Heavy rains lead to flood of calls to safety officials | www.palmbeachdailynews.com

Impacts from the recent deluge, told in Palm Beach style, as reported in the Shiny Sheet. Click title for link.

The couple decided to have a drink and wait it out. “It was a bloody lake between the church (Bethesda-by-the-Sea) and the north side of The Breakers,” Doug Anderson said. “We had cars in front of and behind us. At that time, I was just south of The Breakers’ main entrance, and I realized that The Breakers was on high ground, so I drove up the hill and in.” But when the hotel offered a $90 “emergency rate” to anyone wanting a room for the night, they thought, “Why not?”While the Andersons were lucky not to get stranded, dozens of others were not so fortunate after a historic amount of rain fell late Thursday and Friday morning, including more than 13 inches in at least one island location.

The Slow-Motion Lynching Of President Barack Obama | FlaglerLive – Your News Service for Flagler County News Palm Coast News Bunnell Flagler Beach Beverly Beach and Marineland

Interesting and astute observations by Frank Schaeffer, a former right-winger, about the trials and tribulations of our 44th President. I will be hosting Claire Conner as a guest on High Noon in Lake Worth this coming Friday. She is author of Wrapped in the Flag which she refers to as "a personal history of America's radical right." Ms. Conner's father was a national spokesman for the John Birch Society for more than 30 years. She says that such a world view tore apart her family and we now see it tearing apart our nation.

This is from Frank Schaeffer's article, click title for link.

One famous liberal commentator wrote a book on how Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neil could disagree and still be friends. Why, he asked on many a TV show promoting his book, couldn’t President Obama be like that?
Because, I yelled at the screen, those two men were white Irish Americans and part of a ruling white oligarchy.
Because, I yelled, you might as well ask why Nelson Mandela didn’t talk his jailers in South Africa into seeing reason.
Because, I yelled, the President is black and anytime he’s reached out he’s pulled back a bloody stump.
Because, I yelled, liberal white commentators have been as bothered by a black man in the White House, who’s smarter than they are as much as right wing bigots have been bothered.
Because, I yelled, President Obama has been lied about, attacked, vilified, and disrespected since Day One.
Because, I yelled, this country may have passed laws so blacks can vote and eat in a white man’s world, but in our hearts are stuck in a place more like 1952 than 2013.

No TV airing for Gardens meetings, but maybe web video | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

This should be a "no brainer" for Palm Beach Gardens. You don't need to haul in all the heavy television infrastructure, like dealing with cable companies and expensive cameras. To his credit, City Manager Bornstein saw the need for video broadcast of meetings upon his arrival to Lake Worth. I remember him telling me that he was getting all these outrageously high estimates from the city's IT department on what it would take to do it. Upon hearing this, he told his people to get to Office Depot and pick up a webcam. It ended up being about $50, I think. Now, most of the time, we can enjoy live-streaming of meetings that are held in the City Commission chambers. 

Anyone can take video or record any meeting as long as it doesn't interfere and draw attention to itself in some way. I've gotten into the habit of videoing the City Commission meetings on top of what the city is already doing and putting those on YouTube. By having them in short segments, I think it makes it more accessible for people who are looking for just a specific item. And all the investment there is really my time and the initial cost of good camera, which can be used for other things.

It seems that one Palm Beach Gardens resident has taken matters into his own hands by doing the same thing that I am doing. Click title for link to article.

Webcasting could cost $13,000 to $25,000 for cameras, depending on now many and their quality; the city also would face service charges of $3,000-$25,000 per year, Holdt said. There also could be costs for computer storage of meeting footage for on-demand viewing.
Tarr videotaped most of Thursday’s meeting with a handheld camera and posted some of it on the website YouTube to show how easily it could be done. His tape can be viewed by going to YouTube.com and searching the terms “Palm Beach Gardens City Council Meeting.”
“I don’t think it should be a controversial issue,” he said. “Shouldn’t every city council member want to be open with their constituents?”

This is Mr. Tarr's video of their January 9th meeting - I would recommend investing in a tripod. I applaud his efforts.

The City of Boynton Beach also videos their meetings as a regular part of city operations. It is done fairly professionally and those are posted on YouTube as well. Here is an example of a recent meeting there.

Check out the December issue of the Palm Beach Sun

Fane Lozman, formerly of Riviera Beach and two time High Noon in Lake Worth guest is featured on the cover. Fane also has a section of the paper called The Fane Lozman Report.

Gov. Scott wants $100 million for Visit Florida | The Florida Current

The amount seems a little excessive in light of other state priorities. This would include greater outreach in the form of advertisements in targeted national and international markets. This seems contrary in a budget year that Governor Scott is naming what he's naming it. See below, click title for link to article.

“We are on track for another record (tourism) year, and we hope to build on this incredible momentum and make the Sunshine State the No. 1 travel destination in the world.  To do that, we are going to recommend an historic $100 million in our 'It’s Your Money Tax Cut Budget' this year,” Scott said.

FIUSM | Student Media at Florida International University

Set your DVRs. Click title for link to article.

The documentary will air January 15, 2014, at 8 p.m., on WPBT2 and it will be followed by a half hour panel discussion where Pinto and four experts, including three interviewed in the documentary, will address sea level rise in South Florida.
Both the documentary and the panel will be available to stream online at www.wpbt.org.
As for what’s next for the professors, they envision “South Florida’s Rising Seas” as the first of a series of short documentaries about environmental and science communication, and it will be accompanied by an annual report and a website informing the public about updates in the issue.

10 abandoned hotels - CNN.com

The Gulfstream Hotel in Lake Worth did not make this international list. Click title for link.

Preview - E-mails from Dee - Item One

Just because the public can do so and has a right to see public records, I requested recent e-mail correspondence between members of the City Commission, our City Manager and Dee McNamara. The request yielded about 50 exchanges. The above is just one of the collection. Click for larger image. Expect more to be published periodically. Enjoy!

Coming attractions...

I just finished an interview with Claudia Jane Klein, a Lake Worth artist/sculptor, about some of her private and public commissions. This picture is taken in front of her work called Mermaid. It is in the Triangle Park at the west side of the Lake Worth bridge, between Lake and Lucerne Avenues. Here is some information about her recent public installation in Sarasota.

Stay tuned for the video, coming soon.

SARASOTA PURCHASES LAKE WORTH ARTIST'S SCULPTURE

Bharata a large scale aluminum sculpture by Claudia Jane Klein of Lake Worth was recently purchased by the City of Sarasota and permanently installed opposite the Selby Public Library and Sarasota Opera House in Selby Five Points Park in the heart of the downtown historic district.

In 2010 this abstract figurative sculpture was first displayed for a year in Sarasota when it won Second Place from among a hundred entries in Sarasota's nationwide public art competition 'Intersections'.

Bharata represents the yoga pose called the scorpion. It continues the artist's theme promoting exercise, yoga, dance, sports, and mediation to achieve harmony and well-being. The sculpture was inspired by her yoga instructor Bharata for his dedication and relentless efforts to help his students gain inner peace.

For twenty years Ms. Klein has fabricated sculptures and fountains in her downtown Lake Worth studio. Locally she is well known for her often photographed large patinaed Mermaid sculpture installed in 2001 in Triangle Park between Lake and Lucerne Avenues adjacent to the Intracoastal Waterway.

She is continually creating new work for public and private collections including Art in Public Places throughout the Southeastern United States. Currently her sculptures are on display in Columbus Georgia, Ocala, and Safety Harbor Florida, and at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art in Auburn Alabama.

She readily accepts public and private commissions, and looks forward to new challenges and clients to help further her passion for sculpture. More examples of her sculptures can be viewed on her website WWW.claudiajaneklein.com and she can be contacted by email at claudiajaneklein@bellsouth.net

Friends of the Library Meeting and Meet the Author Evening Series

Dear Friends,

The Lake Worth Friends of the Library will meet Tuesday, January 14, at 5:30 p.m. in the dining room of the South Shores Tavern (Corner of M Street and Lucerne - across from the Library). The meeting will end by 6:30 p.m.. 

BOOK SALE

We will be making plans and signing up volunteers for our upcoming book sale. We need helpers to sort books on Friday, January 24 in the City Hall Annex from 1 - 3 p.m. And we need volunteers to help at the book sale on Saturday, January 25th, in shifts from 9 a.m. till 3:30 p.m. 

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MEET THE AUTHOR EVENING SERIES

Meet the author evenings are held at the Lake Worth Public Library, 15 North M St., Lake Worth on Thursdays beginning at 7:00 pm. Authors will have copies of their books available for sale and you may have them autographed if you wish. Light refreshments will be served sponsored by the Friends of the Lake Worth Library.

Thursday, January  23rd

“7 Insider Secrets : Transform your low-performing elementary school and score an A in record time”  by Dr. Janics S. Cover.

This book offers a blueprint for dramatically improving student achievement in an urban elementary school. It tells the story of a school's dramatic transformation, in one year, from being among the lowest performing into a school whose standardized test scores were impressive and competitive. Author, Dr Janice Scott Cover, veteran educator, using her proprietary transformation model, affirms that children can overcome academic weaknesses when effective instructional and administrative strategies are employed in a supportive, collaborative and organized school environment. The book also asserts that students can take responsibility for their own learning and behavior, and experience school success. Whether your school is urban or rural, and you are a school administrator, teacher, policy maker or education advocate, this book will prove an invaluable resource.

Dr. Cover has had an extensive career as an educator and school administrator.  Currently she is the President & CEO at Improving Schools Consulting Services and an adjunct instructor at Nova Southeastern University. She has been a teacher, assistant principal, principal and Director of Elementary School District of Palm Beach County Schools.

Thursday, February 6^th
 “Scary Story: an Anthology” by Cynthia Morrison, et al.

Summer's fading, and there's more than the bite of autumn in the air. Zombies are biting in ‘Last Dawn,’ and that's just a taste of Scary Story, a collection of twisted fiction and dark fantasy that's guaranteed to keep you turning pages and checking your back. The undeads in ‘The Path of Dead Roses’ are more ethereal, but whether or not the posy-plucking polters have the key to helping the heroine's troubled father is as uncertain as their very existence, and can only be discovered by readers brave enough to wander down that path. An extra-sensual treat is detailed in ‘The Wrinkled Duplex Halfway up the Hill,’ unveiling suburban secrets and mysteries particular to those wild enough to explore. ‘Silent Night’ turns frightful when a young girl left alone on Christmas Eve improvises her own holiday cheer. From the haunted coal mines in ‘Paradise Lost,’ to iffy experiments on a med student’s trusting wife in ‘Fire of Faith,’ there's something for every horror fan in this anthology. Ms. Morrison has written the story Fire of Faith.

Thursday, February 13^th

“Deadly Heat at the Cottages: sex, murder, and mayhem” by Fred Lichtenberg

The Cottages, a fun-loving community, offers every conceivable excitement but murder. That changes when Ralph Albano snatches a jeep during an early bird special without realizing an elderly woman is in the back seat until she begins snoring. But he can’t turn back. This can’t be happening. Not now when he was so close to completing the deal.

Hilarious story with zany characters residing at The Cottages. What a fun place to live!

Fred Lichtenberg is a native New Yorker who lives with his wife in Jupiter, Florida. He has one son. A passion for writing, Fred, who worked for the Federal Government, exchanged hats and is currently writing full time. He is the author of Hunter’s World, a murder mystery set on New York’s Long Island, which was released by Five Star Publishing in May 2011. Fred’s next novel, “Murder 1040: The Final Audit” will be released in 2014.

Thursday, February 20^th

 “From One Place to Another “ by Carol White

Dina and Mark Marshall, a nouveau riche couple in their thirties, live at Boca Forest, the top country club in Boca Raton, Florida, where they vie to keep up with wealthier residents. Mark, a financial planner and popular golf partner, regularly invites club members to partake in Dina's gourmet dinners in an attempt to further his business that affords them a luxurious Florida lifestyle. When Mark suddenly leaves his wife for the hot, younger blonde Taffie and the two take off for Key West, Dina finds little solace in her family and "friendships"--instead, she trumps her initial self-doubt and turns her obsessive list-making tendency into a flourishing home-catering business. Intent on keeping her head above the water and winning back her husband, Dina encounters a dashing young fellow chef and all-around great guy, Dex Ryder. Now everyone's talking--and not just about her fantastic cuisine. Dina's life is definitely on the upswing...until it all comes crashing down. Laugh, cry and cook with Dina as she discovers her true friends and decides where and with whom her future lies.

Carol White, a Delray Beach resident, is an award-winning novelist, playwright and free-lance writer. Her essays, stories and columns have been published by The Sun Sentinel, Writers Journal, Insight for Playwrights, Working Writers, Woman's World, The Florida Writer, and Senior Scene. She is a frequent fiction contributor to the East Hampton Star Newspaper. Carol is also a member of the prestigious boutique group of authors, The Booklovers Bench - www.bookloversbench.com. Carol’s previous book was titled Hidden Choices. Her third novel, "Sitting Pretty" due out later this year will include a variety of short stories plus a bonus novella.

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We hope to see all of you there!

Thank you,

June Evans

Florida pizzeria offers Everglades pie topped with alligator, frog and PYTHON | Mail Online

They could also add iguana (aka chicken of the tree) and Lion Fish (invasive species reeking havoc on our reef system). Click title for link.

Weather Matters by John Nelander » Blog Archive » Collision of warm front, low over Palm Beach triggers ‘historical’ flooding

From the Shiny Sheet, a recounting of the flooding on Palm Beach island and an explanation by a meteorologist on what happened to cause such heavy rain in so short a period. Click title for link.

Wellington’s Trash Trucks Switching To Natural Gas Power

I believe that Lake Worth's run on  bio-diesel. Click title for link which explains Wellington's approach.

Anyone know about how strong our seawall is?

A portion of Indian River Drive in St. Lucie County has collapsed. We're told that Indian River Drive from Midway Drive to County Line is closed. More than a dozen intersections in St. Lucie County are experiencing flooding. What's it like where you live? Click here for latest on the flooding, road closures and pictures:http://bit.ly/1dzZj46 Photo Courtesy: Will Greenlee, TCPalm

Proposed bills would end fireworks ban in Florida | Tallahassee Democrat | tallahassee.com

You wouldn't know that they were banned around here come New Year's Eve or the Fourth of July. Click title for link.

Current state law allows the sale of only sparklers and devices considered “novelties and trick noisemakers,” forcing serious fireworks aficionados to travel across state lines for more explosive fare. Fireworks that would otherwise be illegal in Florida also are available at retail locations as long as customers fill out a form saying they will use them for agricultural purposes only, namely to scare away birds.