Page 11 - Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens - July '20

Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens, Page 11

South Australia from page 10 the line has had all of the old ties removed and replaced with
ones made of concrete, termite-resistant members. Until
Grapes further add to the blends of South Australia, for it 2006 the line ran only north to the center of Australia, where
is the Barossa Valley that produces the major portion of the land trains then carried the freight north to Darwin and other
Australian wines we drink. They are world famous for the destinations in the Northern Territory. Since the land north
Shiraz, and it’s a good bet that next time you look at the label of Alice Springs is flat and the road is straight, land trains
of Australian wine that indicates a product of South Australia made up of king-size rigs that towed three to four full length
that it came from the Barossa Valley. Food and wine produce trailers, transported the goods and merchandise to the north.
the blend that makes this an excellent location to enjoy. In 2006 this last portion of the railroad was completed, and
If you are ready for rough and tumble, nothing in this world the 3,000-kilometer run between Darwin an Adelaide is made
could match the unique blend of Coober Pedy. Five hundred or twice a week.
so miles northwest of the urban city of Adelaide lies this truly South Australia’s diverse lifestyles, wine, culinary offerings,
outback desert town. For those of you who have seen the movie wildlife and festivals are set within a colorful and easy going
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, you can relate to my comments. atmosphere, which truly make it “A beautiful blend.”
It gets to 120 degrees in the summer at daytime and close to Don Kiselewski writes from his personal experiences,
freezing in the winter nights. To protect themselves from the having traveled in 122 countries and cruised the oceans, seas
elements, the locals live underground in homes drilled into and rivers of the world. Palm Beach Gardens Travel Leaders,
the earth. Not only homes, but churches and other types of his family owned and operated agency, is located at Mirasol
occupancies protect themselves in this manor. Why, you may Town Square, 11360 North Jog Road, Building A, Suite 102-6,
ask? Because, it’s the Opal Capital of the World, where the Palm Beach Gardens. The agency has been serving the travel
precious stones are mined and processed. needs of the South Florida area for over a quarter of a century.
The extraction and capturing of the raw opals is done in Admirals Arch in Flinders National Park Contact him at (561) 694-9696 or Aussie@PBGTravel.com.
two ways. First an auger drills a four-foot diameter hole in Photos by Don Kiselewski
the ground, brings up the sand, rock and (hopefully) some
opals. The hole can be 30- to 40-feet deep. If they hit a vein, live there are hearty. They have to be to exist! They deal in Jupiter Senior
they drop a man into the hole to the level of the vein where he opals and cash with their own particular blend of life.
chips out the opal. This is how the area got the name Coober Embellishing the blend of the great outback wouldn’t be Softball League News
Pedy. When the aborigines saw the operation they proclaimed, complete without the mention of the camels. Yes, camels
“Coober Pedy,” which means, “white man in a hole.” were left over from the building of The Ghan. When the world
The second and less glamorous way to get opals is by famous railroad line from Adelaide to Stuart (today’s Alice Ted Battistone, 87,
noodling. The material that is brought up from the hole contains Springs) was constructed, there were no roads to transport the of Jupiter, who died
opal. That’s how they knew to stop drilling. This loose material wooden sleepers (or ties as they are often called) to the middle April 19 after a battle
from the hole is hauled to a central location, where it is fed by of the desert. So, with typical Aussie ingenuity camels were with cancer, is the
conveyor into a small (air-conditioned) shed that is completely imported from Afghanistan to become the ships of the sand inaugural inductee
dark, except for black light. Opals will glisten in black light, to move the freight. After the initial construction, many were to the Jupiter Senior
so when the stones roll by they are picked off the conveyor. turned loose and still roam freely throughout the outback. The Softball Association
Everyone in Coober Pedy has a story of how they made Ghan got its name from the shortened version of Afghan. (JSSA) Hall of Fame.
it and lost it. Much the same as I would imagine the kind of The Ghan made its first departure north on August 4, 1929. Established just five
stories came out of our California Gold rush. The people who The line was narrow gauge traversed by steam engines. Today, days before Ted’s
passing, the Hall of
Who will best serve as your PBC Commissioner? Fame honors members
who represent the very
best of the JSSA. They
Experience counts, ideas matter, and independence means a public servant is not swayed by the biggest are players who have set
pocketbook. That is the Karen Marcus record. the highest standards for Ted Battistone, 2020 Jupiter
As our County Commissioner, Karen Marcus diversified North County’s economy, created jobs, and pushed membership and teach Senior Softball Hall of Fame
for fiscal responsibility. Flagship items would not have happened without Karen taking an active role. Scripps us that sportsmanship inductee
Research Center, FAU’s Wiles Honors College, Max Planck Neuroscience Institute, The Brain Institute and and competition are not
the triple A bond rating of Palm Beach County all were driven by the leadership of Karen. mutually exclusive.
And as our County Commissioner, Karen Marcus expanded North County’s greenspace. She led the Ted played in the Jupiter Senior Softball League
effort to expand beach access at Ocean Cay Park, Juno Dunes, Coral Cove and Blowing Rocks. The for more than 20 years following his retirement from
comprehensive initiative to build the Juno Beach Pier and additional free beach parking was spearheaded Ford Motor Company. He was also a player and general
by Karen. And she led the landmark county bond referendum to protect fragile Palm Beach County lands, manager for 22 years for the Florida Investment
resulting in 28,000 acres preserved in North County, including the Hatcher Property, Cypress Creek, and Properties Team and was inducted into the National
the vital Loxahatchee River watershed. Senior Softball Hall of Fame in 2005.
Elect Karen Marcus to ensure North County’s future holds the best of what we cherish today. Ted’s wife Juanita said he learned of his selection for
the Jupiter Senior Softball Association Hall of Fame
Paid Advertisement before he died and was very pleased to be honored.
“He was a wonderful man” and a great husband and
father to their blended family of six children, she said.
Tom Cosentino, commissioner of the Jupiter Senior
CAMPBELL AND KARLIK, P.A. Softball Association, said, “Ted had many great
accomplishments on the softball field, but he will be
ATTORNEYS AT LAW remembered for how he treated people off the field. He was
everyone’s friend and mentor. We will surely miss him.”
The Jupiter Senior Softball program is open
to persons 55 and over. For information contact
Wills • Trusts • Estate Planning • Probate Tom Cosentino at (412) 721-0173 or go to www.

Taxation • Real Estate • Corporations leaguelineup.com/jssa.

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