“Christie commentary: Cities risk return of ‘Corruption County’ ”

Use this link to read Rick Christie’s piece in the editorial section today. Once again, the Post is freely dispensing advice to all our cities here in Palm Beach County.

Maybe it’s about time for all the cities to offer free advice to the editor; for example, how to properly respond when an “egregious” article is published (see below) and not addressed properly by the Post?

Here are two excerpts from Christie’s commentary:

     On Wednesday, when asked to pony up dollars to run the county IG’s office, city officials offered what could be construed as a resounding, “Hell no!”
     “This is an effort that is county-wide,” Robert Gebbia, vice mayor of the Village of North Palm Beach, said of the OIG. “I understand that they’re short on money, but, guess what, 39 municipalities are short on money, too.” [emphasis added]

Christie continues. . .

     They [cities] want to decide how their city’s money is spent — a rather compelling argument when budgets are tight.

Christie is right. Cities decide how money is spent. Our cities in Palm Beach County have elections and elected leaders have to answer to the voters.

However. . .

As Lake Worth’s City Manager Michael Bornstein pointed out — responding to an “incompetent” and “egregious” article about Code Enforcement here in the City — Bornstein said:

“We [the City] are held to a higher standard, they [the press] should hold themselves to a higher standard”.

Do you know what a “public editor” is? Should The Palm Beach Post have an ombudsman? Read more about that below. Here’s another “rather compelling argument” for a watchdog to verify information prior to publishing at the Post:

“Corrections & Clarifications”

“Because of a reporting error, a story in Saturday’s [June 10th] edition on the federal indictments of four current or former Boynton Beach police officers mischaracterized one of the allegations in the indictment. The document alleged Sgt. Philip Antico, after viewing video of a confrontation, allowed officers to add statements to their reports. The error appeared on page A6 of the Main section.”
—Article in the Post titled, “Boynton Beach cops beat man, then lied about it, indictment says”, datelined June 9th and published in the print edition on Saturday, June 10th.

Some newspapers have what’s called a “public editor”, or an ombudsman:

The job of the public editor is to supervise the implementation of proper journalism ethics at a newspaper, and to identify and examine critical errors or omissions, and to act as a liaison to the public. They do this primarily through a regular feature on a newspaper’s editorial page.

If the cities need a watchdog, according to the editor, doesn’t the press and media need one too?

Michael Bornstein said, “I don’t normally do this. . .”. 

‘Sober homes’ tearing apart our City’s neighborhoods: Remember the meeting last September at Scottish Rite? Left thinking nothing would change?

Well, think again. Scroll down for another blog post with this quote, datelined May 18th:

“Stop sending your loved ones to South Florida because we’re sending them back in body bags”.

—Quote by Lake Worth Commissioner Andy Amoroso interviewed by reporter Eric Rasmussen at Boston Fox25/WFXT.

Do you remember that community meeting at the Scottish Rite Temple last year? Were you one of huge crowd in attendance?

For the Sober Homes Task Force use this link. For advice and to report a problem call the Sober Home Tip Line at 844-324-5463.

There was a large community turnout last September to hear Asst. State Attorney Al Johnson. Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell organized this meeting with the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office (additional photos below).

From an article in The Palm Beach Post last November is this quote:

“We get 10 ODs a week, and two or three of them are dying. If this was Al-Qaeda or a group of terrorists attacking America, we’d be all over it. We’d be addressing it and we’d be throwing money at it. We’re not even touching the tip of it.”
—Lake Worth City Commissioner Andy Amoroso, a member of the State Attorney’s Sober Home Task Force.

It was at this meeting, if you recall, a former Lake Worth commissioner tried to interrupt the proceedings and make a statement. It didn’t work. Use this link to see that part of the video.

More photographs from the meeting:

Assistant State Attorney Al Johnson addressing the assembled crowd.

Lake Worth Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell. It was Maxwell who invited Al Johnson to speak and answer questions at the Scottish Rite Masonic Hall.

Another former Lake Worth commissioner with his dog. Then-Commissioner Ryan Maier opted not to run for re-election this year.

Worth Another Look: “What do you think? Should the City of Lake Worth construct a new pool at the Beach?”

An all-too-familiar sight, when the pool was open to the public, prior to being condemned.

No other public pool in Palm Beach County charges for parking. For a family of four, one (1) trip to the pool at the Beach cost $16 (min. 2 hrs) — too steep a price for many families here in our City — particularly those west of Dixie Hwy.

Or construct a pool at one of our “under-utilized parks with enough space to accommodate an aquatic center” as suggested by the editor at The Lake Worth Herald in an editorial titled, “Does it have to be there?”

Here are two recent quotes from District 2 Commissioner Omari Hardy:

Quote #1:

“For me, the idea of taking any money out of the General Fund when we’re barely able to afford the services we’re providing for our residents right now, and when we need to fund additional services, and we’re unable to do that, the idea of taking money out of the General Fund to subsidize what’s happening at the Beach is repugnant to me on many levels.”

Quote #2:

“[W]hat we’re doing is talking about spending more money at the pool to achieve an outcome that is the opposite of what we want, which is the pool to not contribute so terribly to the losses we’re experiencing at the Beach. . . . So we need to get very serious about this issue because it’s really going to threaten our ability to provide services to people who really need them.”

Do you think it’s about time to kick that “political football” one last time? This time for good, once-and-for-all?

Once again about a pool at the Beach, “Does it have to be there?”

Code Enforcement in the City of Lake Worth: “This is not the quality of life I want for my family and neighbors”.

Remember not long ago when, almost weekly, there was a story about the City’s Code Enforcement by the Post beat reporter? The last one on the ‘booting’ of vehicles was reported by The Lake Worth Herald as well and summed up quite nicely with this quote: 

“We don’t want your money. We want your compliance.”
—Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell. 

Interestingly, it’s been over a month now and there haven’t been any more Post stories on Code. Why would that be? Maybe because of what happened at the Lake Worth City Commission on June 20th?

Read about that at the end of this blog post.

“Fed-up neighborhood wants help with crime, code issues”
—Excerpt from The Palm Beach Post (see clipping below).

Briefly, some background:

In 2008, under the leadership of former mayor Jeff Clemens, PBSO took over responsibility for law enforcement in the City of Lake Worth. From 2010 until late in 2011 the Code Enforcement Dept., under instructions from certain commissioners at the time, was “gutted” under a former City manager.

Then in April of 2012 Michael Bornstein was hired to be the city manager and tasked with trying to turn all of this around. Use this link to read an article by City Manager Bornstein titled, “Code Is Moving Forward”.

The first article about the City of Lake Worth by the latest beat reporter from the Post was published in May 2015. Following has been a long string of news articles about the City’s Code Enforcement Dept., many of them very critical and others just outright inaccurate and misleading.

Without further ado:

Palm Beach Post article from October, 2005.

Click on image to enlarge:

Fast-forward 12 years later. . . at the City Commission on June 20th, 2017, there was a proclamation for “Code Enforcement Officers Week”. Those in attendance from the Code Dept. received the biggest applause I’ve heard in a long time at City Hall.

They deserve it.

UPDATE: Blueway Trail. News blackout continues at Palm Beach Post.

Post reporter Tony Doris has more news today in the print edition (page B3) about the “Golf Commission” meeting in West Palm Beach last Wednesday, titled “Golf course redesign undecided”:

“And the winner is. . .? Nobody.”

You’ll see why that is below.

Although the Blueway Trail was cited in the RFP, it was not mentioned at all in the article today. So, the news blackout remains in place. From this blog last Thursday, in a post titled, “Do you live in WPB’s South End? Lake Worth’s North End?”

West Palm Beach City Commission considers RFPs for “Lease and Development” of Municipal Golf Course and nearby properties (196 acres total).

The presenting developers:

And the results. . .

From 1, top choice–3, worst choice. The results (click on image to enlarge).

WPB Golf Links and Greg Norman Golf Design tied. MWV Golf came in a very distant second place. 

Now, if you’re interested in learning more about the Blueway Trail. . .

Click on image to enlarge. Note the “West Palm Beach Golf Course” in relation to the C-51 Canal:

Stay tuned: You’re going to be hearing about a property in West Palm Beach, city-owned, called “8111”. An empty lot on Dixie Hwy. along the C-51 Canal, east of the FEC tracks, south of Winn-Dixie.

Surprising news: We do have septic tanks east of I-95 within the City of Lake Worth!

Do you remember WPTV/NBC5 reporter Andrew Lofholm’s story about a “toxic tide” here in the City of Lake Worth that didn’t happen here in our City?

Read more about that below. But get this:

One of the surprise revelations to come of Meritage Homes’ Lake Cove housing project next to Vernon Heights at the Planning & Zoning Board meeting last June was there are some homes still on septic tanks east of I-95. However, this will be remedied when the project begins and new sewer lines are installed along with the City’s Neighborhood Road Program and new street construction.

[If you didn’t know, the “Lake Cove” housing project passed unanimously on First Reading at the City Commission last Tuesday. Second Reading is August 1st. Although this news broke last May it remains unreported in the Post.]

Are there other areas in the City still on septic? Areas west of I-95, e.g., the Lake Osborne area and in the vicinity of our Park of Commerce? If that’s the case then this is something a reporter such as Mr. Lofholm needs to investigate. And quickly.

What if THERE IS sewage overflowing in our City?

And that human waste makes it into our storm drains, leaks into our acquifer, and maybe even into Lake Osborne itself? If sewage gets into Lake Osborne that human waste will then make it into the L-4 (Keller) Canal, then to the C-51 Canal, into the Intracoastal, and then into the ocean. That cannot be allowed to happen.

We simply have to be more responsible and set an example for all those communities along the Indian River Lagoon.

Any areas within our City limits still on septic MUST BE PUT ON MUNICIPAL SEWER. Why? Because besides being an environmental hazard it’s also a health issue. Below is an excerpt from the text of this news segment by the WPTV’s Mr. Lofholm which gives the incorrect location — the actual location is SUBURBAN LAKE WORTH — however, every step needs to be taken so something like this never happens in our City:

LAKE WORTH, Fla. - This story stinks. [yes, it does]
     Overflowing, fresh sewage pouring into a Lake Worth apartment complex parking lot. Tenants say it’s been happening for a year! A fed up renter called NewsChannel 5, saying nothing has been done about this health hazard.
     Around 6 p.m. every night, a toxic tide rolls in.

Stay tuned for more about this situation.

“Blame it on the clerk!” and “Corrections & Clarifications” in The Palm Beach Post.

In today’s paper is a “clerical error”.

“Because of a clerical error, The Palm Beach Post on Wednesday stated the wrong ending date for the Palm Beach Gardens Green Market. The green market will be held until Sunday, Sept. 24 [not ‘through July 30’ as originally reported]. The error appeared on page B3 of the Local & Business section.”

And. . . from last Tuesday:

The Palm Beach County Commission joint meeting with the Palm Beach County League of Cities last Wednesday was not at the Governmental Center in West Palm Beach:

“Because of a reporting error, The Palm Beach Post on Sunday stated the wrong location for a Palm Beach County Commission joint meeting with the county League of Cities on Wednesday. The meeting will be held at the Wellington Community Center, 12165 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington. The error appeared in the Public Meetings list on page B3 of the Local section.”

“Embrace the roll”!

Would imagine Washington Post reporter Callum Borchers wasn’t too thrilled to be “rolled” by this headline in the Post.

Just in case you missed this from yesterday.

MUST READ, by Betsi and Jim Hill, “Lake Worth and Lantana: A Florida Culinary Tour”.

From the article in “Confetti Travel Cafe” we learn this:

• Taste History Culinary Tours “are very popular and sell out quickly. Lori [Lori J. Durante] recommends that you book ahead.”
• Taste History can arrange private tours during the week.
• To learn more about Palm Beach County, all while eating delicious food, check out Taste History’s website:

Experience Lake Worth and Lantana like a local with Taste History Culinary Tours, a company that offers not only great food but art and history of the area as well. Taste History is a multi-dimensional experience that focuses on neighborhoods with an emerging art scene, lots of local history, and great food from family-owned eateries. This Florida culinary tour will be a trip highlight.

and. . .

Lake Worth is filled with street art. As we walked, Lori pointed out some of the more impressive murals and shared some of the art projects that the city has planned for the future. Inside the Post Office is one of Joseph D. Myers paintings, “Settler Fighting Alligator from Rowboat.”

and. . .

We cannot recommend this tour enough! Each stop brought awareness to the culture and flavor of Lake Worth and Lantana. The tours are perfect for both new visitors to the area and locals. No tour is alike, so there is always an element of surprise.

Some of our local popular spots highlighted in the news article are:

• Delmy and Sean Rodriguez’s Café Tecún at 7 North L St.
• The Java Juice Bar a few steps away from Café Tecún.
• C.W.S. Bar + Kitchen at 522 Lucerne Ave.
• And at 621 Lake Ave. is the iconic Brogues Downunder. 

To contact Lori Durante at Taste History Culinary Tours, call 561-638-8277 or 561-243-2662. Make sure to follow on Twitter as well: @TasteHistory

For the Taste History blog and to see the many glowing media reporting about this tour, use this link.

News from the NAPC: “Be part of the solution by becoming an Advocate for the City of Lake Worth”.

Prostitution, disorderly conduct, and petty street crime, “is not victimless” . . . “the community is the victim.”

—Chip Guthrie, July 18th, 2017, at the Lake Worth City Commission.

Below, learn more about becoming a “Lake Worth Advocate”.

Send an email today to: lakeworthadvocate@gmail.com

Sign up to be notified when residents and business owners are needed to attend “first appearances” (learn more about this new community program below).

The Neighborhood Assoc. Presidents’ Council (NAPC) says, “News of community involvement travels FAST!”

An excellent presentation was given by Mr. Chip Guthrie on the First Appearance Program at the City Commission meeting on July 18th:

“[W]here an arrestee [prostitute, burglar, violent offender, etc.] from the previous day stands before a judge who decides bail and other pre-trial conditions.”

City residents Tammy Pansa, Richard Guercio, and Lake Worth CRA Director Joan Oliva are very involved in this volunteer effort and promoting this new program. And Chip pointed out as well:

“The business community needs to get more involved”.

Just a reminder: Check back next Monday for the Gulfstream Hotel, “Weekly Progress Report”.

Did you know the current owner, Hudson Holdings, purchased this historic property located in Downtown Lake Worth in May of 2014? It’s true. To learn more about that and to read the “Weekly Progress Report” ending Sunday, July 16th, use this link.

Back in April 2015, a former Lake Worth tabloid (now defunct) had this: “[S]eems to call into question whether the developer would re-open the Gulfstream Hotel and build a ‘second hotel’ if not awarded the beachfront project [at the Lake Worth Beach].”

Click on image to enlarge:

And Hudson Holdings, “Proposes to ‘Beautify’ and ‘Re-establish’ Bryant Park”.

How the Gulfstream Hotel looked on Monday, July 10th, 2017:

Use this link to read the progress report for Sunday, July 9th: “Will next year be another Street Painting Festival, one more festival or big event in our City’s Downtown, with the Gulfstream Hotel closed and shuttered?”

STATUS. Container ship “Chicago”. Position received -- 25.7660007° / -80.1515884°-- at 2017-07-19 06:50 LT (UTC -5, USEC, [IMO 9248162]). Speed 0.0kn. Moored by towboat U.S. Ft. Lauderdate.

The container ship Chicago has arrived in Miami with the second printing of “The Cottages of Lake Worth” hardcover books!

Stay tuned for more information. Trucking company, no. of pallets, delivery ETA!

To learn more about The Cottages of Lake Worth book use this link. You can also get more information and “Follow” on Facebook.

At the Lake Worth City Commission meeting this week. . .

Where do you get your news about the City of Lake Worth? In The Palm Beach Post?

Below are a few other things that happened at the City Commission meeting last Tuesday. Click on this link [which includes links to items of interest below], from “notes, news, and observations” posted on this blog yesterday.

✓ PBSO Cpt. Todd Baer in quarterly update: Focusing on “blight hotspots” is working very well. ✓ Mayor Pam Triolo is meeting with Gov. Rick Scott in August. To get the money for our Park of Commerce? City got stiffed three times by the “jobs creator”. ✓ Lake Worth Casino, is it finally over? “Discussion with REG Architects, Inc., and The Morganti Group, Inc.,” vis-à-vis the “tolling agreement” at our City’s Casino at the Beach? We”ll find out at the next Commission meeting on August 1st. ✓ Meritage Homes’ “Lake Cove” housing project passed unanimously on First Reading. Second Reading coming up next. ✓ Commissioner Herman Robinson showing a bit of frustration: What’s going on with the Sister City Board? Recreation Board? ✓ Bus service coming to the Lake Worth Beach? Commissioner Andy Amoroso meeting with County Commissioner Dave Kerner today. Maybe another “Lolly the Trolley”? ✓ Commissioner Omari Hardy: “We have to get creative with CDBG grant money.” ✓ Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell (Happy Birthday!): “There was a time we took each day one day at a time . . . but now we’re looking to the future.”

and FYI:

Greenacres’ Councilman Anderson Thelusme was in attendance. He was warmly greeted by the electeds and residents of the City of Lake Worth.

As always, Thank You for visiting today!

News in this week’s Lake Worth Herald: “City Modifies Bicycle Ordinance”

Your trusted source for community news since 1912.

To contact the editor with community news and upcoming events use this link.

Pick up the Herald print edition every Friday. Still just ¢50 at the City’s newsstand in our Downtown, 600 Lake Ave. Two excerpts from the article:

In an effort to remove abandoned bicycles from the streets and sidewalks of Lake Worth, the Commission has modified the bicycle ordinance.

and. . .

     It will also allow any abandoned, unwanted, discarded, deserted or vacated bicycles to be removed after 48 hours.
     The abandoned bicycles will be stored in a secure location until claimed or discarded according to city purchasing policy.

Tomorrrow: Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council (TCRPC) meets. Come out and meet the legend: Drew Martin.

All of you know who Mr. Drew Martin is. He’s a living legend (FYI: the Herbert Hoover Dike was a big topic of discussion at the TCRPC, see below).

However, have you ever had the chance to meet Mr. Martin from the Loxahatchee Sierra Club in person? Maybe take a selfie with him and get an autograph as well? You’ll have your chance tomorrow at the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council (TCRPC). The TCRPC is located at:

• Wolf High Technology Center.
• Address: Indian River State College (Chastain Campus), 2400 SE Salerno Road, Stuart.
• Meeting starts at 9:30.
• For more information call 772-221-4060.

UPDATE!

Drew Martin got published in The Palm Beach Post AGAIN! He writes about the Cape Sabal Seaside Sparrow this time. His legendary streak of published Letters to the Editor and the nearly monthly “Point of View” in the editorial section by Mr. Martin are unparalleled in modern newspaper publishing. Inexplicably, however, Mr. Martin DID NOT make the Broward/Palm Beach New Times’ list of the “19 Best Environmentalists in South Florida”.

How is that even possible?

From the TCRPC meeting in June, on an east/west trolley system in Palm Beach County, Mr. Martin and myself are in complete agreement:

“He [Drew Martin from the Loxahatchee Sierra Club] stated he also attended the mobility conference in West Palm Beach and felt it was well done. He stated there was talk about public transportation and getting people out of their cars, but it was limited to I-95 and downtown West Palm Beach. He stated what we need to look at is some sort of trolley system that will run all the way out to the Village of Royal Palm Beach, because there really is no east/west public transportation. He also noted there was an interesting proposal to have air-conditioned train stations for the public to encourage more use of public transportation.”
—From the “Minutes of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council” meeting on June 16th, 2017, p. 10.

Use this link for the TCRPC list of meetings and agendas, past and present.

However, also at the TCRPC meeting last month Mr. Martin made this public comment:

He [Martin] indicated he attended an Oceans Forum presentation by the Nature Conservancy that showed the value of the reefs off Palm Beach County are particularly significant, because of their huge economic value. He noted another thing that is damaging the reefs is the use of sunscreen.

Not exactly sure what Martin is suggesting. That the public stop using sunscreen? Develop a line of alternative products with different formulas? Maybe we’ll get more information at the next meeting of the TCRPC.

Anyhow, another big topic of discussion at last month’s meeting was about the Herbert Hoover Dike surrounding Lake Okeechobee and these lines stood out:

He [Chairman, Martin County Commissioner Smith] stated one of the concerns is Palm Beach County getting their National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) accreditation, because the [Herbert Hoover] dike is not fixed. He stated the focus needs to be on the section between the Cities of Pahokee and Lake Port, because that will alleviate the accreditation issue for Palm Beach County and Hendry County on the west side. Ms. [Michelle Oyola] McGovern [Sen. Bill Nelson’s Dir. of Outreach] stated they remain in touch with FEMA* and the ACOE† to make sure the moment the dike can be certified it will get done.

Lake Okeechobee and a sobering read:
The Lloyd’s of London “Emerging Risks Team Report”.

Quote by Melissa Meeker‡, “To say that the reservoir [south of Lake Okeechobee] will save the Everglades and prevent coastal discharges is wishful thinking that can’t be backed by science.”

*FEMA  =  Federal Emergency Management Agency. “The agency’s primary purpose is to coordinate the response to a disaster that has occurred in the United States and that overwhelms the resources of local and state authorities.”
†ACOE  =  Army Corps of Engineeers. The corps’ mission is to “Deliver vital public and military engineering services; partnering in peace and war to strengthen our Nation’s security, energize the economy and reduce risks from disasters.”
‡CEO, Water Environment & Reuse Foundation and former executive director, governing board member of South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD).

A few “notes, news, and observations” from the City Commission meeting last night.

Excellent presentation by Chip Guthrie on the First Appearance Program:

The “initial court proceeding where an arrestee from the previous day stands before a judge who decides bail and other pre-trial conditions.”

Tammy Pansa, Richard Guercio, and Lake Worth CRA Director Joan Oliva were lauded for their volunteer efforts and promoting this new program.

and. . .

• Chip Guthrie pointed out, prostitution and petty street crime is not “victimless”. The community is the victim. To get involved with the First Appearance Program send an email to LakeWorthAdvocate@gmail.com
• And Chip added, “the business community needs to get more involved”.
• PBSO Cpt. Todd Baer in quarterly update: Focusing on “blight hotspots” is working very well.
• Mayor Pam Triolo is meeting with Gov. Rick Scott in August. To get the money for our Park of Commerce? City got stiffed three times by the “jobs creator”.
• Greenacres’ Councilman Anderson Thelusme was in attendance. He was warmly greeted by the electeds and residents of the City of Lake Worth.
• Finally over? “Discussion with REG Architects, Inc., and The Morganti Group, Inc.,” vis-à-vis the “tolling agreement” at our City’s Casino at the Beach? We”ll find out at the next Commission meeting on August 1st.
• Meritage Homes’ “Lake Cove” housing project passed unanimously on First Reading. Second Reading coming up next.
• Commissioner Herman Robinson showing a bit of frustration: What’s going on with the Sister City Board? Recreation Board?
• Bus service coming to the Lake Worth Beach? Commissioner Andy Amoroso meeting with County Commissioner Dave Kerner today. Maybe another “Lolly the Trolley”?
• Commissioner Omari Hardy: “We have to get creative with CDBG grant money.”
• Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell (Happy 100th Birthday!): “There was a time we took each day one day at a time . . . but now we’re looking to the future.”

Thank You for visiting today and hope you found these “notes and observations” helpful.

To watch this City Commission meeting on YouTube use this link and go to the 3:00 mark (following a video of the July 4th festivities here in the little City of Lake Worth).