And Thursday, if your commute is outside of Lake Worth...

Try Tri-Rail. Go to their site and print out this voucher for a free ride. I've taken Tri-Rail to Miami many times on the weekend and it's a great way to forget the car for a while. It's convenient if you or your spouse works north or south of Lake Worth. If you can integrate it into your own routine, even better.

It'll be even better when we establish transit service on the eastern (FEC) tracks. More updates on that later.

If you are planning on going to the Lake Worth Lagoon Symposium on Wednesday...

...shoot me an e-mail and we can arrange rides. It's an all day affair that will include lunch, so we shouldn't need our cars (or the trucks - see below) during the day. You can reach me at wesblackman@gmail.com.

City Commission Meeting: 5/15/07 - A Meaty Agenda

This should prove to be the most substantial meeting since the formation of the new Commission. The following items are of particular interest:

• Item V. E. - Report by the Stakeholders Advisory Committee - the Committee was formed to monitor the public input process in the formation of the vision for the Master Plan. That portion took about the first half of the three year process. Now, we will start seeing the tangible results of the effort - the product will be the Comprehensive Plan revisions (based upon the Evaluation and Appraisal Report) and the revised Land Development Regulations. The report also includes a recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Board that the panel be sunseted as the visioning process is complete. Further public input will come through the Planning and Zoning Board and City Commission meetings that will consider the changes based on the Master Plan vision. I also understand that the current chairman of the Stakeholders Advisory Committee will recommend the Committee's dissolution, as well.
• Item V. G. - Update regarding the City Manager search from the consultant. Should include information on time lines.
• Public Hearings - Items under VII. These are fairly perfunctory changes to the zoning code. You might want to check the back up on the City's website, but most of these are second readings or continuations of already initiated changes.
• Many items under new business: Commissioner Jennings has put together a proposal for an Ecology and Sustainability Board (perhaps a good idea - staffing might be an issue along with who will populate the board - another Affordable Housing Task Force?); discussion of the status of the Palm Beach County Health Department building and its use as a Day Labor Center; discussion of next year's preliminary budget (no Finance Director, property tax reform implications); and the response to the Objections, Recommendations and Comments report related to the creation of the Beach and Casino Land Use District (look for previous posts on this - you also might want to check out my archived "Truth Matters" shows. This item needs to be waved on and sent back up to the state as all the items have been adequately addressed).

I'll be there - hope to see you there tomorrow. I think we will get a sense of the chemistry of this Commission after the meeting. Stay tuned!

Water Restrictions - Updates

Continued Drought Conditions Force New Water Restrictions

Extreme Water Shortage Declared for Palm Beach and Broward Counties;

Severe Water Shortage Expanded to Martin & St. Lucie Counties

Link: Click Here

West Palm Beach, FL – With recent rains doing little to alleviate drought-related conditions across South Florida, the South Florida Water Management District’s (SFWMD) Governing Board today declared an extreme water shortage for eastern Broward and Palm Beach counties. The two southeast coastal counties are the first primarily residential areas to be placed in modified Phase III water use restrictions since the agency adopted a phased water shortage plan more than two decades ago. "During the past two months, the District has called upon local businesses, residents and our government partners to practice aggressive water conservation to stretch our municipal water supplies, and these efforts have made a difference," said SFWMD Executive Director Carol Ann Wehle. "Unfortunately, South Florida is facing one of the worst droughts on record. Four of our coastal wellfields are at risk of saltwater intrusion, and we simply need to do more to protect our regional water resources."

The following new restrictions will become effective at 12:01 a.m., Wednesday, May 16:
• Eastern Palm Beach, Broward, and a small portion of Martin County are required to follow Phase III restrictions, limiting outdoor water use to one day a week.
• Agricultural users in the Indian Prairie Basin will transition to Phase III restrictions.
• As part of a severe water shortage declaration in the District’s Upper East Coast Service Area, Martin and St. Lucie counties will be required to follow modified Phase II restrictions, limiting outdoor water use to two days a week.
• In response to concerns over elevated chloride levels in coastal wellfields along eastern Broward and Palm Beach counties, water utilities in Lake Worth, Lantana, Hallandale and Dania Beach are required to cease or shift pumpage from certain coastal wells.

Well, here we are...

Hi folks. I want to take this time and thank you for visiting my blog. On a previous post, I told you about some tracking software that I put on this site. You might be interested in knowing what other people think the popular pages are. So, I created this chart (above - you can click on it to see more detail).

The list reads from most to least visited. Some of the titles can be a little cryptic, especially those concerning dates - but after playing around with Excel for WAY longer than intended, this at least gets the point across - LOL!

One of the more popular pages has been the "Neat Links" that take you to the American Institute of Architects' site showing 150 of America's favorite buildings. That surprises me a bit, but have at it - Enjoy! It really is a neat site. There are some other good links there too, so check it out if you haven't already.

There are a couple of ways to navigate this blog. You can:

• Just scroll down the page and see what's current.



• Check out the entries indexed by date to the right - just below the pictures.



• Check out the items below the date index by topic.



• Do a keyword search in the area provided above the page.

Don't forget my TalkBlog that can be found at Lake Worth Talk.com - you can click on the link underneath the links section to the right. That will take you to the "Truth Matters" blog that corresponds with my show of the same name.

So, enjoy - I really appreciate you visiting here and I hope you find the information useful. Thanks again!

Recieved: A Scholarship to the Google and Personal Democracy Forum Annual Conference in NYC

Hey, guess what! I got a scholarship notification today! A couple of weeks ago, I read the following from my regular e-mail from the Personal Democracy Forum - click here for link.

Google Scholarships:Apr 23, 2007 at 10:30 AM by Anthony Russomano

Are you a campaign staffer blazing a new trail in online politics? A
non-profit professional trying new technologies with great results? An activist
with ideas about the next big thing to change elections? Google and Personal
Democracy Forum are teaming up to offer registration scholarships that cover the
full forum cost for forty qualified political professionals to attend this year's conference on May 18th and unconference on May 19th. Successful applicants will receive free admissions to the conference based on professional experience, passion for politics, and an interest in the use of technology.

So, I filled out this questionnaire (don't think I saved a copy of it) and sent it back to them, referencing this site, etc. I emphasized the importance of getting information out at the local level and spoke about the effectiveness of the Lake Worth Talk.com site as well as this blog. I didn't expect to hear anything from them, but today I was notified that I am one of forty people they selected to waive the registration for their fourth annual conference! It's about a $350 value!

With such short notice, I am seeing if I can juggle my schedule so I can run up to New York City at the end of next week for a couple of days. Last time I was there was 1998 - that's when I met the architect Philip Johnson and met with Mr. Trump in his Trump Tower office. He "comped" my stay at Trump International which just opened north of Columbus Circle. This trip will be decidedly lower profile, if I end up going.

This is the copy of the e-mail I received today:

Congratulations! You received a PdF Google Scholarship.

Dear Wes:

Congratulations! We're pleased to announce that YOU will receive a full registration scholarship to this year's fourth annual Personal Democracy forum, presented by Google. The scholarship covers both the main conference day on Friday May 18th and
our first-ever unConference on Saturday May 19th.Both events are taking place at Schimmel Center at Pace University,located at 3 Spruce Street in downtown Manhattan. On Friday, we're
starting bright and early with a welcome breakfast at 7:30am, and opening remarks at 8:15am. Your scholarship also covers lunch on both days as wellas the attendees' cocktail party at the end of proceedings on Friday.This year is shaping up to be THE year to be at PdF, with keynoters Thomas Friedman, Larry Lessig, Yochai Benkler, Arianna Huffington, Matt Stoller,danah boyd, Farouk Olu Aregbe, Seth Godin, plus some surprise guests, and an amazing array of panels and workshops all built around the theme of the"flattening of politics."

Shortly, you will receive a confirmation email connecting you to your profile page on our conference website, which will allow you to create a profile, check off the sessions you are thinking of attending, and start networking with fellow attendees.If by some chance you cannot attend the conference, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer your scholarship to another worthy applicant.If you have any questions, contact us.

Sincerely,

Andrew Rasiej and
Ginny Hunt

All in all, kind of cool. I'll let you know if I can make it.

Scary Picture - This could be Venus!

I have to share this picture. This is on the last inner page of the "Happy Herald" that I picked up this week at City Hall. It's a picture that accompanied an article on obese pets and the medical problems that are caused by animal obesity.

Venus, I have always said, could easily become 500 pounds (an exaggeration) - Mars not as much. I currently give her a little over a cup of dry food a day based upon my veterinarian's recommendation. She does well on it and still has a little puppy fat. (Her real picture is below) Occasionally, I give both Mars and Venus a Milk Bone for a treat.


Well, today was a treat day. I threw a Milk Bone and it went behind the refrigerator. You know, Venus would not leave from in front of the refrigerator all day until I moved it and retrieved the Milk Bone. She did the same with an olive that fell behind the couch one day. If I leave the pantry door open (where their food is kept), even a little bit, she will stand guard until it's closed. Before the hurricanes, I had two prolific mango trees in my backyard. When they dropped, she was there and usually ate about a half dozen a day. If I'm not careful, they can be little vacuum cleaners when we go on our walks - half-eaten pizzas, fast food left overs thrown from vehicles - all fair game. Mars even ate a chunk of an iguana's tail (dead about 12 hours from the looks of it) when I wasn't looking.

When I first moved here, there was another Pembroke Welsh Corgi across the street - Yoda. He had an avocado tree in his backyard and was close to looking like the above picture during avocado season.


Anyway, make sure your pets get plenty of exercise and watch what they eat - little or no people food!

Water Bridge in Germany

Even after you see it, it is still hard to believe ! Water Bridge in Germany.... What a feat! Six years, 500 million euros, 918 meters long.......now this is engineering! This is a channel-bridge over the River Elbe and joins the former East and West Germany, as part of the unification project. It is located in the city of Magdeburg, near Berlin.

The photo was taken on the day of inauguration. To those who appreciate engineering projects, here's a puzzle for you armchair engineers and physicists. Did that bridge have to be designed
to withstand the additional weight of ship and barge traffic, or just the weight of the water?

Answer:

It only needs to be designed to withstand the weight of the water!
Why? A ship always displaces an amount of water that weighs the
same as the ship, regardless of how heavily a ship may be loaded.

This is from Wikipedia:

The 918-metre Magdeburg Water Bridge or Wasserstrassenkreuz in German, (52.231, 11.701), completed in October 2003, connects two important German shipping canals, the Elbe-Havel Canal and the Mittellandkanal, which leads to the country’s industrial Ruhr Valley heartland. Engineers first conceived of joining the two waterways as far back as 1919 and by 1938 (longer ago than the Beach redevelopment idea!) the Rothensee lock and bridge anchors were in place but construction was postponed during the first and second world wars. After the Cold War split Germany, the project was put on hold indefinitely by the East German government. With the reunification of Germany and the following establishment of major projects in transport tracks the Water Bridge again became a priority. Construction began in 1997 and after six years and around half a billion euros the gigantic water bridge now connects Berlin’s inland harbour with the ports along the Rhine river. The huge tub created to transport ships over the Elbe took 24,000 metric tons of steel and 68,000 cubic meters of concrete to build. Until the opening of the water bridge in October 2003 the ships moving between the Midland canal and the Elbe-Havel canal had to detour 12 km through the Rothensee lock, the Elbe and the Niegripp lock.

Below is an aerial of the area. The water bridge is the northern one. You can see a traditional highway bridge to the south:

Article on "Takings" Lawsuit in Hollywood, Florida

I am tidying up my e-mails this weekend and am finding some interesting items. This article appeared during the middle of 2006. Not sure of the status of the lawsuit, but it is an example of the type of claim that can be made citing the Bert J. Harris Act. These are the types of waters we will be navigating during our review of the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code changes that we will be considering as the year progresses.

I'll attempt to find out what happened and if there have been any other claims.

(Remember, clicking on the images will bring them up in another window for easier viewing/reading)

Reflections on Hurricane Katrina

A new volume of essays edited by Carol De Vita, Senior Research Associate, After Katrina: Shared Challenges for Rebuilding Communities zeros in on recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast region and underscores lessons for rebuilding after future disasters. To be sure, there are signs of progress, but the volume notes that basic infrastructures that can attract and retain residents are still missing. By the start of 2007, only about half of the public schools in New Orleans were open, 30 percent of the childcare centers had returned, and just 17 percent of the buses in the city were back in operation. The volume includes essays on affordable housing, helping children and families rebuild their lives, arts and culture, public and environmental health concerns, rebuilding assets, and preparing for the next disaster.

Other publications in the After Katrina Series include: A collection of essays on ";Charities' Response to Disasters: Expectations and Realities" in which the authors discuss the strengths and weaknesses of charities' respones to the Gulf Coast hurricanes, lessons learned from previous disasters- the September 11th attacks and the Asian Tsunami- and how well those lessons were applied.
Also, an annotated bibliography
The Urban Institute and the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations organized a national roundtable in Washington to hone in on the policy issues related to the rebuilding of New Orleans. The March 19 policy roundtable hosted by the Urban Institute featured about 40 experts from a wide range of groups tied to disaster response: federal, state, and local offices, practitioners and advocacy groups. The keynote speech was by Walter Isaacson, president of the Aspen Institute and vice-chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. Isaacson challenged nonprofits to step up to the plate to do more to help rebuild New Orleans and\n shape the future of the Gulf Coast region. \Click here for the complete Urban Institute After Katrina series.
Hurricane Katrina Roundtable The Urban Institute and the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations organized a national roundtable in Washington to hone in on the policy issues related to the rebuilding of New Orleans. The March 19 policy roundtable hosted by the Urban Institute featured about 40 experts from a wide range of groups tied to disaster response: federal, state, and local offices, practitioners and advocacy groups. The keynote speech was by Walter Isaacson, president of the Aspen Institute and vice-chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. Isaacson challenged nonprofits to step up to the plate to do more to help rebuild New Orleans and shape the future of the Gulf Coast region.
Click here for audio of the event.

Hurricane Seminar - Wednesday, May 9, 2007 - 6:30 p.m. - Shuffleboard Court Bldg.

Water Restrictions

Below is is an informative post made by Walter Baker on the Lake Worth Talk discussion board. While I was walking my dogs yesterday, I witnessed many people with even addresses hand watering and washing their cars - right time of day, but wrong day - only those with odd address numbers should have been doing those activities. I expect this drought will be getting worse and the more we follow the guidelines now, the better it will be for all of us in the long term. Please make sure that your neighbors know what the rules are for use of sprinklers and hand watering!

Now that a Phase II water shortage has been declared, and in concert with Lake Worth Resolution No. 60-2005, anyone using more than the base equivalent service unit (ESU) of 5,000 gallons of water a month will incur a 30% surcharge to their water bill beginning with bills rendered on May 1, 2007.

Ordinance No. 2007-21, adopted by the City Commission on April 3, 2007 provides for certain penalties to individuals and business who do not abide by the mandatory restrictions set forth by the SFWMD. Violators will incur the following penalties:

• First Violation: Warning or $25 fine


• Second Violation: $50


• Third Violation: $100


• Fourth Violation: $500 (criminal offense)


• Residents and Businesses with Odd Number Addresses - Wednesday and Saturday 4:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. with Irrigation System5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. for Hand Watering


• Residents and Businesses with Even Number Addresses Thursday, and Sunday 4:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. with Irrigation System5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. for Hand Watering


• In the event SFWMD declares a Phase III water shortage, further restrictions will be issued and customers who consume more than the base ESU of 5,000 gallons per month will incur a 45% surcharge to their water bill. Residents and local businesses are urged to conserve!


• To report a water restriction violation, contact the Lake Worth Police Department at 561-586-1611 and select option #2. DO NOT call 911.

South Florida Water Management District Website - Click Here

The following is a news release from their website:

No quick end to drought in sight Lake Okeechobee keeps dropping as South Florida Water Management District works to stretch limited water supply

Mussel shells seem out of place alongside desert-like cracks in a dry landscape, but the mismatched combination is what's found on Lake Okeechobee shores as drought grips South Florida. "Statewide, Florida is experiencing one of its driest seasons on record since 1895, and it's possible that the summer rainy season won't bring enough water to end the drought," said Ben Nelson, state meteorologist with the Florida Division of Emergency Management. "Our main concern is that we'll have a La Niña develop this summer in the equatorial Pacific," Nelson said. "La Niña typically means drought in Florida."

Nelson issued the weather warning at a press conference held with South Florida Water Management District officials at Jaycee Park Pier in the Lake Okeechobee Recreation Area on Tuesday.With the drought already one year old, a La Niña system could prolong it through the end of 2007.

A La Niña occurs when cooler than average waters are recorded in equatorial Pacific waters. This shifts the jet stream northward, preventing storm systems and rain from impacting Florida in the fall, winter and spring, said Nelson. Even if Florida receives average rainfall this summer, that won't be enough to break the drought if the wet months are followed by unseasonably dry weather. In the last 18 months, South Florida has received just 49.31 inches of rain, almost 17 inches less than the 30-year average of expected rainfall."

It is critical that South Floridians follow the water restrictions so that enough of the limited natural resource is available for drinking water and environmental needs," said Chip Merriam, Deputy Executive Director at the South Florida Water Management District. Florida last experienced a multi-year drought in 1999-2001. Lake Okeechobee water levels dropped to a record low of 8.97 feet in May 2001. Tuesday, the lake level was 9.66, less than one foot from that record low. The current drought is hitting South Florida harder than 1999-2001 drought, because rainfall has been scant statewide.

During the last drought, rainfall in Central Florida was enough to carry South Florida through the lean times. Water flowing from the Kissimmee River Valley helped to recharge water supplies in Lake Okeechobee. With statewide rainfall shortages for much of 2006, there isn't enough water in Central Florida to help alleviate drought here. The result is a strain on water supplies from surface sources like Lake Okeechobee, rivers and canals, and South Florida’s shallow aquifer. Lake Okeechobee is low enough that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hasn't ordered major water releases since January 2006.

The most recent pulse environmental releases ran from only December 2006 to February 2007.

Effects of the drought are most visible around Lake Okeechobee, from vibrant green grass growing in canals where water once flowed, to channel markers that appear to have sprouted on land. The district has also closed four navigation locks to boaters because the low water levels are a hazard. "There is a silver lining in the drought for Lake Okeechobee's wildlife and vegetation," said Susan Gray, Deputy Department Director for Watershed Management. "Low lake levels are giving beneficial submerged and emergent plant species a chance to re-grow, and water managers may now have the opportunity to remove some of the phosphorus-laden muck from the lake bed."

Neat Links - America's Favorite Architecture and Blueprint for America

I wanted to get this up right away as I just stumbled on it through my gmail account. I will offer more commentary on it tonight. The excerpt below is from the Google Blog (yes, they have one of their own). Check out the "America's Favorite Architecture" site, but as it relates to Lake Worth - the Blueprint of America link has some great information on other communities and how they do Master Planning and use some tools provided by Google (Google Earth and Sketch-up) as tools in the process.

More later, gotta get back to work now.

New 3-D layers from AIA on Google Earth
Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 6:23:00 AM Posted by RK Stewart, FAIA, President 2007, American Institute of ArchitectsArchitects are pretty passionate about architecture -– no surprise there. However, we've come to find that the American public is too. Starting today, there are two new Google Earth layers with which to explore architecture’s most popular structures and take away some ideas to help enhance the communities we live in. As president of The American Institute of Architects (AIA), I’m ecstatic to announce our partnership with Google Earth to launch these new layers in celebration of our the 150th anniversary.Check out this video on YouTube to watch us navigate these layers from Google headquarters.Fly to America’s Favorite Architecture, a layer featuring the American public’s favorite architecture (as selected though a national poll announced earlier this year). View all 150 structures, including many with just created 3-D models of the buildings, ballparks, bridges, and memorials that characterize architecture in the eyes of Americans. And then explore the second layer, Blueprint for America. Blueprint is a community service effort funded by the AIA, in which AIA members donating their time and expertise are collaborating with community leaders and local citizens to enhance the quality of life in their community. You’ll be able to track the progress of these projects on Google Earth as they unfold over the next year and, we hope, become inspired to take action where you live.

The Organizational Importance of Honesty

The following is a link to an interesting article (click here). This is from the Opportunity Knocks.com website. I had the link posted on my TalkBlog, associated with Lake Worth Talk.com and thought that I would post it here as well. Many have commented positively regarding the article and find it enlightening as it relates to our situation here in Lake Worth.

For example, one of the quotes at the beginning of the article is as follows:

"We have all experienced the public lie that goes unchallenged. It may be baldly
untrue but somehow accepted as the basis for action with life and death
consequences. Some of our experience of public lies may be based on differences
in values or perceptions, but sometimes what is said just simply violates the
facts—this is disheartening and drives people out of public participation."

Remember too to tune into "Truth Matters" tonight from 8 to 9 p.m. on Lake Worth Talk.com (see link in right-hand column). Go the home page and select Live Broadcasts to hear the show live. If you can hear it live, the shows are archived and can be reached from the homepage under Reruns.

Thanks and I hope you are enjoying the shows!

Retha Lowe's "Thank You" Celebration

Yesterday, I headed out to La Bonne Bouche and joined a lot of great people in celebration of Retha Lowe's successful campaign and re-election to the District #1 City Commission seat. Thank you Retha and her campaign team for a wonderful reception.

I also want to acknowledge the many supporters of my campaign that were also in attendance. Thank you for your kind words of support and encouragement to stay involved.

Good luck Retha - may you have another successful term in office!