June 2016. No words necessary.

City press release. Annual PrideFest Parade is tomorrow in DowntownLake Worthy, begins 11:30 a.m.*

Attention press and news media: If you have any questions or need further information please contact the City of Lake Worth’s Public Information Officer, Mr. Ben Kerr, at 561-586-1631 or by email: BKerr@lakeworth.org

Entire press release is below.

Press release titled:

“PrideFest Parade Road Closures, Sunday,
March 25th from 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.”

Lake Worth, Florida — As part of the annual Palm Beach Pride Event a parade will be hosted in Downtown Lake Worth starting at 11:30 am on Sunday, March 25th.
     The Compass Pride Parade is the oldest running Pride Parade in Florida and attracts more than 30,000 visitors to downtown Lake Worth. To accommodate the parade the following roads will have closures from 9:00 a.m–1:00 p.m.:

• Lucerne Ave. from N. Federal Hwy. to North Dixie Hwy.
• Lake Ave from S. Dixie Hwy to South Golfview Rd.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by these road closures.

For more about the annual PrideFest Parade and photos from last year’s parade click on this link.

*“We are LAKE WORTH [and WORTHY too!]. A hometown City that is committed to delivering the highest level of customer service through a commitment to integrity, hard work and a friendly attitude. We strive to exceed the expectations of our citizens, our businesses, our elected officials and our fellow employees.
     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.”

Visiting the City of “Lake Worthy” today or tomorrow for PrideFest and the Pride Parade tomorrow?

Artsy Fartsy Décor & More has been one of the biggest and most regularly items featured in The Palm Beach Post by their beat reporter since very early in 2016. So if you are following this story closely you must have heard many in the public and City leaders wondering out loud,

Is Artsy Fartsy leaving the City of Lake Worth for good? Is the owner still ‘mad’ at our City?

To get everyone up to speed. . .

The latest is the owner of Artsy Fartsy was going to move his store to Clematis Street in West Palm Beach but all the rents were too damn high. So Artsy Fartsy came back to the City of “Lake Worthy” to come up with another plan.

And then we heard from the owner of Artsy Fartsy, Mr. Brian Schlitz, after surveying the situation in the City of Lake Worth, was quoted in the Post by the beat reporter saying, “Unfortunately I [Mr. Schlitz] will have to start selling my goods online and take my show on the road.”

Where are we now? If you’ve been wanting to visit Artsy Fartsy you better hurry up!

Don’t delay and don’t dillydally! Go visit Artsy Fartsy Décor & More and find out for yourself what’s going on! The address and phone number are below.

Remember the happier times at Artsy Fartsy on Lucerne Ave.?

Click on image of the big Adirondack chair below.

To put the chair in perspective, my shoes are
size 13 and Yours Truly is 6′5″.

Let’s all recall happier times for Artsy Fartsy:

A Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) newsletter, featured on the front page last year was a Q&A.

Excerpts from that Q&A are below to learn more about Artsy Fartsy Décor & More and the proprietor, Mr. Brian Schlitz. Artsy Fartsy is located at 506 Lucerne Ave. in Downtown Lake Worth. The phone number is 561-469-7348.

Tell us about yourself?

I was born and raised in Staten Island. . . . After originally making Boca Raton home, I stumbled upon this one of a kind, close knit and charming town of Lake Worth.

What made you choose Lake Worth?

Lake Worth is a very artsy, charming town and the perfect place for a specialized, fun décor store. The locals and tourists, alike, love our pieces and feel right at home.

What do you like best about having your business within the City of Lake Worth?

Lake Worth’s top business assets are the public officials in place, the downtown (two downtown streets running east/west which allows for double the amount of walkability and opportunity), the beach casino and the artistic, quaint and close knit feel that makes Lake Worth so unique.

Best of luck Artsy Fartsy!

However. . .

The City of Lake Worthy will forever be known as the original home of Artsy Fartsy Décor & More!

Wikipedia and MYTH vs. FACT.

Never trust everything you read
on the City of Lake Worth’s Wikipedia page.

Always verify what you’ve read using trusted sources as backup, e.g., the City of Lake Worth’s official website.

To see this demonstrated for yourself — why you should never trust Wikipedia — click on this link for the City’s Wikipedia page and look for text citation #21 that was recently added to the City’s Wiki page.

Text citation 21 corresponds to footnote no. 21 in the “References” section.

MYTH.

Click on image to enlarge:

Now go back and find text citation #35 on the City of Lake Worth’s Wikipedia page and footnote
no. 35 in the reference section:

FACT.

“Lake Worth is the most gay-friendly community in Palm Beach County. The annual Gay Pride Parade for the county is held in Lake Worth. The county’s only GLBT center, Compass, is located at 201 N. Dixie Highway.”

Have a lot of fun this coming weekend at PrideFest and at the parade on Sunday in the little City of Lake Worth!

But, unfortunately — as was learned in previous PrideFest parades — this can also be an opportunity for troublemakers as well.

“If You See Something, SAY SOMETHING”!

PBSO is always looking for volunteers: “Volunteering not only fosters a great feeling of accomplishment but helps your community become a safer place.”

This weekend, Saturday and Sunday, is PrideFest in the City of Lake Worth!

This Saturday starts Palm Beach Pride 2018 at Bryant Park. This year’s ever-popular Pride parade will be on Sunday, March 25th starting at 11:30. The Pride Parade:

[A]ttracts more than 30,000 attendees annually throughout South Florida and the Treasure Coast. Compass’ Pride parade is the oldest running Pride Parade in Florida. For 25 years, PrideFest has served as Palm Beach County’s largest gay & lesbian visibility event.

Below are your elected officials in the City of Lake Worth at last year’s Pride Parade.

Click on images to enlarge:

City of Lake Worth Commissioner
Herman C. Robinson. . .

Commissioner Omari Hardy.

No parade is complete without District 1 Commissioner Scott Maxwell who also serves as the City’s vice mayor pro tem. . .

. . . and here is Vice Mayor Andy Amoroso. Unfortunately, Mayor Pam Triolo was out of town on City business and was unable to attend last year.

Below is a short video of former Lake Worth Mayor Jeff Clemens. The video is of Clemens, who many of us just call “Jeff”, at the Grand Opening of Compass on March 20th, 2009, nine years ago. Maybe this video will bring back some wonderful memories for many of you.

 Hope you enjoy this short video,
a look back at our history:

Question: “Do you know who Dr. Epps is?” The answer is below.

Please pause here momentarily.

Note the blog post below that starts off with the title, “From reporter Wells Dusenbury. . .” is from December last year following very good news from school board member Erica Whitfield about Lake Worth High School. . .

. . .and some very bad news about the Lake Worth High School football team, the Trojans.

So continue reading to find out who Dr. Epps is, about the Trojans’ 2016–2017 football season which ended up at 0-10, and then ask yourself this question:

If the Trojans football team at Lake Worth high School who, “traditionally struggled to put together consistent success on the football field” had access to community WiFi at home — so every player could study the football playbook and do their own research about the sport of football — could that have made a difference and turned a few of those losses last year into wins?

Think about that for a bit and, once again, please remember, the blog post below is from December 2017:

From reporter Wells Dusenbury, “Micah Mays steps down as Lake Worth football coach”.

Wells Dusenbury is a sports reporter at the Sun-Sentinel. A University of Florida graduate, he previously worked at ESPN West Palm, contributing on their digital, TV and radio platforms. To follow the reporter on Twitter: @DuseReport

To read the entire article by the reporter
click on this link; two excerpts:

Micah Mays has stepped down as Lake Worth’s football coach after two seasons with the program.
     Mays will become the new athletic director at Palm Beach Lakes. He will begin that job in January.

and. . .

     The Trojans are coming off a tough 2017 season, finishing 0-10. [emphasis added] Mays, who took over for Jessie Hester two years ago, went 4-5 in his first season at the school.
     Lake Worth has traditionally struggled to put together consistent success on the football field. The school has only won two playoff games ever and last made the postseason in 2010.

About the YouTube video
below and. . .

Do you know who Dr. Epps is?

Last August [2017] at a Lake Worth City Commission meeting Palm Beach County School Board member Erica Whitfield introduced the new principal of Lake Worth High School, Elvis Epps, Ed.D.

For the blog post dated August 21st use this link to read about, “In their own words”.

Something tells me Dr. Epps will not tolerate another year like the 2017 football season at Lake Worth High School. And maybe next year’s [2018–2019] football players, if Chip Guthrie’s idea takes off, will be able to study and do their homework at home and access their new football playbook as well using FREE community WiFi:


“Providing internet access for our young students, many of whom don’t have computers at home will go a long way to helping raise our struggling schools’ grade rankings. This, in turn helps to attract more families to buy into our neighborhoods and invest in Lake Worth.
     Please encourage your elected officials to support this effort.”

—Quote, August 2017, by Mr. Chip Guthrie, member of the Lake Worth Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

Enjoy the video.

Mathews Brewing Co. is still very big news in South Florida. But do you remember who first broke this story?

It was last year, in early December, when the very first mainstream news report was published about Mathews Brewing Co.

A question: Do you remember the reporter who first broke the news last year? The answer is below.

Mathews Brewing Co. was big news in The Palm Beach Post last January as well, reporters were scrambling and tripping all over each other to be the first one to file a news report.

News about the Grand Opening of Mathews Brewing Co. was front page news in The Lake Worth Herald and the Lake Worth CRA issued a well-distributed press release about Mathews Brewing in early January as well. Mathews Brewing was and remains pretty much big news all over South Florida. For example, it’s big news in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale too. Why?

Because reporter Nicole Danna first broke the news about Mathews Brewing last year.

So some of you are scratching your head right now and saying to yourself, “Hmmm. That name, Nicole Danna, sounds very familiar.”

Most of my loyal blog readers will recall reporter Nicole Danna. What happened to her? Find out
at the end of this blog post.

Hands down, Danna was the best reporter covering the City of Lake Worth’s food, restaurant, and adult beverage scene. But ever since she left in January 2016 there’s been a huge void or a “dearth” of consistent quality reporting. For example, it was Danna who first broke the news about C.W.S. Bar + Kitchen coming to our City back in February 2016.

Maybe, if enough people contact her editor at the New Times, Mr. Chuck Strouse, we’ll get her back covering this City much more often once again. There’s so much going on!

For example. . .

Here’s the latest City of Lake Worth news from Nicole Danna about, “Mathews Brewing Co. Will Offer South Florida’s Only Cask Ale Program”. Excerpts from the article datelined Dec. 6th, 2017:

On December 15 [2017], Mathews Brewing Co. will open the doors to its Lake Worth brewhouse and taproom located just west of the city’s downtown, in the newly recognized Artisanal Industrial District.
     Mathews Brewing Co. owner and brewer Dave Mathews says he originally planned to launch his business in West Palm Beach but was drawn south thanks to Lake Worth’s “funky, cool vibe” and the city’s business-friendly atmosphere. [emphasis added]
     “Now I’m hoping to lead the charge in revitalizing this area by motivating other like-minded small businesses to come here,” Mathews says. “I see nothing but potential.”

and. . .

     “Our goal is to make solid, quality beer that’s as true-to-style as possible,” says Mathews, whose late Jack Russel terrier serves as the official brewery logo. “We can literally brew anything here, and I plan to offer a broad range of styles, from an American IPA to traditional British-style cask ale.”

lastly. . .

     “The brewery’s opening-day tap list will include a number of the brand’s core beers, such as Accelerate American IPA, Hop Dynamics red IPA, Florida Haze New England IPA, Heavy Metal American double IPA, L-Dub Tropical pale ale, White Goblin Belgian wit, Junkyard Dog brown ale, Sweet Emotion cream ale, Seek and Destroy imperial stout, Night Moves amber ale, and Riff Raff American porter.

The details:

Mathews Brewing Co. is located at 130 South ‘H’ St. in the City of Lake Worth. Call 561-762-7293 for more information or send an email to:

info@mathewsbrewingcompany.com

More information from reporter Nicole Danna: “Parking for Mathews Brewing Co. can be found on the street or in two lots off South H Street north of the brewery.”

When you go to Mathews Brewing for your first beer remember to say, “I read the article by Nicole Danna and couldn’t wait to come by and check this place out.”

Mathews Brewing Co. is “Lake Worth’s First”
craft beer brewery. Mathews Brewing could
have chosen West Palm Beach.

But they didn’t.

So. What happened to Nicole Danna?

In January 2016 the New Times Palm Beach operations were shut down and consolidated with the Miami New Times:

Voice Media Group announced today it has completed the combination of its South Florida publications, Miami New Times and New Times Broward-Palm Beach. Moving forward, the company’s award-winning editorial coverage and business operations will be handled through Miami New Times.

In my Twitter exchange with New Times editor Chuck Strouse last year he said, “Nicole is still writing for us, but focus is moving south!” Maybe if enough people contact Mr. Strouse he’ll tell Nicole Danna,

“Your focus is moving north! The little City of Lake Worth needs you!”

Carleton Varney on “The Cottages of Lake Worth” hardcover book. Special to Daily News, aka, “The Shiny Sheet”.

Read the book review below. But first, where to go and see this book for yourself in Downtown Lake Worth?

Two convenient places to go and thumb through this book or purchase the “Cottages” hardcover book is the City’s newsstand located at 600 Lake Ave. in the Downtown and the other is The Book Cellar bookstore located at the corner of “Jumpin’ J Street” and Lake Ave. just right up the street.

Use this link for “The Cottages of Lake Worth” Facebook page.

From the Book Review by Carleton Varney* are these two excerpts:

“Every so often a design-oriented book arrives on my desk that I find delightful, charming, informative and truly beautiful to look at, explore and wonder about. Such is a book published by The Cottages Press in Lake Worth, and the book’s title is similar to the name of the publisher — The Cottages of Lake Worth.
     Since I first saw it, I have purchased several copies from Studio 205 at 600 Lake Avenue in Lake Worth, a magazine and bookshop that’s also a boutique with trinkets extraordinaire. Andy Amoroso, the proprietor, will fetch you a copy of the book if one is not on display.”

and. . .

     “If you delight in color, charm and old world Florida, The Cottages of Lake Worth is a must for your home library! I just cannot say enough good things about this book.”

“THE LEADER IN COVERING THE ISLAND”, Established in 1897:

To read the entire book review click on this link.

*About the writer: Palm Beacher Carleton Varney is president of Dorothy Draper & Co., an international design firm with offices in New York, West Palm Beach, London and White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Visit his website or email him at: cvarney@dorothydraper.com

Remember Thomas Altman?“Not every article resulted in a closed [homicide] case, but each one gavevoice to those who had only knownsilence for years.”

Next Thursday, March 22nd, will be two years since Thomas Altman was brutally attacked in the City of Lake Worth, right near the Downtown.

Three days later he died. The case remains unsolved.

Tomorrow would be the perfect day for The Palm Beach Post to publicize this cold case homicide.

Since the City of Lake Worth is featured every week in the print edition — every Monday on the ‘Local’ page B3 — instead of publishing a long list of phone numbers, the same ones every week (like the editors at the Post have done for the past two years, e.g., for the parks dept. and code enforcement) instead use that space in the paper tomorrow to get the word out about Thomas Altman’s murder two years ago. Why?

Someone, somebody, may have that “one small tip”.

In the time since Altman’s murder someone may have overheard something at a bar or in a church downtown? Maybe someone wants to come forward but is afraid of retribution?

Learn below how to anonymously provide that
“one small tip” and solve this murder.

And maybe every day thereafter this week another cold case could be revisited in the Post for those who have “only known silence for years” in other cities, towns and villages here in Palm Beach County.

Mr. Thomas Altman was brutally attacked along North ‘L’ St. near 5th Ave. North on March 22nd, 2016 in the City of Lake Worth. On Friday, March 25th, 2016 Thomas Altman died. His killer has never been found.

Here is an excerpt from an article in The Palm Beach Post a year after the murder, datelined March 28th, 2017:

     Altman was found unresponsive in a Lake Worth neighborhood on the 400 block of North L Street on March 22, 2016, after what appeared to be a severe altercation. Days after he was found, he died in the hospital, according to investigators. Since then, there have been no suspects in the fatal assault.


On March 25th this year it will be two years since Thomas Altman passed away.

Somebody saw something.

Somebody has that “one small tip”.

The murder of Thomas Altman is not the only unsolved
murder case here in the City of Lake Worth.

The media too can help solve cold case homicides but they have to be motivated to get involved. Learn how. Click on this link for more about this quote:

“Not every article resulted in a closed case, but
each one gave voice to those who had only
known silence for years.”

For candidates in very close races, is an endorsement in The Palm Beach Post the ‘kiss of death’ in future elections?

First, should newspapers ‘up For-Sale’ even be making political endorsements?

Because the Post was put up For-Sale last October and candidates in the most recent elections, some of them women in very close elections (especially so in Central Palm Beach County [CPBC]), put a lot of faith in that endorsement thinking it would give them another 3–4 percentage points?

Where was the public in all this? Does anyone know? And could it be the editor(s) know full well a Post endorsement could hurt some candidates and possibly swing an election one way or the other? Interesting question, isn’t it?

Down below — at the end of this blog post — is a link to another blog post from last Thursday, two days after the municipal elections in Palm Beach County, which posits these questions as well:

• Should those losing candidates last Tuesday relied less on that endorsement from the Post and focused more on other endorsements, e.g., from other elected officials and business leaders?
• Was Drew Martin, who was running for mayor of Lake Worth, responsible for Sarah Malega’s loss because the public may have believed Malega was running on a ‘slate’ with Martin?
• How much did former-Commissioner McVoy’s decision not to run against Mayor Pam Triolo affect the entire dynamics of those two races in this City?

And most importantly!

Drum roll please. . .

In 2020 there will be no elections for candidates in the City of Lake Worth. That’s right.

A year off following the elections next year in March of 2019. Why is that? Because of a referendum that passed in 2017 by a wide margin increasing terms for elected officials from two to three years.

On the ballot next year: District 2 Commissioner
Omari Hardy and District 4 Commissioner
Herman C. Robinson.

Now about those questions above, e.g., is the Post endorsement for women candidates in close elections a ‘kiss of death’ in CPBC? Click on this link to read more about that and much more.