City of West Palm Beach considering dedicated bike lanes on Flagler Drive

From West Palm Beach's website:

October 27, 2015
(West Palm Beach, FL) – What do you think about the idea of having separate, dedicated bike lanes along Flagler Drive?
      The city is looking at the idea of making a stretch of Flagler Drive the first roadway in the city to have separate, bike-only lanes.
      The portion of Flagler Drive being considered is from Lakeview Avenue to Banyan Boulevard.
      There are four driving lanes along that stretch – two northbound and two southbound.
      The idea is to redesign the road so there are two driving lanes – one northbound and one southbound. The remaining space would be converted into separate, dedicated bike lanes.
     Traffic engineers are hoping to have some preliminary research done by the end of the year.
     The project is the latest example of how the city is making major improvements to shift the focus away from cars and more towards alternative methods of transportation.

West Palm Beach Mayor Muoio and the DDA's Raphael Clemente recently returned from a trip to Copenhagen on a grant from the Knight Foundation to learn more about sustainable, walkable, and bikeable cities. Here is a short blog post from October 6th about that. At the 1:03 mark on the video below you see them in their Winter finest with Copenhagen in the background.

Warning: For those of you frightened or disturbed by tall buildings DO NOT WATCH this video. 

AP: "Ole Miss removes Mississippi flag with Confederate emblem" [and what's with the editors at the Palm Beach Post?]

[UPDATE: The full response by Florida State Senator Arthenia Joyner to the Palm Beach Post editorial board on the Confederate battle flag issue is in the paragraph below the excerpt from the AP. Note that Senator Joyner is also the Democrat leader in the Florida Senate. Suffice to say she is very unhappy with the Post editorial board.]

Emily Wagster Pettus at the Associated Press has this article subtitled, "It [Confederate battle flag] was undermining diversity efforts, said student and faculty." Here is a short excerpt:

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — The University of Mississippi quietly pulled down the state flag on Monday, deciding that the 121-year-old banner's Confederate battle emblem sends a harmful message in this age of diversity.
     Acting under the order of Interim Chancellor Morris Stocks, three campus police officers furled the flag before most students were awake, taking it down from a circle of honor between the white-columned administration building and a marble statue of a saluting Confederate soldier.

Inexplicably, in another recent development The Palm Beach Post editorial board supports keeping the Confederate battle flag on the Florida Senate Seal. Florida Senator Arthenia Joyner, who is also the Democrat leader in the Senate, disagreed strongly with them and let them know it in the strongest possible terms:

     Contrary to your assertions, my intention in stripping the rebel flag from that seal was not to erase a portion of Florida's slave history. Like the memories of my father shielding us from the Klu Klux Klan sweeping through our neighborhood when I was a child, that history can never be erased, nor should it be. [emphasis added]
     But as my colleague, state Sen. Darren Soto, so eloquently stated: "We can't revise history and choose which moments to forget. But we can choose what we highlight in our seal, and what is just and right."

If you want to learn more about the Confederate flag (the "stars and bars) and the "Southern Cross" use this link.

Former Lake Worth City Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill WINS! Rules loosened for development in Ag Reserve

Here is the article from Post reporter Wayne Washington. Drew Martin is quoted in the article and he is not happy and would guess neither is Lake Worth Commissioner Ryan Maier but he doesn't know where the Ag Reserve is so it doesn't really matter.

In retrospect this is all so hard to believe: former Commissioner Mulvehill, the champion of resiliency, sustainability, anti-development, etc. while a city commissioner in Lake Worth became the Chair of the Forced to Farm PAC that was organized to loosen regulations on land development in the Ag Reserve. Try to wrap your head around that one.

Here is the Forced to Farm website. When you go through the site you learn there are many misconceptions about the Ag Reserve, like this one:

You might remember that Suzanne Mulvehill, when she was campaigning for elected office in Lake Worth, had some supporters you might recognize:

Vote for "Positive Change".

From Vox: "America’s biggest gun problem is the one we never discuss"

The video by Vox (below) will be very disturbing for many. First, if you know anyone who may be contemplating suicide call 911. There is also the Mental Health Association of PBC and many other resources available. Here is an excerpt from the story by Vox on the biggest problem with guns in the U.S. that "we never discuss":

     Guns killed 33,636 people in the United States in 2013. But while homicides and mass shootings dominate the headlines, nearly two-thirds of those deaths — 21,175 — were suicides. That's the real gun problem in the US, and we barely ever talk about it.
     The idea that limiting access to guns could reduce suicides gets a lot of resistance from folks who question whether the method of suicide actually matters. Won't people who really want to kill themselves do it anyway, after all?
     The video [below] explains just how serious our gun suicide problem is, why the means of suicide really do matter, and how gun control measures can help.

Woodspring Suites Hotel in Lake Worth—Job Fair (2171 10th Ave, Lake Worth, FL)

***Woodspring Suites Hotel Lake Worth Career Fair*** 

Where: Woodspring Suites

2171 10th Ave N, Lake Worth, FL 33461

Just west of I-95 across from Wayne Acres Ford

When: 

Thursday, October 29, 2015 AND Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Time:

Open interviews 7 am–10 am or 2 pm–6 pm

The brand new Woodspring Suites Hotel in Lake Worth, FL will be hosting a Career Fair and conducting open interviews for ALL hotel positions. Qualified candidates may also be HIRED on the spot!

[ANOTHER LOOK] Kim Davis and her attorneys angry and "red all over" mad at factual news report in the Associated Press

Kim Davis and her attorney, Mat Staver of the Liberty Council, are angry over this AP story labeling his Liberty Council a "hate group". Here is a link to the Southern Poverty Law Center's page on Mat Staver.

Curiously enough and completely off topic, here is a video of Lake Worth, FL's own Southern Baptist 'pastor' Mike Olive with Mat Staver while engaged in his 'War on Religion' in the City (you'll see him starting at the 1:30 mark in the video):
Now back on topic, The Advocate has this article about the story in the AP datelined October 21st, an excerpt:

     Claire Galofaro, a correspondent for the Associated Press, reported October 4 that the label was applied to the law firm by the Southern Poverty Law Center. SPLC defends that label on its website with dozens of examples of antigay positions, statements, and cases, and calls Liberty Counsel “a legal organization advocating for anti-LGBT discrimination under the guise of religious liberty.” [emphasis added]
     Now, according to a report by watchdog group Media Matters, Liberty Counsel is demanding the AP permanently delete the report and accuses the wire service of putting the lives of Davis and Liberty Counsel staff at risk, saying death threats have come in.

[and. . .]

     At press time, there was no confirmation of any death threats against Liberty Counsel being reported to Orlando police.

It would be interesting to get a comment about this situation from someone at the "Common Ground" (no 's') church here in Lake Worth. The Palm Beach Post recently had an article about them you might find interesting.

[By Request . . . ] Former Lake Worth Commissioner JoAnn Golden said, "Hopefully my public comment won't be commented on publicly. . .

. . .because I didn't think that's what public comments were about."

So we're to conclude that public comment is to be made but not heard? Then what is the purpose of public comment? This brilliant statement by Golden was uttered at a Lake Worth city commission meeting on 9/23. You can hear it for yourself at the 20 second mark in the video below:

Golden also makes a claim about there being no public comment on the budget that is debunked by Peggy Fisher (you can see that for yourself at the 1:25 mark on the video; later in her comments she references Commissioner McVoy's failed effort to raise the City's electric rates).

But getting back to Golden, public comment is public and to suggest otherwise is jabber. She might still be smarting from her appearance at the city commission meeting on Tuesday 9/1. At the 1:20 mark in the video below she states that if refugees landed on our Lake Worth beach she believes your response as a City resident would be to "probably take out guns and get rid of 'em". Not kidding.
Very charming, isn't it? And note in the video she makes reference to 'toning down the rhetoric' or something like that. Makes me wonder if she's looked in a mirror any time recently.

From last Tuesday's (10/20) City of Lake Worth Commission meeting: Presentations

The four videos above are in a playlist. In the top, left corner you'll see "1/4". Click on that icon and you can choose which video to watch.

Video 1: Declaration of Customer Service Month.
Video 2: Florida Food and Farm recognition.
Video 3: John Pickett and the College Park Neighborhood Assoc. update. The Mary Lindsey was recognized for her spectacular efforts in our City.
Video 4 (this is a must-watch!): Phil Materio, the president of the Tropical Ridge Neighborhood Assoc. talks about their outreach to the Guatemalan community, their crime watch efforts, the partnership with code enforcement, and a clever way they came up with to keep the streets clear of trash and debris. Please share this video with your neighbors. Great job, Tropical Ridge!

To learn more about the Neighborhood Assoc. Presidents Council (NAPC) use this link and here is their Facebook page.

From the Shiny Sheet: Chamber of Commerce wants to gauge the quality of life in Town of Palm Beach (33480)

There's one resident in the town they might want to think twice about including in the survey.

Here is an excerpt from the article in the Palm Beach Daily News (aka, the Shiny Sheet) by William Kelly on an effort by the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce:

     The chamber said the survey was emailed to all members of the chamber, Palm Beach Civic Association, Worth Avenue Association and the South County Road Association. It also will be posted on websites for the chamber, civic association, Citizens’ Association of Palm Beach, and the O’Donnell Agency.
     “The town has very little data that reflects how people feel about life in Palm Beach, what’s working, what’s not, and what we can do better,” said Laurel Baker, the chamber’s executive director. “Everybody says, ‘We’re Palm Beach, we’re different,’ but does anybody have a sense of what our identity really is?”

About the survey (here is the link):

The goal of this survey is to reveal perceptions and opinions about the quality of life in Palm Beach, its economic confidence, attitudes and support for Town leadership. Participants may submit one survey per person and all survey submissions remain anonymous.

From the Tampa Bay Times: "Loews Don CeSar named Best Historic Hotel in America"

Justine Giffen has this article on the Loews Don Cesar in St. Pete Beach:

     The Loews Don CeSar Hotel on St. Pete Beach was recently named the "Best Historic Hotel" in its size category by the Historic Hotels of America organization.
     The 277-room "Pink Palace," which has been an icon on St. Pete Beach for decades, was built in 1928. The hotel was recognized for its history and restoration.
     "It's been 88 years in the making," said Stephen Cummings, general manager of the Don CeSar. "I'm proud to represent such an iconic landmark."

If you've been following this blog and/or reading The Coastal Observer your excited about the future of our iconic Gulf Stream Hotel in Lake Worth. The Gulf Stream Hotel, like the "Pink Palace", were built along Henry Flagler's rail line which would eventually reach the Florida Keys. In case you're interested, the Henry Flager Museum is located in the Town of Palm Beach.

Congratulations to the team who restored the Don CeSar.

[UPDATE] Florida Senator Arthenia Joyner smacks down The Palm Beach Post editorial board

[UPDATE: The Palm Beach Post is apparently experiencing technical difficulties and that's why the thoughts of Senator Arthenia Joyner aren't posted as digital content yet. Be patient and check the blog later in the day. In the meantime here is what appeared in the print edition:

Hopefully the Post will fix their issues shortly.]

Image from Wikipedia.

Talk about a smackdown of epic proportions. Florida Senator Arthenia Joyner lays into the Post editors and rips them apart over their ridiculous editorial last Tuesday on the Confederate battle flag being removed from the Florida Senate seal.

For some strange reason there is no link to the Point of View by the Senator in the online edition as of 11:30 a.m. Sunday morning. I'll check back later and link to it if the editorial board decides they'll let their online readers have access to Senator Joyner's thoughts. If you're interested, here is my take on the Post editorial.

The Post shouldn't be discouraged though; they have their loyal supporters out there:

Read more about this using this link.

TONIGHT—Peaceful Rally for Corey Jones' family

Starts 6 p.m. TONIGHT (Monday, Oct 26th)

Hilltop Missionary Baptist Church

1273 W. 30th Street, Riviera Beach

For Info: Mayor's Chief of Staff Debie L. Isaacs, 561-845-4064

Mayor Thomas A. Masters is spearheading a community rally and benefit for the family of the 31-year-old church drummer who was fatally shot just after 3 a.m. last Sunday by a Palm Beach Gardens police officer alongside I-95.

The rally, “Justice for Corey Jones,” will begin at 6 p.m. The Rev. Griffin Davis, Sr., is the host pastor.

[Get directions to the rally here.]

The Coastal Star: "Along the Coast: Building fees growth reflects local rebound"

Rich Pollack at The Coastal Star has this interesting item on what is happening along A1A in Palm Beach County:

     Drive along State Road A1A and you’ll see the subtle signs of a steadily recovering economy.
     In Manalapan, several older homes have been bulldozed to make way for new and larger luxury homes that are rising out of the ground.
     A short distance away crews are remodeling an aging condo for new owners who want a place with a more contemporary appearance.        Not far down the road in Highland Beach, a multimillion-dollar luxury condominium project is being built on what had been one of the last remaining empty parcels of land in town.
     All up and down the coast, South Florida’s economic rebound can be seen in the construction that’s taking place — and in the resulting revenues municipalities collect from building-permit fees.

From ABC25/WPBF: "NTSB preliminary report released on deadly Palm Springs plane crash"

Reporter Whitney Burbank has the latest news on the tragic plane crash in Palm Beach County, here is an excerpt:

PALM SPRINGS, Fla. —The National Transportation and Safety Board released its preliminary report on a fatal plane crash Palm Springs last week that left two people dead.
     Hundreds of people attended a vigil Wednesday night to honor the memory of 21-year-old Banny Galicia. Family and friends gathered as well at the Palm Beach Shores home of the pilot of the plane that crashed.

For those of you who followed this news closely you're probably totally confused by now where this plane crash occurred. You've heard "in Lake Worth", "near Lake Worth", "outside Lake Worth", "Palm Springs", etc. Actually it was none of those places and you can read here where the actual crash occurred.

I hope this helps.

Where is The Palm Beach Post printed? And shouldn't the newspaper inform their readers who that printer is?

Stay with me here. . .The Palm Beach Post reporter Kevin Thompson wrote an excellent article about a spectacular group of volunteers who've been working so hard for many years to produce a book about The Cottages of Lake Worth. Some time back a former Post reporter, Lona O'Connor, wrote an article about these splendid citizens and their efforts to promote our unique cottages in this little City.

The Cottages of Lake Worth group set up a GoFundMe account that includes more information such as the editor of the forthcoming book, Chris Felker, a former employee of The Palm Beach Post himself.

But. . .for some inexplicable reason, in an otherwise magnificent piece of work in the Post about this group and their soon-to-be-book, the reporter included this line:

The 10-chapter, 170-page book should be ready to print soon in South Korea.

Why is that important? You'll have to ask the reporter and the editor. Why couldn't the line have read like this:

The 10-chapter, 170-page book is expected to be ready for publishing soon.

That got me thinking. How many readers of The Palm Beach Post know where that newspaper is printed? Does The Palm Beach Post have a printing facility somewhere in Palm Beach County? No. The Sun Sentinel in Broward County is the printer of The Palm Beach Post.

Read about The Palm Beach Post in Wikipedia:

     [T]he Post downsized its newsroom by more than 30 percent in 2008 and 2009. At the same time it closed its printing press. The Post's print edition is now printed in Broward County by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and shipped north to Palm Beach County for daily distribution.
     As of 2012, the Post's average daily circulation was slightly over 88,000, well below daily circulation figures of around 165,000 at the turn of the century, according to BurrellesLuce. It is the 80th largest daily newspaper in the United States and the 7th largest in Florida.

For some perspective, Palm Beach County (depending on whether you include Lake Okeechobee or not) is either the first or second largest county in the U.S. east of the Mississippi River and includes 38 cities and a large unincorporated area but The Palm Beach Post is "the 80th largest daily newspaper" in the U.S.? The word "grotty" comes to mind.

And The Palm Beach Post can't even print their own newspaper. But did you know The Cottages of Lake Worth is having their book printed in South Korea? Give me a break.