The Progressive Contrarian asks: "Is Chipotle anti-GMO’s worst nightmare?"

'The Progressive Contrarian' is a fella named Bernie Mooney. Somehow I came across his blog a while back and think it had something to do with Mike Adams, but I'm not sure. He has an entertaining twist on things and his way with words can be a little, well, "harsh" is the word that comes to mind. But he has his opinions and is not shy sharing them.

Here is a recent post of his about Chipotle that I thought you might find educational and a bit entertaining:

Earlier this month I wrote this: mainstream media has been casting a much more skeptical eye and various lefty/green writers have either changed their minds or at least taking less strident anti stances and are willing to be a little more open-minded. 

Then came Chipotle’s major announcement of their decision to jettison GMO “ingredients.” All of a sudden, the cracks in the dam widened. The media jumped all over Chipotle. Here a few examples:

• L.A. Times: Chipotle’s junk science on GMOS
• Washington Post: Chipotle’s GMO gimmick is hard to swallow
• Gizmodo: Chipotle’s Anti-GMO Stance Is Some Anti-Science Pandering Bullshit
• NPR: Why We Can’t Take Chipotle’s GMO Announcement All That Seriously
• Mother Jones: Chipotle Says It’s Getting Rid of GMOs. Here’s the Problem.

The GMO worm seems to be turning, slowly, but still changing direction. When sites like Gizmodo weigh in, something’s happening.

What’s good about it is that it may have an effect on the average Joe and Josefina, who only hear the loudest and the nuttiest.

Mr. Mooney can't be more right. When NPR, Mother Jones, and Gizmodo are skeptical of Chipotle's move on GMO's it's fair to say they have a little PR problem.

AnnaMaria on the Lake Worth Crime Walk with PBSO yesterday (Sunday 5/17)

Here is how AnnaMaria starts off her report on the events yesterday at the Crime Walk with PBSO:

It should not come as a surprise that you see certain people in my blog repeatedly. No I do not play favorites. It just happens they are visible and in the front and center of doing things that need to get done.

Well put, AnnaMaria. Here is her report from the Crime Walk with a narrative and some excellent pictures. Great Job!

Here's a picture snagged from Facebook.

Alligator Alley under construction c 1965

Photo Unattributed

Katie McGiveron Loves the City of Lake Worth

Commissioner Ryan Maier: On the Job Training (OJT) or Grandstanding on the Dais?

Maier begins by asking the City Manager Michael Bornstein a very complicated question about city staffing and why is the City's utility not capable of producing a highly technical audit. This is from the City's workshop vis-à-vis the Siemens performance contract being considered.

The city manager explains it all very well and makes mention of the staff/time needed to produce an audit; there isn't the City staff available for that (That's why City's hire consultants). At the 1:00 mark Bornstein explains why outside experts are needed for the technical issues related to solar energy generation and things like LED lights (an evolving technology), and the expertise needed to understand these complex issues.

At the 2:30 mark it's as if Maier didn't hear a word the city manager said. Bornstein says at one point, "Does that make sense?" And Maier responds, "It does make sense what you're saying, but. . ." After Maier finishes his question there's a 10-second pause. I wasn't at that meeting but was told most in the city chambers, including some on the dais, were incredulous. Maier asked a question that really had no answer and maybe that was the point. However, the city manager went on to explain the "end product is something we can rely on."

Starting at the 4:30 mark to the end of this video Bornstein tries again to answer Maier's question. He sounds like a grade school teacher explaining civics to a young child. Now you can see why Bornstein is such a great city manager; he doesn't lose control or get angry in any way. He's got a job to do and he does it well.

Tomorrow or Tuesday will have a segment from Commissioner McVoy. This will explain Maier's reference to a "prius". McVoy struggles with his "save the environment" side and his scientific "pragmatic" side; oddly enough, it actually makes sense. So stay tuned for the "old Hummer" versus the "new Prius".

And guess what else was discussed at that City meeting? Yet another problem left over from a previous city commission:

Walk with Neighbors and PBSO (Lake Worth's Crime Walk #2)—TODAY at 4:30

Hello All,

I wanted to personally invite you all to the Walk with PBSO and Neighbors this Sunday afternoon, May 17th.  We are meeting at 4:30 at South Grade Elementary and will walk at 5 pm for about an hour through Pineapple Beach neighborhood. We will have the Make the Call cards to hand out and hope to engage the neighbors in making the call to PBSO if they see anything suspicious in their neighborhoods.  

I hope to see you there!

Best,

Tammy Pansa
401-465-4676
Member of Mango Groves Neighborhood Association

In case you are wondering where the overall proposal for the Beach and Casino property can be seen...

About some of the specifics of the proposal Hudson Holdings made to the city, here is a summary of some of the amenities, rates and commitments made by the owner of the Gulfstream in relation to the City's Casino building and pool operations. This information is impossible to find on-line, but it is public information as it was considered and discussed by the ITN Selection Committee.

In response to the questions and refinements requested by the Committee, the last proposal from Hudson Holdings included a new junior Olympic pool that is “L-shaped” so lap swimmers can use the pool at the same time as a water exercise class or a swim class. This is something you cannot do now. The existing pool has the capacity of 312 persons…at most there is about 50 on the weekend so a “smaller new high-tech and 'efficient to heat and treat' pool” would save lots of money and be able to be open for 60 hours a week as opposed to the 29 hours a week now. The city cannot afford to keep the pool open to the public for more than 29 hours a week. Tuesdays and Wednesdays the pool is closed to the public due to the ECAC swim team agreement. Which, if you think about it, is its own private "club."

Last week, while in the pool, I was reminded about the amount of caustic chemicals the city uses on the existing large pool that relies on 1970s technology. From the west side of the pool came a call from the head lifeguard, "I have a big shipment of acid coming this afternoon, so we have to clear the way for that." There are other techniques and technologies available now to treat water that are better for swimmers and the environment than existed at the time the current pool was built. Silver nitrate, ozone, etc., which all have their drawbacks, but a new pool would be the time to examine the alternatives.

There is also a kiddie pool proposed at the junior Olympic pool as well as one at the cabana club pool area. The existing Kiddie Pool is there, but has been empty for the last two years. Under the Hudson Holdings proposal group events could use the pool as well (weddings and receptions). Some could occur in the evening. That grassy area just to the west of the Casino building is where the original casino pool was and it can be a true community pool and gathering area once again, possibly. This area was left out the first go around with the newly 'restored' Casino building.

Here is a post card showing the earlier location of the pool behind the Casino building:

Early view of the Lake Worth Casino Building with pool in back of building. At the time this was a salt water pool.

Rates for the Cabana Pool "Club":

Yesterday, I shared the rates for the City's golf course memberships, along with the proposed rates for the Cabana Club concept at the beach. This would not apply to the Junior Olympic pool that would replace the large pool that has a capacity of 312 people. It would simply provide more shaded area around another set of pools that individuals, families and groups could gather, and not interfere with lap swimmers and other recreational swimmers. Public access would remain "as is" for all other areas of the property. The only "member" area would be the relatively smaller portion of space at the southern edge of the building, next to its own set of two pools.

The other benefits are 1) covered ADA vehicle entry if the weather is bad for events; 2) the garage will have an elevator for people parking on the lower lot to get up to the beach level without needing stairs; 3) the local beach businesses would have more customers during the week and off-season from the conferences and additional events that the complex can accommodate; 4) there would be a shuttle from the new parking garage at the Gulfstream Hotel that guest and others can ride to the beach and to the east end of downtown; 5) downtown businesses would benefit from the hotel bringing in conference guests during the week and off-season too; 6) the city could pay off the $6 million debt it has not paid back to the taxpayers; 7) the expanded complex would bring in some extra money for the city to add another lifeguard during peak hours; and 8) adding over 100 new parking spaces to the 623 at the beach now.

Here are some of the plans that show these details, especially how the single deck of parking above the at-grade parking helps address ADA accessibility issues. Also notice the covered drop-off west of the existing pool which leads to an area with two elevators to get to the upper level of the eastern side of the property.

Chart showing square footage and types of uses by level:

First floor area of new building south of Casino building:

Parking is the area shaded light green and consists of a one level parking deck over an at-grade parking lot.

Second level "Party Room" that would be at the same level as the existing Casino Ballroom.

The existing property and Casino building is a mess because of the same people who screwed it up the first time and who are against anything coming in to fix the problems. Don't expect this to be what we hear from the public during the workshop on Tuesday night.

From Jennifer Sorentrue: "Why you might see more tourists from Orlando [Miami and Atlanta] this summer"

If you visit this blog with any regularity you know I'm a big fan of VisitFlorida, Discover the Palm Beaches, and other tourism efforts for Palm Beach County in particular. The 'off-season' for too long has been the sound of a door slamming shut for hotels, restaurants, and retail. Remember walking into my favorite bike shop with the long line of rental bikes and seeing long faces, 'the season' was over. But does it have to be that way?

During the summer months our good friends in Atlanta, Orlando, and Miami are hot too. However you can be hot somewhere else just a few hours away (need we talk about All Aboard Florida?). Even though Lake Worth doesn't have one single solitary large hotel to speak of we do have that artist vibe that tourists will be attracted to and other cool stuff too. 

Jennifer Sorentrue reports on an "out of the box" effort to attract tourists here from Miami, Orlando, and Atlanta with 30-second TV commercials. Here's an excerpt from the article:

     As Florida’s tourism season enters its slower summer months, local tourism leaders on Thursday unveiled a new marketing campaign designed to persuade visitors within driving distance of Palm Beach County to hop in the car and come here. [emphasis added]
     Discover The Palm Beaches, the county’s tourism marketing arm, will launch three new television commercials next week targeting travelers in Miami, Orlando and Atlanta. The cleverly worded commercials touch on the downside of big city living — Orlando’s busy theme parks; Miami’s bustling business districts; and Atlanta’s congested highways and bump-to-bumper traffic jams.
     “We are great admirers of these great cities,” said Jorge Pesquera, Discover’s president and CEO. “But there is something to be said about playing on these issues.”
     The 30-second commercial aimed at Orlando-area residents begins with images of crowded tourist districts.
     “When the whole world comes to your town for summer vacation, where do you go to get away?” a woman’s voice asks, before the video jumps to footage of a couple relaxing in Adirondack chairs on a secluded beach.

Very clever. Oh, and by the way, here is the link to the Lake Worth VisitFlorida page. Here's my contribution to the Lake Worth tourism page:

Protest against PBSO in Lake Worth last November

You can read about that protest here. Former Lake Worth Commissioner Cara Jennings was there. EarthFirst! leader (?) Peter Tsolkas was there too and so were a lot of other people you might recognize. If you remember, for a few days, yours truly caught hell for posting these pictures on my blog. They claimed I was trying to ruin their message from the protest. Did nothing of the sort. It was their signs at the protest. Period. If this demonstrates anything it's the importance of controlling your message. 

The Official T-Shirt for the Great American Raft Race on July 4th (available June 5th)

You can find more information about this at the Lake Worth Neighborhood Association Presidents Council (NAPC). This years theme is Reading Is Fun (RIF). The question remains, who is going to choose Pinkie Pie Throws A Party! as their theme this year?

Proposed versus existing elevation of building south of existing Casino building...

And, if you have the stomach for it, I invite you to tour the locker rooms and bathrooms in this building above (the current building in front of the municipal pool). Dingy (pronounced "din-gee") is a kind description.

The Unforeseen Consequence of the Recent ITN Process at "THE BEACH!" in Lake Worth

The images below are from The Other Blogger's (TOB's) unhinged blog. You'll note she relies heavily on her readers to do research for her and fact-check what she writes. 

Whatever you personal thoughts on the recent Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) process there was one very big unforeseen consequence: people started asking, "How did we get to this point in the first place?" The ITN process exposed that. Focusing on the just the building, it was the decision to reject the Johnny Longboats proposal that was the most egregious of all. Johnny Longboats proposed a two-story restaurant (imagine that!) but that was rejected for being 'TOO COMMERCIAL'. The second floor is still empty; how many years now?

TOB has called the commission responsible for the 'restored' Casino building the Best Commission Ever and the community took to calling it the BCE for short. TOB has been carrying the water for the BCE for a long time. As you read below you can see how difficult the effort by TOB has become:

The restaurant TOB refers to moved from their "second floor location" 20 years ago. And, Ms. TOB, the building that Cafe L'Europe was in is the Esplanade and is at the corner of Worth Avenue and South County Road. Esperante is the tall, white office building with the green roof in downtown West Palm Beach. 

[Personal invitation to TOB: How about you and I hop in my jalopy and I can give you a tour of Palm Beach and West Palm Beach. Just to show you the highlights. Apparently, you don't get out much. We can even stop for a slice of pizza at Pizza Girl's—I'll show you where that is and then we can run barefoot through the fountain at the end of Clematis Street. You won't believe what charms await "across the border."]

And one last thing, if a restaurant were to open a location on the second floor of the Casino guess what happens when you sit down to eat? You can't see the ocean. Isn't that the appeal of going to an oceanside restaurant? Instead of reinforced railings they constructed cheaper walls that obstruct the view. More "value engineering". Who made these decisions?

They looked so happy back then. How about a new group picture, a current one? How many of the people shown do you think will show up?

It turned out to be "Mission Impossible", for all of us

Public Comment from May 5, 2015 City Commission meeting...

I discovered that this hasn't been posted in full from the last City Commission meeting. It was the first regular meeting this month and we are quickly approaching the second regular meeting this coming Tuesday May 19, 2015. It will be followed by a workshop on the ITN selection committee recommendations about the Casino building and surrounding property. Individual members of the public will be able to offer their comments on the recommendation for three, rather than the usual two minutes.

The surprise of this section of the May 5th meeting is that the Mayor curtailed the response by Commissioners to individual public comments. These series of comments include those previously posted from former Commissioner JoAnn Golden. With these particular comments, you can sense the umbilical cord that runs between Ms. Golden and Commissioner Maier and the source of the words coming out of our new Commissioner.

An 'elegant' City resident makes reference to the "super Ape"—we still have a very long way to go

This is an actual Facebook post that has since been deleted. The author lost her job in real estate due to this activity and she is quite offended by that. Most residents of the City are also offended, but for an entirely different reason. Our apologies Mr. President.

Official White House photograph of our 44th and current President, Barack Obama.