town-crier newspaper february 13, 2015

42
Volume 36, Number 7 February 13 - February 19, 2015 Your Community Newspaper Serving Palms West Since 1980 TOWN-CRIER THE WELLINGTON ROYAL PALM BEACH LOXAHATCHEE THE ACREAGE INSIDE DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS .............................. 3 - 12 OPINION ................................. 4 CRIME NEWS ......................... 6 NEWS BRIEFS ........................ 8 PEOPLE ................................ 13 SCHOOLS ......................14 - 15 COLUMNS ..................... 16, 25 BUSINESS .....................26 - 27 SPORTS .........................31 - 33 CALENDAR ........................... 34 CLASSIFIEDS ............... 35 - 38 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM OPINION EMILY BROOKE STILL IN THE IDOL HUNT SEE STORY, PAGE 7 The Palm Beach Unites Hunger Project recently handed out 100,000 lentil casserole meals at seven different locations. A total of 2,500 meals went to the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club in Wellington on Monday, Feb. 9 and were handed out to families as they picked up their kids. Shown here are Leland Gassman, Brooklyn Simpson and Program Coordinator Latisha Paul. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER B&G CLUB HELPS FIGHT HUNGER By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Royal Palm Beach Vil- lage Council last week autho- rized appraisals of about 10 acres of village-owned land across Okeechobee Blvd. from Royal Palm Beach High School for what could become a future charter high school. At the Thursday, Feb. 5 meeting, Village Manager Ray Liggins said Flagler Realty had asked to pur- chase land on Okeechobee Blvd. east of the First Baptist Church. He said that there are two parcels owned by the village, near where the village entrance sign sits. The village would keep 2 acres for the sign, and the potential buyer has offered to pay for the necessary appraisals. “This would authorize me to get the appraisals and bring them back to the council for consideration at a later meeting,” Liggins said, pointing out that the public high school is currently at 102 percent capacity, and about 1,000 students living in the village take advantage of the choice program, although village staff believes that putting a charter high school across the street from the public high school is inappropriate. Vice Mayor David Swift said that this is just the first step and noted that Flagler Realty will pay for the appraisals. Village Attorney Jennifer Ash- ton said the Realtor was asking whether the council is interested in selling the property. Mayor Matty Mattioli said he would not want to sell the land for a charter school because it would undercut the progress that Royal Palm Beach High School has been making. Swift, however, disagreed. “I have a different view,” he said. “I talked to elementary and middle school teachers, and they are concerned about the prolif- eration of private and charter schools.” However, with RPBHS at 102 percent capacity and 1,000 stu- dents in the village choosing to attend high schools outside the area, Swift said he thought a char- ter school is worth looking into. “I don’t think it’s going to have an effect on Royal Palm Beach High School,” Swift said. “It gives parents a choice within the village. [Public school] teachers don’t like Vacant Land Near RPBHS Eyed For A Charter High School See CHARTER, page 19 By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report The superheroes who landed last week at the Palm Beach Inter- national Equestrian Center amazed thousands as they leapt and soared Saturday, Feb. 7 at the sixth an- nual Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments, at the Winter Equestrian Festival. Professional and amateur riders, along with their equine sidekicks, entertained the thousands who came out to watch them and root for their favorite charities in a night full of fun, games, surprises and more. Many riders were dressed as superheroes to match the evening theme. “I want to thank everyone who has participated here,” said Mark Bellissimo, CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions and co-founder of the Great Charity Challenge, before the competition. “The theme this year is superheroes. That represents the superheroes who are the riders who donate their time, the equestrian families who donate their money, the members of the community and our staff who operate this show and, finally, those amazing individuals who are the directors of these organizations who make unbelievable commit- ments to their passion. Without them, this community would be a different place.” Charities of every type partici- pated in the event. “It’s overwhelming to see so many great organizations being represented here tonight,” said Anne Caroline Valtin, executive director of the Great Charity Challenge. “We came up with this theme, and we thought it would tie the whole event together, but you guys have gone above and beyond on your own time to make this special.” Thirty-four of the hundreds of charities that put their names in the hat for the Great Charity Chal- Superhero Theme Adds To The Fun At Great Charity Challenge lenge were selected to participate and walked away with a check for at least $15,000 last Saturday evening. Riders Juan Carlos Maurin, Emanuel Andrade and Victoria Karam had the fastest time of the night, riding for Danny and Ron’s Rescue and earning the nonprofit $150,000. The team was sponsored by Hollow Creek Farm and corporate sponsor Gold Coast Feed & Supply. Coming in second place was the team of Sydney Shulman, Cloe Hymowitz and Alexa Ef- fron, riding for Propel. That team, sponsored by Back Country Farm and corporate sponsor Visse We- dell, earned $125,000 for their charity. The Kids Cancer Foundation finished third and won $112,500 on a strong effort by riders Darragh Kenny, Allison Epstein and Andre Mershad, sponsored by Mershad See GCC, page 21 By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington Village Council approved a contract Tuesday to re- place a 24-inch water main coming from a well field in Little Ranches with a new PVC pipe. The action authorized the award of a contract for $167,921.04 to Ferguson Enterprises Inc. for the purchase and delivery of 24-inch PVC pipe and fittings and mechan- ical restraining devices to build a culvert crossing to cover the pipes, which would run underneath the C-28 Canal. Originally, the contact was on the consent agenda and was not planned for discussion. However, about 30 Little Ranches residents attended the meeting to express concerns about the design of the replacement pipe, which included a 20-foot crossing for public works to access the area, which many felt was a preamble for another access Wellington Council OKs Plans For Little Ranches Culvert See CULVERT, page 19 Three-Way Race Takes Shape For RPB Council Seat By Lynn Demarest Town-Crier Staff Report As the filing deadline came and went Tuesday at noon, Royal Palm Beach Village Councilman Fred Pinto found himself unopposed for a seventh two-year term, while Vice Mayor David Swift prepared to face two challengers — one a first-time candidate and the other a familiar foe. Pinto brushed off a challenge in March 2013 by garnering twice as many votes as his challenger. Now, two years later, there are no comers at all. “I’m fully appreciative,” Pinto, 64, said of the easy win. “None of us is entitled to anything.” Pinto retains Seat 4. He said his top priority is overseeing the development of the former waste- water treatment plant property, west of H.L. Johnson Elementary School in the northwestern part of the village. Council members have accepted a $35 million bid from Lennar to purchase the land, but details of the new residential community remain to be ironed out, he said. Pinto also wants to reduce the property tax rate, a common practice back when the village’s tax base was growing. Pinto said rebounding property values might make it possible to lower the rate, now set at $1.92 for every $1,000 of taxable value. Swift, the Seat 2 incumbent, said he wasn’t sure why he had drawn two challengers. “I’m not sure what the issue Put Restoration Of The Everglades Back On The Front Burner After years of slowed progress, Gov. Rick Scott recently an- nounced his goal to commit $5 billion toward Everglades resto- ration over the next 20 years. If approved by lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session, the money could bring long- delayed Everglades restoration projects back on track. This is good, but it will take a far more concerted effort to get the job done. Page 4 is,” Swift said with a chuckle. “I guess they want to be on the council.” During the same March 2013 election in which Pinto handily prevailed, Swift likewise captured 63 percent of the vote to defeat three-term incumbent Martha Webster, a 68-year-old retiree who wants the seat back. Webster thinks Swift, 70, who has served nearly continuously for more than two decades, has been on the council long enough. “It’s time for David to sit back,” she said. During her five years on the council, Webster represented the village on the executive board of the Palm Beach County League of Cities, the Treasure Coast Re- gional Planning Council and the Palm Beach Metropolitan Plan- ning Organization. She said she point to their neighborhood. Little Ranches has only one ac- cess point in an out, along South- ern Blvd. south of Royal Palm Beach Blvd. Residents said having one ac- cess point helps maintain the security of the community and prevents excessive traffic that would frighten horses. Village Engineer Bill Riebe said the request was to replace an existing water main within Little Ranches. The design was to get the most efficient, cost-effective solu- tion and still provide the necessary level of service. “The water main project is an approved project in the 2015 capital improvement plan,” Riebe said. “We need to replace this par- ticular pipe. It’s a critical piece of infrastructure for our community.” He said that village staff met with the Little Ranches Property Owners’ Association on Jan. 6 to discuss several projects that affect them, including the planned cul- vert crossing in question and the possibility of installing a service drive across it. “All of this was done in an effort to reach out to the neighborhood so they know what we’re trying to accomplish, and what our goals and intentions are,” Riebe said. “As part of the meeting, the POA rejected the service drive, but they approved the culvert crossing provided that there are protections, including [the prevention of] pe- destrian access across the canal.” Riebe said that the current plans do not include the service drive, explaining that the drive was removed from the plan, but that the village continues to receive e-mails and other communications expressing concerns about it. He said the pipe needs to be covered to protect it from the sun would work to acquire those roles again, should she win. A year after losing to Swift, Webster finished third in a four- way race for mayor. She also announced, but then dropped, a run for Palm Beach County Com- mission. Webster said she dropped out because of the candidacy of former Wellington Mayor Kathy Foster, whom Webster described as “one of the finest people I know.” Foster lost the Democratic primary to Melissa McKinlay, who went on the win the seat. Despite her sound defeat by Swift last time, Webster said she expects to do better this time because of endorsements from Mayor Matty Mattioli, Council- man Richard Valuntas and Pinto, along with former Palm Beach County Commissioner Jess Santa- maria. Most of her endorsements two years ago, she said, came from outside the village, from people she had met at the League of Cities and other organizations. If Webster wins, she will be the only woman on the council. The other Swift challenger is Darrell Lange, a former member of the Royal Palm Beach Plan- ning & Zoning Commission. He entered the race a day before the filing deadline. A 50-year-old father of three boys — ages 11, 13 and 15 — Lange and his wife, Katherine, have lived in Royal Palm Beach for 14 years. He is assistant scout- master for Boy Scout Troop 111 and also has been active in the Youth Baseball Association of Royal Palm Beach, where he has coached 39 teams over a decade. ROYAL PALM SELLS WATER PLANT LAND SEE STORY, PAGE 3 Sponsors Sara and Rick Mershad and rider Darragh Kenny with Equestrian Sport Productions CEO Mark Bellissimo. Kenny and his teammates rode for the Kids Cancer Foundation, taking third place. PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Palm Beach County Commis- sioner Melissa McKinlay gave an update Wednesday to the Indian Trail Board of Supervisors on the progress — or lack of it — on is- sues that affect The Acreage. McKinlay said she met with representatives from the western communities in a roundtable discussion Tuesday attended by representatives of all the improve- ment districts and municipalities in District 6. “I think it was the first time that all these individuals had sat around a table and shared ideas and con- cerns and found equal areas where they can work,” she said, adding that she and her staff will work on some of ITID’s ideas and report back to the board. McKinlay said she has been working in Tallahassee to improve the status of the State Road 7 ex- tension to Northlake Blvd., which recently had its financing delayed from 2016 to 2020. “I was in Tallahassee last week, and the chairmen of the Senate CANDIDATES FORUM Tuesday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m., RPB Village Meeting Hall See RPB VOTE, page 19 McKinlay Asks ITID For Support On District 6 Issues See ITID, page 19 Wellington Council OKs First Reading Of Hedge Height Changes The Wellington Village Council gave preliminary approval Tues- day to a code amendment that would allow hedge heights of 6 to 10 feet based on the loca- tion, also allowing for waivers. Page 3 Family Raising Money To Help Longtime Resident Dave Spall On Nov. 30, longtime Royal Palm Beach resident Dave Spall, 36, boarded a cruise ship in Miami. Destination: the Caribbean. He never arrived. Instead, he lies in a hospital bed at Jackson Memorial Hos- pital with family members and friends maintaining a vigil at his bedside and wondering how this could have happened. Page 7 Crowds Seek Bargains At RPB’s Kids Yard Sale The Village of Royal Palm Beach held its annual Kids Yard Sale on Saturday, Feb. 7 at Veterans Park. The day was a great way to find bargains on clothes for kids and infants, toys, games, books and more. There was a DJ and food for sale. Page 12 Dance Show Travels Through Time At WHS Fred Astaire Dance Studio of West Palm Beach presented “Travel Through Time” on Sat- urday, Feb. 7 at the Wellington High School. Students and professional dancers put on a showcase with music and ball- room dances from the 1920s through the 1990s. Page 18

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  • Volume 36, Number 7February 13 - February 19, 2015Your Community Newspaper Serving Palms West Since 1980

    TOWN-CRIERTHEWELLINGTON ROYAL PALM BEACH LOXAHATCHEE THE ACREAGE

    INSIDE

    DEPARTMENT INDEXNEWS ..............................3 - 12OPINION ................................. 4CRIME NEWS ......................... 6NEWS BRIEFS ........................ 8PEOPLE ................................ 13SCHOOLS ......................14 - 15COLUMNS ..................... 16, 25BUSINESS .....................26 - 27SPORTS .........................31 - 33CALENDAR ...........................34CLASSIFIEDS ............... 35 - 38

    Visit Us On The Web AtWWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

    OPINION

    EMILY BROOKE STILL IN THE IDOL HUNTSEE STORY, PAGE 7

    The Palm Beach Unites Hunger Project recently handed out 100,000 lentil casserole meals at seven different locations. A total of 2,500 meals went to the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club in Wellington on Monday, Feb. 9 and were handed out to families as they picked up their kids. Shown here are Leland Gassman, Brooklyn Simpson and Program Coordinator Latisha Paul. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5

    PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

    B&G CLUB HELPSFIGHT HUNGER

    By Ron BukleyTown-Crier Staff Report

    The Royal Palm Beach Vil-lage Council last week autho-rized appraisals of about 10 acres of village-owned land across Okeechobee Blvd. from Royal Palm Beach High School for what could become a future charter high school.

    At the Thursday, Feb. 5 meeting, Village Manager Ray Liggins said Flagler Realty had asked to pur-chase land on Okeechobee Blvd. east of the First Baptist Church. He said that there are two parcels owned by the village, near where the village entrance sign sits. The village would keep 2 acres for the sign, and the potential buyer has offered to pay for the necessary appraisals.

    This would authorize me to get the appraisals and bring them back to the council for consideration at a later meeting, Liggins said, pointing out that the public high school is currently at 102 percent capacity, and about 1,000 students living in the village take advantage of the choice program, although village staff believes that putting a charter high school across the street from the public high school

    is inappropriate.Vice Mayor David Swift said

    that this is just the first step and noted that Flagler Realty will pay for the appraisals.

    Village Attorney Jennifer Ash-ton said the Realtor was asking whether the council is interested in selling the property.

    Mayor Matty Mattioli said he would not want to sell the land for a charter school because it would undercut the progress that Royal Palm Beach High School has been making.

    Swift, however, disagreed.I have a different view, he

    said. I talked to elementary and middle school teachers, and they are concerned about the prolif-eration of private and charter schools.

    However, with RPBHS at 102 percent capacity and 1,000 stu-dents in the village choosing to attend high schools outside the area, Swift said he thought a char-ter school is worth looking into.

    I dont think its going to have an effect on Royal Palm Beach High School, Swift said. It gives parents a choice within the village. [Public school] teachers dont like

    Vacant Land Near RPBHS Eyed For A

    Charter High School

    See CHARTER, page 19By Julie Unger

    Town-Crier Staff ReportThe superheroes who landed

    last week at the Palm Beach Inter-national Equestrian Center amazed thousands as they leapt and soared Saturday, Feb. 7 at the sixth an-nual Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments, at the Winter Equestrian Festival.

    Professional and amateur riders, along with their equine sidekicks, entertained the thousands who came out to watch them and root for their favorite charities in a night full of fun, games, surprises and more. Many riders were dressed as superheroes to match the evening theme.

    I want to thank everyone who has participated here, said Mark Bellissimo, CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions and co-founder of the Great Charity Challenge, before the competition. The theme this year is superheroes. That represents the superheroes

    who are the riders who donate their time, the equestrian families who donate their money, the members of the community and our staff who operate this show and, finally, those amazing individuals who are the directors of these organizations who make unbelievable commit-ments to their passion. Without them, this community would be a different place.

    Charities of every type partici-pated in the event.

    Its overwhelming to see so many great organizations being represented here tonight, said Anne Caroline Valtin, executive director of the Great Charity Challenge. We came up with this theme, and we thought it would tie the whole event together, but you guys have gone above and beyond on your own time to make this special.

    Thirty-four of the hundreds of charities that put their names in the hat for the Great Charity Chal-

    Superhero Theme Adds To The Fun At Great Charity Challenge

    lenge were selected to participate and walked away with a check for at least $15,000 last Saturday evening.

    Riders Juan Carlos Maurin, Emanuel Andrade and Victoria Karam had the fastest time of the night, riding for Danny and Rons Rescue and earning the nonprofit $150,000. The team was sponsored by Hollow Creek Farm and corporate sponsor Gold Coast Feed & Supply.

    Coming in second place was the team of Sydney Shulman, Cloe Hymowitz and Alexa Ef-fron, riding for Propel. That team, sponsored by Back Country Farm and corporate sponsor Visse We-dell, earned $125,000 for their charity.

    The Kids Cancer Foundation finished third and won $112,500 on a strong effort by riders Darragh Kenny, Allison Epstein and Andre Mershad, sponsored by Mershad

    See GCC, page 21

    By Ron BukleyTown-Crier Staff Report

    The Wellington Village Council approved a contract Tuesday to re-place a 24-inch water main coming from a well field in Little Ranches with a new PVC pipe.

    The action authorized the award of a contract for $167,921.04 to Ferguson Enterprises Inc. for the purchase and delivery of 24-inch PVC pipe and fittings and mechan-ical restraining devices to build a culvert crossing to cover the pipes, which would run underneath the C-28 Canal.

    Originally, the contact was on the consent agenda and was not planned for discussion. However, about 30 Little Ranches residents attended the meeting to express concerns about the design of the replacement pipe, which included a 20-foot crossing for public works to access the area, which many felt was a preamble for another access

    Wellington Council OKs Plans For Little Ranches Culvert

    See CULVERT, page 19

    Three-Way Race Takes Shape For RPB Council SeatBy Lynn Demarest

    Town-Crier Staff ReportAs the filing deadline came and

    went Tuesday at noon, Royal Palm Beach Village Councilman Fred Pinto found himself unopposed for a seventh two-year term, while Vice Mayor David Swift prepared to face two challengers one a first-time candidate and the other a familiar foe.

    Pinto brushed off a challenge in March 2013 by garnering twice as many votes as his challenger. Now, two years later, there are no comers at all.

    Im fully appreciative, Pinto, 64, said of the easy win. None of us is entitled to anything.

    Pinto retains Seat 4. He said his top priority is overseeing the development of the former waste-water treatment plant property, west of H.L. Johnson Elementary

    School in the northwestern part of the village. Council members have accepted a $35 million bid from Lennar to purchase the land, but details of the new residential community remain to be ironed out, he said.

    Pinto also wants to reduce the property tax rate, a common practice back when the villages tax base was growing. Pinto said rebounding property values might make it possible to lower the rate, now set at $1.92 for every $1,000 of taxable value.

    Swift, the Seat 2 incumbent, said he wasnt sure why he had drawn two challengers.

    Im not sure what the issue

    Put Restoration OfThe Everglades BackOn The Front BurnerAfter years of slowed progress, Gov. Rick Scott recently an-nounced his goal to commit $5 billion toward Everglades resto-ration over the next 20 years. If approved by lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session, the money could bring long-delayed Everglades restoration projects back on track. This is good, but it will take a far more concerted effort to get the job done. Page 4

    is, Swift said with a chuckle. I guess they want to be on the council.

    During the same March 2013 election in which Pinto handily prevailed, Swift likewise captured 63 percent of the vote to defeat three-term incumbent Martha Webster, a 68-year-old retiree who wants the seat back.

    Webster thinks Swift, 70, who has served nearly continuously for more than two decades, has been on the council long enough. Its time for David to sit back, she said.

    During her five years on the council, Webster represented the village on the executive board of the Palm Beach County League of Cities, the Treasure Coast Re-gional Planning Council and the Palm Beach Metropolitan Plan-ning Organization. She said she

    point to their neighborhood.Little Ranches has only one ac-

    cess point in an out, along South-ern Blvd. south of Royal Palm Beach Blvd.

    Residents said having one ac-cess point helps maintain the security of the community and prevents excessive traffic that would frighten horses.

    Village Engineer Bill Riebe said the request was to replace an existing water main within Little Ranches. The design was to get the most efficient, cost-effective solu-tion and still provide the necessary level of service.

    The water main project is an approved project in the 2015 capital improvement plan, Riebe said. We need to replace this par-ticular pipe. Its a critical piece of infrastructure for our community.

    He said that village staff met with the Little Ranches Property Owners Association on Jan. 6 to

    discuss several projects that affect them, including the planned cul-vert crossing in question and the possibility of installing a service drive across it.

    All of this was done in an effort to reach out to the neighborhood so they know what were trying to accomplish, and what our goals and intentions are, Riebe said. As part of the meeting, the POA rejected the service drive, but they approved the culvert crossing provided that there are protections, including [the prevention of] pe-destrian access across the canal.

    Riebe said that the current plans do not include the service drive, explaining that the drive was removed from the plan, but that the village continues to receive e-mails and other communications expressing concerns about it.

    He said the pipe needs to be covered to protect it from the sun

    would work to acquire those roles again, should she win.

    A year after losing to Swift, Webster finished third in a four-way race for mayor. She also announced, but then dropped, a run for Palm Beach County Com-mission.

    Webster said she dropped out because of the candidacy of former Wellington Mayor Kathy Foster, whom Webster described as one of the finest people I know. Foster lost the Democratic primary to Melissa McKinlay, who went on the win the seat.

    Despite her sound defeat by Swift last time, Webster said she expects to do better this time because of endorsements from Mayor Matty Mattioli, Council-man Richard Valuntas and Pinto, along with former Palm Beach County Commissioner Jess Santa-

    maria. Most of her endorsements two years ago, she said, came from outside the village, from people she had met at the League of Cities and other organizations.

    If Webster wins, she will be the only woman on the council.

    The other Swift challenger is Darrell Lange, a former member of the Royal Palm Beach Plan-ning & Zoning Commission. He entered the race a day before the filing deadline.

    A 50-year-old father of three boys ages 11, 13 and 15 Lange and his wife, Katherine, have lived in Royal Palm Beach for 14 years. He is assistant scout-master for Boy Scout Troop 111 and also has been active in the Youth Baseball Association of Royal Palm Beach, where he has coached 39 teams over a decade.

    ROYAL PALM SELLS WATER PLANT LANDSEE STORY, PAGE 3

    Sponsors Sara and Rick Mershad and rider Darragh Kenny with Equestrian Sport Productions CEO Mark Bellissimo. Kenny and his teammates rode for the Kids Cancer Foundation, taking third place.

    PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

    By Ron BukleyTown-Crier Staff Report

    Palm Beach County Commis-sioner Melissa McKinlay gave an update Wednesday to the Indian Trail Board of Supervisors on the progress or lack of it on is-sues that affect The Acreage.

    McKinlay said she met with representatives from the western communities in a roundtable discussion Tuesday attended by representatives of all the improve-ment districts and municipalities in District 6.

    I think it was the first time that

    all these individuals had sat around a table and shared ideas and con-cerns and found equal areas where they can work, she said, adding that she and her staff will work on some of ITIDs ideas and report back to the board.

    McKinlay said she has been working in Tallahassee to improve the status of the State Road 7 ex-tension to Northlake Blvd., which recently had its financing delayed from 2016 to 2020.

    I was in Tallahassee last week, and the chairmen of the Senate

    CANDIDATES FORUMTuesday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m.,RPB Village Meeting Hall

    See RPB VOTE, page 19

    McKinlay Asks ITID For Support On

    District 6 Issues

    See ITID, page 19

    Wellington Council OKs First Reading Of Hedge Height ChangesThe Wellington Village Council gave preliminary approval Tues-day to a code amendment that would allow hedge heights of 6 to 10 feet based on the loca-tion, also allowing for waivers.

    Page 3

    Family Raising Money To Help LongtimeResident Dave SpallOn Nov. 30, longtime Royal Palm Beach resident Dave Spall, 36, boarded a cruise ship in Miami. Destination: the Caribbean. He never arrived. Instead, he lies in a hospital bed at Jackson Memorial Hos-pital with family members and friends maintaining a vigil at his bedside and wondering how this could have happened.

    Page 7

    Crowds Seek Bargains At RPBs Kids Yard SaleThe Village of Royal Palm Beach held its annual Kids Yard Sale on Saturday, Feb. 7 at Veterans Park. The day was a great way to find bargains on clothes for kids and infants, toys, games, books and more. There was a DJ and food for sale. Page 12

    Dance Show Travels Through Time At WHSFred Astaire Dance Studio of West Palm Beach presented Travel Through Time on Sat-urday, Feb. 7 at the Wellington High School. Students and professional dancers put on a showcase with music and ball-room dances from the 1920s through the 1990s. Page 18

  • Page 2 February 13 - February 19, 2015 www.gotowncrier.com The Town-Crier

  • The Town-Crier www.gotowncrier.com February 13 - February 19, 2015 Page 3

    NEWS

    By Ron BukleyTown-Crier Staff Report

    The Wellington Village Council gave preliminary approval Tues-day to a code amendment that would allow hedge heights of 6 to 10 feet based on the location, also allowing for waivers.

    Planning & Development Ser-vices Director Tim Stillings said the current code allows hedges up to 6 feet in most of the sub-urban areas and along the major thoroughfares, and up to 8 feet on properties of one acre or more.

    The current code provides for a waiver for those heights, he said, explaining that waivers for greater than 6 feet require approval from the village engineer and the Architectural Review Board, and anything greater than 8 feet goes through the Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board.

    The rules also provide excep-tions for arches and other orna-mentation up to 12 feet maximum for up to 25 percent of the length of a section.

    Waivers are needed for thor-oughfares in the Equestrian Pre-serve Area but are required for any fences along streets that have hedges.

    Eight waivers have been ap-

    proved since 2002 for heights greater than 6 feet, Stillings said, explaining that some existing hedges are deemed nonconform-ing after a hedge height amend-ment approved in 2007.

    The new proposal brought through the Architectural Review Board and slightly modified by the Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board would allow a maximum hedge height for zero-lot-line homes of 6 feet with 8-foot excep-tions. One-acre lots or less would be allowed 9 feet with a 10-foot exception, and lots greater than one acre would be allowed 10 feet with a 12-foot exception along thoroughfares, Stillings said.

    Ornamentation would also be reduced from 25 percent to 20 percent of the length of the hedge section.

    Vice Mayor John Greene said he agreed with Councilman Matt Willhites comments at the agenda review meeting the day before that the major issue is not with hedge height but with hedge mainte-nance. He added that he was dis-turbed that the amendments were not sent through the Wellington Tree Board. I dont see any reason why we should change our code if they have the option of applying

    for a waiver that is available, Greene said. The waiver seems to be an easy and workable solution.

    Greene also objected to the number of different allowable hedge heights being written into the code. Weve got something that works, and theres a solution, he said.

    Willhite said that there is still a disparity of allowable heights within neighborhoods and on different roads. He said that add-ing the different allowable hedge heights would be a headache for code enforcement.

    I think this is ludicrous to try and put more numbers and more burden on our Code Enforcement Department to go out and try to tell people what height their hedge can be, because I can tell you, if you have a 12-foot, beautifully manicured hedge, Im not worried about it, he said. If you have a 6-foot hedge that youve let white-flies take control of and youve not done anything to trim it or fertilize it or eradicate whiteflies, I have an issue with it. My issue is strictly about maintenance.

    Willhite said the maintenance issues are primarily along thor-oughfares, where the hedges are most visible.

    Wellington Council OKs First Reading Of Hedge Height ChangesRather than put residents

    through having to apply for a waiver, he favored a uniform al-lowable height of 10 feet, and ap-plying for a waiver for more than 10 feet, with applicants showing how they intend to maintain it and what type of plant material they intend to use. I think this is crazy, Willhite said. I think it goes beyond what we are trying to govern and control, other than a maintenance issue.

    Councilman John McGovern asked how the proposed amend-ments evolved, and Stillings said the council had discussed hedge heights and asked the Architectural Review Board for input.

    Councilwoman Anne Gerwig said she would support the ordi-nance the way it is proposed. As

    far as code enforcement, I dont think it is a problem, she said.

    She made a motion to approve the ordinance as written, but later amended it to include only 6-foot and 10-foot heights as a conces-sion to Willhites comments.

    During public comment, Mike Curry, an 18-year resident of Birkdale Drive, said he maintains his hedge but received a form let-ter from the Code Enforcement Department informing him that his hedge was in violation because it was 6 inches above the allowable height. Ive walked down the street and seen hedges devastated by whitefly, Curry said.

    He added that the village once maintained the hedges but that they are now a burden on the resi-dents. I agree with Councilman

    Willhite; its not the size, its about how its maintained, Curry said.

    Mayor Bob Margolis said the hedge height issue has been going on for many years and was part of a recent planning workshop where council members recommended that the advisory boards provide input.

    Greene said he thought that go-ing from 6 to 10 feet was too big a change and asked Gerwig if she would amend her motion to allow an 8-foot height village-wide.

    Gerwig said she was happy with the ordinance the way it was writ-ten and had proposed the 6-foot and 10-foot heights as a compro-mise to Willhite.

    Margolis called the question, and it carried 4-1 with Greene opposed.

    By Ron BukleyTown-Crier Staff Report

    The Royal Palm Beach Village Council approved the sale of the 154-acre former wastewater treat-ment plant property to the Lennar Corporation for $35 million on Thursday, Feb. 5.

    Village Manager Ray Liggins said Lennar was the highest of three qualified bidders.

    The site is at the north end of Crestwood Blvd., near H.L. Johnson Elementary School and bordering the Saratoga Pines and Madison Green communities. The current zoning, approved in October, provides for generally lower residential density than the surrounding communities.

    Resident Diane Queller, who lives across the M Canal from the property, has been heavily involved with the sites future, in-cluding opposition to an early plan for commercial development of

    the property. She enthusiastically supported this sale, which will be for residential development.

    This has been dear to my heart, Queller said. Its like see-ing my first child being born. This is going to do nothing but improve the community.

    She thanked the council, staff and residents who got involved in the sale for seeing it to a good ending. It came to be, and you all do listen to the residents, Queller said.

    Vice Mayor David Swift cred-ited Liggins with leading the way to the completion of the sale.

    I think Rays vision for getting this done kept us on the right path, Swift said, thanking Liggins for keeping the process at the staff level until it came to council ap-proval. You really did a great job on this one.

    Councilman Fred Pinto also praised Liggins for leading the

    project. This is certainly in the ballpark I had in mind, Pinto said. I knew we would be mov-ing into a market for more robust development.

    Councilman Jeff Hmara said that village staff had put together a creative approach in preparing for the sale that put the council in a position to make a clear decision. That was due to a well-executed approach by staff, Hmara said.

    Liggins said his staff members had worked with many agencies, including professionals experi-enced in planning for land sales.

    There is nothing that gets done here without a lot of people, he said. When we put this out, we got proposals from people who do it. There was a lot more con-sistency. Thats what made it better for people in the market.

    Pinto made a motion to approve the sale, which carried 5-0.

    Royal Palm Council Inks Sale Of Treatment Plant Land To Lennar

    By Ron BukleyTown-Crier Staff Report

    Palm Beach State College Di-rector of Facilities John Wasukanis updated Royal Palm Beach Edu-cation Advisory Board members on the progress of the colleges new Loxahatchee Groves campus Monday.

    The campus, under construction on Southern Blvd., will be the col-leges fifth major site.

    As the college continues to focus its growth in the center portion of the county, we spent the past seven to eight years in-volved in searching throughout the county for construction sites that would become homes for future facilities where we could center our program offerings in a more convenient setting to the local population, Wasukanis said. The Loxahatchee Groves project will take quite a number of years to fully realize. As in all our cam-puses, its usually built one or two buildings at a time.

    Construction of the first campus building is slated to start in early April. It will have three computer rooms, 10 classrooms, 16 offices and several student study areas and flexible classrooms.

    We will have a mix of interior and exterior gathering spaces and meeting spaces for students to interface and socialize, Wasu-kanis said. There will be a large,

    250-foot meeting space that will be available as part of this build-ing, along with food service and a security office.

    The programs to be offered at that first building will be typi-cal associates degree two-year programs also offered at the other sites. Eventually, with the con-struction of the other two buildings that are part of the first phase, we hope to have assigned classrooms and a library, as well as a cafeteria service on site, and start to offer a full gamut of educational-type programs, he said.

    The first phase of construction on the 75 acres will be concen-trated on the southwest portion of the property, west of a privately owned 22-acre site at the north-west corner of B Road and South-ern Blvd. planned for commercial development.

    The rest of the 75 acres is rather heavily wooded in native Florida-type landscape that we actually want to try to maintain as part of the landscape design for the entire campus, Wasukanis said. Ultimately, the college will probably see the expansion of cer-tain vocational programs, as well as possibly some of the four-year programs.

    Construction of the first three buildings will probably take about seven years, he said.

    Theres about 180,000 square

    feet of buildings proposed in the first phase of development. The funding that has been obtained partially from the state and par-tially with local funds that the college has put together is only for a 50,000-square-foot building that borders the lake right along Southern, along with the associ-ated parking and the road system that connects to B Road and to the traffic signal back at Southern, he explained.

    Wasukanis expects that the development pattern will be simi-lar to the Palm Beach Gardens campus that the college purchased about 40 years ago.

    Its a heavily wooded parcel and a very beautiful and natural area, he said. It contains one of the larger stands of Florida flatwoods timber in this particular area of the county. The college has an interest in development of educational opportunities, but we would like to preserve as much of the site in a natural manner as is possible and make sure that the things that we do out there will be done with the most sensitivity for the natural landscaping.

    Wasukanis said that PBSC staff is investigating the idea of devel-oping the campus as a net-zero site, producing as much energy as it consumes.

    The site has been approved by

    College Official Reviews PlansFor Campus With RPB Ed Board

    See CAMPUS, page 19

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  • Page 4 February 13 - February 19, 2015 www.gotowncrier.com The Town-Crier

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    BARRY S. MANNINGPublisher

    JOSHUA I. MANNINGExecutive Editor

    JODY GORRANAssociate Publisher

    DAWN RIVERAGeneral Manager

    TOWN-CRIERTHEOUR OPINION

    Put Restoration Of The Everglades Back On The Front Burner

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    The publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising.

    MEMBER OFThe Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce

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    LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

    SEND IN YOUR LETTERSThe Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep letters brief (300 words). Submit letters, with contact name, address and tele-phone number (anonymous letters will not be published), to The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414; fax them to (561) 793-6090; or you can e-mail [email protected].

    Shocked By Wellington

    CouncilEven though I read the

    Town-Crier and watch the local news daily, I was somehow not informed of the major vote to be held at the Wellington Village Council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 27. It was just by chance that I hap-pened to be telling a friend who is currently looking to relocate about the Wellington Gardens project. Luckily, I saw their web site men-tion the meeting (date, time and location). I navigated to the Village of Wellingtons web site and found it confusing and difficult to even read the details. Fortunately, this attempt at holding a quick and quiet meeting spread by word of mouth among those who truly care about the community they live in.

    As a prior HOA president, I was shocked when I saw more than 350 residents, shoulder to shoul-der and elbow to elbow, standing room only, and some even sitting on the floor for the almost five-hour-long meeting. Never have I witnessed so many people from so many different backgrounds, ages, life experiences and residing in several different areas all speak in favor of the same project. I recall hearing a chief of police, student, stay-at-home mom, doctor, engi-neer, attorney and various other professions speak. Even the former mayor of Wellington spoke (and received a standing ovation when he concluded).

    How an approximate 750-unit apartment complex was even up for consideration is embarrassing and shameful. I didnt hear one single person speak in favor of this project other than our own village council. To that note, it was interesting that I sent an e-mail detailing my frustration and disap-pointment to our council members, and the only person who took the time to respond was Councilwom-an Anne Gerwig. What is ironic is Councilwoman Gerwig was tech-nically not allowed to vote on this project due to a potential conflict of interest. Ill admit that at least Mayor Bob Margolis and Vice Mayor John Greene can clearly agree to disagree with each other and at least remain professional while doing so. Although I have my doubts with Mayor Margolis because at times he spoke in favor of open land and parks, yet was in favor of an approximate 750-unit apartment complex. This seems to be a huge contradiction.

    The same professionalism and respect could not be said for Councilman Matt Willhite. I was in shock how rude, condescending

    and unprofessional he was during the meeting with residents who elected him. It appeared he only wanted to listen to himself speak, and he misspoke about what the developer and several residents said earlier. It was clear Council-man Willhite was talking down to residents. I surely hope Floridians are paying attention come voting time.

    In summary, this council dis-played a clear disregard for what the community wanted. I cannot help but to question personal motivations, by having a meeting they certainly did a good job at not advertising, to cover such a major vote; a vote that truly affects the future of Wellington. While no project was perfect, Wellington Gardens would bring jobs, money and entertainment to Wellington, as well as keep jobs, money and entertainment in Wellington. Res-idents are tired of driving a half hour north, south and east to what we have a chance at having locally. I urge the residents of Wellington to stay informed and remain in-volved. It appears we might have very well had this council vote in support of the apartment complex project had it not been for the blatant disgust and disapproval by so many residents at the Jan. 27 meeting.

    PS: Councilman Willhite, I re-side in the Grand Isles community and saw neighbors from Grand Isles and the Isles at the meeting. Shame on you to suggest that only the neighboring communities were vocal at the meeting.

    Rich BestWellington

    Keith Harris AnOIG SupporterU.S. Senator Joe Lieberman was

    quoted as saying the strength of a democracy is measured by the citizens trust in government. Honest government is the founda-tion of our country, our state and our community.

    The Office of Inspector General (OIG) of Palm Beach Countys mission is to provide independent and objective insight, oversight and foresight in promoting effi-ciency, effectiveness and integrity in government. The OIG accom-plishes this through conducting audits, investigations and contract oversight activities.

    By vote of the citizens, the OIG jurisdiction includes the county government and each of the 38 municipalities. 72 percent of Palm Beach Countys voting population is in favor of the OIG. It is fund-ed not by tax dollars from Palm Beach citizens but by receiving one quarter of one percent from the

    RON BUKLEYManaging Editor

    contract sum of all municipal and county vendor contracts.

    On a personal note, I have had interaction with the OIG on a few issues. On all occasions, they have been forthright in promoting right and proper government. Prior to the Loxahatchee Groves Town Councils vote to approve recent road projects, the OIG told the council that piggybacking of construction projects is not en-couraged. The council awarded a contract for $72,000, which ended up costing Loxahatchee Groves some $140,000.

    As a private citizen, a town government participant and a candidate for Loxahatchee Groves Town Council, I support and will continue to support the Palm Beach County Office of the In-spector General in its mission to furnish honest government for all county residents.

    Keith HarrisLoxahatchee Groves

    Vote For The Future Of

    Lox GrovesLoxahatchee Groves residents,

    this is your time and chance to cast a vote on March 10, to determine what you individually would like to see happen within our town as we continue to grow.

    Issues to consider: Do you want paved roads or not? Your opinion should count. Vote. If you want them, they should be moved forward on instead of countless surveys with little or no action. If the vote is for paved roads, it should be for all and not just the roads on which members of the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District live. The if its free, its for me attitude of many years cannot continue if you are vigilant regarding what happens. If the board can buy a building or approve a college without a vote from the residents, they should be able to decide on roads.

    Do you want equestrian trails or not (at this point probably at least a 25-year-old effort and ongoing)? Your opinion should count. Vote.

    Are you happy with the RV/camper parks springing up all over the Groves, perhaps without per-mits, septic, water, trash pickup, etc? Your opinion should count. Vote. Loxahatchee Groves voted to become a town on the premise of one residence on five or 10 acres. If this is what you voted for and want, it should be enforced. Temporary residences should not be a way around this restriction.

    Does it concern you that prop-erties are being used for parking lots for semis even when there is

    no residence on the property? Does this then become a commercial enterprise? If you have a concern, vote.

    Lastly, do you want term limits on your candidates? Good or bad, if the same people have a lock on the board forever, the only things that will or can happen are the things they allow to happen. No council member is going to vote themselves out, so unless someone resigns, your board will never change. We are in a period of rapid and changing landscape and growth, so if what happens to you is important to you, vote!

    Joyce BatchelerLoxahatchee Groves

    Can We Trust Ryan Liang?

    Trust is a valuable commodity. When anyone violates the bond of trust, everything this untrust-worthy person did or does in the future is questioned. Whenever a politicians integrity is questioned, they are quick to respond. Their responses are examined and the electorate makes their decision. In the 2012 election for the Loxa-hatchee Groves Town Council, the voters re-elected Ryan Liang without questioning his integrity.

    Why is Liangs integrity in question in 2015? During the 2012 campaign, Liang was asked about his alleged conflict of inter-est with the Callery-Judge comp plan challenge. During the 2012 election cycle, the Town-Crier published an article about Liang which included this paragraph: During the resolution of the Call-ery-Judge challenge to the comp plan, there were some allegations that Liang had a conflict of interest regarding his familys relationship with Callery-Judge. Liang said he approached the Commission on Ethics, which found no conflict. I asked them if there was a conflict, and they told me that there was not a conflict, he said. Which Com-mission on Ethics did Liang seek an opinion on his Callery-Judge conflict of interest? The Palm Beach County Commission of Ethics has no record of opining on any inquiry from Liang; the Flor-ida Commission on Ethics has no record Liangs request. This begs the question, what Commission on Ethics gave Liang a pass?

    Can Liang be trusted for another term? Fact: As a sitting council member during the Callery-Judge challenge, Liang attended the councils shade session, an out-of-the-Sunshine meeting where the towns legal options were dis-cussed and plans formulated. Fact: The Liang family owns 120 acres of land within Callery-Judges

    boundary. Fact: Laura Zung, along with Liangs mother, are partners in Dancing Crane Farms LLC. Fact: Dancing Crane Farms LLC owns 45+ acres of land within the northern border of the town and a stones throw from Callery-Judge. Fact: Laura Zung is married to Nat Roberts, one of the owners of Callery-Judge and the principal challenger to the towns comp plan. Does anyone else see a con-flict of interest?

    Lets fast-forward to December 2013. Liang filed a Form 8B, Memorandum of Voting Conflict, when the council had votes on Minto. The reason stated on the form was inured to my special gain or loss of my relative. The relative? Liangs mother. What has changed? Liangs circumstances from 2012 still exist. If there was no conflict of interest during Call-ery-Judge, why did Liang recuse himself during the No on Minto resolution votes? Voters of Loxa-hatchee Groves, stop kowtowing to the Liangs!

    Dennis LippLoxahatchee Groves

    Wellington: Stop Dumping On

    Rustic RanchesOnce again the Village of Wel-

    lingtons leaders have chosen to consider Rustic Ranches as their dumping ground. This time its for their tons of manure, which is generated in the village, not Rustic Ranches.

    First of all, I would like to know why the Village of Wellington has chosen this to be their problem, instead of the problem of the property owners in their horse community, which generates the monumental amount of manure.

    I cannot stress the impact on our roads with hundreds of trucks daily. That question stands alone, not to mention the road mainte-nance costs.

    Additionally, how could any site be considered that has a mostly residential status when there are other sites available, i.e., 20-Mile

    Bend. If Village Manager Paul Schofield and Special Projects Manager Mike ODell are so anxious to have a manure transfer station in a neighborhood, let them use their own.

    As president, I said this at our last Pine Tree Water Control Dis-trict meeting: In what world would I ever allow the Acme Improve-ment District to use Pine Tree as their dumping ground?

    More questions: wheres the money going? Someone is lobby-ing for this. Whats next?

    Chris WallaceWellington

    Louda Supports Jarriel & LiangThis letter is an expression of

    my support for the re-election of Loxahatchee Groves councilmen Ron Jarriel and Ryan Liang. Both councilmen have participated in the town and water control districts efforts to get complete new and legally binding surveys of roadway/canal easements. These surveys are required before any further work can proceed on equestrian trails/greenways.

    When I served on the Roadway, Equestrian Trails and Greenway Advisory Committee (RETGAC) with Mrs. Nina Corning as the chair, we worked out a full trail system with interconnections to the south into Wellington and the north to the Royal Palm Beach Pines Natural Area and on to the Dupuis preserve. Further, we presented a proposed phasing schedule to have that implement-ed. All this takes time and money. Regarding money we also investigated grant proposals, but without valid surveys we could not proceed. Only when the land surveys get completed can grant proposals be submitted. Both Liang and Jarriel realize this and supported us back then and will do so in the future!

    Prior to the upcoming election, make sure that you have facts and not heated rhetoric.

    Dr. Bill LoudaLoxahatchee Groves

    After years of slowed progress in a down economy, Gov. Rick Scott recently announced his goal to commit $5 billion toward Everglades restoration over the next 20 years. If approved by lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session, the money could bring long-delayed Everglades restoration projects back on track.

    As part of Scotts 2015-16 budget, he is earmarking $150 million for Everglades restoration, along with an additional $150 million toward land acquisition focused in part on protecting land for the Florida panther. We will keep working to make sure we preserve our natural treasures so Florida can continue to be a top destination for families, visitors and businesses, Scott said as he announced the plan.

    While this latest push is certainly good news for the Everglades, it is just the latest chapter in a decades-long saga to save the famed River of Grass, restoring as much of the historic flow of the Everglades as possible given the current reaches of development. However, this noble effort has long been stymied by competing jurisdictions and interests; pushed forward during the years of plenty and scaled back during lean budget years. And it is certainly not just the State of Florida. The federal government, in particular, has spent decades dragging its heels on

    the topic of Everglades restoration, preferring unfunded mandates to necessary appropriations. Meanwhile, the South Florida Water Management District has so far not pursued the options it is holding to buy thousands of acres of farmland that could be used for future Everglades restoration projects.

    That is, of course, the problem with projects designed to be massive, multi-generational initiatives. It is very hard to keep the progress moving forward when the needs of today con-tinue to intervene. However, the problems with the Everglades ecosystem were not created overnight and will not be fixed overnight. It will take decades of steadfast work to get it done.

    If you want to learn more about why it all matters, the 16th annual Everglades Day Festival will take place, rain or shine, on Saturday, Feb. 14, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Arthur R. Mar-shall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (10216 Lee Road, two miles south of Boynton Beach Blvd. off State Road 7). The festival aims to focus attention on the importance of the Everglades to South Floridas people, animals and habitats. The event will include a dozen special presentations, live music, animal encounters, food trucks and many activities for kids. Learn more at www.auduboneverglades.org.

    NEWS

    By Ron BukleyTown-Crier Staff Report

    Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Administrator Steve Yohe reported Monday, Feb. 9 that his staff has completed an 11.8-mile canal dredging and clearing project funded largely by a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture. The grant was in response to a request to help in the recovery from Trop-ical Storm Isaac.

    LGWCD Supervisor John Ryan complimented Yohe on the com-pletion of the project, explaining that it had saved the district a lot of money by purchasing a long-reach backhoe to do the project, rather than contracting it out.

    Even though we dont have a Tropical Storm Isaac that often, it did allow a contract with USDA,

    Ryan said. I think this was a worthwhile project.

    Yohe said the canals had been put back to their proper design configuration.

    He also reported that the dis-tricts legal staff is in its second appeal to get $75,000 that the Federal Emergency Management Agency granted but has not sent. Second attempts can take as long as a year, Yohe said.

    Ryan said that the district has done the work, which had been approved by FEMA.

    FEMA specifically approved the work, they funded the initial disbursement, Ryan said, until they learned that the USDA had granted money to the district. They felt it was double funding.

    Supervisor Don Widing, who works at a fire department in

    Broward County, said one appeal of his had gone on for three years.

    Ryan said part of the confusion was that the district communicates with the USDA office in Tallahas-see. We have a gerrymandered congressional district, Ryan said, referring to Congressman Alcee Hastings 20th Congressional District. Im not sure hes aware of these issues up here.

    Yohe also reported that the district presented the Town of Loxahatchee Groves with a pro-posed interlocal agreement on Feb. 2 for maintenance of roads and berms. He expects approval at the councils meeting on Feb. 17, and it should come back for LGWCD approval on March 9.

    He said he gave the draft to Town Manager Bill Underwood last week, who had not had time

    Lox Groves Water Control District Reviews Progress With Projectsto review it completely. It is quite lengthy, Yohe said.

    Ryan said reaching an agree-ment has been difficult due to statutory limitations of the district.

    Its not an easy agreement in the sense that it is implementing a local bill that was passed, and it is not just an absolutely natural com-bination of abilities because youre dealing with district easements and, as per the local bill, a perpetu-al use permit given to the town that authorizes the construction and maintenance of the trails, and then combines our canal maintenance roads with that agreement and tries to really suit the objectives of both entities, Ryan said.

    Supervisor Frank Schiola asked legal staff if the district will still be able to access the canal main-tenance roads, which are planned

    for adaptation as horse trails.LGWCD Attorney Mary Viator

    said one of the issues was drafting an agreement that would not have the district compromising its pri-mary responsibility.

    Everyone needs to understand that the districts primary respon-sibility is drainage, and we have to have access, Viator said. That is communicated in the agreement, that the trails will be part of the ongoing maintenance, to make sure that there is a provision for access.

    Widing noted that a provision of the agreement states that use of the easement by the town for equestrian trails is subordinate to the uses of the district.

    Viator added that most of the details had been worked through with Town Attorney Michael

    Cirullo, who was reviewing the agreement with the town manager.

    Yohe noted that the maintenance maps, once they are recorded, will be part of the agreement. The maintenance map survey contract was awarded to Erdman Anthony in January.

    Viator said that some of the delays have been due to getting the maintenance maps finished. Widing said that he wanted the public to understand the reason for the delays.

    LGWCD Chairman Dave De-Marois said the district and the town were working together so they can open equestrian trails, but it has to be done in a specific way.

    In other business, the board granted Yohe a 3.7 percent raise during his annual performance review.

  • The Town-Crier www.gotowncrier.com February 13 - February 19, 2015 Page 5

    NEWSWELLINGTON BOYS & GIRLS CLUB TEAMS UP WITH THE HUNGER PROJECT

    Leland Gassman, Elliana Hernandez,Alexander Diaz and Valentino Rangel.

    Jewel Lewis, Brooklyn Simpson and Boys & GirlsClub Program Coordinator Latisha Paul.

    ORANGE SUNSHINE BAND BRINGS GROOVY MUSIC TO RPB COMMONS PARKRoyal Palm Beach hosted a free concert by the Orange Sunshine Band at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park on Sunday, Feb. 8. The band played a variety of 1960s music while guests danced and sang along. There were also food trucks and a few vendors on site.

    Brooklyn Simpson and Savanna Hall.NKhaya and Wakisha Mawali got two

    pouches from Leland Gassman.

    Aiden Sosa, 4, likes to dance.Cheryl Williams and Annmarie Spohnholtz enjoy the music.

    Brooklyn Simpson with Layla, Tommy, Breanah and Kristin Santos.

    The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, Palm Beach Day Academy, the Fellowship of Christians and Jews, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County and Feeding Children Everywhere partnered for the Palm Beach Unites Hunger Project, handing out 100,000 lentil casserole meals at seven different locations. A total of 2,500 meals went to the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club in Wellington on Monday, Feb. 9 and were handed out to families as they picked up their kids. Each pouch of lentil casserole will feed three people.

    PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

    PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

    Cassidy Rosa, Brooklyn Simpson and Nelson Rosa.

    The Orange Sunshine Band plays 1960s music.Eleni Ceresna with Precious.

    towncrier - 2015bw.pdf 1 1/13/2015 12:53:11 PM

  • Page 6 February 13 - February 19, 2015 www.gotowncrier.com The Town-Crier

    CRIME NEWS

    By Julie UngerTown-Crier Staff Report

    FEB. 10 A deputy from the Wellington substation of the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office was called to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center on Tuesday morning regarding a business burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 1 p.m. Monday and 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, someone walked into a saddle tent display, climbed over a storage unit, broke two shelves and stole three Antares saddles, together valued at $15,000. The stolen saddles were entered into the teletype registry.

    FEB. 2 A deputy from the

    PBSOs Royal Palm Beach sub-station was called to a home on Sandpiper Avenue last Monday regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 6 p.m. on Jan 30 and noon on Jan. 31, someone entered the victims unlocked Nissan Frontier and removed a Porter-Cable chipping hammer, a 32G Apple iPad Mini and a set of keys from under the passenger front seat. Fingerprint evidence was collected from the vehicle.

    FEB. 2 A deputy from the PBSOs Royal Palm Beach sub-station was called to the Little Caesars restaurant on Okeechobee Blvd. last Monday afternoon regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 4 and 4:15 p.m., as the manager was getting ready to leave for the day, she set her purse down on the front counter. According to the report, a woman entered the restaurant and removed the purse. The incident was caught on video.

    FEB. 3 A deputy from the PBSOs Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was contacted by a resident of Tangerine Blvd. last Tuesday regarding a case of fraud. According to a PBSO report, the victim received a notification that someone had attempted to open a Capital One account and a Sprint account in the victims name over the past two months. The victim did not know how his information had been compromised.

    FEB. 3 A deputy from the PBSOs Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was called to a home on 33rd Road North last Tuesday afternoon. According to a PBSO report, three suspects distracted the victim and removed the victims safe, which contained cash, coins and jewelry valued at approxi-mately $25,000.

    FEB. 5 A deputy from the PBSOs Royal Palm Beach substa-tion was called to a hotel on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. last Thursday morning regarding a stolen vehi-cle. According to a PBSO report, two individuals stole the victims 2006 Ford F550 truck, which con-tained an air compressor, welder and other tools. According to the report, the vehicle, with a tracking device, was later recovered in Okeechobee County.

    FEB. 6 A deputy from the PBSOs Royal Palm Beach sub-station was called to a home on Shoma Drive last Friday morning regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 7 p.m. last Thursday and 8 a.m. last Friday, someone entered the victims 2010 Chevrolet Impala and removed a pair of Paxon shoes and ProTaper dirt bike, valued at $170, from the vehicle. The vehicle showed no signs of forced entry.

    FEB. 6 A deputy from the

    Saddles Stolen From Show Grounds Store

    PBSOs Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was called to a home on 62nd Lane North in The Acreage last Friday morning regarding a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 9 p.m. last Thursday and 11 a.m. last Friday, someone entered the victims residence and removed half a bottle of Grey Goose li-quor, two Heineken beer bottles and tore the victims patio screen door. The alcohol was valued at approximately $35. Fingerprint and DNA evidence were collected at the scene.

    FEB. 6 A deputy from the PBSOs Royal Palm Beach sub-station was called to the Walmart store on Belvedere Road last Friday afternoon regarding a shoplifting incident. According to a PBSO report, at 1 p.m. last Friday, a loss prevention officer noticed a man acting suspiciously in the home goods section of the store. According to the report, the man, later determined to be Antho-ny Riley, selected $85.38 worth of merchandise, placed it in his cart, and exited the store without paying for the items. According to the re-port, Riley was found with a crack cocaine pipe on his person and was also arrested for the possession of drug paraphernalia.

    FEB. 6 A deputy from the PBSOs Royal Palm Beach substa-tion was called to the Target store on Okeechobee Blvd. last Friday afternoon regarding a shoplifting incident. According to a PBSO report, an unknown male was observed taking items, including clothing and toys, and exiting the store before leaving the parking lot in a silver Honda Accord with a sunroof.

    FEB. 8 A deputy from the PBSOs Wellington substation was called to the Macys department store in the Mall at Wellington Green Sunday afternoon regarding a shoplifting incident. According to a PBSO report, at 4:33 p.m., a loss prevention officer noticed Yana Skovorodina enter into a fitting room with four items of clothing, leave with three, and exit the store with one piece of merchandise a pair of jogging pants valued at $39 concealed in another bag. According to the report, the officer stopped Skov-orodina outside of the store and recovered the merchandise. She was arrested for retail theft.

    FEB. 9 A deputy from the PBSOs Wellington substation was called to a home in the Sailboat Point community Monday morn-ing regarding a case of vandalism. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 2:30 p.m. Sun-day and 10 a.m. Monday, someone slashed one of the Firestone tires, valued at $150, on the victims 2007 Chevy Express.

    FEB. 9 A deputy from the PBSOs Wellington substation was called to a home in the Aero Club on Monday evening regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 8 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Mon-day, someone entered the victims unlocked 2015 Porsche Cayenne S and removed two paychecks, as well as $7 from the center console.

    FEB. 10 A deputy from the PBSOs Wellington substation was called to the Rustic Ranches neighborhood Tuesday afternoon regarding a sign theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime be-tween 1:30 and 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, one of the five marker signs at the end of Skipiks Way noting that the road came to an end was stolen.

    THE INFORMATION FOR THIS BOX IS PROVIDED BYCRIME STOPPERS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY. CRIMESTOPPERSIS WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT SHOWN HERE.

    Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the publics help in finding these wanted fugitives:

    Joseph Murphy is a white male, 511 tall and weighing 180 lbs., with blond hair, blue eyes and multiple tattoos. His date of birth is 06/07/82. Murphy is wanted for violating the terms of parole for felony charges for domestic battery on a person 65 years of age or older. His last known address was Nan-tucket Court in Wellington. He is wanted as of 02/05/15.

    Trevor Nolan is a white male, 511 tall and weighing 170 lbs., with brown hair, blue eyes and multiple tattoos. His date of birth is 06/30/90. Nolan is wanted on felony charges for the sale of cocaine. His last known addresses were Wellington Drive in Wellington and Pilgrim Road in West Palm Beach. He is wanted as of 02/05/15.

    Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward. For more info., call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crime stopperspbc.com. Trevor Nolan

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  • The Town-Crier www.gotowncrier.com February 13 - February 19, 2015 Page 7

    NEWS

    By Deborah WelkyTown-Crier Staff Report

    On Nov. 30, longtime Royal Palm Beach resident Dave Spall, 36, boarded a cruise ship in Miami with his aunt, his uncle and his fianc. Destination: the Caribbean. He never arrived.

    Instead, he lies in a hospital bed at Jackson Memorial Hospital with family members and friends maintaining a vigil at his bedside and wondering how this could have happened.

    According to his mother, Karen, it happened due to a series of un-fortunate mistakes.

    They were just a few hours out of port when they decided to visit the buffet, she said. Dave took a piece of meat and put it on his plate and remarked to his aunt, This looks really good. He

    started toward his seat, and she went back to help her husband. About four minutes later, she returned to their table and found a lot of activity. Evidently, Dave had put down his tray, gone limp and fallen backward.

    Unsure what was happening, the aunt asked if he was choking but was told that Spall was not he was having a heart attack. Cruise ship staff told her they had it under control, but no one checked Spalls airway where, in-deed, a piece of meat was lodged.

    Were not sure if he put a piece of meat in his mouth as he was walking back or not, Spalls mother said. But who assumes a 36-year-old man is having a heart attack? Check the mouth ev-eryone who has ever taken CPR knows that.

    Spall wasnt breathing, yet valuable time was lost searching for a wheelchair and getting him to the onboard infirmary. By the time the meat was discovered, he had already lost vital oxygen to his brain. The damage was further compounded as minutes ticked by due to miscommunication regard-ing getting him airlifted off the ship to a hospital.

    Spall suffered severe brain damage but is finally breathing on his own. His parents were awarded legal guardianship of their adult son last week, and the push is on to bring Spall home to Palm Beach County, where he can get the help he needs at a long-term care facility.

    Spall grew up in Royal Palm Beach, was a sponsor of a Royal Palm Beach Youth Athletic As-

    sociation team and had purchased a home in The Acreage. Usually, he was the first one to help anyone in need, Karen said. Now, the community he loves has rallied around him.

    A successful yard sale got things off to a good start. Fur-niture, home dcor, water skis, designer fabrics, lighting fixtures, clothing and more were donated and sold last weekend, earning more than $2,000. More events are being planned.

    I used to tell him, Dave, you do too much, and he said, Mom, I take after you. I just spent 30 hours with him the other day, Karen said. His eyes are open, but he is unconscious. Nonethe-less, he was able to raise his left hand. He definitely hears you theres no doubt about that. He is

    responding. I take his head and say, Focus. Focus, and you can see him coming down and trying to focus and relax, but you have no control. Thats why were try-ing so hard to get him out of there and into therapy. Its a long, slow process, but were family. Well be there.

    On Wednesday, Feb. 11, Dave Spall turned 37. He celebrated in the Miami hospital, his 11th week there.

    Wed like to bring him closer to us, Karen said. But, as it is, we dont leave him by himself. One of us is there 24 hours a day.

    To help, look for announce-ments of upcoming fundraisers, such as a planned softball tourna-ment, or donate directly to the David Spall Donation Fund, set up at Wells Fargo Bank.

    Family Raising Money To Help Longtime Resident Dave Spall

    Dave Spall

    Liz Codis, Vincent Riggle and Carol Dettling ran last weekends yard sale, which raised more than $2,000 for Dave Spall.

    Linda Renna found a bag full of bargainswith some help from Carol Dettling.

    Gwen Van Sickle looks over holiday items.PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

    By Julie UngerTown-Crier Staff Report

    Hollywood Week: It marks one of the segues into making it through the elimination rounds to the top 24 of the talent-packed American Idol. Airing over two weeks, the first episode had sing-ers perform for the judges in lines of 10, before the second episode where singers worked in groups.

    On Wednesday night, during episode three of Hollywood Week, contestants, including Welling-tons own Emily Brooke, per-formed solos one last time before the nerve-wracking episode airing Thursday, Feb. 12: Hollywood Week #4: Top 48.

    Final solo performances take place before the judges announce the top 48 contestants.

    Next week, on Wednesday, Feb. 18, the top 48 perform once more in a special showcase before the second showcase round, Feb. 19, where the top 24 are announced.

    Hollywood Week was a stress-

    ful whirlwind for the 16-year-old budding star, who found that not only is she learning a great deal, but she is forming lifelong friend-ships. One of the most amazing things, she said, was meeting all of the different contestants from all over the country.

    I met a new friend during Hol-lywood Week, she said, explain-ing that their friendship has grown quickly.

    Beyond the competition, some of those friendships she is making have allowed Brooke the opportu-nity to be around people with the same goals in mind.

    There are so many other people who are there doing the same thing that you are, so its like you all relate to each other, she said. Its really cool.

    As far as making it this far into the competition, that is something the Wellington High School stu-dent does not take for granted. Knowing I made it through that whole part was absolutely

    crazy, because there were so many people, she said.

    Entering into Hollywood Week, and the subsequent episodes, Brooke would remind herself, Im safe today. Whats tomorrow going to hold?

    To be in that situation was an awesome experience, she said.

    It was actually really surpris-ing, to be honest, Brooke said about making it past the group part of Hollywood Week, especially since she was feeling ill. It was difficult to make sure to stay mo-tivated, stay hydrated, and make sure you do everything you need to do to get through that week.

    The group performances came as a delightful surprise to Brooke. They performed A Little Help from My Friends by the Beatles.

    My group was amazing. They were all so nice and so fun. It was just the best group I could ask for. Im just glad I was able to have them, she said. The per-formance we definitely didnt

    have all of our stuff together that we needed to have together. We all know that. Its just funny because we all laugh at it like, Whoa, we actually got through that.

    Even being sick, Brooke made it through, which was a welcome surprise, only solidifying how ap-parent her talent and promise is.

    Brooke has also received a great deal of help and advice from the judges.

    I am always just wanting to improve any way I can with my music and my stage performance, she said. Getting that experience, being able to talk to them and ask them what I need to work on it has been very helpful. Since then, Ive gotten so much more confi-dent. Im just getting better and better from their advice.

    One criticism Brooke recalls from the judges is that Jennifer Lopez didnt always feel the emo-tions when she was singing, so Brooke has been working hard to change that and make her perfor-

    mances more emotional. Thats definitely something Ive had to work really hard on, she said.

    The hard work that goes into the competition, and pursuing a professional singing career, has been softened with the support of her family.

    Having her mother with her has been an amazing experience.

    It was really good, especially since I wasnt feeling very well, Brooke said, explaining that her mom was always there to help her feel better. Its just really awesome that my parents are so supportive, and it was great having my mom there to have my back.

    Youll have to watch Wednes-days episode online or on demand, but be sure to tune in Thursday to see how Brooke does and catch her showcasing her talent.

    For more information about this season of American Idol, visit www.americanidol.com. To learn more about Brooke, visit www.emilybrookemusic.com.

    Emily Brooke Still In The Action As Elimination Rounds Conclude

    Emily Brooke during her American Idol audition.

    Wellington Film Festival Planned

    The Wellington Film Festival is coming up. The three-day event will take place at the Cinema 8 Movies at Wellington from Tues-day, Feb. 24 through Thursday, Feb. 26 from 7 to 10 p.m. each evening. Each day will feature a film from the new 2053 Trilogy, a filmmaking seminar and student films.

    Founder Jean-Michel Millien wanted to put together a family-friendly festival that highlights Wellington and the surrounding areas, which the 2053 Trilogy does. All three films, Two Girls, a Dragon and a Fisherman, More Girls, a Dragon and a Fisherman and Viejo were all shot in and around Wellington, Royal Palm Beach and The Acreage. They are family friendly and star 14-year-

    old Aeja Pinto, who has to experi-ence growing pains and affairs of the heart, yet the films also have enough action to keep male audi-ence members interested as well.

    It is free to submit a film for con-sideration to the Wellington Film Festival. For more information, or to learn about sponsorships, visit www.wellingtonfilmfestival.com or call (561) 255-7625.

    Art Society Offering

    ScholarshipsThe Wellington Art Society is

    currently accepting applications for its one-time $500 to $1,000 college art scholarships for gradu-ating seniors who live in and attend high school in Palm Beach County.

    The scholarship is available to students planning a college major

    in visual arts. Applications can be obtained from school art teachers or from the Wellington Art Society by contacting Suzanne Redmond at [email protected].

    Requirements for the scholar-ship are as follows: students must reside in and attend high school in Palm Beach County; students must maintain a 3.0 GPA in visual arts and an overall GPA of 2.0; and three art classes in high school must have been completed. An artists statement and career goal must be submitted, along with 7 to 10 photographs for viewing, a letter of recommendation from a faculty member and the students transcript.

    The application package for the scholarship is due March 25 and should be sent to the Wellington Art Society, P.O. Box 212943, Royal Palm Beach, FL 33421-2943.

    The Wellington Art Society Scholarship, established in 2001, has provided 30 talented young artists with money for their art-related expenses, such as art/photographic supplies and books or tuition for visual art classes. Proceeds from the organizations annual art exhibitions and sales, such as ArtFest on the Green and Whole Foods Market art shows, support the scholarship fund.

    For more information about the scholarship program, e-mail Su-zanne Redmond at [email protected].

    Wellington Chamber Shop

    Talk Feb. 26The Wellington Chamber of

    Commerce will hold its Shop Talk event on Thursday, Feb. 26

    at the Wanderers Club from 6 to 8 p.m. The topic will be To Friend or Not To Friend? Expert panel-ists Christina Rowe and Heidi Richards Mooney will discuss the pros and cons of social media in the workplace. For more infor-mation, and to RSVP, visit www.wellingtonchamber.com.

    Transportation Services Job Fair Set For Feb. 18Bus drivers wanted! The School

    District of Palm Beach Coun-tys Transportation Services De-partment will hold a job fair on Wednesday, Feb. 18 to hire drivers to transport approximately 58,000 students each day to Palm Beach County schools.

    The job fair is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Central Trans-

    portation Facility, 3376 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach.

    Applicants must meet the fol-lowing requirements:

    Be a safe, licensed driver for five years.

    Have an excellent driving record.

    Pass the Florida Department of Transportation physical exami-nation.

    Pass the bus driver training course.

    Communicate effectively in English.

    Enjoy working with students.The school district offers excel-

    lent benefits, competitive pay and health insurance. The district also offers free Commercial Driving License (CDL) training for those who qualify.

    To learn more about the Trans-portation Services job fair, call (561) 242-6515.

    NEWS BRIEFS

  • Page 8 February 13 - February 19, 2015 www.gotowncrier.com The Town-Crier

    Ag Reserve Roundtable

    Set For Feb. 17 The public is invited to attend

    a roundtable meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17 to discuss issues affecting Palm Beach Countys Agricultural Reserve Area.

    The discussion will be held at the Clayton E. Hutcheson Agri-cultural Center, located at 559 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. No pre-registration is required.

    The Agricultural Reserve covers an area of approximately 22,000 acres west of Floridas Turnpike in southern Palm Beach County. It was established in the 1980s to preserve unique wetlands and farmlands by limiting uses to agriculture, conservation, low-density residential development, and limited non-residential uses.

    The Feb. 17 discussion is a follow-up to a roundtable held in March 2014 in response to requests by farmers and property owners seeking to expand the de-velopment options currently avail-able in the Agricultural Reserve.

    Representatives previously

    selected by each interest group will participate at the table, but all interested members of the public are invited to attend and interact as audience members. For more info., visit www.pbcgov.com/pzb/plan-ning/ag_reserve/ag_reserve.htm.

    Gang Resistance Training Session

    Wellingtons Community Ser-vices Department has partnered with the Palm Beach County Sher-iffs Office and the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club to host a Gang Resistance Education and Training Informational Session for Wellington parents.

    The session will take place Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club, located at 1080 Wel-lington Trace. To RSVP, call (561) 791-4764.

    Robotics Team To Host Open House Feb. 14The Children of the Swamp

    (179) Robotics Team of Palm

    Beach County, a member of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), will be hosting the open house and scrimmage at 7071 Garden Road in Riviera Beach on Saturday, Feb. 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

    Participating high schools in-clude Inlet Grove, Suncoast, Semi-nole Ridge, Lake Worth, FAU, the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, the G-Star School of the Arts and the 4-H Clubs of America.

    Food and drinks, a bake sale and a 50/50 raffle will be available, and funds will be used to cover team costs at various events throughout the year.

    For more information about the event and/or how to get involved with the team, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.179swampthing.org. For more information about FIRST, visit www.usfirst.org.

    Naturist Festival At Sunsport

    GardensSunsport Gardens is holding

    its 27th annual Midwinter Natur-ist Festival from Thursday, Feb. 12 through Tuesday, Feb. 17 at

    14125 North Road in Loxahatchee Groves. There will be six days of fun, growth and community.

    This years new age festival will feature workshops on health, per-sonal growth, bodywork, ecology, relationships, the arts and naturist rights. There will also be sports, drum circles, musical performanc-es, dances, spiritual ceremonies and activities for children.

    Sunsport Gardens, South Flori-das premier family naturist resort, offers a heated swimming pool, spa, sauna, tennis, volleyball, petanque, nature trail, childrens playground, camping, free wire-less Internet access and a full-service restaurant. Approximately 350 people are expected to attend the festival.

    For more information, call Sun-sport Gardens at (561) 793-0423 or visit www.sunsportgardens.com.

    Rummage Sale At St. Davids

    St. Davids in the Pines Epis-copal Church in Wellington will host a bazaar/rummage sale on Saturday, Feb. 21 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 22 from 8

    a.m. to noon. Items offered include knitted/crocheted articles, gently used adult and childrens clothing, toys/games, household items (lin-ens, glassware, china, books, etc), costume jewelry, chili/cornbread, baked goods and more. There will be a special bag sale on Saturday from 12:30 to 2 p.m., for all items, excluding jewelry. For more infor-mation, contact Nancy Schroeder at (561) 792-0244 or [email protected].

    Dark Sky Festival Feb. 21 At OkeeheeleeThe Palm Beach County de-

    partments of Environmental Re-sources Management and Parks & Recreation will celebrate the night and turn down the lights by hosting the third annual Dark Sky Festival at the Okeeheelee Nature Center on Saturday, Feb. 21 from 6 to 10 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

    The purpose of the Dark Sky Festival is to expose citizens to the marvels of astronomy and the importance of protecting dark skies, not just for astronomy

    purposes, but also for the effects on human health, and the value that darkness provides to area wildlife. This festival will include stargazing with local astronomers, exhibits, vendors, nature walks, a childrens activity area, food trucks, a campfire and more. Additional support for this event is provided by the International Dark Sky Association-South Florida.

    The Okeeheelee Nature Center is located in Okeeheelee Park at 7715 Forest Hill Blvd., one mile west of Jog Road. For more in-formation, e-mail Jacey Biery at [email protected] or visit www.pbcgov.com/erm/darkskyfest.

    RPB Rotary Club Changes Meeting PlaceThe Royal Palm Beach Rotary

    Club has changed the location of its weekly meetings. The meet-ings, at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday mornings, will now be held at the Oak Bistro & Wine Bar, located in the Southern Palm Crossing shopping center at 11051 Southern Blvd., Suite 201, near Stein Mart.

    NEWS BRIEFS

    I am very pleased to announce that attorney Cathy Kamber has joined the firm. Ms. Kamber brings with her 35 years of legal experience in family matters like divorce, paternity, pre and post-nuptial agreements, and child custody and child visitation issues. Ms. Kamber has attained the highest rating available (AV-Rated) on Martindale Hubbell. Ms. Kambers addition is reflective of my

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  • The Town-Crier www.gotowncrier.com February 13 - February 19, 2015 Page 9

    Photography by LILA PHOTO

    3667 120th Avenue SouthWellington, Florida 33414

    For ticket options, please visit InternationalPoloClub.com or call 561.204.5687.

    Polo and BrunchThe Perfect Match

    Experience the energy of world-class polo and brunch at the International Polo Club. Delicious food, champagne, celebrity sightings, music, fashion and, of course, polo.

    Every Sunday at 3 p.m. through April 19The Pavilion opens at 2 p.m.

    Join us at The Pavilion for the after-party from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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  • Page 10 February 13 - February 19, 2015 www.gotowncrier.com The Town-Crier

  • The Town-Crier www.gotowncrier.com February 13 - February 19, 2015 Page 11

  • Page 12 February 13 - February 19, 2015 www.gotowncrier.com The Town-Crier

    NEWSCROWDS SHOP FOR BARGAINS AT ROYAL PALMS ANNUAL KIDS YARD SALE

    Sandy Webb cant decide which dressto buy granddaughter McKenna Eakin. Lily Lanier buys a necklace from Donna Mine.

    CLUB SUPPORTS HARMONY HOUSE

    Winsom Martin, Dr. Elaine Ealy, Millie Hamptonand Junette Powell at the CAFCI booth.

    Vivian Konrad looks over some dolls shown byPatricia Forde and Rhonda Ferrin Davis to benefitthe Vivian A. Ferrin Memorial Scholarship Fund.

    The Village of Royal Palm Beach held its annual Kids Yard Sale on Saturday, Feb. 7 at Veterans Park. The day was a great way to find bargains on clothes for kids and infants, toys, games, books and more. There was a DJ and food for sale.

    PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

    Boy Scouts from Troop 111 and parents sellcoupon cards to raise money for summer camp. Jeanetta Bair knits a hat.

    Alex Palmowski helps Landin Halle make a square knot.

    The Women of the Western Communities met Feb. 6 at the Wanderers Club in Wellington for a delicious dinner and fellowship. At the meeting, the group donated pajamas and slippers to YWCA Harmony House residents. To attend a meeting, contact Mair Armand at (561) 635-0011 or [email protected].

    The sighting of a Florida Pan-ther last occurred about 30 years ago in the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area. All that time without a single sighting symbol-izes the environmental changes that have occurred in South Florida in recent decades.

    For years, Wellington Radio Club members have volunteered with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission at Corbett and its Everglades Youth Conservation Center. Members will help promote the theme of preservation and conservation by setting up and operating a special event shortwave station later this month at the Everglades Youth Conservation Center.

    The radio amateurs hope to raise consciousness by contacting their

    colleagues worldwide. The station they will operate has already been assigned a special FCC call-sign: W4P Whiskey Four Panther. The weekend of Feb. 21 and 22, for 24 hours straight, club mem-bers will inform as many of the two million hams and shortwave listeners as possible of the role the FWC plays in protecting Floridas native, endangered species.

    This year, we are excited to call the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida a supporting sponsor for the event, said Wellington Radio Club President Larry Lazar, a longtime FWC volunteer.

    The FWFF provides assistance, funding and promotional support to contribute to the health and well-being of Floridas fish and wildlife resources.

    Florida is like no other place on Earth, and working together with the Wellington Radio Club, we can further communicate and share our fish and wildlife resources locally, nationally and globally, so they survive and thrive for current and future generations, said Judie Gibson, director of development for the FWFF.

    Club members will man their station from 1 p.m. Saturday through 1 p.m. Sunday, and the public is invited to observe their operation during daylight hours.

    For more information on the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida, visit www.wildlifeflorida.org. To learn more about amateur radio, visit the Wellington Radio Club web site at www.qsl.net/k4wrc.

    Radio Club To Commemorate Last Panther Sighting In The Corbett Area

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  • The Town-Crier www.gotowncrier.com February 13 - February 19, 2015 Page 13

    PALMS WEST PEOPLELionshare Dressage Loans Delorean MF To Para-Equestrian Margaret McIntosh

    When Caroline Roffman re-ceived an e-mail from Margaret McIntosh inquiring about bor-rowing a horse for the USEF High Performance Southeast Para-Equestrian Dressage Sym-posium, Roffman immediately wanted to help. Accomplished para-equestrian McIntosh asked for just two things: a horse with a good mind and a great walk.

    Roffman, an international grand prix rider and head trainer at Li-onshare Dressage in Wellington, called her working student Sierra Keasler to suggest that McIntosh borrow Keaslers Delorean MF, the 6-year-old son of Don Principe known around the barn as Baby Horse.

    McIntosh is a talented rider who enjoyed a successful eventing career with the help of Bruce Da-vidson, which led to her competing in the CCI*** and CCI**** at the Rolex Kentucky three-day event in 1997 and 1998 before a life-changing accident. While riding, McIntosh fell over a cross country fence and broke her neck in 1999.

    Although she was initially par-alyzed from the chest down, McIntosh was able to regain her mobility and get back in the saddle as a para-equestrian. She has risen

    back through the equestrian ranks, earning the title of 2014 USEF Para-Equestrian dressage reserve champion.

    Unable to bring her own horse to Wellington for the symposium, McIntosh looked to Roffman for the perfect ride.

    For Keasler, the decision to lend her horse to McIntosh was an easy one. After hearing her story, there was no way I could say no, she explained. At the symposium, Baby Horse made me proud. He took his job very seriously and worked so hard for Margaret.

    McIntosh competes in pa-ra-equestrian dressage at Grade 1(a), a classification in which riders walk their dressage tests. Although she just barely missed the mark for the 2012 London Olympics Selection Trials and she was unable to compete in the 2014 Alltech World Equestrian Games due to a classification discrepancy, McIntosh continues to push forward in her competi-tive career. Her sights are set on qualifying for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

    For more information about Lionshare Dressage, visit www.lionsharedressage.com, e-mail [email protected] or call (617) 633-1003.

    Sierra Keasler stands with Margaret McIntosh on Delorean MFat the USEF High Performance Southeast Para Equestrian Dressage Symposium.

    MARISSA PRIORE HONORED AT ROTARY

    STUDENT OF QUARTER

    WINGATES WELCOME NEW GRANDSON

    Pamela and Lawrence Wingate, Wellington residents for 34 years, are proud to announce the birth of their second grandchild, Beau Lawrence Cortese, who was born on Nov. 1, 2014 at 9 pounds, 3 ounces to Ashley and Tony Cortese of Tallahassee. Ashley Cortese, a former Wellington resident and student at the Kings Academy, and her husband Tony welcome Beau, their second child, as a younger sibling for Reid Anthony Cortese.

    The Wellington Rotary Club presented Marissa Prior