From Wayne Washington at the Post: "Florida's Old Dixie Hwy becomes President Barack Obama Hwy"

Here is the article by Wayne Washington about the road name change from Old Dixie Highway to the now President Barack Obama Hwy in Riviera Beach. Interestingly, there is now a location where President Barack Obama Hwy and Martin Luther King Jr Blvd intersect which seems altogether timely and historically appropriate.

Official White House photograph of President Barack Obama.

Here is an excerpt from the article: 

     Goodbye, Old Dixie. Hello, President Barack Obama.
     The city of Riviera Beach in Florida has begun replacing Old Dixie Highway signs with ones honoring the nation’s first black president.
Many black Americans have little love for the term “Dixie,” a reference to the slave-holding South. Obama, on the other hand, is revered by most black Americans.
     Riviera Beach Mayor Thomas Masters pushed for the street sign change from Old Dixie to Obama, and his colleagues on the City Council agreed.

Here is a news segment from NBC5/WPTV's Tory Dunnan on this topic:

News from the Boston Herald: "Palm Beach County, Fla., offers something grand for everyone"

This article appears in the Boston Herald today. The little City of Lake Worth isn't mentioned in the article but our neighbors to the north and south, West Palm Beach and Delray Beach, are both cited. Here is an excerpt:

     This part of southern Florida was once thought of as the place your grandfather would cruise in his Cadillac for the duration of his retirement. The place has evolved, and it’s now one of Florida’s most diverse and energetic locales. [emphasis added]
     Bostonians are into it — we are the fifth largest segment of visitors to the region during the winter months. And all that warm weather is easy to reach: Palm Beach International Airport is consistently ranked one of the smoothest operating airports nationally.
     Palm Beach County comprises 47 waterside miles stretching from Boca Raton in the south to Jupiter in the north. Within that space sits 2,000 square miles of diversity, making it the largest county east of the Mississippi River, yet a region easy to access (well-maintained roads make it about an hour’s drive end to end; most towns are 15-30 minutes apart). Sophisticated and unrushed, it’s all the warmth, beaches and fun of South Florida, without the hassle of crowds.

[and . . .]

     And the beaches and ocean, of course, can’t be beat. Yahoo Travel recently named the region a top snorkeling destination.
     Yup, Palm Beach County is not your grandfather’s retirement spot. It’s a vibrant mix of excitement and fun one can savor not only in the winter but year-round.
     For more details, go to www.palmbeachfl.com.

[UPDATE] Reporter from Palm Beach Post falls for pitch about child's skin color on mural in City of Lake Worth

[UPDATE: Lauren Hills at CBS12/WPEC did a news segment on the pitch by Tuesday Gilliam and "the mural" yesterday (12/18). The story by Hills officially opens the campaign season in Lake Worth and I'll have more on that later. Note that I first reported on this mural on September 16th, 94 days ago from today (12/19). The child's skin color was not an issue then. Kevin Thompson's 'news' article on the little boy's skin color in the mural is only 87 days prior to election day in the City. He could have done this 'news' story 3 months ago. The timing of this 'news' is curious to say the least—the media being employed to manipulate elections in Lake Worth is nothing new by any means. It will be very interesting to watch this strategy unfold to re-take the majority on the City Commission. Stay tuned as they say. The original post from 12/18 follows:]

Below is the mural the Post's Kevin Thompson writes about in this article (to appear in Sunday's print edition?). The reporter fell for the pitch by Tuesday Gilliam who is quoted saying this about the Cuban-American child depicted in the mural:

“It would’ve really been symbolic and wonderful if it had been a child of color because that’s who predominantly lives there,” said [Tuesday] Gilliam, who is white. [emphasis added]“I hang out with the kids there all the time and I know that a mural with a kid of color would mean more to them than what it means to them now.”

A Cuban-American child is depicted in this mural.

Note this is at least the second time the Post reporter has featured Gilliam in one of his articles. She was featured in an article in June that you can read here. What the reporter doesn't mention is Gilliam is a member of Everglades EarthFirst! (EEF) and one of her duties is sending out press releases notifying the public of their latest actions, like this FlockNote, for example:

The leaders of EEF are a former city commissioner (Cara Jennings) and Peter "Panagioti" Tsolkas.

The mural in question is at the CRA's new La Joya Villages not far from where EEF has some members in residence. 

It's impossible to take the politics out of this. Is this is a signal of what to expect in this election season in Lake Worth? Quite possibly. The pitch by Tuesday Gilliam is the CRA is "out of touch" or something like that and she's using wedge politics to achieve that goal—pitting one racial group against another to create disruption and disharmony in the community. This is what Anarchists do. While others, like the CRA, are building consensus and creating a better environment to live others like EEF are trying to thwart that work. 

What I'm hearing is many people are very disappointed in the Post reporter trolling for 'news' such as this. Here is the first line from his article about the 'big mural story':

A colorful mural symbolizing hope and promise has one Lake Worth woman seeing red.

The woman he's referring to is none other than Tuesday Gilliam. Here is another excerpt from the article:

     “The theme is bringing the community together,” said [Eduardo] Mendieta, whose works have appeared in Lake Worth, Delray Beach and Fort Lauderdale. “A child is looking to the horizon and his face morphing into a tree is showing growth. The puzzle piece represent the La Joya community — an emerald, a ruby, a sapphire.”
     As for the white face, Mendieta, who is from Ecuador, said the boy in the mural is actually Cuban-American.

Anarchists are not about "bringing the community together". Their job is to tear communities apart. And by the looks of it they're off to an early start this election season thanks to our paper of record, The Palm Beach Post.

The hue and cry of "Upzoning" in Lake Worth over an additional 20 FEET? From 45' to 65'?

Here is an example of REAL upzoning:

As of this morning (12/18) this article isn't available online. Suffice to say this concerns 2 10-story hotel towers, plus another office tower next to a park in Miami. 

When you hear the unhinged, like The Obtuse Blogger (TOB) and others mention upzoning send this information to them. This is REAL upzoning as opposed to hysterical rants about the Gulfstream hotel project here in Lake Worth.

The Post's Kristina Webb reviews Dave’s Last Resort & Raw Bar in downtown Lake Worth

Below is a short excerpt from the outstanding restaurant review of one of our iconic restaurants in the downtown:

Dave’s Last Resort & Raw Bar serves an array of seafood, steak, sandwiches, burgers, salads, chicken wings and wraps.
ATMOSPHERE
Sports bar, with a Florida twist. There are wacky signs on the walls and lots of Pittsburgh Steelers memorabilia next to about a dozen TVs, where the biggest games of the day are shown.
SERVICE
On point. Our server was polite and very helpful, and came by several times during our meal to make sure everything was in order and our drinks stayed full.
NOISE LEVEL
Loud. Especially during football season.
KID FRIENDLY
Yes. Despite the noise, Dave’s is a great place to bring kids, with lots of snacky food for little fingers.

IF YOU GO:
Dave’s Last Resort & Raw Bar
632 Lake Ave., Lake Worth, 561-588-5208
Hours: Sun.–Thurs., 11 a.m. to midnight; F–Sat., 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Thank you for stopping by Lake Worth, Kristina!

"Hmmm, I heard about a re-zoning issue in Lake Worth. Where is that property? Is it the entire downtown or a small area?"

[Am very happy to report this post below is getting a tremendous amount of attention. In conjunction with this, the since-debunked claim of "overwhelming" support against this zoning request by Commissioner Ryan Maier is also worth a read. Enjoy!]

Good question. And the answer is it's a very small area. The re-zoning that was a topic of discussion and an eventual 3-2 vote in favor (Yes: Mayor Pam Triolo, Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell, and Commissioner Andy Amoroso; No: commissioners Ryan Maier and Chris McVoy) refers to a part of one (1) city block (the block our City's historic Gulf Stream hotel occupies).

Here is the block in question:

Note the white box with the "X". Above the white box (north) is a vacant lot and east of that vacant lot is the Gulf Stream hotel.

Above is a city-wide Lake Worth zoning map. The white arrow points to a tiny white dot. That is the area being considered for re-zoning for an additional 20' of building height.

Note that commissioners Maier and McVoy claim that an extra 20' of building height next to the Gulf Stream hotel will have a negative impact on the citizens of Lake Worth.

Mayor Triolo, Vice Mayor Maxwell, and Commissioner Amoroso disagree.

What do you think?

Another month, another $64,000 in taxpayer dollars down the drain in the little City of Lake Worth. . .

[Note that a mural with the depiction of a "too-white" Cuban-American child is 'news' in Lake Worth, but $64,000 a month for a capped, unused natural gas line isn't? Makes you wonder about the priorities of the reporters, their editors, and assignment editors doesn't it?]

Nobody in the press, not even a reporter from The Palm Beach Post, wants to touch this Lake Worth story. How many code enforcement officers could our City get for $64,000 a month?

The location of this capped gas pipe is on Lake Osborne Drive; not exactly what you'd call hidden from sight.

Little City of Lake Worth Featured in Palm Beach Post! Come See South Florida's Next Landmark Downtown!

Our "Key West Inspired Townhome Community of Lucenté"!

Lake Worth is "South Florida's next landmark downtown"!

Here is an excerpt from the article on the front page of the New Homes section*:

It's becoming increasingly common to hear and read in the press that "Kennedy Homes, LLC, has done it again." But the talk of the town these days seems to be that Kennedy Homes, LLC—the 53-year-old builder of more than 40 communities throughout South Florida—has done it again, and again, and again, with no apparent end in sight.

The little City of Lake Worth, Florida is all-the-buzz in the world of real estate. This news coupled with this remarkable information about the City's booming real estate market is getting a lot of attention nationwide.

Come visit Lake Worth and stroll down south Florida's Next Landmark Downtown!

*August 28th edition.

Lake Worth Municipal Pool Update

During my visit to the Lake Worth pool today, I bought my second $60 pool pass good for 20 visits ($1 off resident rate). Below is what they look like. The number on mine today said "51", so they are selling at a pretty good rate.

Just hand the cashier cash or a check made out to the City of Lake Worth for $60 and ask for a pass.

While in the water I spotted two guys taking down the old light on the locker room building. Turns out the city is replacing them with better lights, mounted higher. Right now the swim teams use the pool some evenings and it is dark for them. That addresses that issue but it also opens up the possibility of groups renting out the pool, like neighborhood associations etc, for events in the evening! I asked Juan Ruiz if this meant the pool would be open to the public during evening hours and he said that when they hire a new pool manager, it would depend (deep end, get it?) on what they wanted to do with the hours. So there IS a possibility. He also said that he was ordering a new clock for the pool to replace the one that broke. Soon we won't have to ask the lifeguards what time it is.

He also said that there is a commitment to maintain the pool building and the pool now as a going concern. That's some good news all the way around.

The Harris Poll: "Florida, California, Hawaii Top States Where Americans Want to Live"

The graph below is from The Harris Poll and Florida comes in at #1 overall, topping California and Hawaii!

Florida is #2 for Millennials and the GenXers and #1 choice for women.

Here is an excerpt from the article by the polling group Harris:

     For the first time since 2001, Florida, our nation’s 27th state, is back on top as Americans’ most desired habitation destination. [emphasis added] When asked where – excluding their current state – they would most like to live, The Sunshine State is at the top of the list. Sunshine and waterfront acreage are consistent themes at the top of this list, with California (2) and Hawaii (3) rounding out the top three. Turning away from beachfront territories, Colorado (4) and New York (5) close out the top five states Americans would like to live in.
     These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,232 U.S. adults surveyed online between November 11 and 16, 2015.
     Despite some re-ordering, this year’s top five were, for the most part, also top-five honorees in 2013 (the last time this question was asked); the sole exception is New York, which edged into the top-five after a sixth place showing last time around. Texas, meanwhile, drops out of the top five and into 6th place this year.

And it doesn't hurt Florida's image to have funky, quirky cities like Lake Worth on the Atlantic Coast either.

Lake Worth is located next to the Town of Palm Beach (33480), south of West Palm Beach, and with Delray Beach only a few minutes south it's the perfect getaway for tourists, visitors, and Snowbirds alike. Come Visit Lake Worth and tell all your friends and family about us:

Benny's on the Beach will soon stay open later https://t.co/IpnrkX0IfG @bennysbeachfans pic.twitter.com/Gt0vMO2WLR

— The Palm Beacher (@PalmBeacherMag) December 14, 2015

Latest pitch from the Post: "Planned bike trail meets little resistance from residents" in Lake Worth

This stretch of 5th Ave South is an "unimproved" road within Lake Worth, a city in Palm Beach County right across the bridge from one of the wealthiest towns on the Planet Earth: the Town of Palm Beach. Think about that for a moment. But there were still some residents near this proposed bike trail that had "concerns", such as this quote from the article:

“When I bought my property in 1994, the city was going through a low-funding period and they stopped mowing the alleys and side streets. This could happen again. [emphasis added]”

Another asteroid could hit the planet again, too. Or another Anarchist could get elected to the City Commission and then forget about any more infrastructure improvements to any City streets—period. Thankfully, one of the NAPC presidents was at the meeting and below is an excerpt from the opening of the article by the Post's Kevin Thompson:

     While there were some concerns about a planned 1,500-foot bicycle and pedestrian trail along an unpaved section of 5th Avenue South, the project met little resistance from the dozen residents who attended Monday’s open house to discuss the plan.
     “Right now our kids don’t have a safe place to walk and it’s a real problem [emphasis added],” Sarah Parr, president of the Royal Poinciana Neighborhood Association, said during the 45-minute meeting at City Hall. “Ninety percent of the people in our community walk, bike or run.”

Also in the article, and completely off the topic of 5th Ave South, was a resident who brought up bike lanes for Lake and Lucerne avenues in the City. Those roadways are owned and maintained by FDOT just like Dixie Hwy and Federal Hwy are not controlled by the City of Lake Worth.

The City's Director of Public Services, Jamie Brown, was in attendance at the meeting and so was City Commissioner Andy Amoroso and both are quoted.

Sarah Parr has a real good, positive attitude about this project and is quoted saying in the article, “This project is 90 percent positive and 10 percent of some glitches that need to be worked out.” I'm very happy for the people in this neighborhood and so should the entire City. They need this project, they deserve the help, and it's about time the "woulda, coulda, shoulda" game is put to rest. It's this response, always looking at failures in the past to City initiatives, that's caused the state of blight in so many City neighborhoods—the paralysis by analysis—the never-ending back-and-forth that stalls things from happening at all.

Get excited for Sarah Parr and her neighborhood!

If you have more community news in the City of Lake Worth, suburban Lake Worth (including Palm Beach State College) and Greenacres here is how you contact the Post reporter:
Email: kthompson@pbpost.com
561-820-4573
Twitter: @kevindthompson1

Sober Home Reform Bill sponsored by State Senator Jeff Clemens

Click title for link to article.

What does the proposed bill do?
Outlaws patient brokering: Outlaws kickbacks, bonuses, commissions and bribes between sober home operators and treatment programs to secure patients. Criminal penalties apply.
Blocks free and reduced rent: Prohibits treatment centers and other substance abuse providers from offering free or reduced rent to persuade patients to move into a specific sober home.
Bans junkie hunters: Bans soliciting addicts at support-group meetings or treatment centers.
Stops predatory marketing: Call-centers hired by treatment businesses and sober homes must tell addicts calling for a referral who their clients are, and offer information on other programs.

From County Commissioner Steven L. Abrams

He posted this announcement on FaceBook this morning about maintenance of the Palm Beach County vehicle fleet and it caught my eye:

An outsourcing success story:
In 2012 the County outsourced the auto parts function of fleet maintenance to NAPA. Well, at the BCC meeting yesterday, the Board renewed the contract through 2019. Taxpayers are saving upwards of $400,000/year. And because in-stock parts availability has gone up from 66 to 80%, fleet downtime has decreased, meaning better productivity. See, outsourcing isn't always such a bad word!

Honoring the veterans who passed away who deserve their proper respect: The Veteran's Urn Project

The latest news on this is from Stephanie Berzinski at ABC25/WPBF. Once again she has the location wrong, this news is not from Lake Worth as you'll discover below. In the latest development, the Missing in America Project is teaming up with the South Florida Woodworking Guild to construct urns for the remains of veterans who haven't been claimed.

The South Florida Woodworking Guild builds wooden boxes for the remains of American veterans. Many of these remains are in cardboard boxes or kept in other ways. Read more about this on their website.

You may have caught this story by Katie Johnson at NBC5/WPTV or Stephanie Berzinski at ABC25/WPBF and, if you weren't paying close attention might think the "Lake Worth" cemetery referred to was our Pinecrest Cemetery here in the City of Lake Worth. It's not.

The cemetery where this work is being done is the South Florida National Cemetery out past the Florida Turnpike and south of Wellington. I hope that clears up any confusion. For more information you can call the cemetery at 561-649-6489.

CONGRATULATIONS West Palm Beach Commissioner Shanon Materio! (and the Post's correction is incorrect)

Here is the statement released via email by Shanon who was re-elected without opposition:

"I am deeply humbled to have the opportunity to serve the voters of West Palm Beach for another two years. I am passionate about our city and I am committed more than ever to confront the challenges ahead with common sense solutions that keep our city moving forward. I want to ensure that we have strong neighborhoods throughout West Palm Beach, which means having accessible parks, updated infrastructure and safe streets. When we have strong neighborhoods, we have a strong city. I am committed as your city commissioner to ensuring we take West Palm Beach to new levels of success.”

As many of you know, Shanon and Phil are very involved in Lake Worth and we're proud to have them in our community. Stop by the McMow Art Glass Gallery at 701 N. Dixie Hwy and congratulate them. Phil Materio is the president of the NAPC Tropical Ridge neighborhood assoc. here in Lake Worth. You may recall this recent presentation by Phil at the Lake Worth City Commission meeting talking about his neighborhood where his business is located:
You might have seen these "Corrections" in The Palm Beach Post today which also happen to be incorrect:

The Post's corrections are incorrect. The article on Commissioner Materio's re-election appeared on Page B3 (re-elected to another 2-year term); the article about Christopher's Kitchen appeared on the front page of the Local section.