Our Mayor Pam Triolo is taking a diplomatic mission to Finland! Lauren Bennett receives prestigious award!

UPDATE: If you plan on attending the “Sauna Bucket Award” ceremony tonight here are the details: Festivities begin at 7:00. Tickets are $5. Address: 908 Lehto Lane in suburban Lake Worth. Call the American Finnish Club at 561-965-9792.
 

City Press Release:

Lake Worth – City of Lake Worth Mayor and Leisure Services Asst. Director to receive prestigious “Sauna Bucket Award”.

On June 24, 2017 the City of Lake Worth Mayor Pam Triolo, along with Leisure Services Assistant Director, Lauren Bennett, will receive the prestigious “Sauna Bucket Award” from the president of the Midnight Sun Festival,* Tom Kuutti, for their continued friendship to the Finnish American community. The award ceremony will be held at the American Finnish Club Midsummer Bonfire.†
     With 1,026 people claiming Finn descent in 2000, Lake Worth has the second largest Finnish diaspora as a percentage of total population in the world. The Midnight Sun Festival celebrates Lake Worth’s rich Finnish heritage. The event has been hosted annually since 1983 in the City of Lake Worth and has become famous for its “Wife Carrying Contest”.
     Mayor Triolo indicates that,

“This award is a reflection of the strong relationship the City of Lake Worth has with Finland. I am heading to our Finnish Sister City, Lappeenranta, and I plan to use this sauna bucket in a traditional sauna in Finland!”

To learn more about this news contact Mr. Ben Kerr, the City’s Communications Specialist at 561-586-1631; email: bkerr@lakeworth.org

The City of Lake Worth is located in the United States, in the southern warm State of Florida, in central Palm Beach County next to the Atlantic Ocean. The City is dynamic, multi-cultural, with an individualistic style. People are drawn to the City by its acceptance of different cultures and lifestyles, historic districts, hip downtown and colorful arts district.


*To read the special report by Palm Beach Post reporter Michael Readling about the Midnight Sun Festival on March 3rd this year use this link.
†“Tervetuloa Floridaan! Taalla on paljon toimintaa. Suomalaisia klubeja on kaksi ja seurakuntiakin monta.”

Tonight. Special Evening Performance. Evenings at the Council. Summer Concert Series.

“Live Jazz from the Great American Songbook with Jazz on J Street and special guests”.

The Cultural Council of Palm Beach County is located at 601 Lake Ave. in Downtown Lake Worth.

Doors open at 6:30. Show begins at 7:00. Admission: $20 in advance, $25 at the door. To order tickets call 561-472-3338.

“The performance will include vocal selections and instrumental improvisation by flutist Blanche Williams, musical director and jazz pianist Rick Moore, drummer Jeff Abbott, bassist Burt Boice, alto saxophonist Gary Levy, and vocalists Yvette Norwood-Tiger and Lynn Simone.”

From The White House Historical Association.

“The important thing is to preserve the 19th-century feeling of Lafayette Square,” declared First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy as she reviewed plans to redevelop the White House neighborhood. When she learned the architects in charge of the project planned to tear down the row houses that surrounded the park, the first lady was horrified. She began writing letters and making calls, and, in the process, became a powerful advocate for historic preservation in Washington, D.C.

“Today, the row houses flanking the square — including the buildings housing the White House Historical Association — stand as an enduring testament to Mrs. Kennedy’s efforts.”

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and architect John Carl Warnecke reviewing plans for the preservation of Lafayette Square.

“Before John F. Kennedy became president, Congress approved plans to raze the historic Renwick House and other 19th-century structures on Lafayette Square to make room for new, modern office buildings for federal workers. In addition to her restoration of the White House, the first lady turned her attention to its neighborhood.
     She enlisted the help of architect John Carl Warnecke, who drew up plans to restore the square’s 19th-century buildings and build new ones in a similar style. The government could construct large office buildings behind them, balancing the need for space with historic preservation. The first lady’s efforts ensured the survival of these historic homes.
     After President Kennedy’s death, First Lady Claudia ‘Lady Bird’ Johnson continued Mrs. Kennedy’s efforts to preserve historic sites. She campaigned for passage of the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act, and its signers acknowledged Mrs. Kennedy’s role in saving Lafayette Square as an inspiration for future urban preservation projects.”

More townhomes coming to our little City of Lake Worth: “Colony Reserve offers luxurious features, resort-style amenities”.

Learn more about this exciting new community in The Palm Beach Post:

“Colony Reserve is the only new construction community in Lake Worth offering townhomes for as low as $256,000, giving potential homebuyers an opportunity to purchase a well-appointed three-bedroom, 2½-bath residence at a price they can afford.”

As explained many times on this blog, municipal “branding” is crucial for our little 6-square-mile City of Lake Worth.

“The clubhouse is now open to residents and visitors, making it a great time to tour the community and to get a feel for what it would be like to live in Colony Reserve, which is situated in the vibrant city of Lake Worth.”

Here is more information in the Post:

Homebuyers interested in living in Lake Worth’s newest, most affordable luxury townhome community are encouraged to visit this weekend to tour the models and to take advantage of the incredible pricing from as low as $256,000.

TO VISIT

Directions: Take Interstate 95 to Lantana Road, then go west. The community main entrance will be four miles on the right. Procced [sic] throught [sic] the main entrance and take the first left. The Sales Center will be on your left at 5961 Monterra Club Drive, Lake Worth, FL 33463. [see map below]

• Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., daily
• Prices: From $256,000
• For information: Call (561) 249-2941

     “Every visitor that tours the models is amazed at the luxurious standard features,” said Holiday Organization Director of Sales & Marketing, Vivien D’Addario.
     “It’s these features, resort-style amenities and unbelievable value that really set us apart.”

Is this new “vibrant” community “in Lake Worth”? Look for Zip Code 33463 in the map below.

Are they telling potential home-buyers how far away the City of Lake Worth actually is?

Crucial victory: “SFWMD Advocates State’s Rights, Wins in Federal Court.”

“These activist groups attempted to use the courts as an end-around to usurp the rights of the Florida citizens”
—SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Dan O’Keefe.


Atlanta, GA — The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) this week experienced a crucial victory in court to protect the right to representation in lawsuits that will impact the use of water in South Florida.
     The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit filed more than a decade ago by several environmental activism groups including the Florida Wildlife Federation and the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.

and. . .

     These water supply releases are controlled by SFWMD as well as the associated water management system along the river. Any resolution would impact that system and the residents that depend on it. SFWMD attorneys also showed that not only must SFWMD be a party in the lawsuit, but enjoys sovereign immunity from suit in such proceedings in federal court.

and. . .

     “These activist groups attempted to use the courts as an end-around to usurp the rights of the Florida citizens,” said SFWMD Governing Board Chairman Dan O’Keefe. “State residents deserve to be represented by their state agencies in matters that will impact their tax dollars and their lives. They deserve better than special interest groups trying to manipulate the federal court system to force their will on Floridians without their representation.”

The City of Greenacres “is a lot of nothing”? Guess what. Greenacres has a brand new Wawa.

So maybe the next time when Frank Cerabino ranks the City of Greenacres and all the other cities in Palm Beach County (now 39), Greenacres will be a “lot of everything” now?

Or maybe it’s about time for all the cities in Palm Beach County to rank The Palm Beach Post?

Here’s the news in The Lake Worth Herald this week titled, “Greenacres Wawa Grand Opening”:

The Wawa in Greenacres, located at the intersection of Lake Worth and Jog Roads, held its Grand Opening on Thursday, June 15th. Participating in the festivities were Greenacres Mayor Joel Flores, Deputy Mayor Paula Bousquet and Council Members Peter Noble, Judi Dugo and Anderson Thelusme, City Manager Andrea McCue and staff.
     Members of the Fire Rescue staff, led by Fire Chief Mark Pure, participated in the “Hoagies for Heroes” competition against PBSO.
     Wawa, presented a $1,000 check to Leisure Services Director Michele Thompson and staff to help with the backpack giveaway scheduled for students this Fall.

and. . .

     A history of Wawa was delivered in the form of a parade, and Wawa the goose was on hand to provide entertainment.
     The Greenacres Wawa has hired 38 people, and the new General Manager, Steven Ayoub, is a local Greenacres resident.

Attention City of Lake Worth: It’s time to start practicing how to “Talk Like A Pirate” again!

Tonight would be a good time and place to start practicing.

Why? Because as Mayor Pam Triolo said, it’s just “fun to talk like a pirate by using words like Arrrrr, ye and bilge rat.”

Artist Cynthia Morrison unveils “Nemo’s Chair” at Clay Glass Metal Stone (CGMS) Gallery starting tonight.

The opening reception is from 5:00–9:00.

Until July 5th artist Cynthia Morrison displays her newly modified version of “Nemo’s Firing Squad” during the upcoming “Hook, Line and Sinker” exhibit at the CGMS Gallery in Downtown Lake Worth (15 South ‘J’ St.).

Morrison’s artwork is inspired by Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. In the 1954 motion picture by the same name, actor Kirk Douglas asks Captain Nemo (Peter Lorre) what the ingredients are in the pudding he is consuming for dessert. Cpt. Nemo explains his delicious dessert is:

“sauté of unborn octopus”.

To watch the video clip, “Sauté Of Unborn Octopus” from the movie 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea use this link and make plans this Friday to go see “Nemo’s Chair” at the CGMS Gallery.

Remember Talk Like A Pirate Day last year?

We’ll have two new City commissioners wearing pirate hats this year.

Save The Date: Every year, on September 19th, just 90 days away, is International Talk Like A Pirate Day again!

Jeff Perlman and my visit to Downtown West Palm Beach last night.

“I’m in the boat, pull up the ladder” is not a strategy for economic sustainability.
—Jeff Perlman, community activist, author, and former mayor of Delray Beach.

and. . .

“If you find yourself catering to complainers that do not have solutions you are going to face a quick descent.”
—Use this link to learn more about Perlman’s much-talked-about gathering in the City of Lake Worth last year.


I journeyed to Hullabaloo (the sub-culture “gastropub”) in West Palm Beach for what is called “Bourbon Sprawl” put together by Joe Russo and other downtown folks. They bring in a personality every month for an informal talk about cities, politics and trends. This month’s speaker was Jeff Perlman and a good friend of Lake Worth.

Check back tomorrow and I’ll share some of Perlman’s remarks. Today just want to share some pictures from downtown West Palm Beach last night.

There are electric vehicle charging stations in some of West Palm Beach’s parking garages. Here are two more pictures that show a little more detail:

“Rethinking Paradise for a Green City”

Charging a vehicle (pardon the pun) is not free. You pay with a credit card.

Then I got on the garage elevator to go down three floors. Usually such trips are not that fun and fill the senses with the wrong sorts of odors — not so here — very clean. And they opportunistically use the back of the elevator door to advertise current West Palm Beach related events. We can only dream of such timely and routine outreach in an elevator here in Lake Worth.

We don’t have a downtown public parking garage in the City of Lake Worth. Or a hotel either. Yet.

On the way back I just happened to discover why there wasn’t the usual parking garage elevator smell and why the garage was so clean.

Look who was coming to work!

“Now this is how you run a railroad”, errr, I mean a City parking garage.

Speaking of railroads the Brightline station is nearly finished. In fact, I am part of a group that will be touring the station at the end of July, prior to regularly scheduled running of the trains. You’ll see this in more detail after our visit.

Again, check back tomorrow for more on Jeff Perlman’s chat.

A view of some in attendance at the “Bourbon Sprawl” last night at Hullabaloo.

“Shotspotter”, random notes and observations from the City Commission meeting last Tuesday.

Commissioner Herman C. Robinson provided some intel on the upcoming July 4th Raft Race: the Eden Place Neighborhood raft “is one to be reckoned with.” This Sunday at 5:00 is a very important meeting for everyone involved in the Raft Race at Blue Front BBQ. Jon Faust’s presentation to the Commission on the status of the Raft Race was, well, spectacular.

Expect to hear news some time in the near future about Shotspotter. The homicide last week occurred in Commissioner Omari Hardy’s District 3 here in the City (use this link for the article in the Post about that murder which opens with an update on the “popular Netflix series” Orange is The New Black).

Commissioner Hardy contacted the management at Shotspotter for more information about this new technology and we learned Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell is also a big fan of this idea. And so is PBSO Cpt. Todd Baer. The problem is this is a subscription service and quite expensive. However, a lot of people are working on some sort of solution. Stay tuned.

The biggest applause of the night was when Laurie Milano came up to the podium to accept the proclamation for Code Enforcement Officers Week. Am sensing a growing backlash against all the negative harping on the Code Enforcement Dept. Take note you-know-who.

More random notes and observations in no particular order:

• Because of a closed-door session previously, the meeting started a bit late and ended at 7:00. Fifty minutes. A new record? Maybe.
• Congratulations! Banyan Printing received a proclamation for 40 years in the City of Lake Worth. This is a front page story in The Lake Worth Herald this week.
• City Manager Michael Bornstein on the interview process for a new director of the Electric Utility: “Promising candidates and maybe a decision soon.”
• Bornstein on the pool: RFQ’s and RFP’s are going out. More and more talk lately about the City needing a new pool. Just not at the Beach; somewhere else where more of the public can have access.
• Hardy attended the recent Central County Chamber meeting and welcomed Best Hand Therapy & Physical Rehabilitation opening on 1609 North Federal Hwy.
• Maxwell is working with West Palm Beach and studying their “Landlord Training Program”. Expect this to be a program here in the City. It’s working terrifically in West Palm.
• The City of Lake Worth was the only city to have ALL OF ITS ELECTED LEADERS at the Equality Rally in West Palm Beach last Saturday.
• The City extended public comment to 3 minutes on nonagendaed items on the Consent Agenda. No one got up to speak and say “Thank You”. Only in Lake Worth.

To watch this meeting yourself use this link. The next Commission meeting isn’t until July 18th; however there is a Budget Workshop on July 11th and a Work Session on July 25th.

Lake Worth News: Everybody is scooping The Palm Beach Post. Now it’s the Miami Herald again.

When the Post puts in place a news blackout, for example this recent Lake Worth news, the only ones being censored are their own readers. The few they have left. The news about Mark Foley originally posted on this blog last week was ignored by the Post and the update yesterday was ignored by the Post as well.

In fact, any news at all about the Blueway Trail has been completely ignored by their local beat reporter covering our City for over 1½ years. When there’s news about our City of Lake Worth you can count on the Miami Herald though.

Here’s the news from reporter Jose Lambiet today:

     But government, admits [Mark] Foley, 62, is a hard habit to shake. He was just named to the C-51 Canal Advisory Board, where he’ll represent the city of Lake Worth.
     “Lake Worth politics is where it all started for me,” Foley said of his first steps back into government. “So when a commissioner [Lake Worth Commissioner Herman C. Robinson] asked me to sit on the board, I was more than willing to do it.”

and. . .

     An advisory board gig might sound like small potatoes for a regular at the White House for more than a decade. But Foley doesn’t see it that way.
     “A $250,000 house along a canal with that kind of access to the ocean and the lake [Lake Okeechobee] would double in value immediately,” Foley said. “It’s not unimportant. It’s a major project.”
     Can a return to bigtime politics be that far ahead for Foley?
     “I’m enjoying life right now,” he said.

There are no limits to the silliness in our little City of Lake Worth: The Blueway Trail and, “Hey, we were just thinking of putting I-95 right there.”

Rumors, mis- and disinformation, plus the myths began spreading fast last July as evidenced in the comments made by two former Lake Worth commissioners (as you will discover below). To see a video explaining the Blueway Trail project use this link. The following information will provide many answers and, as always, Thank You for visiting.

Video of the Blueway Trail Project presentation at the City Commission last year is below and here is a tease: The award for most absurd, ridiculous comment goes to a former commissioner, Chris McVoy, PhD.

Kim DeLaney, PhD, the Director of Strategic Development and Policy at the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council (TCRPC) gave the update. The first 8 minutes is her presentation (there have been significant changes since DeLaney’s presentation last year and you can read about some of them using this link).

You can’t see the slides but she explains what is happening with the Blueway Trail on the C-51 Canal quite succinctly. Here is what to take note of following her presentation:

• Now former-Commissioner Ryan Maier is the first to ask questions and that begins at the 8:20 mark. He talks about rumors he heard about it taking a boat 25 minutes to get from one side of the S-155 Spillway to the other. False. DeLaney politely says, “the numbers we’ve seen are a little different.” About 6–8 minutes.
• At the 10:20 mark Mayor Pam Triolo begins her remarks.
• At 13:50 McVoy begins his comments and questions.
• At 14:15 he makes the most ridiculous comment you can imagine. Talking about those people who live near the C-51, east of the Spillway, and the worry about increased boat traffic he says, “Hey, we were just thinking of putting I-95 right there.” Not joking.
• At 17:50 Triolo puts things in perspective once again noting that this project was once a dream of former Lake Worth Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill. Oooops! McVoy gets a ‘deer-in-the-headlights’ look, mumbles, and then goes completely silent. Priceless.

For those of you who don’t remember Suzanne Mulvehill. . . another classic photoshop by the inimitable Tom McGow from 2010:

Mulvehill bemoaned the S-155 Spillway on the C-51 Canal blocked kayakers, like herself back in the day, from access to The Chain of Lakes and beyond.

Enjoy the video and hope this information helps to clear up some of the misconceptions and myths concerning this proposed project. No doubt the rumor mills, mis- and disinformation campaigns will now go into overdrive here in Lake Worth. Especially from those who think something like “I-95” is coming to their neighborhood.

This Saturday. FREE Family Fun. Everyone Welcome for Summer Reading “Under the Bookworm Trees”.

Save The Dates: This Saturday, July 8th and July 22nd in Bryant Park. Click on image to enlarge.

The “Literacy in the Park” series sponsored by the NAPC’s Bryant Park Neighborhood.

Please remember. Our City’s new favorite word is “vibrancy”.

Try to stop using our old favorite words, “charming” and “quaint”.

Vibrancy (used in conversation): “Have you heard about Hatch 1121 yet? You know, Mabel, there’s too little vibrancy west of I-95 here in the City. It’s time to move closer to our Downtown where all the vibrancy is now.”

It’s official: Mr. Mark A. Foley, a former City of Lake Worth commissioner, steps up to serve once again.

First, as most of you are aware, there is a news blackout at The Palm Beach Post concerning any news about the Blueway Trail: the local beat reporter has been ignoring this news for over 1½ years. Have you heard a rumor about the Blueway Trail? Use this link to learn how to get the facts.

Stay tuned later on today or tomorrow for my “random notes and observations” about last night’s City Commission meeting. There is a lot of good news and helpful information. To watch this meeting use this link for the video and go to the 11:00 mark. A closed-door session preceded and the Commission meeting started late. City Commissioner Andy Amoroso was out of town and not in attendance.

One “random observation” is this: if you plan on making public comment in the future and make observations concerning the City’s Neighborhood Road Program, showing up in a tattered shirt with no sleeves is not a good idea. A good rule of thumb is, “How would Mr. Chris McVoy, PhD, a former City commissioner dress to address the City Commission?” He would dress appropriately and respectfully, of course.

Now back to Mr. Mark Foley:

Mr. Foley will serve as a volunteer on the C-51 Advisory Committee (CAC). This item passed on the Consent Agenda at last night’s (6/20) City Commission meeting.

Mark Foley was a City of Lake Worth commissioner from 1978–1979 and 1982–1984. Later he served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1990–1992; then the Florida Senate, 1993–1994. He returned to private life in 2006 after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives for 11 years. His most recent accomplishment was saving Spring Training baseball in Palm Beach County.

According to Post reporter Joe Capozzi:

Foley, 61, stepped up when the baseball proposal, originally involving the [Houston] Astros and Toronto Blue Jays, was dying in Palm Beach Gardens. He helped keep it alive by introducing the owner of a new team to a new site [now The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches], a site now in position to host spring training for the next 30 years.

The CAC now has a quorum of 5 members and will let you know when the first meeting is scheduled. These meetings will be videotaped, either by the City or by Yours Truly. The CAC may meet very soon because on Friday, June 30th is the “Project Design and Permit Filing Deadline with State of Florida”.

What can the board do about that? Nothing, of course. The C-51 Canal is outside the jurisdiction of the City of Lake Worth. But a meeting could provide a stage for some drama on the front steps of City Hall — the press will be there for that — count on it.

Stay tuned, as they say.

Just a reminder: FREE Breakfast and Lunch for All Children in the City of Lake Worth.

Check out more news from the City, use this link.

The Palm Beach County School District has announced Free Breakfast and Free Lunch will be available for all children Monday–Friday during the Summer. In Lake Worth this program will be offered at Barton, Highland, North Grade and South Grade Elementary Schools and at Lake Worth High School.

Breakfast at all locations is from 7:30–8:00 and lunch is from 11:00–11:30.

No application is necessary. Just go!

For more information, please contact:

• Peter Wood, School Food Service Professional Development Specialist
• 561-383-2003
• Email: peter.wood@palmbeachschools.org