The Lake Worth Tribune

Lake Worth's Best Local Newspaper! Friday, April 10, 2015

The Lake Worth Tribune

W o e rth k a L Domine, ut videam FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2015

Coming Up SATURDAY, APRIL 11 Shoreline Cleanup from 8-11 a.m.

Organized by the Lake Worth Kiwanis Club Meet at the Golf Course at 1 7th Ave. North SATURDAY, APRIL 11 Vegan Chili Cook-Off & Pet Adoption from 3-8 p.m. in the Cultural Plaza presented by Simply Radiant TUESDAY, APRIL 14 City Commission Work Session at 6 p.m. at City Hall TUESDAY, APRIL 28 First Public Meeting of the Invitation to Negotiate Committee at 6 p.m. at City Hall no public comment will be allowed

Potential Revenue Streams for the Lake Worth Pool

By Jane DeCoursey, former AFO (Aquatic Facility Operator) and former lifeguard and water safety instructor at the Lake Worth Pool. Lake Worth homeowner since 1998.

1. Make the pool an amenity of the casino building -- it already is anyway.

2. Use social networking (Facebook, YouTube, etc.) for targeted marketing to university*, Olympic*, private swim teams, schools and travel clubs. Push the fitness angle: Make the triathlon trail permanent (this can be handled by local businesses -- the city doesn't have to pay for everything) with colorful tiles guiding runners and bikers.

Pool training is essential to triathletes; it’s the weakest of the three sports for most competitors.

3. Create packages that include housing**, restaurants and other activities (parties in the Casino, bowling, movies) to keep the cash in Lake Worth.

Local B&Bs, hotels and restaurants can offer special deals.

4. Look at other pools that have made it work and emulate them. (Hall of Fame, Continued on Page 3...

Vol. 1 • Issue 12 Published in Lake Worth, FL

Mayor’s Pick on ITN Committee Saves the Day for Developers

▶ They’re Visionaries! ▶ City Shouldn’t Ask for Building Specifics Before Giving a Developer the Nod! ▶ Coos Over Idea of a Billionaire’s Lunch Club, Private Beach Club With $2500 Annual Membership

By Margaret Menge

Members of the ITN Committee panned the final proposals submitted for the Lake Worth beach, with William Waters saying a third grader could have done better than Hudson Holdings in its

submission, citing spelling errors, and “disingenuous” omissions that made it look as though its building would come in under 50,000 square feet when in fact it would be well over that limit.

The other proposof the committee’s al, submitted by AnMarch 31 meeting, derson & Carr, Inc. said they agreed was criticized by with Waters, and the committee members committee appeared for offering just $20 ready to close out a square foot for its work, making use of the upstairs no recommendation restaurant space and to the commission ballroom, with a Sherri Schmidt whatsoever, or only number of special requests, piece-meal recommendasuch as for valet parking, tions…but for the interceswhich the city can’t grant. sion of committee member Other members of the Sherri Schmidt, a commercommittee, as heard on cial real estate broker and the just-released recording commercial property man-

ager with Cornerstone Realty who was appointed by Mayor Pam Triolo to the city’s Finance Advisory Board.

Schmidt sung the praises of developers in a Southern libretto.

“I’ve worked with developers all my life,” she said, “so I know how their mentality is. They have vision.

They’re visionaries. They change how our landscape looks throughout the coun-

Hudson Holdings Asks to Destroy Lake Worth’s Olympic Pool

▶ Pool Outperformed Expectations Last Year ▶ Costs Were Less, Revenue Was Higher Than Forecast Despite City’s Failure to Market It

BEACH FUND

By Margaret Menge

The Lake Worth Municipal Pool has been busy lately, with a swim team from Finland renting it 2-4 hours a day for the last three weeks. It’s open to the public on Thursday, Friday and Monday mornings from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. (photo by Margaret Menge)

The Hudson Holdbeen released to the ings Plan for the public, but in an auLake Worth beach dio recording of the includes the destrucITN Committee’s tion of the city’s March 31 meeting, Olympic-sized pool, which was posted the only oceanto the city’s website front Olympic-sized last week, commitpool in Palm Beach Steve Michael tee members can be Principal, County, and the conheard discussing two struction of two or Hudson Holdings proposals: one subthree smaller pools on the mitted by Anderson & Carr, property – one that will have Inc., which asks for exclupublic access that an ITN sive use of the second floor of Committee member com- the Casino building, and the plained was not much bigger other by Hudson Holdings, than a “bathtub.” which involves construcThe proposal has not yet Continued on Page 3...

SHOCK II: Convention Center at the Beach Could Attract 1000 People a Day! Building as Proposed Maxes Out at More Than 50,000 Square Feet

By Margaret Menge

ITN Committee member William Waters said that the convention center and private beach club that Hudson

Holdings wants to build at our beach is too big – exceeding the 50,000-square-foot limit when including things like elevators and restrooms,

and warned that it could push crowds at the beach past the breaking point.

‘The number of conventioneers that could fit in a

space like this could easily be close to 1000,” he said at the March 31 meeting of the ITN Committee, describing a convention like the American

SHOCK III: Committee Conspired to Keep Beach Build Plans From Residents to Get Szerdi Re-elected

William Waters: Say Good-bye to Szerdi if This Gets Out

By Margaret Menge

In an audio recording of its February 10 meeting, members of the ITN Committee are heard conspiring to keep plans to build at the beach from the public to make sure John Szerdi would win re-election to the City Commission.

“I would recommend

we do not have any kind of public meeting until after the election,” said William Waters, a city employee who oversees the building and code compliance depart- William Waters ments. “If we have a pub- mittee,

lic meeting, and it gets out (unintelligible)….you can say goodbye to Szerdi,” he said.

Commissioner Andy Amoroso, the Commission’s liaison to the ITN Comquickly agreed, say-

ing, “Absolutely, you cannot do this before…”

“Talk to your boss,” said Juan Ruiz, a city employee who serves as head of the Leisure Services Department, with responsibility for overseeing the Casino building.

“I already did. I already

Institute of Architects annual gathering, which draws around 100 exhibitioners and 900 attendees. Successful convention centers, like the Palm Beach County Convention Center, he pointed out, are booked almost every day.

“We don’t know what the beach can really handle,” said Waters, adding that the beach could be “totally overwhelmed” with people with a convention going on at the same time as a wedding on a Saturday.

Waters oversees the city’s building department and code compliance departments. Prior to being hired by the city, he was employed

by REG Architects, working on the design of the Casino building.

The other committee members, in particular Sherri Schmidt of Cornerstone Realty, who sits on the commit-

Page 2

The Lake Worth Tribune

Friday, April 10, 2015

City Manager Reprimands Private Citizen for Use of the N-Word…

Sparking Protests, Loss of Job and Income, Threats of More Protests, Calls for Calm

By Margaret Menge

It was the night of Ryan Maier’s swearing in as the new city commissioner representing District 4. Dee and Laurence McNamara, who had paid for an independent expenditure ad supporting Maier and Christopher McVoy in the Lake Worth Tribune just before the election, were seated in the front row of the City Commission Chamber. They were there more than an hour early, and were the only ones in the room when city employee Dolores Key walked in.

Key walked up to Dee, according to Laurence McNamara, and asked her to move, telling her the front row was reserved for the candidate’s family.

She started to lead Dee toward the back, and seemed to be taking her all the way to the back row of the empty City Commission Chamber, says Laurence.

Dee, who is of Vietnamese heritage and has dark brown skin, paused.

“She pointed at her own skin and said, ‘Are you calling me a nigger?’” Laurence remembers.

Dolores Key, who is white, took offense.

“She got all bent out of shape,” said Laurence, and told Dee about seven times to apologize.

Dee wouldn’t do it, claiming she was the one who had been offended by the request that she move to the back of the empty room.

And this is how it began.

Dolores Key, who is the city’s economic development manager, complained to her boss, City Manager Michael Bornstein, and Bornstein reprimanded Dee McNamara in an email message on March 24, sending a ‘cc’ to the mayor and commissioners, all city department heads and many private individuals. The message was in response to one Dee had sent to the city, complaining that Bornstein had “authorized Commission members to take pleasure trips on our travel budget, which is directed solely for trips which must bring

Ed Deveaux, right, came to the protest on Saturday, April 4 in support of Dee McNamara, saying you damage people when you accuse them of things without knowing all the facts. In the background, from left, are Mark Parrilla’s mother, Ani Sandoval; Serge Jerome, Jr. arguing with John Jordan; and Gary and Lee Antieau. (photo by Margaret Menge)

benefits to Lake Worth.”

Bornstein’s email message is below: Dee, Due to the your recent outburst in the City Hall Chambers involving a racial slur, not once but twice, I feel compelled to respond. The honorable thing to do is to issue a publically stated apology for using the ‘N’ word in the Chambers. Lake Worth is proud of its diversity and openness, and I will not abide this kind of behavior in the people’s temple. Your nonfactual rants such as below about the elected officials and the staff will not be a distraction from this incident.

-M Dee McNamara shot back: M, You are misinformed.

Your anonymous city employee entered the Commission chambers where I had been seated in my usual place during the ten years I regularly attended Commission meetings, front row left aisle, on the side of the winning candidate I had supported.

Although Laurence and I were the only ones in the room, this light haired,

Laurence McNamara to Dolores Key “I’m guessing that Dolores key is deployed as the economic development director to push through the sleazy beach plan,” said Laurence McNamara. “If I were economic development director, I would see if I could get people to pay rent for all the buildings we give away.” white woman immediately took it upon herself to tell me, and not Laurence, to move to the back of this totally empty public forum room.

As a non-white or brown person myself I have been referred to by racial slurs regularly from early childhood through adulthood in both Europe and America and I asked her if she was viewing me through the eyes of prejudice, which I believe she was.

If an apology is required from anyone, it is from this nameless City employee, who overstepped her authority and insulted a taxpayer who regularly pays her salary.

-Mrs. Dee McNamara Dee and Laurence McNamara attended every Commission meeting from about 2002 to 2012, says

Laurence.

But they’ve been much more than observers: The McNamaras have taken a lead role as activists, championing the little guy against the big developer over many years. Laurence McNamara led the fight against a condominium building planned for Old Bridge Park and served as co-plaintiff with Jim McCauley on a suit against the city for violating the city’s charter by signing a contract with Greater Bay to develop the beachfront that would have extended beyond 19 years and 364 days. Both Laurence and Dee actively campaigned against the Lake Worth 2020 bond, which was narrowly defeated, and they jumped into the election this year to help elect Ryan Maier to the City Commission and support the re-election of Christopher McVoy.

Laurence McNamara himself ran for mayor in 2009, losing in a run-off to Rene Varella.

Laurence and Dee stopped going to Commission meetings sometime 2012, and took up ballroom dancing.

Dolores Key began working for the city in March of 2012 as economic development manager. She works in the office of the city manager, Michael Bornstein.

She declined to talk to the Tribune about this incident, and the City Clerk’s office responded to a request for a copy of a written record of the complaint by saying no such record exists.

In another email to Dee McNamara, Bornstein again reprimanded her for her use of the N-word, saying “There is no form of twisted logic you can muster to justify using this word, twice, in the Chambers,” and cited an offensive email that Dee McNamara sent to the last city manager, Susan Stanton.

Those emails were dug up by a private citizen, says Mark Parrilla – Himself.

He told the Tribune he did a public records request for all of the emails Dee McNamara ever sent to the city.

And then he started organizing a protest, inviting everyone, via Facebook, to join him in protesting in front of the McNamara’s home on North Lakeside Drive.

It was a strange protest, held on a Saturday afternoon, the Saturday before Easter Sunday. Mark Parrilla’s mother was there, wearing a sign that bore the N-word. Two other women were there in addition.

Several friends of the McNamara’s were camped out in the driveway of the home.

The McNamara’s were not at home, however.

Laurence, when reached the day before, said they would be on Palm Beach for a dance event.

“We did decide not to be here, because one, we didn’t want to subject ourselves to their shenanigans, and two, we didn’t want to put ourselves in danger,” he said.

26-Year-Old Man Gunned Down in Alley Between South G and F Street

By Margaret Menge

On the morning of March 31, PBSO deputies went to 902 South G Street for a report of shot fired, and found Frantzcens Auguste, age 26, lying in the alley with gunshot wounds to his head.

An eyewitness told the deputies he was standing outside near his home about 100 feet from the scene and saw Frantzcens, whom he knew from the neighborhood, picking up garbage in the alleyway. He saw another man standing close to Frantzcens, and then heard a gunshot. The man, he said, put something away in his right pants pocket and walked away.

He followed the man and then flagged down a City of Lake Worth employee, Gerard Coscia, who was in a work truck near 606 South C

Street. He pointed to the man, who was then at the 800 block of South C Street, yelling that he’d just shot and killed someone. Coscia, according to the PBSO report, kept a visual on the shooter and called 911 from his work phone.

He kept tracking the shooter, to the 600 block of South C Street, when he passed in between two vehicles.

With the assistance of a dispatcher, Coscia flagged down an unmarked PBSO vehicle: The deputy in that vehicle had just seen a man who matched the description of the shooter enter a home.

Deputies contacted the occupants of the home at 615 South C Street and asked them if anyone wearing all gray had just come in. They said Yes, and everyone came

Jean Philippe Oczeus, outside of his residence at 615 South C Street, where he was taken into custody. (photo by Margaret Menge)

out voluntarily.

Jean Philippe Oczeus, age 24, was arrested after being positively identified by the witness, and was charged with first-degree murder.

In January, Oczeus was charged with felony criminal mischief for breaking a window on a business of a former employer after being told that his last paycheck wasn’t

ready for pick-up. He had other prior arrests for various drug offenses.

Frantczens was taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Former Commissioner John Szerdi was sitting in his car on the street a few yards in front of the McNamara’s house at the beginning of the protest. After about two hours, when the McNamara’s supporters had all left, Parrilla was heard calling Wes Blackman, Szerdi’s campaign manager, on his I-Phone. Soon after, Channel 12 pulled up, and John Szerdi came by, and got out of his car this time, standing on the sidewalk with Roger Hendrix of the Cottages of Lake Worth, and another man.

Mark Parrilla stood on the sidewalk, and began talking into the Channel 12 camera, saying he had called Dee McNamara’s employer, Rinker Realty, and gotten her fired, calling it his biggest accomplishment in 2015. He went on to tell Channel 12 that the McNamaras had run away to Miami to escape the protesters, and were holed up in a hotel there – something that had circulated on Facebook.

“It’s just a whole ridiculous thing,” said Laurence McNamara this week.

He said Dee, a former fashion designer turned real estate agent, lost the listing at 402 North Lakeside Drive due to Parrilla’s calling the owners and blasting her as a racist. The McNamaras have held open houses at the home for months, and spent many hours painting and fixing up the property so that it could be sold.

The home was listed for $745,000.

Parrilla organized another protest in front of the McNamara’s home on Monday evening, and pledged to protest in front of the homes of all of Dee McNamara’s friends, whom he seemed to say were all racist by association.

The matter came before the City Commission this week, with a resident getting up to speak during public comment period, saying the McNamaras have been wonderful neighbors for going on 20 years, and that Dee should be forgiven for having misspoken.

Mark Parrilla spoke after this, again decrying Dee McNamara for use of the N-word, boasting of having gotten her fired, and saying he was continuing his crusade by planning to organize protests in front of the homes of all those who had supported her.

Commissioner Ryan Maier spoke from the dais about the “difficult situation” involving Dee McNamara, and asked whether the reaction to the incident wasn’t in fact inflicting a worse harm.

Mayor Pam Triolo also seemed to speak to the incident, though with more ambiguous language, seeming to remind Parrilla and others that those involved were real people, with lives and jobs and families.

“I don’t think this is a racist town. I think this is a nice town,” said Tammy Pansa, who told the Commission that she wished people would stop throwing around the word “racist.”

Friday, April 10, 2015

The Lake Worth Tribune

“Hudson Holdings Asks to Destroy Lake Worth's Olympic Pool” tion of a building for a convention center and private beach club, with the city’s Olympic-sized pool filled in and two or three new smaller pools constructed.

Juan Ruiz, who oversees the pool as the city’s director of leisure services, was reticent.

“We’re talking about the pool,” Ruiz said to the other members of the ITN Committee on March 31.

“We’re going to take away the pool.”

The Lake Worth pool was excluded from the plans for the rebuilt Casino building, though it underwent a major restoration and renovation about six years ago with $200,000 in grant money from the state that was matched with $200,000 from the city of Lake Worth.

It was not re-opened when the Casino building opened, however, remaining closed until July 4, 2013, when the city, seeming to bow to public pressure, announced that it would re-open it to the public for limited hours – Thursday and Friday mornings and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

City officials have consistently complained about the pool, and three commissioners (Szerdi, Amoroso and Maxwell) along with City Manager Michael Bornstein, all appeared to be making a case for closing the pool in a budget presentation to the Bryant Park Neighborhood Association in the fall of 2014.

But in the last fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, 2014, the pool cost less than was expected -- $194,730 as opposed to the forecast of $220,512 -- and brought in more money than was expected -- $71,536, as opposed to the forecast of $61,702.

This resulted in a deficit of $123,194 – not an insignificant amount, but substantially less than the $200,000 that the pool is frequently said to lose every year.

And it could be seen as remarkably good, considering how hard it is to find any evidence that the city has a pool.

There is no photograph of the Lake Worth pool on the city’s website, and it is almost impossible to find any evidence online that Lake Worth has a pool – much less an Olympic-sized pool at the ocean. There is no mention of it on the page

on the city’s website that describes the Casino and beach. And though there is cost information on this page for rental of the Casino’s upstairs ballroom, there is no cost information on this page or anywhere else for rental of the pool.

Hours of operation for the pool are listed under the Leisure Services Department section of the city’s website, if a person knew to go there.

But there is no phone number listed for the pool here, no information about lessons, and no pictures.

The LED sign in front of City Hall, which is used to advertise volunteer board vacancies, special events, parades, and the farmer’s market, has not been used in recent years to advertise the pool, and the city has not advertised that children’s swimming lessons are offered there on Saturdays.

A woman who answers the phone for the Leisure Services Department says she’s not sure if there are swimming lessons at the pool or not, and gives a phone number for the pool, but says there’s not usually anyone there answering the phones.

The county’s website lists many pools in the county, including two in Belle Glade. Lake Worth’s oceanfront Olympic-sized pool is not listed at all. Lake Worth Ocean Rescue Chief Tim Ehmke told the Tribune that it’s because the city itself does not offer the swimming lessons – they’re offered by a private individual -- and so the city is not a member of the Drowning Prevention Coalition, which lists pools on the county’s website. But the pool was on the list in 2013. It has since been taken off.

It’s almost as if the city didn’t want anyone to know there was a pool here.

Jane DeCoursey, a resident of Lake Worth who worked as a life guard and swim instructor at the pool from 2005-2011, says city staff has wanted to close the pool for years, seeing it as a liability instead of an asset.

“I think it’s attitudinal,” she told the Tribune.

She says she worked hard to market the pool to swim teams for winter training and was “shocked” when she was told in 2010 by her boss, Joe Kroll, to stop taking deposits from teams who wanted to come to

Lake Worth to train and to return any deposits she’d taken.

“I’m closing this pool,” Kroll had told her. And he did, citing faulty water pumps. The pool was later re-opened, and then closed again when the Casino was being built.

DeCoursey said she’s sure if she’d stayed on with the city, and had been able to continue marketing the pool and booking swim teams for winter training, the pool would be more than breaking even: It would be making money.

“I was getting emails every day,” she said of colleges contacting her wanting to rent the pool.

Unfortunately, she said, the city has lost a lot of money over the years because of mismanagement of the pool.

She related a story about Horace Mann School in New York, which paid to rent the pool for its swim team in December of 2009. The mother in charge of the trip called many times to check to make sure the pool would be heated when the kids arrived to train. DeCoursey was told that it would be. But when the team arrived from New York, the heat wasn’t on.

The reason? City staffers hadn’t paid the gas bill. The mother was outraged, and the team never came back.

DeCoursey says this is just one of many examples of what’s happened with the pool over the years, and that the problem seems to be one of attitude – city employees don’t want to do the work necessary to make the pool work.

A swim team from Finland was using the pool for the last three weeks. The coach, Petteri Paaros, said he paid a little less than $3000 for use of the pool for 2-4 hours a day, Monday-Friday for three weeks – a price he described as “very reasonable” – especially by European standards.

Chief Tim Ehmke said there were three or four swim teams, including the Fins, who rented the Lake Worth pool this season for winter training. In addition, East Coast Aquatics, a private group, rents the pool for several hours every day, Monday-Friday, yearround.

The revenue from these groups, however, is not reflected in the $8,000 esti-

mated revenue for the pool for this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, 2015, and the revenue for the coming years is shown on the budget approved last fall as just $8,000 each year.

Corinne Elliot, the city’s controller, says this is an oversight. The numbers, she told the Tribune, were likely carried forward from earlier budgets when the city was planning to keep the pool closed. But the oversight is

significant, as costs of keeping the pool open are shown in the budget as moving up, while revenue remains at just $8,000, creating a deficit for the pool operations of more than $300,000 in fiscal year 2018-2019. This negatively affects the financial picture of the Casino & Beach Complex, which Commissioner Andy Amoroso said at last month’s Commission meeting has a business plan that doesn’t

Page 3

work, citing this as a reason the city needs to bring in a private developer to build at our beach.

Even with the pool showing erroneously large deficits, however, the beach fund shows a positive balance of over $5 million by the year 2018, with the city paying back $500,000 a year on the principal it borrowed from itself to build the Casino, and $42,500 in interest.

“Potential Revenue Streams for the Lake Worth Pool” Wellington, Plantation Central Park).

5. Hire a marketing/ scheduling person with a sports/fitness background to handle Casino/pool events.

There are plenty of retired and working swim coaches who would be perfect for the job. They have the background and credentials for water safety and instruction, so that would be built in; and they have contacts to spread the word to other fitness professionals. (Consider a short-term, performance- and bonus-based contract to discourage “good enough for government work” attitude.). Pool guards should be all parttime, to keep costs down.

6. Consider a subcontractor for Summer Learn to Swim. The county and/ or private businesses that teach may be interested.

Partner with organizations like the Drowning Prevention Coalition to secure funding for under-served

neighborhoods -- swimming should be unattainable for any child in Lake Worth.

7. Contact Men’s Health Magazine and unabashedly lobby for a spot on America’s Top Ten Fittest Cities. Between the 50-meter pool, the circuit training equipment in Bryant Park, the Triathlon Course, the bike lanes, etc., we could surely achieve it.

When that publicity kicks in, just answer the phones and check the mail. Take 50 percent, non-refundable deposits, schedule events backto-back, and make sure you have the (part-time) staff to get into the pool daily to keep it clean. *Lake Worth hosted these teams until about the mid90s. The teams train daily and use local restaurants and housing. Media interest is an added perk -- the Palm Beach Post did articles recently on where the Italian swim team ate after training at the Wellington pool.

(The Italians used to train

in Lake Worth; legend has it they showed up and the pool wasn’t heated in January so they couldn’t train -supposedly the Commission voted against paying for a pool cover -- no one with a brain heats a 50-meter pool without a cover, but Lake Worth did it for years) **Athletes need a lot of food, and space. Cramped hotel rooms pale in comparison to being able to rent a house. The Ocean Breeze/ Palmway and Lakeside area between 3rd Ave N & 3rd Ave S is about a mile from the beach. An easy jog or bike ride adds to the appeal.

Incidentally, Lake Worth Pool is not deep enough to qualify for use in Olympic trials, but teams don't require FINA standards to train. Being on the beach means the world to these teams -- Lake Worth has everything necessary to be a destination city for athletes, families, and active people from around the globe

Got News? Don't wait! Call 801-NEWS Lake Worth Library Calendar TUESDAY, APRIL 13 Munchkins Storytime for children ages 2-4 from 11 a.m.-12 noon in the City Hall Annex meeting room. With children’s librarian Cindy Ansell. Children must be accompanied by an adult. FREE. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14 Bookworms Storytime for children 5-12 from 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. in the City Hall Annex meeting room. Call Miss Ruth or Miss Cindy to sign up at 533-7354.

THURSDAY, APRIL 15 Munchkins Storytime for children ages 2-4 from 11 a.m.-12 noon in the City Hall Annex meeting room. With children’s librarian Cindy

Ansell. Children must be accompanied by an adult. FREE. SATURDAY, APRIL 18 Third Saturday Book Club at 2 p.m. at the City Hall Annex meeting room. “The Traitor’s Wife” by Alison Pataki. Books are available at the library. The book for next month is “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand.

The Lake Worth Public Library 15 North M Street in Lake Worth Closed Sundays and Mondays For additional information, please call

(561) 533-7354

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Page 4

The Lake Worth Tribune

Friday, April 10, 2015

“Mayor's Pick on ITN Committee Saves the Day...” try. That’s why our cities look the way they do is they’re visionaries of developers. And so, generally, in advance, is they put a vision, their pie-in-the sky ideas…then once a developer gets a green flag, they can start spending money…”

She explained that the committee shouldn’t have expected more detailed information from the two proposers – Hudson Holdings and Anderson & Carr -saying a developer needs to hear that the city likes their big idea, and then they’ll submit more details.

“Like any of us, we don’t want to put improvements into a new house until we buy it first, close on it, and then we want to put a new roof on it. Because then we have the money to do it,” she said.

It was a surprising statement, seeming to suggest that the city shouldn’t ask for specifics before picking a proposal and agreeing to give over its prized oceanfront property to a developer for 19 years and 364 days, the maximum allowed under the city’s charter.

Or more.

City Commissioner Andy Amoroso asked attorney Christy Goddeau whether there was any way to get around this limitation, and extend the lease.

Goddeau replied that it might be possible to award a “right of first refusal,” putting Hudson Holdings first in line to get the renewal of the lease on the prop-

erty, presumably for another 19 years and 364 days.

Other committee members continued to express concern about information lacking in the Hudson Holdings proposal, which calls for a convention center and private beach club.

But not Sherri Schmidt, saying it would be “short-sighted” for the committee to give up just because “a couple people wrote something in the newspaper.”

She laid out a vision of her own for a private beach club with $2500 annual memberships, spoke glowingly of a billionaire’s lunch club at a private beach club and raised the idea of a Jimmy Buffett-branded Margaritaville.

“He’s got deep pockets,” she said of Hudson Holdings money man Carl DeSantis.

“For us to partner with reputable developers, we’re sort of lucky, in one regard, that someone’s come our way, because a lot of real estate developers and brokers I know personally don’t want to get anywhere near the city of Lake Worth. They don’t want to bring anyone into the city of Lake Worth.

For whatever reason, the reputation’s been tarnished.

And part of it is because this small little group of people who control the political actions of the city of Lake Worth, and who have said ‘No Progress, We don’t want any,’” she told her fellow committee members.

She went on to compare Lake Worth to the little

house “left in the middle of Manhattan” with skyscrapers all around, and everybody saying: “What’s wrong with you people?? Why don’t you have vision?”

The committee decided, at the end of the meeting, to go back to both developers with a number of questions – and appointed William Waters, the city’s director for community sustainability, to be the one to do it.

Anderson & Carr will be asked whether they’d consider a higher lease rate, and Hudson Holdings will be asked the following: whether they’d be willing to pay for a traffic study; whether they’re willing to have more than one pool for public access; what will be their timeline to complete; whether they’re planning to finance the building of the convention center/private beach club; whether they’ll scale down the building to meet the FAR (floor area ratio); whether they’re willing to consider a stand-alone structure, not connected to the Casino building; what they mean by a “private” beach club, whether they’ll submit an itemized budget; and what kind of city and community access will be allowed for the ballroom.

The next meeting of the ITN Committee will be open to the public, although there will be no opportunity for public comment. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28 at City Hall.

“SHOCK II: Convention Center at The Beach...” tee as a member of the city’s Finance Advisory Board, spoke approvingly of the developer’s plans for a convention center at our beach.

“For them to be successful, they need a convention center, and if they don’t put it there, they’ll probably put it somewhere else,” said Schmidt.

Schmidt, who was appointed to the Finance Advisory Board by Mayor Pam Triolo, lauded developers at the beginning of the meeting for their “vision” that has shaped the landscape of America.

She later referred to Lake Worth as the little house left in the middle of Manhattan, with everyone looking at it, saying “What’s wrong with you people?”

Juan Ruiz, who oversees the beach and Casino building, said he could see the importance of having a convention center at the beach, while indicating he wouldn’t support a private beach club or a members-only pool.

Waters said the zoning code allows an additional 60,000 square feet to be built at the beach, but that only 50,000 is allowed using the floor area ratio (the ratio of the total square footage of all floors of a building compared to total land area). The Hudson Holdings plan, he said, had doubled in size since it was first proposed last year, and was “maxing out” – going over the 50,000-square-foot limit without any justifi-

cation. As of February, the building was proposed to be over 60,000 square feet.

The Hudson Holdings building, Waters indicated, was proposed as an addition to the Casino building, but he said that it should be a standalone building instead, to protect the integrity of the city’s building. The vacant upstairs restaurant space would be used as a breakout space for the convention center and Hudson Holdings would also take over management of the ballroom on the second floor, while maintaining some community access.

Hudson Holdings has also proposed to manage the entire Casino building for the city, for a fee of 5 percent of lease income.

“SHOCK III: Committee Conspired to Keep...” of one week to subtold him,” says Ammit final and best oroso, speaking of replies to the comCity Manager Mimittee’s questions chael Bornstein. “I about their proposalready told him, als so as to avoid ‘You know you reaching the end of want a green archithe ITN process and tect, or you want a having to have a hairdresser?’ You know?... William Andy Amoroso public meeting bemight want the hairdresser, fore March 10.

John Szerdi, an architect, but…”

“No, I don’t,” said Waters. is working for Hudson Hold“…(unintelligible) know ings on the Sundy House project in Delray Beach, what I’m getting.”

With the March 10 elec- and told the Tribune that he tion in mind then, and the brought Hudson Holdings importance of ensuring Szer- to Lake Worth and showed di’s re-election, the commit- them the Gulfstream Hotee members agreed to give tel, which they proceeded the two proposers, Anderson to purchase in May of 2014 & Carr, Inc. and Hudson for $7.3 million while Szerdi Holdings, two weeks instead was a commissioner.

News of Hudson Holdings’ proposal to build a convention center and private beach club at the Lake Worth beach did get out before the election – after Steve Michael of Hudson Holdings met with owners of the Gulfstream Condominiums in late February and Commissioner Christopher McVoy happened to be in the room.

McVoy took detailed notes of the meeting, and provided them to the Tribune, which published a story just two weeks before the election.

John Szerdi lost his re-election bid on March 10 to firsttime candidate Ryan Maier by a 20-percent margin, winning just 37 percent of the vote to Maier’s 57 percent.

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Michael Bornstein Gets Five-Year Contract Extension and $10K Raise

By Margaret Menge

City Manager Michael Bornstein’s contract was up for renewal this week, and a parade of bowties flooded into City Hall.

Former Commissioner John Szerdi wore one, along with some of Szerdi’s strongest supporters in the last election: Jon Faust of Coastline Realty (and head of the NAPC); real estate investor Herman Robinson; and Chip Guthrie, former head of the South Palm Park Neighborhood Association. Szerdi, Faust, Robinson and Guthrie all stood up and spoke in support of Bornstein, and urged the Commission to give him a raise.

Dave Stewart, long-time mayor of Lantana, also spoke.

“I feel it’s time to step up to the plate and compensate your city manager in the way that he deserves,” Stewart told Lake Worth’s City Commission.

“Mike has ideas for how to fix things…” said Szerdi when he spoke.

Loretta Sharpe also spoke up in support of Bornstein, saying the reputation of Lake Worth has improved “one thousand percent” since Bornstein has been on the job.

Commissioners also spoke glowingly of Bornstein with Mayor Pam Triolo telling

City Manager Michael Bornstein, in a photograph taken by Mark Parrilla, that can be seen on the city’s website.

him: “I am so grateful that you came into our lives.”

Commissioner Scott Maxwell suggested voting to extend Bornstein’s contract for five years, instead of the two years that were being considered.

“Two years is really going to zip by us, and I’d like to know you’ll be with us beyond those two years,” said Maxwell.

The Commission voted to give Bornstein a $10,000 raise, and to extend his contract five years – to 2020. The vote was 3-2, with McVoy and Maier dissenting on extending the contract for five years.

Bornstein’s total salary will now be $145,000 a year, with a $500 stipend for use of his personal vehicle for city business.

Hudson Holdings Wants Three-Story Parking Garage At the Beach

By Margaret Menge

As part of its proposal to the City of Lake Worth, Hudson Holdings is proposing to build a three-story parking garage at the Lake Worth beach to provide parking for its convention center and private beach club.

The parking garage, said ITN Committee member William Waters, would add a net of 200 spaces to the beach complex, noting that this would not be nearly enough to serve the convention cen-

ter, which could “easily” attract 1000 people a day for conventions.

Waters also noted that the Hudson Holdings’ plan doesn’t show where cars would enter and exit – a large oversight.

At the March 31 meeting of the ITN Committee, committee members decided to go back to both proposers, asking Hudson Holdings to consider reducing the size of the parking garage, and paying for a

traffic study that would look at peak times of potential visitation, which would include a description of how the convention center is to be used.

The committee also said it wanted to talk with Hudson Holdings about use of the parking garage, to see if the developer would be open to it being used by beach-goers and others, not exclusively for people going to the convention center or private beach club.

Friday, April 10, 2015

The Lake Worth Tribune

Page 5

EVENTS CALENDAR FRIDAY, APRIL 10

SATURDAY, APRIL 18

“Cabaret” Opening Night! At 8 p.m. at the Lake Worth Playhouse at 713 Lake Avenue. Tickets $38. Call the Box Office at (561) 586-6410.

Lake Worth Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Old Bridge Park, on the east side of the Lake Worth Bridge off Ocean Avenue. Fresh produce, baked goods, crafts, farmfresh eggs, Florida honey, and music.

First Annual Beach Clean-up and Dive Against Debris starting at 9 a.m. at the Lake Worth Beach, organized by Wet Pleasures Dive Outfitters. Join this underwater dive and beach cleanup led by a dive master and reef cleanup specialist, who will teach certified divers how to clean up pylons.

Those who aren’t certified divers can help pick up trash on the beach by hand. Register at: Wet Pleasure Dive Outfitters at 312 West Lantana Rd. “Cabaret” at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Lake Worth Playhouse at 713 Lake Avenue. Call the Box Office at (561) 5866410.

Lake Worth Cottages Bicycle Tour at 3 p.m., presented

by The Cottages of Lake Worth. The tour focuses on cottages built 1912-1935. Architectural styles include bungalows, frame & masonry vernacular, Spanish/Mission, colonial revival & Art Deco. For reservations call (561) 480-0160.

SATURDAY, APRIL 11 Shoreline Cleanup from 8-11 a.m., organized by the Lake Worth Kiwanis Club. Meet at the Golf Course at 1 7th Avenue North.

Lake Worth Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Old Bridge Park, on the east side of the Lake Worth Bridge off Ocean Avenue. Fresh produce, baked goods, crafts, farmfresh eggs, Florida honey, and music.

‘Vetts in the Park’ Corvette Show from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Bryant Park, presented by Corvette Club of the Palm Beaches.

“Cabaret” at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Lake Worth Playhouse at 713 Lake Avenue. Call the Box Office at (561) 5866410.

Vegan Chili Cook-Off & Pet Adoption from 3-8 p.m. in the Cultural Plaza downtown, presented by Simply Radiant.

Food, music and craft beer.

SUNDAY, APRIL 19

SUNDAY, APRIL 12

“Cabaret” at 2 p.m. at the Lake Worth Playhouse at 713 Lake Avenue. Call the Box Office at (561) 586-6410.

Thursday, April 23 “Cabaret” at 8 p.m. at the Lake Worth Playhouse at 713 Lake Avenue. Call the Box Office at (561) 586-6410.

“Cabaret” at 2 p.m. at the Lake Worth Playhouse at 713 Lake Avenue. Call the Box Office at (561) 586-6410.

A Provincetown Cabaret at 4 p.m. at St. Andrews Episcopal Church at 100 North Palmway, featuring jazz pianist John Thomas – the toast of Provincetown(!) Cabaret seating, with wine, punch, Cape Cod-themed cocktail-hour nibbles in honor of Thomas. $20 admission. For tickets or more information call 582-6609.

MONDAY, APRIL 13 Food Truck Invasion from 6-9 p.m. in the Cultural Plaza downtown.

THURSDAY, APRIL 16 “Cabaret” at 8 p.m. at the Lake Worth Playhouse at 713 Lake Avenue. Call the Box Office at (561) 586-6410.

THURSDAY, APRIL 23 “Cabaret” at 8 p.m. at the Lake Worth Playhouse at 713 Lake Avenue. Call the Box Office at (561) 586-6410.

FRIDAY, APRIL 17 Evening on the Avenue from 6-10 p.m. in the Cultural Plaza downtown, with music by Grace & the Victory Riders (world music) and an intermission spotlight by Tailored Soul.

Food trucks, crafts, specialty items for sale.

“Cabaret” at 8 p.m. at the Lake Worth Playhouse at 713 Lake Avenue. Call the Box Office at (561) 586-6410.

Send information about your events to The Lake Worth Tribune for publication on the EVENTS Calendar!

Email mmenge@lakeworthtribune.com or bring information to the newspaper’s offices at:

129 N. Federal Hwy, Suite 200A.

Pool Open Thursday through Sunday The Lake Worth Municipal Pool is open on Thursday and Friday mornings from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, and Saturday and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Swimming lanes are available for those wanting to swim laps. Seasonal passes are available. The pool is at the Casino building at 10 South Ocean Boulevard.

Call 585-6858 during hours of operation for more information.

Lifeguards Nicholas Merelli and Chief Tim Ehmke were honored, along with their colleague Doug Yoakum (not pictured) by the City Commission this week for their bravery in saving the life of a woman south of the Lake Worth beach on March 19. The woman had been pulled from the water and was without a pulse when the lifeguards began giving her CPR. After ten minutes, she gasped for air. She was taken to the hospital where she was later said to be in a stable condition. (photo by Margaret Menge)

Auditions for ‘Tommy’

Local Artist’s Paintings on Exhibit on Palm Beach

The Lake Worth Playhouse has just announced auditions for “The Who’s Tommy” which will run July 9-26.

The May 5 auditions will begin at 7 p.m. on the main stage of the Playhouse at 713 Lake Avenue. Auditions will continue on May 6, starting at 7 p.m. in the Rehearsal Hall. Callbacks, if needed, will be on May 7 at 7 p.m. on the main stage.

Those auditioning are asked to select a song either from the show or a song from the musical that has a rock sound, and are asked to come prepared to sing the entire song. They are also asked to bring a CD of the accompaniment or to have it on a phone, or else to bring sheet music. An accompanist will be provided.

“You must have music. You will not be permitted to sing a cappella,” says the Playhouse, adding that all those auditioning will be required to dance, so should bring something to change into, if needed to dance.

“The Who’s Tommy” was written by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff, with music and lyrics by Pete Townshend. It will be directed by Jodie Dixon-Mears, and choreographed by Roger Dunson, with Evan Ferrar serving as music director.

It tells the story of a deaf, dumb and blind boy’s journey from pain to triumph as a pinball wizard. It is based on the 1969 rock concept album “The Who’s Tommy.”

Lake Worth artist Jill Karlin will have a number of her paintings on exhibit at Jackie Rodgers International at 256 Worth Avenue on Palm Beach on Thursday, April 9 as part of a fundraiser to benefit A Second Chance Puppies and Kittens Rescue, Inc., a foster-based, non-profit animal rescue group based in Palm Beach County. The event will be from 5-7 p.m.

The tropical oils and watercolors by Karlin will be shown alongside a presentation of the 2015 collection of Jackie Rogers, a renowned fashion designer who has been called “America’s Coco Chanel.”

Karlin has an undergraduate degree from the Rhode Island School of Design, a master’s degree in fine arts from Boston University and studied painting at L’Academie de Beaux Arts in Paris and sculpture in Rome.

Also on exhibit will be some of Rogers’ black and white photographs, taken in the days of Europe’s Jet Set society from Fellini’s movie sets to the beaches of the French Riviera.

Summer Camp at the Playhouse

The City of Lake Worth will be hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 5th Avenue North greenway project on Tuesday, April 14 at 3 p.m. at the corner of 5th Avenue North and North B Street.

The project, which was funded by a Community Development Block Grant from Palm Beach County, involved converting the existing road from North A Street to North C Street into a greenway by clearing and grubbing the site, fine grading to provide drainage, and construction of a multiuse pathway and the installation of sod, landscaping, and an irrigation system.

The public is invited to come to the ribbon-cutting on April 14 to join city leaders in celebrating the completion of this project.

Sign your child up for summer camp at The Lake Worth Playhouse. The first camp, from June 8-27, will work on “Shrek, The Musical.” The camp will meet Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Playhouse. Performance dates are June 25 and 26, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and June 27 at 2 p.m. The second camp session will meet for four weeks, July 6-August 1, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Kids will work on the show “Narnia.” Performances will be July 30-August 1 at 2 p.m. Both camps are for ages 8-14. Cost for each is $600. To register call (561) 586-6410.

Ribbon Cutting for New Greenway at 5th Avenue North

Page 6

The Lake Worth Tribune

Friday, April 10, 2015

OPINION House Editorial

Betrayal at the Beach City Manager Michael Bornstein’s contract was just extended for five years and he was given a $10,000 raise. This on the heels of revelations that he concealed plans to expand our Casino building from Commissioner Christopher McVoy and the public and slid an ITN process through the Commission under the guise of needing to find someone to manage the Casino ballroom, find a renter for the empty upstairs space and maybe manage the pool.

Listening to the tapes of the ITN Committee meetings, I can only feel a deep sense of betrayal to hear people, at least half of whom don’t even live in Lake Worth, discuss a convention center and private beach club and the destruction of our Olympic pool.

Considering the very serious business about our beach, and the complete disrespect shown to the community of people who treasure it, I would think Bornstein’s contract should have been extended for just one year, at the most, and a great many questions asked of him.

I would like to know why he isn’t familiar with the overall financial picture for the Casino complex – why he didn’t know, for exam-

ple, that in three years the beach fund will have a very healthy balance if all goes well. And according to reports, all is going well at the beach, with the city bringing in about $1.5 million a year just for parking.

I would like to know why he is refusing to market the municipal pool, and then advocating for its closure, complaining that it loses a lot of money. It doesn’t lose that much money. In the fiscal year that ended on Sept.

30, it lost just $123,000.

I would also like to know why the city refuses to organize swimming lessons at the pool. Jane DeCoursey, who was a lifeguard and swim instructor at the pool, said she had 200 kids on the pool deck every day during the summer from 2005 to 2010 for the Guppie Rescue Squad. It was a huge success. And a great opportunity for the children in our community to become strong swimmers.

No matters what orders he is being given by the Commission majority, Bornstein is still sworn to uphold the laws of the state of Florida, and our Sunshine laws say that the business of the people must be done in the open. Why isn’t it?

— Margaret Menge, Editor and Publisher

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Reporters Wanted

Looking for local news hounds to work as freelance reporters for The Lake Worth Tribune. Must have courage and curiosity, along with a college degree. Must also be able to pass a writing/editing test. Weekend and evening availability a plus!

Send resume and cover letter to: mmenge@lakeworthtribune.com.

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Remembering Jimmie Efantis “Ten four. Over and out.”

He used to end his phone conversations that way -conversations that sometimes extended longer in time than his friends wanted them to. He wasn't a man to be hurried. He almost made it to his 100th birthday.

Jimmie Efantis died peacefully, after a very short illness, on Valentine’s Day. He was a well-known personality in the Lake Worth area. If you lived for some time in Lake Worth during the past 30 years, you likely ran into him. At one time or another he was surprise minstrel at barbeques and picnics at John Prince Park, at the Farmer Girl restaurant on Dixie Highway, and the Pegasus (now Don Victor’s) restaurant. He and a guitar occasionally appeared, unannounced, in the lobby of the Lake Worth Towers.

The Presbyterians on North Federal Highway enjoyed his appearances, sometimes invited, sometimes spontaneous, at their potluck suppers. He busked for his own pleasure, not for money, on Lake Avenue. When he could round up transportation he’d be at open mike in downtown Lake Worth, wowing the folkies and rockers. He played his acoustic guitar and sang at Medicana Rehab, by the high school, and then he returned without fee to play in the lobby there, and to individual residents. He did the same thing at the old Eason’s Nursing Home on 6th Avenue south.

He wasn’t shy. If you were shopping, if you were dining, you might hear a strong voice singing from the next aisle over, or from the nearby booth, and it would be Jimmie, at age 80 or 85 or 95, going it a cappella. Aloha Cafe, on Thursday evenings, at 800 Lake Avenue, was the location and opportunity to play his Hawaiian repertoire, the Hawaiian songs he loved, on his steel guitar.

Lying on his back in bed at Hidden Gardens Assisted Living facility Jimmie was, incredibly, on the last day of his life, still singing. He sang the same songs he played and sang for most of his 97 years and 11 months. “It Had to Be You”; “Be Careful, It’s My Heart”; “You'll Never Know (just how much I love you.

You'll never know just how much I care.”) He made clear in his circles just how much he cared about some things: patriotism, his country, his God, his music. And, sadly, when he died folks were left who could do no more than wonder just what he felt and exactly how much he cared.

Jimmie spent just three days at Hidden Gardens – coincidentally not far from the Polo Grounds Publix supermarket where he bagged groceries until he was well into

Editor and Publisher / Margaret Menge mmenge@lakeworthtribune.com

Creative Director / Nancy Pobiak Account Executive / PJ Stevens P.O. Box 85 • Lake Worth, FL 33460 Published in Lake Worth, Florida at the offices of The Lake Worth Tribune.

129 North Federal Highway • Suite 200A • Lake Worth, FL 33460 • Phone: (561) 586-6643

Jimmie Efantis makes friends with two girls at a Lake Worth barber shop, in a photo taken not long before his death. (photo contributed)

his 80's. That was on Military Trail, not far from the mobile home park where he lived for many years until he eventually moved to “independent living” at Villa Madonna on Lake Worth Road. Everybody in the vicinity of his mobile home knew him: Scores of customers at Publix knew him. Wherever he went in greater Lake Worth and eastern central Palm Beach County, somebody would know him. Waiters and waitresses and cashiers and customers dining at Perkins and I-Hop and Denny’s and the Deli Inn, and, some years back, at TooJays, were treated to impromptu concerts. Church pastors knew him. He worshipped in a dozen or more churches. He’d find an excuse to sing “There's Something About That Name” and declare his religious faith to anybody he met.

He was a barber and a musician. His instrument was the steel guitar, but he also played rhythm and sing-along guitar, and he sang in a pleasing voice whenever he was invited to do so, or whenever he could attract an audience. His was a pop singer’s voice, on key, with reserves of strength that lasted almost to his last breath. He loved an audience.

James Constantine Efantis was an unforgettable personality, with some rough edges born of an anxiety disorder dating back to his army days in London during the blitz, and difficult days in the first of three marriages. He declined tranquilizers. For many years he led a musician’s life in the District of Columbia, but he never smoked tobacco or marijuana. His drugs of choice were his guitars, and the songs he loved were his tranquilizers: “Coquette,” “Remember Me, I’m the One Who Loved You,” “Tea for Two,” “Somebody Stole My Gal.” He played country and western music, too, never forfeiting an opportunity to denounce “open chord” music, and railing against musicians who eschewed diminished and augmented chords. He played “Anytime” and “I’m Walking the Floor Over You” and “I’m Sending You a Big Bouquet of Roses” at Moose halls and juke joints and dance venues.

He played in nursing homes, and he never failed to brighten the residents’ days. He never bombed. He didn’t play rap or rock, or even Beatles or Bacharach or Bossa Nova. He played the stuff that his generation remembered and liked: “I Want a Girl Just Like the Girl That Married Dear Old Dad,” “Too-ra-Loo-ra-Loo-ral”; “Melancholy Baby”; “Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet.”

He played sweet chords. He preached “chord structure” to strangers who listened patiently, not really knowing what he was talking about, but reluctant to declare their indifference. He was a familiar sight at all kinds of venues, often sporting a scarf that he might have worn for effect as much as for warmth.

He made friends on the spot.

“Come visit me. I live at Villa Madonna.” After almost 98 years of life he had crossed a lot of names out of his address book, but he was always adding new names to it.

“How much longer do you think I’ve got?” he’d ask.

“Jimmie, you’ll probably bury me. Did anybody in your family live to 100?”

“Well, I had a great uncle or some relative who lived to 103.”

“What did he die of?”

“He fell off his horse riding in the mountains in Greece.”

In earlier years he played Hawaiian and Polynesian music with the Hawaiian State Society in the Washington and Baltimore area.

He played radio broadcasts.

He played tough venues, and honky tonks, and places with dubiously evocative names. He played the Bucket of Blood. He played steel guitar with Jimmy Dean and with Buck Owens. He never became a studio musician: He turned down a chance to go to Nashville. He worked union scale at smaller jobs at the big Washington hotels.

“Jimmie, what was it like?

Seeing famous politicians and public figures?”

“I’d see them at their hideouts.”

“What do you mean?”

“The places they’d go with their secretaries. Down by the Potomac. The saloons.”

“They’d have musicians there?”

“Oh, yeah. Bands. And they’d drink and have all the women there and it was all private.”

Seeing Jimmie do his thing would bring to mind another Jim – Jimmy Durante. In his sunny moods Jimmie Efantis was … loveable. He flirted with just about every female he met, of any age. At his age he wasn’t threatening, he was just an avuncular kind of cute, and he knew it. And he charmed children. He’d croon, “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby” and charm the parents. He’d quickly have any young child’s attention with “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.” He sometimes sang mildly saucy parodies, but you’d never hear him use filthy language. He had favorite lines he liked to employ, of mysterious origin, such as “Take it away, Rosedale.”

Like Durante he’d mangle his

By Bob Horrell

syntax and vocabulary, and he'd coin his own words and phrases: “Speculational illusions,” “You think I’m some sort of character – there’s a frustrational extravation,” “Thunderize.”

He was a poor judge of character and motivation, and, at the same time, sometimes, somehow, a shrewd analyst of people. Here’s what he was: giving, spontaneous, calculating, vengeful, loving, forgiving, unforgiving, narcissistic, realistic about his shortcomings, studious, intellectually curious, intellectually unsophisticated, funny, hostile, charming, creative, belligerent, dapper, inventive, impulsively generous, anxious, naïve, fun-loving, vital.

He compulsively wrote out long lists: song titles, chord progressions, biblical passages, favorite quotes. Books on his bookshelf were usually extensively highlighted or underlined. He read heavily in Biblical archaeology and Biblical studies. He collected Social Security, accepted subsidized housing and VA disability benefits, praised Franklin Roosevelt, and contributed from his limited resources to the John Birch Society and right-wing causes whose newsletters purported to tell him inside stories about death panels and threats to freedom.

He decorated his steel guitars and his living quarters and his belongings with collages composed of political stickers, flower images, flags, epigrams, and photographs.

He had an ear for a good tune and a meaningful lyric.

He had a few signature songs.

He’d dedicate “Fools Rush In” to “M____.” He’d sing an old Irving Berlin song, “When I Lost You,” so nicely that it would melt your heart. He’d close most of his engagements with “Aloha ‘Oe” (Farewell to Thee) from his Hawaiian repertoire. And he’d do his own arrangement of “Crazy,” giving credit to Willie Nelson or Patsy Cline, knowing that the Efantis version was sure to be a hit. You can see and hear him doing his songs in family videos uploaded by his grandson to YouTube. Go to https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=oepMKCKu0u8. Thank you, Anthony, for preserving that music and that personality for us.

It was a treat to be out with him when he had his guitar.

To listen to his “Jimmietalk.”

To watch him flirt with complete strangers. To see how he could almost always grab an audience and lift their spirits with music.

A particular favorite of Jimmie’s, one that he sang with especial feeling, was “The Street of Regret.”

When you’re alone on the street of regret, And your eyes are dim, and your cheeks are wet, You know you’ve been wrong, too late to mend, You wander along, wondering where it will end.

And you’re alone with the dreams of the past, And you realize what love means, at last...

Aloha, Jimmie. Aloha ’oe.

James “Jimmie” Efantis of Greenacres died on Feb. 14, 2015 at the age of 97.

Big Brother in the Parks?

Friday, April 10, 2015

The Lake Worth Tribune

Page 7

Camera in Bryant Park Takes High-Res Pics From 250 Feet Away Commission Approved Three Cameras at Dec. 2 Meeting

This FlashCAM is one of three approved by the City Commission on Dec. 2 and installed in parks in Lake Worth last week. All malfunctioned, taking pictures of people during the day, and are to be taken down and returned to the manufacturer to be repaired. (photo by Margaret Menge)

Grady Grant Jr. points up at the FlashCAM in Bryant Park. ‘This is totally unbelievable,’ he said of the warning that the park is a restricted area and that a photo was being taken and would be used to prosecute the offender. (photo by Margaret Menge)

By Margaret Menge

A strange voice was heard from the skies above Bryant Park on Thursday, April 2, broadcast loudly from high atop a light pole: “STOP. THIS IS A RESTRICTED AREA, AND YOUR PHOTOGRAPH WAS JUST TAKEN. WE WILL USE IT TO PROSECUTE YOU. LEAVE THE AREA NOW.” It appeared to be coming from the area around the picnic pavilion, but was so loud that it could be distinctly heard from the far side of the playground, and even from the parking lot.

A flash could be seen from a box on the light pole as the words were spoken.

The broadcast went off every few minutes that afternoon and early evening, usually when walkers or bikers passed on the sidewalk, apparently triggering a motion detector.

“What does prosecute mean?” asked a young girl on hearing the announcement.

“What’s that for? It’s ridiculous,” said a man, who’d come over to get a better listen and check out the source of the voice. “You’re my witness. I’m not doing anything. I’m just walking.”

A call to the Lake Worth substation of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office didn’t yield any answers: Captain Rolando Silva’s assistant said PBSO didn’t know anything about it. But she sent a sergeant out.

Sergeant P. Kearney drove up onto the sidewalk in a patrol car, setting off the

threatening announcement.

She looked up at the box on the light pole, and says she thought it might have been the work of the county parks department.

“If we put up a camera, it’s not gonna say nothin’ – it’s just gonna film you,” she says.

She made a few phone calls, but didn’t get any answer to the question of who was responsible for the box.

“That’s real?” says a man named Ken Urker, who walked across the park to see where the voice was emanating from. “That is so gnarly,” he said, looking up at the box as the broadcast was triggered again and his picture was taken. “I feel like my rights are being violated.”

He said he thought the park, a city park, was supposed to be a nice place for families to come to. “I feel like that would scare families away,” he said.

“I don’t think they have any right to just take pictures of the public like that,” he said.

“That’s crazy. That’s insane,” said Grady Grant Jr., who walked into the pavilion and marveled at the box and its demands. “It’s taking pictures. That’s not right. This is totally unbelievable.”

“It makes it feel like the cops are so lazy they just want to take pictures,” he said.

“What do you mean ‘You’re in a Restricted Area’?” said Sandy Kovalcik, an artist who was walk-

ing her dog along the walkway with her husband when the announcement went off.

“How could it be a restricted area? It’s a park.”

“It’s a very hostile, kind of belligerent message,” she said. “It kind of makes you want to do things. Bad things,” she said.

The box, it was later discovered, is called a FlashCAM. It’s produced by a company called Q-Star Technology and was obtained through a grant by the city’s Department of Leisure Services, headed by Juan Ruiz. The Lake Work City Commission approved the installation of three FlashCAMs at its Dec. 2 meeting.

Q-Star, in its pitch to the city, wrote that the FlashCAM is meant to address nuisance crimes, and is a deterrent system, not a surveillance system, though a graphic on the company’s report that says “We’re watching, So You Don’t Have To!” seems to contradict this somewhat.

The goal, Q-Star says, is “behavior modification,” showing actual photos of vandals and car thieves interrupted by the voice from above, but also photos of young couples walking together along a walkway, and two young boys skateboarding.

The system takes high-resolution (12+ megapixel) photographs of suspects and license plates, even in the dark, up to 250 feet away.

“The clarity of the captured images allows law enforcement to identify and

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One of the other FlashCAMs was installed in Howard Park, on the city’s south side. All three were installed by the city’s Public Services Department last week.

Jamie Brown, head of that department, says the FlashCAMs are to prevent graffiti in the parks and serious damage to the facilities, including the restrooms, which costs the city thousands of dollars to repair.

The International Dark Sky Association (IDA) board of directors approved Dark Sky Lake Worth’s application to become an official IDA chapter on March 19.

IDA, founded in 1988, was the first non-profit to identify and draw worldwide attention to the hazards of light pollution. In ensuing years the group has established a reputation as the premiere global “authority on light pollution.”

In the past, the international association has voiced opposition to the use of unshielded lights outdoors. More recently, IDA has warned against replacing traditional street lights that employ warmer color temperatures with blue-rich white LED lights. IDA has publicized documented negative side effects, such as glare and safety, of using unshielded lights and bluerich white light.

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onto a laptop, but he didn’t have any other information about who has access to them, and where and for how long they are kept.

A quick Internet search pulls up an article: “Say Cheese! Some Residents Don’t Smile for Security Camera in Isham Park” about a FlashCAM installed in a park in New York City.

Residents complained so vociferously about the camera and the threatening message that the city’s parks department took it down.

“Our local group is honored to be recognized by IDA as an official chapter,” says Dark Sky Lake Worth co-chair Richard Stowe.

“We look forward to working with headquarters in our effort to educate officials and the public about the importance of investing in energy-efficient LED streetlights that employ warmer color temperatures.”

Many residents in Lake Worth have expressed concern about a pending city contract with Siemens that could possibly result in the installation of blue-rich white LED streetlights in neighborhoods all across

Lake Worth. According to Dark Sky Lake Worth cochair Alice McCall: “Leading edge manufacturers are already producing cost-effective/energy-efficient warmer color options. It makes no sense to invest in lighting that is already outdated by IDA standards, especially when communities, which have installed blue rich white LED streetlights higher than 3000K have not been pleased with the results.”

For more information go to the Dark Sky Lake Worth Facebook page, or e-mail darkskylw@gmail.com.

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“Obviously, there was a malfunction with the camera,” Brown told the Tribune this week of the FlashCAM in Bryant Park going off in the afternoon. “It shouldn’t have been taking pictures of people during the day.”

The boxes were all scheduled to be taken down, he said, and returned to the manufacturer to be repaired.

Brown said he hadn’t heard the warning that issues from the box. He says the photographs that are taken can be downloaded

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Star Technology says the FlashCAM is a deterrence system, not a surveillance system, but boasts of watching people. (from the Q-Star report to the City of Lake Worth – October 16, 2014)

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