"Something Out of Nothing" exhibit at the Palm Beach County Cultural Council until May 21st

"Artists are constantly challenged to create something new or innovative, a piece that is provocative or simply representational, a work that moves the viewer, explores ideas, expresses beliefs, confronts a movement. 'Something Out of Nothing' illustrates the diversity of 15 artists in Palm Beach County who have embraced these very concepts. Each artist in this exhibition was challenged to create a work specifically for this show or to display work that has recently been created and not yet exhibited. This exhibition is a testament to the creative process and the tremendous talent that is found within Palm Beach County."

The exhibition is at the Cultural Council, Main Gallery, 601 Lake Ave. in downtown Lake Worth. Call 561-471-2901.

The Cultural Council galleries, visitor information center and store are open 10:00–5:00, Tuesday through Saturday. For more information on exhibitions use this link.

Admission is free.

Update on the Lake Worth Municipal Pool and yes, the BEACH! is still there too

Been to the pool lately? Use this link or call 561-585-6858 to learn more.

I thought you'd be interested in my interaction with an out of town guest on Monday at our pool. After my exercise routine was chatting with one of the regular lap swimmers. We talked about how we plan our day around pool visits, trying to adjust our schedules to when the pool is open. We chatted about other pools in the area (Lake Lytal is one) and how they compare with the Lake Worth pool. It turned out to be a favorable comparison except for the limited hours. It just so happens that the swimmer I was talking to lives in Jensen Beach and regularly drives to Boca Raton. She plans her day so that she stops to swim at our pool in the mornings. That really is a testament to the destination, or drawing power, of a good pool.

A few feet from where we were talking there was a woman who I hadn't seen before. She introduced herself as she overheard us talking. It turns out she was from upstate New York, around Ithaca. She was here with her 14 year old son to escape the cold. When she woke up on April 5th it was −4° with snow on the ground; she decided to buy plane tickets for Florida.

She couldn't say enough good things about our pool and said she was jealous we had this available to us all year long. She has a mild medical condition and being in the sun helps. This is someone who is enough a regular swimmer that she had prescription swim goggles. She said she usually swims at the Ithaca College pool. If you check out that link you can see the jumble of different hours the pool is open to the public.

She joined our conversation by saying people who use pools frequently always talk about the same thing, "I wish the pool had more convenient hours." It turns out we're not alone.

For those of you who don't know, Sally Welsh is now the official pool manager employed by the City. She started last week, April 18th. Sally was a lifeguard at the beach, has taught swim lessons and now leads the water aerobic class. The current start time for the class is 10:00 on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. By the way, she's looking for more lifeguards.

So. . . the pool is still there. So is the beach. And no one seems to be in a state of panic or hysteria about anything. By the way, if you happen to be visiting from out of town and see a red/white sign with something about the beach and/or pool look in the right-hand column of this blog for, "Is Lake Worth selling its BEACH! Of course not." That will help explain things.

Now to all you residents of Lake Worth: Been to the pool lately?

An upcoming musical event at the New Hope Baptist Church

This event is free and open to the public. Call 561-582-6609 for more information.

"The Core Ensemble, cello, piano, and percussion with actress Deltoiya Goodman, will perform the music theatre work Ain't I A Woman! celebrating the life and times of four powerful African American women: novelist and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, ex-slave and abolitionist Sojourner Truth, folk artist Clementine Hunter, and voting rights worker Fannie Lou Hamer. The music is drawn from the spiritual and blues of the Deep South and the Jazz Age."

The latest news about office space in Palm Beach County

Jeff Ostrowski at The Palm Beach Post has the latest in an article titled, "Office vacancies down, rents up, but new construction still lags":

     "Office vacancies fell to 18.9 percent in the first quarter, their lowest point in years, and rents have risen for 10 quarters in a row, reaching an average of $18.38 per square foot, according to a report by commercial real estate brokerage CBRE."

[and. . .]

     "As a result, Cushman & Wakefield said, Palm Beach County’s average office rent jumped nearly 12 percent from the first quarter of 2015 to the first quarter of 2016. And CBRE said landlords no longer offer concessions such as free rent, free parking or hefty budgets for tenant improvements.
     Real estate is local, as the saying goes, and the fortunes of Palm Beach County’s submarkets vary widely. Delray Beach’s vacancy rate is 46.5 percent, CBRE says. Royal Palm Beach’s vacancy is only 6.3 percent."

Every 18 months or so Jeff Speck writes an article. . .

For all the planners out there, those interested in walkability and bike-ability, and the Complete Streets folks, Jeff Speck has something you might be interested in:

"Hi, all. Here's a link to my latest article. If you like it, please share it. Please come to my Harvard course, June 23–24. Yeah, it ain't cheap, but you leave with something that looks like a Harvard diploma. And you learn to become a walkability expert in two short days. Here's a link:"

The Walkable City
Dates: Thursday, June 23, 2016 at 9:00 am to Friday at 5:00 pm.
Tuition: $1,300.00.
Location: Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
CEUs:

• 14 AIA/CES (HSW)
• 11 AICP/CM
• 14 LA/CES (HSW)

To learn more about "walkability" and on Jeff Speck's presentation before the West Palm Beach city commission in May of 2014 use this link. That work by Speck also had a tremendous impact outside the borders of West Palm and continues to this day in many ways here in central Palm Beach County.

Is your community talking about slowing traffic down on Dixie Hwy. or other main arterial roads? Changing the road design to make the road safer for pedestrians and bikes and getting the MPO and FDOT involved in the conversation too? You can trace much of that conversation back to May of 2014.

"Why you're safer on a bike share than a regular bike": Incredible news from Vox

Here is more news from Vox done in an entertaining fashion:
"Here's a remarkable fact: Not a single person has died using bike share in the United States. [emphasis added]
     Bike sharing has seen explosive growth since 2007, with systems in at least 94 cities and more than 35 million trips taken. There have been some serious injuries, yes. But — knock on wood — we've seen zero US deaths from bike sharing so far. Contrast this with the overall estimated cycling fatality rate of 21 deaths per 100 million trips."

From VisitFlorida, "River of Time: Everglades" in 60 seconds—and if you live up north, have you planned your Winter vacation yet?

Would you prefer shoveling snow or canoeing in the Florida Everglades?

You can watch more videos by VisitFlorida here. Send a link every now and then to your friends and neighbors up North and remind them it's going to be Fall and Winter soon enough. Here is another collection of videos from Discover the Palm Beaches, the official tourism organization for Palm Beach County.

If you're looking to relocate to south Florida or visit some day why don't you stop by and check out Lake Worth? Here is the City's VisitFlorida page. The little City is in the midst of an economic and artistic renaissance and now is the time to look for a home or office location here.

The City is located minutes from the Atlantic Ocean. The Town of Palm Beach (33480) is within walking distance but without the hefty price tag. Delray Beach and West Palm Beach are just a short drive, bike ride, or train ride away.

This image appears on the Lake Worth VisitFlorida page. Hope to see you soon.

The City's Hurricane Seminar is coming up soon—It's time to get ready.

The seminar will feature WPBF meteorologist Mike Lyons, 20 public service agencies, and many other professionals.

The seminar will be held on Wednesday, May 18th, from 5:00–8:30 at the City's golf course (One 7th Ave, North). For more information, or to be a speaker/vendor call Kevin Addison at 561-601-2730, 561-582-5162, or Sam Hamilton at halframe@hotmail.com

Parking is free, there will be door prizes, and The Beach Club is also located at the golf course.

The Lake Worth Herald, the City's oldest business (since 1912) moves to a new location

Below is news about our City's paper of record, The Lake Worth Herald, that appeared as news in The Lake Worth Herald:
,
     “The recent zoning change, which reclassified the property as Artisinal Industrial allowed us to re-brand the property which attracted all types of crafts’ people and industries to downtown Lake Worth,” said Carmel Commercial Real Estate’s Christina Morrison. 
     “With this new emphasis on The Arts, Lake Worth is now more attractive than ever to all types of new, creative businesses and many more are planning to move here.” The property, over the next few months, will be transformed into Lake Worth’s first micro-brewery by Mathews Brewing Company. Beer lovers can expect the brewing to start later this year.

[and. . .]

     “We are now in the fourth location of The Lake Worth Herald. Changes in technology through the past few years has enabled us to downsize the space required to operate,” stated Mark Easton, President of The Lake Worth Herald Press, Inc.

The new location is 1313 Central Terrace located off 13th Ave. North just east of the FEC railroad tracks. You can always pick up the latest issue of the Herald at Lake Worth's news stand located at 600 Lake Ave. in the City's charming downtown. A very nice man named Andy will assist you.

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel. Have you seen the video "LynnA is OBTUSE"?

If you want to learn more about "hostility" and civility here in the little City of Lake Worth use this link. It would appear that Commissioner Ryan Maier is suddenly very keen about civility but wasn't too very concerned when Mayor Triolo was burned in effigy and people names were on bullets. Now he's seeking help and guidance from the very same person who published all those violent and hateful images.

A little ironic, isn't it? Or is it hypocritical? Or maybe just obtuse?

Anyhow, below in the image caption is a link to my YouTube channel. What's good about these videos is you can see for yourself what happened instead of relying on someone else, with their own spin and political objectives, what they want you to think happened.

LynnA used the "LynnA is OBTUSE" video from my YouTube channel as you can see in the image above. How flattering! Use this link to become a subscriber. This video is just one of many to watch. And, as always, Thank You for visiting!

Call for photographers—Upcoming exhibit to share your work: The theme is "Lake Worth"

Below is exhibit information from this article in Lake Worth every minute:

The Lake Worth Art League and PNC Bank in Lake Worth have joined forces to exhibit your work. The criteria:

• You may submit up to two images "all about Lake Worth"
• Size framed to 11×14
• Matted in white
• Framed in Black
• NO GLASS
• Up to 2 images for $25

Submission take-ins on May 1st and 2nd from noon to 7:00 at 604 Lucerne Ave.

Selections made by your peers. The top 20 picks will be exhibited at the PNC Bank with a hosted reception on Friday, May 6th, 7:00–9:00 during Evening on the Avenue.

All others will be exhibited at the Lake Worth Art League gallery with a joint reception on Sunday, May 8th, from 3:00– 5:00. Questions? Address them to lakeworthart@gmail.com

Water/Electric Meter Replacement Project in Lake Worth: Did you get a door hanger about this?

If you did get a door hanger you can expect to have your meter(s) replaced shortly. Use this link to learn more about the meter replacements. The door hanger reads:

In the next week, a representative from Pedal Valves, Inc. will be replacing your water or electric meter. Workers will be wearing blue shirts with the logo "Siemens/PVI Meter Team". Trucks will be identified in the same manner.

From the link above, some FAQ's:

Q: Will my service be interrupted during the installation?
A: Yes. There will be a temporary service interruption while the meter is replaced – typically about 15 to 30 minutes. A Pedal Valve representative will inform each resident prior to the installation of the new meter.

Q: Do I need to be home for the meter replacement work?
A: No, you don’t need to be home.

Q: How much will the meters cost?
A: There is no charge for the new meter.

[And no, Weetha. There will not be any black helicopters used as part of this project.]

News from Tony Doris at the Post that might interest some in a city south of the C-51 Canal

Can you imagine? A city in Palm Beach County along the Atlantic Ocean wants to go to the bond market to fix problems and address many of their concerns. If you live in Lake Worth you might be interested in scrolling up and down the right-hand column and looking for this image:

Picture of a pothole on 'J' Street in Lake Worth near Publix taken in 2014. How many times has this been patched since then?

To read about what the West Palm Beach commission did last night (Monday, 4/25) use this link. Here are two very short excerpts:

     "Some $40 million worth came closer to reality Monday, with the city commission’s approval of a bond offering that will help pay for roads, fire and police facility repairs, and police cars, among many other projects."

[and. . .]

     “The current interest rate environment for debt provides an opportunity to set the cost of funds at a desirable level,” Parks [finance director Mark Parks] told the commission.

Anyone care to chime in? This might be an interesting topic at the upcoming Sea Level Rise Summit in Ft. Lauderdale: Why future events or possibilities doesn't preclude elected and city officials from providing for the safety and well-being of their citizens in the present. You see, that's called leadership.

Learn more about the Port of Palm Beach (which isn't in Palm Beach—it's located in Riviera Beach)

About the video: Port of Palm Beach is the second fastest growing export port in the US, operating the nation's most efficient cargo throughput and creating more than 3,000 jobs.
Learn more about the port at Wikipedia. If you wish, you can also follow the Port of Palm Beach on Twitter:

Proud to be one of the fastest growing U.S. export ports: https://t.co/oQBLow0Yl2

— Port of Palm Beach (@PortofPalmBeach) March 8, 2016

Code enforcement in Lake Worth: The city manager writes how the City is "Moving Forward"

Contact and other information about the City's Code Compliance Division code is below. What follows are two excerpts from the City's newsletter, Worth Noting, written by the City Manager Michael Bornstein. The newsletter is free and you can sign up using this link. To read the entire article about code enforcement use this link. The city manager writes. . .

     "The history of Code enforcement in Lake Worth has been mixed and we have tried to adapt to the dramatic changes that have occurred within the City. Additionally, larger issues such as the bursting of the housing bubble and the resulting foreclosure crisis as well as trends in the Sober Home market have complicated enforcing the rules.
     Almost three years earlier, it was apparent that the City’s Code Compliance Division was having some serious problems. The Division’s operations were hampered by trying to enforce outdated and inconsistent City Codes and they did not have the resources and training necessary to deal with the difficult circumstances in our City.
     Since then, the organizational issues have been addressed with a complete reworking of the department. The clean-up of the Codes was affected by the City Commission with the adoption of over 50 new ordinances."

[and. . .]

     "Florida is a strong property rights state and has stringent guidelines on Notification of Violation and specific processes to ensure private property rights. This means that it can take many months to resolve a case and this creates a backlog and sometime delays. Code Compliance Officers spend lot of time in managing their case load as well as actively working out in the field to identify new violations.
     Maintaining community standards through Code Compliance is not an easy process. But it is one that we are committed to and one that we have made great progress in over the past several years. Thanks to new and enforceable laws adopted by the City Commission, the creation of the Code Remediation Fund, and a dedicated staff committed to the improvement of the City, we are working to make things better.
     If you have a Code issue you can contact the Code Compliance Division (561-586-1652) or visit their webpage.

In Public Service,
Michael Bornstein
City Manager"