For some reason...

This particular is post is "pinning the needle" in terms of page-views this week. Also check out this link, but be prepared to be befuddled by the hall-of-mirrors logic within it. And as an example of the dystopian reality of which our anarchists and EF! friends lurk, people are told to attend "mandatory anti-oppression workshops" - one gets the idea that the punishments will continue until morale improves.

Good luck in navigating these choppy and murky waters.

Census Bureau Projects U.S. Population of 317.3 Million on New Year's Day - Population - Newsroom - U.S. Census Bureau

Interesting beginning of 2014 population projections for the U.S. and world. China and India are also mentioned. Click title for link.

Did you know...

That as a non-invasive species, the Eucalyptus is a hardy and versatile tree, making it a low maintenance alternative crop for Florida farmers?  Eucalyptus wood is used for a variety of products, including paper, lumber plywood, veneer, flooring, charcoal, firewood, fiberboard, essential oils, and landscape mulch. It also may be used for biofuel, with whole-tree chips supplying char and oil that can be transported and stored. The chips also can supply noncondensed volatile oil and low-energy gas to be used onsite or nearby.

Eucalyptus compounds can protect against insects, vertebrate herbivores, ultraviolet radiation, and cold stress. Among these are the terpenoids that give Eucalyptus foliage its distinctive smell.

At present three different Eucalyptus species are grown in Florida.  E. grandis (EG) and E.amplifolia (EA) are  fast-growing trees used for bioremediation applications, energy wood and mulch wood. Corymbia torelliana (CT)  are grown as windbreaks throughout  southern and central Florida.

Click here for more facts on the eucalyptus.

Hallandale commissioners approve taking from the city, giving to themselves | Broward Bulldog

This is an article on city commissioner salaries and compensation from the Broward Bulldog, focused on Hallandale Beach. It's about their new ability to utilize unused travel monies as part of their compensation package. You know, I am starting to think that the $14,500 we pay annually to each Commissioner and $15,500 for the Mayor is too low. It may be a good idea to survey other communities in Palm Beach County and see what the range of compensation is versus size of community etc. Click title for link to article. Here is a bit:

Hallandale Beach city commissioners have created a new policy they can use to boost their take home pay by allowing them to pocket up to $10,000 a year in unspent funds from their individual travel accounts.
The city’s five commissioners each earn about $22,000 for their part-time service. In addition, each gets a  $10,000 annual travel allowance.

Revived Palm Beach County reservoir making progress - Sun Sentinel

This reservoir would help solve the water storage problem water managers talk about being at the heart of south Florida's water supply issues. The first one will address the long identified need to direct more water south toward the Everglades. Click title for link.

Project backers contend that the area's unique geology — less porous than South Florida's usual below-ground limestone — makes it ideal for holding water.
The reservoir, which cost the South Florida Water Management District about $220 million, stretches for 2.8 miles north of Southern Boulevard and is nearly 1 mile wide.
It's 53-feet-deep and capable of holding 15 billion gallons of water. That's enough to cover 34,000 football fields with water one-foot deep, according to the water management district.
The reservoir was originally built to collect water that would be used to replenish the Loxahatchee River, to compensate for freshwater flows blocked though the years due to flood control for South Florida's development.

A second reservoir is being looked at to help with drinking water supplies to Broward and Palm Beach Counties. It could lessen the importance of Lake Okeechobee as a drinking water source too. The idea must be worth looking at since Drew Martin thinks it's a bad idea.

 But environmental advocates question the need for a second reservoir, especially when the first one has yet to work as planned. They contend that water conservation should be South Florida's focus and that the high cost of building a second reservoir could further delay Everglades restoration efforts.
"It would take money away from Everglades restoration [and] also raise rates for water users," said Drew Martin of the Sierra Club, who considers the project a waste of public money.

Hudson River town wonders what's next as GE plant heads south in latest NY manufacturing loss (12/21/13 2:14 pm)

Heading south in this case means moving to Florida. Losing manufacturing jobs is a national trend and Florida has lost 18 percent of its manufacturing jobs too, but not as much as other states. Florida is about to surpass the state of New York in total population, making it the third largest state in the nation. There are many reasons for this which we will explore more in this blog. Click title for link to article. Here is what is happening:

The Fort Edward facility and a long-closed sister plant in neighboring Hudson Falls used PCBs in production until 1977, and river sediment contaminated by discharges of the oily substance is being dredged by GE as part of a multi-year federal Superfund cleanup that could cost $2 billion.
With 177 production workers and 20 salaried employees, GE is not the biggest employer in the region. But the Fairfield, Connecticut-based company pays well. Production workers here average $28.50 an hour, according to estimates cited by the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers Local 332.
GE officials say the plant has been losing money for several years and they will move to an existing facility in Clearwater, Florida, where the company can take advantage of efficiencies of scale. GE spokeswoman Christine Horne said their competitors are in lower-cost locations.

Reef balls on Memorial Stadium rubble provide haven for mussels and other marine life in Chesapeake Bay - baltimoresun.com

Pieces of the stadium in Baltimore that used to be the home of the Orioles, Colts and Ravens are now providing reef habitat in Chesapeake Bay. Mussels seem to be the prime beneficiaries. They got the idea from other projects that have taken in place in Florida. Click title for link.

FAI/IRF threatens Coca Cola and Nestle with product sabotage | anarchistnews dot org

This anarchist plot seems to have its origins in Greece. Most would refer to this as terrorism. Click title for link.

Editorial: Reduce noise at railroad crossings before more... | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

Andrew Marra, Lake Worth resident and member of the Post's editorial board weighs in on the noise impacts associated with increased volume of trains. The number of trains going through the eastern communities in Palm Beach County will multiply as All Aboard Florida and commuter trains linking south Florida's downtown areas come on line. Click title for link to the editorial.

How should the western areas grow? County commissioner wants... | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

An hour long town hall discussion will take place on January 7th at 6:30 p.m. at the County's facilities at Vista Center, which is located at the northeast corner of Jog Road and Okeechobee Boulevard regarding growth and planned residential development in the western communities. I'm not sure that an hour is long enough given the need for a staff presentation and solicitation of public comments. People are wanting to see what the big picture will look like out west once these large residential projects start building out and if there is any hope of preserving their semi-rural lifestyles. Click title for link to article.

Wave of sand projects to bolster county beaches | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

Tons of money being spent countywide to renourish beaches north and south in the coming years. Renourishment cannot go on during turtle nesting season, which makes up most of the warmer months of the year. Click title for link to the Palm Beach Post article. Here is summary of the pros and cons of beach renourishment:

Opponents of beach renourishment say hauling sand isn’t the only way to build up beaches. They contend that permanent and mobile groins, breakwaters and even strategically placed fishing piers can slow down the natural north-to-south movement of sand on the county’s coast.
Proponents counter that the money is well spent.
Beaches bring tourists, who drive the South Florida economy. Beaches provide habitat protection for sea turtles, birds and other wildlife. If beaches wash away, so do State Road A1A hurricane evacuation routes at the Juno Beach Pier, Sloan’s Curve in Palm Beach and on both sides of Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach.
Not to mention protecting the county’s billions of dollars worth of oceanfront property.
“If a road has a pothole, you would not dream of just leaving it there. It’s the same with our beaches. When we renourish our beaches, we maintain our infrastructure,” said Leanne Welch, the county’s environmental program supervisor for the dredging project.

Aging infrastructure leads to gas leaks | www.palmbeachdailynews.com

One of the problems facing all communities, including Palm Beach, is an aging natural gas delivery system. These steel pipes deteriorate over the years and sometimes cause some surprises and potential dangerous outcomes. Florida Public Utilities is trying to keep up with a regular replacement schedule, but sometimes emergency situations take precedence. Click title for link. From the article:

Three weeks earlier, a downed power line came into contact with a leak on Chilean Avenue, igniting a fire on the sidewalk. That leak was capped on Dec. 2 by Florida Public Utilities, and the blaze, with flames up to 5 feet high, was extinguished by Fire-Rescue workers.
The problem is that old gas lines are made of steel, and they corrode after so many decades of use, said Aleida Socarras, a spokeswoman for FPU.
The utility company is in the midst of a project to replace more than 350 miles of pipe in its service area, which covers Palm Beach County and parts of Central Florida. That task will take about 10 years to complete.

Artist unveils Ponce de Leon statue for Melbourne Beach...

New Frank Gehry Designed Biomuseo in Panama

Avant-garde structure designed by the famous architect is now under construction, along with the rest of the country of Panama, it seems. The museum will focus on the changes to the world facilitated by the Panama Canal and the linkages between North and South Americas.

Promotional Video about the Lake Worth Farmer's Market

Narrated by Commissioner Andy Amoroso, produced by Jon Faust.