Green Expo
October 15, 2011
10:00 am-4:00 pm
FREE Admission
Hosted by Palm Beach State College’s Green Insitute in partnership with many local organizations and municipalities.

The event has grown each year and brings the community out to learn and share ideas about how they can save money, natural resources, and energy by making better choices. Each and every one of us has a vested interest in learning how making better choices impacts not only our health and finances, but also the impact to our environment.

Please visit http://www.palmbeachstate.edu/GreenExpo.xml for more information

Posted: Aug. 5, 2011
By: The Palm Beach Post

Mark Wade moved with his family from Ireland to Palm Beach County at the tender age of 11. He got his start in the service business when he was working with his father in a restaurant kitchen.

Today, he runs Seacrest Services, which – with its subsidiaries – has annual revenue of more than $30 million and more than 600 employees. He joined the company in 2001.

West Palm Beach-based Seacrest manages more than 600 condo and homeowners developments in South Florida, including Jonathan’s Landing in Jupiter, the West Palm Beach and Deerfield Beach Century Villages, and Andros Isle in West Palm Beach.

Name: Mark Wade

Age: 40

Hometown: Hobe Sound

About your company: Seacrest Services is a privately held company with offices in Jupiter, West Palm Beach, Pompano Beach and Orlando. Seacrest was founded in 1968 as a janitorial company and went into full-service association management in 1975. We do the management, accounting, landscaping, etc. Our subsidiaries are Port Charlotte-based DM Painting, which does hotel renovations, and National Building Resource Group, a recent acquisition, which offers janitorial services and is based in Chicago.

How your business has changed: We have had to control our costs and overhead to offer the best pricing possible since the downturn in the economy. We’re not the cheapest, but we can package and bundle services so they can save. We have maintained a steady growth of 10 percent to 15 percent annually.

First paying job and what you learned from it: I was 14 years old and a prep cook at Harpoon Louie’s in Jupiter. I was working for my father, who was the executive chef, and I soon realized that I better work twice as hard as the guy next to me if I wanted a ride home!

First break in business: Opening Paddy Mac’s restaurant in Palm Beach Gardens with my father. When you open your own restaurant, you need to make a commitment that I don’t believe you see in any other industry. What I mean by that is not only time (80-hour workweeks are commonplace), but the sacrifices you make missing holidays, birthdays and special events.

Best business book you ever read: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith.

Best piece of business advice you ever received: From the book Good to Great by Jim Collins: Leaders build a company that can tick along without them, rather than feeding their egos by becoming indispensable.

What you tell young people about your business: The service industry is not a 9-to-5 job. If you make a sincere commitment in whatever career path you choose, then opportunities will be afforded to you. But you need to make the commitment first!

What do you see ahead for Palm Beach County? Palm Beach County is one of the greatest places to live, with endless choices for entertainment and activities. I believe we need to do everything we can to protect that for the future and this area will continue to attract tourism and new residents as the economy recovers.

Favorite smartphone app: Apps that are specific to golf tournaments help me keep track of what’s going on while I am working or spending time with the kids.

What is the most important trait you look for when hiring? It is a combination of drive and commitment. A commitment to this company and what we believe in and a drive not only for personal success but to also make us a better company.

Hurricane Season is here! Are you prepared? Most Floridians know that hurricane season can be very unpredictable. Be proactive and answer the following questions before a hurricane threatens:

-What are the Hurricane hazards?

-What actions should you take to be prepared?

-What are some ways to stay informed?

The National Hurricane Center is a great resource for Hurricane preparedness. Here they describe the different stages of a tropical cyclone:

-Tropical Depression-tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 38mph or less.

-Tropical Storm- tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 39-73mph.

-Hurricane-tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 74mph or higher.

-Major Hurricane- tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 111mph or higher, corresponding to a Category 3, 4, or 5.

It’s important to know the various hazards associated with tropical cyclones.  According to the National Hurricane Center Preparedness Guide, “They can produce Storm surges, Tornadoes, High winds, Rip currents, and Rainfall. While hurricanes pose the greatest threat to life and property, tropical storms and depressions also can be devastating. Floods from heavy rains and severe weather, such as tornadoes, can cause extensive damage and loss of life.”

Since these storms threaten life and property, it’s necessary to take the appropriate steps to be prepared for this hurricane season. Before any storms form, create a plan for your family, home and/or community. Check emergency equipment, such as flashlights, generators, and battery-powered equipment. Determine safe evacuation routes and purchase drinking water and food that will keep. Speak to your property manager about trimming trees and shrubs and ask if they propose any hurricane preparedness procedures.

Seacrest Services takes pride in its Hurricane Preparedness Program. Part of our plan is to establish authorizations for post-storm cleanup. Our priority is to assess our communities and mobilize labor and equipment to ensure that access to the community is established immediately following a storm. It is also vital that emergency vehicles have the ability to enter the community as soon as possible.  Ask one of our team members for procedures included in our Hurricane Preparedness Program that are offered to our communities.

While we hope 2011 will be a quiet hurricane season, we encourage you to stay informed. There are some great resources for obtaining more information about hurricane preparedness.

-Go to www.seacrestservices.com to find any news and updates relating to Hurricane Preparedness.

-Detailed hurricane preparedness information can be found on the web at www.hcbcc.net/Hurricane.html

-Tune in to CBS News Ch12 ,  WBPF News Ch 25, Local 10 (Broward County) 

-Most Palm Beach and Broward County Libraries and Tax Collector’s Offices offer    Hurricane Preparedness tools and booklets to keep you informed for the 2011 season.

-NOAA Weather Radio-broadcasts official Weather Service warnings, wtches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Courtesy of WPTV News Ch.5

Landscapers and construction workers catch the brunt of the high summer temps and must make time to chill out. A Seacrest Service Landscaper describes how he beats the heat in South Florida.

Great Water Conservation Ideas for Condo and Homeowner Associations
(Courtesy of South FL Water Management District)

Here are guidelines and suggestions for making sure that your neighborhood is helping to conserve water. Educate others about how they can help to save water at your building or facility.

NON-LANDSCAPED AREAS OUTDOORS

• Don’t clean sidewalks and driveways with water. A hose can use 25 gallons in just 5 minutes. Remember: A broom is best.
• Check for leaks. Note the number of outdoor faucets on the outsides of buildings. Make a list and check every all of them regularly.
• Cover pools when not in use. A pool cover can cut losses to evaporation by 70%, or more!

 PLUMBING RETROFITS FOR EACH UNIT

• Replace toilets with Ultra Low-Flush Models, or retrofit with low-flow flappers. Retrofit faucets with aerators, or consider alternative faucet types such as self-closing or automatic sensor-controlled faucets. Many county and city water utilities offer rebates.
• Replace showerheads with low-flow models.
• Check for leaks! Do dye tablet or food coloring tests in toilets to check for hidden leaks. Be sure to flush the coloring after 10-15 minutes to prevent staining. Check for dripping faucets indoors and out.

 COMMON LAUNDRY AREAS

• Efficient washing machines can save up to 20 gallons per load. These also save on energy. If you are replacing laundry appliances, don’t even consider anything but the new horizontal axis models. These not only save up to 40% of water used, they deliver even more substantial energy savings – up to 65%!

LANDSCAPES

Follow the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Guide using low maintenance plants and environmentally sustainable practices.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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The City of West Palm Beach and the region as a whole is in an extreme drought. The rain deficit has affected all area communities including our primary water supplies at Grassy Waters Preserve, Lake Mangonia and Clear Lake. Ourlakes have dropped dramatically over the past several weeks and with no rainfall water supply levels are becoming critical. 

Due to current drought conditions, the City of West Palm Beach through the South Florida Water Management District(SFWMD) is initiating one day a week irrigation restrictions. These restrictions become effective Monday, June 13, 2011.

The tighter restrictions affect all City of West Palm Beach water service area customers including the Town of Palm Beach and the Town of South Palm Beach. Customers with odd number residences may only water using irrigation systems on Wednesday’s from 4:00 am to 8:00 am. Even number addresses, which include common areas and multi-family dwellings may only use irrigation systems on Thursday’s from 4:00 am to 8:00 am. Hand watering may be done on the same days from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm for 10 minutes.

These restrictions include usage from the City’s potable drinking water system, internal community lake or canal systems, or any other water conveyance inside the City’s utility service area.

Please help to inform your friends and neighbors and take steps to reduce water usage. The City will actively enforce this necessary conservation effort.

　
For more information: West Palm Beach Office of Sustainability
　

Starting this year, FPL is offering rebates to customers who install
photovoltaic (PV) and solar water heating systems in their homes and
businesses. The solar rebate programs are part of a five-year pilot program
authorized by the Florida Public Service Commission, to promote clean solar
power and reduce energy consumption. FPL is authorized by the Florida
Public Service Commission to spend a total of $15.5 million per year on
these new solar rebate programs — enough to support thousands of homes and
hundreds of businesses. Act quickly as the registration starts June 21, and
the rebates are expected to go quickly.

Residential Customers
Residential customers may receive a rebate of $1,000 for installing new
solar water heating systems, and up to $20,000 for installing photovoltaic
(PV) system and interconnecting to FPL’s grid.

Business Customers
Business customers may receive rebates up to $50,000 per site for
installing a new solar water heating system and up to $50,000 per site for
installing a PV system and interconnecting to FPL’s grid.

For more information:
http://www.fpl.com/landing/solar_rebate/index.shtml?cid=aliassolarrebates

Robin Cerny of West Palm Beach says this is the first time he’s won anything, much less far more than he expected to get if he did win this contest. He thought it was just for a new roof, but it’s a whole-house makeover. Seacrest was happy to get involved and repaint Mr. Cerny’s house and redo his landscaping.

Posted: 12/09/2010
By: WPTV Web Team

PALM BEACH, Fla. – Police have charged a Palm Beach condo property manager with embezzling more than $2 million from the properties she managed.

Officers with the Palm Beach Police Department arrested Grace Cushman Cromwell of West Palm Beach and accused her of taking the money from the Melbourne House condominium on Australian Avenue and the Park Place condominium on South Lake Drive.

Cromwell was the property manager for both complexes for about 10 years. She faces grand theft, fraud and two other charges. Investigators said the alleged crimes happened between 2006 and June of 2010.