Over two years ago: Greenacres PD and PBSO kickoff the goal of consolidation.

If you live in the friendly, outstanding City of Greenacres, do you remember when you once had
a beat reporter from the Post covering your
local news and politics?

It’s true. It actually happened once upon a time. And the proof is below, an excerpt from an article published in the Post on Nov. 12th, 2015 (see below). The process of amalgamating a local police department with PBSO is a timely process and began over two years ago in Greenacres and was completed 2½ months later, in February 2016.

Below is a post from this blog
on November 14th, 2015.

[FYI: If you read along closely, you’ll pick up on a bit of satire. But just a little bit. The blog post was titled, “News from Greenacres: PBSO’s takeover of law enforcement begins”:]

The Palm Beach Post’s reporting on law enforcement issues in Palm Beach County has been exceptional, especially news concerning PBSO and Sheriff Bradshaw. In almost every case they’ve taken an unbiased and professional approach to keeping the public informed and they should be commended. Especially with Sheriff Bradshaw up for re-election it’s easy to lose focus but the County’s paper of record works very hard at keeping to the high ground.

They’ve continued that effort with this latest news, PBSO taking over for the Greenacres Police Department. Here is an excerpt from the article in the Post:

Like a blended family, merging a city’s police force with a sheriff’s office takes work.
     “There are a ton of meetings going on almost daily,” Public Safety Director Mike Porath told the City Council at the Nov. 2 [2015] meeting.

and. . . 

     But, between now and then, Porath said the city and PBSO still need to iron out several details, including merging county and city public records into one database, settling on how the gun range will be managed and determining which city ordinances Greenacres will keep and which county ordinances it will adopt.

Sheriff Bradshaw and PBSO took over for the Lake Worth PD in 2009 and you can read about that using this link. Back then there remained some concern about PBSO by some in the community but former Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill put a stop to that nonsense — here is what she said about PBSO’s contribution to the City of Lake Worth:

“Fabulous. They’ve exceeded our expectations. The Sheriff has done a fantastic job and it’s unquestionable that we want them to stay.”

Of course, Mulvehill called PBSO “Fabulous” only after the public caught on the plan all along was to end the contract with PBSO.

The video below is a press conference in May 2011 by a former City commissioner, Suzanne Mulvehill along with a former city manager, Susan Stanton “IN FULL RETREAT” after the community rallied to keep PBSO in our City.

[Note: At the 6:15 mark Yours Truly asks Stanton two questions; however, she dodges both of them.]

Have you been to TooJay’s yet to“See Our New Look!”

To learn more about TooJay’s in the City of Lake Worth click on this link. Located in the Downtown at 419 Lake Ave. Open every day, 8:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Follow TooJay’s on Twitter (@TheRealToojays) for specials and more information:

“Download our Delicious Rewards app now . . . Guests receive a FREE small plate or dessert just for joining!”

To place an order online click on this link 
or call 561-582-8684 to place an order.

The “new look” was unveiled last Wednesday.

Recognize anyone?

Lake Worth Mayor Pam Triolo and Lantana Mayor Dave Stewart at the ribbon cutting.

Lot’s of happy faces in Downtown Lake Worth.

View inside. Just one “new look” at TooJay’s
in Downtown Lake Worth.

“DELI  ●  BAKERY  ●  RESTAURANT”

Post reporter Michael Readling makes the case: Why Sister Cities are good public policy, ‘worthy’ of support.

And how does Darwin, Australia fit into all this? Continue reading to find out.

By the way, the City of Lake Worth is already promoting the 2018 Street Painting Festival and the upcoming Tree Festival as well on February 17th. And the City is promoting events next year at the Cultural Council in Downtown Lake Worth and the 2018 season at the Lake Worth Playhouse as well. But. . .

Have you heard anything at all about the Midnight Sun Festival coming up the first week in March?

Find out more about the Midnight Sun Festival that celebrates our City’s long Finnish heritage below, news from Palm Beach Post reporter Michael Readling. Other cities nearby aren’t letting their Sister City programs languish, for example, here’s news by Post reporter Alexandra Seltzer:

BOYNTON BEACH — Boynton Beach residents: You have a new sister, and her name is Rauma. City officials this week agreed to becoming Sister Cities with Rauma, Finland.

and. . .

     There are about 26,000 Finnish residents of Florida, and between 10,000 and 12,000 in Palm Beach County, Makila [Honorary Consulate of Finland Peter Makila] said. Traditionally, the Finnish residents have lived in Lantana and Lake Worth, but Makila said there has been a recent shift south of there.

What is the City of Lake Worth doing to stop this trend. Not much. The City of Lake Worth’s loss in Boynton Beach’s gain.
 

Our Finnish friends and neighbors deserve more support from the
City of Lake Worth.

Can anyone please explain why the City doesn’t have a Sister City program to foster a strong kinship with our friends in Lappeenrant, Finland? Why don’t we
have a Sister City in Guatemala?

Post reporter Michael Readling penned a feature article about this festival organized by our friends in the local Finnish-American community last March. If this doesn’t make the case for a Sister City program, nothing will.

Mr. Greg Rice has an idea
for a Sister City:

“Wes Blackman has posted on his well-read blog the importance of a sister city board. It seems that the genesis of sister city boards goes back to President Eisenhower. It was Eisenhower’s hope that sister city boards could be a hub of peace and prosperity between people from different cities around the world.
     Well, if we ever are able to find the leadership and will to resurrect our struggling sister city board, here’s a city I believe we need to approach, Darwin, Australia. Seems we have a lot in common.
     They, Darwin, share the same fun-loving spirit, community pride and competitive nature as us. Last Sunday, July 9th, they held their 2017 Darwin Lions Beer Can Regatta.
     It would be great to maybe field a team down the road and send them down under to Darwin and show how we share so many things with that fun-loving city.
     Good idea?”

By the way, Darwin has a downtown
with a lot of hotels:

That took a lot of leadership. Maybe Darwin’s political establishment can offer the City of Lake Worth some fresh new ideas? Anyhow. . .

Darwin, like the City of Lake Worth, enjoys hosting a lot of festivals. From Wikipedia, an excerpt:

     The Darwin beer-can regatta celebrates Darwin’s love affair with beer and contestants race boats made exclusively of beer cans. Also in Darwin are the Darwin Cup horse race, and the Rodeo and Mud Crab Tying Competition. [huh?]
     The World Solar Challenge race attracts teams from around the world, most of which are fielded by universities or corporations although some are fielded by high schools. The race has a 20-year history spanning nine races, with the inaugural event taking place in 1987.

Whilst on the subject, a Sister City in Guatemala?

     “We’re going to see cultural, commercial, economic affairs — in order to have a more intense and big link with Palm Beach County,” said De Mora [Miami Consul General Rosa Maria Merida De Mora].
     Lake Worth is the first of four new Guatemalan Consulates in the U.S. The others are opening in Seattle, Oklahoma City, and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Last November was the 2nd Annual Día De Los Muertos or “Day of the Dead” celebration.

By the way, the Town of Jupiter has a sister city in Guatemala. Use this link to read the article
by Post reporter Bill DiPaolo.

Deadline tomorrow. RFP 18-201: “Compass Community Center HVAC Replacement Project”.

Update: The deadline to submit questions is December 29th at 5:00. For more information call 561-586-1654 or send an email to: Purchasing1@lakeworth.org

Learn more below about this Request For Proposal (RFP), and “Small business participation is strongly encouraged”.

An interesting website to follow is the City of Lake Worth’s “Bids & Proposals” page:

Lake Worth’s procurement process is managed by the Finance Department . . . responsible for contracts and services related to construction or services provided to the city.

Compass Community Center — HVAC Replacement Project:

The City of Lake Worth is seeking proposals from qualified HVAC/Mechanical contractors to replace the existing air conditioning system at the Compass Community Center facility. The goods and/or services being sought include, but are not limited to: Replace the existing chiller system with a new 40 ton, 2 stage air cooled TRANE chiller system.
     Work includes materials, installation, wiring, piping, controls, sensors, thermostats, coil coatings, mounting hardware, and applicable work.

and. . .

Interested parties may obtain a copy of the RFP by contacting the Financial Services Office at 561-586-1651 or from the City’s website. All proposals must be hand-delivered or mailed to:

City of Lake Worth Financial Services
2nd Floor
7 North Dixie Hwy.
Lake Worth, FL 33460

Envelope must be identified as RFP #18-201. Small business participation is strongly encouraged.

Hudson Holdings’ public meeting held at our Lake Worth Beach: “Better Beach”? “Better Life”? “Better Lake Worth”?

“Our plans are to rehabilitate this hotel [and] bring it back to its historic significance in the public areas, the lobby, corridors etc.,” said Steven Michael, principal of developer Hudson Holdings during a tour Friday. “We’ll do a complete rehabilitation of the whole building from top to bottom.”
—Quote from this article in the Sun Sentinel datelined April 14th, 2017.


In the article cited above it’s all about the Gulfstream Hotel and a “complete rehabilitation”. There is no mention of the Beach. And there was no mention of Code Enforcement either. Draw your own conclusions. Below is a very short video, only 24 seconds long, everyone should watch.

Following that public meeting at the Lake Worth Casino on August 24th, 2015, Hudson Holdings did receive much “open and honest feedback” from the public (see image below).

The public came, they listened, and then they said: “NO. Leave our Beach alone.”

Following that meeting — held almost 2½ years ago — Hudson Holdings then wrote they were, “hard at work refining a proposal that we believe will work for everyone . . .”, because their idea for a “Better Beach” was rejected by the public.

Click on image to enlarge:

Then on January 17th, 2017, an excerpt from an article in the Post titled, “Real estate company considers selling historic Gulfstream Hotel
in Lake Worth”:

 . . . City Manager Michael Bornstein, who called Hudson Holdings’ decision a “huge” disappointment, disputed Michael’s characterization, saying more than $100 million worth of new private investment and projects are underway in Lake Worth.
     “This is from a city that seven or eight years ago had no commercial permits pulled to now over $100 million,” Bornstein said. “(Michael’s comments) don’t match up with the realities.”
     Bornstein also pointed out Lake Worth has $116 million in upcoming infrastructure improvements, including road, sewer, water and electric work.


The public was listening to Hudson Holdings back in 2015. Then Hudson Holdings asked the public to come out and speak. And the public did. In big numbers. They came and kept on coming. Crowds of people in cars and on bikes and by foot over the bridge. And they spoke at our Beach.

When the public speaks you need to take the time and energy, and try to listen, and try to understand
what they have to say:

Dear blog readers: You decide. Why do you think the blog post below is themost-viewed all month?

It’s a blog post from Dec. 20th titled, “About an incident in ‘suburban Lake Worth’ by reporter Meryl Kornfield.”

After you finish reading this blog post, scroll back up and click on this link for another December news article by Post reporter Olivia Hitchcock. Then ask yourself this question, “Why would an article in the Post about an incident in ‘suburban Lake Worth’ receive so much attention on a blog called Lake Worth City Limits”?

To follow the reporter on Twitter click on this link.

The news report by Post reporter Meryl Kornfield, see excerpt below, is the type of reporting one usually expects from Olivia Hitchcock and Julius Whigham II. And it’s a good sign the Post is discovering new talent that will actually take the time, like Hitchcock and Whigham, to inform the public about where a crime or crimes actually happened.

This is the kind of news reporting
the public deserves:

A 22-year-old Greenacres man has been arrested on armed robbery charges after an altercation at a suburban Lake Worth apartment [emphasis added] last week, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said.
     A resident of the apartment identified Tyrio S. Mortel as one of three men who walked uninvited into an apartment on Mooring Court, just south of the Lantana airport, at about 11:30 that morning, according to an arrest report.

To read the entire article in the Post click on this link.

Click on image to enlarge. The Lantana Airport is also in unincorporated Palm Beach County, referred to
as “suburban Lake Worth”:

Close by the airport is the “Emerald Lakes development on Sixth Avenue South”, the location of a recent dog attack reported in the Post. 

Where did this dog attack happen? This attack also occurred in suburban Lake Worth. But after the article by beat reporter Kevin Thompson was published in last week’s Sunday edition decided to create a short quiz for my blog readers. Did this dog attack happen. . .

1. In the City of Lake Worth?
2. In the Village of Palm Springs?
3. None of the above?

Of course, the answer is 3.

The Palm Beach Post, remember, is the County’s ‘Paper of Record’. A paper of record relies on its editors to make certain the ‘news’ is accurate and reliable for the public. Should the City of Lake Worth come to expect any less?

Now please scroll back up to read about the article by Olivia Hitchcock published in the Post on Friday, Dec. 15th.

Merry Christmas and congratulationsto reporters Kristina Webb andMeryl Kornfield!

Both are featured on the front page of The Palm Beach Post today.

In today’s Monday Christmas Day edition of The Palm Beach Post in the “Local” ‘B’ section, reporter Kristina Webb received the banner headline story about the Village of Wellington’s “Voter-approved surtax will yield millions for Wellington’s coffers.” The banner headline is,

“Sales tax might fund park projects”

And congratulations Meryl Kornfield!

Post reporter Kornfield has three (3) articles on the front page of the “Local” section. Three on Christmas Day!

If you recall it was a recent article by Meryl Kornfield that has received so much attention on this blog from the news reading public here in the City of Lake Worth and beyond. . . Ask yourself this question:

“Why would an article in the Post about an incident in ‘suburban Lake Worth’ receive so much attention on a blog called Lake Worth City Limits”?

Hopefully this new wave of Millennial reporters at the Post will get the attention of the ‘good ole boys’ and so-called ‘experienced’ beat reporters covering the City vis-à-vis the difference between the actual City and all those areas out in unincorporated Central Palm Beach County called “suburban Lake Worth”.

Just don’t hold your breath.

Anyhow, here are the 3 articles by Kornfield in today’s Monday Christmas edition:

• “Girl, 4, bitten by shark returns, smiling, to the beach”. Click on this link to read the entire story.
• An ‘Unbelievable’ article from Boynton Beach, “Family gets gift of a new ride” about a little girl who has thyroid cancer.
• How does Kornfield do it! From the Town of Palm Beach, “Palm Beach cops arrest reality star”.

For a long time here in the City of Lake Worth many have wished that Post reporter Lulu Ramadan would be sent to our City to be our local beat reporter but that’s not going to happen. Ramadan is stuck covering the stodgy Delray (‘Dull’-ray) and Boca beats. How terrible!

So the cry, “We want Lulu” and that news segment by Lulu at LULA — HATCH at 1121 Lucerne Ave. — is sadly never going to happen.

But who knows what the New Year 2018 will bring! Before long maybe we’ll see a young lady from The Palm Beach Post at a future City of Lake Worth Commission meeting.

Wouldn’t that be a breath of fresh air, a
young female beat reporter covering our
City of Lake Worth beat?

For a brief time back in 2010 Post reporter Lona O’Connor was the City of Lake Worth’s beat reporter.

Since at least 2008 every other beat reporter from the Post has been male, e.g., Willy Howard, Eliot Kleinberg briefly, Chris Persaud (who won two prestigious awards for election reporting) and then — after almost a year of not having a beat reporter from the Post — in then comes Kevin Thompson who was supposed to covering our City and Greenacres as well, two similarly-sized small cities.

For the recent history of beat reporters here in
the City of Lake Worth click on this link.

Isn’t it about time for fresh new outlook,
“IN YOUR COMMUNITY”?

Press release:

“Prestigious Awards to be Presented to Donald Trump for Mar-a-Lago and Trump International Golf Course PALM BEACH, Fla. -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Feb. 13, 2001”

The Florida Society of the American Institute of Building Design will present awards to Donald Trump for the Mar-a-Lago Club restoration and the innovative special construction techniques applied to the Clubhouse at Trump International Golf Course at an awards ceremony and presentation February 24, 2001.
     The Florida Society of the American Institute of Building Design (AIBD) will present the Honor Award of Excellence, the highest commendation presented by the Florida Society, to Donald Trump for the restoration of Mar-a-Lago, formerly the home of Marjorie Merriweather Post, and now an exclusive private club in Palm Beach.
     “Mar-a-Lago is unique in all the world,” commented Mr. Trump. “As a collector of great buildings, I thank the American Institute for Building Design for recognizing my efforts in restoring this architectural masterpiece and in making Mar-a-Lago the successful private club that it is today.”
     In reference to the future, an Award of Merit will also be presented to congratulate Mr. Trump on the implementation of a special construction technique called “phased” or “Fast Track” construction for the Clubhouse at Trump International Golf Course located a few miles west of the Mar-a-Lago Club.
     “The phased construction method is an idea whose time has come. The AIBD feels this new technique will have an important impact on the future of the building design industry,” stated Steven Mickley, Vice President of the Florida AIBD. Members of the media are invited to attend the ceremony that will take place on Saturday, February 24, 2001 at 12:15 p.m. in the Special Events tent located at the Trump International Golf Course, 3505 Summit Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33406.
     The awards will be accepted by Mr. C. Wesley Blackman, Director of Projects for the Trump Organization, and Mr. Pat Capalbo, Construction Supervisor for the Trump Organization who will also speak on the restoration process and the development of the “phased construction” technique. Ms. Barbara Knick, President of the Florida Society AIBD, and Mr. Steven A. Mickley, Vice-President Florida AIBD, will present the awards.
     Following the awards presentation, there will be a tour of the clubhouse construction site and an overview presentation of the golf course.

Florida History from the Florida Historical Society: The Breakers in Town of Palm Beach.

“Originally opened in 1896 and named

The Palm Beach Inn. . .”

“Originally opened in 1896 and named The Palm Beach Inn, the hotel was part of oil and railroad tycoon Henry Flagler’s East Coast Hotel system which offered places to stay for those traveling on Flagler’s East Coast Railroad. The wooden structure burned down in 1903, but was soon rebuilt. Named the Breakers due to its close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, it burned again in 1925 and was finally rebuilt using concrete instead of wood. Some the wealthiest and most influential people in America at the time stayed in the Breakers including the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Astors, the Morgans, and several U.S. presidents. Today the facility still functions as an exclusive hotel and covers 140 acres of prime real estate along the Atlantic Ocean in Palm Beach County.”

“I have to tell you, in 23 years I’ve never, ever seen so many people come out. . .”

Coming up on January 5th, 2018, will be the second anniversary when the community in Lake Worth rallied to save our historic Gulfstream Hotel. And we’re still left wondering and looking for answers. Again.

But on January 5th, 2016, the future looked so bright:

The Coastal Observer ran a popular series of articles focusing on Lake Worth history, one that’s hard to imagine without our iconic Downtown hotel.

It was on Jan. 5th, 2016, at a Lake Worth City Commission meeting where one of South Florida’s most well-known land use attorneys, representing the owners of the Gulfstream Hotel that day, said this:

“I have to tell you, in 23 years I’ve never, ever seen so many people come out, leave their homes at dinner time to speak in favor of an application. It just doesn’t happen. People come to speak against, but people don’t come to speak in favor. So I am overwhelmed by the volume of people that have been here this evening.”

Earlier that evening, the video below is Lake Worth resident and businesswoman Ariana Peters giving testimony why she believed the Gulfstream Hotel redevelopment would be so positive for our City. At the 1:00 mark she says:

“I believe the Gulfstream project is not only the right step but also a very crucial step in the right direction. I thank the board for their consideration of this project and I’m looking forward to the re-opening of this great landmark bringing people to Lake Worth who have always been hesitant and to finally showing off our town’s incredible Downtown and one of the best assets Lake Worth has to offer. Thank you.” [standing applause follows]

Three dogs, one a “sweetheart” named Lesi, who attacked Layla whilst Oreo, a Chihuahua mix, stood by helplessly.

A very special news story for
New Year’s Day in the L-Dub . . . and hoping for accurate news reporting in the New Year of 2018.

Please take note, this is not a joke: The ‘news’ you’ll read about below was actually published on Dec. 17th in the Sunday Palm Beach Post. However, please keep Layla in your prayers still recovering from the attack by that ‘sweetheart’ Lesi who wasn’t given the same chance to go after little Oreo.

Everyone wants to know. How are Lesi,
Layla, and Oreo doing?

“Did you know today, New Year’s Day, is the Lake Worth Very Very Special Monday Cursory Print Edition (LWVVSMCPE)?”

But. . . where did this kerfuffle happen between Lesi, Layla, and Oreo? That’s the ‘inexplicabe’ thing about this entire incident. Why? Because it starts out like a mystery wrapped up in a word salad. But the puzzle was solved. And you will be very surprised. Please continue reading about Lesi, Layla, and little Oreo:

And then, “Meanwhile, back
in Lake Worth. . .”?

Once again, this story actually appeared in the print edition of the Post, on page B3, the ‘Local’ section on Sunday, Dec. 17th. After reading this article many of you will be left scratching your head wondering,

“Where did this dog attack happen? In my neighborhood in Lake Worth or near a City park?
Is the Lake Worth City Commission aware of this?”

Where exactly did this dog attack happen? Learn the answer below following a short quiz.

But first, compare and contrast the ‘news’ on December 17th vs. a news report published on the Friday prior:

Reporter Olivia Hitchcock clearly cited where the incident “Crash knocks out electricity to 3,000” occurred. Why did the Lake Worth Electric Utility respond to an incident in Palm Springs?

Click on this link to learn why.

The ‘news’ story that appeared in the Dec. 17th print edition will have you shaking your head like a boxer with fleas “sniffing the grass”. Trust me, you’ll be asking yourself, “Where did this dog attack happen?” You’ll have to read it at least twice before it even starts to make sense.

This dog attack, one that “can sometimes be fast and inexplicable” is in itself ‘inexplicable’, like a day old word salad tossed away, wrapped up tightly in a newspaper that costs too much anyway. 

Or is this ‘news’ about a dog attack actually solvable? Like a puzzle of words that include:

Palm, Springs, suburban, Lake, Worth, unincorporated, Melaleuca, 6th Ave., Emerald, Vista, apartments, County, Animal, and Control?

Where did this dog attack happen? Would this be the apartments along Emerald Vista off Melaleuca Lane in Palm Springs? Take the quiz; pick one. Did this dog attack happen. . .

1. In the City of Lake Worth?
2. In the Village of Palm Springs?
3. None of the above?

The answer is 3. “Emerald Lakes development on Sixth Avenue South” is in unincorporated Palm Beach County or also referred to as suburban Lake Worth.

However, within the article in the Post yesterday — if you can make it that far without getting a headache — is some very helpful information: 

     “When incidents and attacks happen daily, they do, but the severity will vary,” Walesky [Cpt. David Walesky at Palm Beach County Animal and Control] said.

And then in the story about Lesi, “Meanwhile,
back in Lake Worth. . .”

“But a lot of those [dog attacks] are happening inside the home with visiting family members, friends who visit the homes, it’s not necessarily dogs running loose,” he [Walesky] said.
     Meanwhile, back in Lake Worth, ■■■■■ said he was in shock about what happened. “I trusted that dog and she’s never hurt anyone before,” he said. “I’ve never seen her be aggressive before.”

Click on this link if you’re interested in learning more about Palm Beach County Animal Care
and Control.

The main facility is located at 7100 Belvedere Road in suburban West Palm Beach (west of Florida Turnpike). Main phone number is 561-233-1200.

Animal Care & Control offers a variety of low-cost services for pets residing in Palm Beach County: rabies vaccinations, annual vaccine packages, microchipping and more!
     Please note, all pets surrendered to Animal Care & Control must be current on vaccinations (this is for the health and safety of the pet).
     Proof of vaccinations is required. For pets not current on vaccines, they can be brought to the shelter for this service; pet owners will then need to take the pet home for 14 days to allow the vaccines time to take effect before surrendering.

For some the holidays are a goodtime for vehicle maintenance.

For example, when was the last time you replaced the blinker fluid? Learn how: