Use this link to learn more. Developed by Neighborhood Renaissance, Inc. with cooperation of the Lake Worth CRA.
This is wonderful news about the northeast corner of Lucerne Ave. and North F Street across from the Armory Arts Annex beginning later this year. Some of the details:
Ground floor studio space with street visibility
Work/create: ground floor studio with street access
Live: light and bright open floor plan
Sleep: two bedrooms each with en suite baths
Park: garage with 1 tandem parking space
Conserve: built to certified Green building standards
Each home is individually owned, not a condo
“Join an established creative community. Located across the street from the Lake Worth Arts Center and the Urban Arts Lofts, a community of 12 similar homes. The location is highly walkable so get rid of the auto, save gas and walk to downtown (3 blocks), groceries (3 blocks) and Tri-Rail (1/2 mile). Ride your bike to the beach!”
Thinking about purchasing a book? Well. There’s good news, bad news, and where you can purchase one of these hardcover books:
“We are running out of books!”
Out of an initial printing of 1,000 books, 950+ have been sold already. Our printer can’t believe it. But it’s true. Below are the ways to purchase the hardcover book which, with tax, is a little less than USD$35.
FYI, Mr. Carleton Varney recently wrote a book review about “The Cottages” book for the Palm Beach Daily News, aka, The Shiny Sheet.
The conventional belief in the publishing world is you need an on-line retailer to sell books so quickly. “The Cottages of Lake Worth” hardcover book is what’s referred to as an “outlier”, showing that commonly accepted beliefs aren’t always true.
And it doesn’t hurt upon learning Lake Worth Commissioner Andy Amoroso dropped off books on his recent trip to Washington, D.C. to Congresswoman Lois Frankel and Senator Bill Nelson. What’s happening now is the book is beginning to transcend just this region in Central Palm Beach County and getting attention elsewhere in the country.
Who knows, maybe soon the book will get attention in places like our too-long-neglected Sister Cities of Lappeenranta in Finland, Saint-Marc, Haiti, and our Sister City in England, Southend-on-Sea.
To go and purchase a book, here are the ways:
Go Downtown and visit Andy at the City’s newsstand located at 600 Lake Ave. (corner of Lake Ave. and ‘L’ Street).
Visit Awe Flowers located around the corner at 5 North ‘L’ St., a brand new flower shop here in the City.
Another Downtown location that has the book is the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County located at 601 Lake Ave. (open 10:00–5:00, Tuesday through Saturday).
Or visit the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County Historical Museum Gift Shop located at 300 N. Dixie Hwy. in West Palm Beach.
Some time very soon we’ll know how many books have been ordered and soon thereafter learn when the books will arrive here in the little City of Lake Worth.
The public meeting room at the Lake Worth Golf Course was filled to
capacity last Monday night with many people who work day after day to make Lake Worth a better place to live and to help
those most in need in our City.
Likely the First Annual “Showcase of Lake Worth Non-Profits” was a big hit, sponsored by the Bryant Park Neighborhood Association. And special thanks to The Beach Club for accommodating the meeting participants.
Our community has a lot of heart and it was surely on display when 20 City of Lake Worth not-for-profit organizations lined up to share their mission in 5 minutes presentations. We are a community with many diverse populations and some of these organizations have acute needs that require extraordinary levels of cooperation.
I encourage you to watch the videos (see below). You are sure to be struck by how much of a community we are. If you’re not already involved in a volunteer effort offered by one of these organizations, please consider it.
Some non-profits experience unmet financial needs in the face of overwhelming demand for their services, so consider a monetary contribution if you are able. Other non-profits seek to have more people learn about our City’s unique history. Feel good about Lake Worth. We are doing a lot of things right.
There are four videos total. Here is the first one and following this video are the links to watch the other 3 videos:
To become a subscriber to my Lake Worth YouTube channel click on the red “Subscribe” icon in any of the videos; subscribers get notified when new videos have been uploaded.
Yesterday [Thursday, 4/20] the South Region Motorcycle/Aggressive Driving Unit conducted a mini saturation patrol in District 14. The saturation was conducted from 10th Ave. North, south to the City limits, from Dixie Hwy. to the West end of the city. 230 citations/written warnings were issued from 0800–1300. Three arrests were made. Deputies assisted in apprehending a burglary suspect and a shoplifting suspect. A departmental crash was also handled. This patrol put approximately 15 additional deputies in our district for the day. These were regional assets not paid for by the city. Regards, Captain Todd Baer Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office District 14, City of Lake Worth
District 14 is located at 120 North G Street. Main phone: 561-586-1611; email: LakeWorth@pbso.org
On Sunday, March 19th, many were very surprised the news from Pahokee (see below) wasn’t on the front page of the Post — the big news that day was an open-ended question and a big photo of Sheriff Ric Bradshaw — the big news from Pahokee ended up on the front page of the “B” section instead.
On Friday, March 24th, a resident of Belle Glade had a Letter to the Editor published (two excerpts below). This resident, shall we say, is not very happy and writes about the “bumper sticker campaign that seeks to upend our way of life.”
An editor or editors made a very poor decision. The story about Bradshaw should have been in the “B” section and the news from Pahokee should have been front page news in the “A” section. Here is the news that didn’t make the cut for the front page on March 19th:
From Post reporter Susan Salisbury: “The auditorium was filled to its capacity of 400, and several hundred people who quietly waited outside were turned away. Police estimated the total number of people who turned out at 1,000.”
Click on image to enlarge:
The news from Pahokee in Sunday’s front page of the “B” section. The opening paragraph from Salisbury’s article:
“PAHOKEE — In a face-off Friday night at Pahokee High School, hundreds of Glades area residents came out in force to tell Florida Senate President Joe Negron his proposal to build a 60,000-acre reservoir on farmland south of Lake Okeechobee would kill jobs and economically devastate their rural communities.”
Excerpts from Letter to the Editor written by Robert Rease from Belle Glade titled, “Negron still giving short shrift to Glades”:
I, along with
many of my brothers and sisters in the Glades communities, attended the
March 17 town hall meeting that state Sens. Joe Negron and Oscar Braynon
conducted in Pahokee. It was thrilling to see nearly 1,000 of
our residents and supporters peacefully attend the community meeting. It
was disappointing to hear Negron repeat his talking points than
actually listen to us, as we in the Glades are also members of his
district.
and. . .
Negron can now proclaim he came,
he saw, and he left. Negron has checked the Glades communities off his
list. Our work to protect our communities, our jobs and our lands
continue despite the 90 minutes given to us in the seven months it took
for Negron to visit. We will continue to pray for truth and equality to prevail in his bumper sticker campaign that seeks to upend our way of life. [emphasis added]
Powerful. The “bumper sticker campaign” mentioned above is, “Send the Water South!”.
Is the light too bright? Then wear those shades! For the latest exhibits at the Cultural Council in Downtown Lake Worth, parking, and the Roe Green Uniquely Palm Beach Store use this link.
Ben Vereen says in the video below, “Our future is so bright we have to wear shades because the goodness is coming to us if we but stand still and receivvvvvvvvvve it and get out of our own way.”
The blog post below, “Lake Worth Renewable Energy News: Sun Sentinel reporter scoops Palm Beach Post, all their local, regional, and science reporters as well”, is getting a huge amount of attention from scientists, engineers, policymakers et al., in the fields of renewable energy and energy research.
But locally however, reporters and editors here in Palm Beach County are having difficulty grasping the significanceof all this news. Why? Possibly because these are new ideas about the future of energyin the County and outside dogmatic beliefs and expectations, e.g., their reliance and mirth with the performance of FPL, and complacency with natural gas, “While keeping bills among the lowest in the nation”.
Please share the information below with everyone you think will be interested in this topic, including your friends and family in other areas of this state andcountry. And, as always, Thank You for visiting today.
To learn more about this exciting energy news in this little City of Lake Worth, Florida:
Contact Ben Kerr, the City’s
Communications Specialist at 561-586-1631.
Email Mr. Kerr: bkerr@lakeworth.org
For our City’s Electric Utility use this link: Contact information and many helpful links as well.
This important energy news from the City of Lake Worth (see below; news by Jan Engoren)first broke on February 16th (as reported on this blog) — was also reported in The Lake Worth Herald as well — about a very high-level meeting at our Casino by numerous elected officials, dignitaries, as well as scientists via conferencing from around the nation and here in Florida.
The Post has shown no interest
whatsoever informing the public in Palm Beach County about this news.
The Post has also not informed the public about what is happening along the C-51 Canal either (the Blueway Trail Project) between the cities of Lake Worth and West Palm Beach. For some reason both of these important news stories are being ignored. Why? Draw your own conclusions.
And. . . if that wasn’t interesting enough, also going unreported in the Post: News from the South Florida Water Management District: “Appeals Court Sides with SFWMD in Major Legal Victory”, a press release issued on January 18th, now 84 days ago.
Anyhow. Below are two excerpts from the scoop* in the Sun Sentinel by reporter Jan Engoren, this newly published article titled:
“Lake Worth to channel Gulf Stream energy for power”.
Gabriel Alsenas, the center’s† general manager, said, “We’re
excited to partner with the city of Lake Worth to help us establish a
grid-connected offshore testing of the Gulf Stream capabilities and for
the city to help move the industry forward.”
and. . .
He
said over the next few years the city hopes to attract leaders in the
industry, encourage the public to participate and accelerate the process
in which to make marine renewable energy a reality. City officials say they are proud of the city’s new leadership role in green energy. “The
city’s electric utility progress over the past five years has been
tremendous,” said City Manager Michael Bornstein. “We have gone from a
time when the citizens wanted to sell [our Electric Utility] to now having rates equal to
FPL’s, and a high reliability rating. We have also figured out how to
have 2 megawatts of solar [energy] with plans to expand to 10 on an old
closed landfill in the city.”
*Scoop, verb;usedwithobject: “to get the better of (other publications, newscasters, etc.) by
obtaining and publishing or broadcasting a news item, report, or story
first”.
†Center referenced is the “Florida Atlantic University’s Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center” (use this link to learn more about this center for energy research).
Why? Because along with having a new Guatemalan Consulate here in the City of Lake Worth we will also be hosting another Palm Beach County celebration of “Día De Los Muertos” (Day of the Dead, #DayOfTheDeadLW2017) this November:
Para más información o oportunidades de venta llaman 561-493-2550. (“For information or vending opportunities call 561-493-2550”.)
If you’ve been following the latest, our City’s Sister City Board may very well be “sunset” (removed as a board). The entire volunteer Advisory Board system may soon be changed and updated, something that’s been needed for a very long time (how boards are added, removed, and the process of adding members to boards by the Commission); this was a topic of discussion at a City Work Session on April 11th (to read all about that use this link).
What also came up at that Work Session was an entirely new idea: Have the City itself, or an organization in our town, join Sister Cities International.*
Getting feedback from the The Guatemalan Maya Center (GMC) and our Guatemalan neighbors would be very helpful. Many of you will recall this recent news from Peter Haden at WLRN: “Officials estimate more than 55,000 Guatemalans live in the county. . . . ‘We’re going to see cultural, commercial, economic affairs — in order to have a more intense and big link with Palm Beach County,’ said De Mora [Miami Consul General Rosa Maria Merida De Mora].”
Here is a recent message from the GMC:
“Estamos en la aperatura de un consulado
de Guatemala en Lake Worth! Gracias por este apoyo para nuestras
familias que antes pagaban $300 para llegar al consulado en Miami.”
Translation: “We
are at the opening of a Guatemalan Consulate in Lake Worth! Thank you
for this support for our families, that before had to pay $300 to get to
the consulate in Miami.”
*The City of Lake Worth’s long-neglected Sister Cities and our too-long Forgotten Sister City are:
The Forgotten Sister City of Lappeenranta, Finland.
Saint-Marc, Haiti.
Southend-on-Sea, England.
Once rumored to be a Sister City of Lake Worth, Sopot, Poland, IS NOT. That is a myth.
Clean out your medicine cabinets and help the environment. The public can voluntarily surrender expired, unwanted, or unused
pharmaceutic-controlled substances and other medications for
destruction.
When: Saturday, April 29th from 10:00–2:00.
Where: Lantana Police Dept., 500 Greynolds Cir. in Lantana.
For information email Reserve Sgt. Ronald Shearouse: rshearouse@lantana.org
The blog post, “Sober Home Conversation” with Commissioners Shanon Materio and Andy Amoroso at the Parrot Cove meeting on April 17th.
There are a total of three videos (see below) from this meeting. The president of the Parrot Cove Neighborhood Assoc., Mr. Anthony Marotta, invited Lake Worth City Commissioner Andy Amoroso, member of the Sober Home Task Force, and West Palm Beach City Commissioner Shanon Materio, member of the Proviso Sober Home Task Force, to address this crucial topic.
Both of these task forces were created by State Attorney Dave Aronberg to address what many have come to see is a serious crisis. Both Commissioner Materio and Commissioner Amoroso updated those in attendance on recent efforts at the local, County, State and Federal levels and what other plans are being worked on to tackle this problem affecting so many local communities, especially our own.
According to Mr. Marotta, Parrot Cove* will have Boynton Beach City Commissioner Joe Casello scheduled for next month’s meeting to discuss some of the initiatives the City of Boynton Beach is pursuing. Stay tuned for more about that.
Here is the second video and below are the links to the first and third videos from that meeting last Monday (April 17th):
To become a subscriber to my Lake Worth YouTube channel click on the red “Subscribe” icon. Subscribers get notified by email when new videos have been uploaded.
As always, many thanks to the Beach Club Lake Worth (located at the City’s Golf Course, #1 7th Ave. North) for being such gracious hosts and opening up their space for neighborhood and other community meetings here in our City.
*“The Parrot Cove Neighborhood Association was formed in April 2000 as a non-profit organization with the goals of providing information about a wide range of issues and serving as a way to meet one’s neighbors and build a strong sense of community. Everyone is welcome to attend our general meetings which feature guest speakers, PBSO updates, and announcements about current events.”
Ed Henry “was the moderator of the CNN Inside Politics broadcast when Robert Novak stormed off the set, on August 4, 2005, during a live discussion with James Carville, about Florida Republican Representative Katherine Harris’ just-announced 2006 bid for U.S. Senate. Henry carried on with just Carville for the remainder of the segment.”
Equal time for breakfast? Maybe somebody here in Lake Worth has a contact at CNN? Have a Live report by CNN’s “New Day” from Benny’s on the Beach next Sunday?
About “New Day” at CNN: Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota report the latest news and top stories from 6:00–9:00 a.m. Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul host weekends.
“South Florida’s Premiere Nonprofit Community Theatre in the Heart of Palm Beach County — the Cultural Capitol of Florida”.
“If you haven’t already been to the Lake Worth Playhouse to see They’re Playing Our Song by Neil Simon, you need to hurry as time is running out. The last performance is April 30. Shows run Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $29 and $35.”
To purchase tickets online use this link. For more information call 561-586-6410. The Lake Worth Playhouse is located at 713 Lake Ave.
Pick up the Herald print edition at the City’s newsstand in our Downtown (across the street from the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, 601 Lake Ave., open 10:00–5:00, Tuesday–Saturday).
Please spread the word about this very important topic:
“Why was Clemons [sic] one of 3 senators voting no on SB10 a huge step toward send [sic] Lake O [Okeechobee] water south and fixing the Alger [sic, “algae”?] problem by creating a southern reservoir. Is Clemons [sic] not for environment and on Bullsugar’s [sic, s/b “Big Sugar’s”] side? Really confused.”
State Senator Jeff Clemens responds:
“Hi AllenFalk. Yes, in previous campaigns I have received campaign contributions from companies that grow and process sugar, as well contributions from funders of Everglades restoration efforts and environmental activists. I am term-limited, so I am not raising any more dollars for my own campaigns. The content in SB10 has changed significantly since its inception and is likely to change again, so there will be future votes I very well may support. In other words, this is not over. The answer to why I’m not supportive of the bill quite yet is complicated, and involves planning for some 40-something projects across the spectrum, but I will do my best to summarize. SB10, as it has been amended several times, has improved from its original form. But there are still many questions that are left unanswered. There is no agreement between the state and our federal partners to execute this plan. It is hasn’t been vetted by state, water management district or University scientists as being the best way to increase flow and store water south. None of these scientists have concluded that this particular plan will reduce the blue-green algae issues faced in the counties to the north of us. The bill bonds for $1.2 billion dollars for an unvetted plan that elevates one potential project above 30-something other important environmental projects, again without any evidence that the project(s) in the bill will solve the problem, or that they will do so in a manner that is more effective than currently approved environmental projects. My opinion is that this bill will not result in a fix for the problem. Instead of using this bond money to accelerate planned and approved environmental projects, it is dedicated to projects that have not been appropriately studied, because the push for southern storage has become more political than science-driven. [emphasis added] FYI, the bill also potentially privatizes water that will now be moved to the C-51 [canal], and also bans any potential future use of eminent domain in the Everglades Agricultural Area. And for those who want to take sugar land out of production, it doesn’t do any of that either. There are many projects currently on the CERP* list that would have a more positive environmental effect on the problems we’re experiencing, including work in the C-43, the C23/24 reservoirs (north and south) and STAs [stormwater treatment areas], and projects in CEPP.† I believe those things would be a better approach. Again, the good news is that the bill is not finalized, and depending on changes that are likely to be made moving forward, there is a good chance I could support the final product in the future. All the best.”
To learn more about State Senator Jeff Clemens, including contact information for his staff in Tallahassee and office in the City of Lake Worth, use this link.
From Wikipedia: “Jeff Clemens is a Democratic member of the Florida Senate, representing parts of Palm Beach County since 2012. He currently represents the 31st district, which includes Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, and Greenacres. He previously served one term in the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 89th district from 2010 to 2012.”‡
*Use this link for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) explained by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD).
†Use this link to learn about the goals of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District.
‡FYI: Jeff Clemens was the mayor for the City of Lake Worth prior to being elected to the Florida House of Representatives.
From a former tabloid in the City of Lake Worth, below is #5 in the series titled, “Lake Worth city manager on racial slur uttered in Commission chambers, ‘I feel compelled to respond.’ ”*
The masthead for that short-lived former tabloid in 2015.
“Domine, ut videam” in Latin means “Lord, I want to see”. Many in the City of Lake Worth prayed for that tabloid’s day “to see”. But it never did.† The tabloid shut down 4 months later.
The clippings below are excerpts from Friday, April 10th, 2015, Volume 1,‡ Issue 10, page 2, above the fold.
Click on image to enlarge:
Both City Manager Michael Bornstein (hired in April 2012) and Dolores Key, Economic Development & Marketing Director, continue working for the City of Lake Worth.
Below is a video of former Commissioner Retha Lowe on March 24th, 2015, at the City Commission meeting following the incident that occurred 2 weeks previously (note: Lowe mentions an article in The Lake Worth Herald)§:
Footnote section:
*See list below for links to #1–4 in this series from a former tabloid in Lake
Worth started prior to the elections in March 2015 and shut down
shortly after commissioners Ryan Maier and Chris McVoy were elected, a little over 2 years ago now:
For #1 in this series of excerpts from the “Worst Local Newspaper Ever” use this link. An excerpt: “It’s a big deal for us,” said Laurel Decker, who filed suit against the city in 2013 . . . “We’d like to get the dais back, and get the city moving forward again.”
For #2use this link: “Tree Board Switches to Gumbo Limbo!”
For #3 use this link: “LAKE WORTH CRIME BLOTTER”!!!!!
For #4 use this link: “Need money for Roads? Sell the Golf Course!”:
The City’s municipal golf course can never be sold. Why? It’s deed-restricted. Hello.
†The “Premiere Issue!” of this tabloid first appeared on January 16th,
2015 with a restaurant review by Joseph Thompson III. He later
disappeared and was never heard from again. Whereabouts unknown.
‡There
wasn’t another volume to follow. The tabloid failed from little
advertising even though it was given away for free. Downtown littering
became a big problem throughout the City following this tabloid’s
release.
§A collection of archives for this tabloid remain, separate from and not to be confused with
The Lake Worth Herald—the City’s oldest businesss, “Established in
1912”.
The historic images below are looking south along the barrier island. The Lake Worth Casino building is approximately in the middle of each image. I don’t think it’s necessary to label them “Before” and “After”.
In this image A1A is west of the Casino structure:
In this postcard, prior to the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane, A1A was east of the Casino along the Beach:
Compare and contrast: The tremendous amount of “infill” development on the barrier island.
In the top image you can see the substantial amount of new land created by dredging and “filling in” the Lake Worth Lagoon. All of the area west of the western loop road at the City’s Beach property isinfill. To the north (closest to you in the above pictures) there is an area of fill east and west of A1A. The area to the north of the Lake Worth bridge was done in two phases with the western side completed last.
Obviously there is a drastic difference between the 20s era postcard and the more current picture in the way of construction and pavement. However, the Lake Worth Beach is amazing for standing the test of time and remaining a public piece of property. I think that we can all agree on that. Remarkable.
But should the Casino and Beach be a “public” what? The argument bubbling up again is the idea of a more “passive park”. Returning the Beach property to a “less commercial” endeavor.
For a moment, let’s consider the option of a purely ‘passive’ public park with less commercial activity or with the same amount of commercial activity as there is today. One thing the images above show is whatever natural area was
there circa the 20s, you have to look pretty hard to find anything natural
that resembles the pristine conditions of yesteryear now. Ladies and
gentlemen, this is a drastically altered eco-system that shows the
impact of humankind over time.
Even a ‘passive’ park would need public access and public parking. For more Green space wouldn’t a multi-level parking structure be a way to consolidate parking? Are we ready to consider that yet? Or do we consolidate parking in our Downtown and shuttle people to
the Beach? That may have merit with some in the environmental and ecological community but probably wouldn’t
fly with the public.
Just a guess here, but don’t think the
typical family from Wellington or Greenacres would be so cool with that idea.
The proponents of a ‘passive’ park and less commercial activity at the Beach like to refer to the Beach as a “dune”. But that’s only true if you then consider the entire barrier island a dune. No matter how you look at it, there’s nothing natural or pristine about any of it any more.
And lastly, going forward, taking in the entire Casino property and including the municipal pool in the equation, should the taxpayers here in the City of Lake Worth be tasked with subsidizing a new pool for other residents in the County to use? Building a multi-tier parking garage would make a profit over time.
A new pool at the Beach will not make a profit. It will be an amenity: an amenity the vast majority of Lake Worth residents will never use. But they will have to pay for it, nonetheless.
So to the question: If the City decides to construct a new municipal pool where should it be? At the Beach where it’s already $4 to park? Then for a family of four, $4 more for each adult and $2 for each child: that’s $16 each trip to use the pool and go swimming. That’s a high price to pay for a typical family here in the City of Lake Worth.
![Dr. W. H. Cotton’s ode: “Oh, My Lake Worth, Florida!” [circa 1920].](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUL75cv6zJQFjX15ojOIIz9AjnbqH4asHJTYSDhnGnYr7rJZRha1NcNTirj2xPcId158vkz5Hw-wXgOfrlztj8Zr8jLFFCfuEN6PyV44ZlpMRmJ68xbtFL9vzxNiG7xDs_HJvm/s1600/LakeWorthPioneers.JPG)
