Great news for those who peruse thrift stores for those rareone-of-a-kind finds. Geez Louise opened recently on FederalHighway, just south of the Wal-Mart store. Pg 5

Soccer League President Craig Woll serves up some grilledchicken for hundreds of players, buddies, families and volunteers in the TOPsoccer program. Pg 18

Volume 3 Issue 2 The little newspaper with big impact June 2013

Hobe Sound Neighbors Business Buzz

Getting attentionNothing works quite like beautifulwomen to draw attention to products,or in this case, to good causes. Pg 4

District 3 residentsmeet Commissioner Anne Scott.

COMPLIMENTARY

Scary, embarassing conduct from county commission. Pg 6

Pg 12

Skiers Lacie Greenwald, 11, (left) and her father, Dr. Brett Greenwald of Hobe Sound, both brought home medals from the NASTAR National Ski Championships in

Colorado. Looks like Lacie's training is going to get serious. Pg 22

Photo: Steven Martine Models: Lindsey Wood, left, and Morgan Toledo

Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 20132

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One of scientist Edie Widders toxicity maps ofthe northern portion of the Indian River Lagoon may havehelped unlock the mystery ofthe recent catastrophic

loss of 32,000acres of seagrass there,causing dev-astating im-pacts to othermarine life inthe estuary.

Widder,lead scientistand founderof the OceanResearch andConservationAssociation inFt. Pierce, hadbeen testingthe sedimentand mapping

the pollution between the Barber Bridgeand Wabasso Bridge, discovering thatsulfates were the cause of the toxicity.But from where?

The hypothesis had been that nutri-ents from fertilizer run-off and septictanks fueled a superbloom of microalgaethat blocked out the sunlight and lead tothe death of the seagrass, but ORCAsmap coincided with the locations ofmosquito impoundments created to con-trol mosquito populations, a correlationspotted for the first time by Jim David,director of mosquito control in IndianRiver County.

It certainly makes more sense thananything else Ive heard, Widder says.If septic systems and fertilizer killedthe seagrass, why is the die-off cata-strophic now when weve had septictanks and fertilizer runoff for years.

Davids theory proposed that theseagrass was killed by chemical reac-tions among the toxic compounds frommarshesincluding mosquito im-poundments. Bacteria produces hydro-gen sulfide, which attaches to iron,making iron sulfide, which leachesfrom wetlands into the estuary, whereit acidifies.

That could well be the culprit be-hind the death of seagrass beds, addedWidder, because without seagrass toabsorb the excess nitrogen from septictanks and fertilizer run-off, algaeblooms go wild.

ORCAs FAST (Fast Assessment ofSediment Toxicity) program will be uti-lized to test new sediment samplesbeing collected from Indian River andSt. Lucie counties, Widder said, whichwill be processed in ORCAs lab, as well

as labs in Boston and Canada. Resultscould take up to three months. For moreinformation, go to www.teamorca.orgwhere updates will be posted.

Little progress has beenmade in deciding what thequalifications should be for appointment to theNeighborhood Advisory Committees for each of theseven Neighborhood Planning Areas,Hobe Sound, Port Salerno, Indiantown,Golden Gate, Rio, Old Palm City andJensen Beach.

The Martin County Commission,after abolishing all NAC committees,had directed an ordinance be writtenearly this year limiting the number ofmembers to five, then directed in a latermeeting that the county attorney changethe ordinance to up to seven, plus twoalternates, in response to the level ofinterest expressed during seven NACworkshops held during April.

The commissioners also decided thatat least one NAC member for each com-mittee could live outside the planningarea, but required that he or she be aMartin County resident, and that com-mittees should comprise both residentsand business owners or managers.

Slated to come before the commis-sion at a meeting in mid-June, thecounty attorney, Michael Durham,withdrew the item from the agenda forfurther revision. It is not expected tobe back on the county commissionagenda again until mid-July, accordingto the countys Community Develop-ment Department.

Pitchfords Landing in Jensen Beach goes beforethe commission for final approval this summer after a lengthy delay.

When Florida residents Bill andNancy Reily spotted an old mobilehome park and restaurant for sale in2004 on about 17 acres in Jensen Beachwith views of the Indian River Lagoon,they bought it. That was January 2005.

It was easy for them to envision turn-ing the parcel of land with 150 mobilehome and RV sites and six cottagesplus an operating restaurantwithinwalking distance of historic downtownJensen Beach into an extraordinaryplace to live.

What they had not envisioned washaving to drain their finances to hire at-torneys to represent them in two yearsof legal wrangling brought on by a smallgroup of protestors seeking to stop theirproject, which had been approved bythe Local Planning Agency and the Mar-

tin County Commission in 2007.In 2009, a Martin County judge ruled

in Reilys favor that the project wouldnot violate the federal Affordable Hous-ing Act, the basis of their complaint, butthe rhetoric resulted in a suit by theReilys against the Jensen Beach Groupfor libel. The protestors filed a counter-suit, both of which also were settled in2009 without going to court although atrial date had been set.

Bill Reily stated at the time, I wouldnever have settled had I not run out ofmoney to pay lawyers.

Then came the global economicdownturn and a sinking real estate mar-ket. The Reilys decided to wait beforeproceeding with their Planned Unit De-velopment that includes 83 units amongsingle-family homes and two-story con-dominiums, two community swimmingpools, cabanas, a parking lot, as well asthe existing restaurant, Bluesys HappySnapper on Indian River Drive.

In 2011 they sought and weregranted by the Martin County commis-sion an extension of their developmentagreement, from an August 2013 to anAugust 2015 completion date. In themeantime, the unexpected legal fees andlong wait for signs of a market recoveryresulted in a bank foreclosure and bank-ruptcy proceedings in 2012, but with asteadily improving economy, the Reilysdecided to move forward with their

plans to create Pitchfords Landing.Their land planner, Donald Cuozzo

of Stuart, met May 30 with Joe Banfi,senior planner with the Martin CountyGrowth Management Department for aworkshop to ensure that the PitchfordsLanding project is in full compliancewith the Martin County Growth Man-agement Plan.

This is a routine process that usu-ally takes about a month, said Banfi.Then with all its is dotted and tscrossed, the Pitchfords Landing PUDwill go before the Martin County Com-mission for its final approval, perhaps asearly as July.

Tim Dougher, executive director of the Business Development Board, told the Martin County Commissioners at its June 4 meeting that the BDB didnot receive much attention from the

Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 2013 News Stream 3

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continued on page 4

Edie Widder.

press regarding the recent expansion ofITS Telecom in Indiantown.

Yet two officials at the ITS Fiber DataCenter ribbon cutting on May 8 told theaudience of more than 150 that the expan-sion was due to the efforts of the BDB.

Jeff Leslie, president and CEO of ITSTelecom, and David Powers, chairmanof the Enterprise Zone DevelopmentAgency, both credited Dougher for mak-ing the project come to fruition.Dougher had invited ITS to attend theData Center World expo in Orlando,where the BDB would be exhibiting.

We typically would not have a dis-play at such an event because Floridais not usually looked upon as an ideallocation for such a center, Doughersaid. That being said, times havechanged, and businesses are now look-ing at offsite locations closer to hometo store data.

With the expansion of ITSs fiber net-work and the creation of the EnterpriseZone in Indiantown, Dougher said hefelt that ITS was in a position to promoteIndiantown and capitalize on itsstrengths.

It was because of the contactsmade at Data Center World that ITS de-cided to move forward with the Cen-ter, he added.

The new center can provide co-loca-tion, network, and cloud services, utiliz-

ing wholly-owned, redundant, gigabit,fiber-optic network that guaranteesbandwidth and reliability. Multiplepower sources, real-time monitoring,gaseous fire suppression systems, andsecurity at the ITS facility reinforce itsdependability.

Their Indiantown location alsoshould bring peace of mind to theirclients since its 30 miles inland and liesat an elevation greater than 30 feet abovesea level, ideal for disaster recovery andback-up in hurricane-prone Florida.

The BDB is also currently workingwith the company to take advantage ofthe Enterprise Zone tax benefits, whichthe BDBMC administer. They also planto attend the Data Center World exhibi-tion again this year.

The Jensen Beach mooringfields future will be on theline at the Tuesday, June 11,Board of County Commis-sioners meeting. Jensen Beach Chamber of Commerce Ex-ecutive Director Ron Rose has been mo-bilizing business owners and residentsin the Jensen Beach area to show theirsupport by attending the meeting.

For many years, an area of the In-dian River Lagoon, directly south of theshores of the Jensen Beach Causeway,

has served as an unwanted dumpingground for derelict boats, creating aneyesore, a burden on taxpayers, and anecosystem hazard, said Rose in anemail to chamber members. It is aproblem Jensen Beach residents havelong been unhappy with and a problemthat will continue unless this areas useis replaced with an economically andenvironmentally responsible option.

Proponents say that the mooringballs will prevent destruction of sea-grass beds caused by dragging anchors;but opponents say more seagrass willdie due to the influx of boat traffic andthe shade caused by the dock.

REMINDER: A fertilizer ban is in effect until Sept. 30 forthe unincorporated areas ofMartin County. It aims to reduce the amount ofharmful nutrients entering local waterbodies, a crucial step towards improvingand maintaining water and habitat qual-ity. Fertilizers containing nitrogenand/or phosphorus cannot be used onturf, sod, lawns or landscape plants dur-ing the period of the ordinance, whichextends during the four-month rainyseason.

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Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 20134 News Stream

continued from PAGE 3

Two environmental nonprofits,Treasured Lands Foundation and ThePegasus Foundation, co-sponsored theBeauty of Volunteerism swimwearshoot recently on Simpson Island be-tween Sewalls Point and Sailfish Pointto highlight the work of volunteers.

Professional models Morgan Toledoand Lindsey Wood posed for an EarthDay photo shoot to kick off NationalVolunteer Week in April.

Treasured Lands, a land trust andconservation and environmental educa-tion nonprofit in Martin County, ac-quired Simpson Island in 2009. Over thepast few years, Treasured Lands volun-teers have devoted countless hours toclearing exotic vegetation from the spoilisland to make way for native flora thatsupports birdlife.

We would really like people tocome out and volunteer their time, tolearn to fully experience and appreciatethe beauty of Martin Countyand par-ticularly the Indian River Lagoon, said

Chuck Barrowclough, executive directorof Treasured Lands, which needs asmany advocates as we can muster.

With an office in Hobe Sound, The Pe-gasus Foundation is known worldwidefor its work with elephants and rhinoc-eros in Africa, stranded marine mammalsin New England, stray dogs on Navaholands, and cats and horses on the Treas-ure Coast and Caribbean islands.

Toledo and Wood volunteered theirtime to support the efforts of TreasuredLands and Pegasus Foundation. So didStuart-based photographer and cine-matographer Steven Martine. Go Fishand Surf Central in Stuart lent clothesand accessories for the shoot, and TCPaddle brought stand-up paddleboards,on which Lindsey and Morgan posed.

Barrowclough says Treasured Landswill spend more time on Simpson Is-land restoration in the coming monthsin hopes of relocating injured birds,such as brown pelicans and herons forrehabilitation.

Photographer Steven Martine with model Morgan Toledo at the Simpson Island photo shoot.Photo: Rikki Klaus

With heightened public concern regarding the Indian Riverlagoon and more emphasis on environmental conservation,the timing was right for an out-of-the-ordinary photo shoot.

From the Cover

Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 2013 Business Buzz 5

Brandon Tucker of Palm Cityhas been appointed chair ofthe Early Learning Coalition

of Indian River,Martin and Okee-chobee counties,which plans andimplements schoolreadiness and vol-untary pre-kinder-garten services. Hewas appointed byGovernor Rick

Scott to serve as chair for a four-yearterm. The most critical time to make apositive impact in the lives of children isfrom birth to age 8, Tucker said. Serv-ing as chair of the Early Learning Coali-tion is an honor and an importantresponsibility.

The former District 5 candidate for aMartin County Commission seat is presi-dent of The Tucker Group, LLC, an agri-cultural and commercial-focused realestate firm that operates throughout theTreasure Coast, central and south Florida.As the former chair of the board for theYMCA of the Treasure Coast, Tucker isexperienced in leading an organization

that develops programs to assist localyouth. Tucker also currently serves as aboard member on several civic and non-profit organizations including the PalmCity Chamber of Commerce, Redeem theShadows, Seacoast National Bank Com-munity - Big Lake Region and Okee-chobee Christian Academy.

Joshua D. Ferraro rejoins the law firm of Lesser,Lesser, Landy & Smith as asenior attorney

working out of thefirms Stuart office,the same firmwhere he began hiscareer nearly adecade ago. Hewill be assistingclients throughoutthe Treasure Coastwith claims arising

from personal injury and wrongfuldeath as well as the litigation of intra-family disputes involving a contestedwill or trust.

Ferraro was born and raised in Stuartand graduated from Martin CountyHigh School. After attending the Uni-versity of Florida and earning a bachelorof arts in political science, he studiedlaw at Stetson University College ofLaw, where he graduated cum laude in2004. He also is president of Tykes &Teens, a Martin County-based non-profit organization dedicated to provid-ing mental health, substance abuse andbehavioral counseling to local youth andvice president of the nonprofit KeepMartin Beautiful.

The Geez Louise Thrift & Collectibles Shop in south Stuart began life after a returning military veteran couldnot find employment in Martin Countyaround two years ago.

We spent nine years serving in themilitary after we left Martin County,said Brandy Fitzhugh, who shares theoperation with her husband, Jason, agraduate of Martin County High School.So we started going to the flea marketto sell stuff.

People began donating householdgoods to them and their operationbegan to bloom.

We decided we should probablyopen a store, she says, because thenwe would not be limited to just twodays a week. They found a location inRio, but have since moved to the PalmSquare shopping center south of Wal-Mart on Federal Highway.

They have a wide assortment, fromhand-painted cedar chests, to porcelaintea cups, to antique chairs, to night-vi-sion binoculars, which sold recently for$60. Weekly visits to the shop offers newtreasures on display.

We have a lot of fun collectingthings, the young mother of three says,and we might even keep some thingsfor our house, then if we get tired ofthem, just bring them here to sell them.Our house is always changing, she sayswith a smile, just like our store.

Geez Louise is open five days aweek, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdaythrough Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. onSaturdays. Call 772.692.5170 or 626.8605for more information.

A new ice cream parloropened on Federal Highwayjust north of Hobe Sound

in a shopping stripat the entrance tothe Hobe Heightshousing develop-ment, Ice Creamand More.

The shop fea-tures Working Cowice cream made inTampa with real

cream, real eggs, and real ingredients,opening its doors just in time for sum-mer. If youve ever had a bite of Work-ing Cow ice cream, says owner GeneMartello of Hobe Sound, then youllnever be satisfied with anything else, andthats a fact.

Thats what happened to Martello ona trip to Vero Beach and his first visit to

a Working Cow ice cream shop there. Iimmediately wanted to open my ownice cream shop in Hobe Sound, becausewe needed one here, he say. Ive beenworking on it for the past year.

Since he lives at the Hobe SoundGolf and Country Club, he plays golfevery morning, then opens the shop at 2p.m. every afternoon, including Sun-days, and stays open until at least 9p.m., well after dark. The extendedhours allows visits after about any tripaway from home, or to convince yourkids to eat their veggies, then pile in thecar after supper and head to Ice Creamand More.

The building wears a new mural bynoted Hobe Sound muralist Nadia Uttoon its south wall, and she painted agiant ice cream cone to hang out by thehighway, as well You cannot miss it.Once you find it, try the salted caramelice cream, and youll be hooked, too.

The staff of the Palm City-based public relations firm,The Firefly Group,displays its awards from the FloridaPublic Relations Association TreasureCoast Chapter. From left, EvelynLespinasse, Jessica Layne, Rob Ranieri,Melissa Zolla, Stacy Ranieri, and NancyMcCarthy. The Firefly Group and its

CEO Stacy Ranieri earned Image andGrand Image awards for its productionof the 2013 Florida Ranches Calendar,as well as an Image award, GrandImage and Judges award for its pro-bono production of the 2012 SafeSpace,Walk A Mile in Her Shoes video.These five awards bring the total ofawards from FPRA and FPRATC to 42in the last six years.

Brandy Fitzhugh

Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 20136 Voices

Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 2013 Voices 7

Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 20138

Your BusinessMakes Martin County!We are the Business Development Board of Martin County! As the official economic developmentorganization for Martin County, the BDBMC is charged with the responsibility of supporting existing companies in their expansion and growth needs and attracting new companies to the community. We are dedicated to creating successful Martin County businesses.

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Horses and ranching comprise asmuch, if not more of Florida, thancitrus and sand, so the news thata new equine facility was opening inPalm City was greeted enthusiastically.

The equine veterinarians behind theproject, Dr. Carolyn Todd, originally fromScotland and a graduate of Glasgow Uni-versity Veterinary School, and Dr.Edgardo Fullana, a graduate of St.Georges University School of VeterinaryMedicine, are already familiar names tomany horse owners and breeders in PalmCity, or Jupiter Farms, or Caloosa, PalmBeach Gardens, Hobe Sound, In-diantown, or Fort Pierce, whose clientshave relied previously on their full-ser-vice mobile equine veterinary practice.

The clinic is a great addition to ourestablished veterinary practice, says Dr.Todd, of the new facility at 5236 LudlumStreet just off Citrus Blvd. in Palm City.Our goal is to provide the highest qual-ity veterinary care using state-of-the-art

equipment and techniques.Their services include lameness and

sports medicine, equine reproduction,advanced dentistry, and internal and pre-ventive medicine. Having their own facil-ity permits them their immediate accessto an on-site laboratory connected to thebarn and to the breeding shed, giving theveterinarians maximum control of repro-ductive and medical procedures.

They included in the design a centraltreatment room, a 2,500 sq.-foot air-con-ditioned barn with rubber mats through-out, an air-conditioned breeding shed,and five acres of pasture turnout, fencedindividually so there is no nose-to-nosecontact among their patients.

As with the treatment room, thebreeding shed is attached to our lab, shesays, which means that we can collect,evaluate and freeze or ship semen allunder one air-conditioned roof. Our con-stant rate freezer allows us to freeze at aconstant temperature and thus producing

the best quality frozen semen possible.Prior to coming to the Treasure Coast,

Dr. Todd was associate veterinarian atFerguson and Associates in Ocala, whereshe developed a special interest in lame-ness and performance horse medicine, fo-cusing on thoroughbred yearlings and2-year-olds in training. That experienceled to her employment as the sole veteri-narian for a thoroughbred training andbreeding farm in Ocala, which fosteredher desire to create a state-of-the-art facil-ity of her own.

Lameness is the most common causeof under performance in the equine ath-lete, she says.

In addition to offering all of the tradi-tional treatment options for lameness,they also are able to offer some of the lat-est regenerative therapies, such as IRAPand PRP.

IRAP (Interleukin-1 receptor antago-

nist (IL-Ra) protein) is produced from yourhorses own blood, which is mixed withsome chromium beads, spun in a cen-trifuge, then incubated and stored, saysDr. Todd. We then inject it into the af-fected joint. We are using IRAP in the treat-ment of osteoarthritis with positive resultsas a substitute for intra-articular steroids.

Those who own horses will under-stand exactly what shes talking about,and the rest of us now know that twodedicated, compassionate veterinarianshave created an extraordinary facility inPalm City.

For more information, go towww.harbourridgeequine.com or call561-744-9026.

Asingle dollar do-nation can helpsave hundreds ofThoroughbred race-horses, according toFlorida ThoroughbredRetirement and Adop-tive Care, a statewidenon-profit dedicated tohousing, feeding andrehabilitating formerrace horses.

Florida TRAC givesretired racehorses a fight-ing chance through reha-bilitation and retrainingat several locations inMartin County, saysJoanne Hamel, a localvolunteer with the organ-ization. In the past twoyears, FL TRAC has assisted more than 200horses to begin life again, entering new ca-reers ranging from trail and therapy horsesto top show-jumping prospects, but wecant do it without help.

Currently, more than 150 horses fromtracks such as Gulf Stream Park, Bel-mont, The Meadowlands, Aqueduct, andSaratoga are awaiting homes. The futurefor the majority of race horses, those thatdo not make it into the winners circle, isuncertain.

For far too many of them, they haveno tomorrow, Hamel adds. Theyresent to illegal slaughter houses, packed ina trailer with 20 or more other horses,lucky to be alive by the end of the jour-ney to their cruel, unfortunate death.

Organizations such as Florida TRACare taking steps to ensure these equineathletes have a second chance at life, butits an expensive proposition.

We cant do it alone, she says. Weneed help. This is an opportunity for youto make a difference in a small way. Ifeveryone reading this would take aminute out of their day and send a dollarout of their pocket, Florida TRAC can saveanother 100 horses. Yes, you can help save100 horses for one simple dollar bill.

Of course, Florida TRAC.also accepts

larger donations, as wellas corporate sponsor-ships and in-kind dona-tions, large and small.

Earlier this year, FLTRAC received accredi-tation from the Thor-oughbred AftercareAlliance, based in Lex-ington, Ky. Funded ini-tially by seed moneyfrom Breeders Cup, TheJockey Club, andKeeneland Association,the TAA comprises own-ers, trainers, breeders,racetracks, jockeys, after-care professionals andother industry groups.

We are honored tobe among the first after-

care facilities accredited by the Thor-oughbred Aftercare Alliance, said BarbiMoline, director of Florida ThoroughbredRetirement and Adoptive Care. The sup-port of the TAA will help ensure that wecan continue to give thoroughbreds thelives they deserve after their racing daysare over.

Florida TRAC is a 501-c3 non-profitcommitted to ending the slaughter andinhumane treatment of the Thorough-bred racehorse. To donate, send your dol-lar to Florida TRAC, 2740 SW MartinDowns Blvd., Suite 110, Palm City, FL34990, or donate through its websitewww.fltrac.org.

Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 2013 Business Spotlight 9

FL TRAC volunteer Cassie Klein and a rescued thoroughbred available for adoption.

SOME HORSE FACTSHorses do NOT have to be eutha-

nized after breaking a leg.Most race horses retire or enter

rehabilitation programs by five yearsof age, yet their average life span is20 years.

It costs an average of $600 amonth per horse for feed, housingand basic care.

Thoroughbreds make excellent les-son, trail, pleasure, therapy and com-panion horses.

A single dollar to save a horse

Dr. Carolyn Todd. Dr. Edgardo Fullana.

New equine facility opens in Palm City

Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 2013Hobe Sound Chamber10

Many of the Chamber membersattending the May 29 Chamberof Commerce After-Hours So-cial had never visited the Hobe SoundNature Center, host and sponsor of thejoint event of the Hobe Sound and In-diantown chambers. They were pleas-antly surprised.

Ive lived here for 30 years, saidHilary McKeich, executive director ofthe iTown Chamber, and Im embar-rassed to say Ive never been here. Its abeautiful facility, and I know Ill beback. Other Chamber members wereheard saying the same thing, and its an-ticipated a similar refrain will be heardwhen Indiantown hosts Hobe SoundChamber members.

The idea is for our communities toget to know about each other....at least,better than we probably do now, saidAngela Hoffman, executive director ofthe Hobe Sound Chamber. Really,were not that far from each other, so weplan to do this at least twice a year.

The next joint Hobe Sound/In-diantown chamber event will be June20, when J&R Outfitters will host both

business groups and their guests at7600 SW Fox Brown Road in In-diantown.

If youve ever wanted to go on anAfrican safari, McKeich added, youregoing to love J&R Outfitters.

A diverse animal population roamson 4,000 acres that includes a large herdof water buffalo and numerous antelopespecies, deer, native birds, wild boar andalligators. It also offers swamp buggytours of native habitat as part of its sister

attraction, Old Florida Wildlife Tours.The joint meeting is open to the pub-

lic. The charge is $10 and includes twobeverages and appetizers.

To reserve, call either the HobeSound Chamber or the iTown Chamberof Commerce. 772.546.4724, or772.597.2184.

Hobe Sound hosts iTown Chamber

Hilary McKeich, iTown Chamber executive director, with insurance agent and prospectivemember Ildiko Haidasher of Stuart.

Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 2013 Hobe Sound Chamber 11

Paula MacArthur Cooper told justabout anyone she met over the pastfour years that she was preparing abook of historic photos of Hobe Sound.She talked about it often, but when sheaddressed the crowd of Hobe SoundChamber of Commerce members duringits after-hours gathering in April at herfamilys restaurant, Harry & the Natives,it seemed she was somewhat amazedthat shed finished what shed started.

Ive been in Hobe Sound since myfamily moved here in 1952, she said, hervoice beginning to break with pent-upemotion, and I just wanted to preservethose memories of old Hobe Sound...thespecial place where I grew up...the placethat I love.

One of those to whom she spoke ofher desire in the beginning to create aphoto book of memories was MikeMcCoy, a book publisher who lives inHobe Sound who had stopped by therestaurant.

If it was not for Mike, she added, Idont think this book would have everhappened.

In part, it was due to Coopers un-yielding quest for additional photos thatcaused the delay.

If youve got any old photos youdlike to have included, shed say, letme know, and Ill just add them to thecollection.

They did, and her collection grew, andgrew, and grew.

Originally, I thought this would be a24-page booklet, Cooper told Chambermembers. You know, something smallthat I could sell in our gift shop, and lookit at now. Its 224 pages.

Along the way, Cooper said shelearned a lot about Hobe Sound that shepreviously had not known. Her projectalso wound up changing the course of

the renovation of the Apollo Schoolbuilding in Hobe Sound when someonehanded her a photo of the original build-ing showing the original cupola on topand arched windows.

That photo is included in her book, aswell as dozens of others gathered simplylike a family album of memories.

Here and there among the photos areshort descriptions of various places andevents, especially those along U.S. 1,Bridge Road and the railroad tracks, in-cluding the train depot that was restoredand now sits on grounds owned by theHobe Sound Polo Club.

Some of the early construction ofhomes on Jupiter Island also are in-cluded, as well as early photos of WildBills Indian Village, Algozzinnis, and, ofcourse, Harry & the Natives and theMacArthur family, very much a part ofthe fabric of Hobe Sound.

Books are available for purchase for$45 at Harry & and the Natives Restau-rant in Hobe Sound.

Hobe Sound historybook now off the press

Paula Cooper, author of the new History ofHobe Sound coffee table book available now.

The Hobe Sound Nature Center hosted a jointafter-hours social of the Hobe Sound and Indiantown chambers of commerce.

Jan Otten of the Hobe Sound Chamber.

Where are our commissioners?asked former Indiantown NACmember Thelma Waters of JohnHaddox and Anne Scott at the In-diantown NAC workshop in March.You can see tonight just how muchthey care about us and what happenshere in Indiantown.

By April 29, though, feelings hadseemed to change when Waters was thefirst among those in the town hall audi-ence to start the public discourse at In-diantowns Timer Powers Park. She didso with gratitude and appreciation forScotts responsiveness to an In-diantown issue.

I just want to thank you for payingthe impact fee for the new Boys & GirlsClub, Waters said. This is such an im-portant project for the people of In-diantown, and we couldnt have done itwithout you. We really appreciate you.

Scott quickly clarified that she hadnot paid the fee herself, but had usedsome district funds available for districtprojects at the commissioners discre-tion, but she also was able to get thebuilding re-classified in order to reducethe amount of the impact fee.

The impact fee was just...just outra-geous, Scott said, then chuckled at littleas she paused before explaining that theissue of impact feesto waive or not towaive, and to increase or nothad justcome before the commission. She hadtaken the stand that the municipal serv-ices required for new development re-main even if the development projectfails, leaving the burden on taxpayers tocontinue paying for that infrastructure.

Then the Boys & Girls Club (project)comes along, she added, and if everthere was a time that I would want towaive an impact fee, it would be now.

In lieu of asking her fellow commis-sioners to approve a waiver, however, sheworked with county staff to examine itsMunicipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU)classification of the non-profit facility.

It turned out that the Boys & GirlsClub was classified wrong, she said.The MSTU didnt really have a classifi-cation that fit the Boys & Girls Club, so

we were able to reclassify it and reducethe amount of the impact fee.

Indiantown residents also asked herabout the status of the roof for therodeo stands, about funds due In-diantown from FPL, (two topics thatshe plans to research for answers) fund-ing for dredging the St. Lucie Inlet, andabout why she rejected the equestriantrail in Palm City.

We (the commission) had been ex-pecting a plan for new ball fields only,she said, when the redesign of the LanceCorporal Justin D. Wilson Park wouldadd two fields to land already there,but when we got the plans, suddenlytheres this equestrian trail. Where didthat come from?

She said she was not against thetrail per se, but she acknowledged thatits a contentious issue among PalmCity residentsThey are at WAR inPalm City, and that controversy needsits own attention.

Her objection to the trail simply wasthat she did not appreciate what she

considered to be a less-than-forthright approach.

One thing youll learnabout me, she added, isthat I want you to be straightwith me. Look me in the eyeand tell me exactly what it isyoure wanting. She usedthe now-defeated extremesports water project in HobeSound as an example of un-derhanded tactics.

They (developers) weresaying what a wonderfulproject, what a truly wonder-ful thing this would be for thekids and teens in the commu-nity, she said, when whatthey really wanted all alongwas an RV park. So if thatswhat you want, then tell methats what you want, and ifits an equestrian trail, thentell me its an equestrian trail.Youll get a lot farther withme that way.

Indiantown residents alsolearned a little about Scotts background:Shes from Chicago, where politics is asport, her family lives in Chicago,where she had practiced law and beenappointed an associate circuit courtjudge for eight years prior to retiring in1991 and moving to Jupiter Island in2004, but she had grown up making tripsback and forth to Jupiter Island first withher parents, and again after she wasmarried. Then she owned a home onJupiter Island and was elected as aJupiter Island commissioner. So I am nostranger to Martin County, she added.

She also introduced her husband,Stewart, who was sitting in the audi-ence, adding that their family is ablended one with her children, his chil-dren, and their son. He accompaniedher to the Hobe Sound town hall meet-ing, as well as going to Indiantown.

The topic that required a large chunkof the evenings time, however, was thedisbandment of the Community Rede-velopment Agency and the subsequentdissolution of the Neighborhood Advi-

sory Committees representing the sevenhistoric areas of the county.

The areas are very much on mymind, she told the crowd, after explain-ing the meaning of the acronym CRA,Community Redevelopment Agency,which also was applied often totheNeighborhood Planning Areas andthe Neighborhood Advisory Commit-tees, as well.

Confused? Well, yes, it was confus-ing to me, too, she added, explainingthat the commission had dissolved theCRA and the commissioners would nowserve as the Community Redevelop-ment Agency, as it had been originally.

That structure (an independent CRA)just wasnt working very well, she said,but now what weve done is remove thatlayer between the residents and the com-missioners, who had to approve every-thing the CRA did anyway, but therequests from residents were being fil-tered through them. How could we knowwhat the residents really wanted?

Community activist Art Mattson, amember of the former Indiantown NAC,questioned Scott as to why it was dis-solved since the Indiantown NAC,which met monthly, had never lacked aquorum of its members; its revitalizationplans had won awards; and it had noprojects that fell outside the urban serv-ices boundary.

Were not the poor cousins out herein Indiantown, Mattson said, and wewerent sprawling.

Scott agreed. This is where (devel-opment) should be, she said. This iswhere it was planned. This is where theinfrastructure is...As a matter of fact, thefuture growth, the future prosperity ofMartin County is right here in the heartof Martin County; it is in Indiantown.Then she paused, But you should becareful what you wish for.

Scott assured Mattson that the NACswould be re-formed shortly, and ap-pointments would be made at the May 7commission meeting.

We hope that this will work bet-ter, she said. Youll have a more di-rect voice.

Scott gave a similar explanation tothe residents of Hobe Sound, who filledthe Hobe Sound Community Center tonear capacity at Scotts town hall meet-ing there May 20.

But her remarks about a broken CRAdrew a response from Mike Ennis, chairof the dissolved Hobe Sound NAC, whochallenged her assertion that the CRAwas not working and that a lot ofthose plans are very old.

12 Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 2013Feature

District 3 residents meet Commissioner Anne ScottMartin County residents turned out in droves to meet County Commissioner AnneScott when she hosted three town hall meetings in April and May. The reception by her District 3 constituents in Indiantown, Tequesta and Hobe Sound could be classified only as warm and friendly, even though some in the audience had criticizedher previously for not attending the Indiantown Neighborhood Advisory Committeeworkshop and for her role in abolishing the Community Redevelopment Agency.

He recounted the progress made inHobe Sound, including a new sewer al-ready laid, as well as a good design, se-lection of landscaping, acquiring thenecessary rights of way to lay waterlines, move utilities underground andput in sidewalks and on-street parking,a project that residents had spent hun-dreds of hours developing over thepast 12 years.

But then we hit a little bit of a road-block, he added. The CRA went away.The NAC went away. It just kind of allstopped...and its been for seven monthsnow. It was working....If a car is work-ing, you run it. I just dont know whyyou stop a working car.

Scott replied that the CRA was not aseffective as Ennis believed.

It was filtering your voices, shesaid, and some thought they had thepower of government....Well start over,she added. Well start fresh. Lets dothis right. I want to hear your voices,and if its not at the NAC meetings, thenI want you to call me directly.

When asked what her vision forHobe Sound is, she replied: I like HobeSound the way it is, she admitted. I

dont want to see it get big and fancy,but, you know, it should have a retailcenter, small businesses, like it has.

Resident Mike McCoy expressedconcern over the proposed plans for ahigh-speed train that travels throughMartin County from Miami to Orlandowithout stopping, with issues rangingfrom noise, to crossing closures duringpeak traffic hours, to maintenance.

Believe me, weve looked closely atall those issues, she told McCoy, andthe county has sent a lengthy letter tothe developersthis is a private ven-turebut that does not mean theres noassociated costs to the county.

The county currently pays FEC$54,000 annually for road mainte-nance at crossings, as well as numer-ous leases of FEC rights-of-way,according to county engineer TerryRauth. She said that 17 trips daily areplanned, and she encouraged resi-dents to go to the All Aboard websiteto register their concerns.

Craig Woll, president of the HobeSound Soccer League, asked about theplaying fields that are in disrepair,and the countys unwillingness to per-

mit volunteers to use their own labor torepair them.

Scott responded that she was unsurewhy volunteer help would be rejected,and shed look into it, but as to theplaying fields condition, quite of lothas suffered whats referred to as de-ferred maintenance. she said. Thematter of deferred maintenance is oneveryones mind, and its not just fieldsand parks, its our roads, too. The roadsare just overwhelming.

Rauth concurred, adding that thecounty is $9 million behind in roadresurfacing projects, and that 24% of thecountys bridges need to be replaced.She also said that the county applies forgrants, but they always require match-ing funds, usually a 75-25 split, wherethe county comes up with 25% and thefederal government supplies the rest.

Scott drew some chuckles from thecrowd when she added: Well, (the fed-eral government) doesnt have the

money either until its printed.Federal dollars are available for high-

speed roads, such as Bridge Road fromPratt-Whitney to Kanner Highway,Rauth said, which was slated to berepaved until Scott objected at a com-mission meeting earlier in the month,asserting that repaving Bridge Roadwould appear to residents to be inpreparation for western development.

I suppose theres a policy issuehere, Scott told the Hobe Sound gather-ing, and that is: Why spend money toget money for projects that we dontneed, then have to maintain?

She also reiterated that the decline incounty revenue as a result of fallingproperty values and a dramatic decreasein fuel tax revenues has been significant,requiring that $63 million be loppedfrom the county budget.

We are crawlingI should say, claw-ingour way out of this economic reces-sion, she said, but its not going to goback to the way it was five, six years ago.I am firm in my thinking that we shouldnot spend any money on any projectthats new until we take care of mainte-nance needs first, specifically our parksand recreation facilities and our roads.

Road maintenance was a major con-cern to south county residents, as well,who said the roads in the CountryClub and Turtle Creek areas werefalling apart.

Around a dozen residents attendedtheir town hall meeting May 6, as wellas engineer Terry Rauth, attorneyMichael Durham, and an official fromWaste Management, Jeff Sabin, govern-ment affairs director. Also attending wasStuart Mayor Eula Clark.

My position is not to build anythingnew until we get the restoration/reno-vation of the old completed, Scott said.Its going to be a time of belt-tighten-ing, and its not going to be fun.

Scott also told the group that MartinCounty actually was just a big smalltown, but one thing I noticed aboutMartin County is the amount of disin-formation going around, she said. Iwant to improve communication....Iwant to be a good commissioner.

One resident encouraged Scott tohave regularly scheduled town hallmeetings, and many asked that SheriffWilliam Snyder also attend to answertheir questions regarding public safety.Previous commissioners had held townhall meetings, according to residents,but they ranged from three monthsapart to three years apart.

I dont think its too much to ask ofyour commissioner to meet with you,she said, somewhere between everythree months and every three years.She paused and grinned, but what-ever we can manage, whatever theamount of time is between meetings, Ipledge that you all will not be forgot-ten down here.

Barbara Clowdus

Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 2013 Feature 13

Only standing room was left for Commissioner Anne Scott's town hall meeting in Indiantown.

14 Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 2013Marketplace

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Kim Price Capen, publisher of Stu-art Magazine, is not known forbeing restrained when she talksabout the citys leading lifstyle maga-zine. Shes passionate about it, whichher audience at the May luncheon meet-ing of the Jensen Beach Chamber ofCommerce at the Dolphin Restaurantand Bar was expecting.

Less expected perhaps were the cy-berspace numbers Capen announced.

We print 11,000 copies of our maga-zine to distribute, she said, which maynot seem like a lot, but so far this year,

weve also had 348,000 page views onthe Internet. I was blown away when Ifirst saw that number...Thats just an in-credible amount. Just think what thatmeans for our advertisers.

Stuart Magazine, which now offersdigital and iPad versions, belongs to oneof the longest-running city magazinecompanies in Florida, the GulfstreamMedia Group, which includes Boca LifeMagazine, The Palm Beacher, GoldCoast, Jupiter Magazine, and Fort Laud-erdale Magazine, as well as four interiordesign magazines: Broward Design,Boca Design, Miami Design and PalmBeach Design.

The annual numbers for the entiregroup show 1,511,233 pages viewed and31,336 magazines downloaded for theyear 2012, according to Capen.

As a business, not only can you sub-mit your ad for the print versionwhichpeople still love to get a magazine intheir hands, she added, but you get tosubmit a digital ad (free of charge for theadvertiser) where you can show videosor add the bells and whistles for theclick-through of the digital readers.

She said that anyone with a smartphone or iPhone, tablet, iPad, PC, orMac is considered a potential digitalreader, and Stuart Magazine has the ca-pability to track what pages those read-ers are viewing, reporting that toadvertisers.

The readers here in Martin and St.

Lucie are very savvy, Capen said.They enjoy the digital versions and areinteracting with our advertisers, whoare loving it!

The Facebook figures for the fivelifestyle magazines are also growingquickly, she said, with more than 7,000followers on Facebook added in 2012.

Our numbers are growing, she said,and I can see that theyre going to con-tinue to do nothing but grow even more.

Contact Capen at Stuart Magazine bycalling 772.634.1771 or go to www.stu-artmagazine.com.

Digital numbers skyrocketing

Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 2013 Jensen Beach Chamber 15

The Jensen Beach Chamber of Com-merce completed its move out ofits temporary home at the old postoffice building on Ricou Terrace inApril, according to Ron Rose, executivedirector of the Jensen Beach Chamber.

They had been renting the spacefrom the county for a nominal fee sincetheir building was destroyed during the2004 hurricane season.

We are back downtown where webelong, Rose told those attending theMay meeting of the Jensen Beach Cham-ber of Commerce luncheon at the Dol-phin Bar & Shrimp House, and Icannot tell you how good that feels.

The chambers new home is at 1960NE Jensen Beach Blvd., two doors fromJans Place Restaurant, until the newChamber headquarters building is con-structed next to the Jensen Beach Com-munity Center.

The new location houses the Cham-bers executive office, the History Mu-seum of Jensen Beach and theEntrepreneurship Foundation, and all ofwhich also will move into the newbuilding after its completed.The Chamber has appreciated the useof office space in Martin Countys old

post office building, Rose added, butwe are thrilled to be back on JensenBeach Blvd.

Rose reminded members that namingopportunities are still available for por-tions of the new building as part of theChambers ongoing fund-raising efforts.

If you want to know more, just goto the website, he said, which is Cham-berBuilding.com.

The new building will feature a com-munity meeting room, distance educa-

tion and technology center, visitorinformation, the historical museumand the Entrepreneurship Center.

It will be constructed withGreenblock technology, accordingto the website, which utilizes insu-lated concrete forms. The stay-in-place polystyrene foam forms arestacked in the exterior shape of thebuilding and then filled with con-crete and reinforcing steel bars tocreate an airtight, high R-valuebuilding for energy efficiency.

The building also will be resist-ant to hurricanes, and the combina-tion of foam and concrete has theadded advantage of producing aquiet office interior.

The 3,650 sq. ft. two-storybuilding, fronting on Jensen BeachBoulevard, includes 1,750 sq. ft. for thehistory museum.

Building amenities include a largeboard room for conducting monthlyboard meetings, as well as for meetingsby and for beautification committees,business development and educationalinitiatives, a partially covered balconyoverlooking Jensen Beach Blvd., and alandscaped courtyard.

Chamber office moves into new, temporary digs

Jensen Beach Chamber CalendarBusiness After HoursTuesday, June 11, 5:30-7pmThen and Now Gallery with Mulligans Beach House Bar & Grill2019 NE Jensen Beach Blvd, Jensen BeachCost: $5

Networking LuncheonThursday, June 20, 11:45am1pmThe Red Lobster 3544 NW Federal Highway, Jensen BeachSponsor: YP AdvertisingSpeaker: State Representative Gayle HarrellCost: $20

Business After HoursTuesday, June 25, 5:30-7pmMarcianos Ristorante1897 NE Jensen Beach Blvd, Jensen BeachCost: $5

Morning Mix & MingleThursday, June 27, 7:45amPineapple Cove1010 NE Fresco Way, Stuart (Behind Best Buy)Cost: Complimentary

To RSVP, ContactJensen Beach Chamber of Commerce1960 NE Jensen Beach Blvd.Call: 772.334.3444

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The new, but still temporary, home of the Jensen Beach Chamber of Commerce on JensenBeach Blvd. downtown.

Saturday, June 8Stand Up for AutismThe 2nd Annual Stand Up for Autismevent in Jensen Beach will be Satur-day, June 8, at the U.S. Sailing Cen-ter, 1955 NE Indian River Drive, from10 a.m. to 2 p.m. After raising closeto $10K for the Treasure CoastAutism Project in its first year, organ-izers are excited to see the results ofthe paddle board event that featuresfree admission, food, games, raffles,music, & paddle board demos avail-able for all! Attendees also may signup for the Recreational Stand UpPaddle Race and win some greatprizes! Contact Jennifer, 772-486-5009, for more information aboutthe event, or for sponsor and volun-teer opportunities.

Saturday, June 8World Ocean DayCelebrationThe Florida Oceanographic Societywill celebrate World Ocean Day onSaturday, June 8, with an inauguralSand Sculpting Contest BuildingAwareness While Leaving No Traceevent at Stuart Beach. Morning fes-tivities start with a beach cleanupfrom 10 to 11:30 a.m. No pre-regis-tration necessary, just meet on thebeach at the north entrance, look forthe tent. The sand-sculpting contestis from 12 to 4 p.m., a fun afternoonof creativity with a 3-hour window forteams to build a sand creation, 45minutes for judging and public view-ing, followed by a leveling of the fieldwith particular attention to removingman made obstacles. Register yourteam of up to six people for a tax-de-ductible donation of $25.

Saturday, June 8Dig into ScienceKids learn about the science thathappens underneath the ground atthree different libraries on Satur-day, June 8: at 11 a.m. in the Peter& Julie Cummings Library, 2551S.W. Matheson Ave., Palm City, 772-288-2551; at 2 p.m. in the HobeSound Public Library on FederalHighway in Hobe Sound, 772-546-2257; and at 4 p.m. in the Blake Li-brary on Monterey Road in Stuart,772-221-1407. Mad Science ofPalm Beach presents the one-hourinteractive performance for childrenfree of charge. From the layers ofthe earth, to the critters that live inthe soil, to natural phenomena thatoccur underground, children aregoing to discover amazing things bydigging deep!

Saturday, June 15White Shirt Night at TasteHelping People Succeed Foundations White Shirt Night at Taste CasualDining in Hobe Sound (at the Bridge Road and A1A intersection) willfeature 12 noted area artists, who will paint tropical scenes from theTreasure Coast from 6 to 9pm on Saturday, June 15. A VIP Sneak Pre-view with the artists between 5 and 6 p.m. is $100 per person and in-cludes hors doeuvres and two drink tickets. General admission is $50per person with hors doeuvres and one drink ticket. Artists participat-ing in the White Shirt Night are: Dan Mackin, Julia Kelly, Kevin Hutchin-son, Ginny Jones, Jane Blatt, Carol Kepp, Sharon Ferina, Valerie Geever,Cindy Cooper, Pam Patterson, Robin Makowski and Paula MacArthurCooper. Each guest may select several sketches from the artists. Thesketches include palm trees, a hammock, sea shells, turtles, roiling water,Royal Poinciana trees, hibiscus flowers and more. Helping People Suc-ceed also will have a number of aprons and linen napkins pre-paintedfor purchase at the event. For reservations or information, contact Help-ing People Succeed 772.320.0770.

June and JulySea Turtle Walks

Several organizations in the area offer night-time sea turtle walksduring the annual sea turtle egg-laying season. The Florida Oceano-graphic Coastal Center, 890 NE Ocean Blvd. in Stuart, begins with aneducational lecture on sea turtle biology and conservation, prior to ex-ploring the beach. Time is 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, butcall to confirm your spot. Fee is $10 per person.772-225-0505 or go towww.floridaocean.org.

The FPL Turtle Walks at 6501 S. Ocean Drive in Jensen Beach are con-ducted on Friday and Saturday nights in June and July. The presentationsbegin at 9 pm at Energy Encounter where you may crawl through a TED(turtle exclusion device) to see how a turtle can escape from a shrimp netand see models of the five different sea turtle species found on the Treas-ure Coast. Once a turtle is sighted, the group is taken to the beach towatch her lay eggs. Space is limited, so RSVP at 1-800-334-5483. Go towww.fpl.com/community/learning/marine_education_center.shtml formore info.

The Hobe Sound Nature Center will also conduct night-time sea tur-tle walks at Hobe Sound Beach on Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday nights,and again, reservations are required. The Nature Centers InterpretiveCenter & Gift Shop will open at 8:30pm, and the program will begin inthe Jackson Burke Education Centers classroom at 9pm. A trip to thebeach follows, to wait for nesting turtles. Walks could go on until mid-night, but could be later, depending on nesting activity by loggerheadturtles. For reservations, call 772-546-2067. For more info, go towww.hobesoundnaturecenter.com.

All the walks are specially permitted by the Florida Fish & WildlifeConservation Commission and United States Fish & Wildlife Depart-ment. They follow strict guidelines established to avoid disturbing or ha-rassing nesting turtles.

Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 2013What n Where16

Weekend, June 28-30CELEBRATION!

This annual tribute to military veterans andthose currently serving in active duty, is afund-raising project of Ruby Lynn Production,a non-profit organization. All proceeds areused to support the Veterans Associationand Honor Flight. Performers of all ages havevolunteered their time and talents to cometogether to show all of our military heroesthat they havent forgotten their service. The8th Annual Patriotic and Military Tribute, amusical Celebration, will be at the Charles& Rae Kane Center on Salerno Road withperformances Friday, June 28, at 8 p.m., Sat-urday, June 29, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sun-day, June 30, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 andmay be purchased by calling 772.834.0770,or go to www.kanecenter.org or www.rubylyn-nprod.org. For advertising or sponsorships,contact Carol at cgreff@comcast.net or call561.317.1341.

Thursday, July 4Star Spangled Stuart

The 4th of July Cele-bration in downtownStuart is slated tobegin at 4pm in Fla-gler Park with music,food and lots of ven-dors, ending afterthe fireworks displayon the St. LucieRiver, which beginsat 9pm. Star Span-gled Stuart LLC wasformed to plan, pres-

ent and raise the $50,000 needed to put onthe annual festival, led by local businessowner and former Stuart Main Street presi-dent Mark Brechbill. It is free to the public,and includes a concert by the Stuart Commu-nity Band at 7 p.m. To volunteer, contributeor for more information, call 772-287-1088.

All summerJammin JensenEvery Thursday evening, the Jensen BeachChamber of Commerce invites TreasureCoast residents and visitors to stroll down-town Jensen Beach and experience an arrayof crafts, arts, paintings and more alongJensen Beach Blvd. The event is always free.For more info, call 772-334-3444 or go towww.jensenbeachchamber.biz.

Five applications for membership on the Hobe Sound Neighborhood Advisory Committee were received by the countys Aprildeadline. Only one, Gretchen Reich, isone of the original members of the HobeSound NAC and has served for morethan a decade in that capacity.

She is a Realtor, and a resident whoowns property within the Neighbor-hood Planning Area.

Another applicant, Bruce Duncan,had just been appointedattendingonly one NAC meetingbefore all thecommittees were dissolved, and an-other, Angela Hoffman, had previouslybeen appointed but had not yet at-tended a meeting.

Duncan is a builder and president ofthe Duncan Group with offices onRobyn Street, which is within the Neigh-borhood Planning Area. He has lived inHobe Sound off Gomez Avenue formore than 20 years, but not within theplanning area boundaries.

Hoffman, executive director of theHobe Sound Chamber of Commerce,had previously been appointed toserve, but had not yet attended a meet-ing. She and her husband have recentlybecome residents and property owners

in the Zeus Park neighborhood, whichfalls within the planning boundaries.

Luis Reyneri, a new Hobe Sound res-ident and property owner who livesnear Zeus Park, also applied, as didMike Baker, formerly of Port Salerno,who was the founding president of thePort Salerno Seafood Fest and lives inHobe Sound, though not within theplanning boundaries.

Members will be appointed for theHobe Sound NAC, as well as for theother six historic districts, at the June 11Martin County Board of County Com-missioners meeting in Stuart.

The first time that formerMartin County CommissionerPatrick Hayes spent the daykayakingor trying to kayakthe Loxachatchee River was a day thatchanged his life.

I thought to myself, If this is howwere treating our only Wild and ScenicRiver, I wonder what we are doing to allthe rest of our rivers?, he said, and Idiscovered, it was not good.

That was the first step, he added, ofthe three parts that comprise activism:awareness of the issue, acceptance of an

individuals role, and then action in hisaddress to about 100 members of theHobe Sound Chamber of Commercemeeting at its regular breakfast meetingin May.

The quality of anyones life can be nogreater than the quality of the water andthe environment in which he or shelives, Hayes added.

So the next step requires steppingback, asking your-self what can bedone, he said,which he did him-self as he searchedfor his own an-swers, feeling in-significant to thetask. I decidedjust to allow Godto use me in the best possible way.

That was the beginning of his ownenvironmental activism over the past15 years that ultimately led to hisfounding of the Loxahatchee RiverCoalition and to his recruitment as apolitical candidate for a seat on theMartin County commission, which heheld for four years.

Much of the flow in the LoxahatcheeRiver has been restored, Hayes contin-ued, and its waters are known through-out the area as a clear turquoise blue;not the case in the St. Lucie River.

We want our rivers more like the

Loxahatchee than the St. Lucie, headded, conceding that the OkeechobeeLake discharges down the C-44 canalinto the St. Lucie and their deleteriouseffects pose particular challenges toscientists, activists and ordinary citizens.

I would like to invite you, to enrollyou, to be a do-doer, he said, adopt-ing simple life strategies to help con-serve some of the millions of gallons ofwater currently wasted.

We are wasting our most preciousresource, the one on which all life de-pendswater, he said, drying up allour reserves of water. He suggestedlooking for the simple things that eachperson can do, such as adding a brick tothe holding tank of a toilet.

And if you can live with those re-sults, then add another brick, he said.I have some toilets at my house withthree bricks.At the same time, continue to look

for your own opportunities to improvethe environment, which will determinehow we and our children will experi-ence the natural world. Even though en-vironmental issues seem to be on theverge of overwhelming, Hayes remainsoptimistic about the future.

If we use technology, the technol-ogy thats available today, along withour awareness to improve our environ-ment, he said, then we have a fight-ing chance.

Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 2013 Hobe Sound Neighbors 17

From left, Tony Greco, Larry Jawitz,Brenda Leonard (FDEP), Paul Cusumano,Ralph Milliken and Bill Richards (FDEP,retired). The marina is in the OspreyCove residential gated community on theIntracoastal Waterway off Gomez Avenuein Hobe Sound. As a designated CleanMarina, they will participate in the imple-mentation of a set of environmental BestManagement Practices designed to pro-

tect Floridas waterways. It is a voluntarydesignation program with a proactive ap-proach to environmental stewardship,and comprises FDEP, the Marine Indus-tries Association of Florida, Florida SeaGrant Program of the University ofFlorida, U.S. Coast Guard and Auxiliary,the USCG Sea Partners Program andFlorida Fish and Wildlife ConservationCommission.

Patrick Hayes.

Representing the Osprey Cove Yacht Club Marina, residentsrecently received recognition from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as a Clean Marina.

Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 2013Hobe Sound Neighbors18

The 2013 Hobe Sound Christian Academy Walk-a-Thon recently raised morethan $20,000 through the efforts of students, families and localbusinesses. The funds will be used tomake capital repairs and improvementsto the school facility, including newwindows and roof for the high schoolclassrooms, the school announced, not-ing special appreciation to Capps Roof-ing, Pest Solutions, Water BlastingTechnologies, Keith & Sons Landscap-ing, Town & Country MortgageLenders, Strategic Realty Services, andlocal author R. Joseph Ritter, Jr., founderof www.anticipatingchrist.com, for theircontributions.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County recently announced they had namedSarah Roti as director of the Cole-Clark branch in Hobe Sound,replacing Alex Soares, who now is oper-ations director for the organizations In-diantown branch.

Roti manages a staff of 11 to imple-ment youth development programmingto 120 children and teens each day dur-ing the school year and up to 150 eachday over the summer. At the top of heragenda, Roti says, is ensuring that theclubs academic programming continuesto thrive.

Our kids need to be ready for thereal world once theyre out of highschool, she says, and we can helpthem develop the skills theyll need incollege or in the workplace.

Roti came to the Martin County Boys& Girls Club after a decade of servicewith the St. Lucie County club, whereshe ran the Keystone Club, Torch Club,and SMART (Skills, Mastery and Resist-ance Training) Moves program. She wasalso the teen director for a year.

Then she took a hiatus from theyouth development field to explore adifferent career path, but discovered shewas not happy. I quickly realized mypassion was working with children,Roti says, and she came back to the Boys& Girls Club in August of 2012 as a pro-

gram director in Palm City. Then fromOctober through March 2013, she was aprogram director in Port Salerno, whereshe was instrumental in boosting thatclubs overall membership and averagedaily attendance.

A Boca Raton native, Roti has been aresident of the Treasure Coast since thefourth grade with expectations of oneday becoming a teacher. In college, aftermajoring in education, she figured outshe would be able to influence a childsdevelopment more in an after-schoolprogram over a six-year period of time,she says, rather than just one year with astudent in a classroom. She shifted herattention to Boys & Girls Clubs.

I cant describe in words how re-warding it is to have a 25-year-old comeback to the club and tell me their lifestory, she says. She found her niche,and now shes found a new club in anew community thats happy to haveher here.

Josh the Baby Otter, an oversized, furry otter with an anti-drowning messagepresented by Rotary Clubsaround the world to preschool andkindergarten children, has been visitingMartin County this past semester, cour-tesy of the Hobe Sound/Port SalernoRotary Club.

We made the presentation and gavecoloring books to more than 1,000 chil-dren this year, according to Peggy Mer-ritt, Rotary club secretary who findsshes often the only local Rotarian slimenough to fit into the otter costume thatcomes to life on school stages.

Boy, is that costume hot, she sayswith a grin, but its worth it as soonas I hear all the kids clapping andlaughing and yelling at Josh. Theyllremember Josh.

The program was initiated by BlakeCollingsworth, a Rotarian in Nebraska,following the drowning death in 2008 ofhis own toddler son. He wrote a book,Josh, the Baby Otter, to emphasize thata baby otteror a human childshouldnever go near the water without an adultnearby and the importance of learning to

on Old Dixie Highway in Hobe Soundon Friday nights. More than 85 young-sters from age six to 19 from throughoutthe county got to participateand havefunplaying soccer even though theyreusually denied that opportunity any-place else or at any other time.

This was another season of TOPsoc-cer in Hobe Sound that gives childrenwith various developmental disabilitiesa chance to push themselves a little fur-thersometimes a lot furtherthanthey ordinarily may have previously.

At the same time, another group ofyoungsters, those without disabilities,learn love and tolerance and respect forkids who must live with challenges,such as autism (now estimated to be oneof every 88 kids in the U.S.) cerebralpalsy, or other limiting conditions, whenthey volunteer as buddies.

Every year for the past four years,more young players and more volunteerbuddies arrive; often the same playersand buddies returning year after year,plus more. The program, selected lastyear as the most outstanding TOPsoccerprogram in the state and one of its bud-dies, Ryan Hughes, as the states mostoutstanding volunteer, operates underthe auspices of the Hobe Sound SoccerLeague and is expected to top 100 play-ers next season.

Were growing exponentially eachyear and thats okay, says Tony Se-mentelli, director of the program. Thisfield actually is set up perfectly for that.We can put the big kids on one side (ofthe parking lot) and the younger kids onthe other side, and the park is smallenough so that we can manage thewhole thing.

Always a challenge, though, is mak-ing sure enough people volunteer sincethe program depends on having abuddy for each player, plus the addi-

tional adult volunteers to coordinate, tocoach, to take care of business.

We had a lot of new volunteers thisyear, said Craig Woll, president of theHobe Sound Soccer League, and at thebeginning, they some difficulty adjustingto the idea that not everything is going tobe perfect. Actually, not much of anythingis perfect, he added with a chuckle, butover time, they learn to relax, to go withthe flow...that it feels good, it feels rightjust to be there, and theyve been ab-solutely phenomenal this year.

As returning players, new players,returning buddies, new buddies, newparents and new parents arrived for thefirst game, a happy, gentle chaos en-veloped the park, punctuated by theyells of youngsters recognizing eachother and seeing their coaches. Theyoften ran and hugged, sometimes hug-ging Mr. Tony as he encouraged themto call him, while he steered them to getin line for their new jerseys.

We used to give them their soccerballs (to take home) at the same time wegave them their jerseys, he said, andthat turned into pandemonium. We dis-covered quickly that that didnt work,so now we wait until theyre on theirway home before we give them theirown soccer ball.

They all were headed home again onFriday, May 30, the season over, untilthe next one begins in April 2014. Amidall the feasting on grilled hot dogs, ham-burgers and chicken, one youngster ranup to Sementelli, stood directly in frontof him, not saying a word but wearingan ear-splitting smile, and holding outhis fist for a fist-bump. Sementelliobliged, then the boy wordlessly disap-peared back into the crowd.

Sementelli smiled. What could bebetter than this, he said. It just doesntget any better.

The new director of Hobe Sound's Cole-ClarkBranch of the Boys & Girls Club is Sarah Roti,pictured with Ja'Kel Preston, 7, on left, andKatie Powell,10.

Josh, aka Peggy Merritt, and fellow Rotarian HapMills from the Hobe Sound/Port Salerno club.

One of the happiest places in Martin County the past six weeks has been the Doc Myers Memorial Park

Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 2013 Hobe Sound Neighbors 19

float. The program concludes with chil-dren pledging they will not go near thewater without an adult with them.

Drowning is the number-one causeof accidental death for children betweenthe ages of one and four, according tothe Centers for Disease Control, the agestargeted by the program. Approved bythe Martin County Board of Education,Josh the Baby Otter is available for pres-entation to libraries, day care facilitiesand other organizations, in addition toschools. Requests for a presentation maybe made to club members ChristineMoreno, 772-288-1020, or to Peggy Mer-ritt, 772-530-8568.

Donations for the purchase of thecoloring books have been received fromJupiter Island Pools, Davy Jones Pools,Flamingo Pools, attorneys Paul McMa-hon and Gloretta Hall, as well as JanOtten, Richard Otten and Lillian John-son from the Hobe Sound Chamber ofCommerce.

Anyone who wishes to help coverthe clubs expenses to purchase thebooks, which are given to children freeof charge, may send donations to HSPSRotary Charity Fund, PO Box 33, Pt.Salerno, FL 34992.

Over the years, I dont know howmany presentations weve made, saidformer president of the HobeSound/Port Salerno Rotary Anthony Se-mentelli, but if one of those presenta-tions saved the life of just one child, allthe effort and all the money we spend todo this would have been worth it.

For more information about the pro-gram, go to www.joshtheotter.com.

Veteran newsman Joe Crankshaw, currently acolumnist with the StuartNews, stepped in at the lastmoment as guest speakerfor the Hobe Sound Toastmaster Clubscelebration of 500 years of Florida his-tory event in April.

Slated originally to speak was local

historian andPresident of theApollo SchoolFoundationKathy Spurgeon,who had fallenat her home, se-riously injuringa leg that re-quired surgery.

Organizedby ToastmasterBrooke Samples,the Stories ofFloridaat theHobe SoundColleges ShmulDining Hall at-tracted more

than 60 people, who were feted bymembers of the Toastmasters Clubwith food and speeches, and regaledby Crankshaws honeymoon adven-tures traversing Spain in search ofFlorida explorers birthplaces, includ-ing that of Floridas most celebrated,Ponce de Leon.

Ponce de who?, we were asked,Crankshaw told the audience, who dis-covered, as did Crankshaw and hiswife, that Floridas venerable explorer isnot so venerated in his homeland.Ponce de Leon is of no importance;Florida is a place of no importance,Crankshaw said, and his birthplace,Santervs de Campos, is small andthere is nothing there.

It also appears that Ponce de Leonfirst attempted to land on the TreasureCoast, perhaps near Pecks Lake, butwas driven away by mosquitoes and un-friendly natives. He received a warmerwelcome when he landed near Mel-bourne, which has gathered steam re-cently among historians as the probablesite of his first landing.

I cannot tell you precisely, Crank-shaw added, but I can tell you this:Ponce de Leon kept miserable records.The explorers notations on his map ofLa Floridia of the location offriendly and unfriendly nativeschanged the course of the states his-tory, he said.

As to why the lack of respect amongSpaniards for Ponce de Leon?

He didnt bring back any gold; hedidnt bring back any silver; and he did-nt bring back any slaves, Crankshawsaid, in sharp contrast to other Spanishconquistadors. In fact, Ponce de Leonsexpeditions to the New World haddrained the Spanish treasury.

And did Crankshaw and his wife ex-plore Ponce de Leons birthplace?

No, he conceded. After all, it issmall and there is nothing there.

The Toastmasters, sponsored by theHobe Sound Chamber, meet in HobeSound on the second and fourth Tues-days of the month at 7 p.m. The public isinvited to attend. For more info, go tohttp://1206922.toastmastersclubs.org.

See this bright smile on JanMacDonalds face? Its a new-born-baby-in-the-family smile,

the AMAC insur-ance agents firstGREAT grand-child, BrooklynTragos, born inTallahassee.Arent newbornswonderful, shesays, as if anyonein Hobe Sound

or anywhere elsewould disagree. Inanticipation of the event, McDonalddied her hair pink in honor of Brook-lyn. Too bad the photo fell on a blackand white page in the newspaper!.

I took my Girl Scout Daisy Troop on abeach clean-up project.

The parking lot was packed to thegills, and the beach was full of touristsand snowbirds. After some quick rulesand a plan, we spread out over thebeach and in about 15 minutes we hadcollected an alarming four grocery bagsof trash of all sorts.

Maybe it is because our troop con-sists of six adorable little girls (ages 5and 6), or because they are incrediblycute in their blue Girl Scout vests, butthey attracted a lot of attention. Theywere asked what we were doing, and inaccordance to their age, their responseswere fairly blunt and direct: Cleaningup all the trash you people make. Shemeant no harm, of course, and to her itwas just that simple.

We turned it into an I Spy game,and the girls ran from one item of trashto another, pointing and yelling, trash,trash, trash, so one of us adults couldgo pick it up and put it in the bag.

As I watched my girls cleaning upthe beach they love, I noticed somethingelse. People on their blankets and intheir chairs began to react to them. As

they weaved in and out of all the peoplesoaking in the rays, with those wordstrash, trash, trash being shouted nextto where they were lounging, the ideabehind what we were doing began tosoak in. A lady reached out and pickedup the empty water bottle tossed on thesand next to her and put it in her bag.One man actually got up and lookedaround his area for some trash that thegirls could spy and clean up. Severalothers thanked the girls for cleaning upthe area. It was a moment that trulytouched me.

I am a glass-is-half-full kind of per-son. I try to teach my troop that peopleare inherently good, but even I can losefaith now and then. But Ill tell you this,on that day I felt like there is still hopefor this species of ours. I realized howbig and a miraculous a childs voiceand/or actions can be no matter howsmall they are. They can start a move-ment, even at age six, they can changethe world, even if its for just 30 minuteson a local beach in their hometown.

Jenn Cochran, Hobe Sound Troop Leader

Girl Scout Daisy Troop 30054

From left: Callie, Addison, Ruby, Emi, Abigail and Madison, the girls of Daisy Troop 30054, Hobe Sound.

Hobe Sound Toastmasters International President Audrey Burzynski serves cake to guests.

Doris Fenner of HobeSound checks out the"fountain of youth."

Veteran newsman Joe Crankshaw was guest speaker.

I just wanted to pass along an event that truly had great impact on me, and I believe on some others at the Hobe Sound public beach recently.

One day in the story of my life

There is no way to describe my lifebut zany. When I was growingup, I would open the fridge andthe milk would automatically fall out, oropen the medicine cabinet and the Mer-curochrome would hit the white mosaictile floor, spilling its bright orange con-tents into the cracks leaving a perma-nent stain. My life was always far fromordinary. It continues in Hobe Sound.

For instance, yesterday was a typicalday: To start it off, there were loads ofartists coming to paint in my barn (aweekly happening) with side shows.After mowing the grass in the garden,dragging out tables, putting up easels,sweeping the floor, moving the car andtaking care of mother (age 99) tending toher needs, the barn filled with peoplestarting to work. There was standingroom only.

One artist brought her son, a retiredbanker. As therapy for his depression,he is painting on large palm fronds thatfall out of trees. He is on heavy meds.Everyone encourages him. His friendsilk screens shirts, paints on underwearand burial clothes.

I noticed that the person next to herproceeded to use charcoal to drawscenes of church interiors on large pa-pers partly from memory. She hastremors. Next to her a person was glu-ing palm fronds on canvas and paintingover them; another young woman whohad a stroke was painting on canvasusing only her fingers.

Someone was dying fabric, whichwas drying on my washing line, and mymother sat in the corner painting a por-trait of her great grandson hanging outof a tree. Not far from her, there was anartist actually sitting up in my treehouse, painting. There are more peoplecoming in and out, some to watch andothers to set up.

I leave them to fend for themselvesand head out to the Hobe Sound Libraryto end my own solo painting exhibitionthere. I am to go and collect them by 11a.m. I clean out my car to make space,but mother decides to abandon her por-trait and ride with me. Now there is noroom for my husband, Ed, to go along tohelp bring my pictures home. On theway out of the house, someone calls onthe phone to buy a painting, and I tellher I will leave it in the library for her.

When I arrive at the library to leavethe painting there that had just beenpurchased, carrying it along with me, Iam told I cant leave it in the library.Mother is sitting in the hot car waitingfor me, so I hurriedly accept the offerthat a kind person makes to deliver apainting for me. Unfortunately, I havelost the persons telephone numberwho purchased the painting. I cant

call her, so that doesnt work.I rush home to find my bank on the

phone (they have tried to reach me fortwo days, they said) and as I try to lis-ten, I see my dog, Sophy, throwing upon the back porch. It is going down intothe wood floor cracks. I call Ed for help,but he cant hear because he is deaf.

In the meantime I discover that Edhas taken two cycle racks from the barnand donated them to Goodwill (withoutasking me) and neither one of them areours. I rush to collect them before it istoo late but they are gone.

Mother needs some cards mailed,but we are out of stamps. I hurry to thepost office while everyone in the barnis waiting for me to return so we can alleat lunch together under the tree. Thereare not enough chairs so I try and findsome, just as my ex-husband calls tosay he is bringing some books by toleave. I tell him to leave them on thefront porch, because there is no placefor him to park.

The county comes to trim the treesalong the road, and my car is in the wayand has to be moved. Back in the barn,the bi-polar man has used the toilet,and I know he didnt shut the lid andvermin might appear. (There are wor-ries in my mind!)

Mother announces to everyone thatshe and I will play a piano duet and in-vites everyone to come inside. (Ed is try-ing to take a nap in the other room.)Just then a real estate broker knocks onthe front door to ask if the house is forsale. (He heard it might be?) We invitehim in to listen to the duet.

Mother and I give a stellar perform-ance, and as people start to leave, the re-cycle truck arrives requiring me to rushoutside and move my car. Again.When I come back inside the phone isringing. It is the woman calling aboutnot finding her painting she was sup-posed to collect in the library. I arrangeto take it to Steinmart and meet herthere in the car park on Saturday. As wespeak I see Sophy throwing up on thecarpet. (She goes to the vet tomorrow.)I clean up the barn and find that some-one has left their clothes in my studio,the books are on the front porch and anotice has appeared about a dock webuilt in Tequesta 12 years ago.

I invite Mother, Ed and friend, Dot,to go to Taste restaurant for dinner(where I used up the last of my credit),but Mother said that Dot talked toomuch because she drank three glasses ofwine. I only drank one, but felt like Icould have finished off a whole bottle!We came home and Mother and Iwatched an old video from the library. ARussian film about 12 chairs. I fell soundasleep on the sofa. Mother was stillgoing strong at 11 p.m.

Tomorrow she packs to go home toAtlanta without knowing that Sophyhas chewed a hole in her travel case.It will be another day for me...

Suzanne Briley, who lives in HobeSound, is an artist, author, entrepreneur, en-vironmentalist and world traveler. She maybe contacted at hopscotch@hscurrents.com.

SuzanneBriley

Hopscotch

Hobe Sound CurrentsJune 2013Lifestyle20

To the great joy of art lovers, HobeSound community life has perked uplately by an exceptional project initi-ated by the Martin County Library system.Local artists are invited to present their art-work and share stories with the public in acozy and relaxing ambiance.

Paintings by a self-taught, Parisian-born artist, Natalie LaBord, known to theworld as Natalie L., were featured in theHobe Sound Library Community Roomthroughout May. The library recentlyhosted an opening reception for the publicto meet the artist.

Charming and graceful, a true Parisian,Natalie L. delivered a fascinating narrativeof her spiraling transformation from whichshe emerged as a successful and highly in-novative artist. While a slide show of her

life unfolded in slow motion on the wall, themellow tunes smoothly played by JoettesStrings Duo enhanced the intimate feel.

Like her great self-taught forerunners Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Henri Rousseau who embraced the art as the only quest inlife, Natalies desire to become an artist be-came her vital mission. She abandoned asuccessful career in tourism in 2001, em-barking on a spinning adventure of self-ful-fillment that carried her far away from Parisand from her past.

As she camped and hiked all overFrance, sailed to