Image courtesy of Brent Headberg

~~~

Photo courtesy of George Tanguay

“Red sky at morning, sailor take warning.”

The common phrase “Red sky at morning” is a line from an ancient rhyme often repeated by mariners during the past centuries: 

Red sky at night, sailor’s delight.

Red sky at morning, sailor take warning;

Photo courtesy of Brent Headberg

~~~
Be careful out there!

~ Image courtesy of George Tanguay ~

Yeah, it’s hot out there in the Summer sun during the heat of the day, but evenings, bless them, grant us a reprieve.

Come by and enjoy a breezy Summer twilight at the Lake Park Harbor Marina’s waterside. Cooler temps and good company will mark the end of the day, along with food, drinks, music and vendors. The festive dockside atmosphere will start your weekend off on the right foot.

We live in a South Florida paradise. Why not get out and enjoy some of the sights and sounds that designate Lake Park as the Jewel of the Palm Beaches?

The fun begins at 6:00 p.m.

~

Image courtesy of George Tanguay

                       Image courtesy of George Tanguay

A dramatic bolt seems to pierce the clouds as it strikes to the East of Lake Park beyond Singer Island  

~

Image courtesy of George Tanguay

A few nights ago, fairly late, the skies lit up with some unbelievably intense bolts of lightning. At my house, they appeared as huge roving spotlights being aimed at the windows. Dramatic and daunting. George captured the moments of these intense strikes from the water’s edge of the marina as they made their way across the area.

Image courtesy of George Tanguay

Too close for comfort…and I see now why they appeared as giant spotlights! Look at the size of that bolt! Amazing to see it in stop-motion, captured on camera.

Thank you, George, for bringing us this intense show of lights from Lake Park’s water’s edge.

~

Think again. 

This menace has been on the move and has decided to scope out a whole host of good eats throughout the yards of Lake Park.

White Fly, it’s not just for Ficus anymore.

Avacado trees and palms have now been caught in the White Fly crosshairs and this pest is likely making its abode in much of your foliage, sucking the life out of it.

White Fly on a Palm

Cluster of White Flies on Palm Branches

When disturbed, the flies will scatter from their places on the underside of the leaves and swarm the area.

Quite at home here, and growing in numbers

White flies on an avocado leaf

If you have a lawn service or do not often go out in your yard or around the perimeter of your property and therefore rarely see your trees and plants up close, and if you don’t see them swarming after they’ve been disturbed, you may not even know you have these new tenants. They are usually found on the underside of the plant leaves and are not evident from a casual glance from a distance.

With all the landscape companies going from house to house, and carting off clippings, etc., the spread of these pests is made easier and it’s likely they have taken up silent residence on your property.

Here is some information put out by the University of Florida, IFAS Extension that I found on the White Fly, and some possible remedies as well as precautions against the spread of these little buggers:

White Fly information and remedies

I saw this fellow out on a hunt of his own the other night. Too bad he doesn’t seem interested in the White Fly because he could get fat and happy off the population gaining a foothold in my yard’s trees.

Happy Friday to each of you!

Don’t forget to make your way over to the Sunset Celebration tonight.

The Sunset Celebration is held at the Marina on Lake Shore Drive. Stop by and enjoy the sights and sounds that make Florida the paradise that we know it to be. The sunset and the water will put on a silent show, and you can while away the evening in the company of some good neighbors and vendors while enjoying the food, drinks and music that are on tap. The fun begins at 6:00.

Congratulations Mr. Sugerman!

Mr. Clarence Hulse was voted in as alternate.

We also have a new:

• Marina Director, James C. Hart, Jr.
• Finance Director, Mr. Blake Rane
• Recreation Director, Kathleen Carroll

Jim Lloyd was voted in as an alternate Planning & Zoning Committee member. The town is still seeking another alternate member. If you are interested in taking on this position, please fill out an application with the town of Lake Park through the Town Clerk’s office.

Informed and Involved

So begins a new chapter in the story of the Town of Lake Park. We hope this means good things for our town and the streets where each of us lives. Having new management, however, does not necessarily mean smooth sailing or reason to let down our guard. It’s still the residents’ responsibility to oversee the work of their town leaders and keep ourselves informed and involved. We have seen in the past the result of a town left unattended. Let’s remain engaged and active in what is happening in Lake Park.

Next Up

Lake Park’s election season will get underway soon. Keep this in mind. Principled candidates are needed for Lake Park’s Town Commission. Four of the five seats will be up for grabs. Please consider running if this is an area where you feel you could have an impact. What a difference a commission member or two could make!

We have another double meeting coming up this week, which means that Wednesday, June 20th at 6:30, the CRA Board will meet followed by the regular commission meeting. Links to the agendas for these meetings are provided below, along with a screenshot of the agenda points. For details, click the links and find out the details about what is up for consideration and what is being suggested for discussion and possible action. There is a detailed financial presentation in the CRA agenda and information regarding the Town Manager selection, among other things in the commission agenda.

CRA Meeting

CRA Board Meeting Agenda 6/20/12 

CRA Presentation Recommendations

Regular Commission Meeting 

Regular Commission Meeting Agenda 6/20/12

Hope you’ll attend and help keep watch over Lake Park.

The outlook for Lake Park depends upon us. We can sit back and watch and just hope that all goes well in the days ahead (big mistake), or we can get involved and do something. Looking back at the year behind us, it’s obvious that despite the heavily progressive hand of our town’s governance, if not for the citizens who got fed up with the problematic leadership and did something, we would be worse off, by far.

However, the trouble isn’t behind us; not by a long shot. There are many proposals being considered, worked on and cultivated without much fanfare, which will have an adverse affect on our town and our way of life. There are also questionable decisions being made by the commission every time they meet. The old town manager is gone, but the progressive agenda still lives on through the work of the majority influence of the commission. Don’t let your guard down. Such decisions will continue as long as this leadership is in effect. In addition, the town continues spending valuable time and money on the CRA despite the fiscal failure it has been, and continues to be, without ever mentioning the possibility of bringing it to an end. Why is that do you suppose, especially when the dire state of the CRA’s financial affairs is discussed publicly? Why does the town continue to prop this entity up and invest scads of time, money and endless discussions on it without ever considering its elimination?

Your money is trying to tell you something!

Town budget talks are about to begin and many tales will be told as the commission gets this discussion underway. Money speaks loudly when it gets a chance to have its say. Much of that money is yours, and it’s trying to tell you something. Listen to it. It will have plenty to say about our town and how it is being run and who wants to spend what… and how much… and why. Read, think, pay attention, listen, then get involved. Let the commission know your thoughts. Attend the meetings. Speak out. You can have a huge impact on the direction our town takes.

During March of 2013, our town will hold elections. Maybe you would like to consider running for town commission. Strong, principled leadership is needed. Please consider what you can do to make Lake Park’s horizon a sweeping image of beauty.

George Tanguay stepped out between the recent storms yesterday morning and took these incredible images of God’s artwork in the sky. Thanks George for giving the late sleepers among us, and those of us who don’t live by the water, a tour of the picturesque morning gallery that is the view from the Lake Park Harbor Marina!

Image courtesy of George Tanguay

Image courtesy of George Tanguay

Here’s one from Tuesday of last week. Same setting, yet another of many renditions of color and light seen while looking East toward Singer Island.

I hope you all have a Sunday as glorious as the sunrise view!

Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy an article written some years back by Lake Park’s own Diane Bernhard for “Living Aboard” magazine. Diane says:

I lived aboard a 40′ S/F vessel for many years.  During this holiday we usually went out to the inlet or Boca Lake (in Broward County) to spend a couple of days at anchor chilling out.  Friends with smaller vessels would raft off and we’d have a good time going from boat to boat — usually with food and beverages — and often with board or card games.

Memorial Day  was — and still is –  an important time for introspection and and gratitude.  There was a special poignancy in lying on the gently-rocking boat and looking up through the boater’s Red, White and Blue flags towards the heavens and hoping that all our fallen warriors were safe and happy up there.

Speaking of gratitude…  Having moved to Palm Beach Gardens, we would pass by Lake Park to reach the PB Inlet.  I would look along the shoreline and think if I’m ever not living aboard the boat, I’d like to live there.  That wish came true and now, years later, I am still grateful to be here.
And I’m grateful to be around people like you who provoke thought and give all of us a chance to be heard…

An article I wrote about how we came to our lifestyle was published in “Living Aboard Magazine”, which is now part of a larger magazine called “Latitudes and Attitudes”.

Image courtesy of Diane Bernhard

(To read the article in a pdf version that you can enlarge, CLICK HERE)

~~~

Mayor DuBois gave a speech yesterday at a Kiwanis meeting at Cardello’s Restaurant on the state of the Town of Lake Park. Those in attendance (including a current Town Commissioner) who were able to stay awake heard nothing new. It was an oft repeated defense of the big tax, big spend agenda that Maria Davis, former Town Manager, dictated, and that (because of her Herculean efforts to get the Three re-elected) they still vote with their 3-2 majority to continue her agenda. (A note here… when I refer to the Three, it’s DuBois, Stevens, and Rumsey, who vote to continue her agenda, but more later…).

Image courtesy of Brent Headberg

So, as the latest and biggest item… at the end of the commission meeting Wednesday night… during what was supposed to be the lawyer’s comments… he casually mentioned that it was his pleasure to announce that a tentative agreement had been reached with the other side in the years long lawsuit over the faulty workmanship on the marina… and that after at least a cost to the town of over $2,000,000 in lawyer’s fees and engineer’s fees, this regime was willing to settle for $880,000 !

Let us back up and try to swallow this as we might an extra large bite of pizza with anchovies, mushrooms, and pepperoni only half chewed and without any extra spit. IT AIN’T GO’IN DOWN! This lawsuit soundly based on shoddy workmanship (go and walk the expensive brick paver perimeter of the marina) has been in court 4+ years and our pitiful legal representation (hired by Maria Davis even though we already had a town lawyer) was only able to come up with this?

Mr. Mayor, why did you not discuss this? This is a travesty to the taxpayers of our town. And then, you enjoy a vote (as mentioned earlier) of 3-2 no matter what the topic. So now (months too late to affect Ms. Davis’ changes to our town) I asked the mayor about the current commissions change to town law regarding votes required to hire/fire (for example) a Town Manager (by a simple majority vote), and his answer was, yes, but it gives us the ability to fire by 3-2 vote as well. Mr. Mayor, Mr. Mayor, Mr. Mayor… will you not ever admit that Maria is still reigning supreme? It is beyond me how thousands upon thousands of voters seem to just not get the GIGANTIC PUT ON ! Voter apathy and ignorance has got to be at the base of this arrogance!

Let us hope a new day is coming.

Image courtesy of George Tanguay

Gotta love that view over the intracoastal from down by the Marina. If you need a fix of beauty, take a morning or evening stroll and see the sights for yourself in living color and big as life. Lake Park has beautiful waterfront views waiting to be enjoyed. Stop by and see them for yourself.

Have a great Tuesday!

George Tanguay was keeping watch over the rise of the full moon last night and captured this beautiful image from near the Lake Park Marina for us. Quite a sight.

Thank you, George!

I hope you all have a restful and enjoyable Sunday. You’ll need it, because there is a special call meeting Wednesday night at Town Hall.

Here is the Public Notice of the Special Call Meeting of May 9, 2012 set for the Town of Lake Park:

PUBLIC NOTICE

TOWN OF LAKE PARK

TO THE CITIZENS OF THE TOWN OF LAKE PARK, FLORIDA

Please be advised that the members of the Lake Park Town Commission will hold a Special Call meeting and as part of this meeting will  conduct an  Attorney-Client session pursuant to §286.011(8), Florida Statutes,  on Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at 6:30 P.M. in the Town Commission Chambers at 535 Park Avenue, Lake Park, Florida.

Following the call to order and discussion of any agenda items the Commission will recess to a private Attorney–Client session. It is expected that  the Attorney-Client portion of the Special Call meeting will be attended by: Mayor James DuBois, Vice-Mayor Kendall Rumsey, Commissioners Steven Hockman, Jeanine Longtin and Tim Stevens, Interim Town Manager Jamie Titcomb, Town Attorney, Thomas J. Baird.  The purpose of the private Attorney-Client session is to discuss pending mediation concerning a lawsuit pending between the Town of Lake Park Applied Technology Management, Bridge Design Associates, Murphy Construction, Third Party Defendants Current Connections, Drawdy Construction, Florida Floats And Fourth Party Defendant Carter & Sloope at approximately 6:30 P.M., or as soon thereafter as possible. The private Attorney-Client Session is anticipated to last one hour. Also, be advised that at the conclusion of this private Attorney-Client Session, the Commission will re-convene its Special Call meeting in the Commission chambers and take up any remaining business on its agenda.

Posted:  May 3, 2012

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(The “remaining business” seems to be about amending the Town code regarding the number of votes needed to hire and fire the Town Manager. Why are we dealing with this through a special meeting? Anyone?

And is it just me, or does our town seem to be involved in a lot of lawsuits?

Special Call Meeting Agenda Packet

Planning & Zoning Meeting Agenda for 5/7/12

Image Courtesy of George Tanguay

The weekend’s here! Cue the music for the Sunset Celebration tonight at the Lake Park Harbor Marina.

Slow down, chill out and take in all that comes with a waterfront view at sunset. Have a little something to eat or drink, enjoy the vendors and start the weekend off right in the company of neighbors.

Parking is free, so come on by and be a part of the celebration!

This workshop for the public will be held on 04/11/2012 -

6:30 p.m. in the Commission Chamber, Town Hall
535 Park Avenue
Lake Park, FL 33403
Phone: 561-881-330

Information will be posted prior to the workshop for those interested in getting a preview of this event, which will provide an idea of the direction our CRA is headed. A number of speakers are lined up, and residents as well as business owners will have an opportunity to have their say about the future of Lake Park and our Community Redevelopment Agency.

The Sunday Market is now the Friday Market

From April through September, the Market will be held on Friday nights from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Enjoy the cooler evening temps, the park setting and a view of the intracoastal as you shop.

Check out their website for information, vendor forms and weekly coupons!  LakeParkMarket.com 

.

6th Annual Palm Beach 440 Offshore Fishing Tournament

Image courtesy of George Tanguay

Get in on the fun and a chance at the $5,000 King Mackerel payout, the $2,000 Wahoo payout or the 2,000 Dolphin payout! Other monetary prizes are also up for grabs (based on 60 boats, biggest fish). Entry fee is $300.00 (plus tax).

04/13/2012 (Captains meeting – 7:30 p.m.)

Tournament begins on 04/14/2012 – 7:00am – 6:00pm and 04/15/2012 – 7:00am – 3:30pm at the Sailfish Marina and Lake Park Harbor Marina

The Tournament benefits the Friends of 440 Scholarship Fund, Inc., which awards scholarships to children who are dependants or descendents of workers who were injured or killed during their employment.

For the Rules of the PB Offshore 440 Tournament as well as other tournament information, click HERE. The rules page seems to have been reworked from last year and updated with new dates. Some of the information further down on the rules page didn’t get changed from last year, however, I think you’ll get the drift of the rules and deadlines from this.

The website also has photos from last years tournament, entry forms, payout information and more. Looks like a good time for fishermen!

Click on the first image below for a large slideshow. Then sit back with a cup of coffee and enjoy a scenic-South-Florida-waterside kind of a start to your Wednesday.

Images courtesy of George Tanguay ~

Today, it’s a chamber of commerce kind of morning in Lake Park…the sun has come out in a show of force and sent yesterdays dark clouds and their menacing glare off in another direction.

Temperatures starting out in the 60′s are expected to head into the low 80′s… the stuff our trademark South Florida paradise is made of.

Although the storm photos below weren’t taken during yesterday’s downpour, they remind me of that sky and the ensuing storm (minus the funnel cloud). It was a welcome rain yesterday though, unless you happened to get caught in it (which I oh-so-narrowly-missed, thank goodness).

Here is a beautiful look at the ominous storm of another day and the resulting reconciliation as a rainbow steps in to remind us there is hope for beautiful days to come, as photographed from the Lake Park Harbor Marina by George Tanguay.

 Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

 Click to enlarge

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Written by Jim Lloyd

Click image to enlarge

There are boaters, and there are Boaters. My dear wife and I are Boaters. What’s the difference you ask? I can’t answer that easily. As you read this, we are out on our boat. It has all the conveniences of home…berth (bed), galley (kitchen), head (bathroom). And more.

It’s that more part that’s hard to define. Freedom. Waking up early and drinking a freshly brewed cup of coffee and watching dolphins swimming just off starboard (right) bow (the pointy end of the boat). That’s a mother dolphin teaching her young one how to live as a mammal in the water. Way up there are a bunch of big birds soaring. (Once we saw a huge PINK flamingo cruising along solo at about a thousand feet. What a sight.) And jeese, it must be snook season… they’re swirling in the water just below and I don’t have a line in. Dummy!

Those who believe in genetic memory will explain that those cave dwellers who first floated on logs out in the river or offshore to try to catch a fish to eat thousands of years ago, reproduced. And we Boaters are their off-spring, hundreds of generations later. That sounds too simple. I think boating is a confirmable form of personality disorder. Why else would one spend way too much money to go out and float around on the water? No, no… it’s a deep question.

But I digress. Not everybody boats. Not everybody wants to. One begins very early in life to prioritize. Some have THE electronic toy of the season. Some wear THE clothes of the school year. Some drive THE car of the decade. Some live in THE neighborhood of a lifetime. And there are those of us who choose to float. (And of course there are those who can do all of the above, but mostly they are not Boaters.)

Click image to enlarge

Where was I? Oh yes, boating, Lake Park, the marina… Why is our one hundred and eight slip (boat dock) marina occupied by thirty plus boats? In my humble opinion, because the circumstances of local politics allowed land lubbers (those who know nothing about boating, nor love it, nor have the least bit of genetic memory of floating around on logs a million years ago) to run the damn thing and make all the decisions. The successful municipal marinas hire a person who is a Boater (and our Mike is a Boater) and let them run the marina with a great deal of autonomy. Lake Park (during the Reign of Terror), hired Mike, but Maria ran it. She ran everything. She’s no Boater.

At twenty-two dollars and fifty cents per foot per month, people (including us) keep their boats where it’s way more affordable. And all those empty slips aren’t making Lake Park a dime. So do we charge what she thought we should… or do we charge what a boater would?? And make a little money for the town? (Instead of LOSING over three hundred thousand dollars a year of taxpayer money???) (Jamie, are you listening?)

But I digress into politics and I promised lots of people I wouldn’t… so…has this weather been why we live here or what? These past few days have been perfect boating weather. We are out right now moored in what could only be described as a perfect little cove. While I’m sitting here finishing my coffee and wondering why in Heaven’s name I’m not trying for one of those giant tasty snook… I just can’t imagine being anywhere else or doing anything else… except maybe floating on a log…

Clear skies, pleasant temperatures and a tempting breeze will unfold for your enjoyment down by the water’s edge. The opportunity is yours to unwind from a busy week at the Lake Park Marina and Pier. Food, drinks, arts and crafts vendors, music and good company await. Sit and have a bite to eat, wander by the waterside, enjoy the visual display or purchase a handcrafted piece of jewelry or artwork. Whether you’re a people watcher, a nature lover or you’re just hungry, the Marina is the place to go to press “pause” and begin a leisurely weekend.

As the lights dim to the West, the setting sun paints a colorful display across the sky worthy of an reverent ooh and an ahhh. The light show carries on in every direction and continues even as the sun takes a bow. Turn back to the East and another living, breathing masterpiece is in the spotlight at the pier and across the intracoastal.

Boats glide along, “birds” of all kinds fade in and out of the scene…

…and a variety of characters will all be in place to weave the sunset tale.

Buildings across the intracoastal will dazzle onlookers with “fire in the windows” and fisherman with baited hooks will lean on the rails, waiting for a tug on their lines under the glow of lamplight… lines cast across a moving, ever-changing watercolor.

If you want to unwind, moody musings will be drawn in the ripples that float off under the lights of dusk, and the sound of the tide lapping against the boats and the music drifting through the cool night air and across the water will lend that island vibe to get your weekend off on the relaxing note you need.

Your very own South Florida Paradise awaits just a stone’s throw away this evening. The celebration begins at 6:00… and parking is free. Don’t miss out!

Thursday October 13-Two-Tank Adventure Dive on the Charter Boat “The Wetter The Better!”

Saddle up for a two-tank trip out of Palm Beach. Where are we going? Who knows. That’s why it’s an adventure! We’ll check-in at 830AM for a 9AM departure. Cost is $70.33 including tax. Call Gaylin to sign up 772-562-2883 (store) or 772-228-0687 (cell).

Saturday October 15 Two-Tank Twilight/Night Dive

Fire up your underwater flashlights, we’re taking the charter boat Shearwater out for a twilight and a night dive! Nothing beats a night dive for excitement! Check in is at 630PM for a 7PM departure. Call Gaylin to sign up or for more information at 772-562-2883 (store) or 772-228-0687 (cell). Cost is $74.90 including tax.

Sunday October 16 Two-Tank Dive on “The Wetter The Better!”

Rise and shine for a 730AM check-in on “The Wetter The Better!” We depart at 8AM from the Lake Park Marina in Palm Beach. Reserve your seat by calling the store at 772-562-2883 or Gaylin’s cell at 772-562-2883

http://www.scubalessons.me

When I was little, my great aunt loved soap operas. She called them her “stories”. I would visit her in the small trailer where she lived back then, and I recall the musty scent, the dark paneling and the little black and white TV where her “stories” brought some sort of alluring magic into her aging life. At about five or 6 years of age, I couldn’t think of anything more boring. The droning of the melodramatic music and characters just made me want to escape outside so I could play.

When I became a junior or senior in high school, General Hospital became all the rage among my friends.

I got sucked in, despite the overly dramatic quality that soap opera characters always embodied. It became a “must watch” with everyone I knew. We made sure we were home on the couch with our homework at 3:00 or 4:00 in the afternoon (the homework was a cover in case Dad came home and caught us wasting our life on TV) and we were completely caught up in Luke and Laura and the scheming behind the scenes that always threatened to break up their compelling relationship.

Today, “the soaps” have changed, morphed and moved on to yet a new cultural low, but they are merely a new version of the same old scenario. Amped and provocative, they draw record viewership with the antics on display.

If you are one who loves the soaps or the new versions thereof, and you enjoy kicking back for an evening of drama, intrigue, or maybe just some Laurel and Hardy gags or even perhaps some sheer pandemonium, well, then, do we have the show for you! Sometimes it’s pure entertainment.

It’s called the Lake Park Town Commission Meeting and admission is free. You can even step up to the mic, speak your mind to the town leadership and the public. Some have earned their own three minutes of fame (or notoriety) in so doing. Come and rub elbows with your neighbors, (and lots of town employees, it seems), and watch the process that sets the tone of our town.

Because, like me maybe you’ve driven down the street and wondered what ever happened to this or that or see things that just leave you curious because they make no sense. Maybe you find yourself longing for a time and place that Lake Park seems to have been in a hurry to leave behind in some progressive quest to “move forward” with an agenda that many on the commission and within the town staff have adopted.

Shouldn’t you be aware of who these folks are who are making decisions and discover what they are creating for you by way of their votes? All you have to do is listen for a few meetings to get a sense of who believes what and the means by which they intend to get their way. It might well change your mind as to what you want to do with your own vote next time there is an election.

And as the title of this post indicates, far from being boring, commission meetings really are sometimes better than the soaps. And it turns out, they portray a real life drama about YOU. It’s all rather personal, really, because whether you know it or not, the commission is discussing the street where you live. They are discussing how to spend what you earned and what kinds of impositions to make upon you through rules and regulations, permits and fees and choices about things like seizing private property and re-zoning and foundational premises, which in the end, come down to you and your personal and property rights. And the town decisions have been known to provoke more than a little drama. You really should experience it at least once, shouldn’t you? After all it is your town. You never know… like me with General Hospital, you might find it intriguing.

As you now know from yesterday’s post, some in town are “begging” for help to get grant money “in your name” behind the scenes, and those grants if procured come with a financial and foundational cost. They create the ground we will walk upon at some future date.

Who knows what we may find ourselves stepping on in the months and years to come as we discover with what they’ve paved the road beneath our feet.  The land mines of “gifts” our town goes after and the decisions they make today will dog our steps. They may make for fancy footwork being necessary in days to come.

It’s tricky business, and we are seeing even today, through this Marina grant controversy regarding the recent parking lot purchased with a $2.4 million grant (see recent posts on this subject), that such decisions are quite complicated, quite significant to all of us, and they put our finances at risk, just for starters. Heaven only knows on top of all that how much money has been and will be spent by the town on paperwork, wasted time, legal fees, and on and on because of this one decision alone. Such choices lead to much more than the glorious goodies we are told with excitement, at the outset, that we’ll get for free just for the asking. We will always get more than what we asked for with such deals, and usually the extra baggage will not make for a pleasant trip as we move on down the road.

Some of those in Lake Park leadership are wheeling and dealing behind the scenes to influence congressmen and county and state representatives on issues you may or may not agree with. Someone you elected is voting for or against, or pushing to bring into your life via their seat on the dais, matters of importance to you. They are setting the stage for the way you relate to the place in which you live, and if you open the doors of town hall, step inside, and have a seat, you may see that much of what’s been done (supposedly on your behalf and with your money) is not at all, in fact, what you believe government is meant to do.

A great group of caring townspeople have been bearing the weight of watching the proceedings and holding the leadership accountable for quite some time. In their quest to protect their homes and livelihoods from poor decision-making, they have uncovered behind the scenes decisions and processes that are affecting you and your little town.

So why not pull up a seat and join them and other neighbors tonight and enjoy the show! After all, it’s your story. Make it a good one!

It’s a live performance too, so why watch on T.V. when you can witness the drama live and in person. Please be there tonight at 7:00!

~  ~  ~

A couple of weeks ago, while reading Congressman Allen West’s weekly wrap up from August 18th I discovered that both the Lake Worth Mayor and our Mayor, James DuBois, met with Congressman West in mid-August. I was curious as to what the meeting entailed and asked the mayor if he would provide me a summary. His response by email about the meeting is as follows:

The meeting was a short introductory session where we talked about two federal grant applications that the town was working to secure. The Congressman was happy to offer a letter supporting our grants proposals. We talked a little bit about the Army Reserve Center coming to Congress Avenue and what that might mean for recruitment opportunities to our town and our neighboring towns’ young men and women.

I described the town’s history as an Olmsted Brothers’ planned community with a small amount of acreage but diverse land uses and equally diverse cultural demographics. Congressman West admired the Mirror Ballroom and asked if it is within the 22nd district would it be available as a Town Hall Meeting venue?

After looking closely at the district lines I wrote a letter to Congressman West thanking him for taking the time to visit us. I let him know that the Mirror Ballroom was not in the district, but we would be happy to host a Town Hall Meeting at the Marina on the lawn, in the meeting room, or at the Kelsey Park Pavillion. (My preference would be for the Marina on the lawn where we hold the sunset gatherings).

After reading this, I asked the mayor what the two federal grant applications are for that the town is seeking to secure, because I had not heard about them prior to this. His answer was as follows:

The grants applications we spoke about were for the library, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and an Environmental Protection Agency grant for the marina.

Mayor DuBois was kind enough to respond to my request for information, and I appreciate his willingness to correspond with me and answer my questions. I thought our readers might be interested in hearing about the grants being pursued and the possibility of Congressman Allen West holding a town hall meeting in Lake Park. Since Congressman West has shown an interest in holding one of these events in our town, hopefully this opportunity will be pursued by the town leadership. The town hall forum would provide citizens some much appreciated access to one of our legislators right here at home while also giving Lake Park a chance to shine.

If you have questions or concerns about what is happening in our town or your district, you can call or email your Town Commissioners or your Legislators.

A celebration is definitely in order…

A Sunset Celebration

Now that Irene has hurried off to harass our northern neighbors, we can allow ourselves a huge sigh of relief and permission to celebrate. Had we taken a hit from this storm, we would have been in clean up mode for awhile, but that’s somebody else’s problem this time. Bad for them, good for us. We might as well enjoy our good fortune and appreciate what we have while the opportunity is ours.

Lake Park Harbor Marina’s monthly dockside party will be held from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. tonight. Hopefully you will wander in the direction of the Marina and enjoy a few paradise moments at the water’s edge while the weather is busy doing its dirty work elsewhere. Just follow the sounds of the tropics and the scents coming from the dockside patio. Food, art, music and a spectacular show compliments of the evening sky will be yours to enjoy.

Breathe a deep sigh of relief that the storm has passed and bask in the beauty of a Lake Park Summer evening by the water.

Life is short and the waterside is calling your name…

…and hurricane season has three more months to go.

As of July 3rd (which would ordinarily be a great weekend for boating), this $2.4 million dollar piece of property which The Town of Lake Park purchased adjacent to their Marina, sits locked and useless behind a chainlink fence, despite the fact that the Marina parking lot was full today and boaters had to be turned away this busy holiday weekend. Potential revenue is being lost and once again the Marina and the town lose credibility in the eyes of the public.

We’ve been told the parking lot cannot be used until there is a sliding gate on it, and that the town can’t afford that. So why is it necessary to gate the parking lot, and even if at some point this is regarded as an important or necessary event, why not allow boat trailers and vehicles to park there until such a time as a gate can be installed? This is due in part to the fact that the commission has not yet marked the lot for trailer parking. Hmm. While it was stated in the past that the costs would be minimal, now, however, we are being told there isn’t money available to use the lot.

Other costs continue to mount.
The town continues to have to pay for insurance on the metal building which remains on the property, and will also have to pay to tear it down. It sounds like costs over and above the original outlay aren’t going to be so minimal after all. How likely is it the town will be able to drum up the cash to finish this project anytime soon? With a big government at the helm, there is always a maximum expenditure of time, resources and frustration. Of that you can be sure. I sure hope the taxpayers have something left in their pockets when the bill comes due, because they are paying for this grand scheme one way AND another.

Well, you may just want to get your lawn chair out and soak in some rays while you wait. Don’t forget your sunblock. It may be a while, especially if the new mayor and commissioner follow in the footsteps of those they sought to replace. And I’m as sure of that as I am that big government is running the show in our little town. Not a doubt in my mind.

So, who is benefiting from this $2.4 million dollar deal brokered courtesy of Lake Park Town Hall? It doesn’t appear to be the residents of Lake Park or the other boaters hoping to use our Marina this holiday weekend. You have to wonder what is going on behind the scenes, because it just keeps getting curiouser and curiouser.

There you have it. Another example of our Lake Park Town Hall at work…or something.