LGLA Divided Over County’s Annexation Charter Amendment

     Palm Beach County Planner Lisa Lowe gave a presentation to the Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association last Thursday on a proposed charter amendment that would put final approval of voluntary annexations in the hands of the county commissioners. The commissions have approved the amendment to be put to voters as a referendum in November.

     Lowe, who worked with the LGLA in 1995 when residents put together the community’s neighborhood plan, said that rural communities in the Orlando area share Loxahatchee Groves’ concerns about piecemeal annexation by neighboring communities. Earlier this year, Wellington annexed the 7,000-acre Stormwater Treatment Area 1-East in order to position itself to annex part of the Palm Beach Aggregates property, Lowe asserted, and the county decided to follow Orange County’s example and adopt a charter amendment that would allow annexation only with the county’s approval.

     Lowe reported that the Village of Wellington is furious with the county for putting such legislation together, and accused the county of doing land planning, but the county has concerns about Wellington’s “go west” philosophy. There are about 450,000 acres of sugarcane beyond the western communities, she explained, and that property has the potential to be urbanized, something Lowe said she and a lot of other people are not ready for. As a resident of Lake Worth, she said she would vote for the charter amendment.

     Lowe also stressed that the charter amendment would not adversely affect the all-or-nothing legislation that protects Loxahatchee Groves from piecemeal annexation. The all-or-nothing legislation for Loxahatchee Groves is much stronger than the charter amendment, which is more like “icing on the cake.”

     The amendment would affect Loxahatchee Groves only if it incorporates and wants to annex other property, Lowe said. If so, the community would have to go to a referendum and get permission from the owners of the land they wish to annex.

     Lowe said she didn’t see the charter amendment as anything bad for Loxahatchee Groves, but rather would help preserve the community’s rural lifestyle for the future. Without the amendment in place, Wellington would continue trying to annex property to the west, and Loxahatchee Groves could face pressure from other communities. “All this does is give you some assurance that your boundaries will not get any smaller,” Lowe said.

     In the question period following Lowe’s presentation, landowner John Ryan said he still felt the all-or-nothing legislation strongly protects Loxahatchee Groves from other municipalities looking to annex pieces of it. He said that the only impact he could see from the amendment is that it would bring the county commissioners into the picture if the community stays unincorporated. Ryan said incorporation would be their strongest form of protection.

     Lowe said that everyone she had spoken to was intrigued by the fact that Loxahatchee Groves is considering incorporation. She suggested that if Loxahatchee Groves was serious about incorporating, they need to be careful about taxes. Other small cities, such as Palm Springs and Lake Worth, have taxation concerns. Lowe recommended that the community think it through carefully.

     Member-at-large Rita Miller suggested that the LGLA support the charter amendment because it would give them protection in case the all-or-nothing legislation is overturned. Former LGLA President Dr. Bill Louda made a motion that the LGLA board send a letter supporting the charter amendment.

     But LGLA member and incorporation advocate Steve Gutman said he was very concerned that the charter amendment did not address involuntary annexation, and it also did nothing to address the Land Use Advisory Board’s approval of higher-density projects along Southern Blvd. despite landowner protests. He said the charter amendment could give a false sense of security.

     John Ryan said that he is concerned about an opinion written by Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Attorney Tom Sheehan, cautioning that the charter amendment could undermine the all-or-nothing legislation and asked Sheehan to give further input before such a letter is approved.

     Lowe said that she could talk with Assistant County Attorney Bob Banks and also ask him to come out and talk with the LGLA on the issue. Louda amended his motion to state that the board should send a letter supporting the charter amendment after follow-up discussions with Banks and Sheehan.

     LGWCD Administrator Clete Saunier said that Sheehan had crafted the memo about his conversations with Banks to give the LGWCD Board some guidance by pointing out positives and negatives of the amendment. If the community didn’t vote in favor of the charter amendment, he said, it might be perceived by others outside the community as a way to overturn the all-or-nothing legislation. The final conclusion in the memo was not to state the charter amendment was a bad thing, but just to give both sides of the issue, Saunier said.

     Louda also asked if the county would get the idea that the community was telling them that they didn’t want their protection if Loxahatchee Groves didn’t vote for the charter amendment.

     In response, Lowe said that the county had been surprised that Loxahatchee Groves doesn’t seem to support the charter amendment when communities such as The Acreage, Deer Run and Fox Trail do. She said the county was surprised in light of the fact that Royal Palm Beach had adopted a resolution saying they wouldn’t annex Loxahatchee, but the Village of Wellington hadn’t written such a resolution.

     LGLA President Marge Herzog explained that the Committee to Incorporate Loxahatchee Groves had written a letter in opposition to the amendment, and landowners present said they were upset that the committee was speaking for them, including former Louda, who walked out of the meeting.

     Landowner Roy Parks, a member of the committee, said that the committee members are separate from the LGLA, and their intentions are separate as well. Herzog also said that the landowners could send out a separate letter in support of the charter amendment if they wished to do so.

     Gutman asked if the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District board had voted on the charter amendment, and Saunier said that the item would come up at their Sept. 13 meeting. After some further discussion, Ryan asked the landowners if they could table the motion to send a letter until they have input from the LGWCD board, Banks and Sheehan. The other landowners agreed.

Residents Ask Questions At Groves Incorporation Meeting

     The Committee to Incorporate Loxahatchee Groves held one of several planned “town meetings” Monday evening at Palms West Hospital to inform residents of the results of their feasibility study for the group’s effort to incorporate the rural community.

     Committee Member Dennis Lipp said the county’s Sector Plan was developed so the western communities would have a tier development system and the area would not become overdeveloped, but he had spoken to people in the county’s planning agency, and although the Sector Plan in not yet dead, nobody is talking about enacting it any longer.

     Lipp also enumerated other development plans in or near Loxahatchee, such as projects already approved along Southern Blvd., residential homes at Palm Beach Aggregates and the Scripps Research Institute, which would have substantial impact on the community. Lipp also said that he had concerns about the community “all-or-nothing legislation” standing up in court. The law, passed in 1999, protect Loxahatchee Groves from piecemeal annexation. However, Lipp said, politicians and developers are threatening to challenge the legislation.

     Lipp told the people in the room that they should take their fate in their own hands. “Why let outsiders decide our fate?” he asked. “It’s time to incorporate.”

     Lipp noted that the process of incorporation is not easy. The community must prepare various documents, including a feasibility study, a charter and an economic impact study. The documentation would become part of a local bill certified first by the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation and then by the State Legislature, before coming back to the people for a final vote. If all goes according to plan, he said, the bill to incorporate would make its way through the legislature in the next legislative session in March 2005, and come back to the community the following summer for a vote. Lipp also said that the final draft of the feasibility study and working draft of the charter were presented to the League of Cities for their review and comments.

     Lipp said the feasibility study puts the area of Loxahatchee Groves at about 8,148 acres with a total population of about 3,174 according to the 2000 Census. Lipp said that the general feeling of the committee is that government governs best when it governs least, and the committee does not envision a government which would put a lot of rules and regulations in place, just something that would protect the community and control special interests. The committee believes the best option would be a government with a city manager and a small group of five elected residents meeting once a month. The council would be elected at large with overlapping three-year terms, and a ceremonial mayor would be selected among council members. Lipp said that the new government probably would oversee zoning, code enforcement and land use, but other agencies such as animal control, schools and law enforcement would stay with the county.

     Lipp laid out the costs of incorporating, including revenues generated and a preliminary budget with salaries for a city council, city manager, an administrative assistant, personnel services, operating expenses, insurance and leasing office space. Many people have expressed concerns that taxes would go up, Lipp said, but the costs of annexing into Wellington and Royal Palm Beach would be higher than incorporation.

     Lipp noted that the committee was speaking to residents to get their support, and asking supporters to provide their names and addresses. However, he said, if supporters later changed their minds, they could vote no if and when the time comes to cast their vote for incorporation.

     Several residents raised concerns about speeding and traffic violations along roadways. One resident asked about the plans for an “E” Road/140th Ave. connection on the county’s thoroughfare map as a possible paved road. As it stands now, Lipp said, residents don’t have a lot of say, other than writing letters, but as a town, their thoughts on such an issue would carry more weight.

     Some of the questions being asked were putting the cart before the horse, Lipp said. If the community incorporated, it could then make decisions about what sort of enforcement it would have, and if they should contract with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services.

     Loxahatchee resident Grace Joyce, a land planner with the City of West Palm Beach, said she thought the presentation was informative, and she supported incorporation, but she wanted to make sure that Loxahatchee Groves wasn’t incorporating for the wrong reasons. Joyce asked if the incorporation effort went through, whether land use would stay similar to what it is now.

     Committee Member Elise Ryan said that the new government would do its best to keep land use the same, but land planning would be up to the new government and the people. She said there would be a series of town meetings, and everyone would have a chance to give input, followed by a vote. Ryan said it was a question of trusting the residents of Loxahatchee Groves to determine the zoning needs of the community versus outsiders.

     Another resident asked if the community incorporated, whether it would have more say in what the county tries to do to the community. Committee Member Steve Gutman said that if the community incorporated, it would be better able to challenge proposed changes along their roads. “As a community, we would have the status to get some big guns involved,” Gutman said.

     Committee Member Dave Autrey agreed with Gutman. He recalled going to a planning meeting last year where the widening of Okeechobee Blvd. wasn’t event on the agenda, but it was fast-tracked, and that is a concern. Autrey said the more people the community has on its side, the better the incorporation effort would be.

     Another resident suggested talking with the legislators in person, and perhaps chartering a bus to go speak to them in Tallahassee. Autrey said that was a good suggestion. He also said the committee had visited with two area legislators, State Rep. Shelley Vana and State Sen. Ken Pruitt, initially to discuss the feasibility study and other issues, and it was possible they could be key sponsors in the future.

     Autrey noted the committee gleaned helpful information from the community of Ft. Myers Beach, which incorporated nine years ago and was able to keep taxes and services low. Just last year, Ft. Myers Beach was able to get substantial grant money, and such funds could help Loxahatchee Groves, he said.

     Another meeting led by the Committee to Incorporate Loxahatchee Groves will be held on Monday, Aug. 30 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Palms West Hospital in the Building 7 Conference Center, Suite B. For more info., call 798-3888, ext. 12 or 315-8094.

Questions For The Indian Trail District Candidates: Week 5

     For the past five weeks, the Town-Crier has been asking the eight Indian Trail Improvement District candidates one question each week on issues crucial to The Acreage community. This week is the final question before the Aug. 31 election.

     Question 5: Much has been said of the overcrowded internal Acreage roadways. What would you like to see done to make the traffic situation better?

     Seat 2 Candidates

     Keith Jordano: I do not believe the internal roads are our problem. The roads going in and out of The Acreage are overcrowded. This is caused by our local residents and pass-through traffic going north and south through The Acreage.

     I personally know this not only because I commute using these roads, but because I have stood on several of the busiest intersections the last few weeks with my sign campaigning.

     The shortest way to Wellington, Royal Palm Beach or western Palm Beach County from Palm Beach Gardens or the Port of Palm Beach is through The Acreage. The shortest way from Wellington, Royal Palm Beach or western Palm Beach County to Palm Beach Gardens or the Port of Palm Beach is through The Acreage.

     We need to work with the county and state to get the roads built that have long been on the drawing board — State Road 7 from Okeechobee Blvd. to Northlake Blvd., Jog Road, Roebuck Road and the Turnpike Interchange at Jog/710 to name a few. This along, with some improvements to the existing roads, should help our traffic problems.

     The Acreage internal roads, paved and unpaved, just need some improvements, upgrades and additional safety features.

     Carol Francis: The number-one answer to reduce the traffic on our internal roadways is to support getting the State Road 7/county reliever road constructed to Northlake Blvd. now. Any neighborhood road to which ITID permits a connection should be constructed in the safe neighborhood road design to reduce the impact of the cut-through traffic and slow the vehicular traffic on these streets.

     The number-two issue is the Scripps project. If this project moves to an eastern location, it will slow the threat of overdevelopment of our area and the traffic gridlock that it will bring. Applying a CRALLS (constrained roadway at lower levels of service) designation on our major thoroughfares is not an acceptable long-term solution. If Scripps does end up at Mecca Farms or the nearby Vavrus parcel, the county and state will need to take a serious look at alternatives to direct traffic around our community, not through it! The truck traffic and congestion on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road grows more dangerous each day. The new high school opening next year has the engineering department racing to get the final design of the road ready for construction early next spring. It is critical to get the expansion of this section of Seminole Pratt completed before the high school opens.

     There is a serious need for the improvement districts to work with the county to facilitate the four-lane expansion of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road from Southern Blvd. to Northlake Blvd. Drainage and design issues continue to hamper this badly needed roadway improvement. The two-lane expansion of Seminole Pratt to the Beeline Highway is another important construction project that needs to move forward rapidly to re-route some of the traffic that currently travels down Northlake Blvd.

     Just as important is the need to implement a standard for all the improved roadways in our community. The safe neighborhood design with traffic calming and paved pathways should be part of each and every improved road this district constructs. The residents who live along these roadways have the right to insist on their safety and the safety of the children comes first!

     Keith Haas (Incumbent): Our roadway system through The Acreage and Loxahatchee is a hodge-podge of county roads built to county standards, ITID paved roads, stabilized roads and dirt roads. As the district builds out, our roadways will become more and more crowded. The effect on our roads is being felt even now, as the dirt roads are becoming increasing harder to maintain and the paved roads are deteriorating.

     The five-year road plan passed by the ITID board will address many of these issues. As chair of the Special Projects Committee, I have been working to implement a road paving program that has identified the remaining arterial and collector roads that should be paved. These roads are impacted daily by high volumes of traffic creating health and nuisance problems in the form of dust and numerous complaints for additional grading. In the long run, the district is spending a lot of money on nothing to maintain these roads. The paving will allow more money for maintaining the paved roads and providing more routes needed to move traffic in and out. It’s all about planning to get the most for our money.

     The R-2 Road Bond was intended to put a paved road within a half-mile of each residence. The effort ended a little short of that goal, and I would like to finish the job. No, I do not want to pave over The Acreage as some have suggested. I live on a dirt road, and I want it to remain dirt. I do, however, want to pave those roads that will meet the level of service we now need.

     The county is trying to force State Road 7 down our throats; that amount of traffic will cripple and ruin our community. Our concerned County Commissioner Tony “Build a Highway Through The Acreage” Masilotti is leading the charge. I will use every single power ITID has to stop him. State Road 7 needs to be built on the original alignment to Northlake Blvd.

     The expansion of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road will expose The Acreage and Loxahatchee to new traffic volumes. The county design is not friendly to our residents, whose roads intersect with Seminole Pratt. Again, working through the Special Projects Committee, ITID will offer alternatives that will be presented to the county for alternative access routes. Last but not least, the county needs to relocate Scripps.

     Seat 4 Candidates

     Michelle Damone: Traffic in The Acreage is the current number one issue. In order to relieve traffic on our internal road system, we must get the State Road 7 Reliever Road built in its entirety from Okeechobee Blvd. to Northlake Blvd. This will alleviate the traffic flowing in and out of The Acreage, and it will reduce the heavy burden of traffic at the intersection of Okeechobee Blvd. and Royal Palm Beach Blvd. We MUST be united as a community and make sure that the road is completed in its entirety so that it is not a burden on any one road in The Acreage. We must demand ample connecting roads not to intrude on any one neighborhood.

     Second, we must connect Seminole Pratt Whitney Road north to the Beeline Highway. This should remove much of the truck traffic off of Northlake Blvd. We will still have to address the truck traffic on Seminole Pratt Whitney as well as the design of Seminole Pratt Whitney to provide residents with a safe entry onto the road.

     By addressing both of these roadways, we will provide a much safer traffic pattern and provide our 43,000 residents an evacuation route in case of an emergency. Had the fires on the north side of Northlake Blvd. one year ago jumped across to the south where our residents live, our community would have been in a gridlock trying to evacuate from a dangerous situation. In addition, had Hurricane Charley taken an unexpected turn east, our community would have been in a grave situation trying to evacuate safely.

     Bob Dawson (Incumbent): The State Road 7 extension must be completed to Northlake Blvd. If not, our internal traffic situation will go from bad to worse. It must have multiple connections to spread the traffic out. The county has plans to widen Northlake and Seminole Pratt. I would like to see the through truck traffic stopped during the construction. The county has already said it cannot be stopped altogether. If Callery-Judge is permitted to develop, we must not allow them to connect to our already-crowded roads. I do not support widening any internal roads. I believe this will destroy the character of our community.

     Gene Klusmeier: The only thing to do is extend State Road 7 on the original range line, with two-lane connections at Persimmon, 60th and Orange Blvd. That would ease the traffic situation in The Acreage.

     Karl Berg: You do not have to be a traffic engineer to realize that The Acreage has an overcrowding problem on our roadways. The obvious solution would be to expand our major perimeter roads. Being realistic, we know that some people are going to be affected negatively. How much impact the proposed roadway plans have on these people is something that should be decided between the parties affected. More community input and involvement is a necessity. Questionnaires and surveys mailed to the residents, along with town hall meetings, can provide the ITID board with concerns and comments that would allow it to focus on possible conflicts and problems concerning roadway expansion and improvements.

     As for immediate solutions, the fluid design and proper expansion of Seminole Pratt is paramount to ease burgeoning traffic. The creation of a major truck corridor interconnect, in accordance with SIMS (state intermodal systems) would relieve our roadways from existing and growing through truck traffic which could provide safer streets. Perhaps the most important roadway plan is the extension of State Road 7 to Northlake Blvd. The SR 7 extension is critical to solving our traffic dilemma. The county needed to pursue this a long time ago, but better late than never. The costs associated with this type of construction are not getting any cheaper, and the traffic is not getting any better. We need to act now to not only save ourselves money, but time that could be spent somewhere other than behind the wheel.

     Dr. Ted Van Istendal: Internal roadways certainly are overcrowded. A major answer to a lot of our traffic congestion is to complete the long-overdue SR 7 extension of 1947 on its original rangeline alignment as planned by those of far greater perception and awareness than our current-day “planners.” We also need more stop signs at our busy and dangerous intersections where the county has refused to approve them for us. It would also be helpful if all drivers were to be sure to use turn signals to alert others of their intentions and not fall asleep, but move promptly at intersections.

RPB Zoners Approve Office Building

     The Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Commission gave conditional approval on Tuesday night to a site plan which had been tabled since April calling for a 16,892-square-foot, two-story office building on a 2.23-acre plot on the northwest corner of the Lowe’s Center at the corner of State Road 7 and Southern Blvd.

     The office building, which will be called Sunshine Professional Offices, is being built by Boynton Beach-based Sunshine Commercial Investment and will be used for professional and medical offices.

     The biggest concern of the commissioners was the slope design on a western portion of the property, which is on the bank of a drainage canal maintained by the Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD). The commissioners said the design presented to them was too steep and could be a problem if erosion occurred.

     Larry Kramer, president of South East Architect Services, presented his designs to the council, which had been revised since the commission last considered the issue. The main change, Kramer said, was the drainage plan for the property. Kramer said his firm “reworked drainage 150 percent,” and the LWDD had approved the conceptual drawings for the property.

     Planning & Zoning Commission Chairman Damon Meiers, however, had issues with the slope design which the LWDD approved on the canal bank, which he said was too steep. Commissioner Richard Durr agreed.

     “The issue is that if that erodes, the foundation could be compromised,” Durr said.

     Chairman Meiers also had a problem with a water retention ditch on the property. Martin Pilote, an engineer working on the project, said he would address the problem.

     Commissioner Jackie Larson had some concerns about water quality issues with regard to medical uses of the building. Kramer said the building would employ a reverse osmosis system to make sure no problems occur. Another concern Larson had was waste being stored or disposed of outside of the building. Kramer assured the commissioners this would not be a problem. “There is absolutely, unequivocally no outside storage,” he said. “Everything is inside the building.”

     The conditions for site plan were that the slope of the bank of the property along LWDD’s drainage canal had to be modified to be more gradual, there must be no storage or disposal of any waste outside of the structure, the water retention issues must be fixed, and additional landscaping modifications must be added. Commissioner John Frontroth added that there should be inspections of the property on at least an annual basis.

     If the LWDD doesn’t approve the commissioners’ change of the slope angle, the site plan will go back before the RPB Planning & Zoning Commission. The conditional approval of the site plan was passed unanimously by the commissioners.

     The project is expected to go before the Royal Palm Beach Village Council in the fall.

Wellington Zoners OK 288 Homes On Lanier Property Off SR 7

     Wellington’s Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board approved the rezoning and master plan for the Lanier property on the west side of State Road 7, just south of the Mall at Wellington Green last Thursday.

     Planning Manager Caryn Gardner-Young said the petitioner was asking for approval of a master plan to build a community of 288 homes on the 144-acre property, and rezoning from Palm Beach County Agricultural Residential to Village of Wellington PUD.

     The property is presently used for row crops and part of it is the site of the old Wellington Feed Store, now Polo Pets & Feed Supply. The property was annexed into the village early this year with a future land use designation of Residential C with two dwelling units per acre, and Gardner-Young said the change in zoning was required to match the comprehensive plan amendment.

     Bob Bentz of Land Design South followed up Gardner-Young’s presentation, saying the zoning is similar to the nearby Olympia development and the planned Oakmont Estates. Other properties near the site include a church and a future Wellington park. Bentz noted that there is a long-term lease on the feed store and that there would be access to the site from Pierson Road, and a secondary access point for residents through the Wellington Green property. There would be no direct access from SR 7.

     Bentz also described the buffering and landscaping for homes on the site, and said the homes would be single-family detached units. Gardner-Young noted that one of the conditions of approval would allow for the construction of a traffic light at the corner of Pierson Road and SR 7.

     Board members had a number of questions about school concurrency, traffic, phasing, off-site improvements, interconnectivity and other issues that were answered by Bentz and his staff. The board also asked Bentz when it might be possible for the traffic light to be constructed. Gardner-Young said that would depend upon the traffic generated. Board Chair David Miller praised Bentz and staff for their use of open space and recreational areas on the site.

     The future use of the Lanier property has been under debate for several years. Up until last summer, the Village of Wellington was involved in on-again, off-again negotiations to put a park on the site. When that deal fell through, a plan was put forward to turn it into industrial/office space, which met with objections from Palm Beach County.

     Mark Salzberg, representing the feed store, raised a number of issues, including the annexation of the property in February, which is still being fought in court by his client, and also that the master plan had listed the feed store site incorrectly as 3.75 acres, when it should have been five acres. Salzberg said that the feed store had leased the property for another 17 years, and that this move meant a portion of the property leased to them would be developed.

     Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz, however, said the landowners had given the village appropriate authorization to move forward with the property, and he felt that this was a dispute between the lessee and the lease holder, and they would need to work it out among themselves.

     Miller suggested that a phasing be done to allow the west side of the property to be developed first, so that the property under dispute would be developed last. Board Member Gene Schriner made a motion to approve the master plan, which was seconded by Board Member Alan Johnson. It passed unanimously 5-0. Schriner and Johnson made similar motions for the rezoning.

     In other business, the PZA Board approved the master plan and site plan for the five-acre Kobosko property located east of SR 7 on Forest Hill Blvd. The master plan and site plan proposes 32,100 square feet of retail uses and one 6,000-square-foot freestanding restaurant on the site. The property is partly vacant, and the rest is occupied by a farmer’s market.

     Bentz and Gardner-Young noted an additional condition on the property which would allow residents of Olympia pedestrian access onto the site.

     Marc Kleiman, a resident of Woodworth, a development in Olympia, had concerns about access from Kobosko’s to his development, which he said did not have a fence around it. Miller said Kleiman’s homeowners association should discuss that with owner Andy Kobosko. Miller also said that he felt the Olympia community would be better served by open access to Kobosko’s than pulling out onto Forest Hill Blvd. and then turning into Kobosko’s.

     After further discussion, Schriner made a motion to approve the master plan, seconded by Johnson. It passed unanimously. Schriner then made a companion motion to approve the site plan, seconded by Johnson. That passed unanimously as well.

     The board also briefly discussed and unanimously approved a revision to the ULDC changing the language to describe “dead-end streets” as “cul-de-sacs.” Johnson made a motion for approval, which passed unanimously.

County Commissioners Vote Themselves Water Supremacy

     After buying off Royal Palm Beach last week, Palm Beach County has now declared itself the supreme ruler of water in the western communities.

     By a 5-1 vote Tuesday, the Palm Beach County Commission approved a revision to the county’s comprehensive plan that would declare itself the sole provider of drinking water throughout the western communities. While the decision affects only future development, thousands of homes and significant commercial development have either already been approved or under planning.

     The vote came only days after Royal Palm Beach voted to sell its water rights to the county in the portion of its service area outside the village borders. In exchange, the county promised to pay Royal Palm Beach a 10 percent franchise fee on revenues generated in the service area being turned over to the county.

     County Commission Vice Chairman Tony Masilotti led the effort Tuesday to approve the comprehensive plan change in the absence of Chairwoman Karen Marcus. While the change affects only future development, it does include Mecca Farms, tentative site of the Scripps Biotechnical Research Center, new Palm Beach Aggregates home construction and perhaps even some 10,000 homes Callery-Judge Grove wants to build inside a “new city” on its citrus groves inside The Acreage.

     The county’s entry into the western water wars had been expected, but some community utilities plan to fight the decision at the Florida Department of Community Affairs, which must approve the new comprehensive plan change. A court challenge is also possible.

     Wellington, the Seminole Improvement District (Callery-Judge Grove), the Indian Trail Improvement District, the Seacoast Utility Authority and West Palm Beach all have opposed the county’s move to control water delivery in the area. Wellington is still planning to build a water line to meet up with the Seminole Improve District’s line on Southern Blvd. in Wellington’s western edge.

     Royal Palm Beach had declared north of Southern Blvd. to be inside its water service area and that Wellington has no right to cross over southern from the south or to allow itself access to Seminole. That area, under the comprehensive plan change, would now be controlled by the county.

     At stake in the outcome of the water wars is millions of dollars in future revenue with increasing numbers of homes and commercial buildings west of Wellington and north of Southern Blvd.

Wellington May Hook Up To Statewide Trail System

     Representatives from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection asked the Wellington Village Council Monday to consider creating a network of trails in the equestrian community which would link the village to a network of trails throughout the state.

     Capehart Perkins and Alexandra Weiss, of the DEP’s Office of Greenways and Trails, were invited to an afternoon pre-council meeting to give a brief presentation about the concept. Weiss said her agency is developing a statewide trail system for recreational use and conservation purposes. She invited Wellington to join in the project.

     The trails could be designed for a variety of different uses or multiple uses such as biking, equestrian, inline skating and pedestrian all on the same trail. Weiss said a trail system could be designed to fit Wellington’s needs and uses however they are determined. She said the state agency would work with Wellington on designing the trails and provide technical assistance and funding through grants from various sources.

     The Wellington system, and trails in other communities, would link together into a statewide network of similar trails. In turn, the state trail system would link to networks outside Florida. One such trail extends from Maine to Key West. Weiss described her office as a “clearinghouse” for the trail network.

     Vice Mayor Lizbeth Benacquisto asked about the cost of such a program, and Weiss explained that the state’s greenways and trails office would assist with finding the money.

     Councilwoman Laurie Cohen expressed concerns about taking the grant money for the trails, then being forced to open the system to the entire county as the village had to do when it accepted funding for its parks and recreation programs from the county. Weiss responded that she didn’t think the village would have to worry about “the world showing up at its doorstep.” However, she said funding would be provided with the provision that the trails would be open to the public and for public use.

     Benacquisto said it “would be interesting to know if another community had taken the dollars and opened up the trails, and it had caused the community to regret doing that.” Weiss said that she had not heard of any community having that problem. Instead, “it had only proven a benefit to the community that chose to use the funding.”

     Councilman Dr. Carmine Priore wondered since Wellington was such a diverse community — with everything from soccer players to equestrians — what Weiss thought about mixed trail usage. She responded that there were no problems as long as trail users respect the space.

     Mayor Tom Wenham told Weiss and Perkins that the village would be in contact with them for more information.

Wellington Man On Bicycle Assaulted On Greenview Shores Blvd.

     AUG. 21 — The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office reported that a smash-and-grab robbery occurred at Village Park in Wellington between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. last Saturday. The victim told the PBSO that she went to the park for her son’s football practice and parked her vehicle there at about 3 p.m. and left three purses on the back seat. When the victim returned two hours later, she found the driver’s side window broken out and the purses, containing $330, missing. The PBSO is still investigating.

     AUG. 21 — An attempted strong-arm robbery occurred along Greenview Shores Blvd. in Wellington last Saturday night, according to a PBSO report. The victim, a 60-year-old Wellington man, told police that at about 10:15 p.m., he was riding his bicycle southbound along Greenview Shores Blvd. when he was attacked by two black male suspects wearing dark clothing. The suspects knocked the victim off of his bike after they struck him in the head. A passing motorist who saw the incident honked a horn and the assailants were distracted long enough for the victim to attempt to escape on his bicycle. The suspects caught up with the victim and knocked him off his bicycle again. While the victim was on the ground, one suspect kicked him in the head while the other patted him down. The victim, however, had his money in an upper shirt pocket, and the suspects did not find the money and fled the scene on foot heading toward the area of Yarmouth Court and Folkstone Circle. The victim described the suspects as being two black males in their late 20s wearing all dark clothing, 5’8” with muscular builds. The victim sustained a small laceration on the back of his head and Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue responded to treat the injuries. The PBSO reported that the victim said he could identify the suspects if they were apprehended, but a written statement was not taken from the victim “due to a language barrier,” and the case is inactive pending further leads.

     AUG. 21 — David Foster, 22, of Royal Palm Beach was arrested by Royal Palm Beach Police last Saturday night for possession of drug paraphernalia following a traffic stop on Stamford Ave. in Royal Palm Beach. While driving northbound on Royal Palm Beach Blvd., the arresting officer clocked Foster driving a Dodge pickup truck at 51 mph in a 35-mph zone southbound on the same road, according to a police report. The officer turned around and stopped Foster on Stamford Ave. at 11:59 p.m. After making contact with Foster, the officer smelled the odor of marijuana emanating from inside the pickup and noticed that Foster appeared nervous. The officer obtained consent to search the pickup and found a multi-colored glass pipe containing marijuana residue in the center console. Foster was given a verbal warning for his speeding violation and released from the scene with a notice to appear in court on the charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

     AUG. 22 — The RPB Police arrested 22-year-old Dennis Harris of Royal Palm Beach for driving under the influence of alcohol during the predawn hours last Sunday following a traffic stop on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. An officer reported that while driving southbound with his radar activated, he clocked Harris driving a Ford pickup truck 66 mph in a 35 mph on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. Harris was stopped at 1:07 a.m., and when the officer met Harris, he observed that the suspect had dilated pupils and slurred speech. Following his arrest for driving under the influence, Harris was taken to the Palm Beach County Jail.

     AUG. 24 — 29-year-old Makebo Kuntz of Wellington was arrested on Southern Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach by the RPB Police early Tuesday for driving an unregistered motor vehicle. While heading westbound on Southern Blvd., an RPB Police officer reported that he observed Kuntz driving a 1989 Toyota pickup and called the tag number into dispatch. Dispatch told the officer that the tag was registered to a 1997 Mitsubishi, and the officer proceeded to pull Kuntz over at 12:27 a.m. Kuntz was transported to the Palm Beach County Jail after his arrest.

     AUG. 24 — Another man was arrested by the RPB Police early Tuesday for driving an unregistered motor vehicle. Daniel Prince, 24, of West Palm Beach was pulled over on State Road 7 at 3:48 a.m., according to a police report, and when a check was run on the vehicle’s tag, it came up as being not assigned and expired as of May 2004. A further check revealed that Prince’s vehicle had no tag assigned to it. Prince was given a notice to appear in court following his arrest for driving an unregistered motor vehicle. The officer told Prince he could not drive his vehicle, so Prince secured the vehicle and left it on the side of the road.

     AUG. 25 — A Lake Worth man was arrested after trying to flee the scene of a car accident on Lake Worth Road at the entrance Grand Isles in Wellington on Wednesday. A PBSO deputy reported that the accident occurred at approximately 5:30 p.m. and the suspect, 31-year-old Kevin Verporter, tried to flee the scene on foot. However, Verporter was caught by a witness along Grandview Manor. When the PBSO responded to the scene, they found 69.5 grams of cocaine in Verporter’s Ford Explorer, as well as marijuana, drug paraphernalia and open container of alcohol. Verporter was charged with trafficking cocaine, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana less than 20 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia, leaving the scene of an accident and having an open container. Additional charges may still be pending for possession of unknown pills. Verporter was taken to the Palm Beach County Jail after his arrest.

Primary Election To Narrow Crowded Field Of Sheriff Hopefuls

     As Sheriff Ed Bieluch prepares to ride off into the sunset after a stormy four years as Palm Beach County’s top cop, five hopefuls seek to take control of the 3,000-person, $300 million-a-year operation — former West Palm Beach Police Chief Ric Bradshaw, former Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Ken Eggleston, retired PBSO Capt. Fred Mascaro, New Jersey retiree Cliff Montross, and Broward County Sheriff’s Office Detective Steven Soule.

     A primary election will be held Aug. 31. If no candidate gets 50 percent of the vote, which is likely in a five-person race, the top two vote-getters will face-off in November.

     Ric Bradshaw, a native Floridian, joined the West Palm Beach Police Department in 1971 right out of the Marine Corps, and rose from patrolman to chief of police after working in almost every position in between. He served as chief for seven years, and retired in January to make a bid for county sheriff.

     Bradshaw said he has more upper-level management experience than other candidates, comprising 22 of the 33 years he spent on the force. He holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources management, and he is working on a master’s degree in disaster planning. Bradshaw also pointed to his experience on the Palm Beach County Criminal Justice Commission and the Countywide Domestic Security Task Force as further qualifications.

     Bradshaw said West Palm Beach mirrors the county in demographics and issues of importance. He said he is the only candidate who has recently managed a large law enforcement agency, and would emerge as the best candidate even if a nationwide search were conducted, as is done for appointed positions. “I’m the only candidate who would make the short list,” Bradshaw said. “We’re talking 3,300 employees. Most governments would be doing a nationwide search for this position.”

     Bradshaw said the PBSO is in need of direction, professional management and leadership. He said the PBSO should have a more cohesive working relationship with other police departments in the county, particularly in times of crisis. If a hurricane hits Palm Beach County, he said, coordination between those agencies will be essential.

     Bradshaw said public safety is a big issue in the race. He wants to put deputies currently in administrative positions back on the road to use them more effectively, without cost to taxpayers. He also wants to provide the PBSO with updated technology, for instance giving all deputies access to laptop computers. Further, Bradshaw wants to continue the PBSO’s community policing initiative so residents can stay in touch with them about their needs.

     Bradshaw also said the county sheriff should be more accessible to the county commissioners and other government agencies. “When you are the sheriff, you have this big responsibility to the citizens,” Bradshaw said. “You need to be accessible to the county commissioners and have a working relationship with them. That is my job.”

     Having only recently retired from the West Palm Beach Police Department, Bradshaw said he hadn’t been “out of the system” as long as some of the other candidates. During his tenure, Bradshaw said he gained experience with budgets and working with the county commissioners and other agencies, and became familiar with issues countywide by cooperating with law enforcement agencies in other municipalities. “Regardless of whether they are east, west, north or south, I know the issues in Boca Raton, Belle Glade, Jupiter and Wellington,” Bradshaw said. “I have networked with law enforcement agencies through every neighborhood in this county. The bad guys don’t have maps that say ‘don’t cross this line.’”

     Bradshaw said he is sure the voters will choose the best candidate in the race. “I believe the citizens will choose someone who is a proven law enforcement professional to head this agency,” he said. “The voters are wise enough to see they need a proven leader. We will run as hard as we can. On August 31, we hope they decide we are the best candidate.”

     Ken Eggleston, an Acreage resident, said that if elected sheriff, he will put 100 more deputies on patrol duty at no additional cost, end wasteful spending by hiring a chief financial officer, improve emergency response times and raise the educational requirements for new hires at the PBSO.

     Eggleston emphasized the need for educational requirements which would professionalize the department. He would institute a policy that would require all new hires to have an associate’s degree, and any officer who wanted to attain the rank of captain or higher would have to have a bachelor’s degree as well as command school certification. Eggleston earned his associate’s degree from Broward Community College and his bachelor’s degree from Barry University. He is also a graduate of the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville in Kentucky.

     Eggleston said the PBSO has always had a “downtown West Palm Beach philosophy” which he would like to change by regionalizing the PBSO and building new emergency response centers in the northern, southern and western areas of the county. He added that he wants at least a third more deputies serving the western communities.

     Ad valorem taxes paid by Wellington taxpayers should be factored into the contract the PBSO has with Wellington to provide policing services, Eggleston said, and costs should be “scaled back on a fairer basis.” Noting that Wellington was once unincorporated, Eggleston said he would allow Wellington to have the two or three deputies it would have if it was still unincorporated free of charge and the village would only have to pay for the other deputies and services provided by the PBSO.

     Eggleston said the PBSO is audited only once a year by the County Commission and that 2.5 percent savings could be found in the current budget, which should be used to hire 60 new deputies. The additional 40 deputies for patrol duty would be reassigned from current non-supervisory, non-law enforcement positions, Eggleston said.

     In the post-9/11 environment, Eggleston said, there is a need for better communication between the PBSO and the 32 other police departments in the county. “I have been a big proponent of putting in a countywide dispatch system,” he said. “God forbid we had an emergency.”

     Eggleston believes that the election will end up in a runoff. If so, he said, voters must choose between the status quo or a new generation. “I represent the future of law enforcement, not the past,” he said. “My opponents represent the past. They say ‘look at what I’ve done,’ not ‘look at what I am going to do.’”

     Fred Mascaro, who nearly unseated then-Sheriff Bob Neumann in a primary four years ago, pointed to his 30 years of experience in the PBSO, the last 10 years as a captain. Mascaro stressed that none of his promotions were politically motivated, but earned on his own merits.

     “I have served in every district in the PBSO,” Mascaro said. “I managed, supervised and commanded two of the biggest districts in the PBSO, and I prepared the budgets for those districts. None of my promotions were politically appointed, like some of my other opponents, such as Ken Eggleston.”

     Mascaro said he is running for sheriff to put his experience, leadership and management capabilities to work serving county residents. He also wants to put more officers back on the streets and counter staffing shortfalls in the patrol division. Mascaro also said the PBSO needs to be more proactive than reactive in finding solutions to many problems. Concerns over terrorism need to be addressed, he said, because coastal communities could be targeted and institutions could be targeted by terrorists. The PBSO’s bomb squad, helicopter squad, canine unit and terrorism unit need to be expanded, Mascaro said. He is proposing a 24-hour toll-free hotline so people can alert the PBSO of suspicious activities.

     Mascaro also said gang and drug problems need to be addressed sooner, which means interacting with the kids when they start running away from home, and following up on them. “If we have a detective working in that scope from the beginning,” Mascaro said, “we’re not talking about a new day, a better day. We should go back and start working with these kids when they first start getting into trouble.”

     In the case of a runoff, Mascaro thinks he will probably be facing Ric Bradshaw or Ken Eggleston. “Both of them would be viable opponents,” Mascaro said. “Right now, the public is going to have to make some tough choices. They will vote for either experience or leadership, or vote for someone who is making promises that they may or may not be able to keep.”

     If elected, Mascaro said, he would try his best to give the western communities extra personnel if there is a need. As long as Wellington has a service contract with the PBSO, he would like to enhance, expand and do whatever Wellington needs, but it is hard to give more than what the contract calls for in financial terms. He said the PBSO would have to review and research the situation in unincorporated areas such as The Acreage and Loxahatchee and get those areas more manpower if needed. For now, he would like to see more deputies in unincorporated areas because the response time is so poor.

     “We have to consider a substation between here and Belle Glade,” Mascaro said. “They have to do a lot of development out there to maintain their quality of life.”

     Mascaro concluded by pointing to his experience and saying he was the best qualified among the candidates. “I have the experience with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office,” Mascaro said. “I have the ability to look at what this county needs. I have the leadership and experience of running a district and looking at where the crimes are and where the manpower is. Thirty years with the PBSO is what I will be bringing in with me, and with that, I can address the needs of this community.”

     Cliff Montross, who moved to Boynton Beach from Somerset, New Jersey, has been retired from law enforcement and civic duty for at least 12 years. At the age of 77, he is the oldest candidate, but that shouldn’t count him out, he said. Montross served in various capacities in New Jersey, including jail warden, undersheriff, manager of security systems and various government posts. Montross said he is an opportunity for a fresh start with a new face in the sheriff’s office, and he can be trusted to be independent.

     “We have to do away with the old boy system,” Montross said. “I’m the only candidate who has not taken any political contributions for my campaign. I can’t be indebted to anyone. I have no particular friends or relatives in the department or around the department, so I think I’m the only candidate who can take a stand and make a decision on the information he receives when it comes to hiring people and when it comes to contracts. I have a free mind. I don’t have to worry about answering to anyone.”

     Montross said he would like to see more of a police presence at the county’s schools to provide more protection for students going to and from school. He lives right near Congress Middle School, and there is not always a strong police presence there in the morning and afternoon. In many unincorporated areas, it’s hard to find a presence at all, he said.

     “When you get out in the unincorporated areas,” he said, “there is poor visibility of police.”

     Montross pointed to his 22 years of experience working in various law enforcement capacities. He knows how to communicate and talk with people, something he said the present sheriff has had a hard time doing.

     “That’s the way I operate,” he said. “Working with people has never been a problem. I’ve always been successful at doing that for 35 years. That’s what it’s all about.”

     Acreage resident Steve Soule’s law enforcement career started 22 years ago when he joined the U.S. Air Force as a security policeman. He moved to Florida in 1987 and began serving with the Broward Sheriff’s Office, working his way up to detective sergeant. He also served in Operation Desert Storm and worked to keep looters off of Homestead Air Force Base during Hurricane Andrew. He has lived in The Acreage with his family for 10 years.

     Soule said he was motivated to run for sheriff because of a lack of police presence and excessive crime activity in his community. It became personal when a robbery occurred right near his home, and his neighbors contacted him when he was coming home from work. His neighbors had called 911, but the PBSO wouldn’t come out, so he called them himself. “‘You might be the type of guy to run for sheriff,’” Soule said his neighbors told him. “They told me, ‘why don’t you give it a shot?’”

     Soule said similar problems occur across the county, with some residents waiting 30 to 40 minutes for the PBSO, and he wants that situation rectified.

     Soule also said he perceives a lot of nepotism in the current administration, and a lack of minority leadership. He said he grew up in a mixed community of blacks, whites, Hispanics and Jews, and found the same atmosphere in the military. He said the current PBSO administration is holding back good people.

     Soule also said the PBSO needs better oversight of its $300 million budget and more officers on the street. There are 1.09 officers per 1,000 persons in unincorporated areas of Palm Beach County, he said, and 3.05 per 1,000 in Broward. He said he wants more cops in high crime areas and PBSO resources better spread out across the county.

     Soule also said he would like to see more PBSO programs that involve youth, like the Police Athletic League, to get them off the streets. He said he is lucky not to have had any problems with his own kids, now ages 23, 17 and 15, but some other kids are joining gangs.

     Soule said that two of his opponents have 30 years of experience and are in their 60s, and some of the candidates in the race are looking at the sheriff position as a step for them to retire. Soule said he plans to stick around a while.

     “I have 22 years of experience,” Soule said. “I can give them two or three terms. I want to be sheriff for the next 10 to 12 years.”

2000 Election Weighs Heavily On Race For Elections Chief

     Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Theresa LePore is facing a tough battle for re-election this year. LePore gained nationwide notoriety during the 2000 presidential election while at the center of a controversy involving a ballot design and the standard for judging voter intent.

     A native of West Palm Beach, LePore got her start in the Supervisor of Elections Office in 1971 and was chief deputy to the supervisor by 1978. She was first elected to the supervisor’s position in 1996 after her predecessor retired.

     “I love my job, that’s basically it,” LePore said when asked why she is seeking re-election. “I think it’s an important part of democracy to do what I do.”

     LePore admits that the 2000 fiasco will bear heavily on her chances of retaining her position. “Hindsight is 20/20,” LePore said. “On my tombstone it is going to say, ‘no good deed goes unpunished.’”

     LePore also defended the controversial “butterfly ballot” design, saying that she circulated the design widely and heard no objections about it. “The reason we did the butterfly ballot was to make the print larger for senior citizens,” she said. “It went out to everybody and their brother, all the chairs of the parties, telling them about the ballot. All registered voters received a sample ballot in the mail and nobody said anything about it until Election Day.”

     First and foremost, LePore said, the most important issue in the race is non-partisanship. “I personally registered no party affiliation because of what happened in 2000,” she said. “I got discouraged with both parties.”

     The Supervisor of Elections position was depoliticized in 2002. LePore and her challenger Dr. Arthur Anderson are running for a non-partisan position. “I always felt strongly that the office should be non-partisan,” LePore said.

     Another priority is voter education, LePore said. “Voter education is important, and we have expanded that with community partnerships where businesses train people how to vote and train people how to be poll workers,” she said, adding that the election supervisor’s office will continue to see upgrading of technology.

     LePore said experience, integrity and dedication to her job are what differentiates her from her opponent. “Dedication to the details,” she said. “Experience running a $10 million budget. Doing an election takes six to seven months, and I liken it to putting together a large puzzle.”

     Still, the massive effort of training, getting voting equipment and supplies to 700 precincts and maintaining voter registration files is guaranteed to produce some problems, LePore said. “Will it be perfect? No, humans are involved; but we try to make it the best that we can,” she said.

     LePore said her staff would disagree with charges that she micromanages her office. “I am a very hands-on individual and that comes, in part, because I worked in every aspect of the office from 1971,” she said. “I am an admitted workaholic.”

     “I want to know what happens before it hits the street,” she continued. “If that is micromanaging, OK. But we do not have a large office. We have 35 workers. So it is easy to make sure everyone does what they need to do.”

     LePore was dismissive of the need for a verifiable paper trail for the new touch-screen voting machines. “If we get the funding, and it is the will of the people, I will do it,” she said. “I don’t think it is necessary.”

     LePore further dismissed speculation that electronic voting machines are vulnerable to tampering. “That is totally false,” she said. “It is kind of like a safety deposit box. You need a key and they need a key for it to work. The source code is locked up in Tallahassee. [The manufacturer] can’t get in to get anything… We have different security levels so that one person is not in control of everything.”

     LePore said that if re-elected she would “try to make voting as convenient as possible” in the western communities, but polling places are becoming hard to find.

     “I’m just going to try making voting easier and more convenient,” she said. “We got blindsided with the early voting this year. It is a 14-day commitment before the election to be open eight hours a day. It is hard to find the right places with the necessary security. The libraries aren’t available, but we are trying to get village hall.”

     LePore asserted that she is the most qualified candidate. “I have a reputation around the country for being fair and honest,” she said. “People know if I say something, it is a fact. I give everyone the same treatment.”

     Challenger Dr. Arthur Anderson was born in Spartanburg, SC but moved with his family to Michigan. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wayne State University and a doctorate in higher education administration from Michigan State University.

     A professor of education at Florida Atlantic University since 1978, Anderson also served on the Palm Beach County School Board from 1986 to 1994.

     Anderson said he was motivated to run for Supervisor of Elections because he perceives a lack of confidence in the system. “I believe we are facing a grave crisis in America,” Anderson said, “the continuous erosion in the level of confidence on the part of the public in the electoral process. I think we are in a crisis mode in that regard all across the nation, but in particular here in our local community.”

     Anderson said that the lack of confidence has especially affected minorities and the poor. “I’m especially concerned in terms of those groups who have been traditionally disenfranchised from the electoral process,” he said. “Even more than our community at large, these groups are feeling that this system will not work. I’m very troubled, for example, that I know in some communities people are planning not to vote; as a result of the fiasco in 2000 they feel that their vote will not count.”

     Anderson placed blame for the confusion surrounding the 2000 election in Palm Beach County squarely on LePore. “I think it was very much her fault, in large measure,” he said.

     Anderson said the controversial “butterfly ballot” design was not subjected to nearly enough scrutiny. “She had the opportunity to submit that ballot design to a committee of her peers to review; she did not take the opportunity to do so,” Anderson charged. “When you develop a new product, you field test it… I would never put something like that into the population without a trial first.”

     Rebuilding voter confidence in the electoral process is the overriding issue in the race, Anderson said, and a paper record that matches the electronic voting machines is a must.

     “We really need to have a verifiable paper trail to go along with the electronic balloting,” he said. “Theresa continues in denial, along with the governor and the secretary of state, that this equipment can falter. Evidence is coming in from all around the country, and we’ve seen indications of it right here in our local area, that this equipment will err.”

     If he gets into office, Anderson said, his first priority will be to advocate for the paper trail, saying that LePore has not been an advocate for the voters she is supposed to serve, but for the status quo. He said the office would see a departure from Le-Pore’s style of “micromanagement,” as he would foster the delegation of authority to qualified personnel and the establishment of a training component in the office. Anderson also said that he would put more emphasis on voter education, not only showing people how to use new voting technology, but also inspiring young adults and minorities to understand why they should come to the polls. Only one in four young adults voted in 2000, he said.

     “I truly believe every vote should count,” Anderson said. “I believe that the most significant and basic constitutional right that we have as citizens of this country is our vote. It represents the ultimate form of checks and balance in our system. I think maybe I am especially sensitive to this given my particular history as a minority in this country.”

Charges Fly Between Property Appraiser And Challenger

     For the first time in years, incumbent Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Gary Nikolits faces a formidable challenger in the form of Joy Hearn, a former employee who levels charges of favoritism against the incumbent.

     Previously a party-backed position, the Property Appraiser’s election was recently turned non-partisan. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters will face-off in November. Mitchell Stein, a third candidate on the Aug. 31 ballot, has not actively campaigned.

     Incumbent Gary Nikolits was born in Detroit but came to Florida in 1954. “I grew up here in West Palm Beach, so I consider myself to be a near-native,” Nikolits said. “I now work six blocks from where I grew up.”

     Nikolits ran successfully for property appraiser in 1992 and has been re-elected ever since, last running unopposed in 2000. He previously worked in the private sector, as well as serving on the Riviera Beach City Council from 1974 to 1981 and made unsuccessful bids for a seat on the Board of County Commissioners in 1976 and 1990.

     Nikolits said he is motivated to run for re-election to continue the progress he says the Property Appraiser’s Office has made, such as upgrading the computer system from a mainframe to a network. “Toward the future we are looking to going to a web-based product,” Nikolits said. “In the office, we have automated homestead exemptions. We’ve automated our payroll and our human resources. I look forward to the changes that may arise.”

     Nikolits said he is proud of his record and stands behind it. “I have done a very good job as property appraiser in this county, and I should be re-elected because of it,” Nikolits said, pointing out that most county residents must think his office’s appraisals are fair because he has seen a significant drop in appeals. “I think it is worthy of noting that in the 12 years I have been there, petitions have gone down 64 percent for reassessments.”

     Nikolits said that his qualifications are formidable. “With 30 years experience, that tends to qualify me,” he said. “I’m a certified Florida appraiser. My opponent is telling people I am not certified, but I am. Her certification is for appraisers in the private sector. In order for a person to get the certification she has, I have to sign off on it.”

     Nikolits said his 12 years of tax rolls have all been approved without defect by the Florida Department of Revenue. “My opponent doesn’t hold a candle to me with experience when we talk about leadership,” Nikolits said.

     His opponent, former employee Joy Hearn, has charged that Nikolits has shown favoritism toward wealthy and powerful individuals in certain cases, such as halving the assessment on Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. “The Donald Trump issue shows her lack of knowledge,” Nikolits said. “Mar-a-Lago is not a private home. Mar-a-Lago had the potential to be developed to eight additional lots. [Trump] recognized it would be hard to develop and deal with the tax load. He divested himself of his development rights to a trust so if the building were gone, it would turn into a park, [thus lowering the tax assessment].”

     Hearn has also attacked him for his attitude toward office employees, citing a memo he distributed in 2000 as a response to an anonymous complaint about the office’s dress policy in which he wrote, “did someone make you sit too long in a poopie diaper?”

     “I find that is one of my most sterling pieces of work,” Nikolits said. “I published the letter and my response. Ninety-nine percent of the office thought it was a riot.”

     “I’m a fair person,” he added. “I think I’ve demonstrated that in all things I have done. I am not a negative person. I enjoy my job, and I try to get my staff to enjoy their jobs.”

     Challenger Hearn earned a bachelor’s degree in 1969 from the University of Akron in Ohio. Her career in the appraisal field began in 1976 at First Federal Savings in Delray, and she continued in the private sector until 1990 when she joined the Property Appraiser’s Office, specializing in appraising high-priced oceanfront homes. She left her position as a senior residential appraiser in May.

     Hearn makes no bones about her motivation to run, accusing her former boss of political partisanship and granting favors to the rich and powerful.

     Hearn said the Property Appraiser’s Office is crucially important. “When you come into the Property Appraiser’s Office, you come in on an appeal basis to get your property lowered,” Hearn said. “The easiest thing to do to get your taxes lowered is to get the assessment lowered. So that’s what’s been happening — for certain people.”

     Hearn accuses Nikolits of unfairly lowering assessments for wealthy and prominent individuals such as Trump and developer E. Llywd Ecclestone. “The tax roll is like a pie,” Hearn said. “If you give one guy a bigger slice, take a slice out of it, than what he should be paying, that’s gotta be filled in. What happens is the rest of us end up paying the difference. It can’t happen with even one guy.”

     In the Ecclestone case, Hearn charges that said Nikolits gave the wealthy developer an unearned homestead exemption. “Wires were hanging out, windows were out; it was in bad shape when he got it,” Hearn charges. “The second-in-command told me, ‘well Joy, he could have been sitting in his car at midnight on Dec. 31 on the property.’ Doesn’t the house have to be occupiable?”

     Nikolits countered that as long as Ecclestone did not establish a homestead elsewhere, he is entitled to it even if the house is under construction.

     Hearn said she deserves the office because she is the most qualified appraiser for the job. “The current property appraiser is not state-certified,” she said. “He is not licensed by the Florida Real Estate Commission to do an appraisal.”

     Hearn said the certification Nikolits holds is valid only for government work. “Once you leave government service, you cannot use it for anything,” she said.

     Hearn said that while the most important issue for her is equal treatment of all property owners by the Property Appraiser’s Office, a close second is better treatment of the office’s employees. “What I want to do is go in and treat the employees with respect and dignity, and empower them to do their jobs,” she said, charging that presently office employees are not provided enough access to training that would allow them to advance. “They don’t really promote education in terms of employees,” she said.

     Hearn refutes charges that hers is a “sour grapes” campaign run by a disgruntled former employee. “Prove it,” Hearn said. “They have yet to attack my qualifications. They can’t.”

Clerk Race: Hand-Picked Successor Faces Two Challengers

     Three Democrats are facing off in the race for Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court. Current Chief Deputy Clerk Sharon Bock is running against former Clerk’s Office employee Deborah Bosque and Democratic Party activist Larry Winawer.

     Bock has been in the Clerk’s Office since 1998, starting off as Chief Deputy Clerk for Court Services. She was promoted to her current position in 2003. Years before joining the clerk’s office, Bock was a general manager for the LW Corporation in Rochester, New York. Bock received a law degree from the South Texas College of Law and practiced real estate law for 10 years in Miami.

     Current Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Wilken, the first woman ever elected to the position in Palm Beach County, has endorsed Bock’s candidacy. “I have worked for her for six years,” Bock said. “I have 100 percent respect for her. I call her my mentor in politics.”

     Bock explained how she was recruited to be the first lawyer to run the Clerk’s Office and brought an extensive knowledge of the real estate and legal world to the job.

     Bock said the three most important issues over the next four years will be getting adequate funding from the state, improving technology and the privacy of records versus the need for transparency.

     In 1998, the Florida constitution was revised. Among the changes was to phase in state funding of the court system, rather than county funding. Bock said the transition has been painful, especially in areas like Palm Beach County, where the courts have traditionally been well funded and are used to offering extra programs. However, Bock said that she has worked to make sure that the court gets the funds it needs to serve the citizens of Palm Beach County. “We have a $55 million budget,” Bock said. “$30 million has been transferred to the state. If we don’t have a clerk that can articulate our needs, we are going to be at a disadvantage.”

      Bock said she has worked on improving technology in the clerk’s office, and one of her accomplishments was the creation of an online records retrieval system called “Clerk Connect.” Through Clerk Connect, users can check court records, read the minutes of county commission meetings and even look up parking tickets. “I’ve set the foundation of moving to Internet access for the media and for the public without having to navigate the courtroom,” Bock said.

     The issue of privacy versus open records, Bock said, is a “most serious battle” legally in the United States. Bock said she has been studying the issue, and an article she wrote on the subject will appear in the Florida Bar Journal in November. “This going to define how our public records are going to move in the future,” she said.

     Bock said that when Wilken first took over the Clerk’s Office in 1993, the organization was a bureaucracy that “only cared about sustaining itself” and that by 1998, Wilken had hired a brand new professional management team. With 750 employees in the clerk’s office, Bock said, “the bureaucracy and inefficient spending is not going to work.” Since joining the office in 1998, Bock said they have modernized the office. Bock said the turnover rate got to about 20 percent, which is what they wanted, because many of the people who left, including her opponent Bosque, couldn’t adapt to the new “non-entitlement mentality” in the office.

     Bock is proud that the clerk’s office won Gov. Jeb Bush’s Sterling Award in 2003 for performance excellence and outstanding customer service.

     Bock said the office is working to improve life in the western communities by having traffic ticket cases, the “biggest user” of the court system, settled in the Wellington Community Center.

     The bottom line, Bock said, is that she is the best candidate in the field to successfully run and improve the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the years to come. “To put it succinctly, I am the most qualified to take the Clerk’s Office successfully into the future,” she said.

     Candidate Larry Winawer graduated from Yale University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and has been a self-employed private tutor in Palm Beach County for the last eight years. Winawer is the past president of the Palm Beach County Young Democrats and made an unsuccessful bid for a County Commission seat in 2002. He is currently on leave as administrator and field organizer for the Florida Alliance of Retired Americans.

     Winawer charged that the clerk’s office administration has been marked by fiscal irresponsibility and has not valued employees. Three issues Winawer said he would like to work on as Clerk of the Circuit Court are instituting higher levels of fiscal responsibility, since the office is the “watchdog of the county’s funds,” improving the level of technology in the office and reducing turnover.

     Winawer’s candidacy is backed by the AFL-CIO, but he denied he would force the office to unionize if he was elected. “What would lead to the unionization of the office is the workers in the office voting for a union free of interference,” he said. “It’s not a question of me pushing the union. Whatever they pick, I will support.”

     Winawer charged that under the administration of which Bock is a part, the clerk’s office has “spent tens of thousands on consultants, having them come down just for the purpose of winning the Sterling Award.”

     Winawer said employees had to go to classes to be coached on what they should say to Sterling Award examiners. “It was a waste of time, a waste of money and a waste of taxpayers’ resources,” he said.

     Winawer said he has integrity and is not beholden to anyone, and if elected he will do a very good job for the public. “I have a clear vision for where the office needs to go,” he said. “I have tremendous support of people who work there and those who are retired. I will be able to draw on them as a resource. They know what the office was and what it should be. I know what I need to do to restore it to a true public service entity.”

     Deborah Bosque, who quit working in the Clerk’s Office in 2001 after a 25-year career there, said that she always dreamed about becoming the Clerk and sees a need for a change in the direction at the office. Bosque was working as an accountant responsible for payroll-related functions when she left the clerk’s office. After Bosque left the clerk’s office, she began working as an accountant serving private clients.

     Bosque said her biggest concern is the turnover rate in the office, which causes problems with morale. “We have very low employee morale,” Bosque said. “When morale is low, you’re not going to get the best work. We’re losing our experienced employees. We have new employees, but sometimes it takes years to learn how to do the job.”

     If elected, Bosque said she will listen to her employees and value their input. She said that as a leader, the clerk must listen to what people working for her have to say. “They need a place to voice their concerns without feeling they are going to get retribution for it,” she said.

     Like Bock, Bosque also wants to improve technology in the clerk’s office. She said that many older records are still in microfiche form and need to be put online. “Why don’t we have some of the older records online?” she asked. “Those are important records.”

     Bosque said that while Bock has experience in the office, she is a part of the current administration, and the administration must be changed. Winawer, who never worked in the clerk’s office, does not have the knowledge and experience Bosque gained over her 25 years working there, she said.

     Bosque said she believes she has “leveled some of the playing field” in the race because she is “bringing up the issues of what is going on.” Besides the turnover rate, she also said tax dollars are being wasted, and she will make the office more cost-effective and accountable to taxpayers.

     “I really believe we need to make a difference and make this office more about the citizens of this county,” Bosque said. “We are all public servants. We are here to serve you, the public. I want to serve the public.”

     The top vote-getter on Tuesday will face Republican Scott Fronrath in November.

Bruising Democratic Primary A Referendum On Bucher’s Style

     Incumbent State Rep. Susan Bucher is hoping her reputation for assertiveness and confrontation in the Republican-heavy State House will inspire voters to give her another term representing District 88, which includes Royal Palm Beach.

     To keep the job, Bucher will have to defeat fellow Democrat Joel Silver on Aug. 31 and then Republican Ed Heeney in November.

     Over the past week, the race has gotten more and more divisive, with attack mailings being sent out by supporters of both candidates.

     Bucher, who will take over as chair of the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation if re-elected, said her feisty reputation comes from her loyalty to constituents.

     “I have a firebrand reputation,” Bucher said. “I wear that as a badge of honor. If I went to Tallahassee and sat on my hands, I wouldn’t be doing anything for my constituents. If you want to play, you have to get right in there. I believe that it is my job to go there and express my constituents’ opinions. I stay close to the people.”

     Bucher moved to Florida from California in 1985 and was employed by the Palm Beach County Building Department and the county’s Planning Department. Bucher said she became intrigued by the issues in the State Legislature while working as a land use planner.

     “I started getting interested in the process,” she said, “because I saw unusual occurrences with the county and with development orders and how they got pushed through. Eventually it landed me here.”

     Bucher spent six years working as an aide to State Rep. Ed Healy and was elected to replace him in 2000 after he died.

     Bucher said she is proud that her office does its best to help constituents to receive services they need. “The state bureaucracy is very difficult,” she said. “I pride myself on having a very user-friendly office. The most important service a representative can offer the public is to respond to their needs and connect them with those services.”

     Meanwhile, Bucher said her biggest disappointment has been seeing a far-right agenda, driven by Speaker of the House Johnnie Byrd, make significant gains. “I don’t believe it’s servicing the state very well,” she said. “It was driven by the speaker’s attempt to run for the U.S. Senate. We saw a lot of issues come to the table that were not a major priority. He was receiving a lot of donations from special-interest groups.”

     Bucher said 11 years of experience and attention to detail qualify her for re-election. She reads all the bills, she said, unlike many legislators. Outnumbered two to one, the only thing Democrats can do is scrutinize whatever issues are coming out on the committee agenda and the floor, Bucher said.

     “It’s not fun to go out and do battle and lose,” Bucher said. “We haven’t won a vote since I’ve been there. Yet I believe strongly that I bring relevance to this Democratic caucus. That’s the only thing we have right now.”

     Bucher said her long-established presence both as a resident and an active participant in the legislative process sets her apart from her opponent Joel Silver. Bucher asserted that Silver claims he has been around and knows the process, but was really planted to run against her.

     “He rented an apartment the day after he filed for election,” she said. “He started knocking on doors illegally. One of the gated communities has his flyers taped on the computer, and they have asked him to leave when he shows up.”

     Bucher said one of the main issues on her agenda is better access to health care, and that in reaching out to her constituents, she has heard a lot about health care and access to it, and how both could be improved. Too many people are living without access to good healthcare coverage and too many unregulated agencies are offering health insurance coverage.

     “People believe they’re buying health insurance,” Bucher said, “but they’re buying the bare bones. You don’t know you’re not covered until you go to an emergency room or get a mammogram. You assume you’re covered. This is a program that’s unlicensed and unregulated.”

     Bucher said that she’s not as much of a firebrand as some think, because she does engage in bipartisan efforts with Republicans. “Surprisingly, I do work across the aisle, unbeknownst to much of the press,” Bucher said. “I work a lot with the chair of transportation. I do have a lot of Republican allies. They are just not allowed to be seen with me.”

     Bucher said that she should be re-elected to allow her to continue fighting for her constituents. She said she believes in grassroots efforts, and didn’t raise a lot of money to run for the seat, and her record speaks for itself. “I am a strong leader,” she said. “When I speak, my voice is heard.”

     Silver responded that the ability to compromise and be a “statesman” is what the people of District 88 should expect from their representative, but currently lack. Silver contends that Bucher has not been able to get any bills passed because of her abrasive personality. He said that if he is voted into office, he will bring a completely different philosophy of compromise to the legislature that will allow him to work with Democrats as well as Republicans, instead of against them.

     Silver is the son of former Florida State Senator Ron Silver, a Democrat who represented North Miami for over two decades. Now age 33, the younger Silver graduated from Florida State University in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in communications and went on to work in the media. Silver said watching his father in Tallahassee and covering political stories there have given him an intimate knowledge of the political process and what it takes to get things done.

     Silver said that he has watched Bucher during her four years in office, and over that time, she has alienated her colleagues and made enemies on both sides of the aisle. “If you can’t work with others, you cannot get anything,” he said. “If you are out there on your own in a democratic process, you get nothing, and that has happened for the past four years.”

     Healthcare, education and small business are three areas Silver would like to improve in Florida if he is elected to office. Prevention, he said, is one area of importance because if you are able to catch health problems early on, you don’t have to deal with as many health problems down the road.

     Silver’s mother and sister are both teachers and he said that “it is a travesty the amount teachers are paid.”

     Silver also said he understands small business through owning his own video production outfit and said he would try to make it easier for others to start their own small businesses.

     Silver has detractors who brand him a “carpetbagger” because he moved to West Palm Beach from Tallahassee just this summer after growing up in Miami. But Silver noted that Bucher doesn’t actually live in the district. Neither does Republican Heeney, he noted. “I am the only candidate who wants to be in this district and actually lives in this district,” he said.

     Silver said that he has become familiar with the issue of growth in Royal Palm Beach and the need to make sure the area is not overdeveloped.

     “We have to make sure that growth matches up with infrastructure,” Silver said. “That’s why I want to live in this area, because I don’t want it overgrown, because I don’t want it like the two counties below us.”

     Bucher’s inability to get tax dollars back the Palm Beach County put all to people she represents at a disadvantage, Silver said. If elected, Silver promised to act honorably and “actually get something done” for the district.

     “This is something I always knew I wanted to do,” Silver said. “I’ve seen good people do this for years. I see a void in this district. A representative should bring home a fair share of tax dollars and projects.”

One Democrat, One Republican Hope To Oust Tax Collector

     Palm Beach County Tax Collector candidates Pete Carney and Mike Rios appeared in a pre-election forum hosted by the Coalition for Independent Living Options in West Palm Beach on Aug. 18. Incumbent Tax Collector John K. Clark was slated to appear, but did not attend.

     More than $1 billion flows through the hands of the Palm Beach County Tax Collector each year. Aside from sending out tax bills and dealing with delinquent payers, most residents spend time at the Tax Collector’s office to register an automobile or boat. The Tax Collector also handles hunting and fishing licenses.

     Clark has been the Tax Collector since 1991, when he was appointed to the position by Gov. Lawton Chiles to replace Tax Collector Alan Clark (no relation). Clark was weakened and confined to a wheelchair after a debilitating stroke back in 1998. His health was an issue in his 2000 election campaign, during which Clark soundly defeated Republican Bob Williams. The issue is back again during the 2004 election cycle.

     Clark, a Democrat, will face fellow Democrat Rios in the Aug. 31 primary election, and the winner will face Republican Carney on the general election ballot in November.

     Before coming to Palm Beach County, Clark had a distinguished career with the United States Air Force. He retired in 1979 with the rank of captain. He worked as Director of Administrative Services for the Tax Collector’s office before his appointment to the top spot.

     In office, he has focused on improving customer service and bringing technological advancements to the office. Two years ago, Clark opened a satellite office serving the western communities located at the Midwestern Communities Service Center in Royal Palm Beach.

     While he did not attend the candidate’s forum last Wednesday, he was at an event in The Acreage the previous night. At that time, he told attendees that he was running for re-election on his record and past accomplishments.

     The forum was moderated by WPEC Channel 12 newscaster Suzanne Boyd, who first asked what role the candidates see for the tax collector’s office in improving Palm Beach County residents’ quality of life, and if the office could better assist disabled residents in gaining access to their services.

     Carney said he saw the Tax Collector’s Office as serving everyone. He said the Tax Collector’s Office needs to make sure it complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and that accessibility for all residents should be of paramount importance. He also said Tax Collector’s Office employees should remember they are there to serve Palm Beach County residents. Carney promised that if elected, he would be accessible 24 hours a day and seven days a week, and invited listeners to call him to get results.

     “Accessibility for all is the most important thing,” Carney said. “Whether you are disabled or not, you should be able to participate in the local government in any which way or form. The bottom line is that the Tax Collector’s Office is here to serve.”

     As a Deputy Tax Collector for 10 years, Rios said he understands much about how the agency runs and would bring a lot of good ideas to the position if elected. He also said the office should never discriminate against anyone because of a handicap or disability, and he wants to see the office become more user-friendly to everybody. He noted the case of a disabled former employee who unsuccessfully sued the Tax Collector’s Office for discrimination. Rios said he would have found her a job allowing her to use her abilities despite her handicap. He also said the office’s counters are too high for many people to use.

     “I am a firm believer that we should never discriminate against anyone because of any handicap or disability in that office,” Rios said. “I have some ideas to bring to that office that will accommodate the public. Some of us in this room are in a wheelchair. You want to go to the Tax Collector’s Office, and you want to do some business, aren’t those counters a little bit high for you to do some type of business? We need to bring those counters down.”

     Boyd asked Rios and Carney what other ideas they would bring to the office. Rios said that he would like to bring “one-stop shopping” to the Tax Collector’s Office, so customers could do their vehicle registration there without having to go to other facilities. He also said that he wanted to see more of a personal touch at the Tax Collector’s Office. When people call, they should reach a live person, instead of an automated phone system.

     “When you call the Tax Collector’s Office, we’re going to have somebody to actually answer your phone calls in person,” Rios said. “We’re going to have a person that is cross-trained instead of you pushing all those ridiculous buttons and never getting through.”

     Carney said he would like more feedback from various segments of the community. “I would like to go into the community on a periodic basis to hear groups that have special needs and have basically a town meeting situation to answer questions,” he said. “It goes back to the Tax Collector’s Office being a service. If you’re not servicing the entire community, you’re not doing a good job.”

     When asked what should take place if people, for some reason, couldn’t pay their property taxes, Carney said the State Legislature should make some changes to address hardship situations. Carney said he would like to get more involved with legislators on that subject.

     “The tax collector traditionally has been a reactive office,” Carney said. “They don’t try to get involved in the legislative process in relation to the levying of taxes. I, as a tax collector, would be proactive and try to address current laws on the books to right current wrongs.”

     Rios agreed and said the Tax Collector’s Office should work more with the State Legislature and the Property Appraiser’s Office on those issues.

     As a summary question, Boyd asked Carney and Rios to talk a bit about themselves.

     Carney said he is a native South Floridian who has been practicing law in Palm Beach County for over 10 years, and prior to that was deputy counsel for the Massachusetts State Treasury. He also holds an advanced degree in banking and an economics degree from Princeton University.

     Rios described his background as being deputy tax collector for 10 years as his “hands-on experience” in the trenches. Rios said he felt he could make a difference as tax collector. Rios also said he wants staggered hours at the office, so it can stay open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

     “What I would bring to the Tax Collector’s Office is public satisfaction and public service,” Rios said. “I believe in the public. I believe the public does not serve the Tax Collector’s Office. We serve the public. I believe that we in government have become insensitive to the public itself. We need to serve you.”

NEWS BRIEFS…

Vinceremos Training Session

     The Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, located at 13300 Sixth Court in Loxahatchee Groves, will hold a volunteer training session on Saturday, Aug. 28 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Anyone 14 years of age or older wishing to volunteer at Vinceremos is invited to attend. For more info., contact Heidi Spirazza at 644-6292 or Vinceremos at 792-9900.

RPB Library Closed For Election

     Eight Palm Beach County Library System branches will close, and three will operate with reduced hours, to allow some 150 staffers to assist the Supervisor of Elections Office on Election Day, Tuesday, Aug. 31.

     Regular library hours will be maintained at the Belle Glade branch, the Wellington branch and the North County Regional Library. The Royal Palm Beach branch will be closed.

     Although the public may not be able to take out a book at the closed locations, they will be able to vote if their branch is one of the nine libraries designated as a polling place.

     More than 35 percent of the library’s staff members are part of Palm Beach County’s complement of 700 employees who will work at the election as poll clerks, inspectors, precinct advisors or answering telephones at the Supervisor of Elections office.

     “Libraries have always been an essential element for democracy, and this is one more way that we can provide a service to the community and the county,” said Library Director Jerry Brownlee. “We regret that we have to reduce our service so staff is free to assist, but if it helps assure a smooth and successful election, it will be well worth it.”

     Information on the status of all Palm Beach County Library locations is available on the library’s web site, www.pbclibrary.org, or may be obtained by calling 233-2600.

P.B. Harvest Needs Volunteers

     Volunteers are needed by Palm Beach Harvest for a variety of jobs, including transporters to pick up surplus food from local grocery stores and restaurants and deliver it to nearby meal sites in the county. Orientations are held the second Monday of the month. The next one is on Monday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. at Goodwill Industries, 1715 Tiffany Dr. East in West Palm Beach. If you are interested, call 689-4090.

Bank Fund Set Up For Ailing Acreage Tot

     A trust account to benefit Coleman Patrick Edward Parnell, a toddler from The Acreage, has been established at Riverside National Bank in Royal Palm Beach. Coleman has been afflicted since birth with heart disease, scoliosis of the spine, a nonfunctioning gall bladder and has most recently has been diagnosed with pulmonary vein astresia. Coleman will eventually require a lung transplant. If you would like to assist in Coleman’s care, stop by Riverside National Bank located at 655 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach.

Wellington Hosts League

     A host of county municipal leaders visited Wellington on Wednesday as the village hosted the Palm Beach County League of Cities, which met at the Wellington Community Center. Mayor Tom Wenham welcomed VIP visitors from throughout the county. State Rep. Adam Hasner was recognized for his service and dedication. Candidates running for various offices also spoke. Among the items discussed were the county’s annexation charter amendment, which the League of Cities opposes.