Signature City Winter 2020

UNITED IN SERVICE

Putting the Wheels in Motion

Daddy Daughter Date NightÂ

25th ANNIVERSARY

ght for i N ” g n s zli augther A “D a z D & s Dad

Date:

Location:

Friday, February 7, 2020

Sandhill Crane Golf Club Ballroom

6 : 3 0 p m to 8 : 3 0 p m

1 1 4 0 1 N o r t h l a k e B o u l e va r d Pa l m B e ac h G a r d e n s

A g e :

D a u g h t e r s

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y e a r s

a n d

u p

Resident Fee: $45 per couple (Dad & one daughter) Non-Resident Fee: $56 per couple (Dad & one daughter) ADDITIONAL DAUGHTER: $12 each Pre-registration is required. Register online at www.pbgrec.com or at any Recreation Service Desk.

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SIGNATURE CITY: City of Palm Beach Gardens

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8 PRODUCTION

Public Media Relations Division CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Joe Corrao Madelyn Marconi Dawn Sonneborn Candice Temple

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CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Olivia Glowala Madelyn Marconi Jason Nuttle CONTACT US

signaturecity@pbgfl.com Signature City Questions: 561.799.4152 Main City Line: 561.799.4100 Signature City magazine is a free publication produced quarterly by the City of Palm Beach Gardens Public Media Relations Division. Signature City is mailed to every household in Palm Beach Gardens, as well as distributed at city facilities.

Get Social! Follow us on your favorite social media sites @CityofPBG @CityofPalmBeachGardensRecreation @SandhillCraneGolf @GardensGreenMarket @CityofPBG @PBGardensFire @PBGPD @CityPBG @CityofPBG

flickr.com/cityofpalmbeachgardens

W I N T E R

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2 0 2 0

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Daddy Daughter Date Night: Diamond Anniversary!

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City Briefs

5 Public Safety Day 8

Trucks ‘n Stuff

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Calendar of Events

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Hippity Hoppity Hooray

F E A T U R E S

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United in Service

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Putting the Wheels Motion

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Featured Art: Resident Photo Contest Results

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Stand Up When It Counts

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City Social

ON THE COVER: Robert Steelman and Pedro Gonzalez, two of the City’s mechanics, work on a fire engine supported by hydraulic lifts at the City’s new Operations Center. Photo by Jason Nuttle.

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CITY BRIEFS

2020 UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS JANUARY 9 FEBRUARY 6 MARCH 5

City Council meetings are generally held on the first Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in City Council

APRIL 2 MAY 7 JUNE 4

Did You Know?

Our City Council meetings are streamed live via the City’s website. Can’t make it to the meeting in person?

Stay informed from the comfort of your own home!

City Hall, 10500 N. Military Trail, unless otherwise scheduled.

UPCOMING ELECTIONS: A Municipal Election will be held in conjunction with the Federal Presidential Preference Primary on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to elect the following City Council Member: GROUP 3- THREE YEAR TERM CANDIDATES

LiveStream: www.pbgfl.com/LiveStream Archives: www.youtube.com/citypbg

Chambers, first floor,

Matthew Lane

Chelsea Reed

DEADLINE TO REGISTER OR CHANGE PARTY: FEBRUARY 18TH

Early Voting: March 7-10 (10 a.m. – 6 p.m.)

1. SMOKE ALARMS

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• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom. They should also be outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home.

• It is best to use interconnected smoke alarms. When one smoke alarm sounds, they all sound.

• Test all smoke alarms at least once a month. Press the test button to be sure the alarm is working.

• A smoke alarm should be on the ceiling or high on a wall. Keep smoke alarms away from the kitchen to reduce false alarms. They should be at least 10 feet (3 meters) from the stove.

• People who are hard-of-hearing or deaf can use special alarms. These alarms have strobe lights and bed shakers.

• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.

2. HOME MAINTENANCE

• Clean dryer filters of lint after each load.

• Have dryer vents cleaned on a regular basis.

• Store flammable liquids in approved containers, away from heat sources.

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SIGNATURE CITY: City of Palm Beach Gardens

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WAYS

To Keep Your Home Safe from Fire ( T I P S P ROV I D E D BY T H E N AT I O N A L F I R E P ROT EC T I O N A S S O C I AT I O N )

3. FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

• Have at least one fire extinguisher on each floor of your home.

• Learn the proper use and maintenance for fire extinguishers.

4. COOKING

• Do not leave the stove unattended when cooking.

• If you must leave the kitchen, be sure to turn off the stove.

5. ELECTRICAL SAFETY

• Replace worn, old or damaged electrical cords.

• Do not run electrical cords under rugs or furniture.

• Immediately shut off and have an electrician replace switches or receptacles that are hot to the touch.

• Discard and replace light bulbs that flicker or do not burn steady.

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UNITED IN SERVICE

by Joseph Corrao, Deputy Community Services Administrator

THE NEW OPERATIONS CENTER IS FINALLY OPEN! It was a multiyear project that would not have come to fruition without the help of numerous City staff members and contractors working hard to bring us to the final home of City Operations. The City’s latest capital improvement project to be completed, the 37,410 square foot facility was completed in September 2019. The Operations Center was built utilizing the additional one-cent sales tax revenue voted on by citizens in Palm Beach County that was designated for the improvement of City infrastructure.

What is an Operations Center?

As you enter the new Operations Center, you’ll immediately notice the design balance of modern and industrial, staying true to the facility’s function.

The Operations Center houses a multidisciplined array of talented City staff members who manage and operate maintenance of the city’s facilities, streets, parks, fleet, capital improvement projects, and Emergency Management.

Before the Operations Center was constructed, all the divisions and disciplines were spread out among various facilities, offices and yards around the City. This form of operation can become detrimental to communication, coordination and overall response to the needs of the residents. In an effort to improve the level of service, an Operations Center was necessary to consolidate all these Departments; allowing staff to work together to keep the City working efficiently.

What happens at the Operations Center?

As a state-of-the-art repair facility for the City’s fleet of vehicles, the shops work on everything from the smallest lawn equipment to police cars, large trucks, tractors, and the largest fire engines. All of the City trades such as electricians, plumbers, heating, ventilation & air conditioning technicians, field supervisors and staff members are now located at the Operations Center which is a major upgrade from past facilities that previously housed our staff members. This building has absorbed all off our personnel but still has room for future growth which will allow us to serve the community more efficiently and effectively for years to come. (continues) 6

SIGNATURE CITY: City of Palm Beach Gardens

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Shop space at the Operations Center allows our EVT mechanics to service large and heavy trucks, as well as specialty systems that fire apparatus are adorned with.

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ALL AGES. CHILDREN MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT.

Bring the family to see, touch, climb

Saturday, February 1, 2020 11 am to 2 pm

and learn about City operations! Take an up close and personal look at the vehicles, tools and people that

PBG Operations Center 4050 Johnson Dairy Road Palm Beach Gardens

service Palm Beach Gardens! Building tours will be available as we celebrate the completion of the NEW Palm Beach Gardens Operations Center.

DISPLAYS: Police & Fire Emergency Vehicles Front Loader Backhoe Skid-steer Loader Bucket Trucks & ATVs

FREE FUN: Sand Pit Home Depot Build It Station Blocks & Planks Construction Station Meet Bob the Builder Music by DJ Jammin Jim And much more!

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SIGNATURE CITY: City of Palm Beach Gardens

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FOOD AND DRINK AVAILABLE PARKING AT GARDENS PARK

The Operations Center’s automotive and emergency vehicle shops service a wide array of vehicles. The Fleet consists of roughly 280 cars and trucks, five motorcycles as well as an additional 26 emergency vehicles and fire apparatus. Fire apparatus service technicians requires a detailed set of specialty certifications. Our EVT (Emergency Vehicle Technician) mechanics are certified in large and heavy truck mechanics as well as specialty systems that fire apparatus are adorned with. They are also certified in ambulance repairs and specialty services for these complex units.

The whole of Palm Beach County is limited in the amount EVT mechanics and shops that specifically service these expensive and complex vehicles. We are fortunate to be able to care for our own fleet and spend the required time needed to service and repair the units in conjunction with our Fire Department.

The cost savings for this type of operation can be expressed in the reduced down time of apparatus, towing fee reductions, outside contract services and in-house parts inventory. By supplying its own qualified technicians and purchasing its own specialty tools and fabrication equipment, the City saves approximately 37.64% on its labor rate, between $30-$282 per event in mileage to area service center and an 18% reduction on expedited shipping cost.

In some cases, vehicles can be repaired while first responders are working, without the need for changing vehicles or making appointments for repairs with a vendor we have no control over. Monetary savings are important, but in some cases the savings can be the life of a City resident.

Another major element of the Operations Center is the Emergency Management component. Emergency Management involves the planning and coordination of

Flexible meeting space on the second floor supports conference and emergency management functions.

all City assets and staff to respond to any emergency that has an adverse effect on a large portion of the City’s infrastructure and may put City residents in harm’s way. Staff prepares throughout the year for hurricane season and responds at a moment’s notice to unforeseen weather events during all seasons.

With this Emergency Management component in mind, the building was constructed to withstand a CAT 5 hurricane and has the ability to house staff members during a severe weather event. The building’s voluminous bays can house critical equipment and emergency vehicles indoors to remain protected and ready to respond once the storm passes. The building was also designed to house refrigerated food trailers that may be necessary to keep City staff fed during the response and long days of recovery. The Operations Center has conference rooms and open collaboration

Collaborative spaces are an important feature of the Operations Center, allowing staff members a space to huddle and plan.

areas to brief staff members, coordinate responses, and track and map the progress of the recovery.

The Operations Center is a critical component of all things related to the operations and management of our growing vibrant city. Our ability to have a central location to deploy and oversee staff and equipment will ultimately serve the public better, faster, and with more efficiency than ever before.

It is our commitment to you the resident to be ready to respond at a moment’s notice and keep the gears of our great City turning.

THE OPERATIONS CENTER will be open to the public for tours on Saturday, February 1 during the Trucks ’n Stuff Grand Opening Event.

Stop by any time between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to enjoy the family activities and see the new facility in person.

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JANUARY

S M T W T F S

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

S M T W T F S

S M T W T F S

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5 6 7 8 9 10 11

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8 9 10 11 12 13 14

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22 23 24 25 26 27 28

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26 27 28 29 30 31

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

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JANUARY JANUARY 9 City Council Meeting 7 p.m. at City Hall

JANUARY 9 - MARCH 3 GardensArt Exhibition: Judith Shah “Absolutely Abstract” Acrylic & Mixed Media Paintings Dawn to Dusk Sandhill Crane Golf Clubhouse

JANUARY 20

FEBRUARY 2, 9, 16, 23

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day City Administrative Offices Closed

The Gardens GreenMarket sponsored in good health by Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. at City Hall Municipal Campus

JANUARY 21 Free Hands-Only CPR Class 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Fire Station 61

JANUARY 23 - MARCH 4 GardensArt Exhibition: Walter Mularz “A Moment in Time” Photography Burns Road Community Center Call 561.630.1100 for viewing hours.

JANUARY 25 JANUARY 11 The Gardens Trailblazer 5K Run/Walk 7 a.m. at The Gardens North County District Park Public Safety Day 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at The Gardens North County District Park

JANUARY 28 Special Magistrate Hearing 2 p.m. at City Hall

JAN. 28 - FEB. 2

The Gardens GreenMarket sponsored in good health by Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. at City Hall Municipal Campus

Les Grandes Dames USTA National Senior Women’s Category II 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. at Tennis & Pickleball Center

18th Anniversary Celebration of The Gardens GreenMarket 10 a.m. at City Hall Municipal Campus

JANUARY 14 Planning & Zoning Appeals Board 6 p.m. at City Hall

JANUARY 17 Annual Arbor Day Celebration 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.

Honor Park Aye Matey, It’s a Pirate Party!

Ages 0-4; please pre-register 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Burns Road Community Center

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Concert on the Plaza: The Motowners Generously sponsored by BallenIsles Charities Foundation Inc. 7 - 9 p.m. at Veterans Plaza Amphitheater

JANUARY 12, 19, 26

JANUARY 12

SIGNATURE CITY: City of Palm Beach Gardens

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S M T W T F S

JANUARY 31 Art Reception for Walter Mularz 6 - 7:30 p.m.

Burns Road Community Center

FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 1 Trucks ‘n Stuff- Operations Center Grand Opening!

11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Operations Center- 4050 Johnson Dairy Rd.

FEBRUARY 2 Black History Month Celebration Art Exhibition by The Highwaymen Live Demonstration by Roy McLendon 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. at City Hall Municipal Campus

FEBRUARY 6 2020 Summer Camp Early Registration Begins 8 a.m.

All Recreation service desks

FEBRUARY 7 25th Daddy Daughter Date Night: “Denim & Diamonds” Dinner, Dancing & Desserts 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Sandhill Crane Golf Clubhouse

FEBRUARY 8 Cupid’s Corner Ages 0-4; please pre-register 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Burns Road Community Center

FEBRUARY 11 Mah Jongg Tournament & Lunch Please pre-register 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Burns Road Community Center

FEBRUARY 12 Art Reception for Judith Shah 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Sandhill Crane Golf Clubhouse

FEBRUARY 18 Free Hands-Only CPR Class 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Fire Station 61

FREE Hands-Only CPR Classes Once a month at Fire Station 61 1/21, 2/18, 3/17, 4/21 • 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Concert on the Plaza: The Motowners

Black History Month Celebration Adult Art Student Group Exhibition

GreenMarket Anniversary

BRUNCH BUFFET at The Dancing Crane every Saturday AND Sunday with omelet station 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

MARCH 1-30 FEBRUARY 24 – MARCH 1 The Honda Classic PGA National Golf Club

FEBRUARY 25 Special Magistrate Hearing 2 p.m. at City Hall

FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 1 USTA PBG Spring Wheelchair Championships 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. at Russo Athletic Complex

MARCH MARCH 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 The Gardens GreenMarket sponsored in good health by Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. at City Hall Municipal Campus

GardensArt Exhibition Riverside Youth Enrichment Center Student Art Show: “Around the World” Illustrations from our favorite books Burns Road Community Center Call 561.630.1100 for viewing hours.

MARCH 5 2020 Summer Camp General Registration Begins 8 a.m.

All Recreation service desks

MARCH 14

APRIL 4-6

Gardens Indoor Yard Sale 7:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Burns Road Community Center

MARCH 5 - MAY 5

MARCH 15

USTA Level 6 Boys & Girls 18-16-Under Singles & Doubles 8:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. at Tennis & Pickleball Center

GardensArt Exhibition: Nadine Saitlin “Playing with Visual Dynamics” Acrylic Paint on Paper & Canvas Dawn to Dusk Sandhill Crane Golf Clubhouse

OneBlood Blood Drive 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. at City Hall Municipal Campus

MARCH 6 Art Reception & Performance Riverside Youth Enrichment Center Student Art Show: “Around the World” 6 - 7:30 p.m.

Burns Road Community Center

MARCH 7 IMPORTANT ADDRESSES: Burns Road Community Center 4404 Burns Road City Hall/Veterans Plaza Amphitheater 10500 N. Military Trail

2020 Health, Wellness & Resource Fair 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Burns Road Community Center

MARCH 9-30

Honor Park 9481 Mac Arthur Blvd

Adult Art Student Group Exhibition “Connecting with our Inner Creativity” Oil & Acrylic Paintings Burns Road Community Center Call 561.630.1100 for viewing hours

Operations Center 4050 Johnson Dairy Road

MARCH 12

PBG Tennis & Pickleball Center 5110 117th Court N.

Canasta Tournament & Luncheon Please pre-register 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Burns Road Community Center

Sandhill Crane Golf Club/ The Dancing Crane Restaurant 11401 Northlake Blvd.

MARCH 13

The Gardens GreenMarket 10500 N. Military Trail

NEW!

$10 Bottomless Mimosas ALL DAY, EVERY DAY!

Art Reception for Adult Art Student Group Exhibition 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Burns Road Community Center

MARCH 17 Free Hands-Only CPR Class 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Fire Station 61

MARCH 20 Splishin’ and Splashin’ Party Ages 0-4; please pre-register 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Burns Road Community Center

APRIL 5, 12, 19, 26 The Gardens GreenMarket sponsored in good health by Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. at City Hall Municipal Campus

APRIL 12 Hands-Only CPR Training and Tours of the Mobile Fire Safety Trailer 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. at City Hall Municipal Campus

Skate Jam 6 - 9 p.m. at Skate Park

MARCH 21 Spring Pool Hours Begin Aquatic Complex

MARCH 23 Spring Swim Lessons Begin Aquatic Complex

MARCH 24 Special Magistrate Hearing 2 p.m. at City Hall

APRIL APRIL 4 Hippity Hoppity Hooray: An Egg-cellent Adventure!

9 - 11 a.m. at Gardens Park Baseball Fields

APRIL 14-19 USTA National Senior Women’s Clay Court Championships 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. at Tennis & Pickleball Center

APRIL 17 Earth Day “ROCKS” Ages 0-4; please pre-register 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Burns Road Community Center WINTER 2020

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Putting the

Wheels in Motion GAR D ENS T U RNS TO MO BI L I TY

by Dawn

Sonneborn, AICP

Senior Planner

T

he City of Palm Beach Gardens is known for its lush landscaping, meandering walkways, public art, parks and recreation, open space and conservation areas, beautiful architecture, and excellent shops and restaurants, just to name a few highlights. Experiencing all of these attributes within the City is about to get even better!

“How?,” you may ask. The City Council recently approved a new Mobility Plan and Mobility Fee. That means the experience of walking, biking, riding transit, and driving along the beautiful streets of Palm Beach Gardens to experience all it has to offer will improve for all types of users.

The City prides itself in being a progressive and innovative community. With the recent completion of the City’s Transit Oriented Design (TOD) Master Plan and existing 12

SIGNATURE CITY: City of Palm Beach Gardens

Complete Street policies that are all related to mobility, the innovation is continuing with the City Council recently approving a Mobility Plan and Mobility Fee. With new development and redevelopment in the City, widening roads is not always the best solution. Preserving the quality of life and protecting existing neighborhoods is of utmost importance to the City, and improving the safety of our streets by adding more mobility choices is the key to the Mobility Plan. The Florida Legislature recognizes this and has provided local governments the flexibility to develop their own Mobility Plans and Mobility Fees, which gave the City an excellent opportunity to be a leader in mobility within Palm Beach County. One of the first steps the City took towards mobility was in 2017 when the City’s Comprehensive Plan was

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amended to establish the process and set up the framework for development of a Mobility Plan and Mobility Fee. The Mobility Plan provides the framework to integrate land use and transportation improvements for people to safely, comfortably, and conveniently walk, bike, ride transit, drive, or use new mobility technology.

All called “multi-modal” forms of transportation, to easily move and connect people from home to work, to parks, to offices, to shops, and all the places you frequent throughout the City.

The Mobility Plan identifies improvements necessary to enhance multi-modal transportation in our City, such as improving and connecting sidewalks, adding trails and designated bike lanes, streetscape, dedicated transit lanes, and planning for enhanced ac-

PRESERVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND PROTECTING EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO THE CITY AND IMPROVING THE SAFETY OF OUR STREETS

BY ADDING MORE MOBILITY CHOICES IS THE KEY TO THE MOBILITY PLAN. cess to the future Tri-Rail station proposed in the City. There are improvements that can also reduce traffic congestion by adding turn lanes or adjusting traffic signal timing at busy intersections within the City. The plan also looks at transit improvements for the existing bus routes and bus stops, and considers local transit, such as a City trolley system.

The Plan was not created in isolation. It considers data and trends of projected population and job growth, work commute flows, commute distances, and modes of travel, as well as evaluation of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, Capital Improvement Program, PBC Transportation Planning Agency’s 2040 Long Range Plan, FDOT Transportation Improvement Program, Palm Beach County’s Capital Improvement Program, the Palm Beach County Bicycle Master Plan, and the Florida Greenways and Trails System Map. The City partnered with Jonathan Paul with NUE Urban Concepts, a statewide leader in the development of mobility plans, and Andrea Troutman with PTC Transportation Consultants, who is the City’s traffic consultant and has the local knowledge and history of the City’s roadway network.

Their expertise as leaders in mobility plans and mobility fees, along with the dedicated work of City staff, and the support of the City officials, set up the success for the newly adopted Mobility Plan and Mobility Fee. Engaging the public and obtaining public input was an integral part of the prepara-

tion process and success of the Mobility Plan. City staff, along with City officials, hosted numerous public workshops, where residents, business owners, community leaders, and more attended to learn about the Mobility Plan and Mobility Fee and provide important input. The public workshops enabled the City to create a shared community vision for how people travel within the City. The City also received several letters of support from the Palm Beach County Planning Congress, the Palm Beach County Transportation Planning Agency, and the PGA Corridor Association, to name a few.

The Mobility Fee, an integral part of the Mobility Plan, allows for a transition away from the traditional transportation concurrency policies that focus exclusively on moving automobiles and widening roadways. This takes traditional road impact fees that are paid as part of new development and replaces it with mobility fees.

The mobility fees are divided into land use categories that are in line with the current road impact fee categories.

With the tremendous public involvement and public support received throughout the development of the Mobility Plan and Mobility Fee, the City looks forward to improving safety and increasing the multi-modal opportunities available to all who live, learn, work and play in Palm Beach Gardens.

To read the full details of the City’s Mobility Plan visit www.pbgfl.com/MobilityPlan.

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At the Heart of the Resident Photo Contest

by Madelyn Marconi

One morning in June, while out in the yard, she noticed a Great Southern White Butterfly had landed gracefully on a bud of her Jamaican Caper shrub that had not yet bloomed. Amazed to see the butterfly landed on the tiniest of buds instead of a nectar-rich flower, Cathy carefully snapped a photo of the quaint scene unfolding in her very own garden.

F

or Palm Beach Gardens resident, Cathy Beals, her idea of a fine day involves a trip to her backyard garden with her Nikon camera and the tele macro lens she received as a gift from her son, Thomas. Having lived in Palm Beach Gardens for over twenty years, Cathy is also an avid gardener and a member of the Palm Beach County Chapter’s Native Plant Society. Unlike a traditional vegetable and herb garden, Cathy’s is filled with a wide variety of plants native to South Florida. Her hopes are always high to capture photos of dragonflies, hummingbirds, butterflies, or whatever else may venture into her garden.

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SIGNATURE CITY: City of Palm Beach Gardens

Fast forward a few months, that same photo was hung in Palm Beach Gardens City Hall Lobby. On display as part of the 2019 Resident Photo Contest exhibit hosted by the City of Palm Beach Gardens. Many exhibit visitors enjoy hearing the backstory of the art and photographs that hang in the lobby and Cathy was more than thrilled to tell hers.

Convinced by her friend and fellow gardener, Stephanie Duncan, to enter this year’s contest, she submitted a few photos in spite of having entered three years ago and not being chosen as a finalist. This year Cathy was ecstatic to enter City Hall on the night of the reception to see that

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her photo had won the first place prize in the “Beauty Abounds” category.

Accompanied by family and friends from the Florida Native Plant Society, she was excited to be handed her certificate by Palm Beach Gardens Mayor Mark Marciano. The Mayor also thanked Cathy for teaching him to properly identify the Great Southern White Butterfly by the blue dots on the end of its antennas.

For Cathy, the photo contest experience was heartwarming, and she can’t express enough how beside herself she was seeing her photo enlarged on the wall shimmering under the light. As we learn the story behind Cathy’s photo, we also learn that at the heart of Palm Beach Gardens lives a gentle, kind gardener who some may say is obsessed with butterflies and the abundant beauty that exists right under our noses. Although Cathy may call herself an amateur photographer, it took a high level of expertise to capture the picturesque Great Southern White Butterfly sitting on the tiny Jamaican Caper bud in her backyard garden. (continues)

AMAZING THINGS HAPPEN UNDER OUR NOSES EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT MOST OF US ARE JUST TOO BUSY TO SEE. – Cathy Beals

1st Place: Great Southern White Butterfly on Jamaican Caper Bud by Cathy Beals.

CATEGORY: Beauty Abounds

AT THE HEART OF THE RESIDENT PHOTO CONTEST

Winners

1st Place Go Cardinals by Courtney Hess (pictured at far right with her family in front of her first-place entry featuring her son, Beck) CATEGORY: iGardens

ABOVE: Resident Photo Contest Finalists attended the public reception on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 where winners were

announced. (from left to right) Vice Mayor Rachelle Litt, Louis Mark, Jody Lane, Marilyn Samwick, Dominic Contreras, Courtney Hess, Cathy Beals, Mayor Mark Marciano.

2nd Place First Sunrise of 2019 by Dominic Contreras (bottom left) CATEGORY: Beauty Abounds

3rd Place A Heron on my Fence

by Louis Mark (near left) CATEGORY: Digital Manipulation

Best in Show Summer in the City

by Jody Lane (far right, bottom) For a full list of Resident Photo Contest Winners, visit the City’s website at www.pbgfl.com/photocontest.

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SIGNATURE CITY: City of Palm Beach Gardens

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STAND UP FOR THE COUNT

The 2020 Census is closer than you think!

April 1, 2020 is Census Day! Here’s a quick refresher of what it is and why it’s essential that everyone is counted.

IT’S IN THE CONSTITUTION. The U.S. Constitution mandates that everyone in the country be counted every 10 years.

The first census was in 1790.

IT’S ABOUT FAIR REPRESENTATION. Every 10 years, the results of the census are used to reapportion the House of Representatives, determining how many seats each state gets.

IT’S ABOUT REDISTRICTING. After

IT’S ABOUT $675 BILLION. The distribution

each decade’s census, state

of more than $675 billion in federal funds,

officials redraw the boundaries of the

grants, and support to states, counties, and OUR

congressional and state legislative districts in their states to account for population shifts.

community are based on census data. That money is spent on schools, hospitals, roads, public works, and other vital programs.

CENSUS DATA ARE BEING USED ALL AROUND YOU. Residents use the census to support community initiatives involving legislation, quality-of-life, and consumer ting TY. Comple R CIVIC DU U O Y ate IS ic T R to part ip TAKING PA : it’s a way ry to a d n a is m COUNT!” the census and say, “I cy a cr o m e in our d

advocacy. Local governments use the census for public safety and emergency preparedness. Businesses use census data to decide where to build factories, offices, and stores, which create jobs. Real estate developers use the census to build new homes and revitalize old neighborhoods.

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SIGNATURE CITY: City of Palm Beach Gardens

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Presorted Standard U.S. Postage

PAID

Permit No. 172 West Palm Beach, FL

City of Palm Beach Gardens 10500 N Military Trail Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410

An Egg-Cellent Adventure!

Music, holiday crafts and The Bunny, too!

Saturday, April 4 9:00-11:00 a.m.

Gardens Park, 4301 Burns Road, Palm Beach Gardens Hop on over for this complimentary, fun, family event featuring an egg hunt, prizes and a visit from The Bunny.

DON’T FORGET YOUR BASKET AND CAMERA!

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SIGNATURE CITY: City of Palm Beach Gardens

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Divided age groups for a traditional egg hunt: 3 years & under, 4-7 years, and 8-10 years. A special area will be set up for our ‘egg-stra’ special kids with varying abilities.