town-crier newspaper april 19, 2013

Your Community Newspaper Serving Palms West Since 1980Volume 34, Number 16April 19 - April 25, 2013

WELLINGTON ROYAL PALM BEACH LOXAHATCHEE THE ACREAGETOW N - C R I E RTHE

INSIDE

DEPARTMENT INDEXNEWS ............................. 3 - 13OPINION .................................4CRIME NEWS .........................6NEWS BRIEFS........................ 8SCHOOLS .....................14 - 15PEOPLE ............................... 16COLUMNS .................... 23 - 24BUSINESS .................... 25 - 27ENTERTAINMENT ................ 33SPORTS ........................ 37 - 40CALENDAR ...................42 - 43CLASSIFIEDS ................ 44 - 49

Visit Us On The Web AtWWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM Wellington Childrens Theater Brings Annie Jr. To Stage

RPB RESIDENTS OFFER VISIONING INPUTSEE STORY, PAGE 3

VALIENTE VS. ZACARA IN U.S. OPEN FINALSEE STORY, PAGE 17

Positive Reviews ForNew RPB Commons

See PARK OPENING, page 18

OPINIONDont Be Ruled By FearAfter Boston BombingsWhen bombs rocked the Bos-ton Marathon, our nation onceagain felt the quake of fear andconfusion a feeling that somany of us wish we could for-get. And while its easy to begripped by fear after such a trag-edy, we must not let that fearprevent us from coming togeth-er and moving forward. Page 4

Opinions Differ On HandlingLox Groves Road OwnershipBy Ron Bukley

Town-Crier Staff ReportThe Loxahatchee Groves Town

Council took steps Tuesday tobegin resolving issues regardingroad ownership and goals for roadpaving.

Mayor Dave Browning was ab-sent from Tuesdays special meet-ing, and Councilman Tom Goltzenleft early, leaving Vice Mayor RonJarriel and councilmen Ryan Liangand Jim Rockett to debate.

Town Manager Mark Kutneysaid that Goltzen had brought upthe issue of road ownership at theboards last meeting.

Most of the town roads areeasements cobbled together to

form a public road system, not inthe towns ownership, Kutneysaid, explaining that Goltzen wastrying to ascertain whether thetown needs to acquire some typeof claim to ownership that will en-able it to make future improve-ments.

Jarriel noted that the town isworking with the LoxahatcheeGroves Water Control District totransfer ownership of the roadsrecently paved with open-gradedemulsified mix (OGEM), butGoltzen said his concern is notso much with the district roads asnon-district roads that the towndoes not have clear title to.

Can we get the same thing done

Focus Now On LaurieCohen As WellingtonSeeks New Attorney

By Ron BukleyTown-Crier Staff Report

Indian Trail Improvement Dis-trict supervisors gathered with res-idents and ITID staff for a drain-age workshop Monday wherethey heard from South FloridaWater Management District rep-resentatives as well as former ITIDengineer Jay Foy.

ITID officials organized the meet-ing to listen to ideas on how toprevent flooding such as whatoccurred during the deluge fromTropical Storm Isaac last August.

SFWMD officials presentedplans and alternatives for a newberm to separate The Acreage fromthe J.W. Corbett Wildlife Manage-ment Area. The existing berm wassaid to have been in danger ofbreaching water into The Acreageduring the flood, which drew theattention of Gov. Rick Scott, whoput $8 million in his proposed 2013-14 budget to reconstruct the berm.

John Mitnik with the SFWMDsEngineering & Construction Bu-reau said his department is goingthrough an evaluation of alterna-tives for its levee improvement

Presentations Show Pitfalls AsITID Seeks Drainage Upgrades

See DRAINAGE, page 18

See LOX ROADS, page 18

WLMS MARKS 25TH ANNIVERSARY

Wellington Landings Middle School marked its 25th anniversary with a celebration Saturday,April 13 in the school courtyard. The school invited the community to enjoy a pancake breakfast,a student musical showcase and the unveiling of the schools new coat of arms and mosaic artwall. Shown above, the schools new coat of arms was designed by Zaira Frandjian with herdaughter Karina. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5

PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER


More than 50,000 people wereon hand for last months grandopening weekend of the new Roy-al Palm Beach Commons Park.

Royal Palm Beach Parks & Rec-reation Director Lou Recchio up-dated Recreation Advisory Boardmembers about the parks open-ing celebration at their meetingMonday, reporting that more than26,000 cars were recorded over theweekend of March 22-24.

If you took 26,000 cars andthere were only two people per car,there were over 50,000 people,Recchio said. We all know therewere more than two people per car,so it was an excellent turnout. Forthose of you who werent there,you missed a great weekend.

Recchio said that there have

been 131 rental requests for theparks pavilion already, and a half-dozen requests for wedding res-ervations at the sporting center,which features a picturesque third-floor event space.

The thing thats holding usback now is were still trying toget the final certificate of occupan-cy on maintenance there so we canmove in, he said, explaining thatthe main floor will be set up sopeople can sit and relax, use Wi-Fion their computers and have cof-fee. Its not going to be a stan-dard caf. Its going to be similarto a Starbucks with end tables andcushioned chairs.

The furniture on the patio out-side will be next, Recchio said.Weve already picked it out, it hasgone out for bid, and once we get

By Jessica GregoireTown-Crier Staff Report

Karen Braunsteins dream ofworking with children and theaterhas come true. She founded theWellington Childrens Theatre lastAugust to provide a theatrical fo-rum for children in the westerncommunities.

The theater will be putting onits second main stage productionwith the performance of the musi-cal Annie Jr. on April 21, 26, 27 and28 at the Wellington High Schooltheater. Tickets are $12 for childrenand $20 for adults.

Braunstein has been workingwith children for more than 25 yearsat local synagogues and summercamps, directing shows and teach-ing voice and piano lessons. Shefirst discovered her passion fordirecting childrens theater in 1987.I was asked to direct Joseph and

the Amazing Technicolor Dream-coat and totally fell in love withmusical theater, she said.

Before working with children intheater, Braunstein earned a bach-elors degree in music at the NewEngland Conservatory and hasbeen a cantor for 25-plus years.Ive been doing stage perfor-mances, singing and acting, but itwas a little different than musicaltheater, she said.

Braunstein searched several lo-cations to open her theater, anddecided that Wellington would bethe best community. Its a greatniche for Wellington, she said.There was a real need for a pro-gram to teach children the funda-mentals of acting and musical per-formance.

But finding an appropriate ven-ue for practices and performanceswas a difficult task. Wellington

does not have a black box theaterthats a community performingarts center, Braunstein said. Find-ing a venue has been tough. Theones that are available dont typi-cally open their doors to outsideperformances.

After rigorously searching,Braunstein was fortunate enoughto be offered use of WellingtonHigh Schools venue. I was seri-ously considering choosing a ven-ue outside of Wellington, shesaid. Im glad that I can keep ithere because its for the Welling-ton community, and I would liketo keep it in the community.

The arrival of the WellingtonChildrens Theatre has createdeuphoria among Wellingtonsyoung thespians. The theater isopen to children ages 3 to 18, andoffers session workshops, class-

See THEATER, page 7

for the non-district town roads?Goltzen asked, explaining thatcouncil members had discussedthe issue in the past as it relates toMarcella Blvd. and Compton andBryan roads.

He asked whether the form thatwas used to gain title to BryanRoad would be appropriate for oth-er roads, and said the town shouldcome up with a process to get itdone. They asked people, Doyou want to be a road? Id like totake the first step in that process ifthats what were going to do,Goltzen said.

Town Attorney Mike Cirullo saidthe form was prepared by the

By Lauren MirTown-Crier Staff Report

Former Wellington Councilwom-an Laurie Cohen is now the topcontender to become the villagesnew attorney after Wellington Vil-lage Council members reached animpasse Monday with their origi-nal choice.

Were in the first step of thenegotiations, CouncilwomanAnne Gerwig told the Town-CrierWednesday. We just had our firstmeeting, and were trying to cometo an agreement.

But Gerwig noted that the coun-cil is expected to have anotherspecial meeting Monday, April 22after its agenda review meeting tofurther discuss the issue. It mayor may not be on the next councilagenda, she said. It depends onif the first draft of the contract isacceptable. Then we have topresent it to the council again.

Last week, council membersvoted to negotiate a contract withattorney Donald Dufresne, whohas served as chairman of the vil-lages Equestrian Preserve Com-mittee.

But negotiations stalled whenDufresne requested a salary and

benefits package that councilmembers considered too costly.

At a special meeting Monday,April 15, council members decid-ed to abandon talks with Dufresneand instead negotiate with Cohen,who was ranked second-highest.

After days of negotiation withDufresne, council members met todiscuss a modified contract.

Im not going to say Im com-fortable with it, said Gerwig, wholed the negotiations. It was thebest contract that I could come toan agreement on with this candi-date.

All in all, Dufresne was request-ing about $325,000 in compensa-tion including a $200,000 sala-ry and $500 a month for a vehicle.

I honestly thought the salarywas too high, Gerwig said.When we advertised this, we said$150,000 to $175,000, but thatwasnt anywhere in the range ac-ceptable to him.

Gerwig noted that she had at-tempted to compromise and wasasking council members to reviewa new contract that was close towhat Dufresne wanted.

Vice Mayor Howard Coates not-

project to see which one has themost promise.

So far we have completed atopographic survey of the area,both along the existing berm aswell as into the southern portionof the Corbett area, Mitnik said.In addition to that survey, wehave also conducted some geo-technical borings along that routeto be able to support the design ofthe new levee.

Considerations as specific con-ceptual designs are examined in-clude safety, the impact to thewetland and other environmentalconsiderations, complexity of con-struction, the cost, the amount ofseepage that comes from Corbettinto ITID and the impact of any ofthe alternatives on that amount ofseepage.

The idea that has received themost discussion is a new levee thatwould be constructed 150 to 220feet north of the existing levee in-side the wildlife management area.The proposal would include a 15-foot maintenance bench be-tween the existing berm and thenew one. Another option would

be to eliminate the maintenancebench and move the new bermcloser and incorporate it with theexisting berm, which would en-croach less into the managementarea.

Were going through the dif-ferent alternatives, comparingthem against the criteria to seewhich alternative has the mostpromise, Mitnik said. Well bedoing that over the next couple ofmonths.

Mitnik added that another pub-lic meeting is scheduled for Friday,April 26 at the SFWMD headquar-ters.

Martha Musgrove, represent-ing the Florida Wildlife Federation,said that Corbett is public land thatthe federation helped assembleusing taxpayers money. We ob-ject to any use of Corbett and thedestruction of wetlands withinCorbett, she said. They are avital part, an integral part, of theCorbett system.

Musgrove said the federationdoes not object to the berm projectitself but that, after consulting oth-

ACREAGE/LOX RELAY

The Acreage/Loxahatchee Relay for Life was held Saturdayand Sunday, April 13 and 14 at Acreage Community Park. Par-ticipants braved rain and thunderstorms to walk overnight andraise money for cancer research and program support. Theevents theme was Carnival, and teams had an array of fes-tive booths with activities and fun dcor.

MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 17PHOTO BY LAUREN MIR/TOWN-CRIER

Palm Beach Atlantic University intern Michelle Santiago withWellington Childrens Theatre founder Karen Braunstein at arehearsal for Annie Jr. at the Wellington High School theater.

PHOTO BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

See LAWYER, page 4

Womens Group PlansMay 5 Fun In The SunFundraising LuncheonIn order to continue helping oth-er women in need, the Womenof the Western Communitieswill host their annual fundrais-er themed Fun in the Sun: AJourney Through Florida onSunday, May 5 at 11 a.m. at theWanderers Club. Page 3

Rotary Hosts Jeans& Jewels Kickoff GalaThe Wellington Rotary Clubhosted its Jeans & Jewels kick-off party for the InternationalGay Polo Tournament on Friday,April 12 at the InternationalPolo Club Palm Beach. Page 9

Hospital Welcomes ArtSociety For DedicationThe Wellington Art Society dedi-cated 30 paintings to the PalmsWest Hospital Pediatric Unit onThursday, April 11. The artistsspent months painting pieces,which will be displayed through-out the unit. Page 11

GPL TournamentReturns To WellingtonThe fourth annual Gay PoloLeague International Tourna-ment returned to WellingtonsGrand Champions Polo Club lastSaturday. Page 13

April 19 - April 25, 2013 WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM The Town-Crier

The Town-Crier WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM April 19 - April 25, 2013 Page 3

NEWS

By Jessica GregoireTown-Crier Staff Report

Women helping women is whatthe Women of the Western Com-munities is all about. The organi-zation has been giving back to thecommunity for more than threedecades.

In order to continue helping oth-er women in need, the Women ofthe Western Communities willhost their annual fundraiser themedFun in the Sun: A JourneyThrough Florida on Sunday, May5 at 11 a.m. at the Wanderers Club.

The luncheon event will featurea 45-minute medley performance

by the award-winning, female acappella chorus Women of Note.The event is open to the publicand includes food, a silent auc-tion, a Chinese auction and a raf-fle.

The goal of the event is to raisemoney for the clubs primary char-ity, the Mary Rubloff YWCA Har-mony House, a safe house forwomen and children who are vic-tims of domestic violence andabuse. The fundraiser will alsosupport the WWC scholarshipfund. Grants are awarded in Juneto deserving local high school se-niors.

Women of the Western Commu-nities President Mair Armand saidthe luncheon is one of the groupsbiggest fundraising events of theyear. Our annual May fundraiseris our last one of the season, shesaid. We always have some typeof fundraiser every year to benefitour final monetary donation to theHarmony House and our scholar-ship fund.

Last year, the group awardedfive scholarships to young wom-en from the western communities.That was a fantastic feeling, asfar as Im concerned, Armandsaid. I believe the more educated

a girl is, the less likely she is to endup in places like the HarmonyHouse and in an abusive relation-ship.

Armand is hoping that the clubwill exceed last years scholarshipamount this year. It all dependson how well we do at this event,she said. The more money weraise, the more scholarships we areable to award. Its all contingentupon people coming out to theevent and supporting us.

The fundraiser theme varies ev-ery year, with past themes rang-ing from Breakfast at Tiffanys tothe Kentucky Derby.

Having the Women of Note per-form a live show is an integral partof making fundraising fun one of Armands key initiatives.

Armand said she knew that shehad to have the Women of Noteperform for the group as soon asshe heard them sing. Ive beento one of their practices at PalmBeach Central High School, and Iwas blown away by their perfor-mance, she said. They sangOver the Rainbow and Cabaret,and were impressive.

This year is the perfect time tohave the Women of Note performat one of the Women of the West-

ern Communities events. Theywere previously based in Boyn-ton, but recently moved out to theWellington area and are nowbased here, Armand said. Theyalso represent a group of talented,dedicated and amazing women,who coincide with what we standfor.

Tickets to the May 5 fundraiserare $45 per person and attendeesmust RSVP by May 1. The Wan-derers Club is located at 1900 AeroClub Drive in Wellington. For moreinformation, call Armand at (561)635-0011 or e-mail Carol [email protected].

Womens Group Plans May 5 Fun In The Sun Fundraising Luncheon


About 40 Royal Palm Beachresidents participated in a vi-sioning workshop Thursday,April 11 to provide input on whatthey would like to see in the vil-lages future.

Council members and seniorstaff were on hand to visit differ-ent tables of participants duringthe process and listen to residentsas they presented ideas that theythought would make a positiveinfluence on the village.

Many members of the villagesadvisory boards also participatedin the workshop.

Village Manager Ray Ligginssaid the purpose of the workshopwas to formulate a cohesive visionfor the village, explaining thatcouncil members and some seniorstaff had already met in a work-shop in November to formulate astrategic plan, which was facilitat-ed by consultant Lyle Sumek, whoalso coordinated last weeks work-shop.

The goal is a common visionfor Royal Palm Beach, Ligginssaid. The process includes com-munity input. Thats what you arehere for tonight. What were look-ing for is input moving forward. Ibelieve we share the same vision,and together we will achieve thatvision. We are here to get yourinput and hear from you.

Sumek said that all ideas wereto be written down on large padsprovided at each table so he couldtake all the information and orga-nize it.

Everything that gets writtendown is part of the public record,so everything that you write downwill be in my report, he said. My

staff and I sum up as you havewritten them.

Sumek said he would write anofficial summary to include themajor themes. Over the next fewdays, I will have these on my wall,and I will look through and seewhat the common themes are thatrun through the various groups,he explained.

Group members were asked tolisten to others comments, avoidmaking judgments, get all ideasrecorded and put stars besideitems that received a majority ofvotes from the respective tables.Elected officials were encouragedto listen with big ears and smallmouths.

Round One asked participantsto list what they considered majorsuccesses for the village and whythey decided to live in Royal PalmBeach.

Round Two asked them to se-lect three principles from the vil-lages vision statement whichis to be a premier residential com-munity with a hometown feel andthe choice for families, to be beau-tiful, safe, convenient and enjoy-able and then identify what theywant to see in the village by 2028,and what assets are important topreserve over the next 15 years.

Round Three asked participantsto prioritize the councils goals forthe village in 2018 that it hadagreed on in its visioning work-shop which were to continueto be financially sound, for the vil-lage to be more livable from curbappeal to convenience, be re-sponsive and provide communi-ty-based village services and fa-cilities, and to provide an abun-dance of leisure choices. Resi-dents were also asked to recom-

mend actions that should be pur-sued in 2013 to attain these goals.

Round Four asked what issuesneed to be addressed by the vil-lage over the next year, and whatwas the best way for village gov-ernment to communicate withthem, pointing out that e-mail,posting on the web site or enclos-ing newsletters in the utility billmight not be the most effectivemeans. He said residents of onecity he had consulted with hadresoundingly recommended thebathroom wall of a popular localrestaurant.

Sumek asked the group to voteon the comments when they werefinished recording them.

If youve listed 10 things, whatare the four or five that you feelare most important? he asked.The council and mayor dont getto vote. Their job is to listen andnot interject.

The last activity of the eveningwas for participants to write theirown comments to the mayor andcouncil.

You can write whatever youwant, and you dont need to signit, Sumek said. That will be typedup as part of the public record aswell. If you feel something didntget emphasized enough, give usthat feedback. Tonight is a nightto have a little fun. Be relaxed, butalso take the time to think aboutthe villages future.

Sumek called attention to a stra-tegic planning model that was in-cluded in handouts, especially tovisioning over the next 15 years,and decisions that have beenmade, or not been made, in the pastfive years to get the village whereparticipants feel it should go.

A decision is a set of value-

based concepts that define spe-cifically what you want to see, andtonight were going to take youout to that destination and haveyou say what you want to see in15 years, he said.

He explained that two cities nextdoor to each other that he hadworked with Boca Raton andDelray Beach came up with dis-tinctly different visions. If youcompare Atlantic Avenue toMizner Park, Sumek said, theyare two very different visions.Theyre both right becausetheyre right for their communi-ties.

Results for the Royal PalmBeach workshop are expectedback at the village by next Thurs-day, Liggins said.

Dozens Of Royal Palm Residents Take Part In Visioning Workshop

Royal Palm Beach Planning Director Bradford OBrien (center) listens as residents share their vision.

Consultant Lyle Sumek explains the point of theworkshop as Mayor Matty Mattioli looks on.

PHOTOS BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

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Your Community NewspaperServing The Palms West Communities For 33 YearsPublished Weekly By Newspaper Publishers, Inc.

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Wellington, Florida 33414Phone: (561) 793-7606

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EDITORIAL STAFF/ Chris Felker Denise FleischmanJessica Gregoire Lauren Mir

CONTRIBUTORS/ Jules Rabin Ellen Rosenberg Leonard Wechsler Deborah W elky

ART & PRODUCTION MANAGER/ Stephanie Rodriguez

ADVERTISING/ Betty Buglio Evie Edwards Wanda Glockson

STAFF/ Shanta Daibee Carol Lieberman Geri ONeil

POSTAL STATEMENTThe Town-Crier (USPS #021547) is published week-ly by Newspaper Publishers Inc., 12794 W. ForestHill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414-7458.Periodicals Postage Paid at West Palm Beach, FL.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Town-Crier, c/o Newspaper Publishers Inc., 12794 W.Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414-7458.

BARRY S. MANNINGPublisher

JOSHUA I. MANNINGExecutive Editor

RON BUKLEYManaging Editor

JODY GORRANAssociate Publisher

DAWN RIVERAGeneral Manager

JASON BUDJINSKICommunity Editor

TOWN-CRIERTHEOUR OPINION

Focus On The Good: Dont Be Ruled By Fear After Boston Bombings

Founded In 1980 By Bob Markey Sr.Copyright 2013, Newspaper Publishers Inc.

The publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising.

MEMBER OFThe Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce

LETTERS TO THE EDITORDecision Time ForThe Tennis Center

Shortly, the Wellington VillageCouncil will be asked to make adecision on where to locate a newWellington Tennis Center. Thisdecision is necessary to move for-ward with plans for the new com-munity center and its replacement,but also for the future of the high-ly successful tennis program inWellington that encompasses res-idents from six years old to 80 yearsold.

I want to compliment the coun-cil and staff for offering informa-tional meetings and workshops onthis topic. In addition, I applaudthe Parks & Recreation AdvisoryBoard for also discussing the sub-ject and listening to residents. Thisdecision will affect many for yearsto come and each site has nega-tives and positives, several of thesites also will incur additional costsif selected.

One site, Village Walk on LyonsRoad, does have a consensus; anegative one that all persons con-nected with the tennis program allagree. It wont work, it is too far,traffic is too congested at peakhours due to the elementary and

middle schools, and it is located ina residential neighborhood. All ofthe other three the mall site, K-Park and the old Boys & Girls Clubsite have positives and nega-tives. The mall site and the oldBoys & Girls Club are very closeto the current center, have ade-quate acreage and would allow fora larger marketing of the programsto more families. The major prob-lem is that both sites currentlyhouse recreational facilities thatservice the community, and wouldrequire large sums of capital tomove those fields and facilities toanother location and delay themove of the tennis center.

The K-Park site has no impedi-ments to building the center there,and actually is almost site-readywith a water source and utilities inplace for construction. It also iswithin the distance range that cur-rent members would not be de-terred, and possibly be attractiveto players outside of Wellingtonand increase membership and rev-enue. The negative with this siteis hypothetical: would using 13 to15 acres for a tennis center reducethe total property for future saleto a developer or builder?

The key for all is that the coun-

cil makes a decision. They havekicked the can down the road longenough. It is time to move forwardand take care of business. The res-idents deserve action on the partof their elected officials. I applaudthe council for listening and hear-ing the different opinions andthoughts, but it is now time to act.

Steve HaughnWellington

Thanks SFF ForBarrett-JacksonI have been living in Welling-

ton for the past five years and amso pleased to see all the many lo-cal events that are here for every-one to be a part of.

Just recently I attended the Bar-rett-Jackson car show at the SouthFlorida Fairgrounds. It was reallya treat for my family and out-of-town guests. They were so excit-ed that such a big event would beright here in Palm Beach County.We were fortunate to be able toget VIP passes and enjoyed see-ing all the cars and auto exhibits.

It was good to see many of ourarea celebrities being a part andsupportive with their attendancealso. I was very pleased to see our

own Wellington Councilman MattWillhite and his wife with Mr. DonDufresne. I think having such sup-port is important as it encouragesothers to come out.

I am looking forward to goingagain next year, as well as to all thewonderful concerts and family funin our village. Thank you to thefair for giving us so many choicesfor good family entertainment.

Nell Hagen-AltmanWellington

Careful WhatWe Teach

Our ChildrenThe application of law in our

society depends largely on whoyou are and what resources youhave. Ah theres the rub! Wehave entered a great technologi-cal era, and as a nation, we haveexceeded far beyond our dreams,and we are just at the beginning.

Unfortunately and too often,pursuits by our children are guid-ed not by their desires or interestsbut by our desire that they becomewealthy and influential. Their de-sires and interests are often sup-pressed by our promise that we

know whats good for them. Weoften pressure them into careersthey qualify for, based on outcomeand the perception that wealth andinfluence is the goal that will givethem happiness.

The reality is that many becomeoverstressed trying to live theirparents dream for them, and windup unhappy and disillusioned.The careers we choose for themare often at a price of stress andself-denial few of us would choosefor ourselves.

The pillars of our society, a so-ciety that we have created for them,has turned into a nightmare, withour religious institutions caughtin one scandal after another, andwe have our young people follow-ing men of straw, who far from ex-

SEND IN YOUR LETTERSThe Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Pleasekeep letters brief (300 words). Submit letters, withcontact 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 cane-mail [email protected].

When bombs rocked the Boston Marathon on Monday, our nation once again felt the quakeof fear and confusion a feeling that so many of us wish we could forget. And while its easyto be gripped by fear after such a tragedy, we must not let that fear prevent us from comingtogether and moving forward.

By all accounts, the Boston Marathon bombing was an amateur affair, designed to grabheadlines and cause damage. Though no suspects had been named at press time, accounts byFBI and law enforcement officials point to rudimentary devices meant to maim and attractattention. One thing we do not want to do is overreact, as overreacting will give the perpetra-tors of this horrible crime exactly what they are looking for.

Though it is easy to dwell on the atrocity of the day, we must focus instead on the stories ofsurvival and of heroes who abandoned their fears to help others. Watching videos of the attack which are not for the faint of heart one is struck by the sheer number of people who rannot away from the blasts, but toward the victims. These were police, fire and military person-nel, but also volunteers, runners and bystanders. All of them moved swiftly to help not onlythose who had been maimed in the attack, but also those in need of comfort or just a warmblanket. No act of kindness is too small.

The late Fred Rogers once wrote of overcoming his fears during times of tragedy. When I

was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, he wrote, my mother would say to meLook for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.

Already, the stories of heroism have punctured with hope the bleak news of death anddespair. From Sgt. Tyler Dodd, who comforted a wounded woman by showing her his ownshrapnel wounds to calm her, to Brent Cunningham, who gave up his finishers medal to fellowrunner Laura Wellington when shed been just short of the finish line, these are the stories thatshould be told of that day.

The swift action of first responders, and the action of medical staff at the 10 Boston hospi-tals, is being credited for the survival of the more than 170 victims injured in the attack. Manyhave been released, though others remain in critical condition. But it was thanks to the readi-ness and preparation of our first responders, and also the enduring spirit of the hundreds ofpeople who pitched in to help.

As law enforcement officials continue to search for those responsible, we must not get sofocused on vengeance that we forget about the compassion, bravery and kindness shown byour brethren in the face of unspeakable horror.

We continue to hold the victims and their families in our thoughts and know that Boston willcome together bigger, better and stronger.

amples of morality have fallen fromgrace.

Politically, we teach our childrento respect our laws and defend ourfree and open elections, then sug-gest to them that some of us arenot really Americans, and we mustbe prepared to defend ourselvesagainst our own law enforcementand our own government. Theyoung are being taught that mon-ey is everything and that our lawscan be circumvented by specialinterests. Yet we decry the aban-donment of moral and religiousvalues, values we talk loudlyabout only when they dont con-flict with our own interests, in aland where money is king!

Richard NielsenRoyal Palm Beach

Footlooseand...By JulesW. Rabin

1) the name of every building res-ident with an open warrant; 2) ar-rest records or previous policesummons; 3) every apartment witha prior domestic incident report;4) all units with orders of protec-tion against them; 5) registeredgun owners in the building; and6) arrest photographs of everyparolee (also the location of everyvideo camera in the area focusedon the building).

The New York City Police De-partment is pretty much tops in theworld. And policing a city of 8 mil-lion is surely a daunting task. Buttechnological advances in todaysworld also have helped advancecrime fighting in the Big Apple byleaps and bounds.

The newest high-tech instru-ment in the police arsenal was theissuance of a smart phone to 400of the finest. A quick review of a

Yes, in a single 14-story apart-ment building there were thou-sands and thousands of immedi-ately available, up-to-date, perti-nent records.

Further, for the first time now,officers can look up a personscriminal history and verify theiridentity by accessing computer-ized arrest files, police photo-graphs and motor vehicle databas-es. Also, the police can now tell if

a person has ever been a passen-ger in a motor vehicle accident orthe victim of a crime. In domesticviolence cases, the smart phonewill see how many times policehave been to the residence and thedetails.

Another recent typical case hadthe patrol spot an idling car parkedon a sidewalk. The woman in thedrivers seat had no ID but claimedto have a drivers license and gave

typical patrol at a Harlem housingproject will blow your mind. Heresthe information the phone re-vealed with just a couple of taps:

New York Citys Police: Using Technology To Stay A Step AheadOPINION

a name and a date of birth bothwere bogus. It turned out that theregistered owner was wanted bythe police for robbery. The arrestswere easy. Looks like New YorkCity, despite its size and incredi-ble complexity, is bowing to thewonder world of electronics we livein today. I suspect were I to con-template a life of crime or illegalityI would seek a different locationfor my nefarious schemes.

NEWSLawyerNo Contract

With DonDufrensecontinued from page 1

ed that he had agreed to hire a newattorney as a cost-saving measure.

I supported going to an in-house position if it saves us mon-ey, he said. When I look at this[revised] contract, I have a hardtime coming to the conclusion thatwell save money.

Village Manager Paul Schofieldsaid that council members must de-cide whether they want to pursuethe contract or stop negotiations.

Is the compensation packagesomething you are comfortablewith? he asked. If the answer tothat is yes, then we move forward.If its not, we stop. Lets figure outthat first.

Councilman Matt Willhite saidone of his concerns was themonthly car allowance.

Gerwig said it was a deal-break-er for Dufresne.

He found the car allowance tobe a deal-breaker, even though wethought it wouldnt be, she said.He said that he has one car, and ifhes going to be using it for busi-ness, we could either provide himan allowance or provide him witha car.

Willhite asked whether he wasamenable to a pooled vehicle, butGerwig said he was not.

He either wanted a dedicatedvehicle for his use or an allow-ance, she noted.

Another matter of concern wasthat Dufresne asked for his fourweeks of paid time off upfront, rath-er than earning it over the courseof the year.

Could, on day one, they taketheir 160 hours of paid time off?Willhite asked, noting that Duf-resne would also get another 12weeks of extended disability timeoff.

Schofield said it was a possibil-ity.

Theoretically, yes, but its notlikely, he said. Its not uncom-mon for very senior employees toget their paid time off preloadedas part of their contract negotia-tion.

Coates asked what the total costwas for base salary and all bene-fits under the proposed contract,and Schofield said it was between$320,000 and $325,000.

Mayor Bob Margolis said thatthe council should focus first onestablishing a base salary and thenon benefits.

Hes asking for a base salaryof $200,000 a year, Margolis said.We advertised salary require-ments lower than that. If were notcomfortable with [the proposedsalary], then anything else we talkabout goes back to square one.

Willhite said he wasnt neces-sarily opposed to raising the sala-ry.

I called around to some other

municipalities, he said. That iswhat some of the other attorneysare making at municipalities thatare similar in size and caliber.

But Gerwig noted that some ofthose attorneys had been practic-ing municipal law for years.

I said [to Dufresne] that I waswilling to go to the high range ofour advertisement, knowing thathe knows the community well,she said. But as far as represent-ing a background in this work, hehasnt done that.

Gerwig said she told him hiscontract could be reconsideredafter a year, but he wasnt inter-ested in anything lower than$200,000.

Deputy Village Manager JohnBonde, who also sat in on the ne-gotiations, said that Dufresnewould be taking a pay cut. He saidhe couldnt go any lower becauseit was less than he is currentlymaking, Bonde explained.

But Coates said one shouldntexpect the same income.

You almost never replace a pri-vate-sector income when you goto work in the public sector, hesaid.

Willhite said overall he was notpleased with the proposed con-tract.

I was looking for a little betterpackage deal for this, he said.Its not the salary, its the bene-fits that is the problem for me.

He reiterated that he was againsta car allowance for employees.

I think when you drive to work

like every other person does, youdont need it, he said. You haveto have a means to get to work.Now if you go somewhere and dobusiness while on the job, thenyou get 55 cents a mile. Or, we canoffer a pool car.

Bonde noted that, as he un-derstood it, Dufresne was not in-tending on negotiating any fur-ther.

Margolis said that was a bigconcern for him. So if this coun-cil doesnt agree on this contract,if we have some concerns aboutsalary or car allowance thenthats it? he asked.

Gerwig said she would encour-age council members to still try tonegotiate.

I dont think were going to getanywhere, she said. But Id liketo say that all five of us agree thattheres a bit too much here andthere.

But Councilman John Greene,who had to leave the meeting ear-ly, was concerned about delayinga decision and incurring between$10,000 and $20,000 a month in le-gal fees.

My only concern about notmoving forward is that we are in-curring significant costs everymonth due to fact that we donthave someone in house dealingwith some of these issues, hesaid.

Coates said he didnt want tostart the process over. If wewerent successful in negotiatingwith our first choice, I thought wed

move to the second or thirdchoice, he said.

After much discussion, councilmembers agreed they would bewilling to provide a $350 monthlycar allowance and a salary of$187,000, but also wanted to clearup language in the contract thatwould allow for termination of theattorney without cause.

Though Dufresne did not at-tend the meeting, Wellington staffcontacted him via phone, and herejected the offer.

He said thank you for the op-portunity, but he was not interest-ed, Schofield said. So, you havesome options here. You can giveus direction to talk to the next per-son.

Council members debated two

attorneys, Gary Brandenburg andCohen. Staff noted that Branden-burg had more municipal experi-ence but lives farther away, whileCohen lives in Wellington hasbeen involved in the community.

I would support moving aheadwith [Cohen], Gerwig said. I thinkit will be more fruitful.

But Willhite said he was con-cerned at her willingness to take alower salary.

It felt like she was willing totake anything, he said. If youput a price range of $20,000 differ-ence and theyre willing to take thebottom end of the salary thatconcerns me.

Council members voted 3-1 tonegotiate with Cohen. Willhite dis-sented, and Greene was absent.

Families First of Palm BeachCounty is bringing the county anevent that includes fun activitiesfor children and parents with a fit-ness, education and safety com-ponent for all. Several organiza-tions, including the School Dis-trict of Palm Beach County, thePalm Healthcare Foundation, theLiteracy Coalition of Palm BeachCounty, and the Florida Depart-ment of Health, have joined Fami-lies First in this unique event.

Families First Day will be at Rog-er Dean Stadium in Jupiter on Sat-urday, April 27. Children 12 andyounger are free to the event, andwill be able to tour SWAT and

hostage negotiator vehicles, a fire-rescue truck, get their face paint-ed and enjoy a baseball game. TheBusch Wildlife Sanctuary will beat the event with animals and ac-cepting donations of Dawn liquidsoap. There will also be a Zumbaclass, Tutti Frutti will be givingaway samples, and the DrowningPrevention Coalition will be onhand with safety information.

This is an amazing communityevent, said Julie Swindler of Fam-ilies First. Its a great way to fo-cus on children while highlightingwhat we do.

Adult tickets are $6 and are avail-able at www.familiesfirstpbc.org.

Families First Day Set For April 27


NEWS

MID-COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CLUB MEETING FEATURES PBC INSPECTOR GENERALThe Mid-County Democratic Club met Monday, April 15 at Trees Wings in Royal Palm Beach with guest speakers Palm Beach CountyInspector General Sheryl Steckler and County Commissioner Jess Santamaria. Steckler spoke about the duties of her office, along withwhat problems she was encountering and correcting. Santamaria addressed the importance of the inspector general. Santamariaurged citizens to get involved in community government, learn the facts and let officials know what the citizens really want governmentto do. The club meets the third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at Trees Wings. For info., e-mail [email protected].

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

PBC Inspector General Sheryl Stecklerdiscusses the functions of her office.

Vice President Matthew Kurit and Treasurer Amanda Schumachersurprise President Dave Schumacher with a birthday cake. Santamaria stresses the importance of the inspector general.

WELLINGTON LANDINGS MIDDLE SCHOOL CELEBRATES ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARYWellington Landings Middle School marked its 25th anniversary with a celebration Saturday, April 13 in the school courtyard. Theschool invited the community to enjoy a pancake breakfast, a student musical showcase and the unveiling of the schools new coat ofarms and mosaic art wall. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

The Wellington Landings Twirlers perform for the crowd.Guidance Coordinator Judy Herrick and

Guidance Counselor Diane Maher sell tickets.

Charles, Val, Kai, Sierra, Sylvia andCharlie Pelizza enjoy breakfast.

Volunteer moms Susan Gabriel, Lisa Sheilds, Kerri Kaiserand Rhonda Perez serve breakfast to guests.

Members of the Mosaic Club who worked to design the newmural gather in front of it before the ribbon cutting.

Local officials and WLMS staff with the mosaic and coat of arms.


CRIME NEWS

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 Countyis asking for the publics help in findingthese wanted fugitives:

Adolfo De Los Santos-Mendoza is awhite male, 58 tall and weighing 200lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. Hisdate of birth is 05/08/73. Santos-Mendo-za is wanted for felony trafficking in mar-ijuana, unlawfully possessing property fortrafficking and sale or manufacture of acontrolled substance, as well as violationof probation. His last known address wasBilbao Street in Royal Palm Beach. He iswanted as of 04/11/13.

Nicholas Morris, alias Nick, is a whitemale, 62 tall and weighing 220 lbs., withbrown hair and blue eyes. His date of birthis 05/05/82. He has multiple tattoos.Morris is wanted for failure to appear oncharges of grand theft and driving underthe influence. His last known address wasMonterey Way in Royal Palm Beach. He iswanted as of 04/11/13.

Remain anonymous and you may be el-igible for up to a $1,000 reward. Call CrimeStoppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or vis-it www.crimestopperspbc.com.

Adolfo De LosSantos-Mendoza

Nicholas Morris


APRIL 10 A resident of Olym-pia called the Palm Beach CountySheriffs Office in Wellington lastWednesday morning to report avehicle burglary. According to aPBSO report, sometime between11 p.m. last Tuesday and 5:30 a.m.the following morning, someoneentered the victims unlocked ve-hicle and stole a stereo and navi-gation system along with a purse.The stolen items were valued atapproximately $1,000. There wereno suspects or witnesses at thetime of the report.

APRIL 12 A resident of Olym-pia contacted the PBSO substa-tion in Wellington last Friday morn-ing to report a vehicle burglary.According to a PBSO report, thevictim left his van unlocked over-night and sometime between 12:45and 7 a.m., someone removed sev-eral of his possessions. Accord-ing to the report, the perpetrator(s)stole an IBM laptop computer,several tools, a .38 Taurus revolv-er and several 9mm rounds, alongwith the victims wallet. The sto-len items were valued at approxi-mately $1,100. DNA evidence wastaken at the scene, but there wereno suspects at the time of the re-port.

APRIL 10 Two West PalmBeach women were arrested lastWednesday evening on shoplift-ing charges after they were caughtstealing from the Walmart Super-center on Belvedere Road. Ac-cording to a PBSO report, a depu-ty from the Royal Palm Beach sub-station was dispatched to thestore after a loss prevention offic-er observed 36-year-old MerandaHire and 18-year-old SamanthaBolin conceal several items fromthe beauty and health departmentin a backpack and purse. Accord-ing to the report, Hire and Bolinthen placed the backpack in a shop-ping cart and covered it with a blan-ket before attempting to exit thestore. The loss prevention officerstopped them and recovered$409.98 in stolen merchandise.Both women were arrested andtaken to the Palm Beach CountyJail, where they were charged withretail theft.

APRIL 11 A juvenile was ar-rested last Thursday afternoon inregard to a robbery. According toa PBSO report, the victim contact-ed the PBSO substation in RoyalPalm Beach after being robbed ofhis iPhone during an altercationon Bobwhite Road. According tothe report, at approximately 3:30p.m., the juvenile approached thevictim and punched him in the face.The victim was holding his iPhoneand dropped it. According to thereport, the juvenile then pushedthe victim and picked up the iP-hone, then fled in a vehicle beingdriven by an another male. Ac-cording to the report, deputiesstopped the vehicle on Okeecho-bee Blvd. near State Road 7 andwere able to detain the juvenile.He was arrested and taken to thePBSOs Juvenile Assessment Cen-ter.

APRIL 12 A deputy from thePBSO substation in Wellingtonwas dispatched to a home in Hid-den Pines of Wellington last Fri-day morning regarding a burglary.According to a PBSO report, thevictim was at home at approximate-ly 10:15 a.m. when she observedan unknown man open her rearsliding glass door. According tothe report, the man ran when herealized the victim was home. The

suspect is described as a whitemale around 25 years old wearinga blue shirt and khaki shorts. Therewas no further information avail-able at the time of the report.

APRIL 13 A deputy from thePBSO substation in Wellingtonwas dispatched to the Palm BeachInternational Equestrian Centerlast Saturday morning regarding atheft. According to a PBSO report,sometime between Saturday,March 23 and Wednesday, March27, someone stole a bronze horsehead trophy from the office. Ac-cording to the report, the trophywas sitting on the receptionistsdesk. The stole item was valued atapproximately $2,500. There wereno suspects or witnesses at thetime of the report.

APRIL 13 A resident ofGreenacres called the PBSOs Acre-age/Loxahatchee substation lastSaturday evening to report lostproperty. According to a PBSOreport, the complainants daugh-ter was at Acreage CommunityPark from 5 to 6 p.m. when she losther iPhone. The complainantsdaughter did not remember whereshe lost it, and believed it mayhave fallen out of her pocket. TheiPhone was valued at approximate-ly $600. There was no further in-formation available at the time ofthe report.

APRIL 13 A resident ofKings Way contacted the PBSOsubstation in Royal Palm Beach latelast Saturday night regarding avehicle theft. According to a PBSOreport, the victim was sleeping atapproximately 11:50 p.m. when heheard the engine of his 2006 FordF-350 start up. The truck was driv-en out of the victims driveway,even though he was still in pos-session of his keys. According tothe report, the vehicle had a flat-bed trailer attached and a .9mmBeretta semi-automatic pistol inthe glovebox that were also sto-len. There was no further informa-tion available at the time of the re-port.

APRIL 14 A deputy from thePBSOs Acreage/Loxahatcheesubstation was dispatched to theintersection of A Road and Okee-chobee Blvd. early last Sundaymorning after a resident reportedbeing robbed. According to thereport, the victim was walkinghome at approximately 12:30 a.m.when a gold vehicle occupied byfour white males stopped him.According to the report, the per-petrators got out of the vehicle anddemanded the victims money. Thevictim had $300 cash on him, buthad told the perpetrators he didnthave any money. According to thereport, one of the suspects struckthe victim on the left side of theface with an unknown object andtook the cash. There was no fur-ther information available at thetime of the report.

APRIL 15 A deputy from thePBSO substation in Royal PalmBeach was dispatched to a homein La Mancha on Monday after-noon regarding a home burglary.According to a PBSO report,sometime between 8 a.m. and 3p.m., someone forced open thekitchen window of the home andgained access. Once inside, theperpetrator(s) ransacked the homeand stole a jewelry box containingseveral watches, necklaces andrings, an Xbox 360 game consoleand several games, and a fire safewith personal papers. The stolenitems were valued at approximate-ly $3,800. DNA evidence was tak-en at the scene, but there were nosuspects at the time of the report.

Vehicle BurglariesReported In Olympia


NEWS


The Florida Alliance for RetiredAmericans held a forum on theAffordable Healthcare Act onTuesday, April 9 at the Wellingtonlibrary. Attorney Matthew VandenBosch addressed the legal aspectsof the act while FLARA PresidentTony Fransetta explained how itwill affect people.

Bosch said the Affordable CareAct was found constitutional bythe U.S. Supreme Court in June2012 when it ruled in a 5-4 deci-sion that the requirement that mostAmericans buy health insuranceor pay a penalty was authorizedby Congresss power to levy tax-

es and regulate commerce.Also at issue was an expansion

of Medicaid that required thestates to accept the AffordableHealthcare Act or face the with-holding of Medicaid benefits tothose states. The court found thatstates could opt out of that provi-sion.

Fransetta said the underlyingdriving force behind the case thatwent before the court was the in-surance companies.

Nowhere in the world in otherdeveloped countries do the insur-ance companies have the powerand political might that they do inAmerica, Fransetta said. Youcan go to Germany and if you

dont like your healthcare plan,you can change and go to anoth-er one. They may have as many as60 different healthcare plans, butthey have national healthcare. Ithas been established many years.The government regulates the in-surance companies.

Fransetta said that in America,each state regulates health insur-ance differently. If you go to NewYork and you buy an insurancepolicy, chances are youre goingto get pretty good insurance. Itsregulated there by the state exten-sively, he said. If you go to Lou-isiana, it wont cost you as much,but youre not going to get no-where near as much.

Attorney Matthew Vanden Bosch speaks at a Florida Alliancefor Retired Americans forum last week at the Wellington library.

PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

Healthcare Act The Topic OfFLARA Forum In Wellington


Members of the Wellington Vil-lage Council unanimously ap-proved a resolution last week toplat the Blue Cypress developmentat Palm Beach Polo & CountryClub.

The change was necessary af-ter Wellingtons Planning, Zoning& Adjustment Board voted lastyear to rehear and revoke the prop-ertys site plan because membersthought that a road change hadencroached on frontage owned byNeil Hirsch.

There is also a lawsuit broughtby Palm Beach Polo owner GlennStraub regarding the matter, and

council members were concernedat the April 9 meeting that the law-suit had not been resolved.

The new plat would affect a lit-tle more than 24 acres owned byStraub, which includes 10 estatelots and all necessary rights-of-way and easements.

The change would realign BlueCypress Lane and create Blue Cy-press Blvd., as well as create 57zero-lot-line residential lots.

Councilman John Greene askedattorney Claudio Riedi, who pre-sented the application, whatwould be constructed between thetwo roadways.

Riedi said the property had fu-ture development rights for 10

units. In order to develop them,they would have to come back andreplat, he said. Theyd have toget a site plan.

Greene asked whether bothStraub and Hirsch were in agree-ment with the new plat, and Riedisaid that they were.

Councilman Matt Willhite askedwhy there was still a lawsuit overthe matter.

This agreement is by both par-ties; however, there is still a law-suit pending, he noted. Wasthere any discussion about drop-ping that lawsuit if this agreementwas brought forward?

Riedi said that it was still beingdiscussed.

I dont think it will be imminent,but my crystal ball tells me thatwill be occurring sometime in thefuture, he said. Eventually thoselots will need to be developed andsold. They will not want the law-suit pending; that will kill the title.It is in their best interest to resolveand settle the lawsuits.

Greene noted that the councilcould not place a condition on theplat to force settlement of the law-suit, but he reached out to Straub,who was sitting in the audience.

Both parties have come to anagreement in what they were try-ing to achieve, he said. Clearly,the desire is to be able to sell anddevelop these lots. This seems to

be an avenue to achieve this. As agoodwill gesture, I would kindlyask that you consider droppingthat lawsuit. Is that something youwould entertain?

Straub said he would not. Nottonight, he said.

Despite concerns, council mem-bers expressed confidence that theagreement was the best deal foreveryone involved.

Willhite made a motion to ap-prove the measure, which passedunanimously.

In other business, council mem-bers gave final approval last weekto the Family Vision Center devel-opment on State Road 7 just northof Palomino Drive.

The 1-acre parcel is located eastof the Farmington Estates commu-nity and would include a 5,000-square-foot medical office build-ing.

Agent for the applicant DonHearing noted that about 1,500square feet of the space would beopen for professional office ormedical office leasing.

During public comment, Well-ington Chamber of Commerce PastPresident Alec Domb said thechamber was fully in support ofthe office coming to Wellington.It would be a great addition, hesaid.

The ordinance passed unani-mously.

Wellington Council Agrees To New Plat For Polos Blue Cypress

TheaterAnnie Jr.

Opens ThisWeekendcontinued from page 1

es and a summer theater camp.These sessions are taught at #1Education Place in the originalWellington Mall, where Braun-stein subleases space and pre-pares students for productions.

Having a childrens theater inWellington has made it more con-venient for parents. They are veryexcited that they have a programright in the heart of town wherethey can bring their children,Braunstein said. Many have beenlooking for a program like ours, butjust couldnt travel very far to oth-er venues offering similar pro-grams.

The Wellington Childrens The-atre offers sessions for children ofall ages, such as Broadway Babiesand Acting Out, which are ses-sions for preschoolers and 6- or 7-year-olds. These kids do theatergames, improv, and I really try toconvey to them the fundamentalsof being a good actor in an age-appropriate and fun way, Braun-stein said. We also do vocal les-sons and breathing.

For staged productions, olderchildren practice through variousactivities, including musical the-ater workshops and audition prepworkshops taught by former Drey-foos School of the Arts TheaterDepartment Dean BeverlyBlanchette.

We offer something for everychild interested in theater, Braun-stein said. We have kids whocant sing, so we work with themon pitch, and there are kids whoneed help with acting and we as-sist them with that.

Seeing the improvement in thechildrens demeanor has been arewarding feeling.

I have kids who are very shyand have opened up, Braunsteinsaid. As we do more exercises,

the children slowly come out oftheir shells and start taking risks.

Braunstein believes acting is allabout taking risks. Once they cangrasp letting go and really focus,it just makes it a real joy to performand gives them a great deal of con-fidence, she said.

For tickets to Annie Jr., visitwww.wellingtonchildrenstheatre.com or call (561) 223-1928.

(Right) Lily Marie, Jade Masterand Emily Shecter all play An-nie, with Haley Mowery as Dad-dy Warbucks.(Below) Wellington ChildrensTheatre founder Karen Braun-stein watches during a rehears-al.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

American Legion Auxiliary,Royal Palm Beach Unit 367, willhold its monthly meeting Wednes-day, May 1 at 10 a.m. at Palms WestPresbyterian Church, located at13689 Okeechobee Blvd. in Loxa-hatchee Groves.

Unit members want to show theirappreciation for everything mili-tary veterans have done to helpprotect the United States. As such,the meeting will include celebra-tions for Armed Forces Day, Me-morial Day and Time of Remem-brance and Reconciliation forThose Who Lost Their Lives Dur-ing the Second World War, all ofwhich are observed in May.

Veterans and the public are in-vited to join Cpl. Burt Richardsfrom the Veterans Speakers Forumfor a look at honoring those whoserved and a review of American

history. Attendees will learn aboutthe meaning of the Pledge of Alle-giance and the changes that haveoccurred with the pledge, and thewriter of the words and music forthe United States national an-them.

Richards, a World War II veter-an, will explain what a veteran is,who created G.I. Joe and whatcountries all over the world haveAmerican soldiers laid to rest inforeign fields of honor. The pro-gram will end with a review of theMarines World War II Battle onIwo Jima and the meaning and sig-nificance of Armed Forces Dayand Memorial Day. Snacks anddrinks will be served after the meet-ing.

For more information, or toRSVP, call (561) 818-9114 or [email protected].

The Loxahatchee Groves Land-owners Association will meetThursday, April 25 at 7 p.m. atPalms West Presbyterian Church(13689 Okeechobee Blvd., Loxa-hatchee Groves).

The guest speaker will be BrianGentry of the Palm Beach CountyEnvironmental Resources Man-agement Department, who willgive an overview of the countysrole in the protection of surfacewater bodies such as the LakeWorth Lagoon. He will discuss thecountys surface water qualitymonitoring program, the nationalpollutant discharge monitoringpermit, the countys stormwater

pollution prevention permit, totalmaximum daily loads and numeri-cal nutrient criteria for surface wa-ters.

There will be a question-and-answer time after the speaker fin-ishes discussing the topics. Thisis an open meeting at which resi-dents will get a chance to discussissues of concern relating to thetown.

The meeting is open to the pub-lic, but only LGLA members with2013 paid dues can make motionsand vote on them.

For more information, contactMarge Herzog at (561) 818-9114 [email protected].

NEWS BRIEFSAmerican Legion AuxiliaryMeets May 1 In Lox Groves

PBC ERM RepresentativeTo Speak At LGLA Meeting

Send news items to: The Town-Crier Newspaper, 12794W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414.

Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: [email protected].


NEWS BRIEFSLibrary Launches

New Web SiteThe Palm Beach County Library

System launched a new web siteMonday, April 15. The site featuresa new look and a new catalogsearch feature.

The clean, modern look and lay-out make it easier to read, exploreand find what you are looking for.On every page, there is search boxand links to popular information.

The home page includes whatshappening in the library systemthat day, with a real-time listing ofevents and articles about upcom-ing programs and new services.Visitors can search for adult, chil-dren and teen programs by dateor location.

Visitors will also find the li-brarys new catalog search engine,which offers higher-accuracy re-sults. The new catalog uses natu-ral language searching just en-ter your terms the way you do onAmazon or Google. Searching thecatalog simultaneously searchesthe librarys catalog and other da-tabases so guests dont have toconduct multiple searches to ac-cess database content.

The web site also allows usersto customize account information

and create reading lists. From thecatalog, guests can share favoritebooks, movies and more on Face-book and Twitter. For more infor-mation, visit www.pbclibrary.org.

Central ChamberGala April 26

The annual Central Palm BeachCounty Chamber of CommerceInstallation Gala A Diamond Af-fair: Celebrating 100 Years fromCane to Coral will be held Friday,April 26 at 6 p.m. at the Interna-tional Polo Club Palm Beach inWellington.

We are very excited to be cele-brating our first complete year asa newly formed chamber and 100years of history with our business-es and our communities. We areso proud of all that has been ac-complished since are merger lastyear, CEO Jaene Miranda said.Our members look forward eachyear to this event, and it wouldnot be possible without the sup-port of partners like our present-ing sponsor, Mercantil Commer-cebank.

The merger last year broughttwo chambers together as one the Palms West Chamber estab-lished 30 years ago this year, and

the Greater Lake Worth Chamber,which is celebrating 100 years andwas instrumental in forming theCity of Lake Worth.

The event will feature the instal-lation of the 2013-14 chamber of-ficers and directors. The ceremo-nial gavel will be passed from cur-rent chairman, Dr. Jeffrey Bishop,to the new chairman, FranciscoGonzalez of Gonzalez & Shenk-men.

It has been an honor to serveas chairman, Bishop said. Wehave accomplished many projectsand have had many successfulfundraising events. The joining ofthe Lake Worth and Palms Westchambers has proven to be verybeneficial for all the communitiesinvolved. Certainly in the past yearthe medical community has hadsignificant exposure with themany mixers. I will be there to helpFrank Gonzalez in his transition asthe new chairman.

Gonzalez, a Wellington resident,provides experienced legal repre-sentation in the areas of commer-cial and residential real estate andbusiness law. It is a privilege tobe stepping into the role of chair-man of the chamber, he said. Inthese trying economic times, itsvital to have an organization such

as our chamber as an advocate forour business community mem-bers. I am committed to makingcentral Palm Beach County notonly a place where existing busi-nesses can thrive and grow butone that attracts new industriesand employment centers.

Aside from his work with thechamber, Gonzalez is also a gradu-ate of Leadership West PalmBeach, served on the board of Jun-ior Achievement of the PalmBeaches and coached basketballfor the Wellington Recreation pro-gram. He and his wife Christinahave three sons: Nicholas, Nathanand Daniel. They have lived heresince 1997.

The evening will start off with acocktail reception, followed by anelegant dinner, silent auction, liveauction, the installation of theboard and dancing the night away.Tickets cost $125 for members and$175 for nonmembers. To purchasetickets, visit www.cpbchamber.com or call (561) 790-6200.

Benefit For PedroSanchez April 27A family fun day to benefit the

family of Pedro Sanchez will beheld Saturday, April 27 from noon

to 5 p.m. at the BMX track at Okee-heelee Park. It is open to the pub-lic.

The aftermath of Tropical StormIsaac last August left Sanchez, ahusband and father, fighting forhis life. After the storm, streetswere flooded and people were leftstranded. Sanchez, a 1994 Welling-ton High School graduate, ven-tured out on his airboat. However,the airboat malfunctioned, and heviolently crashed.

Sanchez suffered major headtrauma and spent numerous nightsfighting for his life at St. MarysMedical Center. Today, he is fight-ing hard in rehab at the ShepherdCenter in Atlanta, one of the tophospitals for traumatic brain inju-ries. Charlotte, his high schoolsweetheart, has not left his side.Family and friends (Team Pedro),have come together to help thefamily with their medical and homeexpenses.

This fun-filled event will featuremusic and food, bounce houses,face painting, activities for childrenof all ages, a corn hole tournament,the Home Depot kids shop and achance to ride on the BMX track.Admission is $10, and kids 12 andunder are admitted free. The eventwill offer silent auctions, 50/50

chance and raffles to help raisemoney. All monetary donationscan be accepted at www.teampedro.myevent.com. Raffle itemsshould be sent to: Alina Hoge, c/oSanchez Family, 11953 DonlinDrive, Wellington, FL 33414.

Green Expo AtPBSC May 4

Palm Beach State College willhold its fifth annual Green Expoon May 4, giving individuals andfamilies an opportunity to learnabout resources and get tips onhow to become more eco-friendly.

The event, hosted by PBSCsCenter for Green Construction andEnergy, will be held from 10 a.m. to4 p.m. at the Education & TrainingCenter on the Lake Worth campus.It is free and open to the public.

Attendees can learn how to re-duce environmental impact, in-crease awareness of greenhouseemissions and climate change,and learn how to contribute to ahealthy planet. Government agen-cies, nonprofits, businesses andother exhibitors will be on hand.Free sustainability workshopsalso be held throughout the day.

Exhibitor space is still available.For more info., call (561) 868-3541.


NEWSWELLINGTON ROTARY HOSTS JEANS & JEWELS KICKOFF GALA FOR GPL TOURNEYThe Wellington Rotary Club hosted its Jeans & Jewels kickoff party for the International Gay Polo Tournament on Friday, April 12 at theInternational Polo Club Palm Beach Grande Pavilion. Participants enjoyed dinner and dancing, as well as Chinese and live auctions.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIR/TOWN-CRIER

Olympian Darren Chiacchia, Maggie Zeller,Mason Phelps and Andrew Burr. Gay Polo League players are honored at the event.

Gay Polo League founder Chip McKenney withNatalie Grancharov and Andres Camacho Castilla.

Maureen and Don Gross.Brooke and Rotary President David Unversaw,Maggie Zeller, Larry Kemp and Bob Salerno.Larry Hendrickson, Debby Richardson and designer Ed Daoust.

Terry Zmyslo and Tess Lozanoof Saks Fifth AvenuePalm Beach Gardens.

ROYAL PALM BEACH STAGES GIANT COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE AT VETS PARKRoyal Palm Beachs Giant Community Garage Sale was held Saturday, April 13 at Veterans Park. Participants had a wide variety of itemson sale, such as clothes, household items, jewelry and more, with great bargains for all. Music was provided by Obediah and Accent 1& 2, and DJ Terry Harms. For more information, visit www.royalpalmbeach.com. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Millie Hampton, Genieve White, Junette Powell and Dr.Elaine Ealyat a booth raising money to benefit CAFCIs scholarship fund.

Council of Catholic Women members from Our Lady Queen ofthe Apostles Church Fran DeMarinis, Louise Moreno, MindySimpson and President Marcie Shaughnessy at their booth.

Weston and Bliss Chapmanfound stuffed animal friends.

Dottie Wright founda cute bargain.


NEWSPALMS WEST HOSPITAL WELCOMES ART SOCIETY FOR DEDICATION CEREMONY

The Wellington Art Society dedicated 30 paintings to the Palms West Hospital Pediatric Unit on Thursday, April 11. The artists spentmonths painting pieces for the children, which will be displayed throughout the unit. The hospital honored the artists with a ceremonyand plaque presentation. For more info., visit www.palmswesthospital.com. PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

BEACH BOYS TRIBUTE SHOW BRINGS CROWD TO WELLINGTON AMPHITHEATERThe Shindigs performed a Beach Boys tribute concert Saturday, April 13 at the Wellington Amphitheater. Guests were treated to top hitsfrom the classic crooners, as well as food and drinks from vendors. For information on upcoming concerts, visit www.wellingtonfl.gov.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

George and Martha Cross enjoy the music. Marcia Brewer and Carolyn Wick at the concert. The Shindigs perform on stage.

Palms West Hospital CEO Eric Goldman and Wellington Art SocietyPresident Leslie Pfeiffer hold up one of her dedicated paintings.

(Above left) Palms West Hospital Chief Operating Officer Madeline Nava presents a plaque to Wellington Art SocietyPresident Leslie Pfeiffer. (Above right) Wellington Art Society members with Palms West Hospital administrators.

Donna Donelan with her dedicated painting.

Palms West Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Silvia Stradi,Wellington Art Society member Dolores Rosen and

Pediatric Unit Charge Nurse Jona McClain.

Wellington Art Society members Ursula Fernandez,Leslie Pfeiffer and Marie Lentine with Palms West Hospital

Director of Marketing Lori Tolchinsky (third from left).


Th e International Polo Club is one of three fi nalists competing for the Providencia Tourism Award.

Please scan this QR code and VOTE today on your phone!

Th e esteemed Providencia Tourism Award is given by the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau annually to a local business, organization, or individual who is making an extraordinary contribution to the

vitality and prosperity of Palm Beach County as a desirable tourist destination.

To vote from your computer, go to PalmBeachPost.com/Providencia.

Your Vote Counts! Th ank You!


NEWS

WELLINGTON CELEBRATES GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP AT TIGER SHARK COVEWellington celebrated the Great American Cleanup on Saturday, April 13 with projects at Tiger Shark Cove Park. Volunteers picked uptrash and applied mulch to needed areas in the park. For more info., visit www.wellingtonfl.gov. PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/T OWN-CRIER

Volunteers Danielle Troutman and RachelFormanek get ready to apply mulch.Wellingtons Great American Cleanup volunteers.

Andrew and Alexie Alcantaraapply mulch around a tree.

FOURTH ANNUAL GPL INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT RETURNS TO WELLINGTONThe fourth annual Gay Polo League International Tournament returned to Wellingtons Grand Champions Polo Club last Satur-day. In the final match, Gordon W. Ross scored the winning goal to lead Team Re/Max to a 2-1 victory over Polo Gear/PalmBeach Rox in the Senator s Cup championship final. Spirits were high despite the rainy weather. Earlier in the day, the CedarCrest Stables team, led by Frances legendary Caroline Anier, defeated Wellington Coalition 6-5 to claim the Founders Cup inthe consolation match. PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

Corcoran Group tailgaters Nick Retino,Fred Herny and Andres Cuellar.

Gay Polo League founder Chip McKenney on the field. Team Gordon W. Ross-Re/Max with the Senators Cup.

Wellington Mayor Bob Margolis and his wife Lindawith former Mayor Tom Wenham and his wife Regis.

Species ConservatoryFoundation tailgaters Peter

Lovello and Michael McClain.

Wellington PreservationCoalition plays againstCedar Crest Stables.

Ron Steur with Mason Phelps.

Real Housewives of MiamisMarysol Patton withNathan Anderson.

Becky, Patrick Jr. and PatrickKennedy join the cleanup.


SCHOOL NEWS

Osceola Creek Middle Schoolrecently announced the recipientsof its Scholar-Athlete Award forMarch. The award is sponsoredby the school police and honorsvarsity athletes who also excel inacademics, effort, behavior andschool spirit, and serve as a rolemodel for others.

Principal Dan Frank with Brady Pennypacker, Amy Chung,Nalani Starcher and School Police Officer Sandy Molenda.

Osceola Creek Salutes Student-Athletes

When Seminole Ridge HighSchool art teacher Gwenn Seulingtold her students that Sandy HookElementary School in Newtown,Conn., was the first school sheever worked at, they decided tomake an artistic statement ac-knowledging the lives lost in lastDecembers school shooting, andpainted a mural in memory of thevictims.

Brooke Lazarich, Kayla Vaskoand Eddie Walker spearheadedthe project, though many of thestudents in Seulings advancedpainting and drawing classes lenta hand with the portraits. The mu-ral, painted in oil on canvas, ismounted at the schools entrance.

Students prepared the canvasand started transferring the por-traits in December, shortly after theNewtown shootings. We worriedthat it was taking too long, but wedidnt want to rush; we wanted todo the best job we could to honorthe lives lost, Seuling said. Mostof the students working on themural hadnt used oil paints be-fore, so everyone took the time todo their best.

Seminole Ridge High Students HonorThe Victims Of Sandy Hook Shooting

Seminole Ridge Students Honor Newtown Kayla Vasko andBrooke Lazarich with the mural memorializing the victims.

Boys basketball honoredBrady Pennypacker, 13, an eighthgrader. Brady worked extreme-ly hard during the last fewmonths to become the teamsmost-improved player, coachKai Lee said. As the teamsstarting shooting guard, he dem-onstrated great leadership and

is undecided on a college; how-ever, she is decided on a career asan architect.

Nalani Starcher, 12, was honoredfor girls soccer. Nalani Starcheris this years scholar athlete, girlssoccer Coach Tony Bugeja said.Nalani was an outstanding cap-tain for our girls soccer team thisseason. A true leader here at Os-ceola Creek, we are blessed to haveher for one more year. She has alsobeen a leader off the field. Nalaniis one of our brightest studentson our campus.

Starcher, a seventh grader, hasperfect attendance to go with her4.96 GPA. She has not picked acollege yet; however, she doeswant a career as a pediatric den-tist. Starcher also runs track atOsceola Creek and has beenawarded the Golden Bear Badgeand the Reading Plus award.

Supporting the program areSubway, Dominos Pizza and Burg-er King, located at Seminole PrattWhitney Road and Orange Blvd.,and Dairy Queen in Royal PalmBeach, which donated free foodcoupons.

always kept a positive attitudeduring games. In the classroom,Brady earned Principals HonorRoll and truly embodies the termstudent-athlete.

Pennypacker carries a 4.80 GPA,while also being a member of Os-ceola Creeks boys soccer team.Also named Male Athlete of theYear as a sixth and seventh grader,Pennypacker wants to attend theUniversity of Florida and becomea firefighter.

Amy Chung, 14, was honoredin girls basketball. It is with greatpleasure that I nominate AmyChung for Scholar Athlete of theMonth, coach Judy Decosta said.As a member of the of the Os-ceola Creek Middle School girlsbasketball team, she has demon-strated hard work and determina-tion. Ms. Chung leads the team inassists and is a vital part of boththe offense and defense. Mostimportantly, Ms. Chung excels ac-ademically. She currently has a5.00 GPA and is a member of theNational Junior Honor Society.

Chung, an eighth grader, alsoruns track for Osceola Creek. Amy

Seuling said the mural is meantas a tribute and that time wasntan issue for the end result theydesired, which was an accuratedepiction of each victim.

Kayla, Brooke and Eddie pre-pared materials, coordinated thework and got over 40 other stu-dents to work on it and yet main-tain a uniform look, Seuling said.I cannot express how proud I amof them all, and how wonderful itfeels to bring together my past andpresent schools in such a mean-ingful way.

Hawks Earn WITVA Honors Several Hawk artists earnedhonors April 7 in the Women inthe Visual Arts annual student artexhibition.

The students and their work areas follows: Cody Cornelys inkdrawing Puppeteer and Laura Lou-bertis painting Angel each re-ceived certificates of recognition;Rachel Warren received a $50scholarship award for her paint-ing Remnants of Art, done on apaintbrush; Nori Benjamin earned$100 for her reduction print Zmey,as did Cydney Rallo for her gela-

tin print Pebble Breeze; ColtonKeens graphite on gesso Sereni-ty received a $350 scholarship.

Coffee Talk with FreshmanParents The SRHS guidancedepartment cordially invites theparents of freshman students tojoin counselors for an open dis-cussion about their childs educa-tion. Coffee Talk convenesWednesday morning, April 24 from7:45 to 8:30 a.m. in the faculty din-ing room.

On-campus substance abusecounselor Lauren Steele will bethe featured presenter. Topics ofdiscussion will include self-es-teem, the warning signs of self-destructive behaviors and whereto find help, both at school and inthe community. Refreshments willbe served.

Parents may RSVP to the guid-ance office at (561) 422-2610 or viae-mail to [email protected].

The New Horizons Elementary School Student Council recentlysponsored a food and supply drive for Save-A-Pet. Numerous do-nations brought in by students were collected and donated to thePeggy Adams Animal Rescue League. Pictured here is student coun-cil teacher sponsor Pat Klammer with fifth-grade student councilmembers.

NEW HORIZONS HOSTSPET FOOD AND SUPPLYDRIVE FOR SAVE-A-PET

FRONTIER STUDENTSCREATE VIDEO IN QUESTFOR WHITE HOUSE TOUR

A total of 41 fif th-grade safety patrol students at Frontier Elemen-tary School are planning to visit Washington, D.C. from May 7 throughMay 10. Unfortunately, their scheduled tour of the White House onMay 10 has been cancelled due to budget cuts. The students haveput together a creative video in an attempt to persuade PresidentObama to reconsider and resume White House tours. The videohas been shared with social media, local news stations, the Todayshow and The Ellen Degeneres Show. The students hope that theirefforts will pay off and they will be granted a tour of the WhiteHouse. This unique video can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-JKPPPsBLY. Shown above are the 41 fif th-grade safetypatrol students heading to Washington, D.C. next month.

Send school news items to: The Town-Crier, 12794W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414.

Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: [email protected].


SCHOOL NEWS

RPBs H.L. JohnsonHonored As A GreenSchool Of Excellence

The West Palm Beach LibraryFoundation hosted a receptionMonday, April 8 at the MandelPublic Library to honor award win-ners of its inaugural essay con-test.

The theme of this years com-petition was literary censorship,inspired by the foundations re-cent exhibition, Banned andBurned: Literary Censorship andthe Loss of Freedom. It featureda traveling exhibition from theUnited States Holocaust Memori-al Museum on book burning inNazi Germany.

More than 100 high school stu-dents throughout Palm BeachCounty participated in the contest,

and four received awards. BradyAlter, a junior at Seminole RidgeHigh School, won the 11th- and12th-grade category. He wasawarded the top prize of $1,000.Savanna Rodgers, a senior fromWilliam T. Dwyer High School,took second place and received$500. In the ninth- and 10th-gradedivision, Seminole Ridge HighSchool sophomore Tyler Perrywon first place and received $500.Lauren Gayoso, a freshman fromWellington Christian School, camein second and received $250. Eachof the winning students teacherswas also rewarded with a gift cer-tificate to purchase books for theirclassroom libraries. The awards

were underwritten by Barbara Som-mers and Sandy Myers.

We want to commend all of thePalm Beach County high schoolstudents who entered this contestand wrote such profound,thought-provoking essays, saidLaurel Baker, essay contest chair.It was exciting to receive such anoverwhelming response in our firstyear, and we hope that the stu-dents gained a deeper understand-ing of the importance of freedomof speech. We thank the PalmBeach County School District, andthe principals, media center direc-tors and teachers throughout thecounty who helped support thisinitiative.

(Front row) Brady Alter, Tyler Perry, Lauren Gayoso and SavannahRodgers; (back row) WPBLF Chair Bob Sanders, Vice Chair LynHarris, Immediate Past Chair Sandy Myers and Essay Contest ChairLaurel Baker.

H.L. Johnson ElementarySchool and its environmentalgroup, Team Green, have fo-cused on stepping up their greeninitiatives and practices.

Last year, the school was rec-ognized by the School District ofPalm Beach County as being aGreen School of Quality.

Since then, its goal was to strivefor excellence. On Monday, April1, H.L. Johnson staff was notifiedthat the school has been awardedthe Green School of Excellencerecognition.

The school hosts a Green Day

event, where students wear greenand bring in recyclables (paper,glue sticks, glue bottles, juicepouches, shoes, paper, ink toners,ink cartridges, and cell phones),as well as green fundraisers.

Students and staff have workedhard to reduce paper consumption(newsletters are printed on tree-free paper donated by a localstore), and their efforts have beenrewarded.

A luncheon is scheduled forWednesday, May 1 for all the PalmBeach County schools that will bereceiving the award.

Palm Beach Central, Wellingtonand Royal Palm Beach highschools, in coordination with var-ious community organizations, areparticipating in Shattered Dreams,a dramatization of the impact of

distracted driving and the effectsthat it can bring into anyones life.

The presentation of ShatteredDreams portrays the risk of engag-ing into other activities while driv-ing. The event portrays a prom

night accident scene, where oneof the most memorable nights ofanyones life can turn into a life-changing experience. Drama stu-dents play the accident victims onthe football field to increase aware-ness about the effects that texting,substance consumption and oth-er factors can have while driving.

In 2011, 3,331 people were killedin crashes involving a distracteddriver, and an additional 387,000people were injured in motor vehi-cle crashes involving a distracteddriver. The idea is to show youngdrivers the consequences, asclose to real life as possible, ofwhat can happen when you dontfocus when driving. This programis presented annually to the se-nior class just before prom to re-mind our students to drive safe-Shattered Dreams shows the consequences of distracted driving.

Shattered Dreams Program Urges Student Safety

Launched in November, the es-say contest encouraged studentsto explore the history of censor-ship in the United States, the bookburnings that took place as part ofthe Nazi movement and the FirstAmendment rights guaranteedunder the U.S. Constitution. Theywere required to read a book froma list of books banned from citiesand states across America and dis-cuss how the book influencedthem and why it should be pro-tected from future censorship.

For more information on theWest Palm Beach Library Founda-tion, and opportunities to supportfuture events, call (561) 868-7715or visit www.wpblibraryfound.org.

Area Students Win Library Foundation Contest

ly, Student Activities DirectorDonna Baxter said. Todays de-cisions can have a lifelong impact.This age group has the largest pro-portion of drivers who are distract-ed so we hope to increase aware-ness with this program.

David Summers, injury preven-tion coordinator at St. MarysMedical Center, works with theschools to bring the police, fire andTrauma Hawk services to thescene. In addition, Panther Tow-ing, Bella Mia Premier Events Pho-tography and the Dori SlosbergFoundation play an integral partin the organization of these events.

The next Shattered Dreams willtake place at RPBHS on April 26.For more information, contact Bax-ter at (561) 433-7929 or [email protected].

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PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Samore is majoring in internation-al studies, minoring in music, andearning a certificate in India stud-ies with a 3.94 GPA. He is a trans-fer student from Palm Beach StateCollege, where he received his as-sociate of arts degree in musiceducation. He will spend tenmonths teaching English in Ma-laysia. While in Malaysia, he plansto observe how rural villages areaffected by environmental degra-dation while also building bridgesacross a cultural divide throughthe teaching of English.

Samore represents the USF Col-lege of

town-crier newspaper april 19, 2013

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