The City of Lake Worth is just part of the “Heart of Palm Beach County”. And explained: Why the press and news media are failing us.

From the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council (TCRPC):

“This 18-square-mile area contains a population of 62,790 people and includes all or a portion of seven cities, including Atlantis, Boynton Beach, Greenacres, Lake Worth, Lake Clarke Shores, Lantana, and Palm Springs. About 60 percent of the land area is unincorporated county, with the remaining 40 percent falling under the jurisdiction of these seven municipalities.”

Except for news reporters such as Julius Whigham at the Post and Charlie Keegan at NBC5/WPTV, very few understand much about “60 percent of the land area”:

How many of you in the media and press, elected officials, city staff et al., remember the TCRPC’s Economic Opportunities Workshop called the “Heart of Palm Beach County”?

Continue reading. If you don’t recall this workshop in June 2015 — organized by former County Mayor and Commissioner Shelley Vana just two years ago — many of you will be surprised to learn what ideas, comments, and solutions came from that workshop. If you want to just read it for yourself, use this link.

“Mayor Vana asked the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council to create a process, involving the municipalities and local business interests within the District, for developing a strategic plan that would outline a vision and specific actions for improving economic opportunities and conditions in the area.”

Why is the press and news media failing us? For example: “IN YOUR COMMUNITY”?

By focusing so much on the City of Lake Worth, The Palm Beach Post is missing the big picture: cities and towns like Lake Clarke Shores, Palm Springs, Greenacres and the “Lake Worth Corridor” are ALL dealing with the same problems.

But what city gets the most attention in the press and media? The little six-square-mile City of Lake Worth. What area in the “Heart of Palm Beach County” does the media and press misunderstand the most? It’s called the “Lake Worth Corridor” west of the City. How many news reports have you seen lately about incidents “in Lake Worth” that are not in our City?

There were many in attendance at this workshop, including Dolores Key, the Economic Development Manager for the City of Lake Worth and William Waters, the Director for Community Sustainability.

From Roundtable #1:

The City of Lake Worth needs to: “Have more community redevelopment; work with other cities to find grant initiatives; provide more housing availability; more business investment. Branding is important.”

There is much more from this document produced by the TCRPC to study and absorb. But today I’ll leave you with a bullet list of items from that meeting two years ago, in no particular order, about seven cities in the “Heart of Palm Beach County” and that place called the “Lake Worth Corridor”:

• Build a higher-end hotel and conference center.
• Improve infrastructure within Lake Worth Park of Commerce.
• Create a common theme for the area.
• Build the C-51 lock project.
• Redo John Prince Park based on the changing demographic of the area and potential opportunities for Intracoastal Waterway access.
• Create an annexation incentive program.
• Prepare a vacant lands inventory and market those areas.
• Address drainage problem areas.
• Create a new Strategic Plan for John Prince Park.
• Address homeless camps at John Prince Park.
• Initiate regularly scheduled meetings of the seven cities and PBC.
• Make streets more walkable and transit-friendly.
• Make the area feel like you are entering a special place or district. It is too fragmented now.
• Create a land trust for purchasing and assembling land for economic development and housing.
• Grow and cultivate local leadership within each of the neighborhoods.
• Make sure all gaps in water and sewer service in the District are filled. No more septic tanks.
• Create a greenways/blueways plan for the District.
• Establish a unified, district-wide vision.
• Improve and coordinate law enforcement and code enforcement activities.
• Improve schools.
• Striping and safety improvements for roads.

So. How have we done the last two years? What’s happened in the City of Greenacres the last two years? Lake Clarke Shores? Palm Springs? Or in the County’s John Prince Park?

Wouldn’t you like to see a feature story about this in the Post some day? And not just focus on what the City of Lake Worth has done. . . or not done.

Segment #6 and a video. “Comments and Questions” from Public Forum in West Palm Beach, “Getting from Point A to Point B”.

This forum held was hosted by Town of Palm Beach Mayor Gail Coniglio, West Palm Beach Commissioner Shanon Materio, and Palm Beach County Commissioner Mack Bernard.

Click on image to enlarge:

For the previous segment, #5, “Better Late Than Never”, the editorial in the Post on May 31st and more information from the presenting experts on May 22nd, use this link.

For Segment #4, “Presentation given by PBC Administrator Verdenia Baker” and to read segments 1–3 of the series use this link.

This segment is about the final portion of the event at the West Palm Beach Convention Center which centered on the traffic situation in downtown West Palm Beach. Keep checking back for more about this Public Forum and topics such as how this all ties in with the Palm Beach MPO and “impact fees”, how what’s happening in WPB affects my city, the City of Lake Worth, and why organizations like the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council are so vital.

The organizers of this forum placed particular focus on the Okeechobee Blvd. corridor between Australian Ave. up to and including the Town of Palm Beach. As a testament to the timeliness and importance of this forum, much of the crowd of around 200 people stayed for the entire morning. The video (see below) is evidence of that as many people stepped up to one of the two microphones placed at the front of the room to offer comments and ask questions.

You might find it interesting this particular video is the second-most watched of the series taken that day, it’s being shared a lot already. Organizers plan to address the comments and questions generated during this session in some manner. There were many worthy ideas floated during this part of the program and it was felt best to get them all out while people were there — not taking time to respond to them all for the sake of time — these topics will likely be addressed through the website created for the event. Stay tuned to this blog for more information. One person expressed there is a need to know:

WHERE, WHEN, WHY and WHO are ALL the people using this transportation corridor in order to come up with some definitive answers related to the issues raised.

Twice, the notion of a possible direct link serving the Town of Palm Beach via an overpass was discussed. Possible routes mentioned called for direct access from I-95 (although going over Clear Lake might be problematic), and for an elevated route west once on the mainland. This would serve as a reliever for traffic that would otherwise use Okeechobee Blvd. for the most direct route.

The impact of new technologies was mentioned in relation to autonomous vehicles. Also referenced were “driverless water taxis” (remember the Blueway Trail!) like they use in Paris to cross the Seine River. Signalization also could be augmented for pedestrians, a countdown clock to show the time remaining to cross a wide right-of-way. All these new systems could somehow be accessed by yet-to-be-developed smart phone apps that would help those navigating the area.

We were reminded again by former West Palm Beach Mayor Graham that a vision had been in place when she was in office — she thinks that has since been lost — the city she thought needs a vision so developers and city officials don’t make decisions “willy nilly”.

Jorge Pesquera, the President and CEO of Discover the Palm Beaches, reported that conventions and conventioneers encourage corporate relocations to the area: first impressions are important. A positive experience related to community walkability and mobility is a key factor in developing a favorable memory of the visit and sets the stage for others to be influenced in the same way.

A good portion of those speaking were residents of the area, most having lived here for a very long time, and recall how much the downtown has changed.

However, some perspective is in order. It’s hard to believe now for many people reading this, but Clematis Street and many other areas nearby in West Palm Beach, were once places to avoid. I know. I worked for the City of West Palm Beach back in 1989 a few years prior to Nancy Graham becoming the mayor.

Enjoy the video and please share with everyone you know that’s interested in this timely topic.

Finance Advisory Board meeting next Monday (see agenda below).

Have you ever thought of becoming a City volunteer board member? There are a few vacancies, e.g., there is one on the Planning and Zoning Board and Citizen’s Advisory Committee overseeing the Neighborhood Road Program needs more members. To look over all the City’s advisory boards use this link.

Please Note: The City Commission meets next Tuesday. Planning and Zoning Board and the City’s Electric Utility Advisory Board meet on Wednesday. The Tree Board meeting is Thursday.

To become a volunteer contact Silvina Donaldson, the Volunteer Coordinator at 561-586-1730; email: sdonaldson@lakeworth.org

Here is the agenda for the Finance Advisory Board:

Monday, June 5th.
Meet at the City Hall Conference Room.

• Roll Call: 6:00.
• Pledge of Allegiance.
• Agenda additions/deletions/reordering.
• Presentations by Sharee Haynes-Dyer, Financial Services Department: Major Funds Reviewed, “Big 3”: Beach Fund, Electric Fund, Water Fund. FY2018 Budget Calendar of Events.
• Member reports.
• Approval of minutes.
• Unfinished business.
• New business: Set next meeting date.
• Public comment (3 min. limit).
• Closing comments.
• Adjournment.

Note: One or more members of the City Commission, or members of any board/authority may attend and speak.

Better Late Than Never. The editor at the Post on Okeechobee Blvd. and the Public Forum held in West Palm Beach, “Getting from Point A to Point B”.

The editorial in The Palm Beach Post today (5/31) is now available online, about the forum held in West Palm Beach on May 22nd, 9 days ago.
     To sum up the editorial today is very easy. At the Public Forum last week Michael Busha summed it up this way:

Get everyone in the same room and not leave until you have a solution.

“Hmmm. Who is Michael Busha?” Find that out below. Thank You for visiting today. Stay tuned for Segment #6 later on today. . .

Segment #5. “Getting from Point A to Point B”, Public Discussion, traffic on Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach.

For Segment #4, “Presentation given by PBC Administrator Verdenia Baker” and to read segments 1–3 of the series use this link.

Below is more information from Verdenia Baker, the Palm Beach County Administrator, on the performance of the Convention Center in West Palm Beach and the tremendous tourism draw it is turning out to be with the addition of the Hilton Hotel next to it. In a video (see below; at the end of this blog post) you can watch the this session which includes Juan Mallerat from the planning firm Plusurbia and Michael Busha, Executive Director of Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council.

The Public Forum held on May 22nd:

This forum was hosted by Town of Palm Beach Mayor Gail Coniglio, West Palm Beach Commissioner Shanon Materio, and Palm Beach County Commissioner Mack Bernard.

Juan Mullerat, who originally hails from Barcelona, Spain, shared international examples of successful urban transportation corridors with multiple users. He pointed out that one particular section of Okeechobee Boulevard — a very busy stretch near the Convention Center — seemed to provide an excellent place for grass to grow but not much benefit for bicyclists or those on foot. He broke down the percentage of space allocated in the corridor in the following way: pedestrian 7%, bikes 0%, vehicles 55%, and 38% for grass.

While “Green”, the grass is not acting in a beneficial way to improve the efficiency or safety of the corridor. He pointed to other examples, such as the Diagonal in Barcelona and the famous Champs Elysees in Paris that are wider, or nearly as wide, as this section of Okeechobee Boulevard that handle a number of modes of transit in a much more balanced way. His talk was lighthearted and informative.

Michael Busha from Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council told the tales of a warrior that had experienced all the battles from the beginning here in Palm Beach County. He paralleled former Mayor Nancy Graham’s talk relating stories about the earlier days on Clematis Street when his was the only car on the road and the target of kids throwing rocks. 

[Sounds far-fetched? An exaggeration? It’s not. I worked for the City of West Palm Beach in 1989 while Nancy Graham was mayor. Back then Clematis Street was one to avoid.]

Mr. Busha concluded that in order to make progress toward a workable solution for the traffic/pedestrian conflict on Okeechobee Boulevard — you have to get everyone in the same room — and not leave until you have a solution. He also talked about how that process worked concerning integration of the Brightline train service vis-à-vis other modes of rail transportation.

County Administrator Verdenia Baker’s talk, briefly discussed in segment #4 as well, highlighted the tourism attraction power and the synergy created by the addition of the new hotel to the existing convention center. Her overriding concern was for the safety of future conference attendees and visitors crossing Okeechobee Blvd. during their stay to enjoy the various offerings at City Place and other downtown venues.

Recently held Governor’s Hurricane Conferences where a large group of people made their way to City Place from the Convention Center area:

This picture from Verdinia Baker’s presentation makes the point. But doesn’t the grass look wonderful!

Ms. Baker made it very clear the number of groups will be increasing per event and this condition of waiting to cross the street, taking refuge in the median, will continue until a permanent solution is found. She grimly pointed out:

It would take just one accident to sway convention planners to steer away from West Palm Beach for future events.

Baker was the strongest proponent of an overhead passageway across the corridor, or possibly even a tunnel. She did admit though, the tunnel alternative, would be a very expensive option but something has to be done. It would take just one accident. . .

Enjoy the video and please share with everyone who has an interest in this very timely topic: 

News from reporter Skyler Swisher: “Palm Beach County property values on the rise for sixth year”

Please note: The City of Lake Worth is cited below. To read the entire article in the Sun Sentinel use this link; here are two excerpts:

“These numbers are healthy, and a sign Palm Beach County is still a good place to live,” she [County Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks] said.

and note the highlighted text below. . .

     Boca Raton properties went up nearly 7.1 percent to $22.5 billion, and Boynton Beach rose 7.4 percent to $5.4 billion.
     Cities farther north also posted gains, including Lake Worth at 11.3 percent and West Palm Beach at 8.2 percent.

“This past midterm election, which is used as an example. . .

. . . of what our elected officials think in what direction we should be going, is based on a 5 percent voter turnout. That leaves 95 percent of voters silent on the future of Lake Worth.”

—Another quote from that absurd Letter to the Editor published in The Palm Beach Post. Remember the line, “The Gulfstream Hotel should be taken back by the city. . .”?


Adding the numbers from all the precincts reporting last March 14th, my numbers show the voter turnout was closer to 15% than 5%. Regardless, the voter turnout was dismal all over Palm Beach County, not just in the City of Lake Worth.

But isn’t the bigger issue why a 3-term incumbent couldn’t even muster 1,000 votes? Click on image to enlarge:

Here’s another line from that letter: “No more empty promises from developers.” Check out these pictures from yesterday:

“This focus on growth and profit over quality of life only leads to debt and blight.”

“This business model puts undue hardship on the majority who live and work in Lake Worth.”

Coming soon. . .

Oh, No! Developers are here!

What’s next! A store selling men’s pants?

Spread the Word! Have you ever visited Barton Elementary School?

Calling Teenpreneurs! The “Shark Tank” is coming to the little City of Lake Worth.

Barton Elementary School, “Home of the Charging Bulls!”, is located at 1700 Barton Rd. Click on image to enlarge:

Public Event. This coming Thursday at 6:00. Learn more about E-Roadmap using this link or call Exec. Dir. Veleke Brown at 804-641-4040; email: Veleke@E-Roadmap.org

Call For Photographers: ART Studio Café hosting exhibit, “It’s a Beautiful World Out There”.

Please Note: The deadline is tomorrow to submit photographs for this exhibit.

The ART Studio Café is located at 410 2nd Ave. North. Show opens Friday, June 2nd. More details below.

Photo credit: Shawn Moss‎ titled, “Light painting with the cars 2”.

SHOW OPEN TO ALL. Non-professional photographers welcome. Submit 2 pieces for approval to exhibit.

Show will open Friday, June 2nd, at 6:00 with a wine & cheese reception. All pieces exhibited will be for sale for 3 weeks (studio takes 20%).

• Submit/exhibit fee is $35 (limit 2 pieces per person).
• Pieces need to be submitted no later than Wednesday, May 31st.
• Questions please call 561-667-3923.

Photographs must show “It’s a Beautiful World Out There”, e.g., if it’s a park bench with pigeon you have to illustrate “where”.

All works must be titled, signed, labelled with photographer’s name and brief description.

“Commentary” or “Opinion” must be clearly labelled if not published in the editorial section.

If you saw the “Local News” section in The Palm Beach Post yesterday (5/29), on page B3, you found commentary about the City of Lake Worth by a reporter that was not labelled. Whether you agree with the reporter or not, commentary and opinion belongs in the editorial section, not in the local news section.

For more about “Commentary” and “Opinion” from The New York Times’ “Clear Thinking, Clear Writing” is this:

“Distinguish between advocacy and news reporting. Analysis and commentary should be labeled. . .”.

And if you think some in the City of Lake Worth are too critical of The Palm Beach Post’s reporting, The New York Times advises that newspapers should. . .

“Encourage the public to voice grievances against the news media.”

Thank You for visiting today and hope you enjoy learning more about what makes LDub so very special.

Remember when protesters from Everglades Earth First! tossed a car battery into a lake at the “Briger Tract”?

Then came the sensational “Briger Forest Trial”!

And then one of the protesters ran for seat on the Lake Worth City Commission!

Is this a creative short story in the “Fiction” category about the City of Lake Worth (aka, “LDub” in the radical community)? No. This all actually happened!

“Verdict: Environmentalists guilty” . . . “for role in demonstration against Briger forest plans”:

What’s the latest with the “Briger forest”? Did one of the protesters really throw a battery into a lake? Continue reading to find out.

There’s new news about the “Briger Tract” — now called the Alton Tract in Palm Beach Gardens — from Palm Beach Post reporter Sarah Peters (excerpts below).

Many of my blog readers will recall the “battery in the lake” episode, a tragic story but a humorous one as well. After all the political monkeywrenching over the years in the City of Lake Worth by Everglades Earth First! (EEF!) there was an element of schadenfreude upon hearing the news about the protest that failed spectacularly in Palm Beach Gardens (PBG). However, beyond EEF!’s misfortunes and flawed strategies are serious questions about the environment, the future role of our coastal cities (e.g., the City of Lake Worth), western sprawl, and yes, the future of the Everglades as well.

The protests, sit-ins, tree-sitting, and banging of pots and pans in Palm Beach Gardens by EEF! went on for several years and it all ended quite ingloriously in 2014. As far back as 2011 they were getting attention on this blog about their protesting and other activities in PBG:

It turns out that Mr. [Panagioti] Tsolkas and company challenged the Comprehensive Plan change and final environmental permit. Both challenges were dismissed. The first one due to lack of “standing.” . . . So, by losing these two challenges, the tree-sitting exercise can be thought of as trespassing, sour grapes, publicity seeking and a fundraising opportunity with I-95 frontage.

The Briger Tract went on to become quite the topic of interest here in the City of Lake Worth back in 2014, but not quite the public relations message our good friends from EEF! were looking for. Displaying few “situational awareness” skills, out of the 1,001 ways to disable a vehicle taught in the hundreds of Anarchist manuals and ‘cookbooks’ circulated world-wide, the protesters from EEF! chose the worst one of all:

Not the best way to disable a vehicle, especially by those protesting to save the environment. No report of any snakes or turtles being injured, thankfully.

Hard to believe but true: One of the protesters that day in 2014, Ryan Hartman, ran for a seat on the Lake Worth City Commission in 2016. He lost. Hartman’s concession message wasn’t very nice.

As far as bad PR goes, it couldn’t have gotten any worse for the City of Lake Worth’s contingent from EEF!. It was a disaster. Many here in the City were in stunned disbelief on hearing what happened. Post reporter Linda Santacruz chronicled the events that day:

The protesters were activists with Everglades Earth First, demonstrating against The Kolter Group development taking place in Palm Beach Gardens’ Briger Forest. Two women chained themselves to a disabled vehicle that blocked the site’s construction entrance and, unintentionally, the school’s [Mandel JCC, a Jewish community center] access road.
     The two women stood on either side of the van, reaching through the broken windows with their wrists chained together, police said. A pipe was placed over their arms to prevent authorities from cutting the chain.
     The protesters also removed the van’s battery and dumped it in a nearby lake. It was later recovered to prevent any chemical spills, [emphasis added] police said.
     PBSO deputies cut the chain connecting the women and they were both arrested. Another man [Ryan Hartman] was arrested after he admitted to parking the van in the location.

A year later, in November of 2015, the three protesters went on trial and they were all found guilty. Post reporter Daphne Duret covered that story:

Afterwards, the activists said their friends’ convictions will only serve to continue their case. Panagioti [sic, Peter] Tsolkas echoed the sentiments of Schlesinger [Assistant Public Defender Brad Schlesinger], who in his closing arguments compared the Everglades Earth First! agenda to the civil rights movement.

The judge was sympathetic and probably thought the three protesters had suffered enough from all the embarrassment. They were all sentenced to probation.

Now here’s the latest news about the Briger Tract from Post reporter Sarah Peters:

Palm Beach Gardens officials approved a plan for 515 more homes in the Alton development, plus a new road and traffic signal to make it safer to turn left out of the Mandel JCC. [note: this was the intersection of the EEF! protest in 2014]
     The 316 single-family homes and 199 townhouses will be built south of Grandiflora Road and the first neighborhood on a roughly 95-acre parcel. The entire Alton property — formerly known as the Briger tract — is about 680 acres, Planner Don Hearing said. The City Council approved the site plan at its May 4 meeting.
     Developer KH Alton, a subsidiary of Kolter Homes, will complete Alton Road between Hood and Grandiflora Roads. Alton Road will connect to a new east-west road built by Kolter, Beckman Terrace. Beckman Terrace will start at the entrance of the Mandel Jewish Community Center.

Note that the Briger Tract, as it was called then, is along the I-95 Corridor. All the while EEF! was protesting in Palm Beach Gardens plans were already in the works for another city called Westlake, the County’s 39th city, further west in Palm Beach County. And recently on this blog posted news about another “new master-planned community” called Arden, west of the Village of Wellington:

Arden, being developed by Freehold Communities, will have 2,000 homes, along with recreation amenities and a working farm.

In conclusion, ultimately the question comes down to this: Where do we want new residents of Palm Beach County to live and build homes? Close to and in our coastal cities? Along the I-95 Corridor or further out west up to and past the Florida Turnpike?

To the question: Should it be “Eastward Ho!” or “Eastward No!”?

A question posed last November to the environmental community here in the City of Lake Worth has still gone unanswered. Is just saying “No” to development in this City the responsible answer?

Important meeting tomorrow: County impact fees. Mundane subject? Think again.

Mayor Pam Triolo has a thing or two to say about County road “impact fees” .

Learn more below about a very important public meeting coming up on May 30th.

This meeting could have a huge “impact” on our little City. And one would think many from the City of Lake Worth would want to get involved and have their voices heard. Consider this timely item:

“At a recent Lake Worth City Commission meeting Mayor Pam Triolo, again, expressed frustration with what are called ‘County impact fees’. These are fees developers, builders, etc., have to pay to move forward with a project. The amount of money these developers, et al., had to pay was not insignificant — dollars that were then sent by the County to communities, some far out west near the Everglades — and the City of Lake Worth received just pennies on the dollar in return. You can understand now the frustration of Mayor Triolo. . .

. . . And you’re probably more unhappy, or maybe even angry, many of you had to vote for a $40M bond to fix our roads.”

Save the date.

Here are the meeting details:

Palm Beach Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Public Workshop (email the details, copy & paste, send to your friends and neighbors):

• “Countywide Road Impact Fee System Alternatives”.
• Tuesday, May 30th, 9:00–noon.
• Palm Beach County Vista Center.
• First floor Hearing Chambers, 2300 N. Jog Rd., in suburban West Palm Beach.

“This workshop is being conducted at the request of the Palm Beach MPO Governing Board. The purpose is to consider various alternatives prepared by an MPO ad hoc committee to potentially modify the current process for the collection and distribution of development road impact fees for transportation related projects in Palm Beach County. Any action on proposed changes would be under the direction of the Board of County Commissioners.”

When you wake up on Monday morning getting advice from The Palm Beach Post, that’s a sign. You know things are bad.

The latest from the Post is another round of layoffs and they raised the price for paper delivery too.

So when they come out with advice for our Mayor Pam Triolo, in a commentary that wasn’t labelled a “Commentary”, you know things are not looking good for our City’s leadership right now. This is real bad, folks.

It’s starting to feel like 2012 again when everyone in Palm Beach County felt so sorry for us. Remember “Good Ole Lake Worth”?

Anyhow, an idea for a future “Commentary” in the Post:

Still unexplained: Why did the Post shut down their Tallahassee Bureau?

The Palm Beach Post has still to explain this to their paying subscribers and digital readership: Why did they shut down their Tallahassee bureau and let go of reporters John Kennedy and David Rogers?

And should they take another look at whether or not they made a “colossal mistake” when they shut down their printing presses and sent all those jobs to Broward County? But a tiny Hoffman’s Chocolate location in Downtown Lake Worth closed. . . remember when that was THE big news?

Here is more from the Poynter Institute (“A global leader in journalism”), an article titled, “Newspapers are still widely read, but business outlook remains gloomy”; an excerpt:

The end of the year [2016] has been rife with news of layoffs and buyouts, with companies including Dow Jones, The New York Times and Gannett announcing cuts near the end of 2016.
     Just a few individual newspapers — most of them national and international brands like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post — have been able to successfully leverage that expanded reach into viable digital subscription businesses. [emphasis added]
     But with print revenue dwindling and Silicon Valley giants like Google and Facebook gobbling up the digital advertising, regional and local titles will need to shore up alternative revenue streams to keep their businesses sustainable — and their reach intact.

Now back to the question: When will the Post explain to their readership why reporters John Kennedy and David Rogers were let go? Isn’t that news their paying subscribers want and deserve to know?

Worth Another Look: “SAVE OUR POOL!” Or deal with that “white elephant” at the Beach once and for all?

Some questions:

• Our City Commission knows they, “Can’t keep kicking the can down the road.” But will they? Like previous elected officials did in 2010–2012 when there was money to fix the pool.
• The Lake Worth Beach is actually a “regional beach”. Should our electeds be asking, “How can we afford to keep the pool open?”, when so many that use the pool are not City residents?
• Are there better options for the City than a pool at the Beach? An outside theater maybe? Sell tickets to concerts, plays, or movie night at the Beach?
• When the pool was still open, do you remember taking your family or a group of friends to the pool? Or did $4 to park and the price ($4/adult and $2/child) seem a little steep?
• Do you think another location in the City would be a better idea for a “community” pool?
• What about “Engaging Youth to Create Community Spaces”?
• What do Millennials want?
• Time to seriously consider a parking garage that will actually make money and provide better access for the elderly and disabled?

People carrying pool noodles keep marching to City Hall and Commission meetings with the message “SAVE OUR POOL!”. But for you and your family, is the pool at the Beach really just a “white elephant whose time has passed”?

Now for “Worth Another Look”:

Who first came up with the words “white elephant” about the pool at the Beach? Find that out below.

That same person wrote wrote these words:

“There has been a lot of talk about turning Lake Worth’s liabilities back into assets . . . when it comes to the City Swimming Pool at the beach the Commissioners need to take a hard look at the economic realities of our pool and the national trend towards municipal aquatic parks.
     Stand alone ‘rectangular pools’ are a thing of the past . . . older municipal pools are being shut down, often replaced by aquatic parks that cater to whole families. No amount of ‘out of the box marketing’ can succeed in bringing people to a facility that is no longer viable in today’s recreation market.”

Who said this and when? A recent comment or observations from several years ago? Take a few moments. Play the “Jeopardy Theme Song” if you need more time:



The quotes above are from the inimitable Tom McGow, from the blog “Tom’s Page”, back in March of 2010. Seven (7) years later is it finally time to start a new conversation in our little City of Lake Worth? Or just keep on rehashing the same old arguments from yesteryear?

Below is another quote from Mr. McGow:

“The Olympic sized pool at the beach is a white elephant whose time has passed. Let’s view the entire beach property with 21st century eyes and stop clinging to the past and install features that will attract people and revenue.”

Pay special attention to the comments in this blog post by Mr. McGow from people you may remember and know: Loretta Sharpe, Joanne Kelly, et al.

Question: Would the pool at the Beach really be just a distraction from other crucial issues in our City? A “wedge issue”? Shouldn’t the big issue be our Casino complex with a solid business plan going into the future?

How many who chant “Save Our Pool!” actually used the pool when it was open?

A Look Back.

Below are excerpts from Mayor Pam Triolo’s 2017 State of the City Address held last January 3rd at the Casino Ballroom.

For the entire speech use this link on the City of Lake Worth’s website; scroll down for the video and PDF.

With the right amount of effort, creativity and drive we can and should set the bar higher. That mindset is actually in stark contrast to what I found when I was first elected as Mayor. The more I dug into the many problems facing our City, it was as if Lake Worth got distracted 30 or 40 years ago.

and. . .

     Unfortunately, the City we inherited has suffered greatly from changes in the market as people’s taste shifted to larger homes on bigger lots and they moved west. The retail businesses left our traditional downtown to move to malls and strip centers or they went out of business altogether. And there have been the ups and downs of the larger economy which the City was ill prepared to either take advantage of an upswing or combat against a downturn.
     The migration of people, money and jobs from our City left a vacuum and our poverty rates climbed, unemployment rose, and political bickering and animosity became the norm. Squalor, crime, and dare I say a sense of desperation followed. Lake Worth, that quaint little beach town developed a not so nice reputation. It was a slide that lasted over 30 years.

and. . .

     Undoing that slide and bringing this City back has been our goal and it has been nothing short of difficult. Since becoming Mayor, along with my fellow Commissioners I have set a course to stop the decay, focus on the fundamentals, and no longer coast on latent value of what our predecessors did before us.
     We have dragged the baggage of failures, controversies and infighting for too long. We have made too many excuses for the years of neglect, petty bickering, and unnecessary controversy. We need to no longer be lulled into thinking that Lake Worth reached its peak in some past era with some previous generation. . . .


It is now time to join together and own a period of time that will be looked back upon by future generations as one of success, responsibility, accountability and positivity.

Segment #4. “Getting from Point A to Point B”: Brief notes from presentation given by PBC Administrator Verdenia Baker.

Today’s segment will be brief. On Tuesday, following Memorial Day, will pick up again with my notes taken from last Monday’s forum. What you’ll learn from Palm Beach County Administrator Verdenia Baker will interest and surprise many of you. Exciting. Below are some slides from the Forum and Public Discussion held on Monday, May 22nd.

 Here is one slide: Can you guess what this is about? More slides below.

More conventions, conferences and visitors in West Palm Beach will mean many more people crossing Okeechobee Blvd. PBC Administrator Baker is very concerned. Go with a tunnel (very expensive) or a walkway?

To review the previous segments:

• Segment #1 and video: Just the Facts, “Getting from Point A to Point B”, Panel Discussions in West Palm Beach.
• Segment #2 and video. “President Donald Trump, tourism and “Trains, Planes, and Automobiles!”
• Segment #3 and video:  “Why our world will never be perfect”.

“Public Discussion About Our Traffic”.

This forum was hosted by Town of Palm Beach Mayor Gail Coniglio, West Palm Beach Commissioner Shanon Materio, and Palm Beach County Commissioner Mack Bernard.

Four more slides:

Traffic. Beginning of new era for conventions and conferences in Palm Beach County.

As predicted, hotel next to the convention center has been a boon to convention and conference business.

Confirmed by Jorge Pesquera, President/CEO at Discover the Palm Beaches: there are 2,200 hotel rooms “in the pipeline” and met with another quality chain with plans for another major hotel.

Trend is for less events and more people per event. Many events and conventioneers return multiple years.

Use this link to see all of the “Point A to Point B” videos, 5 total.

Some day, we hope, my little City of Lake Worth will have a restored historic hotel and a new hotel as well. Then we can begin contributing to our County’s bed tax and help to fill the need for future hotel rooms. Hope springs eternal.

Thank You for visiting today.