Loading...
10-2011 Newsletter“The Best Place to Live Under the Sun” NORTH PALM BEACHNORTH PALM BEACHNORTH PALM BEACH “The Best Place to Live Under the Sun” The Village Of The Village Of OCTOBER 2011 OCTOBER 2011 Next Objective: 2011 Holiday Shipment It may only be October, but Support Our Troops has already started planning its holiday shipment and we need your help now to brighten the holi- days for 768 soldiers deployed in Afghanistan. There are many ways to help: • A $15 donation purchase all the items for an individual soldier • Team up with friends, family, or an organiza- tion to provide a quantity of one of the spe- cific items needed • Volunteer to provide individual bags for one or more soldiers with the items requested • Write cards and letters, which are one of the most prized items we send With your help we can make a differ- ence! Contact the Village Clerk’s office 841-3355 or Bob Gebbia, 561-351- Pg. 2—Village Manager/Clerk 561-841-3380 Village Manager/Clerk Greetings from the Village Manager… So far settling in at Village Hall quite nicely, I remain impressed by the dedication of our council, staff, volunteers, committees, residents, and the general camaraderie shared across all the sectors. Everyone playing their part in the Village assures that our quality of life, upscale amenities and community offerings remain pristine and available for all to enjoy and for generations to come. I’m also appreciative that so many residents have been wonderful in sharing plenty of good ideas, anecdotal history and helpful tips and tidbits along the way helping me get “my arms around” everything. There’s been an up tick in activity here in the Village and we are seeing indicators trending positive. Business tax receipts and building permits increasing, vacancy rates decreasing, new restaurants, marina amenities, infrastructure and roadwork continuing too, the Village is on the move. Perhaps the best news… Council has opted again to reduce the net ad valorem tax burden on our residents (for multiple years running) for this 2012 fiscal year. The Village is in good position and debt free, well capitalized and uniquely situated to fund ongoing capitol improvement, maintenance and other amenity enhancements as needed. These expenditures are investments in the long term quality and sustainability of the Village for all to share. Working on issues facing the Village, I am confident there are always ways to improve any situation, create change and modernization - yet still have every one come out ‘winners’ in the process. Reading a few headlines in today’s media, one is appreciative that we enjoy a great, stable community with comparably minor challenges. Likewise, solutions should come easily too, especially if we foster an environment of innovation and inclusiveness in their pursuit. I always welcome your feedback, ideas and concerns. Be thinking about what the future of North Palm Beach can look like; got a picture in your mind? Good, let’s share that with one another. A collective vision of what your com- munity is to be, will help us craft a plan, an easy roadmap, or blueprint to get us there cooperatively and efficiently. MAILBAG: Support Our Troops received this letter in response to our June shipment. To all who volunteered their time, talent, and resources, Thank you! I cannot begin to thank you and your group enough for these awesome goodie bags and the one giant goodie box. I felt like Santa Claus going around with a black trash bag handing them out. The packages you all put together are the best. I speak for everyone who received a bag in saying Thank You and These Are Awesome. Please let everyone know who helped that the time they took to put some goodies in a bag put a smile on a soldier’s face over here. Sincerely, Paul and the rest of the troopers On Halloween night the streets in North Palm Beach are literally crawling with all sorts of witches, ghosts, goblins, and vampires. This makes for added responsibility for drivers to make sure that they operate vehicles safer than normal. Always remember to: • Eliminate driver distractions (cell phones, music etc.) • Scan as you drive and pay extra attention to crosswalks, intersections and road sides • Drive below the posted speed limit in residential areas to increase reaction time • Make a plan with your family if you are separated • Discuss the importance of stranger danger Village Matters—Pg. 3 www.village-npb.org O n August 15th I had the honor of giving the commencement address to the 2011 Paramedic class at Palm Beach State Colllege. It was a great time to reflect on the times when there was no 911, no EMS, no CPR and the only ambulances were owned by the local funeral home. We have come a long way, eh? Most of the message was about character. Paramedics encounter patients on the worst day of that patient's life. The patient is in pain, or fear, often angry, often altered by drugs or alcohol. It is easy to become jaded and judgmental over time, so I shared with those new medics something I learned in college, that maybe all of us can reflect on:"Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch you habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny." We are fortunate in North Palm to have Paramedics who are taught more than protocols. They reflect the message that if all they can do is hold a patient's hand and assure that everything will be alright, they have done an important job. Kindness and compassion trump protocol. Before we act, we must monitor our thought; because bad assumptions are the root of all bad decisions. DID YOU KNOW…. Written by: Rosa Holden Village Historian After the new Country Club building was constructed in 1963, the old Winter Club—originally built by Harry Kelsey—eventually became an art center. A dance studio was located upstairs. In the basement, students learned painting, sculpting, pottery and drawing, among other art forms. In December of 1964, the North Palm Beach Art Society held a sale of original works. The artists included Mr. Ed Jacomo, at that time the director of the art center. Other artists were Mrs. H.C. Waterman and Mrs. Jay H. White. The photo depicts Mrs. Geyer, on the left, and Mrs. Hamacher, hanging a sign that announces the Village’s “Little Bit of Paris” Clothesline Art sale. Our archives can now be found online! Visit the Village website and the Village Historian link is located at the bottom left hand side of the page. HALLOWEEN SAFETY Village Matters A Message from the Medical Director Pg. 4—Library 561-841-3380 Library Websites offering free e-books B esides Amazon and Barnes & Noble, which offer free e-books and limited-time free promotional e-books for the Kindle and Nook, other websites currently offer free e-books and audio books ranging in number and quality of choices. To get you started on the search for free e-books from reputable sources, here are some sites we’ve tested and liked: NPB Library’s homepage - Go to the library’s website at www.npblibrary.org, and follow the link to the Florida Electronic Library. Once there, connect to the OCLC e-books database of free e-books with thousands to choose from. All that is required is a valid NPB library card and login using the numbers on the barcode in back of the card. After creating a free account, users may “check out” e-books by downloading them to a pc to read online. Don’t expect to find best sellers by popular authors here, but e-books in the public domain, classics, and aca- demic and school titles, but who knows? You may find some old favorite reads. Palm Beach County Library System - Hundreds of downloadable audio books and e-books, many by well known authors like James Patterson, John Grisham, and Danielle Steel, may be ac- cessed and transferred to a portable device. Requires a valid Palm Beach County Library Card. This is a great resource if you are new to the world of library ebook checkouts. www.pbclibrary.org/downloadables.htm Project Gutenberg (PG) - over 33,000 titles compatible with PC, Mac, iPad, Kindle, Sony Reader, iPhone, Android and others. A leader and one of the first to digitize books and audio books for free public access, PG provides high quality content pub- lished by bona fide publishers and digitized with the help of thousands of volunteers. www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page Internet Archive - A non-profit digital library offering free universal access to books, movies & music, as well as 150 billion archived web pages. www.archive.org Open Library - over 1 million books that may be read by internet browser. This site forms part of the Internet Archive (see next entry). www.openlibrary.org Google Books - nearly 3 million free e-books from the public domain are compatible with Android phones, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, web browsers and others. www.books.google.com On Thursday, October 6th, record breakers everywhere will take part in helping to set a new world record for the greatest number of people reading the same book on the same day. The Literacy Association of Palm Beach County’s 2012 Read for the Record campaign announces this year’s book is Llama, Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney This year, Village of North Palm Beach Councilman Bob Gebbia will read Llama, Llama, Red Pajama to the children at our regular Thursday 10:00 Story time. Participants can also set a new record for the largest reading of a digital book—by enjoying the Llama Llama story online. To learn more about this event, and to register, visit www.wegivebooks.org/ readfortherecord. Free computer classes for adults Attend one or some or all classes, but please pre-register for each class in person. Limited seating. Sign-up sheet in the computer lab. Instructor: Gary Mallory Wednesdays, 9:00 am – 10:00 am October 5th Windows for Beginners October 12th Browser Basics October 19th Email Basics October 26th File Basics November 2nd Facebook November 9th Digital Photography November 16th Intro to MS Word Parks & Recreation—Pg. 5 www.village-npb.org Parks & Recreation KFT Camp! - On Oct. 21st we will become pirates, taking a guided search through the waters of Key Biscayne, with narration and history throughout the trip. We will have lunch at the Bayside Marina before we set sail on this fun journey. Space is limited and is for kids ages 9-15. Cost is $53 per person. Trip leaves from the NPB Community Center at 9am and returns at 6pm. On Nov. 11th KFT Campers will encounter life size dinosaur skeleton replicas, and see over 150 dinosaur replicas displayed in a life-like jungle environment! Cost is $53 per person and is for kids ages 9-15. Trip leaves from the NPB Community Center at 8am and returns at 7pm. Basketball League Registration Begins – Ages 5 – 16, starting Oct. 1st – 22nd discounted rate of $60/ resident, $70/non-resident. After October 23rd, the price returns to the regular $70/resident and $80/non -resident. Each team has approximately 2 games/ week and a practice. Games will be played week- nights and Saturdays at the NPB Community Center. All participants 9 years + will be drafted onto teams. A few coaches are needed. Call Adam at 841-3389, after 3:00pm. Movie in the Park – Our first FREE Movie in the Park is scheduled for Sat., Oct. 1st at 8:00 pm. Our feature presentation will be “Hoot.” This is a story about a boy who moves to FL and befriends 2 kids who are fighting to protect the home of endangered burrowing owls from a real estate developer. Arts & Crafts Fall Festival – Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the annual Arts & Crafts Fall Festival that will be held at the NPB Community Center. This year we will be showing on Sat., Nov. 5th from 9am—4pm. Crafters from all over S. Florida will be displaying their crafts. Booths will be located both indoors and outdoors. The event is free of charge. Crafters: a few openings remain so if you are interested in participating call 841-3386. IKEA Shopping trip – We have a trip planned to the IKEA store in Sunrise, FL for Wed., Nov. 16th from 9am-5pm. Trust us, you will need the time at this store! The cost is $20/person. Lunch will be on your own at the store. We will have room for normal purchases on the return trip. If you purchase large items, you may need to have them shipped. Space is limited. Spooktacular All-Nighter Here’s something new and exciting for the family! We are hosting our first annual Spook- tacular All-Nighter. This is an overnight campout at Anchorage Park on Fri., Oct. 28th from 8pm – 8am. The cost is $25/family. All youth must be attended by an adult. You bring the tents, sleeping bags, lamps, chairs, etc. We will provide the ghost stories, scary movies, campfire, hotdogs, marshmallows, and a light breakfast. This will be great fun! Call 841-3386 for more details. Parks & 5K Ghost Run Sat., Oct. 23rd. The 5 kilometer (3.1 mile) certified course begins and ends at An- chorage Park. Ages 7 yrs –90 yrs are eligible for participation. 100 yd Ghost Sprint for youths age 3- 6, and a 1 mile Goblin Run for youth 7-10 years of age. The school with the most entrants will get an award! Pre-registration fee is $20/person. Registering before Oct. 9th guaran- tees a t-shirt. Pre-registration fee for 1K Goblin Run is $10. Race day registrations are $5 more. Applica- tions at the Rec. centers or on the Rec. pages of www.village-npb.org. Recreation Halloween Haunted Hunt Calling all kids under the age of 9 yrs! Join us for a Haunted Halloween Hunt on Oct. 28th, hunt begins at 6pm! Wear your costumes. We will be searching Anchorage Park for candy and prizes! You will need to bring something to put your candy in! We are very excited for the upcoming golf season here at North Palm Beach Country Club! There is something for everybody including programs for Juniors, Beginners, Professionals, Women and Men. Our Jack Nicklaus Signature Course has been ranked in the Top 10 courses that you can play in the state of Florida and is truly unique to the area. The golf course, driving range, practice greens and restaurant are all open to the public and we also offer a variety of membership options. For more information please visit our newly remodeled website at npbcc.org or you can reach us by phone at (561) 691-3433. I look forward to seeing you at the course. Pg. 6—Country Club 561-841-3380 Country Club N.P.B. COUNTRY CLUBN.P.B. COUNTRY CLUB JTA (Junior Tennis Academy) TOURNAMENT, Saturday, October 8th – Fun for everyone; all ages (5 through 17). There’s something for all abilities. Intro- duce your child to the rules of the game with the USTA recognized Quickstart program or have your elite junior compete against others of his/her ability. TGIF Adult Social – Friday, October 14th, 6:30 pm – Celebrate the end of the week with some tennis, socialization, and lots of good competition. Play for all levels of ability. Register in the shop, call (691-3425) or stop by. HOLIDAYS – The shop will be closed Thanksgiving Day (November 24th), Christmas Eve at 1:30 pm, Christmas Day (December 25th), and New Year’s Day (January 1st). Please visit the website at www.npbcc.org to view the most up to date list of what we have to offer. The pro shop may be reached by phone 691-3425 or e-mail jwheeler@village-npb.org. N.P.B. TENNIS SPECIAL EVENTS Support Your Local Businesses—Pg. 9 www.village-npb.org VILLAGE NEWSLETTER 501 U.S. HIGHWAY 1 NORTH PALM BEACH, FL 33408 ************** ECRWSS POSTAL PATRON NORTH PALM BEACH, FL 33408 Please Recycle Advisory Board Meeting Schedule Audit Committee ………………………………………...on call Code Enforcement Special Magistrate ………….………..on call Construction Board of Adjustment……………………….on call Golf Advisory Board …………..2nd Monday, monthly, 5:00pm Library Advisory Board ………..4th Tuesday, monthly, 7:00pm Pension Board - General Employees……………………..on call Pension Board - Police & Fire …………………………...on call Planning Commission …………..1st Tuesday, monthly, 6:30pm Recreation Advisory Board ……..2nd Tuesday, monthly,7:30pm Waterways Board ……………next to last Tuesday, monthly, (except June, Aug, & Dec), 4:00pm Zoning Board of Adjustment ……………………………..on call Village of North Palm Beach Village Council Darryl C. Aubrey, Sc. D. Mayor David B. Norris Vice Mayor William L. Manuel President Pro Tem Robert A. Gebbia Councilman T.R. Hernacki, P.E. Councilman James Titcomb Village Manager Melissa Teal, CMC Village Clerk Village Council members can be contacted through the office of the Village Clerk at 841-3355 or by email at council@village-npb.org *All meetings are held at the Village Hall, 501 US Highway One and are open to the public* Regular Garbage Pickup Schedule Mondays - Garbage only Tuesdays - Trash, Bulk Items & Vegetation Wednesdays - Garbage only Thursdays - Trash, Bulk Items, Vegetation & Recycling Fridays - Garbage only Country Club Golf Shop 691-3433 Pool 691-3427 Tennis 691-3425 Restaurant 691-3430 Community Development 841-3365 Finance 841-3360 Library 841-3383 Public Safety: Emergency 911 Non-Emergency 848-2525 Public Works 691-3440 Recreation 841-3386 Anchorage Park 841-3386 Community Center 841-3389 Village Clerk’s Office 841-3355 Village Historian 841-3371 Village Manager’s Office 904-2122 Directory Upcoming Council Meetings Thursday, October 13, 2011, 7:30 pm Thursday, October 27, 2011, 7:30 pm Village Hall 501 U.S. Highway One North Palm Beach, FL 33408 841-3380 www.village-npb.org Village Hall Hours: M-F, 8am-5pm