From Robert E. Waples II... (and we've been led to believe crime is QUITE the issue over there!):

Dear Neighbors that live near the CSX Tracks that runs along I-95

As you know, the CSX Railroad through Lake Worth is a Quite [sic] Zone and it has not been QUITE [sic] in a while. Tripp [Cioci] and Jennifer [Marchal-Cioci] worked very hard to get this done however the conductors of the trains just don't seem to get it.

Here are a couple of tools we need YOU our neighbors to help us with. One log down the day, date, time. that you hear the horns blowing...Not just one here or one there but every time.

You can call CSX at: 1-800-232-0144 AND report it to the FRA (Federal Railway Administration) at this site anonymous or type your information if you want feed back [sic]....We strongly suggest typing in your information but understand if you want to stay Anonymous. The link is: http://www.fra.dot.gov/app/violationreport

The last thing the FRA wants is to do a lot more paperwork because the conductor on the CSX track don't know when to not "TOOT" their horns and "TOOT" us the heck off.

Please share this information in your email lists, Facebook Pages and any other means that will get our residents and adjoining neighborhoods to make enough noise that we get this corrected.

Also for those who live near the FEC which runs through the Middle of Lake Worth we strongly urge you to keep the FRA link very handy and to our knowledge you are not a designated quite [sic] zone.....

Many Thanks!

Award winning short on what it's like to have a bike in Cuba

The art of re"cycling" abounds on the island nation. Bikes are a critical part of their transportation infrastructure. But, like the cars there, most are remnants of the 1950s. Creativity rules the day to keep a bike on the road.

Discovered this news on the Walkable West Palm blog

Pass this news on to your neighbors and friends interested in transportation policy in Florida. Maybe we can carpool down from the West Palm Beach/Lake Worth metropolitan area? From the Walkable West Palm blog:

Mark your calendar: Florida Transportation Visioning Regional Forum, Thursday, February 5th in Delray Beach

What is a "crime" and what is an "offense"? Should an offense be on a Crime Blotter?

What exactly is a crime and an offense? Here are the definitions from Dictionary.com:

Definition of a Crime: "an action or an instance of negligence that is deemed injurious to the public welfare or morals or to the interests of the state and that is legally prohibited."

Definition of an Offense: "a violation or breaking of a social or moral rule; transgression; sin." Also, "something that offends or displeases." 

So, as you can see, there is quite a difference between a 'crime' and an 'offense'.

Now read these following that were actually published in the Lake Worth Tribune "Lake Worth CRIME BLOTTER" on Friday, January 30th:

"CHILD OUTSIDE: A deputy went to a home in Lake Worth where it was reported that a young child had been seen wandering outside along [sic], sometimes near the road, and that the mother sometimes drinks. The deputy found the child well cared for and the home clean."

"MISSING BOYFRIEND: A man living on South L Street reported his boyfriend, Corey, missing. Also missing is the man's car and car keys."

"MISSING KID: Two grandparents living on 12th Avenue South reported their grandson missing. They said they believed he had run away, as he has run away before."

"VEHICLE BREAK-IN: A man who'd LEFT HIS CAR RUNNING [emphasis added] on the 700 block of Washington Ave. came outside to find two young females in the car. He pulled them out and they ran west on Washington Ave."

"VEHICLE BURGLARY: A couple told deputies that a purse was stolen [...] The doors of the vehicle had been left unlocked."

If Ms. Margaret Menge wanted to do a true community service, do stories warning people to lock their cars. Note that Menge's "blotter" takes up half the page in her paper:

Note how unusually large the type is for a printed paper; note the coin penny for reference:

Why would the editor of this paper include so many items in her "Crime Blotter" that aren't crimes and then feature the 'blotter' so prominently on the second page? You can draw your own conclusions. It seems to me Ms. Menge is doing a great disservice to our community by inflating the perception of crime in our city. At least 6, possibly more, of the "crimes" Ms. Menge lists ARE NOT CRIMES. Then why include them in the Lake Worth CRIME BLOTTER? 

I can't wait to see her coverage of the naked "sniper" on the roof. We'll have to wait until next week for that one.

In Margaret Menge's "House Editorial" this week, she starts off with the line, "I'm in the business of telling the truth." After reading her "crime blotter" it makes you wonder how she defines the word 'Truth'. Quite loosely one would think. 

And we are still celebrating Jon Faust Day as you should to. His handsome mug takes up just about half the editorial and letters to the editor page.

Our Neighborhood Association Presidents' Council (NAPC) and Our Lake Worth Street Painting Festival

From the NAPC: The 21st Annual Street Painting Festival!

The NAPC Neighborhoods are once again stepping up to serve the Street Painting Festival by volunteering at the beer stations. All the tips will go to the Associations to support their efforts throughout the community. To volunteer for your neighborhood, please contact Marshall Pass at marshallpass@hotmail.com

Volunteers are also needed throughout the Festival. To help out in other ways, please call (561) 585-0003 or visit the Street Painting Festival website to sign up.

Set Up Team: Tables/Chairs/Soda Sites/Artist Template Pick up
Volunteer Headquarters: Register incoming volunteers
VIP Tent: Welcome guests/answer questions/keep inventory full
Artist Oasis: Man the artist tent/distribute chalk/maintain refreshment inventory
Children's Area: Assist in the smooth operation of children's art area/distribute chalk/provide for children's needs
Programs/Street Monitors: Distribute programs/assist guests with questions and administer guest surveys
Merchandise: Promote and sell Festival T-Shirts

Office space in West Palm Beach, a looming problem

From Jeff Ostrowski at the Palm Beach Post with a big problem in West Palm Beach (if only our little City of Lake Worth had these kind of problems):

Financial executive Euclid Walker would love to see more office space downtown. He moved his company, Parkway Investment Management, from Chicago to West Palm Beach’s Phillips Point complex. He’s seeking more space for his expanding firm, but he said the search for a bigger office has grown frustrating.

“We started looking for larger space just a few months ago,” Walker said this week during an event hosted by the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County. “The buildings we liked, where there was space available a year ago, there’s none available.”

An improving economy means West Palm Beach’s three trophy towers — CityPlace Tower, Esperante Corporate Center and Phillips Point have 990,000 square feet among them — are nearly full. Just how full is a matter for debate. Commercial real estate research firm CoStar counts more than 140,000 square feet available at those three addresses.

But Kelly Smallridge, head of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, said only small chunks of space are open.

“There’s not really a whole lot of any size,” Smallridge said. “You can find 2,000 square feet, but that’s not really what our end goal is.”

From the Tom McGow archives: the "faces" of Lynn Anderson

Tom McGow was a blogger in Lake Worth some would like very much to forget. Tom was extremely talented and much of his work transcends mere satire. 

Some things never change. Read about how Lynn Anderson harassed a hard-working Haitian man in 2009. And the recent post Lynn Anderson posted, then deleted, from her blog about a current candidate for office, Serge Jerome Jr. 

And then there's this, from PBSO

On 1/30/15, at approximately 1215 hours, District 14 units responded to the 1700 block of S, Federal Hwy. in reference to a male armed with a hand gun on a roof top yelling that someone was trying to kill him.  Upon arrival deputies heard a gunshot and saw the subject on the roof top.  He stated that he wanted to die and made requests for family members to respond.  Units immediately secured the area and requested SWAT to respond.  After several hours of negotiating, the subject gave up and was taken into custody.  He was charged with possession of a firearm by convicted felon and discharging a firearm in public.  Case cleared by arrest.

Sergeant Ole Olsen, ID# 3367

District 14, Field Training Sergeant

How Margaret Menge's "free" papers are getting delivered

I engaged an enterprising young lady today as she walked down Columbia Drive. In her box were a stack of rolled and rubber-banded editions of the Lake Worth Tribune. She said she saw it advertised on Craigslist and found the ad (above). Cash business!

The young lady was very friendly and said there was another person delivering papers on the other side of College Park (east of Federal). The young lady appeared to be about 16 years old. Margaret Menge, of course, is very keen about "all the crime" in our little City of Lake Worth. 

If crime is such a concern for Margaret Menge why would she let a very young lady walk all by herself, all alone, up to unfamiliar doors and no one to help her if something goes wrong. Is Margaret Menge unaware of the buddy system or is that option too expensive? Margaret Menge should contact PBSO and see if they think this is an acceptable risk for a young lady. I think we all know what the answer to that would be.

If you think this is unacceptable and irresponsible you can call Margaret Menge at 561-586-6643. We don't want to see one of Ms. Menge's delivery people in next week's Lake Worth Crime Blotter.

Hurrah, Hurrah! These kids deserve more that 10 pennies per paper, Margaret!

At 10 pennies per paper placed at the front door you would need 100 deliveries to make $10 (or 1.67 PDPM [papers delivered per minute]). This is how the FREE Lake Worth Tribune is distributed by Margaret Menge ("Editor/Publisher") in Lake Worth.

Questions:
- Are these kids being paid in cash for their PDPM's? Or 1099?
- Do they have to fold and rubber-band their own papers? (This added labor involved would lower the PDPM, no?)
- Is there a bonus program for excellence in PDPM's?

Friday, February 6th - Daddy/Daughter - Mother/Son Date Night - Casino Ballroom

From Commissioner Amoroso's email bag...Good people in Lake Worth

Commissioner Amoroso:

I would like to pass along this bit of spot news from the streets of Lake Worth.

After standing in line to use the ATM at the Wells Fargo Bank on Dixie Highway just north of Lucerene, I withdrew my bank card and hurried off. I was thinking of what I was going to do next and forgot to wait for my cash.

A young, black man (about 16 years old) called out to me and handed me the $60 I had withdrawn.

I thanked him and handed him $5 as a reward.

I just wanted you to know there are some really nice, respectable people on the streets of your city. I really appreciated his honesty.

Willie Howard
West Palm Beach  

Everglades EarthFirst!, protests, and how did religion get involved in all this?

Everglades EarthFirst! (EEF) is having another protest in Palm Beach Gardens today at 4:30. Maybe. For some reason I am getting "protest" alerts sent to my phone. Here is how the alert looks from Tuesday Gilliam on my phone: 

I get this information sent to me by Tuesday Gilliam from FlockNote. Does FlockNote know that an ecoterrorism group, EarthFirst, is using a religion-based site to promote their protests? With arrests and civil disobedience? Here are two excerpts from the FlockNote homepage:

Many churches actually double their # of contacts in just a few minutes on a single Sunday using Flocknote.

[and...]

We love supporting small ministries and making it easy for any church to give us a whirl!

In the last message sent by EEF's Tuesday Gilliam on FlockNote was a video. Here is a quote from the video:

"THE EARTH IS NOT DYING IT IS BEING KILLED. AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE KILLING IT HAVE NAMES AND ADDRESSES."

Then the video has a list of names and addresses. Is that a threat? Is Tuesday Gilliam and EEF sending a message? Is EEF threatening violence? Are they trying to intimidate law-abiding companies and citizens? 

I would be curious to know if the people who started FlockNote envisioned people like Panagioti Tsolkas and Tuesday Gilliam using FlockNote to organize protests instead of filling church pews with "the Faithful". Doubt it. 

EEF is having a protest today at 4:30. Hallejulah and God Bless. It does confirm that this group resembles a cult in many ways: manner of dress, charismatic leaders (although clearly horizontal, like the Earth itself ), obedience training, and a strict adherence to an ideology based on accepted "truths".

Entire video series from last Tuesday's Lake Worth City Commission workshop on infrastructure financing...

Part Six of the Infrastructure Workshop from Tuesday night (1/27)

This is the last of the series. There will be a playlist of all the segments. Great pre-Super Bowl viewing this weekend! More discussion on the distinction between a special assessment and a general obligation bond. Commissioner McVoy starts acting out at about the 10:30 mark in the video. He is pretending that he, and the people he answers to, haven't been told the whole truth about an assessment being possible. He also wanted someway beyond the 75 word limitation in the referendum language to tie the city to future actions. There seemed to be nothing that ultimately gave that assurance. And, just a reminder, the meeting went on a little bit longer than this, but the SD disk was full and so recording had to stop. I left soon after this. If there is anything else to add and you were there, please comment below.