There Are Many Interesting PlacesTo Visit In Our Great Hometown

Our Wellington

There Are Many Interesting PlacesTo Visit In Our Great Hometown

By Hailey George

The Mall at Wellington Green, a great place for both shopping and family outings, is located at 10300 W. Forest Hill Blvd. The mall opened in 2001 and has had several expansions since, including a current project to add a high-end movie theater to the 1.3-million-square-foot facility.

“The Mall at Wellington Green is a beautiful blend of Mediterranean architecture with many community-friendly features,” Marketing Director Rachelle Crain said.

Mall features include seating areas, a children’s play area, a guest services desk that provides complimentary wheelchairs and stroller rentals, and free wi-fi — all in addition to more than 150 retailers.

“We offer terrific shopping, dining and entertainment,” Crain said. “The Mall at Wellington Green is family-oriented. We see lots of friends enjoying time together, co-workers spending time after work at our restaurants and lots of shopping. We are also very proud of our community partnerships.”

With increasing demand for local entertainment, the mall staff continually works hard to enhance the experience for shoppers.

For additional information, call (561) 227-6900 or visit www.shopwellingtongreen.com.

 

Tiger Shark Cove Park, located at 13800 Greenbriar Blvd., is a place for great outdoor fun. The park has two batting cages, four softball fields, a concession stand and three pavilions. However, the park’s main attraction is its unique Leathers Playground.

The playground was designed by residents of the village and built by volunteers. It includes a large tiger shark play sculpture, sand castle, crab shack and sunken pirate ship play areas. Obstacle courses, a submarine with portholes, swing sets and soft, rubberized flooring with shaded areas make it great fun for the younger set.

The playground has a capacity of more than 100 people and has pavilions available for free from Monday through Friday. The pavilions are also available for rent on the weekends. For more information, call (561) 791-4005 or visit www.wellingtonfl.gov.

 

Scott’s Place, a barrier-free playground, is another fun play area, but with a few features that make it very special. Located at 12190 W. Forest Hill Blvd. near the Wellington Municipal Complex, it is designed to allow disabled and able-bodied children to play side by side. The park, made possible through a donation by Del and Barbara Williamson, was built in memory of their late son, Scott. It is set on a full acre of land and includes restrooms, picnic tables, a playground, swing sets, shades, wheel chair ramps, water fountains and slides. For more information, visit www.wellingtonfl.gov.

Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue stations are also an integral part of Wellington. In Wellington’s early years, the entire community was served by Station 25 on Wellington Trace. Before long, Station 27 on South Shore Blvd. came online serving the southern portions of the community.

Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue has since expanded to four stations in Wellington, with 22 firefighters serving the area, Capt. Albert Borroto said. Newer stations include Station 20 on Greenview Shores Blvd., serving the western areas of Wellington, and Station 30 on Stribling Way, serving the eastern areas.

The services the department provides go far beyond putting out fires.

“We provide everything that comes with fire-rescue. It’s not just fire suppression,” Borroto said, adding that PBCFR also sends out rescue personnel and first responders, while dealing with hazardous materials and brush fires. “Wellington is a big equestrian community, so we do train on large animal rescues in case a horse gets stuck in a canal. We do all the things that people think of when they think of fire-rescue, but we’re big on community education. We have done events at the mall for hurricane preparedness. We are more than just putting out fires. We take an active role in the community.”

For more info., visit www.pbcfr.org.

 

The Wellington branch of the Palm Beach County Library System, located at 1915 Royal Fern Drive, is a place for fun and learning. It opened with 8,000 square feet in April 1997. The library re-opened in July 2007 after a major expansion project. It is now 30,000 square feet and includes a teen area, free wi-fi, study rooms, large and small meeting rooms, copiers and 29 public internet computers, said to Community Relations Manager Nicole Hughes.

The library is not just a place for books. “Children’s classes are offered on a seasonal basis where pre-learners are introduced to reading in a fun and educational fashion,” Palm Beach County Library System Area Coordinator Karen Williams said. “These classes also give parents an opportunity to meet their neighbors and create a sense of community. The teen area gives older kids a unique place of their own to read, use the computers and connect with friends. Activities for adults range from crafting workshops, to educational lectures and entertainment to meet the diverse needs of the community.”

For more information, call (561) 790-6070 or visit www.pbclibrary.org.

 

Did you know that you can play the classic New York City street game of stickball here in Wellington? The Wycliffe Golf & Country Club Stickball League currently has 88 players and is going into its 15th season.

With help from the Village of Wellington, the league created a stickball boulevard in Village Park, located at 11700 Pierson Road, where teams play on Tuesday afternoons. Created in 2002 by Marty Ross and Harry Klaff, the league contains five teams: the Big Apple Boys, the Bronx Clippers, the Brooklyn Bums, the Long Island Whalers and the New York Egg Creams.

“The mission of the stickball league is to keep it a tradition, not a game. It was played in the northeast, and since there are many transplants, I thought a lot of people would like reliving their childhoods,” said Ross, also known as “The Commish.”

The league seeks to build friendships while helping players improve hand-eye coordination and providing exercise.

“The best part of the league is the camaraderie amongst the competitors. We’re out on the field trying to improve, trying to have fun with each other, remembering playing as we did as kids,” Ross said. “It’s a great fun activity.”

For additional information about the stickball league, e-mail wycliffestiffs@aol.com or visit www.wycliffegolfccblog.com.

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