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.

(Tuesday, September 3, 2008)  With hurricane season proving to be active and several named storms currently in the Atlantic basin, the City of West Palm Beach is reminding residents that once a storm has been named, homeowners should NOT cut back trees, bushes or shrubs.  Placing yard waste and vegetative debris at the curb as a storm approaches can lead to clogged storm drains and potentially serious flooding issues.

“Our crews do their best to pick up yard waste, but people should not be placing large piles of debris on the street as storms approach,” said Mayor Lois J. Frankel.  “Once a storm is named, there should not be any major cutting back of trees, plants or shrubs.”

For information about hurricanes and how debris can block water from running off into storm drains, you can listen to a podcast with Director of Public Works John Alford by going to “CityCast”.

At the start of each hurricane season, the City offers an “Amnesty” period.  During this period, the City picks up all vegetative debris free of charge, which encourages residents to cut back trees and shrubs before hurricane season begins.

Who:   The City of West Palm Beach
When: Thursday, September 11, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Where:  Centennial Square - 100 block of Clematis Street

(August 28, 2008 – West Palm Beach)  Clematis by Night will host a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony on Thursday, September 11 at 7:00 pm to pay tribute to the nearly 3,000 heroes who lost their lives in the September 11, 2001 attacks.  Some features on this special evening will include the following: 

9/11 Remembrance Ceremony:  Mayor Lois Frankel and the WPB Police and Fire Departments will participate in this special ceremony for Patriot Day along with the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Pipes & Drums and a combined WPB Police and Fire Department Honor Guard.  The Fire & Police Chiefs will lay wreaths to remember the fallen officers and firefighters, and guests will be asked to observe a moment of silence to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11.  In a moving finale, the WPB Fire Department will raise a large American flag from a ladder truck while vocalist Lou Galterio sings the national anthem.

Free entertainment featuring GINA SICILIA:  Philadelphia’s own Gina Sicilia is more than just a throwback to the great blues & soul vocalists of the 50’s & 60’s, as she uniquely separates herself with raw emotion and tons of power in her vocals.  At just 22, this soulful, passionate blues vocalist and songwriter has just completed her debut album, entitled “Allow Me To Confess,” with rave reviews and is being compared to Etta James and Johnny Lang.  For more information, visit www.piedmonttalent.com.

Funds to benefit Forgotten Soldiers Outreach:  A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit Forgotten Soldiers Outreach, a nonprofit organization that continually encourages and inspires our armed forces serving overseas by sending monthly care packages and letters of encouragement for as long as they are deployed.  For more information, visit www.forgottensoldiers.org.

CLEMATIS BY NIGHT
Clematis by Night is a FREE weekly event that features great 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.

When:  Beginning Saturday, August 23, 2008
Affected Area:  Dixie Highway between Banyan Blvd. and Clematis St.

(08/22/08)  Due to work being done on City Center, South Dixie Highway will be closed to traffic between Banyan Boulevard and Clematis Street from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 23 and Sunday, August 24, 2008.

Motorists should detour via Banyan Boulevard to Quadrille Boulevard.

(August 12, 2008 – West Palm Beach, FL) – On Sunday, August 24, the Meyer Amphitheatre will go the sharks…The Landsharks that is…as they bring their fun and lively interactive beach bash to downtown West Palm Beach. Guests should grab their flip flops, shades and some friends to enjoy great music and summer fun this month at The Palm Beach Post Sunday at the Meyer concert.

PERFORMER: The Landsharks www.landsharksband.com
DATE: Sunday, August 24, 2008
TIME: 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM
LOCATION: Meyer Amphitheatre in Downtown West Palm Beach

Are you ready for some summer fun? Come and see a fantastic show, listen to great music and have an incredible time with this fun, interactive beach band. Having played with Jimmy Buffett and the Beach Boys, and everywhere from Disney to Superbowl Victory parties, if there is fun to be had you can bet that the Landsharks will be there! This band defines a “Landshark” as anyone who is ready to have a good time – so bring your tropical shirts, your anything goes attitude and a smile as you get ready for the most fun you can have on land or water!

Patrons to The Palm Beach Post Sunday at the Meyer concerts can also enjoy a number of FREE features this season while enjoying great entertainment:

FREE Concert featuring great entertainment
FREE Parking at all City parking lots, meters and garages
FREE Kid’s Activities with lots of fun including hoola hoops, sidewalk chalk, etc.
FREE Treats from the Mayor as she passes out fresh baked cookies to the crowd
FREE Chance to Win a $250 CityPlace gift card & an NYC getaway with $1000 shopping spree!

Residents and visitors do not need to pinch their pennies any more! Guests can come and enjoy Sunday afternoons at the Meyer with Fab Tunes, A Cool Scene & Good Vibes along the picturesque Flagler Drive waterfront in downtown West Palm Beach - all for FREE! Guests are also welcome to bring their own blankets, lawn chairs and coolers, or they can also purchase food and beverages at the concert for reasonable prices.

UPCOMING SAM CONCERTS:
**PLEASE NOTE: THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES TO THE 2008 ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE**
SEPTEMBER 28 STAYIN’ ALIVE - A Tribute to the Bee Gees & 70’s Disco Show
OCTOBER 26 PERCY SLEDGE – The Golden Voice of Soul

**ENTER TO WIN CITYPLACE SHOPPING & A NEW YORK CITY GETAWAY**
Guests to The Palm Beach Post Sunday at the Meyer can enter to win a $250 gift card at each concert good for shopping at CityPlace in downtown West Palm Beach. Guests can also enter for a grand prize New York City getaway that includes a $1000 shopping spree in the Big Apple courtesy of CityPlace. KOOL 105.5 listeners will also have an opportunity to win $50 CityPlace gift cards during the week of the concert.

TREATS FROM THE MAYOR
Mayor Lois Frankel will continue her tradition of passing out cookies to the crowd during the band breaks. This crowd pleaser allows guests to introduce themselves and become familiar with the Mayor in a casual and friendly atmosphere.

CHILDREN’S ENTERTAINMENT
There will be lots of fun, interactive games and activities for children at each concert including hoola hoops, sidewalk chalk, limbo contests, coloring books, and bubbles – all for FREE.

SPONSORS
The Palm Beach Post , La Palma, The Palm Beach Daily News, Florida PennySaver, KOOL 105.5 FM, West Palm Beach Marriott, Newsradio 1290 WJNO, Coca-Cola, MIA 92.1 FM, WPBF TV 25, CityPlace , National City

The Palm Beach Post Sunday at the Meyer is bringing Fab Tunes, A Cool Scene & Good Vibes to downtown West Palm Beach. This FREE family-friendly concert series is held from May through October on the 4th Sunday of each month, and features a variety of national and regional recording artists. Located along the picturesque Flagler Drive waterfront in the Meyer Amphitheater, The Palm Beach Post Sunday at the Meyer provides an ideal setting for good times and great entertainment. Guests are welcome to bring their own blankets, lawn chairs, and coolers, or they can also purchase food and beverages at the concert. The Palm Beach Post Sunday at the Meyer is produced by the City of West Palm Beach, Mayor’s Office – Division of Community Events. For more information, please call 561-822-1515 or http://www.wpb.org/sam.

WILD 95.5 Presents Hot New Group, MENUDO, at West Palm’s Hot Spot to Chill

(July 24 – West Palm Beach)  Rising teen pop group, MENUDO, will wrap up the summer concert season at Clematis by Night with a FREE performance on Thursday, August 14 in Centennial Square.  WILD 95.5 fm, Palm Beaches’ Hit Music Station, will present this talented group of young Latin performers on the Wachovia stage for a FREE summer concert as part of the Clematis by Night Summer Blowout event.

Coming out of Puerto Rico in the 1970s, MENUDO was the first, and the greatest, of a wave of talented singing and dancing groups that’s still relevant 30 years later. The legendary group has sold over 40 million records worldwide, broke numerous attendance records and launched the career of international superstar Ricky Martin.  Now – two generations later – a new, updated version of MENUDO is back, with a contemporary sound and look, and the same universal appeal. The five new members Carlos, Chris, Emmanuel, José and Monti are young, polished, highly professional singing-and-dancing boy group. They have already released their More Than Words EP this past December and expect to release their full length album in 2008, both via Epic Records.

People know and love this new MENUDO already. The new group came together on the MTV & MTV Tr3s reality series Making Menudo. Viewers watched the dramatic competition week after week, as fifteen young Latinos, chosen from nationwide search went through a demanding “boy-band boot camp” designed by legendary pop impresario Johnny Wright to train and choose the five best suited for the even harder job of working professionally as a performing team.  The competition is over, and now the group begins.  MENUDO has already performed on Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Live with Regis & Kelly, and several Spanish-language television shows, and they are now set to carry on the pop music torch left by their 70’s predecessors as teen superstars.

Opening for MENUDO at Clematis by Night is indie pop/rock band Ruling Mercury.  This band, previously known as Kindle, is quickly making a name for themselves on the local music scene.  They have even been nominated as “Best Local Band” on the WPBF TV25 A*List, made appearances on Wild 95.5 and have just released their first album of original music titled after the band’s original name, Kindle.

CLEMATIS BY NIGHT – SUMMER BLOWOUT
Clematis by Night is a FREE weekly event that features great 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.  The Clematis by Night Summer Blowout concert is produced by the City of West Palm Beach and brought to you by Wild 95.5, 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.

The Palm Beach Post Sunday at the Meyer 2008 Concert Series
Sizzling Sounds Heat up the Meyer with a FREE Latin Concert

(July 25, 2008 – West Palm Beach, FL) – On Sunday, July 27, the City of West Palm Beach is bringing sizzling sounds and Latin dance rhythms to its monthly Sunday at the Meyer concert series. Guests can spend this upcoming Sunday afternoon getting their hips and feet moving to the Latin beats of Carlos Oliva & Los Sobrinos Del Juez, presented by La Palma and Mia 92.1 fm.

PERFORMER: Carlos Oliva & Los Sobrinos Del Juez www.carlosoliva.com
DATE: Sunday, July 27, 2008
TIME: 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM
LOCATION: Meyer Amphitheatre in Downtown West Palm Beach

Carlos Oliva and “The Judge’s Nephews” have secured their place in Latin music history in the US and are known as one of the founders of the “Miami Sound”, a musical style developed by the fusion of rock, jazz, samba, son, guaracha and other Cuban rhythms. Carlos is the face and sound of Miami music having worked with and influenced numerous musicians including the Miami Sound Machine. The rhythm and liveliness of Carlos Oliva and The Judge’s Nephews are contagious and their performances are truly memorable. The opening act for this concert is Ernesto Fernandez, an up and coming Latin jazz flutist reminiscent of his world-renowned predecessor, Nestor Torres. Read the rest of this entry »

When:  Monday, July 21, 2008 at 2:00 p.m.
Where:  City Hall Commission Chambers, 200 2nd Street, WPB

(07/18/08)  City commissioners will hold a “taste test” as part of their evaluation of potential operators for the new library café at a special meeting on Monday, July 21, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. in City Hall Commission Chambers.

The café will be located on a portion of the ground floor of the new City library, which is part of the City Center project.  The parties wishing to operate the library café will create samples from their menu for the commissioners to taste.

When:  Saturday, July 19, 2008 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Where:  Gaines Park, 1501 North Australian Blvd., WPB

Families dealing with increasing prices for everything from gasoline to groceries will be able to get FREE school supplies and services at an upcoming event.

The City of West Palm Beach is proud to support the Urban Youth Impact “Back 2 School Blast” which is being held on Saturday, July 19, 2008 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Gaines Park, which is located at 1501 North Australian Avenue in West Palm Beach.

The Back 2 School Blast will offer school physicals, health screenings, groceries, school supplies, children’s haircuts and immunizations, ALL FREE OF CHARGE.  All services and supplies are provided on a first-come, first-serve basis, while supplies last.  Event parking will be at Redemptive Life Church just north of Gaines Park on Australian Avenue.

What:  Two new businesses come to Rosemary Avenue
When:  Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.
Where:  411 and 413 North Rosemary Avenue, West Palm Beach

The City of West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency is helping welcome two new businesses to North Rosemary Avenue at a special grand opening ceremony.  The ceremony will be held on Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. in front of the two businesses, which are located at 411 North Rosemary Avenue and 413 North Rosemary Avenue.

“Hairdo U Salon” will be opening at 413 North Rosemary, and “Bethy Beauty Supply” will be opening at 411 North Rosemary.  Both shops are locally owned and will be offering special deals to customers as part of their grand opening celebrations.