Three months after Woodstock, the hippie scene shifted south.

To the boondocks west of West Palm Beach.

On Thanksgiving weekend, 40 years ago.

See anyone you know in the crowd? (Courtesy Ken Davidoff)

And the local ruling class didn’t like it one bit.

Then-Palm Beach County Sheriff Bill Heidtman vowed to make life miserable for the free-loving, pot-smoking, anti-establishment youngsters who gathered at the Palm Beach Pop Festival. He threatened to herd alligators toward the crowd, gathered at the Palm Beach International Raceway. And he swore he’d have his good ole’ boys dig out fire ant colonies and relocate them at the venue.

Yet, 50,000 people showed up for the three-day event, the only one of its kind ever in this area. And they got to calling Heidtman “Sheriff Eichmann,” after Hitler’s henchman, Adolf Eichmann.

Mick Jagger at the 1969 Palm Beach Pop Festival (Courtesy Ken Davidoff)

The lineup of bands was nearly the same as the earlier New York state rendezvous. Except that Jimi Hendrix couldn’t make it. He was replaced by a little band known as The Rolling Stones. Janis Joplin belted out a few tunes, as did The Byrds, Sly and the Family Stone, Johnny Winter, Grand Funk Railroad, Spirit and Jefferson Airplane.

Florida rocker Tom Petty was there, too, after hitch-hiking south from his hometown of Gainesville.

Palm Beach society shutterbug Ken Davidoff remembers the festival well. At 19, he scored a gig as the event’s official photographer.

Janis Joplin and Johnny Winter at the 1969 festival (Courtesy Ken Davidoff)

“It was rainy and freezing cold and people were ankle deep in mud,” Davidoff said. “There were 50,000 at the beginning, but by the time the Stones got on stage on Sunday, there were maybe 3,000 left. The weather and delays just drove people away.”

Among the delays, Davidoff cited the Stones’ arrival after authorities forced the band to wait on their jet on the tarmac for six hours, sorta, kinda, on purpose.

Davidoff recently built this Web site for the anniversary and stuffed it with some of the 600-plus pictures he took that weekend. He’s also interviewing festival-goers, roadies and promoters for a documentary.

“The festival was definitely a historical event that very few residents knew about,” Davidoff said.

For more photos, click here. And for some of the sounds, click here.

Stewart

Part-time Palm Beacher Rod Stewart this week got sued for not paying $3.3 million in legal fees to a Los Angeles firm that represented him in three cases.

What is it about the rocker and IOUs?

Back in 2001, the Palm Beach interior designer Kemble Interiors was stiffed by Stewart. To the tune of $168,000, according to records. The firm decorated his three homes — Palm Beach, London and Los Angeles — and charged him $1.4 million.

But when the last payment came due, Kemble waited for months. Then the business sued in a Palm Beach County court.

‘He’s at it again,” said Mimi McMakin at Kemble.

She declined to comment further because the firm and Stewart settled then signed a confidentiality agreement.

Funny thing, the singer of Maggie May and Baby Jane also was sued by the Boca law firm that represented him in the Kemble case, Proskauer Rose LLP, for $20,000. Seems that Stewart, 64, had forgotten to pay those attorneys, too.

The latest lawsuit on the Left Coast claims Stewart, a multi-millionaire who’s notoriously cheap, owes for legal work on three cases, including one involving the cancellation of a gig in Las Vegas. A federal jury ordered Stewart to pay the Rio hotel-casino $2 million for canceling the Christmas 2000 concert.

Stewart’s manager could not be reached.

Deputy Chief Ralph Phillips (Courtesy Delray Beach Police)

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating whether a deputy chief at the Delray Beach Police Department interfered with his own cops in incidents involving his sons.

The FDLE is also looking at accusations of official misconduct against the sergeant who arrested one of the kids. He is accident homicide investigator Vinny Gray, and has since been reassigned in what he says is clear retaliation.

Deputy Chief Ralph Phillips, a 26-year veteran of the 150-member police force, confirmed to Page2Live that an investigation is underway.

Phillips declined to talk about the details. DBPD Chief Anthony Strianese and City Manager David Harden didn’t return calls.

According to a document obtained by Page2Live, Gray invoked the whistleblower protection act to prevent retaliation when he faxed a letter about Phillips to Harden last month.

“Deputy Chief Phillips has been using his official position and authority to secure more favorable treatment of his family by law enforcement,” Gray’s later starts.

Scott Phillips (Courtesy PBSO)

According to the missive, Delray cops started experiencing trouble with Scott Phillips, 19, the chief’s oldest son, in 2007. On July 10 that year, Gray wrote that his night crew found Scott and a convicted felon named Dustin Inman street racing. Both allegedly tried to flee but eventually were caught.

After the deputy chief arrived at the scene of the capture, Gray wrote, Philllips got in his son’s truck and drove it home. Scott Philllips wasn’t charged.

Inman, meanwhile, was arrested and charged with fleeing police. His car was impounded.

Six months later, the state attorney’s office declined to prosecute Inman, according to court records.

Then in February, according to Gray’s letter, Scott Phillips allegedly tried to ram a Delray police car during yet another pursuit that also involved Boynton Beach PD. This time, Gray alleges, the deputy chief asked that he change the incident report. Gray refused, and Scott Phillips pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to flee police and hit-and-run. He was sentenced to two years probation and 100 hours of community service, court records show.

Then in May, it was Chief Phillips youngest, Jeffrey, who was pulled over. According to Gray, Scott was driving 30 mph over the speed limit. When he was notified of the stop, the deputy chief allegedly ordered his son’s release with no citation, no warning or incident report.

Finally, three months ago, Gray added, Scott Phillips was chased on foot by a private security guard at an undisclosed Delray location. Once again, Chief Phillips showed up as his officers considered criminal trespassing. No charge was filed. Scott was still on probation.

Gray ends the letter by claiming that his career took a nasty turn after he arrested the teenager.

“Things are not as they appear,” Ralph Phillips told me Tuesday. “The outcome of this investigation will be very different from the story.”

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(Robert Holland/Special to Page2Live)

What’s a Babar book worth if it was signed by former First Lady Barbara Bush and her son, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush?

Five bucks? Twenty? One hundred?

Make that $850,000!

A resident of Palm Beach County who asked to remain anonymous just contacted organizers of the upcoming celebrity-book charity auction in Stuart, The Little Auction That Could, and bought the signed copy of The Travels of Babar for the equivalent of three Rolls-Royces.

The Jean De Brunhoff work is part of a collection of nearly 100 children’s books John Hancock-ed by world-famous celebrities, including poet Maya Angelou, golfer Tiger Woods, Pres. Barack Obama, singer Jimmy Buffett and astronaut John Glenn. The books will be auctioned at the Lyric Theatre Friday, and proceeds are going the Hibiscus Children’s Center, a Martin County shelter for abused and neglected kids.

But the anonymous caller just couldn’t wait and was adamant he wanted the book signed by momma and sonny Bush.

The sale Thursday morning sent some organizers into a joyous frenzy. With the wire transfer minutes later, they’re guaranteed to raise well above $1 million.

“First thing I said when I got the call is: Are you serious?” said Karla Preissman, who spent two years painstakingly gathering the signed books. “I’m not a professional fund-raiser or anything. I was very humbled by it.”

Jeb Bush’s reaction? “That’s fabulous!!!!’ he e-mailed Preissman.

Solomon Hurwitz and and Gertrude Maxwell (Courtesy Palm Beach Daily News)

The 95-year-old man who eloped with 98-year-old Palm Beach socialite Gertrude Maxwell and married her in July is sane, according to members of a committee charged with recommending whether Solomon Hurwitz should be under a guardian’s care.

A psychologist on the three-member panel — which also includes a medical doctor and someone outside the medical field — found Hurwitz unable to take care of himself and conduct simple tasks like counting money, according to court papers.

And counting is at the heart of the battle for control over the multimillionaire’s money.

On one side are his five children, who are based out of state. In their petition to have Hurwitz found incompetent and in need of a guardian, the siblings’ lawyers accused Maxwell of taking advantage of Hurwitz for his cash. She, according to the court documents, blew through $24 million in the past five years and is going broke. Maxwell, who’s best known for finding good homes for abandoned pets, proposed to Hurwitz, an Alzheimer’s sufferer, after one date.

On the other side is Hurwitz himself, who says he’s in love and should do whatever he pleases with the dough he made in his lifetime as a liquor dealership owner. He’s having a ball, he tells friends, and Maxwell has been helping him paint the town red.

“It’s going to come down to a judge’s decision after a trial in January,” said David Garten, a West Palm Beach lawyer randomly appointed by the court to represent Hurwitz in the court proceedings. “Members of the committee don’t seem all to agree.”

For more, look below or click (Read more…)

It’s that time of year. Millionaires at the helm of mega-yachts pulled into town for their yearly rendez-vous at Rybovich Marina on West Palm Beach’s north side. Three dozen 100-footers will be docked through the weekend, and their owners are paying up to $20,000 to be there. That money is going to the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County. The event includes, among plenty parties, a yacht hop and Saturday’s gala at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, featuring a concert by disco diva Donna Summer. Parts of the event are open to the public. To see who’s there, check out Palm Beach Post lensman Ray Graham’s photos of last night welcome party:

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Kimberly Roden and Tim Mahoney (Courtesy Stuart News)

– One of several women who caused the spectacular fall of area U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, Martin County operations manager Kimberly Roden, is walking away from her $73,000-a-year gig in a buyout effort by the county. A comely blue-eyed blonde who was credited for getting the U.S. government to pay for hurricane cleanup that it didn’t pay in neighboring counties, Roden was disciplined (sorta!) three days without pay earlier this year for not telling her superiors that she and the very married Mahoney were an item. The Democrat lost his reelection bid to Republican Tom Rooney last year after he admitted to several affairs, including one with an employee. His wife, Terry, filed for divorce within days. Roden took several tax-funded trips to Washington, D.C., while Mahoney was in office. Roden’s departure comes as the county offered to pay longtime employees for up to 16 weeks if they leave. “The program is absolutely voluntary,” said county administrative services boss Gary Gierlicz. “No one is being pushed out.”

Alex Rodriguez

– Major Leaguer Alex Rodriguez, who just won the World Series with the New York Yankees, has discounted his Coral Gables mansion. It was on the market for $14.8 million. Now, it can be yours for $10 million, according to realestalker Web site. Wouldn’t hurt so much if A-Rod didn’t buy the six-bedroomer for $12 million five years ago. The house is also on the auction site billionaireexchange.com. Rodriguez is said to be getting ready to play house on the Left Coast with Hollywood actress Kate Hudson (Fool’s Gold, Almost Famous). Tour A-Rod’s digs by clicking here.

With the NFL more than a month behind last year in announcing the halftime entertainment for the Feb. 7 Super Bowl at Land Shark Stadium, rumors are rampant that the league is considering one of two solutions.

The first, according to a source close to the host committee, is that the Miami Dolphins’ new co-owners — salsero Marc Anthony, hip-hopper Jennifer Lopez and Latin star Gloria Estefan — would combine forces for one of the world’s most-watched halftime shows. It’s unclear whether Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas, who agreed to purchase a small share of the team but hasn’t paid for it yet, would participate.

“Gloria appeared in six Super Bowls,” said Estefan publicist, David Naranjo. “She enjoys helping showcase the city. But I haven’t heard anything about her doing it again.”

The Who's Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend

The other avenue, according to a report in Sports Illustrated’s online version, it that the British band The Who may be thisclose from receiving the nod. While the band’s music is going through a renewal of sorts with the soundtracks of TV series like CSI: Miami, The Who aren’t touring and have no new CD to sell. The band’s frontman, Roger Daltrey, is in the states on the tail end of a solo tour. He appears at the Seminole Hard Rock and Casino in Hollywood on Nov. 29.

“The committee feels that it’s strange that the NFL hasn’t made an announcement yet,” the source said. “Last year, they did it (it was Bruce Springsteen) during a Sunday night game in September. “

At the NFL headquarters in New York, a spokeswoman said there’s no timeline to announce halftime shows.

“When we have something to announce, we will,” she said.

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Feathered vultures once hung out on the mayor's roof. Human vultures now have invaded the community.

Tally for one night this week in West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel’s gated community — five cars broken into, one truck stolen!

“I’m going to inquire about this today,” said Frankel, who swears up and down, cross her heart, that crime in the city is down 30 percent since 2007.

Frankel wasn’t a victim in this spree. But one of her neighbors at the Lands of the Presidents particularly hard hit early Monday morning is staunch mayoral critic Anita Mitchell. She’s a lobbyist who’s the mother of WPB Commissioner and possible mayoral hopeful Kimberly Mitchell.

Anita Mitchell

“My husband’s Silverado truck was stolen,” Anita Mitchell said. “He (carpenter Noel Bridgeman) had $5,000 worth of tools in there, too. They also went in my car and took $3 worth of quarters that I kept for parking meters. We have two guarded gates. One of them logged in my husband’s truck exiting at 2:45 a.m.”

“Are we sure crime is going down?”

Mitchell said the cop who responded Monday at dawn said Mitchell’s was among eight homes hit.

Kimberly Mitchell said she does not believe the crime rate is lower in some areas of the city, even if the mayor and Mitchell’s mom live in $600,000-homes near famous residents such as baseball great Hank Aaron.

“Crime isn’t going down if it happens in your home,” Kimberly Mitchell said.

There have been no arrests.

City spokesman Chase Scott said police believe the cars broken into were left unlocked.

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Joel Koeppel, with wife Carole, and comedian Robert Klein in Mar-a-Lago (Courtesy Davidoff Studios)

Despite an extensive Palm Beach clientele, big deal real estate attorney Joel Koeppel just filed for bankruptcy.

In paperwork delivered to the federal court in West Palm Beach, Koeppel claims to owe between $1 million and $10 million to 10 creditors, including Amex, Bank of America, Colonial Bank and the IRS.

He also owes about $1 million to his former law partners, who accused him in a lawsuit they recently won of ripping them off. Former partners Larry M. Mesches and Stuart Gottlieb claimed Koeppel wrote himself checks drawn from the firm’s accounts to pay for things like his membership to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.

Mesches and Gottlieb won $857,187, plus court and attorneys’ fees.

Koeppel filed for bankruptcy Oct. 28, the day he was supposed to be deposed by Mesches in legal action to force Koeppel to cough up the dough.

“We don’t know what his intentions are in filing for bankruptcy,” Mesches said, “whether it’s to delay or avoid paying us. But we’re now checking into whether he transferred assets, which could be illegal.”

Koeppel has been involved with many charitable and civic organizations over the years, including the Town of Palm Beach’s powerful Code Compliance Board. He couldn’t be reached at his offfice and didn’t respond to an e-mail seeking comment.