Supreme Court winner Lozman ready to take on Riviera Beach again | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

Two time High Noon in Lake Worth guest Fane Lozman is hoisting the legal sails again, but this time he might be headed for choppier seas. Mr. Lozman is representing himself in the actions described in the article. Click title for link to article.

Council may decide response to voter referendum petition | www.palmbeachdailynews.com

The Palm Beach Town Council will discuss repealing the PUD-5 ordinance or setting a special election. One of the dates discussed is the run-off election date late in March that would coincide with other municipal elections. Attorney Nancy Stroud is mentioned as representing part of the group that is against the ordinance that would allow an alternate development pattern for Royal Poinciana Way. She assisted Lake Worth in the re-write of our land development regulations.

There seems to be some intrigue here too, which is common in the island municipality. Click title for link to the Shiny Sheet article.

Cooley, who is opposed to the PUD-5, or Planned Unit Development, has requested the council hold a hearing to review “evidence and documents” before voting on a repeal or setting an election.
Cooley’s attorney, David Theriaque, requested on Nov. 13 to inspect all documents provided and received by any town personnel related to the zoning and comprehensive plan ordinances that enact the PUD-5. The town complied, turning over several thousand pages.
In his letter, Cooley states that the records uncovered “raise many serious and disturbing questions.”

Driver Ticketed in Ray Strack's Collision; DOT Says Standard Bike Lanes Might Be Widened from Four Feet to Five

As traffic has increased, lanes have been added but the right-of-way width has remained the same. This not only eliminates the opportunity for on street parking (see North Dixie Hwy. in Lake Worth) and lane widths shrunk to 11 feet. Something has to give and unfortunately sometimes the sacrifice comes in the form of a bicycle accident. I keep to secondary roads for the most part and avoid arterials when biking. It also helps to pick a lighter volume time of day other than rush hour, if possible. 

Informative article from New Times, click title for link to article.

Will Florida's citrus be saved from scourge? | Gainesville.com

The scientific community is collaborating in a historic way to combat citrus greening. They are understanding, through genetic research, which part of the bacterium is destroying trees, and entire groves of citrus. Click title for link to a fairly comprehensive article on the issue.

Here are a few reasons why the disease is so hard to cure...
The disease hides in the root stock of the tree, sometimes for years, before it shows up in the tree canopy. By that time, it's too late.
Finally, the psyllid itself has proven to be a highly efficient transporter of the disease and has adapted very well to Florida's climate. It found the perfect host in the ornamental orange jasmine trees that are so popular among homeowners. Psyllids hopping on jasmine shrubs headed for nurseries and home improvement stores quickened their spread throughout the state.

What is not discussed is the long term effects on land use. What is going to happen to all these former orange groves if the disease ultimately wipes out more groves? More "Orange Grove Estates" subdivisions?

Council to consider spending $1.5M for sea wall repair | www.palmbeachdailynews.com

A section of seawall repair north of the Breakers is discussed in the article. This one happens to be 84 years old and is thought to be structurally sound after some investigation by engineers. It will still require between $1 and $1.5 million to remedy some deficiencies. Again, has anyone REALLY examined the structural integrity of our seawall by the casino building?

Also noteworthy in the Shiny Sheet article is the town's delayed schedule for beach renourishment. The Town Council will also hear reports from FPL about recent electrical intermittent outages on the island and from staff on the possibility of deferring some capital improvement projects as a result of the coming closure of the northern drawbridge. Click title for link.

States turn against electric cars as gas tax revenues fall | The Daily Caller

File this under "Unintended Consequences." It really comes down to whether states want to be a catalyst for the transfer to non-fossil fuel burning vehicles and can make up the money lost from gas sales from other sources. There are still benefits issued by state and federal governments - like travel in the HOV lane. And we have to consider the fuel sources of the power plants that create the electricity to charge the electric vehicles. Click title for link. From the article:

“States are increasingly looking at how to recoup ‘lost’ gas tax revenues for electric and hybrid vehicles. In addition to fees on such vehicles, many states tax alternative fuels, sometimes including electricity,” Jaime Rall, senior transportation policy specialist at the National Conference of State Legislatures, told The Daily Caller News Foundation in an email.
The problem state lawmakers face is that the value of the gas tax is falling due to inflation and rising construction costs. This is coupled with the fact that gasoline consumption is falling. According to the Energy Information Administration, U.S. drivers and businesses used about 133 billion gallons which is 6 percent below 2007’s record-high consumption levels.

New South Florida Fair Commercial - Greg Rice and Mayor Triolo make cameo appearances...

Can you identify anyone else?

Tim O’Meilia, Post reporter who captured county’s quirks over... | www.palmbeachpost.com

This is truly sad news. Tim O'Meilia was a Palm Beach Post reporter that travelled the beat through many local communities. There were times that I saw him covering meetings in Lake Worth, but it was usually when he was substituting for someone or during a transition period in their staffing. 

I knew him best while he was covering Palm Beach during the time that I worked at Mar-a-Lago. He was always fair and got the story right. Not just one time, but every time for everybody. Totally coincidental, we hired his father Charlie, as he was a building official, to be a consultant for a short time in the conversion of Mar-a-Lago to a private club. His father is mentioned in the article too.

He really was one of the good ones and will be missed by many, most of all his family I am sure. Click title for link. Here is a bit from the article.

Even when O’Meilia took an early retirement with many of his colleagues in 2008, he continued to cover Palm Beach County’s communities.
“He started covering Palm Beach, then that expanded to South Palm Beach, Briny Breezes, Manalapan, Ocean Ridge and Gulfstream,” said Mary Kate Leming, founder and editor of The Coastal Star. “They all knew him. Some of them he had covered before for The Post for years. So I think when he showed up for their meetings, it was kind of like old home week.”
For all his talent, O’Meilia never looked for a bigger city to cover or a bigger paper to do it from. “I’ve enjoyed being here. Debbie was here. I had a job here,” and he shrugged from his living room hung with dozens of family photos.

Weather related damage - IN ACTION - Raleigh, North Carolina

An apartment complex under construction reduced to rubble yesterday after severe weather in the area.

My interview with Lake Worth artist/sculptor Claudia Jane Klein

LW Pool and Water Exercise Update

Sally Welsh has a water exercise class that meets at 11 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday. Today's class had over 20 people - all ages and sizes! The class lasts about an hour and it is a workout. The pool is heated, and the lifeguards put blankets on it at night to keep the heat in. Today it was around 82 degrees! Come join the fun - Sally has noodles and balls (that doesn't sound quite right) available if you don't. It is $4 for LW residents to get in the pool and don't forget a dollar or two for Sally's gas money. Hope to see you there next week.

The Colony Resort on Sanibel Island 1958 by Randy Koger

Karaoke starting at The Mad Hatter - Sundays 4 to 8 p.m.

 16th Avenue North and Dixie Hwy.

Nice to have karaoke start in the afternoon. I used to host karaoke here, as some may remember, and we always had a good crowd. I will be sure to stop in and sing a few.

Update: I have been there a few times and it's starting to catch on. Come check it out tomorrow and have a little fun. Walk or ride your bike if you live near by.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL - STORM TOTAL RAINFALL

LOCATION TOTAL TIME/DATE RAINFALL OF INCHES

...PALM BEACH COUNTY...
1 WSW HYPOLUXO 22.21 800 AM 1/10 
1 SW PALM BEACH 16.03 800 AM 1/10 
LANTANA 15.04 800 AM 1/10 MESONET
1 ESE LANTANA 14.79 700 AM 1/10 
BOYNTON BEACH 13.13 800 AM 1/10 MESONET
1 E LANTANA 12.46 800 AM 1/10 MESONET
2 NW BOYNTON BEACH 11.00 800 AM 1/10 
PALM BEACH 10.75 800 AM 1/10 MESONET
1 SW PALM BEACH SHOR 9.35 800 AM 1/10 MESONET
1 NNW LAKE WORTH 8.72 800 AM 1/10 
1 N LAKE WORTH 8.58 800 AM 1/10 COCORAHS
LAKE WORTH 7.98 800 AM 1/10 MESONET
JUNO BEACH 7.94 800 AM 1/10 CO-OP 
JUPITER FARMS 6.29 800 AM 1/10 MESONET
9 WNW PALM BEACH GAR 6.15 800 AM 1/10 MESONET
NORTH PALM BEACH 5.86 800 AM 1/10 MESONET

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.