The latest news about Braves Spring Training baseball in John Prince Park (and remember to Stay Excited folks!)

Here's the latest from Joe Capozzi at the Post on Braves Spring Training baseball in John Prince Park:

     "The Braves this spring attracted 103,574 fans over 16 games, an average of 6,473 per game, at Champion Stadium (capacity 9,500) at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, according to the Florida Sports Foundation."

[and. . .]

     The Braves also said their Palm Beach County complex would bring in millions in economic benefits.
     Friday’s [April 8th] meeting came four days after more than 30 supporters [emphasis added], wearing Bring Home the Braves shirts, told county commissioners to strike a deal with the team. About 12 opponents also showed up, mainly to voice concerns about putting the complex in a public park.
     The three Braves officials flew in from Atlanta on Thursday and had dinner at Callaro’s Steak House in downtown Lake Worth, where they met briefly with Mayor Pam Triolo and City Manager Mike Bornstein.

Have you been to Callaro's lately for lunch or dinner? Check it out some time soon:

An ole fashioned open face sliced steak sandwich... on buttered garlic toast~.Mussels with lobster saffron sauce . pic.twitter.com/dA1BuS0hJB

— Callaros Steak House (@CallarosSteak) March 31, 2016

Below are two videos you'll be interested in. The first one has a technical problem that needs to be worked out. Not sure what happened to the audio:
For those who strongly support Spring Training in John Prince Park keep up the faith! Go grab those colorful baseball caps, pay attention to any and all upcoming meetings, and be ready for a celebration somewhere with Mel and Vinnie singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame!":
Remember:
"It ain't over till it's over."
—Yogi Berra

Again, just raising the question: Why were the words, "a self-proclaimed anarchist" edited out of the story about Cara Jennings?

Below are two images from the Post's online edition:

This image is from Wednesday (4/6). Note the words, "self-proclaimed anarchist" in the second paragraph.

This image is from the next day (4/7) and also as it appears in the print edition (page B1, below the fold). The reference to "anarchist" was edited out.

Everyone knows this is leading up to a grand editorial by the Post, so stay tuned for that tribute. For that exuberantly gushing praise to happen they'll have to ignore all the terrible things she did to this City as an elected commissioner, like the gutting of the code enforcement department. The work continues to this day to repair that damage, which was done intentionally during terrible economic times here in Lake Worth. Anarchists, if you didn't know, aren't big fans of code enforcement.

Cara Jennings' video was written about previously on this blog and you can read that using this link.

So why was Jennings in Gainesville? The consensus among people I've spoken with is she skipped out of Lake Worth after her chosen candidate in the last election, Ryan Hartman, was trounced by Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell. There's much wringing of hands among the Anarchists and their supporters over how badly they misjudged the mood of the public; it's no surprise Jennings would seek a friendlier place to hang around for a while til things settle down.

The other consensus is that Jennings really screwed things up by using the word "asshole" in the video. Her message was mostly a good one and needed to be stated (and I happen to agree with her on issues such as ObamaCare and Medicare), but using that word took the focus off the issues and made Jennings the focus instead. That's too bad.

"The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it."
—George Washington

But with Jennings' politics it's always been about the Cult of Personality anyhow; no big surprise there:

State Sen. Jeff Clemens will be at meeting in Lake Worth this Saturday morning, April 9th

"The Lake Worth Democratic Club (LWDC) will host State Senator Jeff Clemens on Saturday April 9th at Brogues DownUnder, 621 Lake Avenue.

It's a morning meeting: 10:00 am!

Senator Clemens will give us a legislative update on the wild and curious year in Tallahassee this past winter. He'll take questions and I'm sure you'll have some. . .

After the club meeting please stay, meet the Zone Leaders, and learn about our map to success in the November General Election.

Sam Goodstein
President, LWDC"

If you didn't know, State Senator Clemens is on Twitter also (he can explain this Tweet if you don't already know; a truly sad day for Lake Worth):

So if the Gov is going to veto all these economic development projects, why do we need a Department of Economic Opportunity?

— Jeff Clemens (@ClemensFL) June 23, 2015

Every now and then a TV news crew comes to Lake Worth, and. . .

This is a real good Lake Worth news segment from Katie Johnson at CBS5/WPTV. Here is an excerpt from the text of the story (link to site):

LAKE WORTH, Fla. - A group of 4th graders from North Grade Elementary is going to Disney World next month, thanks to the help of some local firefighters.
    John Resch is a firefighter with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue at Station 91. His son is a student at the elementary school.
     When John found out the cost of the trip was $110, he realized not every child's parents could afford to send them to Epcot.
     "We at the fire department, and in the community, raised a lot of money so everyone in this class gets to go on the Epcot trip," John said.
     He added, "We really think all these kids should have the same opportunities as any other kid."

Here is the video, Enjoy!

Volunteers needed tomorrow (Saturday, 4/9) to help clean up the Snook Islands and Lake Worth Lagoon shoreline

The information below comes from our City's paper of record and oldest business (founded in 1912), The Lake Worth Herald: 

     "Volunteers are needed for the Great American Cleanup effort in Lake Worth on Saturday, April 9th.

     Join your neighbors to help clean up the shoreline of Lake Worth Lagoon and Snook Islands area, adjacent to the Lake Worth Municipal Golf Course. 

     The area is littered with old tires, broken bits of lumber, plastic and paper trash. All are welcome to participate in this cleanup effort spearheaded by Golf Course Shoreline Clean-up April 9 the Kiwanis Club of Lake Worth in conjunction with Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful.

     Volunteers will meet at the clubhouse (located at 7th Ave. N. and the Intracoastal) at 8 a.m. You don’t have to be a Kiwanis member to join in the effort, but volunteers must be 18 years old or accompanied by a parent."

Here is more information from the article in the Herald:

• All participants are asked to park in the golf course parking lot the morning of the event. 
• Golf carts will be used to shuttle volunteers to the cleanup locations along the length of the shoreline. Plenty of garbage bags and latex gloves will be provided.
• Volunteers should wear old clothes, closed-toed shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats if possible.
• Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful is assisted locally by the Solid Waste Authority.

Lake Worth's Reggae Fest in Bryant Park begins today (April 8th) and continues tomorrow

Below are excerpts about this news from The Palm Beach Post's beat reporter for Lake Worth, Kevin Thompson (Have your own exciting community news you want to share? The reporters contact info is below):

     "Reggae Fest, hitting Bryant Park Amphitheater on April 8 and 9, has a new look, organizers say.
     Hoping to make the festival bigger, AOS Live, the event management company that took over Reggae Fest this year, added a larger main stage in the grass field by the Intracoastal to go with the concert band shell stage inside the park. Also expect to see more national acts, including Matisyahu and Black Uhuru.
     'We want to bring in heavy hitters who normally skip over this town,' said Matt Krug, AOS Live co-owner. 'We’re stepping it up. Before the festival had local acts you could find in any bar.' "

[and. . .]

     “Not only does it bring out Lake Worth residents, but we draw people from all over [Palm Beach] county who would never come to Lake Worth,” Krug said.

Use link in the first paragraph above for admission prices and other ticket information.

If you have something going on in your community in the little 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

The "Invasives and Exotics" event is TODAY at the Lake Worth Public Library

Many experts will be on hand for this event made possible by the City of Lake Worth.

Suzanne M. Holmes, the City's Public Services Coordinator, has exciting news (below) about the Tree Board. Here is her contact information:

• Phone: 561-586-1720
• Fax: 561-586-1750
• sholmes@lakeworth.org

"Lake Worth, FL – This year’s talk entitled Invasives and Exotics takes place Thursday, April 7, 2016 at the Lake Worth Public Library on 15 North M Street in beautiful downtown Lake Worth. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Presentations begin at 6:30 and continue until 8:00. Refreshments will be served. 
     Admission is free and everyone is welcome.  
     The evening’s discussions will focus on the impacts of exotic and invasive plants to South Florida and how South Florida natives allow beneficial insects, birds and butterflies to flourish:

     'It’s great to have our City Tree Board speaker series return to the Lake Worth Public Library in downtown Lake Worth,' said City of Lake Worth Horticulturalist, David McGrew, staff liaison to the board. 'The speakers will explain the exotic pest plant problem we face in South Florida.' "

Located in central Palm Beach County, Lake Worth is a dynamic, multi-cultural city with an individualistic style.  People are drawn to the city by its acceptance of different cultures and lifestyles, historic districts, hip downtown and colorful arts district.

The City of Lake Worth's water line infrastructure program: What you need to know

Use this link for maps and other helpful information. The image above is of one area in the City being improved.

The latest City of Lake Worth newsletter, Worth Noting, was recently published and contains a lot of helpful information about water line replacements. Use this link to read the newsletter; if you don't receive the newsletter sign up using this link and it will be delivered to your email inbox.

Here is an excerpt from the news:

"Lake Worth has started a 6 year project to replace 22 miles of the 2″ watermains throughout the city. The new water infrastructure will use 4-inch, 6-inch or larger PVC pipe which is durable, clean and long-lasting. They will be able to move greater volumes of water with increased pressure at the tap—think Happy Showers!

• Year 1 of the water infrastructure project has been designed by professional engineers, bid & awarded for construction.
• Year 2: Currently under design. Construction should commence in 2017.

     Improving infrastructure is expensive, and dividing the project across six years will allow the City to make the most cost-effective decisions about design, bidding and construction.
     Residents may experience minor traffic delays during construction, as many of the water mains are located under roads. The City will continue to inform residents about where and when construction will be taking place ahead of time."

Short video: A few of the speakers at the Palm Beach County Commission yesterday (April 5th)

Below is a list of speakers in the video that spoke in support of the Braves Spring Training baseball facility at John Prince Park. I wasn't able to attend the County meeting but was kept informed of what was happening. Later on and throughout the week will have videos of the meeting that occurred later on Tuesday at the Lake Worth City Commission meeting.

Was told that a number of those who showed up in opposition behaved quite rudely at the County Commission meeting and one of those people can be seen at the 9:40 mark in the video. The woman was probably unaware she was on video but this should serve as a wake-up call for people who attend government meetings: Behave yourself. How you act could reflect very badly both on the City of Lake Worth and the issue you are there to support or oppose (as well as all the other people in your group).

Here are the list of speakers so you can fast forward through the video if you wish:

• Starts off with Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell
• At 2:50 is Lake Worth business owner Dave Palumbo
• At 5:00 is Mr. Mitchell
• At 7:15 is Mr. Greg Rice 
• At 9:30 is Lisa Maxwell
• At 10:50 is former Lake Worth Commissioner Nadine Burns

The video is recorded off a TV screen so the quality is a bit poor but the audio is quite clear. Enjoy!

From the Post's Joe Capozzi: "Braves sweep doubleheader of public opinion" at the Palm Beach County Commission and Lake Worth City Hall

To no ones surprise, Katie McGiveron's promised outpouring of strong opposition to a Spring Training facility in John Prince Park never materialized. The majority of the 'Residences of Lake Osborne' are clearly not in lock-step with her self-proclaimed 'neighborhood' organization, ROLO. Who ROLO represents is actually a very narrowly focused and tiny group with a few specific, self-interested goals. Period.

To hammer that point home, below are two excerpts from The Palm Beach Post news (link to article):

     "In a doubleheader of public opinion, the Atlanta Braves came out winners Tuesday in their bid to build a spring training complex at John Prince Park in suburban Lake Worth.
     Braves supporters, wearing blue tomahawk T-shirts and holding 'Bring Home the Braves' signs, outnumbered opponents of the park plan by a 3-to-1 margin [emphasis added] at two separate public meetings."

[and. . .]

     "But more than 30 people wore the blue tomahawk T-shirts, waved Braves pennants and held '#palmbeachisbaseballcountry' signs in support of a plan to build a $100 million stadium complex in the park west of Interstate 95 near Lake Osborne. About the same number of supporters showed up outside Lake Worth City Hall.
     'It’s going to be family-oriented. I can go on my paddleboard with my glove and catch a baseball,' said Beth Scragg, who said she launched the Bring Home The Braves Facebook page, which had more than 1,000 likes."

The opponents to a baseball facility in John Prince Park have to rely on clever deception and unsubstantiated claims to bolster their size. That's been clearly demonstrated. So be prepared for more theatrics going forward from ROLO. Stay tuned as they say.

Below are two cool Tweets you'll enjoy sent out from the County Commission meeting yesterday:

Lake worth vice mayor scott maxwell is 1st speaker in support of #Braves pic.twitter.com/2hGME69NQo

— joe capozzi (@jcapozzipbpost) April 5, 2016

We are taking a detour from Uber to talk Braves spring training baseball. #PBC pic.twitter.com/OduZHOHEHz

— Skyler Swisher (@SkylerSwisher) April 5, 2016

Cara Jennings: An anti-government Anarchist wants more government services from Florida Governor Scott

The theatrics of Cara Jennings (the co-leader of Everglades EarthFirst! [EEF!]) have been well-chronicled on this blog. If you didn't know, her and EEF! have suffered a long list of defeats of late, including here in the recent City of Lake Worth elections. It was only a matter of time before they tried to gain relevance and much-needed attention once again.

Parts of the message delivered to Rick Scott at that coffee shop in Gainesville (see below) were good and needed to be said but it was given by the wrong person and in the wrong way. Calling the governor an "asshole" isn't a good approach to get him listening to one's concerns. If you've followed Jennings' antics over the years you know that the word "asshole" is one of her favorites directed at people she disagrees with. It's a conversation stopper, you might say.

For example, my friends at EEF! like to paint Your's Truly as one of those 'right-wing radicals' (as they do with almost everyone they oppose) and nothing can be further from the truth. I'm not a fan of Gov. Scott and did my part to try and defeat him at the polls. Why? I'm a big ObamaCare supporter and think Medicare needs to be greatly expanded. It was, and still is my contention that Nan Rich could have defeated Scott but she was never given that chance, realistically. The 'powers that be' settled on the safe choice, Charlie Crist, and the rest is history.

Anyhow, the latest theatrics by Jennings is in Gainesville and below are two excerpts from Arek Sarkissian at Political Fix Florida:

     "[Gov. Rick] Scott walked into the Gainesville Starbucks across the street from the Hippodrome. It’s a study spot for students who don’t mind rubbing elbows with some of the city’s homeless population, who live in a nearby tent city. The local socialist society also regularly holds informational sessions over a card table set up along the street. Downtown is also home to Gainesville’s sort-of punk scene. Finally, that particular Starbucks is a meeting spot for plenty of activists before they head over to the nearby city and county commission meetings."

[and. . .]

     "Jennings later wrote on her Facebook page that she was already upset that Scott had signed a bill that provided tougher restrictions on abortion clinics and restricted funding, albeit a small amount.
     'And then today, the governor walked right into the coffee shop I was at…and left with no coffee,' Jennings wrote."

So Jennings again has managed to get herself more media attention and hopefully this won't reflect too badly on our City of Lake Worth. And maybe from now on she'll be more careful throwing around the word "asshole". After a while people might come to discover who the real a**hole is.

One question to consider: Did that camera just happen to be there at that coffee shop to record Cara Jennings? It was a professionally shot video. Watch for yourself and you decide:

Pinned Post*: Message from a family in Lake Osborne community of Lake Worth in support of Atlanta Braves Spring Training baseball

*A "Pinned Post" is kept at, or near, the top of the blog for as long as deemed necessary by Your's Truly. Please scroll down for new content and, as always, Thank You for visiting my blog, Wes.

From: Andrew Elder
Sent: Monday, April 4, 2016 11:21 AM
To: Pam Triolo; Scott Maxwell; Christopher McVoy; Andy Amoroso; Ryan Maier
Subject: Braves Support

Mayor Triolo, Vice Mayor Maxwell and Commissioners,

My family and I are residents of Lake Osborne and have recently been reading about all the negativity towards the proposal of the Braves spring training facility. I understand that many of the detractors will be in attendance at the next local meeting and probably few of the supporters will actually be there.

Please feel free to use this email as a glowing endorsement from the young families of Lake Worth. 

Lake Worth is missing something of this style and fashion and it would benefit us immeasurably in terms of entertainment, land value, and general enhancement. As a family that has been to Abacoa literally hundreds of times over the years, a place like this in Lake Worth could be a true catalyst for positive change in our town. I know it will be a long decision process, but lets bring the Braves to Lake Worth (from a long time Cubs fan!).

Have a beautiful day,

Andrew Graham Elder

[Note: The proposed Braves facility would not be located within the municipal limits of the City of Lake Worth but in the County's John Prince Park nearby. Nevertheless, the positive impacts on Lake Worth would be tremendous, as the email above points out.]

Remember, be polite to your elected officials, no matter what side you're on in the debate about the Braves in John Prince Park

Personally, I'm not worried about the supporters of an Atlanta Braves Spring Training facility in the County's John Prince Park being disrespectful. I know they can be counted on to act properly.

But the opponents of the Braves are an entirely different story. For example, see how low they can go the last time the subject of Spring Training baseball came up in John Prince Park:

County Commissioner Shelley Vana is one of the most respected leaders in Palm Beach County. Cheap shots like the one above is how the opponents hope to draw attention to themselves. Ignore these divisive tactics.

Don't be like the opponents who are on the verge of panic! Smile, be polite, and state your case respectfully and passionately. And hope to see a big turnout tonight at City Hall in Lake Worth at 5:30.

Press Release: The School District of Palm Beach County, Office of Communications

Use this link to read the entire press release titled, "District to launch new regional offices on July 1, moving additional $5.5 million to schools". Here is an excerpt:

Posted on April 4, 2016 
WEST PALM BEACH – Four regional superintendents will be named to oversee the School District of Palm Beach County’s new regional offices, as part of District-wide reorganization that will shrink the number of District administrative jobs and move $5.5 million to schools with the highest economic need. They will begin their new roles on July 1.
     This reorganization will move the District from five area offices to four regional offices, shifting additional money and resources to schools, and allowing the District to better align with its new strategic plan. The strategic plan focuses on improving outcomes for students by increasing reading on grade level by third grade, ensuring high school readiness, increasing the graduation rate and fostering post-graduate success.

From the South Florida Business Journal: "Second Wawa planned in this South Florida city"

The city can't be Lake Worth because we haven't gotten our first Wawa yet. Here are two excerpts from this article in the South Florida Business Journal by reporter Brian Bandell:

     Deerfield Beach could get a second Wawa convenience store and gas station.
     The Pennsylvania-based company, known for its fresh food and coffee, has been lining up dozens of locations for its entry into the South Florida market. On April 7, the Deerfield Beach Planning and Zoning Board will consider a proposal by Wawa to put a store at 20 S.W. 12th Ave. – just south of Hillsboro Boulevard and west of Interstate 95.

[and. . .]

     Fort Lauderdale also has two Wawa stores planned. Other cities with Wawa locations on the way include Miami Gardens, West Palm Beach, Pompano Beach, Palm Springs, Davie, Sunrise, Riviera Beach, and Parkland.

West Palm Beach and Palm Springs have Wawa's on the way and both of them are our municipal neighbors. How long before the little City of Lake Worth makes the list? Keep your fingers crossed and hope we get some great news from the reporter some time in the near future:

Another @Wawa proposed in @Deerfieldbeach https://t.co/cYSb5ZdJdd pic.twitter.com/0vwUEElxKK

— Brian Bandell (@SFBJRealEstate) April 4, 2016

From Historic Boynton Beach on Facebook

Beautiful full color linen postcard of Boynton Inlet Motor Court, ca. 1950s. This idyllic scene reflects fishing tourism heritage in small-town Boynton Beach.

And so was the landscape along US 1 during the middle part of the 20th Century. Lake Worth had its share of tourists havens along its stretch of the highway.

Did the example set by Ft. Lauderdale's Mayor Seiler have an impact on the recent landslide elections in Lake Worth?

The answer, I think, is yes it did. Very much so. On this blog in the two months leading up to the recent March landslide elections in Lake Worth I made a big deal of what Mayor Jack Seiler went through vis-à-vis the unrelenting protests against him in Ft. Lauderdale over a homeless issue there. What Seiler went through was similar to what Lake Worth Mayor Pam Triolo, Vice Mayor Maxwell, and Commissioner Amoroso were treated to.

And just like Mayor Seiler, the Lake Worth elected officials mentioned above were also up for re-election. Coincidence? Not by a long shot. All of this was planned out a long time ago. Just like in Ft. Lauderdale some in the media were brought on board to help. Remember the "curfew" that the media tried to convince the public of which never was a curfew to begin with? Remember all the 'protesters' that were shipped in from Ft. Lauderdale that packed City Commission meetings?

On this blog made a big deal of this radio show in which Seiler (D) was interviewed by Rick Sanchez. I don't know Sanchez's politics but he was fired from CNN and hired by Fox News. So that might give you a clue. These two guys likely don't agree on a whole lot of things.

However, politics isn't the focus here: tactics are. Listen to the radio show and don't let any of the other distractions on the website take away from what they both talk about. Pay particular attention to Food Not Bombs which is mentioned and the part where the 20 or 30 protesters went to Mayor Seiler's house. It took a while but eventually they discovered they were protesting at the wrong house. It's funny what Seiler says about that.

If you want to learn more, you can read about 'Mr. Snarky'. Mr. Snarky is one of those special characters who was very loud in condemning Mayor Triolo, et al., prior to the March elections and has gone curiously silent ever since.

So how did Jack Seiler's election turn out?

Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Seiler was re-elected in a runaway landslide.

The lessons are: Don't get distracted by protests and protesters and keep focused on your goals. Have fun running your re-election campaigns and don't ever, ever let the protesters make you angry. And most importantly know this: When the voters get their chance to speak they'll make their thoughts known loud and clear on election day:

Ryan Hartman, the Anarchist and self-proclaimed 'homeless advocate', lost in a landslide.

Was the example set by Mayor Seiler a factor in the recent landslide elections on March 15th?

Press Release from City of Lake Worth: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Water Infrastructure Improvements is TOMORROW (4/5)

City of Lake Worth 
7 North Dixie Highway 
Lake Worth, FL
 
Contact: Brian Shields, P.E.
Phone: 561-586-1675 or email at bshields@lakeworth.org (copy & paste)
 
The City of Lake Worth will be hosting a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for a project that will improve the water infrastructure in Lake Worth. The project will replace the old 2″ watermain with a new 4″ watermain. The watermain project—North N Street—will be replaced by City staff and include the area between 13th Avenue North to 15th Avenue North. 

When: Tuesday, April 5, at 3:00
Where: 1332 North N Street

Please join the City in celebrating this new project as we continue to improve Lake Worth’s infrastructure.

Located in central Palm Beach County, Lake Worth is a dynamic, multi-cultural city with an individualistic style. People are drawn to the city by its acceptance of different cultures and lifestyles, historic districts, hip downtown and colorful arts district.

Appropriately, an effort begun in Lake Worth on April Fools' Day; and, joking aside, this sign raises a lot of serious questions:

Joking aside about the "April Fools", who are the Residences of Lake Osborne representing? Certainly not all of the Lake Osborne community in Lake Worth. Why doesn't the sign have a proper disclaimer informing the public who paid for this?

Here is the link to the Residences of Lake Osborne (ROLO) website and to see their blog use this link. Here are the boundaries of their organization and who they purport to represent, ROLO includes:

". . .the north side of Lake Osborne on the East side of Detroit Street and the South side of Lake Worth Road, West of I-95 and the east side of Lake Osborne Drive South to Lake Geneva Drive and part of Nanette Court on the East Side of High Ridge Road."

This map shows a partial area of the ROLO neighborhood. Is ROLO implying ALL of these "residences" oppose a Spring Training facility in the County's John Prince Park? If so, that is false.

Note that Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell represents this area of the City and he resides in the ROLO neighborhood. He is a big supporter of the Braves baseball organization having a Spring Training facility in John Prince Park. ROLO is not the voice of Scott Maxwell and also not the voice for a lot of other people in this neighborhood as well. Here are two of the Board of Directors at ROLO:

• Robert Waples, President 
• Katie McGiveron, Vice President

Did the ROLO neighborhood association pay for or contribute to this sign in any way? Either money or in-kind contributions? Are they a 501c3? Are either of Katie McGiveron's PAC's, Save Our Neighborhood, Inc. or Citizens Against Unfair Taxation, a part of this effort? And. . . does the movable sign have a proper disclaimer informing the public who paid for this political message?

More questions:

• The name on the sign "Residences of Lake Osborne" implies endorsement and the word "STOP" is trying to influence the political process. Is ROLO being transparent?
• How many of the "Residences of Lake Osborne" agreed to "STOP" this proposed project? Was a vote ever taken? 
• Is someone using their own money to make the implication that all of ROLO is opposed? If so, should ROLO make a statement to clarify their position for the entire neighborhood?

That sign is raising a whole lot of questions. The Palm Beach County commissioners should demand answers from ROLO. And so should the Lake Worth City Commission this coming Tuesday: answers especially from the ROLO president and vice president.

The NAPC's Tropical Ridge neighborhood is having their meeting tonight and everyone in the City is invited to attend

"Don't forget our Tropical Ridge Neighborhood Association meeting is tonight (Monday, 4/4), 7:00, at the Lake Worth Towers, 1500 Lucerne Ave. Hope to see you there, Carolyn."

Meetings are open and welcome to everyone from the public, from any part of the City, and elected officials are also encouraged to attend.

To read the history, purpose, and accomplishments of the Neighborhood Association Presidents Council (NAPC) visit this site. The site also includes a calendar of meetings and contact information. Here is the NAPC Facebook page and an excerpt about the NAPC:

     The City of Lake Worth is unique for many reasons. High on the list is the number of active and involved Neighborhood Associations that share common challenges as well as strategies and projects to address those challenges. Before the NAPC was formed in 2007, each neighborhood worked independently to organize, engage and represent their neighbors. That meant that the same wheel was often re-invented over and over again.   

As always, if you see anything suspicious going on, here is what you do:

Questions about financing a Brave's Spring Training facility and why did the Post feel the need to weigh in so early in the process?

O.K. We know that the Atlanta Braves are interested in coming to Palm Beach County. And we also known that they are interested in the potential of John Prince Park, just outside the boundaries of the City of Lake Worth. The County Commission has the ball right now, pardon the pun. It is their park that would be used as a location, which has value in its own right.

We do not know the ultimate price a stadium would cost and what various facilities would be needed. We also know that the County may be in a bidding war with other counties. Pinellas and Collier counties are mentioned in The Palm Beach Post editorial today.

Intuitively, most reasonable people can see the connection between creating a sports destination adjacent to Lake Worth and the economic benefits that would come from that. Lake Worth would not be the only City or nearby area to benefit. Other central Palm Beach County municipalities would share in the spin-off created by such a facility. However, these benefits would come at a cost and we just don't know what those are yet. So why would the Post feel the need to chime in so early in the process?

The Post cleverly raises the question this way before any of the details are known:

     Bringing the Braves here would be nice. But is this a game worth winning at the expense of blowing the sales tax hike?
     Keep your eye on the ball, commissioners. [emphasis added]

Do the editor's at the paper really need a lesson on the difference between bed tax revenue and a possible rise in the sales tax? Why would they feel the need to combine two separate and complex issues as it relates to Spring Training baseball? Even after reading the editorial a second time it is still inexplicable. The hubris demonstrated in the excerpt above is more than a little questionable, don't you think?

Certainly, we do have to consider traffic and other impacts of such a sports facility in what is currently a public park. John Prince Park is a 726 acre park and is not nearly as heavily utilized as some would have you believe. You can see that for yourself if you go there on almost any weekday and many weekends too. Plus, the park is sometimes used for unsavory purposes as this article reveals. Perhaps an active ballpark with more people coming and going would reduce some of the park's more negative qualities.

The discussion, of course, will have to include how the park will maintain the current recreation and open spaces for the general public. That is a given.

Where the money comes from and how much are key questions that need to be answered. Until then, lets keep an open-mind and see where this leads. There could be a tremendous upside to the Braves coming to Palm Beach County and John Prince Park. We shouldn't close the door before we have a chance to look inside.

Within the editorial are these two lines:

But let’s call time here. Have a little huddle on the mound.

That sage advice would have served the Post editorial board well before publishing that editorial. Why not wait until after the Palm Beach County Commission has brought the matter before the public? Once again, what would motivate the Post to chime in so early on this discussion?

Does the prospect of a Spring Training facility at John Prince Park, along with the public's support for the idea, make them worried for reasons other than just questions about financing?

Get ready Lake Worth: We're up tomorrow (Monday) in the Post! The question is, will it be each and every Monday from now on?

In the Post's new "In Your Community" section, 5 of the 6 cities cited are coastal. If "growth" is the focus will there be attention given to western sprawl too? Or will the focus be mostly about just coastal development?

The Palm Beach Post has started an "In Your Community" segment that appears on page B3, Local section. The first one appeared last Tuesday (3/29) with the town of Jupiter. In the batting lineup Lake Worth will be in tomorrow's edition. If you've followed the Post's coverage of Lake Worth you can see how there would be a certain level of concern about this:

Remember the false headlines about a "curfew" in Lake Worth? Following that nonsense my blog readers got a lesson on loaded language.

And who can forget about the mural of the Cuban-American boy? A team effort by the Post and CBS12/WPEC about "a woman" that fell flat.

What's unclear is if the Post will give attention to all municipalities in Palm Beach County north of Delray Beach (their southernmost news coverage area) or just a select few. How about unincorporated areas like the Lake Worth Corridor? Will those areas also get attention?

The focus seems to be on "growth" in the County. With all the concern about western sprawl why are the first 5 cities/towns "In Your Community" located along the coast? Only 1 of the 6, Wellington, is located in western Palm Beach County. Are we to conclude that coastal development is more of a concern than western sprawl to the editors and decision-makers at the Post?

Hopefully, the Post's laser beam focus will not be on just a few select areas of PBC, ignoring many other communities that are also worthy of attention. For instance, if you've been paying attention, there's been development going on in other cities as well, like Greenacres to name one.

The Lake Worth Municipal pool at the BEACH!: There is great news and some bad news

For reasons explained below the Lake Worth pool is closed (Sunday, 4/3) and will let you know when it reopens.

First the great news: Sally Welsh will be taking over as the Pool Manager on April 18th. Several times a week I take her pool exercise class and everyone should give a it a try some day. It's a lot of fun. Here's a video of what you can expect:
Now for the bad news: Apparently, it would seem, a baby or toddler wasn't wearing pool diapers and the pool will be closed for 24 hours due to health concerns:

If you're interested in the subject of the City's municipal pool, I'd like to bring you up to speed on a few things. A few weeks ago, on a Saturday, the pool was closed due to a staffing issue. This happens sometimes when more than one lifeguard is ill or is on vacation. The first priority is to protect people on the beach and those that swim in the ocean. If there is a shortage of staff the pool is closed for the day. This is a rare event.  

There continues to be that small cadre of malcontents spreading rumors about the pool being closed down. This is completely false. But some people will believe it because the pool was shut down once before by a previous city commission on the pretense that the upkeep was too expensive. This move occurred in October of 2010:

The City has been investing money and time at the pool area. They recently installed metal-halide lights to accommodate swim teams. If you go, check out the brand new fence that encloses the northern and western sides of the pool. At the south end of the pool there is a small area where the marcite is delaminating. I'm told this is cosmetic and efforts are being made to address it.

For more information about the pool, hours of operation and the cost, use this link.