Last Friday, Tropical Storm Isaac was projected to hit the Florida Keys last Sunday as a Category 1 hurricane and then head to the Florida mainland, most likely to hit Naples at about 8 a.m. Monday morning. The radar showed a huge storm, with outer bands almost certain to whip up all of South Florida. And yet...on Friday, and even on Saturday, and still on SUNDAY (yes)...the Palm Beach County School District was saying there would be school on Monday morning. How bizarre was that??
The district did not actually cancel school on Monday until after 1 a.m. on Monday, after a very raucus storm all day on Sunday, flooding starting and bad, bad weather expected to continue all day Monday. What could they possibly have been thinking? And what could they have been thinking when they then waited until late on Monday to cancel classes for a SECOND day in a row due to intense flooding?
A single father here in Lake Worth said he woke up around 5 a.m. on Monday to turn on the television and see that schools were closed. He could not arrange for child care for his two daughters on Monday, or Tuesday - not with that kind of notice - so could not go to work. As a carpenter, he doesn't get paid for days when he doesn't work, so will get about half his normal weekly pay today.
Why couldn't the school district look at the same radar everyone else in Lake Worth was seeing and realize that we were going to be under some extreme weather conditions on Monday? It's a mystery.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Tornado Lake Worth!
Here's a picture, below, of the fence ripped out of the ground by the tornado that spun through the 1200 block of J and K streets on Sunday afternoon. Metal awnings across the street were also wrecked. There was a TV report of the tornado ripping up a large tree at 16th Avenue North.
There was a tornado watch in effect for all of Palm Beach County beginning late Sunday night and into Monday morning. But the tornado had already come through Lake Worth and gone on its way hours earlier.
There was a tornado watch in effect for all of Palm Beach County beginning late Sunday night and into Monday morning. But the tornado had already come through Lake Worth and gone on its way hours earlier.
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| The fence that was uprooted by Sunday's tornado, looking west from North K Street, with 12th Avenue North at left. |
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
PBSO Looking for Guys Who Ripped Gold Chain Off Neck of Bus Rider
On August 21, three young black men got on a Palm Tran bus at 10th Avenue South in Lake Worth. One of them ripped a gold chain off the neck of a 32-year-old man who was on the bus and the three jumped off the bus at 4th Avenue South and Dixie and ran off. Did you see them? If so, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS.
Lake Worth Got Soaked!
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| South Lakeside Drive was more than blustery on Sunday. The wind blew at the trees so harshly that the trees roared back at it and all through the neighborhood you heard nothing but ruckus. |
Schools in Palm Beach County were closed for the second day in a row today as everybody recovered from yesterday's soaking and Sunday's storm. Lake Worth Road was horribly flooded around Military Trail yesterday afternoon with the entire Office Depot and IHOP parking lot under water. Employees said they'd never seen the water as high in more than five years.
No flooding was witnessed in the downtown Lake Worth area. Chalk it up as another good reason to resist moving west!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Day Without Sun
The sun never came out today in Lake Worth, and there was no sunset. The sky just got a bit darker than it already was. The wind lashed at windowpanes and whipped this way and that all day long, with the rain coming down in torrents and blowing right into the house if you dared open the window or door after many hours trapped inside to see what things might be looking like out there.
There was a report of a tornado at 12th Avenue North in between J and K Streets. A woman living on K Street said she laid down to take a nap in the late afternoon when she heard a high whistle and heard a loud bang. She jumped up and, grabbing her two dogs, ran into the bathroom. When she went outside a short time later she saw that the neighbor's fence had been uprooted and another neighbor, who was outside, said he saw the twister come through.
There was a report of a tornado at 12th Avenue North in between J and K Streets. A woman living on K Street said she laid down to take a nap in the late afternoon when she heard a high whistle and heard a loud bang. She jumped up and, grabbing her two dogs, ran into the bathroom. When she went outside a short time later she saw that the neighbor's fence had been uprooted and another neighbor, who was outside, said he saw the twister come through.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Calm Before the Storm
The hot, humid weather broke last night with a heavy storm that was followed by cooling breezes overnight, a kind of cool that is uncharacteristic for this time of year.
This morning has been unusually calm, with tall trees standing motionless and the sky clouded over.
At the weather station in Lake Clarke Shores, the temperature reading shows it is only 80.4 degrees. In last August, in the subtropics.
This morning has been unusually calm, with tall trees standing motionless and the sky clouded over.
At the weather station in Lake Clarke Shores, the temperature reading shows it is only 80.4 degrees. In last August, in the subtropics.
City Getting Ready for Isaac
"Now is the time for residents to review their emergency plans and make any necessary preparations," the city of Lake Worth says on the top of its web site today. www.lakeworth.org
Residents are encouraged to call the city's hotline at 561-586-1791 for updates and information in the event the storm hits here.
Palm Beach County's hurricane preparedness web page is http://www.pbcgov.com/dem/hurricane/.
Palm Beach County's hurricane preparedness web page is http://www.pbcgov.com/dem/hurricane/.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Tropical Storm Warning Now in Effect for all South Florida
At 11:30 p.m. on Friday, the National Weather Service issued a Tropical Storm warning for all of South Florida, including Palm Beach County. High winds are expected within the next 36 hours as Hurricane Isaac crosses over the Florida Keys and heads toward the mainland. Southwest Florida is under a Hurricane Watch.
http://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=FLZ173&warncounty=FLC086&firewxzone=FLZ173&local_place1=&product1=Tropical+Storm+Watch
http://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=FLZ173&warncounty=FLC086&firewxzone=FLZ173&local_place1=&product1=Tropical+Storm+Watch
Silver Alert: Have You Seen This Man in Lake Worth?
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help finding a missing and possibly endangered adult.
Antonio Oroczo, age 70, left his home at 4387 State Drive in Lake Clarke Shores at 8 a.m. yesterday to go fishing, possibly in the Lake Worth Lagoon. He hasn't been seen or heard from since.
He was driving his 2009 white Toyota Tacoma with Florida license plate # K689QM. He was wearing a black T-shirt, jeans and a hat. Oroczo is 5' 8", weighs 180 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. He has dementia and takes medication for diabetes.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office considers Antonio Oroczo a missing/endangered adult. If anyone should come into contact with him they are urged to call 688-3400.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Isaac Strengthens
Tropical storm 'Isaac' weakened this morning, but as predicted, it has now strengthened, with winds blowing at 45 miles an hour. This morning the wind speed was 40 miles per hour.... Which might not seem that bad. But Florida residents should be reminded that police, ambulance and fire do not normally go out on the roads when winds are 40 miles an hour or above. So if the storm's headed this way and you choose to stick around, you're on your own.
'Isaac' Could be Headed This Way
Tropical Storm 'Isaac' weakened slightly overnight, but is expected pick up steam this afternoon and become Hurricane Isaac as it prepares to hit the Dominican Republic and Haiti tomorrow afternoon and Cuba on Saturday.
The five-day tracking models show Isaac most likely to hit the U.S. around Islamorada in the Florida Keys on Sunday overnight, and continue up towards Tampa, where the Republican National Convention is scheduled to start Monday morning. But almost all of Florida is now in the cone of uncertainty, and the storm could very well shift slightly and hit Miami, continuing north to Palm Beach County.
The five-day tracking models show Isaac most likely to hit the U.S. around Islamorada in the Florida Keys on Sunday overnight, and continue up towards Tampa, where the Republican National Convention is scheduled to start Monday morning. But almost all of Florida is now in the cone of uncertainty, and the storm could very well shift slightly and hit Miami, continuing north to Palm Beach County.
If you don't have a battery-operated radio, now might be a good time to run out and buy one. Just in case. Saturday might be a busy shopping day around here, especially out at Home Depot. Or wait. No need to sound the bells yet as this could very well spin off into the Gulf, or fall apart over Cuba.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Tropical Storm 'Isaac' to Become Hurricane by Tomorrow
The tropical storm that's headed this way is expected to become a hurricane by tomorrow and could hit the Florida Keys and skirt the state's west coast or turn slightly east and hit South Florida early Monday morning. See the National Weather Service tracking map below.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/08/22/2962721/issac-better-organized-still-threat.html
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/08/22/2962721/issac-better-organized-still-threat.html
Architect John Szerdi Wins Commission Seat
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/local/lake-worth-architect-unopposed-in-election-wins-co/nRGnW/
Here's Szerdi's home, below, which he and his wife restored. It had been chopped up into apartments. They turned it back into a single-family house. They did a great job, don't you think?
Here's Szerdi's home, below, which he and his wife restored. It had been chopped up into apartments. They turned it back into a single-family house. They did a great job, don't you think?
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| The Szerdi home on South Palmway |
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Maxwell to Landlords: Get This Place Cleaned UP!
Commissioner Scott Maxwell went on a tear at tonight's city commission meeting about "nuisance properties" and their negligent owners saying we have to cut the grass, get the couch off the front lawn, and get the farm animals out of the backyard!
"We've got to light a fire, no pun intended, under some of these landlords' rear ends," said Maxwell, adding that he and the other commissioners get half a dozen complaints from residents of the city every day about derelict properties.
There are 16,000 properties in Lake Worth, and 13,828 households, 7,243 of which are owner-occupied and some 5,000 of which are rentals.
Many of the rental properties have out-of-town landlords, said Williams Waters, the city's community development director. Some of these, he said, are hard to reach, by phone or letter, making it difficult for Lake Worth's code enforcement department to notify property owners of code violations and, if the violations are not resolved, bring the owners before a special magistrate.
The city took the bold step of demolishing a nuisance property for the first time ever last month. It was a home on the 700 block of South Lakeside Drive that had been neglected for so long that it was actually falling apart. The lot is now cleared.
"We've got to light a fire, no pun intended, under some of these landlords' rear ends," said Maxwell, adding that he and the other commissioners get half a dozen complaints from residents of the city every day about derelict properties.
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| What's wrong with farm animals?? |
There are 16,000 properties in Lake Worth, and 13,828 households, 7,243 of which are owner-occupied and some 5,000 of which are rentals.
Many of the rental properties have out-of-town landlords, said Williams Waters, the city's community development director. Some of these, he said, are hard to reach, by phone or letter, making it difficult for Lake Worth's code enforcement department to notify property owners of code violations and, if the violations are not resolved, bring the owners before a special magistrate.
The city took the bold step of demolishing a nuisance property for the first time ever last month. It was a home on the 700 block of South Lakeside Drive that had been neglected for so long that it was actually falling apart. The lot is now cleared.
SUN Editorial: Did Bucher 'Win' This for Clemens?
As I wrote right before the August 14 primary election, Susan Bucher is way too political to be the Supervisor of Elections. My concern was heightened by the events of this past weekend, when Bucher organized and supervised the State Senate District 27 recount that resulted in Jeff Clemens squeaking out a 17-point win only because many ballots were tossed due to poll worker error. The poll workers, of course, work for Bucher.
Bucher is a former Democrat State Representative who was elected Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections four years ago and was just re-elected on August 14. This spring, she refused the state's request to send notices asking people on the voter roll in Palm Beach County who once self-identified as non-citizens to confirm that they are now citizens and therefor eligible to vote.
She wants non-citizens to remain on the voter roll, clearly. But that's for general elections, when most non-citizens will happily vote Democrat.
In the Clemens-Bernard race, there's something even more interesting going on, however.
The race seems to have all boiled down to the issue of education, with one candidate, Clemens, siding with the teachers -- doing whatever is necessary at all times to put more money in the pockets of teachers and their union organizers and expensive lawyers....and the other candidate, Mack Bernard, supporting prayer in schools and vouchers so that people stuck in horrible school districts can still arrange for their children to have a decent education.
In the legislature, Bucher was a staunch opponent of vouchers. Maybe the staunchest. Here she is in March of 2003 railing against a bill that would have given educational vouchers to children of military veterans (as quoted in the Brevard County newspaper Florida Today):
"A voucher is a voucher is a voucher, whether it's wrapped in a flag or in a corporate scholarship. This is pure and simple, stealing from our public school dollars."
And now here is Susan Bucher, managing a very tight recount that has many probable Bernard votes discarded to keep Clemens on top. So it's all very suspicious and very disturbing considering the state of schools in Florida, and in Palm Beach County in particular, where kids who can't do basic math or write decent sentences are given high school diplomas and sent on their way.
Did Susan Bucher rig the Clemens-Bernard race? I don't know. She was spending quite a lot of time at the recount last Saturday conferring off to the side with the Clemens lawyer, Ron Meyer, who is also the attorney for the Florida teacher's union, which will go to war to make sure teachers are assured of keeping their jobs no matter what.
And I see that Susan Bucher has a history of manipulating facts (see link below) to achieve a desired result: It seems she lied about her place of residence every year she was a member of the Florida House in order to qualify as a candidate. Yes. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated. Yet voters chose her to be the one to count the votes. This just proves we need a different sort of press around here.
Meanwhile, if I were Bernard, I'd challenge this election result in court.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/elections/sfl-officialresidence,0,3403791.flash
-- Margaret Menge, Editor
Bucher is a former Democrat State Representative who was elected Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections four years ago and was just re-elected on August 14. This spring, she refused the state's request to send notices asking people on the voter roll in Palm Beach County who once self-identified as non-citizens to confirm that they are now citizens and therefor eligible to vote.
.jpg) |
| Susan Bucher, Supervisor of Elections |
She wants non-citizens to remain on the voter roll, clearly. But that's for general elections, when most non-citizens will happily vote Democrat.
In the Clemens-Bernard race, there's something even more interesting going on, however.
The race seems to have all boiled down to the issue of education, with one candidate, Clemens, siding with the teachers -- doing whatever is necessary at all times to put more money in the pockets of teachers and their union organizers and expensive lawyers....and the other candidate, Mack Bernard, supporting prayer in schools and vouchers so that people stuck in horrible school districts can still arrange for their children to have a decent education.
In the legislature, Bucher was a staunch opponent of vouchers. Maybe the staunchest. Here she is in March of 2003 railing against a bill that would have given educational vouchers to children of military veterans (as quoted in the Brevard County newspaper Florida Today):
"A voucher is a voucher is a voucher, whether it's wrapped in a flag or in a corporate scholarship. This is pure and simple, stealing from our public school dollars."
And now here is Susan Bucher, managing a very tight recount that has many probable Bernard votes discarded to keep Clemens on top. So it's all very suspicious and very disturbing considering the state of schools in Florida, and in Palm Beach County in particular, where kids who can't do basic math or write decent sentences are given high school diplomas and sent on their way.
Did Susan Bucher rig the Clemens-Bernard race? I don't know. She was spending quite a lot of time at the recount last Saturday conferring off to the side with the Clemens lawyer, Ron Meyer, who is also the attorney for the Florida teacher's union, which will go to war to make sure teachers are assured of keeping their jobs no matter what.
And I see that Susan Bucher has a history of manipulating facts (see link below) to achieve a desired result: It seems she lied about her place of residence every year she was a member of the Florida House in order to qualify as a candidate. Yes. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated. Yet voters chose her to be the one to count the votes. This just proves we need a different sort of press around here.
Meanwhile, if I were Bernard, I'd challenge this election result in court.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/elections/sfl-officialresidence,0,3403791.flash
-- Margaret Menge, Editor
Crime and Pulling PBSO Teeth
The latest crime blotter is posted at right, with a Robbery early this morning on the 100 block of South C Street. I've requested more information because...I'm assuming people want to know: Was the guy armed? Is he running around on our streets? I also have requests in for more information on the Theft, Burglary and Assault. But haven't heard back yet. I have also heard nothing related to the status of my request of one week ago for a list of calls for service and all reports of crimes completed for the month as of August 14. PBSO says they're operating at a "bare bones" staffing level here. So maybe that's the reason. I don't know.
Monday, August 20, 2012
The Sun Gives Rick Scott an 'A' for Responsiveness
Did you know you can call Gov. Rick Scott's office in Tallahassee and a real live person will pick up after about two rings? True. The nice polite real live person will then quickly take down your name and concern and send an e-mail to a specific state agency with an order for the appropriate person there to call you in reponse to your inquiry ASAP. Now that's service!Sunday, August 19, 2012
Clemens Wins Recount by 17, Bernard May Take it to Court
After a two-day recount, Jeff Clemens emerged the winner of the State Senate primary by 17 votes.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-bernard-clemens-recount-20120818,0,3334327.story
However....the lawyer for his opponent, Mack Bernard, said he was very concerned by the number of votes that were rejected because of poll worker error, not voter error and indicated Bernard may challenge the result in court.
It should be noted that the lawyer for Bernard is a former Republican state legislator, while the lawyer for Clemens, Ron Meyer, is a biggie Democrat lawyer who represents the teacher's union, and sued last year to overturn the Gov. Rick Scott law ending teacher tenure in the state of Florida. In his campaign, Bernard emphasized education and the need for educational reform.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-bernard-clemens-recount-20120818,0,3334327.story
However....the lawyer for his opponent, Mack Bernard, said he was very concerned by the number of votes that were rejected because of poll worker error, not voter error and indicated Bernard may challenge the result in court.
It should be noted that the lawyer for Bernard is a former Republican state legislator, while the lawyer for Clemens, Ron Meyer, is a biggie Democrat lawyer who represents the teacher's union, and sued last year to overturn the Gov. Rick Scott law ending teacher tenure in the state of Florida. In his campaign, Bernard emphasized education and the need for educational reform.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Thousands of Ballots Still to be Counted in Clemens-Bernard Recount
The hand recount of all ballots cast in the District 27 State Senate race was going very slowly today, with Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher announcing that only one eighth of the ballots had been counted by about 1 p.m. Boxes containing thousands of ballots were still piled high and waiting to be counted as of 4 p.m.
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| Boxes of ballots waiting to be counted at the Supervisor of Elections warehouse in Riviera Beach |
The hand recount began at 11:30 a.m. today with about 40 employees of the Supervisor of Elections office reviewing each paper ballot, and an observer for each pair from the Jeff Clemens campaign and the Mack Bernard campaign sitting behind them, watching with hawk eyes.
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| Two employees of the Supervisor of Elections, right, review each ballot by hand, watched carefully by representatives of the Bernard campaign (in glasses) and the Clemens campaign (in tie). |
As of Thursday, the official count was 12,150 votes for Jeff Clemens, a former mayor of Lake Worth, and 12,116 votes for Mack Bernard, a former City Commissioner from Delray Beach, a difference of just 34 votes. By the end of yesterday's machine recount, Clemens' lead had dropped to just 29 votes. Both Clemens and Bernard are Democratic State Representatives who threw their hats in the ring for the new District 27 State Senate seat.
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| Jeff Clemens, right, talks in hushed tones with his associates on Saturday afternoon |
The Supervisor of Elections Office told The Lake Worth Sun yesterday (and The Lake Worth Sun reported it) that there would only be a hand recount of the "over" and "under" votes -- the ballots where the machine was unable to determine which candidate the voter intedended to vote for, either because there was some sort of marking in front of both candidates (over vote) or no marking detectable for either (under vote).
However.....Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher told The Sun today a full count of all ballots was being conducted, and that a hand recount of all ballots cast is standard procedure, as machines can make mistakes.
"This ensures that we're viewing publicly the overs and unders," she said.
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| Ron Meyer, the lawyer for Clemens, talks with Susan Bucher, the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections |
After a lunch break in mid-afternoon, both the Clemens camp and the Bernard camp huddled with their lawyers to review the conditions under which observers may contest a ballot.
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| Clemens, seated and eating lunch, huddles with his people and their election lawyer, Ron Meyer, to review how and when to contest ballots. |
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| Mack Bernard's lawyer, in grey suit on right, reviews with volunteers under what circumstances to contest ballots |
Loretta Sharpe and her son, Brian, both of Lake Worth, were there to observe the count. "He didn't go anything as mayor, and he hasn't done anything as a state representative," Sharpe said of Clemens, explaining why she campaigned for Mack Bernard.
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| Loretta Sharpe of Lake Worth talks to another Mack Bernard supporter while Jeff Clemens and his associate confer in the background |
Jeff Clemens, a one-term mayor of Lake Worth, said he's not placing bets on the outcome of the hand recount, and indicated he thought it could go either way. At 9:30 p.m. on August 14, the day of the primary campaign, Clemens led by 318 votes. By Thursday his lead had dropped to just 34. The total number of votes cast in the race, and the total number being counted by hand today, is 24,266.
All contested ballots are to be reviewed by the Canvassing Board, which was seated in a separate room with glass observation windows. According to an August 16 letter from the state Division of Elections, the election results, including the machine recount and the hand recount, must be certified by Tuesday at 5 p.m.
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| The Canvassing Board waits to review contested ballots in a separate room |
Street Lights Out at Major Intersections in Lake Worth
ALERT - The street lights at the top of the 10th Avenue exit off I-95 are out, as are one of the two sets of street lights on 10th Avenue in between I-95 and Dixie, as well as the street lights at the corner of 10th and Dixie and also the street lights at Dixie and 8th and Dixie and 7th Avenues. Street lights are working where Lake and Lucerne cross Dixie and all along Lake Avenue. Cars were proceeding slowly and with caution through all intersections and no accidents were observed as of 4:15 p.m.
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| Lights out at the corner of 10th and Dixie |
Friday, August 17, 2012
Second Lake Worth 19-Year-Old Arrested for Lantana Shooting
Nice couple of guys we had living in our sweet town:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/crime-law/second-suspect-19-charged-in-lantana-shooting/nRDbZ/
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/crime-law/second-suspect-19-charged-in-lantana-shooting/nRDbZ/
It's ON! Clemens-Bernard Recount Starts Today
The county's canvassing board will meet at 1 p.m. today to start a machine recount of votes cast in the Jeff Clemens-Mack Bernard State Senate District 27 primary election.
The recount will take place at the warehouse belonging to the Supervisor of Elections office at 7835 Central Industrial Avenue in Riviera Beach.
The machine recount is expected to be completed by the end of the day, according to Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher's office, and will be followed by a hand count of the "over and under votes" tomorrow, Saturday, beginning at 11:30 a.m.
As of yesterday, the final count was 12,150 for Clemens and 12,116 for Bernard, a difference of just 34 votes.
According to a letter from the state's Division of Elections, the final election results will be certified by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 21. You can read that letter on the Supervisor of Elections website:
http://www.pbcelections.org/
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| State Rep. Mack Bernard |
The recount will take place at the warehouse belonging to the Supervisor of Elections office at 7835 Central Industrial Avenue in Riviera Beach.
The machine recount is expected to be completed by the end of the day, according to Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher's office, and will be followed by a hand count of the "over and under votes" tomorrow, Saturday, beginning at 11:30 a.m.
As of yesterday, the final count was 12,150 for Clemens and 12,116 for Bernard, a difference of just 34 votes.
According to a letter from the state's Division of Elections, the final election results will be certified by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 21. You can read that letter on the Supervisor of Elections website:
http://www.pbcelections.org/
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Woman Jumped and Robbed Near Old Publix
A woman was jumped and robbed outside the Subway
in the Publix shopping center on Lake
Worth Road
She told a deputy that she had been in Subway
getting a sandwich when she went back to her car, which was parked just outside, to get
business cards to give to some of the workers inside. As she turned around to
go back into the store, a black man in a white T-shirt approached, shoved her
to the ground and took her purse.
The robber, described as a black male between 5’6” and 5’8” with a medium build, jumped into the passenger side of a white
mustang with dark-tinted windows and sped west on Lake Worth Road.
The Subway is located in the Town & Country Shopping
Center just west of I-95 in the city of Lake Worth
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office canvassed
the area but did not find any witnesses.
Crimes and Public Information
The new crime blotter is up. See the right-hand margin for all crimes in Lake Worth yesterday. I immediately filed a request with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office asking for more information on the robbery on Lake Worth Road and the burglary at Third Avenue North. I'm now waiting...
Note that the PBSO redacted all information from a report they gave me in response to a request for information about the burglary at a home on Griswold Drive, in the Lake Osborne area, on August 14. The law, as I read it, does not allow them to do this. The ACLU has been called, the First Amendment Foundation has been called. Lawyers are looking at it. Progress will be made to get compliance with public records laws. It just might be slow.
Note that the PBSO redacted all information from a report they gave me in response to a request for information about the burglary at a home on Griswold Drive, in the Lake Osborne area, on August 14. The law, as I read it, does not allow them to do this. The ACLU has been called, the First Amendment Foundation has been called. Lawyers are looking at it. Progress will be made to get compliance with public records laws. It just might be slow.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Clemens Recount Could Begin Tomorrow
.jpg) |
| State Rep. Jeff Clemens, left |
Jeff Clemens beat Mack Bernard by just 35 votes in Tuesday's State Senate primary, triggering a recount that may begin as soon as Friday.
Clemens and Bernard, both Democrat members of the Florida House, were running for the State Senate District 27 seat, which includes Lake Worth.
With all votes counted, Clemens had 50.07 percent to Bernard's 49.93 percent.
Clemens got a total of 12,140 votes, while Bernard got 12,105. The difference between them is 35, but 18 votes swinging from Clemens to Bernard in a recount would make Bernard the winner of the primary. It would also make him our next state senator, given that no Republican will be on the November ballot.
Clemens was mayor of Lake Worth from 2007 to 2010. In 2010 he was elected to the Florida House.
Mack Bernard is a former Delray Beach city commissioner. If he wins the recount, he would be the first person of Haitian descent elected in Palm Beach County.
Lake Worth 19-Year-Old Charged With Attempted Murder
Jean Innocent of 1015 South H Street in Lake Worth was arrested this afternoon by the sheriff's office, accused of shooting another man from the window of a car at the corner of South Dixie Highway and Lantana Road last week. Both Innocent and the shooting victim, whose name the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is witholding, are 19.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/lake-worth-man-behind-bars-accused-of-shooting-a-m/nRCLd/
New Crime Blotter!
The new crime blotter is posted at right. I included a stolen vehicle that happened just over the city line at 2700 Lake Worth Road, right near John Prince Park. All other crimes occurred in Lake Worth.
OF NOTE: There were two burglaries yesterday -- one on South "E" Street and the other on Griswold Drive, in the Lake Osborne area. I'll see if I can get more information on both of these.
OF NOTE: There were two burglaries yesterday -- one on South "E" Street and the other on Griswold Drive, in the Lake Osborne area. I'll see if I can get more information on both of these.
City Interviews Power Providers
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| The Lake Worth Power Plant, 2nd Ave North |
But it had company. Seven other firms were there to do the same thing.
First up was Constellation Energy, one of the largest suppliers of energy in the country, which promised that it could meet the city's demand for power at all times.
Constellation also said it is the best company to help Lake Worth get back to being a completely independent utility "on par with others in the state."
Lake Worth has two main sources for power -- the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant on Hutchinson Island, near Fort Pierce, and the Stanton Engery Center in Orlando. The Lake Worth Power Plant, on 2nd Avenue North, is not currently in use, but could be called into service, if needed. All power reaches the city through transmission lines owned by FPL.
The city commission is expected to pick an alternate provider of energy next month, or to at least narrow down the list to two or three companies. The other companies that submitted bids are: Covanta Energy ("We help communities generate energy from waste.") Gainesville Regional Utilities, Orlando Utilities Commission, Tampa Electric Company, UR Solar Power and Wartsila, a Finnish company.
Animal Control Rescues Cats From Home on North B Street
Animal Control workers rescued 23 cats and retrieved the skeletal remains of two other cats yesterday from a home on North B Street in Lake Worth. The woman who owns the home has not been found. She is thought to be in an area hospital.
http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/region_c_palm_beach_county/lake_worth/skeletal-remains-of-two-cats-found-23-others-found-alive-in-lake-worth-womans-home
http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/region_c_palm_beach_county/lake_worth/skeletal-remains-of-two-cats-found-23-others-found-alive-in-lake-worth-womans-home
The Immigrant Mentality
The Tampa Bay Business Journal Reports that one in three businesses in Florida is owned by an immigrant:
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/blog/morning-edition/2012/08/immigrants-own-nearly-1-in-3-florida.html
There is something to be said for the "immigrant mentality" -- thrift, initiative, independence at all costs. Hats off.
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/blog/morning-edition/2012/08/immigrants-own-nearly-1-in-3-florida.html
There is something to be said for the "immigrant mentality" -- thrift, initiative, independence at all costs. Hats off.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Bucher Wins Big
Susan Bucher was re-elected as Supervisor of Elections for Palm Beach County. The Palm Beach Post credits early and absentee voters. Mmm-hmm.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/susan-bucher-reelected-as-elections-supervisor/nRBnL/
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/susan-bucher-reelected-as-elections-supervisor/nRBnL/
Over 1000 Hits!
The Lake Worth Sun has only been in operation 17 days now, but we just tallied our 1000th hit in the last hour or so. So thanks, everybody out there. Glad you're here.
Jeff Clemens Pulls Off a Narrow Win
Former Lake Worth mayor Jeff Clemens did not win his Florida Senate primary by much today, especially considering his thick yard sign coverage.
He got just 50.68 percent of the vote, compared to 49.32 percent that went to his opponent -- fellow Democrat Mack Bernard.
Meanwhile, Connie Mack, the son and grandson of greats and now the husband of Sonny Bono's widow -- Mary Bono Mack -- won his U.S. Senate primary with 58. 2 percent of the vote. Former Rep. Dave Weldon got 20.21 percent. (George LeMieux dropped out in June, though his name still appeared on absentee ballots.)
Mack is challenging Democratic Senator Bill Nelson. As it's not shaping up to be a good year for incumbents, especially Democratic ones, he should win this.
In the new U.S. House District 22, former West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel won her primary easily with 61.62 percent of the vote. Her fellow Democrat opponent Kristin Jacobs got 38.38 percent.
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| Good yard signs! |
Meanwhile, Connie Mack, the son and grandson of greats and now the husband of Sonny Bono's widow -- Mary Bono Mack -- won his U.S. Senate primary with 58. 2 percent of the vote. Former Rep. Dave Weldon got 20.21 percent. (George LeMieux dropped out in June, though his name still appeared on absentee ballots.)
Mack is challenging Democratic Senator Bill Nelson. As it's not shaping up to be a good year for incumbents, especially Democratic ones, he should win this.
In the new U.S. House District 22, former West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel won her primary easily with 61.62 percent of the vote. Her fellow Democrat opponent Kristin Jacobs got 38.38 percent.
Lake Worth Sun Publishes First Crime Blotter
The Lake Worth Sun has published its first crime blotter -- see the right-hand margin -- listing all crimes that the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office has reported occurred yesterday in Lake Worth.
This is overly vague, listing only the block instead of the specific address. But the Sun is working on it, with calls to the First Amendment Foundation, e-mails back and forth with lawyers and conversations with the PBSO. So, stay tuned. This will fill out as this site develops. (We have constitutional questions to answer and get answered!)
In the meantime, if anyone is interested in more detailed information about any of the incidents listed at right, he or she should take down the case number on the second line and take that over to PBSO District 14 in Lake Worth and ask to get a copy of the "offense report."
This is overly vague, listing only the block instead of the specific address. But the Sun is working on it, with calls to the First Amendment Foundation, e-mails back and forth with lawyers and conversations with the PBSO. So, stay tuned. This will fill out as this site develops. (We have constitutional questions to answer and get answered!)
In the meantime, if anyone is interested in more detailed information about any of the incidents listed at right, he or she should take down the case number on the second line and take that over to PBSO District 14 in Lake Worth and ask to get a copy of the "offense report."
Monday, August 13, 2012
Primary Day!
Today is primary day. If you don't have time to read newspapers (or blogs) or acquaint yourself in some other fashion with who's running and what they stand for, Don't Vote. You'd be doing a disservice. It's not about pulling a lever and getting a sticker. It's about making an informed choice. If you don't have time to get informed, that's fine. Just sit this one out.
If voting, polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Florida has a closed primary, but there are also non-partisan races on the ballot that everyone can vote on: judges, and Sheriff, Property Appraiser and Supervisor of Elections.
I don't vote in primaries. But if I did, I would march straight out there and vote against Susan Bucher for Supervisor of Elections. Which means that I would vote for Nelson "Woodie" McDuffie, currently mayor of Delray Beach, who is challenging her.
Susan Bucher is a former Democrat state representative from West Palm Beach, and she's very, very political. I would prefer someone who doesn't come to the job with an agenda. This should not be a political position. Think about it. This is the person who counts the votes.
Specifically...Susan Bucher is refusing to work with the state to maintain the roll of registered voters. A check of the state voter roll showed a lot of potential non-citizens, many of whom were voting illegally and diluting the votes of citizens. But Bucher refused to send out notices to those in Palm Beach County asking them to submit verification of their eligibility -- even though these people had identified themselves as non-citizens when obtaining drivers licenses at one point. The words "Voter Purge" made it into a lot of headlines. But this was not a purge at all. It was just asking voters who'd told the state at some point in time that they were not citizens that they needed to confirm that they now Are citizens in order to remain on the voter roll.
Bucher wouldn't have it. She refused to send out the notices. How many non-citizens does Palm Beach County have on its voter roll? No one knows. Bucher doesn't know. She says there are plenty of checks in place to ensure only those who are eligible can register to vote. This is not true. She doesn't understand the system. Thanks to the "Motor Voter" law, you can register to vote on a post card. If you don't have a driver's license or a social security number, you can leave those fields blank. Then you put it in the mail and a week or so later you get your Voter Card. Simple! Then a couple months before the election you can call and request an absentee ballot, and they'll send it to you in the mail -- no ID ever requested, no one ever confirming that you are in fact a real, live person.
A good voter roll is the basis of a free and fair election. Non-citizens voting erodes representative democracy.
http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/ignored-barack-obama-dhs-floridas-request-citizenship-database-review-voting-lists
If voting, polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Florida has a closed primary, but there are also non-partisan races on the ballot that everyone can vote on: judges, and Sheriff, Property Appraiser and Supervisor of Elections.
I don't vote in primaries. But if I did, I would march straight out there and vote against Susan Bucher for Supervisor of Elections. Which means that I would vote for Nelson "Woodie" McDuffie, currently mayor of Delray Beach, who is challenging her.
.jpg) |
| Susan Bucher |
Susan Bucher is a former Democrat state representative from West Palm Beach, and she's very, very political. I would prefer someone who doesn't come to the job with an agenda. This should not be a political position. Think about it. This is the person who counts the votes.
Specifically...Susan Bucher is refusing to work with the state to maintain the roll of registered voters. A check of the state voter roll showed a lot of potential non-citizens, many of whom were voting illegally and diluting the votes of citizens. But Bucher refused to send out notices to those in Palm Beach County asking them to submit verification of their eligibility -- even though these people had identified themselves as non-citizens when obtaining drivers licenses at one point. The words "Voter Purge" made it into a lot of headlines. But this was not a purge at all. It was just asking voters who'd told the state at some point in time that they were not citizens that they needed to confirm that they now Are citizens in order to remain on the voter roll.
Bucher wouldn't have it. She refused to send out the notices. How many non-citizens does Palm Beach County have on its voter roll? No one knows. Bucher doesn't know. She says there are plenty of checks in place to ensure only those who are eligible can register to vote. This is not true. She doesn't understand the system. Thanks to the "Motor Voter" law, you can register to vote on a post card. If you don't have a driver's license or a social security number, you can leave those fields blank. Then you put it in the mail and a week or so later you get your Voter Card. Simple! Then a couple months before the election you can call and request an absentee ballot, and they'll send it to you in the mail -- no ID ever requested, no one ever confirming that you are in fact a real, live person.
A good voter roll is the basis of a free and fair election. Non-citizens voting erodes representative democracy.
http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/ignored-barack-obama-dhs-floridas-request-citizenship-database-review-voting-lists
Update on the Serial Rapist
Many of the stories last year about the violent serial rapist had a Lake Worth dateline, and identified the rapes as occurring here. After consulting a map, I see that none of them actually did.
But they were close, and this person is a threat to every woman in the Lake Worth area. He seems to strike just when everybody assumes he's gone away. So extreme caution should be taken.
The last woman he attacked was young and fit, and she fought back. But he strangled her and she lost consciousness. Sheriff's deputies warn women not to go out walking alone. But one woman was attacked when she went out on her front porch to have a cigarette. A Palm Springs woman was inside her home, sleeping with her two-year-old. She had a gun in the home, but it was locked up and she couldn't get to it, a detective told me last year.
They have to catch this guy before he strikes again.
The last victim, a 22-year-old woman who was attacked on Sept. 23 while speed-walking on the south side of 10th Avenue around the Esperanza Apartments (very close to the Lake Worth city line) at 6:30 in the morning describes the rapist as being short, five-foot-five or five-foot-six and "pudgy" with shoulder-length dark hair and a Spanish accent. He was wearing a white shirt and blue jeans when he pursued her and attacked from behind. In their struggle, she bit one of his index fingers. When she woke up, her purse was gone.
One of the earlier victims described him as being maybe from Central America, and said he was wearing basketball or soccer shorts. Judging from his height, it's not likely he's a basketball player.
Soccer, soccer, from Central America, short. Had long hair on September 23. Maybe cut it later that day?? Maybe it's grown out now, and is about 8 inches long??
Who is he? Where is he?
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office says the investigation is ongoing, but there's been no recent activity.
He's living in our community, or close to it. He's extremely violent, and seems likely to strike again. He must be found before he can. Know anything? Have any information that could possibly help? Call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS.
But they were close, and this person is a threat to every woman in the Lake Worth area. He seems to strike just when everybody assumes he's gone away. So extreme caution should be taken.
The last woman he attacked was young and fit, and she fought back. But he strangled her and she lost consciousness. Sheriff's deputies warn women not to go out walking alone. But one woman was attacked when she went out on her front porch to have a cigarette. A Palm Springs woman was inside her home, sleeping with her two-year-old. She had a gun in the home, but it was locked up and she couldn't get to it, a detective told me last year.
They have to catch this guy before he strikes again.
The last victim, a 22-year-old woman who was attacked on Sept. 23 while speed-walking on the south side of 10th Avenue around the Esperanza Apartments (very close to the Lake Worth city line) at 6:30 in the morning describes the rapist as being short, five-foot-five or five-foot-six and "pudgy" with shoulder-length dark hair and a Spanish accent. He was wearing a white shirt and blue jeans when he pursued her and attacked from behind. In their struggle, she bit one of his index fingers. When she woke up, her purse was gone.
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| This pastel-colored bag was taken from the last victim. Have you seen it? |
One of the earlier victims described him as being maybe from Central America, and said he was wearing basketball or soccer shorts. Judging from his height, it's not likely he's a basketball player.
Soccer, soccer, from Central America, short. Had long hair on September 23. Maybe cut it later that day?? Maybe it's grown out now, and is about 8 inches long??
Who is he? Where is he?
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office says the investigation is ongoing, but there's been no recent activity.
He's living in our community, or close to it. He's extremely violent, and seems likely to strike again. He must be found before he can. Know anything? Have any information that could possibly help? Call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Another Fake Lake Worth Story in the Post
Love this headline from yesterday's Palm Beach Post:
Lake Worth financial planner arrested on allegations he defrauded investors out of more than $1 million
...about a guy named Michael Thomas Hardman of 7295 Oakmont Drive, which is on the other side of Greenacres from Lake Worth, off Jog Road, pretty close to the Turnpike.
The Palm Beach Post does not know where Lake Worth is. This is not a story about a Lake Worth man. It is a story about a man who lives out near the Turnpike in Palm Beach County. He has a Lake Worth mailing address, sure. But he does not live in the City of Lake Worth, or even very close to it.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/crime-law/lake-worth-financial-planner-arrested-on-allegatio/nQQWp/
Lake Worth financial planner arrested on allegations he defrauded investors out of more than $1 million
...about a guy named Michael Thomas Hardman of 7295 Oakmont Drive, which is on the other side of Greenacres from Lake Worth, off Jog Road, pretty close to the Turnpike.
The Palm Beach Post does not know where Lake Worth is. This is not a story about a Lake Worth man. It is a story about a man who lives out near the Turnpike in Palm Beach County. He has a Lake Worth mailing address, sure. But he does not live in the City of Lake Worth, or even very close to it.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/crime-law/lake-worth-financial-planner-arrested-on-allegatio/nQQWp/
Friday, August 10, 2012
The Kingdom of Sheriff Ric Bradshaw
Who is Ric Bradshaw? He must be royalty, because no one ever sees him, and you can't get him on the phone. He doesn't talk to anybody. His people operate behind very thick walls and throw out little bits to keep the lazy regional media happy.
But the Lake Worth Sun is not happy. We're ticked at the unwillingness of the Sheriff's office to provide basic, public information about crimes happening here in Lake Worth.
At District 14, the Lake Worth substation of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, they have a media book. It's a binder, and in it are a spattering of write-ups of incidents -- mostly car thefts. A couple burglaries.
"Where's everything else?" I ask.
You have to get that from headquarters, the woman tells me.
I call headquarters on Gun Club Road. The media relations person, Teri Barbera, puts me on the media list. She indicates that she's very busy and constantly working and sending things out. So I'm thinking I'm going to get a large file every day of everything going on in Palm Beach County, which I can search to find out what's happening here in Lake Worth.
But over the course of the next four days, all I get are press releases saying what good things deputies are doing -- donating school supplies for the kiddos, and so forth. I get one press release each day. At the bottom of the e-mails are links to 175 videos promoting the sheriff's office. I'm not kidding. The one I just opened shows a deputy competing in a motorcycle event where he's maneuvering around orange cones.
I e-mail Teri, asking where the crime log is. She says go to District 14. I tell her I did, and there are only on average three incidents for each day in the media log. There must be over 100 calls for service every day in Lake Worth, I tell her in the e-mail. Where is this information??
I wait, and wait. Many hours later I get a response, with text copied from a query she sent along to District 14, saying YES, we have about 150 calls for service every day.
So that doesn't answer the question at all!
Meanwhile, I've met with Captain Silva, who is the equivalent of Lake Worth's police chief. Except he reports to Bradshaw, and can't really talk about anything that's going on in Lake Worth.
At our meeting, Lieutenant David Moss, who works under Silva, came in and showed me how to access the crime mapping program, which is linked from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's web site, www.pbso.org. There's a map of America, you can put in Lake Worth and see about where crimes are happening here. But not exactly. It says there was a robbery on the 400 block of North "E" Street on Aug. 6, for instance. But where, exactly? And who was robbed? An old lady? Was the robber armed? Is he on the loose? I would call Captain Silva, but he told me when I met with him that he doesn't have time to talk to a reporter about what's happening here.
So it's all extremely unsatisfactory from the point of view of the public's right to know what's happening in their community.
There seems to be a complete lack of understanding, perhaps because the air is thin behind those very thick walls of Bradshaw's, that all of this is public information. The basics -- who, what, where, when (and maybe why) -- of crime in this city is not presumed to be privileged. It is public information, with some exceptions (names of minors, names of victims SOMETIMES but not always) And people want to know. So next week, The Lake Worth Sun will submit lots of public information requests, and letters with lots of CCs. I think Lake Worth Sun readers would be interested to know what kind of information is being kept from them and why. I'll find out.
But the Lake Worth Sun is not happy. We're ticked at the unwillingness of the Sheriff's office to provide basic, public information about crimes happening here in Lake Worth.
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| Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw |
At District 14, the Lake Worth substation of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, they have a media book. It's a binder, and in it are a spattering of write-ups of incidents -- mostly car thefts. A couple burglaries.
"Where's everything else?" I ask.
You have to get that from headquarters, the woman tells me.
I call headquarters on Gun Club Road. The media relations person, Teri Barbera, puts me on the media list. She indicates that she's very busy and constantly working and sending things out. So I'm thinking I'm going to get a large file every day of everything going on in Palm Beach County, which I can search to find out what's happening here in Lake Worth.
But over the course of the next four days, all I get are press releases saying what good things deputies are doing -- donating school supplies for the kiddos, and so forth. I get one press release each day. At the bottom of the e-mails are links to 175 videos promoting the sheriff's office. I'm not kidding. The one I just opened shows a deputy competing in a motorcycle event where he's maneuvering around orange cones.
I e-mail Teri, asking where the crime log is. She says go to District 14. I tell her I did, and there are only on average three incidents for each day in the media log. There must be over 100 calls for service every day in Lake Worth, I tell her in the e-mail. Where is this information??
I wait, and wait. Many hours later I get a response, with text copied from a query she sent along to District 14, saying YES, we have about 150 calls for service every day.
So that doesn't answer the question at all!
Meanwhile, I've met with Captain Silva, who is the equivalent of Lake Worth's police chief. Except he reports to Bradshaw, and can't really talk about anything that's going on in Lake Worth.
At our meeting, Lieutenant David Moss, who works under Silva, came in and showed me how to access the crime mapping program, which is linked from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's web site, www.pbso.org. There's a map of America, you can put in Lake Worth and see about where crimes are happening here. But not exactly. It says there was a robbery on the 400 block of North "E" Street on Aug. 6, for instance. But where, exactly? And who was robbed? An old lady? Was the robber armed? Is he on the loose? I would call Captain Silva, but he told me when I met with him that he doesn't have time to talk to a reporter about what's happening here.
So it's all extremely unsatisfactory from the point of view of the public's right to know what's happening in their community.
There seems to be a complete lack of understanding, perhaps because the air is thin behind those very thick walls of Bradshaw's, that all of this is public information. The basics -- who, what, where, when (and maybe why) -- of crime in this city is not presumed to be privileged. It is public information, with some exceptions (names of minors, names of victims SOMETIMES but not always) And people want to know. So next week, The Lake Worth Sun will submit lots of public information requests, and letters with lots of CCs. I think Lake Worth Sun readers would be interested to know what kind of information is being kept from them and why. I'll find out.
 |
| Capt. Rolando Silva, head of the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office "District 14" -- Lake Worth |
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Gulfstream Front and Center
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| The Gulfstream Hotel at 1 Lake Avenue in Lake Worth, with the cleared lot next to it on the corner of Lakeside Drive where someone seems to want very, very much to build another building to add another 100 rooms. |
The Gulfstream Hotel was front and center at Tuesday night's city commission meeting with city staff recommending a special "hotel district" be created to allow for perhaps very high heights around the Intracoastal waterway in Lake Worth.
"It's going to take some height for someone to put together an economically viable project," William Waters, the city's development director, told the mayor and commissioners in reference to the Gulfstream.
The Gulfstream Hotel has 106 rooms. It is on the market for $9 million, according to local blogger Lynn Anderson.
The problem seems quite simply not that one can't make money with "only" 106 hotel rooms, but that one can't make money with "only" 106 rooms after having paid $9 million for the hotel!
It's overpriced.
As of Jan. 1, 2011 it was assessed at $2.5 million. The county may have given it a low assessment because it was closed, and not making money. But still. It's not worth $9 million. In 2003 it sold for $6 million. Considering property values have gotten knocked back about ten years, this is probably what it's worth now.
The establishment of a hotel district -- with a much higher height limit than for the rest of the downtown area -- would allow a future (prospective?) owner of the Gulfstream Hotel to follow through with the previous owner's grand plan to build another tall tower in the empty lot on the corner of Lake Avenue and South Lakeside Drive in order to add 100 guest rooms.
My observation has been that large new buildings tacked onto the side of lovely historic buildings are really never a good idea. The value and beauty of the original structure is degraded, and can never be revived.
Veterans Day Parade Coming Back to Lake Worth
The Veterans Day Parade is coming back to Lake Worth this year, with the city commission allocating $8,00 to fund it, and a committee of citizens forming to help organize it.
The parade will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 10, the day before the official Veterans Day on November 11, and will be followed by an event at 3:30 p.m. in the Cultural Plaza in Lake Worth's downtown with speakers honoring the sacifices local veterans have made in serving their country.
Parade organizers are looking to contact all local veterans, in order to include them in the parade and ceremony. Vets are asked to call Juan Ruiz of the city of Lake Worth at (561) 493-2559.
Local businesses are also asked to help in funding the total cost of the parade, which is expected to exceed the $8,000 allocated by the city. Call the city if you think you can help with an in-kind or monetary donation.
And...Can anyone help fund the cost of 1,000 little American flags to pass out to parade participants and spectators? They're only 17 cents a piece. Call Juan Ruiz at (561) 493-2559 if you can!
The parade will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 10, the day before the official Veterans Day on November 11, and will be followed by an event at 3:30 p.m. in the Cultural Plaza in Lake Worth's downtown with speakers honoring the sacifices local veterans have made in serving their country.Parade organizers are looking to contact all local veterans, in order to include them in the parade and ceremony. Vets are asked to call Juan Ruiz of the city of Lake Worth at (561) 493-2559.
Local businesses are also asked to help in funding the total cost of the parade, which is expected to exceed the $8,000 allocated by the city. Call the city if you think you can help with an in-kind or monetary donation.
And...Can anyone help fund the cost of 1,000 little American flags to pass out to parade participants and spectators? They're only 17 cents a piece. Call Juan Ruiz at (561) 493-2559 if you can!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Early Voting in Palm Beach County and Lake Worth Sun Endorsements
Not that most people have noticed....but early voting for the Florida primary has been underway since August 4.
So far, 633 people have voted at the nearest early-voting polling place -- in Lantana, at the Lantana Library at 4020 Lantana Road.
Hot races:
George LeMieux vs. Connie Mack for U.S. Senate in the Republican primary. The Sun endorses Mack!
Jeff Clemens vs. Mack Bernard for Florida Senate in the Democrat primary. The Sun stands with Bernard!
Judges and also the Sheriff, Property Appraiser and Supervisor of Elections are on both ballots, as these are non-partisan offices. The Sun endorses "Woodie McDuffie" for Supervisor of Elections over incumbent Susan Bucher!
Early voting continues through August 11. The actual election is August 14.
So far, 633 people have voted at the nearest early-voting polling place -- in Lantana, at the Lantana Library at 4020 Lantana Road.
Hot races:
George LeMieux vs. Connie Mack for U.S. Senate in the Republican primary. The Sun endorses Mack!
Jeff Clemens vs. Mack Bernard for Florida Senate in the Democrat primary. The Sun stands with Bernard!
Judges and also the Sheriff, Property Appraiser and Supervisor of Elections are on both ballots, as these are non-partisan offices. The Sun endorses "Woodie McDuffie" for Supervisor of Elections over incumbent Susan Bucher!
Early voting continues through August 11. The actual election is August 14.
Monday, August 6, 2012
23-Year-Old Shoots Himself With Homemade Gun
"Criminals can get a gun if they want a gun," the head of the Miami ATF office tells the Sun Sentinel. So why did a Lake Worth-area 23-year-old make one with spare parts he found in his dad's backyard? Because he was too broke to buy a gun, and his driver's license was suspended and he was bored out of his skull.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-felon-gunmaker-lake-worth-20120806,0,2833096.story
Manny Garrido made a .40 caliber handgun that he kept in his pocket. It went off on March 29, and shot him in the leg. After a long investigation, he was arrested yesterday and charged with possessing a firearm as a felon. (Last year, he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of drug possession.)
Manny Garriodo's father told police he guesses his son learned how to make a gun from....the internet.
** The Sun Sentinel describes Manny Garrido as a "Lake Worth man." But he was living with his father, according to the article, and Palm Beach County property records show his father's home is a few blocks outside Lake Worth's town limits, at 1120 Lake Geneva Drive. So this is not technically a Lake Worth story. But it's close!
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-felon-gunmaker-lake-worth-20120806,0,2833096.story
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| Manny Garrido of Lake Geneva Drive |
Manny Garriodo's father told police he guesses his son learned how to make a gun from....the internet.
** The Sun Sentinel describes Manny Garrido as a "Lake Worth man." But he was living with his father, according to the article, and Palm Beach County property records show his father's home is a few blocks outside Lake Worth's town limits, at 1120 Lake Geneva Drive. So this is not technically a Lake Worth story. But it's close!
Fort Walton Beach Regrets Name Change
Lake Worth's name was almost changed this summer to Lake Worth Beach. Luckily, clearer heads prevailed. Now, little Fort Walton Beach, a nice community in Florida's panhandle, is wishing it had resisted adding "Beach" to its name back in 1953:
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/opinion/worth-51502-lake-officials.html
According to this, as a result of Fort Walton's name change, the first word in the town's name is often abbreviated as Ft., which doesn't look so nice. Also, many people, including top political leaders, don't use the word "Beach" when talking about the town, referring to it just as "Fort Walton." So it didn't really work out that well.
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/opinion/worth-51502-lake-officials.html
According to this, as a result of Fort Walton's name change, the first word in the town's name is often abbreviated as Ft., which doesn't look so nice. Also, many people, including top political leaders, don't use the word "Beach" when talking about the town, referring to it just as "Fort Walton." So it didn't really work out that well.
What's Open, What's Closed
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| The Lake Worth Municipal Pool before it closed in the fall of 2010 |
The Golf Course is closed Mondays and Tuesdays in August for renovation of the greens. Play will be on temporary greens all month, Wednesday through Sunday (weather permitting) from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Play all day for $18, or $15 if you come after 3 p.m.
The Boat Ramp in Bryant Park is still closed. It is being rebuilt, with floating docks added to replace the old rickety wooden docks. This was scheduled to be completed by September, but work appears to have slowed this summer and there is no word on whether it will in fact be opened next month.
The Boat Docks, Kayak Launch and Fishing Pier at Snook Islands Natural Area, just north of the Lake Worth bridge, have been open since the end of February. There's usually plenty of dock space available, and boaters can walk four blocks to downtown Lake Worth restaurants.
The Beach is open, though with limited parking. You can park below and walk up, or take your chances on limited parking on the upper level across from Benny's or at Kreusler Park on the north end.
The Pool, which the city's web site refers to as offering a "one-of-a-kind oceanfront pool experience" has been closed since 2010 and remains closed with no date scheduled for re-opening.
The Lake Worth Historical Museum on the second floor of the City Hall Annex is now open Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 1-4 p.m.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Does the Palm Beach Post Know Where Lake Worth Is?
I think it's a valid question, because we see sooo many stories about things happening in Lake Worth that didn't actually happen in Lake Worth. Yesterday there was a story "Two Shot in Lake Worth." After reading it, and consulting maps, I still have no idea if this in fact happened in our town or not. The location of the shooting given is the 1000 block of Eighth Avenue North "just south of Washington Avenue." Washington Avenue is the southern border of Lake Worth. It is nowhere near Eighth Avenue North. Does anyone from the Palm Beach Post ever come here? Aside from the once-a-week visits from the reporter who takes dictation covers our city commission meetings, I mean.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/crime-law/two-shot-in-lake-worth-deputies-still-searching-fo/nP9tH/
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/crime-law/two-shot-in-lake-worth-deputies-still-searching-fo/nP9tH/
Friday, August 3, 2012
Florida's Having a Tough Recovery
The University of Central Florida's economic outlook for the state for 2012-2042 shows a tough climb out of the Great Recession, with unemployment remaining "obstinately high" and not falling below 8 percent until the fourth quarter of 2014. A new housing peak, the report says, will be reached in 2026. So if you're looking to sell your Florida home and get maximum dollar for it, you only have to wait another 14 years!
But note -- UCF forecasts that home prices won't reach the highs they saw during the bubble at any time in the next 30 years. The highest they'll come is 74 percent of the housing bubble high. In 2026.
http://iec.ucf.edu/file.axd?file=2012%2f8%2fflforecast_jul2012_s.pdf
But note -- UCF forecasts that home prices won't reach the highs they saw during the bubble at any time in the next 30 years. The highest they'll come is 74 percent of the housing bubble high. In 2026.
http://iec.ucf.edu/file.axd?file=2012%2f8%2fflforecast_jul2012_s.pdf
Former Havana Hideout Owner Opens Restaurant in Boynton
Chrissy Benoit, the former owner of Havana Hideout in Lake Worth, restored and moved a tiny historic home in Boynton Beach, which she's just opened as a restaurant on Ocean Avenue. It's called The Little House.
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/cleanplatecharlie/2012/08/little_house_boynton.php
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/cleanplatecharlie/2012/08/little_house_boynton.php
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| The Little House restaurant, 480 E. Ocean Avenue, Boynton Beach |
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Did Lake Worth Have a 'Bath Salts Kingpin' and Not Know It?
Channel 10 says Lake Worth local Dylan Harrison is a "bath salts kingpin."
http://www.local10.com/news/Bath-salts-kingpin-facing-33-years/-/1717324/15935552/-/gsx3mh/-/index.html
It's possible, of course(!) but this doesn't seem right to me.
Kavasutra, the Lake Avenue cafe owned by Harrison that was raided by law enforcement last week, sells a drink made from the root of a plant called kava that grows in Hawaii and Micronesia. It is a sedative and anesthetic, said to relax a person without reducing mental clarity.
The drugs known as "bath salts" are stimulants -- gonzo stimulants that seem to have an ether-like affect on people, making them feel super-hyped and incredibly violent.
The guys (and sometimes girls) I see outside of Kavasutra are always very, very, very, very chilled out.
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| A cup of kava |
I hate this conflation of things that are wildly different -- almost opposite.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
The Post is Fine with Six-Story Buildings on Lake Avenue!
It's nice of the Palm Beach Post to point out the raw deal that was served to the people when the Lake Worth City Commission refused to put the building heights initiative on the ballot in November, as we're now going to have to hold a special election which will cost taxpayers about $30,000.
But the Post editors see no problem with six-story buildings in Lake Worth's downtown and see no reason the 65-foot height limit decided on by the mayor and two commissioners should be changed.
"We see no need for voters to alter these height limits," writes Andrew Marra, for the Post's editorial board. "A 65-foot building (about five or six stories) east of Federal Highway would not be out of character with the Gulf Stream Hotel and the condominiums around it..."
But no one builds anything like the Gulfstream Hotel anymore. That's part of the problem.
Read the editorial here:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/opinion/editorial-lake-worth-goes-low-in-delaying-height-l/nP7fx/
But the Post editors see no problem with six-story buildings in Lake Worth's downtown and see no reason the 65-foot height limit decided on by the mayor and two commissioners should be changed.
"We see no need for voters to alter these height limits," writes Andrew Marra, for the Post's editorial board. "A 65-foot building (about five or six stories) east of Federal Highway would not be out of character with the Gulf Stream Hotel and the condominiums around it..."
But no one builds anything like the Gulfstream Hotel anymore. That's part of the problem.
Read the editorial here:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/opinion/editorial-lake-worth-goes-low-in-delaying-height-l/nP7fx/
Amoroso: Go After the Churches
Commissioner Andy Amoroso says it's time to go after the churches and their tax exempt property to find more revenue for the city.
"As we grow, churches continue to buy up property. So that's a problem," he warned during the budget workshop at City Hall last night.
Forty percent of properties in the town do not pay property taxes, Community Development Director William Waters told the commissioners. Some of them are churches.
The proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2013 shows a deficit of $421,000, which will be taken from the city's fund balance in order to "balance the budget."
Property tax revenue to the city has dropped off dramatically since the housing bubble burst and many properties in the town have lost half their value or more.
In Fiscal Year 2010, the city raised $7.7 million from property taxes. This year (Fiscal Year 2012) it's on track to bring in just $5.8 million. In Fiscal Year 2013, which starts on October 1, it's projected to bring in $5.5 million in property tax revenue.
"As we grow, churches continue to buy up property. So that's a problem," he warned during the budget workshop at City Hall last night.
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| Calvary United Methodist Church at 301 First Avenue South |
The proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2013 shows a deficit of $421,000, which will be taken from the city's fund balance in order to "balance the budget."
Property tax revenue to the city has dropped off dramatically since the housing bubble burst and many properties in the town have lost half their value or more.
In Fiscal Year 2010, the city raised $7.7 million from property taxes. This year (Fiscal Year 2012) it's on track to bring in just $5.8 million. In Fiscal Year 2013, which starts on October 1, it's projected to bring in $5.5 million in property tax revenue.
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