Absentee ballots are handled strictly by the Supervisor of Elections. If you have questions in this regard, please call 656-6200.
The last opportunity any of the candidates will have to accept contributions will be at midnight on March 4, 2010. There is a $500 per person limit.
Check out the candidates. Call them at the number which is public record. If they are not accessible now… do you think they will be accessible later if elected? Finally, try to meet and question them at public forums.
FOR MAYOR:
Commissioners Jose Rodriguez (561) 628-5792) and Ronald Weiland (561) 214-1079) are on our City Commission and CRA Board and have been for several years. Are you happy with what they have accomplished for OUR City?
Carl McCoy (561) 358-0699 and Mack McCray (561) 236-1193 have been City Commissioners and CRA Board members in years past. What did you think about them when they represented you?
Freynel Jean-Baptiste (561) 536-8856
Joshua Padgette (561) 531-1776
Dr. Piotr Blass (561) 523-1701
Cliff Montross (561) 369-3650
Brian K. Edwards (561) 373-8149 (For the record, I contributed to his campaign)
FOR DISTRICT 3:
Mark Karageorge (561) 414-6099
Steven Holzman (561) 789-5366
Habitat for Humanity is ALREADY ACTIVE in the recovery…due to communication being knocked out, they have been unable to reach many of their staffbased in Port Au Prince – still gathering information on the status of the Habitat for Humanity homes, families, offices, etc. But, ARE AWARE that THOUSANDS will be in need of their help in the recovery effort!
FIRST OF ALL – PLEASE PRAY for the homeowners and staff and the other Haitian residents!
SECOND – PLEASE SEND A “SPECIAL TITHE DONATION TO HELP THIS SITUATION” TODAY!!
Donate online to : https://www.habitat.org/cd/giving/donate.aspx?link=227
If you prefer to send a check:
Make the check out to: HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Write “tithe/HAITI” in the memo section of your check and mail to:
HFHI/TITHE/HAITI RECOVERY
121 Habitat street
Americus GA 31709
We appreciate you and your consideration of this request.
GOD BLESS,
Sent to me by:
Michael E. Campbell
Executive Director
Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County
561-819-6070 x 203
www.habitatsouthpalmbeach.org
———
The 7.0 earthquake and strong aftershocks that struck near Port-au-Prince yesterday have added yet another dimension to the humanitarian crisis and poverty conditions faced by over 80% of Haitians. According to Reuters, the quake hit at a shallow depth of 6.2 miles, just ten miles from the capital city. A hospital and several schools on the island are reported to have collapsed, according to regional news sources. The local authorities have declared the country in a state of emergency. The number of affected persons is unknown. However, Haiti’s ambassador to the U.S. has called the quake a “catastrophe of major proportions.”
This is a major setback for the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with 55% of the population living on less than US$1/day. In the last two years, political instability, food shortages, and tropical storms and hurricanes have made it impossible for Haitians to break the cycle of poverty. More than 50,000 homes were damaged or destroyed in last year’s storms, and no estimate is available yet as to the damages to Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, the heaviest populated area of Haiti. Most Haitian homes are poorly constructed with walls built from poorly made concrete bricks, mud and stones, the roof from scrap wood and metal sheets, and dirt floors, making them unable to withstand a natural disaster of this magnitude.
What YOU Can Do to Help
You can help by sending in a special tithe donation and bring hope to a country in such great need. Please know all 100% of tithe donations will be sent to Habitat Haiti.
Habitat’s for Humanity’s Immediate and Long Term Response
Basic needs such as health care, food, water and shelter are the most urgent following an event like an earthquake, to try to mitigate harmful after-effects such as spread of disease and insecurity. Habitat for Humanity’s goal is to help low-income families in need of decent housing because of this disaster with an emergency humanitarian response of shelter kits, clean-up and rehabilitation.
· Clean-up and cash-for-work
Habitat for Humanity plans to help in clean-up and rehabilitation efforts by mobilizing people to clear the way for shelter construction and home rehabilitation. The size of response will depend upon the amount of support we are able to mobilize. A clean up “cash for work” program would organize people in communities and provide them with tools (shovels, wheelbarrows, bars, etc, etc). People would clean up debris and salvage those materials that could be recycled in a shelter solution. This involvement in productive activity provides an influx of cash to those affected by the disaster to help them meet basic needs such as food, and also contributes to their mental health by providing them with a positive, proactive opportunity to help with recovery.
· Shelter kits
Shelter kits are a basic package of materials (wall panels of either wood, composite such as reinforced plastic or fibrocement, or other materials; as well as sheets for roofs; nails; rope and a hammer). Although price will be determined by cost of materials, which often rise post-disaster, we estimate that the cost for distributing a kit per family will be US$950 per family.
The kits will be distributed to families by Habitat employees and partners who have been trained by Habitat in disaster response and construction techniques. Habitat for Humanity has been implementing vocational education programs in Haiti for the past three years and has a cadre of certified masons and carpenters ready to assist with shelter construction in Port-au-Prince.
· Transitional shelters
In a next phase of response Habitat for Humanity plans to repair damaged homes and also rebuild using a transitional shelter model, whereby the shelter provides an immediate solution to a family but also provides a permanent base structure. The model adheres to international Sphere standards and the basic transitional shelter unit consists of a 17.5m2 home, a 2.5 meter porch, and a separate 4m2 latrine/shower unit. The design includes a concrete floor and structure (beams and partial wall), wall panels which can be converted later to a more permanent material, and a hurricane-resistant roof (metal sheets or micro-concrete) at an estimated price of between $2,000 to $3,000.
As the situation stabilizes, Habitat Haiti will build permanent homes for families who lost so much. Just as before the earthquake, Habitat Haiti will provide a variety of services to families ranging from new homes, progressive building initiatives like “core homes”, renovations and financial literacy.
Habitat for Humanity has been at work in Haiti for 26 years and will use its local expertise and mobilize resources as part of the long-term recovery building efforts.
We are all part of this city…men, women, young, old, black, white. You name it, we are here. Think of our community as a symphony. The music can be beautiful or it can be discordant; devoid of harmony and accord.
Think of ourselves as players of instruments as we hear the sounds in our minds which we wish to produce. The players of the instruments have to practice and learn the sounds that instrument can produce. Then you get together with other players (at this point they are musicians who know their instruments). These musicians are given a score to play. Each will play it his own way. Now we need a very skilled director who must bring them together to produce the very best musical arrangement. It takes patience and diligent work but the end result can be magnificent.
How does a city become a symphony. It starts with COMMUNITY RELATIONS. I attended their board meeting last night. Sadly not many were there.
The matter was NOT discussed at the City Commission meeting on Tuesday night January 5, 2009
Commissioner Marlene Ross had a family emergency and had to leave the dais early, and she requested that the Old School be postponed until the next Commission meeting on January 19th. So we will have time between now and then to learn more about what their questions are regarding the report we submitted to them in December, and be better able to address these questions.
It is very difficult to access the agenda background info that is posted on the City website, and this hinders the ability of citizens to prepare for the City meetings. I hope some will speak up about what a nuisance it is to access this public info we all have a right to be able to read and download.
The best thing we can ask of them regarding the Old School, is to grant us more time. The poor Old School has sat quietly and peacefully all these years awaiting rescue, surely we can be given a bit more time to show them how the idea to mix a public Community Cultural Center with opportunities for retail shops and office space, would create a vibrant heart for our downtown.
We cannot express strongly enough how important it is to vote in March, and it is utterly critical that we elect the people who have proven time after time that their heart is with us on saving the School. There are some whose support has been unflagging, and there are some who have no regard for the soul and history of our City.
Thank goodness for Commissioner Jose Rodriguez, Commissioner Marlene Ross, and Vice Mayor Woodrow Hay. These three Commissioners understand the importance of honoring our past and seeing this task to completion. It is gratifying to know they care and are willing to help.
It’s not as insurmountable of a task as some fear!
We “Old School supporters” are working diligently. We need to hear from those Boynton Beach citizens who feel like we do. There are many of you out there. Now is the time to come forward and be heard!
Attended a 10am meeting at St. John Missionary Baptist Church 900 N. Seacrest Boulevard about education of black children. See http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/schools/black-leaders-call-for-palm-beach-county-school-161541.html
and a 5pm meeting at Fire Station 2 located at 2615 West Woolbright Road about Historic Resources. A part of this important issue is on TONIGHT’S City Commission meeting agenda.
I suggest that you go to www.boynton-beach.org and check it out.
If there are meet-up discussion groups pertaining to these or any Boynton Boynton issues, please let me know by emailing me via this website and I will list them
It will take some work, however, if we all do our share and spread the work among people of good will, it will be a labor of love. We all have different talents. Let’s put them to good use for the betterment of our City.
I would love to hear your suggestions. I will be giving mine in subsequent postings.
Happy New Year to ALL!
Say that you are a Boynton Beach citizen who wants to be informed about what
is on the agenda for a Commission meeting. If you do not have a computer, you can go to City Hall
and there are copies in the lobby.
What recently occurred regarding the December 1, 2009 meeting was deceitful. Looking at the Agenda you would NOT know that the Commission was considering
reversing its course on the police station referendum and, therefore, committing to the Renaissance Commons. (A terrible choice which has had so many citizens come out and speak against it.)
Why? Because the agenda in the City Hall lobby and Agenda Outline online DID NOT DISCLOSE IT!
All they stated on the Agenda was:
2. Other
A. REQUESTED ACTION BY CITY COMMISSION: Request for Reconsideration by Commissioner Ronald
Weiland.
This item should have been titled: REQUEST for RECONSIDERATION of the REFERENDUM by Commissioner Ronald Weiland.
One could answer that we can get the back-up information from the City Clerk. But why make that necessary?
And the back-up information was impossible to get online because the back up information was too huge to download.
It is an “all or nothing” situation. You cannot access JUST ONE PART OF THE AGENDA. This was brought up at the Commission meeting that night
and our City Manager acknowledged the problem.
What you would have seen, though if you had surmounted these obstacles was:
REQUESTED ACTION BY CITY COMMISSION: Request for Reconsideration by Commissioner Ronald
Weiland.
EXPLANATION OF REQUEST: At the September 14, 2009 City Commission meeting, the City
Commission approved submittal of a referendum question for the March 2010 ballot regarding funding of
a new police facility. A portion of the minutes of the September 14, 2009 City Commission meeting is
attached. Commissioner Weiland has requested that this item be placed on the December 1, 2009
agenda for reconsideration, discussion, and action.
HOW WILL THIS AFFECT CITY PROGRAMS OR SERVICES? To be determined.
FISCAL IMPACT: To be determined.
ALTERNATIVES: The alternative would be to not reconsider the item requested.
Think about those words “To be determined”…
The only winner in this scenario is the developer of Renaissance Commons (great campaign contributor, but that’s a future story)
Unless…three Commissioners have the courage and good conscience to reverse this action and put it back on the
referendum for the citizens to have their say in the matter. To do anything else is NOT Democracy.
I want this to be the best blog for the residents of Boynton Beach. I will do the very best to keep them informed. I have no axe to grind…just want responsible government
Got back too late from California to attend the last Commission meeting. Checked the audio on line: http://www.boynton-beach.org/government/elected_officials/audio_recording_2009-12-01_commission_meeting.html
After reading the comments to this the Palm Beach Post article, I thought, “Not a very flattering opinion about our City government.” Decided to make a comment of my own and wrote:
“This dialogue is why I subscribe and will continue to subscribe to the Palm Beach Post. Thank you for great grassroots reporting!
The limit of 500 words doesn’t allow long discussion but gives a correct feel of “citizen’s outrage” to what appears to be corrupt govenment.
The highly paid City Manager and City Attorney take the easy course of action at the expense of the taxpayers who pay their salaries. Having lived in Boynton Beach for over 50 years, I have seen it before.”
Felt sort of sad because I was airing our “dirty linen” away from this website which I consider A FAMILY. Did let our our elected officials and some City staff know via email. Never got a response. Are they that busy? Maybe they feel that by ignoring me I will go away. In fact, it makes me more determined to expose the irregularities.
In recognition of the Palm Beach Post’s important watchdog role in our community, I am giving subscriptions as Christmas presents.
Hear All About it!
A copy of the audio recording from November 17, 2009, City Commission meeting is now online at the City of Boynton Beach website.
The web page can be directly accessed here, and scroll down to Item III, under “Review presentations: Space needs of Police and/or City Hall”.
Last night the citizens of Boynton Beach witnessed classic money controlled representation. We are moving our central Police Department to a shopping center!
Of the four proposals, only the THE PATRINELY GROUP presented ideas for our southeastern district which are aligned with the redevelopment of our Downtown Master Plan, the City Commission’s approved plan.
THE PATRINELY GROUP is the developer which the Save the BOSS (Boynton Old School Space) group is supporting 100%, as they have read the Downtown Master Plan, and they are in support of saving our Old High School and making it a Community Cultural Center, and creating the cultural corridor that Ocean Ave should become.
Our present City Commission had stacked their vote against THE PATRINELY GROUP’S proposal.
If you were in the audience last night, you would have witnessed total disregard of Boynton Beach citizens by the majority of their City Commission …..We are THE TAXPAYERS who have elected them.
Our work has REALLY begun! We start now to get TRUE REPRESENTATION.
Let treat this as a story line for a play…..
The characters are listed here:
http://www.boyntonbeachcra.com/craoverview_board.php.
Notice that the Boynton Beach CRA Board of Directors are also the elected officials of the Boynton Beach City Commission of Boynton Beach http://www.boynton-beach.org/government/elected_officials/index.html
The first scene opens at the City Commission meeting of November 3, 2009. On the agenda is Item IX which has caused the Boynton Beach community concern back in February.
See http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2009/02/17/a12a_leadedit_boynton_0217.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=37
We are now at Item IX of the Agenda: City Manager’s Report.
Four developers who submitted proposals in response to Request for Proposals (RFP) #054-2413-09/CJD which states: “The City of Boynton Beach is seeking proposals from the private development community to satisfy the City’s need for space requirements for a Police Facility, City Hall or both in combination.” are present.
Developers responding to this RFP were given extensive information about Boynton Beach’s Vision. Did they read it?? It didn’t appear so because nothing is being said about The CRA’s Downtown Vision and Master Plan updated January 2009… less than one year ago
(online at http://www.boyntonbeachcra.com/downloads/FINAL_DMP_1-15-09.pdf)
and $500,000 was spent preparing it!
Much discussion goes on from the City Manager, the City staff, and the City Commissioners with the developers.
You can HEAR it here:
http://www.boynton-beach.org/government/elected_officials/audio_recording_2009-11-03_commission_meeting.html
and going to Item IX.
The decision is made to postpone THE SELECTION of a developer until the November 17, 2009 City Commission meeting.
But no one questioned why the CRA wasn’t involved. The next day Lisa Bright, the CRA Executive Director, emails this response to me when I inquire, “That was a City initiated consideration last night, CRA staff was not involved in that process.”
The next scene is the Boynton Beach CRA Board meeting of November 10, 2009.Commissioner Jose A. Rodriguez asks our CRA director Lisa Bright whythe CRA Staff was not involved in the evaluation of the proposals to make sure they aligned with our master Plan. She would give no explanation except to say that to give an answer would be political suicide. CRA Executive Director: “It would be political suicide to come in at this point”. Amazing.
I spoke at the Public Hearing and stated that I was appalled that the CRA was disregarding it’s own “vision for Boynton Beach”. I further stated that the Boynton Beach’s City Commission, because it is also our city’s CRA Board, has the opportunity to easily assist in the implementation of the The CRAs Downtown Vision and Master Plan of January 2009….which is less than a year old! Why are they not doing so? No answer came back from the dais.
Commissioner Jose A. Rodriguez made a motion that the CRA staff review the proposals before the City Commission. Amazingly enough, his motion died without discussion for lack of a second.
November 17th is next Tuesday. The City Commission is scheduled to select a developer at that time.
This serious matter will effect the lives of Boynton Beach residents for years to come. I think we should not move forward until certain questions are answered.
You are cordially invited to participate in the Habitat for Humanity November 2009 Women Build Day. To RSVP click on flyer.
Many families in the communities in which Habitat for Humanity has built in Boynton Beach, struggle day-to-day to maintain their household, let alone the house itself and surrounding property. Build a Home – Build a Neighborhood (BHBN) is a new exterior “green” home preservation program has started this year that provides painting, landscaping and minor repair services for homeowners in need. While Habitat for Humanitiy is building ten new homes in the Heart of Boynton area, BHBN will help low-income neighbors impacted by age, disability and family circumstances, who struggle to maintain the exterior of their homes, reclaim their homes with pride and dignity. BHBN will provide a 350-foot “halo-effect” in these neighborhoods. BHBN will serve as a companion to Habitat for Humanitiy’s core building program, enabling them to serve more families, increase opportunities for volunteers and hopefully expand their base of sponsors. The picture below depicts constructed Habitat for Humanity homes in black and “to be constructed” Habitat for Humanity homes in blue/green. The Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties has graciously funded the hiring of a new Volunteer Coordinator, who will be leading this endeavor! 
Last night’s Boynton Beach CRA Community Meeting held at the Carolyn Sims Center was well attended in spite of impending bad weather. The reason for the meeting was to give the residents of the Heart of Boynton an update on their community’s redevelopment plan, however, since there was a quorum present of the COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD Mayor Jerry Taylor who chairs the Board asked that they vote on a proposed item. They did. In Boynton Beach City Commission members serve as the CRA members.
After listening to the comments from the audience it was apparent that the CRA and the residents had conflicting views as to development in the area. The CRA was looking to develop the area much like West Palm Beach achieved with CityPlace. There seemed to be insurmountable problems…mainly getting property owners in the Heart of Boynton Beach to sell to the CRA so that a developer would come in and start. Obviously it hasn’t worked. Now the CRA was coming to the citizens of the area and seeking direction.
I heard very creative ideas about local merchants in the area setting up businesses or improving existing business to benefit residents. Their vision was that the end result would be that residents in the “Heart” of Boynton Beach would WANT to live there rather than HAVING to live there. Local businesses would hire local people and enrich their community.
After the meeting many signed up to volunteer to discuss ideas and seek ways to implement them. I did.
Everyone has their own interests. Would love to hear yours.
For me…..I just love our City Library. Lived nearby it for years and would walk to it to read ALL the current magazines and newspapers. A lot of the familar faces there have retired, however, the new ones are just as enthusiastic.
Frequently I saw the Great Books Discussion listed on the Library’s bulletin board but thought it might just be too high-brow. Happened to be at the Library one Friday at 10AM when they were meeting and ventured in. What a wonderful discovery! It is an interesting eclectic group and now the only time I miss it is when I am “out-of- town”.
Happy reading,
Victoria Castello
Boynton Beach City Library
208 S. Seacrest Blvd.
Boynton Beach, FL 33435
Customer Services - 561.742.6390
Reference Services - 561.742.6395
Hours of Operation: - 561.742.6393
Monday-Thursday 9:00 am-8:30 pm, Friday-Saturday 9:00 am-5:00 pm. Closed on Sunday.
Attending a City Commission meeting is an experience! Try it…you’ll like it!
The Boynton Beach Commission Chambers in City Hall is pleasant and inviting and COLD so bring a sweater. Preparing should be easy as you can get the AGENDA online. Is The City’s website user-friendly? What do you think?
Let me explain how I did it: Went to http://www.boynton-beach.org/city_contacts/index.html and clicked on the “Public Meeting Calendar” which took me to: Download Public Meetings Calendar – February 2009 (59 kb PDF). From there you click on the “2009 agendas” where you are taken to the “heartbeat” of our City, the City Clerks records. You click on the most recent date.
BUT trying to read it from there will probably get you discouraged. My suggestion is to click on the “download PDF” icon…the colorful one at the top on the far right. Yes, it gives you EVERYTHING but if you slowly scroll down you will find what you are interested in.
I did ITEM IX. CITY MANAGER S REPORT A Follow up report on possible relocation of City Offices.
I had read that our City Hall may be moved. “This is faulty from the start”, I thought, “Visit any city of our size, which is well planned, and you will find its City Hall is at its center. Why put our City Hall on the outskirts of our City?”
So on the February 17, 2009 I attended the City Commission meeting. Others did too. We got up and spoke. You can “read all about it” in the minutes online….but that’s another “how-to” trip. Do let me know how that goes.
We have a wonderful community….let’s help it get better! Start here. This blog will give you a place to voice your ideas and concerns.
Let me tell you about myself. Our family arrived here in July 1959 from New York City. A couple in their early 20’s with two toddlers. Boynton Beach was a small fishing village (Lyman’s Dock) of about 5000 people back then. Talk about “culture shock”!
You could spot us immediately. We walked too fast, talked too fast and that New York accent. I wanted to understand my newly adopted town. Attending council meetings was my way. I think that I am in the minutes recorded in 1960. Joined the League of Women Voters of South Palm Beach. Even ran for public office in 1972. The headlines back then said “One woman on the City Council is Enough”. Although I lost, it didn’t stop me from running again in 1989. A true politician doesn’t run every 17 years! It was my way of getting heard about issues that concerned me.
Now I don’t need public office. I/We have this Blog!
