Saturday, January 3, 2015

The Other Blogger and her version of community...



Lake Worth officials look for new ways to fix old problems

Good coverage from Channel 12 on our infrastructure problems. Click title for link to video/story. From the segment:
Commissioner Andy Amoroso says he and his colleagues are bankrolling their own trips to Tallahassee and Washington D.C. as they lobby for more money to be sent the city’s way.

“It’s our job to continue on, to look for other options,” said Commissioner Amoroso.

The Post editorial today smacks down the incinerator critics

From the Post editorial:
It’s a classic win-win [the county incinerator importing out-of-county trash]. But a vocal group of critics, put off by the troubling image of this county serving as a dumping ground for other regions, has used an ever-shifting list of rationalizations to oppose it. The opposition prompted county commissioners last month to postpone a final vote on the proposition until February.

These rationalizations have been debunked one after another. No, importing trash will not unleash hordes of out-of-town garbage trucks on county roads. No, it will not hurt the county’s tourism industry. It won’t create unusual amounts of noise or unpleasant smells. And importing trash will not cripple the county’s landfill.

So critics are now seizing on the last and perhaps weakest argument for rejecting this proposal: the fact that the “tipping fee” charged to out-of-county trash haulers would be lower than the ones paid by county users.

Let's not go to Bravo! Cucina Italiana!

If you haven't read Liz Balmaseda's restaurant review of the new Bravo! Cucina Italiana at Harbourside in Jupiter it's worthy of a read. Trust me, this is the review you don't want to read if you own a restaurant and it's about your product and service. The Post's restaurant reviews tend to be puff pieces which is what you would expect in a county so dependent on tourism. However, this review takes the cake. Err, the pie.
Bravo! - Before opening. Pic taken 10/28
Not only does Ms. Balmaseda trash the brand new Bravo! restaurant she also can't believe that the folks in Jupiter would ever think of eating there. Can the people of Jupiter be so déclassé? Probably not. And, after this, fewer will probably go there.
 
This is how the reviews ENDS:
Diners are waiting more than an hour for a table at Bravo on busy nights. They brave the traffic, the parking woes and now a line at a mediocre chain restaurant. In Jupiter.

Quite possibly, this is a sign of the apocalypse.
Here are some excerpts from the review:
"Except for that spicy pizza and decent salad, the dishes I sampled here are neither. They not only lacked flavor nuances, they lacked identifiable flavors."

"The contents of my pasta bowl – thin wedges of chicken breast, campanelle and sauce – begged for a hint of garlic, spicy pepper flakes, fresh green onion … something."

"In this case, the finished pasta sauce was made with a base that was overly sweet and lacking in aromatics."

"Our side salads that night ($3.99 with the entrees) proved to be serviceable at best. In both the house Caesar salad and the Insalata della Casa, the greens seemed to have been tossed onto the plate with little concern for presentation."

"Bravo, after all, is the first eatery to open in the long-awaited, $150-million Harbourside Place, Jupiter’s newly baptized piazza del popolo. Yet the food tastes prepackaged."
So, Ms. Balmaseda, what do you really think? Was your dinner companion Pete Wells? The most curious thing about Ms. Balmaseda's review was her rating of Bravo! Cucina Italiana: B-. Why not a 'C'? Or a 'D'? How low is the bar to get an 'A'? From this review it seems to get an 'A' all you need are some chopped green onions, more oregano, and some staff training on plating. 

Where else in Jupiter are diners waiting an hour to eat? The Food Shack is an excellent choice, by the way. No pizza there, but it is a foodie paradise.

Everglades Earth First! (EEF) going to protest AGAIN!

Never satisfied and always restless, EEF is putting this out there on short notice; the protest is next Friday from 4:30 to 6:30. EEF is shying away from the secretly-planned protest tactic ever since three of their members got arrested, closed down a school, and scaring little children and the parents. This will be their 4th recent protest and no tree sitting up to this point. Thus far, little has been gained other than self-promotion with opportunistic zeal.

EEF's first protest was on November 7th of last year. Curiously these cards (see below) started showing up around town the month previous, in early October. A coincidence? These cards have no contact information: no phone number or email, only the class location, the Quaker Meeting House here in Lake Worth.

Details on next Fridays protest to come.

Friday, January 2, 2015

One of the squeakier squeakers...


Happy Birthday, Henry Flagler! A Great American Visionary

Image from Wikipedia.

Henry Morrison Flagler was born on 
this day, January 2nd, in 1830.

The reason I post about the little town of Greenfield, CA with 17,000 residents...

[Now that the PBSO/Sheriff haters are once again ramping up their attacks in Lake Worth, read this post from August 17th of last year.]

I was downtown the other day and a reader of my blog approached, asked me curiously why I post about crime and other issues in Greenfield, CA of all places. It occurred to me it's been quite some time since I explained that and I'll do so once again.

First understand this, my posts about Greenfield, CA are about demonstrating hypocrisy. Period. I have nothing but sympathy for the victims of crime and am not in any way making light of crime. Now...the reason for my Greenfield posts, the little town 2,940 miles away with a population about half the size of Lake Worth?

Prior to our current city manager, Michael Bornstein, the city manager was Susan Stanton. She was ingloriously fired in December 2011. There were many reasons for her dismissal. In a nutshell, she had become ineffective and towards the end had almost completely insulated herself from the community. Her conflicts with staff were the stuff of legends. It was a terrible situation for everyone and swift action was taken. Done. Big sigh of relief.

Oddly enough there are still a few ardent supporters of Susan Stanton despite the facts. One such supporter is the other blogger (TOB). Some think TOB has a shrine to Stanton in her tiny condo with burning incense, celestial offerings, and bottled tears. One of Stanton's most important goals was to rid Lake Worth of the Sheriff, PBSO. Stanton, in a hallucinogenic moment, believed Lake Worth should have its own police department and its own police chief. Imagine that, Stanton already had shown incompetence doing the most mundane duties of a manager and she believed that having her own police chief was going to miraculously solve all the city's problems...and save money. Just absurd.

Now to my Greenfield, CA posts and demonstrating hypocrisy: In the other blogger's effort to salvage Stanton's honor and haplessly try ridding our City of the Sheriff, she posts every single crime in Lake Worth in an effort to show how much better Lake Worth would be with its own PD. Some facts about Greenfield, CA. Greenfield has its own PD. Earlier this year Greenfield hired its own police chief; until then they shared that service with a neighboring city. There is crime in Greenfield. There is gang activity in Greenfield. Recently there was a homicide. There are assaults, break-ins, thefts, shootings...in Greenfield, CA.

Susan Stanton is now the city manager for...drum roll please...Greenfield, CA.

From The Washington Post: "11 of the worst policy ideas of 2014" - One of them in Wellington

From the The Washington Post's Wonkblog is this: "11 of the worst policy ideas of 2014".

And Wellington was third on the list!

From the article in Wonkblog:
The science is clear: Fluoride in water is a very good thing, because it prevents the decay of your teeth. The CDC heralds public water fluoridation campaigns as “one of the 10 great public  health achievements of the 20th century.” Nonetheless, 2014 was another year in which anti-fluoridation campaigners scored some victories. The Fluoride Action Network lists a number of U.S. localities that rejected public water fluoridation this year, including the village of Wellington, Florida, in Palm Beach County, home to some 60,000 people. Earlier this year, Wellington’s city council voted to end fluoridation 14 years after the practice initially started.

From Walkable West Palm, news about its expansion in coverage

From our friends at Walkable West Palm we have this message to start off the New Year:
This year has seen further refinement of what this blog is all about and an expansion in reach. We’ve added a regular contributor, Baron Haussman, whose talent for street design has contributed greatly to the conversation here. The blog has been featured on Strong Towns, Streetsblog, and Transit Miami, some of the most widely read websites for urbanists and city builders. I have also become a regular contributor to the Strong Towns blog. We’ve also had media appearances in the Palm Beach Post and news channel 5 to talk about issues affecting West Palm Beach.

Now, we need you. This blog is 100% non profit and subsists on volunteer time and effort. If you enjoy our content and think you can add value to the conversation, please get in touch with us. Of particular need are individuals who desire to cover the northend and southend of the city in regard to land use issues and new development (for example, the Publix on Belvedere). In addition, we desperately need a new logo to use across all platforms and media. Anyone willing to help us pro-bono would be greatly appreciated.
I visit the Walkable West Palm blog two or three times a week and would encourage my readers in Lake Worth to read the blog also. Lake Worth will be experiencing many changes in the near future and watching how West Palm Beach adapts to the changing walkable/bikeable world will aid our City going forward also. 

Lake Worth and West Palm Beach share an amazing asset that's gone neglected for too many years, Dixie Highway. Big ideas are being floated to revitalize Dixie Highway and Lake Worth is part of the conversation, yes folks, West Palm Beach and Lake Worth are talking about our shared futures!

That's how it should be.

From our friends at Channel 12, a change in tone this New Year? [correction]

[Note correction below in boldface]

Last year there were many posts here reporting on Channel 12's news segments concerning the City of Lake Worth: the constant errors, one-sided political 'news stories', and the inflammatory screen images were the norm for Channel 12 (WPEC). From Jonathan [not "Matthew" as in original post] Beaton's take on the panhandling issue, to Michael Buczyner's terrible piece on commissioner travel, to Israel Balderas' "Holy War" in Lake Worth, it was hard to interpret this reporting as anything else but an organized effort to discredit the city and our current majority commission. Or was it buffoonery, plain and simple?

The topic of Channel 12 and their 'reporting' is brought up often in conversations around the city and there are many theories. Someone who I know that is very familiar with the situation is convinced most of the reporters are oblivious to what is going on. The reporters are hard working professionals, however it's the assignment editors and news editors that choose the news stories and work them up for the news viewing audience, like this for example:
There are so many good things happening in Lake Worth. Lake Worth is a city that was hit particularly hard by the Great Recession. Commercial investment in the city was non-existent for seven years and openly discouraged by our elected representatives at the time.  Out of all Palm Beach County municipalities, you could make the case that one or two other cities in the county suffered worse than our City of Lake Worth. As our City revives and grows we're not asking for any special treatment from the news media, only fairness. Is that too much to ask? 

When Channel 12 does a news story about blight in Lake Worth and they interview two ordinary concerned citizens, Katie McGiveron and Lynn Anderson, you know that Channel 12 has a problem. (I have heard of Mrs. McGiveron recently ranting in the utility offices about how high her bill was, with four of her disciples in tow.)

On New Years Eve, Lauren Hills did a story from the American Legion on Dixie Highway here in Lake Worth. It was a good story and she interviewed some local veterans who shared their wishes and concerns on the war in Afghanistan. 

The good people of Lake Worth look forward to many such stories from Channel 12 in 2015. Let's hold them to this resolution.

Change in tactics; the Anarchist evolving strategies in the era of social media

If you recall the protests in Ferguson, MO and New York City you'll remember the people with cameras running through the crowds. The cameras were either handheld filming the action or sometimes the camera was mounted on the body somewhere, like the forehead with a strap. Other times the cameras were hidden in bags or under a scarf. These videos, within minutes, were broadcast to the entire world using social media sites. Those filming with cameras and posting the videos are called "Streamers".

Initially, the purpose of the 'Streamers' was to get police abuses on video to further incite even more violence. Initially some of these videos did just that. But then an unexpected thing happened. Many of these videos became evidence for the police to charge protesters with crimes. Oooops. 

In the excitement of the moment, some 'Streamers' were yelling out peoples names, identifying the protest leaders, giving away tactical information, and capturing images of people engaged in illegal activity. 

Streamers used to be really cool, and now suddenly they're not cool at all. You can read all about this in the Anarchist News. From the article titled, Live Streamers Make Great Informants:
A common issue with Streamers is their display of entitlement, often citing the value of bringing the movement to the people. But Streamers have a hard time admitting that the police find their work more valuable then [sic] demonstrators.

In a world of voyeurism and exhibitionists, Streamers often get carried away, interpreting their role as being a narrator for the movement. They often film people without their consent, placing more value in presenting to their viewership, then protecting the group that is already taking risks by just getting out into the street to protest.
Believe it or not, the Anarchists want the Streamers to follow a long list of rules called, " 'Good' Livestream Tactics" and they have a list of "Very Poor Streamer Etiquette". Here are some examples of poor Streamer etiquette:
-Calling People out by Name on Streams.
-Filming Peoples’ Identities on Streams
-Narrating your Interpretation of what Kind of Action is Taking Place
-Streamers often divulge personal opinions rather than facts when narrating about actions. Are you prepared to be a witness for law enforcement in the future?
-Filming Direct Actions
When you read the article about 'Streamers' note the long lists. Aren't people attracted to the Anarchist philosophy to get away from the oppression of the "list makers"? And then there is "etiquette". Since when do the Anarchists want some vague, broad societal construct to determine their behavior? Maybe the Anarchist lifestyle isn't what it's cracked up to be. There's a lot of rule makin' going on here if you know what I mean. Lastly, were these rules codified using the horizontal decision-making method?

Also, for a group that considers itself "non-conformist" it seems more than odd that there is such inner-rigidity in thought, action and dress amongst those that "identify" with the group.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

2014 is behind us...


Michigan State beats Baylor 42-41 in the Cotton Bowl!


OUR LAKE WORTH CRITICAL MASS BIKE RIDE IS TOMORROW!

JOIN US AND BRING FRIENDS AND FAMILY! DETAILS FOLLOW:

Tomorrow you can usher in the New Year with the Lake Worth Critical Mass (CM) bicycle ride around Lake Worth!
The ride is always the first Friday of the month. Last month's ride was special because the ride had nearly 80 riders, the most riders by far for the CM ride here in Lake Worth. Last month's ride was also the best route so far, in my opinion, and went by many holiday light displays that are likely still up, for the most part. You meet in front of the Gulfstream Hotel (east side) and the ride leaves at 7:30 sharp. I would suggest going to our downtown Cultural Plaza for the Evening on the Avenues and the NAPC Front Porch until 7:00 and then proceed to the Gulfstream to socialize until the ride departs. 

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AN ATHLETE TO RIDE! The CM ride is for everyone, young or older, singles or couples and families too. The pace is comfortable, with the average speed between 10 and 15 miles per hour, and the leaders of the ride stop occasionally to keep the group together. There are "corkers" who watch out for the safety of the riders and make sure vehicular traffic is aware that bike riders are coming through intersections. 

The only requirement are bicycle lights, front and back. This is very important. Some riders get very creative with their lights and this makes it an impressive visual sensory experience. If you don't have lights there are two bike shops in Lake Worth: Family Bicycle (561-533-6040) and Relentless Bicycle (561-547-1396). My bike shop is Relentless on Lucerne Ave east of the Post Office, if you go there tell them Wes said, "Hi". For more creative lighting options, you can always search the Internet and you will find a lot of ideas that are not too expensive, but add pizzazz to your nighttime bike ride experience.

Start your New Year off with a fun bike ride through our City of Lake Worth! Come out tomorrow and help the CM Lake Worth break 100 riders. Viva Lake Worth!

Happy New Year!


Click here for full episode of "Tiny House Hunting" featuring two Lake Worth cottages

Too bad they chose the wrong one, but two in Lake Worth are highlighted (the second two) and downtown is showcased!

Data interpretation, and defining what is the City of Lake Worth

The data in the Palm Beach Post would have you believe that from January 10, 2009 until November 9, 2014 there have been 50 homicides in Lake Worth. There haven't been. The City of Lake Worth had 30 homicides in that span of 2,129 days. In a city just under 7 square miles, that is still high. However, still a better reflection of reality than 50. (Remember, 2009 was soon after PBSO took over the police services for Lake Worth.) If you didn't read the fine print in the Interactive Map "Palm Beach County homicide victims", a story by Palm Beach Post reporters Julius Whigham II and Michelle Quigley, and you weren't very well-educated regarding the boundaries of Lake Worth then you would come away believing there were indeed 50 homicides in Lake Worth. 

Here is the fine print below the Interactive Map I am referring to: "Note: City refers to mailing address and does not always coincide with municipal boundaries."

Here is one of the homicide locations that didn't "coincide with municipal boundaries". This homicide location, 10920 50th Street is south of Lake Worth Road and west of the Florida Turnpike, which is well outside the municipal boundaries of the City of Lake Worth. For some reference, this homicide location is over 11 miles from our Lake Worth City Hall. 

Of the 50 homicides attributed to "Lake Worth" here is a list of homicides that actually occurred in suburban Lake Worth, outside the city:
Shootings: 12
Child abuse deaths: 2
Suffocation: 1
Stabbing: 4
Vehicular homicide: 1

On the Post's Interactive Map, 40% of the homicides were outside the city limits of the City of Lake Worth. Forty percent. Below the Interactive Map is a menu. One of the choices is, "Filter by city". You will see cities listed from Belle Glade to West Palm Beach. Nowhere is the option to find a list of homicides in unincorporated Palm Beach County (PBC). 

So it would appear all the homicides in Palm Beach County, at least in this map, are being attributed to municipalities. Below I have a map from Wikipedia of Palm Beach County with the municipalities shown:

Palm Beach County is massive: 1,977 square miles. Fifty-five percent of residents live in a municipality of which there are 38, the rest live in unincorporated PBC. By far most of PBC land area is unincorporated. 

Imagine you are a business person, an investor, or looking to move to Lake Worth? Data like 50 Lake Worth homicides from Julius Whigham II and Michelle Quigley could be very troubling. We have difficulty teaching reporters who have been in PBC for years the difference between the City of Lake Worth and suburban Lake Worth so how would a future, let's say future homeowner, unfamiliar with municipal boundaries know the difference? 

Much time and effort went into the Interactive Map by Julius Whigham II and Michelle Quigley. However the information is misleading and inaccurate, especially as Lake Worth is concerned. A simple, small typeface, 14-word disclaimer doesn't make up for inaccurate information.   

This Interactive Map needs more Interactive Fact Checking. And why not do a piece about the importance of municipal boundaries and real-life implications of those jurisdictions?

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

My sentiments exactly! Happy New Year Lake Worth! And May 2015 Be Our Best Year Ever

Courtesy of Tom McGow, from his post in 2010 titled, Accentuate The Positive, Why I Love Lake Worth. Let's accentuate the positive going into 2015!

Port of Palm Beach to Commence Emergency Dredging of the Inlet

The Port of Palm Beach issued a news release today to announce the commencement of emergency dredging to address shoaling in the Lake Worth Inlet.  Work is scheduled to begin today, December 31, 2014.  See the full news release for more information.

The Hidden Hand

Certainly you've heard by now about the posters placed downtown in Lake Worth with the message, "Black Lives Matter" and other related messages. Let's be clear - All lives matter.

To my knowledge those responsible haven't been contacted by the Sheriff as yet but the pair is clearly shown on video. These posters will have to removed by the city and FPL at some considerable expense. Of course, many say that these posters are part of free speech and even going so far as to compare these posters to taped notices of lost dogs and neighborhood yard sales. There is a big difference here: these posters were affixed with glue and very hard to remove. So, was this pair engaged in free speech or vandalism at 2:00 a.m. in the morning? Some people like pushing the envelope as far as they can.

As I perused the local blogs and websites came across this from the Anarchist element in Lake Worth in the Everglades Earth First! site:
Read here how the Anarchists caused the violence in Durham, North Carolina.

As one famous political tactician and current Chicago mayor, Rahm Imanuel once said, "You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before."

There are some in our city, we need to honest here, who will take advantage of the current national unrest to their own political advantage and attempt to play it out here, in our city. Those of us aware of their antics expect nothing less. Opportunists all.

The Post editorial today on the invocation issue...

The Palm Beach Post has weighed in on the invocation drama here in Lake Worth. Frankly I am surprised it's taken so long. Here are two excerpts:
At the time [allowing a Christian Nativity display in the Capitol], an official [unidentified] with the American Civil Liberties Union warned that state officials may not “fully appreciate the door they’ve opened up.” Allowing a relatively innocuous religious display, he said, could lead to other displays intended for shock value. After all, allowing certain religious displays while rejecting others can violate the constitutional requirement that speech regulations be “content-neutral.”
Not long afterward, displays went up in the Capitol celebrating the winter solstice, the “Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster” and the Seinfeldian pseudo-holiday “Festivus.” This year, the distinguished list was joined by a diorama of a fallen angel being cast into hell — courtesy of a group called the Satanic Temple.
[and...]
City Manager Michael Bornstein told The Post this month that he just wants to “go to a moment of silence to stop all this stupidity and madness.”

For most cities, that’s the right call. There’s little need, and less place, for religious prayer in government meetings. To start off public meetings in a multicultural society, sometimes silence is golden.

New Year's Eve and it's bad news from Lulu

How could you possibly expect bad news from somebody named "Lulu"? Prepare yourself, because Lulu has bad news for us in Lake Worth, the Lake Worth bridge repair is going to take longer than expected. Lulu Ramadan from the Post has this:
Slow traffic on and near the Lake Worth Bridge, which crosses over the Intracoastal Waterway, won’t be eased just yet. Officials say a repair project that closed the eastbound side of the bridge in early November has been extended through January.

The bridge was shut down in order to repair concrete, and allow for repainting and the addition of anti-corrosion material.

The repair project began on Oct. 2, but the eastbound bridge was not closed until November. The repairs on the bridge were originally expected to be complete by the end of the year, but according to Andrea Pacini, public information officer at the Florida Department of Transportation, the project was extended through January because of weather conditions.
Serious reminder AGAIN: The current condition of the Lake Worth bridge makes it unsafe for bike traffic. Please dismount your bike and walk across the bridge, especially if you are heading east. I see people biking both directions each time I cross. Besides the possibility of car/vehicle accidents, a bike/bike or a bike/pedestrian accident can be serious too. People are actually going at speeds down either side as if the other span was still open. DO NOT DO THIS!

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Click here for the Lake Worth CRA's downtown walker's map and guide...

This is a great effort and highlights the LULA program.

How the City of Delray Beach communicates to the public about downtown parking...

Click title for link to a page from the City of Delray Beach's website regarding downtown parking. Click here for an informative map, complete with estimated walking times from the center of the city's grid street pattern (Swinton and Atlantic Avenues).

Here are a few glimpses at part of the map.

 
Clearly, there are no worries about Lake Worth becoming the next "Delray", at least in the near future. By the way, this was posted on the city's official Facebook page, which remains in the dreamworld for Lake Worth residents.

Pedestrians beware at night. A pedestrian was killed last night - wear something reflective or light-colored clothing

On a routine trip from Publix or City Hall to the north part of the city, you regularly see shadowy figures dressed in dark colors. These people are crossing Dixie Hwy., riding their bikes on the street or sidewalk without the benefit of any lights or reflective material. It is a miracle that more people are not injured or killed just for not being visible. I did see a child, walking with adults, and she had a white light mounted on her head which is a great idea! Just please be careful, especially on Federal, Dixie, Lake/Lucerne, 10th and 6th Avenues after dark.

Sadly, a pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle last night, this time outside of the city limits. Initial reports are the driver remained at the scene. My prayers go to the deceased and to the driver.

The location of an incident is very important as we all know; it's a material item in a news story. This accident happened on Lake Worth Road near the Lake Worth Drive-In. Choose where you think this accident occurred: 
_ Lake Worth 
_ Suburban Lake Worth
_ Palm Springs

If you picked Palm Springs, you would be correct. That's right, the Lake Worth Drive-In on Lake Worth Road is located in Palm Springs. When Palm Beach Post staff writer Kavya Sukumar writes this headline on Christmas Day you can see how these misconceptions continue. Ms. Sukumar's headline is factually incorrect and contributes to the public confusion. 

Last night at 9:00 Palm Beach Post staff writer Josh Hyber got it partially correct. Here is what Mr. Hyber wrote in the Post:

LAKE WORTH — A pedestrian was struck and killed just after 7:30 p.m. Monday night on Lake Worth Road WEST OF THE CITY [emphasis added], Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said.

Channel 5 (WPTV) is the only news outlet, thus far, to get the location correct. Here is what WPTV reported:
Channel 25 (WPBF) always gets it wrong so there's no need to even look. Recently, one of their reporters, Ari Hait, reported he was in Lake Worth while standing in front of a sign that read: "Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation Department". Not joking. 

The moral of the story here is that if you are going out, especially during the early nightfall period of the year, you must take precautions. If you are driving, make sure that you are paying attention to what is in the road in front of you. Make sure your headlights are working well enough - you might have to clear your headlight lenses with a product available from an auto parts store if they are foggy. If you are walking, wear or carry something with reflective material and try to wear light colors.

A scoop for AnnaMaria! Lake Worth is going to be on national TV!

Read about it here. Spread the word around! Tell all your friends about our cottages here in Lake Worth. This could be just the thing we've been waiting for.

By the way, the Cottages of Lake Worth group is working on a book about "Living Large in Small Spaces - The Cottages of Lake Worth." Writing, photography and editing is taking place as we speak. Watch for more information over the coming months.

A "Farm to Table" story about...spinach

Farm to table is not a fable! The Post's Susan Salisbury has this story about harvesting spinach in Belle Glade. You learn that the spinach you buy in our downtown Publix was harvested only 48 hours prior to placement in the display case. Who would have thought the farming spinach was so high-tech? From the article:
The Fresh Attitude brand of salad blends in the distinctive clear plastic boxes is sold in Publix Super Markets and Costco year-round. During the winter, all the product comes from the muck fields of Belle Glade in western Palm Beach County.

Chances are the baby spinach and other leafy greens produced by Veg Pro International were harvested just 48 hours before being placed in the retail display case, said Sylvain Racette, Veg Pro’s vice president of sales and marketing.

The quick turnaround is true for Veg Pro’s product produced in the Glades during the winter and being sold within Florida.
Also from the story is a video of the harvesting process.

Monday, December 29, 2014

Cara Jennings and her Lake Worth chickens

Courtesy of the Tom McGow archives. Former commissioner 
Cara Jennings wanted to allow chicken coops in the City of Lake Worth. 
Luckily, reasonable people prevailed.

Official's Emails and the public - "No emails, please."

From the Naked Politics blog in the Miami Herald is this about emails:
Miami Beach Police Chief Dan Oates refused an interview this week with Miami New Times reporter Michael Miller because the chief believed Miller had already made up his mind about a story and was not giving him enough time for a proper response.

Then the chief emailed his staff, telling officers to keep the issue in-house and refrain from sending emails about it, since they can become public record.

“I encourage you to talk to me about it. No emails, please. Stop by and see me in the office or call Tricia and she’ll arrange for us to talk by phone,” he wrote.

The emails were soon leaked and first reported by Random Pixels blogger Bill Cooke.

Channel 5's Charlie Keegan in Lake Worth last night, again

Click title for link to more on the story about the posters being placed around town which say "Black Lives Matter," etc.

Click here for the related Palm Beach Post story.

Harriet Lerman, "Voice of the People" - Talk Show Host - Guest on High Noon in Lake Worth

Join your host Wes Blackman as he welcomes Harriet Lerman into the "High Noon in Lake Worth" studios for a special edition of the show. Ms. Lerman hosts talk shows called "Voice of the People" and "Peas in the Pod" that air on the www.WEInetwork.com. She comes from a varied political career which included a ten year stint as a state legislator in Maine and she also ran for a Palm Beach County Commission seat, narrowly losing to former County Commissioner Warren Newell. Ms. Lerman is a progressive voice within Palm Beach County Democratic circles. Mr. Blackman will return the favor and appear on Ms. Lerman's show January 20, 2015.

Click title for live link to show from 12 to 1 p.m. today (12/29) or later for an archived edition. Leave questions as comments below.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

What REALLY happened to Code Enforcement under the Stanton regime

Mr. John Rinaldi correcting historic revisionism. 

More low journalism in Lake Worth...

From Lake WorthLife we have this news about Channel 25 (WPBF) in Lake Worth trolling for a story:

UPDATED... PLEASE READ AND SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS...

Get Ready...
Here it comes once again...
Lake Worth in the news...
This time watch WOBF
[sic, WPBF] CHANNEL 25, for a LIVE BROADCAST from the Cultural Plaza...
The reporter says it's about the Black Lives Matter posted all over downtown...
How much more are we supposed to keep taking from a local news media of news stations always hammering our city of Lake worth, which is striving to positively move forward on so many levels in so many ways, and on so many fronts...

Well, it appears PBSO has images of a black male and female at night downtown plastering them, so rather than discuss anything with the city they would rather try to tie our city to a nationwide campaign in a city that is arguably the most culturally, spiritually, economically, sexually, and politically diverse than any other community anywhere in the state... Yet we are also a very openly accepting community for the most part...

Mel and Vinnie - Lake Worth and Other Florida Gigs!


Here are some dates to come out, hear us, hear others, be with us ....details to follow where needed. News at the end.

Sunday December 28  King Mango Strut in Coconut Grove. Parade starts at 2pm. This year we honor Fred Hunt, friend, artist, husband to AnnaMaria and an original marching Fred. He passed in September.  We will be with the Grateful Fred Heads with kazoos-probably walking in front of the Coconut Grove Drum Circle float.

Monday Dec 29 The Living Room Mel and Vinnie with Dan Berger on harmonica. Bill Hartmann Showcase 6:30 - 9:30, 35 minute set between 7 and 9. Boynton Beach.

Tuesday Dec 30  Brewhouse Gallery Showcase, Mel, Vinnie and Bill Hartmann in the round 8:30 - 10. Come early for the first set - other musicians 7 - 8:30. Lake Park.

2015 Happy New Year
Tuesday Jan 6  Brewhouse Gallery Showcase, 7-8:30 Mel and Vinnie duo in the round with two other performers.  8:30 - 9 another group of performers in the round. Lake Park.

Monday Jan 12 The Living Room Mel and Vinnie duo.  Bill Hartmann Showcase 6:30 - 9:30, 35 minute set between 7 and 9. Boynton Beach.

Friday Jan 16 7-7:30pm and 8:30-9pm Evening on the Avenue Intermission Spotlights, Cultural Plaza, Lake Worth. M Street and Lake Ave.

Monday January 19 Lake Worth’s 21st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration.  Interfaith breakfast, candlelight march, commemorative program, fellowship dinner. Free. Mel and Vinnie duo have a song at the Interfaith Prayer Breakfast, 7:30 - 9am at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church (South E Street and 10th Ave South). The Candlelight March gathers at 5pm at Lake Worth City Hall (Lake Avenue and Dixie Hwy) to walk down Lake Avenue to the Cultural Plaza (Lake Ave and M Street). At 5:30 in the Cultural Plaza is the MLK Commemorative Program.  From 6 -8 pm is the MLK Fellowship Dinner at the First Baptist Church (M Street and 2nd Ave South).

Thursday January 22 Mel and Vinnie duo 7-10pm on the patio at South Shores Tavern corner of Lucerne and M Street.

Monday Jan 26 The Living Room Mel and Vinnie duo. Bill Hartmann Showcase 6:30 - 9:30, 35 minute set between 7 and 9. Boynton Beach. Rick and Donna Nestler duo are in town and in the showcase too.

Tuesday Jan 27  Brewhouse Gallery Showcase, Mel and Vinnie duo in the round one set, Rick and Donna Nestler duo in the round the other set.  7 - 10.  Lake Park.

Wednesday January 28 Vinnie C on the patio 7-10pm at South Shores Tavern corner of Lucerne and M Street.

Wednesday February 11 Vinnie C on the patio 7-10pm at South Shores Tavern corner of Lucerne and M Street.

Saturday February 21 Mel and Vinnie duo on the patio 2 - 6pm at South Shores Tavern corner of Lucerne and M Street.  The Street Painting Festival is Saturday and Sunday February 21 and 22nd. 10am - 7pm both days.  Leave time to find parking, tens of thousands of people come to this event.

March 13-15 is the 26th Annual Will McLean Festival. we will again volunteer as stage emcees and host a Sunday morning workshop "Sing Out for Pete". Come check out this festival in Brooksville, (North Florida) great folks, nice campground, Florida folk music.

Record Store Day at Top Five on J Street in Lake Worth April 18th

Earth Day Celebration in the Cultural Plaza in Lake Worth.

We are over 1100 views on our "Lake Worth Anthem", It Feels Like Home to Me. Thank you each and everyone who promotes the YouTube of it.  It was one of ten songs in the songbook for holiday bike carols the Thursday Night Pedalers in Lake Worth used this year. Feeling the love.

Wishing you health, happiness and sufficiency in the New Year


Mel and Vinnie

Go Green! Special to DZ


We're making progress!!!

Adam Sacasa at the Sun Sentinel got it wrong. No surprise there for the Sun Sentinel. But the Palm Beach Post reporter got it right! Note this story from Chris Persaud:
Lisa Adams and Walter Petro took the silver Chevrolet Impala without permission and refused to return the keys to her son and his girlfriend during a 1:45 a.m. incident outside an apartment in the Grant Park area of suburban Lake Worth [emphasis added], the sheriff’s office said in an arrest report made public Wednesday.
[and...]
They recently had been staying with the son at the suburban Lake Worth [emphasis added] residence, north of Melaleuca Lane and west of Davis Road, the report said.
Keep up the hard work folks. When you see a reporter about town, especially from Channel 12 (WPEC), kindly teach them the difference between Lake Worth and suburban Lake Worth. They'll get it right at some point. The reporters will go back to the office and then teach the Channel 12 assignment editors the difference.

Pinkie see, Pinkie do...Plagiarization Pinkie-style

[UPDATE! Read this post originally published on 12/19 and see the update at the end!]

On Thursday, December 18, Pinkie in the fReNZy of President Obama's change in Cuba policy, posted this on her blog:

Then, after expelling her thoughts, four comments were posted on her blog. Three were "anonymous" and there was one from the "Pinkie" - aka Lynn Anderson. (Why an "author" needs to comment on a post 'that author' presumably wrote shows a high degree of either defensiveness or mental instability. This is a common practice "over there" which makes one wonder how many authors contribute material on a regular basis, but I digress.)

Now for the evidence of Pinkie's plagiarism. Note this screen grab from her blog:

Note she "writes" three paragraphs. Here is the first paragraph which IS original content and not taken: 

I don't have time to disagree with you on your comments but I will say you have NO clue what Bush did for Florida. He was a great governor--and I was a diehard Dem at that time.

Now, here is the second paragraph on her blog. On the face of it, you think to yourself: "My this person is a real policy wonk to remember abstract statistics from Florida governor administrations, three editions past." Then you realize what she did here: 

While Governor, Jeb Bush reduced taxes by $19 billion, reduced the size of state government by 6.6 percent, vetoed $2 billion in new spending, and presided over Florida receiving the highest possible bond rating.[30]

When you go to Wikipedia about Jebb Bush here is what you see:

While Governor, Jeb Bush reduced taxes by $19 billion, reduced the size of state government by 6.6 percent, vetoed $2 billion in new spending, and presided over Florida receiving the highest possible bond rating.[30]


Lynn Anderson plagiarized word-for-word from Wikipedia with no attribution. Now the third paragraph from Lynn Anderson:

In May 2006, as part of a $448.7-million line-item veto of state funding, Bush cut a total of $5.8 million in grants to public libraries, pilot projects for library homework help and web-based high-school texts, and funding for a joint-use library in Tampa

This is from the Jeb Bush Wikipedia page:

In May 2006, as part of a $448.7-million line-item veto of state funding, Bush cut a total of $5.8 million in grants to public libraries, pilot projects for library homework help and web-based high-school texts, and funding for a joint-use library in Tampa.[36]

Again, Lynn Anderson plagiarized word-for-word from Wikipedia, except for the end punctuation and the footnote number "36". Duh, leaving trails Ms. Pinkie.

Wikipedia has firm principles and one of those is "never plagiarize from sources." Even from Wikipedia. Wikipedia has very simple rules for attribution, just mention the sourced material is from Wikipedia and no other permissions are necessary. Links are a good way to do this.

So, the question now is...how much "intellectual" content has Lynn Anderson stolen? We may never know. The abacus would have a meltdown if we were to try.
------------------

Here is the Update! Lynn Anderson responds to my post...
The new standard on Pinkie's blog is "plagiarizing in 'comments' is acceptable." Well, that's news. Not the part about plagiarizing. The part about her having a set of standards.

From the NAPC

From the NAPC we have this good news:
Congratulations to the Pineapple Beach Neighborhood! Their new street banners are up and they are beautiful! PBNA participated in last year's REAP series of classes and was awarded a grant to fund these banners. Additional banners for Pineapple Beach were funded through a similar grant awarded to the NAPC. What an excellent way to begin a new year demonstrating pride in this wonderful neighborhood.
Congratulations Pineapple Beach!