Footage of downtown Lake Worth from ninety years ago.

If you are familiar with Lake Worth Beach, specifically along Federal Hwy. in the Downtown, you’ll recognize a church structure that still exists to this day. The short film at the end of this blog post is a,

“Compilation of sound interviews with some of the oldest people living in the United States in 1929. Footage is from the early Movietone sound cameras.”

For some perspective, one man in the video (see below) says he is 84 years old, the man next to him is 94 years old. That would mean at the start of the Civil War in 1861 they were both 16 and 26 years old, respectively.

The Civil War ended in 1865. After the war one of the big draws to Florida for former soldiers was construction of Henry Flagler’s railroad in the early 1880s to lay track, build bridges, and provide security against the Seminole tribes. The Florida East Coast (FEC) railroad formed “Palm Beach” in 1894, then Flagler continued south towards a place that would later come to be called “Miami” building railroad stations along the way.

In 1912 a small station was constructed south of West Palm ‘Beach’ (a city still without a beach) and that place south of West Palm would become the “Town of Lake Worth” in 1913 that actually did have a beach.

Early residents from what would be called the Town of Lake Worth — prior to the ‘Town’ acquiring a beach on the Atlantic Ocean — continued west draining the Florida Everglades as they went. Later they created places that would become the City of Atlantis and a village you may have heard of: Wellington. And the march west continues to this day with the creation of so-called ‘agrihoods’ such as the planned community of Arden west of Wellington.

‘Lake Worth’ continues to carry the sad legacy of western development in Palm Beach County. Many of these places in the modern era call themselves Lake Worth because of another migration that began around 1960 when the elites and those with the means abandoned this coastal City to create their own relentlessly sprawling vision that one sees today: cookie-cutter communities for as far as the eye can see and many of them surrounded by walls and dense hedges.

The video below is an interesting look back to the pre-Depression era in South Florida. The segment about the then-City of Lake Worth ends at the 3:30 minute mark.

The march west from the original Town of Lake Worth followed the path of development all across the United States fueled in part by WWI and WWII. Those early pioneers and farmers cannot be blamed for western development. They were encouraged to come in droves.

But what cannot ever be forgotten are all those who abandoned the City of Lake Worth 50–60 years ago and headed west calling themselves ‘Lake Worth’.

Click on play and see if you can recognize a
very prominent structure that still exists to this day
in Lake Worth Beach:

Significant LOCAL election news in Lake Worth Beach: Run-off election next Tuesday, March 26th.

For a press release issued by Public Information Officer Ben Kerr datelined last Friday click on this link.

On the ballot will be challenger Tom Copeland and incumbent Commissioner Herman Robinson. For a recap of this race use this link.

Front page news in the Herald recently about voting precincts 3034 and 3040: a change in voting location (see news and map below).

Support LOCAL newspapers in Palm Beach County.

If you wish to contact the editor at the Herald call 561-585-9387 or send an email to: Editor@lwherald.com

Excerpt from front page story headlined,

Temporary Voting For
Some Lake Worth Precincts

Precinct 3034 and 3040 voters in the City of Lake Worth have been voting at the Scottish Rite in Lake Worth. The Scottish Rite has become unavailable, causing a temporary change in the location for voting. The temporary location will be the Sunlight Church at 1325 North A Street. [emphasis added]


This temporary change does not affect voters in precincts 3036 and 3038!


The only change for the run-off on March 26th will be a busier day than usual at the Sunlight Church with precincts 3034 and 3040 coming there to vote as well.

What is now called the Sunlight Community Church (formerly the Lake Worth Christian Reform Church) is located at 1325 North A St., on the west side of North A St. between 14th Ave. North and Crestwood Blvd. Across the street from this church is the popular Sunset Ridge Park.

Many of you will recall an incident that occurred at that public park several years ago.

At Sunset Ridge Park in 2016. . .

A former Lake Worth commissioner prowling

for a Sunshine Law violation.

Now back to the temporary change in voting location.

For precinct 3040 voters take Worthmore Drive off Dixie Hwy. After the railroad tracks Worthmore turns into 22nd Ave. North.

Someone please notify Larry and Dee about this change in voting location so they don’t set up their tent, chairs and cooler in the wrong place.

PrideFest 2019 is Saturday, March 30th and Sunday, March 31st.

The festival is held in Bryant Park and the PrideFest Parade will be held on Sunday in Downtown Lake Worth. For more about the background of PrideFest click on this link. Stay tuned for more details about this year’s festival next month.

Let’s take a stroll down memory lane!

One of my all-time favorite videos on my YouTube channel. Former Mayor Jeff Clemens at the dedication of Compass on March 20th, 2009!

This month will be the ten-year anniversary of this event. Hope you enjoy the video:

Lake Worth Beach District 4 Commissioner Tom Copeland?

There will be a run-off election next Tuesday.

Please continue reading to learn more about this, a topic of discussion at the Lake Worth Beach City Commission this week at the City Commission.

And if you think it is unlikely or even impossible for Mr. Copeland to defeat incumbent Commissioner Herman Robinson then you are delusional.

The chances of Copeland becoming ‘The Accidental Commissioner’ are actually very good. Taking such strong stances on several key issues Copeland believes that damaged his candidacy but those very same positions may actually help him in a run-off.* In other words, if you support Commissioner Herman Robinson you better plan on turning out next Tuesday.

However, if the editor at The Palm Beach Post endorses Copeland again that would help Commissioner Robinson greatly when the public learns of his advocacy,

[F]or many of the better things that have been coming from city government: the license-plate readers, an internal auditor to analyze city operations, a reduction in sober homes.

The editor at The Lake Worth Herald endorsed
no one in District 4 this year.

And kudos to the editor at the Herald. The breaking news from Friday, March 15th was spot on and was headlined, “Ain’t Over Til It’s Over”.

Here is an excerpt:


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.


And of this there is no doubt: Run-off elections must be a referendum question on the ballot next year. Either eliminate run-offs and make it winner take all or allow candidates to withdraw if they wish by visiting the City Clerk and making it official. What happened this year cannot happen again.

Run-off elections are the most unpredictable
of all elections.

Maybe some time soon will re-examine once again what happened in 2006.

At the end of this blog post is the YouTube video of last nights meetings at the City Commission, first the ratifying of the March 12th elections and swearing-in of Commissioner Omari Hardy followed by the regularly scheduled City Commission.

Now back to the March 26th run-off.

Copeland ended his campaign on Wednesday, March 13th. And the more concession speeches Copeland gives like the one last night at City Hall he could end up conceding himself right into the District 4 seat on the City Commission.

If elected then one could call Copeland “The Accidental Commissioner” on the theme of the movie The Accidental Tourist (1988) starring William Hurt and Kathleen Turner who also both starred in the classic 1981 film noir Body Heat filmed in Downtown Lake Worth.†

And interestingly, as an aside, in the movie Body Heat the City of Lake Worth was referred to as “Miranda Beach” and last evening this City was officially renamed Lake Worth Beach and West Palm never had a beach. Maybe West Palm can have a referendum and rename itself “West Palm No Beach”?


Moving on. . .


Copeland got clobbered on Election Day, March 12th. And so did Messrs. William Joseph and Richard Guercio. However, when combined Copeland, Joseph and Guercio got 51.19% of the vote on Election Day. So because Commissioner Robinson did not get the magic 50%  +  1 vote there has to be a run-off according to City Attorney Christy Goddeau of Torcivia, Donlon, Goddeau & Ansay, P.A.

Goddeau’s opinion after researching Florida election law and precedent is follow the process to avoid any problems later on. 

This law firm representing the City of Lake Worth Beach has been representing this City for a very long time. It would be wise to take their advice and proceed with the run-off election by the PBC Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link.

Just to be very clear.

Even if Mr. Copeland decided to pack up and move to Mongolia and pursue a career in domestic yak milk production there would still have to be a run-off election on March 26th and that is not accidental in the least.

Mr. Copeland begins speaking at the 31 minute
and thirty second mark in the video.

The City Commission goes into recess at the
fifty-six minute mark and reconvenes at
the one hour and ten minute mark.

Thank You for visiting once again today and stay tuned for more information about the run-off election next Tuesday.


*Worth noting is this line on Tom Copeland’s campaign website: “Videos courtesy of Wes Blackman”.
     After many years of taking video of the debates at the Playhouse it was appreciated getting credit from a candidate. To learn more about Copeland’s positions on the major issues click on this link.

†To learn more about the 1981 classic film Body Heat click on this link.

Seven hundred and twenty seconds.

Twelve minutes. Just twelve minutes watching a YouTube video below.

Starting from the one hour and thirty-five minute mark in the video to the one hour and forty-seven minute mark, listen and hear for yourself as Vice Mayor Andy Amoroso and City Manager Michael Bornstein explain why no proceeds from the County ¢1 Sales Tax increase approved by voters in November 2016 will be used to plan for or even consider a new or a ‘fixed’ pool at the Beach.

This issue is now officially dead. It is time to move on. The mob has been silenced. That mob showed up at City Hall on February 7th with no backup information, no data, no plans, no proper designs but they did have a colorful display and they waved around brightly colored pool noodles too.

But the mob learned a lot at the City Commission meeting last Tuesday evening.

From that meeting many other topics were discussed as well including something called SNMREC. Stay tuned for information about that tomorrow on this blog.

The discussion last night on funds for a new pool at the Beach was important too. Why? Because we learned there will not be $10M for a new pool, not $10K, not one Benjamin Franklin, not one Alexander Hamilton or even ¢10 for a new pool.


Without further ado. . .

Watch for yourself to learn why:

Significant news from Lake Worth Beach publicly noticed in Lake Worth Herald.

The significant news in the Herald today comes in the form of a Public Notice (see below). April and May are going to be very busy for administration and staff in Lake Worth Beach. The vote at the City Commission last Tuesday was unanimous at First Reading for Landscape Ordinance No. 2019-04.

Second Reading will be on Tuesday, April 2nd, 6:00 at City Hall.

Following that public meeting, hopefully another unanimous vote at the City Commission, what will follow is a massive information campaign to get this information out to the public; the public has been demanding understandable and coherent landscape regulations for a very long time.

For the background on this topic click on this link.

The Public Notice published in the Herald:


PLEASE TAKE NOTICE the City of Lake Worth Beach, Florida, City Commission, will hold a public hearing in the City Hall Commission Chambers, 7 North Dixie Hwy, Lake Worth Beach, Florida, 33460 at 6:00 PM, or as soon thereafter as possible, on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 to consider the following:


Ordinance No. 2019-04 of the City of Lake Worth Beach, Florida, Amending Chapter 23 “Lane Development Regulations,” by amending Article I “General Provisions” relating to Division 2, Section 23.1-12 “Definitions”; by amending Article 6 “Environmental Regulations”, Section 23.6-1 “Landscape Regulations”; and for other purposes; and providing severability, the repeal of laws in conflict, codification, and an effective date.

 
Written responses can be sent to the Office of the City Clerk, 7 North Dixie Hwy., Lake Worth Beach, Florida, 33460 and must arrive before the hearing date to be included in the formal record.


To contact the City Clerk of Lake Worth Beach click on this link.

Jet fuel burn-off over West Palm and why relocating to Lake Worth Beach is a good idea.

Do you live in West Palm Beach (which has no beach) in a neighborhood downtown plagued with noise from airplanes all day long and mad as hell? Who do you contact and complain about that “jet fuel burn-off from the planes”?

Have you ever thought to yourself, “Maybe I should write a Letter to the Editor(s) at The Palm Beach Post”? A little later in this blog post is the link to learn how.

For example, here is an example of a letter published in the Post:


“I can’t hear myself — due to the incessant and obscenely loud [noise] that currently plague our residential neighborhood [emphasis added] in downtown West Palm Beach. . . . I wonder why our elected officials have remained silent on the question of protecting the quality of life of their constituents?”

Before getting to why downtown Lake Worth Beach offers a better quality of life and whilst on the topic of letters to the editor as well. . .

“We have watched West Palm Beach change from charming to a dirty, dingy polluted city with increasing numbers in crimes committed, drug abuse and intolerable traffic, especially at the bridges and downtown.
     The 710 planes that flew over our house last week, as always, maximized the pollution we always experience with lack of aviation control. Our pool deck is black with jet fuel burn-off from the planes as they take off and land.”

—Excerpt from a Letter to the Editor in The Palm Beach Post dated January 21st, 2017.


So when it comes to air travel for business or pleasure what’s so special about Lake Worth Beach is Tri-Rail is conveniently located nearby, we’re very close to the Brightline station in West Palm if you’re catching a flight out of Ft. Lauderdale or Miami and the Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) is only minutes away via I-95 but. . . PBI is far enough away that we’re not nearly as severely impacted or plagued by noise from airplanes like West Palm is!

Anyhow. . . Do you have something positive and upbeat to write about Lake Worth Beach on other topics such as traffic too, which is terrible in West Palm? Plus all the many more reasons to get your Hipster and Millennial friends in West Palm to relocate here and be part of all the excitement? Then get cracking and write your own Letter to the Editor today. It only takes 5–10 minutes.

The editor(s) needs a little time to verify some information. So get cracking and Good Luck!

And remember. . .

There’s another thing that makes this City so special.

Lake Worth Beach actually does have a BEACH! The only beach West Palm has is a little one on the Intracoastal. Not a real Beach on the ocean with famous restaurants and a Ballroom too like in this tiny City!

Another ‘sign’ of progress in the City of Lake Worth Beach.

Two more Silly Red Signs (see three examples of SRS below) have disappeared!

Previous to these latest two signs that vanished there were six SRSs on North Lakeside Drive — there were three on the one side of the road and three on the other — and each was spray painted over in white with black stenciling and a gigantic arrow pointing at the sign across the street that read,

“I’m not stupid. They are!”

Please, keep your eyes out. One more SRS is unaccounted for at this point in time. But the theory is City Manager Michael Bornstein has it in his office next to another Silly Red Sign from 4 years ago.

Click on image to enlarge, one of the more
ridiculous of the Silly Red Signs:

Continue reading to learn more about SRS and another recent update as well about the SRS squad, which used to be a platoon, but that was prior to all the defections four years ago.

Before we proceed, how much do you know about:

• Silly Red Signs (SRS)?
• Red Sign Syndrome (RSS)?
• Sthaltus signentititis robrusistiticus (SSR)?
• Use this link to learn more about these topics and much more.

Do you still have a SRS? Maybe behind a bush in the backyard next to the outhouse with all the fans from World Thrift that no longer work?

Remember, there is a manual available (includes index and color tabs) with the schedule of maintenance and care requirements, e.g., bi-monthly waxings, red color enhancers (non-toxic ingredient recipes), and emergency repair instructions.

Very important:

Never, ever, use bleach on the whites!

Some SRSs have been out so long they’re leaching dangerous Chloroplast chemicals into the Lake Worth aquifier. Don’t they care about Lake Worth’s drinking water? Your pets?

You may have noticed some signs by the SRS squad are being re-purposed with cheap red spray paint. The shaky white stenciling is advertising properties “For Sale” or “For Rent” now, and sometimes both at the same time.

What must be confusing for people looking for a home, condo, or apartment is one can still see the “Hands Off” in the sign through the cheap paint. Talk about a mixed message.

Anyhow, Mark Twain understood the power of lies, like those of SRS. Here is a quote attributed to him:

A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.

So when you go around the City and see a yard with a SRS, think of them like the WWII soldiers that emerged from the jungles in the Philippines looking very confused still thinking the war was going on — years after it ended.

Anyhow, the SRS below reads, “HANDS OFF Our BEACH & POOL”? Hello. The pool was shut down and condemned last December.

Should the sign read. . .

“HANDS ON Our BEACH & POOL”?

Do you remember the original SRS? It read “HANDS OFF OUR POTHOLES”. As you can imagine, that message didn’t go over very well with the public here in this little City.

“Woman in critical condition after Lake Worth-area shooting” was the news in Palm Beach Post last Sunday morning.

Question: What does “Lake Worth-area” mean?
Do YOU have any idea?

About this shooting last Sunday morning south of nearby John I. Leonard High School is this information in the Post:


Detectives did not divulge any information regarding motive or suspects, but a PBSO spokeswoman said the investigation is ongoing.


Note there has been no update as of yet in the Post.

Hopefully the woman is recovering and this crime will be solved. Maybe an update will be forthcoming later on today or tomorrow.

The story in the Post encouraged the public to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-8477 or use the “CONNECT & PROTECT See Something, Say Something” app.

If anyone reading this blog post today has information, or thinks they have information which could help PBSO please contact Crime Stoppers immediately or use the “Connect & Protect” app provided by PBSO.

Let’s pause momentarily and address crime and the reasoning for renaming this municipality to become the City of Lake Worth Beach.

The hangup for some in the press and news media is this was done because of crime west of the City. Anyone who has been following this public policy debate knows the major reasoning was for branding and marketing and creating a “unique” coastal place in Palm Beach County. To learn more about this topic click on this link, recent news in the Sun Sentinel.

Now back to the recent crime news in the Post.

Where exactly did this shooting happen in the ‘Lake Worth-area’ last Sunday morning?

That crime news did not make the print edition the following Monday morning but if it did hopefully an editor would have created a more accurate headline than using the confusing term ‘Lake Worth-area’.

Why? Because the headline is supposed to follow the lead. This crime occurred in “unincorporated Lake Worth” also referred to as suburban Lake Worth but where west of the municipality of Lake Worth Beach?

We learn more in the second paragraph of the story:


At about 6 a.m., [PBSO] deputies responded to the 4800 block of Clinton Boulevard, just east of Odman Avenue, and found a woman at the location with at least one gunshot wound.

Do you know where this location is
in the ‘Lake Worth-area’?

Click on map to enlarge:

The location of this shooting was in unincorporated PBC between the City of Greenacres and Village of Palm Springs. The nearest landmark is John I. Leonard High School on 10th Ave. North in Greenacres.

Is this crime location the ‘Lake Worth-area’?

Or should it have been reported as the “Greenacres area”? Or an area west of Palm Springs? PBSO District 16 covers the City of Greenacres and nearby unincorporated areas and the Village of Palm Springs has their own police department.

Lake Worth Beach is patrolled by District 14 PBSO.

In conclusion, if the purpose of crime reporting is to solve crimes than why not be as accurate as possible?

About the news from The Lake Worth Herald last Friday.

UPDATE 2:

Tom Copeland has indeed conceded the election to Commissioner Herman Robinson but there will be a run-off election next Tuesday, March 26th anyway despite Copeland ending his candidacy on Wednesday, March 13th.


UPDATE 1:

Word is Mr. Tom Copeland has changed his mind and WILL NOT concede the election to Commissioner Herman Robinson.

Today at City Hall will be Resolution No. 07-2019 certifying the results of the two ballot questions followed by the swearing-in of District 2 Commissioner Omari Hardy.

For more about this what follows is a blog post from last Saturday.


It seems to be a fairly straightforward process in that Resolution No. 07-2019 was amended and once adopted will all become very officially official. And Item 14 on next Tuesday’s City Commission agenda is the City attorney’s report to the Commission and that is when all this will likely be explained to the public.

Learn more about Resolution 07-2019 later in this blog post.

Here is an excerpt from the news in the Herald,


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.


Was the writer at the Herald accurate? Yes, absolutely. Even on the PBC Supervisor of Elections’ website today it lists three cities with municipal run-off elections on March 26th: Lake Worth Beach, Riviera Beach and West Palm Beach which of course does not have a beach.

However, next Tuesday at a Special Commission meeting in Lake Worth Beach City Hall Resolution No. 07-2019 will include the official concession by Mr. Tom Copeland [NOW RESCINDED] and this resolution will also certify the re-election of commissioners Omari Hardy and Herman Robinson and the two ballot questions the public approved.

True, “It ain’t over til it’s over” but next Tuesday about 6:00 or so it will all be over and the 2019–2020 Election Season in Lake Worth Beach will be indeed over and some will be happy and some will be sad. But in short order all this information will be sent to the Supervisor of Elections (SOE).

However, the period for “Airing of Grievances” is different for everyone and for some people the ‘Airing of Grievances’ never ended after PBSO took over for the LWPD ten years ago.

Question: “Is it unusual for someone to have their name removed from the ballot?”

Not sure if this example helps much but looking back at the situation in 2017 with former Commissioner Maier — which in typical fashion 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:

In early January 2017 Commissioner Maier was on the ballot but the official ballots had not yet been sent to the printer. So Maier was indeed fortunate. By the way, Susan Bucher was the SOE at the time and what happened on August 28th, 2014 was still fresh in everyone’s mind.

“The South’s Most Beautiful Drive-In Theatre . . . Double Features Nitely”

“At the Canal between W.P.B. & Lake Worth”

From back in the day. . . When the C-51 Canal was a landmark and Lake Worth faced the canal. In the 1960s–1970s the City turned its back on this waterway. However, that is changing. The long-awaited revitalization of N. Dixie Hwy. has begun. 

“Mabel!”

“Stop yelling, Fred.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m right here, Fred.”

“I want to learn more about that Copeland fella but I can’t read this damn thing!”

Today is a re-run.

 

An episode of Mabel and Fred
from last month.

That “Copeland fella” is Mr. Tom Copeland who ran for a seat on the Lake Worth Beach City Commission. Copeland got clobbered by District 4 Commissioner Herman C. Robinson last week and he quickly conceded the race. Although it could have gone to a run-off election which would have excited his supporters any chance of that happening officially ended last Friday.

Besides Copeland getting clobbered so did Mr. Richard Guercio who was edged out by a candidate many heard about but had never seen, Mr. William Joseph. Reports kept coming in from the field that Joseph was indeed on the campaign trail but the longer he stayed out of sight the more and more his star rose as a mythical figure in local politics.


Now back to Mr. Copeland.

What did Fred have trouble reading last month?

Fred was referring to a door hanger he found on the front door from Mr. Tom Copeland during the campaign for the District 4 seat and on the same day Fred got a political mailer from Commissioner Herman Robinson too. Being that Fred and Mabel are Senior Citizens they both appreciate the information they received from Robinson. And they also appreciate that Copeland took the time and money to reach out to them with a door hanger.

But there is one very big difference between the information they received from Robinson and Copeland and you will learn more about that below.

Candidates rarely if ever think about the typeface and typesize when they send political information to voters. But they should. And even the City of Lake Worth should be very aware of how information is delivered to the public. 


FYI: Voters should save political mailers and door hangers after Election Day. Why? They come in handy later on as a reminder (see two examples below).


Before we get back to Mabel and Fred below is a paragraph from the Post’s endorsement for Mr. Tom Copeland in the District 4 race. If you look real close you can read it:


Copeland, 34, is a high-octane campaigner who pitches an array of proposals. He says he’d build consensus for a parking and mobility plan for downtown, push for a comprehensive plan for the Casino complex and press for more spending on infrastructure — and that’s just for his “first year in office.” Alone among the candidates, he advocates closing the beachside pool permanently and replacing it with a community pool on city-owned land in a low-income neighborhood where the city’s neediest residents would have easier access to it.


The typesize above is about 6′ type. The text in the Post print edition is 9–10′. Political information like mailers and door hangers should use 12′ at a minimum.

Political mailers and door hangers are not cheap. All that time, energy and campaign fundraising is wasted if the public cannot read it. That political FREE SPEECH just gets thrown in the recycling bin or tossed in the trash.

The Post uses a serif font, a very readable one like the serif Roman version on this blog. The information that Mabel and Fred received was a sans serif font, also very readable.

Which font a candidate uses is rarely something a candidate cares about. But many find a serif font more pleasant than a sans serif one.

Now let’s examine two examples of FREE political speech, a door hanger and a mailer.

Does anything stand out in particular?
Like the magnifying glass!

Click on FREE SPEECH to enlarge:

Look over Herman’s list of accomplishments in 10′ type. Now look over Copeland’s bullet list in 7′ type. One can see how Fred could have difficulty reading Copeland’s accomplishments.

“Who’s Tom Copeland?”

Maybe the voters could have found out
if they could actually read it!

Although Copeland’s door hangers were of poor design in other ways he contributed greatly to the public discourse in Lake Worth Beach. And so did Messrs. Joseph and Guercio. Hope to see all you men tomorrow at City Hall for the ratification of the election results and of course Cathy Turk too!

Old news is new again in the charming little City of Lake Worth!

Still Breaking News in L-Dub.

See newsprint clipping below!

From another work site here in the City another issue of a long-forgotten defunct always-FREE newspaper has been found! It’s a mystery why this paper went out of business but it did. Maybe no advertising revenue was a factor as well.

Once upon a time these papers were all over the City. In fact, the litter problem was so bad at one point a former commissioner was forced to throw them all away in the Cultural Plaza and another resident was accused of stealing a huge load of papers out of the City Hall annex. But when the authorities arrived the confusion became how do you steal a FREE newspaper? Isn’t that FREE SPEECH?

This entire kerfuffle ended amicably though when the editor, a fine one indeed, published the ingredients for the most incredible window cleaning solution that used what? Newsprint! To learn how click on this link. One can also use The Palm Beach Post if you wish but at $2 a pop it’s not as cost-effective as a FREE newspaper.

Did you know newsprint, following the cost of labor, is the highest cost for a newspaper?

Anyhow, this latest clipping from that FREE paper in L-Dub is Vol. 1, Issue 12 “Published in Lake Worth, FL” and dated Friday, April 10th, 2015. There was never a Vol. 2 by the way.

Worth noting is this newspaper is not to be confused with the venerable Lake Worth Herald.

An indoor house painter discovered this old newsprint while watching another painter clean a paint brush so that’s why there is damage, but fortunately not enough damage to ruin the story. The supervisor running a crew restoring a historic cottage looked down and saw a photo and a headline and said, “Hold On, Batman! Is that who I think it is?”

Check back for more clippings from four years ago. With so many work sites around town another one is bound to show up sooner or later.

Please examine this clipping closely:

Mayor Pam Triolo is quoted in the story referring to City Manager Michael Bornstein, “I am so grateful that you came into our lives.”

Had a very nice conversation with journalist Linda Trischitta last week. . .

Yours Truly, activist Wes Blackman, was quoted in the Sun Sentinel about the City of Lake Worth Beach and below is an excerpt from that article. Acknowledging it was a close vote here is one of the opening lines in the news from in the Sentinel last Thursday:

Not everyone agreed with the change: The vote was close, 51.1 percent to 48.9 percent, according to unofficial results.

And announcing this news Linda Trischitta sent out a lively and billowing Tweet (see below) with the headline, “The Lake Worth Beach hopes to make waves with new name”.

Whilst on that topic The Palm Beach Post went much more activist with this headline, “By slimmest of margins, it’s Lake Worth Beach”. But of course on ‘slim margins’ the Post beat reporter wasn’t around in August 2014 when the Lake Worth 2020 Road Bond vote failed by just twenty-five (25) votes.

And Commissioner Omari Hardy avoided going into a run-off election with activist Chris McVoy, PhD in 2017 by just eighteen (18) votes. In other words a win is a win is a win is a win and no one will remember the score after a little while.

Anyone who truly feels heartbroken about this City changing its name really needs to relax. What happened in 2014 was truly heartbreaking. Maybe tomorrow at the City Commission meeting, if you wish, one can ask Commissioner Scott Maxwell about what happened in the Summer of 2014. But then in November 2016 came along the Neighborhood Road Bond and the rest is history.


Moving on. . .


It was a real pleasure speaking with the reporter yesterday and encourage everyone to read the news in the Sun Sentinel. Without further ado, an excerpt from Linda Trischitta:


“People don’t have to change the name of their business or change their driver’s license or stress that they have to do something,” Bornstein [City Manager Micheal Bornstein] said. “This is about changing the name of this entity. The other things will fall in place.”

City activist Wes Blackman voted in favor of the name change. An urban planner, he is a former chairman of the planning and zoning board and the historic preservation board.

“I think it’s an affirmation that we have a 19-acre beach,” Blackman said. “We are acknowledging our geographical location and differentiating ourselves from the other Lake Worth mailing addresses. They don’t have the beach or our cute historic beach cottages. Places west of I-95 can’t claim that identity. We are unique.”


In conclusion, would guess Yours Truly is officially an activist now!

And it’s sort of fun being an activist here in the City of Lake Worth Beach:

On Twitter? Then please follow Linda Trischitta:

What’s it worth to add ‘Beach’ to your name? If you’re Lake Worth, plenty. https://t.co/VPUO3LZzit

— Linda Trischitta (@LindaTrischitta) March 14, 2019

Water levels in Lake Okeechobee is very big news for everyone in Palm Beach County (PBC).

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District recently held a public meeting in PBC on water levels in Lake Okeechobee..

And why everyone, including all our elected officials both LOCAL and regional, need to be very concerned about Lake O.

You may have heard about what happened. It was one of a series of public meetings by the USACE Jax District in South Florida.

Maybe you read the news from journalist Kimberly Miller. As was reported in The Palm Beach Post the crowd brushed off “their own growling stomachs for a dinnertime debate on Lake Okeechobee levels”.

And also below, at the end of this blog post, is very important information from the Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD).

Also part of this story are things called the LOSOM and C&SF System Operating Plan (explained below) and how to make YOUR VOICE HEARD.

Why you need to be concerned.

Just in Central and Western Palm Beach County alone the Town of Palm Beach relies on Lake O and so does the Town of Lantana and everything west to the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. When in drought not one village, town, city or unincorporated area would be unaffected. For some communities it would be devastating.

The water level in Lake Okeechobee matters.

And when your top elected official representing Palm Beach County says as quoted in the Post. . . 



“Our drinking water should never be put in jeopardy and I urge the Corps to protect this precious right.”

—Quote. District 7 commissioner and Palm Beach County Mayor Mack Bernard.



[The “Corps” cited in the quote above is USACE (Jacksonville); to learn more about the Palm Beach County Commission click on this link.]



Simply, what is this debate all about? Another excerpt from Kimberly Miller:


In May 2000, the lake was lowered to 13 feet. But a dry rainy season followed and in May 2001, the lake hit a record low of 8.97 feet. That record was beat in 2007 when the lake dropped to 8.94 feet.

Severe water restrictions were in place during both droughts, muck fires burned out of control on the lake, neighbors tattled on each other when sprinklers turned on, cities doled out water as if it were gold but no taps went completely dry.

Now about those acronyms and more. . .

The background is the public meeting in West Palm was one of a series of “Public Input and Public Scoping Meetings” for what is called the Lake Okeechobee Systems Operations Manual (LOSOM) which are required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which is part of the Central & Southern Florida (C&SF) System Operating Plan. The meeting was held by the “Corps” at the headquarters of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD).

The paragraph above is complicated but you have plenty of time to educate yourself. If you wish to make public comment and ask questions — by email or standard US mail — that information is later in the section, “How To Make YOUR Voice Heard”.


In other words, learn why you need to. . .

Make YOUR Voice Heard!

Here is the opening paragraph from Miller’s news about about last Wednesday’s public event:


Nearly 200 people ignored Wednesday’s stormy skies and their own growling stomachs for a dinnertime debate on Lake Okeechobee levels — an onerous argument boiled down by one speaker who commented: “the water wars are starting.”

three paragraphs later. . .

Ninety-people signed up to speak at the meeting at the South Florida Water Management District headquarters in West Palm Beach. That included 11 elected officials from Palm Beach County’s deep western communities to its beachy coast, all of whom lobbied to keep the lake higher than a suggested target of 10.5 feet going into the rainy season [officially begins May 15th].


FYI: In paragraph above note that SFWMD headquarters is located at 3301 Gun Club Rd. This is west of West Palm Beach ergo “suburban West Palm”.

How To Make
YOUR Voice Heard:

The public comment period ends
on April 22, 2019.

 
Submit comments by email: LakeOComments@usace.army.mil

Submit comments by mail:

Dr. Ann Hodgson
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville
     District
P.O. Box 4970
Jacksonville, FL 32232-0019


For more information click on this link.


A message from LWDD (pause for Tweet to load):

Why are lower Lake Okeechobee levels a concern? If Lake O falls between 10.5 feet to 9.5 feet, there’s a severe reduction in the capability to deliver water south of the lake. Risk of permanently compromising utility wellfields due to saltwater intrusion. #LakeOkeechobee pic.twitter.com/kALewX8ZXS

— Lake Worth Drainage (@myLWDD) February 26, 2019

The LWDD has a crucial roles here in Palm Beach County. Not only are they tasked with protecting the water supply they also are tasked with drainage as well. Remember, Hurricane Season begins on June 1st.

For more information about that including an excellent news report from journalist Marci Shatzman at the Sun Sentinel click on this link.

“Rum runner at night”.

Lake Worth (Fla). 192-. Black & white photonegative, 4 × 5″. State Archives of Florida.*

From Wikipedia: “The term ‘rum-running’ most likely originated at the start of Prohibition in the United States (1920–1933), when ships from Bimini in the western Bahamas transported cheap Caribbean rum to Florida speakeasies.”

*“Featuring over 200,000 digitized photographs from the State Library and Archives of Florida, the Florida Photographic Collection is the most complete online portrait of Florida available — one that draws its strength from family pictures, the homes of Floridians, their work, and their pastimes. Florida Memory adds approximately 100 photos weekly.”

Fun! Fun! Fun! Take the kids to Monkey Joe’s in Lake Worth!

A 2018–2019 Kids Choice Award runner-up. Not quite as popular as the Beach Bonfires at Lake Worth Beach — this year’s Top Kids Choice Award — but Monkey Joe’s is sort of broadly in the ballpark so to speak if you don’t mind a longer drive out west.

Remember the #1 Rule at Monkey Joe’s is you MUST WEAR SOCKS to play. So please remember to bring along a pair of socks for everyone. It’s not unusual to see children crying outside so you might want to bring along another pair just in case for a parent who forgot.

Did your family like so many other families get all excited when one of the kids heard about a story in the Post, a place in Lake Worth called Monkey Joe’s! This is an excerpt from the news published in the Post:


Kids can bounce for hours in this indoor playground in Lake Worth. There are wall-to-wall inflatable slides, jumps and an obstacle course. Plus, there’s a small arcade for the kids to enjoy.


Monkey Joe’s sounds like a lot of fun, doesn’t it?

Really. The Fun Depot amusement center on 10th Ave. North in Lake Worth can be a lot of fun sometimes but the kids are looking for something new in this City!

So everyone jumps into the car and you start out for Monkey Joe’s. One of the kids finds information about Monkey Joe’s and puts that information in the map for directions and then the kid turns around and starts crying and says,


“Gee wiz. Monkey Joe’s is at 6250 Lantana Rd.!”



No. Monkey Joe’s is not ‘in Lake Worth’, it is located in “suburban Lake Worth”.

The story in The Palm Beach Post was wrong.

Monkey Joe’s is near the City of  Greenacres in unincorporated Palm Beach County, an area in what is accurately called suburban Lake Worth because it just happens to have a ‘Lake Worth’ zip code. Apparently, there remain some reporters at the Post who still don’t know how to use a map.

What a bummer.

So where exactly is Monkey Joe’s? Let’s pick a landmark. How about the headquarters of The Palm Beach Post, which was just recently sold to a real estate investor, and a newspaper owned and managed by Gatehouse Media. The Post is headquartered in West Palm ‘Beach’ which of course does not have a beach

Here we go. Is everyone ready to take a trip to Monkey Joe’s?

From the headquarters of the Post on S. Dixie Hwy. in West Palm, the quickest way to Monkey Joe’s is to take Exit 61 (Lantana Rd.) off I-95 and head west. Pass the Palm Beach County Park Airport and past the Great Walled City of Atlantis you’ll come up to Haverhill Rd.

Continue west on Haverhill over a north-south drainage canal and you’ll see Edgecliff Ave. on your right. Further up on the left (south side of Lantana Rd.) you will see Monkey Joe’s. If you come up on Jog Rd. you went too far.


And don’t forget to bring socks! Monkey Joe’s will not let you play without socks on.

It’s the rule, no socks no play.

From the Tom McGow archives, “History Lesson”.

Click on images to enlarge.

Why “bring up ‘historical facts’ that aren’t relative or even true?” Use this link to read the entire blog post by Tom McGow back in 2010.

By the way, no plaques were ever installed that were promised as part of the Casino building demolition and rebuilding plans back in 2010.

“. . . let’s let history speak for itself.”

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