town-crier newspaper july 10, 2015

Volume 36, Number 28July 10 - July 16, 2015Your Community Newspaper Serving Palms West Since 1980

TOWN-CRIERTHEWELLINGTON ROYAL PALM BEACH LOXAHATCHEE THE ACREAGE

INSIDE

DEPARTMENT INDEXNEWS ..............................3 - 10OPINION ................................. 4CRIME NEWS ......................... 6NEWS BRIEFS ...................... 11PEOPLE ................................12SCHOOLS ............................. 13COLUMNS ......................14, 21BUSINESS .................... 22 - 23SPORTS .........................27 - 29CALENDAR ...........................30CLASSIFIEDS ................31 - 34

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OPINION

The Royal Palm Bassmasters presented the 25th annual Red, White & Blue Fourth of July Family Fishing Tournament on Saturday, July 4 at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park. Dozens of kids had a great time catching fish during the tournament. Shown here are Rachel and Noah Bibey with a tilapia.

MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 7PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

FISHING ON THE FOURTH

By Ron BukleyTown-Crier Staff Report

The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council voted 3-1 on Tuesday to keep Councilman Ryan Liang in his seat despite a challenge that his record of pleading no contest to a felony charge of molesting spiny lobster traps in the Florida Keys in 2001 should require his forfeiture of office.

Liang was required to recuse himself from the discussion and did not vote.

Attorneys Rick Jarolem, rep-resenting resident Keith Harris, who narrowly lost a council elec-tion to Liang in March, and John Whittles, representing Liang, both made presentations on the interpretation of the town charters provision for the forfeiture of of-fice if a council member has been convicted of a felony.

Town Attorney Michael Cirullo pointed out that the charter re-quires the council to consider the question, although no specific procedure is required. However, both attorneys agreed to make 15-minute presentations, followed

by comments from the public, then council discussion.

Jarolem began by saying that he thought Councilman Jim Rockett should also recuse himself due to an appearance of impropriety, since Rockett allegedly partici-pated in the collection of absentee ballots obtained illegally, collect-ing them with Liangs mother and subsequently delivering them to the Supervisor of Elections Office. Rockett, however, chose to remain on the dais.

Jarolem said that there is no dispute that Liang had pleaded no contest to a felony charge of molesting the traps in 2001, but the issue was the interpretation of the town charter.

The charter is, in my view, very clear that there is no time frame set for it in the charter when it comes to forfeiture of the office for a councilperson for entering a plea of no contest or guilty to a felony, regardless of adjudication, he said. Essentially, Mr. Whittles and I disagree as to this interpreta-tion. Mr. Whittles interpretation is

Ryan Liang Keeps Lox Council Seat

See LIANG, page 16

Worlds Ugliest Dog Glad To Be Back Home On The Ranch

PATRIOTIC FUN

By Paul L. GabaTown-Crier Staff Report

Royal Palm Beachs proposed sale of its former wastewater treatment plant property to home builder Lennar could be in jeop-ardy, but questions about the sale will not prevent the village from going forward with planned road resurfacing in 2016.

The Royal Palm Beach Vil-lage Council rejected a request to extend the sales finalization dead-line at its Monday, July 6 budget workshop by a 3-2 vote.

The request was made by Len-nar Vice President Bruce Grundt in

relation to its ongoing cleanup of bullets and shell casings from an old shooting range on the property. He said that as a publicly traded company, Lennar needs to have stricter standards than what state environmental standards require, because of potential liability issues down the road.

The $35 million sale of the 154-acre property was approved by the council in February, but finalization was held up last month by a delay in Lennar receiving a traffic study approval. In June, the council approved an extension through July 13, but were less than

Lennar Decision Could Bring Late Changes To RPB Budget

enamored with a second extension request.

According to the villages pro-posed annual budget, $5.5 million of the capital improvement fund of which nearly half was dedi-cated to major road resurfacing projects in 2016 was to come from the propertys sale. Village Manager Ray Liggins said that if the sale falls through, the village would need to amend the budget during the 2015-16 fiscal year to balance things out.

We are going to sell that piece of property, Liggins said. Even

See LENNAR, page 16

See RFP PROCESS, page 16

Gov. Jeb Bush And The Confederate Battle FlagAs states across the south grapple with a renewed look at the controversial Confederate battle flag, it is useful to look back to Feb. 2, 2001. That was the day Gov. Jeb Bush quietly retired the flag from the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee as well as flags of the French, Spanish and British governments, which once controlled the state and placed it in the Museum of Florida History. Angry protest-ers declared his political career over. A year later, he would win re-election. Page 4

By Paul L. GabaTown-Crier Staff Report

A familiar face is taking over as the new CEO of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce.

Mary Lou Bedford, who has served as executive vice president of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber since October 2013, was appointed its new chief executive officer on June 30.

Bedford, a resident of Welling-ton for the past 22 years, said she is excited to take the leadership position and is looking forward to building the chambers mem-bership and involvement in area communities.

Our role, in the big picture, is to make decisions that will posi-tively impact the business com-munity, Bedford said. The role of the chamber is to be advocates for businesses. We want to be in-formed on the initiatives and issues in the central county that can affect businesses and make sure we are

getting behind these issues, and driving economic development initiatives that will help sustain businesses.

Bedford replaces former CEO Wayne Burns, whose 18-month tenure was marked by many changes at the chamber, including less of an emphasis on producing

Mary Lou Bedford Tapped To Lead

Central Chamber

See BEDFORD, page 16


The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council approved a timeline Tues-day to submit a request for propos-als (RFP) for a new town manage-ment firm, amid pleas by residents to keep Underwood Management Services Group for another year under its current contract.

Town Attorney Michael Cirullo said he had prepared a draft RFP for the council to consider, based on the previous RFP used in 2011, with minor changes and a proposed schedule.

In a 3-2 decision last month, the council decided to put out an RFP,

although the current company, Un-derwood Management, is eligible for a one-year extension. CEO Bill Underwood has stated that his company would not participate in the RFP process.

Cirullo pointed out that there would be a tight time frame in or-der to get a new management firm in place by Oct. 1. Underwoods contract expires Sept. 30.

Cirullo said an advertisement of the RFP would be published on July 10, with a deadline for ques-tions by July 27, with a response from his office by July 31. RFP responses would need to be sub-mitted by Thursday, Aug. 6.

Groves Council Starts ProcessTo Replace Management Firm

Cirullo then recommended holding special meetings in Au-gust, and not wait until September.

What I have proposed is a spe-cial meeting on a Wednesday, and the reason for that is to give you all time to review the RFPs, he said. They come in on Thursday, Aug. 6, and you would have a short list by Aug. 12, which is a Wednesday, assuming all of you are available.

The council would hear presen-tations and make a decision on Aug. 18, and award the contract on Sept. 1.

The biggest change in the 2011 RFP was a requirement made by

Wellington and Royal Palm Beach celebrated Independence Day last Saturday. Wellingtons events were held at Village Park on Pierson Road, while Royal Palm Beach welcomed residents to Commons Park. (Above) Abby Gilpen-Hudson, Kyler and Katerie Kates-Paulus, and Mikey Gilpen-Hudson dressed patriotic in Wellington. (Right inset) Joe and Brigette Boyle with Alejan-dra Pivetz, Madison Matula and Bella Farrell at the Royal Palm Beach celebration.

ROYAL PALM PHOTOS, Page 10WELLINGTON PHOTOS, Page 17

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISHMANAND JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

BOCK SEEKS COUNTY COMMISSION HELPSEE STORY, PAGE 3

RPB PLANS SENIOR EXPO ON JULY 24SEE STORY, PAGE 7


Quasi Modo, a local dog with shortened vertebra, recently won the dubious distinction of Worlds Ugliest Dog. She returned home to G&M Ranch in Loxahatchee Groves last weekend after flying to California twice in a week and appearing on several national talk shows.

The Worlds Ugliest Dog contest takes place annually in Petaluma, Calif., as part of the Sonoma-Marin Fair. After finish-ing as runner-up last year, Quasi took the top spot this year.

In her cross-country jaunts, Quasi got to fly in the planes alongside her people, Mike Carroll and Dr. Virginia Sayre, a veteri-narian who rescued and adopted Quasi 10 years ago.

We ended up doing four trips, San Francisco, then to New York and then back to L.A., and finally back to West Palm Beach, Carroll said. Those are six-hour trips.

Quasi weathered the flights well despite cramped seating accom-modations. We have a special little blanket thats our secret, he

said. When we throw that blanket down, thats her safety.

They also made use of the blanket during the course of sev-eral TV interviews, including one where Quasi received a doggie makeover that included pink nail polish.

She got a little scared there at the end while they were doing that,

but she handled the trip very well, Sayre said. Shes been across the country four times in the last week. She travels quite well.

She stayed right there on that blanket and never moved, Car-roll added.

Sayre, who is a shelter veterinar-ian for Animal Care & Control,

Quasi Modo relaxes at home in Loxahatchee Groves.PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

See QUASI, page 4NEXT TOWN-CRIER ISSUE OUT JULY 31

After nearly 10 years at our current location, the Town-Crier will be moving offices later this month. However, we will not be moving far. Still operating out of the original Wellington Mall at 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington, we will be moving from Suite 31 to Suite 33. Our phone numbers and e-mail addresses will remain unchanged.

To facilitate this move, the Town-Crier will take a brief mid-summer break from our normal operations. After this issue, we will skip two weeks, returning to our regular weekly publication schedule on Friday, July 31, working out of our new offices.

While there will not be issues published on Friday, July 17 and Friday, July 24, that does not mean that Town-Crier will disap-pear during that time period. While helping facilitate the move, Town-Crier writers and photographers will also continue to cover important community meetings and events. News items will be published online at www.gotowncrier.com during the second half of July, and shared with print readers in the July 31 issue.

Our apologies in advance for any disruption to your normal, weekly routine. We will return you to your normally scheduled newspaper reading in short order.

Mary Lou Bedford

Wellington Council To Discuss Community Center Design July 14The Wellington Village Council plans to discuss the design of the new Wellington Commu-nity Center during its meeting Tuesday, July 14. Councilman Matt Willhite questioned the final design at the councils last meeting, saying it did not look like what they had originally approved. Page 3

Fourth Of July Grillin& Chillin BBQ BashAt ITIDs Hamlin HouseThe second annual Fourth of July Grillin & Chillin BBQ Bash was held at the Hamlin House Community Center in The Acre-age on Saturday, July 4. The free neighborhood event fea-tured food, music and games. More than 100 people were on hand, and South of Southern entertained the crowd while everyone enjoyed the festivi-ties. Page 5

St. Peters Welcomes Rev. Mark CaldwellSt. Peters United Methodist Church in Wellington welcomed new Senior Pastor Rev. Mark Caldwell on Sunday, July 5. After the days service, there was a picnic lunch in the gym. It was a chance for parishioners to talk to Rev. Caldwell and get to know his family. Page 15

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Cities must drop lawsuit, pay fair share of IG costs There are many good reasons why Palm Beach County needs a strong and vigorous Office of Inspec-tor General. A few of these reasons are named Tony Masilotti, Warren Newell, Mary McCarty and Jeff Koons the commissioners who faced a parade of charges from 2007-10, resigned their posts in shame and were sentenced to prison or, in Koons case, probation. We mention them as a reminder to the leaders of many of Palm Beach Countys cities and towns, who apparently have forgotten that, just a few years ago, this county had to endure the mocking nickname, Corruption County. To combat that sorry image, and to protect against future abuses of the public trust, county commission-ers in 2009 those not behind bars, that is voted unanimously to create an ethics commission, adopt a code of ethics and, above all, establish an inde-pendent Office of Inspector General. Such was the fervor to drive out corruption and usher in a new culture of ethical government that voters in all 38 of Palm Beach Countys cities and towns overwhelmingly approved a charter amend-ment in 2010 that extended the reach of the countys inspector general and ethics commission to the mu-nicipalities. A whopping 72 percent of voters countywide said yes to the reforms. There were majorities in every single municipality. So where are those cities and towns now that the bills are due? Theyre ducking out on their responsi-bilities, thats where. Fourteen of them are paying not a dime to support the IGs office that is the corner-stone of the shiny new ethical culture that so many elected officials professed to want so badly. As The Post reported last week ( June 28), the 14 cities went to court in 2011, arguing that the county was trying to grab cities money to pay for a county program. Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Cath-erine Brunson rejected the claims this year, as well as a request to rehear the case. The cities went to the 4th District Court of Appeal, which hasnt ruled. While the lawyers file more papers, the countys biggest cities have become deadbeats. West Palm

RE-PRINT FROM THE PALM BEACH POST - July 4, 2015

Page 2 July 10 - July 16, 2015 www.gotowncrier.com The Town-Crier

THE DECEPTION CONTINUES By Jess R. Santamaria

In May 2009, after a thorough investigation by the Grand Jury assembled by the state attorney, concluded in its 54 page report that Palm Beach County still had government abuse and waste problems, and strongly recom-mended the establishment of the office of Inspector General funded by % vendor fees, similar to Miami Dade and not by the tax payers money. After several months of public hearings and very strong public demand, all seven county commissioners unani-mously voted to follow the recommendation of the Grand Jury to establish the office of Inspector General, funded by the % vendor fees, (no tax payer money). After the November 2010 referendum where all 38 cities were included under the Inspector Generals over-sight, numerous public discussions followed. The understanding was always that the funding of the OIG would come from % vendor fees, subject to adjusting the percentage as needed. It was much later that some cities, headed by West Palm Beach, shifted the OIG funding to the taxpayer hoping to get public sympathy against the OIG oversight! This deception has not worked Judge Catherine Brunson rejected all of the arguments of West Palm Beach and the other 13 cities, further clarifying that no tax payer money needed to be used to fund the OIG, stating each municipality can determine what source of money it wants to use, such as charging % of all government contracts. Is the real reason some government official object to funding the Inspector General is that they Dont want anyone checking on them?

OUR VIEWS COUNTY CORRUPTION

Beach (which owes $809,860 for its share of IG op-erations since 2011), Boca Raton ($576,394), Delray Beach ($498,668) and Riviera Beach ($244,937) have paid exactly nothing. Boynton Beach (which owes $264,797 since 2011) has paid $50,971. Lake Worth ($221,501) has paid $34,159. All in all, the 38 cities and towns have coughed up only about a tenth of the money they owe. Being stiffed by the municipalities means that the IGs office is operating with roughly half the $2.8 mil-lion annual budget that the ordinance envisioned. Instead of the 40 people it ought to have to oversee local governments, with their combined 13,000 em-ployees and $7.5 billion in budgets, the IG is operat-ing with 22 people (though currently funded for 23). Almost all the money it does have is from the county government, which is paying its share and a bit extra, Inspector General John Carey told The Post Editorial Board. Even at half-strength, the office is saving millions of taxpayer dollars. Since June 2010, inspectors have identified $24 million in local government spending that was avoidable or might indicate fraud, waste or abuse, according to the IG website. Delray Beach, for example stands to save $9 million over six years by heeding the IGs advice to bid a previously awarded no-bid solid-waste contract, Carey said. Carey, who took the job last year after being a deputy inspector general overseeing 15 federal spy agencies, said that in the federal government, every dollar spent on IG oversight brings a savings of $17. The same efficiency can happen here, he said. But it will take several years to gear up and a full budget. The price tag to fully fund the IGs office is hardly outrageous. It translates to $1.80 per county resident per year. Thats a pittance compared with the millions po-tentially saved by detecting fraud, waste and abuse. The cities should drop this petulant lawsuit, put their resistance aside and carry out the will of the voters. From one end of this large county to the other, resi-dents made it plain they want cleaner government. Its time to pay the cleaning crew.

The Town-Crier www.gotowncrier.com July 10 - July 16, 2015 Page 3

NEWS

preserve area without a superma-jority vote.

The council can also add ref-erendum questions of its own choosing.


The Wellington Village Coun-cil plans to discuss the design of the new Wellington Community Center during its meeting Tuesday, July 14.

Councilman Matt Willhite ques-tioned the final design at the coun-cils last meeting, saying it did not look like what they had originally approved.

Willhite said the final design looks institutional, with a planned back patio overlooking Lake Wellington mostly removed, square footage reduced and ameni-ties including a stage no longer in the plans, apparently due to cost-cutting attempts.

The discussion is not expected to delay construction of the new building, which is targeted for completion in the spring or sum-mer of 2016.

Demolition of the old building began last month. Current plans for the new two-story, 26,000-square-foot facility call for an Internet lounge, three multi-purpose rooms for weddings and events, a fitness room, a conference room, a room for arts and crafts, a baby/tots classroom and a warming kitchen.

Also next Tuesday, the council is scheduled to approve a prelimi-nary Truth in Millage (TRIM) ad valorem property tax rate of 2.45

mills for the next fiscal year. The rate is the same as last year, but above the rollback rate of 2.24 mills.

The council will also consider approving the same Acme Im-provement District drainage as-sessment rate as last year of $230 per unit, and an assessment of $140 for curbside solid waste dis-posal and $105 for containerized service, which is $20 less than the current rate of $160 and $125, respectively.

Consideration of the final rec-ommendations from the Charter Review Task Force is also on the agenda. The task force forwarded six questions to the council for consideration to be put on the March 15, 2016 ballot.

The first question is whether to allow a simple majority vote to ap-prove council compensation. The original charter requires at least a 4-1 supermajority vote.

The second question asks whether council vacancies should be filled in the same manner as mayoral vacancies. The current charter treats the filling of mayoral and council vacancies differently. The proposed amendment would fill all vacancies by providing that they not be filled if less than 180 days remain in the term, and re-quire a special election if 180 days or more remain. The question also

provides that the vice mayor will serve as mayor until a new mayor is elected.

The third question asks whether the requirement for calling special meetings should be changed. The charter currently allows the mayor, or in his absence, the vice-mayor, or a majority of council members to call a special meeting upon 72 hours notice. The proposed amendment would require notice of special meetings in accordance with Florida law, which only calls for reasonable notice.

The fourth question asks if a provision in the charter should be removed that allows for a refer-endum if the adopted millage rate exceeds 5 mills. The task force determined that as written, that charter provision is unenforceable. While originally intended to keep the tax rate low, such a referen-dum would be without effect and could result in a waste of taxpayer money, the task force concluded, and Florida Statutes and the char-ter already provide other means to challenge the tax rate.

The fifth question asks whether the schedule for transition from an independent special district to a municipality should be removed, since the process has now been completed.

The sixth question would pro-vide for inclusion of the Equestrian

Preserve Area in the charter. The original charter makes no refer-ence to the Equestrian Preserve Area, since it did not exist at the time. The proposed amendment

would permit landowners to ap-ply to be voluntarily included in the preserve upon a majority vote by the council, but would prohibit removal of properties from the

Wellington Council To Discuss Community Center Design July 14


The Palm Beach County Com-mission agreed Tuesday to explore ways to help Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller Sharon Bock cover a $2.6 million shortfall as a result of funding cuts by the state to all county clerk offices, rather than lay off employees and shorten courthouse hours.

Bock announced on July 1 that her office has been forced to ab-sorb the $2.6 million budget cut due to a funding cut from the state.

The state cut is about 6 percent, but because it comes in the last quarter of the 2014-15 fiscal year, the impact is over 30 percent, Bock said.

Because the clerks office is the gateway to the court system, the timing of todays report is criti-cal, as the courts and the citizens of Palm Beach County will be directly impacted by these budget cuts, and it will have an immediate impact of increasing waiting times and delays in our court system, she said.

Shannon Ramsey-Chessman, Bocks chief financial officer, said the issue is not caused by spending in the clerks office. In fact, Bocks office collects more than its fair share of revenue. We have a distribution issue with the way the statute is set up, Ramsey-Chessman said.

She explained that county clerk offices statewide follow a revenue funding model where they keep about 15 percent of the court and service fees they collect, and 73 percent of the revenue goes to the states general revenue fund.

Last year, that total was $280 million, and our office was only allowed to retain approximately 15 percent, Ramsey-Chessman said.

Clerks have had a continua-tion budget since 2010, meaning that their income has remained the same until this year, when it decreased. They have also been asked to absorb additional costs,

including Florida Retirement Sys-tem funding and health insurance costs for employees.

The budgets that you see today are now lower than what clerks had over a decade ago, despite any of the cost increases, Ramsey-Chessman said, adding that the population has also increased.

In 2010, clerks were told to absorb the costs of jurors, meals, lodging and witness payments, she said. All of those costs come out of our budget.

In 2012, the clerks were man-dated to implement the redaction of sensitive information for court records, and in 2013, the offices were told to allow civil filings on the web, and criminal filings in 2014, and most recently, requir-ing that court records be posted online.

All of that requires interven-tion from staff in our office, Ramsey-Chessman said. Weve implemented all of these seam-lessly with no additional funding, until the most recent set of cuts.

Because the clerks office spends more than 90 percent of its funding on personnel, it will have to reduce its staff.

Bock said that all processing of applications for employment to her office have been rescinded, as well as openings by attrition.

This impacts trials, it impacts docketing, and it also impacts the implementation of any of our court programs, she said, adding that all other processes of her offices will be delayed, including court cases. There are going to be impacts here.

Commissioner Steve Abrams suggested that the county get its state lobbying team involved in the issue.

Youve posed this problem that is going to have some severe implications, particularly with our justice administration, he said.

Abrams added that the Florida Bar Association should be up in arms about the issue.

They have a powerful voice, and I wonder if they are not joining with you to fight cuts, he said.

Ramsey-Chessman said the cut this year to clerks will be $23 mil-lion, but the cut next year is pro-jected at $40 million. She added that the offices are not allowed to maintain a reserve fund to absorb such shortfalls.

Bock added that the state is only constitutionally required to fund the county seat, which does not include the north and south county courthouses, and that Glades residents must travel 50 miles for court hearings.

Commissioner Mary Lou Berg-er, having worked in the clerks office, said she understood and admired Bocks response to chal-lenges from the state.

Commissioner Melissa McKin-lay said it might be appropriate to direct staff to work with the clerks office to include some of the issues in its legislative agenda, pointing out that committee week in Talla-hassee starts in about two months.

Its a timely conversation, she said. At least from a county standpoint, we dont want it to turn into an unfunded mandate upon the county commission to try to take up these costs.

Clerk Asks County Commission For Help Covering State Cuts

With demolition work on the old Wellington Community Center nearly complete, work is underway to prepare the site for a new building to be completed next year. PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller Sharon Bock

www.wellingtonfl.gov

A Great Hometown...Let Us Show You!

JULY 21ST7:00 PM

Polo Park Middle School11901 Lake Worth Road, Wellington, FL

K-PARKTOWN HALL

MEETING

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LETTERS TO THE EDITORCrestwood Deal

FlounderingRoyal Palm Beach Councilman

David Swift is correct in saying that Lennar, like the Crestwood Task Force, which had an envi-ronmental study of the area, was aware of all the conditions on the old wastewater plant site. Council-man Jeff Hmara, a member of the task force, had the opportunity to have all the facts on the property, including a personal tour by staff at that time, and as a member of that task force voted unanimously for all the recommendations on the future Crestwood land use.

Mr. Hmara was also the co-au-thor of the final report to the council with Joe Boyle of Saratoga Pines. For that reason, it baffles me that he and the mayor would recommend continuing a negoti-ation that the residents believed was final.

The Crestwood property is a highly desirable site. During the time that I served on the Royal Palm Beach Village Council, there were many inquiries, as well as interest from businesses through the Business Development Board looking to purchase the land. The taxpayers of Royal Palm Beach can be confident that they do not have to settle on a poor deal for their community. The council needs to take the $97,935 and

move on. Royal Palm Beach may have to be patient to negotiate the right offer, but it will come.

Martha WebsterRoyal Palm Beach

Why Get Rid Of The Manager?Why would three councilmen

want to get rid of Loxahatchee Groves management firm? Does it seem strange to anyone else? Underwood Management is known for upholding government transparency. The management company is not being investigated for election tampering. The man-agement company is not being investigated for vague invoices and mismanaged funds, which they have found and questioned. The councilmens reason for attack is that the town manager and his staff welcome all resi-dents into their offices and hear all neighborhood concerns. These councilmen want to take away our local rights the freedom of speech, the right of privacy and the right to vote as we wish. They do not want us to know what goes on in our town unless they have censored it.

Please note, the re-elected coun-cilmen, along with another coun-cilman (all currently waiting for the finalized FDLE investigation for election tampering), arrogant-

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

ly removed recently appointed committee members, which they appointed prior to the election scandal, replacing them with their personal friends and neighbors.

Hello, are you out there? Ob-ject to this arrogant behavior. These people are not only making decisions, but trying to change the rules. They currently dont want a resident picked by another councilman for a committee, so now they want to make a change, allowing them final approval of any committee member. What? That has never been requested before. Why now? These are the three who want a new manage-ment company. Rumor has it they want a Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District supervisor to be the next town manager.

We do have an HOA in this town. It is called the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District. If you have spoken up against the LGWCD or disagreed with them, go to town hall and see if you are on the code enforcement log. I did, and I was.

So, who do you want to get rid of? The town management that works for the residents or the self-serving councilmen with their private agendas who need control so badly they cheat, steal your identity and your right to vote?

Were you thinking recall? Al-though our justice system works

slowly, it usually gets its person. In the meantime, we need to speak up. The three councilmen have shown their allegiance to each other by voting together on several important issues, includ-ing getting rid of the current town management. That action speaks for itself. They side with the in-famous LGWCD and ignore the voices of the residents (thus our forever-stagnant trail system). How bad do you need that seat, sharing your victory with cheat-ers, disrespecting everything any serviceman or woman has fought for, the American rights no other country enjoys?

Please go to town meetings and LGWCD meetings when you can. I know youre out there; we won the last election.

Phillis ManigliaLoxahatchee Groves

Wellington Is Not Rural, Like Tryon

Im ecstatic that Mark Bellis-simo decided to take his dreams to North Carolina, because they were too grandiose for our village, which is and was already about 95 percent built out.

Certainly, he helped our eques-trian community, but we just didnt have the space for a large hotel and a large commercial venue and numerous more large commercial

barns. Our equestrian preserve is just that a preserve. Thats something that Mr. Bellissimo has never recognized.

We already have our infra-structure, and adding more horse waste and commercial building in the preserve would overtax the existing infrastructure, ne-cessitating wider roads and more horse waste management, not to mention a worse quality of life, less greenery, fewer pastures and more cement.

Wider roads means more traffic, dividing the equestrian community and making it very dangerous for our local riders to cross the thoroughfares and ride to the equestrian events.

Im glad that Mr. Bellissimo can now go into the woods up there in undeveloped areas, cut down a forest, and put a planned community in, rather than try to squeeze it in here, where there is insufficient room.

To the doomsayers, know that our November through March venue is safe, because its too cold in North Carolina during our

season, so there is no competition. Also, it was quoted that this past season was the most successful one to date, so indeed, it has been getting better without undo overdevelopment!

Lastly, I would like to point out that even during our countrys financial crisis, businesses and restaurants were still coming to Wellington. Theres a reason why Wellington was picked as one of the best places to live in this country.

I sat on the architectural review board, and now the planning board, and most of the complaints about village permitting came from the Bellissimo corner, and being on those committees, all I witnessed was the village try-ing to accommodate everyone, within our guidelines. We dont want to be a big city with signs plastered all over and every bit of grass paved over. We want our hometown, village feel, and Mr. Bellissimo never got that. But then again, developers rarely do.

George UngerWellington

As states across the south grapple with a renewed look at the controversial Confederate battle flag, it is useful to look back to Feb. 2, 2001. That was the day that Gov. Jeb Bush quietly retired the flag from the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee and placed it in the Mu-seum of Florida History. Angry protesters declared his political career over. A year later, he would win re-election. A year from now, he might even have his partys nomination for president.

In June, in the wake of a terrible act of violence the killing of nine people in a shoot-ing at a black church in Charleston, S.C., allegedly by an individual with strong racist viewpoints, the author of a manifesto targeting blacks, Jews and Hispanics a national push to remove the Confederate battle flag from public government sites in southern states not only gained momentum, but resulted in action.

State leaders across the south took up the debate over the prominence of the rebel flag in their states following a sudden swell of support for removing it from the State House grounds in South Carolina. South Carolina Republican State Sen. Paul Thurmond son of longtime U.S. Senator and one-time segregationist Strom Thurmond looked past his own ancestry and said the time is right to remove the symbolic flag after both Gov. Nikki Haley and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham called for its removal. Both houses of the state legislature agreed this week a stunning turnout in the cradle of the Confederacy.

In Mississippi, GOP House Speaker Philip Gunn agreed it was time for his state to change its flag, which includes the Confederate insignia, and in Alabama, Gov. Robert Bentley ordered four Confederate banners taken down from a large monument to Con-federate soldiers outside that states capitol building.

There are definitely pockets of resistance in Florida. Just a few days ago, Marion County commissioners voted unanimously to return the Confederate battle flag to the countys government complex. And this Saturday morning, an American & Southern Flag Rally will include a parade down parts of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, Okeechobee Blvd., State Road 7 and Southern Blvd. It is being promoted as a peaceful and respectful event.

But in general, in Florida, no such public debate has existed, probably because the verbal sparring took place 14 years ago. With far less fanfare, Gov. Bush removed the flag. The governor believes that most Floridians would agree that the symbols of Floridas past should not be displayed in a manner that may divide Floridians today, a Bush spokeswoman said at the time. At the same time, Bush also retired the flags of the French, Spanish and British governments, all of which once controlled the state and had a place at its seat of government.

When Bush made his move, he was called spineless and racist to Southern people, and was accused of pandering to African-Americans. He was also repeatedly warned he would be defeated in the next election. But he stood by his decision. I can lead by example for the rest of the state, he said. I have done so by embracing diversity and having no tolerance for racial hatred. My record has lost me support, but it is the right thing to do.

In hindsight, Bushs support did not suffer and the move was, indeed, the right thing to do. We hope those supporters of southern pride take note of this today. The Confederate banner is fine for those who wish to wave it as a showing of personal pride, but as a symbol of a divisive past, it does not belong in an official government capacity.

NEWS


Palm Beach Countys lobbying staff gave a final update on the recent legislative sessions Tues-day, described as one of the most unpredictable sessions in decades.

We did see some disappoint-ments in some of the governors vetoes, said Legislative Affairs Director Todd Bonlarron, adding that they also achieved some things to be proud of.

In the 21 sessions Ive been working in Tallahassee, this past years was probably one of the more interesting and unpredictable that Ive ever been around. It was a very difficult one to try to gauge where things were going to be, Bonlarron said. You had a House of Representatives that was very committed to issues such as water, environmental issues and pushing that through, but not so committed to healthcare issues like the ex-pansion of Medicaid. Because of that, you set up a battle between the House of Representatives and Florida State Senate. The governor became involved, and politics got ugly.

The House of Representatives adjourned three days early, causing many bills to die, which he said was good in some ways. Some-

Lobbyists: County Had Ups And Downs In Legislative Sessiontimes, a lot of bad things happen in the last three days of the session, Bonlarron said. Overall, we were able to regroup, come back and do some good things in the budget.

Lobbyist Candice Ericks said they accomplished some important healthcare legislation, including a $3 million increase for PACE, which enables seniors to live in-dependently at home for as long as possible through a full comple-ment of senior care services. The additional funding will enable another 156 slots, she said.

Also, $10 million was allocated for the Childnet foster care pro-gram. Palm Beach has already received $5 million for the last fiscal year and will continue to receive money going into this year, she said.

Another $16.1 million was allo-cated for child welfare case man-agement workers, and $575,000 was allocated for the Jerome Golden Center for Behavioral Health Services in Belle Glade. Last year, we secured $200,000, so it was a significant increase, Ericks said.

Commissioner Hal Valeche asked about healthcare expansion issues that arose during the session and how it relates to Obamacare.

I think the two are very tightly

linked, and I think that was why the House of Representatives and the governor dug their heels in, Valeche said. Ive just read news accounts of it, and I would like to understand more fully.

Bonlarron said it remains a very complicated issue.

Obamacare, obviously, covers a lot of lower-income individuals who were not receiving health-care. What exists in Florida today is a gap of what people have described as about 800,000 people who dont meet those minimum requirements in terms of their income, and so some of them were left uncovered, he said. The expansion of Medicaid would allow, potentially, for some of those individuals to be covered. The problem is that the legislature didnt want to do an expansion now and run the risk of federal dollars not being there in the out years, and then the state having to potentially fund that program to continue covering some of those individuals and families going forward.

Commissioner Paulette Burdick noted that the governor vetoed more than $9 million that would have been used to leverage addi-tional funding for private health-care organizations in the county,

including the Palm Beach County Medical Societys Project Access, where local doctors provide free medical services, the Caridad Center in Boynton Beach, the Community Health Center in West Palm Beach and the Mission Clinic in Palm Springs.

In my opinion, the governor has some misplaced priorities, Burdick said. We talk a lot about private/public partnerships. The governor and members of Tal-lahassee didnt like affordable healthcare. Here was an opportu-nity to leverage public and private dollars to really serve the needs of people who really cannot afford healthcare.

The county also received more than $235 million for road projects in the FDOT work plan.

Bonlarron said this was sup-posedly the year of water in Tallahassee with the passage of Amendment 1, but it didnt exactly work out that way.

Edgar Fernandez explained that the legislature decided to analyze that language and eliminated trust funds and moved projects that they deemed fundable through Amendment 1.

What happened was the ses-sion ended and the debate ended quickly, and they were trying to

tie some of the policy language with the funding. During the special session, youll see some small special projects were vetoed throughout the state, Fernandez said. They were hoping to have policy in place to fund their bigger projects. They were very adamant about not buying land at this time. The analysis said they needed to do a better job at management. They budgeted more than $50 million for land management. They did increase the money for land pur-chase more than they did at the beginning of the regular session. The debate is not going to end. The environmental groups have decided to file a lawsuit on the interpretation of the law.

Chris Petit with Palm Beach County Water Utilities said the county received a little more than $73 million out of the general fund for water projects, including a Seminole Improvement District drainage project for an alternative water supply, a water quality project, and several utility and beach restoration and monitoring projects. Everglades restoration received more than $82 million.

A total of 32 county organiza-tions received about $1.2 million in cultural and museum grants, and another $2.7 million was dis-

tributed to eight cultural facilities grants. We continue to build on our successes last year in that area, Bonlarron said.

On the down side, a little more than $12 million specifically for Palm Beach County was vetoed by the governor.

There are always issues we would like to have seen funded, particularly some of our parties in the Glades, with our water pipes and some of the road projects, he said.

Sober homes legislation finally passed, according to Shawn Pit-tman of the Pittman Law Group.

This is an issue we have been dealing with here for a long time, Pittman said. Weve been able to do something that even the feds havent been able to do, and that is pass reasonable legislation to deal with this issue.

Commissioner Melissa McKin-lay, formerly with the countys Legislative Affairs Department, said it was hard for her to not be part of the countys legislative team for the first year.

You guys have been like family to me for many years, McKinlay said. I want to thank you all for letting me tag along as much as I was able to in Tallahassee this year.

QuasiWorlds

Ugliest Dogcontinued from page 1

does a lot of spays and neuters and sees many animals come and go. However, some are easier to adopt out than others. Animals that are young and healthy go quickly.

Quasi, who has a genetic de-

formity, did not fit into the easily adoptable category.

She probably would not have gone out to the general public, Sayre said. Some rescue groups might have come for her, but she was just so different that I had to have her, so shes had a good life here ever since.

The 10-acre G&M Ranch is also home to several other dogs and horses, although Quasi spends much of her time lately on the

living room couch in the air con-ditioning, out of the heat and humidity.

The trip to San Francisco was actually a first-anniversary cele-bration of their marriage last year. Sayre and Carroll entered Quasi in the contest the previous year, where she placed second.

She was the crowd favorite last year, so the crowd really got behind her this year, and I think thats how she won, Sayre said.

The judges sort of feared if they didnt pick her.

Carroll added that one of the judges was Nick Watt, an ABC newscaster who later did a feature story about Quasi, compared her appearance to that of a Tasmanian devil, then said, Shes quite cute, actually.

Other claims to fame for Quasi include playing the part of an alien dog in a low-budget science fiction movie shot at G&M Ranch. She is

also popular in visits to retirement homes and was a pet celebrity at a recent Pet Haven fundraiser.

Shes a celebrity everywhere she goes these days, Sayre said, explaining that they were put up at Le Parker Meridien Hotel near Central Park during their stay in New York.

They have been interviewed by numerous national and local television stations, including a Spanish TV station in Miami, and

are scheduled to be interviewed by the Sun British tabloid newspaper soon, Carroll said.

But Quasi is mostly happy to be back on the ranch.

She was very happy to get home, Carroll said.

Carroll also leads Project 425, a group of Vietnam War veterans who travel to different locations with a 1968 Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey) helicopter restored by Carroll himself.


NEWSFOURTH OF JULY GRILLIN & CHILLIN BBQ BASH RETURNS TO HAMLIN HOUSE

Lori Fuentes, John Fuentes and KarenKeogh have fun in the photo booth.

ROYAL PALM BEACH HOSTS HOLIDAY GOLF TOURNEY AT VILLAGE GOLF CLUB

Todd Eckley, Mike Murray, David Hartley and DarrinFuller of South of Southern entertain the crowd.

Antonio Vicuna works the grill.

The second annual Fourth of July Grillin & Chillin BBQ Bash was held at the Hamlin House Community Center in The Acreage on Saturday, July 4. The free neighborhood event featured food, music and games. More than 100 people were on hand, and South of Southern entertained the crowd while everyone enjoyed the festivities. PHOTOS BY MIKE COLAROSSI/TOWN-CRIER

Royal Palm Beach Councilman Jeff Hmara with closest to the pin winners Jason Lambert, Scott Stubblefield and John Alcutt.

The Village of Royal Palm Beach hosted it annual Fourth of July Firecracker Golf Tournament at Village Golf Club on Saturday, July 4. The day included great raffles and a barbecue luncheon, where golf awards were given out after the tournament.

Madison Harris waitsfor the music to begin.

RPB Councilman Jeff Hmara (center) with longest drive

winners Matthew Orioand Susan Haniak.

Mandy Manopla, Elke Manopla, CindyCarlson, Tandy Wright and Hunter Wright.

James Mika enjoysthe barbeque.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Village Golf Club Director of Golf Carl Pesant and RPBCouncilman Jeff Hmara with first place winners GordonCloutier, John Alcutt, Harm Schutte and Frank Ferrante.

Lillian Hall and Don Gralin welcome attendees.

Raffle winner Bill Durkin with RPB Program Supervisor

Jeannine Del Gardio.

Hannah Persson andChristina Sylvester.

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CRIME NEWS

By Julie UngerTown-Crier Staff Report

JUNE 30 A deputy from the PBSOs Wellington substation was called to an optical store on Wellington Trace last Tuesday morning regarding a theft. Accord-ing to a PBSO report, sometime between 10:45 and 11:30 a.m., an unknown white female entered the store and, when employees were occupied, stole a pair of Chrome Hearts eyeglass frames, valued at $1,000, and ran out to a waiting vehicle. According to the report, the female was in her late teens, between 5-foot-4 and 5-foot-5, with a slim build. She was wear-ing a white hat, a striped shirt and khaki shorts.

JUNE 30 A deputy from the PBSOs Wellington substa-tion was called to a restaurant on Greenview Shores Blvd. last Tuesday afternoon regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on June 30, the victim left an Apple iPhone 6, with a black charger case, valued at $689, at the restaurant. Realizing that it had been forgotten, the victim returned to the restaurant, but it was no longer there.

JUNE 30 A deputy from the PBSOs Royal Palm Beach sub-station was called to the Walmart store on Belvedere Road last Tuesday evening regarding an instance of shoplifting. According to a PBSO report, at 8:35 p.m., Jose De Alvare attempted to steal $340 of wine from the store. He was arrested.

JUNE 30 A deputy from the PBSOs Royal Palm Beach substation was called to a home on Shoma Drive last Tuesday evening regarding a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 7 and 9 p.m., someone entered the victims res-idence and removed a number of items, including a Toshiba laptop and $177 in cash.

JULY 3 A deputy from the PBSOs Royal Palm Beach substa-tion was contacted by a PortoSol resident last Friday regarding a case of fraud. According to a

Eyeglass Frames Stolen From Optical Store In Wellington

PBSO report, in the beginning of June, the victims Credit One bank card was used fraudulently at Coca-Cola World in Georgia. According to the report, the victim was advised by her bank that a police report had to be filed.

JULY 3 A deputy from the PBSOs Royal Palm Beach substa-tion was called to Seminole Palms Park last Friday afternoon regard-ing a theft. According to a PBSO report, the victims backpack, which contained three baseball gloves valued at $500, was stolen at approximately 3 p.m. by a black teenaged male, approximately 5-foot-10, with a thin build and short hair. The teen grabbed the backpack while riding a bicycle and rode away toward Costco.

JULY 3 A deputy from the PBSOs Wellington substation was called to a home on Gingerwood Lane last Friday morning regard-ing a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, someone entered the victims unlocked 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 sometime between mid-night and 11 a.m. and stole a Nixon watch, valued at $300.

JULY 3 A deputy from the PBSOs Royal Palm Beach substa-tion was called to the Target store on Okeechobee Blvd. last Friday regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, between June 17 and July 3, a store employee was observed, on multiple occasions, removing cash from the register, totaling $1,290. The PBSO is investigating the incident.

JULY 6 A deputy from the PBSOs Royal Palm Beach substa-tion met with a Royal Palm Beach resident Monday afternoon regard-ing a case of fraud. According to a PBSO report, the victim was not receiving mail and discovered that someone had put her mail on hold from June 11 to July 11. Ad-ditionally, the victim discovered fraudulent activity on her TD Bank account. According to the report, someone tried to withdraw $800 from one account, which was then closed, and then an account was opened online without the victims knowledge, and a wire transfer for $900 was made from the account.

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

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

Andrew Brushway is a white male, 60 tall and weighing 160 lbs., with brown hair, brown eyes and a tattoo on his left arm. His date of birth is 06/13/83. Brushway is wanted for vi-olating probation on felony charges for burglary and grand theft. His last known address was 83rd Lane North in The Acreage. He is wanted as of 07/02/15.

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. Andrew Brushway

The Palm Beach County Sher-iffs Office is seeking the publics help in locating four suspects in-volved in a robbery on Wednesday, June 24.

At approximately 7:30 p.m. the victim was sitting on a bench in front of the Publix store at the corner of Royal Palm Beach and Okeechobee boulevards when

he was approached by a group of young black males. One of the males asked the victim for cash. When the victim refused, the suspect snatched cash from the victims hands and fled. The incident was captured on video.

Anyone with information about the suspects is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS.

PBSO Seeks SuspectsIn Royal Palm Robbery

The PBSO is seeking information on the suspects shown above and below regarding a June 24 robbery in Royal Palm Beach.

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Martial Arts Benefits for ADD/ADHD

By Grandmaster Gustavo Pope, 7th Degree Black Belt, Director Martial ArtsUltima Fitness Xtreme Tae Kwon Do

Health Coaching Acupuncture Weight Management Workshops & Lectures Therapeutic Massage Corporate Wellness Programs

I have been teaching Tae Kwon Do for over 35 years. In so many years I have had the privilege of teaching both children and adults with ADD/ADHD. There are a number of treatments that can be used. Two well-known solutions are to use medication to mellow out to be better able to focus or to make strict dietary changes. While these may be well and good, I have noticed a re-markable improvement occur in my students with ADD/ADHD with the incorporation of Martial Arts. Studies show that complex physical activity, like Martial Arts, strengthens neural net-works in the brain and enables kids to practice self-control. This is very important for children

with ADD/ADHD. The rapid pace of class, movement and techniques practiced keeps stu-dents alert and focused. It also enables them to develop coordi-nation while building strength. The practice of any Martial Art can have long lasting positive results without the risks involved with medications. In some cas-es the activity itself can be all the therapy a student needs. I have seen the improvement first hand and I have had many parents say that Tae Kwon Do has been the BEST thing for their child. For more information on Martial Arts at Ultima please call 561-795-2823, e-mail us at [email protected] or stop by Ul-tima Fitness, 12799 W. Forest Hill Boulevard., Wellington, FL 33414


NEWS

By Julie UngerTown-Crier Staff Report

In an effort to further reach out to its senior residents, the Village of Royal Palm Beach is hosting a free senior expo Friday, July 24 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Roy-al Palm Beach Cultural Center, located at 151 Civic Center Way.

Dolly Hughes, senior programs coordinator for the village, is thrilled about the upcoming event.

This is the first senior expo that we are doing here in the Village of Royal Palm Beach, she said, adding that the goal is to make se-niors aware of the many programs that are available for them. A lot of them dont really know what is out there.

Whenever she receives infor-mation, Hughes said, she shares it with the seniors who attend the villages programs. This expo,

she explained, will provide a great deal more information in a concentrated location. Being a senior myself, Im looking forward to seeing some things I might not know about, she said.

Hughes noted that she has at-tended many senior expos in the past, adding that people come from near and far for such events.

When there is an expo like this that offers all this information, geared toward seniors, they go, she said. Theres a lot of really important information that seniors really need to know.

Todays senior citizens are liv-ing longer and are more informed, and they want more information, she said. Hughes should know shes part of the senior-friendly team that puts together social events and the Young at Heart Club for Royal Palm Beach residents.

Cultural Center Program Super-visor Carlos Morales is looking forward to the senior expo and is expecting a large crowd.

Were trying to provide es-sential services to the community through our senior expo, he said. We want to bring a lot of things to the forefront. For example, wellness options and trying to improve healthcare; even trying to give them options for caregivers. It brings everything to our com-munity.

There are many senior expos held at various locations across the county, Morales said, and bringing one to Royal Palm Beach will be beneficial for local residents.

There are approximately 600 seniors who utilize the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Centers programs, and Morales expects even more seniors to come from the surround-

ing areas, such as Wellington and The Acreage.

I look at a high-quality value for a program like this for some-thing that were already kind of doing, he said. With Dolly, our senior coordinator, and Jeannine Delgardio, our senior programs supervisor, we really want to amp up the services that are essential to seniors in this community.

MedExpress Urgent Care is sponsoring the event along with the Village of Royal Palm Beach, so there is sure to be high-qual-ity medical advice available, in addition to screenings, vendors, lectures and information booths.

There will be numerous vendors offering screenings, such as blood pressure checks and chiropractic screenings. There will also be entertainment, raffles, giveaways, wellness options, healthcare op-

Royal Palm Beach To Host An Expo For Senior Citizens July 24tions, caregiver options, educa-tional programs, travel informa-tion and more, Hughes said.

Senior issues, concerns and activities will be well-represented at the event. If seniors are looking for some essential services health care, nursing homes, elder care this will be the place to come learn about good options, Morales said.

There will be lectures on current topics, such as fraud prevention. Hughes encounters many seniors who use smartphones and other forms of technology, and lectures will be set up to help ensure their digital safety.

For seniors of all ranges of mobility, the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center is handicapped accessible, so getting around will be easier. There is also plenty of parking.

Some of the vendors attending include the Area Agency on Aging, Alzheimers Community Care, the Advanced Spine & Joint Institute, MedExpress, the United Way, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, WellCare, the American Cancer Society, Chick-fil-A, Vacation of a Lifetime, the North County Senior Center, AARP and more, including options for nursing care, assisted living and insurance, as well as the local Parkinsons disease support group. Banks will provide infor-mation on fraud prevention.

Hughes and Morales encour-age seniors from across the western communities to come, learn and have a great time at the free event.

For more information about the Royal Palm Beach Senior Expo, or to learn how to become a vendor, call (561) 790-5149.

FOURTH OF JULY FISHING TOURNAMENT BRINGS YOUNG ANGLERS TO PARK

Kira and Ellie Schartner, Riley Weaver and Jax Schartner.

Josh Dovey weighs-in his 11-ounce bass.

The Royal Palm Bassmasters presented the 25th annual Red, White & Blue Fourth of July Family Fishing Tournament on Saturday, July 4 at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park. Dozens of kids had a great time catching fish during the tournament. Sponsors included State Farm agent Barnie Walker, Advanced Muffler & Brake, Bass Pro Shops, Visual Images, FishFreakOnLine.com, Boonies, Costco, Tire Kingdom, Hendrick Services, 4 Points Market and Yellowfin Builders. PHOTOS BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

Ryan Cohen with his bass.

The event brought out many young anglers.

Jaxon Stavropoulos.

Nathaniel Agostoshows off his fish. Kayla Perez with her bass.

Ajyden and Luca Gray hope for a nibble.Tournament winners with their awards.Dylan Ghettie withhis just-caught fish.

Layla and Michael Lovern with a 2-pound, 13-ounce tilapia.

Royal Palm Beach High School recently reached an important milestone toward implementing the countys newest International Baccalaureate diploma program when its application for candidacy was accepted by the IB organi-zation.

RPBHS will officially become an IB Candidate School on Sept. 1, beginning the process to become an official IB World School. RPBHS received approval in April

from the school district to pursue the IB initiative.

Achieving candidate status validates our core belief that Royal Palm Beach High School has the infrastructure in place to become an IB World School, Principal Jess Armas said.

Activities required of the school during the consideration phase included an investigation of the IB philosophy, identifying resources for implementation, developing an

action plan and attending the first level of professional development required by the IB organization.

The schools administrative team attended a professional development program offered by the Florida League of International Baccalaureate Schools (FLIBS) from June 16 to June 19 in St. Pe-tersburg to fulfill the requirement and learn from other IB World Schools in the state.

The IB conference was exten-

sive, Assistant Principal Crystal Amado said. From discussion regarding master board design to IB course curriculum, learning about IB student and teacher characteristics and details of IB examinations, the training offered a wealth of information.

During the candidacy stage, the school will begin the process of authorization, which includes staff training and a school visit from a team of IB representatives. Once

authorized, RPBHS will become an official IB World School one of six schools in the school district to offer the IB program.

Since receiving approval from the district to establish an IB program, RPBHS has been ac-cepting applications from inter-ested incoming ninth graders. To date, the school has received 40 applications and will continue to accept applications throughout the summer.

This unbelievable number of applicants in our first year speaks to the need for an IB school in the western communities, Armas said, thanking Amado and IB Coordinator Laurie Cotton for their work.

To learn more about the Interna-tional Baccalaureate curriculum, visit www.ibo.org. Information regarding the Florida League of In-ternational Baccalaureate Schools can be found at www.flibs.org.

RPBHS Reaches Key Milestone In Becoming An International Baccalaureate School

FISHING TOURNAMENT RESULTS6 & Under Bass: Riley Weaver took first place and Ashlyn Nutter took second place; 6 & Under Other Fish: Cody Arnold took first place, Gavyn Stavropoulos took second place and Luca Gray took third place; 7, 8 & 9 Bass: Ellie Scharther took first place; 7, 8 & 9 Other Fish: Brody Williams took first place, Dylan Ghettie took second place and Jane Raeth took third place; 10, 11 & 12 Bass: Ryan Cohen took first place, while Kayla Perez and Zach Shively tied for second place; 10, 11 & 12 Other Fish: Jimmy Reynolds took first place, Nathan Jaffee took second place and Aliana Agosto took third place; 13, 14 & 15 Bass: Zach Cohen took first place, Nathaniel Agosto took sec-ond place and Josh Dover took third place; 13, 14 & 15 Other Fish: Shyanne Arnold took first place; Adult/Child Bass: Aaron Tyler took first place, Savannah Bibey took second place and Kira Schartner took third place; Adult/Child Other Fish: Layla Lovern took first place, Allan Manuel took second place and Noah Bibey took third place. Zach Cohen won for the largest bass, while Layla Lovern won for the largest other fish.


RE-PRINT FROM THE PALM BEACH POST - July 6, 2015

Page 8 July 10 - July 16, 2015 www.gotowncrier.com The Town-Crier

To get to the latest battleground in Palm Beach Countys development wars, you can take Northlake Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens and drive west and keep going past the highways end, into an area of yawn-ing rural roads and houses set wide apart from their neighbors. Way out here is where builders hope to put up the equivalent of new cities: a trio of big developments that together would bring more than 13,000 new residences and lots of retail, office, college and medical facilities. Each of these developments, separately, looks beautiful on paper, even if much denser than the land use long thought appropriate for the area. Their maps and drawings show town centers, walkways, recreation areas, appealing architecture, mixes of commer-cial and residential uses even Venice-like canals. But none of these places will exist in a vacuum. Everybody who would live, work, shop or study out there will have to come or go. Tens of thousands more cars will pour onto roadways. Thats why the county commissioners should pay much keener attention to the warnings of their county engineer, who says the road network is unlikely to meet the ex-pected load. And taxpayers are likely to pay for a great deal of this folly. The commissioners in October shrugged off staff warnings about likely traffic night-mares when they green-lighted Minto West: 4,500 homes and 2.1 million square feet of nonresidential development on the former Callery-Judge citrus grove. We agreed with allowing Minto West to go forward, but have also said not every proposed mini-city should be built. And now County Engineer George Webb is issuing similar alarms in reaction to a traf-fic study from GL Homes, which indicates it wants to build nearly 4,000 homes and 235,000 square feet of nonresidential space on a nearby 4,900-acre property known as Indian Trail Groves. Not far away, a 4,800-acre stretch in western Palm Beach Gardens is being eyed for Avenir, a project that would see 4,760 homes, as well as stores, offices and schools. Put these all together, along with a few smaller projects, and this area will see an enormous increase in traffic. On roads that dont now exist and may be impossible to ever build. Accord ing to the county Tra f -

Builders plans for mini-cities a traffic horrorOUR VIEWS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

BROWARDIZATION OF PALM BEACH COUNTIES CONTINUES BY JESS SANTAMARIA

f ic Divisions analysis, these devel-o p m e n t s w o u l d g e n e r a t e a l m o s t 227,000 more trips a day onto the areas roads by 2035 if theyre allowed the same density as Minto West. Currently, the countys five-year road pro-gram calls for $30.1 million in improvements for the central-western communities. But the hyperdevelopment now being proposed would require much more than this. The area would need about five new six-lane roads at a cost of many more millions, Webb has said only, there isnt much room, as much of the land is government-owned and designated as environmentally sensitive preserves or conservation areas. We, the taxpayers, would have to pay for a lot of whatever does get built. As Commis-sioner Paulette Burdick, the only sitting com-missioner to vote against Minto West, told The Post: People in Boca (Raton), people in Jupiter, theyre all going to have to fund the necessary roadwork. It wasnt always so. Until recently, the county would have demanded that the devel-opers pay to expand roads that grow busier because of their developments. For years in Palm Beach County, we had a system called concurrency. Under that system, the county wouldnt issue building permits until an enlarged road was in place to accommodate the expected increase in traf-fic a road for which that developer paid. We enjoyed orderly, sensible development. But four years ago, the Florida Legislature, deciding that concurrency was too tight a rein on developers, made counties go to a differ-ent system. Now developers are required to pay only for their proportionate share of new roadways. Thus, if it costs $5 million to widen a two-lane road to four lanes, the de-veloper might pay, say, $2.5 million of that. And, rather than wait until the roadway goes in, under the new rules the developer can go ahead and build his project regardless of whether the road improvements are there. So now the developer can pay his share and start to build. The county has just half the money it needs to widen the road. And while officials ponder how theyll get the rest, the new homes and businesses go up, and the traffic starts coming on the unimproved road. And coming. The reality is, theres going to be conges-tion, Webb told The Post Editorial Board. Webb is taking the broader view. The com-missioners, in their decisions on approvals going forward, would be foolish to ignore it.


RE-PRINT FROM THE PALM BEACH POST July 1, 2015

When I first moved to the Lantana area in 1977, natures beauty abounded in every direction. My new home was surrounded by tropical forests, orange groves and grazing cattle by the hundreds. Congress Avenue was a quiet road surrounded by these cattle, bringing a sense of peaceful nature to all who passed on the two-lane roadway. Lawrence Road west of Congress Avenue had orange groves on both sides of the nar-row road, under a green tunnel of Australian pines. It was quiet, serene and soul-enriching to be here. Now its all gone. The forests have been cut, and the cow pastures turned into strip malls and drugstores. And every parcel of green space has been paved, built on and taxed for local governments to justify their existence. The animals that had lived on these lands

for thousands of years had fewer and fewer natural areas to survive and have systemati-cally been killed off because they cannot sur-vive where man has destroyed their habitat. Alligators swim in pools; coyotes eat pets; bears rummage through garbage cans; rac-coons invade bird feeders. Palm Beach County has never been able to say no to developers as they have pushed to the very edge of the Everglades to build expensive gated communities where nature once reigned. Now the state will allow black bears to be hunted in October in order to cull the population that was just begin-ning to cope with loss of habitat. What was once Paradise is clearly Para-dise Lost as build-and-tax rules the day. I am ashamed of our elected officials who have let this happen.

POINT OF VIEW DEVELOPMENT

Paradise is lost to build-and-tax officials

Only July 30, the Palm Beach County Commission should vote no on a pro-posal to increase development and weaken agricultural and environmental protections in the Ag Reserve. Developers support eliminating a requirement that parcels of land pre-served for agriculture in the Reserve total at least 150 acres in size. If the Palm Beach County Commission approves this proposal, it would allow new and existing preservation lands to be broken up into smaller parcels result-ing in increased development and undermining protections for agriculture, wildlife and waters in the Ag Reserve. The County Commission must say NO to developers who want to change the rules mid-game to jam even more homes into this important economic and environmental area. The Ag Reserve was intended to be a haven for farmers, not developers, and paving the way for more development in this area contradicts the very reason that Palm Beach County voters created the Ag Reserve more than 15 years ago to keep a large portion of this area, some of the best land on the eastern coast for growing vegetables, in permanent agriculture. In a rate unanimous vote, on June 12, the Palm Beach County Planning Commission sided with the citizens of Palm Beach County, rejecting the pro-posal to break up preservation lands and increase development. WE urge our County Commissioners to do the right thing follow the unani-mous recommendation of your Planning Commission and vote down this proposed change. Show the public you have heard them, and demonstrate to all citizens that you truly represent public interests, not those of develop-ers and other special interest.

Protect the Ag Reserve Now

1000 Friends of Florida

WAYNE GROVER, LANTANA



NEWSROYAL PALM HOSTS ITS STAR SPANGLED SPECTACULAR AT COMMONS PARK

Amy and Daryl Sholar with Abigail, Isabella and Dylan.

HOLIDAY FUN AT WELLINGTON AQUATICS COMPLEXS PATRIOTIC POOL PARTY

Dan Doherty, Joey Johnson, Carolyn andCouncilman Jeff Hmara, and Lorna Johnson.

Councilman Jeff Hmara, Vice Mayor Richard Valuntas, Mayor MattyMattioli, Councilman Fred Pinto and Councilman David Swift.

The Village of Royal Palm Beach presented its annual Star Spangled Spectacular on Saturday, July 4 at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park. Thousands of attendees enjoyed live music and food trucks, along with a volleyball tournament, a spike ball tournament, a cornhole tournament and more. There was a kids fun zone with bounce houses, rides, games and more. The fun day ended with a spectacular Zambelli fireworks display. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Lenay and Aniya Lamour toss a ballback and forth with kickboards.

Wellington hosted a patriotic pool party on Saturday, July 4 at the Wellington Aquatics Complex. The holiday event featured music, fun and games.

Jackson Medvedgoes for a swing.

Cross Fischer goesunder the limbo stick.

The Foreigner tribute band 4NR2 performs on stage.

A fireworks displaycapped the fun day.

PHOTOS BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

Lifeguards Michael Goldman, Skylar Schoemig,Cross Fischer, Kristine Kaelin, Justin Sprunger,

Kristina Kolshak and Andrew Portuondo.

Rebecca Jones andSteve Webster.

Rachel Rosenthal dives in.

Eric Rucker and Cara Abaldo enjoy the music and food.

T h e J a c o b s F a m i l y Foundation had a booth at the 2015 Village of Wellingtons 4th of July celebration that was staffed by Tom and Regis Wenham. We had the opportunity to meet and discuss the foundations purpose and the Grant Application Form. We were pleasantly surprised at the number of people that stopped by our booth. Some people wanted to discuss village issues some wanted to

take Jacobs Family pens, but most wanted to discuss the Grant Application Form and how it might pertain to their particular organization. We handed out the forms that could be taken to their respective organizations to be prepared for submittal. The interest shown by the recipients was extremely gratifying. Once the forms are filled out, which can also include supporting material, and turned in to our office, they will be submitted to our Board of Directors for review. The person listed on the Grant Application Form will be notified of the boards decision. Wellington residents who may be interested in applying for a grant are encouraged to contact our office or call us at 561-333-9843.

If you have any questions, please visit www.jffwellington.org, email us at [email protected], or call us at 561-333-9843.

How to submit your application: Via Email [email protected] Via Mail or In Person Jacobs Family Foundation of Wellington 12794 Forest Hill Blvd. Suite 19F Wellington, FL 33414 Online http://www.jffwellington.org

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Vets Program At Chamber LunchThe Wellington Chamber of

Commerce will host a luncheon Wednesday, July 22 at the Wander-ers Club, with registration starting at 11:30 a.m. The luncheon will feature the Veterans Trust, with keynote speaker Jake Milkovich, joined by Kelsey Desantis and Fred Roger. For more info., visit www.wellingtonchamber.com.

ITID Safety Fair Set For July 25The Indian Trail Improvement

District will host a Public Safety Fair Day on Saturday, July 25 at the Hamlin House Community Center (14893 89th Place North). There will be safety tips for chil-dren and adults, kids activities, a water slide, a bounce house, a physical fitness course and more.

Community agencies such as Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office, the Drowning Prevention Coalition, the PBSOs Volunteer Child ID Unit, the Florida Divi-sion of Forestry, CERT teams

from Loxahatchee and The Acre-age, and more. There will also be food vendors, including the Loxahatchee Ice Cream Company. The event will also include mock demonstrations and a special visit from Smokey the Bear. For more info., call the Hamlin House Com-munity Center at (561) 469-7868.

LGLA Monthly Meeting July 23The Loxahatchee Groves Land-

owners Association will meet Thursday, July 23 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Palms West Presbyterian Church at 13689 Okeechobee Blvd.

The speaker this month will be from the Palm Beach County Extension Service on the topic of Invasive Plant Controls. Resi-dents will learn effective ways to get invasive plants under control or eliminated. There will be time for questions.

This is an open meeting where residents will get a chance to discuss issues of concern related to things that are going on in the town. The meeting is open to the public, but only LGLA members

with 2015 paid dues can make mo-tions and/or vote. For more info., contact Marge Herzog at (561) 818-9114 or [email protected].

Time To Ride At Karens EquineKarens Equine Intervention,

located at 16280 E. Calder Drive, will host a Time to Ride event for families to get acquainted with horses on Saturday, July 25. There will be various riding exhibitions, time to interact with the horses, pony rides and other activities at this free event. For more info., visit www.equineintervention.org.

Music For The Mind July 21

Julys Music for the Mind concert at the Harriet Himmel Theater at Cityplace will take place Tuesday, July 21 at 7 p.m. It will feature the Irwin Solomon Jazz Trio.

This talented trio consists of Irwin Solomon on piano, Dave To-masello on bass and Frank Derrick on the drums. They will captivate you with a unique presentation of

jazz classics and will be joined by singer/actress Avery Sommers.

Tickets, $10 for adults and $5 for students, can be purchased at the door or by calling CTS at (866) 449-2489. All money raised will benefit the Kretzer Piano Music Foundation. For more info., visit www.kretzerpiano.com/kpmf.

County Public Affairs Wins

Three AwardsPalm Beach Countys Public Af-

fairs Department won awards for three out of four entries submitted to the 2015 National Association of County Information Officers (NACIO) annual Awards of Excel-lence competition.

The department was recognized for the PBCTV Channel 20 pro-gram Adopt a Friend in the cat-egory of Audiovisual Productions; the Know Your Zone Campaign in the category of Public Education Campaign; and the State of the County Address in the writing category.

The NACIO 2015 Awards of Excellence competition recognizes outstanding public relations and

public information work being done in counties across the nation. Excellence is recognized in nine categories: Annual Reports, Bro-chures/Multiple-Page Booklets, Publications, Writing, Graphic Design, Photography, Audiovisual Productions, Special Projects and Electronic Communications.

CAFCI Talent Show Aug. 30

Caribbean-Americans for Com-munity Involvement (CAFCI) will hold its youth talent show on Sun-day, Aug. 30 at 5 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center.

The talent show, now in its 17th year, is a must-attend event for anyone interested in the arts and in encouraging the stars of tomorrow. The performers range in age from 5 to 21. They showcase their voice in styles from classical to R&B, as well as instrumental skills playing piano, drums and violin. Some will also dance ballet, classic and jazz, and perform theatrical renditions. Several previous performers have gone on to successful careers in the performing arts. The mistresses of ceremony will be Lady C of

WAVS radio and Delisser Stephen-son, actress and print model.

The auditions will be held Fri-day, Aug. 21 at 6 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Anyone interested in performing or attending the show is invited to contact Nadine at (561) 351-6895 or e-mail [email protected], Clover at (561) 596-1748, Junette at (561) 346-2353 or Shirley at (561) 719-6508.

Caps Of Love Needs Help

Volunteers and supporters are needed on Thursday, July 23 to help support the local charity Caps of Love in loading a FedEx truck with 14 pallets of boxes filled with plastic caps. Proceeds will help handicapped children. Trans-portation to Kentucky is being provided free of charge by FedEx. Forklift services will be donated by Millwork Sales of Royal Palm Beach. Work will start at 8 a.m. at Security Self Storage, located at 10719 Southern Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach. For more info., visit www.capsoflove.com or search for Caps of Love on Facebook.

NEWS BRIEFS


PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Executive Women of the Palm Beaches (EWPB) recently in-stalled its new slate of officers, who will serve the organization and its foundation for the 2015-16 term.

EWPB elected Sandra Close Turnquest as president, Lori Fisch-er as president-elect, Denise Mari-ani as secretary, Deanna Fisher as treasurer and Jennifer Rodriguez as treasurer-elect. Immediate Past President Charlotte Pelton will serve on both the EWPB and foundation boards.

I am honored to hold this po-sition with an organization that I hold close to my heart, Turnquest said. This is a tremendous group of women who are not only pro-fessional role models for me, but dear friends who inspire me every single day. I am looking forward to an amazing year.

The following members will serve as returning directors of the EWPB the year: Jessica Cecere, Beth Crews, Anita Holmes, Selena Smith, Julie Swindler, Denise Valz and Trixy Walker. New directors, whose terms continue until June

Executive Women Of The Palm Beaches Elects Its New Officers For 2015-16

Dr. Sarda Bhandary Honor

town-crier newspaper july 10, 2015

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