The Pee and Flush Heard Around the World: IT'S LOUDER IN TEXAS

You are not going to believe this until you watch the video. A councilman in Texas forgets to take his mike off and goes to the bathroom and EVERYBODY HEARS THE WHOLE THING. The pee, the flush, and HE DOESN'T WASH HIS HANDS. This is just too funny:

Press Release, City of Lake Worth: Bryant Park boat ramp & 5th Annual Women 5K Race

     The Fifth Annual Women for Women 5K Race will be held on Saturday May 09, 2015. The City will be closing down the Bryant Park boat ramps on Friday, May 08, 2015 at midnight and will reopen on Saturday May 09, 2015 at 10:00 a.m.
     For any further information on the 5K race or boat ramp closure please contact the Leisure Services Department at 561-586-1600.

Welcome to Bike Month

Lake Worth Critical Mass ride tonight (5/1/15): Had a great time and nice job Corkers!

Getting ready. A couple of minutes before the start. My guess there were between 90 and 100 riders. Huge turnout.

Yours Truly.

On Dixie Hwy, heading north towards Worthmore Drive. The 'corkers' are in charge of keeping traffic away from riders and alerting drivers. Great job tonight!

Making the turn on Worthmore Drive, heading west towards 'A' Street. Only a few people know what the route is, by the way. 

It's about 7:50 now and the sun's setting. The ride ended about 8:40 in the Downtown. The driving public seemed surprised and pleasantly accommodating; it's not something you see every day. Mission accomplished!

It's at times like this when we feel this way...how do you say "Tribune" in Korean?

"Newspaper" in Korean.
신문 sinmun

From Facebook, Margaret Menge's Farewell Pity Party: "Dear Readers of The Lake Worth Tribune"

"I want to thank those of you who have told me over these last few months how much you enjoy the paper, and to let you know, with regret, that I could not make it work as a business, and so have to close up shop.

I began with the the idea, the conviction, that residents of Lake Worth needed more information about their community -- that they were hungry for it, and that they deserved it as citizens and taxpayers.

I tried every week to give you the information that I thought you would want to know, and to present it in a way that was highly readable.

I started with about $15,000 in savings, and took out a loan for $15,000. My father bought $600 worth of stock in the corporation and I assigned stock to an old friend from New York who once gave me $1000 when I was working to start a paper in Key West.

I had a plan. That plan showed us selling enough advertising to cover the expense of printing and distributing a newspaper every week, and a little more. Unfortunately, I faced a number of obstacles. Many of them I expected. I knew going in, for example, what happens when you start publishing a spirited newspaper that shines a light on some things that some people would like to keep hidden. The bullets fly. This is a very good sign and I was cheered by it.

But I didn't expect a sitting city commissioner to go to our downtown businesses and tell them not to advertise in the Tribune. And I didn't expect people to go up and down Dixie Hwy. stealing stacks of newspapers after the chair of a city board encouraged them to do it.

I'm sad for Lake Worth that we have these sorts of people here. This is a wonderful town, in so many ways, and we have so many intelligent and kind people living here.

Speaking of...I had lots of help with the paper. A number of friends helped in a number of ways. I won't soon forget it.

I'm sorry I couldn't keep it going. Lake Worth really does deserve a good newspaper. It's a heck of a town.

Margaret Menge, Editor and Publisher
The Lake Worth Tribune"

[To the top, by request] Tony Doris at The Palm Beach Post: look at what you've wrought!

[This post is from last Tuesday, 4/28. It's the cause of some hilarity in the City because it proves the general level of dysfunction and hysteria that an issue can create, despite all evidence to the contrary. So, without further ado, look at what Tony Doris has wrought...]

Yesterday published a post about a neighborhood meeting in West Palm Beach. You can read that here. Thanks to the hard work by West Palm Beach Commissioner Shanon Materio (and Lake Worth business owner) and many others, people are starting to look at the C-51 Canal in a different way.

The Post reporter Tony Doris was at that meeting and he wrote 6 words, that as soon as I read them, knew a certain unhinged woman with a blog would absolutely lose it. Here are those 6 words Mr. Doris wrote:

coordinating efforts with neighboring Lake Worth

When you combine the following elements, Mr. Doris, you're certain to create unhinged hysteria:

• West Palm Beach
• Lake Worth 
• Coordination
• Shanon Materio

Put those elements in any story and Weetha Peebull's dosage increases, you're happy Lake Worth doesn't have tall buildings, and no one is surprised to see a naked woman running down the street yelling at the top of her lungs.

So, for the edification of Mr. Tony Doris, here is a sample of the unhinged hysteria you created as evidenced on a loony blog here in Lake Worth (this is just a sample; have it from a 3rd party source the comments are nearing 60 and climbing):

Note: West Palm Beach Commissioner Shanon Materio gets mentioned IN THE FIRST SENTENCE!

"Secret meetings"

"Muther Fuc$ers"? So charming isn't it?

How did Jimmy Fallon get mixed up in this?

"Please refrain from personal attacks; I won't let that happen on MY BLOG". Huh?

The "Falkirk Wheel"? Getting a little off topic here?

The Lake Worth CRA, as everyone knows, is a Shadow Government.

Bringing all the facts together and explaining the obvious: Kimberly Mitchell is the Devil!

Digital Domain. NOW I UNDERSTAND! How come I didn't understand this before?

Conspiracy exposed. 

Preview to the "Problems at the Lake Worth Beach" post to come (more research needed)

These are pictures of the crowd that assembled in the Commission Chambers last Tuesday (4/28) for the ITN Selection Committee meeting. Public comment was not allowed during the meeting and those assembled were generally well-behaved.

I'm in the process now of going through the videos I took and summarizing the weaknesses of the beach site plan and places at the beach operations/facilities that need improvement. There has been a reluctance to do this. Perhaps some people don't want the likely finger-pointing at previous City Commissions. The problems there are all our problems now and we really should strive to improve what has continually been referred to as the crown jewel of the city and let the chips fall where they may.

How can we fix the problem if the problem isn't clearly defined?

"The beach" certainly can spark an emotional response. Political opportunists use these sort of issues to rally people, get their attention and then try to maintain that steam over time to determine future elections.

More than a few people have pointed out that if the actual people that attended the meeting on Tuesday night went to the pool or the beach on a regular basis, it would result in a few different outcomes. One is that the city would have more money in its coffers through parking revenue and pool admission fees. And the other is that people would also have a good idea about what is wrong with the property's layout and function, experience it for themselves through unfiltered eyes.

This is only a small example on the first of many issues to explore. There is no relationship or connection between the NEW casino building and the pool.

This picture is of the southwest corner of the Casino building and the northeast corner of the pool deck. Here we have the required ADA ramp connecting the two areas, but I have never seen it used. There is a gate at the top of the ramp that is always closed. People do line up here, behind the gate, and the area on the second level just above here, and look at the pool. You can read people's minds as you see them from the pool and they must be thinking, "Gee, that looks like a nice pool. But, how do you get in? Is it open to the public? What are its hours of operation? Huh, let's get some pizza."

The truth is this: the "new" Casino building was constructed without regard to the pool; like it wasn't even there. Was the original plan to have two entrances, with two people taking entrance fees, and double the coverage for safety issues?

You can also see the staining of the cast stone (the cast stone could have been one of those items that was value-engineered out of the building, but we have it). There is a scupper right above the middle of the column that attempts to eliminate the water from the walkway around the second floor. It's placement makes the staining that you see on the cast stone. It's this way all around the building and it looks terrible. In the picture, you can also see where the paint is peeling from the fence, gate or cage, depending on how you want to refer to it. And this reflects the quality of materials used on the building. This shouldn't be happening to a building that has yet to reach its third anniversary.

I know, the building is susceptible to the effects of salt water. Ludicrous. And I'll also deal with that ridiculous notion.

More to come as I review the video from Tuesday night. In the meantime, if you haven't been to the pool, I encourage you to go.

Job Search and Resume Workshop

The Lake Worth Public Library in cooperation with “Can U Start” is sponsoring a “by appointment only” Job Search and Resume Workshop Wednesday, May 13th. There will be help there for you to put your best “you” forward along with providing job placement services to more than 1000+ readily available jobs. The workshop will be held at the City Hall Annex Building’s Commission Room located at 414 Lake Ave., Lake Worth.

This is a free event. For your appointment, please email “Can U Start” at Yes@CanUStart.com, or call 305-928-8011. Workshop hours are 10 am-11 am, 11 am-12 pm, and 12 pm-1 pm, reserve your spot today!

Soothing, sorrowful, sad songs

It's Evening on the Avenue tonight in downtown Lake Worth

The music is by the legendary Bobby Nathan Band and the intermission spotlight is by Cassidy Diana.

And don't forget to stop by the NAPC Front Porch!

AFNS: "Tim Tebow Figures Ingraining Himself In Philadelphia Charity Scene Best Shot Of Sticking With Team"

America's Finest News Source (AFNS) has this news about Tim Tebow:

Days after being signed to a one-year contract with the Eagles, quarterback Tim Tebow admitted to reporters Wednesday that firmly ingraining himself in Philadelphia’s charity scene probably constitutes his best shot of remaining with the team long-term. “If I want to still be here beyond training camp, I’ll have to be seriously involved with as many charities and nonprofits as possible right from the get-go,” said Tebow, noting that he plans on committing his time to various children’s hospitals and food banks, as well as to every single one of the city’s Ronald McDonald House locations, in hopes of becoming a beloved, indispensable member of the Philadelphia community.

Andy Reid at the Sun Sentinel: more Lake Okeechobee water releases on the way

For some pleasant, relaxing reading you might want to consider this and this. The Lake Okeechobee water levels are very important because water enters the lake at times (from rainfall and the river flows from the north) much faster than the water can be released. So the decision to release water, how much and when, is a highly educated guess but also very necessary.

Andy Reid mentions below the condition of the "troubled dike". The dike he is referring to is the Herbert Hoover Dike which surrounds the lake. At a certain water level, and I'm not certain what that is, the dike is almost sure to fail at some location. I encourage everyone to read this article and learn more about this situation; it's crucial to our everyday life here in south Florida. 

Here is an excerpt from the article by Andy Reid:

     More Lake Okeechobee water will be drained east and west to ease South Florida flooding threats, despite concerns about spreading a toxic algae bloom, federal officials announced Thursday.
     A spike in rainfall is boosting water levels and increasing the strain on the lake's troubled dike, considered one of the country's most at risk of a breach.
     Draining nearly 2 billion gallons a day of lake water out to sea, as proposed, lessens the pressure on the erosion-prone dike. [emphasis added] But that draining also wastes water that could replenish the Everglades and help restock South Florida drinking water supplies.
     In addition, lake discharges to the east and west can worsen water quality problems in the normally salty fishing grounds near the coast.

It's "he said, she said" in the Town of Palm Beach (33480)

Aleese Kopf has some encouraging news, it seems our City of Lake Worth is not unique it turns out. Here from the article in the Palm Beach Daily News (aka, Shiny Sheet) titled, "Town rebuffs Midtown sand report by Coalition to Save Our Shoreline"

     The town has repeatedly said that sand pumped onto Midtown beaches meet state requirements. But the Coalition to Save Our Shoreline and others have said it’s too fine.
     A recent joint sand-sampling effort with representatives from both sides was aimed at settling the debate. But an SOS report released Saturday prompted a lengthy response from the town that takes issue with some of the SOS report’s claims.
     On April 3, five samples were taken within 200 feet of each other on Reach 4 near Seaview Avenue. Town consultant Scientific Environmental Applications tested the town’s half of those samples and independent geotechnical firm Ardaman and Associates tested the SOS half.

Special on week old baked goods at Publix

Taken 4/30/15

Free, week old newspapers at the Lake Worth Publix last night. Take a handful now. New ones out today (maybe). Get yours before they end up in the waste stream. Great for wrapping fish, kitty litter pans, papier-mâché projects with the kids, etc.

See it here first! Sneak Peek at Marge Mange's Cribune: the Beach was STOLEN

Reports of Marge Mange raising the price of her tabloid are untrue. It's still $0.12. Almost every downtown establishment is offering the tabloid FREE to the public mostly because they're tired of having to throw it away all the time: "If you see it, take it". 

Search party formed! Stay tuned and please, CALM DOWN DAMMIT!!!!!

Please, don't get hysterical. We'll get to the bottom of this and find out who stole the BEACH!

Lake Worth Mayor Pam Triolo and the National Day of Prayer, Thursday, May 7th

Image courtesy of The Lake Worth Herald.

Charlie Keegan at NBC5/WPTV: Must Watch news segment

What an awesome news story by Charlie Keegan. This is about the South Florida National Cemetery and their efforts to honor the fallen. You should really check it out.

Entire Lake Worth ITN Beach Selection Committee Public Meeting (4/28/15 ): VIDEO

Videos in order and in playlist format. Notes and commentary to follow. Stay tuned.

State Senator Jeff Clemens to stay in Senate seat...

A little dry humor from our former Mayor.

Another day, another correction in The Palm Beach Post

This is four days in a row now:

If you're wondering where "page S4" is, that was the ridiculous 8-page insert in last Sunday's Post titled, "SHIELDED BY THE BADGE". It was after that people started to openly wonder if "Line Of Fire" was a story or an agenda. 

And in other news:

All Aboard Florida: the project is coming into focus

In case you missed this news from earlier in the week . . . Brian Bandell at the South Florida Business Journal has this article titled, "All Aboard Florida strikes deal for residential at West Palm Beach station":

     All Aboard Florida has a pending deal [deal is now complete] with West Palm Beach to allow residential units at its high-speed rail station and create an access road.
     According to a news release from the city, the deal has been in negotiations for a year and will come to a vote before the city commission on Monday. It’s part of All Aboard Florida’s passenger rail line between Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando. The project is under construction.
     Under the proposed agreement, All Aboard Florida would build an access road from Clematis Street to the station and purchase the required land at a cost of about $3.8 million. The company would donate the road and the redevelopment properties to the city.

Understand the underground utility work has commenced so that's why you don't see a whole lot of activity right now. That's going to change real soon. All Aboard Florida is a huge story and what's coming on its heels is the even bigger story for cities such as Lake Worth: that's the Florida Coastal Link. Lake Worth will be getting its own downtown stop projected to be in 2018.

Last one first: From the ITN Meeting vis-à-vis the Lake Worth Casino complex

This is the last in the series from the meeting last Tuesday (4/28) from the Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) Selection Committee. I am starting with this one as it includes a summary of the recommendations by the Committee and an agreement to dissolve the selection process. The three recommendations to the City Commission are:

• Ask the Commission to approve a Request for Qualifications for a study of the beach to include traffic generation, usage, parking, access, ADA requirements and the feasibility of whether or not any additional square footage of buildings/uses is possible. This might result in a change to the Beach and Casino future land use designation in the Comprehensive Plan and the Beach and Casino zoning district in the land development regulations.
• That the Commission hold a workshop to focus on the overall budget issues with the beach, the sources of revenue and expenses related to its current operation.
• That the Commission proceed to negotiate with Anderson and Carr regarding the second floor space in the Casino building and determine policies related to same.

I'll post the series of videos from Tuesday night (4/28) as a playlist so that you can hear the entire meeting.

[Hugely popular post] Pineapple Beach Meeting—Comm. Maier and absurd comparison—Delray Beach and Lake Worth

[This post from yesterday generated a huge amount of traffic. The story of Commissioner Ryan Maier's appearance at this neighborhood assoc. meeting also gets reported in The Lake Worth Herald this week, page 6. Curiously, Pelican Pete had this interesting observation on page 1 that's completely irrelevant, or is it?:

Is it true there is a house in Lake Worth that was divided without permits...purchased with CDC funds... needs the Potty Doctor...and half of house is rented... more to come.

Hmmmm, I wonder what that's all about?

Here is the original post of Maier's attendance at a neighborhood meeting:]

The Pineapple Beach Neighborhood Association (a part of the greater Lake Worth NAPC) had their monthly meeting last night at South Grade Elementary. After an emotional attack on Hudson Holdings by Neighborhood Association President Pam Bergsma stating that our beach shouldn't be turned into a private club, she introduces Ryan Maier, Commissioner of District #4. Pineapple Beach is in his district.

In his talk, he talks about the comparison of Delray Beach to Lake Worth and concludes that Delray Beach is gentrified from what it was before development. Commissioner Maier seems not to understand Delray Beach is almost twice the size of Lake Worth population-wise. To get a dose of reality, here is how Google compares the various cities' populations:

Maier makes the claim that the people in Delray today are not the same ones that were in Delray 20 years ago "when Delray started to develop." The word "gentrification" is mentioned and he suggests that he wants Lake Worth to maintain its diversity and wants everyone who is here now to benefit from those changes. I would suggest to you that most people who have lived in Lake Worth a long time have seen a change in the population living here over twenty years, and it would not be a fair comparison to Delray Beach. Notice too (above) how the Lake Worth population line is flat in relation to the larger Delray Beach city population. Delray Beach is also about 2.5 times the geographic area of Lake Worth. These are city limit comparisons, not mailing address comparisons, again from Google:

So, we can conclude that Lake Worth is not and really can never be "another Delray" as Lake Worth really cannot get any bigger than it already is, with few exceptions. And can we conclude that population growth is flat in Lake Worth. Now let's look at income levels in the two cities:

Per capita income in Delray Beach is twice what it is in Lake Worth. These again are city-only figures. Is the message Maier is sending xenophobic or is it saying that current residents have to "get used to living in a ghetto" as former Commissioner JoAnn Golden once quipped?

He then segues into the residential crime rate, how it is high and says that Lake Worth has a lot of halfway houses. He then goes on to compare Lake Worth with Delray Beach again, this time describing Delray Beach in a favorable light related to how they are dealing with the halfway house/sober house problem. So here it's fine to look at Delray Beach as an example.

He then talks about the ITN meeting tonight and encourages people to attend. He concludes that the next big issue will be the lighting contract the city will be considering.

And he actually says, "I'm not just going to get in the way of things while I am on the Commission." He explains how he wants to open single family residential areas so that people can make art there.

At the 14:20 mark, he is asked a question about the Charter and if the city is precluded from selling the beach property. He says that the city can lease the beach for 99 years, by renewing 20 year leases (minus a day) four or five times to the same tenant. Here is what the charter actually says about the property east of A1A, the city's 19 acre beach property:

Sec. 3. - City-owned property east of the A1A roadway.
City-owned property East of the A1A roadway shall not be declared surplus property, and shall not be sold, hypothecated, conveyed, or leased, except for a lease of less than 20 years, without the affirmative vote of a majority of the electors of the City of Lake Worth at a properly noticed and scheduled referendum.
(Ord. No. 2004-5, § 3, 1-6-04)

There is nothing here that allows renewal of a twenty year lease (minus a day) lease to be extended and the city couldn't lease "the beach" for 99 years unless there is an affirmative vote of the electorate. This goes back to the same argument made in the McNamara lawsuit against the city's development agreement with Greater Bay. It was this lawsuit that cast a cloud over the Casino complex project so that Greater Bay could not actively solicit financing, thereby being unable to move forward with their redevelopment plan. The city's breach of that contract eventually ended up with a $1.6 million settlement to Greater Bay from the city, along with $900,000 of legal costs in defense of the city's breach of contract. Commissioner Maier then acknowledges that there are private entities at "the beach" now that have leases with the city.

Please listen and watch the entire video. It seems as though we are still in the same hamster cage with the same wheel.

This is the last minute of Commissioner Maier's talk, where he is "blinded by the light."

Let's conclude with this appropriate pop music classic:

This just in from Google Maps - Someone stole the beach!

Palm Beach Post: going from $1 to $1.50 for daily edition (Monday to Saturday)

Leslie Gray Streeter and MUST READ in the Post today

Leslie Gray Streeter has a powerful commentary in The Palm Beach Post today. She doesn't pull any punches in defending the City she loves: Baltimore. Here is an excerpt:

     I don’t know who started it, whose fault it is, whether it’s cops or gangs or kids or what. All I know is that my city is in flames, lit by an anger and a righteous weariness, fanned by idiots who in some cases don’t even live there [emphasis added], but then kept alive by criminals and craziness.
     The reporters are calling these “violent protests,” but the crazies setting fires don’t care about Freddie Gray or why he wound up dead with a broken back after being arrested by Baltimore City Police. They just want to destroy, and that desire ignites and burns and eats itself and ignites again, and it’s all there on TV where everyone can see it. And even though it has nothing to do with me, these people share my city of birth and my skin color and they won’t stop destroying, and at this point it doesn’t matter why.
     This is not all Baltimoreans, not all black people. These are some. But people all over the world who know nothing else about my city are having their suspicions confirmed by people who do not care about it.

Baltimore is being exploited by many who have an agenda that has nothing to do with race; race is the convenient cover.

There are many people who work tirelessly making society better but you must acknowledge also there are others who work just as tirelessly to exploit cracks in society to tear it apart. To not be aware of that is naïve at best. It's been proven conclusively in places such as Durham, North Carolina, that outside provocateurs have fomented violence in the wake of what happened in Ferguson, MO. There's no doubt in my mind that's the case in Baltimore right now.

No doubt the vast majority of Black and African Americans in Baltimore are terribly disturbed with what is happening there.

Last night (4/29) in the Lake Worth City Commission chambers a former city commissioner, Cara Jennings, wore a shirt emblazoned with the message "#blacklivesmatter". True. Black lives do matter and so do White lives, Haitian lives, Guatemalan lives, and every other life. Cara Jennings was at a protest here in Lake Worth last year that featured these two signs:

That protest ended peacefully and everyone went home. For the next few days there was talk about it, what it meant and who benefited (if anyone), a lot of noise on Facebook, and a few angry emails . . . and a week later it was all forgotten. Well, mostly forgotten.

This Sunday in Lake Worth will be a Crime Walk with PBSO. Later on I'll post the specifics, location and time, etc. The stated purpose of the walk is to raise awareness in neighborhoods about crime and what people can do about it. They'll be walking streets and alleys and documenting the things they see then work with PBSO to come up with solutions.

At last years protest the goal was clear and you had to be blind not to see it: some in our City of Lake Worth were trying to drive a wedge between the Guatemalan community and other communities/organizations in our City. They were called out and that effort failed.

The point is this: if you see something say something. If you see what you think is someone or a group of people trying to cause trouble or foment trouble in the community make sure you tell someone. It's that simple. Stay vigilant and aware.

Lake Worth Herald editorial, 4/23, in its entirety

On Thursday of last week published a short excerpt of The Lake Worth Herald editorial titled, "Re-Arrange the Agenda". Public comment is near the beginning of the commission meeting and it's becoming more silly each and every week. The suggestion has been made to move public comment on items not on the agenda (non-agenda) towards the end of the meeting. Of course, comment on agenda items would continue. So here without further ado is the editorial that has some in our City pulling their hair out:

     City Attorney Glen Torcivia threw out a suggestion to re-arrange the City Commission Agenda by moving the “Commission Liaison Reports and Comments” and “Public Participation of Non-agenda Items and Consent Agenda” to take place after the business of the Commission has been completed.
     This will receive resistance from some of those attending the meetings because they will have to wait until later in the evening to have their say. There will still be public comment on each agenda item as they are being considered by the commission so it would only affect those with something to say about items the commission is not considering during the meeting, and items on the consent agenda which receive no comment or discussion. Consent agenda items for which the commission wishes discussion are pulled and made part of the meeting’s business. 
     This re-ordering of events will bring Lake Worth back to previous ordering and it is the common ordering in most other municipalities. 
     Taking care of business first will allow the commission to consider things before they are exhausted and fresher minds make better decisions. 
     Many of those who will be upset with the re-ordering are those who appear at every meeting to put on a theatrical display for the webcam and the audience in the commission chambers. They usually have nothing constructive to add to the meeting and just like to hear themselves talk. Many leave the meeting right after speaking their piece, displaying their lack of interest in the true business of the city. [emphasis added]
     Commissioners have been using the “Liaison Reports” opportunity to politic and push individual agendas, also not constructive to the meeting.
     Staff and others attending the meeting to conduct business have to hang around until everyone else has had their say. This pushes the business of the meeting back until later hours in the evening and it would be better to take care of business first and then let the theatre open. 
     Members of the audience, if it is getting too late, can submit a card and have their thoughts read into the record by the mayor. 
     It is time the business of the city comes first and show-time be icing on the cake. 
     This will upset many who think what they have to say is more important than the City’s business, or just like to take every opportunity to throw darts at commissioners. 
     There are those who must speak on every topic even if they don’t have a clue what they are talking about, and the City Commissioners and Mayor and others on the dais must sit and listen to senseless babble. 
     These commissioners were elected to do a job, and in Lake Worth, they are given little opportunity to do it. There are those who think they can do a better job but they don’t make any attempt to get elected, just sit back and throw stones. There are those who were once elected officials, now un-elected, who think they can do a better job, who just try to cause havoc on the dais. 
     Some good thought comes from the public, but it is far outweighed by senseless babble from the same lips over and over again.

Another day, another correction at the Post; this one's a doozie

Three days in a row now for The Palm Beach Post. On Monday the Post had to inform their readers that no, Joan Collins is not dead. She's very much still with us. Tuesday had another correction; a trivial matter about a photo caption. Today's (Wednesday, 4/29) correction is a doozie and you'll understand why when you read this:

The corrections and clarifications in the Post are at the bottom right corner of page A2 most of the time. For digital subscribers there's no link for corrections. 

The takeaway from last night's ITN committee meeting vis-à-vis "the BEACH!"

According to what was said by members of the Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) selection committee, especially William Waters (Lake Worth Community Sustainability Director), there are far too many problems present in the existing beach plan to determine if current zoning regulations are appropriate for any other change to the Casino/pool complex. The committee decided to sunset itself after recommending that the City Commission go forward with the Anderson Carr proposal regarding the use of the second floor space. This was done with the caveat that something be done to accommodate a valet parking system, address some accessibility issues and some basic building design issues. They didn't have a recommendation on the Hudson Holdings (HH) proposal, even though it had been through many iterations and HH had responded to the committee's questions.

What came out of last night was a recommendation that the City Commission go out for a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to study existing and potential traffic generation scenarios, look at problems that can be fixed related to traffic circulation, ADA accessibility, separation of vehicles/pedestrians/bikes, study changes in parking lot lighting—especially the western lot. There were other issues identified and you will be able to see them once I post the video of the meeting. The study will address what, if anything, is feasible to add to what is already there at the Casino Complex and incorporate the use of a public charrette to solicit input on the changes. The study will likely cost approximately $50,000 and take about six months to complete.

So, everyone can put away the worry beads for now. By the way, there was no discussion about the sale or 99 year lease of any part of the beach. Sorry to disappoint conspiracy theorists and those with red signs. Time to manufacture another crisis.

Check back from time to time to read about the Casino complex. William Waters and Juan Ruiz (Recreation Department Director) have confirmed what I have been saying and writing for years now. The complex is a mess. William Waters confirmed that the staff at the time was ill-prepared to handle such a large project. Who was in charge of staff at the time?

NOTE: Expect to hear a lot about turtle lighting west of the Casino complex. According to Commissioner Andy Amoroso and Juan Ruiz they have gotten hundreds of complaints about the poor lighting. This is a safety issue and needs to be addressed quickly. One of the members of the ITN committee quipped of the city being lucky there hasn't been a major incident thus far. Expect this to be on the city agenda very soon.

Satire or parody? Either way this self-described "editor" fails miserably

Last Friday was Vol. 1/Issue 14 of Margaret Menge's ALWAYS FREE TABLOID (AFT) in the City of Lake Worth. She keeps threatening to charge for her tabloid but each week it appears FREE. There's little or no advertising and a scattering of classifieds in her AFT but inexplicably each Friday it appears in places like Publix and Starbucks. Who's paying for this effort? Many suspect a former city mayor is responsible.

Ms. Menge's terrible reporting is now the stuff of legends in the City: from proposing an "Art Ship" in the Intracoastal, to her terrible treatment of a woman's death, SHOCKING! headlines, lack of corrections/clarifications, and on and on it goes.

Now she's trying her hand at satire now. Or is it parody? What we do know is this, it's not news. And it's also really, really bad. This 'article' appeared on page 7 at the top of the page, opposite the always amusing House Editorial on page 6:

Picture of Ms. Menge's piece. Note the email to left of picture. Cannot be read without magnifying glass.

What's irresponsible about this is readers, including her own readers, might conclude this is actually real news and not satire or parody. You actually have to read the entire thing to find out. Nowhere does she label it but she does leave clues; here are some:

• She refers to Lake Worth Mayor Triolo as "Mayor Pam Tricolor"
• James Tebbe of the Gulf Stream of Lake Worth Condominium Assoc. she refers to as "Jim Tube"
• Refers to "Commissioner McCoy"; a play on Comm. McVoy's name
• Refers to John Szerdi as "Seri"
• Calls the historic Sundy House the "Sandy House"
• Misspells the name of Lake Worth controller Corinne Elliott
• She publishes an email no one can read (see image above)

There are other examples but it's not my intention to bore everyone. The next time Ms. Menge takes a shot at parody/satire she really should label it as such. I'm sure her readers, the few left, would appreciate a break from all the hysteria and SHOCKING revelations. After a while even the most prone to hysteria need a break from the hamster wheel.

False Alarm: Video coming vis-à-vis ITN Committee and "the BEACH!"...