News from The Lake Worth Herald: PrideFest begins in Lake Worth*

"Compass will present the annual PrideFest celebration Saturday [today], Mar. 19 and Sunday, Mar. 20 at Bryant Park from Noon–6 p.m. The annual PrideFest Parade will be held Sunday, Mar. 20 beginning at 11:30 a.m. on Lake and Lucerne Avenues in downtown Lake Worth.
     Due to the PrideFest Parade, parking at the following locations will be prohibited from 9 a.m. until the conclusion of the parade at 1 p.m.:

• Lake Avenue from South Dixie Highway to South Golfview Road
• Lucerne Avenue from South Dixie Highway to North Federal Highway
• The streets J, K, L, M, N, O, So. Palmway, So. Lakeside Drive, So. Golfview Road from 1st Avenue South to Lake Avenue
• Streets J, K, L, M from 2nd Avenue North to Lucerne Avenue

     To assure a safe and successful parade the public’s cooperation in this matter is urged. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office may tow vehicles left parked on the street in violation of this temporary order.
     The Lake Worth (Robert Harris) Bridge will remain open during the parade."

*To subscribe to The Lake Worth Herald use this link. To pick up this week's print edition you can find one at the newsstand at 600 Lake Ave., just west of the Starbuck's in downtown Lake Worth. There is a very nice man named Andy who will assist you.

Sea level rise, infrastructure in Lake Worth, and the roads that need fixing. Remember the 2014 'LW2020' bond vote that failed by just 25 votes?

Over "concerns" about sea level rise Commissioner Chris McVoy campaigned against the City's 2014 bond to fix our roads. The next time you go to Publix, commissioner, try taking North 'J' Street.

You'll learn why the bond vote failed later in this blog post. But first read the laughable hypocrisy of this letter published in the Palm Beach Post:

McNamara was one of the most vocal opponents of the LW2020 Bond that would have upgraded 1st Ave South and many other roads too. If he was hoping to elicit empathy from his fellow Lake Worth residents. . .

Anyhow, back on topic, if you live in Lake Worth and sea level rise is a concern for you, know that the LW2020 bond, had it passed, would have brought this City up to current infrastructure standards that take sea levels into account. Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell, for example, understands sea levels are a concern and for that reason he attended the 7th Annual SE Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit in Key West this year and here is a quote from a City Newsletter:

“What is reassuring to me,” says Vice Mayor [Scott] Maxwell, “is that all levels of government are coming together to address the issues, each within their own individual capabilities. In Lake Worth, we need to focus on practical solutions and protect citizen’s property and wellbeing while balancing the fact that we must live within our means.”

The City of Lake Worth isn't like Miami and isn't like Ft. Lauderdale either. Those cities have much more resources than Lake Worth to deal with multiple, complex issues but they're always brought up as examples of what Lake Worth should do. Sea level rise is an important topic but shouldn't, in my opinion, be any more important then the neighborhoods currently without adequate lighting and have too few fire hydrants—just two of the many challenges our City faces.

The concern many have with too much focus on sea levels is that human health and safety will take a back seat to what is essential and necessary for our City now. A balanced, thoughtful approach is necessary but with a keen focus on the current needs of our residents. Lake Worth Commissioner McVoy also attended the conference and he is quoted saying:

"The gorilla in the room is the rate of melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, which would add tens of feet of rise.”

Think many of our approximately 37,000 residents will disagree with McVoy about the true "gorilla in the room" as any car or bike ride through some City streets can attest.

Consider for a moment how small Lake Worth is: We're just 37,000 residents in Palm Beach County (PBC) which has nearly 1.4 million people. PBC is nearly 2,400 square miles and Lake Worth is only 6 (six square miles) of that total. Our beach is only about 1400' long. FYI, Lake Worth is only one municipality among 38 in PBC.

The "LW2020" bond vote would have gone a long way towards solving this issue and many others by bringing our City up to current standards. By just 25 votes it failed. That failure to pass the bond was primarily due to a former Lake Worth mayor from many years ago who now lives in Atlantis, Mr. Dennis Dorsey. He started a PAC called, ironically, "Citizens Against Unfair Taxation" (or "CAUT") along with a City resident named Katie McGiveron.

Do you remember these signs courtesy of CAUT? Remember when North 'J' Street north of Publix had these signs all up and down the street?

Know that commissioners Ryan Maier and McVoy also opposed the "LW2020" bond but they are also insistent on reminding City residents that we need to prepare for rising sea levels. If you can figure out that logic please let me know (my email address is in the right-hand column of this blog). We have yet to hear another plan to fix our City that's better then the bond proposed in 2014 but in an interesting twist, when Mayor Pam Triolo, Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell, and Commissioner Amoroso (all big supporters of the "LW2020" bond) take the long ride to Tallahassee for money to fix these issues, they were criticized for that too by many who lobbied against the bond.

The bond to fix the roads and infrastructure failed by just 25 votes. I never did get around to congratulating Mr. Dorsey on his win. Mr. Dorsey, who lives in the fine, well-kept city of Atlantis funded the effort to kill the bond. Katie McGiveron ran the ground campaign to confuse and mislead the public and she won. I forgot to congratulate her too.

I hope Dorsey and McGiveron didn't hit a pothole on their way out of town after their victory party because a streetlight wasn't working. The City is doing what it can to fix that. But congratulations Mr. Dorsey: all that money you spent paid off. The question is: Who really was the winner in that 2014 vote? We know who the loser is though: the City of Lake Worth.

Katie McGiveron (in white "Frank McAlonan" shirt) and Mr. Dorsey (in dark shirt next to her) at a candidate forum leading up to the last election. Did the voters remember what Dorsey and McGiveron did in 2014 which contributed to the recent landslide re-election of Mayor Triolo, Vice Mayor Maxwell, and Commissioner Amoroso?

Get ready all my loyal readers: The "Beating of the Dead Horse" in the right-hand column of my blog is going away soon.

I know many of my blog readers will be unhappy about this but it's time to move on. If last Tuesday's landslide elections proved anything, it's that another blogger here in Lake Worth has "beaten that dead horse" for far too long. Who is that other blogger? If you don't know it really doesn't matter.

One of my blog readers, a local iconic business owner, will be unhappy this image is being taken off the blog. He laughs hysterically every morning, each and every day at this image (soon to be deleted in the right-hand column):

Don't fret! You can continue to laugh watching the "Beating of the Dead Horse" by the inimitable former Lake Worth blogger, Tom McGow, using this link.

It should be noted that the other blogger's non-attendance at the City Commission swearing-in ceremony yesterday (3/18) made the event so much more pleasant and enjoyable for everyone. Meet the winners in that landslide: Mayor Pam Triolo, Vice Mayor Maxwell, and Commissioner Andy Amoroso:

Of all the challenger's in the election it was only Commissioner Amoroso's opponent that called to congratulate the winner. To watch the video of the swearing-in use this link.

Press Release from City of Lake Worth: New pool hours Saturday, 3/19 and Sunday, 3/20 at the municipal pool

Due to the number of staff that will be needed to protect people in the ocean and on the beach this weekend, lifeguards will be needed from duties at the pool. Here is the press release from the City:

"March 18, 2016

Contact: Doug Yoakum, Chief of Ocean Rescue
Phone: 561-718-4304; DYoakum@lakeworth.org

     In anticipation of large Spring Break Beach crowds, the Lake Worth Municipal Pool will be closing at noon on Saturday, March 19th and at noon on Sunday, March 20th. The pool hours are:

• Saturday, March 19th, 9:00–Noon
• Sunday, March 20th, 9:00–Noon"

The swearing-in ceremony in Lake Worth last year and that dreadfully awful behavior by 'A Woman' in City Hall chambers

The swearing-in ceremony for Mayor Triolo, Vice Mayor Maxwell, and Commissioner Amoroso is today at 5:30. Hopefully, lessons were learned and there won't be a repeat of any uncivilized behavior like what occurred last year.

At last year's swearing-in for now-Commissioner Maier and his associate Commissioner McVoy, 'a woman' caused quite a scene in public. In the most memorably déclassé incident to ever occur at City Hall another woman wrote this about what happened:

     [Delores] Key* walked up to ['that woman'], according to Laurence McNamara, and asked her to move, telling her the front row was reserved for the candidate's family.

[and. . .]

     "She ['that woman'] pointed at her own skin and said, 'Are you calling me a n[----]r?' " Laurence remembers.
     Dolores Key, who is white, took offense.
     "She [Dolores Key] got all bent out of shape," said Laurence, and told ['that woman'] about seven times to apologize.†

*The Economic Development Manager for the City of Lake Worth.
†No apology or explanation was ever given for this incident.

Below is a video of former Commissioner Retha Lowe at the following City Commission meeting (3/24/2015) and she had a few thoughts about that 'that woman': Due to a camera equipment problem, I will not be able to video the event but when the City's video becomes available will let everyone know.

On a side note, 'that woman' who made that terribly insensitive comment in City Hall last year also happens to be a member of the 'red sign brigade' that's been trying to confuse and mislead the public for many years now about City's "BEACH!":

The Big Lie: The implication that there is (or ever was) any development plan on the Lake Worth beach is false. These signs are also illegal per City code.

Anyhow, hope to see a big turnout today at City Hall!

The Stonzek Theatre's film fest begins in downtown Lake Worth starting today (Friday, 3/18 until Sunday)

For schedule and tickets use this link. The theater is located at 713 Lake Ave in the City's charming and quirky downtown. The box office number is 561-586-6410. FYI, If you're thinking it's time for a steak dinner try Callaro's just a few steps away.

38 oz's of pure magnificent meat, glorious, a proper piety to all meat lovers.. just devour the "Tomahawk" pic.twitter.com/23rnr6H1AV

— Callaros Steak House (@CallarosSteak) March 16, 2016

The Challenge. Last chance—Today (3/18). Lake Worth City Hall. Commission chambers. 5:30 pm. Bring your proof Commissioner Christopher McVoy. The public deserves an answer.

Today (3/18) at 5:30 at City Hall is the swearing-in ceremony for Lake Worth Mayor Triolo, Vice Mayor Maxwell, and Commissioner Amoroso. This would be the perfect time for Commissioner McVoy to put up or shut up. Yes or No. Do you have proof of Sunshine Law violations by your fellow re-elected officials?

Commissioner McVoy (on far right) has accused his fellow elected colleagues of violating the law.

Proof would be more than just an email sent requesting information. For example, the following excerpt from an email sent on February 21st, 2015 IS NOT proof of anything except the ability to click the 'Send' button on your email browser:

From: Christopher McVoy [CMcVoy@LakeWorth.org]
Sent: Monday, February 23, 2015 3:56 PM
To: Inspector [Office of the Inspector General, Palm Beach County]
Subject: Request for a ruling ["a potential Sunshine Law issue"]

Below is a picture of the Guide To Palm Beach County Code Of Ethics. Note the picture is taken in the sunshine. Show me where it says an elected official cannot endorse, attend a fundraiser, have a meal with, attend a BBQ, attend victory parties, share political signs, or hang around with other elected officials. Remember, it was an editor at The Palm Beach Post that fell for this nonsense in last year's election cycle. Read about that using this link.

Is it the standard that the facts are not as important as "the seriousness of the charge" even though the 'charge' is baseless to begin with?

The short answer is this: those rules do not exist.

You'll hear whispers and accusations of breaches of ethics and a cry about the Sunshine Law. Why? The aforementioned elected officials were all up for re-election. Some would have you believe elected officials give up their First Amendment rights. This is absurd and the people making these accusations are irresponsible. 

False accusations like this are an assault on Free Speech and a tactic to try and silence elected officials and confuse the public at the same time. Commissioner McVoy claims to hold high ethical standards. On Tuesday, March 14th, 2017, if McVoy's name is on the ballot, you'll have your chance to let him know what you think about his conduct as an elected official tasked with protecting the public's trust.

From the front page of The Lake Worth Herald, above the fold, dated March 17th, 2016

Following last Tuesday's election results Frank McAlonan called Amoroso and congratulated him.* Many will be pleased about this as the City and its residents pivot from election season to focusing on our pressing issues at hand.†

     "Lake Worth voters made a bold statement Tuesday re-electing the three incumbents in a landslide. Mayor Pam Triolo garnered 62.66 percent of the vote in a three candidate race.
     Commissioner Scott Maxwell collected 64.65 percent of the vote soundly defeating Ryan Hartman and Commissioner Andy Amoroso pulled in 58.05 percent to defeat Frank McAlonan and retain his seat. 
     The voters showed they are satisfied with the progress Lake Worth has shown in the past four years.
     The campaigns of the victors were based on the accomplishments achieved while they have been in the majority on the City Commission. 
     The defeated candidates were supported by Commissioners Ryan Maier and Christopher McVoy who vote against the victors on many issues of City business. They have consistently argued to slow decision making and stall the business of the City."

*To subscribe to The Lake Worth Herald use this link. To pick up this week's print edition you can find one at the newsstand at 600 Lake Ave., just west of the Starbuck's in downtown Lake Worth.
†There were no congratulatory calls from Diane Jacques, Gary Antieau, or Ryan Hartman.

What do you say if someone says this about Lake Worth politics: “It’s a little crazy for local politics.”

The quote above is in this article that also appears in today's (3/17) Palm Beach Post's print edition, page B3, below the fold.

Here is how you answer if someone says Lake Worth politics is "a little crazy": It's not ordinary for a small American city to be the headquarters for a known international ecoterrorist organization doing everything they can to destabilize its neighborhoods and institutions. That organization, EarthFirst!, is led by Cara Jennings and Peter 'Panagioti' Tsolkas.

Very important: The media spin is the landslide elections last Tuesday were because of campaign contributions. Don't fall for this narrative (meme): It's not true. That is explained using this link.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

     Bruce Webber, an art gallery owner, said voters made the right choice to move the city forward.
     “If we lost one seat on the commission, it would have set us back ten years,” [emphasis added] he said. “We need development and we need to fix our roads.”

The truth is "The Three" incumbents were forced to respond to the threats by the Anarchists in Lake Worth and one of the tools at their disposal was fundraising. If JoAnn Golden et al. had not put Ryan Hartman on the ballot then fundraising would never had become an issue in this election. The public became engaged and motivated to save this little City.

It was the cabal's decision to put Hartman on the ballot. The public rallied in response and the rest is history.

A door hanger used by the 'eco-friendly' Anarchist produced using harmful chemicals and his campaign signs, made of #5 plastic, continue to litter the City.

Disrespect at a community center and garden following the elections on March 15th in Lake Worth

It's customary after the polls close in Lake Worth for each campaign to pick up their trash and any campaign signs. The simple rule is this: The only thing you should leave behind are your footprints.

There are ten voting locations in the City and eight of them are at either a church or a temple. One of those is the Scottish Rite Masonic Center at 2000 North 'D' Street. Along with their community center, all the volunteer support offered, they're also home of the Gray Mockingbird Community Garden. To say the Scottish Rite is an iconic, respected institution in Lake Worth is an understatement.

However, that didn't mean a whole lot to the campaign workers who staffed that location for the Frank McAlonan and Ryan Hartman campaigns. After the polls closed they all went to their cars and left. They didn't bother to pick up all their trash or any of the signs. It was left to the other campaigns to do that work for them:

My thoughts about Dean Sherwin

It is with a sense of great loss that I report the passing of Dean Sherwin. I knew Dean as a fun and intelligent soul and engaged Lake Worth resident who gave of his time to serve on the Planning and Zoning Board. He also became a significant part of the "Cottages of Lake Worth" book project, which is just now nearing completion. Most of the text happens to be his work, much of which was done during a period of ill health. He poured his intelligence and wit into those pages and helped stimulate all of our thought processes. His text is surrounded by pictures of the cottages that he loved. The book will have a new layer of meaning now. I would like to think that his engagement in the process allowed him to enjoy life a little longer. Lake Worth is less today with his loss, but we will be able to cherish his gifts long after. We are working on a special way to memorialize Dean in the final edition.

PrideFest is this weekend! And did you know Sunday, March 20th, is 7 years to the very day of Jeff Clemens' dedication of Compass?

It's true. First, St. Andrew's and PrideFest invite you to Lake Worth this Sunday starting at 10:00. For more information about St. Andrew's use this link and learn more about PrideFest at the Compass website. PrideFest begins on Saturday (3/19) and the always-popular parade is on Sunday:

Everone loves a parade, and next week, we have 2, 1 for #PalmSunday @ 10AM & 1 for PrideFest @ 11:30AM. #Episcopal pic.twitter.com/AKGHlSuoeV

— St Andrews LakeWorth (@SAEpiscopalLW) March 13, 2016

Now for one of my favorite videos on my YouTube channel: Then-Mayor (now State Senator) Jeff Clemens at the dedication of Compass on March 20th, 2009 which coincidentally falls on this Sunday's PrideFest parade in Lake Worth!

The Truth Keeps Marching on...

Don't Get Angry All You Volunteers! Make plans to be at the swearing-in ceremony this Friday at City Hall

The swearing-in ceremony for Mayor Pam Triolo, Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell, and Commissioner Andy Amoroso will be this Friday at 5:30 in the City Hall commission chambers.

From likely the same editor at The Palm Beach Post who created the 'curfew' nonsense is the newly coined meme "financial support" in this last Lake Worth election. Whatever you do Don't Get Angry! This tremendous victory was much more than 'financial' as anyone who was part of one or more the campaigns can attest. Probably more volunteer hours were logged in this election than any other in recent memory.

Expect the obligatory editorial soon about the influence of money in elections while at the same time the paper is imploding from the lack of financial support in their own institution. One of these days, hopefully soon, the paper will learn that their not-so-clever editorializing of news stories is really angering a lot of people. Don't hold your breath though, it's an organizational dysfunction that will take a long time to fix.

Anyhow, here is a link to the online edition and below is what appears in the print edition of the paper today (3/16) following last night's landslide re-elections of Mayor Triolo, Vice Mayor Maxwell, and Commissioner Amoroso:

Have you ever been to the Blue Front BBQ? You should have lunch or dinner there one of these days.

In what can only be called the newspaper's "Dewey Defeats Truman" moment, below is what appeared on the Post's website yesterday afternoon prior to the landslide victories:

Does the word "disconnect" come to mind?

Here is an excerpt from the article by one of their staff reporters (one that made it through the latest round of newsroom staff cuts):

     [Todd] Townsend, a self-described green anarchist, said environmental issues such as Lake Okeechobee discharges are what continue to bring him out to the polls. 
     As far as the primaries, Townsend said he voted for Bernie Sanders. 
     “I like Hillary. I’ve always liked Hillary. But I’m voting for Bernie,” he said. A woman, who didn’t want to give her name, said two of her biggest reasons for getting out to vote are overdevelopment and building heights in Lake Worth. 
     In her 11 years as a resident, she ["A woman"] said she’s seen private companies try and come in and build up the city and is worried the current officials may make the beaches private with all the development. “We want to keep our beaches public,” she said.

The beach was, is, and will forever be a public beach. Here are the facts about building heights in Lake Worth:

The silver lining in the City is those red and white signs that have littered our City for so long will be going away real soon. Like Mark Twain said. . .

The red and white lie in Lake Worth. You can say the truth put "on its shoes" and caught up.

The LDub election is over. Three landslides for the good side. Now it's on to March 14th, 2017.