Several free classes are starting at the City of West Palm Beach’s Vickers House on August 18.

Here’s a rundown of what is offered:

Free English as a second language (ESOL) classes.  There are morning sessions for beginners through advanced levels.

Our Family Literacy classes offer English lessons for both parents and kids.  Adults participating in the morning classes can bring children (ages 2-4) who learn English at their own pace in a fun way.

Our Citizenship Preparation classes are offered in both the morning and afternoon and help people get ready to take the exam to become United States citizens.  Students MUST speak English, as the citizenship exam is given in English only.

To learn more about these great programs, call the Vickers House at 561-804-4975.

Keeping West Palm Beach a beautiful place is everyone’s job.  As part of the effort to cut down on litter, illegal dumping and other types of waste, the City Commission has passed new anti-littering rules.

Here’s a rundown of what you need to know:

• All littering, including throwing trash from a moving vehicle, is against the law.
• Dumping trash illegally on either public or private property carries a fine as high as $500.
• It’s against City code to dump or blow yard waste or lawn clippings in the street, in storm drains or on public rights-of-way.  This debris can clog storm drains, causing serious flooding during periods of heavy rain.
• The dumping of litter or refuse in the City is considered a public nuisance.

Littering is more than just ugly.  It can also affect the public’s health, safety and welfare.  It costs the taxpayers money when the City has to pick up litter.  Trash can also take away from a community’s sense of pride.

<p>We all need to pitch in to stop littering and illegal dumping.  If you notice a problem, report it by calling the City’s 24-hour hotline at 561-822-2222. </p>

Kids can meet firefighters and explore a real fire truck at the 7th annual “Zoom Zoom Fired up for Safety” program at the West Palm Beach public library.  The program is FREE.

This great program for preschoolers and their parents will be held on Wednesday, August 6th and Wednesday, August 13th.  The event begins at 10:30 a.m. and lasts until 11:30 a.m.

Bring your sense of adventure and be ready for safety stories, songs and activities.  Best of all, the event if FREE!

With everything from gas to groceries costing more these days, you’re probably looking for some fun things  to do that are inexpensive and close to home.  To have a great time and save some money, check out one of West Palm Beach’s many FREE, family-friendly events.

Every Thursday, we put on a FREE concert in downtown West Palm Beach.  The concert series, called ‘Clematis by Night,’ offers an award-winning blend of live music, great food and unique local vendors.

Our monthly ‘Sunday at the Meyer’ concert series (pictured) offers a great FREE way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  September’s concert features a Bee-Gees tribute band!  Mayor Lois Frankel even hands out free cookies during the show!

Our library hosts dozens of FREE programs, from interactive adventures for kids to free ballroom dancing classes for adults.

There is always something fun and educational happening at Grassy Waters Preserve.  From canoeing to nature hikes, you can get in touch with your ‘wild’ side and experience Florida’s natural beauty.  Most programs are FREE.

You can find out dates and times of more great FREE programs at wpb.org or by calling 561-822-2222.  Take your next ’stay-cation’ right here in WPB.

WILD 95.5 Presents Hot New Group, MENUDO, at West Palm’s Hot Spot to Chill

(July 24 – West Palm Beach)  Rising teen pop group, MENUDO, will wrap up the summer concert season at Clematis by Night with a FREE performance on Thursday, August 14 in Centennial Square.  WILD 95.5 fm, Palm Beaches’ Hit Music Station, will present this talented group of young Latin performers on the Wachovia stage for a FREE summer concert as part of the Clematis by Night Summer Blowout event.

Coming out of Puerto Rico in the 1970s, MENUDO was the first, and the greatest, of a wave of talented singing and dancing groups that’s still relevant 30 years later. The legendary group has sold over 40 million records worldwide, broke numerous attendance records and launched the career of international superstar Ricky Martin.  Now – two generations later – a new, updated version of MENUDO is back, with a contemporary sound and look, and the same universal appeal. The five new members Carlos, Chris, Emmanuel, José and Monti are young, polished, highly professional singing-and-dancing boy group. They have already released their More Than Words EP this past December and expect to release their full length album in 2008, both via Epic Records.

People know and love this new MENUDO already. The new group came together on the MTV & MTV Tr3s reality series Making Menudo. Viewers watched the dramatic competition week after week, as fifteen young Latinos, chosen from nationwide search went through a demanding “boy-band boot camp” designed by legendary pop impresario Johnny Wright to train and choose the five best suited for the even harder job of working professionally as a performing team.  The competition is over, and now the group begins.  MENUDO has already performed on Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Live with Regis & Kelly, and several Spanish-language television shows, and they are now set to carry on the pop music torch left by their 70’s predecessors as teen superstars.

Opening for MENUDO at Clematis by Night is indie pop/rock band Ruling Mercury.  This band, previously known as Kindle, is quickly making a name for themselves on the local music scene.  They have even been nominated as “Best Local Band” on the WPBF TV25 A*List, made appearances on Wild 95.5 and have just released their first album of original music titled after the band’s original name, Kindle.

CLEMATIS BY NIGHT – SUMMER BLOWOUT
Clematis by Night is a FREE weekly event that features great music, mouth-watering foods, sidewalk shopping, and fun in the fountain every Thursday night from 6:00 – 9:30 p.m. in Centennial Square, downtown West Palm Beach.  The Clematis by Night Summer Blowout concert is produced by the City of West Palm Beach and brought to you by Wild 95.5, Wachovia, The Palm Beach Post, La Palma, Schumacher Automotive, WPTV NewsChannel 5, Coca-Cola, Coors Light, Heineken, Samuel Adams, the West Palm Beach Marriott, and many others.  For more information, please call the City of West Palm Beach Community Events Division at 561-822-1515 or visit the website at www.clematisbynight.net.

The Palm Beach Post Sunday at the Meyer 2008 Concert Series
Sizzling Sounds Heat up the Meyer with a FREE Latin Concert

(July 25, 2008 – West Palm Beach, FL) – On Sunday, July 27, the City of West Palm Beach is bringing sizzling sounds and Latin dance rhythms to its monthly Sunday at the Meyer concert series. Guests can spend this upcoming Sunday afternoon getting their hips and feet moving to the Latin beats of Carlos Oliva & Los Sobrinos Del Juez, presented by La Palma and Mia 92.1 fm.

PERFORMER: Carlos Oliva & Los Sobrinos Del Juez www.carlosoliva.com
DATE: Sunday, July 27, 2008
TIME: 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM
LOCATION: Meyer Amphitheatre in Downtown West Palm Beach

Carlos Oliva and “The Judge’s Nephews” have secured their place in Latin music history in the US and are known as one of the founders of the “Miami Sound”, a musical style developed by the fusion of rock, jazz, samba, son, guaracha and other Cuban rhythms. Carlos is the face and sound of Miami music having worked with and influenced numerous musicians including the Miami Sound Machine. The rhythm and liveliness of Carlos Oliva and The Judge’s Nephews are contagious and their performances are truly memorable. The opening act for this concert is Ernesto Fernandez, an up and coming Latin jazz flutist reminiscent of his world-renowned predecessor, Nestor Torres. (more…)

When:  Monday, July 21, 2008 at 2:00 p.m.
Where:  City Hall Commission Chambers, 200 2nd Street, WPB

(07/18/08)  City commissioners will hold a “taste test” as part of their evaluation of potential operators for the new library café at a special meeting on Monday, July 21, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. in City Hall Commission Chambers.

The café will be located on a portion of the ground floor of the new City library, which is part of the City Center project.  The parties wishing to operate the library café will create samples from their menu for the commissioners to taste.

When:  Saturday, July 19, 2008 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Where:  Gaines Park, 1501 North Australian Blvd., WPB

Families dealing with increasing prices for everything from gasoline to groceries will be able to get FREE school supplies and services at an upcoming event.

The City of West Palm Beach is proud to support the Urban Youth Impact “Back 2 School Blast” which is being held on Saturday, July 19, 2008 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Gaines Park, which is located at 1501 North Australian Avenue in West Palm Beach.

The Back 2 School Blast will offer school physicals, health screenings, groceries, school supplies, children’s haircuts and immunizations, ALL FREE OF CHARGE.  All services and supplies are provided on a first-come, first-serve basis, while supplies last.  Event parking will be at Redemptive Life Church just north of Gaines Park on Australian Avenue.

You may never see them or hear them, but some underground anti-pollution devices are making a big difference in West Palm Beach.

The City has installed nine massive pollution control devices (PCDs) and plans to eventually have a total of 17 in operation.  When it rains, millions of gallons of runoff water flow in to storm drains and through the PCDs, which filter out solids and pollution.  This helps keep the water clean and helps keep garbage, debris and pollution out of the intracoastal waterway.  PCDs screen out everything from plastic bottles to pieces of wood.  The environmentally-friendly devices also help remove sand, oil and other particles, helping keep waterways clean and protecting wildlife.

Money from Palm Beach County Environmental Resource Management is helping to pay for the PCDs.  The City has installed several PCDs on along Flagler Drive in downtown West Palm Beach and just north of the downtown, and is now installing more on the City’s south end.

We’ve been sending out CityConnect, our e-newsletter on news, events and happenings, for a few months now. We hope you enjoy this free and convenient way to stay in the loop and learn about some of the many things going on in our City!

If you find CityConnect to be enjoyable and informative, please forward this email to a friend or two. People can also sign up for the newsletter by visiting wpb.org and clicking on the “CityConnect” button near the top of the page.

We’ll continue to try to grow and improve our e-newsletter, and hope you continue to enjoy reading it.