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Volume 36, Number 17April 24 - April 30, 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,
23BUSINESS .....................24 - 25SPORTS
.........................31 - 33CALENDAR
...........................36CLASSIFIEDS ................38 -
41
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OPINION
The grand opening of Royal Palm Beachs new Aldi supermar-ket
took place Thursday, April 16. Hundreds visited the store, and the
first 100 customers were treated to gift certificates and a tote
bag. Royal Palm Beach officials were on hand to welcome the new
store with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Shown here is Aldi Vice
President Chris Hewitt with Royal Palm Beach Councilman Jeff Hmara
and Mayor Matty Mattioli.
MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
RPB ALDI STORE OPENS
By Ron BukleyTown-Crier Staff Report
The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council approved a resolution
Tuesday to allow Big Dog Ranch Rescue to locate on 33 acres at the
southeast corner of Okeechobee Blvd. and D Road.
The decision, which came after an hours-long discussion, was on
a 3-1 vote with Councilman Ryan Liang opposed. Councilman Jim
Rockett recused himself because a relative owns property south of
the site.
Town Attorney Michael Cirullo pointed out that it was a
quasi-judi-cial hearing and the applicant and staff both would have
30 minutes to make presentations. Members of the public had a
maximum of three minutes to speak. About 50 people spoke both for
and against the project.
During his presentation, at-
torney Marty Perry said Big Dog had spent a great deal of time
and money to get approval and made numerous significant changes in
the plan.
We believe we have submitted documentation demonstrating that we
are consistent with the compre-hensive plan, that we meet all of
the requirements of your various ordinances, including the dog
rescue provisions that you have, and we think that youll agree with
that, he said.
Perry pointed out that they had held public workshops in an
effort to dispel the thought that the Big Dog proposal would be
similar in nature to the existing Big Dog facility.
That is unfortunate in a lot of ways, and we will be presenting
to you videos of both the existing facility and the Peggy Adams
facil-
Lox Groves Council Approves New HomeFor Big Dog Ranch
See BIG DOG, page 18
Santamaria Forum Celebrates Big Lawsuit VictoryBy Julie
Unger
Town-Crier Staff ReportFormer Palm Beach County
Commissioner Jess Santamaria joined with Inspector General John
Carey this week to celebrate a big victory for We, The Peo-ple in a
recent ruling by Circuit Court Judge Catherine Brunson that
municipalities must pay their share to fund the Palm Beach County
Office of the Inspector General.
The ruling came after a long legal battle, and at a community
forum meeting on Tuesday, April 21 at the original Wellington Mall,
Santamaria proclaimed that the ruling was a crucial victory for
honest government.
One of the reasons that we are here tonight is for a
celebration, Santamaria said. We won a three-year lawsuit that has
been going
on since 2011, which involved 15 municipalities who refused to
cooperate with the Office of the Inspector General.
The ruling was a major victory, he said.
In 2009, the then-state attorney, Michael McAuliffe, assembled a
grand jury to investigate different segments of the population the
business community, the elected officials, staff, civic leaders to
find out, if after three years, we were still Corruption County,
Santamaria said.
Twenty-one members of the community heard more than 30 witness
testimonies, including an almost three-hour testimony by
Santamaria. The conclusion of the grand jury, in a 54-page report,
said, Yes, we are still Corruption County, he said, adding that the
grand jury determined that it was
imperative to start an Office of the Inspector General.
Eventually, with a positive public response, the seven county
commissioners voted to begin the Office of Inspector General. The
problem, which turned out to be critical, was that the method of
financing the office was not writ-ten in the document, Santamaria
explained.
The discussion, Santamaria said, always centered on following
Miami-Dades example of charg-ing the vendors anyone who does
business with the government one quarter of one percent to fund the
Office of the Inspector General.
Somebody intentionally, or forgot, to put the one-fourth of a
percent as part of the wording in the referendum, he said,
stress-ing that it was always said that
Opera Fusion presented The Sopranos on Saturday, April 18 at the
Wellington High School theater as a fundraiser for Save a Pet
Florida. The two-hour show featured sopranos Laura Mar-tnez Len,
Dora Cardona, Ravenna Maer and Gerri Kinley. Shown here, Dora
Cardona, Laura Martnez Len and Gerri Kinley sing Three Little Maids
from School Are We from The Mikado.
MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 12
OPERA FUSIONS THE SOPRANOS
PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER
By Ron BukleyTown-Crier Staff Report
The Wellington Village Council last week gave preliminary
ap-proval to an ordinance moving the 2016 municipal election from
Tuesday, March 8 to Tuesday, March 15, to be held concur-rent with
Floridas presidential primary.
Last month, Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill setting a March 15
date for the 2016 Presidential Preference Primary. As such, Palm
Beach County Supervisor of Elec-tions Susan Bucher requested that
all municipalities move the dates of their elections to March 15,
due to the logistical impossibility of her staff to conduct a March
15 countywide election, as well as the usual March 8 municipal
election.
The state law also amended the candidate qualifying period, and
Bucher advised that the deadline for submitting municipal ballot
questions and candidate names to her office will be Friday, Dec.
11.
If a runoff election is needed because no candidate receives at
least 35 percent of the vote, that election will take place on
March 29, 2016.
With four seats up for grabs and possibly a number of charter
amendments on the ballot, 2016 will be a busy election year in
Wellington.
The seats currently held by Mayor Bob Margolis, Vice Mayor John
Greene (Seat 1) and council-men John McGovern (Seat 3) and Matt
Willhite (Seat 4) will all be on the March 2016 ballot. Willhite
cannot run for re-election due to term limits.
McGoverns Seat 3 was not originally scheduled to be up in 2016,
but when former Council-man Howard Coates resigned, Mc-Governs
subsequent appointment only lasts until the next regularly
scheduled municipal election. The winner will serve the final two
years of Coates term before facing the voters again in 2018.
At the April 14 meeting, Greene asked whether municipalities are
obligated to follow the recom-mendation of the supervisor of
elections, and Village Manager Paul Schofield said the change is by
state statute, so municipalities are obligated to follow it for
this particular election.
Village Attorney Laurie Cohen
Wellington Moves 2016 VoteTo Presidential Primary Day
noted that the village is not re-quired to have the supervisor
of elections run the municipal vote, but the village is not
equipped at present to hold its own election, which would be very
expensive.
Greene asked how the change would affect the charter review
process, and Cohen said the Char-ter Review Committee would be
wrapping up its comments within the next two meetings, so it would
come to the council in June or early July, which would allow plenty
of time to review it and prepare referendum questions to submit to
the supervisor of elections.
Willhite said he would like the council to review the referendum
questions no later than August, in order to give time for a couple
of public meetings for an explanation of what the potential charter
revi-sions are intended to do.
Councilwoman Anne Gerwig said if difficulties arose after public
input, there was always the poten-tial to defer the referendum
ques-tions to November 2016, which would result in an even greater
voter turnout.
However, Gerwig said she See ELECTION, page 3
See ITID BOND, page 3
CULTURAL DIVERSITY DAY IN RPB MAY 9SEE STORY, PAGE 3
VALIENTE WINS U.S. OPEN TOURNAMENTSEE STORY, PAGE 17
See SANTAMARIA, page 7
Stolen ID Tax FraudIs A Growing ProblemIn Need Of A SolutionOnce
a rare crime, stolen iden-tity tax refund fraud has sky-rocketed in
recent years, with experts predicting it to soon be a $20 billion
problem. While it is certainly important for taxpayers to be
proactive, the Internal Revenue Service must figure out how to
effectively combat this problem. Page 4
By Ron BukleyTown-Crier Staff Report
The Royal Palm Beach Vil-lage Council heard a report last week
that aquatic vegetation in the canals has been brought under
control by a new contractor that has been maintaining the canals
over the past six months.
The system is in very good shape right now, Public Works
Director Paul Webster said at the April 16 meeting. There will be
some areas that will need work, but overall were in very good shape
as we start into the growing season.
Webster said the findings are based on soundings that the
con-tractor, Lake & Wetland Manage-ment, conducted in the first
week of March, which found that the system, including the M-1
Canal, was 83.7 percent clear, which is slightly below the standard
of 85 percent.
He said the contractor is cur-rently treating canals in La
Man-
cha for tapegrass, and the M-1 Canal near Lake Challenger for
hygrophila and rotalla, plants com-monly found in aquarium
tanks.
Another area in La Mancha is being managed for chara, also known
as muskgrass, which is native to Florida and is actually a form of
algae that has positive benefits to water quality and the overall
biological condition of the canals.
What we do with chara is try to manage it at control levels that
keep it from topping out and becoming a nuisance, Webster said. If
it tops out, it looks like foam, and itll have an odor. Our
management has been to keep it maintained below those levels so
that we get the benefit of the good parts of it, but we keep it
from becoming a nuisance.
Another factor that affected the percentage was that ponds in
the FPL easements at the beginning of
Report: RPB Canals Plants Under ControlGoing Into Summer
See CANALS, page 18
By Ron BukleyTown-Crier Staff Report
At a special meeting on Wednes-day, the Indian Trail Improvement
District Board of Supervisors approved a bond refinancing for Unit
18, which covers the Madison Green community in Royal Palm Beach.
Advisors told board mem-bers that the refinancing would save about
$972,000 over the remaining life of the loan.
The bond, which has about $8.7 million remaining, was issued to
pay for infrastructure construction in Madison Green.
Attorney and bond counselor Mark Raymond said that the Unit 18
bond issue is susceptible to refinancing, and financial advisor
Raymond James Capital Services
had explored refinancing at a sub-stantial savings.
Raymond noted that the 2005 bond issue could not be refinanced
for 10 years. Raymond James has explored refinancing and has
obtained a commitment from their in-house bank at a substantial
sav-ings, Raymond said.
Betsy Hedden with Raymond James Capital Services said their bank
was willing to offer a fixed interest rate of 3.25 percent for the
term of the bond, which is through 2031. The current rate is 4.75
percent.
The term of the bond is the same as it was in the 2005 bond
issue, so were not extending the debt, she said. All were doing is
taking the outstanding interest
ITID OKs A Reduced Interest Rate For Madison Green Bond
Jess Santamaria gathers with friends and supportersTuesday to
toast the inspector general lawsuit victory.
PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER
rate, which ranges from four and three-quarters down to three
and a quarter, which is significant.
On average, it is a savings of 9.5 percent per year to residents
of Unit 18. All in all, its a signifi-cant reduction, about $60,000
to $65,000 per year, she said.
Supervisor Michelle Damone made a motion to approve the
reso-lution as presented. Savings is what our responsibility as a
board is, and Im sure the taxpayers of Unit 18/Madison Green will
be grateful for the savings, she said.
Raymond explained that the bonds were originally issued in 1999
to finance the construction of the infrastructure of Madison Green
and were refinanced in
the money would come through vendor fees and not taxes.
Fifteen cities filed a suit to stop the funding mechanism, and
the office has been only half-funded and half staffed since
2011.
Six months ago, the lawsuit finally went to court, and
Santa-maria was one of the four chosen to testify. Brunson,
presiding over the case, concluded that the cities
RPB Council Approves Changes For Al Packer Ford West
ExpansionThe Royal Palm Beach Village Council approved several
vari-ances last week for Al Packer Ford West on Southern Blvd. The
dealership is undergoing a major renovation and expan-sion project.
Page 3
Maaco Location InWellington To Celebrate Grand Opening May
14Uh-oh better get Maaco! has been a household phrase since the
early 1980s when the first Maaco commercial aired on TV. Now, in
2015, residents of Wellington will easily be able to find a Maaco
location now that one is holding its grand opening on Thursday, May
14 in the Wellington Business Center off Pierson Road. Page 7
Wellington Celebrates Earth Day & Arbor DayWellington held
its Earth Day and Arbor Day Celebration on Sunday, April 19 at the
Welling-ton Amphitheater. Hundreds gathered to learn about the
planet, receive free plants and enjoy a concert with the Jamie
Mitchell Band. Page 9
Wellington Seniors Club Hosts Its Spring DanceWellington Seniors
Club held its Spring Dinner Dance on Friday, April 17 at the
Mayacoo Lakes Country Club. Guests enjoyed a sit-down dinner and
door prizes. One lucky guest from each table was awarded a live
floral centerpiece. Page 19
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The Town-Crier www.gotowncrier.com April 24 - April 30, 2015
Page 3
NEWS
By Ron BukleyTown-Crier Staff Report
The Royal Palm Beach Vil-lage Council approved several variances
last week for Al Packer Ford West on Southern Blvd. The dealership
is undergoing a major renovation and expansion project.
At the April 16 meeting, Al Packer Ford West received ap-proval
to add employee park-ing at the back of its building without a
sidewalk leading to the front because they would be using a rear
entrance, several variances for signs, a reduced setback for an
existing building, landscape changes and a special exception to
allow an expansion of the existing building.
Planning & Zoning Director Bradford OBrien said that the
dealership was annexed into the village in 1991 and has received
several approvals since then,
including in 2002, when it was granted a variance to allow a
temporary rear sales yard after the Florida Department of
Transporta-tion took land in the front of the site to expand
Southern Blvd.
Another approval was for a proposed site plan to remove the
temporary sales yard and old build-ings in order to construct a
show-room and body shop for a total of 52,930 square feet. The
temporary sales yard was never removed, and the new buildings were
never constructed, OBrien said.
The first variance asked for deviations from village parking
re-quirements to allow the proposed expansion of the vehicle sales
and service operation. They included a request to allow 65 percent
of the parking in the rear to be used by employees due to the
buildings proximity to Southern Blvd.
Village code allows only 10
percent of parking to the rear, but village staff felt that the
nature of the use, with the need to display inventory in the front,
and the proximity to the road, warranted the variance. Councilman
Dave Swift made a motion to approve the request, which carried
5-0.
The second request was to eliminate a sidewalk from the rear of
the building, since employees would be using a rear entrance into
the service area. Village staff did not recommend approval since
village code does not distinguish between employee and customer
parking.
Mike Sanchez, representing the dealership, said it currently has
15 customer parking spaces at the front of the building and is
asking to expand to 40 in the front. Customers would have no need
to park in the rear and would be directed to park in front. He
added
RPB Council Approves Changes For Al Packer Ford Expansionthat
customer counts had found 17 at the most at any given time.
We feel we far exceed the de-mand for customer parking in the
front, and providing a sidewalk from the rear, given the existing
conditions, we would have to make substantial modifications,
Sanchez said.
Swift made a motion to approve the variance, which carried
5-0.
The council also granted sev-eral sign variances, including a
14-foot-wide by 9-foot-high monument sign, where the maxi-mum
allowable under the code is 7 feet high by 8 feet wide and 42
square feet in area, at least 10 feet from the property line.
The applicant contends that this variance request is justified,
given that the current sign exists on the site and has received
vari-ance for this sign, although it is in a different location on
this site,
OBrien said, adding that staff recommended denial of the request
because the previous variance was in conjunction with building
im-provements that were never done.
Sanchez said they were only asking to relocate the existing sign
to a more prominent location at the entrance to the dealership.
Vice Mayor Richard Valuntas said he understood and agreed with
staffs analysis, but was inclined to support the applicants
request, since it did have the sign. Valun-tas made a motion to
approve the request, which carried 5-0.
The council also approved a request to allow two wall-mounted
cabinet signs of 39.93 square feet on the south and east sides of
the building, and another 27.25-square-foot cabinet sign on the
south side, where village code prohibits cabinet signs in excess of
10 square feet.
The applicant thought the signs were in balance with the size of
the building, but staff recom-mended denial because there were no
special conditions or circumstances.
Sanchez pointed out that the signs are the oval Ford national
logo and there were no classifica-tions that it could fit under
village code other than cabinet signs, and 10-square-foot logos
would be much too small for the size of the building and not
visible from the roadway.
Councilman Fred Pinto made a motion to approve the request,
which carried 5-0.
The council also granted ap-proval of a 28.8-foot corner-yard
setback for an existing building instead of the 50 feet required by
the code. Swift made a motion to approve that variance, which
carried 5-0.
By Julie UngerTown-Crier Staff Report
Caribbean-Americans for Com-munity Involvement (CAFCI) and the
Village of Royal Palm Beach will present their 11th annual
Cul-tural Diversity Day on Saturday, May 9 from 1 p.m. to sundown
at Veterans Park on Royal Palm Beach Blvd.
Fun for the whole family and entertainment, including
interna-tional music by the Ernitones, is sure to bring about a
great day of learning about different cultures.
Elet Cyris, CAFCI cultural director and chair of Cultural
Diversity Day, said she thinks it is an incredibly important event,
es-pecially with Royal Palm Beachs
diverse community. It is good for us to learn each others
culture out there, our foods, our art and our music, she said. We
learn to re-spect each other through learning about different
cultures. Its for us to get to know each other.
The diversity of cultures that attend, participate and display
at Cultural Diversity Day is varied. This year, German, Spanish,
Ca-ribbean (many different islands), American and more cultures
will be represented, Cyris said.
The entertainment is one of the most exciting aspects of the
event for Cyris, who is looking forward to watching Volkstanzgruppe
German Maypole Dancers; Mima Lion Dancers (Chinese Kung Fu
Dancers); Music Create Motiva-tors (MCM), with a Haitian and
Latin mix; Matute Dance; Antonio Falla; the CAFCI Domino Club; and
Sensational Diva Models.
More groups will be announced as the May 9 event nears. Cyris
heads the event committee with fellow CAFCI member Ernie Garvey,
vice chair of the event.
Garvey is looking forward to the music, bands, food vendors,
dance and music, as well as learn-ing more about different
cultures.
Cultural Diversity Day is when we help all cultures from the
area come together. Were inviting people from Fort Lauderdale and
Miami, he said. We really just want to spread the news that Royal
Palm Beach is bringing cultural diversity to the area. Were
look-ing for all kinds country, Latin, Haitian, Chinese, Japanese
ev-erybody to come in and share what they have with us.
One of the many great discov-eries that happen at the event is
learning about different cultures through their foods, crafts and
music.
Im always ready and excited for Cultural Diversity Day. Its
something I look forward to all year, Garvey said.
Garvey and Cyris are also look-ing forward to the CAFCI Domino
Demonstration, where CAFCI members will teach players of all
Volkstanzgruppe German Maypole Dancersduring last years Cultural
Diversity Day event.
PHOTO BY FABIANA OTERO/TOWN-CRIER
Cultural Diversity Day Returns To Vets Park In RPB On May 9ages
how to play dominos.
Royal Palm Beach Cultural Events Coordinator Carlos Mo-rales
estimates that 1,000 people typically attend the event, which
effectively allows attendees to travel the world from the comfort
of the park.
Its a melting pot of an event, Morales said. Were trying to
promote and really bring different
ethnic groups together and share their diversity, as far as
music, food, or through arts and crafts, whatever it may be
through; we look at it as bringing the commu-nity together.
The village will be providing a shuttle van to take people from
be-hind Village Hall to Veterans Park. Additionally, the caf and
splash pad at the park will be open. The
village will be promoting various recreation programs as
well.
Cultural Diversity Day is spon-sored by the Cultural Council of
Palm Beach County and Palm Beach County.
For more information, call the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center
at (561) 790-5149, Cyris at (561) 791-9097 or Garvey at (561)
676-5664.
Election2016 Date
Changecontinued from page 1
thought the Dec. 11 deadline provides plenty of time to submit
ballot questions.
I think we have time, but we could always decide if we wanted
greater input and put it on No-vember, she said. Not only does
[the supervisor of elections] have the certified equipment, she
has the voter rolls and she verifies the signatures on absentee
ballots. I cant fathom what our options are here other than to
comply.
During public comment, resi-dent Jody Young said the change to
the presidential primary date would result in greater voter
turnout.
The village is probably go-ing to enjoy the opportunity to
have the biggest turnout ever for a municipal election due to
the availability of early voting, as well as serious absentee
ballot work by both the Democratic and Republican parties in light
of this upcoming season, Young said. I think it behooves everyone
to push this charter thing as quickly as you can and take advantage
of that.
Willhite made a motion to ap-prove the ordinance, which car-ried
5-0.
ITID BondMadison
Greencontinued from page 1
2005. Well be using that resolu-tion again in this refinancing,
he said. What you have tonight is a supplemental resolution to the
resolution.
He said the bond payments will continue to be made through
as-sessments to homeowners.
Supervisor Gary Dunkley said he felt uncomfortable approving the
refinancing that evening be-cause the board had only received the
information that evening. I did not have time to sit down and
really digest what was in it, he said. I thought this would
only
be a presentation. I did not know we would be voting on it
tonight.
Raymond pointed out that they had explained at their meeting two
weeks ago that the transaction needed to be done quickly in order
to get the reduced interest rate. He said that May 15 was the last
day of the commitment.
Damones motion carried 4-1, with Dunkley opposed.
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WELLINGTON OFFICE LOCATION1041 State Road 7, Suite 1 Wellington,
FL 33414
Our office is located between Forest Hill Boulevard and
Southern
Boulevard on SR 7(US 441) in the
Wellington Reserve Plaza.
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TOWN-CRIERTHEOUR OPINION
Stolen ID Tax Fraud Is A Growing Problem In Need Of A
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LETTERS TO THE EDITORDont Abuse
Dogs AndOther AnimalsI love animals, and I adore dogs.
They have formed a special niche in my life that means so much.
The occasional thought of someone causing harm to my handsome
German shepherd, thats so full of love and energy, would destroy
me. I can see no legitimate reason for such actions. This abuse
ex-tends to even our involvement in selective breeding.
You may not be informed, but mans desire for the perfect dog in
all breeds creates negative ef-fects on all canines. Breeders can
argue all day that selective breed-ing is better for the dog
because it creates the best dog, but this is ut-terly incorrect.
Selective breeding only creates our blurred vision of a perfect
dog. Pugs and bulldogs have developed noses that are so squished
and enclosed that they cannot breathe. German shepherds and
Rottweilers have hip problems due to their massive front or upper
bodies. It is out of proportion, and the extra weight puts stress
on their hips that will later cause major difficulties for
them.
I believe all animals should not have to live through abuse. In
some instances, people may believe such abuse is appropriate. They
defend a tradition set many years before them. For example,
bullfighting is common in many regions of Spain, and this man
versus beast conflict is carried out and agonizing for the bull. I
believe that traditions can change. Catalonia and the Canary
Islands have banned this tradition. Times change, and traditions
are forgotten. There is no excuse for such treatment.
Animals are here to keep the planet in order and participate in
the food chain to keep life on Earth alive. The unnatural abuse or
death of animals is cruel; it is something I will never be able to
understand. There is no reason for continuously victimizing
animals. Here in the United States, dogs are mans best friend. In
other parts of the world, dogs may be consumed just as we consume a
cow. And like the bull, maybe these dog fights are just a way to
profit more from harvesting a food source, but this involuntary
fight to the death, its just as inhumane as the years of the
gladiators, even if the animals are used for consumption afterward.
Do we still pin two people against
each others will to fight to the death?
Animals are here to live a life just as you and me. Dogs are
companions and full of love, not a pawn in a cage match. Animals
deserve a life like you and me. If there is anything we ought to
do, its making sure that we can keep animals out of harms way and
let them live a life that is not spoiled by abuse.
Jonathan GairalaThe Acreage
Protect The First Amendment
Free speech is not something that needs to get fixed. The First
Amendment exists precisely to protect all forms of expression from
government suppression. Freedom of inquiry and the liberty of
expression are the hallmarks of a democratic society. Government
censorship is never the way to reply to a dissatisfied populace.
Select members of Loxahatchee Groves Town Council who think so, do
so at their peril, and ought to think again.
These select members, profiling as an authoritarian system,
gen-erally tend to take a dim view of public comment. Public
comment prior to the swear in ceremony of the recent contested
election was denied. For select members of the town council to deny
the public the right to speak simply because they can seems to
indicate that the mindset of our council is not of the people and
for the people.
Select council members have a history of issuing payback for
unpopular speech. In the abun-dance of caution council meeting of
Jan. 6, a resident offered, I am mortified that I live in a town
where we are talking about taking away free speech.
At the March 17 council meet-ing, a resident shared, I take
of-fense at your blatant and sweeping disregard for the citizens
voices in this town. Who would be so cavalier as to think your
opinion, your voices, are more important than mine or anyone else
who lives here. This is a public office. Your sole duty is to serve
the public, not yourselves, not your personal interests.
On April 7, a member of the Loxahatchee Groves Canvass-ing Board
took exception to the summary of statements made in my public
comments that were re-corded in the minutes of the March
For The RecordInaccurate information regarding the tailgate
competition at the
sixth annual International Gay Polo Tournament was included in
last weeks issue. Best in Show went to Gerts Salon, Most
Enthusiastic Spirit went to Chapel of Love, Most Enthusiastic Theme
went to Eau Spa, Best Cuisine went to Kevin Clarks elegant
restaurant motif, and Best Dressed went to William Kruogels
lumberjack booth. The Town-Crier regrets whatever confusion this
might have caused.
The Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep
letters brief (300 words suggested). Submit letters, with contact
name, address and telephone number (anonymous letters will not be
published), to The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite
31, Wellington, FL 33414; fax them to (561) 793-6090; or you can
e-mail [email protected].
RON BUKLEYManaging Editor
17 canvassing board meeting. The councilman attempted to add
words to the record that were not spoken by me. This unsuccessful
scrubbing was to censor an act of free speech that was made in a
public venue.
Then we witnessed a coun-cilman motion to deny Big Dog Ranch
without Big Dog having its opportunity to be heard in a required
quasi-judicial hearing. The councilman put on quite the show. The
end result of the councils discussion was that the councilman
recused himself. What was that all about?
These select councilmen are turning our town government into a
kindergarten for geriatrics, a homeowners association on steroids
as it were.
In conclusion, may I share with my neighbors of Loxahatchee
Groves, there was never a place or a time when Right and Proper
Government is needed more.
Keith HarrisLoxahatchee Groves
LGWCD Is Out Of ControlQuestion: Why was a council
with persons under investigation for tampering with the last
elec-tion, among other questionable acts, allowed to select
committee members?
It is a sad day for the Loxa-hatchee Groves equestrian
com-munity and for the future of all Groves residents. The April 21
town meeting showed us who runs Loxahatchee Groves: the
Loxa-hatchee Groves Water Control District. We were getting closer
to a safe and maintained trail system, and the last meeting was a
major setback.
A council with members be-ing investigated for tainting the last
election got to choose com-mittee members for our finance and
roads/trails committees. The people chosen to watch over our town
finances were the wife of a LGWCD supervisor, the uncle of a
councilman currently under in-vestigation and another appointee
seen lately on several occasions with a LGWCD supervisor/town
vendor. Our roads/trails committee now has the girlfriend of a
business owner who had a councilmans campaign party, and two other
people who have been on the committee in the past who have openly
shown their allegiance to the mighty LGWCD. These two
have not moved the trail system forward in the past.
Unfortunately, we lost three dedicated committee members and
upstanding residents of the community who served well on these
committees.
I am sickened once again by the arrogance of the Loxahatchee
Groves Water Control District and certain town council members who
cannot see the big picture, and only think of themselves and how to
stay in power.
I fully expect retaliation for this letter from some LGWCD board
members and possibly a few councilmen. A fictitious code
enforcement complaint was previ-ously filed against me seven days
after publishing a disapproving letter regarding the LGWCD in
September 2013.
Residents of Loxahatchee Groves, please go to the May 5 town
council meeting. They will be discussing a current council-mans
felony charges, which he did not disclose in his previous election
packets. Yes, this is one of the councilmen currently being
in-vestigated for election tampering. Why is this person so hell
bent on being on our town council? The foxes are guarding the
chicken coop!
Phillis ManigliaLoxahatchee Groves
Donate To Letter Carriers Food
Drive May 9Every day we need food. Its
part of living. In the eyes of chil-dren, happiness is giving.
We can connect every day with people we never meet just by giving.
One can of food can help another person survive one more day. If
you have never served or volunteered at a food bank pantry or soup
kitchen, or seen the local warehouse where people shop for food,
youve never experienced the cries and hard-ships of so many hungry
seniors, middle-class parents, children and those who have no
transportation, no housing and no families. Your life can be
changed in the blink of an eye. Any one of us can be in those
lines. What would people do without the help of even food
stamps?
Just give one can or fill one bag, please, and put it by your
mailbox or drop it off at a local postal ser-vice center. There are
many food drives throughout the year, but the Letter Carriers Food
Drive,
Stamp Out Hunger, Saturday, May 9, is one day, and it brings in
locally to Branch 1690. Five hundred thousand pounds of food is
needed to fill those warehouses so that they can fill those church
pantries and other food banks.
Yes, you can give hope and experience the joy as a little child
who loves to give without re-ceiving. You will be blessed by a
blessing. Gaining is giving. Serv-ing is living. They say you reap
what you sow, but when youre down to those last pennies, you can
gain abundance by sharing. Fellowship builds relationships, and the
benefits are faithful with-in each one of us. This process benefits
you through what you do for others.
Please share, and thank you, for supporting the 23rd annual
Letter Carriers Food Drive on Saturday, May 9.
Letter carriers all over the Unit-ed States are in the planning
stages for the food drive. The foundation is being built locally
and nation-ally. Publix plastic bags will be placed into your
residential mail-boxes with a 3x5 information card, along with our
sponsor Valpak, which will be advertising our food drive and will
be delivered to each residential and rural customer.
Many letter carriers also will be wearing food drive T-shirts to
remind you of the drive. Bins will also be added in some postal
service facilities, as well as many volunteers getting set to sort
and unload postal vehicles when each carrier returns from their
routes and deliveries on Saturday, May 9. We need your donations of
non-perishable items. There will be kickoffs at local food bank
pantries. Thursday, May 7 at 9 a.m. is the one at Holy Name of
Jesus Church in West Palm Beach.
We are truly trying to make this 2015 Stamp Out Hunger a year to
refurbish the Feeding South Florida and Palm Beach County and
Treasure Coast Food Bank warehouses. Please give. We need your
help. Thank you.
Starr HunterFood Drive Coordinator
West Palm Beach
Does WellingtonReally Need An
Equestrian Plan?As a Wellington resident, I ques-
tion why we need an Equestrian Preserve Area Plan. We are such a
diverse group of equestrians, from many, very different
neigh-borhoods. This has never been needed before, and I dont see
why its needed now. It seems like such a big expense, and not many
will be pleased with the outcome, in my opinion.
When questions or problems have come up in the past, it was
always dealt with as a neighbor-hood decision, with the Wellington
Village Council. Everyone from the neighborhood involved came in
and presented their case to the council. When you make a rule, you
lose a right, and the town hall meeting on April 6 had a lot of
suggested rules that will be very costly to the residents.
One more point: 9,000 acres and 40 people attended this meeting.
I dont see much interest in a plan.
Chris Wallace, PresidentPine Tree Water Control District
Wellington
pitching icon Bob Feller in 1940. Back in 1910, William Howard
Taft was the first president to throw out the iconic first
pitch.
Are you surprised that Babe Ruth, in 1923, smashed the very
first home run at Yankee Stadium? And were you aware that it
was
68 years ago (1949) that Jackie Robinson became the first
Afri-can-American to play in the Major Leagues? Also, keep in mind
that Hank Aaron hit his 714th home run to tie Ruths long-standing
record in 1974.
On a somber note, do you re-
Interesting Diamond Tidbits As We Welcome Baseball
SeasonOPINION
call that umpire John McSherry suffered a fatal heart attack at
Riverfront Stadium in 1996? Then there was pitcher Dwight Gooden of
the New York Mets, who rarely gave up three runs in a game to one
player, but suffered that ignominy on Opening Day
Footlooseand...
By JulesW. Rabin
1994, facing Tuffy Rhodes of the Chicago Cubs. Rhodes only hit
one more round-tripper the rest of the season... and just 13 during
his entire six-year career in the majors.
OK... now its time to play ball!
Now that the 2015 baseball season is officially underway, lets
take a look at some interesting diamond tidbits.
For example, do you know who pitched the only opening game
no-hitter in baseball history? It was that remarkable Cleveland
We have just come through another record-breaking tax season and
not in a good way. Once a rare, unusual crime, stolen identity tax
refund fraud has skyrocketed in recent years, with experts
predicting it to soon be a $20 billion problem. While it is
certainly important for taxpayers to be proactive and protect
themselves, the Internal Revenue Service, and the entire federal
government, must figure out how to effectively combat this problem
in advance not just try to sort out the damage after the fact.
The IRS helpfully lists tips for avoiding phishing scams and
will gladly give you step-by-step instructions for what to do if
you are a victim of tax fraud, but so far, the agency has come up
with far too few safeguards on the front end.
Yes, you should protect your identity by not over-sharing
online, protecting your computers against viruses and spyware,
protecting important documents, shredding unnecessary doc-uments,
filing taxes promptly and not providing information to unsolicited
callers claiming to be from the IRS. And if you are a victim of
fraud, you should certainly follow the IRS procedures to report the
incident to the agency and other authorities.
However, in reality, experts do not believe that most of the
current wave of fraud comes from individuals being careless with
their information. Instead, criminals engaged in stolen identity
refund fraud submit large numbers of fake returns via computers in
the hopes that a percentage of them get through the IRS security
screening process. Where do they get
these large numbers of returns? Data theft on a grand scale,
highlighted recently by security breaches at major retailers,
healthcare providers and service businesses.
Part of the problem here are the outdated systems of the IRS and
the laws in place to stop the IRS from being too intrusive. If you
want to open a credit card or a bank account, be prepared to fill
out your life story on a form and submit to a credit check. What do
you need to file a fake tax return? A name, a date of birth and a
Social Security number.
While it is likely true that the IRS electronic filing system
can be fooled too easily, many experts agree that even when a
return throws up a red flag, it could get through due to the pay
now, audit later system mandated by federal laws. After all, the
law requires payment within 30 days which is not nearly long enough
for the current system to cross reference against the data
submitted by employers (which often comes in months later).
IRS officials note that millions of fake returns are rejected by
the system and that screening procedures are always being improved.
However, a cursory look at the crime reports show that not enough
is being done. The solution to this problem will probably include
many facets, from changing laws to give the IRS more leeway, better
screening systems, a more aware public and better systems for
safeguarding personal data. Unfortunately, we might have made it
far too easy to get that tax refund check. Answering a few
questions online and one click of the button certainly makes it
easier for taxpayers but also for criminals.
NEWS
Rev. Father John Mericantante, pastor emeritus of St. Marys
Catholic Church, is teaming up with the Homeless Coalition of Palm
Beach County to help end homelessness across the com-munity.
The esteemed Pahokee priest has agreed to serve as an honor-ary
co-chair for the fourth annual Senator Philip D. Lewis Center
Luncheon on Wednesday, May 6.
Mericantante joins Palm Beach County Commissioner Priscilla
Taylor and Bank of America Senior Vice President Fabiola Brumley as
an honorary co-chair of the annual event.
We need leaders from all segments of our community, from every
area of Palm Beach County, to step forward to help us solve the
issue of homelessness, Homeless Coalition Executive
Director Marilyn Munoz said. This well respected trio is the
perfect combination of faith, government and business leaders
combining their energy to make a difference.
The Senator Philip D. Lewis Center is Palm Beach Countys first
homeless resource center. It is a central point of access for
individuals and families seeking to end their homelessness.
Since
opening in 2012, the center has served more than 10,000 men,
women and children.
The Homeless Coalition hosts the annual luncheon to help fund
services at the center, including immediate housing and meals,
rental deposits and job certifica-tions and training. Funds from
the 2014 luncheon helped to move 74 families into permanent
housing. With the communitys support,
the Homeless Coalition hopes to help even more families and
indi-viduals move from homelessness into homes.
The fourth annual Senator Philip D. Lewis Center Luncheon will
take place on May 6 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.
Tickets are available for $75 through the Homeless Coalitions web
site at www.homelesscoali-tionpbc.org.
Mericantante To Be Honorary Co-Chair Of Homeless Center
Luncheon
Father John Mericantante
-
The Town-Crier www.gotowncrier.com April 24 - April 30, 2015
Page 5
NEWSLONG-AWAITED ALDI STORE OPENS ON STATE ROAD 7 IN ROYAL PALM
BEACH
Joanne Wagner was the first in line to get into the store. Mary
Anne Robinson and Lee Messina were happy shoppers.
LOCAL QUILTERS DONATE PILLOW PALS TO CHILDRENS MEDICAL
SERVICESMembers of the Wellington Quilters Bee gave the Child
Protection Team of Childrens Medical Services 60 handmade pillow
pals last week. Pillow pals are given to children who need a friend
to hold in times of emotional upheaval. The Wellington Seniors Club
made a donation to the Wellington Quilters Bee to be used for
materials for charitable projects. (Left) Wellington Seniors Club
Pres-ident Howard Trager, Eleanor Yura, Jean Occhiogrosso and Child
Pro-tection Team of Childrens Medical Services Assistant Team
Coordinator Jim Izzo. (Right) The pillow pals sew-ing team of Wendy
Rosenfeld, Peggy Houck, Marietta Bowie, Eleanor Yura, Jean
Occhiogrosso, Elaine Smith, Do-ris Rickles and Phyllis Goffe with
Jim Izzo of Childrens Medical Services.
Aldi Distict Manager Sina Truchan, Vice President ChrisHewitt,
Director of Operations Bruna Maraccini and StoreManager Melissa
Christie with RPB Mayor Matti Mattioliand councilmen Jeff Hmara,
David Swift and Fred Pinto.
Royal Palm Beach councilmen Fred Pinto and Dave Swiftwith Aldi
Director of Real Estate Jeff Williams.
The first 100 people wait to get into the new Aldi store.
The grand opening of Royal Palm Beachs new Aldi supermarket took
place Thursday, April 16. Hundreds visited the store, and the first
100 customers were treated to gift certificates and a tote bag.
Royal Palm Beach officials were on hand to welcome the new store
with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. To learn more about Aldi, visit
www.aldi.us.
PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Mayor Matty Mattioli cuts the ribbon to open the store.
Ella Kaldschmidt won agolden ticket worth $100.
-
Page 6 April 24 - April 30, 2015 www.gotowncrier.com The
Town-Crier
CRIME NEWS
By Julie UngerTown-Crier Staff Report
APRIL 20 A deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substa-tion of the
Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office was called to a location on
Business Parkway on Monday morning regarding a business burglary.
According to a PBSO report, sometime between Saturday afternoon and
Monday morning, someone entered the business through the roof and
removed several hundred boxes of various types of tobacco
prod-ucts, valued at approximately $300,000. DNA and fingerprint
evidence was collected at the scene, and surveillance video is
being reviewed.
APRIL 15 A deputy from
the PBSOs Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was contacted by a
resident of Royal Ascot Estates last Wednesday regarding a case of
fraud. According to a PBSO report, the victim attempted to file her
taxes using a web site called EZ Tax Return and received a notice
that her tax return was rejected because one had already been filed
with her information.
APRIL 15 A deputy from the PBSOs Royal Palm Beach substation was
called to Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery on Southern Blvd. last
Wednesday afternoon regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a
PBSO report, at approximately 5 p.m., someone broke the drivers
side window of the victims 2002 Nis-san Pathfinder and removed her
purse from the front passenger side seat. The purse contained $110,
the victims drivers license, credit cards and a cell phone.
Fingerprint and DNA evidence were collected at the scene.
APRIL 15 A deputy from the PBSOs Royal Palm Beach substation was
called to a gym on Southern Blvd. last Wednes-day evening regarding
a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between
8:30 and 9 p.m., someone broke into the victims 2008 Nissan Versa,
smashing the front passenger window and removing her purse, wallet
and Samsung tablet, togeth-er valued at approximately $320, from
the vehicle. According to the report, the victims purse was under a
cloth and was not visible. DNA evidence was collected from the
vehicle.
APRIL 16 A deputy from the PBSOs Acreage/Loxahatchee substation
was contacted by a resi-dent of The Acreage last Thursday regarding
a case of fraud. Accord-ing to a PBSO report, the victim was called
by his accountant and told that a rejection notification
Tobacco Products Stolen From
Business In RPBwas received upon attempting to file the victims
tax return.
APRIL 17 A deputy from the PBSOs Wellington substation was
called to a home on Lynton Circle last Friday morning regarding a
vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 8:30
p.m. last Thursday and 8 a.m. last Friday, someone entered the
victims 2013 Ford F-150 and picked up the victims wallet from the
center console, removing cash, two credit cards and the victims
drivers license from the wallet, leaving behind various other
credit cards. Additionally, the unknown burglar removed 10 Xanax
pills and six antibiotic pills from their bottles in the center
console, along with a HP laptop, valued at $1,200.
APRIL 17 A deputy from the PBSOs Wellington substation was
called to the Clarks store in the Mall at Wellington Green last
Friday evening regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report,
sometime between 6 and 7 p.m., someone removed the victims Coach
wallet, valued at $195, that contained a debit card, multiple store
credit cards and the victims drivers license. The wallet was in the
office at the back of the store. According to the report, the
victims debit card was later used to purchase an inmate phone card
from GTL Inmate Phone Service in Mobile, Ala.
APRIL 18 A deputy from the PBSOs Wellington substation was
called to a home on Pine Val-ley Drive last Saturday afternoon
regarding a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report,
sometime between 3:50 and 3:58 p.m., someone broke the side glass
window of the residence and stole a one-carat diamond antique ring,
a half diamond band with a tanzanite stone and a thin 18-inch
yellow gold necklace, together valued at $2,550. According to the
report, when the victim arrived at her home, her alarm was
sounding. She turned the alarm off, went inside, saw the broken
glass, and called PBSO. DNA evidence was collected at the
scene.
APRIL 19 A deputy from the PBSOs Royal Palm Beach substation was
called to a home on Christina Drive on Sunday morning regarding a
stolen vehi-cle. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 10
p.m. last Saturday and 7 a.m. Sunday, some-one stole the victims
2011 Dodge Challenger.
APRIL 19 A deputy from the PBSOs Acreage/Loxahatchee substation
was contacted by a resident of Key Lime Blvd. in The Acreage on
Sunday afternoon regarding a case of vandalism.
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:
Salim Lopez is a white male, 510 tall and weighing 160 lbs.,
with black hair, brown eyes and multiple tattoos. His date of birth
is 05/17/78. Lopez is wanted on felony charges for child abuse. His
last known address was 67th Place North in Loxahatchee. He is
wanted as of 04/16/15.
Claudine Smith is a black female, 59 tall and weighing 135 lbs.,
with black hair and brown eyes. Her date of birth is 10/15/74.
Smith is wanted on felony charges for grand theft from a person 65
years of age or older and the fraudulent use of a credit card. Her
last known addresses were Polo Gardens Drive in Wellington and
North Congress Avenue in West Palm Beach. Her occu-pation is in
nursing. She is wanted as of 04/16/15.
Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to a $1,000
reward. Call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit
www.crimestopperspbc.com. Claudine Smith
Salim Lopez
The Palm Beach County Sher-iffs Office is seeking information
about an unknown man who walked into the Super Walmart store on
Belvedere Road in Royal Palm Beach on Tuesday, April 21, selected
two pairs of work boots and then fled in a black Ford F-150 with a
Georgia tag. Anyone with information about the man shown here is
urged to call Crime Stop-pers at (800) 458-TIPS.
PBSO Seeks Info On Man Who
Stole From RPB Walmart Store
See BLOTTER, page 18
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The Town-Crier www.gotowncrier.com April 24 - April 30, 2015
Page 7
NEWS
By Julie UngerTown-Crier Staff Report
Uh-oh better get Maaco! has been a household phrase since the
early 1980s when the first Maaco commercial aired on TV. Now, in
2015, residents of Wellington will easily be able to find a Maaco
location now that one is holding its grand opening on Thursday, May
14 in the Wellington Business Center off Pierson Road.
Luis Diaz has opened Maaco-Welling-ton Star Hands Auto Body Shop
right in the heart of the community as a means to offer superior
service to residents.
Diaz, an entrepreneur and investor, had a vision of coming to
the United States from Venezuela to create his family busi-ness. He
saw the opportunity to fulfill this dream with Maaco.
Diaz represents his family as a group of entrepreneurs and
investors from Venezuela. Given the political, social and economic
crisis that Venezuela is going through right now, he and his family
researched the market thoroughly before finally deciding to come to
the U.S. specifically, Palm Beach County.
We started this process of acquiring four licenses from Maaco
collision repair and auto painting. The first is in Welling-ton,
with a grand opening on May 14, Diaz explained.
The location held its soft opening March 30, and this new Maaco
location is not your standard auto-body shop. Diaz wanted to make
it a model shop. Rather than linoleum tiles, he is putting in
large
ceramic tiles and is using other ways to truly make it stand out
from the standard body shop.
With new, top-of-the-line technology and equipment, Diaz is
using his passion to create a successful family business that
offers superior-quality service through employees with a passion
for what they do, Maaco support and a company that cares.
Through his holding company, Pactum USA Investment Group, he
plans to open a store in Riviera Beach within the next few months,
one in Royal Palm Beach by the end of the year and one in Jupiter
in 2016.
After several meetings with Maacos board of directors, including
President Jose Costa, who is also from Venezuela, we found a lot of
support from them, Diaz said. They gave us all of their support,
and we decided to do the investment in this area.
Son-in-law Carlos Andrara, director of Pactum, is working
closely with Diaz and Leo Romero, Wellington Maaco store manager,
to get the store ready for its May 14 grand opening. There will be
music, food, dancing and more as the company introduces itself to
the community.
Through market studies and Maaco guidance, they chose Wellington
as their first location because it is a growing area, Diaz
said.
Wellington people are really amazing. We felt that they needed a
nice collision re-pair and auto painting place to give them a
professional job with professional service
that fits their needs, he explained, noting that they want to
give back to Wellington and are looking forward to being part of
the community.
The commercial park has a lot to offer, so they thought it was
the perfect location to house their auto body shop.
The Wellington Maaco location now employs five people on the
production side and one on the sales side, but Diaz expects those
numbers to double in the next few months.
Besides our direct employees, we also have a lot of support from
the vendors, Romero said. For example, we buy paint from Sherwin
Williams, but they dont just sell paint. Theyre part of our
Wellington Star Hands Auto Body Shop family.
The shop is utilizing the top products from Sherwin Williams,
the top profes-sionals and taking advantage of the excel-lent
support Maaco offers to its franchises to bring great results to
the Wellington area.
When you combine professionals with the best products that we
can have, and Maaco support, and our support as well, were sure
that we can give you the highest quality that you can get, Diaz
said. We really appreciate the efforts of Maacos headquarters, and
what they did for us, especially Maacos President Jose Costa.
The support from the community, Diaz continued, has been
outstanding.
We want to thank the Village of Wel-lington, he said. They were
extremely helpful. We want to be a community
Maaco Location In Wellington To Celebrate Grand Opening May
14
BIZ ALLIANCE CELEBRATES MILESTONE AT HURRICANE GRILL IN
WELLINGTON
Maureen and Don Gross. Eric Willer and Marcia Berwick with Kathy
and Angelo Valverde.
David Eisenson picks his own name for the 50/50 raffle.Joseph
Boyle and Lynn Balch with Lois and Keith Jordano.
Eric Gordon, Harriet Offerman and Freddy Asencio.
The Western Business Alliance hosted a social event Thursday,
April 16 at Hurricane Grill & Wings in Wellington, where the
alliance celebrated achieving the milestone of more than 100
members in the networking group. For more information about the
group, visit www.thewesternbusinessalliance.com. PHOTOS BY JULIE
UNGER/TOWN-CRIER
Alliance members gather at Hurricane Grill & Wings.Stas
Politis won a gift basket.
Natalie and Barry Stolbach.
Luis Diaz, Carlos Andara, Leo Romero at the new Maaco shop in
Wellington.PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER
shop. We want to serve the community and do our best to help out
in any way that we can.
Diaz invites the entire community to the grand opening
celebration on Thursday, May 14 at 6 p.m.
Were going to have a live band, authentic cuisine and cocktails,
he said. Its going to be a really nice evening with Latin music and
Latin cuisine.
Maaco offers auto painting and cos-
metic car repairs. They work with major insurance companies on
claims and repairs, and works on fleet and industrial service
vehicles.
To learn more about the new Wellington Maaco, visit
www.maaco-wellingtonfl.com, call (561) 328-6969 or e-mail
[email protected]. Stop by the shop at 3132 Fortune Way,
open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
SantamariaLawsuit Victory
continued from page 1were undermining the electorate by going
against the will of the people, and that they were required to fund
the OIG.
Thats how we won our law-suit, and thats why were here tonight,
to celebrate this victory, of We, The People, Santama-ria said,
calling this the biggest victory of the people in the last 10
years.
Carey, the guest speaker at Tuesdays meeting, agreed with
Santamaria about the importance of the ruling.
This is a victory, Carey said. I love that quote by Judge
process by suing, and that was one of her main quotes to take
away out of there.
The victory, Carey explained, is huge.
What happened after the judge ruled in the case is that the
cities came back to the judge and filed a motion for a rehearing,
Carey said, noting they asked for that on March 26.
On April 10, Brunson denied the rehearing.
The cities now have 30 days from April 10 to appeal. If they
dont appeal within 30 days, its law, Carey said. If they dont
appeal by May 11, that becomes law and we can start funding. If
they do appeal to a higher court, well, unfortunately, we need to
move on to the next battle.
The battle, he reminded the
crowd, isnt over yet, and is being fought with taxpayer
dollars.
Originally, 15 municipalities filed suit. Wellington dropped out
in 2012, and Delray Beach dropped out just recently after Brunsons
ruling. That leaves 13 cities, led by West Palm Beach.
Its all pretend Oh, we dont have anything against the IG, we
just dont like the funding. They are deceiving you, Santamaria
said. There was never, ever, any discussion of charging the
taxpayer or charging the cities. The cities and the county were
supposed to charge the vendors, the people who do business with the
county. We never, ever talked about charging the cities.
Santamaria called the munici-palities hypocritical, with their
pleas that they cannot afford the
OIG. One-fourth of one percent is nothing, he said.
All of the commissioners voted to charge the vendors, Santamaria
said, and he has fought diligently against misinformation through
conversations, community forums, advertisements and more to inform
the community about this battle for an office that keeps an eye on
the government.
As Palm Beach Countys second inspector general, Carey is in his
first year on the job.
My job is to weed out fraud, waste and abuse, Carey said. Im
passionate about it. Ive been doing it for years. Ive been doing a
pretty good job at it. Ive put people in prison, Ive made arrests;
weve saved millions of dollars for the taxpayer. But I always like
to remind folks, most people in
government are really trying to do the best thing. What an IG
can do is come beside them and help them do business better, more
efficient and more effectively.
From the end of June 2010 to the end of 2014, the OIG took in
more than 6,200 phone calls, questioned more than $12 million in
costs, identified approximately $1.8 million in costs, showing that
there were $8.2 million in costs that were avoidable.
On Thursday, May 14 at 9 a.m., Carey will give a six-month
status report to the Inspector General Committee. The meeting will
be available for viewing on Chan-nel 20.
To learn more about the Office of the Inspector General, visit
www.pbcgov.org/oig or e-mail [email protected].
Jess Santamaria discusses the inspector general lawsuit
victory.
Brunson: The people are the municipalities, not those elected
officials who represent them. Elected representatives, just
be-cause they disagree with the vote of the people, cant overturn
the
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Acreage Soccer Registration
AYSO Region 1521: Soccer Fun in the Acreage will hold
registration for the fall season for boys and girls ages 4 to 18
starting next week.
Parents can pre-register their players at www.eayso.org
begin-ning May 1. After registration, bring the printed player
applica-tion, concussion form and pay-ment to one of the
registration events at Samuel Friedland Park on Saturdays, May 2, 9
and 16 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more info., visit www.ayso1521.net
or call (561) 798-5467.
Free Hunter Safety CourseThe Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission (FWC) will offer a free hunter safety
Inter-net-completion course on Sunday, May 3 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
at the Everglades Youth Conservation Camp in the J.W. Corbett
Wildlife Management Area.
Students must complete an Internet course before coming to
class and bring a copy of the final report from the online
portion of the course. An adult must accom-pany children under the
age of 16 at all times. Students should bring a pencil and paper
with them to take notes.
People interested in attending this course can register online
and obtain information about future hunter safety classes at
www.my-fwc.com/huntersafety or by calling (561) 625-5122.
Chamber Speed Networking Set
For April 29The Wellington Chamber of
Commerce will hold a special Speed Networking event Wednes-day,
April 29 at the Wanderers Club in Wellington. Registration begins
at 11:30 a.m. Advanced registration is required. To register, visit
www.wellingtonchamber.com.
Palmer Singers Seek New Voices
The Palmer Singers at Welling-
ton soon will be preparing Christ Lag in Todesbanden, the famous
cantata by J. S. Bach. Interested singers should call director Dr.
Edward Palmer at (561) 659-3641. The Palmer Singers introduced the
compelling cantata in the 1960s at the Royal Poinciana Playhouse,
receiving excellent reviews. Re-hearsals are in Wellington at St.
Davids-in-the-Pines Episcopal Church on Mondays.
Garden Club To Meet May 4
The Wellington Garden Club will meet Monday, May 4 at the
Wycliffe Golf & Country Club from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be
the last club meeting of the season. Members will enjoy a luncheon
with a Hawaiian theme.
At the luncheon, college schol-arships will be awarded to two
Palm Beach State College students and to one Palm Beach Central
High School student. Installation of Wellington Garden Club
of-ficers will also take place.
The Wellington Garden Club has been a federated club for 32
years and is involved with many
community projects. For mem-bership information, call Carol
Coleman at (561) 792-2290. For more info., visit
www.wellington-gardenclub.org.
Childrens Theatre To
Stage MusicalsWellington Childrens Theatre
will present the beloved musical The Wizard of Oz on Friday, May
15 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 16 at 2 and 7 p.m. at Community
Christian Church (521 Jog Road, West Palm Beach).
Wellington Childrens Theatre will also present the Rodgers &
Hammerstein musical Cinderella on Friday, May 22 at 7 p.m. and
Saturday, May 23 at 2 p.m.
For information and tickets, call (561) 223-1928 or visit
www.wellingtonchildrenstheatre.com.
Wellington El Kindergarten
Roundup May 7Wellington Elementary School
will host its Kindergarten Round-
up on Thursday, May 7 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. in the school
cafeteria.
Parents are invited to see the school, pick up a kindergarten
registration packet and get answers to questions.
Parents wishing to register stu-dents on that day must bring the
following: completed SY16 reg-istration form, photo identification
of parent/guardian, two current utility bills in parent/guardians
name as proof of address, an im-munization record form, a physical
examination form and original birth certificate or other proof of
birth date.
The schools address is 13000 Paddock Drive. For more info., call
(561) 651-0600.
Teen Financial Literacy Session
The Village of Wellington has partnered with Wells Fargo Bank to
offer a free Financial Literacy Information Session for Welling-ton
teens on Monday, April 27 at 4 p.m. at Wellingtons Community
Services Office, located at 1092 Wellington Trace. If you are
inter-
ested in attending, RSVP at (561) 791-4764. Seating is
limited.
Art Exhibit At Okeeheelee
Nature Center Natural Wonders of Florida,
a juried all-media exhibit hosted by Okeeheelee Nature Center,
includes 67 works by 27 local artists.
Artwork will be on display through May 7 at Okeeheelee Na-ture
Center. The public is invited to view the exhibit during nature
center operating hours. A reception and awards ceremony will be
held at the nature center on Friday, May 1 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and
is open to the public.
The Friends of Okeeheelee Na-ture Center, a nonprofit
organiza-tion, is producing the exhibit. Pro-ceeds from this
exhibit will help support the educational programs and activities
at the nature center.
Okeeheelee Nature Center is op-erated by the Palm Beach County
Parks & Recreation Department and is located in Okeeheelee Park
at 7715 Forest Hill Blvd.
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The Town-Crier www.gotowncrier.com April 24 - April 30, 2015
Page 9
NEWSWELLINGTON CELEBRATES EARTH DAY & ARBOR DAY AT THE
AMPHITHEATER
Wellington Mayor BobMargolis addresses the crowd.
Debbie Evans, Charles Sandell and Stormi Bivin of the Tree
Board.
WELLINGTON VOLUNTEERS GATHER TO HELP CLEAN UP VILLAGE
STREETSWellington residents took part in the Great American Cleanup
on Saturday, April 18 in the 12th Fairway/White Pine community and
along Wellington Trace. There was a volunteer appreciation lunch
afterward.
Maureen Dibble draws a butterfly on Analisa Frisby.Councilwoman
Anne Gerwig and Chris Gillette of the Tree Board with landscaping
winners James and Laura McMahon (center).
Smokey the Bear helps children plant a tree.
Wellington held its Earth Day and Arbor Day Celebration on
Sunday, April 19 at the Wellington Amphitheater. Hundreds gathered
to learn about the planet, receive free plants and enjoy a concert
with the Jamie Mitchell Band. The day included a special appearance
from Smokey the Bear.
PHOTOS BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER
PHOTOS BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER
Scott Peterich and James Arcaro of the Forest Service.
Ava Dolbow with WasteManagements robot, Cycler.
Fred Quan and Julia Hathaway with the Sierra Club.
Many students from Palm Beach Central High School were
there.
Wellingtons Jonathan Sales, James Poag, Shelly Williams,Meridith
Tuckwood, Jim Fackrell and Scott Campbell.
Beckett and Braelynn Bohr and Brooklynand Olivia Miller help
with the clean up.
Marc Blanc, Malik Poag, Layla Kalfin and Lorenzo Lucce.
Chris Holley and Emily Kyrkostas pick up trash.
THE TRIPLE CROWN CONTINUES...SATURDAY, MAY 16
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The Town-Crier www.gotowncrier.com April 24 - April 30, 2015
Page 11
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NEWSTHE SOPRANOS A HIT FOR OPERA FUSION AT WELLINGTON HIGH
SCHOOL
Sopranos Dora Cardona, Laura Martnez Len,Ravenna Maer and Gerri
Kinley on stage.
Ravenna Maer, Ardean Landhuis and Laura Martnez Lensing Soave
sia il vento from Mozarts Cosi Fan Tutti.
AUTISM AWARENESS EVENT AT WELLINGTON COLTS TRAVEL BASEBALL
GAMEThe Wellington Colts 13U Orange travel baseball team held an
autism awareness event at their game Sunday, April 19 at Village
Park in Wellington. Team members wore blue autism awareness shirts
to honor Bryan Riedell, brother of Colts team member Andrew
Riedell.
Executive Director BirgitFioravante on stage.
Dr. Xavier Garcia and Laura Martnez Len have fun withLa ci darem
la mano from Mozarts Don Giovanni.
Samantha, Heather and Nicolette Forkel with Bryan Riedell.
All the ladies listen as tenor Lievens Castillosings Nessun
dorma from Puccinis Turandot.
Opera Fusion presented The Sopranos on Saturday, April 18 at the
Wellington High School theater as a fundraiser for Save a Pet
Florida. The two-hour show featured sopranos Laura Martnez Len,
Dora Cardona, Ravenna Maer and Gerri Kinley, joined on stage by
male singers Lievens Castillo and Ardean Landhuis, and also Opera
Fusion founders Birgit Fioravante and Dr. Xavier Garcia. For more
information on upcoming events, visit www.operafusion.org.
PHOTOS BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER
PHOTOS BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER
Bryan Riedell throws the first pitch to his brother, Andrew.
Opera Fusion volunteers with John and SaundraMercer, Dr. Xavier
Garcia and Kathy Wells.
The Wellington Colts 13U Orange travel baseball teamin their
autism awareness shirts with Bryan Riedell.
Artistic Director DeanPeterson with Dora Cardona and Laura
Martnez Len.
Wellington Mayor BobMargolis with Bryan Riedell.
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The Town-Crier www.gotowncrier.com April 24 - April 30, 2015
Page 13
PALMS WEST PEOPLE
Commissioner McKinlay Receives TheChildNet Champion For Children
Award
The charity event Bubbles & Bouquets will be held on Sunday
May 17 at the International Polo Club Pavilion to benefit Petals
With Purpose.
The event will feature five prominent couples from the Palm
Beach area competing in a floral arrangement contest. The couple
with the most donations at the end
of the competition will be crowned the winner.
Brunch, along with bottomless flavored mimosas and bloody Marys,
will be served. There will also be live and silent auctions at the
event.
Attendance is expected to be be-tween 125 and 150 people. Learn
more at www.bubblespwp.com.
More than 300 runners from throughout South Florida laced up
their running shoes and joined the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida
for the fourth annual Thin Mint Sprint 5K on Sunday, April 12 at
Okeeheelee Park. The race also in-cluded the Tagalong Trot 100-yard
dash for kids 8 and under.
The top three runners over-all were Seth Kaufman, Mark Kasprzyk
and Neil Dryland. The first place overall, Seth Kaufman, finished
with a 17:53 record time. The top female finisher was Alexa Gemma
in 20:47. Awards were given in 17 categories, and all runners
received a free box of Thin Mints.
To explore opportunities to volunteer or partner with the Girl
Scouts, call (866) 727-4475 or visit www.gssef.org.
Bubbles & BouquetsSet For May 17 At IPC
(Left) Melissa McKinlay with ChildNets Larry Rein.
Palm Coast Health Underwriters Visit Washington, D.C.
Girl Scouts Host Thin Mint Sprint 5K Race And Tagalong Trot At
Okeeheelee Park
The Palm Coast Association of Health Underwriters (PCAHU) team
of Debbie Hollister, Steve Israel, Keith Jordano, Julian Lago,
Michele Malooley, and Brad and Sue Tunis recently attended the
National Association of Health Underwriters 25th annual Capital
Conference in Washington, D.C.
While there, the delegation met with area legislators and
staff about healthcare issues. The PCAHU team met with
Con-gressman Patrick Murphy, while other representatives made staff
members available, including James Cho, deputy chief of staff to
Congresswoman Lois Frankel; Ryan Lichtenfels, aide to Con-gressman
Ted Deutch; and Clarey Walker and LaTasha Lee, aides to Congressman
Alcee Hastings.
Brus Buddies Gets Check From McLellan Foundation
Kevin McLellan, president of the Tyler McLellan Foundation,
recently presented Bob Brudzinski with a check for $1,025 for his
charity Brus Buddies Community Legacy Program.
The McLellan Foundation raised the funds from its annual charity
poker tournament, the fifth annual Tylers Team Charity Poker
Classic. Every year, we select a charity to donate a portion of the
proceeds to, and this year
(Above) Junior Girl Scout Troop #20033 gearing up for the Thin
Mint Sprint 5K on Sunday, April 12. (Right) Alexa Gemma finished
overall first female at the Thin Mint Sprint 5K with a time of 20
minutes, 47 seconds.
Nick Lumpkin, Cristina Amor, Danielle Dumas, Jay Zeager, Shannon
Burrows, Kim Lumpkin and Ryan Smallwood.
PCAHU representatives meet with Congressman Patrick Murphy.
Palm Beach County Com-missioner Melissa McKinlay received the
inaugural Champion for Children award from ChildNet on Thursday,
April 9. ChildNet Executive Director Larry Rein pre-sented McKinlay
with the award at the annual Care For Kids luncheon held at
Frenchmans Reserve.
A former ChildNet board mem-ber, McKinlay was honored for her
advocacy for children in foster care and volunteer service with the
Junior Leagues of Florida, the Junior League of the Palm
Beaches, the Boys & Girls Clubs, Guardian Ad Litem, the
ReEntry Task Force and the 15th Circuit Juvenile Justice Advisory
Board.
McKinlay was previously rec-ognized for her work in the
com-munity with the Distinguished Achievement Award in 2011 from
local firefighters, the Junior Leagues of Florida Advocacy Award in
2009, the Girls Power Award in 2008 and the Child Ad-vocate of the
Year in 2006.
ChildNet was chosen by the Florida Department of Children &
Families to serve as the communi-ty-based care lead agency in
Bro-ward and Palm Beach counties.
(Right) Bob Brudzinski receives a check from Kevin McLellan.
we selected Brus Buddies as our charity, McLellan said.
The Brus Buddies program helps organizations that exhibit good
sportsmanship, academic excellence or community spirit, and has
donated over a quarter of a million dollars since 1989. For more
info., visit www.brusroom.com/about/brus-buddies.
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Town-Crier
SCHOOL NEWSNEW HORIZONS
STUDENTS LEARNABOUT LIFE CYCLES
New Horizons Elementary School kindergartners are learning about
the life cycles of plants and animals. Students learned about
plants by planting terrariums and a butterfly garden. They
discovered the process of metamorphosis by collecting caterpillars
from their garden, placing them in a butterfly house, and watching
them morph into cocoons then full-grown butterflies. Students
enjoyed completing the cycle by releasing the butterflies back into
the butterfly garden. Shown here are kindergarten students with
their teachers Erin Santiago and Bette Baez releasing the
butterflies into the butterfly garden.
RPBHS DEBATE NOVICES TAKE HOME AWARDS
FROM STATE TOURNEY
Rosarian Inducts 24 New Honor Society Members
The Wildcat Speech and Debate Team competed successfully at
Novice States recently at Cypress Bay High School in Fort
Lauderdale. The following students placed high: Ryan Gosling,
second place, Dramatic Interpretation; Aszkara Gilchrist, fifth
place, Dramatic Interpretation; Narrelle Gilchrist, fourth place,
Congressional Debate; Ryan Gosling and Selena Lugo, sixth place,
Duo Interpretation; Kashine Johnson and Itiyah Fowler,
semifinalists, Duo Interpretation; and Selena Lugo, semifinalist,
Oral Interpretation.
The Seminole Ridge High School chorus participated April 10-11
in the Florida Vocal Associ-ation state solo and ensemble
as-sessments at Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Congratulations to the soloists and ensembles who received a
Superior rating: Mairead ORo-urke, vocal solo (Broadway/jazz);
Rowan Pelfrey, vocal solo (Broadway/jazz); advanced wom-ens show
choir; the beginning womens show choir; the chamber ensemble; and
the varsity show choir.
Congratulations also to the cho-risters who received an
Excellent rating: Mairead ORourke, vocal solo (operatic); Rowan
Pelfrey, vocal solo (operatic); Amanda Vargo, vocal solo
(operatic); the concert womens ensemble; and the womens barbershop
quartet.
Winter Guard Champions Again The SRHS marching bands winter
guard competed April 10-11 at the annual South
Florida Winter Guard Champion-ships, culminating their season by
earning the top spot of Class AA Gold Medal Champions for the
second year running.
These outstanding students competed throughout their season in
five regional contests as well, bringing home a sixth-place, a
second-place, and three first-place trophies, band director Daniel
Harvey said.
Tri-M Elects Officers The Seminole Ridge chapter of the Tri-M
Honor Society has elected its officers for the coming school year.
Congratulations to Jacob Perry (president), Gabriela San-tos-Haskey
(vice president), Sa-brina Belizaire (secretary), Ashlee Frame
(treasurer) and Fernando Frank (historian).
Hawk Volleyballer Signs with Stetson Congratulations to Samantha
DAdamo, who signed a scholastic letter of intent April 15 to play
sand volleyball for Stetson University. In a recent
SRHS Chorus Students Earn State Honors
(Front row) Samantha DAdamo with parents Justin and Lisa; (back
row, L-R) former SRHS volleyball coach Austin Clubb, SRHS athletic
director Scott Parks, SRHS volleyball coach Scott OHara and SRHS
principal James Campbell.
visit to Stetson, DAdamo had the opportunity to meet the Stetson
conference-championship squad and was impressed by the pro-gram.
She feels that she will bring
the positive attitude of a team player to the Hatters. No matter
what anyone tells you, keep true to yourself and continue working
hard, she said.
IB Program Coming To RPBHS Next YearA new International
Baccalau-
reate diploma program is coming to Royal Palm Beach High School
for the 2015-16 school year, mak-ing it the sixth district-operated
high school in Palm Beach County to offer this rigorous curriculum
to students.
Approximately 100 seats are available in the RPBHS IB pro-gram
for incoming ninth graders. Any interested ninth graders are
welcome to apply, including those who are on the wait list for
other IB programs in the district.
We are honored that the district has chosen Royal Palm Beach
High School as the site of its next IB program, Principal Jesus
Armas said. The students in the western communities of Royal Palm
Beach, Wellington, Loxa-hatchee and The Acreage are de-serving of
having this prestigious
program in our neighborhood. Royal Palm Beach High School is
ready, willing, able and committed to providing our students a
world-class education.
Parents were invited to learn more at a meeting that took place
Monday, April 20 at the school.
Interested students must have a 3.0 GPA and have taken Algebra I
or Algebra I Honors. Coursework in Spanish or French for high
school credit is recommended.The IB curriculum is based on
student inquiry, interdisciplinary project work and development
of students long-term skills and values, in addition to their
factual knowledge. To learn more about the new IB program at RPBHS,
contact Choice Academies Co-ordinator Laurie Cotton at (561)
792-8659 or laurie.cotton@palm beachschools.org.
The Rosarian Academy hosted an awards ceremony and induction of
new members into the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) on April
10.
During the assembly, 24 new students were inducted into NJHS
based on their scholarship, lead-ership, character, service and
citizenship.
T h e i n d u c t e e s i n c l u d e eighth-graders Christopher
Cur-tis, Walker Mahoney and Sean Neligan; and seventh-graders
Meredith Anderson, Lauren Bartl, Charlotte Breckenridge, Daisy
Cook, Lily Cook, Laila Fahmy, Peter Fields, Isabella Gil, Liam
Groth, Emma Guerrieri, Morgan Kennedy, Colin Kramer, Frances
Melendez, Sebastian Merchan,
Maggie Millar, Laura Narcisse, Mariana Perez-Vargas, Thomas
Raymond, Bard Rockenbach, Victoria Skivington and Seema
Thakkar.
Rosarian NJHS members, led by moderator and teacher Patrick
Hansen, participate in a number of community service activities
throughout the year, including: leading holiday-themed parties and
activities at the Lords Place Family Campus; decorating cook-ies at
Opportunity Inc. Learning Center; reading books and playing games
at the Lourdes-Noreen McKeen Retirement Community; organizing a
water station for the Race for the Cure; participating in the St.
Judes Walk; painting a home through the sponsorship of
the Solid Waste Authoritys Paint Your Heart Out; making peanut
butter and jelly sandwiches to be distributed at St. Ann Place;
join-ing beach clean-up efforts at local
beaches; volunteering with the Special Olympics; and gleaning
crops with C.R.O.S. Ministries to benefit the Palm Beach County
Food Bank.
Rosarians new National Junior Honor Society members.
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