town-crier newspaper april 24, 2015

Volume 36, Number 17April 24 - April 30, 2015Your Community Newspaper Serving Palms West Since 1980

TOWN-CRIERTHEWELLINGTON ROYAL PALM BEACH LOXAHATCHEE THE ACREAGE

INSIDE

DEPARTMENT INDEXNEWS ..............................3 - 12OPINION ................................. 4CRIME NEWS ......................... 6NEWS BRIEFS ........................ 8PEOPLE ................................ 13SCHOOLS ......................14 - 15COLUMNS ..................... 16, 23BUSINESS .....................24 - 25SPORTS .........................31 - 33CALENDAR ...........................36CLASSIFIEDS ................38 - 41

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OPINION

The grand opening of Royal Palm Beachs new Aldi supermar-ket took place Thursday, April 16. Hundreds visited the store, and the first 100 customers were treated to gift certificates and a tote bag. Royal Palm Beach officials were on hand to welcome the new store with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Shown here is Aldi Vice President Chris Hewitt with Royal Palm Beach Councilman Jeff Hmara and Mayor Matty Mattioli.

MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

RPB ALDI STORE OPENS

By Ron BukleyTown-Crier Staff Report

The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council approved a resolution Tuesday to allow Big Dog Ranch Rescue to locate on 33 acres at the southeast corner of Okeechobee Blvd. and D Road.

The decision, which came after an hours-long discussion, was on a 3-1 vote with Councilman Ryan Liang opposed. Councilman Jim Rockett recused himself because a relative owns property south of the site.

Town Attorney Michael Cirullo pointed out that it was a quasi-judi-cial hearing and the applicant and staff both would have 30 minutes to make presentations. Members of the public had a maximum of three minutes to speak. About 50 people spoke both for and against the project.

During his presentation, at-

torney Marty Perry said Big Dog had spent a great deal of time and money to get approval and made numerous significant changes in the plan.

We believe we have submitted documentation demonstrating that we are consistent with the compre-hensive plan, that we meet all of the requirements of your various ordinances, including the dog rescue provisions that you have, and we think that youll agree with that, he said.

Perry pointed out that they had held public workshops in an effort to dispel the thought that the Big Dog proposal would be similar in nature to the existing Big Dog facility.

That is unfortunate in a lot of ways, and we will be presenting to you videos of both the existing facility and the Peggy Adams facil-

Lox Groves Council Approves New HomeFor Big Dog Ranch

See BIG DOG, page 18

Santamaria Forum Celebrates Big Lawsuit VictoryBy Julie Unger

Town-Crier Staff ReportFormer Palm Beach County

Commissioner Jess Santamaria joined with Inspector General John Carey this week to celebrate a big victory for We, The Peo-ple in a recent ruling by Circuit Court Judge Catherine Brunson that municipalities must pay their share to fund the Palm Beach County Office of the Inspector General.

The ruling came after a long legal battle, and at a community forum meeting on Tuesday, April 21 at the original Wellington Mall, Santamaria proclaimed that the ruling was a crucial victory for honest government.

One of the reasons that we are here tonight is for a celebration, Santamaria said. We won a three-year lawsuit that has been going

on since 2011, which involved 15 municipalities who refused to cooperate with the Office of the Inspector General.

The ruling was a major victory, he said.

In 2009, the then-state attorney, Michael McAuliffe, assembled a grand jury to investigate different segments of the population the business community, the elected officials, staff, civic leaders to find out, if after three years, we were still Corruption County, Santamaria said.

Twenty-one members of the community heard more than 30 witness testimonies, including an almost three-hour testimony by Santamaria. The conclusion of the grand jury, in a 54-page report, said, Yes, we are still Corruption County, he said, adding that the grand jury determined that it was

imperative to start an Office of the Inspector General.

Eventually, with a positive public response, the seven county commissioners voted to begin the Office of Inspector General. The problem, which turned out to be critical, was that the method of financing the office was not writ-ten in the document, Santamaria explained.

The discussion, Santamaria said, always centered on following Miami-Dades example of charg-ing the vendors anyone who does business with the government one quarter of one percent to fund the Office of the Inspector General.

Somebody intentionally, or forgot, to put the one-fourth of a percent as part of the wording in the referendum, he said, stress-ing that it was always said that

Opera Fusion presented The Sopranos on Saturday, April 18 at the Wellington High School theater as a fundraiser for Save a Pet Florida. The two-hour show featured sopranos Laura Mar-tnez Len, Dora Cardona, Ravenna Maer and Gerri Kinley. Shown here, Dora Cardona, Laura Martnez Len and Gerri Kinley sing Three Little Maids from School Are We from The Mikado.

MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 12

OPERA FUSIONS THE SOPRANOS

PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER


The Wellington Village Council last week gave preliminary ap-proval to an ordinance moving the 2016 municipal election from Tuesday, March 8 to Tuesday, March 15, to be held concur-rent with Floridas presidential primary.

Last month, Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill setting a March 15 date for the 2016 Presidential Preference Primary. As such, Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elec-tions Susan Bucher requested that all municipalities move the dates of their elections to March 15, due to the logistical impossibility of her staff to conduct a March 15 countywide election, as well as the usual March 8 municipal election.

The state law also amended the candidate qualifying period, and Bucher advised that the deadline for submitting municipal ballot questions and candidate names to her office will be Friday, Dec. 11.

If a runoff election is needed because no candidate receives at least 35 percent of the vote, that election will take place on March 29, 2016.

With four seats up for grabs and possibly a number of charter amendments on the ballot, 2016 will be a busy election year in Wellington.

The seats currently held by Mayor Bob Margolis, Vice Mayor John Greene (Seat 1) and council-men John McGovern (Seat 3) and Matt Willhite (Seat 4) will all be on the March 2016 ballot. Willhite cannot run for re-election due to term limits.

McGoverns Seat 3 was not originally scheduled to be up in 2016, but when former Council-man Howard Coates resigned, Mc-Governs subsequent appointment only lasts until the next regularly scheduled municipal election. The winner will serve the final two years of Coates term before facing the voters again in 2018.

At the April 14 meeting, Greene asked whether municipalities are obligated to follow the recom-mendation of the supervisor of elections, and Village Manager Paul Schofield said the change is by state statute, so municipalities are obligated to follow it for this particular election.

Village Attorney Laurie Cohen

Wellington Moves 2016 VoteTo Presidential Primary Day

noted that the village is not re-quired to have the supervisor of elections run the municipal vote, but the village is not equipped at present to hold its own election, which would be very expensive.

Greene asked how the change would affect the charter review process, and Cohen said the Char-ter Review Committee would be wrapping up its comments within the next two meetings, so it would come to the council in June or early July, which would allow plenty of time to review it and prepare referendum questions to submit to the supervisor of elections.

Willhite said he would like the council to review the referendum questions no later than August, in order to give time for a couple of public meetings for an explanation of what the potential charter revi-sions are intended to do.

Councilwoman Anne Gerwig said if difficulties arose after public input, there was always the poten-tial to defer the referendum ques-tions to November 2016, which would result in an even greater voter turnout.

However, Gerwig said she See ELECTION, page 3

See ITID BOND, page 3

CULTURAL DIVERSITY DAY IN RPB MAY 9SEE STORY, PAGE 3

VALIENTE WINS U.S. OPEN TOURNAMENTSEE STORY, PAGE 17

See SANTAMARIA, page 7

Stolen ID Tax FraudIs A Growing ProblemIn Need Of A SolutionOnce a rare crime, stolen iden-tity tax refund fraud has sky-rocketed in recent years, with experts predicting it to soon be a $20 billion problem. While it is certainly important for taxpayers to be proactive, the Internal Revenue Service must figure out how to effectively combat this problem. Page 4


The Royal Palm Beach Vil-lage Council heard a report last week that aquatic vegetation in the canals has been brought under control by a new contractor that has been maintaining the canals over the past six months.

The system is in very good shape right now, Public Works Director Paul Webster said at the April 16 meeting. There will be some areas that will need work, but overall were in very good shape as we start into the growing season.

Webster said the findings are based on soundings that the con-tractor, Lake & Wetland Manage-ment, conducted in the first week of March, which found that the system, including the M-1 Canal, was 83.7 percent clear, which is slightly below the standard of 85 percent.

He said the contractor is cur-rently treating canals in La Man-

cha for tapegrass, and the M-1 Canal near Lake Challenger for hygrophila and rotalla, plants com-monly found in aquarium tanks.

Another area in La Mancha is being managed for chara, also known as muskgrass, which is native to Florida and is actually a form of algae that has positive benefits to water quality and the overall biological condition of the canals.

What we do with chara is try to manage it at control levels that keep it from topping out and becoming a nuisance, Webster said. If it tops out, it looks like foam, and itll have an odor. Our management has been to keep it maintained below those levels so that we get the benefit of the good parts of it, but we keep it from becoming a nuisance.

Another factor that affected the percentage was that ponds in the FPL easements at the beginning of

Report: RPB Canals Plants Under ControlGoing Into Summer

See CANALS, page 18


At a special meeting on Wednes-day, the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors approved a bond refinancing for Unit 18, which covers the Madison Green community in Royal Palm Beach. Advisors told board mem-bers that the refinancing would save about $972,000 over the remaining life of the loan.

The bond, which has about $8.7 million remaining, was issued to pay for infrastructure construction in Madison Green.

Attorney and bond counselor Mark Raymond said that the Unit 18 bond issue is susceptible to refinancing, and financial advisor Raymond James Capital Services

had explored refinancing at a sub-stantial savings.

Raymond noted that the 2005 bond issue could not be refinanced for 10 years. Raymond James has explored refinancing and has obtained a commitment from their in-house bank at a substantial sav-ings, Raymond said.

Betsy Hedden with Raymond James Capital Services said their bank was willing to offer a fixed interest rate of 3.25 percent for the term of the bond, which is through 2031. The current rate is 4.75 percent.

The term of the bond is the same as it was in the 2005 bond issue, so were not extending the debt, she said. All were doing is taking the outstanding interest

ITID OKs A Reduced Interest Rate For Madison Green Bond

Jess Santamaria gathers with friends and supportersTuesday to toast the inspector general lawsuit victory.

PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

rate, which ranges from four and three-quarters down to three and a quarter, which is significant.

On average, it is a savings of 9.5 percent per year to residents of Unit 18. All in all, its a signifi-cant reduction, about $60,000 to $65,000 per year, she said.

Supervisor Michelle Damone made a motion to approve the reso-lution as presented. Savings is what our responsibility as a board is, and Im sure the taxpayers of Unit 18/Madison Green will be grateful for the savings, she said.

Raymond explained that the bonds were originally issued in 1999 to finance the construction of the infrastructure of Madison Green and were refinanced in

the money would come through vendor fees and not taxes.

Fifteen cities filed a suit to stop the funding mechanism, and the office has been only half-funded and half staffed since 2011.

Six months ago, the lawsuit finally went to court, and Santa-maria was one of the four chosen to testify. Brunson, presiding over the case, concluded that the cities

RPB Council Approves Changes For Al Packer Ford West ExpansionThe Royal Palm Beach Village Council approved several vari-ances last week for Al Packer Ford West on Southern Blvd. The dealership is undergoing a major renovation and expan-sion project. Page 3

Maaco Location InWellington To Celebrate Grand Opening May 14Uh-oh better get Maaco! has been a household phrase since the early 1980s when the first Maaco commercial aired on TV. Now, in 2015, residents of Wellington will easily be able to find a Maaco location now that one is holding its grand opening on Thursday, May 14 in the Wellington Business Center off Pierson Road. Page 7

Wellington Celebrates Earth Day & Arbor DayWellington held its Earth Day and Arbor Day Celebration on Sunday, April 19 at the Welling-ton Amphitheater. Hundreds gathered to learn about the planet, receive free plants and enjoy a concert with the Jamie Mitchell Band. Page 9

Wellington Seniors Club Hosts Its Spring DanceWellington Seniors Club held its Spring Dinner Dance on Friday, April 17 at the Mayacoo Lakes Country Club. Guests enjoyed a sit-down dinner and door prizes. One lucky guest from each table was awarded a live floral centerpiece. Page 19

April 24 - April 30, 2015 www.gotowncrier.com The Town-Crier

The Town-Crier www.gotowncrier.com April 24 - April 30, 2015 Page 3

NEWS


The Royal Palm Beach Vil-lage Council approved several variances last week for Al Packer Ford West on Southern Blvd. The dealership is undergoing a major renovation and expansion project.

At the April 16 meeting, Al Packer Ford West received ap-proval to add employee park-ing at the back of its building without a sidewalk leading to the front because they would be using a rear entrance, several variances for signs, a reduced setback for an existing building, landscape changes and a special exception to allow an expansion of the existing building.

Planning & Zoning Director Bradford OBrien said that the dealership was annexed into the village in 1991 and has received several approvals since then,

including in 2002, when it was granted a variance to allow a temporary rear sales yard after the Florida Department of Transporta-tion took land in the front of the site to expand Southern Blvd.

Another approval was for a proposed site plan to remove the temporary sales yard and old build-ings in order to construct a show-room and body shop for a total of 52,930 square feet. The temporary sales yard was never removed, and the new buildings were never constructed, OBrien said.

The first variance asked for deviations from village parking re-quirements to allow the proposed expansion of the vehicle sales and service operation. They included a request to allow 65 percent of the parking in the rear to be used by employees due to the buildings proximity to Southern Blvd.

Village code allows only 10

percent of parking to the rear, but village staff felt that the nature of the use, with the need to display inventory in the front, and the proximity to the road, warranted the variance. Councilman Dave Swift made a motion to approve the request, which carried 5-0.

The second request was to eliminate a sidewalk from the rear of the building, since employees would be using a rear entrance into the service area. Village staff did not recommend approval since village code does not distinguish between employee and customer parking.

Mike Sanchez, representing the dealership, said it currently has 15 customer parking spaces at the front of the building and is asking to expand to 40 in the front. Customers would have no need to park in the rear and would be directed to park in front. He added

RPB Council Approves Changes For Al Packer Ford Expansionthat customer counts had found 17 at the most at any given time.

We feel we far exceed the de-mand for customer parking in the front, and providing a sidewalk from the rear, given the existing conditions, we would have to make substantial modifications, Sanchez said.

Swift made a motion to approve the variance, which carried 5-0.

The council also granted sev-eral sign variances, including a 14-foot-wide by 9-foot-high monument sign, where the maxi-mum allowable under the code is 7 feet high by 8 feet wide and 42 square feet in area, at least 10 feet from the property line.

The applicant contends that this variance request is justified, given that the current sign exists on the site and has received vari-ance for this sign, although it is in a different location on this site,

OBrien said, adding that staff recommended denial of the request because the previous variance was in conjunction with building im-provements that were never done.

Sanchez said they were only asking to relocate the existing sign to a more prominent location at the entrance to the dealership.

Vice Mayor Richard Valuntas said he understood and agreed with staffs analysis, but was inclined to support the applicants request, since it did have the sign. Valun-tas made a motion to approve the request, which carried 5-0.

The council also approved a request to allow two wall-mounted cabinet signs of 39.93 square feet on the south and east sides of the building, and another 27.25-square-foot cabinet sign on the south side, where village code prohibits cabinet signs in excess of 10 square feet.

The applicant thought the signs were in balance with the size of the building, but staff recom-mended denial because there were no special conditions or circumstances.

Sanchez pointed out that the signs are the oval Ford national logo and there were no classifica-tions that it could fit under village code other than cabinet signs, and 10-square-foot logos would be much too small for the size of the building and not visible from the roadway.

Councilman Fred Pinto made a motion to approve the request, which carried 5-0.

The council also granted ap-proval of a 28.8-foot corner-yard setback for an existing building instead of the 50 feet required by the code. Swift made a motion to approve that variance, which carried 5-0.

By Julie UngerTown-Crier Staff Report

Caribbean-Americans for Com-munity Involvement (CAFCI) and the Village of Royal Palm Beach will present their 11th annual Cul-tural Diversity Day on Saturday, May 9 from 1 p.m. to sundown at Veterans Park on Royal Palm Beach Blvd.

Fun for the whole family and entertainment, including interna-tional music by the Ernitones, is sure to bring about a great day of learning about different cultures.

Elet Cyris, CAFCI cultural director and chair of Cultural Diversity Day, said she thinks it is an incredibly important event, es-pecially with Royal Palm Beachs

diverse community. It is good for us to learn each others culture out there, our foods, our art and our music, she said. We learn to re-spect each other through learning about different cultures. Its for us to get to know each other.

The diversity of cultures that attend, participate and display at Cultural Diversity Day is varied. This year, German, Spanish, Ca-ribbean (many different islands), American and more cultures will be represented, Cyris said.

The entertainment is one of the most exciting aspects of the event for Cyris, who is looking forward to watching Volkstanzgruppe German Maypole Dancers; Mima Lion Dancers (Chinese Kung Fu

Dancers); Music Create Motiva-tors (MCM), with a Haitian and Latin mix; Matute Dance; Antonio Falla; the CAFCI Domino Club; and Sensational Diva Models.

More groups will be announced as the May 9 event nears. Cyris heads the event committee with fellow CAFCI member Ernie Garvey, vice chair of the event.

Garvey is looking forward to the music, bands, food vendors, dance and music, as well as learn-ing more about different cultures.

Cultural Diversity Day is when we help all cultures from the area come together. Were inviting people from Fort Lauderdale and Miami, he said. We really just want to spread the news that Royal Palm Beach is bringing cultural diversity to the area. Were look-ing for all kinds country, Latin, Haitian, Chinese, Japanese ev-erybody to come in and share what they have with us.

One of the many great discov-eries that happen at the event is learning about different cultures through their foods, crafts and music.

Im always ready and excited for Cultural Diversity Day. Its something I look forward to all year, Garvey said.

Garvey and Cyris are also look-ing forward to the CAFCI Domino Demonstration, where CAFCI members will teach players of all

Volkstanzgruppe German Maypole Dancersduring last years Cultural Diversity Day event.

PHOTO BY FABIANA OTERO/TOWN-CRIER

Cultural Diversity Day Returns To Vets Park In RPB On May 9ages how to play dominos.

Royal Palm Beach Cultural Events Coordinator Carlos Mo-rales estimates that 1,000 people typically attend the event, which effectively allows attendees to travel the world from the comfort of the park.

Its a melting pot of an event, Morales said. Were trying to promote and really bring different

ethnic groups together and share their diversity, as far as music, food, or through arts and crafts, whatever it may be through; we look at it as bringing the commu-nity together.

The village will be providing a shuttle van to take people from be-hind Village Hall to Veterans Park. Additionally, the caf and splash pad at the park will be open. The

village will be promoting various recreation programs as well.

Cultural Diversity Day is spon-sored by the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County and Palm Beach County.

For more information, call the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center at (561) 790-5149, Cyris at (561) 791-9097 or Garvey at (561) 676-5664.

Election2016 Date

Changecontinued from page 1

thought the Dec. 11 deadline provides plenty of time to submit ballot questions.

I think we have time, but we could always decide if we wanted greater input and put it on No-vember, she said. Not only does

[the supervisor of elections] have the certified equipment, she has the voter rolls and she verifies the signatures on absentee ballots. I cant fathom what our options are here other than to comply.

During public comment, resi-dent Jody Young said the change to the presidential primary date would result in greater voter turnout.

The village is probably go-ing to enjoy the opportunity to

have the biggest turnout ever for a municipal election due to the availability of early voting, as well as serious absentee ballot work by both the Democratic and Republican parties in light of this upcoming season, Young said. I think it behooves everyone to push this charter thing as quickly as you can and take advantage of that.

Willhite made a motion to ap-prove the ordinance, which car-ried 5-0.

ITID BondMadison

Greencontinued from page 1

2005. Well be using that resolu-tion again in this refinancing, he said. What you have tonight is a supplemental resolution to the resolution.

He said the bond payments will continue to be made through as-sessments to homeowners.

Supervisor Gary Dunkley said he felt uncomfortable approving the refinancing that evening be-cause the board had only received the information that evening. I did not have time to sit down and really digest what was in it, he said. I thought this would only

be a presentation. I did not know we would be voting on it tonight.

Raymond pointed out that they had explained at their meeting two weeks ago that the transaction needed to be done quickly in order to get the reduced interest rate. He said that May 15 was the last day of the commitment.

Damones motion carried 4-1, with Dunkley opposed.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITORDont Abuse

Dogs AndOther AnimalsI love animals, and I adore dogs.

They have formed a special niche in my life that means so much. The occasional thought of someone causing harm to my handsome German shepherd, thats so full of love and energy, would destroy me. I can see no legitimate reason for such actions. This abuse ex-tends to even our involvement in selective breeding.

You may not be informed, but mans desire for the perfect dog in all breeds creates negative ef-fects on all canines. Breeders can argue all day that selective breed-ing is better for the dog because it creates the best dog, but this is ut-terly incorrect. Selective breeding only creates our blurred vision of a perfect dog. Pugs and bulldogs have developed noses that are so squished and enclosed that they cannot breathe. German shepherds and Rottweilers have hip problems due to their massive front or upper bodies. It is out of proportion, and the extra weight puts stress on their hips that will later cause major difficulties for them.

I believe all animals should not have to live through abuse. In some instances, people may believe such abuse is appropriate. They defend a tradition set many years before them. For example, bullfighting is common in many regions of Spain, and this man versus beast conflict is carried out and agonizing for the bull. I believe that traditions can change. Catalonia and the Canary Islands have banned this tradition. Times change, and traditions are forgotten. There is no excuse for such treatment.

Animals are here to keep the planet in order and participate in the food chain to keep life on Earth alive. The unnatural abuse or death of animals is cruel; it is something I will never be able to understand. There is no reason for continuously victimizing animals. Here in the United States, dogs are mans best friend. In other parts of the world, dogs may be consumed just as we consume a cow. And like the bull, maybe these dog fights are just a way to profit more from harvesting a food source, but this involuntary fight to the death, its just as inhumane as the years of the gladiators, even if the animals are used for consumption afterward. Do we still pin two people against

each others will to fight to the death?

Animals are here to live a life just as you and me. Dogs are companions and full of love, not a pawn in a cage match. Animals deserve a life like you and me. If there is anything we ought to do, its making sure that we can keep animals out of harms way and let them live a life that is not spoiled by abuse.

Jonathan GairalaThe Acreage

Protect The First Amendment

Free speech is not something that needs to get fixed. The First Amendment exists precisely to protect all forms of expression from government suppression. Freedom of inquiry and the liberty of expression are the hallmarks of a democratic society. Government censorship is never the way to reply to a dissatisfied populace. Select members of Loxahatchee Groves Town Council who think so, do so at their peril, and ought to think again.

These select members, profiling as an authoritarian system, gen-erally tend to take a dim view of public comment. Public comment prior to the swear in ceremony of the recent contested election was denied. For select members of the town council to deny the public the right to speak simply because they can seems to indicate that the mindset of our council is not of the people and for the people.

Select council members have a history of issuing payback for unpopular speech. In the abun-dance of caution council meeting of Jan. 6, a resident offered, I am mortified that I live in a town where we are talking about taking away free speech.

At the March 17 council meet-ing, a resident shared, I take of-fense at your blatant and sweeping disregard for the citizens voices in this town. Who would be so cavalier as to think your opinion, your voices, are more important than mine or anyone else who lives here. This is a public office. Your sole duty is to serve the public, not yourselves, not your personal interests.

On April 7, a member of the Loxahatchee Groves Canvass-ing Board took exception to the summary of statements made in my public comments that were re-corded in the minutes of the March

For The RecordInaccurate information regarding the tailgate competition at the

sixth annual International Gay Polo Tournament was included in last weeks issue. Best in Show went to Gerts Salon, Most Enthusiastic Spirit went to Chapel of Love, Most Enthusiastic Theme went to Eau Spa, Best Cuisine went to Kevin Clarks elegant restaurant motif, and Best Dressed went to William Kruogels lumberjack booth. The Town-Crier regrets whatever confusion this might have caused.

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

RON BUKLEYManaging Editor

17 canvassing board meeting. The councilman attempted to add words to the record that were not spoken by me. This unsuccessful scrubbing was to censor an act of free speech that was made in a public venue.

Then we witnessed a coun-cilman motion to deny Big Dog Ranch without Big Dog having its opportunity to be heard in a required quasi-judicial hearing. The councilman put on quite the show. The end result of the councils discussion was that the councilman recused himself. What was that all about?

These select councilmen are turning our town government into a kindergarten for geriatrics, a homeowners association on steroids as it were.

In conclusion, may I share with my neighbors of Loxahatchee Groves, there was never a place or a time when Right and Proper Government is needed more.

Keith HarrisLoxahatchee Groves

LGWCD Is Out Of ControlQuestion: Why was a council

with persons under investigation for tampering with the last elec-tion, among other questionable acts, allowed to select committee members?

It is a sad day for the Loxa-hatchee Groves equestrian com-munity and for the future of all Groves residents. The April 21 town meeting showed us who runs Loxahatchee Groves: the Loxa-hatchee Groves Water Control District. We were getting closer to a safe and maintained trail system, and the last meeting was a major setback.

A council with members be-ing investigated for tainting the last election got to choose com-mittee members for our finance and roads/trails committees. The people chosen to watch over our town finances were the wife of a LGWCD supervisor, the uncle of a councilman currently under in-vestigation and another appointee seen lately on several occasions with a LGWCD supervisor/town vendor. Our roads/trails committee now has the girlfriend of a business owner who had a councilmans campaign party, and two other people who have been on the committee in the past who have openly shown their allegiance to the mighty LGWCD. These two

have not moved the trail system forward in the past. Unfortunately, we lost three dedicated committee members and upstanding residents of the community who served well on these committees.

I am sickened once again by the arrogance of the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District and certain town council members who cannot see the big picture, and only think of themselves and how to stay in power.

I fully expect retaliation for this letter from some LGWCD board members and possibly a few councilmen. A fictitious code enforcement complaint was previ-ously filed against me seven days after publishing a disapproving letter regarding the LGWCD in September 2013.

Residents of Loxahatchee Groves, please go to the May 5 town council meeting. They will be discussing a current council-mans felony charges, which he did not disclose in his previous election packets. Yes, this is one of the councilmen currently being in-vestigated for election tampering. Why is this person so hell bent on being on our town council? The foxes are guarding the chicken coop!

Phillis ManigliaLoxahatchee Groves

Donate To Letter Carriers Food

Drive May 9Every day we need food. Its

part of living. In the eyes of chil-dren, happiness is giving. We can connect every day with people we never meet just by giving. One can of food can help another person survive one more day. If you have never served or volunteered at a food bank pantry or soup kitchen, or seen the local warehouse where people shop for food, youve never experienced the cries and hard-ships of so many hungry seniors, middle-class parents, children and those who have no transportation, no housing and no families. Your life can be changed in the blink of an eye. Any one of us can be in those lines. What would people do without the help of even food stamps?

Just give one can or fill one bag, please, and put it by your mailbox or drop it off at a local postal ser-vice center. There are many food drives throughout the year, but the Letter Carriers Food Drive,

Stamp Out Hunger, Saturday, May 9, is one day, and it brings in locally to Branch 1690. Five hundred thousand pounds of food is needed to fill those warehouses so that they can fill those church pantries and other food banks.

Yes, you can give hope and experience the joy as a little child who loves to give without re-ceiving. You will be blessed by a blessing. Gaining is giving. Serv-ing is living. They say you reap what you sow, but when youre down to those last pennies, you can gain abundance by sharing. Fellowship builds relationships, and the benefits are faithful with-in each one of us. This process benefits you through what you do for others.

Please share, and thank you, for supporting the 23rd annual Letter Carriers Food Drive on Saturday, May 9.

Letter carriers all over the Unit-ed States are in the planning stages for the food drive. The foundation is being built locally and nation-ally. Publix plastic bags will be placed into your residential mail-boxes with a 3x5 information card, along with our sponsor Valpak, which will be advertising our food drive and will be delivered to each residential and rural customer.

Many letter carriers also will be wearing food drive T-shirts to remind you of the drive. Bins will also be added in some postal service facilities, as well as many volunteers getting set to sort and unload postal vehicles when each carrier returns from their routes and deliveries on Saturday, May 9. We need your donations of non-perishable items. There will be kickoffs at local food bank

pantries. Thursday, May 7 at 9 a.m. is the one at Holy Name of Jesus Church in West Palm Beach.

We are truly trying to make this 2015 Stamp Out Hunger a year to refurbish the Feeding South Florida and Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast Food Bank warehouses. Please give. We need your help. Thank you.

Starr HunterFood Drive Coordinator

West Palm Beach

Does WellingtonReally Need An

Equestrian Plan?As a Wellington resident, I ques-

tion why we need an Equestrian Preserve Area Plan. We are such a diverse group of equestrians, from many, very different neigh-borhoods. This has never been needed before, and I dont see why its needed now. It seems like such a big expense, and not many will be pleased with the outcome, in my opinion.

When questions or problems have come up in the past, it was always dealt with as a neighbor-hood decision, with the Wellington Village Council. Everyone from the neighborhood involved came in and presented their case to the council. When you make a rule, you lose a right, and the town hall meeting on April 6 had a lot of suggested rules that will be very costly to the residents.

One more point: 9,000 acres and 40 people attended this meeting. I dont see much interest in a plan.

Chris Wallace, PresidentPine Tree Water Control District

Wellington

pitching icon Bob Feller in 1940. Back in 1910, William Howard Taft was the first president to throw out the iconic first pitch.

Are you surprised that Babe Ruth, in 1923, smashed the very first home run at Yankee Stadium? And were you aware that it was

68 years ago (1949) that Jackie Robinson became the first Afri-can-American to play in the Major Leagues? Also, keep in mind that Hank Aaron hit his 714th home run to tie Ruths long-standing record in 1974.

On a somber note, do you re-

Interesting Diamond Tidbits As We Welcome Baseball SeasonOPINION

call that umpire John McSherry suffered a fatal heart attack at Riverfront Stadium in 1996? Then there was pitcher Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets, who rarely gave up three runs in a game to one player, but suffered that ignominy on Opening Day

Footlooseand...

By JulesW. Rabin

1994, facing Tuffy Rhodes of the Chicago Cubs. Rhodes only hit one more round-tripper the rest of the season... and just 13 during his entire six-year career in the majors.

OK... now its time to play ball!

Now that the 2015 baseball season is officially underway, lets take a look at some interesting diamond tidbits.

For example, do you know who pitched the only opening game no-hitter in baseball history? It was that remarkable Cleveland

We have just come through another record-breaking tax season and not in a good way. Once a rare, unusual crime, stolen identity tax refund fraud has skyrocketed in recent years, with experts predicting it to soon be a $20 billion problem. While it is certainly important for taxpayers to be proactive and protect themselves, the Internal Revenue Service, and the entire federal government, must figure out how to effectively combat this problem in advance not just try to sort out the damage after the fact.

The IRS helpfully lists tips for avoiding phishing scams and will gladly give you step-by-step instructions for what to do if you are a victim of tax fraud, but so far, the agency has come up with far too few safeguards on the front end.

Yes, you should protect your identity by not over-sharing online, protecting your computers against viruses and spyware, protecting important documents, shredding unnecessary doc-uments, filing taxes promptly and not providing information to unsolicited callers claiming to be from the IRS. And if you are a victim of fraud, you should certainly follow the IRS procedures to report the incident to the agency and other authorities.

However, in reality, experts do not believe that most of the current wave of fraud comes from individuals being careless with their information. Instead, criminals engaged in stolen identity refund fraud submit large numbers of fake returns via computers in the hopes that a percentage of them get through the IRS security screening process. Where do they get

these large numbers of returns? Data theft on a grand scale, highlighted recently by security breaches at major retailers, healthcare providers and service businesses.

Part of the problem here are the outdated systems of the IRS and the laws in place to stop the IRS from being too intrusive. If you want to open a credit card or a bank account, be prepared to fill out your life story on a form and submit to a credit check. What do you need to file a fake tax return? A name, a date of birth and a Social Security number.

While it is likely true that the IRS electronic filing system can be fooled too easily, many experts agree that even when a return throws up a red flag, it could get through due to the pay now, audit later system mandated by federal laws. After all, the law requires payment within 30 days which is not nearly long enough for the current system to cross reference against the data submitted by employers (which often comes in months later).

IRS officials note that millions of fake returns are rejected by the system and that screening procedures are always being improved. However, a cursory look at the crime reports show that not enough is being done. The solution to this problem will probably include many facets, from changing laws to give the IRS more leeway, better screening systems, a more aware public and better systems for safeguarding personal data. Unfortunately, we might have made it far too easy to get that tax refund check. Answering a few questions online and one click of the button certainly makes it easier for taxpayers but also for criminals.

NEWS

Rev. Father John Mericantante, pastor emeritus of St. Marys Catholic Church, is teaming up with the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County to help end homelessness across the com-munity.

The esteemed Pahokee priest has agreed to serve as an honor-ary co-chair for the fourth annual Senator Philip D. Lewis Center Luncheon on Wednesday, May 6.

Mericantante joins Palm Beach County Commissioner Priscilla Taylor and Bank of America Senior Vice President Fabiola Brumley as an honorary co-chair of the annual event.

We need leaders from all segments of our community, from every area of Palm Beach County, to step forward to help us solve the issue of homelessness, Homeless Coalition Executive

Director Marilyn Munoz said. This well respected trio is the perfect combination of faith, government and business leaders combining their energy to make a difference.

The Senator Philip D. Lewis Center is Palm Beach Countys first homeless resource center. It is a central point of access for individuals and families seeking to end their homelessness. Since

opening in 2012, the center has served more than 10,000 men, women and children.

The Homeless Coalition hosts the annual luncheon to help fund services at the center, including immediate housing and meals, rental deposits and job certifica-tions and training. Funds from the 2014 luncheon helped to move 74 families into permanent housing. With the communitys support,

the Homeless Coalition hopes to help even more families and indi-viduals move from homelessness into homes.

The fourth annual Senator Philip D. Lewis Center Luncheon will take place on May 6 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are available for $75 through the Homeless Coalitions web site at www.homelesscoali-tionpbc.org.

Mericantante To Be Honorary Co-Chair Of Homeless Center Luncheon

Father John Mericantante


NEWSLONG-AWAITED ALDI STORE OPENS ON STATE ROAD 7 IN ROYAL PALM BEACH

Joanne Wagner was the first in line to get into the store. Mary Anne Robinson and Lee Messina were happy shoppers.

LOCAL QUILTERS DONATE PILLOW PALS TO CHILDRENS MEDICAL SERVICESMembers of the Wellington Quilters Bee gave the Child Protection Team of Childrens Medical Services 60 handmade pillow pals last week. Pillow pals are given to children who need a friend to hold in times of emotional upheaval. The Wellington Seniors Club made a donation to the Wellington Quilters Bee to be used for materials for charitable projects. (Left) Wellington Seniors Club Pres-ident Howard Trager, Eleanor Yura, Jean Occhiogrosso and Child Pro-tection Team of Childrens Medical Services Assistant Team Coordinator Jim Izzo. (Right) The pillow pals sew-ing team of Wendy Rosenfeld, Peggy Houck, Marietta Bowie, Eleanor Yura, Jean Occhiogrosso, Elaine Smith, Do-ris Rickles and Phyllis Goffe with Jim Izzo of Childrens Medical Services.

Aldi Distict Manager Sina Truchan, Vice President ChrisHewitt, Director of Operations Bruna Maraccini and StoreManager Melissa Christie with RPB Mayor Matti Mattioliand councilmen Jeff Hmara, David Swift and Fred Pinto.

Royal Palm Beach councilmen Fred Pinto and Dave Swiftwith Aldi Director of Real Estate Jeff Williams.

The first 100 people wait to get into the new Aldi store.

The grand opening of Royal Palm Beachs new Aldi supermarket took place Thursday, April 16. Hundreds visited the store, and the first 100 customers were treated to gift certificates and a tote bag. Royal Palm Beach officials were on hand to welcome the new store with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. To learn more about Aldi, visit www.aldi.us.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Mayor Matty Mattioli cuts the ribbon to open the store.

Ella Kaldschmidt won agolden ticket worth $100.


CRIME NEWS


APRIL 20 A deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substa-tion of the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office was called to a location on Business Parkway on Monday morning regarding a business burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between Saturday afternoon and Monday morning, someone entered the business through the roof and removed several hundred boxes of various types of tobacco prod-ucts, valued at approximately $300,000. DNA and fingerprint evidence was collected at the scene, and surveillance video is being reviewed.

APRIL 15 A deputy from

the PBSOs Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was contacted by a resident of Royal Ascot Estates last Wednesday regarding a case of fraud. According to a PBSO report, the victim attempted to file her taxes using a web site called EZ Tax Return and received a notice that her tax return was rejected because one had already been filed with her information.

APRIL 15 A deputy from the PBSOs Royal Palm Beach substation was called to Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery on Southern Blvd. last Wednesday afternoon regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 5 p.m., someone broke the drivers side window of the victims 2002 Nis-san Pathfinder and removed her purse from the front passenger side seat. The purse contained $110, the victims drivers license, credit cards and a cell phone. Fingerprint and DNA evidence were collected at the scene.

APRIL 15 A deputy from the PBSOs Royal Palm Beach substation was called to a gym on Southern Blvd. last Wednes-day evening regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 8:30 and 9 p.m., someone broke into the victims 2008 Nissan Versa, smashing the front passenger window and removing her purse, wallet and Samsung tablet, togeth-er valued at approximately $320, from the vehicle. According to the report, the victims purse was under a cloth and was not visible. DNA evidence was collected from the vehicle.

APRIL 16 A deputy from the PBSOs Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was contacted by a resi-dent of The Acreage last Thursday regarding a case of fraud. Accord-ing to a PBSO report, the victim was called by his accountant and told that a rejection notification

Tobacco Products Stolen From

Business In RPBwas received upon attempting to file the victims tax return.

APRIL 17 A deputy from the PBSOs Wellington substation was called to a home on Lynton Circle last Friday morning regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 8:30 p.m. last Thursday and 8 a.m. last Friday, someone entered the victims 2013 Ford F-150 and picked up the victims wallet from the center console, removing cash, two credit cards and the victims drivers license from the wallet, leaving behind various other credit cards. Additionally, the unknown burglar removed 10 Xanax pills and six antibiotic pills from their bottles in the center console, along with a HP laptop, valued at $1,200.

APRIL 17 A deputy from the PBSOs Wellington substation was called to the Clarks store in the Mall at Wellington Green last Friday evening regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 6 and 7 p.m., someone removed the victims Coach wallet, valued at $195, that contained a debit card, multiple store credit cards and the victims drivers license. The wallet was in the office at the back of the store. According to the report, the victims debit card was later used to purchase an inmate phone card from GTL Inmate Phone Service in Mobile, Ala.

APRIL 18 A deputy from the PBSOs Wellington substation was called to a home on Pine Val-ley Drive last Saturday afternoon regarding a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 3:50 and 3:58 p.m., someone broke the side glass window of the residence and stole a one-carat diamond antique ring, a half diamond band with a tanzanite stone and a thin 18-inch yellow gold necklace, together valued at $2,550. According to the report, when the victim arrived at her home, her alarm was sounding. She turned the alarm off, went inside, saw the broken glass, and called PBSO. DNA evidence was collected at the scene.

APRIL 19 A deputy from the PBSOs Royal Palm Beach substation was called to a home on Christina Drive on Sunday morning regarding a stolen vehi-cle. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 10 p.m. last Saturday and 7 a.m. Sunday, some-one stole the victims 2011 Dodge Challenger.

APRIL 19 A deputy from the PBSOs Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was contacted by a resident of Key Lime Blvd. in The Acreage on Sunday afternoon regarding a case of vandalism.

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

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

Salim Lopez is a white male, 510 tall and weighing 160 lbs., with black hair, brown eyes and multiple tattoos. His date of birth is 05/17/78. Lopez is wanted on felony charges for child abuse. His last known address was 67th Place North in Loxahatchee. He is wanted as of 04/16/15.

Claudine Smith is a black female, 59 tall and weighing 135 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. Her date of birth is 10/15/74. Smith is wanted on felony charges for grand theft from a person 65 years of age or older and the fraudulent use of a credit card. Her last known addresses were Polo Gardens Drive in Wellington and North Congress Avenue in West Palm Beach. Her occu-pation is in nursing. She is wanted as of 04/16/15.

Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward. Call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimestopperspbc.com. Claudine Smith

Salim Lopez

The Palm Beach County Sher-iffs Office is seeking information about an unknown man who walked into the Super Walmart store on Belvedere Road in Royal Palm Beach on Tuesday, April 21, selected two pairs of work boots and then fled in a black Ford F-150 with a Georgia tag. Anyone with information about the man shown here is urged to call Crime Stop-pers at (800) 458-TIPS.

PBSO Seeks Info On Man Who

Stole From RPB Walmart Store

See BLOTTER, page 18

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NEWS


Uh-oh better get Maaco! has been a household phrase since the early 1980s when the first Maaco commercial aired on TV. Now, in 2015, residents of Wellington will easily be able to find a Maaco location now that one is holding its grand opening on Thursday, May 14 in the Wellington Business Center off Pierson Road.

Luis Diaz has opened Maaco-Welling-ton Star Hands Auto Body Shop right in the heart of the community as a means to offer superior service to residents.

Diaz, an entrepreneur and investor, had a vision of coming to the United States from Venezuela to create his family busi-ness. He saw the opportunity to fulfill this dream with Maaco.

Diaz represents his family as a group of entrepreneurs and investors from Venezuela. Given the political, social and economic crisis that Venezuela is going through right now, he and his family researched the market thoroughly before finally deciding to come to the U.S. specifically, Palm Beach County.

We started this process of acquiring four licenses from Maaco collision repair and auto painting. The first is in Welling-ton, with a grand opening on May 14, Diaz explained.

The location held its soft opening March 30, and this new Maaco location is not your standard auto-body shop. Diaz wanted to make it a model shop. Rather than linoleum tiles, he is putting in large

ceramic tiles and is using other ways to truly make it stand out from the standard body shop.

With new, top-of-the-line technology and equipment, Diaz is using his passion to create a successful family business that offers superior-quality service through employees with a passion for what they do, Maaco support and a company that cares.

Through his holding company, Pactum USA Investment Group, he plans to open a store in Riviera Beach within the next few months, one in Royal Palm Beach by the end of the year and one in Jupiter in 2016.

After several meetings with Maacos board of directors, including President Jose Costa, who is also from Venezuela, we found a lot of support from them, Diaz said. They gave us all of their support, and we decided to do the investment in this area.

Son-in-law Carlos Andrara, director of Pactum, is working closely with Diaz and Leo Romero, Wellington Maaco store manager, to get the store ready for its May 14 grand opening. There will be music, food, dancing and more as the company introduces itself to the community.

Through market studies and Maaco guidance, they chose Wellington as their first location because it is a growing area, Diaz said.

Wellington people are really amazing. We felt that they needed a nice collision re-pair and auto painting place to give them a professional job with professional service

that fits their needs, he explained, noting that they want to give back to Wellington and are looking forward to being part of the community.

The commercial park has a lot to offer, so they thought it was the perfect location to house their auto body shop.

The Wellington Maaco location now employs five people on the production side and one on the sales side, but Diaz expects those numbers to double in the next few months.

Besides our direct employees, we also have a lot of support from the vendors, Romero said. For example, we buy paint from Sherwin Williams, but they dont just sell paint. Theyre part of our Wellington Star Hands Auto Body Shop family.

The shop is utilizing the top products from Sherwin Williams, the top profes-sionals and taking advantage of the excel-lent support Maaco offers to its franchises to bring great results to the Wellington area.

When you combine professionals with the best products that we can have, and Maaco support, and our support as well, were sure that we can give you the highest quality that you can get, Diaz said. We really appreciate the efforts of Maacos headquarters, and what they did for us, especially Maacos President Jose Costa.

The support from the community, Diaz continued, has been outstanding.

We want to thank the Village of Wel-lington, he said. They were extremely helpful. We want to be a community

Maaco Location In Wellington To Celebrate Grand Opening May 14

BIZ ALLIANCE CELEBRATES MILESTONE AT HURRICANE GRILL IN WELLINGTON

Maureen and Don Gross. Eric Willer and Marcia Berwick with Kathy and Angelo Valverde.

David Eisenson picks his own name for the 50/50 raffle.Joseph Boyle and Lynn Balch with Lois and Keith Jordano.

Eric Gordon, Harriet Offerman and Freddy Asencio.

The Western Business Alliance hosted a social event Thursday, April 16 at Hurricane Grill & Wings in Wellington, where the alliance celebrated achieving the milestone of more than 100 members in the networking group. For more information about the group, visit www.thewesternbusinessalliance.com. PHOTOS BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

Alliance members gather at Hurricane Grill & Wings.Stas Politis won a gift basket.

Natalie and Barry Stolbach.

Luis Diaz, Carlos Andara, Leo Romero at the new Maaco shop in Wellington.PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

shop. We want to serve the community and do our best to help out in any way that we can.

Diaz invites the entire community to the grand opening celebration on Thursday, May 14 at 6 p.m.

Were going to have a live band, authentic cuisine and cocktails, he said. Its going to be a really nice evening with Latin music and Latin cuisine.

Maaco offers auto painting and cos-

metic car repairs. They work with major insurance companies on claims and repairs, and works on fleet and industrial service vehicles.

To learn more about the new Wellington Maaco, visit www.maaco-wellingtonfl.com, call (561) 328-6969 or e-mail [email protected]. Stop by the shop at 3132 Fortune Way, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

SantamariaLawsuit Victory

continued from page 1were undermining the electorate by going against the will of the people, and that they were required to fund the OIG.

Thats how we won our law-suit, and thats why were here tonight, to celebrate this victory, of We, The People, Santama-ria said, calling this the biggest victory of the people in the last 10 years.

Carey, the guest speaker at Tuesdays meeting, agreed with Santamaria about the importance of the ruling.

This is a victory, Carey said. I love that quote by Judge

process by suing, and that was one of her main quotes to take away out of there.

The victory, Carey explained, is huge.

What happened after the judge ruled in the case is that the cities came back to the judge and filed a motion for a rehearing, Carey said, noting they asked for that on March 26.

On April 10, Brunson denied the rehearing.

The cities now have 30 days from April 10 to appeal. If they dont appeal within 30 days, its law, Carey said. If they dont appeal by May 11, that becomes law and we can start funding. If they do appeal to a higher court, well, unfortunately, we need to move on to the next battle.

The battle, he reminded the

crowd, isnt over yet, and is being fought with taxpayer dollars.

Originally, 15 municipalities filed suit. Wellington dropped out in 2012, and Delray Beach dropped out just recently after Brunsons ruling. That leaves 13 cities, led by West Palm Beach.

Its all pretend Oh, we dont have anything against the IG, we just dont like the funding. They are deceiving you, Santamaria said. There was never, ever, any discussion of charging the taxpayer or charging the cities. The cities and the county were supposed to charge the vendors, the people who do business with the county. We never, ever talked about charging the cities.

Santamaria called the munici-palities hypocritical, with their pleas that they cannot afford the

OIG. One-fourth of one percent is nothing, he said.

All of the commissioners voted to charge the vendors, Santamaria said, and he has fought diligently against misinformation through conversations, community forums, advertisements and more to inform the community about this battle for an office that keeps an eye on the government.

As Palm Beach Countys second inspector general, Carey is in his first year on the job.

My job is to weed out fraud, waste and abuse, Carey said. Im passionate about it. Ive been doing it for years. Ive been doing a pretty good job at it. Ive put people in prison, Ive made arrests; weve saved millions of dollars for the taxpayer. But I always like to remind folks, most people in

government are really trying to do the best thing. What an IG can do is come beside them and help them do business better, more efficient and more effectively.

From the end of June 2010 to the end of 2014, the OIG took in more than 6,200 phone calls, questioned more than $12 million in costs, identified approximately $1.8 million in costs, showing that there were $8.2 million in costs that were avoidable.

On Thursday, May 14 at 9 a.m., Carey will give a six-month status report to the Inspector General Committee. The meeting will be available for viewing on Chan-nel 20.

To learn more about the Office of the Inspector General, visit www.pbcgov.org/oig or e-mail [email protected].

Jess Santamaria discusses the inspector general lawsuit victory.

Brunson: The people are the municipalities, not those elected officials who represent them. Elected representatives, just be-cause they disagree with the vote of the people, cant overturn the


Acreage Soccer Registration

AYSO Region 1521: Soccer Fun in the Acreage will hold registration for the fall season for boys and girls ages 4 to 18 starting next week.

Parents can pre-register their players at www.eayso.org begin-ning May 1. After registration, bring the printed player applica-tion, concussion form and pay-ment to one of the registration events at Samuel Friedland Park on Saturdays, May 2, 9 and 16 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more info., visit www.ayso1521.net or call (561) 798-5467.

Free Hunter Safety CourseThe Florida Fish and Wildlife

Conservation Commission (FWC) will offer a free hunter safety Inter-net-completion course on Sunday, May 3 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Everglades Youth Conservation Camp in the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area.

Students must complete an Internet course before coming to

class and bring a copy of the final report from the online portion of the course. An adult must accom-pany children under the age of 16 at all times. Students should bring a pencil and paper with them to take notes.

People interested in attending this course can register online and obtain information about future hunter safety classes at www.my-fwc.com/huntersafety or by calling (561) 625-5122.

Chamber Speed Networking Set

For April 29The Wellington Chamber of

Commerce will hold a special Speed Networking event Wednes-day, April 29 at the Wanderers Club in Wellington. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. Advanced registration is required. To register, visit www.wellingtonchamber.com.

Palmer Singers Seek New Voices

The Palmer Singers at Welling-

ton soon will be preparing Christ Lag in Todesbanden, the famous cantata by J. S. Bach. Interested singers should call director Dr. Edward Palmer at (561) 659-3641. The Palmer Singers introduced the compelling cantata in the 1960s at the Royal Poinciana Playhouse, receiving excellent reviews. Re-hearsals are in Wellington at St. Davids-in-the-Pines Episcopal Church on Mondays.

Garden Club To Meet May 4

The Wellington Garden Club will meet Monday, May 4 at the Wycliffe Golf & Country Club from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be the last club meeting of the season. Members will enjoy a luncheon with a Hawaiian theme.

At the luncheon, college schol-arships will be awarded to two Palm Beach State College students and to one Palm Beach Central High School student. Installation of Wellington Garden Club of-ficers will also take place.

The Wellington Garden Club has been a federated club for 32 years and is involved with many

community projects. For mem-bership information, call Carol Coleman at (561) 792-2290. For more info., visit www.wellington-gardenclub.org.

Childrens Theatre To

Stage MusicalsWellington Childrens Theatre

will present the beloved musical The Wizard of Oz on Friday, May 15 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 16 at 2 and 7 p.m. at Community Christian Church (521 Jog Road, West Palm Beach).

Wellington Childrens Theatre will also present the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Cinderella on Friday, May 22 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 23 at 2 p.m.

For information and tickets, call (561) 223-1928 or visit www.wellingtonchildrenstheatre.com.

Wellington El Kindergarten

Roundup May 7Wellington Elementary School

will host its Kindergarten Round-

up on Thursday, May 7 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. in the school cafeteria.

Parents are invited to see the school, pick up a kindergarten registration packet and get answers to questions.

Parents wishing to register stu-dents on that day must bring the following: completed SY16 reg-istration form, photo identification of parent/guardian, two current utility bills in parent/guardians name as proof of address, an im-munization record form, a physical examination form and original birth certificate or other proof of birth date.

The schools address is 13000 Paddock Drive. For more info., call (561) 651-0600.

Teen Financial Literacy Session

The Village of Wellington has partnered with Wells Fargo Bank to offer a free Financial Literacy Information Session for Welling-ton teens on Monday, April 27 at 4 p.m. at Wellingtons Community Services Office, located at 1092 Wellington Trace. If you are inter-

ested in attending, RSVP at (561) 791-4764. Seating is limited.

Art Exhibit At Okeeheelee

Nature Center Natural Wonders of Florida,

a juried all-media exhibit hosted by Okeeheelee Nature Center, includes 67 works by 27 local artists.

Artwork will be on display through May 7 at Okeeheelee Na-ture Center. The public is invited to view the exhibit during nature center operating hours. A reception and awards ceremony will be held at the nature center on Friday, May 1 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and is open to the public.

The Friends of Okeeheelee Na-ture Center, a nonprofit organiza-tion, is producing the exhibit. Pro-ceeds from this exhibit will help support the educational programs and activities at the nature center.

Okeeheelee Nature Center is op-erated by the Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation Department and is located in Okeeheelee Park at 7715 Forest Hill Blvd.

NEWS BRIEFS

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NEWSWELLINGTON CELEBRATES EARTH DAY & ARBOR DAY AT THE AMPHITHEATER

Wellington Mayor BobMargolis addresses the crowd.

Debbie Evans, Charles Sandell and Stormi Bivin of the Tree Board.

WELLINGTON VOLUNTEERS GATHER TO HELP CLEAN UP VILLAGE STREETSWellington residents took part in the Great American Cleanup on Saturday, April 18 in the 12th Fairway/White Pine community and along Wellington Trace. There was a volunteer appreciation lunch afterward.

Maureen Dibble draws a butterfly on Analisa Frisby.Councilwoman Anne Gerwig and Chris Gillette of the Tree Board with landscaping winners James and Laura McMahon (center).

Smokey the Bear helps children plant a tree.

Wellington held its Earth Day and Arbor Day Celebration on Sunday, April 19 at the Wellington Amphitheater. Hundreds gathered to learn about the planet, receive free plants and enjoy a concert with the Jamie Mitchell Band. The day included a special appearance from Smokey the Bear.

PHOTOS BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER


Scott Peterich and James Arcaro of the Forest Service.

Ava Dolbow with WasteManagements robot, Cycler.

Fred Quan and Julia Hathaway with the Sierra Club.

Many students from Palm Beach Central High School were there.

Wellingtons Jonathan Sales, James Poag, Shelly Williams,Meridith Tuckwood, Jim Fackrell and Scott Campbell.

Beckett and Braelynn Bohr and Brooklynand Olivia Miller help with the clean up.

Marc Blanc, Malik Poag, Layla Kalfin and Lorenzo Lucce.

Chris Holley and Emily Kyrkostas pick up trash.

THE TRIPLE CROWN CONTINUES...SATURDAY, MAY 16

THE PREAKNESS STAKES & ARMED FORCES TRIBUTESATURDAY, JUNE 6

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NEWSTHE SOPRANOS A HIT FOR OPERA FUSION AT WELLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL

Sopranos Dora Cardona, Laura Martnez Len,Ravenna Maer and Gerri Kinley on stage.

Ravenna Maer, Ardean Landhuis and Laura Martnez Lensing Soave sia il vento from Mozarts Cosi Fan Tutti.

AUTISM AWARENESS EVENT AT WELLINGTON COLTS TRAVEL BASEBALL GAMEThe Wellington Colts 13U Orange travel baseball team held an autism awareness event at their game Sunday, April 19 at Village Park in Wellington. Team members wore blue autism awareness shirts to honor Bryan Riedell, brother of Colts team member Andrew Riedell.

Executive Director BirgitFioravante on stage.

Dr. Xavier Garcia and Laura Martnez Len have fun withLa ci darem la mano from Mozarts Don Giovanni.

Samantha, Heather and Nicolette Forkel with Bryan Riedell.

All the ladies listen as tenor Lievens Castillosings Nessun dorma from Puccinis Turandot.

Opera Fusion presented The Sopranos on Saturday, April 18 at the Wellington High School theater as a fundraiser for Save a Pet Florida. The two-hour show featured sopranos Laura Martnez Len, Dora Cardona, Ravenna Maer and Gerri Kinley, joined on stage by male singers Lievens Castillo and Ardean Landhuis, and also Opera Fusion founders Birgit Fioravante and Dr. Xavier Garcia. For more information on upcoming events, visit www.operafusion.org.



Bryan Riedell throws the first pitch to his brother, Andrew.

Opera Fusion volunteers with John and SaundraMercer, Dr. Xavier Garcia and Kathy Wells.

The Wellington Colts 13U Orange travel baseball teamin their autism awareness shirts with Bryan Riedell.

Artistic Director DeanPeterson with Dora Cardona and Laura Martnez Len.

Wellington Mayor BobMargolis with Bryan Riedell.

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PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Commissioner McKinlay Receives TheChildNet Champion For Children Award

The charity event Bubbles & Bouquets will be held on Sunday May 17 at the International Polo Club Pavilion to benefit Petals With Purpose.

The event will feature five prominent couples from the Palm Beach area competing in a floral arrangement contest. The couple with the most donations at the end

of the competition will be crowned the winner.

Brunch, along with bottomless flavored mimosas and bloody Marys, will be served. There will also be live and silent auctions at the event.

Attendance is expected to be be-tween 125 and 150 people. Learn more at www.bubblespwp.com.

More than 300 runners from throughout South Florida laced up their running shoes and joined the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida for the fourth annual Thin Mint Sprint 5K on Sunday, April 12 at Okeeheelee Park. The race also in-cluded the Tagalong Trot 100-yard dash for kids 8 and under.

The top three runners over-all were Seth Kaufman, Mark Kasprzyk and Neil Dryland. The first place overall, Seth Kaufman, finished with a 17:53 record time. The top female finisher was Alexa Gemma in 20:47. Awards were given in 17 categories, and all runners received a free box of Thin Mints.

To explore opportunities to volunteer or partner with the Girl Scouts, call (866) 727-4475 or visit www.gssef.org.

Bubbles & BouquetsSet For May 17 At IPC

(Left) Melissa McKinlay with ChildNets Larry Rein.

Palm Coast Health Underwriters Visit Washington, D.C.

Girl Scouts Host Thin Mint Sprint 5K Race And Tagalong Trot At Okeeheelee Park

The Palm Coast Association of Health Underwriters (PCAHU) team of Debbie Hollister, Steve Israel, Keith Jordano, Julian Lago, Michele Malooley, and Brad and Sue Tunis recently attended the National Association of Health Underwriters 25th annual Capital Conference in Washington, D.C.

While there, the delegation met with area legislators and

staff about healthcare issues. The PCAHU team met with Con-gressman Patrick Murphy, while other representatives made staff members available, including James Cho, deputy chief of staff to Congresswoman Lois Frankel; Ryan Lichtenfels, aide to Con-gressman Ted Deutch; and Clarey Walker and LaTasha Lee, aides to Congressman Alcee Hastings.

Brus Buddies Gets Check From McLellan Foundation

Kevin McLellan, president of the Tyler McLellan Foundation, recently presented Bob Brudzinski with a check for $1,025 for his charity Brus Buddies Community Legacy Program.

The McLellan Foundation raised the funds from its annual charity poker tournament, the fifth annual Tylers Team Charity Poker Classic. Every year, we select a charity to donate a portion of the proceeds to, and this year

(Above) Junior Girl Scout Troop #20033 gearing up for the Thin Mint Sprint 5K on Sunday, April 12. (Right) Alexa Gemma finished overall first female at the Thin Mint Sprint 5K with a time of 20 minutes, 47 seconds.

Nick Lumpkin, Cristina Amor, Danielle Dumas, Jay Zeager, Shannon Burrows, Kim Lumpkin and Ryan Smallwood.

PCAHU representatives meet with Congressman Patrick Murphy.

Palm Beach County Com-missioner Melissa McKinlay received the inaugural Champion for Children award from ChildNet on Thursday, April 9. ChildNet Executive Director Larry Rein pre-sented McKinlay with the award at the annual Care For Kids luncheon held at Frenchmans Reserve.

A former ChildNet board mem-ber, McKinlay was honored for her advocacy for children in foster care and volunteer service with the Junior Leagues of Florida, the Junior League of the Palm

Beaches, the Boys & Girls Clubs, Guardian Ad Litem, the ReEntry Task Force and the 15th Circuit Juvenile Justice Advisory Board.

McKinlay was previously rec-ognized for her work in the com-munity with the Distinguished Achievement Award in 2011 from local firefighters, the Junior Leagues of Florida Advocacy Award in 2009, the Girls Power Award in 2008 and the Child Ad-vocate of the Year in 2006.

ChildNet was chosen by the Florida Department of Children & Families to serve as the communi-ty-based care lead agency in Bro-ward and Palm Beach counties.

(Right) Bob Brudzinski receives a check from Kevin McLellan.

we selected Brus Buddies as our charity, McLellan said.

The Brus Buddies program helps organizations that exhibit good sportsmanship, academic excellence or community spirit, and has donated over a quarter of a million dollars since 1989. For more info., visit www.brusroom.com/about/brus-buddies.


SCHOOL NEWSNEW HORIZONS

STUDENTS LEARNABOUT LIFE CYCLES

New Horizons Elementary School kindergartners are learning about the life cycles of plants and animals. Students learned about plants by planting terrariums and a butterfly garden. They discovered the process of metamorphosis by collecting caterpillars from their garden, placing them in a butterfly house, and watching them morph into cocoons then full-grown butterflies. Students enjoyed completing the cycle by releasing the butterflies back into the butterfly garden. Shown here are kindergarten students with their teachers Erin Santiago and Bette Baez releasing the butterflies into the butterfly garden.

RPBHS DEBATE NOVICES TAKE HOME AWARDS

FROM STATE TOURNEY

Rosarian Inducts 24 New Honor Society Members

The Wildcat Speech and Debate Team competed successfully at Novice States recently at Cypress Bay High School in Fort Lauderdale. The following students placed high: Ryan Gosling, second place, Dramatic Interpretation; Aszkara Gilchrist, fifth place, Dramatic Interpretation; Narrelle Gilchrist, fourth place, Congressional Debate; Ryan Gosling and Selena Lugo, sixth place, Duo Interpretation; Kashine Johnson and Itiyah Fowler, semifinalists, Duo Interpretation; and Selena Lugo, semifinalist, Oral Interpretation.

The Seminole Ridge High School chorus participated April 10-11 in the Florida Vocal Associ-ation state solo and ensemble as-sessments at Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Congratulations to the soloists and ensembles who received a Superior rating: Mairead ORo-urke, vocal solo (Broadway/jazz); Rowan Pelfrey, vocal solo (Broadway/jazz); advanced wom-ens show choir; the beginning womens show choir; the chamber ensemble; and the varsity show choir.

Congratulations also to the cho-risters who received an Excellent rating: Mairead ORourke, vocal solo (operatic); Rowan Pelfrey, vocal solo (operatic); Amanda Vargo, vocal solo (operatic); the concert womens ensemble; and the womens barbershop quartet.

Winter Guard Champions Again The SRHS marching bands winter guard competed April 10-11 at the annual South

Florida Winter Guard Champion-ships, culminating their season by earning the top spot of Class AA Gold Medal Champions for the second year running.

These outstanding students competed throughout their season in five regional contests as well, bringing home a sixth-place, a second-place, and three first-place trophies, band director Daniel Harvey said.

Tri-M Elects Officers The Seminole Ridge chapter of the Tri-M Honor Society has elected its officers for the coming school year. Congratulations to Jacob Perry (president), Gabriela San-tos-Haskey (vice president), Sa-brina Belizaire (secretary), Ashlee Frame (treasurer) and Fernando Frank (historian).

Hawk Volleyballer Signs with Stetson Congratulations to Samantha DAdamo, who signed a scholastic letter of intent April 15 to play sand volleyball for Stetson University. In a recent

SRHS Chorus Students Earn State Honors

(Front row) Samantha DAdamo with parents Justin and Lisa; (back row, L-R) former SRHS volleyball coach Austin Clubb, SRHS athletic director Scott Parks, SRHS volleyball coach Scott OHara and SRHS principal James Campbell.

visit to Stetson, DAdamo had the opportunity to meet the Stetson conference-championship squad and was impressed by the pro-gram. She feels that she will bring

the positive attitude of a team player to the Hatters. No matter what anyone tells you, keep true to yourself and continue working hard, she said.

IB Program Coming To RPBHS Next YearA new International Baccalau-

reate diploma program is coming to Royal Palm Beach High School for the 2015-16 school year, mak-ing it the sixth district-operated high school in Palm Beach County to offer this rigorous curriculum to students.

Approximately 100 seats are available in the RPBHS IB pro-gram for incoming ninth graders. Any interested ninth graders are

welcome to apply, including those who are on the wait list for other IB programs in the district.

We are honored that the district has chosen Royal Palm Beach High School as the site of its next IB program, Principal Jesus Armas said. The students in the western communities of Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Loxa-hatchee and The Acreage are de-serving of having this prestigious

program in our neighborhood. Royal Palm Beach High School is ready, willing, able and committed to providing our students a world-class education.

Parents were invited to learn more at a meeting that took place Monday, April 20 at the school.

Interested students must have a 3.0 GPA and have taken Algebra I or Algebra I Honors. Coursework in Spanish or French for high

school credit is recommended.The IB curriculum is based on

student inquiry, interdisciplinary project work and development of students long-term skills and values, in addition to their factual knowledge. To learn more about the new IB program at RPBHS, contact Choice Academies Co-ordinator Laurie Cotton at (561) 792-8659 or laurie.cotton@palm beachschools.org.

The Rosarian Academy hosted an awards ceremony and induction of new members into the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) on April 10.

During the assembly, 24 new students were inducted into NJHS based on their scholarship, lead-ership, character, service and citizenship.

T h e i n d u c t e e s i n c l u d e eighth-graders Christopher Cur-tis, Walker Mahoney and Sean Neligan; and seventh-graders Meredith Anderson, Lauren Bartl, Charlotte Breckenridge, Daisy Cook, Lily Cook, Laila Fahmy, Peter Fields, Isabella Gil, Liam Groth, Emma Guerrieri, Morgan Kennedy, Colin Kramer, Frances Melendez, Sebastian Merchan,

Maggie Millar, Laura Narcisse, Mariana Perez-Vargas, Thomas Raymond, Bard Rockenbach, Victoria Skivington and Seema Thakkar.

Rosarian NJHS members, led by moderator and teacher Patrick Hansen, participate in a number of community service activities throughout the year, including: leading holiday-themed parties and activities at the Lords Place Family Campus; decorating cook-ies at Opportunity Inc. Learning Center; reading books and playing games at the Lourdes-Noreen McKeen Retirement Community; organizing a water station for the Race for the Cure; participating in the St. Judes Walk; painting a home through the sponsorship of

the Solid Waste Authoritys Paint Your Heart Out; making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to be distributed at St. Ann Place; join-ing beach clean-up efforts at local

beaches; volunteering with the Special Olympics; and gleaning crops with C.R.O.S. Ministries to benefit the Palm Beach County Food Bank.

Rosarians new National Junior Honor Society members.

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town-crier newspaper april 24, 2015

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