A special treat ahead of Presidents’ Day 2020.

Presidents’ Day is on Monday, February 17th.

Below is news about ‘The Donald’ from erstwhile political journalist George Bennett at The Palm Beach Post, news from way before the election results on November 8th, 2016. Bennett retired from the Post in June 2019 and so did a lot of loyal readers of that newspaper.

Besides being a true professional in the journalism business Bennett has a talent for the “turn of phrase” so to speak. Sometimes whimsically satirical he could turn an ordinary story into one the public actually sees as taking the time to read. Proper satire, when used properly, is not something thrown at you. That is called bloviating. George Bennett was not a bloviator.

Without further ado. . .


A special treat for Presidents’ Day.

“The Donald”: From journalist George Bennett.

News datelined
February 23rd, 1995.

Click on newspaper clipping to enlarge:

BTW. Did you hear the rumor “The Donald” requested the Palm Beach County Commission move the Palm Beach County jail one mile further away for longer drives and wider bunkers at the future Trump International Golf Club?

IT’S NOT TRUE! Many reporters actually fell for that one. But not George Bennett.

Whilst the pool at the beach in Lake Worth Beach remains an item in limbo. . .

Many former swimmers and water exercisers from the pool at the beach in LWB now use the pool at Lake Lytal, including Yours Truly. Some pool refugees from LWB use the County pool in Delray Beach. Below is an update on both public pools.

The Lake Lytal pool facility, a short distance from LWB, has FREE parking and an exceptional staff but the pool is an older one with a multitude of maintenance issues.

While the existing Lake Lytal pool remains open to the public the County is moving forward with plans for a new pool at Lake Lytal in partnership with the YMCA, one of the projects made possible by the ¢1 increase in sales tax which the voters in Palm Beach County approved in November 2016. The pool complex Aqua Crest in Delray Beach, also a County facility, is slated for a major renovation as well.

Without further ado, here is information from the County’s office of Facilities Development and Operations:


Lake Lytal – With truth in concept for a joint collaboration having been verified, the Development Agreement between the YMCA and County (documenting all of the improvements, assignments, responsibilities, timing, commitments and distinguishing between individual and shared obligations) has largely been negotiated and is nearing final completion. While the end product is a greater scope of improvements than would result if the County proceeded alone, it is a complicated transaction to coordinate and reduce to writing. In the interim the existing pool is being maintained to uphold continuous operations, and hence the scope of work you have seen in action. Upon completion the Agreement will be the subject of a BCC [Board of County Commissioners] agenda item. Contingent upon approval, the attention of both parties will then turn to design of their respective improvements and coordination on delivery.

Aqua Crest – Final selection of a professional design team occurred on December 11. The recent completion of that milestone could be why you were giving the impression that priorities had changed, while in fact both are priorities as funded projects, are being given attention, and are coming into alignment on timing/schedule only because of the negotiated nature of the Lake Lytal improvements (which otherwise would likely be tracking ahead). The agreement for design services is being negotiated and will be the subject of a BCC agenda item once in final proposed form.


This is good news for everyone who uses the public pools in Palm Beach County. Stay tuned for more information.

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

Pull quote:

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

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

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

Now fast-forward to 2020 Street Painting Festival. . . 

Calling All Street Artists!

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

This year’s festival will be held on Saturday, February 22nd and Sunday the 23rd. Would you like information on how to become a sponsor? Then click on this link.

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

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

But not any more.

Enjoy the video: