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July 5, 2000 - Nathan (Nat) S. Crandall, a long time resident of the Village of Royal Palm Beach and one of the most contributing members of the Village Council in the 1980s, "died comfortably on July 4 at his Dallas, Texas home," a family member reported. A private funeral service was held July 5 in Dallas. Mr. Crandall was 85. "Nat Crandall was an aggressive, hard-working councilman during the 1980s, a period when the village was growing rapidly, changing from a sleepy senior citizen community to a bustling young family community. Many of the important village decisions during his term of office were proposed or supported by Nat Crandall, an outstanding councilman and citizen," said Bob Markey, Sr., former publisher of The Town-Crier Newspapers. Mr. Crandall was predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Ruth Leshne Crandall of Dallas. He also leaves his sons Richard (Pamela), Gerald (Gina) and Wayne (Mary) and his daughter Beverly (Robert) Strauss. Also surviving Mr. Crandall are his granddaughters Jessica and Samantha Strauss and his grandsons, Bret and Dean Crandall. Mr. Crandall had been an entrepreneur in his younger days, owning a number of small retail businesses and was an officer veteran of World War II. He served in Europe and was present at the liberation of the infamous Dauchau prison camp. In Royal Palm Beach, he was one of the founders of Temple Beth Zion and also helped establish two other temples. Contributions in Mr. Crandall’s name may be made to the American Cancer Society, the Leukemia Society or to the charity of one’s choice, the family said. Accused teen killer has hope, lawyers say; tape not released yet By Bob Markey II WEST PALM BEACH - Far from the suicidal, murderous teen portrayed in police files, Nathaniel Brazill is remorseful - yet has hope for his future - and is counting on his Stuart lawyers to save his life, they said. "Nathaniel wants to get out of (jail) next week and become a Secret Service agent and protect the president," attorney Robert Udell said Friday after Circuit Judge Richard Wennet's hearing on whether to release a videotape showing the fatal shooting of the boy's English teacher. "He thinks he can do that." But Udell, stressed, "He understands what he's done is terrible." Jailed since May 26 when a handgun he fired killed Barry Grunow outside a Lake Worth Middle School classroom, Brazill, 13, "happens to be a very positive-thinking kid," said Udell, who with attorney Lance Richard represents the boy. "He's got a lot of faith in God. Yet, it was just until Friday that he thought he could be executed." In a 15-minute hearing at the Palm Beach County Courthouse, Wennet did not rule on a defense motion to prevent the state from releasing a school surveillance tape said to show at least part of the shooting. For the second time, the judge heard brief arguments from Udell, who said public viewing of the tape will prejudice the jury pool, and Martin Reeder, representing South Florida newspapers seeking access to it. The state has not taken a position on the issue, assistant state attorney Marc Shiner, said. Wennet also heard the defense plead not guilty to adult charges of first-degree murder and aggravated assault. The maximum punishment is life in prison. Children 16 and under cannot receive the death penalty in Florida. The defense declined to waive Brazill's right to a speedy trial. Later they predicted the case will not be tried for nine to 12 months due to a lengthy list of witnesses and volumes of evidence. More than 800 pages of documents - including transcripts of a five-hour video in which Brazill admits shooting the teacher, and letters in which the boy appears to contemplate suicide - were released Thursday. Reeder reminded the court that state law requires the public release of all evidence provided to the defense. With the release of the "confession" video and other documents, anyone interested in the case already has ample opportunity to absorb its details, he said, and the second tape can do no legal damage. Udell objected to the word "confession." Brazill's taped interrogation by police and his family showed "what we have been saying all along - that this was an accidental shooting," Richard said later. Udell and Richard said they do not now plan to seek a change of venue, hopeful an impartial jury can be chosen from Palm Beach County's large, diverse jury pool. Expecting that Wennet will allow the shooting tape's release, Richard offered cautious optimism, saying the evidence could make the state's case "easy" to attack. "This tape may show that this child had no intent of pulling the trigger on anyone," he said. "None of the state's theories in this case make any sense. There was no motive to kill anyone because there was no intent to kill anyone." Richard said the evidence released Thursday - some of which indicated Brazill had thought about shooting someone, and had at one point compiled a sort of "hit list" - is not of tremendous concern. "You can pull out any narrow little segment and clearly it looks damaging," Richard said. "But when you look at the (interrogation) tape, we win."
Free family fishing tourney Tuesday, July 4, in RPB If it's July 4, Palms West Communities anglers are busy. The annual Western Communities Red, White & Blue Fourth of July Fishing Tournament will be coordinated at Lakeside Challenger Park, in the main gazebo, on Royal Palm Beach Boulevard near State Road 80 Tuesday. But fishing can take place anywhere. Registration begins at 6:30 a.m., but contestants may also pre-register at the recreation department of either the Village of Wellington or the Village of Royal Palm Beach. There are two fish categories, bass and other. There are five age groups: 6 and under, 7-9, 10-12, 13-19, and adult/child (child must be 12 or under). Each angler can enter one age group and one fish category. Bass will be weighed in at 11 a.m., and all other fish at noon. Tourney coordinator Tom sawyer said bass anglers are requested to take proper precautions when transporting live bass, because the important fish must be in good enough condition to swim away when released in order to be counted. Bass carried in aerated containers with cool water have the best chance for survival. There is a three-bass limit, but no minimum size. All Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Regulations will be followed by tourney participants. "Since this is the first year with staggered weigh-in times, a four-ounce bonus will be added for all bass weighed by 11 a.m., with no penalty for those weighed in late (until noon)," Sawyer said. Fourth of July activities Wellington The community's free Independence Day party starts early and ends late at the Community center off Forest Hill Blvd. and then at Community (Pierson Road) Park. 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 1 to 4:30 p.m. - "Splash" Pool Party the Wellington Community Pool; two sessions for $2 per person. 10 a.m. - Firecracker Mixed Doubles Round Robin at the tennis center adjacent to the Community Center. 4:30 p.m. - Party at Village Park off Pierson Road, including: Re/MAX Tethered Hot Air Balloon rides, carousel rides, kids auto races competition, water park, water tag, Giant Sinking Titanic inflatable slide, the "Adrenaline Rush," a rock climbing wall, face painting, tattoos, nail painting, hair wrapping, crafts, beads, sand art bottles, field races, a bounce house, bingo, and clowns. Youth Stage - D.J. Leo Parry, Xtreme Tae Kwon Do, Wellington Recreation Cheerleaders, Monica Hodges, Denim ’n Lace Dancers, and Palm Beach Super Tae Kwon Do. 5 p.m. - The Fabulons will perform on the main stage. 7 p.m. - Magic show, followed by more from the Fabulons at 7:30. 8:45 p.m. - Fireworks. For more information, contact Wellington Parks & Recreation at 791-4005. Royal Palm Beach The village's annual Fourth of July celebration takes place at the Royal Inn pool and the adjacent Challenger Park, off Royal Palm Beach Blvd. and State Road 80. It's free. 1 p.m. - Day-long pool party at the Royal Inn with food, entertainment and more. 3 to 10:30 p.m. - Live music by two local bands, Uncommon Ground (featuring Lew Cook) performing country/western, and Johnny and the Heartbreaks playing rock ’n roll from the 1950s, at the main celebration site: Lakeside Challenger Park on Royal Palm Beach Blvd., near State Road 80. 4 p.m. - Craft booths and games, by the Parks & Recreation Department, and concessions open. 4:30 p.m. - Rides and attractions open, including a water slide, rock climbing wall, sand box, laser tag, Orbitron, a bounce house, the trackless train and fire truck rides - all in the park. 5 p.m. - Fourth Annual Mayor’s Cup Kayak Races on Lake Challenger. 9 p.m. - Fireworks. For more information, call the Royal Palm Beach Parks and Recreation Department at 790-5124. West Palm Beach's 4th On Flagler Admission is free for this downtown event. Parking will be available in private lots and city garages with a special event flat rate of $10. 5 p.m. - Tucker Brothers perform on the Wild Wings Stage, followed by another band at 7 p.m. 5 p.m. - The CarMax Stage features Youngstown, Sonique, and Alice Deejay. 5:30 p.m. - Sons of Steel 6:20 p.m. - Indigo takes the stage at 6:20 p.m. 8:15 p.m. - Youth Orchestra of Palm Beach County. Other activities: Big Rig Gig, where bigwigs compete in patriotic contests with big rigs; Wild Wings Cook-off; kids’ activities; and refreshments. 9:15 p.m. - Fireworks over the Intracoastal waterway. For more information, contact the City of West Palm Beach at 659-8007. South Florida Fairgrounds - July 3 7:30 p.m. - Boca Pops Orchestra’s Third Annual Star Spangled Spectacular at the MARS Music Amphitheatre. The outdoor concert, conducted by Maestro Crafton Beck, is a family-themed patriotic festival of music and fireworks. Tickets cost $14.50 for lawn seating and $21.50 for reserved seating. Children under age 12 are admitted free. Greenacres The City of Greenacres' Independence Day celebration, "Ignite the Nite," is set from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Greenacres Community Park, at the corner of Jog Road and Constitution Way (near 10th Avenue North). 5 p.m. - Massing of the Colors by the VFW and the American Legion, followed by "singing sensation" Jamie Floyd. Kids activities and concessions open. 6 p.m. - Music by Ol’ Glory. 9 p.m. - Fireworks. For more information, call the Greenacres Leisure Services department at 642-2181. Teacher shooting videotape withheld by judge By Bob Markey II WEST PALM BEACH (June 23, 2000)- No one in the Palm Beach Circuit Court, including the judge and prosecution, had seen the surveillance videotape of Nathaniel Brazill killing his seventh-grade English teacher, Barry Grunow. So Judge Richard Wennet had little choice Thursday but to order the state attorney's office to withhold the tape from the media, until at least June 30, to review it. Wennet, who admitted being unfamiliar with the murder case, also denied a request by assistant state attorney Marc Shiner to impose a gag order on lawyers for both sides. After hearing an hour of arguments against release of the tape from Stuart-based defense attorneys Robert Udell and Lance Richard, and media lawyer Martin Reeder, in favor of its release, Wennet said he wants to see for himself whether the images are "prejudicial, graphically incriminating" or depict information that will not be placed before a jury. Wennet ordered the single tape - made by a surveillance system in a hallway of Lake Worth Middle School on May 26 - to be removed from the Lake Worth Police Department and given to him for private review. The judge set a hearing for June 30, during which he will consider ruling on a defense motion to withhold the tape. "It's a temporary victory," said Richard, who left the arguments to his colleague. Polly Powell, mother of the 13-year-old Brazill, agreed, praising God for the ruling and happy to see her son - who did not speak - in the courtroom. The prosecution said it has no opinion on release of the tape. But Udell told Wennet that graphic images on the tape would cause Brazill to be "deprived of a fair trial." "There is a right of the public to know about what is going on in public situations, but it is not absolute," Udell said. Udell, who also has not seen the tape, added that Grunow's family would not appreciate seeing the incident. "This tape is going to be on the 6 o'clock news, the 10 o'clock news, the 11 o'clock news, CNN, the Internet," Udell said. "Then it's going on Jerry Springer. "America is going to watch, with their family dinner, a killing on TV. By the time we get to trial in six months, everybody is gonna see this tape 100 times," Udell said. Attorney Martin Reeder said his clients, the Sun-Sentinel and Palm Beach Post, want to publish still images - "'nothing embarrassing or inflammatory." Citing numerous cases, Reeder said state law requires the public release of all evidence provided to the defense. He said the defense cannot prove that the release will - as precedent requires - cause "'serious and imminent threat to the administration of justice" and that no other alternative is available than a change of venue. Reeder said the only Florida case in which a tape was excluded from public access is not pertinent in this situation because it occurred in a small town with one major media outlet. Palm Beach County is a "major metropolitan" area with 500,000 potential jurors, he said. "There is a history in this county to be able to try highly publicized cases without damaging the defendant's right to a fair trial," Reeder said. Shiner said he has been told the tape captured part of the incident just before classes let out for the summer. Brazill faces adult charges of murder and aggravated battery by shooting Grunow in the head in retaliation for not being allowed to speak to fellow students. In a related matter, Grunow's widow Pam agreed not to sue the school board in exchange for a $245,000 annuity. The investment will provide the income the 35-year-old Grunow would have earned until retirement age, 62. "We reached a settlement, pure and simple," Grunow's pro bono lawyer Bob Montgomery said. "We"ve put it to bed forever and ever as far as the school board." Pam Grunow and her two children will also receive $100,000 in workers compensation during the next 3 1/2 years, health benefits, and half of her husband's $40,809 annual salary from the state's retirement system each year for life. She has received $20,000 from a life insurance policy and $25,000 from the state's Victim's Compensation Trust Fund. Montgomery - who was prominent in Florida's damages suit against the tobacco industry - hinted he will sue Phoenix Arms, the manufacturer of the .25-caliber Raven handgun Brazill is accused of firing. Grand jury indicts shooter, 13, By Jerry Gutlon and Bob Markey
II Jan. 13, 2000 - Tears welled up in the large and expressive eyes of Nathaniel Brazill Sr. as a Palm Beach County grand jury Monday indicted his 13-year-old son Nate on one count each of first-degree murder and aggravated assault with a firearm. The boy held in juvenile detention since May 26 was expected to be moved Monday to the county jail to face an adult’s fate in the May 26 shooting death of Lake Worth Middle School teacher Barry Grunow. The 21-member grand jury heard five hours of secret testimony in the case. They issued the indictment after only 15 minutes of discussion, state attorney’s office spokesman Mike Edmondson said. The courtroom was packed but eerily silent as the jury pool of 12 women and nine men filed in about 2:50 p.m., although five minutes earlier bailiffs had to warn about people who oppose the boy being charged as an adult for singing protest songs too loudly in a nearby hallway. The public and press were allowed inside only to hear the panel’s decision. Chief Judge Walter Colbath Jr. approved of the jury’s decision and signed an order transferring Brazill from juvenile to adult custody. He also warned jurors they could never be identified or speak about deliberations or evidence in the case. Officials later would not discuss any details of the proceedings. "We weren’t really surprised by the verdict," said the elder Nathaniel Brazill, surrounded by reporters and photographers, outside the downtown courthouse. "We were told by our attorneys to expect this. But we keep up hope." The boy’s mother was much less diplomatic. "I pray, parents of the world, I hope this never happens to you. Because when you are down, this man, (Palm Beach County State Attorney) Barry Krischer, will kick you," Polly Powell said tearfully. "Where’s the justice?" the father said. "Two wrongs don’t make a right." The mother said the grand jury didn’t hear the "true" story. "He’s a child. That’s the true story," said Powell, with whom the boy lived until his arrest minutes after Grunow was shot in the head on the final day of school during an argument outside his classroom. The defense attorneys, Stuart-based Lance Richard and Bob Udell, were neither present nor surprised, despite their recent labeling of the death an "accident" caused by a "good kid." The lawyers said they would make the availability of guns, not race, an issue in the trial. But members of the boy’s family and about 50 protesters led by black community leader the Rev. Thomas Masters demanded Nate be charged as a juvenile and face rehabilitation rather than punishment. They charged that the boy would not have been considered an adult if he were white. The multi-racial protesters marched in and around the Palm Beach County Courthouse carrying signs with messages such as: "Florida has more racist groups than any other state ... Krischer, stop your shameful pandering." For hours in the 90-plus-degree heat, they sang songs including We Shall Overcome. Jerry Thomas, a teacher from Belle Glade, held a sign saying 63 percent of all juveniles charged as adults are minorities. "We don’t understand that. We do understand that it is disproportionate and racially biased," the Wellington High School mass media instructor said. "If the judicial system treated blacks with the same soft treatment it gives whites, the numbers would be more reflective and sensible. "Prison is a death sentence for this young man," Thomas said. As the grand jury heard arguments and saw evidence of what the state says was a premeditated murder, the defense lawyers, families, friends and public were not allowed in the courtroom. Maryann Duggan, chief prosecutor for the grand jury division, and Jeanne Howard, chief of the juvenile division, presented the evidence gathered by Lake Worth and school district police. "The evidence the state had available supported the charge of first-degree murder," Edmondson said. "The grand jury could’ve adapted that charge to lesser charges if they wanted to. They could have reduced the charges or included within their report whatever directive they chose." On Monday, Brazill’s attorneys said the Raven .25-caliber semiautomatic discharged accidentally when the boy pulled the pistol from his pocket. "He didn’t go back to school intending to shoot anyone," Udell said. Krischer was not present for the announcement or at the impromptu news conference outside. But in recent interviews, he said a 13-year-old who plans and follows through with a fatal shooting should face adult charges. Krischer said with a conviction as an adult, the boy could serve life in prison, but he added that juvenile charges would result in the boy being released in "24 to 36 months." "After that 36-month period, he’d be on probation, which means he’d be on the street," Edmondson said. "In juvenile court you are not sentenced to an indeterminate period of time. The length of (incarceration) would have been 36 months." However, retired Broward County Circuit Judge Frank Orlando, director of Southeastern Nova University’s Center for the Study of Youth, said that’s not true. "We have many options more appropriate for this 13-year-old offender, and we can maintain him in (juvenile prison) custody at least until he is 21 years of age," Orlando said. The defense attorneys said they expect Brazill to be arraigned on the charges "within the next 20 days." "He’ll appear at the arraignment, we’ll enter a plea of "not guilty,’ and we’ll demand a jury trial," Udell said. Responding to a Monday report in The Stuart News/Port St. Lucie News in which the defense attorneys criticized Krischer for not meeting the boy before considering charges, Edmondson said the defense was trying to "use" a meeting as a media wild card. "We had one conversation with them," he said. "Obviously their only interest was to leave the meeting and deliver the content of the meeting to the press. As far as having their client meet with the state attorney’s office what they were suggesting, in effect, was a waiver of their client’s constitutional rights. We weren’t about to jeopardize his rights." Edmondson said Brazill is not the youngest person to be tried as an adult for murder in the 15th Judicial Circuit. A 12-year-old faced a murder charge in the death of a cab driver several years ago. As Brazill’s attorneys discussed what the future might hold for their young client Monday afternoon, the boy was being transferred from a juvenile detention center to the juvenile section of the county jail. The elder Brazill said he saw his son Saturday and that he and his ex-wife are doing all they can to comfort him. They said they have not discussed the case or incident with the boy leaving that to the lawyers. "He’s still just a child. It’s tough for him to comprehend what’s going on," Nathaniel Brazill said. "Somehow, we have lost our little boy." Flower Kingdom robber caught June 2, 2000 - The suspect the May 5, 2000 armed robbery of the Flower Kingdom in Royal Palm Beach has been arrested in California and will be extradited to face charges. Sean Patrick Donahue, 40, was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department on May 23, Royal Palm Beach police reported today. "The arrest was made based upon information received through Palm Beach County Crime Stoppers that Donahue was in the Union Street Mission in Los Angeles," police spokesman Sgt. John Hill said. The victim’s vehicle, a 1998 red Toyota Previa van, taken during the robbery was recovered by detectives from the Royal Palm Beach Police Department in West Palm Beach on May 12, Hill said. Donahue will be charged with armed robbery, armed kidnapping, grand theft and motor vehicle theft, hill said. More than 1,000 pay respects to By Bob Markey II LAKE WORTH (May 31, 2000) - With tears and laughter, more than 1,000 people Tuesday celebrated the life and caring nature of a middle school teacher who was gunned down by a 13-year-old student. Hundreds of current and former Lake Worth Middle School students, as well as educators, public officials, friends and relatives mourned Barry Grunow in a 90-minute service at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church near Greenacres, and later at a school reception for the shocked community. Grunow, 35, died after seventh-grader Nathaniel Brazill allegedly shot him in the head with a .25-caliber handgun Friday just minutes before the final bell of the school year. The boy, who authorities said was a good student, had been sent home early by another teacher for engaging in a prank. But he returned and quarreled with Grunow, when the English teacher refused to let him into his class to see two girls. Jethro Tull tunes Life Is a Long Song and Teacher, two of Grunow’s favorites, filled the huge church. Adults and children queued in the center aisle to greet Grunow’s widow, Pam, and view a collage of snapshots of Grunow placed on easels. The Rev. Bill Corristan, two of Grunow’s brothers, father-in-law John Hlawka and friends described a hard-working, honest man who loved his job especially when it allowed him to help troubled youths. After a moving rendition of Amazing Grace , Corristan said, "Barry was reaching out with grace, even to the end, even to a young man with a gun." Too emotional to speak, older brother Kurt Grunow had Corristan read his tribute. Barry was a gentle child and life-loving man, Kurt Grunow said, relating a story about when as a boy, Barry would catch bugs in a jar. He’d then put pennies and nickels in the yard because he "didn’t want to steal the bugs." He asked the children to keep Grunow’s memory alive by "helping somebody that needs help, encouraging somebody who needs encouragement" and to "do the things you know are right." Brother Steve Grunow recalled when Barry adopted the "ugliest dog" at a shelter, fearing it would be euthanized. As a boy, he would sign letters to his brother, "Your friend, Barry," Steve said. "That really touched me." "Best friend" Darrell Evans recalled simpler, boyhood days with his "trusted friend and confidant." Grunow decided to become a teacher, despite the relatively low salary of the profession, when they were middle schoolers together, Evans said. "He became an excellent teacher, loving every minute of it." "Barry was so excited at the prospect of teaching ..." friend Mitch Krolick said. "He was so sure he was gonna make a difference in his students’ lives. "He found ways to bend the rules to make his classes more interesting," Krolick said. Grunow graded and returned tests on the days they were taken and transferred to Lake Worth Middle from a Boca Raton school to make a difference in his community. Later, outside the school, which has become a memorial site with elaborate posters, flowers, works of art, photos and stuffed animals, former students stared in quiet disbelief. Inside, mourners were encouraged to record messages for the family on videotape. "He would talk you out of things you were doing wrong and talk you into doing good things," said Shannon Smith, 17, of Grunow, who helped with homework, joked with and counseled troubled teens after school. "He was the reason I came to school. The only way I passed eighth grade was because of him. He taught me a lot about how to express my feelings on paper." Grunow was "like a father figure," said Jovany Lajara, 16, a junior at Palm Beach Lakes High School, even calling students his children. "He would be serious and teach, but be goofy. Nobody can replace him." "Barry stayed true to his beliefs and his ideas," Krolick said. "He had a great, big heart and was always optimistic. Because he thought this way, he was always happy." Krolick, who became close to Grunow 19 years ago when they worked in a North Palm Beach music store, changed the memorial service tone when he donned a jersey from Grunow’s favorite Detroit Pistons. Krolick had explained that he and Grunow were big fans of rival teams. "Barry, what do you think!" he said, drawing laughter and applause. State weighs in Gov. Jeb Bush called Pam Grunow on Monday night to express his sympathy and offer his support. "The story of this teacher, this dedicated teacher who was living in the community, riding a bike to school so his wife could attend to the needs of their family ... Those are real heroes," Bush said. "I wanted her to know she should take her time about healing and grieving and she should not feel compelled to immediately go back to work ... That she could count on me to provide whatever help I could as a citizen of this state for her personally." WRMF-97.9 raised more than $10,000 in a support drive for the family Tuesday morning, spokeswoman Monica Barber said. Also Tuesday, State Attorney Barry Krischer said he will ask a judge to seat a grand jury to consider charges against Brazill. Krischer has said he wants Brazill tried as an adult. Two youths say Brazill was brandishing a small handgun three days before a school video camera captured him shooting Grunow in the head in plain view of his students, Lake Worth police said. The youths, who were not identified by police, told investigators that Brazill showed them the gun near his home on May 23, but they did not tell anyone about it, said Police Chief William Smith. Investigators have examined the bedroom dresser drawer where Brazill’s grandfather, Elmore McCray, 75, says he kept the handgun that police say Brazill used to kill Grunow. An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is also working on tracing the weapon, police said. Brazill’s mother agreed Sunday to allow detectives to search her son’s room. Police retrieved the seventh-grader’s computer, and have asked the FBI for help analyzing its contents. Also found were CD-ROM games and some written materials including printed Web pages featuring helicopters and guns which investigators said suggest Brazill was interested in weapons, or perhaps a career in the military or law enforcement.
NEW 'HUNTER' The little guy, who measured 19 inches long at birth and who has light hair and blue eyes, is doing fine. he has already topped the 22-inch mark. The new parents may be reached at brimarkey@aol.com. For more photos, click here and/or here.
Pioneer Days Festival free at Fairgrounds this weekend May 24, 2000 - One of Palm Beach County's biggest Memorial Weekend events is going to be free to the public. Organizers decided to go with free admission and free parking as a way to thank the public for a very successful South Florida Fair earlier this year. The annual Pioneer Days Festival, scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday, May 27-28, will be a picnic in the past on the Fairgrounds' historic Yesteryear Village. Costumed re-enactors will parade up and down village streets, home to over 30 restored Florida buildings. A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, May 28. Weekend musical entertainment includes a bluegrass competition, fiddlers, children violinists and folk singer Ron Davis. Children may have fun on pony, train and swamp buggy rides ($1 each). An antique Ferris wheel will be up and running. Fun competitions include watermelon, seed-spitting and pie-eating contests, a children's obstacle course and a cake walk. There will be plenty of delicious, period food items available including smokehouse, kettle corn, homemade ice cream and water melon. Yesteryear Village is on the South Florida Fairgrounds, east of State Road 7. For more information, call 793-0333, or visit www.southfloridafair.com.
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June
9 - The last thing a Royal Palm Beach man expected to see in his
driveway Friday morning was an angry alligator. But there it was - a 6-
to 7-foot reptile hissing and making threatening moves about 7:30 a.m.
from beneath a car on Aquarius Lane. He didn't push his luck and called
village police, who kept their distance as the gator wandered about the
swale and yards of the Counterpoint Estates subdivision. The cops called
Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission-licensed trapper Ricky Kramer
(pictured above and below), who took only about 30 minutes to noose and tie
up the uncooperative gator - but not before it wrangled loose a couple
of times, scaring a crowd of camera-laden onlookers. Kramer said the
reptile had been bitten in an eye by a snake, perhaps adding to his
nasty demeanor. The gator was to be relocated a few miles west in Palm
Beach County's Everglades. 
