Lake Worth, FL: More on how the perception of crime is manipulated

This is an actual item in a newspaper's "Crime Blotter" from a 'newspaper' in the City of Lake Worth (no, not the Lake Worth Herald ):

Child Issue: A PBSO deputy went to Highlands [sic, should be "Highland"] Elementary School after the school called about a possible abuse situation. The school reported to DCF that a child was playing with teddy bears at the school, and making them fight, and that he put one on top of the other, simulating sex, and saying "Look at what they are doing." The child reportedly is very physical and often shows aggression, and is sometimes withdrawn. The child denied the allegation, and no injuries were found on him.

The above item was found in the "LAKE WORTH CRIME BLOTTER" and I challenge everyone to identify the crime committed. Very few people research each item in a CRIME BLOTTER for accuracy. Here is another "crime" published in the CRIME BLOTTER the previous week:

Deceased Person: A woman living on the 1800 block of North N Street called police [sic, should be "PBSO"] to report that she'd found her longtime friend, Sue Ives, lying on the floor of the home, deceased. She said she'd seen Ives going into the bathroom at 1 a.m., complaining of possibly catching a cold. At 8:45 a.m. she went to check on her and found her lying on the floor of the bedroom, unresponsive. There were no signs of trauma.

Again, why are these events published in a CRIME BLOTTER when neither of these are crimes? Both were published in Margaret Menge's Lake Worth Tribune:

 

Its masthead claims to have "Lake Worth's Best Local Newspaper!" These "crimes" Ms. Menge publishes are misleading, a misrepresentation, and bordering on manipulation of public opinion. Certainly not what you would call community journalism at its "Best".

"Domine, ut videam" is Latin for "Lord, that I might see". It is a phrase that refers to someone's search for knowledge and understanding. Again, shouldn't this search for Truth be applied to the CRIME BLOTTER? 

And lastly, the editor/publisher/reporter calls her newspaper the "Tribune". A 'Tribune' is "a person who upholds or defends the rights of the people." What exactly is Ms. Menge upholding or defending when she is clearly misrepresenting crime in our City?

This is a weekly problem with Ms. Menge's newspaper. Read here about more "crime" in Lake Worth from another recent CRIME BLOTTER. 

Once again, the first issue of her 'newspaper' was distributed only 53 days before our Lake Worth municipal elections on March 10th. A coincidence? Any surprise who she will be endorsing on Friday, March 6th? 

Sneak Peek AGAIN! Marge Mange's Endorsement Issue already in print

When you're an advocate with an agenda it's never too early to get your "endorsement" out there. Marge Mange doesn't disappoint. As expected, she comes out strong for Commissioner McVoy and his position on lead batteries. And don't forget to have your vote counted! Is McVoy a God or a Saint? 

Will Lake Worth candidate Ryan Maier set the record straight tonight?

Ryan Maier has greatly exaggerated his City board experience on several occasions. Tonight, at the Candidate Forum, would be a good time to clarify his claims. Coming soon...was Ryan Maier ever the Vice President of the Downtown Jewel Neighborhood Association?

What a hoot from Jennifer Sorentrue at the Palm Beach Post!

You're not going to believe this. We all know how bad the winter is up North. However, the city of Ithaca, NY (home of Cornell University) has officially surrendered to Winter and is directing their readers to head South to Key West. Not kidding. This is what you see when you go to the Visit Ithaca tourism page!

On your way down, Ithacaians, watch for signs that say "Lake Worth". Have a nice trip and don't forget that ice scraper. We use those for building sandcastles on the beach. 

Also, Ithaca, New York is described as "centrally isolated" in the State of New York. Funny, we have a Lake Worth commissioner that went to Cornell University in Ithaca and he also happens to be "centrally isolated" in our city.

Let's examine: who is the Green candidate in the City of Lake Worth?

Here we have the "Landfill Test".* There will be continuing updates until election day on March 10. Here is a photo 20 minutes into the Landfill Test:

Note that Lake Worth City Commissioner John Szerdi's door hanger (left) is printed on stock paper with no laminate and is already in a serious state of decomposition after only 20 minutes. This door hanger sank to the bottom of the test pan and already is fraying. The door hanger was printed in the City of Lake Worth.  

Preliminary Landfill Test result for Commissioner John Szerdi's door hanger: PASS

Now let's examine the door hanger of candidate Ryan Maier. The door hanger floats and is covered with a laminate. Despite several attempts to immerse the door hanger continues to float and is showing no signs of decay. At the top right of Mr. Maier's door hanger you can see a sheen oozing from the door hanger into the test water. A sample was taken. This flyer was not printed in the City of Lake Worth. 

Preliminary Landfill Test result for candidate Ryan Maier's door hanger: POOR (LIKELY TO FAIL)

So, the Landfill Test in progress. Check back tomorrow for the test in progress.

*The Landfill Test explained: The Landfill Test is used to determine the likely environmental impact from a door hanger. A Green door hanger will decompose quickly while a polluting door hanger will clutter up landfill space and contains damaging chemicals that harm birds and obstruct the movement of mammals such as the Gopher Tortoise. The Landfill Test is conducted using a 11 by 15 inch metal oven pan, preferably Betty Crocker. The pan is 1 inch in depth. The water is City of Lake Worth tap water drawn and left in the air for 24 hours for all chlorine to dissipate. The subject door hangers were placed in the pan at the same time. The pan is kept out the sun and away from any draft. 

The real time and place for tonight's candidate forum...

This is a very important Candidate Forum. The Beach Club is at One 7th Ave North in Lake Worth. The weather will be wonderful and very much wish to see you there!

If you cannot make it tonight check back here tomorrow and I will have the meeting on video. 

Thank you for visiting my blog for information concerning the election this coming March 10th.

Lakeside Castle on Wednesday (2/18): fundraiser & rally for Lake Worth Commissioner John Szerdi

Image from GoogleMaps showing home location.

If you have never been inside the Lakeside Castle you don't know what you're missing. This is a historic home located in one of our historic districts. One of the many sparkles in the Jewell. Commissioner John Szerdi looks forward to seeing you there.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to a recent incident at an event for Lake Worth Commissioner John Szerdi we need to tweak the admittance policy for entry into the Lake Worth Castle. If you're asked to identify yourself and refuse you'll be asked to leave. Thank you.

Palm Beach is letting West Palm Beach know they are concerned

This story caught my eye this morning from Alese Kopf from the Palm Beach Daily News, aka The Shiny Sheet. From the article:

     The town may not be able—or want to—to oppose recent and future development activities in West Palm Beach, but officials have been directed to explore options. [emphasis in red]
     “Clearly it’s a concern, what’s going on on the other side of the bridge,” said Town Council President Michael Pucillo. “The question is, what can we do about it and how can we be helpful. I’d like to have further discussion about what we can and cannot do as a town.”
     Planning, Zoning and Building Director John Page was asked to fill in members of the council Wednesday on “the “magnitude” of ongoing development projects along the waterfront. He said he met with Rick Greene, his counterpart for the city, who identified 24 projects underway in the area.
     “Collectively, I see that those 24 downtown projects represent well over 2,000 dwelling units and over 900 hotel rooms,” Page said.

Very interesting article and I encourage everyone to read the entire article by Alese Kopf and draw your own conclusions. On an entirely different topic, the West Palm Beach municipal elections are only 23 days away, on March 10.

Have the Anarchists Cara Jennings and Peter Tsolkas given up on Lake Worth? Not by a long shot

The Anarchists are still very active in Lake Worth. Here is one of their recent events at the Quaker Meeting House, 823 North A St, here in Lake Worth:

Here is another gathering at the Quaker Meeting House:

And you thought we were done with Cara Jennings and her nonsense? Think again. 

Great Day! Coming to a door near you...

A great day for walking and knocking on doors. An open invitation from Commissioner John Szerdi, "Come outside and join us!"

Stealing Political Signs is a Crime and Political Signs are Your Right to Free Speech

On Wednesday, 2/11, I posted this to my blog about political signs being stolen in the little City of Lake Worth. These two were seen stealing political signs in our downtown:

This photo was taken with a phone and posted on Facebook. Although the image quality isn't good enough to positively identify them, the politically aware in town know who they are.

There are signs in our little City being monitored. Lake Worth Commissioner John Szerdi, for example, has formed a "sign stealing" network. One of these days they'll steal the wrong one. Or try.

Stealing political signs is a crime. If you see someone stealing a sign call PBSO on the non-emergency number: 561-688-3400. Then contact the campaign you support and ask for another one. If you support Commissioner John Szerdi for example, text 561-308-0364 and you'll get another ASAP.

The other, more troubling issue is this: political signs are Free Speech protected by the 1st Amendment. When your sign is stolen someone is taking away your American right to express your opinion and what you believe.

How many men and women have put their lives on the line to protect the rights afforded you under the Constitution of the United States? I don't know that number but do know it is a very high number of Americans.

Stealing political signs is not only a crime, it's un-American.

The anecdotal evidence suggests Lake Worth Commissioner John Szerdi's signs are the only signs being stolen. Something to ponder this election season in our little City of Lake Worth. 

What Commissioner McVoy will not tell you...

This video above is from his introduction at the South Palm Park Neighborhood Association Candidate Forum held last Wednesday at the Lake Worth Golf Course Clubhouse. There is another one at the same location hosted by the Parrot Cove Neighborhood Association tomorrow night, 2/16, at 7 p.m.

In his introduction, he talks about his first involvement in city politics and mentions he was part of a political action committee to prevent "commercial zoning" at the beach. What he doesn't tell you is that effort didn't change anything to the zoning or the land use at the beach. The same zoning and land use designation at the beach property (Beach and Casino District) on the books and in full force and effect today is the same zoning that he led the petition against. This new zoning designation was needed in order to allow ANY commercial use at the beach. The ultimate project that we see today COULD NOT HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED without the zoning and land use that he protested.

What it did end up doing was, along with another lawsuit at the time regarding the length of the lease for the Greater Bay project, was to delay any action. Other than improving the pool, Greater Bay was prevented from proceeding with their development plan. In the video below, Ms. Anderson claims that Greater Bay "made a mess of our pool." That is the same pool that I will be using later today and many say that it has never been in better shape.

Ms. Anderson's comments come at a time when the city was considering settling the Greater Bay lawsuit, which she and Commissioner McVoy were against. I guess they wanted to take the chance, by spending more money on attorneys than the $900,000 the city had already spent in defense of an indefensible lawsuit against Greater Bay, that the city could face up to a $20 million judgement: payable to Greater Bay. Here is Commissioner McVoy, the only Commissioner to vote "no" on the settlement, in defense of his vote.

The moral of the story here is that the very same people who support Commissioner McVoy and candidate Ryan Maier are the same ones that opened the door to spurious legal entanglements that this Commission is only now emerging from.

When all was said and done, the Greater Bay lawsuit cost the city $1.4 million to settle and nearly $1 million to defend. Far from being the White Knight that saved the city from commercialization of the beach, Commissioner McVoy was part of the group that wanted to take a chance (a gamble!) on a $20 million+ jury judgement in the matter. That was your taxpayer money at risk.

He also mentions his time on the Planning & Zoning Board. That period consisted of a total of three meetings that he attended before he resigned to run for a Cara Jennings' seat on the Commission. He was, and is, still supported by Cara and Company.

Reinforcements Coming! Lake Worth PBSO Haters get help from the New Times

Click title above for video from November 2010 when Lake Worth PBSO District 14 Captain Silva volunteered to go to Haiti and help after that devastating earthquake. Do you remember that video?

Screen grab from 2010 YouTube video

This story by Ray Downs at the New Times comes just in the nick of time for our Lake Worth PBSO Haters. With our municipal election only 23 days away they needed some help. When you read the story note the logical leaps and outright deception similar to a former writer at the New Times, Fire Ant.

Here is a sample from Ray Downs' "story":

In Haiti, anti-goverment [sic] protests have rocked the island nation over the past two months as thousands of people have taken to the streets over a wide range of issues, including delayed elections and high fuel prices. Often, Haitian police have fired tear gas to suppress the crowds, which gives the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office a direct link to the unrest in Haiti, because it donated some of the gas masks police wear [in 2010] when firing tear gas on protesters.

See now how journalism works at the New Times? This is a propaganda tactic called Affirming the Consequent. It works like this:

1. If P, then Q.
2. Q.
3. Therefore, P.

Now applied to Ray Downs' article in the New Times:

1. Haitian police are suppressing protesters with PBSO donated supplies.

2. PBSO donated supplies are helping the Haitian police suppress protests.

3. Therefore PBSO is engaged in the suppression of the Haitian people.

See how easy that is? This is the kind of "yellow journalism" the little City of Lake Worth has to put up with every election cycle. Make no mistake, this article by Ray Downs is specifically written to help a certain Lake Worth Commissioner and another Lake Worth candidate. No doubt about it. Should I name them?

Here is how Ray Downs ends his ridiculous article:

It's unclear how much crowd control gear PBSO has donated to the Haitian police force. PBSO did not comment on the volunteer effort.

Meanwhile, the tense situation in Haiti is expected to continue.

Amazing, how did this get article get past the news editors at the New Times?

This just in from the Neighborhood Association President's Council...

The Lake Worth Neighborhood Association Presidents Council is in the process of organizing a Candidate Forum to be held at the Lake Worth Playhouse before the March 10th election. The very nano-second that the details are confirmed, an announcement will be made here on the NAPC Facebook page, the NAPC website and emails will be sent to every NAPC President or delegated NAPC representative with information to share with all their Association Members. Thank You for your patience and understanding. Join and support the Neighborhood Association that serves your neighborhood!

Lake Worth Candidate Forum tomorrow; NOTE CORRECTION BELOW, 'editor' mis-reports forum location

Lake Worth's Best Local Newspaper?

As soon as I got my free newspaper (you get what you pay for) right away saw three errors in Margaret Menge's newspaper. I haven't even gotten to page 2 yet. 

Error #1: The Parrot Cove Neighborhood Association Candidates Forum IS NOT at Believer's Victory Church on Monday, 2/16. It will be held at the Beach Club/Lake Worth Municipal Golf Course, at 1 7th Ave North.

Error #2: Parrot Cove is not hosting the Candidate Forum on Monday, 2/23. The Bryant Park Neighborhood Association is. 

Error #3: "Bradley's Beach Club" is now called simply The Beach Club. Margaret should know that too. 

Fact-checking Margaret Menge's newspaper takes quite a lot of work. If anyone would like to help please email me. 

How many people will miss this important Candidate Forum on Monday, 2/16 due to Margaret Menge's sloppiness?