INSIDE WEEK OF APRIL 24-30, 2014 www.FloridaWeekly.com Vol. IV, No. 28 • FREE INSIDE: WHO IS PLAYING; WHERE TO GET TICKETS; A10 INTERVIEWVW WITH THE GOO GOO DOLLS; B1 2014 Life is a cabaret COURTESY PHOTO Jeff Harnar promises an evening The John Kluge compound has 10 bed- of wit at the Royal Room. B1 w rooms and 11 bathrooms in 23,000 square feet. Asking price: $59 million. Offered by The Corcoran Group. Cash is king as real estate SUN recovers BY SCOTT SIMMONS ssimmons@fl oridaweekly.com There are five little numbers that equal big bucks in real estate: 33480. Homes in the town of Palm Beach, which bears that ZIP code, are selling in the millions. According to figures released by Networking Douglas Elliman, the New York-based real estate firm that has operations Who was out and about in Palm up and down the southeastern Florida PHOTOS COURTESY Beach County. A21-24, 27 w coast, single-family homes had an average sales price of $6,450,093 in the first quarter this year, up from $4,115,974. ▲ Sotheby’s posted similar num- Robin bers, with an average sales price of Thicke $6,593,199, also up from $4,115,974. performs “Palm Beach is an expensive place Thursday, to live. When you look at Palm Beach May 1, at in itself it’s a very high price point, SunFest. and again the inventory in that mar- FEST ket has really begun to move,” said Jay Phillip Parker, the Miami-based CEO of Douglas Elliman’s South Florida brokerage. {...YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT} The luxury market rose, thanks to Business the sales of more trophy properties Learning the art of effective — homes that were larger than 10,000 w F IT’S THE END OF APRIL, CAN SUNFEST BE FAR BEHIND? networking. A25 square feet. “It’s exciting,” Mr. Parker said. Most of the snowbirds have migrated north to beat the heat. “Palm Beach suffered pretty signifi- But more than 165,000 will be in town for a beat with cantly after the crash and I think it’s finally got its feet back.” heat as the festival brings together five days of art and Other agents agreed. I music along the downtown West Palm Beach waterfront. “I pretty much focus on Palm Beach, This year, SunFest kicks off April 30 and continues through and the high-end, for sure, has started to move,” said Carole Koeppel, an May 4, bringing with it a $15 million economic impact. agent with Sotheby’s International These days, what began as your event is on track to have similar results, Realty in Palm Beach. Kovel’s Antiques backyard jazz-centric event in 1982 has officials say. She said she has been busy showing evolved into something more than your A Facebook survey found guests this Vintage desks offer real and selling to buyers who want new parents’ music festival. year will fly in from as far away as decorating values. A32 w construction, single-family homes. According to SunFest officials, the Dubai, Finland and the United King- “The West Palm Beach market has event attracted people from 46 states dom. Domestic responses came from as picked up as well, and I’ve done some and 13 countries in 2013. Residents of far west as Seattle and as far north as Download transactions in the country club com- the Sunshine State flocked to town, too Bangor, Maine. our FREE munities along PGA (Boulevard),” — coming from 180 Florida cities out- App today she said. side of Palm Beach County. The 2014 SEE SUNFEST, A10 w It’s not all local residents looking to Available on trade up, either. the iTunes and BY BRITTANY MILLER •SPECIAL TO FLORIDA WEEKLY Android App Store. SEE REAL ESTATE, A11 w PRSRT STD OPINION A4 REAL ESTATE A28 EVENTS B4-6 U.S. POSTAGE PETS A6 ANTIQUES A32 PUZZLES B8 PAID FORT MYERS, FL HEALTHY LIVING A16 ARTS B1 SOCIETY B10-11,15,16,18 PERMIT NO. 715 BUSINESS A25 SANDY DAYS B2 DINING B19 A2 NEWS WEEK OF APRIL 24-30, 2014 www.FloridaWeekly.com GARDENS/JUPITER FLORIDA WEEKLY COMMENTARY The rise of dumb and dumber denced since the Court’s Dred Scott deci- of it as a hostile takeover of the electoral Of course, we have laws that regulate sions in 1857 ruled that slaves were prop- process by whatever superrich Goliath corporations and limit corporate excess. erty,e not people — and we know how invades your town or state. There are constraints to unbridled cor- leslieLILLY thatt went. The McCutcheon decision, (Real) people need an equalizer so, ruption in the legislative process; and [email protected] tthe court’s latest edict to remove con- like David, we have a fighting chance. our federal citizenship protects (real) sstraints on political spending, is another I suggest moral and ethical codes of people from abuses by economic forces tthrowback, dangerously reminiscent of behavior by our new doppelgangers that grown too rich and too powerful. That those times. are a fleshed-out version of the “golden may not last. The great unraveling of “Oligarchy” is not a word that steals The rulings are a sure sign our demo- rule” generally practiced by (real) peo- the First and Second Amendments to with pussycat feet into the everyday cratic system of government is in trou- ple toward one another. the U.S. Constitution is by fiat of rhe- patter of conversation. It rolls around in ble. If a biblical savior were around, he/ (Fake) people should consider the torical flim-flam and the rise of dumb your mouth and off your tongue with a she would be chasing the moneychang- following suggestions: You do not cheat, and dumber. slightly operatic note. You can say the ers out of the nation’s capital and call- lie, or steal. You do not discriminate Government by the few, controlled by same for the word “plutocracy.” ing out the false prophets who are in employment or engage in unfair the superrich, is already ascendant in Both words are reminiscent of once- corrupting and destroying the temples employment practices. You compensate our time and bears spoiled fruit: Flori- upon-a-time and long ago, that have an of democracy. Unfortunately, in the equal work with equal pay. You do not da’s legislature is the tool of the Nation- 18th century ring to them. Maybe your last secular world of politics, we are what commit wage theft. You do not hurt, al Rifle Association. Protection of the encounter with their use was in your sev- we reap. injure or otherwise maim (real) people Everglades is in the hands of Big Sugar; enth-grade civics class. They feel gnarly The consequences of hollowing out with your actions, words, deeds, prod- and the American Legislative Exchange and out of date in a modern context. Yet, the “one man, one vote” principle is dif- ucts or merchandise. You do not pollute, Council, a conservative band of broth- here they are, appearing frequently in ficult to fight. destroy, or otherwise cause irrevocable ers, churns out for Florida and others print and electronic media, resurrected If lobbyists and Super PACs were harm to the planet on loan to (real) states’ lawmakers, model legislation to for our use in the 21st century. a threat before, they are in control people from future generations. You do privatize public assets, cripple govern- They emerged out of a dust-covered now. Public policy is the currency of not market falsehoods to sell products ment, and eliminate federal rights and shoebox because we need words to exchange when corporations and bil- and merchandise that are dangerous, protections; and believe me, there is describe what is happening in American lionaires put unlimited money into the useless, harmful or addictive. You do nothing fake about any of that. ■ politics today. To tell you the truth, I political process. not greedily gather and horde riches looked them up. I wanted to be sure I sur- That is the buzz behind the cur- while denying your employees a living — Lilly is a native Floridian and mised correctly their meaning based on rent use of “plutocracy” and “oligarchy.” wage. You do not commit blasphemy past president and CEO of the Com- the distressful context of their use today. Money is purchasing power in poli- against whistle blowers, claiming righ- munity Foundation for Palm Beach “Oligarchy” is government by the few; tics. It transforms candidates for public teousness when you have sinned might- and Martin Counties. Her professional and a “plutocracy” is a government or office into a commodity available for ily against your stockholders, investors, career spans more than 25 years in the state ruled by the wealthy class. sale to the highest bidder. A system is employees, and customers. You do not charitable sector, leading major phil- If this resonates, it is because the predisposed to impoverish people that build palaces to greed or pay tribute to anthropic institutions in the South and Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United equates unlimited, political spending crooks rejoicing in profits made from rural Appalachia. She resides with her ruling transformed corporations into to literal, free speech; and erases the crime, corruption, subterfuge and other family and pugs in Jupiter. Email her at people and money into free speech. It is distinction in elections between indi- forms of illicit behavior. I could go on [email protected] and follow Lilly on the most extraordinary leap of jurispru- vidual citizens and corporations. Think but I won’t. Twitter @llilly15. Meeting the unique needs of young cancer patients The needs of children and adolescents can be very different from those of other cancer patients.