Save the date: Saturday, December 15th is the City of Lake Worth’s 53rd annual Christmas and Holiday Parade!

Parade begins at 6:00 in Downtown Lake Worth. 

 Click on graphic to enlarge.

If your neighborhood, community, school and business organization would like to be part of the big event click on this link for contact information and more details.

Also worth noting: Next Saturday, Dec. 1st is the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in the Downtown Cultural Plaza from 7:00–9:00.

Who would have thought. . .

. . . this blog post would get so much attention?

The topic:

Palm Tran and public access
to the beach in Central
Palm Beach County.

First, for returning Snowbirds and others who are wondering, “What’s going on with that pool at Beach and Casino Complex?” When you finish reading this blog post scroll back up and click on this link for the latest information.


Now to Palm Tran bus service to the beach. . .

For those of you unaware Palm Tran used to run a bus to the Lake Worth Casino and Beach Complex. But due to construction activity at the top of the dune that bus service was discontinued about nine years ago. The bus then turned around at the east side of the Robert Harris Bridge and the public had to walk the rest of the way.

Then later the bus stopped going as far as the bridge and turned around at City Hall instead. That bus route continues to this day.

There was talk earlier this year of constructing a new Palm Tran bus stop at the Lake Worth Beach but unless something has changed the last we heard the City would have to pay up to $250,000 and fund the entire project. But there are organizations like the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency and the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Agency that could help find funding or a grant for such a project.

Taking a bus to the Beach would be a viable option now for many people. You may recall the price to park went up this year. The beat reporter at the Post wrote about parking a vehicle going from $2 to $3 per hour at the Casino and Beach Complex:

Many of the residents The Palm Beach Post spoke with were fine with the rate increase. [emphasis added]

“[F]ine with the rate increase”?

Wonderful news, right? Not so much for low-income families west of Dixie Hwy. with transportation by car being one of the only viable options. But what about that family just hopping on the bus? Have kids learn about the value of public transportation?

Remember, it was Lake Worth Commissioner Scott Maxwell who first hammered the point home several years ago: the public beach here in this City is a regional beach. The public as far out as Wellington consider this public beach to be their beach too. And so does every person in CPBC that uses Palm Tran Route 62 except the bus doesn’t go that far.

This bus route, Route 62, serves Lake Worth Rd., a main County arterial in the County. Major bus stops include The Mall at Wellington, Nassau Square, Wellington Regional Medical Center, Greenacres Library, Greenacres Post Office, vast areas of suburban (unincorporated) Lake Worth, Palm Beach State College, Lake Worth Tri-Rail Station, Lake and Lucerne avenues to Lake Worth City Hall, and potentially the Lake Worth Beach and Casino Complex.

As of now the last eastern stop on Route 62 is Lake Worth City Hall on Dixie Hwy. One could continue to the Beach using a ride-sharing service like Uber. By bicycle using the Palm Tran “Bikes On Buses” program the Lake Worth Casino Complex is about ten minutes away (≈1.5 miles).

By foot it’s a brisk 25–30 minute walk further east, up and over the Robert Harris Bridge (unless there is a bridge opening for ships to pass), and then the pedestrian making it thus far has to dodge traffic on A1A and then up another incline to the Casino Complex by which time that person might wish for ropes and a Sherpa escort.

The Beach bus stop would also provide a benefit for Palm Tran and their bus drivers. This bus stop, if constructed, will be what is called the “pee stop” for bus Route 62. There are plenty of necessary facilities for drivers at the Casino Complex. But the main purpose of the so-called ‘pee stop’ is for drivers to have time to catch up on their records, plan the next drive out west, and return calls to supervisors as well.

Do you support restoring Palm Tran bus service? If so contact the good folks at Palm Tran and let them know what you think. And you could also contact the elected leaders in the City of Lake Worth as well.

But whomever you contact please be nice and respectful and remember to ask what you can do to help.

Heads Up Palm Beach County. Heard what’s happening in Hendry County?

The news below is from reporter Chris Felker at The Clewiston News headlined, “Design contract OK’d for Airglades cargo complex” with emphasis added:


CLEWISTON — Hendry County commissioners are accelerating the methodical process of developing Airglades Airport into a privately owned, international facility with an associated Perishable Air Cargo Complex (PACC). They approved a nearly $1 million contract Oct. 9, negotiated by staff with Crawford, Murphy & Tilly (CMT) of LaBelle for preliminary engineering and design studies that are expected to take six to eight months.

At the same time, they acknowledged that Airglades International Airport LLC’s plan has reached the point where staff now must prioritize preparations for the development, in order to process the Hendry Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code amendments and the rezoning that will be needed.


To learn more about Clewiston click on this link.


Wondering where Hendry County is?
For some perspective:

Here is a map of the South Florida Water
Management District (SFWMD).

Click on image to enlarge:

Hendry County is located in the Lower West Coast region, west of Palm Beach and Broward counties.

Compare the map above with the map below.

Ever heard of the US 27 Multimodal Corridor project:

Click on map to enlarge.

Stay tuned, as they say.

The upcoming Palm Beaches Marathon has yet to reach its true potential.

A marathon to promote our region and beaches in Palm Beach County. However, this marathon does not include a beach. It sounds unbelievable. But it’s true.

Shouldn’t this marathon be called “The Palm Marathon”? Runners will see a lot of palms. But no beaches.

The Lake Worth Beach needs to be part of this marathon in 2019. And it’s the public and our business leaders who can make this happen. Continue reading to learn how.

The Palm Beaches Marathon falls (pardon the pun) on Sunday, December 2nd this year.

The full marathon, the 26.2 mile race route which includes a portion of our City of Lake Worth, has been slightly improved this year. But not by much. Only a few extra blocks.

This marathon is being promoted by Discover The Palm Beaches. And it is being promoted by the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County which is located in Downtown Lake Worth. In their promotional material for this race West Palm Beach gets mentioned a whole lot.

But our City of Lake Worth is ignored. Irrelevant. Not worth mentioning.

Ironic. Because our City actually has a beach. 

West Palm Beach does not have a beach. But the Town of Palm Beach has a beach. However, the Town of Palm Beach rejected the Palm Beaches Marathon this year, they said it wasn’t “town-serving”.

One would think the organizers of this marathon would actually give participants a look at the Atlantic Ocean along the Palm Beaches. Like maybe at the Lake Worth Beach. But no. The Palm Beaches Marathon does not include a beach.

This marathon does not reach our Downtown in the City of Lake Worth. It does not go over the Robert Harris Bridge to the Lake Worth Casino. What a shame.

The organizers of this race need to be put on notice. If the annual Lake Worth Tropical Triathlon uses the Robert Harris (“Lake Worth”) Bridge and the Casino as part of the course for runners then explain why the organizers of the Palm Beaches Marathon cannot find a route to include our Lake Worth Casino and Beach Complex?

Really now, what’s the point of having a ‘Palm Beaches Marathon’ when the runners don’t even get a glimpse of a real ocean beach in Palm Beach County? 

For residents and business owners in this City that’s where you come in. Start lobbying now for a better presence and a better stage for our City in the race next year and years beyond. Our City deserves an equal seat at the table.

Remember, the Town of Palm Beach rejected the Palm Beaches Marathon this year. They said it wasn’t “town-serving”. That’s right. Rejected. Get out of town.

Our City needs to demand this annual race serve our City better than it has in the past. How many in the public and those in the running community even know part of the full 26.2 mile marathon goes through this little City?

The City neighborhoods included in the race are listed below. All areas east of Dixie Hwy. and the runners will not even get one single glimpse of the Lake Worth Lagoon off the shores of our City of Lake Worth. Runners will see a lot of the Intracoastal in West Palm Beach though. Ironic. It’s not called the West Palm Beach Lagoon for a reason.

So what are residents, business and restaurant owners to do? Here are several ideas:

Start contacting the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, your elected leaders here in the City of Lake Worth, and the good folks at LULA Lake Worth Arts and tell them you want the 2019 Palm Beaches Marathon to be more “town-serving” for our City.

Once again. The upcoming full Palm Beaches Marathon race next month will not make it to Lake Ave. or over the Robert Harris Bridge to the Lake Worth Casino either. But this year’s race will make it to just a few blocks north of Lake Ave. into the Parrot Cove neighborhood before the turnaround.

Other Neighborhood Assoc. Presidents’ Council (NAPC) neighborhoods included in the course this year:

• College Park neighborhood is first, just south of WPB.
• Next is Eden Place.
• Then Mango Groves (Parrot Cove abuts the Lake Worth municipal golf course; Mango Groves is to the west).

Briefly, more about the NAPC. There are a total of sixteen (16) neighborhoods in the Council. For the color-coded geographic information system (GIS) map of all neighborhoods click on this link. The NAPC is also on Facebook; to contact the NAPC send an email: napcinfo@gmail.com

And, of course, the motto of the NAPC is:

“Our Neighborhoods Have Boundaries.

Our Commitment To Each Other Does Not.”

And get this. Last August organizers of this marathon had a glimmer of hope the Town of Palm Beach would allow the race to enter “The Town” according to journalist William Kelly at the Shiny Sheet. But those hopes were dashed on August 15th.


 “It’s not in the interest, I think, of our residents,” Lindsay [Councilwoman Bobbie Lindsay] said. “It’s a small town, it’s quiet, they’re here to have peace and quiet … it’s a drain on our police and also the rest of our staff.”


Here is more news from reporter Ian Cohen at the Shiny Sheet, more excerpts:


“It’s the weekend after Thanksgiving. The president [U.S. President Donald Trump] will be in town,” Moore [Council President Danielle Moore] said. “This would just be another piece of a very complicated weekend in Palm Beach. It causes me great consternation to think about the things that could possibly go wrong.”


The City of Lake Worth in December 2017 was used as part of the full 26.2 mile Palm Beaches Marathon with runners racing through neighborhoods. But there were complaints.

Why not come up with better route to show off our Downtown and attract more visitors and tourists? Fill up our restaurants and shops?

Below is the Lake Worth leg of the
2017 full marathon race.

Click on image to enlarge:

Full marathon runners in 2017 entered the City, headed east on Duke Dr., then south on Lakeside Drive to 10th Ave. North. and then at the turn exiting the City on Federal Hwy.

In this year’s race runners will head seven blocks further south prior to the turnaround.

The Palm Beaches Marathon in 2019?

Make your voice heard! Further on over the bridge to the Lake Worth Casino!

Next Tuesday, November 27th, 6:00, at the Lake Worth City Commission: “Work Session Ballot Issues”.

The question below (see ordinance) will most likely be put to the voters on March 12th, 2019. There will be two more public meetings to discuss renaming the City of Lake Worth to become the “City of Lake Worth Beach”.

Thus far there seems to be very little opposition to renaming this City. Of course there is some apprehension which is to be expected. However the general public mood is to let the voters decide.

Coming up on December 4th and the 13th this item will be discussed by the City Commission, to consider all the options for ballot language, and then forward this question to the PBC Supervisor of Elections to be on the ballot next March. More details about these upcoming public meetings will be forthcoming.

Thus far there are a total of three ballot questions being considered next year. To look over all of them click on this link and scroll down for “November 27 Work Session” to download the agenda.

On October 30th, three weeks ago, the City Commission took a straw poll and voted unanimously to put this issue to the voters.

For more background on this topic, once you’ve finished reading the proposed ordinance below, please scroll back up and click on this link.


Without further ado. . .


AGENDA DATE: November 27, 2018 – Work Session

DEPARTMENT: City Commission

EXECUTIVE BRIEF

Title:

Proposed Ordinance No. 2018-XX – Ballot Language for Name Change to the City of Lake Worth Beach


Summary:

This Ordinance proposes the ballot title and summary for a referendum question on the March 12, 2019 General Election ballot to change the name of the City to the “City of Lake Worth Beach”


Background and Justification:

The City’s eastern municipal boundary is generally from the City’s property at the municipal beach and along the western border of the Intracoastal waterway. The City’s western municipal boundary is generally adjacent to the eastern borders of E-4 Canal (also known as the Keller Canal), John Prince Park and Lake Osborne. Despite these boundaries, the City of Lake Worth often gets lumped in with surrounding unincorporated areas of Palm Beach County (i.e., surrounding areas that have not been incorporated into a municipality). For example, there are only two zip codes within the City’s municipal boundaries (33460 and 33461); but, the United States Postal Service associates seven (7) other zip codes with the physical municipal address of “Lake Worth”. In addition, parts of unincorporated Palm Beach County are often referred to as “Lake Worth” in descriptions of various locations, news reports and a variety of population and criminal statistics. The City desires to distinguish itself from these surrounding unincorporated areas and eliminate confusion regarding the City’s municipal boundaries.

 
The ballot title and summary are:

NAME CHANGE TO THE CITY OF LAKE WORTH BEACH

IN ORDER TO DISTINGUISH ITSELF FROM SURROUNDING UNINCORPORATED AREAS, SHALL ARTICLE I, SECTION 1 OF THE CITY OF LAKE WORTH CHARTER ENTITLED “CITY CREATED” BE AMENDED TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE CITY FROM THE “CITY OF LAKE WORTH” TO THE “CITY OF LAKE WORTH BEACH?”

 
YES _____

NO _____

The City of Lake Worth is considering renaming this City to “Lake Worth Beach”. Seen this news in the ‘news’?

And it is very possible, even likely, this question will be put on the ballot next year, on March 12th, 2019.

Coming up next Tuesday (Nov. 27th), and on December 4th and the 13th this item will be discussed by the City Commission, to consider options for ballot language, and then forward this question to the PBC Supervisor of Elections to be on the ballot next March.

More details about these upcoming public meetings will be forthcoming.

On October 30th, three weeks ago, the City Commission took a straw poll and voted unanimously to put this issue to the voters.

Question: Have you seen this reported in
the press or news media?

As far as I can tell this topic has not been reported on WPTV (NBC5), CBS12 (WPEC) or even ABC25 (WPBF). Why not?

Why has this topic not been reported in The Palm Beach Post? It’s no surprise the beat reporter from the Post has not informed the community about this since it’s that particular reporter, and many others, whose inaccurate and misleading news reporting brought about the urgency and to consider options once again such as changing this City’s name.

And just last week was a homicide widely reported as having occurred “in Lake Worth” which many in the public were left to assume happened in the City of Lake Worth. Which is completely false. Changing this City’s name to Lake Worth Beach over time will correct those misconceptions and educate the public about where this City is actually located in Palm Beach County.

And back to the press and “Lake Worth Beach”. What about County government reporters Alexandra Seltzer or Wayne Washington? One would think a municipality in Palm Beach County considering a name change would be of interest around this County and really all of South Florida as well.

What about the editorial board? Today marks four hundred and fifty days since the last editorial about this City of Lake Worth was published in the County’s paper of record. What does the Post editorial board think about “Lake Worth Beach”? Where is Frank Cerabino? He is silent as well. Nothing sarcastic to say?

And Skyler Swisher at the Sun Sentinel? He’s their reporter here covering Palm Beach County. This could be a major scoop for him.

Thus far the only reporter in South Florida to bring attention to this topic is Brian Bandell at the South Florida Business Journal. 

So as you ponder these questions about
the press and news media. . .

Check back tomorrow to this blog.


Because there is a very interesting theory why the news about “Lake Worth Beach” is not being reported. And also explained tomorrow is why Lake Worth High School will not have to change its name and neither will The Lake Worth Herald and a lot of other things with ‘Lake Worth’ in its name will not have to change either.

In fact, most things in Palm Beach County with “Lake Worth” in its name will not be affected at all. But when and if ‘Lake Worth’ becomes “Lake Worth Beach” it will have a tremendous effect on this little municipality.

What will change, if approved by the voters, is defining the municipal borders of a place called “Lake Worth Beach”. A 6 square mile coastal municipality south of West Palm Beach, a city that does not have a beach.

In conclusion the topic comes down to this:

After all these many years of debating this topic the public needs to have their say.

Say “Yes” or say “No” on March 12th, 2019.

Settle this debate once and for all.

Downtown West Palm Beach news: “Clematis Street’s The Alchemist closes, citing changing area, homeless problem”

“It was heartbreaking. We had a good concept. But the type of clientele we were counting on was coming downtown less and less.”

—Mr. Craig Steel, general manager, partner of Daiza Restaurant Group quoted in The Palm Beach Post.



This news was reported by long-time reporter Leslie Gray Streeter in late July. To read the entire article click on this link; one more excerpt:


     Although “in the last two years, we were still getting the traffic, still making money,” he [Craig Steel] says that the partners felt that “the area is in a bit of a decline.” Specifically, over the last year or so, he cited an increasing problem with downtown West Palm Beach’s homeless population “getting out of control. They were even coming into the restaurant and harrassing people.” [emphasis added] He cited the March stabbing of a woman dining outside of Sushi Yama, west of The Alchemist.
     Steel says that he let his staff of about 25 know on Sunday that the place was closing, in personalized handwritten letters.

Thanksgiving Day is coming up on Thursday this week.

On October 31, 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a presidential proclamation changing the holiday to the next to last Thursday in November, for business reasons. On December 26, 1941, he signed a joint resolution of Congress changing the national Thanksgiving Day from the last Thursday in November to the fourth Thursday.


But for many Americans the holiday of Thanksgiving Day is not just for NFL football, turkey and all the fixins’. It’s actually a day for car maintenance (see video below).

So in preparation for later this week, some day soon, stop by a retail store selling car maintenance supplies and stock up on the essentials: a new car deodorant or air freshener, seat stain remover, new windshield wipers, bug and tar remover, a trunk organizer, engine oil, brake fluid, and of course the blinker fluid as well.

Hope you find this information helpful:

A timely message for all City residents and our returning mirthful and joyous Snowbirds to our City of Lake Worth.

Were you a regular fan of the Food Truck Invasion the second Monday of each month?

Well. There has been a change.

The monthly Food Truck Invasion has moved to the 4th Friday of each month:

And get this: The next one is this coming Friday, Nov. 23rd, the day after Thanksgiving Day! “Hey, couch potato, guess what? No cooking today!”

For more “Special Events” in this City
click on this link.