In an effort to better protect south Florida’s water resources, the South Florida Water Management District has enacted year-round outdoor irrigation rules for all of south Florida, including the City of West Palm Beach.  Effective immediately, City of West Palm Beach will be on a three-day-a-week yard watering schedule.

Under the new SFWMD restrictions, residents and businesses with an odd-numbered street address may water lawns and landscapes on Mondays, Wednesdays and/or Saturdays, only before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. Residents and businesses with an even-numbered street address, no street address or those that irrigate both even and odd addresses within the same zones, which may include multi-family units and homeowners associations, may water lawns and landscapes on Tuesdays, Thursdays and/or Sundays, only before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.

Irrigation is not permitted, except as noted below, on any day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.  Irrigation using reclaimed water, rain harvesting systems and various low-volume methods — such as micro-irrigation, container watering and hand watering with a hose and automatic shut-off nozzle — may be conducted at any time.  Additional watering days are provided following the installation of new lawns and landscaping for up to 90 days.  The District may grant variances for users of “smart” irrigation technologies described in Senate Bill 494, passed by the Florida Legislature in 2009.

Visit wpb.org for more information, including water conservation tips.

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For Additional Information:
Peter Robbins, West Palm Beach Public Information Officer
Office:  (561) 822-1433
probbins@wpb.org

(03/17/10)  The resurgence of Northwood Village is continuing with the announcement that “B&M Doors and Millworks” is opening its doors on 25th Street.  Mayor Lois Frankel will lead a grand opening celebration on Thursday, March 18, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. at 429 25th Street.

Northwood Village is a vibrant and eclectic shopping and dining district in the City of West Palm Beach and is a part of the Northwood/Pleasant City Community Redevelopment Agency.

“We’re excited to bring our outstanding customer service and great prices to Northwood Village,” said B&M Doors and Millworks owner Chevon Carey.  The store specializes in the creation and installation of custom-made doors for homes.

B&M Doors and Millworks is just the latest in a series of successful business launchings in Northwood Village, despite the sluggish national economy.  In the past year, 17 businesses have opened in Northwood Village and 3 more are planned in the coming months.  Northwood Village was recently featured in The New York Times in an article titled “36 Hours in Palm Beach, Fla.”

(03/16/10)  One hundred teenagers from King’s Academy will be spending part of their Spring Break planting new trees, removing invasive plants and doing other volunteer work at Grassy Waters Preserve in the City of West Palm Beach.

The kids will be at Grassy Waters on the NORTH side of Northlake Boulevard at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 17, 2010.  City of West Palm Beach employees will be supervising the work.

This is an excellent photo opportunity and a positive story about local teens making a difference in their community.  Grassy Waters is a 20-square mile nature preserve and also serves as the main source of the City’s drinking water supply.

(03/15/10)  City of West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel will join Environment Florida to outline a vision to expand the role of solar energy in our area at a press conference on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, at 10:00 a.m.  The press conference will be held at the West Palm Beach Waterfront Lake Pavilion located at 101 North Flagler Drive.

Environment Florida will be issuing a report that will outline a plan to have solar meet 10% of our energy needs by the year 2030, incorporating clean solar technology into homes, vehicles and commercial facilities.

Mayor Frankel has made reducing the City’s carbon footprint a priority.  The press conference is being held at the City’s Lake Pavilion, a groundbreaking carbon-neutral building and the City’s first LEED-certified facility.

For around-the-clock, real-time, traffic information within the tri-county area (Palm Beach, Broward and Miami Dade counties), travelers should call 511. For I-95 Palm Beach County traffic reports just say “I-95” or “Interstate 95″. Information is also available on-line at www.511southflorida.com.

To view real-time video of I-95 in Palm Beach County, visit the FDOT I-95 Interim Traffic Management System (ITMS) website at www.palmbeachcotraffic.org. These free services are provided by FDOT and the SunGuide™ Partners. For updated lane closure information, please refer to www.pbfdot.com.

A Tornado Watch means that there is potential for tornadoes to develop but non have been sighted or indicated.
A Flood Warning means that flooding is imminent or already occurring over a large area.

Please pay special attention to your personal weather sources including TV-18 which is airing the Tornado Watch information.

City of West Palm Beach Mayor Lois J. Frankel was joined by local leaders, including West Palm Beach City Commissioner Isaac “Ike” Robinson, Jr., and former Palm Beach County Commissioner Addie Greene, as she dedicated the new Mary V. McDonald-Wilson Community Center at Gaines Park.

The 10,000-square-foot community center is a versatile space designed for lectures, educational meetings, banquets, private parties, training opportunities and more.  The center is available for the entire community to reserve and use.

“The new Mary V. McDonald-Wilson Community Center is an excellent addition to Gaines Park and the entire City of West Palm Beach,” said Mayor Lois J. Frankel.  “This first-class facility will help bring the community together to learn and grow.”

The $3.8 million dollar project included the building of the Community Center and renovations to an existing building at Gaines Park.  The project was made possible thanks to a $2 million grant from Palm Beach County that was supported by former County Commissioner Addie Greene.

If you’d like to learn more about using the center call the City’s Department of Parks and Recreation at 561-804-4900.

West Palm Beach residents and visitors should be aware of the following information regarding the Palm Beach International Boat Show:

Beginning Friday, March 12, 2010, Flagler Drive northbound will be closed from Lakeview Avenue to Banyan Boulevard.  Starting Sunday, March 21, 2010, Flagler Drive will undergo a complete closure from Lakeview Avenue to Banyan Boulevard.  The southbound lanes of Flagler Drive will reopen on Wednesday, March 31, 2010.  Flagler Drive will completely reopen on Friday, April 2, 2010.  Northbound traffic may detour via Olive Avenue and southbound traffic may detour via Dixie Highway.

The three public docks along Flagler Drive will be closed to boaters and pedestrians beginning Friday, March 12, 2010.  The docks will reopen on Friday, April 2, 2010.

The waterfront Great Lawn will be closed off and the nightly lightshows will be suspended beginning Friday, March 12, 2010.  The Lawn will reopen and the lightshows will resume no later than Sunday, April 4, 2010.

The “Cyclic” exhibition at the Waterfront Lake Pavilion will be closed to the general public March 21-31, 2010.  The exhibition will be open to Boat Show patrons only during the Boat Show from March 25-28.

Please visit wpb.org/waterfront or call 561-822-2222 for more information.

(03/10/10) The media and the public are encouraged to attend the grand opening celebration of the new Mary V. McDonald-Wilson Center at Gaines Park this Thursday, March 11, 2010, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. The park is located at 1501 North Australian Avenue in West Palm Beach. The Wilson Center is immediately west of the Park’s Community Center. An official dedication ceremony will be held at 5:00.

The 10,000 square-foot multipurpose center is built to be versatile. It’s the perfect place for banquets, parties, educational classes, training and more. If you’d like to learn more about using the center call 561-804-4900.