The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 40

THE PALM BEACH POST SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2002 MSL DCF children get makeovers for their souls Thursday Regier, the state's Families, Emily J. Minor afternoon, as Jerry new head (ship) of the Department of Children and was touring South Florida, listening to workers' war stories about low wages and high workloads stringent rules that don't always work, a handful of statesupervised children made their way to a small Palm hair salon Beach. in West The group, really, was quite unremarkable at first glance. As the sky blackened to the west and seemed to telegraph incoming afternoon rain, the children straggled in as busy families do toward the end of the day, school and work behind them one more time. Laughing.

Arguing. Making a beeline for the snacks. Regular kids with regular parents. Except they're not. These were foster kids, children in state custody.

They've been beaten and lied to and sexually abused. They've been cast aside socially and shuffled from one home to another, often since birth. They've run away countless times. Because when you're 12 and your mom's doing heroin and she alSO likes to throw you against the wall, what do you have to come home to? Most of us think of these children from time to time. With all the DCF stories in the news, how could we not want to help them? But for several years, a local business has been taking care of HALL AWN JENNIFER Photographer Glen Ridge dedicates town hall GLEN RIDGE Glen Ridge Mayor Alice McLane (left) and former Palm Beach County Commissioner Carol Roberts cheer after cutting the ribbon for the new town hall Friday.

Their first few attempts with the ceremonial scissors had failed. Town, county, fire-rescue and sheriff's office officials attended the ceremony. The town hall replaces a storefront office in a strip mall. Glen Ridge, with less than 300 people, spent $110,000 to renovate the former residence into a town hall and community center. Two men charged in theft of moon rocks The Associated Press TAMPA Two men accused of stealing moon rocks and meteorites from Johnson Space Center in Houston were indicted Friday on conspiracy charges.

Thad Ryan Roberts, 25, and Gordon Sean McWhorter, 26, were charged with theft conspiracy, illegal interstate transportation and possession of stolen lunar samples. Both are from Salt Lake City. A third person, Tiffany Texas, pleaded guilty to theft conspiracy and illegal transportation of moon rocks. Undercover FBI agents arrested Roberts, Fowler and McWhorter in Orlando in July. Shae Lynn Saur, 19, was arrested in Houston at the same time and charged with conspiracy, FBI officials said.

Roberts, Fowler and Saur were student employees at the space center. They were fired after the arrests. Investigators say Roberts offered to sell "priceless Apollo astronauts in 1969 and the early 1970s for $1,000 to $5,000 a gram. Investigators were led to the Web group site by an of ad the in May Mineral- on ogy Club of Antwerp, Belgium. On July 15, a 600-pound safe containing moon rocks from every Apollo mission was discovered missing from the space center.

Officials said the inventory offered by the suspects came from the Brooke Fowler, 22, of Odessa, moon rocks" collected by safe. AREA DEATHS St. Lucie County Greenacres, died Thursday. Wesley Barton McGhee Palm Beach County Weiss Memorial Chapel, 76, Fort Pierce Arenos, David, 77, of Delray Boynton Beach. Mr.

McGhee, a Fort Pierce Beach, died Thursday. Joseph Lozano, died Tomas, 70, of Paresident since 1960, died ray Beach. Funeral Sunday. Funeral Chapel, Belle Rubin Memorial Chapel, Del- hokee, Thursday. Glades Glade.

Wednesday. served He was the Ball, Ronald, 60, of Delray Glades Funeral Chapel, Belle born in Texas, Beach, died Tuesday. Weiss Glade. Funeral in Navy during World War II and was a today. Memorial Chapel, Boynton Melton, Jack, 74, of Loxaheavy equipment operator.

hatchee, died Friday. Tillman Survivors include his wife, Cohen, Alfred, 87, of Boynt- Funeral Home, West Beach. Palm Carmen; a daughter; on Beach, died Thursday. Na- Beach. Visitation Sunday; fuand three grandchildren.

tional Cremation Society, neral Monday. Home, West Palm Beach. Patina, Fermin, 54, of West Yates Funeral Fort Pierce. Dailey, Gertrude "Dula," 88, Palm Beach, died Tuesday. All Beth M.

Shelton of Boca Raton, died Thursday. County Funeral Home and 94, Fort Pierce Kraeer Funeral Home, Boca Crematory, Lake Worth. Mrs. Shelton, a Fort Pierce Raton. Funeral Tuesday.

Petrosino, Sondra, of Delray resident for two years, died Davis, Leroy 70, of West Beach, died Friday. Joseph Wednesday. She was born in Palm Beach, died Tuesday. All Rubin Memorial Chapel, DelVirginia. Her husband, John, County Funeral Home and ray Beach.

Funeral Monday. preceded her in death. Crematory, Lake Worth. Rankine, John of West Survivors include a son, Davis, Wanell, 47, of West Palm Beach, died Tuesday. Jack of Fort Pierce; two Palm Beach, died Tuesday.

Tillman Funeral Home, West daughters; and five grand- Stevens Brothers Funeral Palm Beach. children. Home, West Palm Beach. Fu- Rosenblum, Molly, 89, of Yates Funeral Home, Fort neral today. Lake Worth, died Tuesday.

Pierce. Dortch, Ervin, 77, of Riviera Weiss Memorial Chapel, Beach, died Thursday. Boynton Beach. James Clyde Wallace Jr. Stevens Brothers Funeral Scatton, 80, of Draga Port Mr.

St. Lucie Wallace, a Port St. Home, West Palm Beach. Fu- Boca Raton, died Wednesday. neral Sept.

28. All County Funeral Home and Lucie resident for 10 years, Frankel, Irving, 75, of Crematory, Lake Worth. died Thursday. He in Boynton Beach, died Friday. Szendrey, Julius 92, of served the Navy during World War II Joseph Rubin Memorial Royal Palm Beach, died Friand the Korean War, and was a Chapel, Delray Beach.

Fu- day. Quattlebaum-Hollemanmember of the Masonic Blue neral in Woodbury, N.Y. Burse Funeral Home, West Lodge. Gaff, Frances, 91, of Palm Palm Beach. Funeral Mass Survivors include his wife, Beach Gardens, died Thurs- Wednesday.

Edna; a son; three daughters; day. All County Funeral Home Weintraub, Herbert 92, of two brothers, including Ray- and Crematory, Lake Worth. Boynton Beach, died Thursmond of Stuart; and four Garretson, Ronald 77, of day. Riverside -Gordon Memograndchildren. Lake Worth, died Thursday.

rial Chapel, Delray Beach. Visitation 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. All County Funeral Home and Funeral in Woodbridge, N.J. Tuesday at Forest Hills Fu- Crematory, Lake Worth. Whitaker, Imogene 71, of neral Home, Palm City.

Gerych, Stanley 83, of Lake Worth, died Thursday. Service 11 a.m. Wednes- West Palm Beach, died Tues- Tillman Funeral Home, West day at St. Andrew's Lutheran day. National Cremation Soci- Palm Beach.

Visitation SunChurch, Port St. Lucie. ety, West Palm Beach. day; funeral Monday. Contributions may be Karsten, H.

William, 90, of Wilkinson, Lena, 90, of made to Hospice of Martin Atlantis, died Thursday. Nep- Boynton Beach, died Sept. 9. St. Lucie, 2030 S.E.

Ocean tune Society, Fort Lauderdale. Neptune Society, Fort Stuart, Fla. 34996. Krukiel, Elizabeth, 83, of derdale. these kids in a small but important way.

Free haircuts. Minimakeovers. The good folks at the Hair Cuttery in the Kmart plaza at the corner of Military Trail and Okeechobee Boulevard in West Palm Beach are doing what you and I simply yap about. Invaluable boost of self-esteem As the hot afternoon waned on Thursday, as Hurricane Isidore kept promising to skip on out of our lives, the staff set up the card table and pulled out a tablecloth and set up the drinks and the cookies. Somebody did the goodie bags.

Somebody took care of the balloons a rainbow of color floating off in a corner. Their customers arrived right at 4:30. The adorable fourth grader with the killer eyes. After he was born, from that age. he went straight to Connor's Nurs- "Everyone wants to buy preery, never knew his mom.

He's sents for the cute, blond 2- and 3- sweet and polite. year-olds," she said. And he's HIV positive. But not her. The 17-month-old boy, a lick of a Around 6, as the teenagers were thing, who was born premature, still staring at their reflections, as weighed just more than 2 pounds the western sky was turning to pasand has been in foster care all his tels, one of the last to finish was the life.

His sister, who's giving her fos- sweet fourth-grader with the killer ter mother a run for it. "I'm not eyes. used to 3-year-olds," says Shirley Everybody watched as he put on Fitzgerald, an angel on Earth. his glasses and took his first look. "It's really, really good for their A very cool haircut.

Short and self esteem," said two Maria Bond, sis- who stylin'. He looked so beautiful! So handrecently adopted teenage ters out of the state system. some, a young Michael Jordan, Bond knows of what she speaks. even, with perfect teeth and perfect She spent her middle-school years eyes and perfect eyelashes. in the welfare system three He looked so incredibly normal.

group homes and one foster home Then you think of his story, his in one year. She and her husband short spectacle of a life, and rehave added teenagers to their fami- member that he is not. ly because most people shy away I-95 drivers in West Palm face shuffle at Belvedere Road exit By CHUCK McGINNESS Palm Beach Post Staff Writer WEST PALM BEACH Northbound motorists on Interstate 95 will do the "Belvedere shuffle" next week. Just in time for the Thursday morning rush hour, traffic from Belvedere to Australian Avenue shift about 50 feet to the right onto a newly built section of highway. To get ready for the lane shift, there will be lane closures both northbound and southbound beginning Sunday night.

The opening of the small stretch of the new Palm Beach International Airport interchange marks a significant milestone in the $196 million project that has created headaches for commuters for the past two years. Moving traffic will let construction crews, rebuild the old northbound bridge spanning Belvedere and finish the second of two flyover ramps stretching over I-95. The demolition of the old Belvedere bridge was scheduled to be done next weekend, but been delayed. "The section of Belvedere under I-95 will be closed when the bridge is torn down. While building the new northbound bridge, crews also will erect a new southbound bridge right next to it.

Southbound traffic then will be shifted to the new bridge and the old southbound bridge will be rebuilt. "That's a ways off still," I- 95 project spokeswoman Sarah Peacock Crowell said. In January, the section of I-95 between Belvedere and Okeechobee Boulevard was closed overnight for several days to build the flyover ramp that will carry, northbound traffic into the airport. It was the first time I-95 in Palm Beach County was ever completely shut down for construction. The highway, however, won't have to be closed to finish the flyover ramp that will funnel traffic out of the airport to northbound I-95.

That's because the ramp already has been completed over the new northbound lanes on I-95. Some southbound lanes may be closed at night as construction of the ramp moves to the west. The flyover ramps are pieced together in segments between the bridge columns. Construction of the interchange is scheduled to continue a at least another 15 months. Another project slated to begin next year will extend the construction zone south of Southern Boulevard.

FUNERAL NOTICES LILLIAN G. GIMPEL Of Lake Worth, passed away September 19, 2002. The companion of Gertrude Goldberg, whom she shared a home with for 40 years; devoted of Danny, Guiy (Joetta), and Micky (Kathy); cherished grandmother of Michelle, Sean, Jenna, Samantha and Ryan; dear sister of Christiane (Andrew); loving aunt of Paupette (Dino); loving great -aunt of Marc; and a devoted friend to those who have crossed her path over the years. JOHN THOMAS HALL Dickey Post, American Legion. JOSEPH HARRY MARTIN "Pop" Passed away September 2002 in Boynton Beach, Florida.

He was born August 24, 1940 in Portsmouth, Ohio. He graduated from Portsmouth West High School, with the class of 1958. He served 20 years in the United States Army with valor and honor as a Medical Corpsman. While in the army, he served in Vietnam during the TET Offensive with Headquarters and Headquarters Company 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry, 25th Infantry Division (Mech.) He also served in Germany, Thailand, Okinawa, Japan, Korea, and other assignments stateside. After retiring from Ft.

Devens, Massachusetts, Sergeant Hall was employed by the Massachusetts Department of Corrections. He also worked for the Veterans Hospital in Gainesville, Florida and as a private duty nurse in Clearwater, Florida, where he had resided since 1984. He took early retirement from Carrington Place Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center in St. Petersburg, Florida in May 2002, due to the cancer that took him from us. John (Tom) spent his life nursing and caring for others; his friends and family will sadly miss him.

His mother, Margaret Weber Hall; his father, Archie Hall; and brother, Jerry Hall, preceded Sergeant Hall in death. He is survived by sisters: Dianne Kennedy of Grove City, Ohio, Janet Schomburg of Columbus, Ohio, and Carolyn Brammer of Portsmouth, Ohio; brothers: Phillip Hall of Minot, ND, and Donald Hall of Boynton Beach, Florida. Funeral Services will be 11 AM Tuesday, September 24, 2002 at our Lady of Sorrows Catholic' Church. Friends may call at Melcher Funeral Home from 6 to 9 PM Monday. Recitation of Rosary will be at 8 PM Monday at the funeral home, with the Reverend David Young officiating.

Burial in Greenlawn Cemetery in Portsmouth, Ohio, with Military Graveside Rites by the James 68, of Valrico, FL passed away on Friday, September 20, 2002 in Brandon, FL. A native of Peru, Indiana, he had resided in Valrico for five years, coming from West Palm Beach. He was a TV News Director and a Reverend at The Church of the Inner Light, Zephyrhills, FL, and attended Harmony in Tampa, FL. is survived by three sons: Nathan D. Martin and J.

Martin, both of Riverview, FL, and Michael A. Martin, West Palm Beach; daughter, Sheila Leigh, Gibsonton, FL; two sisters: Barbara Handshaw, West Palm Beach and Marilyn Lambert, Ft. Lauderdale; and one grandchild, Joshua. Memorial services will be conducted 4:00 PM TODAY (Saturday) at the chapel of Serenity Meadows Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the College Fund for Joshua Martin, Louise and Harry Martin.

SERENITY MEADOWS FUNERAL HOME, Riverview, FL; (813) 677-9494. VICTOR EDWARD ORNELAS Age 43, of Loxahatchee, FL passed away on September 19, Victor is survived by his daughters: Kathryn Soto and Ashley Renee Ornelas of West Palm Beach, FL; son, Victor Edward Ornelas, Jr. of West Palm Beach, FL; parents, Ramon and Edna Ornelas of Loxahatchee, FL; sisters: Kathy Maldonado and Betty Harvey of Loxahatchee, FL; and grandfather, Victor Ornelas of Bowling Green, FL. Visitation will be held 2 4 and 7 9 PM Sunday, September 22, 2002. Services will be held 11 AM Monday, September 23, 2002 at the funeral home.

Palms West Funeral Home 110 Business Park Way Royal Palm Beach, Florida 561-753-6004 A. $35 million project to rebuild the Southern Boulevard interchange is expected to begin around April or May. When work is completed, there will be 10 lanes of traffic on I-95 five in each direction. The entire portion of I-95 in the county is slated to be widened over the next eight to 10 years. Laura Sam PATERA together again You will forget they are gone and then remember again, and your heart will break one more time.

Your loving daughters FUNERAL SERVICE 475304T DIRECTORY 80, of Waterville, OH, died September 20, 2002 at Arbors of Waterville. He was born December 21, 1921 to George E. and Herma (Rychener) Sherer in Pettisville, OH. George and his wife have lived in Lake Worth, FL for the past 30 years, retiring to Waterville last year. George was a grain farmer for 30 years and a past member of Lucas Co.

Farm Bureau. He married Leona (Lawrence) April 20, 1941 in Pettisville, OH. She survives, along with daughters: Barbara (Thad) Jones of Waterville, OH, Patricia (David) Taylor of Defiance, OH, and Mary (Richard) Gladieux of Whitehouse, OH; eight grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and sister, Athelia (Glenford) Rupp of Toledo, OH. He was preceded in death by his parents. Friends and Family may call on Monday, September 23, 2002 from 12 Noon until the time of the Memorial Service at 1 PM at Peinert Funeral Home, 7220 Dutch Waterville, OH.

Memorial donations may be given to the donor's choice. GEORGE F. SHERER MARESE T. SYKES Passed at home September 18. Born August 23, 1923 in Atlantic City, NJ, she resided in West Palm Beach for over 60 years.

Marese is survived by her husband of 62 years, Gene Sykes of Lake Clarke Shores; son, Russ Sykes (Jan) of Tallahassee, daughters: Mary Billman (Craig) of West Palm Beach, and Susanne Sykes of Bradenton; brother, Herb Osborn of Vero Beach; seven grandchildren: Michelle Mills (Mark) of Savannah, Cathy Karabin (Ladi) of Ft. Pierce, Wendy Isel of Singer Island, Rusty Sykes of Tallahassee, Jordan Sykes of Tallahassee, Jenifer Billman of Clearwater, and Jeff Billman (Andrea) of Orlando; great-granddaughters: Lacey and Saxon Karabin; and nieces: Chris Yancy (Terry) of Watsonville, CA, and Lisa Osborn Grives of Royal Palm Beach. She was preceded in death by her son, William Sykes; brother, James Osborn; and sister-in-law, Helen Osborn. A memorial service and celebration of her life will be held TODAY, Saturday, September 21 at Del Lago Chapel, 131 S. Lakeside Lake Worth at 4 PM.

IMOGENE S. WHITAKER Age 71, of Lake Worth, passed away Thursday, September 19, 2002. Imogene is survived by her husband, Eugene P. Whitaker; two sons: James C. Sims and Don Whitaker; daughter, Patricia Watts; eight grandchildren: Stephen, Veronica, Reagan, Mary-Madison, Dawn, Preston, Eugene and Patrick; and two greatgrandchildren: April and Dawson.

A funeral service will be held at the First Baptist Church of Lantana, 1126 West Lantana Monday, September 23, 2002 at 10 AM, with Rev. Nevi Townsend officiating. Interment will be held at Boynton Beach Friends may call at TILLMAN FUNERAL HOME, 2170 South Military Trail, West Palm Beach on Sunday from 4 6 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, SBC International Mission Board, Middle America Regional Office, P.O. Box 6767, Richmond, VA 23230 to use at missionary Fred Cook's discretion.

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