11 - Weekly Tidbits

Volume 3 Issue 11
Cost: Priceless
March 11, 2015
Residents help Council with Strategic Plan update
Sixty residents came to the Community Center Monday evening
to assist the City Council with updating the city’s vital Strategic Plan,
which serves as a roadmap for accomplishing important city projects,
and as a guideline for staff to understand the city’s priorities.
The participants were chosen by City Council members and
Citizens work with city staff members to help guide the city’s future.
worked in groups, sharing ideas and providing answers to a series of
questions from Lyle Sumek, a consultant who guided the strategic
planning process in 2013-2014.
Sumek asked the groups to answer questions such as, “Why did
you make the choice to live in Port St. Lucie?” Participants gave answers like, “Low crime rate” and “Cost of living is a lot less” and
“Lower taxes.”
Another question was, “What would make Port St. Lucie more
livable for you?” Those answers included suggestions for “bike trails”
and “sidewalks.”
Participants also were asked what they would like to see along
the St. Lucie River and at McCarty Ranch, and how they get their
information about the city. Some said they would like to see “More
riverfront development,” a camp ground or a paintball park at McCarty
Ranch, and many said they get their news through the city website,
TCPalm or Facebook.
As the groups discussed each question and listed their responses, City Council members moved from group to group listening to
ideas and talking little. The goal was to help Council members understand what citizens want from their city government.
City Manager Jeff Bremer said the workshop was a success be-
cause strategic planning is a citywide process and the City Council and management team need as much citizen input as they can
get. And there was plenty of citizen input throughout the event.
Strategic Plan continued on page 4
Local Rotary clubs aide city in safer intersections
On Thursday, June 20, 2014, Port St. Lucie Police were called
to investigate a fatal accident at the corner of Del Rio and California. Although there is a 4-Way stop at that intersection, a young
man failed to stop hitting another car, killing the driver. This is a
scene repeated all too often throughout communities, a scene that
leaves families dealing with the aftermath of a preventable tragedy.
Assistant Rotary Governor Catherine Griffin heard about a
project, called “BriteSide® Reflective Panels,” being promoted by
Rotary District Governor, Juan Ortega. With this project, reflective
panels help increase the visibility of stop signs, especially during
rain or darkness. The panels were being made available to local
clubs to have installed in their communities throughout the Palm
Beaches and Treasure Coast. Griffin immediately thought of the
Del Rio and California intersection, located just blocks from her
home. Soon after, she met with the Patricia Christensen, President of the PSL Sunset Rotary Club and Paula Andreozzi, President of the PSL Rotary Club to garner their support for the project.
The trio presented the idea to the city of Port St. Lucie’s staff.
Once approved by the City Council, the City’s Engineering department worked with the Port St. Lucie Police Department to determine the intersections that had the most traffic incidents.
The panels were placed in 16 of those intersections, including
the one at Del Rio and California Boulevards. “We heard about
this project through our district. In fact, our district governor, Juan
Ortega, just happens to have a doctorate in traffic engineering and
he really felt that this project made a lot of sense and was a worth-
New “Britesides reflectors” installed at the intersection of California and Del Rio Boulevards, with the help of local Rotary Clubs in
Port St. Lucie. Pictured from left to right, Larry Breault, Catherine
Griffin, Paula Andreozzi, Vice Mayor Linda Bartz, Patricia Christensen, Claudia McCaskill and Jeannette Weiss.
while one for our clubs to do,” Griffin said.
“We all felt that it was an opportunity for our local Rotary
Clubs to give back to our community and to show our support for
the city.” While they aren’t saying the panels would have had an
Rotary continued on page 4
2
Weekly Tidbits
Tax Wise
By Daniel Kurek
Return Preparer Fraud Hits IRS
Annual “Dirty Dozen” List
The Internal Revenue Service today warned taxpayers to be on
the lookout for unscrupulous return preparers, one of the most common “Dirty Dozen” tax scams seen during tax season.
The vast majority of tax professionals provide honest high-quality
service. But there are some dishonest preparers who set up shop each
filing season to perpetrate refund fraud, identity theft and other scams
that hurt taxpayers. That's why unscrupulous preparers who prey on
unsuspecting taxpayers with outlandish promises of overly large refunds make the Dirty Dozen list every year.
“Filing a tax return can be one of the biggest financial transactions
of the year, so taxpayers should choose their tax return preparers carefully,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “Most tax professionals
provide top-notch service, but we see bad actors every year that steal
from their clients or compromise returns in ways that can severely
harm taxpayers."
Return preparers are a vital part of the U.S. tax system. About 60
percent of taxpayers use tax professionals to prepare their returns.
Illegal scams can lead to significant penalties and interest and possible criminal prosecution. IRS Criminal Investigation works closely
with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to shutdown scams and prosecute the criminals behind them.
Choosing Return Preparers Carefully
It is important to choose carefully when hiring an individual or firm
to prepare your return. Well-intentioned taxpayers can be misled by
preparers who don’t understand taxes or who mislead people into taking credits or deductions they aren’t entitled to in order to increase their
fee. Every year, these types of tax preparers face everything from penalties to even jail time for defrauding their clients.
Here are a few tips when choosing a tax preparer:
Check to be sure the preparer has an IRS Preparer Tax Identification
Number (PTIN). Anyone with a valid 2015 PTIN is authorized to prepare federal tax returns. Tax return preparers, however, have differing
levels of skills, education and expertise. An important difference in the
types of practitioners is “representation rights”. You can learn more
about the several different types of return preparers on IRS.gov/choose
a tax pro.
Ask
the tax preparer if they have a professional credential (enrolled
agent, certified public accountant, or attorney), belong to a professional
organization or attend continuing education classes. A number of tax
law changes, including the Affordable Care Act provisions, can be
complex. A competent tax professional needs to be up-to-date in these
matters. Tax return preparers aren’t required to have a professional
credential, but make sure you understand the qualifications of the preparer you select.
Check
on the service fees upfront. Avoid preparers who base their
fee on a percentage of your refund or those who say they can get larger refunds than others can.
Always
make sure any refund due is sent to you or deposited into
your bank account. Taxpayers should not deposit their refund into a
preparer’s bank account.
Make sure your preparer offers IRS e-file and ask that your return be
submitted to the IRS electronically. Any tax professional who gets paid
to prepare and file more than 10 returns generally must file the returns
electronically. It’s the safest and most accurate way to file a return,
whether you do it alone or pay someone to prepare and file for you.
Make sure the preparer will be available. Make sure you’ll be able to
contact the tax preparer after you file your return – even after the April
15 due date. This may be helpful in the event questions come up about
your tax return.
Provide
records and receipts. Good preparers will ask to see your
records and receipts. They’ll ask you questions to determine your total
income, deductions, tax credits and other items. Do not rely on a pre-
March 11, 2015
EVENTS and NOTICES
Walk Now for Autism
Speaks Saturday April
11th , 9:00 am Registration
8:00 am Tradition Port St
Lucie
Freedom Dance Lessons
Mondays from 6-8 at the
PSL Community Center ,2195 SE Airoso Blvd.
Call 772.985. 5508 for
more info.
Hooked on Blues ThursOpen Informational
day, March 19, 2015
Meeting Free
“Hooked on Blues” and
more with 24 Steven , Open Do you want to learn
Jam, Pineapple Joe’s 6297 about “green“ safe consumer products? Contact
N. US 1, Fort Pierce, FL
Dr. Jack about the weekly
34946
meeting time and place at
Port St. Lucie Sunset Ro- 772.343.7122
tary at Vista Grille on
The first and third Tuesday’s Eating out of control?
Thinking about food
at 5:30 for cocktails and
often?
6:00-7:00 PM for dinner.
We are a non-profit and do There is help! Come to a
great things for the commu- Food Addicts Anonymous
meeting every Wednesday
nity.
at 6PM. Call 772 878 9657
Coffee with the PSL
Council Every fourth Fri- Port St Lucie Botanical
Gardens Jazz & Blues
day of each month beginNight Listen to the
ning at 8:30 a.m. at the
wonderful sounds of the
PSL Community Center,
(unless otherwise noticed). Fort Pierce Jazz and Blues
Society indoors at the
Hosted by the St. Lucie
Gardens every other
County Chamber of ComWednesday night from
merce.
6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
The Solid Gold Dance
Admission is only $5 per
Band "Dance Party"
person. Visit our website
At the Civic Center on the
calendar at
last Thursday of every
www.pslbotanicalgardens.
month, at the Port St. Lucie org for more info.
Civic Center from 7—10
PM.
Hooked on Blues Tuesday, March 31, with the
Special Olympics Track,
Sophisticats, Little Jim’s
Bocce and Tennis, TuesBait and Tackle, 601 N.
days at 5:30 pm, SaturCauseway, Fort Pierce, FL
days at 9:00 am,
34949, 2-5 pm, 772-468Lawnwood Stadium, Ft.
2503
Pierce
parer who is willing to e-file your return using your last pay stub
instead of your Form W-2. This is against IRS e-file rules.
Never sign a blank return. Don’t use a tax preparer that asks you
to sign an incomplete or blank tax form.
Review your return before signing. Before you sign your tax re-
turn, review it and ask questions if something is not clear. Make
sure you’re comfortable with the accuracy of the return before you
sign it.
Ensure the preparer signs and includes their PTIN. Paid prepar-
ers must sign returns and include their PTIN as required by law.
The preparer must also give you a copy of the return.
Report abusive tax preparers to the IRS. You can report abusive
tax return preparers and suspected tax fraud to the IRS. Use Form
14157, Complaint: Tax Return Preparer. If you suspect a return
preparer filed or changed the return without your consent, you
should also file Form 14157-A, Return Preparer Fraud or Misconduct Affidavit. You can get these forms on IRS.gov.
Remember: Taxpayers are legally responsible for what is on
their tax return even if it is prepared by someone else. Make
sure the preparer you hire is up to the task.
Daniel J. Kurek, of Daniel J. Kurek Consulting LLC is a licensed and
insured tax preparer with 35 years experience in personal and small
business taxes. He can be reached at
772-398-9182
or [email protected]
Weekly Tidbits
March 11, 2015
Celebrate St. Patrick's
Day at the Civic Center
You're sure to enjoy
the luck of the Irish on
Friday and Saturday,
March 13 and 14 when
you attend the Friendly
Sons and Daughters of
Ireland and the City of
Port St. Lucie's St. Patrick's Day Festival and
Parade
in
Village
Square at the Port St.
Lucie Civic Center. On
Sunday, March 15 you
can still enjoy the midway carnival from 1 to 6
p.m.
This event will be chock full of great entertainment, plus food,
beer and arts and crafts vendors. On Friday, March 13 from 5 to
10 p.m., the celebration begins with a brief welcome followed by Irish
Balladeer Paul Rowan performing from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Other entertainment includes The Rowdy Micks who will perform from 7 to 10
p.m. and the Midway Carnival for the kids.
On Saturday, March 14 the fun begins at 10:00 am with an allday Irish festival. The parade begins at 11 a.m. and will travel
through the streets of City Center. An Irish marketplace will offer arts,
crafts, food vendors and a variety of other booths and the Midway
Carnival goes from noon to 10 p.m.
Dancing and musical performances throughout the day include
Tir Na Greine, Paul Rowan, M&M Sweeties, Paul Rowan, Mrs. P's
Acrobatic Dance Studio, The Lahinch Mob, True Crew Dance, and
ending with The Lahinch Mob, for a finale. The Rowdy Micks will perform from 6:15 to 10 p.m.
To end out the weekend on Sunday, March 15 from 1 to 6 p.m.
you can enjoy the Midway Carnival only. Admission and parking are
free. Wristbands and tickets will be sold for the carnival rides. Wristbands are $20.
Groups that would like to participate in the parade are asked to
email General Chairman Jim Williams with the Friendly Sons and
Daughters of Ireland at [email protected] for more information.
Brain Teasers – Week 11
N
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N
G
N
P
J
J
I
O
B
E
G
E
B
N
Find a nine letter word in the grid. It can
be spelled by combining adjoining letters sideways, backwards, up and down.
Theme: time
Answer on page 4
Are you our winner?
It’s that time when we announce our winner for our
monthly subscription contest. If
you are Lynn Walter and you
are a subscriber, then just email
us
at
[email protected]
to
claim your prize. You won a
$25. gift card for a Port St.
Lucie restaurant of your choice.
If you aren’t our Lynn Walter, that’s OK. By remaining as
a subscriber, you are automatically entered into our next
drawing.
If you aren’t a subscriber
and would like to qualify to win
in April, all you have to do is
become a subscriber for a free
subscription to Weekly Tidbits.
April’s prize is a $25.00 gift
card to your favorite restaurant
in Port St. Lucie, of your choice,
as well. Just visit us
at
www.yourweeklytidbits.com and
find the e-subscription button
on the left side and fill out your
name and email address. It’s
that easy.
You will be entered into our
contest instantly. You will also
begin receiving Weekly Tidbits
every week in your email box.
How simple is that?
3
Weekly Tidbits
4
March 11, 2015
Strategic plan continued from page 1
Rotary continued from page 1
“When you look at a strategic plan, you hope it envisions what
residents want for the community,” Bremer said. “People thanked
us for reaching out to them and for recognizing that their needs
are important.”
The groups worked together for two and a half hours, providing written feedback that will be reviewed and discussed by the
Council and city management in a series of strategic plan update
meetings over the next few weeks.
The current version of Port St. Lucie’s Strategic Plan is on
the city’s website. Residents are encouraged to become familiar
with it and to share any thoughts or ideas with the City Council
member from their district.
impact on the fatality last June, the Rotarians feel anything that
can be done to help keep citizens safer is a priority.
Retired Business Owner and Palm Beach Rotary member
Albert Burlando designed and patented the "Brightside Reflective
Panel" to make stop signs more noticeable. He personally donated the 10,000 panels to Rotary Clubs from District 6930 from Boca Raton to Titusville. A number of those Rotary Clubs did similar
projects in their communities. The panels meet uniform traffic
codes of the National University Transportation Center. They are
advertised to increase signs' visibility by 40 percent in the day,
and 50 percent at night.
Port St. Lucie City Councilwoman Linda Bartz was very supportive of the project. “I think that partnering with the Rotary Club
or with any group that wants to help the city protect our children
and residents are partnerships that are extremely valuable to all
of us,” Bartz said. “I am grateful that the Rotary club presented
this initiative to the city and I believe that we will reap the benefits
of having these reflectors on our signs.” Although the value of the
panels was $3,500, with Burlando’s donation, the cost to the City
was zero.
Answers for Brain Teaser on page 3
Answer: BEGINNING
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Giggles and Grins
Irish Priest
An Irish priest is driving down to New
York and gets stopped for speeding in
Connecticut. The state trooper smells alcohol on the priest's breath and then sees an
empty wine bottle on the floor of the car.
He says, "Sir, have you been drinking?"
"Just water," says the priest. The trooper
says, "Then why do I smell wine?"
The priest looks at the bottle and says,
"Good Lord! He's done it again!"
Hey Port St. Lucie
“Single Stream Recycling” is
here!!!!!
Residents Who Recycle
Can Win Money
It’s a new year and Waste
Pro is continuing to give away
fifty $100 Visa gift cards per
month to randomly selected
customers who have their
carts out for collection and
recyclables properly prepared. A representative from
St. Lucie County will handdeliver the gift cards to each
winner. Monthly winners will
be entered in a drawing for a
$2,500 Visa gift card at the
end of the year. The more
you recycle, the better your
chances at winning will be!
Do your part, it’s a start.
Recycle Port St. Lucie!!!