SAVE THE DATE: Community Clean-Up on Saturday, May 30th

Pet rescue center at capacity; waives adoption fees TODAY

This story is from FloridaWeekly. The Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League’s adoption center is open until 6 pm TODAY. They call this the "Empty the Shelter" event. Call 686-3663.

The address is 3100/3200 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach. 

If you've been thinking about adding a dog or cat to your household this is the day. 

[UPDATE] Breaking News: No "LINE OF FIRE" in The Palm Beach Post today (Saturday's paper)

[See below for update]

Finally, the "LINE OF FIRE" story on the civil case moving through the system has found its proper place in the news cycle. Went through the front page, entire A section and B section twice in Saturday's paper and didn't see Sheriff Ric Bradshaw's name mentioned once. 

Note the "LINE OF FIRE" graphic has been replaced and no mention of Sheriff Bradshaw on the front page!
UPDATE: What a difference a day makes! The Post's Lawrence Mower and Pat Beall had a few days rest and they're back at it in Sunday's paper. Is there anything else going on in Palm Beach County these days? 

And how about this gem from today's paper:

Great News from the NAPC:

These Neighborhood Associations and other Lake Worth Groups have had their REAP Resident Education to Action Grants recommended for approval. That means that these grants will go before the County Commission later this Summer for funding and implementation can start immediately after that. Total grant funding approved for Lake Worth Neighbors: $38,500. Total amount awarded to all of Palm Beach County REAP Participants: $86,412.00. Lake Worth brings home 45%. Well Done Lake Worth.

Special Thanks to Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell who spoke on behalf of Lake Worth Neighborhoods at the graduation ceremony where the grant recipients were announced and of course, Thanks to the Palm Beach County Office of Community Revitalization for allowing all of us this tremendous opportunity!

Neighborhood Crime Watch Projects:
$1,200: Bryant Park Neighborhood Assn. Crime Watch
$1,400: Downtown Jewel Neighborhood Assn. Crime Watch
$2,000: Parrot Cove Neighborhood Association Crime Watch (including funding for a 501c3 IRS designation)
$1,500: Royal Poinciana Neighborhood Assn. Crime Watch
$2,200: South Palm Park Neighborhood Assn. Crime Watch

Little Free Library Projects:
$5,000: NAPC
$5,000: College Park Neighborhood Assn.
$5,000: Friends of the Lake Worth Library

Other Neighborhood Assn. Projects:
$5,000: Pineapple Beach Neighborhood Assn.—logoed trash cans
$3,200: South Palm Park Neighborhood Assn.—new neighbors welcome kits, neighborhood meeting signs

Other Lake Worth Organizations:
$5,000: Cottages of Lake Worth—brochures, maps, postcards
$2,000: Lake Worth Visitors Center—display racks, information boards, events calendars

Alexandra Clough at The Palm Beach Post—setting the stage for The Grand Editorial?

Alexandra Clough at the Post has done a good job of reporting about the Lake Worth Casino Complex except in one respect. In her first story on Thursday, April 30th (Sunday, May 3rd, print edition) she starts off with this sentence:

The fortunes of Lake Worth’s beachside casino and pool complex are troubled.

She goes on to explain the Casino complex is not performing to expectations, can't make the debt payments, and there's still unleased space on the second floor. But why that is is not explained. And note that none of the essential characters in the creation of the 'new' Casino are mentioned or quoted: JoAnn Golden, Cara Jennings, Commissioner McVoy, Susan Stanton, or Suzanne Mulvehill.

The reporter is tasked with documenting a snapshot in time: what's happening right now and how do I (reporter) represent and explain it to the readers. She does her job. The essential important characters/companies are Steven Michael, Hudson Holdings, Anderson & Carr, Mayor Pam Triolo, Commissioner Amoroso et al. The people who created this problem, mentioned in the previous paragraph, aren't shown to have any culpability whatsoever.

In the reporters latest story, available digital yesterday (5/8) and likely in tomorrow's Sunday paper (as last week) there's mention of Benny's on the Beach and owner Lee Lipton but nothing on why we're having to talk about this issue in the first place: the Casino complex business plan is a failure.

Again, a snapshot in time. That's a reporters job and most everyone is OK with that. But it's a snapshot that only tells a small part of a very big story. The big story is why we're even talking about the Casino complex at all. It was designed to be a huge success and why wouldn't it be? It's a brand new building on a beautiful beach and. . .it's losing money hand over fist. Why?

I don't know what Alexandra Clough knows and doesn't know. But what I can tell her and everyone else is this: the Casino building was built in the wrong place. That's the big problem and the problem that has created all the other problems that followed.

You see, the 'new' Casino was built where the old Casino used to be. This was done for the cause of saving the building, which never happened. Remember the big rallying cry, the Circle of Light? The new Casino has the same problem the old structure did: parking. But it's ten times worse now with the more strict ADA guidelines and other specifications. The new Casino should have been built in the middle of the beach property to accommodate more parking. In short, the public was misled to believe the old Casino building was being 'saved'. It wasn't.

A business owner looking to rent space on the second floor at the Casino would see the problem immediately, and they have. They would envision many of their customers having to park in the western lot, walk up the incline to the building, then have to take the elevator or stairs to the second floor. Fine. Now add Grandmom with a cane or a child in a stroller. The parking "structure" being talked about is just one deck of parking over an existing paved area. Some people think this makes a "two story" parking structure. I've even heard "three story." It is actually one "deck" that would be at the main floor level of the building, thereby providing more ADA accessibility.

I hope that prior to authoring an editorial on the topic, the Post takes the whole picture into consideration, points out the blatant flaws in the existing layout and allows for discussion without adding to the unhinged hysteria. We don't need to introduce a new bird species to the beach: ostriches with heads buried firmly in the sand.

Feral cats, Jonathan Beaton, and La Bonne "Bueche" Bistro in City of Lake Worth

CBS12/WPEC's Jonathan Beaton did a story about feral cats in the City of Lake Worth. It's no longer criminals 'overrunning' the streets, now the cats have taken over. Sad to report there's no video of the story on our local TV news station. Here's an excerpt:

     A Palm Beach County community has a big problem, feral cats, overrunning its neighborhood streets. [emphasis added]
     CBS 12 is investigating and learned the town of Lake Worth’s feline frenzy could soon be getting worse before it gets better.
     Up and down the lettered streets, through backyards and alleys, CBS 12 spotted dozens upon dozens of feral cats.

For the time being the cats are keeping to the lettered streets. Are the dogs controlling the numbered streets? Carving the city up into territories?

Note below Jonathan Beaton refers to "La Bonne Bueche Bistro". Of course, we all know it as La Bonne Bouche Bistro. And the chef has an accent in his name. Here's another excerpt:

     Eric Regnier [sic, Régnier] has owned La Bonne Bueche [sic] Bistro in downtown Lake Worth for years, telling CBS 12 cats coming to his door every morning is nothing new, saying he enjoys seeing the friendly felines but understands more needs to be done to help control the population. 
     “We’ll have eight, four, five sometimes, coming right on up to me every day,” said Eric Regnier [sic].
     If you want to learn how you can help put an end to this ongoing problem contact Community Cats of the Palm Beaches on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CommunityCatsOfDelrayBeach.
     To learn how to adopt one of the cats visit Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League at http://www.peggyadams.org/

The links above do work. If you interested in stopping the cats from overrunning our streets please do check out the links above.

[By Request] Finding Ryan Maier

Commissioner Ryan Maier now thinks the Lake Worth Casino is an amenity and doesn't need to make money. Below is a video of Maier at a candidate forum and he laments about the Casino building and why "isn't the City making any money here?".

That's right. Referring to the Casino complex at the Lake Worth Beach, Ryan Maier said:

"why isn't the City making any money here?"

He talks about needing "more money in the General Fund", needing concession stands in Bryant Park (!), and the need for more businesses in the City. All topics that are near and dear to his colleagues and former commissioners JoAnn Golden and Cara Jennings. Joking aside, he said what he did to get elected, of course.

But the important question remains: is the Casino complex an amenity or should it be making money as Maier suggests below? Join me as we're Finding Ryan Maier on this important question.

Christopher Ingraham: "These cops are tired of white people getting freaked out by their black neighbors"

Thought long and hard about posting this because you can easily see how people can get themselves unhinged and misunderstand the point. It's a very serious topic but on another level it's hilarious, like a Saturday Night Live skit. It also makes me wonder how much time and energy is wasted by PBSO and other local municipal police departments 'investigating' blacks and African Americans going about their daily lives and doing nothing wrong? Some areas west of I-95 in the City of Lake Worth come to mind. 

Without further ado, here is an excerpt from Wonkblog, an article written by Christopher Ingraham:

     "People, please stop making my job so difficult."
     That's the opening of a discussion in the "ProtectAndServe," reddit's community of law enforcement officers. The poster, who goes by the handle "sf7" and has been verified as a law enforcement officer by the forum's moderators, goes on:

     So I'm working last week and get dispatched to a call of 'Suspicious Activity.' Ya'll wanna know what the suspicious activity was? Someone walking around in the dark with a flashlight and crow bar? Nope. Someone walking into a bank with a full face mask on? Nope.    It was two black males who were jump starting a car at 930 in the morning. That was it. Nothing else. Someone called it in.     People. People. People. If you're going to be a racist, stereotypical jerk...keep it to yourself.

     Other forum users sympathize. One tells a story about someone asking the cops to investigate a middle-aged black man fishing in his own community [emphasis added]. Another was asked to respond to a report of two Middle Eastern guys sitting in the same car. Another laments that "we frequently get calls about black men and woman and kids, yes [expletive] kids, walking. Like WWB [walking while black] was actually a crime and not a Twitter joke."
     The stories pile on. A white security officer tells of the year he and his black wife lived in an apartment complex. "She got cops called a total of 9 times in the year we lived there I got zero," he says. A retired cop recalls the time a "lady called scared to death because some black guy was sitting in his truck across from her house" -- it was the water meter reader.

And you can see how it doesn't help matters when a blogger in the City of Lake Worth puts stuff like this on her blog:

So charming, isn't it?

From Jim Waymer, "Four senior staff resign from water management district"

This is news from FloridaToday on the St. Johns River Water Management District on staff resignations:

     The most telling resignation, Lee said, is that of Robert Christianson, who oversaw purchases of conservation lands and their management. Christianson had been with the agency 25 years.
     "This letter constitutes my irrevocable resignation from District employment, in lieu of termination. My last date of employment will be July 2, 2015," Christianson wrote in a May 5 letter to the district.
     The resignation letter of Tom Bartol, an assistant director who managed water supply studies, had the identical wording.
     Harold Wilkening, a division director who oversaw water supply planning, resigned after more than three decades with the district.
     "It has been my greatest pleasure to work with the district these past 32 years, under the leadership of eight governors, five executive directors, and so many dedicated Governing Board members. I'm proud of our accomplishments."
     Chief of Staff Jeff Cole also resigned, writing: "I am honored to have worked for the District for 21 years, and I am available to assist in ensuring a smooth transition of my responsibilities."
     The resignations came in the immediate wake of Register [district's acting executive director, Mike Register], taking the top district job this week, succeeding Hans Tanzler.
     Register's statement did not address the reasons for the resignations.
     "While I do not believe that it is productive or necessary to expound upon the reasons for the resignations, my decision to accept them was based upon my conclusion that it was in the best interest of the District.

Celebrate Florida’s first annual Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day (May 16) with FWC and partners

News Release
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Media contact: Amanda Nalley, 850-410-4943; Guy Harvey Magazine, Fred Garth, 850-380-6680; Gulf Coast Lionfish Coalition, Andy Ross, 850-529-2475 (for tournament questions)

Are you ready to find out how many lionfish can be removed from Florida waters in one weekend?
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is celebrating its first annual Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day by hosting and promoting a weekend of exciting events across the state, starting Saturday, May 16, including a festival in Pensacola.

Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day (established to be the first Saturday after Mother’s Day each year) was created by FWC Commissioners to help draw attention to the lionfish issue. Lionfish are a nonnative, invasive species that have a potential negative impact on native species and habitat.

“We are thankful to all the groups that helped organize the Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day Festival and Tournament in Pensacola as well as all those who are hosting their own events across the state,” said FWC Commissioner Bo Rivard. “These efforts will help ensure we keep the lionfish issue on the forefront of everyone’s thoughts and minds.”

Ready to help control the lionfish population? Check out the following lionfish events. Can’t make any of the organized events? No worries. The FWC is encouraging all divers to remove as many lionfish on the weekend of May 16-17, no matter where they are in Florida.

The FWC will also be unveiling its new Reef Ranger program this same weekend.

Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day Festival and Tournament, Pensacola

FWC will be hosting the first ever Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day Festival and Tournament at Plaza de Luna, 900 S. Palafox St., Pensacola, on May 16-17 with the help of sponsors like Guy Harvey Magazine, Coast Watch Alliance, Escambia County Marine Resources, Marina Management, Jaco’s Bayfront Bar and Grille, Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, the city of Pensacola and tournament host Gulf Coast Lionfish Coalition.

This event will include celebrity chef demonstrations, lionfish tastings, fillet demos, a visit from world famous artist and marine conservationist Guy Harvey, family-friendly activities such as games and a fountain to play in, and more than 40 art, diving and conservation vendors; there will also be music, food and tons of helpful lionfish information.

The festival starts at 10 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m. each day. Updates will be provided from various other events across the state.

Want to participate in the tournament? Visit the Gulf Coast Lionfish Coalition (GCLC) webpage at Gulfcoastlionfish.com/lionfish_events to learn more or visit their Facebook page at Facebook.com/gulfcoastlionfishcoalition. GCLC is offering prize money for a number of categories, as well as chances to win great prizes with raffle tickets. Come by to check out the researchers counting and filleting fish.

Take a break from festival fun and head over to the Pensacola Museum of Art, where Guy Harvey will be signing autographs from noon to 2 p.m., May 16. His newest exhibit is expected to run May 9 through Aug. 9. Visit Pensacolamuseum.org to learn more. Harvey will also be throwing out the first pitch at the Blue Wahoo’s baseball game that Saturday night.

Home for Sale in Palm Beach County: 2/1 for only $10,000!

You can read about that home at the Real Time blog. It's an "as is" and cash only. There's a picture of the home and a map showing its location. And we also learn this:

Still, in February, there were 64 homes in Palm Beach County with listing prices lower than $50,000. That’s a 12 percent increase from February 2014.

There are still deals to be had.

More fallout from Great Recession: "How the housing crisis left us more racially segregated"

This article by Emily Badger is truly disturbing. What the numbers show is how hard hit minority homeowners were during the Great Recession and if the data is correct would suggest many communities (even in Palm Beach County possibly) that were integrating had that process stunted by the housing collapse and maybe even reversed. From a policy perspective you can see how this story can have huge ramifications.

Were some communities in the City of Lake Worth also affected by the "migration" of minority homeowners who went into foreclosure? West Palm Beach? Here is an excerpt from Emily Badger at Wonkblog:

     Foreclosure rates during the housing bust were highest in the most integrated neighborhoods. So not only were we becoming more segregated — but the least segregated places were heavily undermined by foreclosure at the same time. The authors aren't entirely sure why this would be, but the finding speaks to the relative fragility of rare, integrated communities.
     The scale of this entire foreclosure migration is deceptively large. The 10 million households that lost their homes dwarf the number that left the Great Plains during the Dust Bowl (that was about 2.5 million people). In fact, it's larger than the 6 million blacks who moved north during the Great Migration — a movement that spanned decades. [emphasis added] That number doesn't even include all the households that never went through foreclosure but moved anyway because many of their neighbors did.
     If such a sizable population shift nudged us — albeit a small amount — toward a more segregated society, that bodes poorly for all the work that has to happen to head back in the other direction.

Ken Kaye: "Forest Service asks for public's help to catch wildfire arsonists"

Ken Kaye at the Sun Sentinel has this story of more concern to our neighboring counties to the south. The number of wildfires set by arsonists in Miami-Dade is very high. However, if you do see something suspicious off the beaten trail here in Palm Beach County the Arson Alert Hotline is 800-342-5869. Here's an excerpt from the story:

     Although lightning strikes more often in Florida than any other state, it doesn't spark as many wildfires as arsonists.
     The Florida Forest Service is renewing its push for the public to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity, such as people returning and lingering around wildfires or actually setting a fire.
     "We have just have a lot of wildfires that are intentionally set by humans in South Florida," said Scott Peterich, wildfire mitigation specialist for the Florida Forest Service.
     The agency asks that if you spot a suspicious person or vehicle, get a license plate number and call the state's Arson Alert Hotline at 1-800-342-5869.
     Callers can remain anonymous, and their information could result in a reward of up to $5,000.
     In the past three years, arsonists are suspected of setting 166 fires in South Florida, burning almost 2,500 acres. The majority of those fires, 148, were set in Miami-Dade County. Fifteen were set in Broward County and three in Palm Beach County. [emphasis added]

Summer House Gardens on NBC5/WPTV

[Very interesting. This story is trending very high on the WPTV website and also on this blog.]

A new business in the little City of Lake Worth was featured on NBC5: Summer House Gardens. Rachel Leitao did the report. Here is an excerpt from the text of the story:

LAKE WORTH, Fla. – Ian Esplin has turned his love of gardening into a web-based business designed to help you love gardening too.
     "I've been gardening for quite a while now and I've been trying to be a home gardener, so I've been working started digging in the ground trying to get the soil right. And living in South Florida it's been tough, so I've been trying to develop a system for myself and then eventually it spurned into this where I tried to create an easy to manage container garden for the average homeowner,” Esplin explained.

You can call the Summer House Gardens at 561-670-9479 and this is the email address. For now this service is only available in Palm Beach County. Best of luck to you and your new business.

City of Fort Lauderdale StreetsSmart: 2015 Transportation Summit—sending the wrong message

If you've never been to the Walkable West Palm Beach blog you should check it out some time. True, it's a bit too wonkish for some but if planning, walkability, bikability, complete streets, and New Urbanism interest you then this blog by Jesse Bailey should be on your list.

He lit up the organizers of the StreetSmart 2015 Summit and here's why. Guess what they're doing to entice people to attend?

Free parking passes for motor vehicles. 

I'm not kidding. But wish I was. Thankfully the organizers tweaked their message. What this indicates is really how much work is ahead of us to change public reliance on the motor vehicle, mostly cars. Here is an excerpt from Jesse Bailey's blog entry:

     The event is still giving free parking to all attendees, which subsidizes the driver while leaving the Tri-Rail user or the bus rider out of luck. This is the wrong market signal to send [emphasis added] and the leadership to change this condition has to come from the top levels of government. Just adding a subsidy for users who take public transportation would punish the person walking or biking. From a policy standpoint, I’d much prefer we just eliminate any transportation subsidies for these events altogether (“unbundling”) and let people make rational choices for themselves.
     I would hope this topic is discussed during the Summit. It’s not Fort Lauderdale’s fault so much as a shift in thinking that needs to happen in our region. Unbundling free parking benefits is one such “Shoupian” tactic that can and should be implemented by local governments throughout South Florida to lead by example.

Most of you wouldn't know what "Shoupian" means. The cliff note definition is "the high cost of free parking". Free parking is not free, folks. Somebody is paying for it.

But we'll save that for another time. Anyhow, great job Jesse Bailey!