City of West Palm Beach Mayor Lois J. Frankel and the City Commission are joining area residents and nearby municipalities in fighting for the quality of life in West Palm Beach neighborhoods by encouraging the Federal Aviation Administration to re-evaluate and seek alternatives to the proposed expansion of Palm Beach International Airport.

“We appreciate the airport’s value to our City and our economy, but expanding it unnecessarily will create more noise, decrease air quality and impact property values for thousands of West Palm Beach residents,” said Mayor Frankel.  “We’re proud to stand by our residents and make our voice heard.”

The City is taking issue with several of the major findings in a Federal Aviation Administration study of the proposed expansion.  It is the City’s position that:

• The expansion is unnecessary, as PBIA traffic has been steadily decreasing over the past few decades
• The expansion would lower property values in the City’s south-end neighborhoods
• The noise and pollution generated by additional planes would decrease the overall quality of life for neighbors

As most of the activity at PBIA is general aviation (private planes that do not carry commercial passenger traffic) the City believes that there are several strategies that would reduce aviation traffic and eliminate the need for any expansion.  These include pricing and fee changes which would help the airport better manage demand and potentially shift general aviation activity to near-by airports.

The City of West Palm Beach is also being joined by Mar-a-Lago and the Town of Palm Beach in supporting alternatives to the airport expansion.

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

When:  Sunday, November 9, 2008 at 2:00 p.m.
Where:  Clematis Street and Centennial Square, WPB

(11/07/08)  Mayor Lois J. Frankel will participate in the Veteran’s Day Parade on Sunday, November 9, 2008 beginning at 2:00 p.m. along Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach.  The parade is being organized and produced by Palm Beach Veterans Day Parade, Inc.

The parade route begins on the west end of Clematis Street and finishes at Centennial Square, where there will be a ceremony.  Mayor Frankel will join the Veteran’s groups at this ceremony.

When: Saturday, November 1, 2008, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Downtown WPB Library, 100 Clematis Street

(10/29/08) The West Palm Beach Public Library will unveil a new, interactive 3-D multimedia exhibit as part of the celebration of the City of West Palm Beach’s 114th birthday. The celebration and unveiling of the exhibit will be held on Saturday, November 1, 2008, beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the WPB Library located at 100 Clematis Street in West Palm Beach.

The exhibit will use a fun, interactive display to show how Clematis Street and downtown West Palm Beach have changed and evolved over the years. Visitors will also be offered a slice of birthday cake, have a chance to listen to a barbershop quartet and be able to play old-fashioned games.

(Wednesday, October 29, 2008)  As part of the overall effort to improve the quality and reliability of the water system and provide top-quality drinking water to its customers, the City of West Palm Beach will launch a new measure designed to help prevent lead and copper leaching from customer’s pipes into the water and to reduce pipe corrosion.  The measures will begin on Thursday, October 30, 2008.  The City has used anti-corrosion measures in the past, but this new treatment will be a significant improvement over the old system.

The City will gradually introduce a phosphate corrosion control additive into the water supply at the water treatment plant, using a strictly controlled and closely monitored process.  This process is being undertaken with the full cooperation and support of the Palm Beach County Health Department and other regulatory agencies.

Though the City no longer uses lead in water pipes or joints, some water customers with older homes still have lead in their home’s pipes, joints or fixtures.  The City routinely tests its water for the presence of lead, copper and other materials.

“This measure is part of our commitment to having a top-quality water system,” said Mayor Lois J. Frankel.  “We’ll continue to make the necessary investments to improve the quality and reliability of our water supply.”

Water customers are not being asked to take any action as a result of this measure.  Should any water customers notice a slight discoloration of their water immediately after this process begins, they should let their water run for a few minutes until it clears.  Residents with questions or concerns should contact the City’s 24-hour hotline at 561-822-2222.

The anti-corrosion additive is a poly-orthophosphate blend of 70% orthophosphate and 30% polyphosphate.  Orthophosphate forms a protective coating on the inside of pipes in both the distribution system and in customer homes.  The coating can help prevent copper and lead from leaching into drinking water, particularly in homes that have pipes or fixtures containing lead.  Poly-orthophosphate is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is commonly used to improve water quality and protect water distribution systems.

WHO: West Palm Beach GreenMarket
WHAT: Canine Costume Contest & Parade
WHEN: Saturday, October 25 at 10:00 am
WHERE: 2nd Street and Narcissus Avenue, Downtown West Palm Beach

(October 24, 2008) – The West Palm Beach GreenMarket will hold its annual Canine Costume Contest & Parade this Saturday, October 25 at 10:00 am.  Patrons are invited to bring their furry friends dressed in costume and enter them in the contest for great prizes.  Categories for the canine costume contest include scariest, funniest, most original and best overall.  Registration begins at 9:00 am at the GreenMarket merchandise booth (at the intersection of 2nd Street and Narcissus Avenue).  All costume contest participants will be included in the parade to show off their pooch’s Halloween ensemble. Read the rest of this entry »

When: Saturday, October 25, 2008
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Where: South Olive Community Center

The City of West Palm Beach Department of Parks and Recreation is presenting “Fun and Fairytales,” an event in which children will walk through a series of fairytale scenes, complete with costumed characters. There will also be a hayride around the park, arts and crafts, and a pumpkin patch storytelling area. This all ages event will be held on Saturday, October 25 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm. The fee is $3 / City of West Palm Beach residents and $4 / non-residents, or $7 / resident family and $9 / non-resident family. South Olive Community Center is located at 345 Summa Street in West Palm Beach.

For more information, please call South Olive Community Center at
(561) 804-4945.

When: Friday, October 24, 2008
Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Where: South Olive Community Center

The City of West Palm Beach Department of Parks and Recreation is holding a Haunted Hayride at South Olive Community Center on Friday, October 24, 2008 from 7:00 – 9:30 pm.  Participants will be able to take a scary hayride around the park, listen to spooky stories, and roast marshmallows around a fire. This event is for all ages. The fee is $2 / City of West Palm Beach residents and $2.50 / non-residents, or $5 / resident family and $6.25 / non-resident family. South Olive Community Center is located at 345 Summa Street in West Palm Beach.

For more information, please call South Olive Community Center at
(561) 804-4945.

“Stuck in the Bubble Gum Children’s Book Store”
When:  Saturday, October 25, 2008, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Where: 506 Northwood Road, West Palm Beach

(10/24/08)   Local parents will now have a great new place to get their kids excited about reading and help them with their education.  “Stuck in the Bubble Gum Children’s Book Store” will hold a grand opening celebration Saturday, October 25, 2008 from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.  The ribbon cutting will be at 11:00 a.m at 506 Northwood Road.

Stuck in the Bubble Gum Children’s Book Store will offer the community reading theaters, tutoring, reading clubs, dramatic expressions, story time for day cares and reading theaters for school field trips.

The owner of the store, Shilondra Sheppard, says “Stuck in the Bubble Gum Bookstore was inspired by my daughter Sydni Sheppard who at the age of eight expressed how reading made her feel ‘Stuck in the Bubble Gum.’  I knew then that she needed more help with reading.  She needed me to help her find creative ways to not only like to read but to want to read.  I needed to make reading fun and exciting.  My goal is to create an environment that will prevent children from feeling “Stuck in the Bubble Gum” like Sydni.”

Please call (561) 820-0030 for more information

(October 24, 2008) The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has just released its mid-year crime report for cities through-out the state.
The report shows a 20% decrease in the crime rate over the first six months of 2008 in the City of West Palm Beach.
This is the largest drop for any city it’s size in Florida.

Mayor Lois Frankel credits a multitude of strategies with this extraordinary accomplishment,”Strong cooperation with other law enforcement agencies, more officers on the streets, innovative police strategies, active participation of our citizens and programs for our youth are major factors in this accomplishment. Our reduction in crime translates into millions of dollars in savings for taxpayers because of reduced costs for enforcement and prosecution and the hardship and losses caused to victims.”

Chief Delsa Bush believes the hard work of her officers and enforcement of new legal and high-tech tools play a role “We were the first in the state to have an anti-gang ordinance, the first in the area with a downtown curfew for teens, and one of the first departments to utilize the latest technology such as remote cameras in high crime areas. Of course, the dedication of our officers is the key.”

This major reduction is not a statewide trend. Many areas are experiencing significant increases in crime…you can see the stats for the entire state by visiting this web address:

http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/FSAC/UCR/2008/2008SA_County_Municipal_Off.pdf

The decrease represents almost 900 fewer crimes in the city to date this year.

Mayor Frankel asks all residents and visitors to continue their vigilance,” We know that there is still much work to be done. And we will work diligently to keep this trend going.”
 

For Additional Information: West Palm Beach Public Information Office Chase Scott (561) 822-1411

The Palm Beach Post Sunday at the Meyer - Last Concert of the Season featuring
Percy Sledge – the Legend behind “When a Man Loves A Woman”

(October 22, 2008 – West Palm Beach, FL) – On Sunday, October 26, Percy Sledge, the soulful voice behind the #1 hit single “When a Man Loves a Woman,” will bring his emotional ballad to the Meyer Amphitheatre.  Guests can catch the legendary Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer at this season’s final Sunday at the Meyer concert as he performs his touching love songs, gritty southern sounds, and energizing soul hymns.  This passionate soul man is sure to bring a taste of the Memphis glory years to downtown West Palm Beach.   Read the rest of this entry »