Lake Worth Herald publishes its last newspaper on January 2, 2025

Lake Worth Herald Endorsements for City of Lake Worth Elections

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Gulfstream Hotel Project

Commissioner Christopher McVoy has been asking significant questions regarding costs that will be borne by the City of Lake Worth regarding the Gulfstream Hotel and our local paper ridicules him for doing his job.

The City's & CRA's projected costs:

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In addition, the City and County property tax increment will be rebated for the new construction portion of the project from 2025 through 2031 (after which the CRA sunsets) – a value of nearly $3.95 million.

Pelican Pete on our Lake Worth Commission

I went online Thursday night expecting to see the May 5th Commission meeting. It was not to be. Apparently it was moved back to May 3rd announced at the Utility meeting on April 26th. I have to admit, I seldom watch the Utility Meetings. At that same meeting, the May 17th Regular Commission meeting was moved to May 19th. For some reason, I missed the notice of this from the city! If there ever was a notice.

The city has definitely changed and less transparent than ever. No one seems to know what's going on within the City. NOone answers a phone. You can't find anything on the web site. Everything seems to be outsourced. The Utility bill is now ridiculous and getting a beach permit (they call it a permit now as no decals are given) was a challenge.

Now the Commission had a presentation on May 3 regarding redistricting as the uninformed voters of Lake Worth voted in district by District voting. Certainly hope, if they consider population, that they will narrow it down to U.S. citizens in districts 1 & 2.

At any rate, the Lake Worth Herald came out with a biting piece by Pelican Pete. I guess the Pelican is keeping up with what's going on.

Pelican Pete on Reinaldo Diaz

When Reinaldo Diaz took the oath of office on November 22, 2021 at our city clerk's office, he produced his driver's license that showed he lived at 4035 Ruth Road, Lake Worth which runs perpendicular to Kirk Road out of the Lake Worth city limits.

Perhaps by now he has changed his address--. Here is the link to change address On his Oath of office, he gave 226 S L Street as his address but now, according to T-Reports, his address is 605 S. J Street, Apt 1B.

Read Pelican Pete--

Lake Worth Herald Endorsement for District 4 Commissioner

A few more candidates in the mix

Just got my Lake Worth Herald!

And learned that Christopher McVoy, former Lake Worth City Commissioner is running again in District 2. As you know,  it is an open spot as Omari Hardy won his election as Florida State rep.

Also, since I last wrote about this, Kimberly Stokes is running against Andy Amoroso.

Two Complaints filed against Omari Hardy with Florida Ethics Commission

As reported in the Lake Worth Herald

Commissioner Hardy - Being late is SOP

Commissioner Hardy

Do as I say, not as I do--late to meetings...late in paying his own utility bills...utilities cut-off in the past...late in filing a statement of financial interest...State filed an ethics complaint...did not file a campaign treasurer's report due on March 10...wage garnishment in the past...

Hardy is just "late." But only checking his PO Box once a month when he's running for office is strange indeed. Does he really live here? 

Read the article... [Lake Worth Herald]

Lake Worth Herald Endorsements

The Lake Worth Herald endorsements and my commentary:

DISTRICT 1
Cathy Turk

The Herald believes that Omari Hardy has brought partisan politics to Lake Worth and shows no respect for his colleagues.

I say that Omari Hardy has not been intimidated by this dais (even though he has been treated with contempt at times) or the city manager and has brought discussion forward to which they all object. He's a free thinker and he keeps the rest of these commissioners in check that all want a rubber stamp for staff. If that is showing "no respect for his colleagues," then so be it.  I contend that he is the ONLY commissioner who does his homework and research. I like him on local issues for the most part but disagree with him in totality on his national politics. Although politics does begin at the local level, this is a non-partisan race and everyone has discounted that ever since Scott Maxwell changed the dynamic years ago. No one knows anything about Cathy Turk other than she is a mother, a business owner and was on a city board. She could make a very good commissioner.

DISTRICT 4
The LW Herald endorses no one. Says Robinson has brought "nothing to the dais but partisan politics" and the other two main challengers carry some "heavy baggage."

I say, from time to time, Herman does bring in national issues but those times are rare. The mayor just has to use her gavel if appropriate. I guess the Herald thinks that they all suck. What's the "baggage?"  Name it. I endorse Richard Guercio for all the reasons I have mentioned in the past. Intellect, knowledge and for the most part, right on the issues facing our city--He will stand up to the city manager and not be jerked around by any other official on the dais.

Quote of the Day - Pelican Pete

Lake Worth Pirate, Mike Bornstein, celebrated Halloween by dressing as a city manager. There was a loose fit to the costume.

~ Pelican Pete
The Lake Worth Herald

I put this one up as it was so darn humorous!

Commissioner McVoy - Always Responsible and looking out for the Residents

Kevin D. Thompson of the Palm Beach Post wrote an article on last Tuesday's city commission meeting in Lake Worth, a meeting that I call--
The meeting from hell.

Commissioner Christopher McVoy, concerned about the lack of transparency on behalf of the city to give all the voters all of the available information to make an informed decision on a debt obligation for 30 years, tried to discuss and get out certain facts on the General Obligation Bond. This bond is on the ballot on November 8th. He was shot down by Maxwell and Triolo at every opportunity and not allowed to speak.

In this week's Lake Worth Herald, Mark Easton derides McVoy for saying that the bond will cost $70 million (Actually McVoy made a guesstimate of $75). Our Finance Director said it would cost more like $69 million.

Now I ask, who is irresponsible?  It's no wonder that only 6% of people trust the press.

I love Thursdays!

Comment Up

I love Thursdays.  Why?  I get my Lake Worth Herald delivered and there is always, without a doubt, something that totally ticks me off that is either untrue or missing facts.

Today it is the recent ruling in the Appellate Court on the citizen lawsuit on the Charter Amendment. The article states:  A referendum put to the voters of Lake Worth regarding building heights was narrowly defeated in March 2013.  The city commission certified the results of the election that the PAC won by 55.86% that were never moved forward to Tallahassee by the City Clerk. That margin of win is not insignificant nor should it be described as "narrow." Politico has defined a landslide election as being at least winning by 10 percentage points.

The editor also states that the citizen's effort "would have resulted in thwarting the revitalization of the Gulfstream Hotel."  The truth of the matter is--NOTHING in the Charter Amendment EVER thwarted the renovation of the existing hotel.  And the owner, Hudson Holdings, could have built to 45 feet on the vacant property.

The Hotel District was designated AFTER the Charter Amendment.  HB 537 was signed by the governor three months AFTER the election.  And this law reverted back to 2011.

I still believe the people's argument was correct. And all you little political activists who were in the photo in front of the hotel cheering on Hudson Holdings and the City, some of whom actually work for Hudson Holdings, tell the owner to clean up his mess. Let's now see some results.

"I'm an average person who doesn't give a crap"

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The Lake Worth Herald's latest sarcasm--ill mannered and certainly not subtle.

There is a lot of work presented in the Budget...a lot of crunching numbers to get the best bang for your buck. Every department contributes and spends untold amounts of time to try and make their departments as efficient as possible within constraints, estimating the revenue and expenses over a specified future period of time. That's the tricky part. The department head who estimates it correctly really has a handle on it.

If people don't care about being "Walking Wallets," a term Peter Timm always used, then that is their own fault when crap happens. And even if you did have a question it doesn't mean you would get a satisfactory answer or an answer at all.

During workshops on the budget, residents aren't allowed to ask a question. The second budget meeting was short and sweet because no one really understood a damn thing presented and supposedly it was an update from a consensus at workshop number one.

But this news editor, from where he sits and who is a buddy of the Trio and city manager, delights in putting down the people--keeping the people ignorant is A-OK--all two of us. He mocks Commissioner McVoy for making a statement or asking a question. Amazing.

Who's the Boss in Lake Worth? Not the people according to our local newspaper

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Lake Worth Activist Extraordinaire

Katie McGiveron
says the people are the boss.

Why is it that anyone, and I mean ANYONE, who has his own opinion about something that doesn't jive with the city's and the commission trio's narrative/agenda is obstructing the city from moving forward...an unruly lot we are called...the vocal minority of "six people" says the editor of the Lake Worth Herald. Just think--standing up for the vote, which can't be denied or abridged, makes we the people a problem to this majority commission. If you don't just "go along" to "get along" you are what makes Lake Worth the mess it is. That's how they treat their own employees as well.  Silence is golden in their eyes.

Anyone can sit on the dais and just go along with city hall--that's easy to do. But a city commissioner who often is in the minority on major issues, who dares to ask questions, is labeled "disturbing" for trying to uncover the facts or who just wants answers, His job is to keep this city accountable. The editor believes those two commissioners should get the hell out of town.

What prompted the local newspaper's editorial was Katie McGiveron's outburst during the workshop on road bonds because the city commission is placing it on the ballot without involving the public.  Even posing questions (that lacked a lot of detail on a $40 to $50 million dollar 30 year bond) by McVoy, Maier or a citizen is simply outrageous, the local news editor believes.  Why don't you allow public commentary, commissioners? It's the taxpayer money you want to spend.

When speaking about the roads, nothing is ever mentioned about the fact that this majority commission that voted for the budget, reduced road maintenance from $1 million a year to $200k thus creating many of the pothole problems we have today. The editor says, "figures don't lie, liars figure," still blaming the wrong people simply for asking questions on a new bond. If you don't give all the facts on a general obligation bond, could this conceivably be considered a lie?

The editor continually disses Christopher McVoy and Ryan Maier and blames them for "nothing good happening in Lake Worth" and says they need to be replaced on the dais and they can take their six friends with them.  He must like dictatorships. Scott Maxwell is probably whispering in his ear. Actually, these two commissioners are what's good about Lake Worth, by being as honest as they can and asking the hard questions. As a reminder, the local newspaper is wrong--more than six people talk to our commissioners and the last election results were as follows:

Christopher McVoy:  63.33% of the vote or 1,636
Ryan Maier:  57.34% of the vote or 1,434 votes

And how dare a citizen say that she is the "boss" when she says that these elected officials work for the people. How dare she do that, says the editor who is the owner of a biased news tabloid who plays footsies with the city manager as well as Maxwell, Triolo and Amoroso, three commissioners who 100% discount anyone who disagrees with them...we get the rolling of the eyes, the leaning back in the chair or just plain bullying. And Ms. McGiveron is not "misguided" as the city manager suggested in today's on-line Palm Beach Post article. As a citizen, she has every right to question the government that serves the people.

The following is from the budget produced by Lake Worth and this organizational chart confirms that the Residents are the boss because the city told us so as shown below--the Electorate is the ultimate boss, just in case the LW Herald or the trio that is supposed to represent all of us wants to know.

Click to enlarge

The Desperation to destroy a public park

Comment Up

On April 4, the editor and publisher of the Lake Worth Herald spoke in front of the Greenacres City Commission:

Atlanta Braves – John Prince Park
Mark Easton, owner of the Lake Worth Herald, requested the City’s support together with neighboring communities to contact the Board of County Commissioners and urge them to build a stadium at John Prince Park for the Atlanta Braves’ spring training. He believed it would be a huge boost to the area and the Atlanta Braves want to be here.

Frank Cerabino rates Greenacres as the 20th best city in Palm Beach County out of 38 as follows:

"Municipal logo: A squirrel sitting on a branch
Random factoid: It’s a “tree city,” which explains the squirrel.
Reason for ranking: In the middle of Palm Beach County’s suburban sprawl, Greenacres is a little bit of everything and a lot of nothing. It’s a balanced gumbo of young and old, white, black, and an extra dollop of Hispanic. It’s a bedroom community between the glitzier Wellington and the cooler Lake Worth."

So, I guess they need all the help that they can magically conjure up like ruining John Prince Park for some sort of fantasy development and business profits that might come their way.  Cerabino rated Lake Worth as the 6th best place to be in spite of all the sober homes, drugs, homeless, crime, slum and blight. He forgot to tell you why it's one of the worst--it's trio of city officials and a biased local "news" reporter.

Gangsta Rap

Comment Up

None of the above ever fail to bring only one side of the argument--ever! In fact, discussion or a different view is taboo...it's the same old rap, the same old tune. McVoy and Maier can express an intelligent thought and it is rebuked, criticized, screamed at by Maxwell with eyes rolling, his glare or vote.  Never has there been a more unpleasant and rude bunch of people.

On Tuesday, we only had four commissioners in attendance--the mayor had another engagement. Now our local "news" editor is ticked off because Tuesday night, because his buddies on the commission did not pass the Land Development Regulations on the Second Reading and his Editorial stated that this is "dangerous" and that elected officials "often don't care what the cost is to the taxpayer or this municipality." McVoy and Maier are the only elected officials who DO care.

This all started with the upzoning of the Gulfstream Hotel when this majority commission went against the vote of the people by IGNORING it. This majority approved of Hudson Holdings building 20 feet higher than the Charter Amendment allows and changing a residential zoning to commercial all for a developer. Because of that arrogance, we are now in a law suit. So I ask you, who is making decisions that have cost the taxpayer of Lake Worth? Do you really want to compare a $200 advertisement in the Lake Worth Herald to a law suit that usually gets dragged out by Lake Worth.

On April 5, 2016, the First Reading of Ordinance 2016-13 passed on a 3/1 vote with McVoy dissenting.  Maier was absent.  Commissioner McVoy asked that it come back as a Workshop for discussion.  This Trio already had all the answers they needed regarding all the various changes in our LDR's. Commissioner McVoy's request was denied and totally ignored and this overbearing attitude from Maxwell and the rest of the Trio cost them this time--another public notice must be advertised and meeting set.

Our local editor says that it is "political games like this that chip away at taxpayer money and breed animosity in the community."  You bet that political games breed contempt and there is plenty in this community even if the election results don't reflect it.

So you tell me, why would Commissioners McVoy and Maier vote on something that they believe is not in the best interest of the city especially when 56% of the voters said they wanted 45 feet in the area of the Gulfstream Hotel?  Why would they vote on something that they feel shouldn't be rushed through but requires more discussion and explanation of the proposed changes to our Land Development Regulations? Isn't that their job to represent the people?

Truth in Journalism - Doesn't exist in local Tabloid

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Not only were the lies outrageous during this past election regarding Ryan Hartman and all the candidates running against the incumbents (lumping them all as anarchists or worse, even this blogger), and blown 100% out of reality, our local news "reporter/editor" was a part of the hateful and deceitful conspiracy to divide this city even further than it already was.

The trio, with professional guidance, reached into the soul of people and their basic fears and anxieties by over exaggeration, downright lies and character assassinations telling us if we did not re-elect the Trio, our lives and city would be doomed to slum, blight, crime and trouble. Their lies worked with the biggest landslide of recent memory.

Pelican Pete, who has been drinking the Kool-Aid back as far as I can remember, published his paper this week that mocks the Earth First group that he previously reported would be here for the Hartman campaign with its sole purpose of helping an anarchist. Scads of people were to be here even registering to vote. Of course, and as usual, there was no truth to his wild and twisted suggestion. But he ran with it and perhaps believed it but personally maligned a candidate.

Today he prints in his loony bird column: "By the way, this bird hasn't seen the musical supposedly being made in February, you know the one that called for people from all over to come to Lake Worth and sleep under the stars. The one that would like people with strong telephone experience to perform in.  Have you?  Didn't think so."

Sorry you missed it, Mr. Pelican.
Play performed by environmentalists' family and children

Can we ever get truth in journalism from our local newspaper?  When a newsman writes a story, he should be interviewing both sides in order to report honestly and fairly. This rarely happens here. Take his Christopher McVoy crack in this week's editorial calling him "less than honest." I would bet any amount of money on it that he never talked to Commissioner McVoy about the topic at hand (dinner meetings behind locked doors) nor does he talk to him about any matter. He listens to his preferred Trio.

The bird must have failed Reporting 101. Accuracy is essential if journalism is to inform the public debate. A news story needs to be balanced and representative of the widest opinion base in order to protect credibility. This is why Margaret Menge was so good at what she does and why she was so feared by this side of politicos in this city and why they brought her down. Honesty in journalism has little chance to survive here.

But this is all written by a political bird, so accuracy, credibility and honesty be damned.

Quote of the Day - Mobile Home Park HO Association president speaks out

Comment Up

"All notices from the City of Lake Worth are published in the Lake Worth Herald and not in the Palm Beach Post.

The Lake Worth Herald's owner is in the pocket of The Trio. Maxwell admitted at the protest that he doesn't read the Palm Beach Post that he only reads the Lake Worth Herald [for news]. That should tell you enough. The Post reports the news; the Herald reports only what they want to have posted. As it is a low reader paper that is how they got away with what they did to the mobile home park and God only knows what else."

~ Jerri Greene
President of Palm Beach Mobile Home Park Homeowner's Association

Public Notices and Transparency

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Katie asked me if I had read an article in the PBPost regarding public meetings. It is an interesting article by Dominic Calabro of Florida TaxWatch that focuses on government accountability and transparency, something we are always complaining about here in Lake Worth.

The first paragraph reads: "We must continue to fight to protect the public’s right to maintain a vigilant eye on their elected officials. The cornerstone of our constitutional democratic republic is protecting citizens’ right to full and public notice when their elected officials are discussing or making decisions that could affect everyone’s daily lives."

One of the revealing tidbits of important information and something neither Katie nor I knew is that in 2012, the Florida Legislature voted in a law that said newspapers are required to e-mail any new notices free of charge to anyone who has requested that they be notified.

So, with that said, everyone needs to contact the Lake Worth Herald, a news publication that is totally partisan and one that gets all of the city business, and request that your e-mail address be included for all future public meeting notices.