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July 30, 2007
IN THIS ISSUE
For more information about Palm Beach County’s programs and services, visit us online at www.pbcgov.com. To check out past issues, click here. If you have any questions or to provide feedback, you can email us at countenews@pbcgov.com or call (561) 355-2754. To unsubscribe from Count-e-News, click here.
West Boynton Library Branch Re-Opens
More than 1,000 residents recently attended the long-awaited re-opening of the Wellington branch library. The July 21st event celebrated the culmination of an 18-month, $8.7 million expansion project of the building, located at 1951 Royal Fern Drive. The four-hour celebration featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, tours of the new facility, entertainment and refreshments. Kids also had their pictures taken with library mascot Dewey the Owl. Library Director John Callahan said the new facility will serve as a great resource for the community. At the event, he said patrons checked out a record 4,000 items from the library within the first three hours of its re-opening. About 150 patrons received new library cards throughout the weekend. “There was a lot of pent-up demand for the library,” Callahan said. “Wellington is a growing community, but the [previous] building wasn’t adequately serving the population.” The branch has more than doubled in size, expanding from 8,000 to 30,000 square feet. Among its features: · 30 computers in the adult area, 30 in the children’s area and 5 in the teen room, in addition to the library catalog computers available throughout the building. Free wireless access is also available throughout the library · Two meeting rooms: one for children’s programs and another community room that can accommodate up to 100 people. · A larger collection with enough space to house up to 145,000 volumes · More staff to provide expanded service hours, including Sundays · A teen area · 197 parking spaces
Callahan said the library is becoming more of a gathering place for residents, especially with the growing popularity of book groups. “Book groups were once popular in the 1950s, but it’s recently becoming very popular again,” he said. “The library is becoming a center for the community. People want to interact with other people instead of being stuck in their homes all the time.” Plans for more library openings are underway. Construction is expected to begin on the new West Boca Branch in August, while construction of the new Lawrence Road Branch on west Lantana Road is expected to start in November. The new Hagen Ranch Road branch is expected to open in Spring 2008. “We’re always striving to keep up with the latest technologies, but …books are the number one reason why people come to the library,” he said.
Keep Your Canine Cool This Summer
Keep your dog cool by:
If your dog is suffering from heat exhaustion, follow these first aid steps:
If you do not have a veterinarian that you normally visit, take your dog to the closest animal clinic or hospital in your community. For more information, call Animal Care & Control at 233-1200 or visit their website at http://www.pbcgov.com/publicsafety/animalcare/
Property Appraiser Website Offers New Calculator
The 2007 Florida Legislature has proposed major changes to Florida’s Homestead Exemption and Save Our Homes benefit. Florida voters will decide whether to pass the proposed constitutional amendment, known as the “Super Exemption,” which will appear on the January 29, 2008 presidential primary ballot. If the statewide referendum passes, it will be effective retroactively to Jan. 1, 2008 and implemented by the Property Appraiser’s Office for the 2008 tax roll.
The Property Appraiser’s Web site has a new feature called the “Taxable Value Calculator.” It helps property owners learn how the proposed two-tiered tax exemption could impact their property taxes. For more information, visit www.pbcgov.com/papa and click on “PAPA” in the upper right corner. Go to the page of information for your property and click on Taxable Value Calculator. This calculator produces a 20-year projection of the taxable value of your property comparing the current and proposed methods to help you decide which method is best for you.
For more information about the proposed two-tiered tax exemption plan, call the Property Appraisers Office at 355-3230 or visit www.pbcgov.com/papa
Learn More about the Lake Worth Lagoon
Residents are invited to attend a seminar called “Lovin’ the Lake Worth Lagoon: Stewardship and the Future of an Urban Estuary.” The event will provide residents with a summary of the latest information about the health of the Lake Worth Lagoon and ongoing efforts to protect this valuable resource. The County’s Environmental Resource Management is currently updating the lagoon’s management plan. Find out more about how you can participate in the process and play a role in protecting and enhancing the lagoon. If you have any questions, contact Alyssa Dodd at (561) 233-1724 or ADodd@co.palm-beach.fl.us.
Upcoming Events: EcoWatch Series, Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex August 21st, 2007 (Tuesday) 7 p.m. 801 N. Ocean Blvd. Boca Raton, FL Free and open to the public. For reservations, call (561) 338-1473 For more information, visit www.gumbolimbo.org
Friends of the Loxahatchee River September 6th, 2007 (Thursday) 7 p.m. The River Center, 805 N. U.S. Highway One, Jupiter, FL Free and open to the public For more information, visit www.loxahatcheeriver.org/friends_loxahathcee.php
More Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities
· Volunteer at the library! Do you have a few free hours a week? Do you want to give back to your community? Do you enjoy helping others? If so, you may want to become a library volunteer. Adult and youth volunteer opportunities are available year-round. Additionally, the VolunTeen Program for ages 12-18, assists with the Summer Reading Program from June through August each year. For more information about the program, click here: http://www.pbclibrary.org/volunteers.htm.
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