Lake Worth Beach City Limits: 2015-11-01

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Does Jesus hate religion in the City of Lake Worth, Florida? Of course not and it's silly even to suggest Jesus hates anyone

"Jesus hates religion"?

This latest message from the 'Common Ground' (no 's') Southern Baptist church in downtown Lake Worth was posted on their Facebook page on October 31st. This is the same 'church' that waged the 'War on Jesus' in the little City of Lake Worth:

"War on Jesus"?

Here are two more charming messages for the tolerant, open, and accepting City of Lake Worth:

Jesus died on the cross to save humanity, not to start another useless religion. #lakeworth https://t.co/2qFrmKkxhM
— GOBA (@greaterorlando) November 5, 2015

And here's another charming message:

Religion steals, kills, and destroys. Jesus gives life. #lakeworth https://t.co/aw52mv48vR
— Planting in Florida (@orlandoplanting) November 5, 2015

On Sunday's, 'pastor' Mike Olive and his recovery church host service in a bar/nightclub in the City. Maybe his sermon this week will be more specific on what "useless religion" is here in Lake Worth. If you want to learn more about pastor Mike Olive's church service on Sunday mornings use this link:

Remember: Stay away from the bar, behind the curtain, and don't forget to tip your server!

The Guatemalan/Maya community in Lake Worth makes news once again

There is a lot of good news coming from the Central American immigrant community both here in the City and throughout Palm Beach County. There are two centers that support the Guatemalan/Maya community: one is El Sol in Jupiter and the other is the Guatemalan/Maya Center (GMC) here in Lake Worth. Other news is the NAPC's Tropical Ridge Neighborhood Association and the GMC are working together to solve problems such as crime, code enforcement, bulk trash pickup, and keeping the streets clear and well lit at night.

The Post's Kevin Thompson has an article about the Guatemalan/Maya community you can read here. This follows news from the Lake Worth CRA and their new exhibit to be featured at the Grand Opening of the Armory Annex:

Exciting news: the Armory Art Center's Grand Opening is November 12th.

In partnership with the City of Lake Worth, the Armory Annex, the Palm Beach Photographic Center, the Guatemalan-Maya Center and LULA, the CRA is thrilled to announce the opening of the Discovering Our New World—Immigrant Children’s Look at Lake Worth and the Armory Arts Annex Grand Opening at the Lake Worth Arts Center on Nov. 12, from 6–9 pm.

Read more about this event here. You do not want to miss this one of a kind exhibit that features 50 prints from our very own local teens who are recent immigrants from Central America. Here is an excerpt:

The Armory Annex in Lake Worth reopens its doors to host Discovering Our New World. For this photographic exhibit the Armory is privileged to collaborate with the renowned Palm Beach Photographic Centre of West Palm Beach. The show is part of the Photographic Center’s Picture My World program.

For those of you in the Central American immigrant community (or those helping their efforts) in the City of Lake Worth, suburban Lake Worth (including Palm Beach State College) and Greenacres here is how you contact the Post reporter to tell your story:
Email: kthompson@pbpost.com
561-820-4573
Twitter: @kevindthompson1

NBC5/WPTV's Jacqulyn Powell and another excellent news segment in the City of Lake Worth about Compass

Once again, Jacqulyn Powell and TV news at its best. Here are two earlier segments she did about the Lake Worth Triathlon and another on efforts to solve a senseless murder. NBC5 is putting together a powerful group of reporters keeping CBS12/WPTV and ABC25/WPBF in the rearview mirror where they rightfully belong. Charlie Keegan, Jason Hackett, Gabrielle Sarann, and Andrew Ruiz are just a few of their talented staff.

If you're going to get your news from TV then watch WPTV although it's truly entertaining now and then to watch how many times the weekend anchor at CBS12 looks at the wrong camera. It's belly busting hilarious. I'll scream at the TV, "We're over here!".

Anyhow, learn more about Jacqulyn Powell here:

Jacqulyn Powell joined WPTV as a multimedia journalist in April of 2015.
She was born in Florida, but at a young age moved to Kentucky, where she grew up. After 20 years, she’s glad to finally be able to call herself a Floridian again.
Jacqulyn grew up knowing she wanted to go into broadcasting. With parents in the radio business, she had her own talk show at age 12. In a high school broadcasting class, she discovered that pairing videography with her love of presenting was even more exciting and decided she wanted to go into TV news. By her senior year, she’d won a Robert F. Kennedy Award for humanitarian journalism and was flown to a ceremony in Washington D.C. to meet the Kennedy family.

Here is her latest news segment which is partly about Compass and their efforts to aid the transgender community in Palm Beach County:

Lake Worth's own dwindling Anarchist community gets featured in The Palm Beach Post

If you don't have online access to The Palm Beach Post you can still read about EarthFirst! leader Peter Tsolkas' three clan members who were found guilty yesterday (11/6). Post reporter Daphne Duret's article is in today's (Saturday) print edition, below the fold, under an article about Santa and his merry band of elves:

Note that the "Briger Forest" is now called the Alton Tract in Palm Beach Gardens.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

Afterwards, the activists said their friends’ convictions will only serve to continue their case. Panagioti [sic] Tsolkas echoed the sentiments of Schlesinger [Assistant Public Defender Brad Schlesinger], who in his closing arguments compared the Everglades Earth First! agenda to the civil rights movement. [emphasis added]
“It’s our responsibility to stand up to injustice and whether the law recognizes that or not is secondary,” he said. “We’ve seen that throughout our history.”

The "battery in the lake" is not mentioned in the article, but if you're interested in learning more about that use this link.

The van used in the protest by EarthFirst! was disabled by removal of the acid-filled battery which was then thrown into a lake. Thankfully, the Palm Beach Gardens Police Dept. was there to contain the environmental damage.

Friday, November 6, 2015

Women's Health Conference at Compass GLCC Saturday from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM

Compass invites you to attend the First Annual Women’s Health Conference on Saturday (11/7)! Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (LBT) women can be at greater risk for certain health disparities, but often face significant barriers to addressing them. The first step to overcoming these barriers is through education. This conference is designed to address the unique and diverse needs of women in our community. A free box lunch will be provided to those who register in advance.

To learn more about Compass located in downtown Lake Worth use this link. They have a new website that's a big improvement over the previous one.

The Post's Kevin Thompson wrote an article about the conference tomorrow and interviews Julie Seaver, Compass' Operations Director.

If you have community news you want to share from the City of Lake Worth, suburban Lake Worth (including Palm Beach State College) and Greenacres, here is how you contact the Post reporter:
Email: kthompson@pbpost.com
561-820-4573
Twitter: @kevindthompson1

[UPDATE] Everglades EarthFirst! and the trial of the century (and what about that battery in the lake?)

Daphne Duret at the Post has the latest: All three Everglades EarthFirst! members were found guilty.

[UPDATE: The Post is all over this story and so is CBS12/WPTV. The New Times also did an article that's long and repetitive, multiple cut & pastes from previous articles by a former writer who likes to tell people he used to write for the Village Voice. Check back to this blog later for more on the trial of the century. Oh! And one more thing, see if you can spot one of the EF!ers on trial in this video from a Lake Worth City Commission meeting:
Continue reading the blog post from earlier in the week about the EF! protest last November that could have benefited from additional training and planning:]

Just when you thought. . .

Last November my good friends here in Lake Worth, Everglades EarthFirst!, had a protest in Palm Beach Gardens. It was a chilly morning I recall and everyone in Palm Beach County was riveted to the TV screen. The NBC5/WPTV helicopter caught the entire protest from the air. There was a beat-up old van in the middle of the road with two women attached to it. But they screwed it up.

The protesters disabled the van and for some inexplicable reason, with the 1,000+ ways to disable a vehicle, these radical environmentalists chose to remove the battery and throw it into a lake. Not kidding. There was no word if any gopher tortoises or green indigo snakes were injured in the throwing process.

Here is my blog post from last November about all this.

Here is the latest news: the three that were arrested that day are on trial this Thursday:

Spread the word. This should be one hell of a fun rally.

And one more thing, on that day of the protest last November, EF! made another really big mistake. When they stopped the van in the middle of the road blocking the Mandell Jewish Community Center they didn't know this center also served as a school for little children. As you can imagine the authorities are not too keen on little frightened kids being sent home for the day. Oooops.

NAPC Food Drive TODAY (11/6) by the NAPC Front Porch at the Cultural Plaza

Canned goods will be collected on the NAPC Front Porch TODAY (11/6) at Evening on the Avenues. Proceeds from popcorn sales will also be donated to the First Congregational Church to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy items. The First Congregational Church at 1415 North K Street serves our less fortunate neighbors wonderful dinners at Thanksgiving and all year round.

Thursday, November 5, 2015

I hear this is what it is/was like at Stella's Salon

It's my understanding that Commissioner Maier is moving his salon from Stella's on North Federal to South J Street. I hear that The Obtuse Blogger (TOB) is a regular now. She's lookin' sharp!

Here's a retro idea for the new salon that would be Lake Worth-y. Groovy, baby! British accents optional.

Below is a video of TOB at a recent City Commission meeting. Look how her hair keeps its body despite head bobs and shakes. Great job, Ryan!

School evacuated in Lake Worth, FL? News from NBC5/WPTV and ABC25/WPBF

If you live in Lake Worth, FL, don't be alarmed. Both WPTV and WPBF got it wrong again. Haven't checked CBS12/WPTV yet but wouldn't hold out much hope they got it right either.

The school, Indian Pines Elementary, is west of the Great Walled City of Atlantis. The reporters are using Zip Codes again instead of doing their jobs.

If you have a child in a school in Lake Worth such as the high school or Barton Elementary and you feared for the safety of your child here is how you contact WPTV and let them know you're not amused. I'd give you the contact info for WPBF but it wouldn't make any difference.

All in all though, if you're going to get your news from TV your best choice is NBC5/WPTV. At least they acknowledge the challenges of accuracy of news reporting in suburban Lake Worth:

@WesBlackman Twitter only allows for so many characters so you'll have to bear with us! T to be as descriptive as possible.
— WPTV Traffic (@wptvTRAFFIC) November 4, 2015

From Jennifer Sorentrue: Three organizations up for Palm Beach County's "top tourism prize": The Providencia Award 2015

Here are the three:

Here is an excerpt from the article that also appeared in the Post's print edition yesterday (11/4):

Discover The Palm Beaches, the county’s official tourism marketing organization, is set to unveil its plan to representatives of the local tourism and hospitality industry. About 200 people are expected to attend the annual presentation, which will be held at the Harriet Himmel Theatre in West Palm Beach.
Roughly 6.3 million travelers visited Palm Beach County in 2014, and industry officials have said the county is on pace to beat that record this year.
For the first eight months of the year, the countywide hotel occupancy rate was 75.4 percent — a number that has risen slightly, even as the county’s inventory of hotel rooms has grown. [emphasis added]

Discover the Palm Beaches recently produced a new video you can watch here. There's a little city in central Palm Beach County that doesn't have an abundance of hotel rooms but it does have a spectacular BEACH!. Stop by and visit some time:

#IDo at #sunset ♡ #LakeWorthCasino #LakeWorthBeach pic.twitter.com/4mbsuMNLdI
— Lake Worth Casino (@LakeWorthCasino) October 11, 2015

Fracking bill in Florida House easily passes to create a regulatory structure: now on to the Senate

First a question: Would natural gas availability influence a home buyers decision to purchase a home in Lake Worth located in central Palm Beach County? Read about that surprising answer later. First, here is the news from Margie Menzel at the News Service of Florida:

The bill would set up a state permitting process for fracking and require oil and gas companies to register the chemicals they use on a national website. It would also require the companies to inform the state Department of Environmental Protection of chemicals they inject into the ground — after the fact, not before. And it would set aside $1 million for a study on the impact of fracking.
"I believe that it improves our environment here in Florida," Rodrigues [Rep. Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero] said.
Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples, is sponsoring a similar bill in the Senate.
The proposal is backed by the Florida Petroleum Council, Associated Industries of Florida and the Florida Chamber of Commerce, which contend that fracking would boost jobs and energy independence.
"It's transformed America," Dave Mica of the Florida Petroleum Council told the House panel. "It's made us an energy-producing nation. It's showing up in the prices your constituents pay at the pump." [emphasis added]

Now for the answer, would someone choose to purchase a home in Lake Worth as opposed to other cities in Palm Beach County because of natural gas service? Yes. Many areas in the City of Lake Worth have natural gas service and it's a huge benefit to lower a homes energy costs. An electric dryer is an energy hog, for example.

A few months ago talked to a home buyer in the City and she told me that access to gas for a stove and a grill was the tipping point in her decision to buy a home here. The energy savings are enormous and cooking with gas gives better results than using an electric stove. Another benefit is if the electric power goes out you can still cook meals.

However, it's not all good news for natural gas in Lake Worth. There's still the issue of that capped gas line that no one in the media will touch that's costing the taxpayers $64,000 a month:

Interesting isn't it? Not even The Palm Beach Post will do an article about this.

Salt Lake City Mayoral election! Congratulations Jackie Biskupski

"On the shoulders of Harvey Milk" says the Salt Lake City Tribune, in announcing the election of the first openly Gay Mayor to the city that is home of the conservative Mormon Church. Mayor elect Janet Biskupski, "Hope is never silent!"

Congratulations!

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Everglades EarthFirst! Rally TOMORROW in West Palm and the Post's Linda Santacruz article from Nov. 7, 2014

Below is the FlockNote that I received on Monday about this rally:

Don't know what a FlockNote is? Learn more here.

Here is a blog post from Tuesday (11/3) with some history on how we got here. This story can't be told without mentioning that "battery in the lake". What began as a protest to get people thinking ended up having everyone scratching their heads instead.

Here is an excerpt from Linda Santacruz, The Palm Beach Post reporter on the scene that chilly day last year:

The protesters were activists with Everglades Earth First, demonstrating against The Kolter Group development taking place in Palm Beach Gardens’ Briger Forest. Two women chained themselves to a disabled vehicle that blocked the site’s construction entrance and, unintentionally, the school’s access road.
The two women stood on either side of the van, reaching through the broken windows with their wrists chained together, police said. A pipe was placed over their arms to prevent authorities from cutting the chain.
The protesters also removed the van’s battery and dumped it in a nearby lake. It was later recovered to prevent any chemical spills, police said. [emphasis added]

[And about the school that was forced to close. . .]

Head of school for The Meyer Academy, Nammie Ichilov, said he canceled school to not scare the children. Protesters apologized, saying they meant to solely target the forest.
“We’re sorry to the parents, the kids and the workers that were affected today,” said protester Tuesday Gilliam of Lake Worth.

This protest, along with all the others ended up a moot point. The Alton Tract, formerly known as the 'Briger Forest' was approved for development by the Palm Beach Gardens city commission.

Lost to history: 5 historic homes, hotels, clubs demolished in PBC and why the Gulf Stream Hotel's not safe from demolition

The Palm Beach Post's Staci Sturrock came out with an article last March about historic structures in Palm Beach County's past that are no longer with us. Some were included on the National Register of Historic Places, which shows placement on that list is not a guarantee against demolition. The number one example is the Brelsford House. I believe it was this family that deeded the land for the Lake Worth beach.

Missing from the list are properties like the grand Pennsylvania Hotel that stood on West Palm Beach's waterfront for years until replaced by a high-rise retirement home, along with nearly all of the largest Palm Beach estates.

Here is the latest excerpt in the series on the history of the Gulf Stream Hotel that appears in the Coastal Observer:

From Vox: Where did the "soul patch" come from?

Here is the definition of a "soul patch" from Wikipedia. If you're not already aware, were under a rock or in outer space, the iconic Bamboo Room in Lake Worth has reopened and you can expect to see more than a few soul patches around town. To "Follow" the Bamboo Room on Twitter click on the Follow icon below:

Don't miss our $5 Tito's Thursday along with our 1st Annual Broom-ball Tournament @ 7pm for the Toys… https://t.co/sua1qifZV9
— The Bamboo Room (@TheBambooRoomLW) November 3, 2015

In this short 2-minute video Vox explains the history of that facial hair style which is a lot more interesting than you might expect:

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Worth Noting, the City of Lake Worth's Newsletter: How Does the Code Enforcement Process Work?

First, to subscribe to the City's newsletter use this link.

This latest newsletter from the City is an excellent piece of work and explains how the code enforcement process works from the beginning to the end and is required reading for those who have an interest in this subject. Here is the opening paragraph from the article:

Over the years, Lake Worth residents have had many questions regarding the code compliance program. Mark Woods, Code Compliance Manager for the City, laid out each step of the code process so that residents may better understand the process and what takes place when a violation is reported or violation notice is issued. The process is governed by state law (Fl. Statute 162). Although there may be minor differences from city to city, most of the steps in the code violation process are the same statewide.

Here is one the the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) in the article:

Doesn’t the [code enforcement] hearing always side with the City?
Not at all. According to Woods, there is no silver bullet. Many times, depending on the evidence presented, the specific law used in the violation, and the property owner’s actions, the hearing ends in the property owner’s favor.
“We’re in this together,” said Woods. "Residents (property owners) and code compliance officials must work together to improve the City of Lake Worth by following the state process, one property at a time."

Please share this information with your neighbors and help get the word out.

The entry below appeared on the "Common Ground" (no 's') church's Facebook page: "Jesus hates religion" in Lake Worth

The entry above is from October 31st.

In case you haven't heard the 'Common Ground' church now holds service each Sunday at a bar/night club in the City. You can read all about that curious development here.

Here is another charming message from the 'Common Ground' church:

Remember the "War on Jesus"?

So what are all the other churches and people of faith in Lake Worth to think about the 'Common Ground' church's claim that "Jesus hates religion" in the City? A sign of things to come from 'pastor' Mike Olive and his flock?

Raphael Clemente: Okeechobee Blvd.'s wide lanes are "begging you to go 50"

Tony Doris at the Post has this news which also appears on the front page of today's paper (11/3) above the fold. Jesse Bailey at Walkable West Palm, Jeff Speck, and many others will not be happy to learn that narrowing of the lanes on Okeechobee Blvd ARE NOT being considered by FDOT which, in my opinion, negates many of the changes being proposed in the first place.

Following Jeff Speck's presentation before the West Palm Beach city commission on walkability/bikeability and the inherent danger of 12' lanes in cities I met briefly with Mr. Speck and thanked him for all the work he had done. Also spoke with Raphael Clemente who was still recovering from his bicycle crash when he was hit by a car on Okeechobee Blvd as you'll read about in the excerpt from Tony Doris below.

The interesting thing is FDOT sees the obvious need to narrow lanes on a bridge for safety but doesn't see the same advantages on one of West Palm Beach's main arterial roads. So how do pedestrians and bicyclists benefit from 12' lanes on Okeechobee Blvd.? Lowering the speed limit from 40 to 35 is an improvement but doesn't solve the problem. Wide lanes encourage higher speeds; lowering the speed limit by 5 mph seems like FDOT is pandering to the 'Complete Streets' movement. The underlying message: the car is still "king".

Here is the excerpt from Raphael Clemente in the Post:

Clemente, with his 7-year-old daughter Kaia on the back of his bicycle, was hit by a car in 2013, while heading to a performance of “Mary Poppins” at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. A car making an illegal U-turn struck them. She broke her left arm and he needed knee surgery.
Clemente points to a federal chart showing that pedestrians have an 85 percent chance of dying if a car hits them going 40 mph, 45 percent at 30 mph but just 5 percent at 20 mph.
“Look at the difference between speeds and likelihood of fatality,” he says. “This does not account for what is termed ‘incapacitating’ injury, which skyrockets as speeds go up.”
Keeping lanes almost as wide as on an interstate highway only encourages speeding, Clemente adds. That’s a well-studied phenomenon and it’s why there’s a move on nationally to narrow lanes, add shade trees and create a sense of scale in road design, he says. When the lanes are wide and clear, he says, “it’s begging you to go 50.” [emphasis added]

And the work continues. . .

SFWMD: Moving water south from Lake Okeechobee (2014–2015)

Here is an amazing interactive map released by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). A description of the map:

Since Nov. 1, 2014, through June 1, 2015, South Florida Water Management District operations moved approximately 308.13 billion gallons of water from Lake Okeechobee – that's the same as 716,382 football fields filled with 1 foot of water.

An image from the map produced by the SFWMD demonstrating where water was moved to from Lake Okeechobee.

[Here is more about the enormously successful efforts by the SFWMD and farmers to reduce the amount of phosphorus entering the Florida Everglades.]

From AFNS: Who is Rand Paul?

Here are some things you probably didn't know about Rand Paul from America's Finest News Service:

Effect Of Campaign Bumper Sticker On Car’s Resale Value: -11.5%
Political Vision: Supports bipartisanship between the Tea Party and GOP
Piercings: 12
Crossover Voter Appeal: Reaches fans as young as 18 and as old as 20
Number Of Friends’ Status Updates You’ll Have To Scroll Past Regarding His Vision For Country Over Next Year: 131
Campaign Strategy: Hoping college-aged white males come to comprise over half of U.S. population
Platform: Heavy focus on abolishing and repealing, with lesser focus on dismantling, rescinding, and abrogating

Monday, November 2, 2015

One of many ways code enforcement has improved neighborhoods in the City of Lake Worth: The Tropical Ridge example

Every now and then there will be a feeble attempt at revisionism concerning code enforcement in Lake Worth from 4 years ago and prior—an effort that falls flat when the facts are presented. The department was gutted by a previous city manager and the City's neighborhoods suffered as a result.

It's taken a huge effort by many to improve the code department and the City is getting the word out to the community via their Worth Noting newsletter. Below is another example how much things have improved, a video of the president of the Tropical Ridge Neighborhood Assoc. before the City Commission on October 20th.

There are three parts of this 8:00 minute video you should pay particular attention to:

1:30–3:00: Community crime watch in Tropical Ridge and assignment of block captains; teaming up with City's code enforcement.
4:15–6:00: A clever way to teach the community how the City's bulk trash pickup works; partnership with PBSO to help resolve issues.
7:10 to end: Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell is impressed with the creative ways Tropical Ridge has gone about solving problems.

This is all good news that the local media, for the most part, isn't interested in reporting. Share this link with your friends and neighbors (copy & paste into an email).

Another message of hate (one of many from that blogger) from the outskirts of town

Thankfully, this hateful blogger lives on the outskirts of town and doesn't get involved in community betterment efforts. Is it any wonder why? She's in a very small minority of people that are trying to drive wedges between communities and foment discontent.

The Obtuse Blogger (TOB) could use an intervention by her 'pastor', don't you think?

The mantra of peace and non-violence is the stronger of the messages in all of Palm Beach County following recent events, including right here in the little City of Lake Worth. However, that doesn't mean the haters will stop trying—they'll get more shrill and unhinged until the time when they flame out—like they always do.

It's times like this when the community and religious leaders do their best work and most of that hard work you'll never hear about. They're not looking around for news vans and hamming for a camera shot; they're more concerned about making the city and community a better place to live. They're all owed a debt of gratitude.

There are so many good things happening in Lake Worth and that's the real story. Don't get distracted by the haters.

Catherine Tate and "the offensive translator"—yes, it's OK to laugh sometimes

In this comedy sketch by Catherine Tate she manages to offend just about everyone. Warning: do not watch this video if you've been completely indoctrinated into the political correctness culture. Over 2 million have viewed this video and you'll see why, it's hilariously funny:

[UPDATE2] [UPDATE1] The Post giveth and the Post taketh away

[UPDATE 2: The Post article about Bud Greene finally made the print edition and my prediction was wrong as you'll discover below. He appears below the fold in Monday's paper under an article about a trash plant. An appropriate place for his story if there ever was one (learn the difference between above and below the fold here)]

[UPDATE 1: The Post article about a Lake Worth code enforcement issue is available to read as digital content. The subject of the article, Bud Greene, was never a City code enforcement official—he sat for a time on the defunct Code Enforcement Board that was disbanded about ten years ago or so because it became too political. In its place now is a Special Magistrate which is much more impartial and professional. This article will likely appear in Sunday's print edition above the fold. FYI, did you know the Post's newspapers are printed by the Sun Sentinel? It's true and you can read about that here.]

There's been so much good news about Lake Worth of late, from all kinds of sources, including The Palm Beach Post. From the Little Free Libraries, to the re-opening of the Bamboo Room and the City's beefed-up code enforcement department it's been a steady stream of positive news.

So just want to prepare you for the upcoming news from the Post's Kevin Thompson that will probably appear in the Sunday edition, front page, above the fold. Mr. Thompson met one of our long-time residents in our revitalizing downtown:

PB Post blog: Why this Lake Worth man is complaining about the property next to his house....https://t.co/wRAcix4wFW pic.twitter.com/uF2RiN2oN0
— Kevin D. Thompson (@KevinDThompson1) October 29, 2015

It will be interesting to read the pitch in the Post. Stay tuned as they say.

If you have an upcoming event or positive City news you want to share with the Post from the City of Lake Worth, suburban Lake Worth (including Palm Beach State College) and Greenacres here is how you contact the Post reporter:
Email: kthompson@pbpost.com
561-820-4573
Twitter: @kevindthompson1

Sunday, November 1, 2015

The famous or infamous and always popular food review by the elusive (and reclusive?) Joseph Thompson III

Some hilarity is in order: this post from last January continues to be one of the most viewed ever on this blog. The food reviewer 'Joseph Thompson III' did a review of our spectacular restaurant Benny's on the Beach and was never heard from again. He simply appeared and then disappeared like he vanished into thin air.

Since then there have been many glowing food reviews by Liz Balmaseda and Staci Sturrock at the Post and many others including the much-sought-after food reviewer Nicole Danna at the Broward New Times.

Anyhow, if your looking for something to do on Saturday the 14th, here's an idea:

Join us in November 14th for this awesome show in South Florida on the beach @bennysbeachfans from 2-5!! pic.twitter.com/0grXDVNNE2
— raquel renner (@raquelrenner) October 28, 2015

Lee Lipton, the owner of Benny's took the restaurant from about twenty employees to over 70 now. A job well done.

Anthony Noto

“Great leaders of organizations run after problems, make their footprint bigger than their foot, and always strive to find the truth — because you have to get to the truth to be excellent.”

From the Shiny Sheet: "Scripps Florida to now sponsor Palm Beach Civic Association"

Jane Fetterly at the Palm Beach Daily News (aka the Shiny Sheet) has this business item:

Scripps Florida is strengthening ties to the island with the announcement it will be the corporate sponsor for the Palm Beach Civic Association.
Steve Kay, president-elect of The Scripps Research Institute, said the organization wants “to solidify bonds between our scientists and the physicians, patients and public who will benefit from our biomedical research.” [emphasis added]
The Jupiter facility, which employs 600 people, focuses on new approaches to diseases such as diabetes and addiction.

Learn more about Scripps' community outreach programs in Florida:

The mission of The Scripps Research Institute's education outreach programs on the Jupiter campus is to advance bioscience education and awareness throughout the state of Florida. Scripps faculty, graduate students, and staff are committed to working for the betterment of local and regional communities.

Crime in Wellington: And will this lesson ever be learned?

Here is a crime that occurred in Wellington and see if anything jumps out at you, particularly if you live in Lake Worth:

OCT. 22 — Deputies from the Wellington substation of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office were called to two homes on Doubletree Circle in the Pinewood community last Thursday morning regarding vehicle burglaries. According to one PBSO report, sometime between 10 p.m. last Wednesday and 7 a.m. last Thursday, someone entered the victim’s 2013 Ford Taurus, moved a hair clip and stole a radar detector. According to a second PBSO report, sometime between 10 p.m. last Wednesday and 12:28 p.m. last Thursday, someone entered the victim’s unlocked 2014 Toyota 4Runner and stole an Apple iPad mini, valued at $300, and a lottery ticket.

When you read through the list of crimes listed here in the Town-Crier many of them are burglaries of unlocked vehicles. Which begs the question, is this a burglary or an invitation?

As we've recently learned from PBSO in Lake Worth (District 14) unlocked vehicles and bicycles are one of the big reasons crime in the City remains statistically higher than it should be. In September angered some people with this post titled, "Newsflash: PBSO can't fix stupid and they can't fix lazy either".

It's true that some car owners keep their vehicles unlocked so the window won't get smashed or the lock jimmied. In that case it would be wise not to leave anything in the vehicle—even a lottery ticket.