Clematis by Fright is the Hot Spot for Thrills & Chills this Halloween
With Tons of Frightful Family Fun and Wild 95.5 Presents Pop Star SHONTELLE

(October 9, 2008 – West Palm Beach)  The City of West Palm Beach is teaming up with Wild 95.5 to bring downtown West Palm Beach a night full of thrills and chills this Halloween at Clematis by Fright.  This annual Halloween celebration will take place in Centennial Square from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and provide tons of frightful family fun along with a performance by pop star SHONTELLE at Centennial Square – all for FREE! Read the rest of this entry »

Palm Beach County – Palm Beach County traffic will be affected this week by ongoing construction projects and maintenance work, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) officials report. Weather permitting; closures will be in effect on I-95, Southern Blvd. (SR80) and in other areas throughout Palm Beach County for construction activities. Click here to view the report

For around-the-clock, real-time traffic information within the tri-county area (Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties), travelers should call 511. For I-95 Palm Beach County traffic reports just say “I-95 or Interstate 95.

Information is also available on-line at www.511southflorida.com.

To view real-time video of I-95 in Palm Beach County, visit the FDOT I-95 Interim Traffic Management System (ITMS) website at www.palmbeachcotraffic.org. These free services are provided by FDOT and the SunGuide™ Partners. For updated lane closure information, please refer to www.pbfdot.com.

When:  Monday, October 13, 2008
Where:  City of West Palm Beach

(10/10/08)  All City of West Palm Beach offices, including City Hall, will be closed on Monday, October 13, 2008 in observance of Columbus Day.

While City offices will be closed, residential garbage, commercial garbage, yard waste and recycling will all be picked up as scheduled on Monday, October 13.

When:  Saturday, October 4th, 2008 at 11:00 a.m.
Where:  Palm Beach Lakes H.S., 3505 Shiloh Drive

(10/03/08)  West Palm Beach Police will be working as volunteers, reaching out to the community and helping kids stay out of trouble at Police Athletic League football games on Saturday, October 4th, 2008 at 11:00 a.m.  The games are being held at Palm Beach Lakes High School located at 3505 Shiloh Drive in West Palm Beach.

Kids ages 5-15 participate in the league.  Police officers and volunteers work with the kids on teamwork concepts, personal responsibility and academics.  The Police Athletic League uses sports and other activities to engage at-risk children and deter juvenile crime.

What:   Clematis by Night – Firefighter Night
Who:   The City of West Palm Beach
When: Thursday, October 9, 2008 - 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Where:  Centennial Square - 100 block of Clematis Street

(October 2, 2008 – West Palm Beach)  Clematis by Night will be smokin’ on Thursday, October 9 with tons of five-alarm fun at Firefighter Night.  Some features on this red hot evening will include: 

America’s Female Firefighters (AFF) will be at Clematis by Night selling their hot new AFF 2009 calendar that includes a local firefighter from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue.  This dedicated group of women produce, sell and promote their calendar to raise and expend funds for burn survivors with proceeds benefiting People’s Burn Foundation and IAFF Burn Foundation.  For more information about AFF, visit www.americasfemalefirefighters.com.

The hottest male firefighters and paramedics from Palm Beach County will also be at the event selling their brand new 2009 calendar.  These calendars are sold by the Professional Firefighters/Paramedics of Palm Beach County, Inc. (IAFF Local 2928) to raise money for the Professional Firefighter/Paramedic Benevolent Fund.  This fund assists the local community in times of need through financial aid and volunteer services.  For more information, visit www.iaff2928.com.

The Palm Beach County FOOLS (Fraternal Order of Leatherheads Society) will be on site serving drinks and bringing some foolish fun to the evening in order to raise funds for their nonprofit organization.  A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit the PBC FOOLS, a brotherhood of firefighters that is committed to training, community service, and supporting fellow firefighters and their families.  For more information, visit www.pbcfools.com.

Guests can enter to win cool prizes in the “Fire Drill” Competition which will take place at 7:00 p.m. in front of the Clematis by Night stage.  Guests can test their skills by strapping on real firefighting gear and competing in this mock exercise.

There will be Free Giveaways for the Kids including red fire hats, frisbees and bracelets with fire safety messages, and coloring books and activity sheets from the City of West Palm Beach Fire Rescue Department and the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Department.  Both organizations will be at the event to give the public some tips about general fire safety.

Red hot Firetruck Displays will be at Centennial Square this evening.  The City of West Palm Beach Fire Rescue Department and the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Department will be at the event showing off their newest trucks completely equipped with the latest in rescue technology. 

CLEMATIS BY NIGHT
Clematis by Night is a FREE weekly event that features great live music, mouth-watering foods, sidewalk shopping, and fun in the fountain every Thursday night from 6:00 – 9:30 p.m. in Centennial Square, downtown West Palm Beach.  Clematis by Night is produced by the City of West Palm Beach and brought to you by Clear Channel Radio, Wachovia, The Palm Beach Post, La Palma, Schumacher Automotive, WPTV NewsChannel 5, Coca-Cola, Coors Light, Heineken, Samuel Adams, the West Palm Beach Marriott, and many others.  For more information, please call the City of West Palm Beach Community Events Division at 561-822-1515 or visit the website at www.clematisbynight.net.
###

Media Contact:
Amaryvis “Ryvis” Sierra
Marketing Coordinator
Phone:  (561) 822-1522
Cell:  (561) 644-7639
E-mail:  asierra@wpb.org

The West Palm Beach GreenMarket Returns on Saturday, October 18

 (September 29, 2008) – The West Palm Beach GreenMarket will mark the opening of its fourteenth season on Saturday, October 18 with lots of locally farmed, fresh products in a friendly environment.  Guests are invited to come and enjoy pleasant outdoor shopping of fresh fruits, produce, plants, flowers, specialty foods and much more.  With a great variety of specialty products and foods, market goers can get pick up everything they need for a superb dinner party including just harvested heirloom tomatoes, organic leafy greens, fresh guacamole or hummus, artisan breads, assorted pastas, homemade desserts, and even fresh-cut flowers for the table.  Patrons can also shop for the week and stock their pantries with plenty of locally grown, just harvested fruits and vegetables.  In addition to shopping at their favorite local vendors, guests can also eat breakfast or lunch at the GreenMarket Café, enjoy live music and say hello to their neighbors.  The West Palm Beach GreenMarket is the local neighborhood shopping place.

CALENDAR LISTING:
WEST PALM BEACH GREENMARKET
Saturdays (October 18, 2008 – April 18, 2009)
8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
2nd Street and Narcissus Avenue, just outside of City Hall, one block north of Clematis Street
Downtown West Palm Beach
Free parking in the Banyan Street Garage during market hours
For more information, call 561-822-1515 or visit www.wpb.org/greenmarket
Sponsors:  The Palm Beach Post, The Palm Beach Daily News, WIRK 107.9 fm, & Sunny 104.3 fm

The West Palm Beach GreenMarket is the area’s original and most popular greenmarket.  This traditional European-style farmers market has become a Saturday morning staple that welcomes city residents and visitors alike.  Each Saturday vendors bring an abundant selection of locally grown and just harvested produce, plants and specialty items to downtown West Palm Beach including a variety of farm fresh fruits and vegetables, tropical and native plants, fresh-cut flowers, artisan foods, and much more.  Guests can also sit and enjoy their made-to-order breakfast or lunch at the GreenMarket Café.  The West Palm Beach GreenMarket is dog-friendly and offers free parking in the Banyan Street Garage during market hours.  The West Palm Beach GreenMarket is produced by the City of West Palm Beach, Mayor’s Office - Division of Community Events and is located on along 2nd Street and Narcissus Avenue just outside of City Hall in Downtown West Palm Beach.  For more information about the West Palm Beach GreenMarket or other City-produced events, please call 561-822-1515 or visit www.wpb.org.

When:  Wednesday, October 1, 2008 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Where:  Vickers House South, 3801 Georgia Avenue, WPB

In partnership with the Palm Beach County Health Department, the Area Agency on Aging and West Palm Beach Fire Rescue, the City of West Palm Beach’s Vickers House will be offering flu shots at no cost at a Flu Shot Clinic on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  The clinic will be held at Vickers House South, located at 3801 Georgia Avenue.

The flu shots are available at no cost to anyone 19 years of age or older.  You do not need to have health insurance to receive the vaccination.

Anyone interested in learning more about flu shots, common misconceptions about the vaccine or who should get a flu shot can listen to a free podcast about the topic by going to wpb.org and clicking on the “CityCast” link.

City of West Palm Beach residents and businesses will be able to save up to 20% on their flood insurance costs thanks to efforts by the City to reduce the negative impacts of flooding.

“In this economy, any news that saves our residents money is welcome,” said Mayor Lois J. Frankel.  “I commend City staff for their work to mitigate the effects of flooding and save our families money.”

The City participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which offers relatively low-cost flood insurance to the City’s residents and businesses.  The City also voluntarily participates in a rating system which provides the City the opportunity to earn discounts on flood insurance premiums.

As a result of projects to reduce the severity, frequency and negative impacts of flooding, NFIP policy holders in the City are eligible for up to a 20% discount on their premiums.

The City was awarded the discount because of improvements to the drainage system in areas that have been prone to flooding, upgrades in the planned emergency response to flooding, and overall improvements to the City’s Flood Management Plan.

Residents with questions about their flood insurance or their eligibility for the deduction should contact their insurance agent.

In Danger of Losing Your Home?

Learn how the City can help in this edition of CityConnect.

Click here to view the September 24th edition of CityConnect.

City’s Windsor Avenue Improvements to Make Area Safer, Encourage Business Investment

Mayor Lois J. Frankel joined local business owners and area residents in kicking off the Windsor Avenue improvement project today.  The $1.2 million dollar project will improve the area’s safety, encourage new business investment and beautify the street.  The project is funded by the City’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

“This project continues our commitment to revitalizing our City and improving local communities,” said Mayor Frankel.  “The improvements will make this area more attractive for businesses and safer for our nearby residents.”

The improvements will be along Windsor Avenue between 25th Street and 29th Street.  New sidewalks will be added, greatly improving safety for pedestrians, including school children.  New overhead lighting will also improve the area’s safety.  New curbs will be put in place, the area will be landscaped and the CRA will replace aging infrastructure, including underground drainage pipes.  Work on the project is expected to be finished in the spring of 2009.