Artists to Begin Work on Lake Worth Beach’s Osborne Community “Unity Wall” During MLK Weekend

Wall with a history of separating white from black communities to be turned into a symbol of unity.

WHAT: The Whispering Palm Neighborhood Association and Healthier Lake Worth Beach, a Palm Health Foundation initiative, has come together to repaint and revitalize the Lake Worth Beach Unity Wall. This wall is a 1,100-foot cinder block wall that runs along Wingfield Street in the South end of Lake Worth Beach. There was a time when this wall represented separation. Today this wall will forever stand for people of all races and cultures coming together to break down the walls and barriers of hate, injustice.

Built in 1954, the wall served as an unofficial border between residents of the "Osborne Colored Addition" and their white neighbors in the Whispering Palms community at the city's south end. In 1954,the city's zoning code required Black residents to live in the Osborne subdivision. It remained that way until 1969. "For today’s generation and society, that wall does not represent segregation anymore,"said Retha Lowe, the city's first Black commissioner and a lifelong resident of the Osborne community.."It’s about bringing our city together — all types of people. That's what it represents today for our community — a wall of unity.”

WHEN: Saturday, January 16, 2021 from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Work on the wall will continue each Saturday over the next six to eight weeks until the project is complete.

WHERE: Wingfield Street, near the corner of 12 th Avenue South, in Lake Worth Beach. The Unity Wall extends almost 4 blocks on Winfield Street in the Osborne Community in the city of Lake Worth Beach.

LETTER FROM FIRE-RESCUE CHIEF, DARREL DONATTO re Vaccine for Town of Palm Beach Residents

 Dear Palm Beach Residents,

The past nine months have been unprecedented times for all of us. The SARS-CoV-2 virus and the COVID-19 disease that it produces have been both debilitating and deadly to many people, including those right here in our community. I had COVID back in September and spent some time in the hospital because of it.

The availability of a vaccine is excellent news for everyone. The vaccine has been developed faster than ever before and is being distributed as quickly as production allows.

In 2009, Palm Beach Fire Rescue developed and executed a plan to vaccinate our community for the Swine Flu through what is known as a Closed POD or point of distribution. Those plans were incredibly successful and resulted in us being prepared to do the same for COVID-19. We began our planning to administer the COVID-19 vaccine back in April, anticipating a vaccine becoming available at the end of January or beginning of February. On December 30, 2020, we contacted the Department of Health, and to our delight, we were able to secure 1,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to be administered through our Closed POD.

Vaccinating our community for COVID-19 is not something we had to do, but rather, something we wanted to do, something that we felt was the right thing to do for our community. From the moment we received those doses, we knew that some people in our community were going to be upset, but we hoped and prayed for everyone’s understanding. About 5,000 people in Palm Beach are 65 years of age or older, and we only had 1,000 doses. We wanted to do for one what we could not do for all. So, despite knowing there would be some disappointed people, we executed our Closed POD plan.

We studied the way others across the country were doing what we wanted to and quickly realized that the most effective and most efficient systems used an online appointment system. We chose a system that could handle a large volume of traffic in a very short period of time, and that was certified as HIPPA compliant to protect the privacy of those using the system. While not perfect, it was the best solution to accomplish our goal of vaccinating as many people as we could as fast as we could. It has worked perfectly, despite some feeling otherwise because they did not get an appointment.

The community should know, the terrific men and women of Palm Beach Fire Rescue have stepped up in a big way to vaccinate our community. I am so proud of them and the work they are doing. We have received many compliments on how kind and caring our firefighters are, how efficient our system is, and how much what Fire Rescue is doing is appreciated. However, we have also received a few complaints because people were unable to get appointments. I wish that we had enough vaccines for everyone today, but we do not. That said, I am thankful for the vaccines we have been able to administer.

We are working tirelessly to bring more vaccines to all of Palm Beach County, vaccinate more residents of our community, and help other Fire-Rescue departments do the same thing we are doing in their communities.

There will be more vaccines available in the days to come. Everyone who wants one will eventually have access to a COVID-19 vaccine. Please be as patient as possible. Please continue to practice social distancing and wear a face mask. And, please know that the men and women of Palm Beach Fire Rescue care about you and will do everything we can to help you as fast as they can.

Respectfully,

Darrel Donatto, Fire-Rescue Chief

Town of Palm Beach Fire Rescue

January 6, 2021 Announcement from the City of Lake Worth Beach re: COVID-19 Vaccine

As we embark on the journey of a New Year there is long awaited news about the next step in our fight against COVID-19, the vaccines are starting to become available in Palm Beach County. To ensure that the vaccine goes where it is most needed first, Governor DeSantis has ordered (EO 20-315) that the first wave of vaccines will go to individuals in the following priority groups:

Long-term care facility residents and staff.

Persons 65 years of age and older.

Health care personnel with direct patient contact.

Persons deemed to be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 by hospital providers.

The Florida Department of Health will be distributing the vaccine by appointment only and strictly to those who meet the requirements in the Governor's order. If you, or a loved one, is in one of the priority groups you can make an appointment by emailing chd50feedback@flhealth.gov. In your email you must include the name, phone number, and date of birth of the person who will be receiving the vaccine. Questions about the vaccine should be directed to your primary care provider.

Further information about the vaccine can be found at these resources:

https://discover.pbcgov.org/coronavirus/Pages/vaccine.aspx

https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/covid-19-vaccines-in-florida

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/index.html

If you have questions about COVID-19 you should contact 1-866-779-6121 or email COVID19@flhealth.gov.

The City of Lake Worth Beach will continue to work with our partners at Palm Beach County and the Florida Department of Health to ensure our residents remain healthy during this pandemic, however the City is not involved in the deployment and administration of the vaccine.

Although the deployment of the vaccine is the beginning of the end, COVID-19 remains a threat. Residents should continue to follow the guidance from the CDC for their own safety and the safety of those around them. Continue to social distance, wear a mask, and wash your hands regularly.

**ATTENTION LAKE WORTH BEACH RESIDENTS & BUSINESS OWNERS**

Florida Department of Transportation - DISTRICT FOUR

I-95 Northbound at 10th Avenue North to Undergo Full Closure on January 13, 2021*

I-95 Bridge Beam Replacement at 10th Avenue North

From south of 10th Avenue North to north of 10th Avenue 

North Palm Beach County

Financial Project ID Number: 443322-1-52-01

I-95 Northbound at 10th Avenue North to Undergo Full Closure January 13, 2021*

The I-95 northbound lanes at 10th Avenue North in the City of Lake Worth Beach will be closed to traffic overnight, Wednesday, January 13th for new bridge deck construction. The first lane will close at 9:00pm, the second lane will close at 10:00pm, and all lanes will be closed by 11:00pm, reopening by 5:00am. 

Traffic will be detoured via the 10th Avenue North interchange, with motorists diverting off of I-95 via the northbound exit ramp and re-entering I-95 northbound via the 10th Avenue North entrance ramp. 

FHP will be on site to assist motorists. 

*Thursday night, January 14, 2021 will be used as a contingency if needed.

Construction Cost: $444,903 

Construction Start: October 10, 2020 

Anticipated Completion: Spring 2021

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Saira Rothschild, P.E., FDOT Project Manager Ido Shimony, P.E., CEI Project Administrator

Saira.Rothschild@dot.state.fl.us or 561-370-1194 Ishimony@eismanrusso.com or 954-579-4892

Daniela Silva, Community Outreach Specialist

Msilva@corradino.com or 786-441-3088

PBSO - Lake Worth Beach - Weekly Update - 12/23/20

 Here is your latest PBSO weekly update for Lake Worth Beach:

Crime: We had a busy and tragic weekend. There was a shooting in Tropical Ridge Sunday in which one of the two victims was killed. We had a second shooting the following morning in Royal Poinciana where one person was shot. The two incidents do not appear to be related. Our Violent Crimes Division is investigating. We had three robberies to persons with no specific patterns. Regarding property crimes, we had five burglaries (three to businesses, one residence and one vehicle). Suspects were looking for tools in most of the cases. We also had one stolen vehicle.

Please continue to look out for each other and when you see something suspicious “make the call”. The holidays are traditionally busy for law enforcement. There is usually an uptick in crime and mental illness related calls for service. This year has been no different.

Community Policing: This has been a busy month for us. This year was different from previous years due to the pandemic however , we were still able to purchase and deliver toys for 400 + children in Lake Worth Beach. The toys were delivered to the four elementary schools which chose the families based on need.  

Covid 19: We continue to see a spike in Covid 19 cases within our region. I currently have a couple deputies out with it and a couple quarantined. Fortunately all of the cases are mild. The vaccine information is great news but please remain vigilant until it is available to everyone.

I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday,

Captain Todd Baer

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

Commander – District 14 – City of Lake Worth Beach

Former District #2 Commissioner - Mac McKinnon

 From Carol Webster, Lake Worth High School Alum, passed this word on to me today:

"I’m sorry to share with you that I got word this morning that former LWHS coach and former LW Vice-Mayor Mac McKinnon lost his fight with Covid last night.  He was truly a kind and caring man.  He played an important role in the lives of many in Lake Worth and the surrounding area.  He was a teacher, coach and public servant.  He will be missed."

A note to my friends, supporters and residents of the City of Lake Worth Beach:

After being contacted by, and reaching out to, fellow Lake Worth Beach residents this past October, it was clear that they wanted a new direction for the city and were not satisfied with those who indicated a desire to run for the position. Most of the people I talked with suggested that such a candidate was me and running for Mayor would fill that need.

After much reflection and consideration, I’m announcing that I will not be continuing my campaign for Mayor. After consulting with family members, trusted friends, colleagues and key supporters, I realized that the most important factor was relatively easy to recognize: The relatively recent decision to run for office did not provide enough time and resources to be able to win in March of 2021. 

A further realization was to be an effective Mayor in a sizable, diverse city like Lake Worth Beach, one must be prepared to dedicate more time to campaign than my current and projected business volume was going to allow me to do.  Suddenly we were engaged in a full-time effort for the campaign to raise enough financial resources to compete in a potential 5-way race. We also quickly discovered that raising money to compete during a pandemic, when so many of our neighbors are suffering badly from the impacts of Covid-19, proved especially challenging. 

I wish the best of luck to the remaining competitors for the job. I pledge to stay involved as a vocal participant in our local government. I urge the next Mayor and Commission to move forward on what would have been the foundations of my campaign. 

These were to improve the quality and increase the volume of communication coming from City Hall to our residents and businesses. We must vastly improve customer service and look at the quality of the experience residents and businesses have when doing business with the City. I fully support the City conducting a comprehensive Charter review and will continue my efforts in helping make the Lake Worth Beach dais be more representative of our diverse population in that regard.. Finally, we must go forward with improvements to the oceanfront park, the disposition of a city swimming pool and the Blueway Paddling Trail project. Successful execution of these opportunities will increase the quality of life for all City of Lake Worth residents.

I thank everyone  for their support and encouragement. I hope everyone stays safe, wears their masks and enjoys the best holiday season possible under different and challenging circumstances.

With continued love for Lake Worth Beach, I remain...

Wes Blackman

Resident of Lake Worth Beach

The public in this City of Lake Worth is screaming, “We can’t hear you!” From May 16, 2018 - Over two years ago.

Below is a post about the importance of reaching out to Neighborhood Associations prior to making big decisions at the City Commission level. This is above and beyond statutory requirements. It would be more than the standard effort required. This is something I've always supported: more communication from the City prior to considering items that will have a profound effect on residents and property owners.

Click on image to enlarge:

William Waters is the Dir. of Community Sustainability. On March 7th he said, “Neighborhood associations could be noticed.” And the board attorney said at this same meeting, “[W]e are meeting the statutory requirements.”

Our residents in this City deserve better than just the minimum effort when it comes to communication.

Below is the video of last night’s City Commission meeting, “First Reading, Amending Chapter 23, Land Development Regulations”. It was hard to watch. The public, however, needs to commended for being so respectful and coming forth with their well-thought and researched observations and complaints.

A Tweet from last night (please pause to load):

Chamber packed in @LakeWorthPBC & City Commission meeting hasn't even started yet. Stay Tuned for Live Streaming of this meeting momentarily: https://t.co/MK1oL9mVhu #LakeWorth pic.twitter.com/hw6G03AvdA

— Wes Blackman (@WesBlackman) May 15, 2018

The public was calm and reasonable. And so was the City Commission. But to the staff it was like the public was talking to a bunch of people so completely out of touch and disconnected, hoping and praying that they’ll finally get it this time.

The public gets it. The City staff doesn’t. And there are too many people between the staff level and the Commission that don’t get it either.

Did you know this City has a “Neighborhood Planner”? What exactly does that person do?

This City of Lake Worth needs to learn how to communicate with all our neighborhoods. Why it’s taking so long to learn that bypassing the Neighborhood Assoc. Presidents’s Council (NAPC) is a really bad idea is beyond comprehension. Waiting for Commission meetings to hear from the public is way too late as evidenced by a packed house last night.

Having this many people show up at a

Commission meeting is not a good thing. 

This is a sign the City has a communication problem.

Check back to this blog later on today and tomorrow for more about this meeting. Briefly, several items from this agenda item will come back to the City Commission for another First Reading on June 5th. For the rest of everything from “Ordinance 2018-07” it’s back to the drawing board. Again. Is anyone surprised?

The public is saying, “We can’t hear you!” And the reason is there are too many people working for this City who are not listening, or worse yet, don’t care.

This “New Business” item on the agenda took up 2½ hours last night at the City Commission. Would encourage everyone to watch this video in short segments over the next day or two. Commissioners Omari Hardy and Herman Robinson were out of town attending an Urban Land Institute conference in Savannah.

Public Comment begins at
the 1 hour and 10 second mark.

Saturday Food Give-Away Church by the Glades 127 S M St, Lake Worth Beach - 12/5/20

 Each Saturday morning Restoration Bridge distributes free food to anyone in need in the parking lot at Church By The Glades. Individuals and families will receive boxes of fresh produce, dairy, meat, and more. All are welcome! Please visit www.restorationbridge.com if you are interested in volunteering. #feedthehungry #localfood #volunteer

Click here for Facebook event link.

INTERVIEWS WITH LOCAL PHYSICIANS WHO ARE EXPERTS ON COVID-19

I highly recommend watching this informative video. It is timely information provided by experts in the field of public health and members of the medical community.

In conjunction with the Town of Palm Beach, the Palm Beach Civic Association dedicated its December 3rd episode of “Your Town, Your Safety, Your Well-Being” to giving the community an update on the Covid-19 pandemic.

Three local doctors, who are experts on COVID-19, were featured in this episode. They included Dr. Alina Alonso, who is the Palm Beach County Health Department Director, Dr. Kenneth Scheppke, who is an emergency medicine physician and the State EMS Medical Director, and Dr. David Dodson, who is double board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases.

To view this very informative and important episode, please click on the link below. https://vimeo.com/486966696

Loyal Readers: Working for Change in Lake Worth Beach this March!

I'm excited to announce my campaign for Mayor of Lake Worth Beach for the upcoming election on March 9th.

We'll have a website up soon, meanwhile you can visit, like and follow our campaign Facebook page at https://lnkd.in/eh2DC7i and please share the page with your family, friends and neighbors who care about the future of our wonderful city.

Your financial support is also most appreciated, running election campaigns can get expensive these days! You can use this safe and secure link ( https://lnkd.in/eGfYEEp ) to our contribution form or mail checks to the Wes Blackman Campaign, 241 Columbia Dr., Lake Worth Beach, FL 33460

Thank you for your support!

Thanksgiving For Food-Challenged Lake Worth Beach Families

Arms of Hope Community, Inc. and the Kiwanis Club of Lake Worth Beach are teaming up to provide a total of $1,000 in Thanksgiving food gift cards to ten Lake Worth families. Patrick Livingston, who runs Above the Sea community restaurant on Wingfield Street, serves as project coordinator. Want to join us in making a difference? Any donation will help make an impact.

Food-challenged families are always in need of help. Patrick is there for them, day in and day out. Yet, the need is so much keener NOW. Thanks in advance for your support.

Donations needed on or before Thursday, November 19 so that families may receive their gifts in time to purchase food for Thanksgiving. For further information about Arms of Hope click.

Click here for GoFundMe link.

PBSO Lake Worth Beach - November 9th Weekly Update

Crime – Overall crime has come down from the rough start to the beginning of the year. This past week we had a shots fired call in the 200 block of South Lakeside Drive where no one was hit. We had three robberies to persons with no particular patterns. Lastly, we had 10 vehicle burglaries. All ten were unlocked vehicles and another gun was taken out of one of them. We are following up on some good leads. It appears the same suspects committed most if not all ten burglaries.

Covid 19 – The numbers are rising again. We have several deputies out in our region who either have it or are awaiting testing results after being exposed. Please continue to follow all CDC guidelines.

Traffic – We have had a few special operations lately to curtail speeding and other violations. Several Commercial Motor Vehicle units (CMV) worked a special detail in the areas near 6th Ave South, 10th Ave North and LW Road to enforce the commercial vehicles traveling through residential areas . Our motor units are also out in regards to speeding and failing to stop for stop signs.

Commission Presentation – My next quarterly presentation to the commission is Tuesday, 11/17/2020 at 6 pm. You can attend virtually by clicking on the link on the city web page. I will be presenting the crime data and talking about what PBSO is doing in the city, particularly with community policing.

Stay safe !

Captain Todd Baer

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

Commander – District 14 – City of Lake Worth Beach

Power Outage City of Lake Worth Beach Electric Utility 11/9/20 at 8:20 a.m.

 

Announcements from the City of Lake Worth Beach regarding Tropical Storm Eta

All Lake Worth Beach City Offices will be closed Tomorrow (Monday the 9th) Due to Hurricane Eta

In an abundance of caution the Lake Worth Beach Casino Park, Beach and Property will be closed Monday, November 9th. The Casino Complex will reopen as soon as it is safe to do so.

Lake Worth Beach Residents due to storm Eta there will be no refuse collection of any type in any Zone Monday November 9. Do not Push trash, vegetation or recycling on the curb.