Defining the role and purpose of volunteer advisory boards.

First, something “Worth Noting” for Lake Worth City Hall: There are only twenty-eight (28) days in February this year.

What is not of issue are these boards: The Community Redevelopment Agency, Historic Resources Preservation Board and the Planning & Zoning Board. Although some may have a problem with a particular decision these boards do tremendous work month after month.

And every volunteer serving on every board needs to commended for all the work they do. To see the list of City volunteer advisory boards click on this link.

The issue about volunteer boards is not about the volunteers. The issue is about whether or not it’s time to reevaluate the role of certain boards, maybe eliminate some or create others, and refocus on the goals and objectives of volunteer boards.

Next Tuesday the City Commission and the Lake Worth Electric Utility (LWEU) will be taking on the future role, if any, for the Electric Utility Advisory Board (EUAB). Below is Item 8C on the Commission/LWEU agenda, a meeting to be held in City Hall next Tuesday. This meeting follows the regularly scheduled meeting of the City Commission which starts at 6:00.

Later on this year will be the bigger job for the Commission, administration and City staff. Evaluating and examining a whole lot of other volunteer boards at City Hall. See that list of boards below.

The regular Commission meeting next week has a short agenda and should not take long. To look over both agendas click on this link and scroll down for the meetings dated “February 29” which of course should read “February 19”. Maybe somebody at City Hall thinks this year is the Leap Year. It’s not. The next Leap Year is in 2020.

Note that after next Tuesday coming up on March 5th there will be one last City Commission meeting prior to Election Day on March 12th. So it is a real possibility that discussion about banning plastic straws will come back before the Commission again. But let’s all hope not. It’s time to stop grasping at plastic straws and come up with some better ideas.

After the City Commission figures out what to do with the EUAB next week, then later on in the year will be this topic. What to do with these volunteer advisory boards?

• C-51 Canal Advisory Committee (CAC).
• Citizen’s Advisory Committee – 2016 Bond Referendum (CAC-BR).
• Finance Advisory Board (FAB).
• Library Board.
• Recreation Advisory Board (RAB).
• Tree Board.

Every board listed above has problems. Not making quorum, missing meeting minutes (the FAB has no minutes for all of 2018), the CAC hasn’t met in two years, the CAC-BR can’t round up enough members to have a meeting, the Library Board is a mystery, the RAB is now bi-monthly, we think, and the Tree Board is out there waging a war against palm trees which are not trees but the public loves them anyhow.

One can see why the public may want our City Commission to take a look at this topic.

Every elected on the City Commission has had issues with one or many of the boards listed above. Either about overreach, not focusing on what their mission is, or just wondering out loud what a particular board does specifically or in general.

Questions: Should volunteer boards come before the City Commission every two years or so to justify what they do? Should boards be automatically sunset if they can’t reach a quorum regularly? Should volunteer boards have an end date, need to be reconstituted on occasion, or just go on forever?

This will be a very interesting discussion and debate coming up, maybe at a City Commission work session to be scheduled later this year.

Now back to the EUAB. Here is agenda item 8C:


Agenda Date: February 19, 2019.

Executive Brief.

Title: Ordinance No. 2019-03 — Reconstituting the Electric Utility Advisory Board.

Summary: This ordinance reconstitutes the Electric Utility Advisory Board to be consistent with the City Commission’s more active role in Electric Utility issues while maintaining the Board as an ad hoc advisory board on electric utility issues. [emphasis added]

Background and Justification: In 2012, the City Commission created the City’s Electric Utility Advisory Board (EUAB) to advise the City Commission, on behalf of the City’s citizens and residents, on electric utility policies, plans and programs. While the EUAB has provided invaluable advisory assistance to the City Commission in the past, the purpose and duties of the EUAB should shift with the City Commission’s desire to pursue a more active role in electric utility policies, plans and programs including the creation of a monthly City Commission meeting dedicated solely to electric utility issues.

Currently, the EUAB is a seven-member board, which is required to have monthly meetings. If the EUAB is reconstituted as proposed by this ordinance, it will become a five member, ad hoc advisory board that can more efficiently assist the Electric Utility Director and City Commission on electric utility matters on an as needed basis.

All current members of the EUAB are serving as de facto board members with expired terms. If this ordinance is approved on second reading, the City Commission will need to appoint five new board members to serve on the reconstituted EUAB.

Following discussion at City Hall next Tuesday there will be a move to approve or not approve Ordinance No. 2019-03.


Stay tuned as they say about the future of the EUAB. We’ll get the answer next Tuesday evening. Or maybe not. Maybe it will come back after March 12th, Election Day.

News Worth Noting: Public notice published in The Palm Beach Post.

Beautiful property being disposed of by West Palm Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

This public notice in the Post was titled, “NOTICE OF INTENT TO DISPOSE OF [BEAUTIFUL] PROPERTY”.

This property is a vacant lot at the corner of 21st St. and Beautiful Ave. See directions to this property below.

Here is an excerpt from that news dated February 7th, 2019 with emphasis added and “[sic]” is explained later.


The West Palm Beach [sic] Community Redevelopment Agency (“CRA”) is considering disposing the property located at 2115 Beautiful Ave, West Palm Beach [sic], FL (Parcel Control Number: 74-43-43-16-15-006-0190), consisting of approximately  6,9821.67 sq. ft. (0.1603 Acres) parcel.


If you wish to learn more about this Beautiful property refer to the Post print edition on Thursday, February 7th (or use the online print edition) and go to p. B10, above the fold in the fifth column.

To better understand where this vacant lot is located in West Palm, at the corner of 21st St. and Dixie Hwy. is the Pleasant City Elementary School. To see the vacant lot on Beautiful Ave. head west on 21st St. past Spruce Ave. and 2115 Beautiful will be on the left (south side of 21st St.) at the corner of 21st and Beautiful.

If you come up to A E Isaacs Ave. you went too far.

By the way, is 2115 Beautiful being considered for a neighborhood public park by the West Palm CRA? Will all the shade trees be kept safe from damage going forward? Are there any gopher tortoise burrows? How will the neighbors be impacted by future development? These are important questions. Future development will certainly impact the community.

Before the West Palm CRA disposes of the property on Beautiful Ave. should a series of neighborhood charrettes be held? Does the public in this neighborhood even know this property is being disposed of? Maybe a reporter from WPTV will try and find answers to these questions.

And please note all potential investors and developers. The City of West Palm ‘Beach’ does not have a beach. Really, it’s true. They don’t. But if you are looking to invest in a municipality that actually does have a beach on the Atlantic Ocean please consider contacting the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) in the City of Lake Worth, a municipality located directly to the south of West Palm.

The Lake Worth CRA has many fabulously beautiful properties you may be interested in looking at. And word is the CRA in partnership with the City of Lake Worth will be constructing a new parking garage in the Downtown which is certainly good news for the business community and future investors.

To contact the Lake Worth CRA click on this link.

And please remember to say Wes said, “Hi!”

FREE SPEECH.

Maybe this blog post today will inspire the event coordinator at Palm Beach State College in suburban Lake Worth to invite speaker Al Tompkins back to give another presentation. Who is Al Tompkins? Please continue reading to find out.

It is worth noting political FREE SPEECH does not require truth but truth can certainly help make one’s case to the voters. Many of you will recall the TV ad by President Barack Obama’s campaign organization back in 2012.

That one ad ensured the re-election of President Obama who would remain the 44th President of the United States.

Don’t recall that ad? Learn more below.

Because this blog is mostly about the City of Lake Worth and nearby municipalities and suburban areas too it is of interest how unusual the situation in Lake Worth this year: this year is the rare “slow play” election. Think of a one-mile track race. Sometimes runners take off fast from the start. Other times it’s slow and jockeying for position for the final sprint, the ‘slow play’. Only time will tell who had the best strategy and maybe a late-February surprise. See one of those surprises a little later. One that ended up in mailboxes all over the City.

However, briefly on LOCAL politics and political FREE SPEECH the City of Lake Worth has nonpartisan elections as per the City Charter. And most candidates follow this rule, successfully avoiding the dysfunctional politics on the state and Federal level. There is no real penalty for breaking this rule. Except having to face the voters on Election Day.

Now back to FREE SPEECH and politics.

The only thing required on a TV ad or a mailer by any candidate for political office is a disclaimer. Period. Everything else is FREE SPEECH.

For example, what about the inflammatory and mythical ‘sanctuary city’? In politics that is fair game and FREE SPEECH.

The ‘G’ word? That is FREE SPEECH too.

But FREE SPEECH goes both ways and using loaded language can end up damaging a campaign beyond repair. Because of the required disclaimer the voters will be informed who that FREE SPEECH actually came from and vote accordingly.

An example of a required disclaimer is later in this blog post.

Back in August 2016 Al Tompkins from the Poynter Institute was invited to Palm Beach State College to give a presentation about the press and news media. This was just a few months prior to the November General Election.

Mr. Tompkins was never invited back.

But maybe he will be invited back to Palm Beach County some time prior to the Primary and General Election in 2020.

One of Tompkins’ major points was,


The public needs to sort out what’s accurate and what’s true. And voters need to be responsible in understanding how they are being persuaded.


What Tompkins used as an example was the most effective political TV ad in modern American history, the ad by President Obama’s campaign aimed at Mitt Romney on healthcare. Romney never recovered. He tried to fight back. But it was over.

Out of all the hundreds of thousands of political TV ads that year only a tiny handful stood out.

The same is true for political yard signs. And door hangers. And also true for political mailers.

Earlier that same year, leading into the March 2016 elections in the City of Lake Worth, a political mailer was sent out ending any hope that Mr. Ryan Maier would ever get elected.

Why was that particular mailer so effective? You decide.

Click on mailer to enlarge.

And note the required disclaimer at the bottom.

The Hartman campaign tried to fight back but it was a lost cause. The ad’s content was not of dispute. Maxwell won in a landslide.

When you get that next mailer examine it carefully. Make sure it has a disclaimer. Always look for the disclaimer on political FREE SPEECH.

Examine the content. Try to understand how you are being persuaded. 

And then make your voice heard on March 12th.

Our local environment, human waste and septic tanks in City of Lake Worth and suburban areas.

Is there a map showing where all the communities still on septic are located? How many homes are still on septic in the City of Lake Worth? How many septic tanks are there in suburban areas in near proximity to Lake Osborne? Could the lake and feeder canals be at risk of a slimy toxic blue-green algae bloom?

Below is more information about this situation.

The good news is there is a map being compiled for the location of all septic tanks in our City and suburban areas. So stay tuned for that information. In the meantime. . .

Septic tanks in City of Lake Worth and suburban areas west near the County’s John Prince Park and our local treasure: Lake Osborne.

There is more good news to pass on.

From a City Commission meeting last March we learned from Lake Worth’s Water Utilities Director, Mr. Brian Shields, P.E., that the last of five properties still on septic in a small area in the northwestern area of the City, east of I-95, will have the opportunity to tie into the City sewer system without an assessment, which is very good news for those property owners.

You can watch and listen to Dir. Shields and the City Commission for yourself in the video below, courtesy of the City of Lake Worth.

This is happening because the Meritage Homes housing development, to the north of that tiny area still on septic, is doing their own underground sewer line work, using their own contractor — and the City will not have to go out and find their own contractor to do the work — which in some cases can be a very long and costly process. Plus once this sewer line work is complete, the water lines will be fixed if needed, or replaced, and the road can then be upgraded using the Neighborhood Road Bond program.

The situation west of I-95 in this City, east of John Prince Park and in the nearby suburban (unincorporated) Lake Worth areas, it appears to be a much different situation. There was concern expressed that septic tanks may be reaching that point in time when they no longer work properly, or maybe already are leaking sewage into the high water tables in that area, which would pose an environmental threat to Lake Osborne located in the County’s John Prince Park.

Lake Worth Vice Mayor Andy Amoroso requested a map be produced by the Lake Worth Water Utility to show exactly where all of these septic tanks are located. That map has not yet been completed but should be forthcoming in the near future.

Please note: Mr. Shields begins his presentation at the 31:30 mark in this video (if for some reason the
video doesn’t begin at that point):

Hope you found the information above helpful, especially if the environment, infrastructure, and public health is very important to you and your family.

Now let’s digress for a moment. . .

Whilst on the topic of water, below is more information for everyone planning a future visit to South Florida, maybe already planning your Winter event schedule, and especially families frightened by the poor, unhealthy water quality in the St. Lucie River and lagoon to the east. . .

Plan your visit to the City of Lake Worth in Palm Beach County to play, fish, canoe, and kayak in our Lake Worth Lagoon!

There is news below about the Lake Worth Lagoon (aka, the Intracoastal Waterway) from reporter Willie Howard, who many of you will recall was formerly a beat reporter at The Palm Beach Post, who covered the City of Lake Worth beat for many years.

Many of you will be pleased to learn Mr. Howard is a reporter for The Coastal Star and he recently took home a first- and second-place award for “Excellence in Journalism”. The Coastal Star collected, “[S]ix first-, three second- and six third-place awards in the 66th annual Excellence in Journalism Competition sponsored by the Florida Press Club.”

Mr. Howard won a first-place award in the category of “Sports” and “Environmental News”. To read the entire article titled, “Along the Coast: A raft of press awards for The Coastal Star” click on this link.

Here is an excerpt from this blog of a news segment by reporter Willie Howard, “Paddling the habitats of Lake Worth Lagoon”:


Anglers fishing around the islands of the central lagoon can catch snook, mangrove snapper, barracuda, sheepshead and small bait fish along with the occasional redfish and spotted sea trout.
     Restoration islands near the Lake Avenue Bridge include the Snook Islands project, completed in 2005 (and later expanded); the two Grassy Flats islands on the east side of the lagoon near the Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course; Bryant Park Wetlands islands south of the bridge near Lake Worth’s Bryant Park; and the Jewel Cove project southeast of the bridge across from Lake Worth Beach.
     To date, the county has overseen 49 environmental restoration projects in the Lake Worth Lagoon, the 20-mile-long estuary that stretches from Ocean Ridge to North Palm Beach.


Whilst you plan your upcoming Winter event schedule or annual Snowbird migration come stay in Palm Beach County! Here is news datelined October 2nd, 2018 from journalist Frank Licari:


Today we’re discovering a city that’s not just hip — it’s historic too! Of course, we’re talking about the City of Lake Worth or L-Dub as the kids call it. We’ll jump into the city’s happening arts scene, visit an ocean front restaurant with postcard perfect views and check out an historic playhouse that JUST may be haunted. Are you ready? Then let’s go — On the Town in The Palm Beaches.


This little City of Lake Worth, Florida, would be thrilled to be your host:

Lake Worth Jaguars football and cheer: Be part of the team!

The City needs board members, football coaches and cheer coaching.

For more information contact Nicole Bohannon at the City’s Recreation Division. Call and leave a message at 561-533-7363 or send an email to: nbohannon@lakeworth.org

The Recreation Division is located at 1515 Wingfield St. To learn more about what programs are available click on this link.

It’s time to get those young athletes ready to play and cheer for Jaguars in our proud City of Lake Worth!

For football players and cheer ages 4–15.

This football program is,


“[A] non-profit, recreation-oriented youth program that relies heavily on athletics and recreational activities to create and cement the bond between the adult volunteers and the youth in the community.”

Become a Jaguar football and cheering coach!

Just a reminder about PBSO and our LOCAL neighborhood volunteers.

Volunteering for PBSO is powerfully effective keeping neighborhoods and communities safer.

“[T]here is no debate about
the result.”

The short excerpt above is from a recent quote (see below) by the editor at The Palm Beach Post.

In the Post is just the latest of observations and acknowledgements by the editors, staff writers and beat reporters about the effectiveness of Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, PBSO, and all the volunteers who have made such a big impact on the quality of life here in Central Palm Beach County (CPBC).

It’s important to remember there are now six (6) cities, towns, and villages in CPBC — including all those vast areas of unincorporated CPBC — that have PBSO as their LOCAL law enforcement agency:

From just east of the Herbert Hoover Dike to the malls of Wellington and onward to the east, to the bright Shores of L-Dub!

Below, at the end of this blog post, are the instructions. Everything you need to know about, “How to become a volunteer for PBSO”.

Volunteers are making a huge impact on public safety in neighborhoods and communities from the Glades region in CPBC to the villages of Wellington and Royal Palm Beach eastward into suburban (unincorporated) Lake Worth, in the fine City of Greenacres as well and eastward still into the ‘Quirky’ City of Lake Worth “with a capital Q” where no one quibbles or quips annoyingly of the quizzicalities any more about merging with PBSO ten years ago.

In short, the quixotically-challenged have fallen into their own quicksilver of false quintessence. So quick quivering all you malcontents and quibblers!

Everyone has noticed the result of all those volunteers. Even The Palm Beach Post. For example, on the merge with PBSO in the City of Greenacres,

“[T]here is no debate about the result. Overall crime is down, and available law-enforcement resources are far better.” [emphasis added]
—Quote. Editor at The Palm Beach Post, March 10th, 2018.


Also recently on this topic, the editor at the Post recently praised PBSO Sheriff Ric Bradshaw who “smartly requested $1.8 million to hire 15 entry-level deputies” applying for a highly coveted federal grant for COPS: Community Oriented Policing Services.

This program is,

“[T]he component of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of community policing . . . through information and grant resources.”

Do you or someone you know have time to
volunteer with PBSO?

Then contact PBSO’s Volunteer Headquarters or the Neighborhood Assoc. Presidents’ Council (NAPC; see below for contact information):

• PBSO Volunteer HQ: Call 561-433-2003
• Email: Volunteer@PBSO.org
• Or visit the Volunteer Services Unit at 2601 S. Military Trail, Ste. 29 in West Palm Beach: open Monday–Friday from 9:00 a.m.–noon and 1:00 p.m.–4:00.

Volunteers are needed for the Citizen Observer Patrol (COP), media unit, traffic monitoring, parking enforcement, Volunteer Emergency Response Team (VERT), honor guard, mounted unit, and bike patrol.

On your own you can contact the NAPC and try to organize another “Walk The Walk” neighborhood event with PBSO.

Neighbors walked the streets with PBSO reminding residents that, “No tip is too small”, you can remain anonymous (no fear of retribution), and collect a reward for solving a crime even homicides from past years. Do you remember Thomas Altman? Tyler Etue? Woodley Erilas?

To contact the NAPC visit their Facebook page or
send an email to: napcinfo@gmail.com

You may have that one small tip to help solve the murder of Thomas Altman. Refresh your memory: read the Post article by reporter Hannah Winston from March 2016.

Volunteers are needed from every community and neighborhood here in our City of Lake Worth:

“Volunteering not only fosters a great feeling of accomplishment but helps your community
become a safer place.”

Tree Board meeting today is significant: Final preparations for annual Tree Festival this Saturday.

Worth Noting: Today’s meeting of the Tree Board will be held at the City Hall Annex located at 414 Lake Ave. (also the location of the Downtown Cultural Plaza).

This meeting will begin promptly at 5:30 today.

Please come out and welcome Anna Tedesco Santacroce and Chris McVoy, PhD, the newest members of the Tree Board!

The staff liaison for the Tree Board is Mr. Dave McGrew. As was noted recently on this blog, Chris McVoy, PhD, a former commissioner in District 2 was appointed to the Tree Board by Mayor Pam Triolo. Welcome back, McVoy!

At today’s meeting it may be a good idea to briefly review the Sunshine Law for the newest members of the Tree Board.*

Here is the agenda for today’s meeting:

Lake Worth City Tree Board
City Hall Annex, Old Commission Room.
Thursday, Feb. 14th [TODAY] at 5:30.

• Call to order (members present).
• Pledge of Allegiance: An expression of allegiance to the flag of the United States and the republic of the United States of America.
• Agenda items: Additions, deletions, reordering.
• Approval of minutes: Oct.–Dec. 2018, Jan. 2019.
• Public participation on non-agendaed items (five minute limit).
• New business: Advisor’s report.
• Old business: 14th Annual Festival of Trees, February 16, 2019, 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. in the Cultural Plaza. At 7:00 p.m., Tree Board Theater and Agile Rascal Bicycle Touring Theater in the Cultural Plaza.
• Adjournment.

*Please Note: One or more members of any City volunteer board or member of the City Commission may attend and speak at the Tree Board meeting today.

Spend Valentine’s Day evening at the Lake Worth Beach!

Today is Valentine’s Day but it’s also a Special Day for fans of classic cars.

Come have fun: The monthly car show at Lake Worth Beach & Casino Complex.

The Road Rascals car show is the second Thursday of the month from 6:00–9:00. Below is more information and photos from a recent show at the Lake Worth Casino and Beach Complex.

However, for many residents of this City, there is very unwelcome news. Last week at City Hall a mob showed up and took control of a City Commission meeting. In what was supposed to be a discussion about how to use proceeds from the County’s ¢1 sales tax increase this ‘discussion’ was instead dominated by a group that wants to spend millions of dollars for a brand new pool at the Lake Worth Beach.

And this vociferously loud group wants a new pool at the Beach despite recent news a new aquatic facility is being constructed by the County just about ten minutes from Lake Worth City Hall.

Hopefully soon another public meeting will be scheduled for everyone to make their voices heard on using proceeds from the sales tax increase the voters approved by referendum in November 2016. So stay tuned for more information about that.

In the meantime for Valentine’s Day when you go to the car show at the Beach tonight imagine. See visions of that open space next to the Casino. Close your eyes and envision.

As it is now at this monthly car show the road in front of the Casino is closed to make room for this event.

Now imagine that open space to the south of the Lake Worth Casino and Beach Complex where a condemned pool used to be. Think of all the things that space at the Beach can be used for?

An outside movie theater, skate park, additional parking and more ADA spaces, shuffleboard or regulation Pickleball courts, a area with sand for horseshoes and volleyball and exercise classes, a splash park with cabana pool, or maybe even just an open space for public events? The ideas are limitless.

So whilst you’re pondering those questions. . .

Here are are few photos from a car show at the Lake Worth Beach:

The view to the east.

Click on images to enlarge:

The view to the west.

[Note: The road is closed for this event.]

“Hey. Look at that! Why is the engine in the rear?”

Some cars lined up. . .

The American flag flying full mast. . .

“To the Shores of Tripoli”:

Note the “U.S. Marines” license plate.

 The next generation. . .

And two more. . .

What other ideas do you have for a more functional Casino at the Beach? Be creative! And maybe ask a Millennial or a young adult for ideas too.

Hope to see a big crowd tonight for Valentine’s Day!

A look back to 2014: Journalist Leslie Gray Streeter on Street Painting Festival in Downtown Lake Worth.

Pull quote:

I [Maryanne Webber] think Lake Worth is so diverse, so trendy and quirky. When we started (the festival) we were trying to change people’s perception of it.”

     Bruce Webber [Maryanne’s husband] recalls that at the time the festival began, “half of Lake Avenue was empty. [emphasis added] We wanted people to know this was a fun, quirky town rather than a dirty, seedy one.”

—News by Streeter datelined August 13th, 2014, published in Palm Beach Post.

Now fast-forward to 2019 Street Painting Festival. . . 

Calling All Street Artists!

Get your application in for the 2019 Street Painting Festival in the City of Lake Worth.

This year’s festival will be held on Saturday, February 23rd and Sunday the 24th. Would you like information on how to become a sponsor? Then click on this link.

And once again, about the Street Painting Festival. . .

Bruce Webber recalls that at the time the festival began, “half of Lake Avenue was empty.”

But not any more.

Enjoy the video:

Public Service in City of Lake Worth: About the “Lull” ahead of the municipal elections on March 12th.

FYI: The Lull officially ends tomorrow, Thursday, February 14th, the halfway point in February

Briefly, before we get to the “Lull”, there has been an interesting development one could say. Downtown West Palm (a city without a beach) is getting its first medical marijuana dispensary. And today marks one year five months and seventeen days since the last editorial about this City of Lake Worth (with a Beach!) was published in The Palm Beach Post.

That’s right. The last editorial the editorial board penned about this City was in August 2017. For some perspective, that was prior to Hurricane Irma and prior to Drew Martin running for mayor.

Why is this an interesting development about medical marijuana in West Palm? Continue reading this blog post today and once you’ve finished scroll back up and click on this link. And, as always, Thank You for visiting once again!

Now back to our regularly scheduled program today. And learn about the “Lull”.

A list of items need to be regularly debunked ahead of each March election season. And below is one of the most popular: stirring up fear about smoke coming from a crematorium.

This one can really rile up the public. Not quite as much as the mythical ‘sanctuary city’ nonsense but it’s up there. When the ‘smoke crisis’ — also reported as a “shroud over the downtown streets” — first was released it set off a panic and this silliness took weeks to smack down. At first a lot of people believed what they heard. Until they learned the facts.

Other examples of things that need to be regularly debunked are candidates and door knockers claiming the municipal golf course will be sold to make way for condos. False. Or maybe someone will suggest the Gulfstream Hotel be sold by the City of Lake Worth. The City cannot sell something it does not own. And another really popular one is that the City is removing mangroves along the Intracoastal. Also false but a very effective one when trying to confuse the public.

Mid-January to mid-February is a tricky time for the public. For example, this is the period of time called the “Lull” when the editor(s) at The Palm Beach Post are under pressure to sell more newspapers. Do you remember the ‘Curfew’ that never happened? That one really rocked the City. But in the end the public learned the facts.


The public needs to be aware. . .

Without further ado. . .

“How can a crematorium be allowed just down the street from an elementary charter school in Lake Worth!”

First, it’s very important to understand that crematoriums are regulated by the Dept. of Health, not local city governments.

Later in this blog post are excerpts from an article published in the Post titled, “Smoke complaint at Lake Worth Crematorium gets health review”; it’s this news that had people wondering:

How can a crematorium be allowed just 0.4 miles (about 2000′) from an elementary charter school?

Why? Because the crematorium was there first.

That charter school located at 1200 N. Dixie Hwy. (for reference the school located across the street from the medical marijuana dispensary Curaleaf Lake Worth and the Marijuana Doctor next door) is a school that opened up many years after a crematorium was constructed at 730 N. Dixie Hwy. If the people who opened that charter school back then were concerned about a crematorium nearby they could have found another location on Dixie Hwy. or maybe another site in the City.

Crematoriums are in the City of Lake Worth because, at one point in our City’s history, there was nothing stopping crematoriums to operate a business in Lake Worth.


The zoning has been changed and crematoriums are no longer permissible under our zoning code.


However, crematoriums already in operation at the time were “grandfathered in”, meaning they can operate only as long as they continue to pay their tax bill, utility bill, etc., keeping up-to-date with the City in general. If the business fails to comply they will lose their business license.

Back to the issue of smoke coming from a crematorium, an article by Post reporter Julius Whigham published in March 2017.


The operators of the facility at North Dixie Highway and Eighth Avenue North, were asked to provide the health department with a report about a malfunction at the crematory. Comments posted on on Facebook said that black smoke could be seen from outside the facility Wednesday afternoon [3/22/17].

and. . .

     “I’ve gone out there and pounded their door down,” he [City resident ■■■■■■■ ■■■] said. “There’s something profoundly wrong when (the crematories) emit that much smoke. … It’s a public safety hazard.”


Below is what another very creative Post reporter wrote back in 2015 about smoke coming from a crematorium. But unlike reporter Julius Whigham’s approach, this reporter took a more stirring, thrilling, quite lively, captivating, and quite entertaining view of that particular incident:


“The thick black smoke was hard to miss. It curled into the sky, swallowing the tops of palm trees and tumbling down like a shroud over the downtown streets. . .”.

So. Anyhow. . .

If you see any smoke at all coming from a crematorium or are concerned about a local crematory call 561-840-4500 or contact the Palm Beach County, Florida, Dept. of Health. If you wish to schedule an appointment to discuss this matter, call 1-855-438-2778, or use this link. Another option is to write a letter to:


Palm Beach County Dept. of Health
800 Clematis St.
West Palm Beach, Florida
33401

I hope you found this information helpful.

Now for those of you interested, please scroll back up and read about that editorial published in the Post one year four months and twelve days ago!

William Joseph: Candidate for District 4 in City of Lake Worth.

The William Joseph campaign was spotted on the campaign trail recently in the Whispering Palms neighborhood in District 1 (see image below).

The Whispering Palms neighborhood is west of Dixie Hwy., east of I-95, and south of 12th Ave. South to the border with the Town of Lantana. Whispering Palms recently became part of the City’s “Adopt A Street” program. Learn about that at the end of this blog post and more information worth noting:

• To see where each of the City’s sixteen neighborhoods are located click on this link.
• The City of Lake Worth has four (4) Commission Districts.
• For all candidates on the ballot look over this year’s campaign treasurer reports (the 2019 Month 1 reports will be available soon).

Please note the municipal elections on March 12th are City-wide. All voters in all four Commission districts will determine the new elected officials in Districts 2 and 4. And whomever is elected on March 12th will serve a three-year term. However, if no one reaches the threshold of 50%  +  one vote in District 4 on March 12th there will be a run-off election between the two highest vote-getters on March 26th.

In District 2 it is challenger Cathy Turk vs. incumbent Commissioner Omari Hardy: the most votes wins.

Two recent developments: District 4 candidate Mr. Joseph was a no-show at the South Palm Park neighborhood assoc. candidate forum last evening. All the other candidates showed up and it was a healthy exchange of ideas. There was no “war of words” which is how some are trying to portray this election season. In fact what is so remarkable this year is how civil things have been when compared to elections in the past.

Stay tuned for videos from last night’s event
later on today.

Here is a Tweet from last evening:

Candidate forum tonight in #LakeWorth, will have video & update tomorrow: https://t.co/2xWkiQ8KNN

L–R seated: District 2 Commissioner Omari Hardy & challenger Cathy Turk (former P&Z member). Then District 4 candidate Tom Copeland, Richard Guercio & Commissioner Herman Robinson. pic.twitter.com/r10cWW3cYn

— Wes Blackman (@WesBlackman) February 12, 2019

Now back to Mr. Joseph and his campaign
for the District 4 seat.

Joseph is in a packed field. The incumbent is Commissioner Herman Robinson and candidates Tom Copeland and Richard Guercio.

In order Mr. Copeland entered the race first for District 4 in September last year, followed by Joseph in October and then Guercio entered the race last in December. Having four candidates on the ballot this year means there will almost certainly be a run-off election on March 26th.

The election results in March 2017.

Commissioners Omari Hardy and Herman Robinson both won outright avoiding a run-off election:

Note William Joseph ran in the District 2 race in 2017. This year Joseph is running in District 4. With four candidates on the ballot in District 4 this year expect a run-off election on March 26th.

Worth noting is Mr. Joseph was also a no-show last January at the candidate forum held at the Lake Worth Playhouse. Mr. Joseph’s campaign manager will be interested to learn about more candidate forums coming up prior to Election Day on March 12th:

• Parrot Cove neighborhood on Monday, Feb. 18th, 7:00, at the Beach Club bistro located at the City’s municipal golf course.
• Bryant Park neighborhood on Monday, Feb. 25th, 6:30, at the Beach Club.
• Lake Worth Business Committee at the Lake Worth Casino on Thursday, March 7th, at 7:00.

If anyone from the Whispering Palms neighborhood would like to schedule a candidate forum please contact the Neighborhood Assoc. Presidents’ Council (NAPC). Send an email to: napcinfo@gmail.com

Here is a campaign volunteer for William Joseph.

A new sign for “Adopt A Street” sponsored by
New Hope Baptist Church:

“William Joseph for Lake Worth City Commission”: For more information about this candidate in District 4 click on this link.

About the City of Lake Worth’s new “Adopt A Street” program:


One small step for a neighborhood, one giant leap for a city. Congratulations to Whispering Palms neighborhood association for getting the City of Lake Worth to embrace the “Adopt A Street” program, a strategy to encourage residents to keep the streets in their neighborhood clean. We invite you to join this program by contacting the City of Lake Worth’s Public Services Dept.


The Public Services Dept. is located at 1749 3rd Ave. South and is open Monday–Friday from 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. For more about the Adopt A Street program call Public Services at 561-586-1720, or if you wish, contact your elected representative on City Commission and request to become a part of the Adopt A Street program here in the City of Lake Worth.

UPDATE: Today. Seven days late. The Palm Beach Post finally got around to reporting big news from last week.

Here is that undramatic headline,

Lake Worth considering downtown
parking garage

This headline and story appears in the print edition, below the fold on p. B1 and jumps to p. B4. On the front page are two decidedly negative quotes in opposition to a new parking garage which is to be expected. On the jump page there finally comes a quote in support:


“I think parking between Lake Avenue and First Avenue South will buffer the Downtown Jewel Neighborhood Association,” she [Barbara Resch] said. “We can do it creatively and it doesn’t have to be hugely tall. Parking is needed.”


Also quoted in the story is a former commissioner. The reporter, however, neglected to mention that Chris McVoy has a PhD. One reason why Chris McVoy, PhD, is a former commissioner is because the editor called him a “gadfly” two years ago in the endorsement for current Commissioner Omari Hardy.

And then there is this quote by City Manager Michael Bornstein:

“There’s nothing nefarious here.”

To learn more about how non-nefarious this story actually is, at the end of this blog post is a video of Bornstein explaining what is happening. In fact, most if not all of the quotes in the Post come from the City’s YouTube video from last Tuesday.

The vote at the City Commission was 4-1 in favor with Hardy in opposition. So now both the former and current commissioner in District 2 oppose a parking garage in the Downtown. Makes one wonder what the formerly former District 2 Commissioner Cara Jennings thinks about this development.

For more information about this issue. . .

Below is the news in last week’s Lake Worth Herald and also last week there was a very brief news account on the TV news by WPTV’s Tania Rogers as well.

Here is the headline in the Herald above the fold on the front page last week:

CRA to Get Sales Tax Dollars for Parking and Development

In the accompanying photo was this caption:

The CRA now has the money to acquire the properties to the south of their existing parking lot and develop a parking garage.

Support LOCAL small town journalism.

LOCAL journalism matters.

For subscription rates and more information call the editor at 561-585-9387 or send an email to: Editor@lwherald.com

The major story last week in Lake Worth Herald is below. A good summary of what is going on. At the end of this blog post is a YouTube video of a significant portion of the meeting where this topic was discussed at the City Commission.

This topic became news on WPTV last week which is about as helpful as trying to explain the quantum field theory in about thirty seconds.

But Director Joan Oliva of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) did her very best. To see that news report datelined Wednesday, Feb. 6th click on this link.

Here is a short excerpt from that news report on WPTV:


Joan Oliva, Executive Director for the Lake Worth Community Redevelopment Agency told WPTV parking in the downtown area can be a problem.

"We hear over and over again from the downtown property owners specifically the merchants that there are not enough places for parking,” said Oliva.


Once again sadly this issue presented an opportunity for political grandstanding at the Lake Worth City Commission. And worse yet, there are two more scheduled Commission meetings coming up on February 19th and March 5th.

But because terms for elected officials are now three years there will be no election of candidates in 2020. Hallelujah! Hang on folks, March 12th is Election Day. That is only twenty-eight (28) days away and after that everything will return to normal.

Briefly, before we get to the Herald what happened is Mayor Pam Triolo was late in arriving. The Commission meeting began at 6:00 and the mayor took the gavel from Vice Mayor Andy Amoroso at 8:00. Prior to the mayor’s arrival there were several motions and votes that took up a lot of time due to split 2-2 votes. Taking an agenda item off Consent is usually a very easy thing to do.

But anyhow. . .

The public once again had to sit through another display of political theater which is very unfortunate because presentations and proclamations many came to see were delayed including the much-anticipated one for Messrs. Kevin Addison and Sam Hamilton.

Finally it was decided, with help from City Attorney Glen Torcivia and Vice Mayor Andy Amoroso, to move the item on the Consent Agenda to Item C under “New Business”:


Interlocal Agreement with CRA for acquisition and development of downtown property for a public parking area.


What became Item 12C finally passed on a 4-1 vote at 9:30 with Commissioner Omari Hardy being the lone “No” vote.

Now on to the news in The Lake Worth Herald, two substantial excerpts:


After several attempts to pull the item from the consent agenda, the CRA and City have an agreement approved by the City Commission. Several people were upset the item was on the consent agenda and attempts to remove it met a roadblock at a vote of 2-2, Mayor Pam Triolo was not in attendance.

The Interlocal Agreement provides funding to the CRA for the acquisition and development of downtown property for the purpose of a public parking area in the amount of $547,140.

The City has been partnering with the CRA to acquire and assemble parcels in and around the downtown area in order to provide for public parking areas and future development. The city believes parking areas are needed to stimulate investment and redevelopment in the downtown area.

The CRA has purchased 16 S. L Street, the property adjacent to two CRA-owned parking lots. In partnership with the City, the CRA was purchased lots 24, 26, 30 and 32 S. L Street. These rental units were owned by one individual and bought as a bulk purchase. In October of 2018, the City and the CRA also purchased 17 S. M as well as 23 S. M.

The CRA owns 1.40 acres in the Downtown area. According to City staff, this assemblage of properties could provide desired and needed public parking spaces, and an opportunity for a redevelopment project. In an effort to assemble downtown properties to provide for future parking and development needs, the CRA proposes to purchase two properties at 1st Avenue South and K Street, just south of the City-owned lot at 19 S. K, with sales tax funded money from the City. The City-owned lots are 0.5424 acres and the two additional lots, if purchased, include a total of 0.18 acres, for a total of 0.722 acres or 31,450 square feet.

The acquired property in this area gives the City enough area to build a future parking garage on K Street and provide additional public parking called for in the recent parking study conducted by WGI. The L and M Street properties can be developed for additional housing and commercial units.

City Manager Michael Bornstein said, “The addition of residents and supporting businesses will spur further growth in the downtown, increase activity for our local businesses and provide much needed units within walking distance to the downtown further enhancing the walkable, livable lifestyle for which Lake Worth is known.”

and. . .

The agreement between the City and the CRA includes that the transferred funds and purchased parcels must be utilized consistent with the requirements for the City’s surtax funds or the CRA will be required to transfer the surtax funds back to the City or transfer the parcels to the City.

The City agrees in the Agreement to process the moving and/or demolition of the existing structures on the parcels to be purchased by the CRA in accordance with the City’s code of ordinances for such structures. Further, the parcels will revert to the City when the CRA dissolves.


To read the entire article you can pick up the print edition at the City’s newsstand located at 205 N. Federal Hwy. The Herald is still just ¢50.

And lastly here is a YouTube video of City Manager Michael Bornstein explaining the situation quite succinctly prior to the vote which was 4-1 in favor:





Hope you found this information helpful and as always, Thank You for visiting once again.

Gatehouse Media podcast “Inside Florida Politics” with George Bennett, John Kennedy, Zac Anderson.

This podcast is a very interesting one. This latest episode is just over thirty-one minutes. See the link below to begin listening today. These podcasts from Gatehouse Media are posted every Thursday around noon. So stay tuned for another episode in a few days.

A question:

For long-time readers of The Palm Beach Post does the name John Kennedy sound familiar?

Briefly, how we got here. Gatehouse Media took over at The Palm Beach Post in May 2018. The Post had been on the market since November 2017 after a series of just terrible decisions by the owner and the editorial board. For example, there was the dragging-of-feet coming to realize the full extent of the sober home crisis, then no endorsement for President of the United States in Nov. 2016 and then in Dec. 2016 the editor at the Post unceremoniously shut down the Post’s Tallahassee News Bureau which was manned by long-time political correspondent John Kennedy.

Now John Kennedy is the State Capital Bureau Chief for Gatehouse Media which owns The Palm Beach Post. On Kennedy’s Twitter feed it says he, “Enjoys fine irony.” Very apropos one could say.

So when word got out in late 2016 the Post was going to be put up For-Sale it surprised no one.

Welcome back, Mr. Kennedy!

And of note the Post reported recently that President Trump will be at the Winter White House in the Town of Palm Beach on Monday, Feb. 18th in honor of President George Washington’s birthday, held annually the third Monday in February, a day also called Presidents Day. Or is it President’s Day? Or is it Presidents’ Day?

Possibly political journalist George Bennett can solve this question once and for all. For all things presidential and about the first lady too Bennett is the expert in Palm Beach County.

To the podcast this week.

With host political journalist George Bennett of The Palm Beach Post, Sarasota Herald-Tribune politics editor Zac Anderson and Gatehouse State Capital Bureau Chief John Kennedy these political journalists talk about,


Parkland’s political impact a year later, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ surprising budget, James Comey visits Florida.


Hope you enjoy this week’s Inside Florida Politics.

Blog post from two weeks ago and still drawing tons of traffic.

Why? Draw your own conclusions.

That blog post was about, “Why Palm Beach County had highest overvote rate in governor’s race”.

UPDATE: The news by Chris Persaud (see below) — as predicted on this blog last week — did indeed make the front page in last Sunday’s Palm Beach Post. And also on topic is a twisted editorial on the Sunday editorial page, the editorial board wrote, “It was a stunning disappointment.” That would be Susan Bucher’s decision not to challenge her firing by Gov. DeSantis. Instead she resigned.

After Bucher was fired the editorial board wrote, “She doesn’t deserve this blatantly partisan bum’s rush from a fledgling governor.” The editor(s) told Bucher to fight back. And she did. For about a week or so. But Bucher resigned anyway and the editor(s) are really upset. But they shouldn’t be. Nobody listens to what that editorial board says anyhow following what happened in Nov. 2016. What happened? The Palm Beach Post editorial board made no endorsement for President of the United States. Not kidding.


Now moving on. . .

Below is an excerpt from this latest effort by Mr. Persaud. You may recall it was Persaud who was recently tasked with reporting about the quite complicated situation in Boynton Beach vis-à-vis their municipal elections coming up on March 12th.

Also worth noting it was Persaud who was at the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office in August 2014 and saw first-hand what Susan Bucher did and did not do. The editor at The Palm Beach Post shortly afterward called it “an offense to democracy.” What role that played in Bucher’s firing is unknown.

And briefly, it was hoped Persaud would be tasked with reporting about the upcoming municipal elections in the City of Lake Worth but, unfortunately, that did not happen. One of the most important factors in the elections for District 2 and 4 will go unreported in tomorrow’s paper: terms for elected officials is now three (3) years.

The fact that terms for elected officials in the City of Lake Worth was raised from two-year terms to three years now is one of the most significant factors for voters to consider and Persaud would most certainly have cited that. The story published in Monday’s print edition of the LWVVSMCPE makes no mention of three year terms. That is an oversight which should have been corrected but that stuff never happens.

Now back to the news by Persaud on the front page today, above the fold.

Here is an excerpt, the first three paragraphs datelined February 1st in the online edition:


Palm Beach County voters selected two or more candidates for governor at a higher rate than any other county in Florida, a Palm Beach Post analysis of election results shows.

While it’s hard to say for sure why county voters made more mistakes in that race, the county’s vote-counting machines — the same machines Gov. Ron DeSantis cited in suspending Elections Supervisor Susan Bucher last month — played a critical role.

About 1 in 130 Palm Beach County voters selected more than one candidate, an overvote that doesn’t count for any candidate, compared to 1 in 370 statewide.


One last thing for everyone interested in City of Lake Worth politics.

The most significant political event heading into the March 12th elections will be Mayor Pam Triolo’s State of the City Address to be held on Tuesday, March 26th, 6:00, in the ballroom at the Lake Worth Casino. Make plans to show up early for a good seat.

TONIGHT at 7:00. Candidate forum sponsored by the South Palm Park neighborhood association.

The details about tonight’s event is below. And this is worth noting:

This Election Season is being framed as a “war of words” which is complete and utter nonsense.

These annual events are not for entertainment.

However, these candidate forums can be very entertaining at times, but those times are few and far between. The public and the candidates all take this very seriously as they should. But above all these candidate forums are also very important. They are an opportunity to get up and close to all the candidates. Any one of these forums can make or break a campaign.

But most importantly, the candidates will talk about the issues of importance to them. And for some candidates these forums can prove devastating if they do get elected or re-elected. Because many times the public will remember what you said. In other words promises made and promises broken. This City has seen too many of both.

Election Day in this City of Lake Worth is on March 12th. There will be several more candidate forums coming up as well including one sponsored by the Lake Worth Business Committee on March 7th which will focus entirely on the concerns and future of our business community. Stay tuned for more details to come.

Unfortunately, the editor(s) and beat reporter from The Palm Beach Post are trying to frame one upcoming election as a “war of words” in their annual recap of Election Season a few weeks ago. Nothing could be further from the truth. A true ‘war of words’ was when the editor at the Post called former Commissioner Chris McVoy a “gadfly”. But by trying to gin up a ‘war of words’ that takes attention off the issues. For example, in the case of Commissioner Omari Hardy and his challenger Cathy Turk this is a battle of sorts. And a very healthy one.

What is happening in this City is a healthy exchange of ideas. It is most definitely a spirited debate at times but to compare this upcoming election to a ‘war of words’ is just silly. In comparison this Election Season is one of the most civil in many years. A lot of people may think a little too civil.

Tonight’s candidate forum will be held at The Beach Club bistro located at the City’s municipal golf course at #1 7th Ave. North. This event is open to the public and will begin promptly at 7:00.

South Palm Park is Lake Worth’s oldest incorporated Neighborhood Association. . . . The South Palm Park Neighborhood extends from the East of Federal Highway at the alley east to the Lake Worth Lagoon and from south of 5th Avenue South to the City of Lake Worth City limits (18th Avenue South), including South Palmway and South Lakeside Drive, comprising single family homes.


Can’t make any promises but Yours Truly, Wes, will try to show up with my camera to record the forum this evening.

In the meantime, let’s take a stroll down memory lane.

Back in late February 2015 just happened to catch a very special moment at a forum at the Beach Club (see video below). Former District 2 Commissioner Chris McVoy, PhD, and Mr. Ryan Maier were running on a slate of issues including “Save Our Beach!” Mr. Maier went completely off script and when he did then-Commissioner McVoy looked like he swallowed a hair ball.

The video below is a lesson: Stay on message!

On the topic of Bryant Park and the Lake Worth Beach at one point Maier says, “Why isn’t the city making any money here?”, referring to our two popular public parks. At about the 35 second mark in the video the crowd bursts out in laughter but Maier continues on unfazed by the public reaction.

McVoy, sitting to the left of Maier, takes repeated glances at Maier like, “Won’t you please shut up already!”

Maier had issues with going off script and he did it a lot. But for some reason the public let him slide. But not after he got elected. He paid the price for making promises he could not keep. Maier opted not to run for re-election in 2017 and enter Commissioner Herman Robinson who was elected to represent District 4 and a relative unknown named Omari Hardy defeated McVoy.

Now here we are and both commissioners Herman Robinson and Omari Hardy are up for re-election themselves.

Briefly, before we get to the video of Maier from four years ago, this really makes the case for our elected officials serving three-year terms. By referendum in March 2017 terms for our electeds was increased from two- to three-year terms.

Former-Commissioner Maier struggled his first 1½ years as an elected official. He was beholden to McVoy and the group that helped him get elected. But then he began to separate himself from all them and went on his own way. But it was too late. He only had six months left before facing the voters once again.

A three year term would have been very beneficial for Maier. A two-year term means elected officials have to ramp up for re-election only after one year in office. A three-year term takes that pressure off. And increasing compensation for elected officials was also a very good decision. These were two initiatives first brought forward by City Manager Michael Bornstein.

Would encourage everyone interested in the future of this City to attend at least one of the upcoming candidate forums and learn more about the issues and all the candidates.


Without further ado. . .

Mr. Ryan Maier from four years ago and watch McVoy closely to Maier’s left (seated). Priceless.

Remember the 90s original Christian Rock Band called the “Newsboys”?

Here is their most famous song from 1996, titled,
“Take Me to Your Leader”:

Interesting facts about what happened to the original Newsboys:

• Lead singer John James (singer in video above) left the band in 1997 to “start a ministry”. The real reason was due to drug and alcohol addiction as he admitted later. 
• Newsboys co-founder George Perdikis has denounced Christianity and is now a committed Atheist. 
• The Newsboys are still around today but not the original band; their current lead singer is Michael Tait.
• The Newsboys band today is much different than the original band in the 1990s. 

You can find out more about the current Newsboys band at their Facebook page.

Several years ago it was rumored the Newsboys were coming to play at the Bamboo Room in Downtown Lake Worth. But soon afterward the Bamboo Room shut down. Again.

But hope springs eternal. Maybe some day in the future the Newsboys will come to play at the Bamboo Room when it becomes a popular destination once again like it was back in the day.

And maybe a whole lot of other bands will come and play too drawing attention to another shuttered venue in the Downtown in our City: the historic Gulfstream Hotel.


Wolves in the darkness, howling at the moon

Oh how they gather, outside the palisade. . .





There is just not enough activity to draw people off Lake Ave. like there used to be when the Bamboo Room was open on South J St. It is most certainly getting better over time but nowhere near its popularity when the Bamboo Room was open in its heyday.

And as J Street becomes more popular so will our City of Lake Worth. And we’ll need a parking garage. And at least one hotel in the Downtown to start. And another one later on too.

About the takeover of Venezuela by Nicolás Maduro a former Lake Worth commissioner said, “Go Democracy!”

And there is breaking news today about Venezuela in The Palm Beach Post online edition by reporter Julius Whigham that will most certainly be front page A1 news in tomorrow’s print edition. See excerpts from that news below.

And in South Florida start getting used to hearing the name “Juan Guaido”!


But first, let’s step back momentarily. So. You don’t believe a former elected commissioner in the City of Lake Worth praised dictator Nicolás Maduro at a City Commission meeting? It’s true. It actually happened. At the end of this blog post is a quote from that former elected praising that despotic Maduro while donning a hat with the colors of the Venezuelan flag.

And also in this blog post are excerpts from last May by reporter Joe Capozzi at The Palm Beach Post who reported that Venezuelans are “fleeing to Palm Beach County” and now comes very good news and recent developments from Post journalist Julius Whigham datelined Jan. 23rd and headlined, “Protesters near West Palm cheer Venezuela’s interim president”.

Here are two excerpts from Whigham’s news report:


With many waving Venezuelan flags and dressed in the country’s national colors, hundreds gathered near a busy suburban West Palm Beach intersection Wednesday night to voice support for Venezuela’s interim president, Juan Guaido. [emphasis added]

Men, women and children — many dressed in Venezuela’s national colors of blue, red and yellow — came together at Military Trail and Forest Hill Boulevard on the day the United States recognized Guaido as the South American nation’s president, rejecting President Nicolas Marduro’s contested swearing-in two weeks ago to a second term.

and. . .

The West Palm Beach demonstration came as tens of thousands of Venezuelans — upset at the nation’s high rate of inflation, shortage of goods and migration problems — staged their own protests in the streets to demand that Maduro step down. Many gathered held signs written in Spanish as they expressed hope for change in Venezuela.

As music played, many sang in unison. One person in the West Palm Beach crowd held a sign with “Guaido” written in lights.


Many of you are very aware of the terrible situation in Venezuela. It’s a humanitarian crisis of proportions hard to grasp: starvation, killings, a brutal crackdown of dissidents, runaway inflation and an economy on the brink of total collapse. This crisis began in 2013. But two years later. . .

. . . a former commissioner in the City of Lake Worth celebrated the Socialist Party takeover in Venezuela by Nicolás Maduro.

And in the very next election this former commissioner was booted out of office by then-citizen Mr. Omari Hardy. A young man and a teacher with hardly any experience in politics who is now called District 2 Commissioner Omari Hardy.

Hard to believe but it’s true. At a City Commission meeting in 2015 the then-District 2 commissioner celebrated the brutal takeover by Nicolás Maduro and proclaimed it was good for democracy in South America!

But first, before we get to that, there was an article published in the Post last May by reporter Joe Capozzi headlined “Venezuelans fleeing to Palm Beach County”. Below is an excerpt about the many Venezuelans who have fled that country for Palm Beach County and other areas in South Florida since the crisis first began in 2013:


     What’s chasing them are the demons from a society in collapse because of economic and political mismanagement under Chavez’s hand-picked successor, Nicolas Maduro, who took over after Chavez died in 2013.
     Once the most prosperous country in South America, Venezuela today is suffering from extreme shortages of food, rampant crime and rioting, and runaway inflation. Children are dying of malnutrition. There are constant electrical blackouts.
     On Tuesday [May 8th], the Trump administration for the first time called for regime change in Venezuela, charging that the “systematic oppression” by Maduro has become an “active threat” to the entire Latin American region.
     “I’m astonished at the degree to which this regime has managed to trigger failure in virtually every single aspect of national life in Venezuela,” [emphasis added] said Patrick D. Duddy, the U.S. ambassador to Venezuela from 2007 to 2010.


How bad is the situation in Venezuela? Here is news reported in the Associated Press, alarming news from journalists Fernando Vergara and Marko Alvarez (two excerpts):


RIOHACHA, Colombia (AP) — Venezuelan migrants aboard a U.S. Navy hospital ship were undergoing surgery Tuesday for everything from tooth extractions to hernias that have proven difficult to treat both in the country they fled and the one receiving them.

and. . .

The U.N. estimates some 3 million Venezuelans have fled their country in recent years in an exodus that is putting stress on regional governments.

Between 2017 and 2018, the number of emergency room visits by Venezuelans in Colombia has increased 202 percent, according to officials. The vast majority have no medical insurance and must go through a lengthy process to qualify for treatment of chronic conditions.

Not all Venezuelans who flee are able to get treatment in time.

According to Colombia’s National Institute of Health, over 2,000 Venezuelans have died thus far in 2018 from illnesses including malnutrition, malaria and transmittable diseases, among others — up from 863 such deaths in all of the previous year.

“Go Democracy!”, proclaimed
Chris McVoy, PhD, at the
City Commission.

McVoy was a three-term City of Lake Worth commissioner (2010–2017) who was defeated in March 2017 by a very slim margin. District 2 in this City is now represented by Commissioner Omari Hardy, a political newcomer at the time.

At that City Commission meeting back in 2015 McVoy was thrilled (see image below) to announce the news that Hugo Chávez’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nicolás Maduro, leader of the Fifth Republic of the United Socialist Party — whose subsequent brutal takeover of Venezuela that Cuban dictator Fidel Castro supported — set the stage for people abandoning their country and for many who couldn’t leave, a life of misery and complete despair then ensued.

To this day that once-proud South American country of Venezuela remains one being ruled by decree by a brutal dictator.

“Go Democracy! It’s good
when it works!”

Then-commissioner and now Mr. McVoy
wearing his Venezuelan baseball cap.

For some people, the United Socialist Party takeover of Venezuela by Nicolás Maduro was a reason for celebration in our City of Lake Worth:

“Happy New Year! Some folks in the room may be aware. . . [a pause as McVoy dons Venezuelan baseball cap] that’s my Venezuelan cap! Today was a very significant part of democracy in the world. The major elections that happened in early December [2015] in Venezuela that drastically changed the course of what the country’s been doing for the last stretch. They were inaugurated in the national assembly today.
     I was able to watch some of that. And it went very peacefully despite some very strong differences of views and opinions and changing of the guard.
     So, ummm, Go Democracy! It's good when it works!"

“Go Democracy!”?

Makes you wonder doesn’t it?