North Palm Beach Looks at Itself (The Sun) 8-13-64North Palm Beach
Looks At Itself
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
7
are its best points and its
worst.
What action maybe 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
Jim Williams, who was
hometown. They like its
chairman of the JayCees'
small town atmosphere.
Committee which made
They are particularly ap-
the North Palm Beach
proving of its system of
survey. Lake Park is next.
garbage disposal. And they
like its police department.
and Prosperity Farms Rd.,
They do not like its water
and they want something
and sewage rates, which
done about the bridge over
they believe to be too high.
the Earman River at Light -
They do not like high taxes,
house Dr., deeming it a
and they vehemently dis-
hazard for children, prin-
like the unkempt appear-
cipally on their way to
ance of its vacant lots...
school. . and they be -
and they don't like the North
lieve that there should be
Palm Beach Country Club
one good library for the
operating in the red at the
whole of the North County
tax -payers' expense.
area instead of small, in -
The five most important
adequate libraries in each
things needed, they believe,
of the towns which make
are a shopping district, and
up our megapolis.
a good department store, or
As before stated, 67 of
stores. They want public
the 114 are college grad -
transportation, both within
uates, while 27 reported
the borders of the town,
they have had some col -
itself, and to its neighbor-
lege education, and 6 are
ing communities. They
high school graduates.
want more recreational
Each question in the survey
facilities, a picnic area and
provides for four answers:
playground other than the
Very good, adequate, in -
Country Club. They want a
adequate and "don't know."
red, green, yellow traffic
To give all the answers
light at Northlake Blvd.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
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-
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.