Monday, July 7, 2014

Another pic from the Tom McGow archives...

This came from a time when the new noise ordinance was being written. Willie Howard was talking about the long term effects of noise on humans in the paper and everyone's brother and sister were calling in noise complaints stemming from certain downtown businesses. Most of those complaints came from one address on N. M Street. I remember our former Commissioner complaining about noise from downtown at her 5th Avenue North and Palmway house.

By the way, we walked from the Cultural Plaza during the time when the Kiss Tribute band was playing Friday night. We couldn't hear any noise coming from the downtown north of 2nd Avenue. Here are two pictures of the band playing last Friday night.


"Get your Bling On" Exhibition

Saturday August 2nd 2014 6-9pm
Artisans On The Ave
630 Lake Avenue
Lake Worth, Florida 33460
"Get your Bling On" Help a charity of your choice!
Support a charity and have fun!
561-582-3300

Click here for a slick "walkers" map of Downtown Lake Worth - from the CRA of course


Moving Up: Ruth Mageria, new director of C.R.O.S. Ministries | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

Good news for the Lake Worth area. Click title for link.
Mageria said she plans to continue efforts to end hunger in the area by facilitating connections between faith-based and other types of nonprofit organizations. She intends to also focus on collaborating with other agencies to develop job training opportunities that help struggling families become self-sufficient.
“We have so much diversity here in South Florida,” she said. “One of the things I really enjoy about being here at CROS is that we walk with people of all faiths. We need to all work together to end hunger in Palm Beach County.”
Last year, CROS’s food pantries distributed food to 55,056 people, 42 percent of whom were children. One hundred and eighty children attended CROS’s summer camps last year and CROS’s Caring Kitchen provided 15,888 referrals and services for basic needs.

Global warming latest: Amount of Antarctic sea ice hits new record high | Mail Online

Obviously, further scientific study is needed but let's not let that prevent us from going forward and improving our infrastructure. Remember during the Cold War (interesting name now that I think about it), we lived under the threat of mutually assured destruction, and survived many near misses. Such a catastrophe could still happen today. Should the threat of that prevent us from investing in our city? I don't think so. Click title for link to article.
America’s National Snow And Ice Data Center, which is funded by Nasa [sic], revealed that ice around the southern continent covers about 16 million sq km, more than 2.1 million more than is usual for the time of year.
It is by far the highest level since satellite observations on which the figures depend began in 1979.
In statistical terms, the extent of the ice cover is hugely significant.
It represents the latest stage in a trend that started ten years ago, and means that an area the size of Greenland, which would normally be open water, is now frozen.
The Antarctic surge is so big that overall, although Arctic ice has decreased, the frozen area around both poles is one million square kilometres more than the long-term average.

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Raft Race 2014 - "Art on the Water" - This one has the final heat, controversial ending.

Getting ready for Heat #2 - Raft Race 7/4/14

More from the Great American Raft Race - this from the end of Heat #1

All Aboard Florida head wants to attend Jupiter council meeting | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

This is turning out to be another case of group hysteria. You might remember that I posted a letter from All Aboard Florida to the Town of Jupiter and then the resolution the Town passed at its last meeting. It seems like they will be meeting again to talk about the facts and the real impact to the area. Click title for link to article.
The president of All Aboard Florida wants to attend a town council meeting to answer questions about the company’s plan to build a 235-mile railroad between Orlando and Miami.
“There is a lot of emotionally driven rhetoric out there not based on fact. I look forward to meeting with the council and engaging in a meaningful dialogue,” said Michael Reininger, whose company wants to begin building the railroad in 2016, with stops in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.
A public meeting with Reininger would be a big boost to understanding the railroad plan, said Jupiter Councilwoman Wendy Harrison.
“In the absence of information, people speculate. Often, they think the worse-case scenario,” said Harrison, who said she would welcome the meeting.

Believe it or not, this was a real issue and a mystery to some...

From the Tom McGow archives comes this:



Commissioner Jennings questioned the "real" height of the Lucerne from the dais back in the summer of 2009. She said that she saw a letter from a surveyor that said that the Lucerne was 83 feet tall. She insinuated that, even though the maximum height limit in that area of the downtown was 65 feet (it is now 45 feet in this area), that somehow someone let the building be built 18 feet higher than it actually was approved for. Apparently, this had been an issue since the time of the building permit review and construction period. Certain people (eh hem) were hyper-concerned about the maximum height of the building that they saw to it to have some architectural details eliminated from the final design. You can thank these people (eh hem) for the boxy shape of the building today.

I had a meeting with Commissioner Mulvehill at the time on building height in general in the city. This was during the period where the Comprehensive Plan said that everything had to be two stories and could be three stories in some areas given special dispensations and general intercessions. In our meeting, Commissioner Mulvehill was convinced that the Lucerne was 83 feet high and she had asked Fedner (who, no fault of his own, was basically our planning department at the time without very much experience) to get a surveying instrument and determine the REAL height of the building. I'm not sure that ever happened and I don't think he had the capacity to work such a machine in the first place.

It turns out that a letter from a surveyor turned up in the file, and if you had at least half a brain, upon reading it you would conclude that the measuring point for the height of the Lucerne was at 18 feet ABOVE SEA LEVEL and, measured from there it was exactly 65 feet tall. This was a case where someone latched on to a little bit of information, added three dashes of hysteria and a couple squirts of political gamesmanship. Bananabreath, Jennings and Mulvehill were all on the same page with this one.

So, Tom McGow decided to put the matter to bed in his inimitable style and the above is the result.

And, yes good citizens of Lake Worth, the Lucerne is STILL 65 feet high. It is not growing. It was not built 18 feet higher than it should be. Oh, and just because the building's east side doesn't have windows doesn't mean that our historic Library will be torn down for another high-rise. Another hysterical claim made back-in-the-day. 

Enjoy!

Saturday, July 5, 2014

2014 Raft Race "Art on the Water" - Pre-Parade Preparations...


Music: Procession of the Nobles by Nicholas Rimsky-Korsakov

Prior to the first heat - "Art on the Water" to Flight of the Bumble Bee

Note to all concerned...


2014 Great American Raft Race "Official" Results


"Art on the Water" - They can do the Can Can, they really, really can!


Great American Raft Race - "Art on the Water" - 2014 - Some Preliminaries

The Great American Raft Race | www.palmbeachpost.com

Click title for link to a great video put together by the Palm Beach Post on yesterday's raft race. Click here for the accompanying article which highlights other happenings through the holiday. Here's what it says about our raft race:
The Great American Raft Race offered a spectacle at Lake Worth’s Bryant Park as rafters battled for supremacy. The theme this year was “Art on the Water.” Rafts ranged from one-man canoes to full-blown soapbox-car concoctions on floats instead of wheels, but almost all had a painting or painter as inspiration, from Andy Warhol to Vincent Van Gogh.
From the Paws on the Avenue raft, covered in green fabric and oversized playing cards in an homage to the “Dogs Playing Poker” paintings, one woman in a captain’s hat yelled at the crowd, “Who let the dogs out?” Without hesitation the crowd replied with the chant, “Who, who, who, who?”
“It’s just a great event with a lot of adults having fun,” said Laurel Robinson, a member of the Bryant Park Neighbors Association. The Association’s raft bore a can of soup that read “Cream of Bryant Park,” paying homage to Warhol.
Robinson said she’s happy to see attendance has grown from a small neighborhood to hundreds gathered along the canal wall watching rowers try to stay afloat.

From the Tom McGow archives...

Everglades Restoration needed in face of sea level rise

Other views on sea level rise, Everglades restoration and future investments in our coastal cities. Click title for link. From the article:
"The timing of sea level rise is crucial. A slow rise will allow plant communities to more easily shift to new areas as the balance of saltwater and freshwater shifts inland.
Beever [Jim Beever, planner at the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council] said the worst-case scenario shows a 9 foot or so rise in sea levels by 2153, while other models show that level by the year 3324.
'It all depends on if the ice sheets fall off Antarctica, will it melt off Greenland,' Beever said. But in any case, sea level has been rising in Florida since the end of the last ice age. (But) that did not prevent people from making investments on the coast.' "
 This is the graph of "possible" outcomes of sea level rise according to the study shown above.

With such uncertainty in the range of outcomes, it is almost a game of pick a point on the graph after 2012, the year of the report. Presented with these possibilities does not mean that suddenly we should do no infrastructure investment in south Florida. In fact, it probably indicates that we should be investing in new infrastructure in order to address the uncertainties. Just like Commissioner McVoy said the city is doing when it comes to its water supply, which will benefit from the LW 2020 plan.


Friday, July 4, 2014

Cypress Gardens Partriotic Salute

Courtesy: Tampa Bay Mid-Century Modern Network on FB

Editorial: Nostalgia aside, plans for Panama Hattie’s site... | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

You know, they are right. This is not your father or mother's Palm Beach County. When I moved here from Michigan 25 years ago, Palm Beach County's population was a touch under 1 million people. In fact, there was a lot of political pressure later about admitting that the county had over 1 million people. That realization came after the 1990 Census. Now, we are quickly approaching 1.5 million. In comparison, Lake Worth's population has risen, but not at the multiples of the surrounding area. Check out this Population Clock webpage put out by the Census Bureau. It is a grim reminder that we do not live in a static world and the forces of population growth cannot be overcome. But they can be channeled into areas that need revitalization and have already been disturbed ecologically. This is a better choice than greenfield, sprawl like development patterns. Lake Worth can benefit from more infill development. Click title for link. Here are the last few paragraphs.
State and county planners have long pushed for more focus on so-called “in-fill” development in the eastern county, rather than additional suburban sprawl farther west. As a representative for the developer, Nicholas Mastroianni, pointed out at a recent public forum, the planned project is in line with this long-standing “Eastward Ho!” movement.
That does not mean there are not real concerns. Traffic along PGA Boulevard by the restaurant is often already problematic, compounded by the drawbridge spanning the Intracoastal. In a nod to traffic concerns, the developer has already scaled back his plans, and more adjustments will likely be needed.
But the north county is booming, with more and more people wanting to live there. This inevitably means more development, and that growth is best when it happens in the right places.

Happy Fourth of July!

Bananabreath's Independence...

From the Tom McGow archives.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

The Frenzy Begins! College Park's Raft Race Entry - Speed Trials

"Ding, ding, ding goes the bell..."

Christian D. Larson

"Promise yourself to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own."

Fifty years ago yesterday

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Pub.L. 88–352, 78 Stat. 241, enacted July 2, 1964) is a landmark piece of civil rights legislation in the United States[5] that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.[6] It ended unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, at the workplace and by facilities that served the general public (known as "public accommodations").

Along the Coast: All towns and cities see rise in taxable values - The Coastal Star

Click title for link to article reviewing taxable value increases for selected towns along the coast, south of Lake Worth. Although Lake Worth is not mentioned in the article, I have it on good authority that Lake Worth's increase came in higher than expected so that the millage that would be assessed under the Lake Worth 2020 plan would now, at its maximum, would be 3.1 mills - not the 3.4 mills that was contemplated earlier. Again, the city was being conservative in its projections. This is a bit from the article:
 Countywide, the taxable property value increased 7.39 percent, according to preliminary numbers released in late June by Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Gary Nikolits.
    The countywide tax rolls increased for the third consecutive year and showed that taxable value increases were widespread throughout the county’s municipalities.
    “This is the first time that every jurisdiction in Palm Beach County has had a taxable value increase in more than a half-dozen years,” said John Thomas, director of residential appraisal services for the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office.  

All Aboard Florida makes pitch to Avenue group | www.palmbeachdailynews.com

All Aboard Florida makes their pitch to a Town of Palm Beach group. The reception seems warmer there than other places further north on the line. Click title for link. From the article:
Thirty-two trains will make stops throughout the day from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m., with the last train arriving at Miami or Orlando at midnight. Service will be seven days a week.
“You’ll be able to get on, relax and have a great ride up to Orlando” without the inconvenience associated with air travel, she [Carol Henderson, director of the partnership alliance for All Aboard Florida] said.
The new passenger service will require far less energy — the equivalent of one gallon of gas per passenger for the ride from Miami to Orlando — compared to about a tank and a half of gasoline if you were to drive, Henderson said.
Greg Beletsky, president of the Worth Avenue Association, said he looks forward to using All Aboard Florida to make day trips from Palm Beach to the fashion district in Miami without having to brave I-95.

This just in from Greenfield, CA - Perhaps they should look to Plan 9 from Outer Space...

Measure X? $5.3 million budget? $500,000 in reserves? Late? Being rushed? Never heard of such a thing.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Town of Jupiter not happy about All Aboard Florida

Click title for copy of resolution passed last night by the Town of Jupiter. Below is a record of how the vote went.


All Aboard Florida Letter to the Town of Jupiter

Coastal Palm Beach County Severe Watches & Warnings

Significant weather advisory for northeastern inland Broward County...coastal Broward County...northeastern Metro Broward County...southeastern coastal Palm Beach County...southern Metro Palm Beach County and southeastern inland Palm Beach County...

* until 215 PM EDT

* at 123 PM EDT...National Weather Service meteorologists detected a strong thunderstorm over Margate...moving east at 20 mph.

The primary impacts will be frequent to excessive lightning and gusty winds of 45 to 55 mph. Lightning is the number one weather related killer in Florida. Trees and open shelters offer no protection. These winds can down small tree limbs and branches...and blow around unsecured small objects. Seek shelter in a safe building until the storm passes.

* The storm will affect... Fort Lauderdale...Coral Springs...Pompano Beach...Davie... Plantation...sunrise...Boca Raton...Deerfield Beach...Delray Beach...Tamarac...Margate...Lighthouse Point... Lauderdale-by-the-Sea...Highland Beach...Lauderhill...Coconut Creek...Oakland Park...North Lauderdale...Lauderdale Lakes and Parkland.

From the 6/24/14 City Commission Budget Work Session - Water and Sewer Rate Discussion


Following up on our competitiveness in water, cost and security of our supply. An annual increase of five percent is considered an industry standard now. And there is discussion about the possibility of adding service area and customers. Also the low level of debt on our water utilities is revealed. However, also discussed is the payout for the regional sewer system debacle and where the money came for the casino building - the water utilities insurance fund.

Bill Gates wrote on his blog:

"Many developing countries are turning to coal and other low-cost fossil fuels to generate the electricity they need for powering homes, industry, and agriculture. Some people in rich countries are telling them to cut back on fossil fuels. I understand the concern: After all, human beings are causing our climate to change, and our use of fossil fuels is a huge reason.

But even as we push to get serious about confronting climate change, we should not try to solve the problem on the backs of the poor. For one thing, poor countries represent a small part of the carbon-emissions problem. And they desperately need cheap sources of energy now to fuel the economic growth that lifts families out of poverty. They can’t afford today’s expensive clean energy solutions, and we can’t expect them wait for the technology to get cheaper.  

Instead of putting constraints on poor countries that will hold back their ability to fight poverty, we should be investing dramatically more money in R&D to make fossil fuels cleaner and make clean energy cheaper than any fossil fuel.

These two videos featuring the Danish political scientist Bjorn Lomborg illustrate the connection between energy and poverty." Click title for link to gatesnotes.com.

New polls reveal the pessimism of white America | Mail Online

Interesting poll although I have never heard of the Aspen Institute. But it does say a lot about how various groups envision their chances in the future to progress. I wonder if we would have similar results in a Lake Worth only poll. Click title for link.
Shock poll..."White America's fears for the future: Survey reveals massive gulf between pessimistic Caucasians and optimistic minorities"
Only a quarter of whites believe hard work will see them succeed in life, according to The Atlantic/Aspen Institute's latest survey 'America Looks to 2024.'
This compares starkly to the outlook of African Americans and Hispanics - 44 per cent and 49 per cent respectively think people who work hard and play by the rules will be more likely to get ahead.
An impressive 40 per cent of Hispanic Americans expect to own their own businesses by 2024 versus just one in 10 white Americans, the results show.
Around three in 10 black Americans expect to be their own boss within 10 years.
Three quarters of whites believe America will no longer be considered the 'land of opportunity' in 2024, while only 55 per cent of blacks and 53 per cent of Hispanics feel pessimistic on this topic.

Lake Worth to seek $1.65 million to bring back a trolley | www.palmbeachpost.com

This is a great idea and nice to see an attempt to bring back a missing transportation option. Click title for link. Reading the article, it seems as though the other blogger was the only one at the meeting. At least we are on the same page with this issue. Lynn, maybe you and I can take the first ride together and get a sarsaparilla? I'll treat. From the article:

City Manager Mike Bornstein said he’s optimistic that the MPO will approve the money. “It will definitely bolster our plans,” he said, because Lake Worth has gotten better at getting along with other cities in the county. Mayor Pam Triolo sits on the 19-member MPO board of directors.

Hot in Lake Worth: New tapas joint serves eclectic plates | Feast Palm Beach

Nice review of Suri, the new small plates restaurant that opened about a month ago. Click title for link.

Misty, water-colored memories...

From the Tom McGow archives.

An idiot looking for a village...

"Any growing interest in soccer can only be a sign of the nation's moral decay."
-- Ann Coulter from her treatise, 'America's Favorite National Pastime: Hating Soccer', June 25, 2014

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Announcement from the Town of Palm Beach: Tropical Storm Arthur

The first tropical storm of the 2014 Atlantic Hurricane Season, TS Arthur, has formed off the east coast of Central Florida. As of 11:00am, the maximum sustained wind for this system was 40 mph and it was moving northwest at 2mph. Although this system is expected to begin moving north/northeast and remain at tropical storm strength until it reaches the Carolinas, Palm Beach will receive heavy rainfall and gusty winds today and tomorrow. Due to dangerous lightning in the outer bands of TS Arthur, public beaches have been closed until further notice.

While TS Arthur will have a relatively minor impact on Palm Beach, this is a great reminder to make sure we are all prepared for the hurricane season. Please continue to monitor this storm and visit the Town website at townofpalmbeach.com for helpful planning tools.

Last night at the Mad Hatter - Raft Race Fundraiser

Here are some pics from the fun...



Advance Notice: The Lake Worth Critical Mass Ride is Scheduled for this Friday.

Here is what I found regarding the ride.




On Miami's Critical Mass bike ride...

Click title for link to video talking about how the police are cracking down on the Miami-Dade monthly event.

Palm Beach County mayor: Time to plan with neighbors to south... | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

This would be a huge change for Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council if Palm Beach County leaves. If it does, it would join the South Florida Regional Planning Council which includes Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. More than half of Treasure Coast's funding comes from Palm Beach County. Differences regarding the Seven50 plan and All Aboard Florida are mentioned. Commissioner John Szerdi is the Lake Worth elected official who sits on the Planning Council. Click title for link to article.
“We pay a big price. I just feel we are not getting our money’s worth,’’ Taylor [County Mayor Priscilla Taylor] said. “It seems like the members from Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin are kind of anti-everything and we seem to be a little more progressive.’’
Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties, as well as many Treasure Coast municipalities, have held different opinions than Palm Beach County on at least two controversial issues this year, vehemently opposing the All Aboard Florida passenger rail proposal and the Seven50 regional planning study whereas the Palm Beach County board supported them.
Of the 28 members of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, eight are elected officials from Palm Beach County, including Taylor and county commissioners Hal Valeche and Paulette Burdick.
If Palm Beach County ever decides to break away from Treasure Coast, it would most likely join the South Florida Regional Planning Council, which is comprised of the three southeastern counties – Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe.

Part of our Mayor-for-Three-Months" campaign...

From the Tom McGow archives.