Bradshaw

For the first time since the economy went south, the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office is looking to cut staff through buyouts.

And Sheriff Ric Bradshaw intends on starting with upper management.

Right on time for Christmas, Bradshaw’s office sent out 117 letters to personnel above the rank of sergeant with more than 20 years in the agency to ask if they’d be interested in a buyout.

As of yesterday, 62 employees — lieutenants, captains, majors and their civilian equivalent — responded they’d be willing. The salaries vary between $105,000 a year to about $160,000, plus benefits.

Bradshaw, however, didn’t include buyout details, nor did he reveal how many bodies he needs. But if there aren’t enough volunteers, he could extend the offer to the ranks of sergeant and below. There’s no word yet on whether the sheriff would force anyone out, but the agency may have to come up with as much as $50 million in savings.

Palm Beach County Administrator Bob Weisman said the county may have to slash its budget by $100 million. And he told commissioners that it’d be fair for PBSO to absorb half.

For more, and the poll, look below or click (Read more…)

Masters

Big deal dignitaries, it seems, have a knack for coming to Riviera Beach without notifying the lord mayor, Thomas Masters.

The latest was Gov. Charlie Crist, who visited the city’s Bethune Elementary Friday.

So Masters, whose day job is Baptist preacher, fired off a letter to Crist asking to know why he didn’t give city fathers a heads up.

Masters is a little sensitive about famous people being around without his knowledge. Last year, the then-candidate Barack Obama rested his weary campaigning head at The Resort on Singer Island, and Hizzoner found out a day late — on the news.

This time around, however, Masters wrote to Crist: “. . . I, the Mayor of Riviera Beach, was not notified prior to his arrival. Neither were any of my City Council colleagues . . . Apparently a ‘courtesy call’ was placed to one of our assistant police chiefs at about 6:30 this morning. Is that ‘protocol’ to call police in the host city just a few hours before the Governor’s arrival? And no one else? . . . I am disappointed I was deprived of the honor of welcoming the top leader of our great state of Florida.”

Guess what? The guv’s people agreed that Hizzoner was robbed of his moment with Crist, and asked for forgiveness.

Crist’s director of external affairs, Stephanie Smith, replied with this missive: “I’d like to formally apologize . . . however due to a last minute change of venue this step (notifying public officials) was not completed.”

Said Masters: “I accept the governor’s apology! My faith in the governor is unshattered!”

Joe LePore

– The man arrested in a mysterious attack on a cabbie in West Palm Beach earlier this week has been identified as Joe LePore, brother of former Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Theresa LePore. Joe Lepore, 52, an electrician, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and criminal mischief after West Palm Beach police arrested him Wednesday morning. A taxi driver was trying to turn around in LePore’s driveway on Avenida Allegre when LePore allegedly hit the cab, causing damages. When a cop arrived, LePore allegedly pulled a gun and threatened both the cabbie and officer. “I felt threatened,” LePore told Page2Live. “I had my 357 in my pocket but I didn’t take it out.” He was released from the county lockup late Thursday after paying his $3,000-bond. In 2004, according to Palm Beach County court records, LePore pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor. A judge withheld adjudication. “He has anger management issues,” said sister Theresa. “The cab driver was sitting in his driveway blowing the horn, and he is very protective of his property.” Theresa’s name became intertwined with the disastrous administrations of George W. Bush when, in 2000, her office printed ballots so confusing that some Al Gore supporters voted for the wrong candidate, ultimately, Bush’s election by a hair.  (With The Palm Beach Post’s Eliot Kleinberg)

Jenny

– Jenny Sanford, first lady of South Carolina and a member of a prominent Martin County family, moved out of the governor’s mansion in Columbia today. Sanford is the long suffering wife of Gov. Mark Sanford, who made international news in June after he disappeared to Argentina to tango with a mistress. The Sanfords eventually ended up pow-wowing about it at her dad John Sullivan’s home in Hobe Sound. Mark and Jenny just returned from a vacation in Europe. But AP reporters saw Jenny and several women move boxes out of the mansion Thursday. Jenny says she can be found in the couple’s vacation home, 125 miles away from Columbia.

Livan

– Another athlete’s selling SoFla real estate. Livan “I lo’ you, Miami” Hernandez, the 1997 star pitcher for the World Series winning Florida Marlins, is selling his Miami Beach condo. He’s willing to lose a few bucks. According to South Florida Blockshopper, the beachfronter is on the market for $945,000, nearly $40,000 less than what the current New York Met bought it for last year. The listing agent is a former star of Donald Trump’s The Apprentice, Katrina Campins.

A Palm Beach County man may be holding some of the keys to the future of Michael Jackson’s family.

Al Malnik, an accountant and lawyer and sometime host to Jackson, says he and Jackson signed an agreement in 2003 that makes him the executor to Jackson’s multi-million dollar estate.

Another document they signed makes Malnik the godfather, and guardian, of Jackson’s little one, Blanket, in case Jackson were to die.

Malnik at home, with wife Nancy and three of their children (Michele Sandberg/Special to Page2Live)

The King of Pop unexpectedly passed away at age 50 from an apparent heart attack Thursday.

“I am surprised because he couldn’t be revived,” Malnik said from his sprawling $20 million-mansion in Ocean Ridge. “A 50-year-old man should be able to survive something like this.”

Malnik knew Jackson for nearly 10 years. Although he won’t confirm that, word is the two met in the waiting room of a famed Beverly Hills plastic surgeon.

Since then, when Jackson needed to fly below the radar like he did in when his strange behavior with young children became an issue in 2003, the star secretly sought refuge at Malnik’s beachfront property.

For months at a time. With children and entourage.

For more on this story, and the legal bonds between Jackson and Malnik, look below (Read more…)

Enid Atwater with brother Jeff Atwater, president of the Florida Senate

The once-embattled Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau laid off five well-known employees, including the sister of Florida Senate President Jeff Atwater.

Marketing vice-presidents Enid Atwater and Bill Vervaeke, who designed the Bureau’s current campaign centered around the 100^th anniversary of Palm Beach County, were shown the door Friday in a spate of cost-cutting measures.

Also on the chopping block: Data base support manager Kate Black, an 18-year veteran; Director of Sales for South America Maria Gross; and Marketing Analyst Amy McCants.

“This clearly had something to do with the economy,” said Enid Atwater. “Hard decisions had to be made. The cuts were deep.”

She declined to comment further as CVB honchos had her and the others sign confidentiality agreements as a condition for their severance packages.

According to the tourism agency’s website, it still employs 34 people.

For more and the poll, look below (Read more…)