Graffiti again at Lake Worth Beach

It doesn't matter whether it is night or day in Lake Worth when it comes to crime. Gangs and other criminals make no distinction. It is a 24/7 enterprise and our Sheriff is kept busy. And no matter what, there is always someone around to ruin a beautiful day with graffiti in the City of Lake Worth. Now, once again, culprits have moved to the Lake Worth beach. This photo certainly looks like gang graffiti but I am sure Cpt. Silva will know.

According to the person who got the license tag of the alleged culprits, it has now been reported to the Sheriff for him to determine. The blue symbols were painted on the white striped line in the 2nd row of the south end of the upper level area.

Thanks for a visitor from out of town who got involved.

A Rebuilt Treasure - the Lake Worth Pier

960 foot Lake Worth Pier

It was Labor Day weekend five years ago when our Lake Worth Pier was destroyed by Hurricane Frances. Over this weekend, the Pier will have hundreds of visitors paying the $1 just to walk to the end and look at the breathtaking sights as well as to enjoy fishing for $3.

We, in Lake Worth, thought it an endless construction job. "When will it ever open," we asked as we drove around cranes and construction vehicles. Daily we looked at 1/4 of our upper level parking taken as a staging area. Building the pier 5 feet higher than the original pier delayed its construction as well as work under Benny's. If waves reach the height of the pier, it is designed so water can wash through the concrete beams.

We now have the best pier anywhere. Don't you agree? While you are visiting the beach and our Pier over this weekend, stop for a moment and ask yourself, "Where would I rather park?...upper level or down below the dune or even have to take a bus to the beach as one candidate has advocated. Think about that when you are there over this Holiday weekend as thousands look for convenient parking or just want to drive up the loop road to view the Atlantic Ocean. Soon all of that will be gone.

Is it all in the genes?

This was the most intriguing article on the front page of today's Post by Jane Musgrave.

The horrible murders happened in 1955 right at the time our family was getting ready to move back to New Jersey. Prior to that, my Mother at one time was secretary to the City Manager of West Palm Beach and knew all the main principals in this gruesome crime (Judge Chillingworth who was murdered along with his wife and Joe Peel, the mastermind behind the murders) as they came into the Court House on a daily basis. It took 5 years to get the evidence and eventually two of the three involved went to prison. One of the guys who gave evidence and was given immunity worked at the Firestone Store at 1st and Dixie in West Palm Beach which is no longer there. In the late 60's, I worked at that same location involved in Credit.

Hats off to Jane Musgrave for a very interesting story regarding the connection with A. Clark Cone and Joe Peel and tying in blood lines.

The Jerk-Around

The Brazilian Court Hotel

The guy who has been jerking around the City of Lake Worth for years with the help of our former Planning & Zoning Board, Adam Schlesinger, was in the news yesterday as was the rest of his family.

He won't be jerking around Attorney General Bill McCollum as he just announced that Adam’s company, Ceebraid-Signal Corporation, owes damages to 27 condo owners at the Eden Condominiums in Boca Raton for deceptive and unfair tactics and filed suit in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.

Ceebraid completed only 2 of the 4 buildings and closed on only 27 units out of 212 with a clubhouse, pool and gardens never completed. Why? Schlesinger is pulling the old financing excuse, the same thing he used in Lake Worth-- he can not get any money. I am rather sure this is true because it seems his building empire was all a "Ponzi Scheme." Instead of completing one project at a time, he involved himself in multiple projects, thus the problem. The economy did him in and good people got hurt...a Bernie Madoff in different clothing...a Michael Meisner ploy but with only condo owners and cities left holding the bag.

Over a year ago, Schlesinger wrote to the 27 to let them know that he was turning the project into rentals and he would buy them out. Didn't happen. With multiple foreclosure actions pending in Islamorada and Palm Springs and everyone ticked off at him in Palm Beach with his constant delays and excuses on his Brazilian Court Hotel project, Palm Beach officials are thinking about fining him. THINKING? Is that sort of like their dredge and fill project? I understand why those at the Eden Condos don’t believe a word Schlesinger says when he promises to buy them out once he can come up with the money. There is no money.

Until just recently, he stored huge containers at his property at The Gulfstream Hotel which was against our Code. He never had to pay one dime other than an administrative cost. He continues to get away with murder and jerking people around.

On Friday, the State of Florida took action.

It will be a long time before we have a hotel in Lake Worth.

What our Mayor says--

Jeff Clemens

Tom, I'm very disturbed by this constant insinuation from some that we need to "get a better deal." What this attitude amounts to is, we need to harass people in public and constantly question their motives. It makes for bad government and bad reputations.

If you think it was bad with the Cultural Council, wait til you see what happens with Publix... Read More. We're going to bring over 100 jobs to town and provide people an opportunity to walk to get their groceries. But the story will be giving taxpayer dollars to a corporation.

People don't like to pay taxes, but when they do, they at least expect governments to spend the dollars to improve their lives. So why is it acceptable to spend it on a garden, a street or a water plant, but not on culture, jobs, image and economic development?

The Cultural Council was just the first round. Publix, City Hall, and others are on the way.

Keep up the good work.

about an hour ago

This was taken off Facebook just a short time ago. Mayor, you do not feel it is prudent to ask any questions when we are handing over $700,000.00?...because it might embarrass someone? You want to compare this to a "water plant?"

Update on PB Cultural Council

Funding for Palm Beach cultural groups to face county budget hearing...Will our CRA be there?

Daily News Arts Editor--Shiny Sheet
By JAN SJOSTROM

Cultural groups are arming for the Palm Beach County Commission budget hearing Tuesday at which funding for 37 small cultural groups is expected to come up.

County staff has recommended zeroing out the grants because of the tight budget.

The Palm Beach County Cultural Council has asked for $320,000 in general revenues for the grants. The council has kept its members abreast of developments through e-mail blasts and many are expected to show up for the meeting, council head Rena Blades said.

The hearing will begin at 6 p.m. at the county governmental center, 301 N. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach.

CLICK HERE to see how many Grants the PB Cultural Council actually received. And Mayor, it is not about being against everything. What this is about is making sound and fiscally responsible business decisions for Lake Worth taxpayers. That's all; nothing more and nothing less.

I'm a bear and I say vote for 4!

If you have enough money, you can do just about anything you want--screw up anything you want---all for the almighty buck. The hell with the Florida panther and the black bear that get in the way. The hell with the gopher tortoise. Heck with our valuable timber...heck with our resources...we have plenty of water now don't we? Developers have one responsibility and that is to their pocketbooks.

That's the way it is in Florida. Now we have Miami Corp that owns 55,000 acres of land west of I-95 in central Volusia and Brevard Counties, remote valuable and beautiful timberland that the family has been buying up for the last 80 years. They have made a deal to develop only 25% of their land in exchange for developing dense villages. Eventually there will be 23,000 residences developed. The proposals come up this month before the respective county commissions and if both counties approve, it will go on to the DCA. Didn't they hear about all the empty houses we have in Florida?

The owners want to get this moving before Florida Hometown Democracy is voted in.

Vote for 4 in 2010. It can't come soon enough.

Commissioner District 3 - Who will it be?

Scott Maxwell's Sign

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Scott, get your disclaimer on here!

Loretta Sharpe for Mayor

Loretta Sharpe is asking for a critique of her yard sign.
Any ideas for Loretta?

A few come to mind--

• The Sharpest knife in the drawer

• Sharpe as a Tack

• The Sharpest tool in the box

• She's so Sharpe she might cut herself! (only kidding Loretta!)

Disclaimer: This is not an endorsement for or against Sharpe for Mayor.

Deadly crash on 6th Avenue South

Car crash kills two passengers last night on 6th Avenue South near I-95. The driver crashed into a utility pole. He survived along with one other passenger. Those involved were reported to be "foreign nationals." The vehicle is totaled, unrecognizable and the victims apparently had no ID's as they are being identified through fingerprints.

Power Check and The Legacy of Ted Kennedy

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When you think back on the life of Ted Kennedy it was a remarkable one for civil rights. I don't think anyone has ever done more for that cause in the history of this country, even Martin Luther King. Kennedy had the power to make change. But in memorializing him, we should also remember his stance on illegal immigration. Why did he do what he did?

He was probably the most powerful U.S. Senator of all time. He fought hard for the rights of all people sometimes at the expense of American citizens who picked up the tab. After the year 2000, age just caught up with him. He slowed down. He was a failure as far as expansion of his liberal immigration policies from that date forward. He still continued to push for amnesty of illegal aliens. He also was behind increased numbers of foreign workers to the detriment of our own American worker.

Thanks to Roy Beck of Numbers USA who started an Internet grassroots campaign against illegal immigration and exposed the truth, Kennedy's efforts were stopped by the public that no longer acquiesced, who spoke out and said "enough."

READ MORE from Roy Beck on Ted Kennedy's Immigration stance and what he did.

Lake Worth gives back to its residents

Photo is of an energy efficient showerhead,
not necessarily what you will get.

Since cost of services is up, Lake Worth Utilities wants to help in the resource area by giving customers a Free Energy Savings Kit.

What you get:

• 1 high efficiency showerhead
• 2 faucet aerators
• weather stripping for your doors
• insulation pads for your switch and outlet covers
• an air conditioner filter whistle
• energy saving tips
  

Bring a copy of your Utility bill to Utilities, 1900 2nd Avenue North, Lake Worth.

No one is Listening

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A citizen in Tropical Ridge Neighborhood, a very caring one I might add, received a reply from his City Commissioner District 2 (at least he got a reply from one of them) who generally said that she always forwards citizen concerns to the proper city department for action. He wrote to the Commission and City Manager, if you recall, about employers cruising through his neighborhood in the wee hours of the morning, before daybreak, picking up workers and honking their horns. Ms. Jennings solution? She stated that she will ask The Mentoring Center to discuss the problem of honking car horns as the reason she opened the Resource Center to begin with was to educate the community.

We still have the same problems. Every morning day laborers are lingering on Lake and Lucerne. Every morning, employers drive down off-streets from Lake and Lucerne picking up laborers. The Mentoring Center has admitted that it has put 82 people a month in jobs, (2.73 people daily) a steady increase from when it started. I would wager to say that probably more people come there every day for the free breakfast and lunch. Any bets?

The Mentoring Center is not working. The illegal alien situation is not getting better. Crime is not getting better in spite of recent stats. The entire city has fallen to slum and blight and crime and gangs. And now with Code Enforcement reduced to just a few people, do the deadbeats and criminals take over? And it certainly seems as if the City government does not care. They are not listening.

I can agree with Commissioner Jennings that there is way too much to do in this City for the money she makes. That is a given. But as Dr. Furner said, these commissioners wanted to run for office. It was their decision. They knew the pay. They knew that it would be a thankless, full-time job to do what is necessary for the citizens of this city.

That is the bottom line…no more excuses. No more anarchy. No more cheerleading for Socialists. Listen to the concerns of the citizens who elected you. Care about them.

Whistleblower awarded $1M in Lake Worth DCF case

Fired in retaliation for testimony, jury says, "Dirty Pool."

Whistleblower awarded $1m

Lake Worth wants Culture as the rest of the City Burns

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It was interesting to read the police bookings at the Palm Beach County jail for the week of August 21 - 27.

The Sheriff's Department says we have a decline in crime since they took over nearly a year ago. Now I ask you, would they really say anything different? Perhaps it is true but there were 57 criminals (and these are only the ones that got caught) from Lake Worth booked for that week and only 9 from Greenacres, a city with similar demographics. What makes them want to live in Lake Worth? Nadine Burns brought up this fact a few weeks ago at City Hall.

The Sheriff's Department incorporated longer shifts and more presence on the streets under the leadership of Cpt. Silva. I like this captain and overall the Sheriff is doing a more visible job. Under good management and leadership, anything is possible. His deputies are more engaged with the neighborhoods and they give reports to the NA Presidents. According to the Sheriff, rape and aggravated assault are the only crimes that increased in Lake Worth since the Sheriff took over.

The City Manager has said that we need to get to the root cause. She, on one hand, is all for eliminating Code as is the majority of the Commission...they do not want a police state here...how do we get these criminals to move the heck out of Dodge? If the Commission as well as the City Manager have publicly stated that they don't want a police state, does this include the Sheriff and how he performs his job? Isn't that why the Community Relations Board was founded to begin with even though now they say otherwise?

If we are a breeding ground for criminals, how do we solve that problem? If we don't clean up the slum and the blight, more people will find their way to Lake Worth. Criminals love this type of atmosphere...rents are low...overcrowding is tolerated...their friends have a base here...an illegal hiring hall that asks no questions and sanctioned by this Commission...a live and let live society populated by 35 gangs.

And here we hand over nearly a $million dollars to start Cultural Redevelopment in and around our downtown while the rest of the city burns.

Another gorgeous sky

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After the sun set

Mayor Clemens gets one right!

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On Code Enforcement, the Commission went along with City Manager Stanton's directive to reduce the Code Department to nothing. She says that she has a Plan. The Mayor said that he will take Stanton's word that she has a better way. No one heard what it is. No one asked. I believe it is the merger of two separate departments: Community Development Department Code Division (Code Enforcement) from 17 employees down to 7 and the Community Development Department Building Permit (Building Permit Dept) down from 11 employees to 7 for a grand total of 14 employees.

Jeff Clemens wants some code officers added back into the budget saying that it is unfair to charge the CU charge as we promised the business owners that more code officers would be added when we inacted the Certificate of Use program. "Eliminate code officers then eliminate the CU charge," he said.

Susanne goes along with Stanton..does not like police state...says keep the CU charge anyway.

Jo-Ann would like to see at least one officer added back in

Cara goes with Stanton 100%.

With the city rapidly falling to slum and blight, it is curious, to say the least, how eliminating 7 code people will help our city heal itself.

Standard fees in effect:
Certificate of Use--$100
Local Business Tax: $192
Inspection fee: $35

Read the purpose

Incident Report Lake Osborne Heights

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On today’s date at 8:16 AM D/S Adea responded to the area of 6^th Avenue South & Collier Drive in reference to an anonymous complaint of a suspicious W/M who appeared to be casing the area. The complainant had also stated that the male could possibly be a burglary suspect as we have had a number of recent residential burglaries in the Lake Osborne area. On D/S Adea’s arrival he approached a W/M that fit the description who was also with a B/M. The W/M at this point took flight and ran into John Prince Park with D/S Adea in pursuit. D/S Adea was able to deploy his Taser but only one prong struck the W/M. D/S Adea then observed the W/M reach for his waistband and he observed the subject attempting to pull out a handgun. At this point Adea ordered the subject to drop the gun and the subject threw the handgun away from his body into some bushes possibly in an attempt to conceal the weapon. The W/M was taken into custody without further incident and it was later discovered he had an extensive criminal history and was classified as a violent offender. It was also discovered that the recovered firearm was stolen in a Home Invasion Robbery from 2005. Based on this information ATF was notified and have adopted the case for federal prosecution.

Lt. D. B. Matthews
Watch Commander District 14
Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office
MatthewsDB@pbso.org
(561) 202-9629