UPDATE, Blueway Trail: News blackout at The Palm Beach Post continues, but not for much longer.

The big news is the Post comes real close to breaking this news blackout (see below).

Most of you are aware by now of the news blackout at the Post, not reporting anything at all about the Blueway Trail project between the cities of Lake Worth and West Palm Beach. In fact, the Post beat reporter covering the City of Lake Worth has not once used the words, “Blueway Trail” one single time.

But this sort of thing is not new.

Remember, there was a news blackout last December about former-Commissioner Ryan Maier dropping out of his race for re-election, going unreported in the Post for five (5) weeks!

And, of course, there’s the news as well about the Ocean Energy Collaborative between FAU’s Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center (SNMREC) and the City of Lake Worth. Remember the roundtable discussion for the purpose of establishing the City of Lake as “ground zero” for all advanced ocean energy development in the United States? 

Anyhow, this latest news from Post reporter Tony Doris doesn’t mention the Blueway Trail specifically, but does come very close.

Here are two excerpts from Doris’ article datelined yesterday (June 15th) titled, “Town homes, bike paths could be next for West Palm Golf Course”:

WEST PALM BEACH — Time for another round of figuring out the future of West Palm Beach’s beloved golf course, a 70-year-old feature of the south end [sic] with potential to live up to its heyday while adding such suggested features as town homes, bike paths and a kayak launch area. [emphasis added]
     The city’s Golf Commission has a July 18 meeting at City Hall to hear three 30-minute presentations from firms that propose to lease and develop the 196 acres off South Dixie Highway, bordering the Lake Worth Canal.

and. . .

     It [city of West Palm Beach] also noted that the city owns an adjacent seven-acre shopping center property at 8111 S. Dixie Highway,* which it also hopes to redevelop.
     RMA’s [Redevelopment Management Associates] director of urban design and planning, Natasha Alonso, said residents made clear in a 2015 meeting [see link below] that they wanted the course to look better, to make more of a connection with surrounding communities and to have a new clubhouse that would “make it more than a golf course — a true gathering place.”

“[R]esidents made clear in a 2015 meeting. . .”

Use this link to read more about that meeting in 2015 as reported by Mr. Tony Doris; an excerpt:

     Still others said it was clear that all the city’s revitalization money has been going to the North End and downtown and that the South End has been neglected for too long. And there were calls for better street lighting and sidewalk treatments, for supporting local businesses rather than chain stores, for providing families with a place to go and for coordinating efforts with neighboring Lake Worth.

“. . . and for coordinating efforts with neighboring Lake Worth.”

*For reporters in the local press and news media, this would be the plaza on Dixie Hwy. where Winn-Dixie is located, ¼ mile north of the C-51 Canal that separates the cities of Lake Worth and West Palm Beach.