Palm Beach County election news from publisher Gatehouse Media and today’s endorsements in the Post.

Gatehouse Media, as of May 2018, is the owner and publisher of The Palm Beach Post. Gatehouse calls itself,

The Biggest Oldest Newest Most Local National Media Brand in America

Before we get to County election news from Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link there is a local election development today in the City of Lake Worth (see today’s Post endorsements below).

And also below is terrible news. Due to a ruling by Palm Beach County Circuit Court Judge Laura Johnson there may be a relapse in the sober home epidemic wiping out much of the progress that has been made by State Attorney Dave Aronberg and our local officials such as Lake Worth Vice Mayor Andy Amoroso.

And on that topic many will be scratching their heads today wondering why the editor(s) at the Post published their Lake Worth endorsements over three weeks before Election Day and in the Sunday print edition too.

Why the Sunday print edition? The most important paper of the week?

For example, many in the public policy, public health and law enforcement professions here in Palm Beach County will undoubtedly question the editorial decision today on p. A22 above the fold.

The last two editorials published in the Post this week were about Parkland and “We still need more than thoughts and prayers” and the other editorial was, “Judge’s ruling threatens Aronberg’s war on opioid abuses”; an excerpt from that editorial:


Too much is at stake here. After years of lives lost and neighborhoods damaged, our communities — like Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Lake Worth — can’t afford a relapse. [emphasis added]


Both of the editorials above are worthy of being published in the Sunday print edition, especially so the one about sober homes and State Attorney Dave Aronberg. But why not?

It just doesn’t make sense until you understand this: this City does not need the Post. But the Post relies on the City of Lake Worth to promote their newspaper. The fact is this City is the most interesting municipality in all of Palm Beach County and of that there is no doubt. And proof is every single Monday in the print edition — for the last three years — this City has been featured in the ‘LOCAL’ section of the paper. But unfortunately, this has come at the expense of other municipalities like the City of Greenacres to our west.

What will the Post endorsements be tomorrow? In what municipality? Frankly, no one cares because the Post is horrid at making political endorsements anyhow. Like for example what happened in the recently past November General Election. Do you remember Gwen Graham? She is who the Post endorsed for governor of Florida. Oooops.

And worth noting, before we proceed, tomorrow is another scheduled candidate forum at The Beach Club bistro located at the City’s municipal golf course (#1 7th Ave. North). The Parrot Cove neighborhood will sponsor this event which will begin at 7:00.

Also yesterday was breaking news about City Manager Michael Bornstein. Learn more about what happened later in this blog post.


Without further ado. . .

UPDATE: No surprise!

The Palm Beach Post editorial board which works for the conglomerate Gatehouse Media, made their endorsements for the March 12th elections in the City of Lake Worth, and once again they made a crucial error of omission. The editor(s) at the Post endorsed the incumbent Commissioner Omari Hardy in District 2 and endorsed Mr. Tom Copeland who is challenging incumbent Commissioner Herman Robinson in the District 4 race.

But what has gone completely unreported in the Post is this crucial factor: whomever is elected on March 12th will serve a three-year term. So either the editor(s) at the Post forgot about the referendum that passed in March 2017 or they just don’t care.

Our elected leadership going from a two-year term to a three-year term is a very significant factor the voters need to consider. In the endorsement today in the Post the editor(s) note that Commissioner Hardy is “still learning on the job” and also referred to a “rookie error” Hardy made recently.

Increasing terms for elected officials — along with increasing the compensation for our electeds — was the brainchild of Lake Worth City Manager Michael Bornstein. The reasoning is with so much to learn as a City Commissioner, including being on the board of directors of the Lake Worth Electric Utility, there is simply too much to learn in just two years.

For the latest news about Bornstein click on this link.

A two-year term is a choice by voters. A three-year term is a commitment.

So when you as a voter on Election Day go to the polls keep this in mind. Commissioners Hardy and Herman Robinson and Cathy Turk and Mr. Copeland are all good choices on March 12th. And in your selection carefully consider who will make the best use and the best decisions with three years as your commissioner in Districts 2 and 4.

Moving on to County-wide election news this week.

Also on the blog this week is the latest about journalist Charles Elmore who has been oft-cited on this blog for many years. But sadly, as of January Mr. Elmore no longer works at The Palm Beach Post. Learn more about this latest development below.

Now to more news from Gatehouse Media, very important information is below from Wendy Sartory Link, Supervisor of Elections (SOE) in Palm Beach County:

PUBLIC INSPECCTION [sic] OF VOTE BY MAIL BALLOTS FOR THE MARCH 12, 2019 UNIFORM MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Here are two excerpts from the Public Notice published in last Wednesday’s print edition of The Palm Beach Post on p. B9 in the Business Section (column 1 above the fold):


The sealed Vote by Mail ballots received prior to Monday, February 25, for the March 12, 2019 Uniform Municipal Elections, will be available for public inspection from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 25, at the Supervisor of Elections Service Center, 7835 Central Industrial Drive, Riviera Beach, FL 33404. Immediately afterwards, the Supervisor of Elections staff will commence the opening and processing of those Vote by Mail ballots. However, those ballots will not be tabulated. Any person wishing to inspect any unopened Vote by Mail ballots must make a timely request to do so, and be readily available to promptly make such an inspection.

and. . .

Please be advised that you are entering a building which is equipped with security cameras which will record your activities while visiting. Entry into this building constitutes your agreement to be so recorded.

Wendy Sartory Link
Supervisor of Elections
Palm Beach County, Florida
240 South Military Trail, [suburban] West Palm Beach, FL 33415
561-656-6220
FAX: 561-656-6220


Once again, to read this entire Public Notice refer to Gatehouse Media in Wednesday’s print edition of The Palm Beach Post: Either pick up the actual print edition (Feb. 13th) or refer to the online print edition, call 561-820-4663, or send an email to: subscriberservices@gatehousemedia.com

Too bad there was not a better ‘INSPECCTION’ of this pubic notice this week. Computers will never replace the well-trained eye of a newspaper editor. So apparently no one from Gatehouse Media or the Post took a quick glance at p. B9 on Wednesday. And also just want to point out the main office of the PBC SOE is actually not in West Palm Beach — it is outside the municipal limits in suburban West Palm Beach — a municipality which actually does not have a beach.

But anyhow. . .

As of May 1st, 2018, Gatehouse Media is the publisher of the Post. Read more about that development from journalist Charles Elmore who left the Post last month. However, what has not changed is the Sun Sentinel in Broward County remains the publisher of the actual print edition of the Post.

Worth noting about Charles Elmore is he was a topic of discussion, albeit briefly and not cited by name, at a Lake Worth City Commission meeting last week. On the old and tired topic of banning plastic straws there was discussion of things that this City can actually do to improve the environment. And per the news from Elmore that would be supporting a company in the Glades region called Tellus Products. Banning plastic straws has become a cliché, just a silly slogan. But Tellus Products is actually doing something to make this County eco-friendly and 100% natural making products from sugarcane fiber.

If you were a loyal reader of Mr. Elmore’s work click on this link for his Twitter page and send him a brief message if you wish.

And in conclusion, for more about SOE Wendy Sartory Link, the firing of former SOE Susan Bucher and the subsequent protest march that was cancelled, and about that ‘plague’ of the word “plague” at the Post editorial board and much more information please click on this link.