Some pics of the crowd and TOB from last night's City Commission meeting (5/19/15)

TOB (The Other Blogger) taking pictures

Videos Soon!

[UPDATE] Some Interesting Facts About Our Lovely Lake Worth Casino Building at "THE BEACH!"

[It wasn't a good night (last night, 5/19) for JoAnn Golden, Cara Jennings and Commissioner McVoy. They conceded that their Casino building is a complete mess. But they're blaming the builder now; there's just one problem with that: by doing that they admit they dropped the ball not having a City representative oversee what the architect and construction company was doing. Stay tuned on this one. All week I'll have videos, facts, and commentary on what happened last night. What Cara Jennings said last night is a bombshell, to put it mildly (she apparently has this "thing" for audited numbers, which wasn't very important during her time on the dais. The City didn't have an internal auditor on her watch. She also championed the "save the building" mantra which led to the 'smaller building' —not due to it being what the "people" wanted). Video shortly.]

Now proceed to read how truly a mess our precious Casino building at "THE BEACH!" really is:

Share this with your friends and neighbors!

• The original Request for Proposal (RFP) was a "remodel" of a 2nd floor ballroom covering one-half (50%) of the ground floor (shops and John G's restaurant [now in Manalapan])
• There was no commission approval to expand the RFP scope to include a 2nd floor covering 100% of the ground floor (shops and restaurant)
• Adding 33% to the project size within the $6 million budget was unrealistic and created major deficiencies: quality and functionality
• The whole project was premised on "saving the building." The building was 94% demolished
• Virtually all "Green Environmental" amenities were eliminated, including pilings to protect the building against storm surge (and sea level rise which is a concern for many), against an untested seawall
• The original rainwater collection system was eliminated; and designs changes were not done to allow for that function in the future. Remember the continual mention of a "cistern system"?
• Acoustic treatments, event office space, and additional storage were eliminated from the final plans
• The Ballroom built-in wiring for video and sound access/convenience were eliminated. (In fact, the ballroom, kitchen and bathrooms on the second floor are all on one circuit. People are advised not to bring blenders to events since using them has been known to blackout the entire second floor during an event)
• The exterior balconies have poor/reversed drainage causing water to flow towards the second floor rooms resulting in flooding during heavy rain events (like a hurricane, tropical storm or thunderstorm)
• Inferior doors and windows allow water intrusion along with rusting and corroding hardware
• Rainwater from the roof and balconies drains directly onto the sidewalk over any pedestrians that happen to be nearby (such as when waiting for a pickup or making a delivery [for which there is no designated space])
• Rainwater draining off the roof and balconies damages the awnings, produces mold (particularly on the decorative cast stone), and creates more building maintenance issues
• Removal of a water booster pump to get pressure to 2nd floor fire sprinklers was eliminated. The City then had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to increase the main water line loop around entire beach site. Then larger water meters were installed incurring additional monthly charges. Cost was passed onto site work budget. Water comes from the Palm Beach water system which is West Palm Beach water
• Air conditioning of exterior covered walkways, elevators, and stairs was eliminated. This would have protected the interior of the structure from corrosive salt water (and protected visitors from hot temperatures and inclement weather)
• The eliminated amenities, or "value engineering" if you like, reduced the cost but resulted in lower lease rates, event rates, and contributed greatly to un-leased second floor space

Who was responsible for this? See image below:

Note that the Lake Worth Casino building is not "failing". As we learned from the recent Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) process, the Casino business plan is a CONFIRMED FAILURE.

PBSO (Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office)—‎Shooting‬ in Lake Worth

Deputies responded to a shooting in the 1500 block of Railroad Ave in the City of Lake Worth, When they arrived they found a black male shot. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue responded, treated and transported the male to a local hospital where he is expected to survive.

Detectives and crime scene investigators responded to the scene to investigate further.

No known motive to this shooting, at this time. Witnesses advised deputies that a black male, wearing a white hoody, was seen running from the area.

If anyone has information about this shooting they are urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS.

Time: 1:15 am

Location: 1500 block of Railroad Ave, Lake Worth

This is splendid—Wedded couple have pictures taken with art in Lake Worth as the backdrop

Meet newlyweds Anthony & McKenzie Perkins married on the Lake Worth beach, April 30, 2015.

According to McKenzie, "We specifically chose the shuffleboard courts for our '1st look' because of how graphically beautiful it is! We would love to share on your blog! We both own a home in Lake Worth & I own MJ Makeup Artistry on Dixie Hwy."

So, here is the beautiful new couple celebrating in front of our creative murals, along with a bit of the ceremony on the beach and on the pier. It is nice to see the murals on the shuffleboard court building achieving equal status with our iconic beach amenities.

In front of 1000 Lake Avenue

Congratulations to the new couple and we wish you the best as you start your lives together. Thank you for celebrating Lake Worth with us!

Photography by Chris Kruger Photography

[REDUX] Marge Mange's Tabloid is FOR SALE! Mange Failed to Find Common Ground (no 's') in City?

So much going on and Mange's latest went unnoticed in the City of Lake Worth. She's FOR SALE!

Remember reason City of Lake Worth is having this work session tonight: cleaning up a mess by JoAnn Golden et al

JoAnn Golden, her fellow elected officials, City Manager Susan Stanton, and their staff IN A PREVIOUS CITY COMMISSION are the ones that saddled our City with this mess.

Don't forget that. They'll try desperately to place the blame on others tonight. However, it was their terrible decisions and miscalculations that put us in this terrible mess.

Now it's up to City Manager Michael Bornstein, Mayor Pam Triolo and her fellow elected officials and staff to find a way to fix the failed Casino complex.

It's as simple as that. The silly red signs are just a distraction from the real issue. Don't fall for it.

Random thoughts: the media and PBSO

Last November there was a protest in Lake Worth against PBSO and many from the media were there. The protest details were kept from the public until only a few hours prior; a reader of my blog stumbled on news of the protest and sent me the details. I posted the information on my blog at about 10:00 a.m., 7 hours prior to the event.

From memory, here are the media I recall that day at the protest:

• Palm Beach Post reporter John Lantigua
• NBC5/WPTV's Katie LaGrone
• CBS12/WPEC (don't recall reporter)
• A Spanish TV station reporter
• A reporter from the Broward New Times
• Various photographers and independent reporters

Now contrast that with last Sunday's Crime Walk with PBSO, an event by the community in support of PBSO, what media showed up?

• The Lake Worth Herald

The media was given notice of the Crime Walk at least 5 days prior to the event. How do I know that? Because I let them know and so did others. And none of them showed up.

If former Lake Worth Commissioner Cara Jennings calls the media on any given day at 10:00 in the morning and tells them of a protest at 5:00 p.m. in Lake Worth AGAINST PBSO you know a WPTV news van will be there and so will a Palm Beach Post reporter. It's a given.

What are we to conclude from this? Draw your own conclusions. What I do know is this: Tammy Pansa and others worked so incredibly hard to make this Crime Walk happen and the "mainstream media" in Palm Beach County couldn't give a damn. But get a handful of malcontents with a grudge against PBSO and the media can't get to the scene fast enough. They'll leave vapor trails.

Is it different in other areas in Palm Beach County or is this just a 'Lake Worth thing'? Don't know. Thankfully our City has The Lake Worth Herald; were it not for them in the media's eyes it's like the Crime Walk with PBSO never happened.

Reminder for the workshop tonight: The City can't just sell "THE BEACH"!

Click on image for larger version.

Mango Meeting Thursday

Hello Mangos,

There will be a Mango Meeting Thursday, 7p at Southshores May 21. Mainly social, but we will have a PBSO update, talk about our raft, and discuss a pick for our next featured home. Please email us if you have any suggestions... It could be a garden, the yard, some special work on the house, or anything special that would make that house a "Pick of the Crop"!

Also this Thursday one of our Mangos, Aidana is dancing the Tango at Don Ramon's up on Dixie, just north of town, in WPB. It will be a great night I hope a few can make it!

Finally, for all those interested in what may happen up at the beach, please join the city commission for a workshop, to be held this evening, Tues, May 19th, after the regular mtg, which starts at 6p. An agenda and information can be found online at http://www.lakeworth.org/city-hall/agendas/  or posted at City Hall.

Post's Lake Worth Beat Reporter Kevin D. Thompson: "What’s going down at tonight’s Lake Worth City Commission meeting"

Click title for link to an article released today about tonight's City Commission meeting. It is oddly accompanied by a picture of the Gulfstream Hotel, which isn't on the agenda and it isn't part of the workshop that follows on the beach proposals/ITN committee recommendations. Here is part of what he reports:

     Immediately following the regular meeting, there will be a City Commission work session where the fortunes of the city’s beachside casino and pool complex will be discussed.
     Since the casino reopened in 2012, the city has been trying to figure out how to fill the vacant space. While some residents embrace the idea of a $15 million expansion by a local developer, others in this artsy town don’t want to see a big developer coming in and messing with the city’s hipster vibe.
     Stay tuned….

So, ride your "fixie" to the meeting tonight to hear more. Here is what some of the more hip of us will be wearing:

And my crack research team has concluded that there is no relation between the Palm Beach Post reporter Kevin D. Thompson and Margaret Menge's World-renowned food critic Joseph Thompson III.

Hudson Holdings maintained at the Bryant Park neighborhood meeting that the hotel could go forward without the beach portion of their development plan. However, the potential synergy between the two should not be ignored.

From the SFWMD: Everglades restoration work (interactive map)

Screen grab of Interactive Map showing Everglades restoration projects.

You would think that the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) destroyed the Everglades last week and you would be very mistaken. Full page ads by the Everglades Foundation, a "death mermaid", and eco-theater like dropping quarters in a bucket (trivializing $700 million in taxpayer dollars) can do that to people. The truth is that much work has been done, is being done and more work is planned in the future for the Everglades. 

SFWMD just released an interactive map showing what's being done for the Everglades, you can see that map here and scroll over the projects for additional information. Here is a short statement from SFWMD:

     America's Everglades was once a vibrant, free-flowing River of Grass, extending from the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes near Orlando to the southern tip of the peninsula at Florida Bay. Over time, significant development allowed for population and economic growth. The construction of canals and water control structures, along with increased water needs due to urban and agricultural expansion, also contributed to unintended environmental consequences.
     Recognizing that a healthy ecosystem is vital to a healthy economy, a number of initiatives are underway to improve water quality, increase water storage and re-establish more historic flows.

Remember, in addition to the current work being done for Everglades restoration, the supporters of the "land buy" wanted to spend an additional $700 million to start and then another $2 billion+ to build a reservoir. 

Wise words about "shared respect" and its role in the democratic process. . .

Remember Amnesty Week—Prepare for Hurricane Season

Lake Worth: Be on your best behavior today, we have a guest visiting

State Representative Lori Berman will be giving our City a legislative update today and we don't want to have a repeat of what happened in Greenacres. Here is what The Palm Beach Post reporter Kevin D. Thompson wrote about Representative Berman's visit to a Greenacres city commission meeting last week:

After the meeting, several members said they were embarrassed that Rep. Lori Berman, D-Delray Beach, was in the audience to witness the display.

So if you feel like you're going to lose control and act like an idiot, do what Peter Timm did:

Put a piece of tape over your mouth. Or act normal for a few minutes. If you think embarrassing our City is going to aid your cause in some way, think again. It's not. 

Here is State Representative Lori Berman's picture and biography from Wikipedia:

I look forward to your visit tomorrow Representative Berman and hope my City treats you well, respectfully and with grace and charm. 

Video: Lake Worth Commissioner McVoy on City's Electric Utility: the Hummer vs. the Prius

This has to do with the City's work session on 5/12 vis-à-vis the discussion on the Siemen's proposed performance contract to fix the City's street lights, reduce energy consumption, maintenance, inventory, etc.

McVoy (in the video below) is looking at a graph supplied by Siemens and applies an analogy that he believes sums up the data: he uses the "Hummer" (the current City status) versus the "Prius" (what Siemens is proposing to do for the City). On the face of it sounds ridiculous but it's actually not. City Manager Michael Bornstein, in the video below, emphasizes (at the 1:50 mark) that the analogy has to specify, "It's not a new Hummer."

The video is only 2:30 long and is a decent analogy going forward. Even McVoy acknowledges in a joking way how terrible the situation is concerning the street lights in the City and Bornstein jokingly responds, "You and I need to talk."

Despite the analogy of an 'old beat up Hummer' and a 'Prius' the reality is a lot of work needs to be done to make our neighborhoods safer and street lighting is an integral part of that. There are way too many dark streets in our City; it's a safety and quality-of-life issue for many City residents. You don't want to miss Bornstein's reference to "Fred Flintstone" at the end of the video.

The entire meeting on 5/12 lasted a little over an hour and there was not one single reference to "Dark Skies", rising sea levels, or Climate Change. Simply an observation.