Final Score. Game Over. The Fat Lady Sang. “It ain’t over till it’s over”? It’s over. The game is up.

“It has your name on it”. “It goes with the territory”. “It’s all over but the shouting”. “[Add your own idiom here]”. . .

Meet your soon-to-be new Lake Worth City Commission, a photo taken at the City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade yesterday:

Herman Robinson (on left) is next to Omari Hardy. Both men will be sworn in as the new commissioners for Districts 4 and 2, respectively. Mayor Pam Triolo is flanked by Commissioner Andy Amoroso and Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell (green hat, glowing in The Sunshine).

“The numbers don’t lie” is another example of an idiom. Click on image to enlarge: 

The Official Results from Election Day: City of Lake Worth, March 14th, 2017.

Worth Another Look: What does “Progressive” really mean in City of Lake Worth politics?

Now that the elections in the little City of Lake Worth are over this year, things will begin to re-shuffle, and somebody who called a commissioner a “thug” will wish another word was chosen. A candidate who became the convenient darling of one side last month will go back to being the mean person they despised the month before that.

The candidates and their supporters who grabbed the banner of “Progressive” and ran with it will wonder how much that helped or hurt. But prior to the election last Tuesday penned the blog post below that asked the even deeper question: What is a Progressive? One of the things wearing that label is to imply you are something and somebody else isn’t.

Continue reading and Thank You for visiting today. Without further ado. . .

It took a while, but the claim of being “Progressive” by one former commissioner wore thin for many voters back in 2011. Learn why below.

Many of us are proud to live in a city such as the City of Lake Worth that touts itself as Progressive. But being Progressive is what you do, not something you say when it’s convenient. Labels are easy. Question: Can a Progressive only be a Democrat? A Liberal? Or is it more complicated than that?

For example, back in 2014, how many thought Charlie Crist was the Progressive choice in Lake Worth? The rest, as they say, is history:

I still think Nan Rich had a better chance of becoming the governor of Florida. But she was never given a chance by the powers-that-be.

Remember, it was a previous ‘Progressive’ Lake Worth administration that almost lost all those Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, a County grant to fix problems in District 1, unpaved streets and broken sidewalks, areas in the City with a high number of minority residents, e.g., Black, Haitian immigrants, and Latino. Remember the 10th Ave. South project in 2014, one project to try and remedy those issues?

When the current majority took over in 2011 (Mayor Pam Triolo, Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell, and Commissioner Andy Amoroso), they discovered the unused CDBG funds and worked hard to save that money and succeeded. Then they proceeded to make infrastructure improvements in District 1: the reason the CDBG funds were to be used for in the first place.

Do you remember any of those commissioners that left those CDBG funds sit idle, unspent? Meet three of them (from left to right), JoAnn Golden, Suzanne Mulvehill, and Cara Jennings:

How ‘Progressive’ was it to almost lose all that County CDBG money? The image above is from the inimitable former resident and blogger Tom McGow. 

In an ironic twist, it was the very same commissioners, Golden, Mulvehill, and Jennings that wouldn’t lift a finger to help the CRA acquire an NSP2 $23 million grant. How “Progressive” was that decision?

How Progressive was it to make the City’s Code Enforcement Dept., “no longer a priority”? Promoting Lake Worth as a “sanctuary city” when it was not and encouraging residents to raise their own backyard chickens when this practice was known to be a public health hazard? Are all these policies what define someone as Progressive?

Here’s something else from Mr. McGow, a blog post from 2009 titled, “Lowe and Behold”:

At yesterday’s special City Commission meeting to swear in Scott Maxwell and Jo-Ann Golden, three events showed the continued sideshow like behavior of Lake Worth politics.
     Protester Ana Rodriguez interposed herself at the podium to protest Scott Maxwell’s supposed involvement with hate groups.
     Cara Jennings sniped at new Commissioner Scott Maxwell through a letter.
     An elderly Lake Worth citizen hurled the F-bomb twice across a crowded City Hall lobby.
     But the last laugh was had by Retha Lowe who reminded everyone that she handpicked her successor, Commissioner Scott Maxwell.

That’s why the City of Lake Worth has non-partisan elections. Sometimes labels are just too convenient and yes, misleading as well.

This week’s Lake Worth Herald print edition is one you want to pick up and save for posterity.

All sorts of news and photos in the Herald about the elections in the City of Lake Worth and Greenacres and a hard-hitting editorial as well. There is also a very interesting article about Commissioner-Elect Herman Robinson (see below).

To see the front page of the Herald this week use this link. Pick up the print edition each Friday (still ¢50!) at the City’s newsstand at 600 Lake Ave. in Downtown Lake Worth.

Below is an excerpt from the article about Commissioner-Elect Herman Robinson titled, “102 Year Old Women’s Club Welcomes First Male Member” and excerpts from this week’s editorial are below as well. First, the news about Mr. Robinson:

With a positive approval of the Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs, Herman Robinson, with unanimous vote, became a member of the GFWC Women’s Club of Lake Worth. [emphasis added] Robinson, a 17 year resident and businessman in Lake Worth, took a brave step and became the first male in the history of the club.
     When Robinson suggested membership, he was made aware, because of the special circumstances, that a courtesy call to the District #10 and Parliamentarian was in order. Both approved Robinson’s request.
     The Lake Worth Club, as part of its mission fosters and encourages and welcomes change.

Now for some excerpts from the editorial this week titled, “A New Era In Lake Worth”:

They [Commissioners-Elect Omari Hardy and Herman Robinson] were elected by voters who have high hopes they have strong minds and a vision for the City. This is not to say they have to disagree, but the hopes are for creative and critical thinking in the direction to improve the living conditions of the residents of the city and to steward tax dollars responsibly.
     Commissioner Christopher McVoy is a creative and critical thinker but he never brought forth anything that would improve the city. Instead he spent much of the time talking just to keep things from moving forward.
     Three terms and nothing to show for it. Just a carryover from the Jennings/Golden/Mulvehill era, an era when nothing progressed in Lake Worth except the rebuilding of the Casino Building which by their design did not include the pool and facilities.
     Now we sit with a pool that is closed until many millions are spent to repair or rebuild it. Something that should have been included from the beginning.

[and. . .]

     Commissioner Ryan Maier spent the first year on the dais just supporting whatever McVoy said. He did begin, during his second term to think more for himself and showed some promise.
     He, however, chose not to run for re-election citing personal reasons, and that is OK.

[and. . .]

     This commission now has the opportunity for good clean debate to bring forth well thought out decisions, not just bicker back and forth in political gamesmanship. It is time to put the City first, the residents have suffered through a few commissions with members who really didn't want Lake Worth to succeed.

[and lastly. . .]

     Both of the new commissioners have the ability to be part of a team that can lead the City into the future on a path that will keep the city viable for many years to come. Do they have the desire? That is what remains to be seen.
     Our hopes are for the best for them and the City.

Very well said, Editor, very well said.

Feel-good City government: Doing something that doesn’t mean anything and hoping the public thinks otherwise.

The City Commission will be different next Tuesday. Commissioner Ryan Maier (blue shirt) opted not to seek re-election and Chris McVoy (far right) lost to Omari Hardy in last Tuesday’s election.

The new Lake Worth City Commission has a lot of work to do and they can’t waste any time getting down to it. They can’t spend any time “looking over their shoulder” or getting bogged down in senseless, meaningless debates and discussions.

The tone of our new City Commission will be set next Tuesday starting at 5:00 with the Swearing In of Commissioners-Elect Omari Hardy and Herman Robinson.

Next Tuesday at City Hall, 5:00, is the Swearing In of Omari Hardy and Herman Robinson to the City Commission.

Probably the best example of feel-good, meaningless government was the now-famous and terribly embarrassing “inglorious demise of Consent Agenda item 9C” by a soon-to-be former commissioner, Chris McVoy, PhD.

It’s quite common for a city’s elected leaders to voice concerns over an issue, especially one of great concern to the community. But when trying to set a policy is where things go off the rails, so to speak. Like when Commissioner Ryan Maier suggested trying to regulate the volume of train horns: those pitch and volume levels are set by the Federal government. Even the State of Florida cannot regulate the sound levels of train horns.

Below is another example of what happened back in 2015.

If you didn’t know any better you would think the 6-square-mile City of Lake Worth took a major step forward in the protection of the honeybee colonies. Nothing of the sort happened. The first reading of Ordinance No. 2015-17, “to regulate, inspect, and permit managed honeybee colonies” is already regulated by state law and there’s nothing anyone in Lake Worth can do to supersede that.

This was city government doing something that isn’t doing anything at all. But it does play well with certain constituents that can be convinced otherwise. I believe the item below was brought forward by Commissioner Maier. It that is incorrect please feel free to send me the correct information.

Click on image to enlarge:

“To this end, the proposed Ordinance simply acknowledges the State Legislature’s preemption of this area of the law.” Let’s hope with our new City Commission there’s more focus on the things we can control, and less on things we can’t.

Blast from the Past: The Swearing In Ceremony, March 18th, 2016.

Please Note: In the blog post below from last year’s Swearing In ceremony is mention of a possible “Chief Information Officer” being hired by the City. After a bumpy start the City did hire a young fellow named Ben Kerr who is doing a tremendous job. Unfortunately though, Mr. Kerr will end up some day on the radar of some city manager in another city with a bigger budget. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen any time soon.

If you’ve been paying attention, you have seen the welcome and consistent flow of information coming from the City. Prior, others had to take time away from important duties to try and get information out and sadly, many times the press and media had already done that, too many times reporting false and misleading information to the public.

The adage is, “If you don’t control your message, then someone will control your message for you.” Hope you enjoy this look back to what happened in the City Hall chambers last year:

The City Commission convened a special meeting in order to certify the results of the municipal election held this past Tuesday. Residents, family and supporters filled the Commission chambers to hear the newly re-elected Mayor Triolo and Commissioners Maxwell and Amoroso. Better late than never, commissioners McVoy and Maier participated in the meeting. It was apparent their supporters, and those that campaigned for the opposing candidates, chose not to attend this festive occasion.

Mayor Triolo thanked many friends, her family and people who work for the City for all the support that allow her to do her job. Commissioner Maxwell did a great job at summing up what the landslide results from the election mean to him and to the City’s future. Commissioner Amoroso gave an emotional talk thanking his many supporters. He even threw out a mention to Yours Truly, along with Mark Easton of The Lake Worth Herald, as being reliable sources of truth for what goes on in the City.

Clearly, this team received a mandate. It is time to forge forward over these next two years and accomplish even more than the previous years. The Commission can’t be caught looking over its shoulder. It must lead, inform and instruct through improved and upgraded communication, including more social media. I’ve heard the term Chief Information Officer, or CIO, possibly being a idea. That would free up staff to concentrate more on their assigned duties, the ones they were hired to do.

I hope you join me in looking positively at the prospect of these next two years. And, as always, Thank You! for visiting my blog, Wes.

Two years ago today. Day that shocked so many in our little City, when resident hurled “N-word” in our City Hall.

Commissioner Chris McVoy, PhD (recently defeated in re-election bid), is pictured below soon after his third election in 2015. Both him and then-citizen Ryan Maier, both sworn in on March 16th, 2015, had no clue of the storm of controversy to follow in just a few short days.

Click on image to enlarge:

McVoy (seated) happily reads about his re-election in 2015. Soon afterwards a major controversy erupted.

For more information about this terrible incident in our City Hall use this link (news corroborated in The Lake Worth Herald from March 2015).

“City Manager Reprimands Private Citizen” (click image to enlarge):

Image from #5 in series, a former City tabloid reported this incident. (FYI: Tabloid began publishing in Jan. 2015 and shut down shortly afterwards—following elections that year—other than that the tabloids’ origin was purely by coincidence.)

OFFICIAL UPDATE, Press Release: Special Commission meeting to swear in Commissioners-Elect Omari Hardy and Herman Robinson

For public questions and press/media updates contact Ben Kerr, the City of Lake Worth’s Communications Specialist at 561-586-1631 or by email: bkerr@lakeworth.org

Lake Worth, FL – Special Meeting Regarding Election (update)

On Tuesday March 14th, 2017 a municipal election was held for two of Lake Worth’s Commission Seats. Initially a Special Meeting to swear-in the new commissioners was planned for Thursday, March 16th; however, due to a delay in the certified results coming from the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections the Special Meeting has been officially rescheduled to Tuesday, March 21st at 5:00 pm.

The meeting will take place in the City Chambers prior to the Regular City Commission Meeting. This Special Meeting is open to the public. The agenda is as follows:

• 5:00: Swearing-in of new Commissioners
• 5:30: Reception
• 6:00: Regular Commission Meeting 

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.

Breaking News: Palm Beach Post reports good news about Superintendent Robert Avossa and the County School Board.

It’s unclear what reporter broke protocol reporting this news story in The Palm Beach Post today titled, “PBC teacher turns tables, gives awards to superintendent, school board”, but there are certain to be repercussions.

Below is an excerpt from the article which may be updated later with some negativity about Mr. Avossa and the Palm Beach County School Board:

Without fail, the Palm Beach County School Board’s monthly evening meetings are loaded with presentations, awards and recognitions – but almost always ones dispensed by the school board or district administrators to students, educators or community members.
     This Wednesday’s meeting was different. Veteran middle school teacher Betty Wells thought it was time for board members and Superintendent Robert Avossa to receive some recognition.
     Veteran Bear Lakes Middle teacher Betty Wells thanks the school board and superintendent for their work.
     So the Bear Lakes Middle teacher reserved herself a spot on the board’s meeting agenda to formally thank Avossa and board members for their efforts to improve the county’s schools.
     “Today is your day,” she said. “It is my goal to see that you are treated with dignity,” she added.

Lake Worth’s Anthem for Today

March 10th, 2015. Seven hundred and thirty-six days ago.

Click on image to enlarge:

Former commissioners JoAnn Golden and Cara Jennings at an election party in 2015 for soon-to-be former commissioners Ryan Maier and Chris McVoy, PhD (a tribute to McVoy is below).

FYI: The video below really starts getting interesting at the 1:00 mark. Enjoy:

And something tells me we don’t have to worry about Commissioner-Elect Omari Hardy going through the paperwork of other commissioners when they’re not looking. Mr. Hardy would ask for permission first, of course.

“McVoy could not be reached for comment Tuesday”.

Click on image to enlarge. “. . . McVoy and his supporters were spreading a rumor. . .”

The image above is from The Palm Beach Post—an online article from yesterday—Election Day in the little City of Lake Worth. Some of the text above has since been edited out.

A win and another win and another thing to remember: Almost nobody remembers the score 2 days later.

Soon-to-be-former-Commissioner McVoy, PhD, and Maryann Polizzi may find solace that both Omari Hardy and Herman Robinson won in squeakers.

By tomorrow no one will be walking around saying, “Hey, Omari only won by a few votes” or “Herman should have won by more.” The numbers are meaningless. The fact is our City Commission has undergone a major shift. A seismic one.

And then there were none. McVoy, in blue shirt beaming at the grand opening of the Casino back in 2012, is off the Commission. McVoy was beaten by 27-year-old Omari Hardy in his first political race.

Losing an election is not easy. I know. Been there and done that twice.

If you’ve never heard the term, “Hermanese”, you will soon enough. I’ve worked along side of and served with Herman for many years on boards and committees. I’m probably one of Herman’s best translators. Many times heard people say, “What did Herman just say?” And then all eyes would turn to me. Herman is a really smart guy. Extremely intelligent and deliberate.

And another thing about Herman: he’s one of the most kind and caring men I’ve ever known.

The sour grapes will be this new City Commission will just be a “rubber stamp”. Herman is not and neither is Omari Hardy. Probably one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received was from Hardy. He told me one of the reasons he decided to run for a seat on the Commission was due to reading my blog.

Commissioner-Elect Hardy has strong opinions. He’s not shy in the least telling people what he thinks and he’ll do the same thing as a commissioner. But unlike the former commissioner in that seat, Omari Hardy will be respectful to his colleagues.

And lastly, about three weeks ago started getting phone calls from the most unlikely of people, former political opponents and others I’ve fought in the mud with over the last 10 or so years, and the conversations curiously never took to politics. We talked about history and architecture and things like that. And then we said goodbye and wished each other well. And we meant it.

At Mayor Pam Triolo’s State of the City Address last January she talked about the “New Lake Worth” and I remarked on this blog a little later that a “fresh breeze” seemed to be blowing through town.

Some time this week call somebody you fought with over a long-past campaign and maybe you still have the scars to prove it. Call and say “Hi” and just start talking. Our City is much different today. There’s a lot to talk about.

Younger people like Omari Hardy are taking over now and it’s time to embrace that. Our City isn’t only about the things we disagree about, it’s also about things we agree upon as well. There were a lot of things I agreed with Chris McVoy about. What was most disagreeable were his methods and tactics—but that’s all over now—a “fresh breeze” really is blowing through our little City.

City Manager Michael Bornstein, “City Elections Are Over: Full Speed Ahead”.

Below is the title of Michael Bornstein’s newsletter published on March 29th, 2016, following the elections in March of that year:

“City Elections are Over: Full Speed Ahead”

Words from last year that are just as relevant today, almost a year later, following the election results from yesterday. Here is an excerpt from that article written a year ago:

“City elections are over, the results are in, and now we move to the next chapter.
     The Mayor and Commissioners have wasted no time in laying out several ambitious items for the City staff to get to work on. Along with the ones we are currently implementing, the new list of projects will take a lot of effort and will require everyone to work together to ensure the best outcomes. 
     Therefore, in the coming months, Lake Worth will be a place alive with activity and debate.
     We will be a community striving to explore exciting and wonderful opportunities and resolve longstanding and difficult problems. I encourage you to get involved and help create the best version of Lake Worth possible.”

Here is how the newsletter ends:

Yours in Public Service,
Michael Bornstein
City Manager

When Chris McVoy was first elected in 2010, two years before Mr. Bornstein was hired, he promised to help resolve problems like our crumbling roads but instead did nothing of the sort. In 2012 he faced a serious challenger, Jim Stafford, but McVoy won that election. Stafford got the Post endorsement but McVoy’s promises won the day. Promises that were quickly ignored following the election.

In 2013 McVoy got a reprieve when the referendum passed to move elections to March from November. McVoy’s next election was put off until March of 2015. That’s when the monkeywrenching began: false allegations of Sunshine Law violations and accusations that the mayor and other commissioners were unethical, and worse, corrupt too. Remember the “baked ziti” nonsense?

McVoy drew a weak opponent and won that election in 2015. But with McVoy’s bag of tricks empty he ran straight into another election this year against a strong candidate with big ideas, Omari Hardy, and the rest as they say is history.

In 2014 and again in 2016 the City needed Commissioner McVoy to help us find a way to fix our roads. But he did the opposite both times. He fought the City using all sorts of tactics, even leaking emails and saying that volunteers on the Finance Advisory Board, the Neighborhood Road bond oversight committee, couldn’t be trusted.

The Palm Beach Post endorsed Omari Hardy. Even the editor of the Post had enough. The editor called McVoy an ineffective “gadfly”.

McVoy said he would “build long-term stability in Lake Worth.” After 7 years as a commissioner he said, “I ask for your vote on March 14th.” The people spoke and said, “No. It’s time for you to go away.”

A “Sunsedt” west of I-95 following the elections in the City of Lake Worth on March 14th, 2017.

No comments.

Congratulations and Best Wishes to Commissioner-Elect Herman Robinson and Commissioner-Elect Omari Hardy.

Election Day. Polls closed. Until the results enjoy two of my YouTube videos.

This first video is my personal favorite, historic postcards of Lake Worth to the iconic and unforgettable Sarah Vaughan singing the classic, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. Music critic Scott Yanow described Sarah Vaughan as having “one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century.”
This next video is more recent, the second day of our Street Painting Festival, Sunday, Feb. 26th:

Very important Election Day news for the file, “Better Late Than Never”.

Prior to future elections in Lake Worth, what happened this year is a good example how the press and Supervisor of Elections office “dropped the ball” so to speak and could have done a much better job of informing the public about very important election information.

Last night at around 6:00 p.m. this article was published online in the Post and appears in today’s print edition, on page B1, below the fold, ON ELECTION DAY.

What is the news about? Two very important precincts in Lake Worth have to vote somewhere else. The former 1st Baptist church on South ‘M’ Street is no longer a voting location.

Two precincts east of Dixie Hwy. vote today on the west side of Dixie Hwy.:

• The Downtown Precinct 3066 now votes at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 1615 Lake Ave., located on the south side of Lake Ave. between South A and South B streets.
• Precinct 7164 located in the far southeast corner of our City now votes at the Osborne Community Center, 1699 Wingfield St., just south of the Lake Worth Municipal Gym.

News about this has been widely spread already, thanks mostly to this blog, and it’s good to see the Post finally get around to reporting this, better late than never, as they say.

By all means, go and check out Artsy Fartsy today, but go and vote first!

And there’s a picture of Yours Truly in “the big chair” (see below) and one of Mr. Schlitz, the owner of Artsy Fartsy as well!

Regular readers know this blog references the new store in the Downtown, Artsy Fartsy Decor & More on Lucerne Ave., a lot. It all began when The Palm Beach Post made the story about the opening of Artsy Fartsy the big headline of the day—the very day of the Lake Worth Playhouse Debate—an event that’s traditionally a big draw every year.

I knew something was up that morning. When the phone starts ringing just as the sun starts coming up that’s the first clue.

Please understand, nothing against Artsy Farsy. However, the editor(s) opting not to mention the debate at all in the newspaper that day was simply irresponsible.

But I digress. After some urging and jovial persuasion stopped by and checked out Artsy Fartsy and had a wonderful time with the owner, Brian Schlitz. He is a regular blog reader and knows about all the coverage he’s gotten here on this blog (thanks in large part to the Post) and is very appreciative.

But it was time to turn the spotlight on me, so I hopped on the big, really big red Adirondack chair in front of his store. To put the chair in perspective, my shoes are size 13 and Yours Truly is 6′5″:

Meet Wes! This photo reminds me of the character Edith Ann, played by Lily Tomlin on Laugh-In in the 60’s.

I had a big laugh when I first saw the picture Brian sent me. This chair could become an iconic, one of those must-get tourist photo ops in downtown Lake Worth. The creative writing on the chair and partial rendition of the City’s logo helps out a lot as well. It’s a really BIG chair, so you might need some help getting in and out of it yourself. A true Instagram moment.

The inside of Artsy Fartsy is startlingly bright with wall-hangings and all sorts of interesting items. They all combine to create colorful patterns when you take pictures of them all hanging on the yellow-painted walls. You are sure to find items to pique your interest. Here are some pictures I took whilst inside.

Meet the owner, Brian Schlitz, in front of his colorful inventory.

It truly is fun to watch and be part of our funky little town under the sun, the little City of Lake Worth that can. We’ve truly come very far since the days when our Downtown was a place to avoid for many. Our City was once joked about, especially by the media and press, called “Good ’Ole Lake Worth”, and was referred to back in the day as the city that can’t and couldn’t and would never be able to get out of its own way.

But those days are over. And it helps to have more creativity, fun, and yes, more laughs in our Downtown. Thanks to people like Brian Schlitz.

Vote today in the City of Lake Worth to have your City Commission do “better”, wrote the editor in the Post today.

Vote to end the “divisiveness” and send the incumbent, McVoy (pictured above) on another of his long “retreats” to do other things that interest him more than our City.

The editor at the Post wrote today, “The same can be said of Lake Worth”, that “after several years of divisiveness centered mostly around one individual, has a chance at a fresh start at bridging that political divide.”

“. . . divisiveness centered mostly around one individual”

Who is that “one individual”? That would be Comm. McVoy, up for re-election today. Today is the day to end all that “divisiveness” once and for all.

The Editor at the Post endorsed Omari Hardy for the District 2 seat. In another editorial written today, which is also online, one of the last paragraphs was edited out of the print edition because the editorial ran a little too long for the page (page A9, above the fold).

Here are those words, click on image to enlarge:

“The same can be said of Lake Worth . . . All that’s left is for those residents to do is vote.” Below is from the Editor’s endorsement for Omari Hardy and reasons why not to re-elect McVoy:

The reason to elect Omari Hardy is “a good one.” Our City needs someone “to build consensus around the things we know to be problems.” 

From a mailer dropped into the mail box the other day. . .

Recognize anyone? The endorsements above are for Herman Robinson, District 4 in Lake Worth.

Election Day is next Tuesday. Let’s make it a big voter turnout once again. Great things happen in this City when the voters turn out in large numbers.

Another timely message from Erica Whitfield, endorsing Omari Hardy and Herman Robinson today

Click on image to enlarge:

Vote today! Herman “will make an amazing commissioner” and Omari has a “true commitment” to our City of Lake Worth.

FLASHBACK: A quite memorable and comedic moment at the Lake Worth Commission, January 5th, 2016.

Time again for some comedy (video below). First a little background: The Obtuse Blogger (TOB) who claims to be a conservative Republican in the style of Allen West supported the Anarchist (Ryan “The Golden Boy” Hartman) who challenged Lake Worth Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell last March. TOB also thought, and maybe still does, that the Anarchist Cara Jennings “was such a good commissioner”.

Do you remember this delightful message from Hartman?

Hartman, the Anarchist candidate, said it’s time to start, “shooting down all cops”? So very “charming” in Lake Worth, isn’t it?

TOB aligning up with Anarchists doesn’t make any sense, does it? Think of it this way, could you ever imagine a far left wing liberal blogger coming out in support of a John Bircher? It’s ludicrous to even imagine.

Anyhow, enjoy this hilarious moment at the City Commission when TOB said Anarchist Cara Jennings, “was such a good commissioner” and the entire chambers broke out in spontaneous laughter:

FDOT Open House on Wednesday.

“The project [SR 80 (Southern Blvd) Bridge Replacement] will replace the existing bascule bridge and tide relief bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway between Palm Beach and West Palm Beach. A temporary bridge will be built north of the existing bridge to maintain traffic during construction. Work will begin in April.”

and. . .

“Project team personnel will be available throughout the meeting to discuss the project and answer questions.”

“Attendees will have the opportunity to review renderings. . .”.

Commissioner McVoy’s month-long “retreat” prior to a crucial vote in Lake Worth. He then promised to “call in”, but never did.

We don’t need any more “empty chairs” on our City Commission in this City:

Tomorrow give Comm. McVoy another long “retreat”. He needs one. The editor at the Post called McVoy an ineffective “gadfly”. It’s time for new ideas from someone like Mr. Omari Hardy, candidate for District 2, who won’t be “taking off” from his job on the Commission. 

Don’t believe McVoy took a month off from the City Commission leading up to a crucial vote? He did. The video is below. You can hear McVoy’s words for yourself.

McVoy promised to “call in” for budget meetings during his “retreat”. He never did. Instead he planned and cavorted to defeat the City’s bond vote in August of 2014. All the while in July of 2014 he was “off”. But Mayor Pam Triolo didn’t take off. And neither did Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell or Commissioner Andy Amoroso.

City Manager Michael Bornstein didn’t take off either and neither did the City staff. But, due to McVoy and his loosely formed coalition of special interests, he was victorious and defeated that bond vote in 2014. By just 25 votes.

For those of you “on the fence” whether to vote next Tuesday for Commissioner McVoy, PhD, maybe what he did in August of 2014 will convince you otherwise, and vote for somebody else to represent District 2 in Lake Worth. Let’s digress briefly and review what the editor at The Palm Beach Post wrote in the recent endorsement of Mr. Omari Hardy, a challenger in District 2:

“[McVoy] has been a commission gadfly, frequently skeptical of the panel’s majority and often on the losing end of 3-2 votes.” And later, “It’s healthy to have opposing views on a decision-making body, but McVoy has become so predictably contrary that he has lost effectiveness. That’s the argument that his chief opponent, Hardy, is making — and it’s a good one.” [emphasis added]

Remember, McVoy never came up with an alternative plan to fix the roads in 2014. And all the while since the August 2014 bond vote was defeated he never took the time to come up with one. He could have—he has a PhD from Cornell—but he didn’t.

When the 2016 Neighborhood Road Bond plan was suggested to be put on the ballot again in early 2016, McVoy again quickly came out in opposition. And again, never even tried to come up with a plan of his own, any alternative at all to the City’s plan. Here’s another quote from the Post endorsement for Omari Hardy to represent District 2:

“McVoy opposed last year’s $40 million bond issue to fix city infrastructure. It won with 69 percent of the vote, putting the commissioner [McVoy] far from the city mainstream.”

McVoy didn’t take a ‘retreat’ in 2016. Instead he spent his time actively and publicly trying to defeat another bond referendum to fix our roads. And he tried doing that by saying that volunteers on an oversight committee, the Finance Advisory Board, could not be trusted. And he leaked an email to the Facebook site called, ironically, “Positively Lake Worth”, information that was later altered to confuse and mislead the public. And those are just two examples of what he did. There are many others.

If you’re planning on voting tomorrow, consider giving Commissioner McVoy another “retreat”, but this time for much longer. After listening and hearing to what Omari Hardy has to say, don’t think he has any plans to “take off” any time soon. Hardy has bigger plans and ideas. Something lacking from McVoy for a very long time now.

Enjoy the video of McVoy from July 2014 announcing his “retreat” which really wasn’t a retreat at all. That claim was just subterfuge. Do you want a commissioner who decides to take a month off and promises to “call in” but doesn’t even do that? Isn’t that another broken promise to the residents and voters in this City?


*For those of you wondering about, “. . . [O]ften on the losing end of 3-2 votes.” Commissioner Ryan Maier was the other “no” vote on many items early on, aligning with McVoy many times. About 1 year into Maier’s 2-year term he began to distance himself from McVoy but it was too late. The damage had been done. Maier dropped out of his race and is not seeking re-election.

Today: Lake Worth Community Development Block Grant Program, Public Meeting.

The news below is in this week’s Lake Worth Herald:

Pick up the Herald print edition (still ¢50!) at the City’s Downtown newsstand, 600 Lake Ave. A nice man named Andy will assist you.

Please join the City of Lake Worth for a Public Meeting to discuss the upcoming Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for Fiscal Year 2017-2018. During this meeting City staff will describe eligible uses of CDBG funds and solicit public input on how these funds should be used.

Date: March 13, 2017
Time: 6:00 P.M.
Location: City Hall Conference Room, City Hall, 7 North Dixie Hwy.

The actual allocation of CDBG funding has not yet been announced. It is estimated that it will comparable to the CDBG allocation of $258,118 that the City received for Fiscal Year 2016-2017. Eligible uses of these funds includes the following activities:

• Acquisition of real property for a public purpose
• Demolition/clearance
• Infrastructure installation and improvements
• Public facilities and improvements
• Historic preservation
• Economic development
• Energy conservation and renewable energy

All eligible activities must meet one of the following National Objectives of the CDBG Program by:

• Benefiting low and moderate income persons;
• Preventing or eliminating slums or blight; or
• Meeting an urgent community development need.

A Lake Worth commissioner has been a “gadfly” per the Post editor. Harsh but true. But a campaign “with an emphasis on energy issues”?

The editor at The Palm Beach Post endorsed Mr. Omari Hardy to represent District 2 in the City of Lake Worth in the elections on Tuesday. The editor wrote that now-Commissioner McVoy, PhD, is “a commission gadfly”, harsh words but very true. And the editor also wrote McVoy is running for election “on energy issues”? Huh? Where did that come from?

McVoy is still suggesting a spike in electric rates in the City of Lake Worth? FYI: Commissioner Maier is not seeking re-election for a host of reasons.

And more from the editor at the Post, solid reasons to vote for Omari Hardy next Tuesday:

The Post editor explains why Omari Hardy deserves your vote next Tuesday: McVoy has become “predictably contrary” and Hardy’s case for being elected is “a good one”. Very true indeed.

Making plans for next Tuesday, Election Day? A visit to “Artsy Fartsy” is a good idea but make sure to go and vote first.

On the very day of the Playhouse Debate in Downtown Lake Worth the “big news” that day was about Mr. Schlitz and “Artsy Fartsy Decor & More”. Really though, a quite colorful new addition to our wonderfully “quirky” little City.

There may be news on Monday in the Post’s Lake Worth Very Very Special Monday Collector Print Edition (LWVVSMCPE) about the elections next Tuesday, or maybe there won’t be.

The little City of Lake Worth is special but cities like Delray Beach aren’t special any more. WPB, our neighbor to the north, is very special too (every Saturday). We have “Artsy Fartsy”. They don’t.

But one thing is for certain in Monday’s LWVVSMCPE, if you’re one of those few who don’t know how to save phone numbers in your phone, and you desperately need to reach the Parks Department every single Monday, rest assured, that phone number is published each and every week. Have a question about recycling pizza boxes accumulated over the weekend? The phone number for recycling is also published in the Post. Each and every week in the LWVVSMCPE. Every single Monday for people who still don’t know what the Internet is.

But seriously. . .

Please. Don’t wait until Tuesday morning to find out where you vote. Look in the right-hand column for the voting precinct map or use this link to find out where your voting location is. If there is a problem when you go to vote, do not get upset or frustrated and leave. The poll workers are there to help.

If anyone tries to intimidate or harass you, like a person or group outside the polling location, report it immediately to the person in charge at that location from the Supervisor of Elections office.

If any poll worker tells you something like, “you don’t vote at this location”, don’t leave until you get instructions on where to go and how to get there. And most importantly, write down that persons name who gave you that information and other pertinent details such as someone nearby who can corroborate what you were told.

We don’t need a repeat of August 2014. If all the complaints from that election were detailed, corroborated, and then properly reviewed who knows what would have happened. That bond vote to fix our roads in 2014 failed by just 25 votes. Just a few votes swinging the other way and many of our roads and potholes would be fixed by now.

Hope to see a big turnout next Tuesday. And remember, there’s nothing “Artsy Fartsy” about that.