Palm Beach State College Foundation Golf Classic April 23rd

 

  Bear Lakes Country Club, the host of the 2009 PGA Tour Qualifying School finals, is the setting for the inaugural Palm Beach State College Foundation Golf Classic April 23. This year’s Golf Classic will take place on the Jack Nicklaus redesigned Lakes course. 

     The tournament will be a best-ball format and features contests during tournament play, including two hole-in-one competitions, with a chance to win a new car from Braman BMW or Royal Palm Nissan, as well as Beat the Junior Golfer, with foursomes outdriving local youth golfer Andre Wade on a par-3 hole.

      “With a new name, Palm Beach State College, comes new opportunities. With the new baccalaureate degree programs, the College has taken huge strides to educate and train the future leaders of this county to make it competitive in the global marketplace,” said Dr. Dennis Gallon, president of the College. “The Golf   Classic is one of our premiere events to both promote the College to the local business community and to also fund student scholarships, programs and capital improvements.”

     The tournament’s shotgun start begins at 1 p.m. and the awards reception begins at 6 p.m. or immediately after play. A raffle, with a grand prize of an all-expenses-paid, five-day Royal Caribbean cruise, also will be held as part of the fundraising efforts. Tickets for the raffle are available at the College’s Foundation office (561) 868-3450. Raffle is open to the community and participants need not be present to win.

     “Our sponsorship of the Palm Beach State Foundation Golf Classic helps support the scholarship program, helping our students thrive on campus as well as enriching their lives for future career opportunities,” said James Centanni, vice president of L.D. Astorino & Associates, the tournament’s presenting sponsor. “Supporting the Foundation is our way of being a good partner to the College.”

      Major sponsors of the Golf Classic include Astorino Architects, 97.9 WRMF, Balfour Beatty Construction, Fastrack MCI, Hedrick Brothers Construction, Honda Classic Golf Exchange, Lotspeich Co. of Florida, The Palm Beach Post, Pirtle Construction and Suffolk Brothers Construction.

     For more information on the Palm Beach State Foundation Golf Classic, please call (561) 868-3569 or visit www.palmbeachstate.edu/FoundationGolf.xml

The 2010 Palm Beach State College Foundation Golf Classic committee (from left): Chris Moreton, Balfour Beatty Construction; Mark Tribble, Lotspeich of Florida; Ana Thomas, Palm Beach State College Foundation; James Centanni, L.D.Astorino Architects; Suellen Mann, Palm Beach State College Foundation; Dago Diaz, Suffolk Borthers Construction; Rex Kirby, Suffolk Brothers Construction, and Dale Hedrick, Hedrick Brothers Construction.

Black Gold Jubilee Festival APRIL 17, 2019 AT BELLE GLADE MARINA

All,

The 32nd Annual Black Gold Jubilee Festival is this Saturday, April 17th at the Belle Glade Marina. We hope everyone is planning to come out and have a wonderful day! Please remember, there is NO PARADE this year, but we are having a "Veggie Parade" at the Jubilee between 11 and 11:30 a.m. at the Marina.

We have several new things this year in addition to the Children's Veggie Contest. We have a car show, airboat show and in addition to the corn cooking contest we have a sweets catagory. Winners can take home $100!

Weatherman Chris Ferrell with Channel 12 will be the MC on the local entertainment stage. Entertainment in the last afternoon will be "Wild Blue" and then The Chase. The fireworks are on for dusk! We have beautiful Black Gold t-shirts this year at the Chamber also!

See you at Jubilee 2010!

Glades sugar group raises $12,657.00 for Haiti

 Barbara Miedema, Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida,
presents a $12,657.00 check to Red Cross Lakeside Communities' Advisory
Chair Lee Sutterfield and Red Cross advisory committee member Patrick
Lucey.

BELLE GLADE, Fla. (April 9, 2010) —  Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida, Belle Glade, donated $12,657.00 to the Red Cross to support earthquake relief efforts on the ground in Haiti. The huge lump-sum represents $5,535.00 in contributions from Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida employees, and an additional $7,122.00 matched by the Cooperative.  

            According to the American Red Cross, the $12,657.00 sum donated by the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida is enough to provide 17 water containers to store clean drinking water; 34 first aid kits equipped with enough ointment and bandages for a Red Cross responder to treat 510-680 injured earthquake survivors; 17 kitchen sets, each giving families of 5 the ability to cook and serve food;  17 sets of toiletry items, each with enough supplies for families of 5 to use for one month; materials to build temporary shelter for as many as 85 people; 17 family-sized disaster sets including cooking sets, hygiene packs, blankets and water containers; and enough tents to sleep 85 people.

            “We are thankful for the kindness of the Cooperative and its employees in helping the people of Haiti recover from the earthquake by donating to the Red Cross,” said Tyrene Morgans, Branch Manager of the organization’s Lakeside Communities’ Service Center in Belle Glade.  “The Cooperative has directly helped us in fulfilling our mission to help victims of disasters.”

            To learn how you can help the Red Cross by volunteering, donating or participating in upcoming lakeside events, contact the Lakeside Communities’ Service Center of the American Red Cross at 561.992.9703 or visit www.redcross-pbc.org.

Joint Meeting PBC Commissioners & Tri-Cities Commissioners

                 Joint Meeting

                     The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners

       &

The Commissioners from the Tri-Cities

of Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay

Monday, April 12, 2010

9:00 AM

                                                Glades Central Community High School Auditorium

Discussion Items Include:

•  South Florida Water Management District- River of Grass Planning Effort
• Lake Okeechobee Regional Initiative
• Inland Port Update
• Workforce Development and Training
• Discussions regarding Concerns related to Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Contracts
• Discussions regarding Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Millage Rate

LORE's March Board Meeting

LORE'S MONTHLY BOARD MEETING

THURSDAY MARCH 11, 2010

3 P.M.

WORKFORCE ALLIANCE

1085 S. MAIN STREET

BELLE GLADE, FLORIDA 33430

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED AND ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND AS LORE IS WORKING DILIGENTLY ON ISSUES AFFECTING THE LAKE OKEECHOBE REGION.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT LORE'S WEBSITE.

Girls Scouts and Cub Scouts Recruitment Night

Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida

For girls from Kindergarten -12th grade

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

at 6 P.M.

Community United Methodist Church - Jameson Hall

401 SW 1st St., Belle Glade

 
 

Cub Scouts
For Boys from 1st - 5th grade
Thursday, March 18th, 2010
 at 6 P.M.
Cummunity United Methodist Church - Jameson hall
401 SW 1st St., Belle Glade

LORE Alliance Donates to Habitat for Humanity

On February 11, 2010, the LORE Alliance presented a check to Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County. Lt. Chris Keane and Cpt. Rolando Silva accepted the $500 check on behalf of Habitat for Humanity. The donation will be used for the Pahokee Development that Habitat for Humanity is currently working on.

Pictured above are: Lt. Chris Keane, Rev. Robert Rease - LORE treasurer, Brenda Bunting - LORE secretary, Cpt. Rolando Silva, Ashley Tripp - LORE president and Roger Hatton - LORE Vice President.

LORE is committed to community projects and believes that affordable housing and economic development go hand in hand.  

LORE Alliance Profiled in Community Snapshot

The Lake Okeechobee Regional Economic (LORE) Alliance of Palm Beach County was featured in a community snapshot in the Lake Okeechobee Regional Initiative's monthly newsletter.

The profile features an interview with LORE president Ashley Tripp and highlights the programs, such as the Facade Grant Program, implemented by LORE in the Lake Okeechobee Region.

The Lake Okeechobee Regional Initiative (LORI) aims at reimagining the economic and social health of the communities along the southern rim of Lake Okeechobee and is advised by the Collins Center for Public Policy.

Don't tax Florida - Environmental Protection Agency's Numeric Nutrient Criteria for Florida

Don't Tax Florida

What is the issue?
This is in regards to the Environmental Protection Agency's Numeric Nutrient Criteria or Proposed Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida's Lakes and Flowing Waters. The federal government is poised to impose drastic new regulations for water treatment in Florida that will impede our state's economic recovery, force Florida businesses to cut jobs, and increase the price of utilities, food and other necessities for Florida businesses, families and consumers.

Why would these new regulations be imposed?
The new regulations would not come from new legislation nor be based on sound, peer-reviewed science, but instead would be imposed as a result of a lawsuit filed by the group EarthJustice.

How early could these restrictions be put in place?
These regulations could be imposed by federal Environmental Protection Agency as early as October 2010, as the result of the lawsuit. This deadline is driven by the ongoing litigation between the EarthJustice group, the State of Florida, the EPA and other Florida-based groups.

Will Florida be able to abide by such regulations?
The truth is that the extremely restrictive and one-size-fits-all regulations the EPA is seeking will be impossible to meet. Environmental regulators would measure the concentrations of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous in Florida's most pristine lakes and waterways - and then apply those standards to all water bodies in the state. However, it is generally impossible for water discharged from developed areas with urban, commercial, agricultural and public water utilities to replicate absolutely pristine conditions. That is a simple fact, which the proposed restrictions cannot change.

How much more restrictive would these new restrictions be compared to current regulations?
By way of an example, the newly proposed regulations concerning the acceptable amount of phosphorus in the Panhandle are 14 times more restrictive than the current standard for advanced wastewater treatment. There is simply no economically viable way to meet such stringent standards successfully at this time.

How would these regulations affect Florida's local governments and water utilities?
The proposed regulations could hit local governments especially hard in terms of paying for massive retrofits to drainage facilities and public utilities. There are no planned budgets in place for paying for such retrofits. Utilities in Palm Beach County alone estimate that the cost simply to continue to store reclaimed water could reach as high as $125 million.

The EPA has a scheduled hearing on Thursday, February 18, 2010 in West Palm for citizens to voice their concerns and comments on the EPA's proposed rule. It is vital that we share our concerns to the EPA. If this regulation is put in place, it will be detrimental to our area.


EPA HEARING:

Thursday, February 18, 2010 at the Holiday Inn Palm Beach Airport
1301 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33405

12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. (this session will begin 1 hour earlier than originally planned)
6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (this session will begin 1 hour earlier than originally planned)

For more information, visit DONTTAXFLORIDA.com

Belle Glade Chamber of Commerce Monthly Chamber Breakast 2/17/10

Belle Glade Chamber of Commerce Monthly Breakfast

Please come out Wednesday, Feb. 17th at 7:30 a.m. and have breakfast with us at Lakeside Medical Center in Belle Glade in the cafeteria.

The guest speaker will be Mayor Steve Wilson with the City of Belle Glade.

Job Fair at Workforce Alliance in Belle Glade

The US Census Bureau is hosting a Job Fair at the Workforce Alliance in Belle Glade. Individuals interested in working for the Census Bureau during the 2010 Count can come in to take the test on Wednesday February 17, 2010 at 10 AM and 2 PM.

You can work close to home and get paid for training. Most importantly, we offer competitive pay and flexible work hours. For more information, please call 866-861-2010 or 561-337-6080.

Palm Beach State College/Belle Glade Campus Community Forum

PALM BEACH STATE COLLEGE

DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES COMMUNITY FORUM AND MEETING

DATE: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2010

TIME: COMMUNITY FORUM AT 5 P.M.

MEETING AT 6 P.M.

LOCATION: PALM BEACH STATE COLLEGE BELLE GLADE/DOLLY HAND CULTURAL ARTS CENTER

Refreshments will be served.

http://www.palmbeachstate.edu/

Please e-mail or call :

coxs@palmbeachstate.edu or 561-993-1126

"CABARET" Musical Performance at the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center

"CABARET"

Thursday, February 18

 7:30 P.M.

Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center

Belle Glade, Florida

Tickets are: $30 adults * $25 seniors * $10 children & Palm Beach State students/staff

Call: 561-993-1160 or email bowlesd@palmbeachstate.edu  

Bank of Belle Glade is Palm County's Only Five Star Bank

CONGRATULATIONS TO BANK OF BELLE GLADE ON THEIR 5-STAR RANKING!

Bank of Belle Glade is the only bank based in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast to receive a five-star ranking from BauerFinancial for the third quarter. The Bank of Belle Glade has served Lake Okeechobee Residents for nearly 50 years and continues to remain in the forefront of technology, giving customers the best of both worlds; personal service and technology driven banking services.

Read the article featuring the Bank of Belle Glade's achievement in the Palm Beach Post.

Congratulations to Steve Prielozny, president of Bank of Belle Glade, and the staff of Bank of Belle Glade for their dedicated service to the Lake Okeechobee Region.

Welcome Back to Hometown Banking!

LORE's February Board Meeting

LORE'S MONTHLY BOARD MEETING

FEBRUARY 11, 2010

3 P.M.

WORKFORCE ALLIANCE

1085 S. MAIN STREET

BELLE GLADE, FLORIDA 33430

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED AND ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND AS LORE IS WORKING DILIGENTLY ON ISSUES AFFECTING THE LAKE OKEECHOBE REGION.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT LORE'S WEBSITE.

Belle Glade Express - Belle Glade's New Bus Service

The City of Belle Glade is pleased to introduce the “Belle Glade Express” community bus route system. These routes will connect with the Palm Tran routes #40, #47 & #48. The service began at 12:45 p.m. on Monday, January 11, 2010, and will operate four distinct routes serving all neighborhoods within our city.

The routes, identified by colors (Pink, Blue, Orange, and Green) will operate: 

•  Monday through Friday - 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
•  Saturday - 7:45am to10:15am and 3:15pm to 6:30pm
•  Sunday - 9:45am through 4:00pm 

We are also pleased to announce the first three months of service for all four routes will be free of charge. The City of Belle Glade Commission offers these services on a free trial basis to encourage citizens to experience and learn about this exciting bus system.

 

All buses serving the four routes will be brand new and fully equipped with air-conditioning, wheelchair lifts, plush and comfortable seats, destination signs identifying the routes, and driven by professional and knowledgeable bus operators. The buses, operated under contract by Midnight Sun Tours for the city, will provide continuous service to visitors and residents alike.

For further information about the Belle Glade Express, please contact Lillian Tomeu at 561-992-1607.

Ribbon Cutting for Physical Therapy Institute in Belle Glade

Come join the celebration and a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Physical Therapy Institute and Aquatic Rehab in Belle Glade on Friday, Feb. 5 at 1 p.m. There will be refreshments a raffle and prize give aways!

The center is located at 1100 S. Main Street, Suite 103, next to Dr. Yee and Dr. Soto.

Therapist Mike Gershberg says they have served the Glades and local football teams for years with the same dedicated therapists. They accept most insurances, PPO/HMO, Medicare, Work Comp and auto accidents.

Call 561-996-7032 for more information.

UPDATE: Haiti Earthquake Relief Effort in the Glades

Good Morning Glades Community:

We are still collecting items for the Haiti Earthquake Relief effort. We have collected a lots of clothing what we need is food and water. The attached flyer has the hours of collection and the suggested items to donate.

We have a 40 feet container to ship these items directly to Haiti. It’s our desire to fill every inch of this container. With your help we will. We also need volunteers to help box and pack the items.

Thank you in advance!


Pastor Rease

All donations can be dropped off at Palm Beach State College's Belle Glade Location or St. John's Missionary Baptist Church in Belle Glade.

New Technical and Education Center in the Lake Okeechobee Region

Palm Beach State College

Belle Glade Technical and Education Center 

Opening Fall 2010

This 21,259 square-foot Technical and Education Center (TEC) on the Belle Glade campus will be Palm Beach State College’s first major construction project in the area in more than 30 years. This facility allows the College to expand college-credit offerings, expand workforce training programs, and consolidate instructional training.

The new TEC will house such programs as welding, agricultural sciences, criminal justice, and construction trades such as carpentry, masonry, plumbing, welding, heavy bus/truck mechanic and electrical. Most notably, it will house the Sugar Technology Institute offering the only Sugar Technology degree in North America, and a magnet for training of sugar industry employees from around the world where sugar is also an important agricultural crop. Highly trained skilled workers will be ready to meet the employment opportunities for several new community projects recently announced that will bring hundreds of jobs to the region which will demand these kind of skills.

Community support and investment are critical to build a world-class education and occupational training facility equipped with state-of-the-art technology and equipment. The State of Florida will provide a 66% match for all philanthropic support received for this project. Many naming opportunities are available. Call (561) 868-3570 for more information and to discuss how you or your business might participate.

Project Details 

The College has challenged the design team to incorporate flexibility allowing for multi-functional use, easy modification and future expansion in order to respond to changing program needs. To accomplish this, classrooms can be grouped together to accommodate division or expansion; meeting facilities can be grouped together to create a large community room or lecture hall; and institutional or instructional support spaces can serve as computer or testing labs. In summary, every consideration is being afforded to make this permanent facility a long-serving and effective facility in the educational landscape of the western communities.

 

Notably, the building will be the college’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certified building. This “green” building sets an example for other community projects in sustainability, water efficiency, energy use, building materials and resources, indoor environmental innovation, and design process.

Port Mayaca Polo Club

TAILGATING BY ANY OTHER NAME 
By: L.J. Margolis  

Q: What do Wellington and Pahokee have in common?

A: Easy access to world-class polo.

Q: What is polo?

A: Polo, like football, is a very competitive physical contact sport. Polo is a fast paced sport that combines a horse, its rider, a mallet and a ball. A typical polo match lasts about an hour and a half.

Port Mayaca Polo Club is just 16 miles north of Pahokee, the same distance that Clewiston is from South Bay. Port Mayaca Polo launched its first season a little over two years ago. In that short time, the club has grown and gained strong recognition within the polo community, according to designer, builder and owner Stephen Orthwein.

Right now, though, most of the people who attend the matches at Port Mayaca are polo fans from Wellington who go out to watch specific players. Orthwein says that many of the big names of polo play at Port Mayaca. “Most significantly on a consistent basis we have had (polo hall of famer) Memo Gracida and his son Julio playing with us,” he says.

Don’t be fooled by the common perception that polo patrons are impossibly beautiful, fabulously wealthy people flaunting fashionable hats and enjoying expensive champagne. Polo people are regular folks like you and me.

Port Mayaca Polo wants to encourage its closer neighbors from the Glades and Okeechobee, to visit. The polo club generates its revenue from stable rentals and player membership fees. But the polo players really enjoy playing for an audience, so all of the matches are free and open to the public. During the week, the match schedule may vary, but there is a feature match regularly scheduled every Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning from November through April. “It’s a really fun thing for people to do. It’s like going out the park and bringing a picnic lunch, sitting under the trees and watching a polo match with friends. Large groups are always welcome,” says Orthwein. “The audiences encourage players to want to play at the polo club.”

Cindy Findley fell in love with the Glades and moved from Wellington to Pahokee six years ago. She and business partner Carlos Arellano are strong polo fans. “I missed the tailgating parties at Wellington polo,” says Findley.

“I have been riding horses all my life, in Cuba,” says Arellano. “My interest in polo started when I lived in Nicaragua from 1967 to 1979.” Polo drew Arellano to Wellington in 1979. He played polo there, and now his three sons have entered the sport. Arellano’s real estate office is in his barn overlooking his family’s polo field.

Port Mayaca Polo Club was designed and built by club owner Stephen Orthwein, a former Chairman of the United States Polo Association and a member of the Executive Committee of the International Polo Federation.

When Orthwein opened Port Mayaca Polo Club, Arellano started looking for real estate opportunities in the Glades. He and Findley partnered to purchase Todd Realty in Pahokee. The two polo aficionados want to interest other Glades residents in getting together as groups to enjoy tailgating at Port Mayaca Polo.

Port Mayaca Polo Club is located 4.7 miles north of the Port Mayaca bridge on Connor's Highway. For polo schedule and information, visit portmayacapoloclub.com or call (772) 228-0115.

Haiti Earthquake Relief Effort in the Glades

The tragic earthquake in Haiti has affected all of us, especially those in the Lake Okeechobee Region. We have friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers that are Haitian and have relatives that still live in Haiti.

St. John's Missionary Baptist Church in Belle Glade, under the leadership of Pastor Robert Rease, is spearheading the Haiti Earthquake Relief Effort in the Glades. Below is a list of items that are desperately needed. Please look at the lists below and contribute what you can. Every donation helps.

Donations can be dropped of at the following locations:

St. John's Missionary Baptist Church
600 S.W. 8th Street
Belle Glade, Florida 
Hours:
Saturday, January 16 
7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Starting Tuesday, January 19 for Monday - Friday

11:00 a.m. - 1 p.m.
4:00 p.m. - 7 p.m.


Palm Beach State College
1977 College Drive
Belle Glade, Florida
Hours:
Monday-Saturday
8:00 a.m. - 3 p.m.

SUGGESTED DONATIONS:
Tarps, ropes
Working generators, gas can
Cooking pots
Utensils
Towels, Blankets
Bottled water in case (12/24 per case)
Cleaning products
New clothes, new shoes
Canned food/flip open tops
Canned pasta meals
Garbage liners
Shovels
Buckets
Rice, beans in 10-20lb bags
Cooking oil
Peanut butter
Batteries, flashlights, matches
Gauze, Neosporin
Gauze bandages
Kotex

1 GALLON ZIP LOCK BAGS OF PERSONAL HYGIENE KITS FILLED WITH:
Bar soap
Tooth brush, tooth paste
Washcloth
Neosporin
Band-aids

The following is a list of simple items that Hospital Ste. Croix uses every day for patient care.
Adhesive tape, 1/2 or 1 inch wide
Antibiotic Ointment, 1/2 oz. size
Baby Diapers
Baby Oil
Baby Powder
Baby Shampoo
Band Aids, Extra wide
Band Aids, 1 inch
Bandage scissors, 6-8 inches long
Bar soap, any brand
Brushes
Combs
Exam Gloves, latex - Medium and Large
Gauze, rolled sterile, 3-4 inch wide
Liquid Soap for skin
Q-tips, double or single
Razors, disposable
Safety Pins
Thermometers, oral
Thermometers, rectal
Twin sheets, flat, white. New or Used.
Vitamin C tablets, 500 mg
Wash Clothes
Wash Towels

LORE's Commitment to the Community

The Lake Okeechobee Regional Economic Alliance of Palm Beach County Inc. (LORE) is a regional economic development organization comprised of business owners, community leaders and citizens of Belle Glade, Pahokee, South Bay and Canal Point.

The vision of the LORE Alliance is to see a vital economy that offers business and career opportunities building upon the diversity, beauty and natural and human assets of the Glades Region.

Staying committed to that mission, LORE implemented the Façade Grant Program - an incentive available to businesses located in the Palm Beach County Lake Okeechobee Region for aesthetic improvements to the exterior of a commercial building and/or site. To date, the Façade Grant Program has awarded ten local businesses a grant assisting them with their improvements. From painting the exterior to installing new windows and signs, the façade program has helped local business owners beautify their property.

“The Lake region of Palm Beach County offers endless opportunities for economic development which we recognize.  It is our desire to ensure we assist in growing it smart for a wholesome quality of life for everyone here,” said Ashley Tripp, president of LORE.

The LORE Alliance holds monthly board meetings the second Thursday of each month at the Workforce Alliance Career Center in Belle Glade at 3 p.m. The next board meeting is Thursday, Jan. 14. The public is invited and encouraged to attend as LORE is working diligently on community issues.

For more information regarding LORE’s programs visit LORE’s website at www.lorealliance.org or blog at www.lakeopalmbeach.blogspot.com

PBCC Name Change Ceremony

Palm Beach Community College is changing its name to
PALM BEACH STATE COLLEGE.

Join the celebration Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center at the Belle Glade Campus. Pre-festivities begin at 3:30 p.m.

As Palm Beach Community College, the institution has supported and educated the Lake Okeechobee community and will continue to do so as Palm Beach State College.