[Take Note: The pool will be CLOSED on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. . . And something to think about: Why is the pool closed on Monday? Isn’t MLK Day the perfect day to have it open for the public?]
To learn more about the pool at the Lake Worth Casino use this link—and you’ll also learn why and who closed down our pool back in 2010. Hint: You’ll be very surprised.
The pool is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00–1:00; Saturday
and Sunday 9:00–4:00. For more information call Sally, the pool
manager, at 561-585-6858 (office) or 561-951-7037 (cell).
Please note: Below are two (2) instructional videos.
With the Atlanta Braves back in the news (use this link for the article by Post reporter Joe Capozzi) it’s only a matter of time before some in the local TV news media come trolling in the City of Lake Worth for complaints and ‘concerns’ about John Prince Park: that park by the way, is outside the City, operated and maintained by the County.
If you’ve been following this blog over the years you know CBS12/WPEC is legendary for their hostile news reporting in Lake Worth; however, recently they’ve been getting better with a few hiccups along the way. To a lesser degree ABC25/WPBF has done their negative handiwork as well. With the elections coming up in March and now the Atlanta Braves back in the news!. . . this could push any reporter of the hostile variety over the edge.
So. . . how should you respond when a reporter asks you leading questions like, “Aren’t you concerned that Spring Training baseball in John Prince Park will negatively affect your quality of life? Threaten more Gopher Tortoises and create more noise and light pollution?”.
First pause!Never respond quickly. Take your time and think it out for a moment. Then. . .
“Rephrase the question”
“Give to Get”
This short video explains how these techniques work:
Don’t let the media “spin”, or propagandize, what’s happening in and around our little City.
Rephrase the question: “The Lake Worth Corridor has been an issue for decades, the County trying to find some way to improve many neighborhoods between the cities of Lake Worth and Greenacres, Palm Springs needs help too. Have you seen the neglect and poverty within just a few miles of John Prince Park? Spring training baseball would be a game-changer. In fact, the City of Lake Worth is moving ahead with the Park of Commerce to help that struggling area. Would you like to go and see this for yourself? I can give you directions?”
Give to Get:Give information to Get positive media coverage. “The public in Lake Worth is excited the bond referendum passed last November to fix our roads and potholes. But did you know a similar referendum failed in 2014 by just 25 votes? Those critics of the 2014 bond also opposed the referendum in 2016 as well. [then raise your voice for emphasis] And get this! This is the same group that’s against baseball in John Prince Park. Have you thought of asking why those people always try to stifle progress?”
Try this technique the next time a reporter approaches you for a comment. Take a deep breath, pause, and remember what to do:
Rephrase the question and then “Give to Get”.
Below is a good example of what to look for and anticipate. A news crew showed up at Lake Worth City Hall last year during discussion about moving forward with the referendum to fix the roads and potholes, a problem the public had demanded be addressed. However, despite all the efforts by Commissioner Chris McVoy, PhD, to put a negative “spin” on the referendum, he failed. The November referendum passed overwhelmingly. The positive message won the day.
And get this: McVoy opposes the Atlanta Braves opening a spring training facility in John Prince Park too. Shouldn’t the media be asking him why he opposes everything that will improve our local economy and promote the City of Lake Worth as well?
Use this link to read the entire news article from the City:
The phone scammers, “threaten to shut the power off unless a payment is made immediately with a Green Dot MoneyPak card or personal credit card. These calls are not from us.”
and. . .
“If you ever receive a strange call and are in doubt, hang up and call us
at 561-533-7300. Authorities have been notified of this scam . . . If you think you may have been a victim, please contact us at 561-533-7300 or make a Suspicious Incident Report with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office at 561-688-3400.”
More community news in this week’s Lake Worth Herald is below. First, things you need to know about “Family Saturdays”:
Saturday from 10:00–11:30.
Address: 601 Lake Ave. in Downtown Lake Worth.
$5 Admission per family.
Go to the front desk at the Cultural Council, call 561-471-2901 for more information, or pre-register using this link.
An excerpt from the Herald follows:
Arts in My Backyard Series: FUNdamentals of Dance with Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Dance Department. This intergenerational series of workshops at the Cultural Council galleries and Education and Training Center is open to all ages. Families are invited to discover the arts together, working side by side as they connect, create memories and acquire new skills through visual art, dance, drama and music. Workshops are presented once per month and feature arts and cultural education organizations from throughout Palm Beach County.
Remember: SUPPORT LOCAL, SHOP LOCAL, and support your LOCAL community newspaper as well:
The press release is below. The mission of our City’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is:
“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 the community needs and encouraging sustainable economic growth to improve the quality of life for our residents and the future health of our City.”
For more information about this workshop:
Contact Marc Schlags, Business Development Coordinator
Phone: 561-493-2550
Email: mschlags@lakeworth.org
Address: 29 South ‘J’ Street (off Lake Ave. in the Downtown)
“The Lake Worth CRA will be holding a public workshop to discuss their new Commercial Grant Programs. The workshop is meant to inform the business community of what programs are offered, the requirements and guidelines and the overall process of award. The workshop will take place on Thursday, January 19th from 3:00 pm–4:00 pm at the Lake Worth Arts Center located at 1121 Lucerne Avenue in downtown Lake Worth. The workshop will highlight the new Façade, Interior and Public Infrastructure Grant Programs. We encourage all businesses and property owners located within the CRA District to attend this informational workshop and learn more about these grant opportunities. Space is limited so please RSVP for the workshop before the 16th of January.”
News in this week’s Herald online. Pick up the print edition every Friday at the City’s Downtown newsstand, 600 Lake Ave. The newspaper is still ¢50!
Royal Poinciana Neighborhood Association will conduct a neighborhood cleanup this Saturday, Jan. 14 from 8 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will be sprucing up the area of South F Street between Lake and 6th Avenue including Rotary Park at 5th Avenue South. Water, gloves, paint and snacks will be provided. Volunteer hours will be given for those who need them.
Decided last minute to use the Lake Worth Casino for my wedding ceremony on the beach and it was the best last minute decision I could have ever made! Lauren and Emeric were amazing! Set up was perfect and they really helped ensure the ceremony ran smoothly, Emeric even parked the car for my cousin so she wouldn’t miss anything Lol! Would definitely recommend this venue to everyone.
On the website WeddingWire: “The Lake Worth Casino is a wedding Venue from Lake Worth, FL servicing weddings throughout the local area, including West Palm Beach, Miami, and Jupiter. Lake Worth Casino is a professional venue that has been part of the South Florida wedding industry since 2013 specializing in beach ceremonies, wedding reception, rehearsal dinners, outdoor weddings, quince’s, bridal showers, engagement parties, Sweet 16’s.”
Use this link for the City’s Dept. of Leisure Services. Have a question? Call Lauren or Emeric at 561-533-7395. Once again, Congratulations!
Phil Materio, owner of McMow Art Glass,* will host the Kiln Formed and Slumped Glass Exhibition at the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County on Saturday, January 21st from 1:00–5:00. The event is free, as part of Art Walk 2017. From the press release:
Join local artist and founder of McMow Art Glass, Phil Materio, for a day to celebrate the beauty of glass fusing art. The exhibition, which will be part of 2017 Art Walk, will showcase some of Materio’s most recent kiln formed and slumped glass pieces. The exhibition is part of Art Synergy in collaboration with Art Palm Beach, an annual event showcasing artists throughout the nine Palm Beach County Art Districts during Art Palm Beach week.
*McMow Art Glass (701 North Dixie Hwy. in Lake Worth; 561-585-9011) is a world renowned art glass studio specializing in stained art glass installations and beveled art glass, as well as beautiful designs in carved, etched and faceted glass. Their portfolio of work includes the stained art glass windows for the Gianni Versace mansion in South Beach, and the newest installation in the private dining room at Café Boulud at the Brazilian Court in Palm Beach, among many others.
Interestingly, the editor of The Palm Beach Post, Rick Christie,is more upbeat and complimentary of our City of Lake Worth and its people than our very own beat reporter from the Post is. To read what the editor wrote last November, following the overwhelming passage of the bond referendum use this link.
The quote in the title above is by Lake Worth City Manager Michael Bornstein laying into Post reporter Kevin Thompson for an outrageously unfair article* last September about the Code Enforcement Department here in the City:Then later, on November 14th, Thompson had this quote in an article about the City’s bond referendum:
“Building more trust, after all, is still on the line.”
Huh? Almost 70% of the voters voted “Yes” for the bond. If that doesn’t demonstrate “trust” then what does? Does it need to be 75%? 80%?
It’s the issue of ‘trust’ that needs to be examined and why there is this deep-seated mistrust within some quarters of our City. And that’s what is never, ever addressed by Thompson: the critics who had two years to come up with their own plan to fix our roads and instead did nothing. They just sat on their hands and complained.
Commissioner Chris McVoy’s role, or lack of a role for that matter, is never mentioned by Thompson.Ever. McVoy gets a free pass. McVoy never has to explain why he always says “No” without ever offering up an alternative. And that’s very unfair to the city manager, Mayor Pam Triolo, Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell, and commissioners Andy Amoroso and Ryan Maier as well.
It’s rare for any city manager to do what Michael Bornstein did, calling the Post beat reporter “incompetent” and his article, “egregious” (watch video above). But that’s what happens when things reach a boiling point. When the City keeps being put on the ‘hot seat’ and have to defend itself but the people who cause the trouble in the first place skip away whistling, “What? I didn’t do anything!”.
Remember, Bornstein was here working for the City in 2014 and saw the shenanigans going on firsthand. He had to sit there and listen to McVoy go on and on why ‘sea level rise’ was the reason we should hold off fixing our roads. There were PowerPoints and all kinds of ‘proof’ from self-described experts in other cities like Hoboken. Not exactly to scale of our little City.
The press likes to say, “keep elected’s feet to the fire”, but that doesn’t apply to McVoy? It’s no mistake the press in public opinion polls is ranked just slightly ahead of used car sales and about that of the U.S. Congress.
The City has a very hard job going forward. And it doesn’t help matters when a Post reporter keeps sowing the seeds of mistrust. What the Post should focus on is what happened between August 28th, 2014 and November 8th, 2016. And specifically the effort that people like Commissioner McVoy contributed: nothing. He stopped looking for answers to fix our roads in August 2014 and just sat on his hands for 26+ months.
Imagine if all Commissioner Andy Amoroso did was play the role of obstructionist? The Post would tear him apart. But there’s a double-standard when it comes to McVoy. And that’s very unfair to the rest of the City Commission, the City staff, and the public in Lake Worth as well.
Commissioner McVoy has a PhD. He’s a scientist. But since August 2014 how much has that diploma on the wall helped us? All the public can do now is sit back, watch and listen. Then on March 14th, Election Day, you get your chance to be heard.
I’m hoping the voters in Lake Worth keep paying attention and see through all this.
*Note: Link to the Post article was deleted. Draw your own conclusions why. Would strongly encourage you to read this article titled, “Code is Moving Forward”, by none other than City Manager Michael Bornsteinin February 2016.
Below are excerpts from this article in one of the most influential resources for real estate in the world, Realtor.com:
“It may seem counterintuitive as you’re snowblowing your front walk or drying out your socks, but now is a great time to begin thinking about buying a beachfront home that you can use throughout the summer—or rent out to pay the mortgage and then some. To find the nation’s hottest (figuratively speaking) beach towns, our sand- and surf-deprived data team looked up cities and towns within 2 miles from a coast, using data from NOAA’s National Ocean Service, and filtered out the ones that are on inlets or without direct access to a beach. We excluded cities with over 100,000 population to focus on the ones that have a “small town” vibe [emphasis added], which left us with more than 1,000 beach towns.”
[and. . .]
“To figure out which of these towns were drawing would-be buyers, we aggregated page view data on Realtor.com® in December 2015 to pinpoint where people are actually checking out houses online. With the homes in Hawaii and Southern California busting most people’s budgets, all eyeballs are now on the Sunshine State.”
Here are the “Hottest waterfront real estate markets” with the ones in Palm Beach County highlighted in red:
Sarasota, FL: $339,000
Naples, FL: $479,000
Myrtle Beach, SC: $168,950
Delray Beach, FL: $248,950
Vero Beach, FL: $309,000
Miami Beach, FL: $569,000
Jupiter, FL: $489,000
Lake Worth, FL: $210,000
Venice, FL: $265,000
Palm Harbor, FL: $235,000
Way to go Lake Worth! Right on the heels of Jupiter and Delray Beach too. Use this link to find out more about the real estate market here in Lake Worth and our charming, quirky, low-rise downtown. And while you’re in town make sure to visit our City’s new Visitor Information Center:
Here is more information about the Visitor Center:
At the bottom of this blog post are words written to ring in our New Year 2017 in Lake Worth from Rick Christie, the editor at The Palm Beach Post, in an editorial commentary titled, “A few quick takeaways from 2016 election”.
It’s unclear if it was Christie who wrote the words below (see image) in August 2014 leading up to the first bond vote to fix our roads but those words were so strong and so very clear the Post had nothing else to say leading up to the referendum on November 8th, 2016, that passed overwhelmingly. Without further ado:
“. . . this is a testament. . .”. Strong words from the Post in August 2014, days prior to the first referendum to fix our roads and potholes that failed by just 25 votes. Now these observations 27 months later, words worthy of framing:
“Lake Worth is poised for some major upgrades following residents’ approval — by a whopping 69 percent — of a $40 million road repair bond; and a little help from the sales tax hike. Finally, the city can get to the business of fixing and repairing its decaying roads that seem to have more potholes than cars. The Nov. 8 vote was in stark contrast to 2014, when a more bulky $63 million bond question failed by a slim 25 votes; mostly because antsy voters weren’t really clear where all the money was going. But the other reason city residents may soon be dancing in those repaired streets is because of the penny increase in the sales tax. Part of the proceeds — about $540 million — over the next decade will be split among the county’s 39 municipalities. That could be another $10 million toward roads, parks and other infrastructure repair in the city. While officials in cities like Palm Beach Gardens and Boca Raton snubbed the sales tax largesse, Lake Worth did no such thing. And residents should reap the benefits.” [emphasis added]
At last night’s City Commission meeting (1/10) the vote was 3-1 to move forward with pay increases for the mayor and commissioners. The reason why this was necessary is explained by City Manager Michael Bornstein in the video below.
Mayor Pam Triolo, Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell, and Commissioner Andy Amoroso voted “Yes”, Commissioner McVoy voted “No” (surprised?), and Commissioner Ryan Maier was absent.
Maier dropped out of the race and it’s now official. Although we’ve known about this weeks, news about this has gone unreported in The Palm Beach Post, you know, their slogan is “Real News Starts Here”. Is Maier just not going to show up for Commission meetings any more? Did Maier quit?
Election day is March 14th to fill the seat for commissioner of District 2 in Lake Worth.
Anyhow, back to the issue of pay increases, at the 1:00 mark in the video (see below) the city manager begins his presentation. Note that it’s been 12 years since the salaries of elected officials has been discussed in any serious or meaningful way here in the City of Lake Worth.
This first discussion occurred at the City Commission meeting on December 13th. Here are two handouts for the public given out for backup (click on images to enlarge):
Comparison: Salaries for mayors in Palm Beach County.
Salaries for commissioners.
This is an issue that’s been delayed for far too long principally because it’s a “hanging curve ball” for troublemakers, some with their own axe to grind against the mayor or a commissioner, and others like the editor(s) at the Post who are certain to chime in as they try to find a way to become relevant once again.
There will be much more written about this issue in the coming weeks and months. So, without further ado, listen to Bornstein yourself (he concludes his remarks at the 11:15 mark):
Why isn’t this big news? Why does it take a blogger to promote the City? Shouldn’t the City do that? If you don’t blow your own horn. . .
If any other town or city in South Florida had the Holy Cross College men’s and women’s swim/diving team using their municipal pool for the week it would be like the heavens opened up and the voices from the Gods bellowed and beckoned across the lands for all to heed. You wouldn’t hear the end of it from the electeds or anyone else at their City Hall.
But in Lake Worth? It’s ho hum.
Maybe it’s because the Gulfstream Hotel is still shuttered and the Holy Cross swim team from Worcester, Massachusetts is staying at a hotel in Palm Beach. That’s right. Lake Worth, Florida, still doesn’t have a hotel Downtown.
Also on topic, there’s an article in today’s (1/10) print edition of the Post by Jennifer Sorentrue headlined, “Tourism leaders seek locals’ help” [Heavy sigh]. Here's an excerpt from the article:
Palm Beach County’s tourism leaders are calling on local residents for help marketing the county as an international vacation destination on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The push is part of a new advertising campaign, dubbed “Friends Trust Friends,” unveiled Monday by Discover The Palm Beaches, the county’s official tourism marketing arm. Under the plan, the agency hopes to use social media posts by both locals and out-of-town visitors to convince travelers to book a trip here. [emphasis added]
Now for the news the City of Lake Worth should be shouting out to the world (especially to all those Northerners freezing right now):
“Ring ring ring! Our alarms woke us at 6:05 a.m. for morning practice,
and we ambled over to the [Lake Worth municipal] pool. Our silhouettes were highlighted by the
heat lightening flashing across the sky. The pool deck was a flurry of
activity as the team stretched and prepared their bodies for practice.
It was time to go to work. The set was an IM set and a combination of
mid-distance and sprints, which proved to be a great workout. After
practice, the boys headed to breakfast at the team’s favorite spot,
Benny’s on the Beach.[emphasis added] Following that, we hit the beach for some
volleyball. Unfortunately, our game was cut short by some rolling
thunderstorms that thankfully dissipated in time for our afternoon
practice. It was time to go to work again. Afternoon practice was
focused on sprinting and loosening up our tight muscles. Dinner was
served up hot over at Mulligan’s as we ate with the sophomore class. We
crawled into bed that night and fell asleep satisfied and ready for more
the next morning. Best,
The Sophomore Men”
Welcome to Lake Worth, Holy Cross College swim team from Worcester, Massachusetts! Hope you take time to stroll our Downtown. Make sure to call all your friends and family up North who are freezing cold right now.
Look in the top right-hand column for “City Commission Meetings”.
Then click on “Video of Public Meetings”.
No video? Wait a few minutes and try again. Sometimes meetings start a little late or too many are trying to log on at the same time. Be patient.
Now about that 2-minute limit at public comment (already read this? Thank You for visiting and please scroll down):
The two (2) minute limit is a holdover from a previous City administration, pushed forward by former Commissioner Cara Jennings, if I recall correctly. The limit was three minutes and then reduced to two.
At a recent Commission meeting, resident Peggy Fisher* brought the topic of a 2-minute up (of course, at public comment) when she came to City Hall to speak about the Wawa situation at 10th Ave. North and ‘A’ Street. She didn’t have enough time and suggested a 3-minute limit might be something to consider in the future.
What do you think? Why not show up at the Commission meeting and take 2 minutes to explain why the time limit should be 3 minutes? Keep it at two minutes? Or don’t care and have something more important on your mind?
You know, things are a lot different now. For example, ever since the cameras were installed by City Manager Michael Bornstein back in 2012, many of those like Weetha Peebull, for example, don’t show up any more. Something to think about. Hopefully we’ll hear this discussion in the near future.
For excellent examples how to give public comment at the City Commission, please watch the video below (to subscribe to my Lake Worth YouTube channel use this link and then click on the red “Subscribe” icon):To learn how not to behave at the City Commission, here’s a very good example:
*Peggy Fisher, if you recall, is the citizen-reporter who pressed Commissioner Chris McVoy, PhD, on his unpaid campaign fines, first reported in The Lake Worth Herald. She is also the reporter who took CAUT PAC Chair Katie McGiveron to task; Fisher’s work played a major role, think most people would agree, in the overwhelming passage of the November 8th bond referendum last year.
![Dr. W. H. Cotton’s ode: “Oh, My Lake Worth, Florida!” [circa 1920].](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUL75cv6zJQFjX15ojOIIz9AjnbqH4asHJTYSDhnGnYr7rJZRha1NcNTirj2xPcId158vkz5Hw-wXgOfrlztj8Zr8jLFFCfuEN6PyV44ZlpMRmJ68xbtFL9vzxNiG7xDs_HJvm/s1600/LakeWorthPioneers.JPG)
