My house has a fraternal twin...

Northwood Shores - WPB

I have lived where I am currently living now since August of 2000.  Before that, I lived just south of downtown and before that at 7th South and H.  When I purchased my home, someone mentioned that they knew of a twin to it in the Northwood area of West Palm Beach.  Back then, I took a drive up there and found this house and thought that it was indeed a curiosity.

Over the years, I didn't think much about it.  I did, soon after I purchased my home, chase down a set of the original house plans in the city's property file for my address.  If you are interested in the history of your house - from various permits to the original plans or plans for an addition, you may be surprised to know the city can provide a lot of information for you.  There are missing periods due to a fire and of course some questionable record keeping practices over the years, but for the most part the records are intact - and they happened to be in that condition for my house.  I had the plans sent out to a printer and have had the two sheets framed.  They hang in two different parts of the house.

Northwood Shores - WPB

Interestingly, after studying the plans, it is apparent that the contractor who built the house in West Palm Beach adhered more to the actual written plan than the contractor that built my house.  The similarities are the general layout, placement of the garage and the courtyard area in front of the house - really its distinguishing feature.

The differences might be due to the fact that my house was initially started for one buyer and somewhere along the way that deal might have fallen part.  According to the information that I have been able to put together, the house was finished in the early part of 1951, but not occupied until 1952.  The first house owner's name does not match the name indicated on the plans.

For whatever reason, there are things that are part of the built house in WPB that are not on mine.  The plan shows two chimneys - the WPB home has one, mine has none.

College Park - LW

On the plan and on the WPB house, there is a stepped-back treatment around the side and back of the house which was a common device for more window area to catch the breeze before the advent of air conditioning.  Mine happens to be squared-off, which ended up making a larger master bedroom and Florida Room area than indicated on the original plan.  This could have been a cost-saving move as the undulating walls would have taken more time, effort and materials than what was designed.  But I still like the result.

College Park - LW

The original plans called for a ledge beneath the front bedroom window - which the house in WPB has and mine does not.  Mine has some ledges built into the courtyard area, but not as many as the WPB house.

Northwood Shores - WPB

When I drove by the WPB house in 2000, I remember seeing the remains of a wooden "fence" between the columns in the courtyard area.  This is shown on the original plan as being wood.  But you can see that my house has a perforated brick fence between the columns which has fared time better than the wooden design used on the WPB house.  Landscaping now fills the void between the columns there.

College Park - LW

The two pictures below show the differences in the two courtyard areas and ways that the two houses were constructed.  One of the subtle differences is that the floor in my house was elevated so that you have to walk up a step from grade from the driveway to the courtyard and then two more to enter the house.  The WPB house is built entirely on the same grade.  Both have a brick facade along the front of the house, but the WPB house has a much larger/taller "beam" between the brick face and the roofline - mine is much narrower which I think lends to a more pleasing proportion.

Northwood Shores - WPB

The smaller window in the corner of the courtyard is identical in both houses, mine is just obscured by landscaping.  You can also see the WPB house's chimney - where mine is without.  However, I do have a fireplace in the living room.  Sometimes, around Christmas, I think this could be a metaphor for my life - having a fireplace with no chimney means Santa must make extraordinary effort to deliver gifts.  I wonder if the children that lived in the house ever thought about that?

College Park - LW

The garage differences are unique too.  The WPB house is again according to plan, with an offset garage door and rounded edges to the garage door - along with tighter horizontal lines.  You get the "feel" with my house, but it is clearly a more simplified design and construction.  On the plan, it indicates that the area inside and to the right of the door was meant to be a "mud room" sort of bathroom.  I am not sure that is the case with the WPB house, as I have never been inside.

Northwood Shores - WPB

College Park - LW

It is also revealing that these two homes were built in these two neighborhoods around the same time.  Both were considered nice places to live, with the Northwood area of WPB having known to be inhabited by many doctors since the neighborhood was between two hospitals.

Bill and I used this as a destination for a bike excursion this weekend.  I was able to talk to an across the street neighbor and left a message on the homeowner's voicemail.  I haven't heard back from him - maybe he thought I was casing the joint or something.  But I would like to get a chance to look around inside and see what other differences there are between the two.

One thing that I would like to check out is whether or not the ceiling in the living room of the WPB house is anything like this.  This was a big selling point for me when I saw it and those that visit always comment on the beamed ceiling.

I called the WPB Historic Preservation office this morning and asked if they had any information on this house.  They did not.  It is not currently in a historic district - it begins west of Poinsettia - this property is east in Northwood Shores.  They also didn't have the usual "green card" for the property - which is a little odd.  It would be interesting to know how closely chronologically they were built.

I'll let you know what I find out.

Interesting historic factoids...

Thumbing through the College Park Historic District designation report, I found the following reference about Lake Worth and West Palm Beach once could have become one city.  See below:

And College Park was platted and lots were sold prior to it being officially in the city of Lake Worth.  Here is some more on this early period...

And I had no idea that success was the born child of progress!

Wes Blackman Volunteer Board Application May 2012

FYI - thought you'd like to take a look at my application for the HRPB or P&Z.  The interviews will be happening June 25th and 26th, beginning at 5:30 p.m.  Click title for link.

Filling out City board appointment application...

At last week's Historic Resource Preservation Board (HRPB) meeting, we were told by staff that each one of the four existing board members would have to re-apply this year, regardless of the end date of our term.  This is due to the continued reformation of both the Planning and Zoning (P&Z) and HRPB - adjusting the number of voting members and alternates for both (5 and 2, respectively) and making sure that at least a majority of those on each board have some sort of professional expertise in the work areas of each board.  Essentially, the city wants to start with a clean slate, based on these standards.  This re-formulation is also setting the foundation for implementation of the 7 1/2 year delay in getting new land development regulations.  But that is another story.

The City Commission temporarily re-appointed existing members of each board until new members are selected late in June.  During that process, Mr. McNamara resigned from P&Z and Ms. Jennings lost her seat on the same board.  So, what this all means is that all five voting positions are up for grabs on both boards, along with the two alternate positions.  The applications have to be made by May 25th.

So, to get my application out of the way, I went to the city's website where I found the application under Volunteer Boards.  On the page where the link is, there is an indication that it was last revised on May 9th - recent enough that it should contain all pertinent and up-to-date information.  Well, guess what...it doesn't.

Here is what it says about the vacancy status on the HRPB:

The above description still reflects a seven person voting board, not five (there are four remaining members) and it does not reflect the fact that there are really 7 vacancies - five regular members and two alternates)

The P&Z log on the city's website shows a board of seven members, all with full voting powers (update in January 2012). The alternate positions (formerly two) were eliminated immediately prior to Ms. Jennings being appointed to the board.  We wouldn't want a former city commissioner having to sit as a usually non-voting member of this board - especially the one that controls height!  Hmmm...  Anyway, the application currently says that three members are needed on P&Z, when in fact five regular members are needed, along with two alternates.

When will the information that the city is responsible for putting out be relevant, current and actually reflect the truth?  I have yet to see it done on a consistent basis.  I am hopeful that this is one of the changes our new city manager can initiate.

This from a vigilant reader...

"Go to this link and see just how much time our Commissioner is getting on the agenda in Bonn, Germany.  It is a whooping 12 minutes, NOT the 1 1/2 hours she claimed it was going to be.   As I figure it, if the City is paying (let's say) $3000 for this trip, then the laughable presentation is running us $250.00 per minute.  There is nobody or conference worth that kind of money with little to no return-on-investment identified.  Besides, only 400 participants are planning to attend the whole conference.  I expect 20-25 people will attend this session.  Conferences like this one will have people coming and going since there are concurrent sessions running at the same time.  No wonder the City of Lake Worth is in financial straits."

And let's not forget about Commissioner Mulvehill's vast accomplishments - from the program:

Suzanne Mulvehill is an elected official in Lake Worth, Florida, USA. She was elected to a progressive majority in 2008 and re-elected in 2010 where she assumed a leadership role and initiated and/or supported more than $100 million in new projects and infrastructure. Suzanne has a Master’s degree in Business Administration, is a sustainable business and economic development consultant, an experienced presenter, and author of two books.

Perhaps the city should use the rest of the travel budget to purchase a 250 gross of air sickness bags - one for each of our 36,000 residents.

Update from our World Traveler!

Check it out!  We wait for her report to the City Commission with breathless anticipation.  She might want to reconsider the use of commas to separate the cities listed here or else you might think that she considers Costa Rica a city...

Walgreens stores getting cool new look on Miami Beach

Must see!  Click title for link.

EXCLUSIVE - Commissioner Mulvehill delivers her presentation in Bonn!

Resilient Cities Conference Program - Click here

Commissioner Mulvehill's presentation is on Sunday, May 13th at 4:30 p.m. - German time.  I wonder if it will be streamed or archived on the web?  It's also interesting to see who else is attending and what will be talked about.

Here is a video from last year's conference:

Watch the Video Of Obama Standing Up for Marriage Equality | Advocate.com

Yeah!  Click title for link.

From the desk of Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill comes this!

Presentation in Bonn, Germany


Dear Mayor and fellow Commissioners, (via e-mail)

I am pleased to share with you a copy of the presentation I have prepared for the Resilient Cities conference in Bonn, Germany. I would really appreciate your feedback as it has been a collective effort to take our city to the next level and gain international attention and exposure.

I thank you for the opportunity to represent Lake Worth in Germany. I'll do my best to make you proud.

Most Sincerely,

Suzanne

Click here for PowerPoint Presentation

This is how Commissioner Mulvehill will be representing the city at this international conference on sustainability.  She asked the rest of the Commission for "consensus" that she be able to go and use their city travel money to do so.

Raft Race Committee and Garden Meeting

Mango Groves Neighborhood Association Update

Mango Groves is participating in the Lake Worth Grunge Raft Race held over the Independence Day weekend in Bryant Park.   This year's theme is Broadway Musicals.   Our choice (so far) is Priscilla Queen of the Desert.   We are looking for people who would like to participate in building and planning the float, participating in the race, or just the crew, or the cheering section.   This event is a fun highlight of the neighborhood activities in my book, and I look forward to see what we produce (and if it floats!!)  There will be a planning meeting next week (most likely Monday eveningMay 14th).   Please email us if you would like to take part. More details to follow.

For many of our residents, hurrican season is a worry, and as we plan ahead,
Lake Worth Tree Board presents its final lecture series:
Preparing your yard for Hurricane Season
This Wednesday, May 9th 7:00 pm
Compass Community Center
201 N. Dixie Hwy
Lake Worth Ground Maintenance Supervisor David McGrew will give details on the right way to clean up landscaping before hurricane season begins.
Refreshments will be served

The Peggy Adams/PetSmart $100,000 Grant is also still available for those who live in 33460 who need help getting their cats spayed or neutered for just a $10 copay.  Contact Peggy Adams HSPB at 561 472 8812 for details.  Feral cats can also be dropped off on a walkin basis.  One of our members owns a trap, and can help out if anybody would like to pursue trapping feral cats in their area.

Please note that our next meeting will be on the third Thursday of the month at Compass at 7pm (May 17th).  Details to follow.

For those who may want to participate:
The City of Lake Worth is currently seeking volunteers to serve on City Boards with vacancies, as follows:
Board of Trustees Employees’ Retirement System
Board of Trustees Firefighters’ Pension Trust Fund
Board of Trustees Police Retirement System
Historic Resources Preservation Board
City Recreation Board
City Tree Board
Community Redevelopment Agency
Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals
Finance Advisory Board
Library Board
Planning & Zoning/Nuisance Abatement/Sign Appeals Boards
Sister City Board
If you are interested in serving on the above Boards, please visit the City Clerk’s Office at 7 North Dixie Highway for a Volunteer Advisory Board Application or download the application from the City of Lake Worth’s website at www.lakeworth.org. For further information, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 586-1662. All applications must be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office no later than Friday, May 25, 2012, at 5pm.
Special Meetings will be held on Monday, June 25, 2012 and Tuesday, June 26, 2012 at 5:30 PM to interview those board applicants who applied for membership.
City of Lake Worth, Florida
Pamela J. Lopez, City Clerk

New Lake Worth City Manager Bornstein to meet residents

Our former, best-city-manager-ever, refused to meet with neighborhood associations because of what she called hostility directed at her.  Thank goodness we have someone in this position that is not all about them - but about the community.  Click title for link.

Dalai Lama

"The quality of everything we do: our physical actions, our verbal actions, and even our mental actions, depends on our motivation. That's why it's important for us to examine our motivation in our day to day life. If we cultivate respect for others and our motivation is sincere, if we develop a genuine concern for others’ well-being, then all our actions will be positive."

Super Moon Rise Lake Worth Beach - 5/5/12

Bill and I rode our bikes to the beach last night in time to see the full moon rise.  We weren't alone - many people had the same idea and were lined up along the seawall.  Lots of cameras and families of all descriptions.  Here are a few more stills that I took while we were there.