PBSO Cpt. Baer’s update to the City Commission and a look back: “What’s with that neighborhood west of I-95 ‘with so much crime’?”

Use this link to see the update (in PDF) from PBSO District 14 given to the Commission on December 13th. For the video please scroll down. For the latest on the 10:00 p.m. ordinance banning packaged alcohol sales? Use this link.

At a PBSO update given to the City Commission earlier this year by District 14’s Cpt. Baer there were many interesting items discussed. For example, below are the calls for service in the preceding 6 months prior to the update (click on images to enlarge):

Northern area of the City. Most of the calls for service were in the downtown (note: this is prior to 5 deputies being added to patrols). District 2 is west of Dixie Hwy. and District 3 to the east.

Southern City area. District 1 is west of Dixie Hwy. and District 4 to the east. Note the considerable amount of calls for service in District 4.

What was most surprising was the low number of calls for service in District 1 west of I-95 and south of 6th Ave.

We’ve been regaled over and over ad nauseam about the high amount of crime in that area by members of the ROLO neighborhood and The Obtuse Blogger (TOB) but there were only 68 calls for service in that 6 month period of time? Hello.

That averaged about 11 per month or 1.5 per week. So either they’re exaggerating about crime in that neighborhood (which wouldn’t surprise anyone) or they’re not “Making the Call Y’All” (see below). Either way, be very skeptical of anecdotal reports about crime west of I-95 not supported by the data.

The video below is Capt. Baer’s presentation from last December 13th. You can’t see the slides but it’s interesting to hear his comments:
And, as always:

For more about the City’s PBSO District 14 look in the right-hand column for this image. To leave tips anonymously call CrimeStoppers at 800-458-8477.

Soon-to-be-President Donald Trump slams The Palm Beach Post: “This is not Walter Cronkite anymore, folks.”

FYI: Still awaiting a Facebook live chat by the editors at the Post with Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders supporters. They held one to appease the Trump supporters so why not hold one with Clinton and Sanders supporters as well? Read more about that below. Anyhow. . . 

This quote from soon-to-be President Donald Trump at his rally last Saturday in Mobile (as reported by Lawrence Specker at Alabama.com) will not make Trump supporters very happy in Palm Beach County:

“This is not Walter Cronkite anymore, folks. This is not the great Walter Cronkite.” He [Trump] says it’s still happening, saying the Palm Beach Post described him speaking to “hundreds” of people at a recent rally, where he claims 25,000 people or more.


On December 7th (this is not a joke), The Palm Beach Post editorial board held a “Facebook live chat with Trump voters” and. . . 

“We narrowed our invitation down to a dozen or so [emphasis added] Palm Beach County voters.”

However, that brings up the obvious question: Will the editors invite a “dozen or so” Democrats in for a Facebook live chat? Possibly discuss why the editorial board didn’t endorse Hillary? And they didn’t endorse Mr. Trump either. Why didn’t they make any endorsement?

And maybe the editors will discuss this too:

A full page ad in the Post preceding the Nov. 8th election. The editors need to “bridge that gap” with Democrats too, don’t you think?

CRA Press Release: National Trust for Historic Preservation grant for the historic 1000 Lake Ave. building

“The Lake Worth CRA is investing in our community to revitalize and rebuild our neighborhoods and commercial corridors. We are dedicated to maintaining the character of the City, responding to community needs and encouraging sustainable economic growth to improve the quality of life for our residents and the future health of our City.”
—Mission of the Lake Worth CRA.

Press release below. For more information contact Deputy Director Chris Dabros:

• CRA office: 29 South J Street, Unit 1
• 561-493-2550
• cdabros@lakeworth.org

December, 2016, Lake Worth, FL – The Lake Worth Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) was awarded a $2,000 grant by the National Trust for Historic Preservation from the Daniel K. Thorne Intervention Fund. These grant funds will be used to help support financial analysis planning of the historic 1000 Lake Avenue project. [emphasis added]
     The 1000 Lake Avenue building was constructed in 1927 and contains over 20,000 square feet of potential mixed-use space. It is a designated historic structure by the City of Lake Worth and is located in the Old Town National Historic District. The CRA hopes to redevelop 1000 Lake Avenue and has secured a variety of potential funding sources to assist in this process.

[and. . .] 

     “Organizations like the Lake Worth CRA, help to ensure that communities and towns all across America retain their unique sense of place," said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "We are honored to provide a grant to the Lake Worth CRA which will use the funds to help preserve an important piece of our shared national heritage.”
     Grants from the National Trust Preservation Funds range from $2,000 to $5,000 and have provided over $15 million since 2003.
     These matching grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations and public agencies across the country to support wide-ranging activities including consultant services for rehabilitating buildings, technical assistance for tourism that promotes historic resources, and the development of materials for education and outreach campaigns.

A Letter to the Editor* that didn’t make the cut in the print edition, “Don’t let satanic mark spoil holidays”.

[The blog post originally posted on Dec. 6th follows:]

There were 3 letters in the Post online edition on December 5th but the one below by Patty Delaney of Boca Raton didn’t make it into the print edition; two excerpts:

     In mid-December, an individual representing the group Freedom From Religion will display a sign of the satanic symbol, the pentagram, in Sanborn Square Park in downtown Boca Raton. This satanic blood-red symbol and an anti-religious faith message will be positioned in the area next to the Jewish menorah and the Christian Christmas Nativity scene.

[and. . .] 

     A recommended action is that believers reverence and spend time in reflection at the site of the menorah and the Christmas Nativity scene and in their own houses of worship.

May God bless all of us,

PATTY DELANEY, 
BOCA RATON

Editor’s note: Patty Delaney is the communications ministry director to Monsignor Michael D. McGraw at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church and School.

*Ever wanted to write a Letter to the Editor? Is there a way to increase your chances of getting published? Yes! You need to follow up. Learn the trick using this link. 

A Way-Back Photo: Beauty and charm exudes.

Image from the inimitable and esteemed former City blogger Tom McGow. Read what Mr. McGow had to say about “Miss Congeniality” and the Lake Osborne Reconstruction in 2009 using this link.

Positively positive Lake Worth in the Holiday Spirit: A City on the rebound and proud of it.

Just in case you may have missed this from yesterday, some thoughts about our “positively positive Lake Worth”:

I put together a playlist (see below) of the some of the positively positive presentations made at the Lake Worth City Commission meeting last Tuesday. It was wonderful to watch. We really have a lot to be thankful for in our community. We all know Lake Worth is turning around but sometimes we take many of these things for granted.

What was on display at the beginning of the Commission meeting was the positive, charitable and hopeful look at Lake Worth. I personally lost count of the standing ovations during the presentations.

First, we started with honoring the owners of the Farmer Girl and their long term opening of their doors and hearts to anyone in need of a meal on Thanksgiving Day, without charge. Then the Commission recognized our Fire Rescue Station, singled out as being the best in all of Palm Beach County. And then we were reminded Downtown Lake Worth is the headquarters for the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. They do their best to put out the word about the abundant cultural events occurring, many of them right here in Lake Worth. And the Commission then honored the years of service by our retiring City Clerk, Pam Lopez. There were lots of lighthearted moments during that presentation that you will not want to miss.

To go from one video to another use the "1/4" icon in the top left corner:True to the holiday season, the City of Lake Worth gave itself a gift: honoring the positive in our community and that is not something to dismiss or take lightly, there is a lot of good that goes on in our quirky little City.

Yours Truly yesterday in Downtown Lake Worth. . . click on images to enlarge

The City, Ted Brownstein and the Kiwanis crew did a great job with the stage and sound system for “The Grinch”, a small part in a big show for all the kids.

And look who I saw! District 4 candidate Herman Robinson (left) and District 2 candidate Omari Hardy. . .

. . . and at the Cultural Council, “The Cottages of Lake Worth” book signing by Taylor (left), Janice, and “The Grinch” himself sneaks into the scene.

Good advice from Wellington reporter Matt Morgan for residents and business owners in the little City of Lake Worth.

Remember, the LWVVSMCPE comes out again tomorrow. So why is Lake Worth so special and other cities like Greenacres and Palm Springs aren’t? That’s never been explained.

First, will we be treated to this headline in tomorrow’s print edition of Lake Worth’s Very Very Special Monday Collector Print Edition (LWVVSMCPE) about this important issue: Lake Worth’s ordinance prohibiting packaged alcohol sales after 10:00 p.m.:

“Lake Worth commissioner: Booze ban is working”

The headline should read:

“Lake Worth vice mayor: Alcohol ordinance is working”

Headline writing is a big weakness at the Post and serious news readers would just scratch their heads over use of the word, “booze”. It’s probably now left to the janitors at night to be the “acolytes of alliteration” for headlines in the next day’s paper after more staff cuts.

Anyhow, now for the good advice from Wellington reporter Matt Morgan. He penned this item about an issue that’s no longer an issue any more. That “sidewalk” in Wellington is no longer a problem. The problem is some people weren’t paying attention. 

“. . . a couple weeks later, people started showing up to meetings saying they didn’t want it [the sidewalk]. I got calls from locals asking my help to stop the project.
     It was too late.
     The time for telling the council they didn’t want the sidewalk was long over. It’s a lesson on why it’s important to pay attention to what is happening in your town.”

[and. . .]

     “Make your own decision whether you want it, and tell your elected officials. They represent you and want to hear what you have to say.
     Think this will be a great way to build on a vacant property, raising the home values of the surrounding neighborhoods? Tell them that.”

[and. . .]

     “If you show up a month after the project is approved and tell the council that you don’t want it, you waited too long.” [emphasis added]

Worth Another Look. Crime ‘in Lake Worth’ and using data from zip codes: The result is “Garbage In Garbage Out”.

Every now and then some like The Obtuse Blogger (TOB) put out that recycled garbage about Lake Worth having one of the worst crime rates in Florida. Complete nonsense. This is done to damage the City’s image and that of PBSO as well. Where does this false and misleading data come from? Zip codes.

Lake Worth is a tiny City. Only 6 square miles and uses zip code 33460 and part of 33461. However, there are 9 ‘Lake Worth’ zip codes that go far west bordering on the Everglades. Some like TOB have difficulty understanding this.

Yes, there is crime in the City of Lake Worth. And if you’ve been paying attention to the news in Palm Beach County there is crime in other cities as well. Crime is news and no one is suggesting it be ignored. However, the public is not served well when the issue of crime is misrepresented, misreported, and distorted. 

The Palm Beach Post fell for this garbage data too. Here is an excerpt from the original article by their beat reporter Kevin Thompson in August of last year:

     NeighborhoodScout recently listed the 10 most dangerous cities in the state, with Lake Worth coming in at — drum roll, please! — No. 4., beating out Riviera Beach, listed at No. 7.
     The site said there is a one in 14 chance of being the victim of a violent or property-related crime in Lake Worth.
     The site said it researched all 17,000 reporting agencies for its data and factored in the size of the population.

NeighborhoodScout is a perfect example of data collection and the principle of Garbage In Garbage Out (GIGO):

The City of Lake Worth is 6 square miles in Palm Beach County (shaded light blue, center/right side in image). NeighborhoodScout included all the other blue shaded areas inaccurately/unfairly as “Lake Worth”.

The CEO of NeighborhoodScout wrote this on the website:

“With this report on the most dangerous cities, what we’re seeing is a really different picture of the types of locations that have the highest violent crime from what many people expect”

Good point. Here is more from NeighborhoodScout:

     Developing a reliable measure of a city’s safety, especially if you’re comparing them, requires a full count of the total number and types of violent crimes in each city, and getting the cities on a level playing field for comparison.

From the flawed data in NeighborhoodScout they ranked the City of Lake Worth as the 34th most dangerous city in the U.S. Then Victoria Winkler from OnlyInYourState used that flawed data to rank Lake Worth as the 4th most dangerous city in Florida (ahead of Miami [population 400,000] at #5):

“. . . which is even more upsetting” is self-described journalists publishing false news using flawed data.

We’re left to wonder since the data is flawed, garbage really, then why did the Post proceed with this story last year? Here is an excerpt:

LAKE WORTH — The numbers aren’t pretty.
     With a crime rate of 71 per one thousand residents, Lake Worth (the city and its suburban surroundings) has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to communities of all sizes, according to the real estate website, NeighborhoodScout.com.

To be fair to their readers the Post should include a map showing the “suburban surroundings” they falsely label as ‘Lake Worth’ along with the actual borders of the City; a map like this one:

The actual City of Lake Worth. Zip codes 33460 and a small portion of 33461 that lies west of I-95.

Another stroll down memory lane: A ‘grand government conspiracy’ here in the little City of Lake Worth?

The City of Lake Worth “is deliberately attempting to make residents ‘feel the pain’ of inadequate road repairs in order to get their $40 million infusion of cash”? See the entire quote below.
 

Thanks to almost 70% of voters in Lake Worth on November 8th, roadways like North ‘J’ Street on the way to Publix will finally be made safe for the public once again.

But remember all those red/white signs that lined North ‘J’ Street leading up to the bond vote in August 2014?

The cost to repair Lake Worth roads increased $9 million since the “LW2020” bond vote failed in 2014 by just 25 votes. Mr. Mudd didn’t mention that:

“I call shenanigans. Could it be that the city [Lake Worth] is deliberately attempting to make residents ‘feel the pain’ of inadequate road repairs in order to get their $40 million infusion of cash that they can control? I can’t prove it so I have to leave it as an open ended question but the underlying facts are more than suspicious.”

—Quote by Brian Mudd on podcast “The Cheat Sheet”, July 26th, 2016 . . . “I can’t prove it. . .but the underlying facts are more than suspicious” he said.

Underlying facts? Maybe Mr. Mudd can share his ‘underlying facts’ with Jamie Brown, the City’s Public Services Director: 561-586-1720. Or City Manager Michael Bornstein: 561-586-1689. The mayor? Her phone number is 561-586-1735.

Remember the Annex Protest! And on painting of the CRA’s Annex: “It’s not to my liking and, ummm, Yikes!” And then she said, “Harrrumphhhh.”

Remember the protest in Lake Worth after the painting of the CRA’s Armory Art Annex building, or as some recall it, the former shuffleboard courts? The signs read:

• “Stop The Andy!”
• “Eliminate the CRA!!!!!”
• “I’m SO ANGRY I made a sign!”
• “Luddites Of Lake Worth UNITE!”

Former City reporter Larry the Lenz caught all the action!
Following that protest in 2014 a concerned citizen appeared at the City Commission meeting during public comment with a “true story” and she said, “It’s not to my liking . . . Yikes!”

News in this week’s Herald: Lake Worth High School part of Sprint’s “1 Million Project”

“Lake Worth Community High School was the only high school in the state of Florida to be included in this program.”

The entire article is on page 10 of this week’s Herald; here are two excerpts:

Lake Worth Community High School has been selected as one of 11 high schools across the country to be part of Sprint’s new pilot program entitled the 1 Million Project.
     The 1 Million Project is designed to help close the homework gap by giving one million disadvantaged high school students free mobile devices and internet.
     Five hundred (500) Lake Worth High School students will be enrolled in the project which kicks off in January, 2017. Sprint will be providing a mix of free smartphones, tablets and LTE data per month to each of the students for four years.

[and. . .] 

     Claudio Hidalgo, Sprint’s Florida Region President stated, “High school is a critical period in the lives of our young people as it marks the time they begin to build the skills needed to prepare for college and the world ahead.”

A look back to 2011. Wonder if this group is still looking to replace that truck battery?

Been to Palm Beach Gardens lately? After the “battery in the lake” fiasco in 2014 things went downhill fast trying to ‘save’ the Briger Tract, or Briger Forest if you will. Here is a look back to when “Defend this Forest” was at its peak: Embedded in the video:
The fight to save the Briger Forest in South Florida is ongoing! We are in the midst of making a documentary about saving this 682 acre forest, and this is the first release for the documentary. [Scheduled for a 2015 release in North Korean theaters?]

A 682 acre endangered and threatened species habitat, the Briger forest is the largest unprotected wild space in the eastern corridor of 95 as far south as Miami. We have put our sweat, blood and tears into protecting this forest from the biotech research company Scripps and developers that want to turn it into a Biotech city, with strip malls, housing, and vivisection labs.

Join our campaign today to fight to save the Briger Forest!

Explained: Building height limits in the little City of Lake Worth.

The image below is a nice recap. Please remember this next time you hear “Knock Knock” at the door and then get handed a flyer (like the one later in this blog post), and that smiling face says a high-rise is going to be built down the street from you:

Our height limits keep our little City “charming”. Isn’t that a lovely word? But it’s true. Lake Worth will never be like downtown West Palm Beach or Boca.

Let’s take a look back to what many people found on their door back in 2013 leading up the ‘heights vote’ that had nothing to do with keeping “Lake Worth LOW RISE”:

Lake Worth was already “LOW RISE” in 2013. The ‘heights vote’ was about one thing: Making sure our City would never have viable, successful hotel in the Downtown.

As we continue to deal with the twisted ‘facts’ let’s examine the propaganda above from the ‘Respectful Planning’ PAC that tricked people into voting to reduce the Downtown height limit to 45′:

“Provides clear, community-supported guidelines”
What “community” are we talking about? It would have been imposed by a small minority within a City of 35,000+ residents.
“Increases tax base without burdening City services”
No evidence whatsoever for this claim. How does reducing building height in the City’s core increase the tax base? The height limit in the Downtown hotel district is 65′. Lowering that to 45′ would increase the tax base? What additional infrastructure would be required for a 65′ structure that would not be required for a 45′ one?
“Promotes reinvestment in historic and vacant properties”
How does a height limit ‘promote’ reinvestment Downtown? Vacant properties are less likely to be built on if they are made less economically attractive.
“Protects the Gulfstream”
Yes, we all Love the Gulfstream. But a 45′ height limit would have made redevelopment of the Gulfstream less likely because it seriously reduces development capacity (i.e., land value) on the adjacent properties along Lakeside Drive. These lots are an integral part of the Gulfstream property. Let’s get real. The Gulfstream may be an iconic property but it is not economically designed for modern standards. If it were it would have been restored already.
“Allows construction of a new boutique hotel”
A meaningless statement. What exactly is a “boutique” hotel? Where exactly would it be built in the Downtown? Is one of the characteristics of a “boutique” hotel that it is no taller than 45′? Who devised that rather convenient rule?
“Does not limit development in the Park of Commerce”
An irrelevant and gratuitous statement.
“Supported by residents during the Master Plan process”
Completely untrue and patently dishonest. Height limits city-wide were discussed as part of the Master Plan process (you may recall the multi-year process squandered $1.2 million in public funds). The proposal to limit heights Downtown was never discussed in any way and would undoubtedly have been rejected had it been proposed.
“1700 registered voters signed the petition”
So what? What were they told? What scare tactics were used to get signatures? It’s less than 5% of the City's population.
“Follows the low-rise trend of many Florida coastal communities”
“Trend” in coastal communities? Some are high rise, some are low rise and everything in between. Each community has its own vision. Also keep in mind our “coastal” community is limited to the length of the beach. The communities cited by ‘Respectful Planning’ are communities with actual oceanfront coastlines. Many of these cities are struggling with redevelopment where existing single family neighborhoods exist. That is not Lake Worth’s problem.

Once again, the lies, mis- and disinformation continue. The names of the PAC’s may change but the goal is the same: to confuse the public. Don’t be fooled again.

The view west from Golfview and 1st Ave. South? This is one of the images passed out in 2013 to trick people into voting to limit heights in the Downtown.

Santa spotted at Highland Elementary School

“Santa Claus visited the good little boys and girls of BRIDGES at Highland Elementary to take pictures, spend some quality time with the kids and make sure their Christmas wishes were heard!
     Kris Kringle tells us that heard about the event from our good friend, City of Lake Worth Commissioner Andy Amoroso and that he couldn’t resist coming to the BRIDGES pot luck to see our families.
     In addition to posing for pictures, he also helped us write thank you letters and shared some holiday cheer.”