Singer Island Voice | Update #26 | Sept. 26, 2014 

 (Now reaching over 2165 neighbors each week!)

 Together We Are Making a Difference:   

Click here to become a member of your
Singer Island Civic Association Today!  

PLEASE take a moment to share this message with your neighbors (and ask them to sign-up) so they can join us in building unity ...in our Singer Island commUNITY! 

It's that time again: Voter registration deadline for the General Election is Monday, October 6, 2014 (29 days before the election, which is: Tuesday, November 4th.)  
Your Vote Does Count!

Visit: Palm Beach County Elections for more information!  

Important news for residents of Riviera Beach:  The agenda for the next city council meeting on Wednesday, October 1 at 5:30 pm (at the Riviera Beach City Hall Chambers), includes an item for discussion proposed by Mayor Thomas Masters entitled "Single Member Districts." This proposal could restrict the ability of residents to vote on all city council candidates (as we currently can and have been able to do for many years).

[ SICA President's note: Indeed the actions of all city council members affect us, and it is right that we should have a voice in electing all members. Click on this link to see the agenda - Item #12 and meeting details. ...neighbors, please consider attending this meeting and adding your voice by using the public comment cards! ] 

New SICA Committee: Do we have any more folks out there who are interested in serving on a new SICA committee to keep an eye on city spending and budgets and develop long term fiscal strategies to help our entire community? We plan to have a meeting on September 30th to discuss the creation of a fiscal responsibility committee.  Please contact us here if you are interested!

Singer Island Area News of The Week:   

Marina Site Demolition Commenced - South Florida Times - With the Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency's Executive Director, Tony Brown at the helm, Riviera Beach, a predominantly black, waterfront city, is transforming itself right before its residents' eyes. Construction is already underway in a massive $375 million redevelopment of the city's marina district.

CommUNITY Voice: 

Neighbors, PLEASE keep sending in your comments, ideas and input ...to be shared here next week as our Island is coming together like never before! 

From: Ann Rettie - President of SICA

Dear Mayor Taylor and PBC Commissioners,

On behalf of the Singer Island Civic Association (SICA), I am writing you to express our concern and opposition to the proposal under consideration by the Palm Beach County Commission to allocate bed tax revenues (including an annual escalator) to build and maintain a Major League Baseball training facility in Palm Beach County. This is particularly troubling in light of the reduction and even elimination in recent years of bed tax funding for beachfront erosion and protection.

Economic issues drove much of that reduced funding, but as the economy improves, we believe it to be a grave mistake to prioritize allocating revenues to an uncertain future baseball venture over managing our beachfront conditions. Our pristine beaches are the prime driver of tourist revenue in Palm Beach County. To allow them to deteriorate from lack of proper maintenance and re-nourishment--while promising escalating revenues to a single sport serving far fewer people--would be a very poor political and fiscal decision indeed.

As the economy continues to improve, we are requesting that budget for beach projects are restored and that our coastlines receive its required share of bed tax revenues.  Maintaining our beaches and stabilizing our dunes and shoreline should be a top priority.

Our beaches are our primary natural and economic asset, and a source of great pride and benefit to our entire county. They deserve your attention and ongoing funding commitment.

Best Regards,
Ann Rettie, President
Singer Island Civic Association
arettie@sicasingerisland.com

[ Editor's Note:  if you would like to send your input in on this issue(or any other county issues) here are a few contacts: Priscilla A. Taylor, ptaylor@pbcgov.org , Steven L. Abrams sabrams@pbcgov.org , Mary Lou Berger mberger@pbcgov.org , Paulette Burdick pburdick@pbcgov.org , Jess R. Santamaria jsantama@pbcgov.org , Hal Valeche hvaleche@pbcgov.org , Shelley Vana svana@pbcgov.org ]

From: GP @ Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management
Subject: The Singer Island Voice
Very nice and newsy newsletter - love the moon over Lake Worth Lagoon! 

From: Nancy S. 
Subj: Ocean Mall and surrounding area of Singer Island
After living in Palm Beach Gardens for fourteen years my husband and I moved to Singer Island a year a go and love the area.  What I am hearing about what growth will do to Singer Island with traffic and difficulties getting off the Island really frustrates me. Businesses coming in to the Ocean Mall and out lying areas will only promote more building and home buyers coming in.  It baffles me how anyone living in this city would not want some sort of a change to better the community. I say along with my fellow neighbors, BRING IT ON!!!!

From: John M.
Subject: Fwd: Blue Heron Bridge Attack (to Chief Williams. RBPD & cc'd to the SI Voice)
Good Morning Chief,
With all due respect to you and the Police Department please consider what I wrote to Dawn Pardo in this kind of violent crime. The public might be able to assist in the apprehension of a individual in this kind of event. I fully understand the reasoning for not releasing all sketches for non violent events. This attack in a highly visible well traveled walk, bike and jog area on the bridge is disturbing. The brazenness of this person is beyond belief. Thank God this womans injuries were not severe. Also, my opinion on this kind of attack is that the Public needs to be warned that this occurred and the person is still at large. This happens everywhere every day, most cities do ask for help and warn the public. I have full confidence that you will catch this person, I just hope this occurs before another attack happens.
Respectfully, John M.

From: Janet F.
Subj: Blue Heron Bridge Attack

Both my sister and I are outraged at the laxity of our police staff. There is NO REASON why the composite of the would be rapist on blue heron bridge was not distributed by our police who supposedly "serve" us. Instead of chasing an out of town vacationer whose tail light was burned out and who was issued a summons for the light! , why were they not looking for a rapist!!!!!!!.  Maybe the police may pay attention once someone is raped, or murdered on the island. They still haven't caught the murderer of the man at 2700 ocean.  Pay attention to priorities, policeman. Remember, we pay your salaries!!! Get our station up and running for our safety as promised.  Keep cops here on the island also, not only on the west side. 

City News & Events:

• Riviera Beach is inviting contractors to submit qualifications on the construction services municipal building.  
• Palm Beach County Residents invited to see preliminary flood...
• 8th Annual Business Matchmaker Conference and Expo  

Palm Beach Shores Event Calendar 

Cool Link(s) of The Week: 

Raucous welcome at PBIA caps emotional Honor Flight day for WWII vets - A group of 76 World War II veterans returned from a Washington, D.C., sightseeing trip to an unexpected celebration in ...

[ Editor's note:  To those the have served, and to those that are currently serving ....Thank YOU for your service! ] 

Weather Balloons Released from Singer Island - Port of Palm Beach Post - Weather Balloons were released from Singer Island about 4:45 (EST) Sunday September 21, 2014, to monitor the approaching thunder storm. 

A guide to standup paddleboarding in South Florida. - SouthFlorida.com - Dania's Whiskey Creek, Lake Worth's inlet areas and Fort Lauderdale's canal system are so accessible that many paddleboarders don't head ...

Kayak Fishing in Singer Island Florida - blogspot.com - Kayak Fishing in Singer Island Florida. My family and I recently took a trip to Singer Island, a small peninsula off the eastern coast of Central Florida.  

Sunset over Sailfish Marina on Singer Island, Florida -  A nice picture of our lovely Sailfish Marina on Singer Island, Florida 

More news as we get it on: 

Ocean Mall | CRA District & Marina Development | Lake Worth inlet widening project | Digital License Plate Readers | Proposed development projects: Lozman's Cove, Amrit, PGA waterfront | Pending sober house legislation |  ...and more as we get it. 

Let's all work together to stay informed and aware of events taking place on and around Singer Island!

Send in your Island News, Events & Tips Today!