetically, realizing that Jennifer couldn’t believe what happened to her body, and she worried that no one else would believe it either. “You looked pretty athletic. Let me guess, tennis?” “I was varsity at Radcliffe. I still play six days a week.” Jennifer continued, “Anyhow, you wouldn’t know it from looking at me. Ever since I had David eleven years ago, I’ve been gaining almost ten pounds every year.” “Hmmm, your symptoms sound a lot like POSTPARTUM HASHIMOTO’S THYROIDITIS, where something related to pregnancy causes women to need more thyroid hormones than they can make on their own [1]”. “They actually tested me for that. My doctors always told me my tests were normal.” “There is a difference in having labs ‘in the reference range’ and having an ‘optimal thyroid state’. Dr. Leslie DeGroot, of Brown’s Alpert Medical School, described the ‘Dangerous Dogmas in Medicine’ as they relate to treatment of thyroid disorders [2]. Unfortunately, there are quite a few doctors out there that rely highly upon the gospel they were taught twenty years ago, without paying enough attention to new data, or their patient’s clinical symptoms.” I continued taking my history. “So what have you tried to lose weight?” “My diet was always pretty clean, so even when I tried going ‘low-carb’ or ‘low-fat’, it didn’t seem to make any difference. One health spa in Brazil cut me down to 300 Calories a day and had me exercise all day. I didn’t lose a pound!” Jennifer blushed a bit, “I’m ashamed to admit it, but I fall for whatever the latest diet fad that promises ’30 pounds in 30 days!’ [3]” “I’m glad you’ve realized that these bogus diet clinics should really say, ‘I lost $350 in two weeks! Ask me how!’ [4]” “It was worse than that. One diet clinic sold me ‘vitamin supplements’ from their office pharmacy, but they really contained amphetamines, diuretics, laxatives, and other stuff I still don’t know what was in them. I had the worst palpitations, headaches and I couldn’t sleep through the night [5]. My primary had to put me on anti-depressants for six months to handle the withdrawal symptoms after I stopped them.” “I’m glad you survived that ordeal, but honestly, you got off lucky. Crash diets are known to cause hair loss (sometimes permanent), muscle weakness, and potentially fatal heart arrhythmias [6]. The latest diet craze, the ‘HCG Diet’, is nothing new; it was debunked back in the 1970’s as a fraudulent scheme by doctors to exploit their patients for financial gain [7]. Just last October, the Texas Attorney General forced hCG clinics in that state to stop defrauding patients with their unethical marketing tactics [8].” “Well, I’ve finally decided to make my health a priority. I checked you out on www.vitals.com, so I know you are board-certified and legit. So what are you going to do for me?” “I scheduled 80-minutes with you today, so I have plenty of time to do a complete history and physical exam. There are some tests I would like done to pin down exactly what is going on with your metabolism. Untreated thyroid disorders can lead to pre-diabetes, and that can also lead to weight gain [9].” Jennifer did test positive for hypothyroidism and insulin resistance, as well as a low metabolic rate measured by indirect calorimetry [10]. After being put on a regimen of behavior changes, diet, exercise, OTC supplements, and prescription medications, steadily, but surely, her weight decreased an average of two pounds per week until she lost the 60 pounds she put on over the last ten years. “Dr. Woliner, ever since you fixed my metabolism, I’m not hungry anymore. Really, I don’t even feel like I’m on a diet. I just eat normally.”
“
I’ve finally decided to make my health a priority.
References:
”
(1) Galofré JC, et al. Increased postpartum thyroxine replacement in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Thyroid. 2010 Aug;20(8):901-8. (2) De Groot LJ. Dangerous dogmas in medicine: the nonthyroidal illness syndrome. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1999 Jan;84(1):151-64. (3) I’m confused by the numbers of fad diets available that tout great weight loss. Are there any basic, simple weight loss strategies I can follow? Duke Med Health News. 2011 Jul;17(7):8. (4) Federal Trade Commission. “Red Flag Bogus Weight Loss Claims”Washington DC. 2003. http://www.ahpa.org/Portals/0/pdfs/03_FTC_Media%20Guide_redflag.pdf (5) Smith BR, Cohen PA. Dependence on the Brazilian diet pill: a case report. Am J Addict. 2010 May-Jun;19(3):291-2. (6) Goette DK, Odom RB. Alopecia in crash dieters. JAMA. 1976 Jun 14;235(24):2622-3. (7) Robb-Nicholson C. By the way, doctor. I’ve been trying to lose weight for a long time and nothing seems to work. What do you know about the HCG diet? Harv Womens Health Watch. 2010 May;17(9):8. (8) Texas Attorney General. Multiple Texas Weight-Loss Clinics Agree To Stop Marketing Prescription Drugs Improperly. October 27, 2011. https://www.oag.state.tx.us/ oagnews/release.php?id=3883 (9) Liu C, Scherbaum WA, Schott M, Schinner S. Subclinical hypothyroidism and the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome. Horm Metab Res. 2011 Jun;43(6):417-21. (10) Perseghin G. Pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes mellitus: insights provided by indirect calorimetry in humans. Acta Diabetol. 2001;38(1):7-21.
Dr. Kenneth Woliner is a board-certified family physician in Private practice in Boca Raton. He can be reached at 9325 Glades Road, #104, Boca Raton, Fl, 33434; 561-620-7779; knw6@cornell.edu; www.holisticfamilymed.com
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wellington real estate
Tiffany Realty’s Jason Uhley Continues His Family Legacy Story by Matthew Auerbach Photo by Abner Pedraza
To say that the real estate business is Jason Uhley’s birthright is an understatement. The current president and owner of Tiffany Realty would have shocked everyone who knew him — and even himself — if he had chosen any other career path. “My father, Lance Uhley, started Tiffany Realty while still working for E.F. Hutton in 1979,” Uhley said. “The company was named after my sister Tiffany. I got my real estate license in 1994 over the summer break and started in the business sending out fliers to vacant land owners in The Acreage to get listings.” In 1997, Uhley headed to the University of Central Florida, but continued to be drawn to the family business. “My father worked out a deal with Lennar to sell all of their vacant land in the Wellington Aero Club and Meadow Wood,” he said. “With a stockpile of inventory, it was a natural fit for me to come back and work in the family business, which I took over in 2011.” The Aero Club will always hold a special place in Uhley’s heart. His family built the third home in the neighborhood, and the Uhleys were the first family to actually live there back in the 1980s. Uhley has made sure that Tiffany Realty keeps its commitment to customer service high. After all, that keeps business rolling his way. “Our company has always specialized in vacant land, whether it’s commercial, investment or residential,” he said. “Now, that is not all that we do; I find enjoyment helping people find their dream home, and usually I try to work with one or two families at a time to give them my full attention.” The business continues to change with the times. “Over the last five years, we have had to change our business model a little with the amount of vacant land available, especially in the residential aspect,” Uhley said. “I still get calls
from people looking for vacant lots in Wellington, which are difficult to find at a reasonable price.” He said the company sets itself apart in the commercial or investment side of the real estate market. “What we like to do is find a good piece of property; something that is green,” he said. “That means a piece of property that is not ready yet, but is in the path of progress. Usually, it would have an agricultural zoning or something with a low density. We would negotiate the deal on the property, then contact our investors. These groups of investors purchase the property with the intention of holding onto it for the next two to five years. Next, we would go into the county to try to rezone the property. I say ‘try’ because nothing is guaranteed. Normally, we wouldn’t get involved unless we thought it could get rezoned. This is not easy and takes time and money, but the payoff is worth it. Once the property is rezoned, it would be ready to sell off or split up, depending on the use.” Uhley is cautiously bullish about the current real estate market, believing the current upswing will continue. He recently moved Tiffany Realty to a new location, which has brought him back to his beginnings — the corner of Lantana Road and State Road 7. “It was one of the first properties my father got involved with back in 1981,” Uhley said. “He bought the 20 acres with a group of investors, rezoned the property in 1997 and sold off pieces to Hess, Dunkin Donuts and Tires Plus.” Tiffany Realty is located at 10101 Lantana Road, Suite N. For more information, contact Uhley at (561) 964-2895 or jasonuhley@ hotmail.com. 10th Anniversary |wellington the magazine| December 2014
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wellington health
Dr. Steven Crane Offers
Full-Service Dental Care In A Convenient Location Story and Photo by Ron Bukley
Dr. Steven Crane of Wellington Family & Cosmetic Dentistry offers comprehensive dental care from his office, located on the campus of Wellington Regional Medical Center. Crane took over the practice three years ago from Dr. Mary Licht, who still works there as office manager, continuing more than two decades of dental care in Wellington. “I’m here all the time,” Crane said. “There’s nobody else who works as a dentist here. I back up the things that I do, and I care for my patients. One of the cool things about the practice is Mary, who’s at the front desk. She’s the dentist I bought the practice from. She was willing to come on as the office manager. She knows a lot of the patients. It’s like an extended family, and I think it makes a huge difference.” Crane treats patients in a wide variety of areas. “I’m trained in a lot of different modalities of dentistry,” Crane said. “I do implants, root canals and extractions. I do kids’ stuff and braces, such as Invisalign. I have a few different brands, and I do all of them.” Crane feels that many dental practices have become a production line environment, but he prefers a different feel. “I like the personal touch,” he said. “I like to know my patients. I have my cell phone on the card, so they can get in touch with me. I like that family atmosphere.” His staff is also attentive to patients and knows most of them by name. “My staff is amazing,” Crane said. “I love the environment here, and our patients are really wonderful. It’s a great big family, and I like that.” Crane offers procedures that go beyond the teeth for an overall facial improvement. “We’re trying to create a certain type of energy and experience,” he said. “I even do Botox and fillers to round it out, because it makes such an impact on people with their smile and their teeth.” Crane said the experience can change how people view
themselves and the world, explaining that he is constantly looking at scrutinizing people’s faces for anatomy and physiology. “The coolest thing is to see the difference,” he said. “When somebody comes in, they don’t feel so good about themselves because they can’t smile. Then you transform that, and then there are final touches that you can do to make people look younger.” He can help people with a collapsed bite by restoring teeth to their original height. “People lose that height because they’re losing their tooth stops because it gets worn down,” Crane said. “We reconstruct that, and it’s a nice process that makes a difference in their jaw.” Crane also fits night guards for patients who grind their teeth while sleeping. Although it is not his specialty, Crane is also comfortable treating children in a friendly atmosphere with their parents present if they choose. He takes a holistic approach to dentistry. “We offer metal-free crowns and dentures, and fluoridefree paste,” Crane said. “We have a decent number of clientele who are very natural, into yoga and health and organic, and I have a lot of holistic things available to my patients.” Originally from New Jersey, where he had a practice for seven years, Crane and his family have lived in the area for 11 years. Wellington Family & Cosmetic Dentistry is located at 10111 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 331, on the Wellington Medical Center Campus. For more info., call (561) 798-0825 or visit www.mywellington dentist.com. 10th Anniversary |wellington the magazine| December 2014
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wellington hero
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We’re working together to try to keep crime down and keep the area as safe as possible.
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MARK HILTON
Community Leader Working To Make His Neighborhood Better Story by Deborah Welky ■ Photo by Abner Pedraza
The Folkestone/Yarmouth neighborhood is one of the areas that the Village of Wellington calls a “transitional neighborhood” — but Mark Hilton is one of the key people working to change that troubled image. Wellington’s “transitional neighborhoods” are those areas that often have a higher percentage of rental homes, and need more law enforcement and code compliance services. For the past several years, Wellington has focused its well-regarded Safe Neighborhoods Initiative on these dozen or so areas. Each area has neighborhood leaders working to make things better — and Folkestone/Yarmouth is lucky that Hilton moved in. “My wife, Allison, and I, and our four dogs, moved here in July of 2013,” Hilton said. “On the west side of Folkestone/Yarmouth, you saw the sheriff’s department out there four or five times a week, but on the east side, the worst you saw was people hanging out underneath trees or on the FPL transformers.” Hilton lives on the west side. When he witnessed a drug deal go down in his own parking lot, he knew something had to be done. “I’m a very direct individual,” he said. “I don’t believe in ‘issues’ except as they relate to magazines and newspapers. There are ‘problems’ that have to be resolved.” Unbeknownst to Hilton, help was on the way.
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jason Horowitz and Meredith Tuckwood of Safe Neighborhoods were canvassing the area, looking for volunteers. “They knocked on my door, and we started talking. Forty-five minutes later, I was involved,” Hilton recalled. “My first response was how good it was to see that the village has such an interest in the neighborhood.” The first thing Hilton did was attend a visioning session hosted by village officials. “I expressed my concerns about a lot of things stemming from lighting to people speeding through the community,” he said. “There was no supervision for little kids; they were playing in the street. Things like that. I was with other people from Folkestone/ Yarmouth, and we tried to give the village an idea of what we wanted. Everyone kept saying ‘I want this first,’ ‘I want this first,’ etc., and I said, ‘You can’t prioritize everything into a zero- to three-month time frame and expect everything to happen — it’s just not realistic.’” Shortly thereafter, Hilton found himself a Neigh-
HERO
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wellington hero borhood Watch captain/coordinator. “We have 288 homes in this neighborhood, so we’ve broken it up into sections. We meet once a quarter and have 10 watch captains, of which three are coordinators,” he explained. “Coordinators do the footwork and grunt work that helps everything else run smoothly.” Hilton helped organize the next two visioning sessions and, today, accompanies village staff when they come out to do “Walk-and-Talks.” Wellington staffers are quick to heap praise on Hilton, saying he helped with the neighborhood block party, volunteered at the village’s March Madness Spring Break Camp and also at its Summertime Fun Camp at Tiger Shark Cove Park. “There were a lot of volunteers,” Hilton stressed. “I served the food to the kids in an orderly fashion, and we supervised them. For the most part, the kids were good, self-reliant and had a good time. The ones who wanted to do arts and crafts did arts and crafts. The ones who wanted to play football played football. There was soccer and kickball. It was really a joint effort with everybody.” Hilton said that although this is the first time he has worked as a community volunteer, it’s a good fit. “The village relies on their Neighborhood Watch groups so much because the captains are so involved in their community,” he said. “We’re working together to try to keep crime down and keep the area as safe as possible. My goal is not to be recognized. I would probably be doing this anyway. It’s just something new for me.”
This year, our Wellington Hero series focused on individuals who make the world a better place through their actions. Thank you to everyone who participated in the series. Look for another exciting Wellington The Magazine series launching in January.
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Wellington Interior Design Center
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With a university degree in interior design, Hazel McGuire has been part of the interior furnishings and decorating field for more than 40 years. Her career has included projects in all areas, including retail, new construction, remodeling and residential design. Past clients have included several rock ’n’ roll stars, people with famous names and a lot of just nice people. Wellington Interior Design Center takes all of the mystery out of designing window fashions and furnishings. Everything is custommade for you, made by American workers, using American materials — and you will never see your work reproduced. Stop by or let us visit you for a complimentary home visit.
The Myth of the WINDOW FAIRY Does anyone remember the story of the good window fairy of the east who comes in the middle of the night and waves a magic wand and all those glass window panes instantly become covered in beautiful fabrics, woven shades and privacy draperies? Of course not, because I just made that up! But the day comes when we all wish she was real, after purchasing a home and then coming face to face with all that glass, and the heat, or the glare on the TV or computer screen. We bring along family antiques and invest in beautiful furniture, sofas and area rugs. We live in paradise, and we pay a tidy sum for all this sun.Then we hang up curtains that are thin enough to see the pool and the yard through, so the sun and heat come streaming through to dry out and ruin all our possessions — not to mention that sparsely covered windows are lacking in importance in the room. Think of it this way: you want to present yourself as dressed and put together when you step out. You would not leave home in just your underwear. Leaving your windows unprotected and unfinished is like stepping out undressed. In addition to the curtains that allow you to see the yard, the next layer should be heavy enough to block the light and full enough to be drawn when the sun is glaring. Perhaps a shade that closes can do the same thing. Top treatments can include deco-
rative hardware, or hard and soft valances in an array of shapes and material combinations. These layers add dimension, texture, pattern, interest and a make a design statement. Also, don’t overlook all of those upper windows. You cannot reach them, so a motorized component is often necessary for light control. Skip it and say, “Oh, I like the openness,” or “I need to scale back and that is where I can save,” and you can expect to see damage to the wood on your tables, rugs, sofa or grandmother’s precious silver chest that you and your sister fought over. Better yet, just give the chest to your sister now before she gets really mad because you ruined it. Determine your overall look for each room and establish a window budget for each treatment, keeping in mind that high ceilings yield tall windows, which in turn take multiple yards of fabrics with sizeable costs to fabricate. To prevent sticker shock, do your homework before you go shopping. Have a budget and say what it is. Everyone has a figure in mind. I can tell you more than one incident where someone was not even shown what they really wanted just because they presented a false budget. Breaking up the areas into smaller segments may be the way to proceed to make the task less overwhelming. Truth be told, there is no window fairy, but you can plan like she is coming tonight. W
For more information, visit us online at www.wellingtondesigncenter.com
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wellington home
LIVING ROOM: The comfortable living room shows off the beautiful white tongue-and-groove wood ceilings that can be found throughout the home. The large windows offer beautiful views of the lake, the hot tub and the patio.
DINING ROOM: The cozy cottage feel can be found in the formal dining room, paired with light fixtures that accentuate the brightness of the home.
PATIO: Ceiling fans keep the outdoor covered patio cool during the summer months, as beautiful lake views can be seen in almost every direction. An in-ground hot tub is nearby, surrounded by lush vegetation.
ENTRANCE: The grand entrance to the home allows a view of the lake and plenty of light to illuminate the living area, giving visitors a feel for the villa’s open layout.
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Charming Palm Beach Polo Villa Features Airy Feel And Lake Views Story by Julie Unger • Photos courtesy Maria Mendelsohn
This breathtaking, 1,347-square-foot villa is nestled in a lakeview cul-de-sac in Palm Beach Polo & Country Club’s Las Casitas neighborhood. With an open floor plan and a bright and airy feel, the villa features two bedrooms and two baths, an in-ground hot tub, a covered patio and more. The spacious kitchen, perfect for entertaining, has enormous cabinets, stainless-steel appliances and marble countertops. Beautiful tongue-and-groove wood ceilings throughout the home create a seamless transition from one room to the next, and Travertine tile further unifies the cozy cottage feel. Due to its orientation, sunrises and sunsets are clearly visible from the covered porch, which provides the ideal location for starting or ending the day. KITCHEN: The kitchen features an island table with a sink for easy cleanup while entertaining. With its spacious marble top, the island is a thing of beauty within the room and doubles as a kitchen table.
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MASTER BATH/BEDROOM: The master bath features two sinks, a walk-in glass shower and a luxurious tub. The many windows let in plenty of natural illumination, providing a feel that is reminiscent of a relaxing spa. The master bedroom has beautiful views of the lush landscaping and the lake.
SECOND BATH/BEDROOM: The second bathroom, with a slate-tiled walk-in shower, is rich and luxurious. Like the rest of the house, the second bedroom is bright and airy, providing a wonderful retreat for guests.
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LAKE VIEWS: The villa is nestled in a lakeview cul-de-sac, giving it a secluded, natural feel.
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wellington table
Keke’s Breakfast Café Arrives In Wellington With Tasty Menu Options Story by Chris Felker • Photos by Abner Pedraza
If having a filling breakfast is how you fuel your day, or if you’re a late riser and prefer brunch instead, there’s a new option in Wellington. Keke’s Breakfast Café, an all-Florida franchise based in Orlando, opened its 10th location recently in the Pointe at Wellington Green, featuring a tantalizing lineup of interesting takeoffs on breakfast classics and a lunch menu that is every bit as enticing. A trio of businessmen from the Northeast decided to take founding partners Kevin and Keith Mahen up on their franchise opportunity — and soon will open another Keke’s in Boynton Beach, too. The local outlet, owned by Ijmad Ali and Syed Hasan Ali, both from Pennsylvania but unrelated, and Virginia businessman Sy Zaidi, has been open since August. The space is quite large, at 5,000-plus square feet, and there’s plenty of light streaming in from the generous corner-space windowscape to read the extensive menuscape. Keke’s (so named for the founders, who are brothers) puts some love into its food offerings, its presentations and its décor. This is not a noisy neighborhood breakfast spot; the spacious, spotless booths that take up most of the room are comfortably divided by highrise wood-paneled walls topped with clear glass so that your breakfast conversations are not shared with your neighbors.
Breakfast Salad
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However, you may want to share your portions with your fellow diners, because some dishes are more than you may be able to eat! The menu makes it easy to find exactly whatever it is that your stomach is growling for; there’s a full lineup of pancakes, French toast — both flavored and stuffed varieties — omelets, egg favorites and poached egg meals, plus a particularly delicious chicken breast omelets section featuring four different kinds: Italian, buffalo, barbecue and fajita. On the flip side of the menu, there’s a long list of lunch favorites, served after 10:30 a.m., ranging from burgers and paninis to salads and wraps. When our first items arrived, served up by smiling manager Jason Fischer, it was apparent that what the chain says about Keke’s staff being “dedicated to providing an outstanding breakfast” was certainly true. The portions were hearty, everything was as fresh as could be and the meals were presented in a pictureperfect fashion. The “breakfast salad” was a nice starter, a parfait of smooth and tasty yogurt, granola, fresh berries and honey — coolly delicious. We tried the Florida pancakes, hefty and fluffy, topped with crispy-fresh strawberries, blueberries and sliced banana, sprinkled with powdered sugar. It was a very tasty treat with a bit of maple syrup on top.
Southwestern Omelet
Eggs Florentine
(Above) The Florida Pancakes were topped with fresh strawberries, blueberries and banana, sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Banana, Nut & Caramel Stuffed French Toast
Toasted Sesame Chicken Salad
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wellington table Samples of some egg dishes were next up. We had the poached eggs Florentine, which was not only tempting to look at but also delicious and prepared to perfection, with its sides of crisped, thick bacon and firmly cooked home fries. The banana, nut and caramel stuffed French toast was a bit of heaven in every bite. The Southwestern omelet was delightfully light and fluffy, served loaded with sun-dried tomatoes and sautéed onions sprinkled with pepper jack cheese. The jalapeños provided a nice kick on top. For lunch, the toasted chicken sesame salad on romaine with crispy noodles and Mandarin oranges turned out to be a delectable, crunchy combination of salty and sweet. The dressing was outstanding. We finished with a Southwest turkey club panini on sliced ciabatta bread, grilled to a crisp on the outside, yet melt-in-your-mouth moist on the inside — just fantastically done. Partner Syed Hasan Ali explained that since the restaurant has been open only a few months, he, his partners and the staff, which also includes co-manager Alicia Tursi, have been concentrating on building up a rhythm and momentum to deal with their rush times. That can be any morning during the week, but especially on Sundays, when patrons can often be found waiting for a table on the benches lining the walls outside. Lunch is less busy, but Fischer said that there has been plenty of business to keep the staff of 30-plus hopping.
(L-R) Essie Woods, manager Jason Fischer, Steven Rodriguez, manager Alicia Tursi, John Karabelas, Sarah Fries, partner Syed Hasan Ali, Jessica Newfield and Anthony D’Agostino.
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The eatery, which is quite large with its 34 tables and capacity of 194, can still be a little hard to find at first, but trust me, once you try the food, you’ll remember where it is. “We are kind of tucked away in a side corner, and it’s a new name — people don’t know us — so we are still introducing ourselves to the community,” Ali said. “We get a lot of customers here who know the name from Orlando, or their family members do, and they’re happy to see us down here.” Although he said lunchtime is not as busy as breakfast hours, there were still several tables occupied when we visited near the end of their day. Ali noted that they do take lastminute walk-ins before closing time at 2:30 p.m. daily if the diners can order quickly. “It takes a while to shut everything down,” he said. “Everything gets cleaned every day, including the floors, and everything washed in the kitchen.” The partners are now concentrating on building the business up, but they also are lining up their resources to open a Boynton location early next year. The chain has five new restaurants in the works, and judging by the great food and friendly staff, they’ll be successful. Keke’s Breakfast Café is located in the Pointe at Wellington Green, at 10120 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 190, at the southwest corner of State Road 7 and Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington. Hours are 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. For more info., visit www.kekes.com or call (561) 444-2075.
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wellington dining guide For a touch of the Florida Keys in your own back yard, visit Bonefish Mac’s Sports Grille. Located at 10880 W. Forest Hill Blvd. near the Mall at Wellington Green, Bonefish Mac’s offers excellent food in a family-friendly environment. For more information, visit www.bonefishmacs.com or call (561) 798-6227. Brooklyn Bagel in Wellington has been in business for more than 20 years, offering customers handmade, authentic bagels and more. Brooklyn Bagel is located at 13873 Wellington Trace, Suite B9, in the Wellington Marketplace shopping plaza. For more information, call (561) 784-5501. Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant is located on Forest Hill Blvd. near the Mall at Wellington Green. Specializing in family-style Italian cuisine, Buca di Beppo is known for its large portions designed to serve several people. For more info., call (561) 7903287 or visit www.bucadibeppo.com. Casa Tequila, a restaurant featuring a wide variety of delicious Mexican Cuisine, opened recently in the Wellington Plaza at 12795 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 11A. For more info., call (561) 557-1378 or visit www. casatequilafl.com. Coach House Restaurant & Bar (13410 South Shore Blvd.) features gourmet cuisine along with a piano bar, bistro area, outside dining, smoking bars, entertainment and more. For more info., call (561) 795-0080 or visit www.coachhousefla.com. First Watch, the Daytime Café, is now open in Wellington at 2335 South State Road 7 in front of the Mall at Wellington Green near Office Depot. First Watch is open from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. For more info., call (561) 795-5500 or visit www.firstwatch.com. Gabriel’s Cafe & Grille is Wellington’s oldest restaurant. Serving breakfast and lunch, Gabriel’s is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily in the Wellington
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Plaza at the intersection of Forest Hill Blvd. and Wellington Trace. For more info., call (561) 793-0675. From delicious antipasti to a fine selection of wines, Italian food lovers will feel right at home at Franco Italian Bistro. For an authentic, elegant Italian experience, visit Franco Italian Bistro at 10160 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 103, in the Pointe at Wellington Green. For more info., call (561) 615-1551 or visit www.francoitalianbistro.com. The Grille Fashion Cuisine (12300 South Shore Blvd., Suite 10) is open for lunch and dinner daily. It is also a popular gathering place, open until 2 a.m. Thursday through Sunday. For info., call (561) 7932110 or visit www.thegrillefashioncuisine.com. India Grill & Bar is now open in Royal Plaza at 650 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. serving authentic north and south Indian cuisine. For info., call (561) 249-7168. Offering delicious cuts of steak and succulent seafood dishes, Jordan’s Steak Bistro serves up delicious meals and craft cocktails in a stylish environment. The restaurant is located in the Pointe at Wellington Green at 10140 W. Forest Hill Blvd. For more info., call (561) 793-9394 or visit www.jordans steakbistro.com. Enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine at La Fogata, featuring a full menu for lunch and dinner, including food and drink specials. The restaurant is located in Wellington’s Town Square shopping plaza at 11924 W. Forest Hill Blvd. For more info., call (561) 422-1641 or visit www.lafogatawellington.com. Experience the tastes of the world atop a burger at Lindburgers Restaurant in the Wellington Courtyard Shops at 13860 Wellington Trace. From Florida to the Far East, Lindburgers will take you on a trip as you bite into one of its 50 famous burgers. For more info., call (561) 753-0555 or visit www.lindburgers.com.
Oli’s Fashion Cuisine & Bar is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks on Forest Hill Blvd. near the Mall at Wellington Green. For info., call (561) 7922220 or visit www.olisrestaurant.com. Romano’s Macaroni Grill, located at 2535 S. State Road 7 in Wellington, serves innovative Italian cooking in a comfortable atmosphere. The menu includes the popular create-your-own pasta dishes. For more info., call 561-792-2248 or visit www.macaronigrill. com. Stonewood Grill & Tavern in the Pointe at Wellington Green serves up exciting flavors in a casually sophisticated setting. Call (561) 784-9796 or visit www.stonewoodgrill.com for more info. A family tradition since 1905, Strathmore Bagels & Deli is a real New York delicatessen, serving everything from smoked fish to corned beef. It is located in the Marketplace at Wycliffe at the corner of State Road 7 and Lake Worth Road. For info., call (561) 357-0044 or visit www.strathmorebagels.com. Taste of India is located at 7750 Okeechobee Blvd. Aside from a full menu, it offers a bountiful buffet for lunch and dinner on weekdays and brunch on weekends. For more info., call (561) 721-8600. Drop by the award-winning TooJay’s Original Gourmet Deli in the Mall at Wellington Green for breakfast, lunch or dinner. TooJay’s is reminiscent of your favorite New York delicatessen. For more info., call (561) 784-9055 or visit www.toojays.com. A wide variety of food choices can be found at Welli Deli, located at 13501 South Shore Blvd. For more info., visit www.wellideli.com or call (561) 784-5884. World of Beer (2465 State Road 7, Suite 100) offers more than 500 varieties of choice brews. For info., call (561) 383-6115 or visit wellington.wobusa.com.
2014_holiday_Wellington Mag_3.62x9.75 10/31/14 9:28 AM Page 1
TooJay’s spreads Challahday cheer!
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Are you part of a nonprofit organization with ties to the Wellington community? We want to hear from you! Kicking off our “Wellington Gives” campaign with our January 2015 issue, Wellington The Magazine will be featuring a different nonprofit organization’s mission and cause each month. We want to partner with local organizations and help them achieve their goals by sharing their histories, missions and impact they have on the community. The criteria for submitting organizations is simple: they must be registered nonprofit organizations with an active 501(c)3 status, and have an office in Wellington, have a board member or other organization official live in Wellington or hold a major fundraiser within Wellington. If you are part of an organization that meets the criteria, or know one that is, submit a nomination today! Only 12 nonprofits will be selected and featured in this series, so submit your nomination today! Visit www.wellingtonthemagazine.com and look for the “Teamwork” icon (pictured above), click on it and complete the submission form — it’s that easy!
C O M I N G T O G E T H E R T O C R E AT E A B E T T E R C O M M U N I T Y
TOO AY’S R E S T A U R A N T
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Wellington The Mall at Wellington Green (561) 784-9055 • Lake Worth 419 Lake Avenue (561) 582-8684 • Boynton Beach Boynton Beach Mall (561) 740-7420 • Locations also in Boca Raton, Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter • www.toojays.com 10th Anniversary |wellington the magazine| December 2014
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wellington calendar Tuesday, Dec. 2 • The Central Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce will hold an Economic Forum Luncheon on Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 11:30 a.m. at the Breakers West Country Club. The topic will be healthcare reform featuring keynote speaker Jessica Waltman, senior vice president of legislative affairs for the National Association of Health Care Underwriters. For info., call Sonya Moste at (561) 578-4813 or visit www.cpbchamber.com. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Wellington to Alaska: Adventures in Salmon Fishing on Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 6:30 p.m. Join Wellington High School graduate Ray Friedlander as she shares her experiences as a commercial salmon fisherman in Alaska and as an environmental advocate for the largest remaining intact temperate rainforest. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Wonders of the Night Sky: Telescope Viewing Session for adults Tuesdays, Dec. 2 and Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. Join the Astronomical Society of the Palm Beaches and learn about constellations as you stargaze. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info. Wednesday, Dec. 3 • The Jim Brandon Equestrian Center 7500 Forest Hill Blvd.) will host a Citrus Series Hunter Jumper Show on Wednesday, Dec. 3 and Thursday, Dec. 4. For more information, call (561) 966-7090. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Not Your Grandma’s Bingo for ages 5 to 12 on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 3:30 p.m. Create your own card, and see if luck is on your side. Join the fun and win a prize. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Zumba Gold on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 6:30 p.m. Come join the party in this dance fitness class suitable for active older adults and beginners. Bring a towel and water. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. Thursday, Dec. 4 • The Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W.
Forest Hill Blvd.) will host food trucks and a free concert on Thursday, Dec. 4 from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Food trucks will be on hand at 5 p.m., and the Jamie Mitchell Band will play at 6:30 p.m. Call (561) 753-2484 or visit www.wellingtonfl.gov for more info. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Writers’ Critique Workshop for adults Thursday, Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m. Share, offer and accept constructive criticism to improve fiction, nonfiction and poetry in a supportive atmosphere led by Caryn DeVincenti, regional director of the Florida Writers’ Association. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. • Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Agent Laurie Albrecht will present a program on Invasive Plants on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Acreage Library (15801 Orange Blvd.). Learn how to identify the worst invasive plant marauders, why they should be removed, and how to remove and dispose of them. Call (561) 233-1759 to register. Friday, Dec. 5 • Palm Beach Dramaworks will present Israel Horovitz’s My Old Lady starring Estelle Parsons and featuring Angelica Page and Tim Altmeyer opening Friday, Dec. 5 and continuing through Jan. 4 at the Don & Ann Brown Theatre (201 Clematis St., West Palm Beach). For more information, call the box office at (561) 514-4042 or visit www.palmbeach dramaworks.org. • The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival will return to the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center from Friday, Dec. 5 through Sunday, Dec. 7. Visit www.wpbaf.com for more info. • The Wellington Rotary Club will host its Wellington Wine & Food Fest on Friday, Dec. 5 from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (3667 120th Avenue South, Wellington). The cost is $125 per person. For tickets, call (561) 7159262 or visit www.wellingtonwineandfoodfest.com. • The Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) will hold a free preview of the Nutcracker Ballet by Wellington Ballet Theatre on Friday,
Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. Call (561) 753-2484 or visit www. wellingtonfl.gov for more info. • Ghost Tours: An Evening In The Dark will be held at Yesteryear Village at the South Florida Fairgrounds on Friday, Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. The cost is $18 per person. For more info., call (561) 790-5232. Saturday, Dec. 6 • The Jim Brandon Equestrian Center 7500 Forest Hill Blvd.) will host a Palm Beach County Mounted Posse All Breed Show on Saturday, Dec. 6 and Sunday, Dec. 7. For more information, call (561) 9667090. • Buckler’s Craft Fair will return to the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center on Saturday, Dec. 6 and Sunday, Dec. 7. Learn more at www.bucklercraftfair.com. • The Mall at Wellington Green will host Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 8:30 a.m. Breakfast with Santa is an exclusive event for MallStars Kids Club members only. Aside from visits with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, there will also be a live musical show with holiday characters and food from Chickfil-A. For more info., visit www.shopwellingtongreen. com or call (561) 227-6900. • The Wellington Green Market will take place Saturday, Dec. 6 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wellington Municipal Complex (12300 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Call (561) 283-5856 for more info. • A fundraiser for cancer patients Ralph and D.J. Guriere will be held Saturday, Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Elks Lodge #1352 (6188 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach). The event includes food and entertainment for children and adults. Visit www. dmkincorp.com/guriere-family-fundraiser for info. • The Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens (4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach) will host two workshops on the Art of Japanese Gift Presentation on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The cost is $35, and advance registration is required. Visit www.morikami.org or call (561) 4950233 for more information.
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wellington calendar • The new Renaissance Charter School in Wellington (3200 S. State Road 7, Wellington) will hold its first holiday event on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with bounce houses, games, contests, face painting and more. For adults, there will be a silent auction, and vendors on hand for holiday shopping. Admission is free, but wrist bands are available for the bounce houses, games and contests. Wristbands cost $5 in advance and $10 on the day of the event. For more info., call (561) 228-5242. • The annual Royal Palm Beach Winter Festival will take place Saturday, Dec. 6 from 1 to 9 p.m. at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park with local choirs, bands and dance teams on the main stage, a variety of holiday crafts and decorations, and plenty of rides and games. Santa Claus will be stopping by. Food will be provided by the popular Food Truck Invasion. Craft vendors should register at www.pottcevents. com. For more info., visit www.royalpalmbeach.com. • Wellington Winterfest featuring Vanilla Ice will return to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. Presented by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, the event will include a food and wine expo, shopping and food vendors, local musical and dance performances, a show jumping competition and more. For more info., visit www.wellingtonchamber.com. • The Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center (1977 College Drive, Belle Glade) will present its 26th annual Living Christmas Tree performances on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 7 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $5. On Sunday afternoon there will be free pictures with Santa in the lobby. For tickets, call the box office at (561) 993-1160 or visit www.dolly hand.org. Sunday, Dec. 7 • The Mall at Wellington Green will host Pet Photos with Santa on Sunday, Dec. 7 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Package prices range from $22 to $49. For more info., visit www.shopwellingtongreen.com or call (561) 227-6900.
Monday, Dec. 8 • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Make a Gift for ages 8 to 12 on Monday, Dec. 8 at 4 p.m. Create a gift for someone special with provided supplies. Call (561) 790-6070 for info. Tuesday, Dec. 9 • The Jim Brandon Equestrian Center 7500 Forest Hill Blvd.) will host a Citrus Series Hunter Jumper Show on Tuesday, Dec. 9 and Wednesday, Dec. 10. For more information, call (561) 966-7090. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Holiday Card Creation with Microsoft Publisher for adults Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 2:30 p.m. Learn to use Microsoft Publisher to create fun and unique holiday cards. Some computer experience is required. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Tween Gaming for ages 8 to 12 on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 3:30 p.m. Bring a friend for Wii gaming and board game fun. Call (561) 790-6070 for info. • The Wellington Village Council will meet Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Wellington Municipal Complex (12300 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). For more info., call (561) 791-4000 or visit www.wellingtonfl.gov. Thursday, Dec. 11 • The Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) will host food trucks and a free concert on Thursday, Dec. 11 from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Food trucks will be on hand at 5 p.m., and the Big City Dogs Band will play at 6:30 p.m. Call (561) 753-2484 or visit www.wellingtonfl.gov for more info. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Pokémon League for ages 6 to 12 on Thursday, Dec. 11 at 5 p.m. Bring your DS or Pokémon cards and get ready to battle, trade and make new friends. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info. • The Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) will host a free screening of the film Hercules on Friday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Call (561) 753-2484 or visit www.wellingtonfl.gov for more info.
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December 2014 |wellington the magazine| 10th Anniversary
Saturday, Dec. 13 • The Jim Brandon Equestrian Center 7500 Forest Hill Blvd.) will host a Palm Beach County Mounted Posse Barrel Point Show on Saturday, Dec. 13. For more information, call (561) 966-7090. • The Wellington Green Market will take place Saturday, Dec. 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wellington Municipal Complex (12300 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Call (561) 283-5856 for more info. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Sweet Treats for ages 2 to 6 on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 11 a.m. Get your sweet tooth ready to hear some sugary stories and songs, and create a scrumptious craft. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info. • The Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens (4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach) will host casual Kimono Culture demonstrations on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. The cost is $5 with paid museum admission. Visit www. morikami.org or call (561) 495-0233 for more info. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Board Game Day for adults Saturday, Dec. 13 at 3 p.m. Enjoy a fun, relaxing afternoon with a friend or family member playing Uno, Scrabble, Monopoly, Sorry, Dominoes, Rummikub, Trivial Pursuit or Pictionary. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. Sunday, Dec. 14 • Wellington’s third annual Jingle Bell Run will take place Sunday, Dec. 14 at 7 a.m. at Village Park (11700 Pierson Road). Visit www.active.com or www. wellingtonfl.gov for more info. • The Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce will present the 31st annual Wellington Holiday Parade on Sunday, Dec. 14, sponsored by the Wellington Preservation Coalition and the Schumacher Family of Dealerships. The Holiday Park at the Wellington Amphitheater opens at noon, and the parade begins at 2:30 p.m. at the corner of Forest Hill Blvd. and Wellington Trace, and heads along Forest Hill Blvd. to the Wellington Amphitheater. Visit www. cpbchamber.com for more info.
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wellington calendar Monday, Dec. 15 • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Art Club for ages 6 to 12 on Monday, Dec. 15 at 4 p.m. Live through your art by exploring different mediums. Dress to get messy. Call (561) 7906070 for more info. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Chess Club for Adults on Monday, Dec. 15 at 6:30 p.m. Chess fans practice strategy skills with other players. Basic game knowledge is required. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. Tuesday, Dec. 16 • The Kravis on Broadway series will feature The Book of Mormon from Tuesday, Dec. 16 through Sunday, Dec. 21 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach). For more info., call the box office at (561) 832-7469 or visit www.kravis.org. Wednesday, Dec. 17 • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Could You Pass the Test?” for adults Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 6:30 p.m. Join the Palm Beach County Bar Association in a free and fun game of Knowledge Bingo to test your knowledge of the U.S. and Florida constitutions. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. Thursday, Dec. 18 • The Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) will host food trucks and a free concert on Thursday, Dec. 18 from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Food trucks will be on hand at 5 p.m., and the Jack Flash Band will play at 6:30 p.m. Call (561) 753-2484 or visit www.wellingtonfl.gov for more info. • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Teen Takeover for ages 12 to 17 on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 6 p.m. Enjoy Yu-Gi-Oh, anime, Wii games and more. Snacks will be provided. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info. Friday, Dec. 19 • The Wellington Amphitheater will host a free screening of Disney’s A Christmas Carol on Friday, Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Call (561) 753-2484 or visit www.wellingtonfl.gov for info. Saturday, Dec. 20 • The Jim Brandon Equestrian Center 7500 Forest Hill Blvd.) will host a Palm Beach Classic Horse Show on Saturday, Dec. 20. For more information, call (561) 966-7090. • A Gun Show will be held Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 20 and Dec. 21 at the South Florida Fairgrounds featuring a wide collection of guns, ammo, knives, hunting supplies and accessories. For more info., visit www.flgunshows.com. • The Wellington Green Market will take place Saturday, Dec. 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wellington Municipal Complex (12300 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Call (561) 283-5856 for more info. Saturday, Dec. 27 • The Miami City Ballet will present George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker from Saturday, Dec. 27 through Tuesday, Dec. 30 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach). For more info., call the box office at (561) 832-7469 or visit www.kravis.org. • The Wellington Green Market will take place Saturday, Dec. 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wellington Municipal Complex (12300 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Call (561) 283-5856 for more info. Monday, Dec. 29 • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Lego Bricks for ages 6 to 12 on Monday, Dec. 29 at 4 p.m. Builders create vehicles or buildings out of Lego bricks. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info. Sunday, Jan. 4 • The International Polo Club Palm Beach (3667 120th Avenue South, Wellington) will open the 2015 polo season on Sunday, Jan. 4 with the Herbie Pennell Cup. For more info., visit www.international poloclub.com or call (561) 204-5687. 10th Anniversary |wellington the magazine| December 2014
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around wellington
Photos by Denise Fleischman, Andrea Unger and Julie Unger
Rocky’s Celebration — Rocky’s Ace Hardware celebrated being named “Highest in Customer Service Satisfaction” for home improvement retail stores for the eighth year by J.D. Power & Associates with special events on Saturday, Nov. 1 at the chain’s Wellington store, located in the Wellington Marketplace shopping plaza. Shown here are Rocky’s employees with the eight awards.
Biz Group Hosts Social — The Western Business Alliance held a social event on Thursday, Nov. 13 at Flanigan’s Seafood Bar & Grill in Wellington. The next event is planned for Jan. 15 at Tree’s Wings in Royal Palm Beach. For more info., visit www.thewesternbusinessalliance.com. Shown here are Don Gross, Ron Tomchin, Amanda Gill of Flanigan’s, Maureen Gross and Peter Wein.
Community Garage Sale — St. Rita Catholic Church held a garage sale Saturday, Nov. 15 at its parish center in Wellington. The sale featured special finds such as lamps, clothing, glassware, toys, furniture and other items from around the house, along with a bake sale. Shown here, Council of Catholic Women members were on hand to help.
Relay Kickoff — Organizers of the American Cancer Society’s Wellington Relay for Life held a kickoff party Nov. 6 at the Buena Vida clubhouse. Another fundraiser is set for Dec. 17 at 6 p.m. at Hurricane Grill. The relay will take place April 25 at Palm Beach Central High School. For info., visit www.relayforlife.org/wellingtonfl. Shown here are Kayla, Nina and Ryan Anschuetz with Johnny Meier and Dr. Randy Laurich.
GREAT Elbridge Gale Students — On Monday, Nov. 10, Elbridge Gale Elementary School held its GREAT program graduation honoring the students in the classes of Cheri Christopher and Jennifer Tobin. GREAT (Gang Resistance Education And Training) is a six-week, skills-based, elementary school curriculum for fourth and fifth graders.
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(Below left) Jennifer Tobin’s class with Vice Principal Chad Phillips, Principal Gail Pasterczyk and School Police Officer Howard Blocher. (Below right) Cherie Christopher’s class with Vice Principal Chad Phillips, Principal Gail Pasterczyk and School Police Officer Howard Blocher.
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December 2014 |wellington the magazine| 10th Anniversary