Wellington Garden Club will hold its monthly meeting on Monday, April 3, 2023 at the Wellington Community Center, at 12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd. The meeting will feature a presentation at 10:00 AM by Rich Ackerman on orchids and what makes them different from all other plant families. He will also discuss Florida’s Native Orchids that are found in Palm Beach County; those we can add to our own landscapes and gardens, and some invasive orchids to look out for.
Rich works closely with UF/IFAS Extension, Broward County, where he is a Florida Master Gardener Volunteer, serves on the Urban Horticulture Advisory Board, and is Team Leader of the Broward County Native Orchid Project. A Professor Emeritus at Broward College, he has collaborated with PBSC, Florida Atlantic University and Broward College. He is also a former President of the Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society.
The community is invited to join the club for coffee and a plant raffle beginning at 9:30 a.m. Visitors are asked to check in at the guest table. To reserve a spot, contact Maria Wolfe at: tcacad_registrar@yahoo.com.
Wellington Garden Club, founded in 1981, is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to educating its members and the public in the fields of gardening, horticulture, floral design, and landscape design; and to promoting conservation of natural resources, civic beautification and youth education. For more information: www.wellingtongardenclub.org.
43 pairs of rider and horses took to the Stadium field under bright, sunny skies for an early Sunday morning event for the JTWG, Inc. $226,000 CSIO 4* Grand Prix.
Only four went through the fist round clear (within the time limit and no knockdowns).
During the jump off only two went through clear.
Daniel Coyle of Ireland aboard Ivory TCS took home the first place ribbon and a check for $74,580.
Second place went to Lacey Gilbertson of the USA riding Karlin Van T Vennehof and received $45,200 for her efforts.
Olympian, Ward McLain of the USA riding Callas finished third went home with a check for $33,900.
West Palm Beach, Fla. (March 14, 2023) — The unique stages of a woman’s life can put her at increased risk for heart disease – that’s something Ashley Vertuno, CEO of HCA Florida JFK North Hospital and 2023 Palm Beach County Go Red for Women Chairperson wants every woman to know.
“Women in every phase of their lives need to listen to their bodies and take their health seriously, from puberty to motherhood to menopause,” Vertuno said. “If we can encourage women to regularly see their doctor for checkups and make sure they know the signs and symptoms of heart disease, which is their greatest health threat, we can save lives.”
The local work of the Go Red for Women movement will be celebrated at an April 19 luncheon at the Pelican Club in Jupiter. The Luncheon’s theme is the “Power of Red,” celebrating the powerful impact on health that community members can have when they collaborate and rally around a shared cause.
Go Red for Women is nationally sponsored by CVS Health and Together to End Stroke is nationally sponsored by Encompass Health. Sponsors of Go Red for Women in Palm Beach County include Florida Power & Light and HCA Healthcare Foundation. Media sponsors are WPBF, Hubbard Radio West Palm Beach, Florida Weekly and Jupiter and Stuart Magazines.
For more information about the Palm Beach County Go Red for Women movement, visit PBGoRed.Heart.org.
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Instagramand Twitter.
Universal Health Services (NYSE: UHS) hosts groundbreaking celebration for new Hospital to be constructed in North Palm Beach.
What:
Members of the media and the community are invited to attend the celebration as we break ground on the new hospital in North Palm Beach. The 150-bed facility will offer advanced medical technology and access to quality healthcare. The new hospital is scheduled to open in 2025.
Universal Health Services (UHS) submitted an application to the city of Palm Beach Gardens zoning and development department for land use and zoning approvals in support of the proposed development of the 34-acre parcel of land in the subdivision of Alton, near Donald Ross Rd. The Palm Beach Gardens City Council unanimously approved the land to build the New Alton Hospital. This is an attractive location and has the potential to accommodate future growth as we continue to expand our services and locations, supporting the healthcare needs of the community. We look forward to advancing our project and providing additional information as decisions are made and plans are confirmed in the near future. Learn more: https://newaltonhospital.com
Quote:
“This is a wonderful location that will be attractively designed with the possibility of future expansion as the hospital continues to expand its services to match the growth of the community,” said Kevin DiLallo, Group Vice President, Universal Health Services. “We will serve as the community hospital with our unwavering commitment to the mission of putting patients first and delivering high-quality healthcare.”
Money and Love: an Intelligent Roadmap for Life’s Biggest Decisions by Myra Strober and Abby Davisson
Book Review by Denise Marsh
There was a point in time where I was a voracious reader but as the saying goes: “life got in the way”. I felt like the only books that I have been reading were the ones that I read to my first graders. Then, all of that changed when I was given the opportunity to read a book that was different from my traditional fiction genre and so glad that I did! Let’s dive right into the review…
Money And Love is not your typical self-help kind of book but rather a counseling book and guide for people that need to make life changes but lack the required “ammunition” to handle this challenging task.
Money and Love introduces us to an organized framework for our decision making called the “5 C’s” early in the book. This includes the following:
Step One: Clarify What’s important to you
Step Two: Communicate
Step Three: Consider a Broad Range of Choices
Step Four: Check in with Friends, Family, and Other resources
Step Five: Explore Likely Consequences
I don’t want to give away too much detail and spoil the book for you; however, each step will be more in depth and also revert back to the anecdotal experiences. For me, Step Two has been essential in many areas in my life; lack of communication results in negative outcomes quickly. I appreciated having this “advice” for my own personal experiences and the connection was very clear and accurate in the book.
I have always encountered challenges in the financial realm and wish I actually had read this book when I was married or through some of my personal relationships. Although I am not a fan of a lot of data and statistics, I hovered more over the parts where the authors gave personal stories and anecdotes that highlighted focal points in the book. There was one particular anecdote about how a couple had different ideas about where they would work and how everything had changed once they brought children into the equation; they realized that they would have to make sacrifices for adequate child care.
Strober and Davisson provided workbook pages that were extremely beneficial and reminded me of journal writing. In addition, each chapter was equipped with pertinent questions to ask yourself on the way to making big decisions (reminded me of Scaffolding in teaching). The ten chapters cover everything from Dating to Marriage, Having children, Caring for elders and relationship challenges – I never realized how decisions about finances are so intertwined in ALL of these areas. I also didn’t realize that even one minor change in mindset could change your future for the better.
Money and Love was effective in achieving its goal of getting the reader to do “careful planning” versus hasty decision making. As a single mom, I would have liked to see more anecdotes on non-traditional family planning; how single parents can make better decisions with love and money being that this is becoming more of the norm.
I am grateful for a new perspective and insight that makes me realize that achieving a healthy balance between the two is mandatory. Money and Love deserves to be on a” recommended list” for “planning a successful future.” If anything, I think it is a great book for couples of all genders, denominations, or affiliations to read together to help make informed decisions that will affect the rest of their lives.
(West Palm Beach, FL – March 16, 2023)Friends of the Mounts Botanical Gardenwill be hosting three week-long programs in July for nature curious youngsters ages 7 to 11. Garden Explorers Summer Campoffers science-based fun and nature experiences, Monday through Friday, 9 amto 3 pm, July 10-14, July 17-21, and July 24-28.
“Eco-conscious and green-leaning kids can register for one, two, or all three weeklong camps because each one will offer something new and different,” promises Mounts Curator Director Rochelle Wolberg. “Activities will take place both outside and indoor, so campers will have access to a cool, dry space in the event of excessive heat or rain.”
During Mounts Year of the Orchid 2023, each of the three camp sessions will be limited to 20 participants and will offer a variety of fun and informative experiences, including:
· Become a junior wetlands water quality and conservation specialistby taking part in hands-on lab activities.
· Become a budding soil scientist by getting a close-up, dirty-hands look at the properties of mud.
· Become a blooming horticulturist by discovering the wicked, dangerous, sticky, deceptive and downright incredible adaptations plants have developed to help them survive.
· Become a botanist-to-be by attending a dissection lab for an inside look at the fascinating structures of seeds and flowers.
· Become an aspiring agriculturalist by touring the edible gardens at Mounts and learning how to grow and nurture tasty fruits and vegetables.
· Become an edible gardener by making healthy garden snacks.
The cost to attend each week-long session is $250 for Mounts members, $290 for nonmembers. (Note: an extra $50 per camper will cover extended care, 8 to 9 am, and 3 to 4 pm.)
For each session of the Garden Explorers Summer Camp, young participants should bring a refillable water bottle, a healthy lunch, a hat, sunscreen, and bug repellant.
For each camper, Mounts will provide materials for all activities, snacks, and water for refilling bottles.
About Mounts Botanical Garden of Palm Beach County:
With a mission to inspire and educate through nature, Mounts Botanical Garden is Palm Beach County’s oldest and largest botanical garden. Visitors to this 20-acre tropical oasis will see an acclaimed collection of 25 unique garden areas containing more than 7,000 species of tropical and sub-tropical plants, including Florida natives, exotic and tropical fruit trees, herbs, palms, roses, cactus, bromeliads and much more. Mounts Botanical Garden is part of the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Department, in partnership with the University of Florida and the non-profit Friends of the Mounts Botanical Garden. This project is sponsored in part by The Board of County Commissioners, the Tourist Development Council, and the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County. Mounts Botanical is located at 531 North Military Trail in West Palm Beach. For more information, please visit www.mounts.org.
MIAMI (March 16, 2023) – Brightline, the only provider of modern, eco-friendly, intercity rail in America, continues to connect South Florida with enhanced first and last mile mobility options. Starting today, Brightline+ is now offering guests new bi-directional fixed-route shuttles with available pick ups at Miami International Airport (MIA), Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and three destinations in Miami Beach. Each shuttle will provide transfers to respective Brightline stations.
The new shuttle service operates on a fixed route schedule with designated locations, is trackable and does not require advance reservations. One-way rides are a flat rate of $10 per person and can be paid for upon boarding shuttles. Live Airport Connector shuttle status can be tracked by clicking here.
New Brightline Airport Connector and Beach Express Shuttles Pickupand Drop Off Locations are the following:
Shuttles will depart Brightline stations to the airports and Miami Beach 10 minutes after each train arrives. The Brightline Aventura Mall shuttle remains complimentary operating every 30 minutes with dropoff at the Aventura Mall Bus Stop. For complete shuttle schedules and routes, click here.
Brightline+ neighborhood electric vehicles will continue to offer complimentary walkup rides. Brightline+ fixed-route shuttles connect guests to Miami International Airport, destinations in Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport. Brightline+ continues to provide event shuttles to top attractions in close proximity to its stations.
Brightline+ was launched in 2021 to make it easier for guests to access Brightline stations and their final destinations. The service has received rapid adoption with nearly one-third of Brightline riders using the service. Earlier this year, Brightline announced its partnership between Brightline+ and Uber. Brightline now offers Brightline+ rideshare service supercharged by Uber, for transportation to and from Brightline stations and South Florida’s three major cruise ports.
About Brightline
Brightline is the only provider of modern, eco-friendly, intercity rail in America. The company currently serves Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach with its Orlando station beginning service in 2023. Brightline was recognized by Fast Company as one of the Most Innovative Companies in travel, offering a guest-first experience designed to reinvent train travel and take cars off the road. Brightline plans to bring its award-winning service to additional city pairs and congested corridors across the country that are too close to fly and too long to drive, with immediate plans to connect Las Vegas to Southern California. For more information, visit www.gobrightline.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL – The YMCA of the Palm Beaches recently announced a $46 million capital project, in partnership with the Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation department, that will relocate and dramatically expand its flagship branch.
In 2021, the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to approve a 50-year ground lease to the YMCA of the Palm Beaches, allowing the nonprofit to build a state-of-the-art community center and Olympic-style skate park next to the County’s new aquatic facility, which the Y will manage. This historic public private partnership replicates a successful model replicated in other municipalities with YMCA. The new facilities will be located at Lake Lytal Park, just off Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach.
The new Y will feature a 55,000 square foot community center; Olympic-style Skate Park & Gym designed by Team Pain; and the Y PreSchool Academy. The new facility will serve four times as many individuals and families in Palm Beach County than the current location.
A hallmark feature of the new YMCA Community Center will be its Youth Engagement and Resource Center. The Center will be wholly focused on mentoring young people between the ages of 12 and 22, a critically underserved population in Palm Beach County. Some of the features of the Center include a STEM lab, music studio, art studio, and a culinary arts kitchen.
Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation will also construct a new, premier Aquatic Center with a FlowRider Surfing pool adjacent to the new YMCA.
Construction on Phase 1 of the two-phase project is expected to begin in late 2023.
For additional information, visit ymcapalmbeaches.org. Follow on Facebook and Instagram @ymcapalmbeaches.
There are some youth-development programs in the world that have a local, statewide, or a regional impact. And, there are some youth development programs in the world that have a national impact, but very few youth-development programs in the world truly have an international impact. Well, that’s definitely the case for the Israel Tennis & Education Centers (ITEC), which cater to disadvantaged children and those from broken homes in Israel who need a place to go after school or on weekends in order to avoid trouble on the streets. Fortunately, more than 20 ITEC outlets are serving as a safe haven for Israeli children – and have been since the mid-1970s.
What’s unique about the ITEC program is that all the children involved are not Jewish. In fact, the children who attend ITEC are Jews, Muslim Arabs, Christian Arabs, Bedouins, Druze, and refugees from many countries around the world such as Nigeria, Morocco, Kenya, Ukraine, U.S., and Russia. The ITEC program attracts and caters to a true ‘melting pot’ of children from diverse backgrounds.
What’s noteworthy about the children who are affiliated with ITEC is that they quickly learn how to coexist with one another while being taught how to play tennis.
All Photos by Alan Fabricant
“Since 1976, we have impacted the lives of more than 500,000 children in Israel, which is one of the most conflicted regions in the world,” said Yoni Yair, ITEC’s U.S.-based vice president of development. “We serve 20,000 kids annually. We serve children from all walks of life in Israel.”
Yair is an ITEC disciple, as he attended an ITEC chapter as a child growing up in Israel during the 1970s. As a professional, he’s based in Deerfield Beach, where he is busy generating financial support for ITEC so it can continue to provide a safe and nurturing place for future generations of all Israeli children.
On Thursday, March 9, Yair and a handful of ITEC tennis-playing ‘delegates’ visited the Wycliffe Golf & Country Club in Wellington to showcase the positive and profound impact that the ITEC experience is having on children back in Israel. Those tennis-playing ‘delegates’ were Yonatan Barak, Celine Absawi, Mika Dagan Fruchtman, and Noam Gershony.
Those four racquet-swinging ITEC ‘delegates’ walked onto Wycliffe’s center court where they were interviewed by Yair. Their responses to his questions confirmed that the ITEC experience is making a strong, positive, life-altering difference in their daily lives. Having the chance to be taught how to play and enjoy the game of tennis is a bonus.
According 13-year-old Barak, who has been playing tennis since he was six, spending time at ITEC Ramat Hasharon is like having a second home.
“I love being at the center,” said Barak. “I have so many friends and the coaches are like my family.”
Barak’s big goals in tennis is to eventually represent Israel in the Davis Cup and to win the U.S. Open men’s singles title.
Absawi, now 15 and based at ITEC Haifa, loves the variety of children at ITEC.
“We are such a diverse team with Jewish, Muslim, and Christian children playing together. I have many friends at the center,” said Absawi, who is known as the Ambassador of Peace. “We celebrate holidays together like Hannukah and Christmas. And, I get to learn about different cultures. I love to play tennis with my friends.”
Fruchtmann, now 19 and based at ITEC Ramat Hasharon, was introduced as the captain of the tennis-playing troupe. She is a prime example of how the ITEC experience can generate opportunities to play international tennis. In 2019, she was the first female Israeli tennis player to play tennis in the United Arab Emirates. She remembers getting a warm and welcoming ovation from the crowd in the UAE.
Gershony, now 40, has been confined to a wheelchair since a helicopter crash in July 2006 while serving in the Israeli army during the Lebanon War. He’s now an accomplished wheelchair tennis player. In fact, in 2012, he won a gold medal at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
“Tennis has changed my life, mentally and physically,” said Gershony.
After the interviews, the ITEC ‘delegates’ were joined on Wycliffe’s center court by Kam Kuchta, Wycliffe’s director of tennis. What followed was a first-class tennis exhibition featuring forehands, backhands, volleys, and overheads which thrilled and entertained the large crowd in attendance, which included Jim Barnes, Wellington’s City Manager, and Bruce Wagner, Wellington’s Director of Public Works.
“Tennis is the vehicle to get kids enrolled at ITEC,” said Yair. “At ITEC, we teach children the right values in life and the importance of respecting diversity.”
The appearances at Wycliffe by those tennis-playing ITEC ‘delegates’ confirms that ITEC is one of the few youth-development programs in the world that truly has a lasting and international impact. And, it can be said that ITEC’s program may well be the best, too.
According to Yair, tennis is an integral part of the ITEC program, but it’s secondary in importance when compared to teaching children life skills such as discipline, hard work, respect, cooperation, and determination.
If interested in learning more about ITEC or supporting ITEC, please contact the ITEC Foundation office in Deerfield Beach at 954-480-6333 ext. 222. For more information about ITEC, access ITECenters.org.
Top polo players, including Nacho Figueras and Nic Roldan, come together to support the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club of Wellington.
Wellington, FL – The Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club of Wellington is excited to announce Great Futures Polo Day, hosted by the Ganzi Family, will return for its 10th year on April 1st, 2023, at the Grand Champions Polo Club. The Wellington culture is captured at this fun-filled event with celebrity polo players, Asado by the bite, a luxury car line-up, live auction, and more to support the club’s programs that empower and inspire local youth.
Nacho Figueras at Great Futures Polo
Celebrity polo players will include “the David Beckham of polo,” Nacho Figueres, and Nic Roldan, a model and former Captain of the American Polo Team. Guests can expect to enjoy a “polo chic” afternoon at Grand Champions Polo Club, with individual and VIP tickets and sponsorship opportunities available for supporters. The festivities will kick off at 3:30 pm with a polo match between some of the best players in the sport.
“Hosting the Great Futures Polo Event at Grand Champions Polo Club is our way of investing in the future. The programs available to the children of the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club of Wellington serve them into adulthood and well beyond Wellington. We’re excited about their bright futures,” said Melissa Ganzi, Owner of the Grand Champions Polo Club.
This year’s event sponsors include Aston Martin, LandRover Palm Beach, Olexa Celine of Sebilion Farm, The Wellington Agency and The Ganzi Family of Grand Champions Polo Club.
Proceeds from the 2023 Great Futures Polo Day benefit Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club of Wellington, one of 17 Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. The Boys and Girls Club of Wellington serves over 1,000 boys and girls from ages 6 to 18, offering programs in educational, vocational, social, recreational, health, leadership, and character-building skills in a positive and safe atmosphere. By supporting Great Futures Polo Day, attendees can help ensure that youth in the community have access to these valuable programs.
“Our club provides a safe and supportive environment where youth can learn, grow, and thrive. This event is an opportunity for the community to come together to support our mission and help local youth achieve great futures,” said Jaene Miranda, CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County.
Individual and VIP tickets for Great Futures Polo Day are on sale now and can be purchased at https://bgcpbc.org/events/2023-great-futures-polo-day/. For sponsorship information, contact Elena Corsano at ECorsano@bgcpbc.org or (646) 209-6965.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County
Founded in 1971, Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County is a not-for-profit youth development organization dedicated to promoting the educational, vocational, health, leadership and character of boys and girls in a safe, nurturing environment. The Clubs provide more than a safe, fun and constructive alternative to being home alone – they offer a variety of award-winning developmental programs to help youth build skills, self-esteem and values during critical periods of growth. The 17 Boys & Girls Clubs throughout Palm Beach County serve more than 10,000 children ages 6-18. For more information, please visit www.bgcpbc.org or call 561-683-3287.
