Friday, October 19, 2012

UPDATE: Bernard concedes, Appeals court upholds Clemens victory in SD 27 primary | Post on Politics

Click title for link to article.  The introduction is as follows:

UPDATE: State Rep. Mack Bernard has conceded the Senate District 27 race to Democratic primary winner Jeff Clemens.

“I spoke to Sen. Jeff Clemens and congratulated him on a hard-fought race and I look forward to helping make sure we re-elect the president of the U.S. and make sure we get as many Democrats elected during this election,” Bernard, D-West Palm Beach, said.

Bernard said he won’t appeal an appellate court decision upholding Clemens’s 17-vote margin in the August primary.

“It’s time for us to move forward and to move on to the November election,” he said.

Some pics from last night's fundraiser "pirate" party at the Lakeside Castle...
















Tom Gustafson, candidate for State House District 89 10/19 by High Noon in Lake Worth | Blog Talk Radio

"High Noon in Lake Worth" airs another program today (10/19) at 12 p.m..  Joining me will be candidate Tom Gustafson (D) who is running for the District 89 seat in the Florida House of Representatives.  The area of Lake Worth east of Federal is pretty much this district.  You can leave questions to be asked during the show in the comments section below or use the number to call-in on the show dialog.  An archived link will remain so that you can listen after the live show airs.  Click title for link to show.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Great News Everybody - Read All About It!

We just got more party favors for tonight's "Get your Pirate on!" party for the Jim Stafford campaign - I went to Studio 205 and bought all of this week's Lake Worth Heralds so we will have genuine MADE IN LAKE WORTH pirate hats. Here is Mars modeling one. Join us for a good time! 6 to 8 p.m. today, 116 5th Avenue South.
Political advertisement paid for and approved by Jim Stafford for Commissioner, District 2.

Sweden's Cutting-Edge, 17-Story Greenhouse | Planetizen

Vertical farming in urban areas is taking off around the world.  Too bad we are so limited with how high we can go here in "sustainable" Lake Worth.  Click title for link.  Here is a more detailed article.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Ay, Matey, get your pirate on!

Join Candidate for Commissioner from District #2 Jim Stafford at the Historic Lakeside Castle for a swashbuckling evening of good times and talk about the future of Lake Worth. Food provided by White Apron Catering. The first 30 attendees will get their own genuine pirate eye-patch!  The event will be held October 18, 2012 at the historic Lakeside Castle, 116 5th Avenue South, from 6 to 8 p.m.  Donations to the campaign are appreciated!

Here is a brief description of this landmark structure from the Old Lucerne Historic District Designation Report:

"116 5th Avenue South is a high style example of a Mediterranean Revival residence designed by local architect G. Sherman Childs known as Lakeside Castle. The irregularly-shaped house is two-stories with a three-story octagonal tower. The multi-level roofs are flat and hipped with S-shaped clay tile and exposed pecky-cypress rafter tails. Windows are set in pairs or triples and are 3/3 double-hung with arched fan lights or pointed arches above. Stucco surrounds are articulated to look like cut stone around the windows and doors. Cast-stone cartouches decorate the rough textured stucco walls. Corinthian columns flank the main entry door and there are multiple chimneys found throughout the house."

Here are some intriguing views of the house and grounds:





A generous thanks goes out to Karen Hoover for opening up her beautiful home.

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Jim Stafford for Commissioner, District 2.

The Art of Myth-Making and Wreath-Laying...



Commissioner Mulvehill cites this study from Leon County as evidence that residential development costs more in government services than it provides in revenue.  That is true for rural counties that are seeing their open space being devoured by new residential subdivisions.  That is NOT the case where Lake Worth is concerned.  If anything, we have existing infrastructure - roads, schools, utilities - and we are an URBAN area.  If you look at the city of Lake Worth as a whole, about 75 percent of the land is already residential.  Taking this argument to its illogical conclusion would mean that the city would save tons of money if we got rid of all these residential units.  We wouldn't have anyone living in Lake Worth, but that's o.k. - it could be pastureland or commercial/industrial property and it would make a lot of money for the city.  This residential development thesis is a "myth" and it is misplaced when applied to Lake Worth's circumstances.

These are the same people that point out that residential taxes provide the bulk of the revenue taken in by the CRA, so the CRA should give more money to residential projects.  When, in fact, since we have so much under-utilized commercial land within the CRA district, the larger contribution by a residential tax base is a distortion and not typical.

Residences or hotels filled with people in them have incomes (hopefully) that can stimulate the local economy through their spending, which makes for a more vibrant commercial/retail market which in turn attracts additional investment and ad valorem tax revenue for the city.

It is the type of half-truth we have come to expect from this Commissioner and her ardent supporter.  These videos are from the October 16, 2012 City Commission meeting.  It was Commissioner Mulvehill's last regular City Commission meeting of her four year tenure.

Lake Worth hires company to overhaul ‘abysmal’ website, print...

Click title for link to a PBP article - one of the items discussed last night.  The city might be just joining the 21st Century.  An information packet when you open a utility account is a good idea.

PBCAS October Lecture: October 18th, 2012 7pm

"Recent Excavations at Palm Beach County's Dubois Park" 
Presented by Christian Davenport MA., RPA, Palm Beach County's Archaeologist and Historic Preservation Officer
Davenport's lecture will summarize the results of archaeological excavations undertaken at the Dubois Park/Jupiter Inlet I, multi-component archaeological site during the 2010 and 2011 field seasons. This new research sheds new light on this significant and publicly accessible ancient Native American coastal site.  Davenport's work details how the site may have looked and functioned between A.D. 800 and A.D. 1700.  In addition, the discovery of evidence possibly left behind by the first European explorers to visit our area will be addressed.

Where: The Paramount Theatre 139 N. County Rd. Palm Beach, 33480
For information contact Dorothy Block: 561-215-7909

Monday, October 15, 2012

Hamburger Heaven lands on West Palm Beach’s Clematis Street

A missed opportunity for Lake Worth - were we not even considered?  Would it be due to our high utility costs?  Click title for link to article.

Study Guide

Key words and terms to refer to when visiting the trivial blogger's site:

demonization

fiction

flights of fantasy

Who knew I wrote about zombies here? To whom could they be referring?

E-mail received this morning - very seasonal as we approach Halloween.  Maybe these standards to zombie-proof pole barns should be part of the Florida Building Code?

Hi there!

I stopped by wesblackman.blogspot.com earlier today and noticed you tend to write about zombies from time to time.  Because of that, I thought it might be worth it to share an article with you published by CB Structures Inc. with detailed information on how to prepare a barn or garage for the zombie apocalypse.

Check it out here:

If you have a second, I'd love to have you check it out and see if it may be of interest to your readers or tie into one of your upcoming stories.  Or, if you'd be willing to share it with any of your fans and followers, that would be great, too!

Any questions, please let me know.  It's also cool if you want to give me a call at the number below.  And thanks for taking a second to check out this article.

Have a great weekend! Oh... and if you watch it, enjoy the premiere of 'The Walking Dead' on tonight!

Jonathan Bentz
ProspectMX

Hedrick Brothers project earns prestigious award | BIZPAC Review

Two items from the "This and That" file.  Click title for link to article which announces Hedrick Brothers winning an award for green building for a Palm Beach State College building out in Belle Glade.  Many readers will remember that Hedrick Brothers was part of the team that also responded to the same RFP issued by the city that Greater Bay responded to redevelop the beach property.

And for those obsessed with all the "Old Florida charm" we have in Lake Worth, you might want to take in this conference later this week on a Sustainable and Authentic Florida at Anna Maria Island.  If you do go, take good notes and I will post them here.

Mulligan’s to open this week in renovated Lake Worth Casino | www.palmbeachpost.com

"Press Release" Willie lifts the iron curtain on information dispensed at last Tuesday's City Commission meeting on problems with the Casino.  Why not wrap the story with the rosy glow of Mulligan's planned opening so that the absent Commissioners (not mentioned in article) won't be hurt by any bad news coming from the beach?  And he can't seem to get rid of the word "renovation" either - feh!  Maybe the pool can become one of those "Magic Spot" tourist attractions where you can actually see water go uphill since the water is higher on the west side than it is on the east!   Click title for link.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

From the campaign trail...

 We were in the heart of Mango Groves yesterday where we bumped into many old friends and made some new ones too.  It was nice to have the breeze to keep us cooler.

 Here I am in front of 431 North L Street - a city-owned property - formerly a notorious "den of iniquity."  It was built in the 20s and designed by noted local architect G.. Sherman Childs as a four unit walk-up - rare in south Florida.  I believe the property is on the surplus list for the city to dispose of - it would take some work and it would be good to place a condition on the new owners to limit the number of units to four rather than what the zoning designation would allow.  It would take some work, and there are other potential uses for it.  I have already written much about the property here.  You might want to search "431 North L Street" in the search box above.



Anne Frank

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature"