Taken in August 2011
The seniors are a healthy base. They have sold their homes up North and have come down here to retire. They bring their life savings with them--all their securities, etc. For the most part, this is an ideal people to appeal to instead of those who aren't even citizens. They are law-abiding and peaceful folks. But Lake Worth is no longer doing that.
We in Lake Worth, just a few years ago, had a healthy Senior population (14%) and the City catered to them by providing recreational services. They played at our shuffleboard courts and had many tournaments. We had Thursday nights for the big band sound concerts at Bryant Park, when the park was safe. Developers built entire communities just for them providing a pool, clubhouse and -- shuffleboard courts. Seniors had trolley transportation and had a senior center where they could walk to and socialize. The message was to come to Lake Worth and have a carefree time with all the amenities, no worries and live in a safe city.
We didn't have a lot of garbage strewn around. People could actually speak English (only 47% do now). The culture was all about respect for our environment, respect for our laws and respect for our neighbors. There were 144 registered sex offenders living in Lake Worth, Florida as of October 19, 2015 according to City Data. Crime is out of control.
Now that the average age is around 35 with those having a bunch of kids, the priority has shifted. No longer is Lake Worth attracting the retiree. In fact, the Senior has been retired to obscurity and Lake Worth is concentrating on the poor artist, building affordable housing, (the City now has a loan program for poor people to buy houses), bulldozing our shuffleboard courts, and all the amenities that used to exist for our retirees are no longer.
Florida is not even in the top 10 for retirement. Now they're going to Arizona and elsewhere.
17 comments:
They still have a shuffleboard court at the Lake Worth Towers that seniors can use. All I have saw at the CRA owned courts was drunk immigrants, prostitutes and vagrants and I driven by it at least 10 times everyday.
Only those who reside at The lake Worth Towers can use their courts.
Next, the CRA does NOT own that property--the city does.
Next, The city allowed drunk immigrants, prostitutes and vagrants take over our property. the illegals actually ran the seniors out. They ruined the courts by walking on them, by urinating on them and just plain destroying them
Who do we blame for that? The City of Lake Worth.
The world is changing rapidly and so are cities and municipalities, the good old days are gone and nothing you say or do can bring them back. While I agree that some of these changes are not for the better, at least not the better that you or I think about, the changes are here to stay and we need to figure out how we're going to deal with it. That's why people move away, that's how they dealt with it. If you're going to stay, deal with it!
You aren't a spring chicken anymore Lynn and neither am I, we both bitch about the same things: look who's moving in, look who's moving out, the color of their skin, what language they speak, so on and so on...fact is these people are here to stay, like it or not...so is city government, they need to move the city forward, not backward and certainly not by doing what you suggest. That means we all need to learn how to DEAL.
Another small factoid is: you and I and a lot of others will not be here to usher in these changes, planning for the future is what governments do. You need to change your way of thinking. I know it is difficult for older folks to accept and embrace change but you need to stop complaining about it. It really doesn't help anything. Thanks..
I BITCH about people crossing our borders illegally. I don't give a rats' ass about the color of their skin. I expect our government to enforce our laws. That's who I want to DEAL with it. American citizens shouldn't have to put up with criminals.
So, I don't need to change my way of thinking as you suggest. Perhaps you need to vote in people who will follow the laws, build a wall, etc. and vote in people locally who will do the right thing. Not too much to ask.
I've never seen any seniors playing on those courts...ever and im always in that neighborhood. Plus that isn't the best neighborhood to enjoy a good ol' shuffleboard either. Maybe the City will put something nice as a replacement. We can only wait and see. In my opinion I don't see anything wrong with removing the courts that NO ONE EVER USES. I don't like the city, I feel they are all corrupt in City Hall especially Bornstein, he's a smug POS but lets calm down the commentary and see what they turn that area into. Maybe it will be for the best.
@4:53..have long have you lived here that you have never seen people playing on the courts? There were tournaments and everything.
The fact is that years from now people are going to say, Why didn't anyone speak up about this madness? Why were they silent when the senior center was taken away from seniors and given to the gays? Why didn't they say anything when the shuffleboard courts were torn up? Why didn't anyone object when 10,00 illegal immigrants from Mexico & Guatemala rolled into town and started taking over every public space? Why didn't they speak up? You at 3:25 PM. Why do you not say anything as your town, your country, was invaded and taken over and everything good destroyed? It is not for you that you should object but for future generations who will wonder WHY you threw it all away.
I'm not sure we were the paradise you claim back in 2011 (I've lived here since 1999).
But, the shuffleboard courts and the big band concerts were both amenities that could be enjoyed by all, not just seniors and I'm very sad to see our courts bulldozed with no discussion. Shuffleboard is coming back and many young people are playing the sport now.
WE DO OBJECT!!! The three people on the Commission derelict in their duty to represent the people are the problem!
I have lived here all my life and 40 years ago, yes, the shuffle board courts were hopping. The last ten or 20 years, they have not been used. The CRA has taken the initiative to make a better public space of the area and I for one am happy to see it. AGAIN, they are making improvements WEST of Dixie. Remember?
So what possible uses can be achieved with open space outside an arts center?
No, anonymous at 10:56...I never meant to imply that it was paradise n 2011. But, people were still playing shuffleboard back then. We could have turned this mess around. And NO one ever voted that our city should become an arts center and cater to the arts. This is all about government grants. How about painting the building, etc. back to a beige and have some sort of elegance west of Dixie, if that's possible, elegance that is.
Lake Worth is not known for its elegance...... except for the elegant lady. It is known for its funkiness. It is becoming known for the arts. The Urban Arts Lofts, the Benzaiten Center for the Arts, the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. McMow and the Lake Worth Art League just to name a few.
I know you think we should be known as the shuffleboard capital of the world but it ain't happening. Like the poster above said, get over it and quit complaining. Why is it that every decision to improve the city has to go through you? So you can show how it is not really an improvement? Yes.... we should have a nicely renovated Art Center with 2 shuffleboard courts because Lynn Anderson said we need to have at least a couple at THAT location. When was the last time you played shuffleboard Lynn? How about at your own condo complex. They have courts, don't they?
You again show how you just want to keep Lake Worth poor.
I just hate having to call someone a F-ing idiot but you are @12:42. That's the problem with you people--you are clueless as to what the people said they wanted. Oh that's right, you don't care what the people think or what they said they wanted at our shuffleboard court. Well we told you what we think in the last election. Smoke that in your pipe. :)
C'mon Lynn. That's the liberals way... if you can't win the argument, call them F -ing idiots.
For those commenting, it seems about half and half. For and against. So fully half of us are F -ing idiots. When it was brought up at the city commission meeting, it was about half and half then.
So the compromise would have been to leave a couple of shuffle board courts (that no one uses) with the remaining property going a different direction?
When you look at our "historic" postcards showing large crowds at shuffleboard tournaments at their original location next to our civic auditorium (now city hall) is was popular enough back then to have this facility built. It became out dated and eventually became your hero's idea for helping all the illegals who trashed the building and loitered in the courts keeping the rest of the public away. Then the city took back the property, cleaned it up and now has plans to make it more accessible to the tax paying public.
Wasn't it the elected officials you are so enamored with that went against public wishes and made that building into an illegal hiring hall? Didn't the illegals destroy the property? That's who you are hoping to take power again?
The only other option would have been to keep it as it was. What grant would have allowed for a comprehensive plan that excluded two shuffleboard lanes?
you got it right--you ARE an f-ing idiot. And that may be the liberal way but as I am about the most conservative person you will ever run into, I guess it's my way too--truth matters,
Go back, Wes, and look at all your postcards.
Stanton is the one who closed the Mentoring Center unlike your friend Clemens who was the vote to allow it all to happen. JEFF CLEMENS, remember him?
The illegals destroyed the property but it is this city management that is responsible because THEY DON'T MANAGE ANYTHING.
Hey, how come you take time from your job at Hudson Holdings and post crap on blogs?
I think a lot of decisions in this City, regardless of who is in power, are short sighted and very poorly thought out. That is one of the reasons to involve the public, the brain power at city hall is limited at best. Many of the folks are well meaning but simply not smart enough to manage this City.
We are a city known for being unique and known for embracing our history and having a diverse community. Pushing all redevelopment efforts and dollars towards the arts is dumb. Artists, most of them, don't have much money. I think it is great to embrace the arts, but we shouldn't be hanging our hats on one demographic. We should be looking to attract families, the gays (they tend to have money so I think we should work harder to attract them to our city), retirees, and hipsters, etc.
So, lets take shuffleboard, city courts have been part of our history for ages, so to retain some or all of these courts means we embrace a part of our unique history. Shuffleboard also appeals to the older folks, but it is becoming a sport for hipsters (just google New York and shuffleboard) and for kids. There are a multitude of reasons to keep our courts but the CRA and the City is so focused on arts, arts, arts, arts they can't think about anything else, like the fact that there are people who live in these communities that need community space not art space so why not offer both in one area, why hand over so much city property to arts and not keep anything for anyone else. Again, as I said, these folks in the city hall can't seem to hold more than one thought in their head. Right now its arts, so if you are not part of the arts community or you are not proposing an arts project they can't help you or think of you.
Lake Worth City Manager has another City property,owned by 35.000 Citizens,taxpayers, he cannot Manage,with revenue potential,to extend our General Fund.,needed for our infra structure repairs,he wants to demolish as if he
owned it.OUR shuffleboard Court!
This Joe-6 pack, has not decorated our prime located Palm Beach Island Ocean Beach front Ballroom,with crystal chandeliers, first class palm trees in each corner,proper flooring,because he does not know how.So he wants the management of our prime property transferred to Oceanfront property management experts,out of Towners.
So why does Lake Worth need this proven in 3 /12 year incompetent?
Green Acres got rid of theirs.We would have money for Debt repayment and Infrastructure repairs,if our Ballroom were functional in a Class, its location ,warrants.If Our City with billion$ assets had a City manager ,qualified to manage Lake Worth, he would know it needs a glamorous interior, to attract its' surrounding,affluent patrons, who asked for 1st.Class restaurant and Ballroom.He kept it shabby, like for Joe- 6pack,without money.
3 1/2 years ago,the City quality of life was better,and City safer.
It is time to follow Green Acres suit,and replace this proven,incapable in 3 1/2 years, to raise the quality of Life of Lake Worth Citizens,create revenue with billion$$ assets,he wants to demolish.Lake Worth City Commission is not all simple.The money saved,can be used for infra structure repairs,he did not know how to get done.
If intelligent Commission members,loyal to Lake Worth's taxpayers needs acknowledge the truth we can create revenues and manage all our properties, with a qualified,background checked new City Manager, with sophisticated experience.This will make Lake Worth a luxury resort Town ,which it has potential for,with its' luxury location.
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