An idea from Ryan Maier (candidate for Lake Worth commissioner) that needs to stay in the coop...

Imagine walking out your back door and seeing this in the neighbor's yard...

Image from the Lake Worth Chickens facebook page, 3/16/2013

In 2009, Lake Worth came very close to allowing chickens, ducks, and bees to be farmed for 'personal' use IN THE CITY. Lake Worth even had a mayoral candidate (Rachel Waterman) who thought the Park of Commerce would be great for a large chicken breeding/egg production facility. Besides chickens needing much maintenance and coop cleaning, chickens spread viruses/bacteria and also attract predators. Raising poultry in an urban environment is a public health issue. In a city that is plagued with blighted properties, it doesn't need one more thing to regulate. And, in fact, the chickens are out of the hen house already as many readers can attest by sightings in their neighborhoods. And then there are the roosters...

For some historical perspective, here is a blog post from Tom McGow on April 18, 2009 titled, tongue-in-cheek, Farm Living Is The Life For Me. . . 

In the image below from Mr. McGow's blog, notice item 'C' from the Lake Worth Commission agenda back then:

Then-commissioner Cara Jennings was a big proponent of raising chickens within the municipal boundaries of Lake Worth. Below is one of Tom McGow's classic photoshops, note the image of Cara Jennings (top right).

So why the big deal about the raising of chickens in Lake Worth? One of the District 4 candidates challenging Commissioner John Szerdi is Ryan Maier. Mr. Maier founded the Facebook site Lake Worth Chickens. You can read the article here about Ryan Maier where Cara Jennings is quoted saying:

"There's a whole clandestine chicken army out there," said former City Commissioner Cara Jennings, who mother-henned the 2009 effort but is lying low this time.

On election day in Lake Worth this coming March there are 2 commission seats and 5 candidates seeking election. One candidate, Ryan Maier, is a reminder of an era in Lake Worth we would all rather forget. Onto the important business in front of us as a city, like fixing our infrastructure and streets.