Try asking reporters what “off the record” means to them. Truth is, not even veteran reporters know for sure what “off the record” really means.
The search for a definition began following a kerfuffle when a City of Lake Worth resident was quoted in the print edition of The Palm Beach Post after telling the beat reporter something “off the record”. The problem with “off the record” is it means different things to different reporters. Here’s a good explanation from MediaManoeuvres:
Whatever The Meaning: Tread With Caution.
The important thing to remember is that the success of speaking off-the-record depends entirely on trust. As journos are often ranked lower than car salesmen in the honesty stakes, entrusting a career or reputation to a journo can be a big call. So no one should go off-the-record unless they actually trust the journalist concerned. It is important to remember that whilst journalists are guided by their code of ethics this is not legally enforceable and isn’t strongly policed. [emphasis added] When approached by a reporter or called on the phone your first decision
is whether or not to speak at all.
From Chatterbox is this titled, For the Record. What “Off the Record” Means:
You know: background, deep background, not for attribution, and off the record.
“Chatterbox, who has been a Washington journalist for nearly 20 years, doesn’t have a clue what most of these terms mean, and doesn’t believe anyone else does, either. Or rather, thinks that if you ask different journalists what the terms mean, they will give you different answers.”
Here are excerpts from Chatterbox:
Background “Background means that you can use the information but not attribute it . . . to a name, and I think it’s the responsibility of both the source
and the reporter to get clear between themselves how the attribution
will be rendered in print.”
Deep Background
“I take that to mean that you can use the information but you can’t
attribute it, period.” Also, “it’s up to you to satisfy yourself that
it’s good information by doing good reporting.”
Not for attribution
“Able to quote but with a characterization that links it to a smallish number of people.”
Off the record
“Means you can’t quote me. No, I don’t remember . . . You can’t
attribute, but you can use it? No, I take that back. If someone says ‘off the record,’ you can’t use it at all.”
So. The next time you go “off the record” with a reporter you know what that means. Errr. Well. Kinda sorta.
Ask the reporter what “off the record” means to them. And never talk to a reporter and then say, “this is off the record”. If you want something “off the record” make this very clear at the outset!
And what if a reporter publishes something you didn’t want to be published? Just never, ever speak to that reporter again.
Remember back in 2010 when the world as we know it was on the verge of total collapse if Amendment 4 didn’t pass?
Well, here we are, nine years later. . .
What happened to all the panic about the fate of the world in Lake Worth? Pay special attention starting at around the 1:00 mark in the video below. Lake Worth’s ‘conservative’ blogger makes a cameo supporting her Anarchist friends and allies in “The Struggle”:
Only thirty-three percent of voters statewide voted for Amendment 4. It needed over 60% to pass into law.
Local governments like the City of Lake Worth would have been paralyzed if Amendment 4 had passed.
Imagine having elections for almost anything and everything?
To have even the simplest and mundane functions of government — like fixing street lighting — having to be put up for a vote. Need to purchase another vehicle for the fleet? Have a vote for that too. That’s what life would have been like in Florida had Amendment 4 passed. The business of government and governing would have ground to a halt.
Imagine life here in Lake Worth in perpetual election season.
Never stops. The signs, mailers, and knocks at the door a constant fact of life. There are some people who like that idea. Imagine that.
When it comes to elections here in the City of Lake Worth we took a big leap forward. A referendum in 2017 to increase the terms of mayor and commissioners from two-year terms to three-year terms passed passed by a comfortable margin.
What that means is we’ll have an election of candidates in March of 2019 and the year 2020 will be an off year, no election of candidates until 2021.
This annual event in Jupiter may be of much LOCAL interest.
From Bryant Park in Lake Worth Beach to the Jupiter Community Park is about a forty-five minute drive using I-95 but on a Saturday morning it’s probably a bit quicker. The soccer tournament tomorrow begins at 8:00 a.m.
As reported by Hannah Morse this week in the print edition of The Palm Beach Post the community-building efforts by the Jupiter Police Dept. and the El Sol Neighborhood Resource Center continues to be a huge success.
What is happening in Jupiter could provide helpful ideas for the Guatemalan Maya Center (GMC) in the City of Lake Worth, community-building with PBSO District 14 and the Neighborhood Assoc. Presidents’ Council (NAPC) as well. Learn more about the GMC at the end of this blog post.
Maybe a road trip tomorrow morning by a contingent of community-builders from Lake Worth to watch some soccer and participate in other fun events for the entire family? The event is from 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. at Jupiter Community Park located at 3377 Church St.
JUPITER — It began with a timely follow up on a popular worldwide event — the World Cup — but seven years on, organizers say the annual soccer tournament organized by the Jupiter Police Department and El Sol Neighborhood Resource Center continues to be a success. The seventh annual tournament will take place Saturday at the Jupiter Community Park, 3377 Church St. Officer Roberto Diaz said he expects at least 1,000 people to attend.
and. . .
“We just thought about ways to best reach out to our community members,” Diaz said. Sixteen community teams — including one representing the police department and another for El Sol — will compete in the single-elimination tournament starting at 8 a.m. Last year, the El Sol team dominated the tournament.
If you would like more information about this community event call 561-746-6201.
In the news published in the Post about this annual soccer tournament Suzanne Cordero, the executive director of the El Sol Neighborhood Resource Center was cited.
Suzanne Cordero has been named executive director of El Sol, Jupiter’s neighborhood resource center. She is transitioning into the position and will take over full time on June 4 [2018]. Cordero, a Jupiter resident, replaces Jocelyn Skolnik, who has been executive director at El Sol for 10 years. Skolnik has accepted a position as executive director of Funsepa, a nonprofit educational organization in her home country of Guatemala. Cordero has served as the executive director of the Guatemalan Tomorrow Fund for six years, and is a former member of El Sol’s board of directors. She has been part of El Sol’s strategic planning group.
If you would like to become a volunteer at GMC use this link.
The center is located at 430 North G St. and open
Monday–Friday from 8:00
a.m.–5:00 p.m. Call 561-547-0085 or send an email
to: info@guatemalanmaya.org
Despite Mr. Tom Copeland conceding the election to District 4 City Commissioner Herman Robinson — per the rules laid out in the City Charter — the run-off election on March 26th must be held as reported in the Herald.
However, not certain it’s applicable in this case, but former District 4 Commissioner Ryan Maier was able to remove himself from the ballot in early January 2017 (see details below) after qualifying for the election in March of that year leading the way for the election of Mr. Herman Robinson.
Here is the news in the Herald datelined today, March 15th and headlined, “Ain’t Over Til It’s Over”:
The election held on March 12 produced no clear winner in race for the District Four Commissioner. A majority of 50% plus one vote is required. The two top vote getters in the four way race were incumbent Herman Robinson with 48.81% and Tom Copeland with 27.73%. Although Copeland has “conceded” the race to Robinson, the run-off is still mandated and preparations for the election are underway according to the Lake Worth City Clerk’s office. [emphasis added] According to the Deputy Supervisor of the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections office, Robin Rorapaugh told the Herald that the decision lies with the City Clerk who is bound by the City Charter which states in Article 5, Section 4, “Whenever a general or a special election is held to fill any elective office in the city, the candidate receiving a majority of the votes cast at such election to fill such office shall be declared to be duly elected; provided that in the event no candidate for a particular elective office shall receive a majority of the votes cast at such election to fill such office, then a run-off election shall be held two (2) weeks after the original election to elect a candidate to fill such office.”
Therefore, because Commissioner Robinson did not reach the magic number of “50% + 1” he will have to face Mr. Copeland in a run-off election on March 26th. Possibly a high-level meeting between Supervisor of Elections (SOE) Wendy Sartory Link and Chief Elections Deputy Robin Rorapaugh can explore this matter more fully in the coming days.
And looking back at the situation in 2017 with former Commissioner Maier in typical fashion it took nearly a month for this to become news in The Palm Beach Post but it was breaking news in the very next edition of The Lake Worth Herald:
Here is the letter submitted to the Lake Worth City Clerk in December 2016.
Click on image to enlarge:
Whether a letter such as this from Mr. Copeland could have avoided a run-off election on March 26th is unclear. This can be explained in more detail by City Attorney Glen Torcivia at the City Commission meeting on Tuesday, March 19th.
However, after steeping high praise on the City of West Palm Beach 3½ years ago (see YouTube video below from Sept. 2015), this same former commissioner said this about the City of Lake Worth:
“If a boat load of refugees came across on our shore here [Lake Worth Beach], how would we feel? I’d be ashamed to say we would probably take out guns and get rid of ’em. [emphasis added] Just like we’re doing with the folks in our city who are homeless and don’t have homes.” —Quote. JoAnn Golden, former Lake Worth commissioner first elected in 2007 and soundly defeated by Mr. Andy Amoroso (now Lake Worth’s Vice Mayor) in 2011.
Golden, at the 40 second mark in the video below, praises the City of West Palm Beach for all their incredible work to help the homeless there and then goes off the rails at the 1:15 mark with a terribly unfair characterization of the caring and giving people of Lake Worth:
Which begs the obvious question: Are the loudest critics of the efforts to help the homeless in the City of Lake Worth really about helping those in need or just political pandering? For example, do you remember ‘Mr. Snarky’? And since when did the rights of the homeless trump the rights of people and families to use City parks in peace? Business owners and their customers who frequent these businesses?
At an all-day work session at City Hall on July 24th, 2018 most notably absent was any reporter from The Palm Beach Post who if present could have shared this news with the public:
Editor Mark Easton endorsed Patti Waller in last Tuesday’s election and long-time Councilwoman Waller won running away in a huge landslide.
Read more about this momentarily. . .
Support LOCAL newspapers and community
journalism in Palm Beach County.
To see this week’s headlines in the Coastal Observerand The Lake Worth Herald click on this link.
The Coastal Observer is FREE. To read the paper every week use this link and go to “Options” at the top of the page and then click on “Download as PDF”.
FYI: The Herald is still just ¢50. To become a subscriber to the online edition call the editor at 561-585-9387 or send an email to: Editor@lwherald.com
Without further ado, to the news in the Coastal Observer. . .
Long time Council
person Patti Waller retained
her seat Tuesday
garnering 78.77 percent
of the vote over challenger
Paula Prudente. Waller who has held
the seat for 20 plus years
was overwhelmingly re-elected
by the voters of
Palm Springs.
Waller has made a
career on the dais by
doing what she honestly
feels is best for the Village
of Palm Springs
and the residents of
the Village. Waller has
always worked hard as a
council member fighting
to keep taxes in check and the Village of Palm
Springs a great place to
raise a family.
Voters once again rewarded
her with another
term to do the work. The Palm Springs Village
Council under the leadership of Mayor Bev Smith is always striving
to make Palm Springs
a family friendly place
to live and Waller has
been an integral part of
the team.
The editor(s) at The Palm Beach Post made no endorsement in the Village of Palm Springs’ election last Tuesday; not sure if any news at all was reported about this election. Palm Springs is the immediate municipality west of Lake Worth Beach.
If you are unhappy the Post has given up reporting on elections and most other public policy news between Lake Worth Beach and the villages of Wellington and Royal Palm Beach here in Central Palm Beach County pleaseclick on this link and make YOUR voice heard.
FYI: Interested elected leaders and the public in the City of Lake Worth, Village of Palm Springs and nearby suburban areas may want to make preparations for a road trip to address specific topics of interest.
The information below was published in this week’s print edition of The Palm Beach Post on Tues., March 5th on p. B9 in the first column.
The administrative offices of the college are closed today but will re-open tomorrow morning. Call 561-967-7222 for business hours.
The agenda for this public meeting is available for public scrutiny at the suburban Lake Worth Palm Beach State College (PBSC) campus located at 4200 S. Congress Ave. in administration office 210 (see map below). Or if you wish you can look over the agenda by using this link.
The reason for this meeting:
Pursuant to Palm Beach State College District Board of Trustees Policy 6Hx-18-1.02,* the District Board of Trustees of Palm Beach State College will hold a Community Forum and its regular, monthly Board Meeting. The purpose of the regular meeting is for the District Board of Trustees, the legal governing body of Palm Beach State College, to conduct public business [emphasis added].
This upcoming Community Forum will be held on Tuesday, March 19th at 4:00 p.m. at the Palm Beach State College Belle Glade Campus, the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center, 1977 College Drive, Belle Glade, FL 33430.
To look over the upcoming agenda at PBSC Lake Worth campus at 4200 S. Congress Ave.
Click on map to enlarge:
Off Congress Ave. using the main entrance proceed to the southern Copper Lot for parking. The PBSC administration district offices are indicated in maroon (dark red).
*“Special meetings of the Board can be called by the chairperson, by the
president when requested by a majority of the board, or by the majority of the Board itself.
In the event a special meeting is called, the Board shall notify one newspaper of general
circulation in the District of the time, date, place and purpose of the meeting at the earliest
possible time.”
Below are the instructions how to do an interview for the TV news media and all you need is a mirror and about 10–15 minutes a day. Really. It’s that easy.
Let’s take this scenario:
You show up at Lake Worth Beach City Hall and you see news vans and cameras and reporters standing around with notepads and one or more of them want to interview you. You could just decline and walk away.
Or. . .
This blog post includes instructional videos (see below) and according to feedback from my readers many have found this information to be very helpful.
For example, 2½ years ago prior to the City of Lake Worth’s Neighborhood Road Bond referendum in Nov. 2016 a certain member of the local press and news media (to go unnamed) were showing up around the City trying to get negative responses and spin the referendum in a very negative way.
That effort, am happy to report, ended up in vain. The referendum to fix our roads and potholes passed by a whopping 69%. But the problem remained: When a reporter is bent on spinning an issue negatively or making the City look bad, how should the unsuspecting public react?
For example, have you or someone you know ever been approached by a reporter asking for comment and maybe were surprised to see on TV or in the paper your positive comments went unreported but the one negative thing you said is what appeared in the news!
Or. . . Are you a seasoned pro dealing with the press and news media? How does one quickly teach the average person in the public how to give a TV news or press interview? It’s easy!
Rephrase the question and Give to Get.
To learn these two very effective techniques. . .
All you need to practice and become proficient is a full-body mirror and 10 minutes.
Understand that most reporters in TV news and the press are a good bunch and highly professional. When you see a reporter don’t hesitate to walk up and say, “Hi” and strike up a conversation. If they’re in a hurry the best of the best will hand you a card and apologize for not being able to stay.
Keep the card handy to contact the reporter later on.*
A little trick: Most of the time you’ll find the video crew or an intern following along to be very polite and respectful. Sometimes the best way to get information to a reporter is to “bend the ear” of the crew or intern.
They’ll pass that information on if he or she thinks it’s important to get the story narrative correct.
But what do you do if you’re approached by a reporter asking leading, hostile questions?
First pause for a moment!Never respond quickly.
Take your time and think it out for a moment. Then. . .
“Rephrase the question”
“Give to Get”
This short 2-minute video explains how these techniques work:
Try this technique if a reporter approaches and asks you a leading question: Take a deep breath, pause, and remember what to do.
Rephrase the question and then “Give to Get”.
Now for another example: A news crew showed up at Lake Worth City Hall (see video below) during the discussion at the City Commission about moving forward with the referendum to fix the roads and potholes late in 2016. However, despite all the efforts by one particular former commissioner to put a negative “spin” on the referendum, he failed. That referendum later passed overwhelmingly with 69% saying, “Yes” to the bond.
If you see an interview in progress and hear false and/or misleading information being given to a reporter don’t hesitate to walk up and get the facts out. Approach the reporter and ask to be interviewed and remember to be polite, respectful, stay calm, and don’t get too excited.
Just stick to the facts.
However, study the body language closely in the video below of a former commissioner, Chris McVoy, PhD, who opposed the Neighborhood Road Bond in 2016, e.g., the hand gestures, posture, reassuring facial expressions, smiles, and try using these techniques the next time you’re interviewed by the media and press (please note, if you’re short on time, watch this three-minute segment of the video below and practice these techniques yourself in front of a mirror).
FYI: The TV news reporter in the video above is Kathleen Walter, formerly at CBS12 (WPEC). Walter is now the spokeswoman for the City of West Palm Beach. The news report produced by CBS12 in Oct. 2016 was very fair and accurate leaving out the open-ended questions posed by those interviewed and keeping to the facts.
*When interviewed by the TV news or press ALWAYS GET THE REPORTERS CONTACT INFORMATION, either a business card or write down their phone number and/or email. When the news hits the print edition or airs on TV and there is a reporting error you want that corrected as soon as possible.
HRC2 is the proposed “Homeless
Resource Center 2” on County-owned property along Lake Worth Rd. abutting the Village of Palm Springs and west of Lake Worth Beach (see map below).
A very important public meeting is on Thursday at 6:30. More details are below.
For some perspective, if HRC2 moves forward it would be located ≈ 1½ miles west of the County’s John Prince Park and the Villages of Lake Osborne community located in Lake Worth Beach.
As noted in the news report below — front page news last week in the Coastal/Greenacres Observer — the Village of Palm Springs and the cities of West Palm, Greenacres and Atlantis and the Town of Lake Clarke Shores were invited to meet with County staff and homeless experts but not Lake Worth Beach!
Was this City not invited to learn more about HRC2?
[T]he area is always looked at for “these types of facilities” and never for economic development. “Don’t just look at us for homeless resource centers,” he [Torcivia] told the commission.
—Quote. Palm Springs Village Attorney Glen Torcivia addressing the Palm Beach County Commission. Source: Former journalist Alexandra Seltzer at The Palm Beach Post, datelined Dec. 5th, 2018.
Learn more, the location for this public meeting is given in the news report in the Observer; two excerpts follow:
The public is invited to
attend a courtesy presentation
by Palm Beach County
for a proposed Homeless
Resource Center 2 (HRC2),
proposed to be located on
vacant property owned by
Palm Beach County at 3680
Lake Worth Road.
and. . .
The presentation will
take place on Thursday,
March 14, 2019, at 6:30 PM
at the Mid-County Senior
Center, 3680 Lake Worth
Road, [suburban] Lake Worth. There
will be time for questions
and answers following the
presentation. A previous meeting, attended
by representatives
from Atlantis, Greenacres,
Lake Clarke Shores, West
Palm and Palm Springs met
with County Staff members
and Homeless “experts”
Kat Hammer from the Phil
Lewis Center and Sophia
Eggleston, President of the
Homeless Coalition and
several others to discuss
the location for the HEC2.
The proposed HRC2 is located at 3680 Lake Worth Rd. (note red boxes on left; west side of map).*
Click on map to enlarge:
The Villages of Lake Osborne community in Lake Worth Beach is located at 2430 Lake Worth Rd. (east of L-4 Canal; shaded light green). Also note Lake Osborne and John Prince Park in suburban (unincorporated PBC) located to the east of Palm Beach State College campus.
*Note that only the Village of Palm Springs, Lake Worth Beach and unincorporated PBC are indicated in the map above. The City of Greenacres is further west of the proposed HRC2, Atlantis to the south, Lake Clarke Shores and West Palm to the north.
A ballot referendum eliminating run-off elections.
In other words, winner take all on Election Day. Because Commissioner Herman Robinson missed getting 50.05% yesterday by just 1.25% of the vote there will be a run-off election on March 26th. Fifty percent of the vote plus .05% would have guaranteed a win without a recount for the incumbent in District 4.
Prepare yourselves everyone.
The next two weeks could very well be the worst of City politics you will ever experience.
At the end of this blog post is a link to what happened back in 2006, a run-off election that tore this City apart.
Here are the election results from the District 4 race yesterday:
Commissioner Herman Robinson: 48.8% Tom Copeland: 27.4 William Joseph: 12.0 Richard Guercio: 11.8
Tom Copeland couldn’t even muster 30% of the vote and Copeland was considered a strong challenger to Commissioner Robinson. If either Messrs. Joseph or Guercio were not on the ballot Robinson would most certainly have been re-elected yesterday.
Is this the kind of politics you want in the City of Lake Worth Beach?
Stack the ballot to force a run-off election?
Fully expect Commissioner Robinson and Mr. Copeland to keep to the high ground. But that’s not the problem.
The problem is how much control do these two men have over their campaign team? How much control do they have over their campaign manager? What will William Joseph and Richard Guercio do in the next two weeks? Has Commissioner Herman Robinson been the target all along?
Frankly, as much as the public decries money in politics campaign contributions are a way to gauge a candidates’ support from the public and business community and by far Commissioner Robinson has raised the most campaign funding. No other candidate was even close.
Now it’s back to campaign fundraising and yard signs and mailers and the knocks on the door. All because of just a few votes? Is this what you expected yesterday?
And it is worth noting Mr. Copeland taking such a strong position on a new pool at the Beach did educate many of the public about that long-standing problem. Copeland vehemently opposes a new pool at the Lake Worth Beach and he should be respected for taking such a strong position.
How did we get here? A two-week run-off?
Robinson announced his intention to run for re-election a year ago, in March 2018.
Then in September 2018 Tom Copeland qualified to run for election in District 4, then William Joseph qualified in October and then Richard Guercio in December.
Did Joseph and Guercio believe they had a chance to win the election in District 4? Maybe. But what they most certainly did is make certain that Commissioner Robinson would not win on Election Day yesterday. But it was real close. Herman nearly pulled off the impossible.
Now because of a few votes our City has to go through a run-off election on March 26th.
Remember, Mr. Copeland received the ‘coveted’ endorsement from The Palm Beach Post editorial board. And Copeland didn’t even get 30% of the vote!
The Post endorsement for Copeland was a non-factor and in 2017 the editor(s) called it a toss-up between Commissioner Herman Robinson and Maryann Polizzi. Herman won running away.
Once again, a run-off election can be one of the most devastating things for a City to ever experience and so many new and recently-new residents of this City have never experienced a run-off.
But many long-time residents recall well what a run-off election can be. It’s not fun. Two candidates and two campaigns fighting endlessly for two weeks non-stop. Two more weeks of yard signs, mailers and knocks on the door and what you have left afterwards is a bloodied and bruised winner who has to try and pick up all the pieces.
So that’s why this City of Lake Worth Beach needs another referendum on the ballot next year, a referendum to eliminate run-off elections. Make it winner take all on Election Day. And that would also go a long way in making sure the field does not get flooded again with candidates that don’t care whether or not they win or lose.
Just like what happened in the District 4 race this year. And what happened in District 2 race back in 2017 too when Mr. Omari Hardy avoided a run-off by less than twenty votes in a race between then-Commissioner Chris McVoy, PhD, and William Joseph.
Yes. That would be the very same Mr. Joseph in the District 4 race this year. In 2017 he got 8.92% of the vote in District 2 and two years later received 12% of the vote in District 4.
If you are interested in learning more about what happened in 2006, when four candidates ran in District 2 back in 2006, learn more by reading a blog post from September last year.
The run-off election that followed has haunted this City for thirteen years.
Question #1 on the ballot yesterday was approved by the electorate:
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?” [emphasis added]
First a shout out to Willie Howard, a former beat reporter who once covered the City of Lake Worth for The Palm Beach Post. Learn more about Howard’s role in this story later in this blog post. And a shout out to the new news media as well, Andrew Lofholm at WPTV and Andrea Marvin at CBS12. What did Lofholm and Marvin do?
What they did is they both reported the facts about “Lake Worth Beach” way before anyone else in the news media did. For example,
LAKE WORTH, Fla. (CBS12) — Changing the City of Lake Worth’s name to the ‘City of Lake Worth Beach’.
It’s a move leaders are ready to make, after city commissioners voted unanimously [on Dec. 4th, 2018] on the change. But in the end, it’s up to voters.
And at the very end of this blog post is a YouTube video from a City Commission Work Session in November 2018 and each of our elected officials, in their own words, explain why they support rebranding our City by adding the “Beach” to our name.
Renaming this City was breaking news by WPTV reporter Andrew Lofholm late last year and then a little later Andrea Marvin at CBS12 did an excellent news report as well. Where was The Palm Beach Post? Nowhere. And then later on they had to scramble to catch up.
And then Frank Cerabino had to chime in too. Read all about that a little later in this blog post today.
In many ways the name change to “Lake Worth Beach” highlights the generational digital divide in a major way. Many in the older generations will get the news about Lake Worth Beach from a dinosaur, a printed newspaper. Younger generations will get this news on social media.
To their credit many from older generations like Commissioner Scott Maxwell don’t understand social media but they do most certainly understand its power.
Harry’s Banana Farm on N. Dixie Hwy. in Lake Worth Beach getting in the spirit last year.
From Harry’s on Dixie Hwy. in Lake Worth Beach to the Post building on Dixie Hwy. in West Palm Beach is just 3½ miles. But West Palm does not have a “Beach”. Our City does have a “BEACH”.
It’s worth noting the effort to rename this City was a very serious public policy debate and to confuse the public the critics took a two-pronged approach: First, that renaming this City ‘is just silly’ and secondly that renaming this City will be too expensive.
However, consider first that due to terrible and irresponsible news reporting in The Palm Beach Post and other news outlets that a municipality in Palm Beach County would even have to consider changing its name in the first place. Think about that for a few moments.
On how expensive a name change to Lake Worth Beach would cost, the hard costs like signage and print material would change over time. In some cases, many years. There is no rush. The immediate effect would be on social media, marketing and branding. And the effect will be almost immediate.
Whilst on the topic of cost, do you receive the Sunday and daily print edition of the Post with digital access? That costs $683.79 annually.
Now back to Cerabino, Lake Worth Beach and comparing apples to sour grapes.
Ever since NBC5 reporter Andrew Lofholm broke this story the Post had to scramble. Three days after Lofholm’s report the Post beat reporter put together something and then Cerabino got into the act. The story in the online edition was headlined,
Name change worth the trouble in Lake Worth
And then the next day in the print edition the headline was,
‘Lake Worth Beach’ wasn’t quite what I had in mind
So according to Cerabino on one day it’s “worth the trouble” and then a little later it’s not “quite what I had in mind”? Just curious. Does anyone remember asking Cerabino what he thought or thinks?
And then following the usual ramblings are the obligatory quotes from patrons at Harry’s Banana Farm which explains why Cerabino never quite made it to City Hall.
About Question #1 on the ballot yesterday Cerabino opened up his missive with these two lines last year:
Oh, no. Lake Worth’s thinking about changing its name again. This happens every so often. The last time was about six years ago.
Here is what Cerabino left out: This was a big news story by former Post reporter Willie Howard in 2012 (see below). Howard interviewed Commissioner Scott Maxwell about his proposal to rename this City. The City’s Millennial year was in 2013 and most everyone agreed that the timing was bad as was recently stated by Vice Mayor Andy Amoroso. But in 2018 almost everyone agreed that renaming this City is a good idea worth considering or at least give the public the opportunity to decide.
From 2012 to the present the idea of renaming this City never went away. Interest in pushing this forward would go up and then other things would take priority and interest would go down. But the idea of renaming this City as “Lake Worth Beach” never went away.
So the suggestion by Cerabino that the idea of renaming this City, ‘happens every so often’ is ludicrous and petty.
And then there is this from Cerabino:
Lake Worth city leaders think by adding “beach” [sic; s/b “Beach”] to its name, Lake Worth will distinguish itself as both a coastal community and one that is distinct from the larger Lake Worth postal region to the west, which has a higher crime rate. “That doesn’t give us the ability to say our crime is down double digits,” Mayor Pam Triolo explained. “When people are looking to invest or purchase a new home to bring their family here, I’d like them to be comparing apples to apples, not apples to cucumbers.”
But instead of cucumbers, let’s talk about sour grapes.
The Post editorial board did not endorse Scott Maxwell in his re-election bid last year. The Post endorsed his challenger, Sarah Malega. But it didn’t matter. Maxwell won anyway.
A bite of cucumber will help after sour grapes.
FYI: Maxwell first served on the City Commission from 2001–2003. Then Maxwell got re-elected in 2009 and has been re-elected another four times. So when Cerabino posits that renaming this City to “Lake Worth Beach” happened ‘about six years ago’ not citing Maxwell’s role in this effort is short-sighted at best.
And then Cerabino goes on to say. . .
Lake Worth is the undisputed offbeat capital of Palm Beach County. It’s a cultural hub for both Finnish tourists and anarchists . . . Just sticking the word “beach” [sic] at the end of Lake Worth doesn’t do justice to the city’s singular charms.
The ‘anarchists’ in this City are not even worthy of mention any more. They have been largely replaced by the Apatharchists, former Anarchists who gave up on politics are much more concerned that this little six square mile City continues to be maligned by news stories like this still circulating on the Internet.
For more information about “Making the case for changing the name of our City to Lake Worth Beach” click on this link.
And also making the case is this excerpt from a Willie Howard article published in The Palm Beach Post in 2012:
“Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell is suggesting changing the city’s name to Lake Worth Beach to help distinguish Lake Worth from parts of unincorporated Palm Beach County that have Lake Worth mailing addresses. According to postal officials, places as far west as Wellington can use Lake Worth mailing addresses. [emphasis added] In a memo to the commission about the name change, Maxwell notes that crimes committed west of the city in unincorporated parts of Palm Beach County are sometimes reported by the media as happening in Lake Worth. Residents with Lake Worth mailing addresses who live west of the city mistakenly come to city hall seeking solutions to their problems. Maxwell said Lake Worth is distinctive, with its walkable downtown and beach, and that the new name would create an ‘instantly recognizable brand for the city.’ With the 100-year anniversary of the city next year and the opening of the renovated beach site and casino scheduled for this fall, he said, this is a good time to change the city’s name. ‘The timing is just about right,’ Maxwell said. ‘It kind of gives us a renewed since of pride for the next 100 years.’ ”
Causing so much confusion for so many years is this oft-asked question:
“Where exactly is Lake Worth?”
Click on this link to learn why changing the name of our City will clear up so much of the confusion for visitors, tourists, investors, Realtors, and the press and news media as well.
And in conclusion, listen to Mayor Pam Triolo and each of the four City Commissioners explain why they support renaming this City of Lake Worth with a spectacular BEACH!
The discussion lasts about fifteen minutes and ends with public comment by well-known City resident AnnaMaria:
Tomorrow (Thurs. 3/14) at 5:30 the Tree Board meets; as yet there is no agenda. And then on Friday at 5:30 is a Special City Commission meeting to certify the results of Tuesday’s elections.
Also worth noting if you are looking to do business with the City of Lake Worth Beach.
The City’s website for “Invitations for Bids (IFB), Requests for Proposals (RFP) and associated documents” is being re-formatted.
Lake Worth’s procurement process is managed by the Finance Department. They are responsible for contracts and services related to construction or services provided to the City.
The Finance Dept. is located at City Hall. For more information call 561-586-1654 or send an e-mail to: purchasing1@lakeworth.org
“Gators really don’t like humans to eat. They eat other things like fish.”
—Quote. Published in The Palm Beach Post on Jan. 31st, 2019, in a story headlined, “Harmless or harmful? Massive 12-foot gator dragged out of Lake Osborne” (link to story below).
Having your pet alligator taken away is a huge problem because Lake Osborne is located in suburban Lake Worth, in the County’s John Prince Park.
But there is a solution!
Contact your elected leadership on the County Commission and your elected leadership in the Florida legislature. How? All that information is below.
The following scenario actually happened.
This incident was published in The Palm Beach Post by a beat reporter with contribution from a community staff writer. To learn more click on link below (highlighted in yellow).
Worth Noting: The alligator’s name has been changed to avoid harassment.
Here we go. . .
You are a resident of the City of Lake Worth but you have a pet 12′ alligator you keep in Lake Osborne. The gator’s name is “Ripples”. But Lake Osborne is in John Prince Park which is outside the municipal limits of the City. John Prince Park and the lake are managed and controlled by the County, not the City of Lake Worth.
Imagine that, every day you are close enough to wave and yell, “Good Morning, Ripples!” but one day Ripples is gone. Frantically you search and then find out that trappers took Ripples out of the lake for so-called ‘public safety’ reasons. Before Ripples ends up gator nuggets on an appetizer menu you want answers. So you march on down to Lake Worth City Hall demanding that Ripples be returned. But the City cannot help you!
Ripples and Lake Osborne are outside the City’s control.
That’s where your state representative comes in. Contact you representative in Tallahassee and say, “I want my Ripples back!” But Ripples is a really big alligator. And therein lies the big question an editor the Post asked, is Ripples “Harmless or harmful”.
Join the debate about Ripples! Return Ripples to Lake Osborne because he or she is just a harmless pet? Click on this link to learn more.
Hope you found the scenario above helpful..
Now moving on, who is YOUR elected state representative in Tallahassee. . .
In the map (see below) the un-shaded areas are a combination of unincorporated PBC, suburban Lake Worth and what is called the Lake Worth Corridor.
Shaded areas in map below are:
Town of Lantana (shaded red) is to the south.
Village of Palm Springs (shaded blue) and the Great Walled City of Atlantis (shaded Royal White) are to the west of County-owned (unincorporated) John Prince Park, PBC Park Airport and PBC State College.
Town of Lake Clarke Shores is to the northwest.
West Palm Beach is directly to the north (border is the C-51 Canal).
Note in this map one can see the process of “annexation” occurring.
So if you live in one of those unincorporated areas now, that may change in the very near future.
Click on image to enlarge.
Now compare the map above with the district map of the House of Representatives below:
Four districts pass through and include the City of Lake Worth. They are Districts 87–90.
The east-west State Road “802” is Lake Worth Rd. and Lake and Lucerne avenues in Downtown Lake Worth.
The north-south highways are Dixie (US 1) and Federal (nearest the Intracoastal). Click on map:
To learn who represents your neighborhood and community here in this City in the Florida House of Representatives note the links below.
Going from the east (Lake Worth Casino and Beach Complex) to the west (unincorporated Palm Beach County and nearby western municipalities):
District 89 will be represented by recently-elected Mike Caruso (R; shaded lime green): Areas of this district include Lake Worth Beach and all areas east of Federal Hwy. to the Intracoastal. Click on this link for the news about Caruso’s win defeating Jim Bonfiglio (D) by a very slim margin.
District 88 is represented by Representative Al Jaquet (D; shaded lemon yellow): District includes Dixie Hwy. to Federal Hwy. and then expands west at 6th Ave. South to I-95 and District 90.
District 87 is represented by Representative David Silvers (D; shaded bright lavender): District includes areas west of Dixie Hwy. extending outside the City and south to 6th Ave. South and is bordered by District 90 as well.
District 90is represented by Joseph Casello (D; shaded pear green): District includes areas west of I-95 but not all (a small area of District 87 is west of I-95). District 90 continues west into suburban Lake Worth including the unincorporated John Prince Park, Palm Beach State College, and the Great Walled City of Atlantis.
Public Meeting of the Municipal Canvassing Boards and Canvassing of the Vote By Mail Ballots for the March 12, 2019 Uniform Municipal Elections.
In accordance with the Sunshine Law of Florida, all Canvassing Board meetings are open to the public and will be conducted at the Supervisor of Elections Service Center, 7835 Central Industrial Drive, Riviera Beach, FL 33404.
The Municipal Canvassing Boards will convene at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12, 2019 and remain in session as needed for the canvassing of the Vote by Mail ballots and other Board business that may be prescribed by law, at the Supervisor of Elections Service Center [same address as above].
In person, the address is: 240 S. Military Trail in suburban West Palm. Hours are 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. on Monday–Friday.
To look over all sixteen municipalities holding elections on March 12th, including all questions on the ballot, click on this link.
And don’t forget!
The August 2020 Primary and November 2020 General Election are coming up as well starting in just seventeen months!
On the ballot will be Sheriff of Palm Beach County, the Supervisor of Elections, several County Commissioners and many other elected offices state-wide and on the Federal level as well. Use this link to learn more about that.
Do you know where your polling location is for tomorrow’s municipal elections?
And the SOE reminds everyone:
You must vote in the polling location assigned to your precinct.
Polling locations can change. Have you confirmed yours? If not click on this link or call the Supervisor of Elections office at 561-656-6200.
Why is this important? Here is a recent case example in the City of Lake Worth:
For many, many years the voters in precincts 3034 and 3040 in this City have gone to the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple to vote on Election Day. If anyone does show up at the Scottish Rite to vote tomorrow you would know they missed a mailing from the SOE, did not see the update on the City’s official website (click on this link and scroll down), and did not see the news in The Lake Worth Herald either which was shared on many social media platforms by many sources including Twitter.
From the SOE is this information about precincts 3034 and 3040 and where to vote from 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. tomorrow:
Sunlight Community Church
1325 North A St. Lake Worth, FL 33460
Directions: The church is located on the
west side of North A St between 14th Ave N and Crestwood Blvd. Parking
can be accessed from either 14th Ave N or Crestwood Blvd.
The name has been changed from LW Christian Reform Church
Ahead of tomorrow’s elections if you have any questions and/or concerns about where you vote scroll back up and note the contact information for the SOE.
And, as always, Thank You for visiting once again today.
And all that information is right at your fingertips — tapping keys on a keyboard and reading a truly LOCAL newspaper — the details are at the end of this blog post today.
Although Spring officially begins on March 20th the City of Lake Worth kicks off the Spring Season with the Festival of Trees in mid-February, the Street Painting Festival, then the first week in March is the annual Midnight Sun Festival.
What’s upcoming? Well. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is just around the corner on Sunday, March 17th followed by a whole lot of other festivals, parties and fun goings-on and continues all the way to the Star Spangled Band Showcase on July 3rd and the All American Raft Race and Parade weekend on Thursday, July 4th to Sunday, July 7th. Also going on is the Monthly Block Party on Lake Ave. and the car show at the Lake Worth Beach and much more.
From journalist Lois K. Solomon at Sun Sentinel, the headline:
“These military veterans served their country. Now they’ll live in the Village of Valor.”
The opening paragraph in the Sun Sentinel:
Military veterans who feel isolated and destitute may soon find a new place that recreates the sense of community they crave: the Village of Valor in Lake Worth. [emphasis added]
The reporter is partly correct. The Village of Valor will also be located in the Village of Palm Springs (see map and more information below). To read the entire article in the Sun Sentinelclick on this link.
Where exactly will the future Village of Valor be located?
The map (see below) comes from the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Geo Nav mapping tool. To learn more about this very helpful tool click on this link.
The Village of Valor is using a collection of properties in the Village of Palm Springs and the City of Lake Worth on 2nd Ave. North on the north side of the roadway. The location in Palm Springs has the address 2651. In Lake Worth the addresses are 2431, 2441, and 2559. There may possibly be other bundled properties as well. Between the property in Palm Springs and the properties in Lake Worth is a Lake Worth Drainage District canal.
Click on image to enlarge (note, unshaded areas are unincorporated Palm Beach County; property with structures in upper right-hand corner, north of green property line, is not part of this project):
The undeveloped shaded areas north of 2nd Ave. North are slated to be the future Village of Valor. Note the “Keller Canal”, the border between the City of Lake Worth and Village of Palm Springs.
Please note: Below are photos of the City’s very Green and environmentally-conscious water cistern at the Lake Worth Beach and Casino Complex.
But first, briefly, a little background.
In 2010 the City administration back then asked for and received approvals for “Green” amenities to be included into the plans for the ‘new’ Casino building that replaced the former Casino structure which was 94% demolished.
However,right next door to the Casino were the pool, staff and bathroom facilities and the pump building — which all actually needed renovations but weren’t addressed — ergo the situation we find ourselves in now. That “white elephant” at the Beach, a large pool, really just a historic relic from days gone by is finally going to make way for modern-day amenities that the public will actually use.
Below is a YouTube video of an NBC5/WPTV news segment in October 2010. This demonstrates what happened after the City ran out of money to keep up with the high costs of maintaining a large pool at the Beach. During the Great Recession of 2007–2009 the corrosion from salt spray took its toll on the pump building, the maintenance lagged, and the rest is history.
The reign of what was called satirically called “The Best Commission Ever!”(or just ‘BCE!’ for short) ended for good in 2011.
However, there’s good news! Remember the water cistern?
One of the Green amenities that a former commissioner pushed for was a water cistern to collect rainwater; water for all the plants, palm trees and for maintenance as well (e.g., power-washing the Casino structure and surrounding areas).
Having a water cistern sends a message as well the City of Lake Worth is committed to being “Green” and helping to save the environment. But, sadly, that idea of a water cistern ended up being value-engineered, some call it “Greenwashed” out of the project, and a water collection system was eliminated.
So what’s the good news?
The former commissioner who wanted a water cistern back in 2010, Chris McVoy, PhD, now has what he wanted after all. That “white elephant” at the Beach we’ve been having to deal with ever since 2007 was finally shut down for good on February 7th, 2017.
A decade in the making! The water collection system called a cistern at the Lake Worth Beach.
Notice how Green it is! Click on all images to enlarge:
Rainwater collection. Rainwater is cheaper and “Greener” than municipal-treated water.
Note the wide area for maximum rain collection and sloping to the center of the cistern:
There are even gates, a fence, and perimeter lighting for public safety.
Easy access for employees carrying hoses and pumps and with a railing too. An OSHA requirement.
During breaks there is seating available for the crew.
Another good idea: storage.
Area for collection of trip-and-fall hazards, for example, rubber ducks, deflated beach balls, and pelican “Waterfuls”. Shade is provided as well.
As stated earlier on this blog, heading into the elections on Tuesday, March 12th, am going to pivot from Election Day next week and focus more on after the municipal elections this year and what we can hope to achieve in the year 2019 and beyond.
For Excerpts 1–4 from the mayor’s State of the City see that list at the end of this blog post.
Moving on to Excerpt #5 from the State of the City address titled,
“We are a Community of Neighborhoods”
The mayor continues. . .
Another very important infrastructure effort is underway in the area west of I-95 known as the Park of Commerce. For more than two decades, attempts failed to optimize the Park of Commerce into a centrally located job and tax base generator. I can now report that it is happening.
For the first time in history, we are obtaining significant help from the Federal and State levels through coordinated efforts with the County’s Business Development Board. The City has leveraged dollars to improve the roads, utilities and drainage that will encourage investment and jobs here in Lake Worth.
As of today, there has been over 368,057 square feet of new construction built in the Park of Commerce with a market value of over $23 million that added $616,761 to our tax rolls this year alone.
The Park of Commerce has the highest concentration of jobs, businesses and tax base in the City. Property tax generated there offsets the burden on your home’s residential tax.
Understanding this, in 2018, the City successfully lobbied for and received major allocations from the state totaling $5.5m. This money will continue the success of this area as part of our ongoing infrastructure investments.
While the City has the Comprehensive Plan to provide a 20,000 foot view of Lake Worth’s future, there is the need to provide more detailed plans to address specific issues and potential problems.
Tomorrow’s Excerpt #6 will address two of the most exciting ideas of all, efforts on producing solar energy and the Ocean Current Energy project in partnership with Florida Atlantic University and the Southeastern Marine Renewable Energy Center (SNMREC).
And once again as noted in Excerpt #1 from last Tuesday,
It was a packed house for the mayor’s State of the City. And in attendance was journalist Julius Whigham II from The Palm Beach Post.
Click on the scene of the throng in attendance:
Use this link for more information about the State of the City address and the news report published in The Palm Beach Post the evening of February 26th.
Previous excerpts from Mayor Pam Triolo’s State of the City address:
![Dr. W. H. Cotton’s ode: “Oh, My Lake Worth, Florida!” [circa 1920].](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUL75cv6zJQFjX15ojOIIz9AjnbqH4asHJTYSDhnGnYr7rJZRha1NcNTirj2xPcId158vkz5Hw-wXgOfrlztj8Zr8jLFFCfuEN6PyV44ZlpMRmJ68xbtFL9vzxNiG7xDs_HJvm/s1600/LakeWorthPioneers.JPG)
