Who:   The City of West Palm Beach
When: Thursday, September 11, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Where:  Centennial Square – 100 block of Clematis Street

(August 28, 2008 – West Palm Beach)  Clematis by Night will host a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony on Thursday, September 11 at 7:00 pm to pay tribute to the nearly 3,000 heroes who lost their lives in the September 11, 2001 attacks.  Some features on this special evening will include the following: 

9/11 Remembrance Ceremony:  Mayor Lois Frankel and the WPB Police and Fire Departments will participate in this special ceremony for Patriot Day along with the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Pipes & Drums and a combined WPB Police and Fire Department Honor Guard.  The Fire & Police Chiefs will lay wreaths to remember the fallen officers and firefighters, and guests will be asked to observe a moment of silence to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11.  In a moving finale, the WPB Fire Department will raise a large American flag from a ladder truck while vocalist Lou Galterio sings the national anthem.

Free entertainment featuring GINA SICILIA:  Philadelphia’s own Gina Sicilia is more than just a throwback to the great blues & soul vocalists of the 50’s & 60’s, as she uniquely separates herself with raw emotion and tons of power in her vocals.  At just 22, this soulful, passionate blues vocalist and songwriter has just completed her debut album, entitled “Allow Me To Confess,” with rave reviews and is being compared to Etta James and Johnny Lang.  For more information, visit www.piedmonttalent.com.

Funds to benefit Forgotten Soldiers Outreach:  A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit Forgotten Soldiers Outreach, a nonprofit organization that continually encourages and inspires our armed forces serving overseas by sending monthly care packages and letters of encouragement for as long as they are deployed.  For more information, visit www.forgottensoldiers.org.

CLEMATIS BY NIGHT
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.  Clematis by Night is produced by the City of West Palm Beach and brought to you by Clear Channel Radio, 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 City of West Palm Beach is continuing to demonstrate its commitment to environmental restoration through renovations and upgrades to Apoxee (pronounced uh-po-ee) Park, a wilderness area set aside for preservation, environmental education, and public enjoyment.  City crews are in the process of treating and eradicating more than 70 acres of invasive and damaging vegetation, helping restore the park’s natural ecosystem.

City contractors have primarily removed Melaleuca, along with other species such as Australian Pine, Brazilian Pepper, and Old World Climbing Fern.  These plant species are non-native, and are damaging to the park’s indigenous species.  The City’s commitment of staff and resources to conduct an ongoing invasive, exotic vegetation program and the environmental education outreach at Apoxee was matched with a grant from Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management’s Public Land Grant Program.

“Destinations like Apoxee Park give our families fun and enriching ways to explore the City and get a taste of the old Florida wilderness,” said West Palm Beach Mayor Lois J. Frankel.  “By enhancing and preserving this pristine wilderness park, we’re continuing to protect our environment and our history.”

The City has previously removed invasive vegetation from more than 350 acres at Apoxee.

Apoxee Park is located on Jog Road, 1 mile north of Okeechobee Blvd.  The park entrance is on the west side of Jog Road.  For more information, contact Grassy Waters Preserve at (561) 627-8831.  Environmental education outreach activities are offered through the City’s Grassy Waters Preserve.  Interpretive guides offer interpretive nature walks and environmental education programs at the Preserve.

Is “Dancing with the Stars” your favorite show?  Is the dance sequence with Al Pacino your favorite scene in “Scent of a Woman?”  Do you have a sense of adventure and want to learn something new?

If so, the place to be is the West Palm Beach Library, which is hosting FREE tango lessons for three consecutive weeks beginning Thursday, September 4th.  The lessons are from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

The free tango class is just one of the many exciting programs offered at the library.  Visit http://www.wpbpl.com/ to find out more, or call 561-868-7700.

The City of West Palm Beach was very fortunate, getting through Tropical Storm Fay with very little damage and very few problems.  We thank our residents for paying attention to the storm and taking the appropriate steps to be ready for it.

Since there are still plenty of days left in the 2008 hurricane season, we want to pass along an important reminder.  As a storm approaches, it is critical that residents and professional services AVOID placing any tree limbs, branches, leaves, grass piles or other yard waste at the curb or in the street.  As we saw with Fay, the heavy rains that come with storms can cause serious flooding problems.  Flooding is made much, much worse if our storms drains become clogged with yard waste or vegetative material.  Clogging a storm drain with your yard waste could result in water damage to your home and your neighborhood, making an already dangerous situation worse.

Remember, after a storm is named, DO NOT cut back any trees, shrubs or bushes.  Our crews do the best job they can keeping the streets clear (see picture) but you should still avoid putting any yard waste at the curb as a storm approaches.

When:  Beginning Saturday, August 23, 2008
Affected Area:  Dixie Highway between Banyan Blvd. and Clematis St.

(08/22/08)  Due to work being done on City Center, South Dixie Highway will be closed to traffic between Banyan Boulevard and Clematis Street from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 23 and Sunday, August 24, 2008.

Motorists should detour via Banyan Boulevard to Quadrille Boulevard.

(August 12, 2008 – West Palm Beach, FL) – On Sunday, August 24, the Meyer Amphitheatre will go the sharks…The Landsharks that is…as they bring their fun and lively interactive beach bash to downtown West Palm Beach. Guests should grab their flip flops, shades and some friends to enjoy great music and summer fun this month at The Palm Beach Post Sunday at the Meyer concert.

PERFORMER: The Landsharks www.landsharksband.com
DATE: Sunday, August 24, 2008
TIME: 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM
LOCATION: Meyer Amphitheatre in Downtown West Palm Beach

Are you ready for some summer fun? Come and see a fantastic show, listen to great music and have an incredible time with this fun, interactive beach band. Having played with Jimmy Buffett and the Beach Boys, and everywhere from Disney to Superbowl Victory parties, if there is fun to be had you can bet that the Landsharks will be there! This band defines a “Landshark” as anyone who is ready to have a good time – so bring your tropical shirts, your anything goes attitude and a smile as you get ready for the most fun you can have on land or water!

Patrons to The Palm Beach Post Sunday at the Meyer concerts can also enjoy a number of FREE features this season while enjoying great entertainment:

FREE Concert featuring great entertainment
FREE Parking at all City parking lots, meters and garages
FREE Kid’s Activities with lots of fun including hoola hoops, sidewalk chalk, etc.
FREE Treats from the Mayor as she passes out fresh baked cookies to the crowd
FREE Chance to Win a $250 CityPlace gift card & an NYC getaway with $1000 shopping spree!

Residents and visitors do not need to pinch their pennies any more! Guests can come and enjoy Sunday afternoons at the Meyer with Fab Tunes, A Cool Scene & Good Vibes along the picturesque Flagler Drive waterfront in downtown West Palm Beach – all for FREE! Guests are also welcome to bring their own blankets, lawn chairs and coolers, or they can also purchase food and beverages at the concert for reasonable prices.

UPCOMING SAM CONCERTS:
**PLEASE NOTE: THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES TO THE 2008 ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE**
SEPTEMBER 28 STAYIN’ ALIVE – A Tribute to the Bee Gees & 70’s Disco Show
OCTOBER 26 PERCY SLEDGE – The Golden Voice of Soul

**ENTER TO WIN CITYPLACE SHOPPING & A NEW YORK CITY GETAWAY**
Guests to The Palm Beach Post Sunday at the Meyer can enter to win a $250 gift card at each concert good for shopping at CityPlace in downtown West Palm Beach. Guests can also enter for a grand prize New York City getaway that includes a $1000 shopping spree in the Big Apple courtesy of CityPlace. KOOL 105.5 listeners will also have an opportunity to win $50 CityPlace gift cards during the week of the concert.

TREATS FROM THE MAYOR
Mayor Lois Frankel will continue her tradition of passing out cookies to the crowd during the band breaks. This crowd pleaser allows guests to introduce themselves and become familiar with the Mayor in a casual and friendly atmosphere.

CHILDREN’S ENTERTAINMENT
There will be lots of fun, interactive games and activities for children at each concert including hoola hoops, sidewalk chalk, limbo contests, coloring books, and bubbles – all for FREE.

SPONSORS
The Palm Beach Post , La Palma, The Palm Beach Daily News, Florida PennySaver, KOOL 105.5 FM, West Palm Beach Marriott, Newsradio 1290 WJNO, Coca-Cola, MIA 92.1 FM, WPBF TV 25, CityPlace , National City

The Palm Beach Post Sunday at the Meyer is bringing Fab Tunes, A Cool Scene & Good Vibes to downtown West Palm Beach. This FREE family-friendly concert series is held from May through October on the 4th Sunday of each month, and features a variety of national and regional recording artists. Located along the picturesque Flagler Drive waterfront in the Meyer Amphitheater, The Palm Beach Post Sunday at the Meyer provides an ideal setting for good times and great entertainment. Guests are welcome to bring their own blankets, lawn chairs, and coolers, or they can also purchase food and beverages at the concert. The Palm Beach Post Sunday at the Meyer is produced by the City of West Palm Beach, Mayor’s Office – Division of Community Events. For more information, please call 561-822-1515 or http://www.wpb.org/sam.

The West Palm Beach entertainment district curfew, passed in 2007, has helped bring about significant strides in public safety, according to police statistics.

During the curfew hours, there has been a 35% decrease in overall crimes vs. persons, a 40% decrease in robberies and a 12% decrease in overall crime.The statistics compare crimes in the entertainment district from the year preceding the curfew to the year following the curfew’s passage. “Our downtown is a safe, vibrant place thanks to a number of new public safety initiatives, including the entertainment district curfew,” said Mayor Lois Frankel. “Downtown
West Palm Beach keeps getting safer and safer thanks to the efforts of businesses, residents, visitors and our police.”

The curfew, enacted in August 2007, restricts unaccompanied juveniles from being in the downtown entertainment district after 10:00 p.m. on weeknights and after 11:00 p.m. on weekends. Police statistics also show that West Palm Beach is benefiting from significant increases in public safety. Through Ocotber, total crime is down 20% City-wide in 2008 compared to the same period of 2007.