Pines Taxpayers’ Skyrocketing Bill For Needless Lawsuit : BrowardBeat.com

We are not alone.  Pembroke Pines has its share of spurious lawsuits too, apparently.  At least there, they know how much they are paying and for what.  Remember, we were told, rather dismissively, by Commissioner Mulvehill, that we could always ask for the city's legal costs via a public information request.  Yes, that's right, when the Commission has asked for a summary repeatedly over time, to no avail.  Seems as though she is the least interested one of the bunch.  Click title for link to article.

Palm Beach County homes sales surge

Home sales up 67.9 percent over last year!  Click title for link to article.  Are we out of the tunnel?

Microcities: The Rise of the Mini Home and the Walkable Neighbourhood | This Big City

In many ways, the walkable neighborhoods described in this article are essentially those that you find in Lake Worth.  We need to do more to promote ourselves in this way and tap into the market that is out there.  Unless we want to prevent the evils of gentrification...click title for link to article.

Letter sent to Lake Worth City Commissioners from blog reader...

To Wes Blackman
From Stanley Sands

Here is the video that Andy Amoroso made that shows my kayak launch.


Below my letter sent to all City Commissioners: 

To: Andy Amoroso
From: Stanley Sands
907 18Th Ave N.
Lake Worth, Fl 33460
Hello,
I am they owner and one of the occupants, (along with my neighbor), of the red kayak that you showed in your recent video promoting Lake Worth's new kayak launch and boardwalk facilities.
Back in September, I spoke with the previous mayor Waterman, at one of her coffee meetings and later followed up with an email.
My concern was the city charges all people who need a trailer to tow their kayak, or boat, $10 per day, including city residents, to park, while enjoying our local inter-coastal waterway.
It bothers me to have to pay $10 every time I want to take out my non-polluting kayak, (which is also a sailboat), each and every time I go out!
I suggested that the city implement the $50 yearly boat trailer parking permit for city and county residents as they had intended with Ord # 2009-23 section 7-54C back in 2009.
She said the county objected to the city only issuing permits to city residents because the county helped finance the boat ramp etc, so the city decided to not implement the ordinance that they originally signed.
She said, " I will look into it and see if we can legally establish a yearly $50 fee for any county resident for boat ramp trailer parking." I never heard from her again, and nothing has changed.
Since I like to kayak and sail, I will continue to use the county facilities at Riviera Beach and elsewhere using my county ramp parking permit. However, I will avoid Lake Worth because I am retired and on limited income, and the $10 daily fee is just too much to afford.
Is there any way that you as city commissioner could do that would allow local residents such as myself to pay only a yearly fee to park while enjoying our local waterway? Maybe pass a resolution to implement that previously passed ordinance, or come up with something new, that would be less costly to a city resident?
I would love to discuss this with you or anyone associated with city government that would be interested in a solution to nasty parking fee.
I can be reached at g2pilot@aol.com or 561-588-1642
Thank You
Stanley Sands

You Know You're From Lake Worth When... - Broward/Palm Beach News - The Daily Pulp

Must read...done in the format of a top ten list.  Click title for link.

CRA garners more great media coverage on NSP2 program.

Click here for link to Channel 12 news story.

Taken this a.m. from the Lake Worth Beach

Lake Worth creates utility board to aid customers

Article in the post about the "juice" board.  Mr. Howard, it is almost not relevant to mention the employer of Ms. Brinkman since it will add little to her input on the board.  WHY SHE IS THERE is that she is an elected official from the Village of Palm Springs district that is solely served by Lake Worth Utilities.  I happen to know Ms. Brinkman and we currently sit on a Palm Beach County advisory board together.  I know her as intelligent and someone devoted to her community.  Click title for link to article.

We need more informative signs!

This is the "notice" on the side of the Gallo Building currently being demolished.  How is this sign in anyway helpful, other than to incite panic - which is the fear of the unknown.  Which is what this sign has a lot of - the unknown.

At what meeting, if any, is this project being considered?  There is no meeting date indicated.  If you struggle enough to see that there is a "PZ&B" in front of the project number, you might guess that it will be heard at the Planning and Zoning Board - but that would take a little familiarity with the system to some extent.  The numbers cited after variance might as well be in Greek or Chinese.  No one is running to Municode.com to see what is being asked for as part of this sign.  Then, instead of offering a way to convey information without interrupting staff - like a website or a link - anyone who is interested in what is going on will have to call a number and have someone call them back.  Now that the building is coming down, people may already think the approvals have been given.  Have they?  I haven't been following this.  But, even with someone who knows the system would have to go to the city's website, find the correct meeting only by matching project numbers to future or past agendas.

I will post an example of Palm Beach County's new zoning sign that is intended to serve a similar purpose.  Theirs is over-kill; ours insunder-kill.  There is a happier medium.

I believe this is the site proposed for a new TDBank branch.  It's approval is ultimately based upon the approval by the proper authorities, of a two-way 2nd Avenue North.  That should already be well in the works.

The Gallo Building succumbs to the demo claw!

These were taken today after 5 p.m. A site should not be left like this - in an unsecured state.  Many dangers here before the rubble is removed and we have a western wall that probably doesn't meet its structural design requires, next to a public sidewalk and within feet of the northbound lanes of Dixie Hwy.

I guess the tape didn't stop this bicyclist from parking against the remaining part of the building.

Nothing prevented the person that took these pictures from entering the property.  There is yellow tape around the property but it says "CAUTION."  Nothing else.  How about some orange mesh fencing?  

From Channel 5 on one of the NSP2 home dedications...

From the Town of Palm Beach: Palm Beach County traffic report for construction affecting the island...

Southern Boulevard (SR 80) from Parker Avenue to Washington Road 
This 0.77-mile resurfacing project began Tuesday, January 3, 2012 in the City of West Palm Beach. This project includes milling and resurfacing the roadway, bridge joint replacement, ADA and safety improvements, drainage and signage upgrades, and installation of video detection signals. The work is being performed by Community Asphalt Corporation, and is expected to be completed summer 2012. The estimated construction cost is $1.5 million.


Restrictions: One lane of Southern Boulevard may be closed in each direction, daily, 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., and nightly, 7 p.m. until 7 a.m., Sunday night through Friday. One lane may also be closed in each direction, Saturday & Sunday. Side streets from Parker Avenue to Washington Road at Southern Boulevard may have one lane closed in each direction, Monday through Sunday. 


State Road A1A/South Ocean Boulevard is closed, around the clock, between Southern Boulevard and Sloan’s Curve, through August 2012, for force main replacement by the Town of Palm Beach. Local traffic will be allowed up to but not past the dig site. Emergency vehicles will be permitted at all times, and access to homes will be maintained. For more information, please contact the Town of Palm Beach at fmain@townofpalmbeach.com, or Construction Manager Wayne King at 561-718-2605.

Lake Worth to get $850K settlement with power co-op by Sept. 30

One less thing with which to concern ourselves.  Now we can move on to resolving, to the best advantage of the city and its residents, myriad other legal issues.  How is that report on all legal actions coming?  Click title for link to article.

Private Rail Company Says Orlando to Miami Service Possible in Two Years | Transportation Nation

I've read a number of reports about the possibility this week.  This the geekiest, but has the most detail.  Click title for link.

In Los Angeles, Drivers and Bicyclists Learn to Coexist - NYTimes.com

If Los Angeles can do it, then there is hope for the rest of us.  Interesting article on the change of mindset over time.  Click title for link.

Just a little update on yours truly and biking.  Since January 2011, I have logged almost 4,000 miles.  For the past 9 months or so, I have committed to do a minimum of 10 miles a day. I incorporate bike riding with daily errands like going to the bank or post office, or simple shopping trips.  Sometimes I take longer rides and sometimes I take some days off.  Most of my various routes take me through Lake Worth and I see familiar faces from time to time as I peddle through neighborhoods.  It's also been fun to have Bill tag along with me most of the time and our first date was a bike ride.  I don't believe in over-analyzing numbers, so I do not know how much weight I have lost through the process, but most people say that they see a difference.  I will find out tomorrow exactly how much I have lost over the past year, since I will find myself going to the doctor's office.

Two Friday's ago (5/11) I noticed what amounted to some discomfort behind my knee cap.  This is after a week of routine riding and thought little of it.  If anything, it felt like I might have hyper-extended my knee at some point - either on or off the bike, I wasn't sure and at the time, I didn't care.  Bill and I planned a ride to Northwood in West Palm Beach the next day - which is well within the limit of some of the longer rides that I take.  We took the trip - you saw the pictures of the house like mine that we stopped by - and got home without incident.  It was almost 20 miles total.  Sunday, we got busy around the house and I thought it was o.k. to take the day off of biking as time quickly got away from us.  We went to the Gay Lake Worth picnic that Commissioner Amoroso and others help organize (btw, a great turnout and tons of good food!)  It wasn't until  Monday that I felt some stiffness below my knee, on the backside of my calf muscle.  This discomfort was enough to prevent my usual daily bike ride.  Tuesday was worse - the day I started with ice to combat the swelling.  Wednesday I upgraded to Tiger Balm and was visibly limping around.  By Thursday morning, it felt like someone had hit me with a baseball bat just below the knee.  That afternoon, I received an acupuncture treatment and since then, the pain has receded, but now I have a lot of remaining stiffness.  Just to make sure everything is o.k., I am going to see my local, regular doctor tomorrow.

I am not looking for a pity-party, but if you haven't seen me around town or on my bike for a week, that is why.  The moral of the story is listen to your body and do not over-do.  And, for this being my first sports injury after the number of miles I have done, I should be pretty thankful.  I hope and expect to be back-in-the-saddle soon.