Wellington officials want details before giving land to PBCC

The Wellington Village Council will not decide whether to provide prime land for a PBCC campus until it gets details on how the College would use the property and what village residents would reap from the deal.

That was the consensus of council members during a two-hour workshop May 8 to discuss the land gift idea first raised last month by former Wellington mayor Kathy Foster. Council members directed village staff to work with PBCC staff to develop a comprehensive plan detailing how many buildings or other facilities would be raised on the site now and in the future and whether, after the College’s needs are met, there will be room for ball fields or a theater open to village residents.

As council member Lizbeth Benacquisto put it, “make a case for why PBCC is the best fit for that piece of land.”

The land in question is the roughly 65 acres known as K-Park on Pierson Road just west of U.S. 441 that the village bought for $9 million in 2004. The village planned to put a park on the land but scrapped that idea because of the estimated $40 million price tag. Then, Foster proposed in April that the council donate the land to PBCC.

Richard Becker, PBCC’s vice president of administration and business services, said PBCC had sought 75 to 100 acres for a fifth campus. While “65 acres is tight,” he said, the site could work. PBCC’s Lake Worth campus sits on about 100 acres, while Palm Beach Gardens is 110 acres, Boca Raton is 25 acres and Belle Glade is 40 acres.

Some council members questioned whether the village could allow for a PBCC campus and at the same time meet the village’s Comprehensive Plan requirement for facilities including baseball fields.

Council members also raised other questions, including what the economic impact would be for the village, how the College would pay for the campus, what impact the campus would have on traffic, what road work would be required and whether the College would offer programs that tie into Wellington’s needs, including an equestrian program. They also questioned what enrollment would be at opening and at build-out.

Kirk Stetson, PBCC’s facilities planning manager, said this week that the College already has a team working to develop a phased master plan and getting answers to the council’s questions to present at the council’s June 25 meeting.

“This is a one-shot chance to do a full master planned campus,’’ said Stetson, who estimated that the campus at build-out would include 14 buildings and an enrollment of 8,393 in 2035. “Everybody is so energized about it. It’s a great location. It’s a win-win for everybody. We can give them what they want and more.”


Palm Healthcare Foundation honors PBCC professor and student

The Palm Healthcare Foundation selected PBCC Professor Kellie Bassell as Educator of the Year and student Charlene Chippy as Nursing Student of the Year. A 30-member committee selected eight honorees from 160 nominations submitted by health care professionals, peers and patients and their families. Nominees were judged on their dedication to excellence, commitment to the nursing profession, sense of community and display of caring and compassion. The awards ceremony took place May 9 at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach.

Kellie Bassell---Caregiver, mother, nurse, student, teacher, volunteer, wife

Associate Dean Nancy Zinser (left)      with Kellie Bassell

Kellie Bassell doesn’t divide her time among her teaching duties, volunteer work, caring for her ailing in-laws and studying for a degree—she seems to multiply it.

In her role as the first faculty member hired for the evening/weekend registered nursing program at PBCC, Bassell crafted the 33-month program format and aligned the curriculum to facilitate student success for the program. Bassell commutes from her home in Wellington to teach at PBCC Belle Glade as the interim nursing program director. She assists students having academic difficulties by providing review sessions, private tutoring, classroom dialogue and active learning exercises using games and interactive group activities.

Bassell also trained to become a Web CT (now Blackboard) instructor and now facilitates online training for nursing faculty. She is a student as well; currently Bassell is taking educational specialist (Ed.S.) courses from the University of Florida.

“It’s very rare to have someone with the all-around strengths when nominating someone for this award,” said Joanne Masella, dean of nursing at Palm Beach Atlantic University, and former nursing program director at PBCC. “We are very proud of her because of the kind of teacher and the kind of person she is.”

Bassell also volunteers for the Nursing Consortium of South Florida, an organization committed to increasing the supply of registered nurses to match the region’s growing health care needs. She is also an advocate for Alzheimer’s patients and their families, working with local support groups to raise awareness and provide resources for caregivers. Along with her husband Edward, Bassell provides at-home care for her father-in-law who has severe cardiac disorders and helped care for her mother-in-law who suffered from advanced Alzheimer’s disease and recently passed away.

“This is a most deserving award for Kellie,” said Jackie Rogers, PBCC dean of health sciences and public safety. “She is one of the most collaborative individuals I’ve ever encountered and brings new energy to each person she touches.”

Charlene Chippy—driven to succeed

Dean Barry Moore (left) with Charlene Chippy

Nursing student Charlene Chippy drives a 2002 Mercedes C240, which has become something of a second home because she spends so much time in it. Chippy drives from her home in Lake Worth to her nursing classes at PBCC Belle Glade, to clinical studies (last semester she dove to Hendry Regional Medical Center in Clewiston) and to her job as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) at West Boca Medical Center in Boca Raton. Chippy has logged most of the 77,000 miles on her car’s odometer since entering the nursing degree program in August 2007.

The nursing program on the Lake Worth campus has a long list of applicants and a limited number of seats, but Chippy was determined to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a registered nurse, so she makes the 45-mile drive from her home to the Belle Glade campus four days a week each semester. Her passion for nursing was noted by her student peers, who selected her to speak on their behalf to PBCC President Dennis Gallon.

“I think [nursing] is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do,” said Chippy. “Sometimes I think it’s the only thing I know how to do. It’s a hard job, but I believe I was called to do this.”

Ruth Schwarzkopf, chief nursing officer at West Boca Medical Center and Chippy’s supervisor, wrote the nomination letter to the foundation. Schwarzkopf said she nominated Chippy for her desire and determination to become a registered nurse, as well as her ability to juggle school, work and raising a three-year-old son.

“I’ve been a nurse for over 30 years and Charlene inspires me,” said Schwarzkopf. “Charlene is very upbeat, very positive. She loves the patients she cares for and that spirit always shows through. I know it makes her patients feel better just seeing her.”

Schwarzkopf said she has received countless letters from patients praising Chippy’s work and a surgeon who said he wanted all of his post-op patients assigned to her.

“She’s going to be a great RN, and the nursing profession is lucky to have her,” said Schwarzkopf.

Chippy is on schedule to graduate from PBCC in December, and is already making plans to pursue her bachelor’s of science nursing degree.




Colombian auto instructors train for ASE exam at PBCC


Instructor Jim Moore asks questions through a translator to the class of 16 automotive instructors from Colombia preparing for their ASE exams.

A group of 16 auto service instructors from Colombia were on the PBCC Lake Worth campus recently for a week of intense preparation for certification exams administered by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). PBCC offers ASE certification training and exams as part of its Corporate and Continuing Education (CCE) programs.

The instructors were sent to PBCC by the Colombian government’s national training institute, SENA. SENA was created in 1957 to invest in the social and technical development of  workers through continued vocational training. SENA paid for the testing, lodging, meals and travel expenses of the instructors during their stay.

“The [Colombian] government wants to improve the quality of technical education,” said PBCC Program Manager Luis Tamayo, who is also a Colombian native. “All of these instructors are highly educated in their profession, and certification allows them to better share their expertise.”

The ASE Institute is an independent, nonprofit organization that has over 400,000 certified members in the automotive industry. Individual certification is based upon passing at least one of the more than 40 ASE exams and providing proof of at least two years of relevant work experience. Those with ASE credentials must be retested every five years to remain certified.

The instructors spent 40 hours in the classroom preparing for the tests. Jim Moore, manager of educational services for Delphi, an international auto parts company, led the classroom instruction through an interpreter. The instructors took a series of three exams in engine repairs, brakes and steering and suspensions. Each test was one hour and contained 60 multiple choice questions.

“These are grueling exams, they’re not multiple guess questions,” said Tamayo. “The questions are tricky because they are worded so they all could be correct. You have to choose the best answer. A lot of study and a lot of hands-on learning go into these exams. The tests are so hard that there’s only a 70 percent pass rate."

Tamayo said SENA would possibly subcontract with the College to train Colombian expatriates currently living in the U.S. who left their country due to the violence associated with the drug wars or economic hardships. Conditions have now improved in Colombia to the point where it is seeing a noticeable rise in its citizens returning. Training here, before they return home, would not only update their skills but allow them to earn higher wages once they return.


Program Manager Luis Tamayo (left) answers questions from the group of Colombian auto instructors during a tour of the automotive garage at PBCC Lake Worth

Golf Classic and Finer Things raise $100,000 in contributions


Winning foursome of the 2008 PBCC Foundation Golf Classic with PBCC President Dennis Gallon.  From left are:  Eric McNamee, Mike Fosse, Catherine Dzenutis, Mike Moore and Dr. Dennis Gallon.

The newly remodeled Palmer Course at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens was the setting for the Palm Beach Community College Foundation’s annual Golf Classic and The Finer Things on May 2. The combined events raised a net of $100,000, with the proceeds going to fund student scholarships and program support at the College.

The Golf Classic event was sold out, with 36 foursomes totaling 144 golfers hitting the links. First place went to the Hedrick Brothers Construction team of Catherine Dzenutis, Mike Fosse, Eric McNamee and Mike Moore with a team score of 52. Second place went to the McDonald’s sponsored foursome of Jimmy Buelle, Chris Cole, Jeff Henning and Ricky Wade with a score of 54. Shooting a score of 55 and taking third place was the MPA Architects team of Kevin Butler II, Dan Caravan, Rick Logan and David Wikell.

The Finer Things, now in its third year, catered to non-golfers with four sessions: a wine tasting and food pairing, lessons in the art of jewelry making and design, massage and reflexology provided by PBCC massage therapy students and instructors, and seminars on aesthetic or cosmetic surgical procedures.

The festivities culminated with a cocktail reception, silent auction and raffle drawing, with former PBCC Purchasing Director Dick Jones acting as emcee. Among the items available for bidding at the silent auction were a Greg Norman autographed hat, a PGA resort stay, freshwater pearl necklace, and a Music Legends album cover collage signed by artist Arnold Levine. Winners of the raffle were Mike Geary (42” plasma TV), Jonathan Graham (Dell laptop), Ricky Wade (men’s watch) and Scott Larson (Macy’s shopping spree.)

Major sponsors of the Golf Classic were Hedrick Brothers Construction, Lotspeich and BRPH Architects. Finer Things sponsors were Macy’s, Bank of America and the Gardens Mall. Media supporters included the Palm Beach Post, Vive Magazine and WRMF 97.9 FM.

“PBCC is very fortunate to enjoy the loyal support of sponsors, vendors and community members who have consistently provided financial assistance throughout both economically challenging and abundant times,” said Suellen Mann, executive director of the PBCC Foundation. “The $100,000 net contribution realized makes this the most successful golf tournament held on behalf of PBCC. We extend our sincere thanks to all participants and contributors.”


(Above left) PBCC President Dennis Gallon blasts a shot out of a sand trap at the annual Golf Classic Tournament held May 2 at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens. (Above right) Andre Wade, 9, competed against adult golfers in a longest drive contest.

Gallon named to museum committee

PBCC President Dennis Gallon was named to an honorary committee for the April 19 openings of two major exhibitions of African American artwork at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach.

Running through July 20 is “In the Hands of African American Collectors: The Personal Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey,” organized by the California African American Museum. This sampling of more than 90 art pieces and artifacts ranges from slave owner’s documents to brilliant expressions in paint and glimpses into private lives. A companion exhibition, “Highlights: African American Art from the Norton Collection,” showcases important works and the diversity of aesthetic expression in the African American community from the 1920s through the 1990s. It runs through Aug. 31.

Find out more about these exhibits and upcoming events at the Norton at www.norton.org .

 
(Above left) Hiram Rhoades Revels, first African-American to serve in the Senate (represented Mississippi 1870-1871). Photographed by Matthew Brady, circa 1870.  (Above right) The Cultivators (2000) Oil on canvas by Samuel L. Dunson Jr.

BEANS symposium a healthy success in Boca Raton


Author Jeff Novick (from right to left) Bobette Wolesensky, Lynda Madnick, Jeanne Boone and Eileen Christofi hold a panel discussion on vegan diets at the BEANS symposium.

The BEANS (Bringing About Nutrition to Students) symposium on healthy eating and fitness was held on the PBCC Boca Raton campus April 14-17, with nearly 500 students, faculty and staff from all four campuses attending the lectures.

The keynote speaker, Jeff Novick, serves as the director of education for the National Health Association (NHA), a nonprofit organization that promotes the benefits of a plant-based diet. Novick talked about the importance in reading food labels to determine a product’s health benefits. Novick also participated in a panel discussion on vegan diets with PBCC faculty members Jeanne Boone, Eileen Christofi, Lynda Madnick and Bobette Wolesensky.

Other lecturers included Janet Brill, who spoke on ways of lowering cholesterol without prescription medication, and Nancy Lemieux, who talked about the merits of combining cooking and exercise.
 
 

Part I: Separate but unequal

On May 17, 1954 the Supreme Court ruled on Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, a landmark decision that declared “separate but equal” educational facilities for white and black students was unconstitutional. Soon after learning of the ruling, the Florida legislature passed a resolution declaring the Supreme Court’s decision null and void. However, Gov. Thomas LeRoy Collins, realizing his state was fast becoming a haven for retirees as well as a popular vacation destination for people of all races, refused to sign the bill, declaring the state must obey the ruling.

But change was slow in coming. Five years later, Roosevelt Junior College, one of eleven junior colleges for African-American students established by the state after the Brown decision, opened its doors on March 7, 1958. Britton Sayles was named president of RJC; classes were held at night at Roosevelt High School, where Sayles also served as principal. Construction of a building for RJC was completed in 1959. The status quo, it seemed, was maintained.

PBJC enrolled its first African-American student, Mary Warren, in 1960. At the time the only way for black students to gain admission to PBJC was to apply as a transfer student from Roosevelt Junior College. In the summer of 1963, 19 students attending Roosevelt Junior College applied to transfer to Palm Beach Junior College. Six of the students were denied admission on the grounds that they lived closer to Roosevelt, and RJC offered them comparative courses.

At a school board meeting on Aug. 27, Superintendent of Public Instruction Howell Watkins said only ten of the students followed up their applications to PBJC and enrolled. But two students, Gloria Keel and Gloria Perry, told the school board that they had completed all the PBJC admission requirements and still were denied. The board voted 4-1 to uphold the ruling; the lone dissenter, A. Donaldson Thorp, said the board could produce no written school policy to back up admission criteria. The two reasons given for denying admission—location and similar courses—would be construed as segregation, Thorp said.

Board Attorney Marshall Criser told the board denial of the student’s applications to PBJC would not mean “Federal court is going to slap your hands.”

Black students denied admission to PBJC and their supporters picket the school board Administration building on Olive Street, Sept. 1962

On Sept. 5, the day of the school board's next meeting, 20 black protestors, including the six students denied admission to PBJC, picketed the school board administration building on Olive St. Working in shifts, holding signs that read, “We want college courses, not high school refresher courses,” “We ask no favors only equal rights,” and “People please let us go to PBJC to learn to live together—eradicate school segregation now,” the protestors peacefully circled the sidewalk in front of the main entrance.

One of the protestors, 18-year-old David Cornish, said he applied to PBJC to major in data processing and accounting, courses not offered
at Roosevelt Junior College.  “We’ll demonstrate until we get what we want and what we need,” Cornish said. “We are not allowed the privilege of choice. Foreigners—even Cubans—can attend PBJC. We can’t and we live here.”

That night a large crowd was in attendance for the school board meeting, with spectators spilling out of the conference room and deep into the hallway. Board members entered the building by crossing through the picket line. One of the main topics on the agenda that evening was consideration of a plan to make Roosevelt Junior College a branch of Palm Beach Junior College.

However, three-quarters through the meeting, board chairman John Remsen deleted the RJC item from the agenda, with murmurs of disapproval filling the room and echoing down the hallway. Remsen announced further discussion on the issue would proceed no further, citing school board agenda policy, and the board had given the matter “conscientious, due deliberation” at the last meeting.

The protest group’s spokesperson, Florence Nelson, said,” We only have two recourses, take to the streets or take to the courts.”

So they went to court.

Next: Part II: The walls come tumbling down.

Gibson's "menupoem" published

Professor Stephen Gibson, English instructor at PBCC Belle Glade, had a poem published by Alimentum, a New York City-based literary magazine whose emphasis is on food. The magazine created a broadsheet of “menupoems,” including Gibson’s poem, “The Fruit,” distributed to restaurants in April to commemorate National Poetry Month.

Gibson’s second collection of poetry, “Masaccio’s Expulsion,” will be published this month as part of the MARGIE/Intuit House poetry series.

Sennett's movies shown at film festivals

Dr. Henry Sennett, adjunct speech communications professor at the Lake Worth campus, is also a movie director and screenwriter. His documentary about his combat experiences in Vietnam, Coming Home, will be shown at the GI Film Festival on May 18 at the Carnegie Institute in Washington D.C. His second movie, A Veteran Affair, will premiere at the ReelHeART International Film Festival in Toronto on June 21.

Alvarez earns degree

Heather Alvarez, administrative assistant in the Lake Worth student advising office, received her A.A. degree from the College May 8. 

PBCC graduate receives transfer scholarship worth $30,000 a year 
 
Candace Payne, a PBCC Honors student who graduated May 8, has been awarded a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship of up to $30,000 per year to complete her bachelor’s degree at a university.

She is one of 46 students from around the country and one of five in Florida chosen from 600 applicants from two-year colleges. It is one of the largest and most competitive undergraduate transfer scholarships in the country.

“I’m very excited about it,’’ said Payne, who holds a 4.0 grade point average and is featured in PBCC’s new advertising campaign. “I still can’t believe it.”

The 28-year-old woman began attending PBCC’s Boca Raton campus in 2000 while working as a nanny and later as a clerical worker. She decided last fall to enroll in school full-time to complete her associate in arts degree and put more focus on pursuing her teenage dream of becoming a physician, a dream she initially thought was out of reach.

“I didn’t have the confidence. I never believed I could do it. That was back then when I was younger. All of that changed. Now, I definitely feel as if I can do it,’’ she said.

Payne served as vice president of service for Phi Theta Kappa international honor society at the Boca Raton campus before becoming president this spring. She also was chosen this year for the Phi Theta Kappa All Florida Academic Team. She plans to get her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and then go to medical school. She has not yet made a final decision on which university she will attend.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is a private, independent foundation established in 2000 by the estate of Jack Kent Cooke to help young people of exceptional promise reach their full potential through education. It focuses in particular on students with financial need. The Foundation's programs include scholarships to undergraduate, graduate, and high school students, and grants to organizations that serve high-achieving students with financial need.

Payne is the second PBCC student to receive the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship since the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation began offering them. The first was Professor Karen Pain, a PBCC graduate who earned her bachelor’s degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2004. Pain said she recently was awarded up to a $50,000 Continuing Scholar Graduate Award from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation to pursue her master’s degree.
 

1,223 degrees of joy 


Graduating students whooped it up during commencement ceremonies at the Palm Beach County Convention Center May 8. Palm Beach Community College awarded 1,223 degrees for the 2008 spring term. The student speakers were Michael Huggins from the Lake Worth campus and Shalonda Williams from the Belle Glade campus. Graduation ceremonies for 231 PSAV students was held  May 7 in the Duncan Theatre. 

Comings and Goings

Comings

Amalia Benites, Financial Aid Representative I, District

Philip Berlingo, PSAV Coordinator, Lake Worth

Gabriela Como, Associate Administrative Assistant, Foundation/District

Nilsa Martinez, Student Development Advisor I, Lake Worth

Charla Reece, Job Coach Developer, Lake Worth

Jean Sether, Disability Support Services Coordinator, Boca Raton

Leona Smith, Associate Administrative Assistant, District

Mindy Yale, PSAV Instructor, Boca Raton



Transfers/Promotions

Theresa Goodman, Accounts Payable Coordinator, Lake Worth

Keith Jones, Maintenance Mechanic I, Boca Raton

Olivia Morris, Student Activities Coordinator, Lake Worth

Kathleen Wright, Administrative Assistant II, Boca Raton



Departures

Adriana Jimenez, Administrative Assistant II, Lake Worth

Kathleen Karran-McCoy, Student Success Coordinator, Lake Worth

Evelyn Ratlieff, Security Guard, Palm Beach Gardens

Jay Safford, PSAV Instructor, Lake Worth

Elizabeth Schneider, Associate Professor, Lake Worth

Marybeth Weissberger, PSAV Instructor, Belle Glade



Retirement

Patricia Steen, Student Services Representative I, Lake Worth

In Sympathy

Condolences are extended to Kellie Bassell, whose mother-in-law, Elaine Bassell, died on May 6. Funeral services were held in Windsor, Conn. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Palm Beach County.

Please remember your colleague and her family in your thoughts and prayers. 



Heart to Heart

Congratulations to Les Dominice, a computer specialist in Lake Worth, and his bride, Sue Ranger, on their recent nuptials. The couple got married May 10 at First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach. They spent their honeymoon on Singer Island and at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

Comments from the last Readers Forum:

Question:  What do you think of locating the fifth PBCC campus in Wellington?

[PBCC] can’t pay us a decent wage, and wants to build another campus. [PBCC] can have a state-of-the-art building but if you can’t pay a decent wage, and have good teachers it doesn't mean a thing.
Kirk Hoosac

I think it's a wonderful opportunity for both the College and the Wellington area. I am an adjunct for the college, as well as a Wellington resident. I know for a fact that there are a lot of people in our community and the Belle Glade area who will be so pleased to have the opportunity to attend college closer to home. I know Wellington had some issues with giving up open space, so why not build some PBCC ball fields and let the community use them, along with the college teams?
Mary Ann Thompson

The proposed Wellington site appears to be an ideal location to accommodate PBCC’s potential growth. I applaud Dr. Gallon and the Wellington officials for their vision and leadership in providing educational assess into the mid-western part of Palm Beach County.
Salvatore Manuele

Wonderful idea demographically. I have extern sites for the Medical Assisting Program in Wellington. We have students coming from Pahokee to take the [Lake Worth campus] program and doctors looking for medical assistants in Okeechobee. I feel a Medical Assisting Program in a new PBCC facility, in the future, would do extremely well with the growth of the medical community there. Medical Coder/Biller and Medical Transcription would also thrive there.
Barbara Kalfin

Splendid concept. Proceed.
Bob Rajcoomar

I agree that the presence of a higher education institution would be very welcome in Wellington.
Virginia Smith

It would be a dream come true!
Jeanne Boone