Ultra Cleaners – Taking Good Care of their Customers
Owner Bob Salerno describes the friendly rapport that Ultra Cleaners staff has developed with customers and gives the 5 Ultra Cleaners locations in Palm Beach County.
January, 2012 – Felicia Matula Runs for Mayor of RPB
Felicia Matula Running for Mayor of Royal Palm Beach, FL
Felicia Matula introduces herself to the residents of Royal Palm Beach and explains why she is running for Mayor in 2012. See “AW Stories of the Month” (or “Archives” for the related story and interview with Matula).
Matula describes her style of management and how she would lead a bit differently if elected Mayor.
January, 2012 – Gayla Fundraising Event at IMPROV
SuperFIT® will be hosting our first fundraiser of the year at the IMPROV® of West Palm Beach on Monday February 20th. This is going to be a FUN event to raise funds for and awareness of a wonderful local animal rescue organization called “A Second Chance Puppies and Kittens.”
January, 2012 – Mounts Botanical Garden to Host Fun & Informative Public Events in February & March
Mounts Botanical Garden to Host Fun & Informative Public Events in February & March:
- Stories in the Garden – Feb 10 & March 9
- BBQ, Blues & Brews – Feb 5
- Growing & Using Herbs – Feb 11
- Designing, Creating & Maintaining a Home Landscape – Feb 18 & 25 and March 3
(West Palm Beach, FL – January 26, 2012) The Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden will be hosting a series of fun and informative public events throughout February and March:
BBQ, Blues & Brews
Sunday, February 5 – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In the Garden
$5 Entrance Donation
The food truck frenzy is returning to Mounts Botanical Garden. With authentic, innovative, gourmet cuisine rumbling into the Garden from all over South Florida, Mounts will be packed with hungry mobile gourmands chomping at the bit to try the latest meals on wheels from many of the most popular gourmet food trucks in South
Florida. Enjoy the live blues music. Cold beer & wine will be available for purchase.
Stories in the Garden – Bees
Friday, February 10 – 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Mounts Pavilion
FREE for both members and non-members
Co-hosted by the Palm Beach County Public Library and the Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden, this free program is targeted for children, ages 2 to 6, and includes story time, garden exploration and crafts. This event is perfect for young nature lovers and their guardians. Rain or shine. Reservations required at 561.233.1757.
Growing & Using Herbs
Saturday, February 11 – 9 a.m. to Noon
Mounts Exhibit Hall A
Members $35; Non-members $45
Learn about the expansive world of growing herbs with Dennis Gretton of D&D Growers. This workshop will cover herbs that grow well in our unique climate. Everything from the right conditions, selection, growing, harvesting, and uses of culinary and medical herbs will be discussed. Recipes and tastings will be featured and a large selection of herbs will be for sale. The Evening Herb Society of the Palm Beaches will be on hand to facilitate this informative and tasty workshop.
Designing, Creating & Maintaining a Home Landscape
Saturday, February 18 & 25 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Mounts Auditorium
Members $50; Non-members $60
Running on consecutive Saturdays through March 3, this three-session workshop will take participants through all the steps needed to improve a home landscape.
+ Session One (February 18) includes an evaluation of site conditions, how to avoid common landscape mistakes and a review of good design principles.
+ Session Two (February 25) will begin with a tour of Mounts Botanical Garden to see and discuss a large number of plants suitable for South Florida. Attendees also will learn about purchasing, planting and establishing the plants.
+ Session Three (March 3): Master Gardeners will work closely with participants to address individual landscape problem areas, evaluate ideas and discuss options. Tips and techniques to conserve water, reduce pesticide use and minimize maintenance will finish the program.
Stories in the Garden – Flowers
Friday, March 9 – 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Mounts Pavilion
FREE for both members and non-members
Co-hosted by the Palm Beach County Public Library and the Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden, this free program is targeted for children, ages 2 to 6, and includes story time, garden exploration and crafts. This event is perfect for young nature lovers and their guardians. Rain or shine. Reservations required at 561.233.1757.
About Mounts Botanical Garden:
Mounts Botanical Garden is Palm Beach County’s oldest and largest public garden. Mounts displays tropical and subtropical plants from around the world, including plants native to Florida, exotic trees, tropical fruit, herbs, citrus, palms and more. As a component of the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service, and through its affiliation with the University of Florida IFAS, Mounts is the place to connect with Extension Horticulturists, Master Gardeners, the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program, and professional horticultural advisors. Mounts also offers a variety of horticultural classes, and garden-related events and workshops.
Located at 531 North Military Trail in West Palm Beach, Mounts Botanical Garden is open Monday-Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The suggested donation for entry to the Garden is $5 per person. For more information, please call 561.233.1757 or visit www.mounts.org.
Available for Interview:
Allen Sistrunk, Garden Director
561.233.1757
Media Contact:
Gary Schweikhart
PR-BS, Inc.
561.756.4298
February, 2012 – AW in Pictures
Just a few highlights of happenings Around Wellington. For many more photos, visit the link “Photo Galleries” on this site! For recent videos, click on our “Videos” link.
February, 2012 – Women in Power Luncheon featuring Laura Ling
PNC Bank Presents the Women in Power Luncheon Series
WEST PALM BEACH, FL (January 24, 2012) – PNC Bank, a division of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC) announces the second in a series of three “Women in Power” Luncheons to benefit the YWCA of Palm Beach County. Headlining the luncheon to be held on February 8th will be award-winning Journalist Laura Ling.
Laura Ling is the host and reporter for E! Investigates, a documentary series on the E! Network that explores topics such as teen suicide and the challenges faced by military spouses. She worked as a correspondent reporting from various countries on issues including slave labor in the Amazon, the drug war in Mexico, Internet censorship in China and women’s rights in Turkey. Ms. Ling and her colleague Euna Lee were imprisoned in North Korea for 140 days in 2009 before being granted a special pardon and returning to the United States.
“We are so pleased to have such a prominent journalist for the ‘Women in Power’ series” said Craig Grant, Regional President, PNC Bank. “Ms. Ling’s topic, ‘Journey of Hope,’ will no doubt be a fascinating look at her experiences throughout the world.”
The luncheon will be held at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre located at 415 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m., and the luncheon commences at noon.
Reservations for the luncheon are $50 and can be made by calling YWCA of Palm Beach County at 561-640-0050, extension 134.
February, 2012 – New Prize for Wellington Idol
New Prize Offered for Wellington Idol Competition
The pressure is on for the singers and dancers participating in Wellington’s first ever Wellington Idol talent competition! In addition to a $750 cash prize, the Grand Prize winner will walk away with a full scholarship sponsored by Talent INC to attend the Talent INC National Talent Conference & Showcase at the Hilton Walt Disney World Resort in March – a prize valued at $1,950! This conference will afford the Wellington Idol winner the ability to perform in front of 25 top agencies. Three Runners-Up will receive a $250 cash prize. In addition, Talent INC Directors will be in the audience beginning on the first night of the competition to scout local talent.
The first round of the Wellington Idol competition takes place on Friday, January 27th and Saturday, January 28th from 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm at the Wellington Amphitheater located at 12100 Forest Hill Boulevard. The top 24 contestants will advance to the Semi-Finals on Friday, February 10th from 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm. The top 12 performers from that night will then advance to the Finals on Saturday, February 11th from 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm, ending with the dramatic announcement of the winners. The Finals will be taped and will air at a later date on Comcast Channel 18.
Kyle Compton, Director for Talent INC of Florida, will serve as Wellington Idol’s Master of Ceremonies. The competition will also feature the following guest judges:
· Rocky Duvall, Artistic Director at Dance Arts Conservatory and Executive Director of the non-profit Wellington Ballet Theatre
· Earleen “Lee” Carey-Marlow, member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) with extensive theater, movie, television and directing experience
· John Stevens, veteran Broadway actor, singer, dancer, choreographer and Master Talent Coach who teaches locally at Showbiz Kids & Teens
Wellington is no longer accepting applications or demo tapes to participate in Wellington Idol. For any questions about the competition, contact Joe Piconcelli, Cultural Programs and Facilities Manager, at (561) 791-4756 or via email at jpiconcelli@wellingtonfl.gov.
For information about other Wellington programs, events, activities, and updates, please visit www.wellingtonfl.gov or watch Channel 18 for the latest happenings.
Kristina Ciuperger | Communications Manager | City of Wellington | 12300 Forest Hill Boulevard | Wellington, FL 33414 | 561-753-2585 | Fax: 561-753-2445 | KristinaC@wellingtonfl.gov | www.wellingtonfl.gov
February, 2012 – Shulamit Hadassah invites you!
SHULAMIT HADASSAH of the Western Communities
invites YOU to Paint Your Own Pottery!
*Let your creative side shine, as you create your own masterpiece*
When: Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Time: 7:00 PM
Where: Picasso’s Paint Your Own Pottery
6169 Jog Road
Lake Worth, FL 33467
(SW Corner of Jog & Lantana Rd.)
Pick your own piece of pottery
prices range from $6 – $50
(We welcome all & hope you will become a member!)
January, 2012 – County Leaders Attend Family Promise Day Center Launch
COUNTY LEADERS ATTEND FAMILY PROMISE DAY CENTER LAUNCH
New agency empowers unique interfaith community response to homelessness
( West Palm Beach , FL ) – Nearly 100 Palm Beach County community leaders gathered recently for a ribbon cutting and open house to launch the new Family Promise Day Center at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church in West Palm Beach. The event honored donors, volunteers and supporters of the new nonprofit organization designed to offer homeless families the necessary support services to enable them to achieve their independence.
“We’re very proud that our community has gained a valuable resource and partner to help local children and families currently struggling with homelessness,” said Rhonda Clinton, executive director for Family Promise. “Every child deserves a home.”
Locally, Family Promise North/Central Palm Beach County will serve this community’s homeless children and their families. Guests at the ribbon cutting toured the day center and learned that families now make up 40 percent of Palm Beach County’s homeless population, and that there are more than 2,000 reported homeless children in the Palm Beach County School District . The new local organization is part of a national network representing 5,000 congregations and 135,000 volunteers working on behalf of families in transition. More than 350,000 individuals are served nationally.
“On any given night,” continued Clinton , “nearly 2,000 homeless children in Palm Beach County may have nowhere to sleep. Other programs in our community are not able to meet the increasing demand for services. Many of these families are sleeping in local parks or living in their cars. People come to Family Promise because there is nowhere else to go. Family Promise is closing the door to homelessness and opening the door for families.”
The agency takes referrals from local social service agencies to help families secure housing, employment and other services they may require. On a rotating basis, a unique network of interfaith congregations provide overnight lodging, meals and fellowship for three to five families from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. A network van then transports families to the Family Promise Day Center – which offers a mailing address for its families and a homelike atmosphere where they can conduct their employment and housing searches and care for their pre-school aged children. School aged children are transported to Palm Beach County schools from the Day Center.
“Our volunteers are the lifeblood of Family Promise,” said Kathy Perry, chairman of the Family Promise of North/Central Palm Beach County board of directors. “They cook, serve meals, help with homework and assist overnight guests. They interact with our families – providing them the respect and dignity they deserve and responding to them with compassion. Without them, this program would not exist.”
To become a Family Promise volunteer, or to support the agency’s efforts to assist the homeless in Palm Beach County, visit www.familypromisencpbc.org or call 561.318.8864.