Veterans Day salute

LAKE WORTH - The Churchillian ventured to the fair city to the south last weekend for the annual Veterans Day parade.

It is always held on Veterans Day, and this year that day fell on a sunny, breezy Saturday. We couldn't help but get a tear in our eye at the pride of the old soldiers and the promise of the youngsters.

Here's a prayer that next year's parade finds us all at peace.

Old friend has new look

Churchillian Jeff slowed down to say hello earlier this week and we noticed a definite change in his look.

Gone was the full beard of many moons.

Could that be a soul patch in its place?

Jeff explained that he was performing his annual shave when he went a little too far. Because the Mets were playing the Cardinals in the playoffs, he decided to emulate the look of a certain Cardinal. (Nevermind that Jeff is a Yankees/Mets fan by birth.)

So if the Cardinals are still trying to explain their World Series win, they need look no further than Churchill Road.

HOUSING BOOM AIN'T BUSTED ON CHURCHILL ROAD

The second house on Churchill Road this month has been sold.
The yellow house with black shutters, the former home of Trudy, sold after being on the market for more than a year. That's about what the owners paid -- plus they added new landscaping and kitchen.
Closing date for 368 Churchill Rd. is Dec. 9.
The new buyers are Ted and Lisa.
They live in a condo in downtown West Palm Beach, near the marina at the east end of Clematis Street. They are in the catering business, delivering food to charter jets between Homestead and Vero Beach.
At a recent visit to their new home on Churchill Road, the couple said they travelled extensively, and lived in Paris for some time.

TWO-VEHICLE CRASH CLOSES OLIVE AVE.

Photo by Churchillian

At least four people were injured when a red SUV and a convertible crashed Monday night, leaving the SUV upside down on the grassy swale and the convertible in a nearby driveway.
Witnesses said the SUV was traveling east on Ellamar Road and went through the stop sign on Olive Avenue about 9 p.m. The convertible, traveling south on Olive Ave., smashed into the SUV, which left skid marks on Olive Ave. The upside-down SUV, its headlights still on, was facing north. The convertible was in the driveway of the home on the southeast corner of Ellamar Rd. and Olive.
"The driver was doing at least 60. They blew right through the stop sign. The driver on Olive never had a chance to stop," said one witness. The speed limit on Olive is 25 miles-per-hour.
About a half-hour after the crash, about a dozen rescue vehicles -- including at least four ambulances -- stayed on the scene. Four persons were seen taken on stretchers to ambulances.
As red, blue and white flashing lights lit up the neighborhood, about three dozen local residents gathered on the sidewalk. They watched as police, pointing to the black skid marks on Olive, tried to figure out how the accident happened.
Several who lived close by said speeding vehicles were a common occurance at the intersection.
Olive Ave. between Churchill Road and Ellamar Rd. was still closed at the Churchillian's press time.

Ms Swaim comes to town

Ms Constance Swaim of Knightstown, Indiana, recently paid a visit to the DiPaolos of Churchill Road.

(Knightstown is known as A Good Place to Visit, A Better Place to Live. Does that mean West Palm Beach is known as A Good Place to Live, A Better Place to Visit?)

Ms Swaim took the healing waters of the Atlantic Ocean and shopped the stores of Antique Row.

She regaled the DiPaolos with stories of life in the frozen northland of Parke County. (The Covered Bridge Capital of the World.)

She was last seen carrying a giant ceramic German shepherd to the UPS Store.

Here, she is pictured with Miss Bonnie DiPaolo at McArthur Beach State Park. We hope she comes back soon.

WELCOME NEIGHBOR!!

Churchill Road's latest resident weighs 81 pounds, has brown eyes, four legs and lots of energy.
The Doberman, who is 18 months old, recently arrived from Orlando at Tom and Colleen's house and is a welcome addition to the family.
The black and brown canine -- who is super friendly -- towers over the little people at Tom and Colleen's house.
Toby, the little doberman. comes up to the new dog's shin. And Noah weighs in at about half of the new dog's poundage.
So far, the new Churchillian hasn't got a name.
Rambo, Riley and Rocko are a few possibilities.
Got a suggestion?

Welcome home

After days of touch-and-go panic over last minute details, Carolyn's sister Cheri closed on a house on Churchill Road - right on time Friday.

Her new house number is 346.

Cheri, pictured here on sale day with former owner Elmer, is getting a gem.

Elmer, a retired postal worker, kept the two-bedroom, one-bath cottage in tip top shape for 18 years.

Elmer and Lucille were happily married for 35 years - until she died this spring. Lucille had always wanted to be an interior decorator and her home reflected her fine taste.

After Lucille died, Elmer, 80, traveled to Baltimore to visit his three sisters. It was there he reconnected with his first wife of 18 years - Dee. She and Elmer decided to remarry and the rest is history.

At the closing Elmer said about leaving his pink paradise: It is a good day. It is a sad day.

Dee was eager to return north to see her beloved pet dog so Elmer will wait patiently to show her Key West until their return visit to Florida around Easter.

There were a few more items to pack back on Churchill after Elmer left the title company Friday morning. We tried to figure out where to leave the house keys.

How about in the mailbox? someone suggested.

Elmer's expert reply: Sorry, that's against the law.

Election Day

WEST PALM BEACH - By 7:05 this morning more than 30 voters spilled out the assembly room door at Lakeside Presbyterian Church on South Flagler Drive, also known as Precinct 2086.

Churchillians call this precinct home.

The precinct opened on time with no apparent problems.

Clutching newspapers and coffee mugs, the group patiently waited between five and 15 minutes under cloudy skies to cast their ballots on one of nine touchscreen machines inside. For some reason, the line for A to E voters moved the fastest. Mark and Karin, you can move to the head of the line!

At 7:10 a worker from Clay Shaw’s campaign appeared to set up for the long day ahead.