Dalai Lama

Neither peace nor war exists independently of us. Political and military leaders have grave responsibilities with respect to peace - but they too are members of the society that we as individuals help to create. Peace in the world depends on peace in the hearts of individuals; this depends on each of us practising ethics by disciplining our negative thoughts and emotions, and developing basic spiritual qualities.

Palm Bay-Bayside 55, Lake Worth 25: Bears end Trojans' season at 9-3

Click title for link to PBP article.  Congratulations to the Lake Worth Trojan football team - you will rise again next year.  As to city officials who are boastful and unwilling to see realities, it's time to get downright biblical.

Quote from yesterday's article:
"Our city is creating a buzz," said Lake Worth Vice Mayor Suzanne Mulvehill. "The beach project is being done for the first time in 30 years, the football team is this good for the first time in 30 years. We're all moving together in the right direction."

Proverbs 16 New International Version

1To man belong the plans of the heart,

but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.

2All a man’s ways seem innocent to him,

but motives are weighed by the LORD.

3Commit to the LORD whatever you do,

and your plans will succeed.

4The LORD works out everything for his own ends—

even the wicked for a day of disaster.

5The LORD detests all the proud of heart.

Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

6Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;

through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil.

7When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD,

he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.

8Better a little with righteousness

than much gain with injustice.

9In his heart a man plans his course,

but the LORD determines his steps.

10The lips of a king speak as an oracle,

and his mouth should not betray justice.

11Honest scales and balances are from the LORD;

all the weights in the bag are of his making.

12Kings detest wrongdoing,

for a throne is established through righteousness.

13Kings take pleasure in honest lips;

they value a man who speaks the truth.

14A king’s wrath is a messenger of death,

but a wise man will appease it.

15When a king’s face brightens, it means life;

his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.

16How much better to get wisdom than gold,

to choose understanding rather than silver!

17The highway of the upright avoids evil;

he who guards his way guards his life.

18Pride goes before destruction,

a haughty spirit before a fall.

19Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed

than to share plunder with the proud.

20Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,

and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.

21The wise in heart are called discerning,

and pleasant words promote instruction.^a

22Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it,

but folly brings punishment to fools.

23A wise man’s heart guides his mouth,

and his lips promote instruction.^b

24Pleasant words are a honeycomb,

sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

25There is a way that seems right to a man,

but in the end it leads to death.

26The laborer’s appetite works for him;

his hunger drives him on.

27A scoundrel plots evil,

and his speech is like a scorching fire.

28A perverse man stirs up dissension,

and a gossip separates close friends.

29A violent man entices his neighbor

and leads him down a path that is not good.

30He who winks with his eye is plotting perversity;

he who purses his lips is bent on evil.

31Gray hair is a crown of splendor;

it is attained by a righteous life.

32Better a patient man than a warrior,

a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.

33The lot is cast into the lap,

but its every decision is from the LORD.

Lake Worth High Trojans 9-2; Regional Semi-final Game Tonight! 7:30 p.m.

These were videos I took from August 2009 - a pep rally for the Lake Worth High Trojans football team held at the Cultural Plaza.  This season, the team has come on strong with a 9-2 record.  Two things that are coincidental in my relationship with Lake Worth.  One is that my high school colors were maroon and white and my college colors were maroon and cream - roughly the same as Lake Worth's.  Also, Lake Worth's football resurgence comes at the same time as the Michigan State Spartans' (the team I follow from my home state) resurgence (10-1 going into Saturday's game against Penn State).  In recent years, they have had the same off and on, more off than on, success as Lake Worth.  It's good to see them both doing great in 2010.

Click title for link to Palm Beach Post article on the team's success.  It's important to point out that extra-curricular activities, like football - I happened to be in the band, help keep kids motivated to stay in school and be part of something larger than themselves.  While I don't subscribe to the belief expressed in the article that the Trojan's success parallels Lake Worth's "turn-around" - hardly, it's great that the kids and families associated with the high school have something to cheer about.  Can the PBP ever not act as the propaganda arm for our "best Commission ever?"  GAG!

Get this from newly re-elected Vice-Mayor Mulvehill's quote from the article:

"Our city is creating a buzz," said Lake Worth Vice Mayor Suzanne Mulvehill. "The beach project is being done for the first time in 30 years, the football team is this good for the first time in 30 years. We're all moving together in the right direction."

Puh-leeze!  And the last time anything significant was done to the Casino Building was the late 1940s - that's 70 years ago.  The last time the site was touched in a major way was the 1960s.  The only buzz I am hearing is the ringing in my ears from all the propaganda machines humming away.

Lake Worth Hammon Park condo and townhouse project to resume building

Click title for link to PBP article.  Yours truly helped write the grant application; the one that was recently closed on and mentioned in the article.

ROLOH Neighborhood Association Holiday Reminders

Dear Neighbors and Friends,

 

As we kicked off the Holiday Season with Thanksgiving we need to remember the joy and meaning of all the Holidays this time of year.  We at ROLOH wish each and everyone of our Neighbors, Friends and Partners the best Holiday Cheer, and that your holiday is a joyous occasion.

 

As a reminder this is also the time of year where we see an increase of vehicle, home and backyard burglaries.  We want to encourage everyone to enjoy your holiday but also be aware of what is going on in and around your area.  As you travel to and from work, shopping or where ever your travels take you......Slow down just a bit while in your neighborhood and look down the alleys and streets.  If you see anything that is suspicious please report it to our PBSO D14 Team.  Non-Emergency Number is 561-688-3400 and of course a crime in progress is 911.

 

We can assure all of you that our PBSO D14 Team is working dilegently on keeping us safe this holiday season but just like ANY OTHER Policing unit they can be much more successful if we as citizens are participating in the process.  As neighbors we are tasked with the responsibility to ourselves to help each other.....that is how a sucessful neighborhood watch along side cooperation with our own PBSO D14 team will make a difference.

 

You can also participate in a more direct way bY becoming a C.O.P. Volunteer!  Unit 109 for Lake Worth is in constant demand for more drivers and observers and we encourage everyone to think about participating in this program.  For those who would like to know more about PBSO this is a great program to be involved to learn more and help out your neighbors at the same time.

 

Remember that our PBSO D14 is putting their lives on the line for us everyday....They have brought more resources to our city than we have every seen in the past and they are making a difference.  With that in mind please note that they as well as any Policing Operation can not be in every place at every moment which is why your personal contributions of being alert and being pro-active by keeping your automobiles locked, homes and yards secured and report any and all suspicious activities is a must.

 

When we say PBSO D14 Team that means all of us as residents as C.O.P's and PBSO, we are all part of the picture to help make Lake Worth Safer!  Thank You to everyone who is making a difference and for the Community and Neighbor Leaders a simple thing I did this morning was drive my own neighborhood as a representative of ROLOH, took a look around and spoke with several neighbors to make sure they are aware.  Raising awareness is very important and please be Happy & Safe this Holiday Season!! 

 

Click here for PBSO's 2010 Holiday Tip Flyer!

 

ROLOH 

Proudly serving the Residents
Of Lake Osborne Heights
www.roloh.org

Area Briefs: Fort Worth recognized for 'positivity' | Fort Worth | News from Fort Worth,...

Would Lake Worth, in its current configuration, ever be considered? Click title for link.

Beilinson_Gomez Architects PA - AIA Miami 2010 Awards

This firm was one of the finalists for the Casino project and my personal favorite - both for background and overall concept.  This is the text that came in the accompanying e-mail:

BEILINSON_GOMEZ ARCHITECTS PA. RECEIVED MULTIPLE HONORS AT THE 56TH ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS, MIAMI CHAPTER, HELD ON NOVEMBER 20th, 2010

THE ALTOS DEL MAR SCULPTURE PARK RECEIVED AN EXCELLENCE IN ARCHITECTURE UNBUILT PROJECT DESIGN AWARD AND   LES   BEILINSON   AIA, LEED AP   RECEIVED     A PROFESSIONAL HONOR AWARD FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION.

IN THE PAST 6 YEARS BEILINSON_GOMEZ ARCHITECTS HAS BEEN HONORED WITH OVER 40 AWARDS FOR DESIGN ACHIVEMENTS; DEMOSTRATING OUR    COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN   &   SERVICE.

Beach Parking Meters

I went to the beach today and met a good friend for lunch at Benny's.

I parked in front of one of the self-service meters on the south end of the upper parking lot.  As soon as I approached the meter, the screen said that it was out of service.  So, I went to try another one in the middle of the parking lot, which "worked."  In the meantime, I counted three people that tried to put money in the other meter that I had just tried.  When I went back toward the car, near the meter that wasn't working, the screen no longer indicated that it wasn't in service.  So I am sure many will attempt to feed it until sometime in the future when it is fixed.  This being the day before the extended Thanksgiving Day weekend, that may be awhile.

I took the above picture right after I had put my money in the meter that was "working."  This was to show that I put in $1.25 and got the equivalent of 48 minutes.  Now, is the new rate $1.50 an hour or is it $1.25 an hour.  I think it's a $1.25 - someone please correct me if I am wrong.  I think the meters are set too slow so the meter's time is actually 15 minutes or so slower than the actual time.  For what it's worth, I got back to the car around 1:30 and there was no ticket.

(Apparently it is $1.50 an hour so there isn't trickery going on here, at least for now.  But see what lack of trust does to one's thinking?)

And we are buying more of these things?  And this is what we are relying on to support the financing for the rehabilitation project?

Tropical Ridge NA November Update II

Good Morning friends and neighbors!

Happy Thanksgiving to you! I hope you get to enjoy a nice, long holiday weekend with your family and friends. Following is an update on some recent Association activity.

December Meeting - The December meeting will be held on Monday, December 6th at 7pm. Speaking at the meeting will be Terry Edwards from the City of Lake Worth Code Enforcement department. Mr. Edwards covers most of the Tropical Ridge neighborhood and will be discussing some of the ongoing issues in the area as well as problem properties.

At the CRA meeting last night, the CRA board discussed a possible passive park on North H St. directly behind Compass Center. Creating more kid-friendly parks has been a long-standing goal of the Tropcial Ridge Neighborhood Association. At the December meeting, we would like to get your feedback on essential features you think these parks should have as well as alternate/additional locations for parks in the neighborhood. This is an excellent opportunity to let the City know how important this issue is to residents in the area, so please attend!

Garage Sale - This is our final fundraiser for the year and we need your help! In addition to donations (kids clothes, toys, books, dvds, holiday decorations, clothes), we need volunteers to sell Saturday morning and to advertise the week before. The garage sale will be on Satuday, December 4th at 7am. The CRA has agreed to allow the Neighborhood Association to use the empty lot on Lucerne and F St. This excellent location will bring lots of traffic and lots of opportunity to sell, sell, sell! Please contact ryan@tropicalridge.org or jessica@tropicalridge.org for information on how you can help.

-Ryan Anderson

The importance of structural engineering...

Reading between the lines...

The following is from the City Manager's Report, dated last Friday the 19th.

By the way, this is the 77th report from the City Manager.  I used to read them regularly for bits and pieces of information that you couldn't seem to get elsewhere and I still read them occasionally.  However, I have come to find out that they are usually filled with effusive language about how great everything is under this "enlightened" Commission and city administration.  You get the sense that now that the election is over, we can have parades in the streets about just how wonderful everything is in Lake Worth - attendance would be mandatory and all would be issued signs of their favorite Commissioner/Mayor/Manager to wave on the sidelines.

A case in point is the description about the vaunted Casino Rehabilitation Project.  Here we find out that TREMENDOUS progress was made last week.  The project team met with the "interim" building official twice.  Interesting that we have an interim building official, upon the exiting of Wayne Bergman.  So much of historic rehabilitation depends on interpretations of the building code by the building official of the local government that has jurisdiction.  There can be many gray areas when applying aspects of the code to an existing building - especially when you are doing work that exceeds the threshold of where new building standards (in relation to when the building was originally constructed) apply.  A building official is licensed by the State of Florida to do that job and it is his/her certification and license that is on the line if something goes wrong or someone challenges a particular interpretation.  I would say that, and this is an understatement, the design team would have to be careful relying on someone in that position who has "interim" status.  When the city fills that position permanently, if anything is ever permanent here in Lake Worth, the interpretations made by the interim building official could be called into question.  That is, if there is a genuine interview process and someone is not chosen for their ability to have "the same vision" as the Commission.  Do you see what I mean?  Are we ever guaranteed professional objectivity now?

The line "conducted preliminary foundation tests" is also pregnant with alternative meanings.  Why is there a need for this you ask?  Most likely to determine the extent to which the existing slab and underpinnings of the building are deficient in terms of current standards for coastal construction.  This is where the largest unforeseen conditions lie and where the most unforeseen circumstances lurk - resulting in extensions to the project schedule - delays - and cost overruns.  Notice the next part of that sentence talks about an "updated project schedule."  Remember, the newly minted Vice-Mayor Mulvehill promised that groundbreaking will take place June of 2011 during her campaign.

I am glad to see that the city is following procedure and ushering this through review by the Planning and Zoning Board.  The project should go through the process like any other project that would be subject to review by the board, period.

The biggest caveat and understatement of the "Beach and Casino Updates" is the cryptic line: "The beach and casino project teams also worked to strategize issues surrounding CCL permitting..."  CCL stands for Coastal Construction Line.  We learn here that there are "issues" and a need to "strategiize" - really?  See discussion above regarding preliminary foundation tests.  Timing?  There is a lot that is not being said here.

Stand by for the City Commission work session on December 14th when the teams will be making presentations about the status of the design development phase.

And, I almost forgot - they talked with the structural engineer about "selective demolition."  I will be interested to see what is left of the building after this "selective demolition."

The Place Making Dividend Planning Commissioners Journal Fall 2010 Issue Edward T. McMahon

Good article about the importance of "place" and design in urban planning.  The article's focus is on Georgetown - which at first glance one would think would have little relation to Lake Worth in terms of a retail marketplace.  However, Robert Gibbs, who was in Lake Worth during the Citizen's Master Plan process brought by Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, identified the retail market in Palm Beach County as one of the best in the nation - and Lake Worth is sitting right in the middle of it.  We just aren't taking advantage of it.  The powers-that-be seem content to let people spend their money in other communities than ours.

The City Commission and Planning and Zoning Board have ignored that effort and others.  Commissioner Golden is re-confirmed as the Commission's liaison to Treasure Coast.  As long as this is so, expect little information or back and forth between the city of Lake Worth and its regional planning council.

Click title for link to article.

Holiday Wonderland Event

They're back...

Average time on site statistics - any guesses who this is?

Curious...

The Department of Community Affairs (DCA), the state agency that reviews changes to local government Comprehensive Plans, has called of revising its Rule 9J-5 which regulates how those plans are reviewed - and enforces their minimum requirements for that review.

This is what they say:

The Department has decided to withdraw the proposed rule at this time to more carefully review and consider the comments we have received. A Notice will be published in the Florida Administrative Weekly on November 24 to formally announce this withdrawal.

It's House Bill 697 (2008) that is prompting the changes. Click here for an overview of that bill.  It deals strongly with the link between land use patterns and energy use/carbon release - something that certain people have a difficult time with as it relates to Lake Worth.  Those that are most concerned about global warming and its effects seem un-bothered by discouraging redevelopment and more density and intensity in Lake Worth - as growth should be directed to communities with existing infrastructure and access to mass transit and other means of transportation.  Limiting  height to three stories uniformly throughout the city is heading in the WRONG direction.

The above link will lead to other links which support these ideas regarding optimum urban land use patterns.

Of course, this whole process would have been stalled had Amendment 4 passed.  I'll keep you posted on what I am hearing.

TSA Warns Travelers May Be Arrested, Detained, and Fined for Refusing Search

More freedoms limited or privacy invaded, with heavy consequences...click title for link.

Buying a Car a Little Harder Now - News, Sports, Jobs - The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

Click title for link to article regarding new steps the federal government is checking on who you are. Thanks to our New Zealand correspondent for the link.