Friday, February 7, 2014

WPEC-TV CBS12 News :: News - Top Stories - City of Delray Beach doing away with "block parties"

Delray Beach is changing its policies towards drinking on Atlantic Avenue during events - no outdoor drinking of alcohol. Seems that the Commission is split over the decision, but the first effect of the change will come during "The Village by the Sea" - eh hem - St. Patrick's Day festivities. Click title for link.

City of Deerfield Beach - Movies in the Park program...

What a great idea that could be applied in our own Byrant Park - using the bandshell for the screen area. It would be a great family draw and fairly low cost. Something to think about. It also could be suited for the downtown area, using some unadorned wall for the evening, possibly closing off a side street?

I found this from the official City of Deerfield Beach Facebook page.

Make The Call Y'all - from the College Park Neighborhood Association

Hello Neighbors, 

As reported at our meeting in January, Operation "Night Train" by the PBSO is in full swing. In addition to beefed up regular patrols, there are more deputies assigned to this operation using ATV's (all terrain vehicles) and unmarked cars to apprehend criminals who are helping themselves to the contents of vehicles parked in our neighborhood. 

We can help ourselves by making sure our vehicles are locked and we can help PBSO by keeping an eye out for suspicious behavior - like people walking down the street trying one car door after another to see which are unlocked and then calling the non-emergency number to report it. 688-3400 Just yesterday, thieves helped themselves to loose change they found in several unlocked vehicles right here in College Park. Sometimes though, even locked car doors won't deter these criminals, and more than loose change is taken. Read this report that just came in from PBSO: 

"On 2/5/14, at approximately 2027 hours, District 14 deputies responded to the 600 block of North L Street, in reference to a vehicle burglary that had just occurred. A witness observed two subjects walking down the street checking all the car door handles to see if they were left unlocked. The witness saw the subjects enter an unlocked vehicle. The witness immediately contacted PBSO, and gave dispatch a detail description of the two subjects. 

A perimeter was set up. Operation Night Train units responded to the call on ATV?s and in unmarked cars. Captain Silva was patrolling the area in his unmarked vehicle and located one of the subjects. The second subject was located by an Operation Night Train unit (unmarked vehicle). A positive identification was made by the witness. Both subjects were arrested for multiple vehicle burglaries/thefts and were transported to the jail. A total of four victims had their vehicle broken into." 

"Make The Call Ya'll" is a campaign to encourage neighbors to call the PBSO non emergency number 688-3400 anytime and every time we witness suspicious activity. ALWAYS call 911 to report an immediate threat to life or property. NEVER confront suspicious persons yourself. You MAY remain anonymous if you wish. To learn more visit this link. 

Let's keep College Park safe!

Commentary: Quieting the anti-Semitism echo chamber | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

Commentary in the Palm Beach Post by Abraham Foxman about the insidious nature of hate speech on the Internet and its corrosive effects over time. He also talks about First Amendment freedoms and how it is difficult to track down the originators or the organizations behind them. The fluid nature of the Internet is a problem too - these sites can pop up somewhere else as soon as they are taken down. The other blogger frequently posts information from such sites. That is a choice she must live with. Here is a bit of the article - must read, click title for link.
 The communications revolution, which has brought us all the wonders of the iPad, Google Earth, smartphones and social media, has also been a tremendous boon for anti-Semites and racists.
The tools that have enhanced our lives have also enabled bigots to spread their hatred, often under the cover of anonymity, faster and broader than ever before. In the span of 20 years, haters who once handed out fliers on street corners can now disseminate massive amounts of data in nanoseconds globally.
Hate groups were quick to adapt to new online methods. One early adopter, the South Florida-based forum for anti-Semites and white supremacists called Stormfront still exists. 

Michelle Wolf, acoustic performer

Click title for link to her website for more information.

It was great to have live music performed by such a professional at Commissioner Amoroso's event last night. Michelle is just getting started on her south Florida adventure and is looking to be booked. Nice choice for a coffee house atmosphere or private party. Thanks Michelle - we enjoyed your music!

Pictures from the first stop on the Dine Around for Commissioner Andy Amoroso event...



Michelle Wolf played guitar and sang - see separate post on how to contact her.

April

Mars











Commissioner Andy Amoroso talks to the crowd.






Pd. Pol. Ad. Paid and approved by Andy Amoroso for Lake Worth Commission District #3

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Bret Baronak - Bicycle/Greenways/Pedestrian Coordinator 02/07 by High Noon in Lake Worth | Politics Podcasts

Join your host Wes Blackman as he welcomes Bret Baronak to the High Noon in Lake Worth studios. Mr. Baronak works for the Palm Beach Metropolitan Planning Ogranization (MPO) and has been in this position since 2006. His main assignment is to oversee the MPO's Non-Motorized Transportation Planning Program, with activities centered on improving accessibility for bicyclists and pedestrians in Palm Beach County through public outreach. Bret raced road and mountain bikes for 15 years, enjoys helping to educate cyclists to improve their skills and confidence, and rides daily for fun. He bikes for commuting, touring, some competition among friends and explores trails in Florida's forests.

Click title for link to live show between 12 and 1 p.m. on Friday 2/7, or afterwards for the archived version of the show. Leave questions as comments below.

Mango Groves - Elections and February Meeting

Hello All-

We will be having our February Meeting on Thursday Feb 20, 2014 at Compass, on the corner of Dixie and 2nd Ave N across from the new Publix at 7pm. Elections will be held for 2014.   If oyu have any other nominations for Offices, or would like to be a member of the Board, please contact us.   Also, if you have any nominations for Mango Groves Pick of the Crop, please let us know.   we like to recognize any special effort in Home or Garden that our neighbors take, and share our beautiful neighborhood with the rest of the city.

Please also remember that Street Painting Festival is on Feb 22, and 23 this year, and we are looking for volunteers to help in the beer tents that the City is sponsoring.  If you would like to assist, please let us know.

See you on the Avenue!
Mango Groves Neighborhood

Art Fusion - Urban Arts Lofts - Friday, February 7 - 7 to 10 p.m.



Friends of the Library Meeting

Dear Friends,

Just a reminder,

The Friends of the Lake Worth Library will meet Tuesday, February 11, in the garden (back) at South Shores tavern from 5:30 till 6:30. Everyone is welcome.

Thanks you,

June Evans & Vickie Joslin, Library Services Supervisor

Purple flags go up as man-of-war float onto Palm Beach... | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

A reminder for those that use the beach that this is the season for Portuguese Man-of-War. Do not go near what looks like clear, blue plastic on the beach. These are being carried in by the predominant southeast wind we are experiencing recently. Click title for link.
Even the shore can be treacherous when the balloon-like creatures wash ashore. Wotton warns beachgoers to resist temptation to prick the bubbles with sticks — the exhale of gas can send out a tentacle in the process. And digging near a beached man-of-war can uncover a tentacle. Even when the man-of-war is dead, the tentacle continues to pack a sting.
That sting can at the very least can bring even the most stalwart beach-goers to tears and at worst trigger an anaphylactic reaction that requires quick action and a visit to the hospital.

Plan to save A1A from Flagler’s shifting sands | News-JournalOnline.com

This is in Flagler County, which is just north of Daytona Beach on the Atlantic coast. Part of A1A is falling into the ocean due to shifting sands and sea level rise. It is interesting to note that our section of A1A was further east, for the most part, than it is today. When you drive along the east side of the Casino building, you are actually driving along the old right-of-way. After a series of storms in the late 1940s, the decision was made to move the road further west on Palm Beach island. That was also when fill was placed in the area west of the Casino building and west of the newly laid out A1A north of the Lake Worth bridge. This article, click title for link, explains some of the options when dealing with this situation. None of them are cheap and none are really that permanent. 

How is our seawall again? Is it adequately protecting our seawall?
Undulating sand dunes topped with sea oats and palmetto, weathered decks and wooden stairways to the beach, the occasional beach cruiser leaned against a speed-limit sign ... a lovely view to the east.
When the road was laid out in 1927, it was too close to the ocean to allow much development between the road and coast. The result is a nice approximation of pre-motel, pre-condo Florida.
Too bad parts of the highway are about to fall into the ocean.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

If you are on Linked-In, this might be someone you want to connect with, or not...


My courtyard today, after a light rain...


You’ll Be Amazed by these Surreal Things to Wash Up on Florida’s Beaches… | Direct Villas Florida

The operator of this website sent me this link. It is amazing what washes upon the shores here. Also note that this website is based  in the U.K. and is all about short-term rentals in Florida. Click title for link.

Hope to see you tomorrow!


From the Netherlands...


This spectacular circular cycle bridge in the Dutch city of Eindhoven has recently been opened to the public. The cable-stayed bridge, designed by ipv Delft, offers cyclists and pedestrians an exciting crossover. With its impressive pylon, 72 metre diameter, thin deck and conspicuous lighting, the cyclist roundabout is a new landmark for the city.

Click here for more information on how it was constructed. How about something like this one day over the intersection of Okeechobee and Military? Locally, and something you can experience right now, is the nice bicycle/pedestrian underpass at the Royal Palm Park (middle) bridge. That was done when the bridge was reconstructed about 10 years or so ago.

Video best viewed full-screen.

EPA abandons major radiation cleanup in Florida, despite cancer concerns | Broward Bulldog

In-depth article by the Broward Bulldog about the state taking control of radiation cleanup of former phosphate mines near Lakeland. The fear is that the state will do nothing. People argue about the cost benefit of the clean-up. Click title for link.
The Environmental Protection Agency is walking away after a decades-long battle with Florida politicians and industry officials over cleaning up phosphate-mining waste in an area that could expose more than 100,000 residents to cancer-causing radiation levels.
Under a decision quietly finalized two weeks ago, the federal agency will leave it to state officials to decide the fate of the sites in and around Lakeland, an approximately 10-square-mile residential area midway between Orlando and Tampa.

Justice Alito: People should know more about Supreme Court | www.palmbeachdailynews.com

One of the Supremes was in town on Monday. I understand that our own Commissioner Amoroso was in attendance, perhaps other of our electeds too. Sounds like a fascinating talk and look into the nation's high court. Click title for link. From the article:
More Americans can name more Snow White’s dwarfs than U.S. Supreme Court justices, but Associate Justice Samuel Alito said the names aren’t important, just the job.
“It’s not important for the American people to know the names of every U.S. Supreme Court justice, but it is important to know something about the Constitution and the structure of our government, and, therefore, something about the Supreme Court and what we do,” he said.
While the lawyers, political followers and civic leaders attending a joint meeting of the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches and the Palm Beach County Bar Association might be more informed than most, Alito spoke to the group Monday about “things that many people may not know about the Supreme Court.”

Passenger train service will increase time boaters blocked...

Some unintended consequences emerge related to increased train traffic on the FEC or eastern railroad tracks as All Aboard Florida creeps its way down the tracks. Click title for link. From the article:
“The Environmental Impact Statement Process being led by the Federal Railroad Administration will analyze and evaluate any potential impacts resulting from increased train service and determine mitigation efforts as appropriate. We recognize the importance that the marine industry contributes to Florida’s economy and job creation,” All Aboard Florida said in a written statement.
Numerous agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard which is responsible for bridge permitting and oversees bridge operations, are involved in the environmental study.
A revised draft of the study is expected in late spring, Railroad Administration spokesman Mike England said. The public will be able to comment formally at that time.

Kleid and Townsend Win Town of Palm Beach Election

Kleid is an incumbent, Townsend wins empty seat.

Boca Raton Police Use Social Media to Build Public Trust

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Republicans resort to trickery to outfox Democrats (fake Dem websites send contributions to Repubs) - Democratic Underground

"Danger, danger, Will Robinson!" Make sure your political donations are going to the candidates you want to support, and not to those on the other side. Click title for link.
If you donate to a candidate online, pay attention to the fine print to make sure your donation goes to the candidate you want and not his or her opponent.
The National Republican Congressional Committee has launched a series of websites that look like they support a Democratic candidate for Congress, but instead direct contributions to the Republican Party instead.
The Tampa Bay Times interviews one donor who thought he was giving to Alex Sink's (D) congressional campaign. It even used the same blue and green color scheme as the candidate's official website.
But he didn't see the small print, which said, "Make a contribution today to help defeat Alex Sink and candidates like her." 

West Palm Beach gives tentative approval to massive Rybovich... | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

Six new towers get the initial go ahead along North Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach. The project is billed as one that will help Northwood and Broadway corridor, which is need of a boost. But will six tours perched on their own parking garages be the solution? Click title for link. Here is a bit about the large scope of the project.
The joint project by Huizenga Holdings — which owns Rybovich — and the Related Group would comprise 1,000 residences in six 25- to 30-story towers, along with more than 15,000 square feet of restaurants, 61,500 square feet of offices and 10,000 square feet of retail operations, as well as a beach club, a boat dock and six mega-yacht slips.
And...
Developers have said the project would generate 964 jobs and an economic impact of $153 million. They project that construction would generate $3.8 million in permitting and other fees to the city and $7 million to the county and school board, and would generate $3.4 million and $5.8 million, respectively, per year after that.
While 25 and 30 story towers clearly qualify as "high rise", I still assert that 6 story buildings are not "high rise" buildings.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Keystone XL Vigil - Palm Beach - Solemn, Sedate, Dark

The "vigileers" appeared around 7 p.m., in the dark and in probably one of the more out of the way places in Palm Beach. It was very dark and difficult to read their signs. A very inwardly focused group, they did not engage anyone else, but could be heard talking about how oil can still get to British Columbia by other means.

We were just packing up and heading out on out bikes when Commissioner Christopher McVoy showed up on his bike. Did you know he suffers from bulging yellow panniers? Well, he does. I don't think he saw us and unfortunately the camera was already tucked away.

 Another successful vigil, complete with candles, by our Lake Worth contingent.

GREAT GATSBY Thursday Lecture/Book Signing: Careless People - Murder, Mayhem, and the Invention of The Great Gatsby by Sarah Churchwell

On Thursday, February 6th at 2pm in the Rosenthal Lecture Room at the Foundation’s offices, Sarah Churchwell will speak on and sign copies of her new book Careless People - Murder, Mayhem, and the Invention of The Great Gatsby.

Careless People is the biography of a book.  It’s the true story behind F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, a mix of biography, social history and literary essay. The autumn of 1922 found Fitzgerald at the height of his fame, a spokesman for America’s carefree younger generation. Careless People reconstructs those crucial months - the parties, the drunken weekends at Great Neck, the drives back into the city to the jazz clubs and speakeasies, the intersection of high society and organized crime and the growth of celebrity culture – that explain the relation of Gatsby to the chaotic world of 1922. Find out what speakeasies were really like and how to get into one, recipes for prohibition cocktails, how wild the parties really were, what they really were wearing (not what you might think) and what they really were dancing, and where the ideas for Gatsby come from. Ultimately about the relationship between art and life, Careless People is the story of the carelessness and the chaos of those four months and how Fitzgerald’s imagination shaped that chaos and gave it an order and a meaning. It also offers the chance to examine and enter into the lifestyle and society of the 1920s boom era and the East Coast socialites that so shaped the world of Palm Beach.

Sarah Churchwell is Professor of American Literature and Public Understanding of the Humanities at the University of East Anglia. Her journalism has been published widely. An American currently living in London, she is a regular broadcaster and contributor to the BBC.

“Sarah Churchwell has come closer than many to the heart of this mystery. Careless People (whose title alludes to Fitzgerald’s description of Tom and Daisy Buchanan) is a literary spree, bursting with recherché detail, high spirits, and the desperate frisson of the jazz age.” - The Observer

“An excellent book . . . prodigious research and fierce affection illuminate every remarkable page.” - Kirkus Reviews (starred)

The lecture is free to members and students and $20 for non-members.  Seating is limited.  To make reservations, or for more information, please call 561.832.0731. 

The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach periodically sends out emails about issues, news, and upcoming events

Ruling could hurt Loxahatchee Groves group’s lawsuit to force...

Anything sound familiar here? Another piece of case law saying that you can't have a referendum on a land use issue. A matter in Loxahatchee Groves may be impacted by the ruling. So too Ms. Decker's lawsuit against the city regarding the height special election last March. Click title for link.
The 4th District Court of Appeal reversed a lower court’s ruling that required a public referendum on a Boca Raton development by Archstone Palmetto Park LLC, saying state lawmakers have made it clear that a referendum goes against the intentions of their 2012 amendment to the state law.
In April, a group of Loxahatchee Groves residents filed a complaint, compelling the town clerk to show why the campus issue shouldn’t come to a vote. The residents have said the a new campus, and the commercial development that will come with it, will ruin the town’s rural character.
Robert Hartsell, the Pompano Beach attorney representing the residents, said he was disappointed with the ruling and the legislature’s willingness to deny its citizens the right to vote on such an important issue.
When asked if the ruling kills the lawsuit, Hartsell wouldn’t go that far.
“It makes our case a lot more difficult,” he said.
As far as Ms. Decker's lawsuit, the status remains the same as last reported. No new court date. This is taken from  the Clerk of the Court website today.  It is still the last docket entry on the site.


Miami's Wynwood Brewing Co. to triple capacity

According to William Waters, we can have a use like this in our newly designated, through adoption of the land development regulations last year, Artisanal Industrial zoning district. It can either be an administrative approval or through a conditional land use. These areas are found along the railroad tracks between Lake and 6th Avenue South and a little more along the northern boundary of the city, behind the Arbor Plaza commercial center on the west side of Dixie. Click title for link to the Miami Herald article.

The City of Deerfield Beach uses Facebook to proclaim its Tree City USA status.


Booming software company finds home in historic WPB building | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

Nice article about a tech related start-up company that has chosen to stay in West Palm Beach and work out of the historic Comeau Building. That building was built during the 1920s boom period and survived the 1928 hurricane, as historic pictures can attest. I pulled this quote because it is all too easy to forget that Palm Beach County has a great deal to offer over the cold and gray northeast and northwest part of our country. Click title for link.
On the business end, not a lot of the Arrow’s clients are local. So having a funky, urban location is a draw for customers to visit Arrow offices, instead of Morgan constantly having to be on airplanes to Chicago, Boston or San Francisco.
Morgan says that customers conclude that if they pick Arrow for a job, “They have an opportunity to (come to) West Palm Beach every couple of months. It’s actually helped us get a couple of clients,” he said.
On the recruitment side, West Palm Beach is no Silicon Valley. But the company found that moving downtown made it easier for employees in Miami or Fort Lauderdale to hop on Tri-Rail and work at the company offices: “The train has been huge in our recruiting efforts,” he said. “It gives us the ability to cast a wider net.”
Click here for a link to the company's website. Interesting also that transit is so important to recruiting.

Can rising condos erase blight 2 blocks away? | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

The West Palm Beach City Commission will consider this request tonight. Click title for link to article. We are talking about six (6) towers, all around 30 stories tall, along the northern part of West Palm Beach's waterfront. Lake Worth resident Chris Fleming is quoted in the article. Click title for link.
Perhaps the condos would rekindle Publix’s interest in putting a store on Broadway or in Northwood Village, said Chris Fleming, a commercial real estate broker and board member of the Westgate Community Redevelopment Agency
“This could trigger Publix to build a store there,” Fleming said. “You don’t get anywhere unless you see some name-brand retailers on the street.”
Still, he said, the condos wouldn’t create instant improvement.
And this from urban planner Carl Flick, who lives in the area:

Critics of Rybovich’s proposal say new condos alone aren’t enough. Flick said crime is the top priority.
“The city has not kept its promise in keeping crime in check in the north end,” Flick said. “Nothing economically is going to happen until you do that. It needs to be a marked improvement over a sustained period for the development community to take notice, and that hasn’t happened.”
I think that Carl is right and that is why quality police services, like PBSO in Lake Worth, really need to be in place before serious investment and redevelopment can occur in the area.

Council again to consider zoning referendum language | www.palmbeachdailynews.com

Apparently, some parties still have problems with the proposed PUD-5 ordinance ballot language and the Town Council is holding a special meeting today (2/3) at 1 p.m. to discuss it. Might be a good one to look into. Click title for link.

Keystone XL Pipeline Protests Throughout South Florida Tonight

Join a vigil tonight near your neighborhood. Just don't eat any mucus-covered snails if asked. Click title for link to Fire Ant's article.

Vigils to Protest Keystone XL:

Miami , 6 p.m., 
State Department Office, 1645 Biscayne Blvd.

Fort Lauderdale, 6 p.m.
Federal Building and Courthouse, 299 E. Broward Blvd.

Palm Beach, 7 p.m.
Four Arts Plaza, Palm Beach

Port St. Lucie, 5:30 p.m.
TD Bank, 8000 S. Federal Highway

Giant African Land Snail invades South Florida - Sun Sentinel

Beware the 8 inch, mucus-covered snail, coming to a neighborhood near you. This is one of those "only in Florida" stories. Imagine, they can partner up with iguanas, pythons and walking catfish. Click title for link to article.
And the oversized, mucus-drenched mollusks are poised to move north from Miami-Dade County, where agriculture officials are preparing to unleash dogs in their two-year battle to wipe out the pest. The snail-detecting dogs will join a force of 50 snail hunters, along with a public awareness campaign, that is finally winning a grudging victory over the snails.
Their numbers may be slowly diminishing, but the snails' capacity for movement isn't.
"They're definitely knocking on the door up in Broward," said Omar Garcia, a Miami-based snail wrangler for the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. "A lot of people are puzzled why we haven't discovered one there yet. It's something that we expect someday."

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Dee McNamara's Critique of the Casino building's [sic=*] "hostile prison style* wall entombing it's* unortunate* occupants."

This was sent to the City Commission, City Manager and anyone else that would listen. She is referring to the wall that serves as a railing around the second floor patio area, among other things. She and her husband were instrumental in the design of the building as it appears today. Some people are perennially hard-to-please.  Click image to make larger. This is another from the mailbag full of e-mails I requested from the city and all of them are part of the public record.

Deputies and officers tackle anti-protest training in Sunrise

Broward County taxpayer dollars at work and you can bet we are paying for similar protections through PBSO. Too bad public services need to be used as part of the promotional tools used by protesters. Perhaps the better choice is to ignore them? Click title for link to article.
About 40 Broward Sheriff's deputies and Sunrise Police officers trained for three days with the tools and techniques used to safely end hard-core demonstrations such as those seen at the World Trade Organization conference in Seattle in 1999, which inspired this training.
And this:
"We were deployed a couple of years ago during the Air and Sea Show for some demonstrators out in Fort Lauderdale at a car dealership," he said. "Actually, when they saw the lights and sirens and the big trucks and the tools getting ready to come out, they let go and said, 'We don't want to play.' "

To the tune of "Mission Impossible" - Prophetic choice...

Lake Worth Casino hundreds of thousands in red



First of all, let us remember when we read this article by Eliot Kleinberg, that the building that was there was actually torn down. It was not "all but demolished"; there was no "core" left to the building. Click title for link to article.

Remember Commissioner McVoy's constant reassurances that the business plan contained three scenarios and that the city was solidly on its way to making money on the building/project even with the most pessimistic scenario. That even included paying back the $6 million of utility money that was "borrowed" from the city and would easily be paid back. We must also remember that Johnny Longboats was ready to have a two-story restaurant. But if the city went with that proposal, it would lose out on an opportunity for a first class restaurant on the second floor. We were told by McVoy that there would be tenants clamoring for the space and its "killer views."

Well, that space with killer views is now killing the revenue projections. No restaurants are falling all over themselves to secure the space. The inconvenience of the parking area in relation to the placement of the building - since we were all about "saving the building" and couldn't look at a central location for it. That would be blasphemous! And the pool was left out of the mix entirely.

So, now we have a building that is hemorrhaging $400,000 a year. And let's not forget about the defense of the Greater Bay lawsuit which cost the city $800,000 over a series of years that no one seemed to care was being spent. And then we have the Greater Bay settlement which required the City to write a check for $1.6 million to settle.

This has all been said here before in this blog. But it apparently needs to be said again.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Detroit: City on the Move (1965)

Garden Class: Vertical Planting - Friday, February 7, 2014 in Pan’s Garden

On Friday, February 7, 2014 the Preservation Foundation will offer its first Garden Class.

Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach Director of Gardens Daniele Garson will lead participants through a class on vertical planting in Pan’s Garden. From the hanging gardens of Babylon to the Saks Fifth Avenue living wall on Worth Avenue, vertical gardening has a rich history both culturally and architecturally. Participants will learn to create their own unique vertical gardens.

The class takes place at 11am in Pan’s Garden.

Pan’s Garden is located at 386 Hibiscus Avenue in Palm Beach between Chilean and Peruvian Avenues; one block north of Worth Avenue. 

The event is available to only Preservation Foundation members.  There is no fee to attend though there is a charge of $20 for each individual’s equipment and supplies.

Reservations are required so please call 561.832.0731 to make them.

Signs available now!

Boynton Beach: Water taxi aims to start this month - The Coastal Star

Maybe we can all hop on board in Lake Worth sometime in the future. Click title for link. The following appears promising:
 “We’re thrilled,” said Michael Simon, development director for Boynton Beach. “That means our marina is completely leased. We have dive boats, deep-sea fishing boats, pleasure boats for rent.”
    Mark chose Boynton Harbor Marina because it had dock space available for Admiral, his 40-foot fiberglass boat licensed to carry 43 people.
    Plus, the marina has free, covered parking for guests, Mark said.
    Separately, the county’s League of Cities is working on a countywide ordinance to make it easier for boat owners to operate a water taxi service, said Richard Radcliffe, executive director of the Palm Beach County group and coordinator of its water taxi task force. 

ANGA - America's Natural Gas Alliance

From the natural gas industry's website comes these statistics. Click title for link.
“One of the biggest factors in bringing more jobs back is our commitment to American energy," President Obama said during his fifth State of the Union speech on Tuesday. "Businesses plan to invest almost $100 billion in new factories that use natural gas.”
Since 2009, U.S. production of shale gas has tripled, and now America is the world’s largest natural gas producer.
Greater use of natural gas has reduced air pollution and brought carbon emissions to their lowest point since the 1990s.
Unconventional natural gas production will support 1.4 million jobs in 2015.
Natural gas is forecast to be the fuel of choice for 65 percent of new power plant additions through 2040 while driving a U.S. manufacturing resurgence.

Black History Month: The people and places of Palm Beach... | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

Leslie Streeter of the post provides a countdown of important people and places in Palm Beach County history in honor of Black History Month. There are two Lake Worth mentions and Samuel and Fannie James get the number one spot. Also making the list is the Osborne Colored Addition, an area created to segregate the races. The word "Colored" was officially removed from the name of the plat in 1999. Click title for link.

Hurricane Center to issue storm surge maps this year | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

This may be helpful for areas subject to potential storm surge. Palm Beach County is better protected by the ocean floor's make-up of our coast. But note that a prime area of impact for storm surge is Palm Beach which occupies the barrier island. That is the same barrier island that houses our new Casino building that is not built on a fortified foundation and sits behind a seawall of unknown strength. Click title for link to article by Eliot Kleinberg.
It’s not as dramatic a factor in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast, because the ocean floor drops off precipitously just off the coast and the deep water absorbs much of the energy of a storm surge. The region also benefits from several ridges.
But the damage is less, not zero.
A June study said three Palm Beach County ZIP codes — 33480 (Palm Beach), 33410 (Palm Beach Gardens) and 33458 (Jupiter) — remain in the top 10 in South Florida in terms of potential storm surge loss because of the combination of surge risk and high property values.
Scientists have said that, even in a minimal storm, water would cover most or all barrier islands and the mainland right along the Intracoastal Waterway, and in a Category 5 storm the ocean could rise up to 10 feet above normal in coastal Palm Beach County and up to 15 feet on the Treasure Coast.

Georgia asks U.S. Supreme Court to reject Florida's lawsuit over river water | The Florida Current

The fight for water rages on between Florida and Georgia. The ball is in Florida's court now to respond to the latest salvo. Click title for link.
Georgia's response said Florida officials, including Scott ]Gov. Rick Scott], now are ignoring their own explanations for the 2012 collapse of the bay's oyster population, including changing climatic conditions the result in less fresh water flow and overfishing.
"In sum, Florida has not pleaded facts plausibly suggesting that it will be able to establish clear and convincing evidence that it suffers substantial injury as a result of Georgia’s consumption of water," Georgia wrote. "… The Court should therefore deny Florida leave to file its complaint."

Another protest by new and old Lake Worthians in Palm Beach.

This is how the event was portrayed by David Rogers of the Shiny Sheet. Notice that a picture is included as an inset in the electronic edition; it also appears in the printed paper just below the fold on the first page. Count the number of people in the picture. If you use your fingers, you might have to use two more of your toes to get a dozen...and a half if you include a baby in arms. Also, check out the picture closely. Is that Mark Foley in a red shirt and white shorts looking like he is just going about his business?

Click here for Fire Ant's lead-up to the protest and then at the end of the article he has an update, after the protest. He says that 30 protesters were involved. Don't ants have unique eyes? Ants have two eyes, but have compound lenses. These may explain the vast difference in the protester counts between the two articles. Something to consider.

It is also interesting to note that the leader of this protest recently moved to Lake Worth from Michigan. As far as what they are protesting, it is terrible tragedy about what happened with the oil spill in the Kalamazoo River. The discharge of coal mining solvents into the Ohio River is alarming and the response raises many concerns and still could endanger people living along the river. However, what is this protest really going to do other than garner certain people the attention they crave?

Ruh-oh!