HomeMy WebLinkAbout1964-08-13 NPB Looks At Itself (Sun Press)) 3 / O 4-
1 North Palm Beach
Looks Alt Iltself
By The EDITOR.
HERE IS A WORD PORTRAIT OF A TOWN, written by
one hundred and fourteen of its residents, approximately
ten percent of those given an opportunity to express them-
selves in a survey conducted by members of the Riviera
Beach Junior Chamber of Commerce, a survey the like of
which is being conducted by similar chapters of that
organization all over the United States.... and, surpris-
ingly, sixty-seven of those who responded are college
graduates.
The town is the Village :.........._ .......................
of North Palm Beach, and
the survey, in all of its
details, was presented
Tuesday night to the Vil-
lage Council for its infor-
mation. . and you can
take it from here, that
august body knows more
now than it did before of
what its residents believe
are its best points and its
worst.
What action may be taken
on some of the points is
entirely up to that body.
That some activity will re-
sult seems inevitable.
For the most part the
respondents like their
hometown. They like its
small town atmosphere.
They are particularly ap-
proving of its system of
garbage disposal. And they
like its police department.
They do not like its water
and sewage rates, which
they believe to be too high.
They do not like high taxes,
and they vehemently dis-
like the unkempt appear-
ance of its vacant lots. .
and they don't like the North
Palm Beach Country Club
operating in the red at the
tax -payers' expense.
The five most important
things needed, they believe,
are a shopping district, and
a good department store, or
stores. They want public
transportation, both within
the borders of the town,
itself, and to its neighbor-
ing communities. They
want more recreational
facilities, a picnic area and
playground other than the
Country Club. They want a
red, green, yellow traffic
light at Northlake Blvd.
N.P. Beach Survey
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
would take up too much
room.
Here, succinctly, is an
abridged report:
Water supply, 52, 50, and
8 --- everybody had an
opinion. Sewage disposal,
61, 42, 1 and 5 --- so
wonder who is that dis-
satisfied one! Storm water
drainage, 66, 34, 6 and 6.
And so it goes.
That most of the resi-
dents manage to keep clear
of the law is evidenced by
the largest number of
"don't know's" --- 55 for
"Legal Services, and 65
for "Court Services," and
that many need no welfare
help is indicated by the 80
"don't knows," plus the 67
"don't knows," for health
services. Thirty-nine,
however, expressed a
belief that a hospital is ur-
gently needed, a facility
which will be supplied with
the building of the hospital
in Palm Beach Gardens.
The average ages of
those responding is bet-
ween 29 and 44, which may
account for the "don't
knows" in questions about
high school facilities, and
for the many "inade-
Jim Williams, who was
chairman of the JayCees'
Committee which made
the North Palm Beach
survey. Lake Park is next.
and Prosperity Farms Rd.,
and they want something
done about the bridge over
the Earman River at Light-
house Dr., deeming it a
hazard for children, prin-
cipally on their way to
school. . and they be-
lieve that there should be
one good library for the
whole of the North County
area instead of small, in-
adequate libraries in each
of the towns which make
up our megapolis.
As before stated, 67 of
the 114 are college grad-
uates, while 27 reported
.they have had some col-
lege education, and 6 are
high school graduates.
Each question in the survey
provides for four answers:
Very good, adequate, in-
adequate and "don't know."
To give all the answers
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
quates" in matters concer-
ning younger children. Fif-
ty-nine voted library faci-
lities as inadequate, and
that many are not fami-
liar with this bright little
paper is indicated by the
27, 56, 28 and 2 return on
"News coverage, adverti-
sing, etc." After all, the
56 should know that we are
far above merely "ade-
quate."
Public transportation to
(1) other communities and
(2) inside the community
were given 85 and 80 in-
adequates, in that order.
Golfing facilities were re-
ported as 71, 23, 3 and 14.
Parks and picnic areas
received a "no" vote of
68, playgrounds for chil-
dren found 48 believing
them inadequate, while 49
decried shopping setups,
and 41 reported a belief
that there should be more
comfort facilities in shop-
ping areas.
General appearance and
attractiveness of the com-
munity received resound-
ing support --- 55, 44, 11
and 1.
And so it went.... with
Lake Park next.