club news Cost of Lifetime Membership to Increase Changes At 5th & Flagler As the saying goes, “The only thing that is constant is change”. Well, plenty of changes are taking place just outside the Fishing Club’s headquarters at 5th Street and North Flagler Drive. Construction on the new Flagler Bridge, which initially began on the Palm Beach side, has finally reached the clubhouse. Fortunately, the bridge contractor, PCL, has remained in close contact with the Fishing Club and we have been able to continue club operations, thus far, with relatively little inconvenience. The WPBFC’s designa- tion as a local historic landmark has been well noted by PCL and FDOT. Soon the old Quadrille Avenue fly-over will be torn down, along with the elevated embankment that borders the north side of the clubhouse. In preparation for this aspect of the project, large sections of sheet pile were driven into the ground. A seismic meter has been placed outside the club to closely monitor vibrations. The noise and vibration inside the clubhouse was significant for the two-week period the sheet pile work was conducted. Thankfully, the old clubhouse has withstood the vibrations well with no noted impacts to date, other than a few trinkets falling off a showcase shelf. A new intersection will soon be created near the northeast corner of the property. Rather than ‘fly over’ North Flagler Drive, east and west bound traf- fic will navigate ‘at grade’ through this new intersec- tion. Since North Flagler Drive will be slightly el- evated at the intersection a tapered retaining wall will be constructed bordering the north and east sides of the clubhouse property. At the club’s request, a new storm drain has been installed in the yard to help alleviate flooding concerns. However, we really will not know how well the drain functions until the entire project is complete. Con- struction is expected to last through the remainder of the year and into 2017. The Fishing Club wishes to thank club members Rob RennebaumfromSimmons&White,legalcouncilChesterBrewer, and JohnLang from Lang Design Group for their ongoing expertise and support. The work is not over yet, but so far so good…your club remains open for business! New bridge approach looking east At a recent WPBFC Board meeting, the Board of Directors voted in favor of an increase to the cost of joining the Fishing Club for life. The last time lifetime membership dues were increased was 16 years ago. Currently at $1,500, the new lifetime member rate will increase to $2,000. The new rate will take effect on July 1, 2016. lifetime dues can be made in 1 full payment or broken into 4 equal payments distributed over a 4 year period. 50 percent of lifetime member dues is a tax qualified charitable contribution to the club's affiliate, the Palm Beach County FishingFoundation. Inadditionto the tax deduction, lifetime mem- bers receive an engraved metallic membership card, a cloisonne pin, a life member decal and an embroidered shirt. The $2,000 lifetime member fee is equivalent to 25 years of membership dues at the current annual adult rate of $80. Life membership are sold as individual memberships only (not applicable as a 'family' membership). If you have been contemplating WPBFC lifetime membership for yourself, a family member or friend, now is the time to take action before the rate increase takes effect. Joining is as simple as logging onto the club website and clicking on the membership header. The late Marshall 'Doc' Rinker, became a lifetime in 1941. The lifetime membership program began in the late 1930s as a means of accumulating funds towards the construction of the clubhouse.