Our beautiful Lake Worth Beach on the Atlantic Ocean (and some not-so-beautiful stuff too)

Below are photographs taken on top of the never-properly-inspected seawall on the Lake Worth beachfront. It was a particularly beautiful day last Thursday (May 26th), with the ocean looking particularly inviting. Enjoy these pictures:

The loop road, what was once the former location of A1A, runs between the new Casino building and the seawall. I try to schedule my time so that I can take advantage of the pool when it is open. Most days I ride my trusty steed that I've had since buying it new in 1985.

This is my vintage 1985 Miyata 110 parked in the pool deck area.

And here is a picture of our beautiful Lake Worth municipal pool being enjoyed by parents and their children at one of Sally's swim classes.

That's some pretty cool stuff we are able to do and enjoy living in Lake Worth.

Here's the not-so-good-stuff lurking just east of the pool and the new Casino building complex. The following pictures were taken on the same day.

City of Lake Worth panel delivery truck.

One of two senior buses that parked in the bike lane on this particular day.

Two cars parked in area marked "No Parking". Again, in the designated bike lane.

And, being Thursday, it was time for a Mulligan's beer delivery.

The same truck looking from the seawall toward the new Casino building.

The beer truck usually is there for almost an hour, unloading kegs and cases via a dolly, with the deliveryman walking around the north side of the building to the loading area. All of these impromptu parking and loading visits which block the view of our wonderful Atlantic shoreline and pier are a product of poor site planning.

As I've commented numerous times over the years, we ended up building an entirely NEW building so it didn't have to be built in the same location and east of the Coastal Construction Control Line. If that prior City Commission understood all this at the time and wasn't falling all over themselves during a campaign cycle about how the City was going to "save the building!", we could have had a more thoughtful site plan for this 19 acre ocean property.

But they didn't think it all through and now we all have to live with the consequences of their poor planning and lack of foresight.

Nice view, huh? This beer truck makes a better door than a window. And don't blame the deliveryman. It's not his fault there isn't a proper loading dock in back of the Casino.

Memorial Day Tribute

Advice to the City on leasing the second floor space at the Casino on the beach

The second-floor space above Mulligan's at the Casino still does not have a tenant. Hard to believe isn't it? But do you remember all those promises back then?

The excerpts below are from one of those self-described experts in July of 2012 and you can read the entire prepared report using this link. The spelling, punctuation, CAPS LOCK, and illogic is because the person writing the report, we're told, speaks 16 different languages. Or is it 20? Anyhow, read this advice on how to lease the second floor space from 2012:

     "Its' second floor restaurant space, which even the simplest person knows ,is the most desirable., prime location, with Oceanbeachfrontage and view and Lake Worth Lagoon on its' West side,is in danger to the Citizens, of being made an economic loss, by the Commission genuflecting to a slick, QUICK COMMISSION WITH CHEAP CLIENTS PUSHING TO SUCKER COMMISSIONS,Realtor.
     Lake Worth City Commission are known for not protecting Citizens properties, by signing agreement undermining the financial health of the City."

[and. . .]

     "Standard price per sq..ft. Palm Beach Island  location, Oceanfront, is $35.- to $150.0 per sq. ft. that Commission never bothered to verify.The are there to promote themselves, look important with doing nothing to increase the City's revenue.This project must be paid for with restaurant leases ,as well.
     Ballroom and Downstairs elegant Loggia stores will as well.Not initiated by Commissions for 10 Years.,ignored to sabotage Citizens interests by those Commissions!"

—Dee McNamara. For more sage advice you can visit her blog using this link.

From The New York Times: "Chicago’s Murder Problem"

This NYT article hits hard. It takes on a very tough topic: race, segregation, and homicide rates.

Chicago is compared with New York City and the reporters come up with interesting observations why the murder rates are so different. They're both large cities, very racially diverse, and have populations from all socioeconomic levels. But why is the homicide rate so high in Chicago? Here are three short excerpts from the article written by Ford Fessenden and Haeyoun Park:

     There was a time when it looked as if Chicago would follow New York and Los Angeles into a kind of sustained peace. Then progress stalled in 2004, and the city has been through some harrowing years leading up to another alarming spike in homicides this year.

[and on segregation. . .]

     But segregation in New York is nothing like in Chicago: The perfectly isolated neighborhood – where every man, woman and child is the same race – is rare in New York. Less than one percent of the population lives in such areas, and most of them are white. In Chicago, 12 percent of the black population is in a census block group that is 100 percent black.

[and. . .]

     “The major underlying causes of crime are similar across cities, but the intensity of the connection between social ills and violence seems to be more persistent in Chicago,” Professor Sampson said. “You don’t get that kind of extensive social and economic segregation in many other cities.”

Scroll down this blog (or use this link) for "Interactive map of Palm Beach County homicide victims" and draw your own conclusions. Here in Palm Beach County too many in the press are focused on scoring political points than creating any space for a serious conversation about our homicide rates and those who are most at risk. That's very sad to think about.

Could all the focus on Gopher tortoises in John Prince Park be putting them at more risk from poachers and hunters?

Every now and then have a little fun and re-post this about the Gopher tortoises in John Prince Park: "A Gopher tortoise in John Prince Park—Trying to avoid cars, bike trails, curious children all over the place, and golf balls dropping from the sky all the time". Really now, would you want to be a slow-moving tortoise with such a high concentration of risks and challenges each and every day like a drive from a 9-iron or a curious kid on a field trip?

There is a very tiny group in Lake Worth and they are making a lot of noise in opposition to the Braves building a Spring Training facility in the park. One of their top PR tools is promoting the high number of Gopher tortoises in John Prince Park. Could that constant drumbeat about the number of tortoises have unintended consequences? Like getting the attention of poachers, hunters, and even the homeless looking for an easy meal?

There are many examples of poaching tortoises and here is just one, "Reward Offered in Gopher Tortoise Poaching":

"The Humane Society of the United States and The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust are offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for illegally killing 13 gopher tortoises in Indian River County, Fla.
The Case: 
     According to Indian River County Conservation Lands Manager Beth Powell, 13 tortoise shells were found this week on a quarter-acre lot on 61st Drive on the border of Wabasso Scrub Conservation Area. Gopher tortoises are listed as a threatened species in Florida.
     The animals were hit or shot and appear to have been killed sometime during the past year. They likely made up at least one-fourth of the conservation area's population of gopher tortoises. Some of the tortoises killed were about 20 years old."

Aerial view of Lake Worth beach (sometime in the 1940's)

Image from photonegative courtesy of the State Library & Archives of Florida. Note location of A1A. 

Capitalism comes to the rescue and helps to save the environment: The vexing lionfish problem

Doreen Christensen at the Sun Sentinel has this news item about lionfish:

     Whole Foods is now selling fresh lionfish in seafood departments, hoping to take a bite out of the non-native, invasive species hurting Florida's offshore reefs.
     Starting Wednesday, 26 Florida Whole Foods stores began selling the whole delicate white fish for $8.99 a pound through May 31. The fish will be priced at $9.99 per pound starting June 1.

[and. . .]

     The economically-priced fish, which has 18 venomous spines, is safe to consume once the spines have been removed. "Once caught and placed on ice, the lionfish physically cannot release venom from the gland, ensuring safe consumption for shoppers," says the release. The flesh is not poisonous.

The lionfish problem is a well-known one; it's been reported on for many years ever since the invasive species was first discovered in the Florida Keys. However, not everyone has been aware of the issue and the devastation caused by this species of fish which has no natural predators to deal with in the Florida waters.

Facebook lit up the other day when a certain "conservative Republican" you'd think would be thrilled to see capitalism solve yet another environmental problem posted this:

"Anything for a dime." Huh?

The Post's "Pothole" article and what's missing: Why a PAC and fear-mongering are responsible for City's poor roads

This will be very brief, folks. No need to belabor an old story. The truncated version follows:

This news in The Palm Beach Post by Kevin Thompson is hardly news at all if you've been paying attention to the City's roads and efforts to fix them. This wouldn't even be a news story if the LW2020 bond passed and the reporter briefly mentions that vote in 2014. However, what he doesn't mention is why that vote failed, by just 25 votes:

Learn about the CAUT PAC, Commissioner McVoy's fear-mongering about 'sea level rise', and how by just 25 votes the LW2020 bond vote failed using this link.

"NO NEW TAXES!" they said in 2014. And Commissioner McVoy said more needed to be known about rising sea levels so he campaigned against the bond too.

That's why we're in the position we're in now. The rest of the story, as they say.

Remember the protests earlier in the year when, to a few people, the homeless were the only issue that mattered?

It was at the height of it all (just by coincidence, you see, prior to the City's elections) that the word "curfew" was employed, there were 'protests' at City Hall, and the Commission chambers was packed with people shipped in from Ft. Lauderdale and other places as well. All because the City Commission wrote an ordinance to make the Cultural Plaza safer at night.

At the same time all this was happening there were some Lake Worth residents on business trips and vacation. Enjoy! 

"Have been getting pictures from all over the planet Earth, including from some of my blog readers, of parks being closed to the public and/or ordinances to control who uses a park during certain times of the day. It's not unusual despite what some protesters and others try to claim. It's certainly not 'draconian', or 'criminalizing' people, or even 'throwing the baby out with the bathwater', whatever that is supposed to mean. Hope you're having fun on vacation or your business travel. Sincerely, Wes."
Hope you're all having a good time!  
Literal translation of sign in the image above using Google Translator: "Evacuation plan Vigipirate 4:30 p.m. 5:00 p.m. closed park"

Here's another one!

Translation: "Opening hours of the fountain gardens". Again, no mention of a 'curfew'.

Central Park CLOSED!

This week's "Special Assignment" news article by Mary Lindsey in The Lake Worth Herald

This is a must read article by Mary Lindsey in this week's issue (5/26) of The Lake Worth Herald, our City's paper of record since 1912. To subscribe to the Herald use this link or pick up the print edition at the City's news stand across the street from the downtown Starbucks.

The Herald is still ¢50!

Below are excerpts from the very lengthy article, in no particular order, with links added by Your's Truly:

     "Lake Worth Little Free Libraries, Inc. (Lake Worth LFL) was awarded $5,000 to fund bi-lingual children’s books for the 45 Little Free Libraries currently (or very soon to be) operating around the city. The traveling Little Free Library, used by the group to make presentations to civic groups and schools was on display for the award ceremony."

[and. . .]

     "Only moments before the Little Free Libraries grant was awarded, Renee Quinn, marketing specialist for CWS Bar and Kitchen and founding member of the Circle of Wise Women philanthropic group, along with Anthony Savoia, Managing Partner at CWS, announced that they were donating funds to purchase two more Little Free Libraries for the project. They requested that these little libraries be placed wherever they are most needed.
     CWS Bar and Kitchen, located at 522 Lucerne Avenue only recently opened in Lake Worth. Already proven to be a very popular gathering spot, CWS management and staff has also established themselves as good friends and great Lake Worth neighbors."

[and. . .]

     "Lake Worth Neighborhood Associations, Royal Poinciana and Tropical Ridge each submitted winning grant proposals. The “Royals” received $3,000 to fund 'Kids At Play', a project to add playground equipment and environmental education signage to the new greenway planned for their neighborhood. . . Tropical Ridge Neighborhood will be beautifying the greenway in their neighborhood as well with the $1,500 they were awarded." 

[and. . .]

     "For the Children, Inc., led by Reggie Durandisse, is a well-respected and tireless advocate for our children in the Osborne Community. Located in the Whispering Palm neighborhood, For The Children offers high quality, affordable pre-school, after school and family support services to foster positive physical, social, emotional cognitive growth and development."

The Herald also has news about the recent crime walk downtown, all you need to know about Memorial Day, community events, the latest at the Gray Mockingbird Community Garden, ads for local businesses and so much more.

Did you know a famous New York Yankee golfed at the Lake Worth municipal golf course?

The good folks at the Lake Worth Golf Club have this latest news about Memorial Day weekend:

Rates as low as $20 valid from Saturday to Monday! Book online now: https://t.co/M04fBNyX1K pic.twitter.com/d52VlaXe59

— Lake Worth Golf Club (@LakeWorthGC) May 24, 2016

Did you know Babe Ruth golfed here in Lake Worth? He did:

Here is the website for the City's golf course:

"Located at One 7th Avenue North Lake Worth Golf Course and Pro Shop has been in business since 1927. The golf course is comprised of a unique old Florida design with a scenic 6,100 yard, par-70 course located along 1.2 miles of the Intracoastal Waterway.

• 18-hole, par 70
• Course Flyover
• Pro Shop
• The Beach Club restaurant
• Golf Lessons
• Rental Clubs
• Annual Memberships for residents & non-residents (memberships start on date of purchase and end one year from that date)
• Seasonal Membership
• Mens and Ladies Golf Association"

For tee time reservations contact the ProShop: 561-582-9713

Here is the video of the courses Hole #1:

Malcolm Cain, 1936–2016

"Malcolm Cain, 80, of Lake Worth, FL, passed away peacefully on May 24th, 2016 at Good Samaritan Hospital, West Palm Beach, FL. Born February 5th, 1936 in Jeffersonville, IN, Mr. Cain moved to Lake Worth in 1961 and opened his first barber shop on Lucerne Ave. For over 55 years Malcolm became the 'Barber of Lake Worth,' and worked until his passing."

[to pay your respects. . .]

     "A viewing will be held at All County's Del Lago Chapel, 131 S. Lakeside Drive in Lake Worth on Friday, May 27th from 6:00-8:00 pm and again on Saturday, May 28th from 10:00-11:00 am, where a funeral service will follow at 11:00 am."

Hmmm. If the Palm Beach Post is the "news partner" of NBC5/WPTV. . .

. . . then why did the Post run ads for ABC25/WPBF last weekend?

"Trust The Team That Knows Your Area"?

The team to trust in central Palm Beach County is hands-down NBC5/WPTV. Read my review of TV news using this link. Here is an excerpt:

"ABC25/WPBF I check now and then to correct them on news locations vis-à-vis the City of Lake Worth. Once in a while one of their reporters stumbles into the City by accident. The one trait all the reporters seem to share at WPBF is they couldn't find the actual City if you gave them the whole day, directions, and smoke signals. They probably think Lake Worth extends into the Everglades and a mile or so into the Atlantic Ocean as well. Pretty much everything that happens in central PBC is in 'Lake Worth'."

Here is a link to an article in the Post titled, "The Palm Beach Post, WPTV-Channel 5 announce news partnership". Here is an excerpt:

     The Post will feature Channel 5 video on its website, and The Post's print and online weather page will feature forecasts from Steve Weagle, WPTV's chief meteorologist.
     "It's a powerhouse partnership that delivers the best of both worlds for readers and viewers in our area," said Tim Burke, The Post's publisher and executive editor. [emphasis added] "We're bringing the visual medium of WPTV to Post readers and the large newsgathering force of Palm Beach Newspapers to WPTV viewers."
     The Palm Beach Daily News also will be part of the partnership with Channel 5. The Post and Daily News are owned by Cox Media Group, and Channel 5, an NBC affiliate, is owned by Scripps Media Inc.

Coyotes in Palm Beach County: Community benefits, the positive impact, and a new book titled "Coyote Settles the South"

Not long ago coyotes were reported in Greenacres, is that a bad thing? Reports are they're eating feral and roaming cats which are a big problem in Palm Beach County, especially so in Lake Worth. As WPEC/CBS12 reported last year, though, the feral cats are keeping to the lettered streets here in the City. Seriously though, watch this news report from CBS2's Weijia Jiang from Long Island City, NY:
This article in Slate raises some interesting points. First, you can hardly call coyotes a nuisance because they have a tremendous fear of humans and are virtually impossible to find. The video above is a rare one of a coyote roaming (hunting?) within a city's borders. And you could argue that coyotes are good for public health and the environment. Here is an excerpt from the article:

     Gehrt [Stanley Gehrt, head of the Cook County Coyote Project] and his team have just completed a large-scale feral cats study, which found that coyotes are repelling them from natural areas within the city. “That has a positive impact on native fauna,” Gehrt says—cats kill a lot of birds. [emphasis added]

[and. . .]

      All of this would seem to be good news for the New York metropolitan area, which could certainly use a better form of rodent control than dangerous poisons. Even a fraction of the effects seen in Chicago could help restore biodiversity, enrich parks, and counteract decades of environmental damage.

Image from Wikipedia.

Now for the new book Coyote Settles the South by John Lane described as a "personal narrative about the arrival and flourishing of the American coyote in the Southeast". Here is an excerpt from the University of Georgia Press:

Coyote Settles the South is the story of his journey through the Southeast, as he visits coyote territories: swamps, nature preserves, old farm fields, suburbs, a tannery, and even city streets. On his travels he meets, interrogates, and observes those who interact with the animals—trappers, wildlife researchers, hunters, rattled pet owners, and even one devoted coyote hugger. Along the way, he encounters sensible, yet sometimes perplexing, insight concerning the migration into the Southeast of the American coyote, an animal that, in the end, surprises him with its intelligence, resilience, and amazing adaptability.

In the end, maybe the coyote will do what it takes to save our dwindling native bird populations being killed by cats. Our local 'environmentalists' who should care have turned a blind eye to these many species of birds at risk of extinction.

Another great way to tour the City of Lake Worth: Take a Taste History Culinary Tour

Here is the news from Lynn Kalber at BocaMag:

     Try a Taste History Culinary Tour this holiday weekend, as the summer series for this tasty pastime kicks off on May 28 [see Lake Worth tour dates below]. For $45–$60 per person (children under 14 are free), you’ll spend four hours exploring historic districts with visits to bakeries, eateries, juice bars, tea bars and markets for tastings, history and food culture. With your guide, you’ll meet restaurant owners, chefs and directors/artists of the cultural centers.

[and. . .]

     June dates: June 4, West Palm Beach/Lake Worth; June 11, Lake Worth/Lantana; June 18, Delray Beach/Boynton Beach; June 25, Delray Beach/Boynton Beach. Pre-payment is required, and tickets can be purchased using this link.

Check this out @WesBlackman https://t.co/dFy4xt54w7 @bocamag blog picks @TasteHistory to @LakeWorthPBC How cool! pic.twitter.com/pIiZiHX1NE

— CulinaryTour (@TasteHistory) May 25, 2016