Tom Campenni
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IN THIS EDITION OF THE NEWSLETTER
This section is usually the last thing I write for the newsletter even though it appears first. As articles and information happen and are received, the newsletter changes what is included. It also allows me to briefly comment on the latest news.
Many of us only wear our masks now when we see a doctor. Mask wearing is still required by most health care offices. And we are all happy about being nearly mask free. You still occasionally see someone wearing a mask in Publix but it has become a rarity. That doesn’t mean I won’t wear one if asked to do so. It is only common courtesy.
I was a bit taken a back when I saw Governor DeSantis berate a group of college kids for wearing masks at a press conference he held at the University of South Florida in Tampa. “You do not have to wear those masks. I mean, please remove them off. Honestly, its not doing anything. And we got to stop this COVID theater. So, if you want to wear it-fine. But this is ridiculous,” the governor angrily said and sighed to the kids. You can watch the incident here
Most took off the masks. Perhaps a few students didn’t want to wear them from the beginning. Others kept their masks on. However, the governor has no business brow-beating students. Isn’t that part of his personal freedom message. Nobody wants to have the wrath of the governor descending on them especially if you are 18 years old.
I don’t know what happened to the guy. I thought he was a real old fashioned Ronald Reagan conservative when I voted for him. I wish Ron would return to that guy. Live and let live. A libertarian instead of a mini autocrat. Someone who does believe in businesses operating without state interference.
For his first year in office, he seemed to be that guy who would stick up for personal liberty even when it conflicts with his views. Not someone who thinks that only his way is the right way. And someone who does not brow-beat college kids to get the right photo op.
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Don’t forget to send me an email with your opinions. I want to hear from you. I will publish it if you are civil.
If you or a friend has changed email addresses, don’t forget to let me know so we can make sure you are receiving the newsletter.
We are always looking for people who want to write a column. A teacher would be a terrific addition to our roster as would a mom that wants to tell us about what it is like raising a family today. Have a different idea for a column? Contact me.
This week we have Carol telling us the latest from the United Way and Fletch on the Boys and Girls Club. Rob Ranieri from House of Hope writes about his food program. Sedwitz gives us the latest from Hobe Sound and Amy Pritchett explains Moms for Liberty’s point of view.
MCTA has an analysis on the ½ cent county sales tax for land acquisition. VanRiper, Pine, and Hafner weigh in with their opinions as well as Jackie Holfelder with her non-profit show case. And of course, all the news about governments in Martin County.
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IS TALLAHASSEE COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED?
The governor and legislature continue to flout the concept of home rule and, to a greater degree, individual freedom.
It seems that the “Lords of Tallahassee” can’t wait to tell local government what to do and extend their nanny statism to individual Floridians. I once thought that the Republican Party stood for government that was the closest to the people making the decisions. That is no longer the case.
The fix is in to narrow what local government can do from passing ordinances to taking care of their constituents. Commissioners and other local elected officials can no longer use as much discretion as they did in the past to help their constituents. It is all about what the Lords will allow.
At the same time, the Lords have decided that individuals don’t know what is good for them and Tallahassee must dictate what should be personal decisions. A recent poll found that several bills that the legislators are passing to stop or curtail our freedoms are not in agreement with Floridians.
55% of Floridians oppose a 15-week abortion ban. It climbs to 60% when respondents are told that there is no exception for rape or incest. 49% oppose a bill restricting discussion of sexual orientation in elementary school while only 40% support it. And a dismal 32% support partisan school board elections while 49% oppose. 76% of voters support legalized recreational cannabis.
I want Tallahassee out of city hall. I want them to stop telling people what to do not only about vaccines but also about terminating a pregnancy. I do not need guidance on what books I should read or what and how to think and speak. You are not going to get my vote by interfering in my life.
We will save a discussion about how they may be limiting our election decisions for another time.
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WHEN DID CASH BECOME NOT WANTED?
I recently saw a letter to the editor in TC Palm regarding a resident who was trying to make a tee time at the county golf course but didn’t have a credit card.
I subsequently learned that without an electronic form of payment you are not buying a thing at county park facilities. They are all cash free. Credit, debit, Apple Pay or any other number of apps will get you admittance. Good old U.S. currency is turned away.
I spoke to the county and their answers included that it was more efficient and good business policy. At one point, 30 or more tee times a day were booked but there were no shows which resulted in lost revenue as well as unmet demand on the part of people who were not able to schedule tee times due to availability. As a retired business owner, I completely understood. Further, when the county did take cash, their policy was to have two people checking on each other when making a bank deposit. With a cashless policy there was no need to make a deposit even.
Yet, once again, it shows that the county’s recreation department being run as a business may not serve all our residents, especially those who need the inexpensive recreation services the most. I understand about the tee times. And it makes sense that a reservation should be accompanied by payment to secure it. But even if a person without a credit card drives over to the golf course to reserve a tee time and pay for it in cash…too bad, so sad.
Cash can be difficult to handle. I just worked a beer concession at the Martin County Fair for my Rotary Club. Approximately 80% of the people paid for their suds in cash. Though we took all methods of payment, most chose to pay by giving U.S. currency. We wanted to sell beer to benefit the Club, and we were going to take payment in whatever means necessary.
While the recreation folks like to say they are acting as a business would, that is not exactly true. There is no need to make a profit to survive in their “business” world. The moguls that are on the BOCC want to play at business using the people’s resources and call it best practices. That means they are perfectly willing to deprive recreational access to those who can least afford going to the county’s competition…the private sector.
In the county’s view, their customers are only sometimes right and that results in some falling by the wayside.
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OTHER OPINIONS
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NON-PROFIT PERSPECTIVE
By Carol Houwaart-Diez
United Way of Martin County President-CEO
Have you ever wondered how the money raised by the United Way of Martin County is invested in our community? Who gets funding? And, who decides where the money goes? Is it the CEO and staff that determines these investments, or is it the board? Let me give you a rundown of the process.
The programs we invest in are helping real people right here in Martin County, which is why local people like you determine where the money goes.
Through our fundraising efforts, United Way of Martin County brings together local resources, and we work with volunteers to ensure those dollars have the maximum return on the investment.
With over a thousand nonprofits in Martin County, identifying which programs align with our community’s goals and aspirations is no small task. Many people do not realize that United Way staff does not decide who receives grants through our annual funding process. Local community representatives volunteer to evaluate the proposals received by United Way from programs seeking United Way funding through the Citizen Review process.
Community involvement on citizen review panels sets United Way apart from other nonprofits because it allows people in our community to witness firsthand what our local nonprofit organizations are doing to help others.
Our role is to help train United Way volunteers from the local community to evaluate proposals from grant seekers. Every application for funding is vetted by these Citizen Review volunteers who live and work in our community. The goal is to identify the programs that best align with our work in Education, Financial Stability, and Health and can demonstrate measurable results in their respective area of focus.
So you might be asking yourself, “What would I need to do to participate in this process?” First, you would sign up as a volunteer on our website at www.UnitedWayMartin.org/CitizenReviewPanels. Then, you would be assigned to a panel that will review approximately three to four grant applications within a specific focus area. After reading and scoring the applications, you will participate in an agency site visit where you can ask any questions and get a behind-the-scenes view of how the program operates.
Depending on your comfort level, some site visits will be held in person, and others will be conducted via zoom. Your job is to evaluate the program and rank its effectiveness in tackling an issue that fits our priority areas (Education, Financial Stability and Health) and ensure the program has demonstrated measurable outcomes. These reviews are then shared with the United Way’s Fund Distribution Committee, which will make recommendations to the board of directors for final approval.
It doesn’t take that much time. The entire process takes approximately 6- 8 hours, including viewing a pre-recorded volunteer training and one to two hours for reviewing grant application materials for each program you agree to evaluate.
What are we looking for in potential volunteers?
Passion for our community
Desire to be a change agent
Be a United Way donor to the community impact fund (if you are not currently, rookie volunteers are still permitted to serve).
Knowledge or experience that is aligned with one or more of the following areas:
- Community Needs(i.e. knowledge of community collaborations, needs assessments, census data, direct client service, etc.).
- Results Driven(i.e. outcome measurements, data collection, program evaluation, etc.).
- Diversity and Inclusion(equal opportunity or accessibility expertise, familiarity with disproportionality, experience with inclusion efforts, etc.).
- Governance (i.e. board of director’s experience, strategic planning, bylaw review, committee work, etc.).
- Management (human resources experience, volunteer management, knowledge of public relations or marketing, program leadership or supervision, etc.).
- Finances (knowledge of financial ratios, annual audits, bookkeeping, experience in nonprofit finances or financial management, etc.).
The above criteria is a wish list of what we look for however, the most important one is that you are someone who wants to be a part of the process and to see why giving to United Way through the impact fund is the best way to give to a broad spectrum of programs right here in Martin County.
To be a part of this process, please go to our website https://www.unitedwaymartin.org/citizenreviewpanels to register as a volunteer. As always, if you have any questions on the process, please reach out to me at chdiez@unitedwaymartin.org or call me at 772-283-4800.
Carol Houwaart-Diez’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.
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VANRIPER’S VIEWS
By Darlene VanRiper
Affordable Housing in Martin County is non-existent.
Everyone knows it and everyone says so. And what everyone means by “affordable housing” is not “Section 8” housing also known as government subsidized housing. It is housing that is affordable for teachers and deputies and what is known as middle and lower wage earners. Hard workers to be sure.
They just don’t make enough for Martin County’s out of reach mortgage payments. My son cannot afford what used to be known as a “starter” home. Even older homes that look like they should be “starter” homes are $300,000 or more. Everyone who lives here comments on the problem. What to do about it?
I really must scratch my head at people who suggest that the County Commissioners “DO SOMETHING” about it. Otherwise, rational people who believe in the system of Capitalism demanding that their local government “DO SOMETHING”.
The truth hurts and sometimes reality is not kind. But the reality is that subsidized housing is the ONLY way that “affordable housing” is going to be built. Just put yourself in the shoes of a developer. You’ve invested money in a land purchase, spent thousands on permitting and engineering studies and every other thing that goes into even a presentation to the county before the building begins.
Then, you lay out thousands and thousands of dollars to build. This whole process can take years. And your money is in limbo…not producing. Now are you really going to take less than you can sell the units for because you feel sorry for newlyweds or little old ladies? Of course not!
So, that leaves us with the government intervention possibility. On what level? There are options of course. YOU will pay for them all. Do you want the county government to subsidize housing? If so, your property taxes will go up. Do you want the state to subsidize housing? If so, your fees for everything there is a fee for i.e.. fishing licenses, and everything you buy in the form of sales tax collections and your doc stamps will go up. That is the short list.
With inflation hitting an all-time high and investments on a roller coaster ride, NOW IS NOT the time to be hit with higher taxes. So, put away your complaints and fix up that spare room. Let grandma or the grandkids move in or soon YOU may not be able to afford to live in Martin County.
Darlene VanRiper’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.
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PINE’S PONDERING
By Tom Pine
The Martin County Commission meeting of February 22, 2022 was a sad, sad day for the Taxpayers of Martin County. I will speak of the devastating attack on our Martin County Growth Management Plan in a future edition of Friends and Neighbors of Martin County.
Today I will shine a little light on how the majority of our County Commissioners can so easily disregard the wishes of we the Taxpayers and still get reelected.
This is where The Good Ole Boys, The Pay To Play Crowd, The Special Interests and of course The Big Money Boys come into play.
As I drive around Martin County, I see various signs in Easements and in Medians advertising various themes without any harassment from Code Enforcement. Why you ask, because the business owner probably belongs to the right organization, or they know the right people in our government.
Here’s a couple of easy examples. Dixie Highway going through Rio. The Rio Civic Center often has a sign in the Median advertising a Bake Sale and Flea Market or a Community Trash Pick Up. They actually have a Reader Board on Dixie Highway that could be used for that purpose but it’s not. So can all the businesses in Rio advertise with signs in the Median, of course not unless they know the right people too.
Or the Reader Board in Median on a side street just south of Race Track Gas Station on US 1 in Stuart.
How about all the Storage Containers / Storage Sheds on business properties throughout the county without any building permit, according to Martin County Building Department all Storage Containers / Storage Sheds must be properly tied down since we live in a Hurricane prone area. The tie downs must be approved by a licensed Architect.
Up next Martin County Fire Rescue, a couple of years ago the majority of Martin County Commissioners voted to approve a wage increase for our Fire Rescue based on Broward County pay scales, the wages in Martin and Palm Beach County weren’t high enough.
Ghost candidates are legal in Florida and have been used on a regular basis in Martin County Commission races for many, many years, no ethics problems here.
The majority of Martin County Commissioners three years ago gave the public sidewalks in downtown Jensen Beach to the business community there to use as they see fit. I also checked with the Property Appraiser at the time and for the most part those businesses pay zero Property Taxes on that free gift from our commissioners.
Yes, you can still walk on the sidewalk, single file please and leave room for wait staff.
Several years ago, the Martin County Commission eliminated runoff elections for all county offices. The Commission stated it was to save the Taxpayers money, my position is it gives the incumbent one more advantage. They often use the term “to save the Taxpayer money “ I have never seen a dime of it.
Although we haven’t had any close elections in several years the Big Money Boys are always in the background waiting to pounce when needed with big flashy mailings with half-truths and flat out lies to attack any possible threat to their chosen one.
Most of are elections are settled in the August primary where voter turnout is often 40% or less so one only needs 20 voters out of 100 registered voters to win.
They use our Tax Dollars to take care of enough of The Good Ole Boys, The Pay To Play Crowd, The Special Interests and of course The Big Money Boys, so a win isn’t that hard to get for an incumbent.
Truth To Power
Tom Pine’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.
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HAFNER’S CORNER
By David Hafner
On February 22nd, the chambers of the Martin County Board of County Commissioners were full of residents looking to give their opinion about the adoption of a new land use designation called Rural Lifestyle.
This designation would allow the owners of large tracts of rural and agricultural properties to develop parts of their land while keeping the majority percentage of the tracts as a green space or undeveloped altogether. Speaker after speaker came forward pleading or demanding, some both, that the commission vote down this land use change and save our agricultural lands.
I am not here to give my opinion on this new land designation. I am here to share my thoughts on this displayed attitude towards agriculture, which is different from what is often shared in the local news and on social media. As I listened to that common theme that we must protect our agricultural lands I completely agreed. But what does that mean?
How do we protect our agricultural lands? We can’t just say we don’t want our agricultural lands to be taken from us as a ploy to stymie development. We must say we don’t want our agricultural lands to be taken from us as a preservation of our nation’s sovereignty and independence from other nations. In response to all the people saying they want to preserve our agricultural lands I commented in the Facebook Live thread asking how many of these people are actively supporting local farmers by purchasing produce grown in the United States.
I then asserted if their food products are imported, they are talking out of both sides of their mouth. One person responded, “We reject big sugar, but we love our local farmers.” An interesting statement since Martin County farms- local farmers- grow the fourth largest amount of sugar in Florida.
We cannot pick and choose which agricultural commodities we want to support. Florida farms that grow sugar also grow green beans, corn, citrus, and many other varieties of produce. Who are we to tell a farmer what they should grow? It is up to the farmer to grow what the soil will support and the market demands.
We must celebrate our farmers and the variety of crops they grow to keep their farms from going under. If we do not, we will be supporting the closure of those farms. When a farm goes under the final crop is a development.
David Hafner’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.
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FLETCH’S PERSPECTIVE
By Keith Fletcher CEO & President of
Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County
“Give a man to fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
There are no disputing these simple, well-known words of wisdom, which best encapsulate how charities, social service agencies and even individual philanthropists can effectively empower the people they serve to soon serve themselves.
Today, “fishing,” entails a sophisticated and fast-evolving array of career opportunities ranging from trades to emerging new technologies. And the proverbial “man” should ideally be a boy or girl, as the sooner the lifesaving lessons of independence are imparted—particularly to children enduring difficult circumstances among society’s margins—the better their odds of beating the grim statistics playing out around them in real time.
This is why the Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County (BGCMC) is investing in the creation of a new flagship club in Stuart. This week, we’ll be hosting an event outlining the capital campaign to support construction of the club.
The club location is both convenient and strategic—on Martin County School District property as a neighbor to Stuart Middle School. Even though we provide free transportation to any club member who needs it, this new club will be an easy walk not only for the middle school students afterschool but particularly children living in East Stuart.
The community’s needs are significant. The median household income in East Stuart is $29,000, about half the county average. Nearly 20 percent of the adult population never earned a high school diploma. More than 50 percent of residents over 16 are out of work.
Specialized programs at the incoming Stuart club aim to drastically change this. By partnering with professionals from local businesses, we’ll be offering a robust litany of trade and vocational curricula, including hospitality and culinary training, to prepare young people for in-demand jobs. We’ll also offer a host of certifications for various skills, including coding, drone operations, multi-media production and more.
Members—whether in elementary-, middle- or high-school—will gain access to age-appropriate lessons and insights from our certified educators as well as established professionals that will place them on pathways to rewarding careers. These opportunities, more importantly, will transform their futures.
But before exposure to the “fishing lessons,” kids who enter the new Stuart club will also experience a world of fun and friendship—as well as the comfort of regular, reliable healthy meals and snacks. They’ll also learn the practices of good citizenship, the pursuit of academic improvement, and experience the accountability and encouragement vital to absorbing not only career lessons—but instilling the belief that they matter—and can pursue and achieve their passions and purpose.
Keith Fletcher’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.
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HOPE IN OUR COMMUNITY
Rob Ranieri
CEO for House of Hope
At House of Hope, we understand the importance of feeding people well.
Numerous national studies conducted over many years show the undeniable link between health and poverty. Martin County is no exception. In our lower income communities, we see higher than normal rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and other chronic health conditions. In addition, infant mortality rates are higher, and lifespans are shorter among those living in poverty.
Approximately 70% of our clients come to House of Hope because of food insecurity. Armed with so much national research, as well as the data collected through our own client assessments and surveys, we knew that we had to raise the bar on food quality in our four food pantries and in our community. So about four years ago, we set out to ramp up our food resources, both internal and external, with an emphasis on freshness and quality.
Internally, we developed a wonderful partnership with Palm City Farms Produce & Market. The Dawson family, owners of the market, made the generous offer of land use to ramp up our own production capacity. Today we have over 65,000 cubic feet of hydroponic greenhouse growing space, which provides for us and our partners over 1400 packages of fresh produce every week.
We are also in the process of adding a grove of fruit trees and berry bushes to our outdoor growing area. Also in development on the site is our packing house, which will allow us to clean, process, package, and store all of the fresh produce that we grow and glean. In addition, we hope that the house will be a resource for local farmers to process produce and support our mission by paying a small fee or sharing produce for us to distribute out to our community.
Externally, we have become the regional distributor for Farm Share, a statewide non-profit organization with over 30 years of success in collecting large donations from Florida farmers and other sources and providing them to agencies like House of Hope at no cost to feed the community. This partnership, along with support from Publix and a host of other partners, helps to provide a consistent flow of high-quality food to our organization.
These resources have enabled us to keep our four pantries well stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables year-round. We also have grown into a food bank, supplying over 30 other organizations such as soup kitchens, church pantries, and other non-profits, with the food they need to meet their mission. Last year we distributed over 2.1 million pounds of food, always at no cost to our clients and partners.
To learn more, volunteer, or connect to us as a resource, please visit us at www.hohmartin.org.
Rob Ranieri’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.
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HOBE SOUND LOYAL
By John Sedwitz
I don’t know about you, but even when there is little to no traffic on SE Bridge Rd it can be a harrowing experience!
During the day, I’ve personally experienced “close calls” with oncoming cars and trucks doing their best to break the land speed record passing vehicles at the end or even past the designated passing areas. At night, it’s dangerous enough with the limited lighting and visibility, but add to it thunderstorm downpour on uneven road surfaces coupled with blind curves and I’ve had to pry my hands off the steering wheel as I’ve “white knuckled” my way to and from home!
Living right off SE Bridge Rd, I have noticed significantly more traffic to and from US 1/ Federal Hwy, especially during peak morning and afternoon rush hours the past few years. Very few motorists abide by the 30 mph speed signs posted on the sides of the road as you round the curve entering or leaving Hobe Sound. In a nutshell, SE Bridge Rd is becoming a more severe safety issue for pedestrians, motorists, motorcyclists, and bicyclists.
Case in point, on January 5th of this year a 47-year-old woman died after a teen driver veered into oncoming traffic (on SE Bridge Rd) and crashed into her SUV. She was traveling west behind a pickup truck pulling a trailer. As she drove, a 17-year-old boy from Tequesta driving east, diverged onto the west bound lane, swiped the pickup truck’s trailer, then collided head-on with the woman’s SUV. The SUV spun out of control onto the shoulder of the west bound side of the road, submerging the front of her vehicle into a ditch full of water. Could this horrific accident have been avoided, of course!
Let’s look at some published statistics from the Martin County Dept of Motor Vehicles and Martin County Crash Surveillance Report (published 5/4/21):
Total Registered Vehicles 105,360 of which 86,529 are owner occupied household vehicles. There are another 18,831 that are renter occupied household vehicles.
From 7/1/2018 -6/30/2020 there were a total of 8,113 crashes involving 20,584 motorists/passengers, 115 bicyclists, and 69 pedestrians. The crashes resulted in 52 fatalities (49 crashes), 3,051 personal injuries (2,064 crashes), and 6000 crashes with property damage only. Twenty-five percent of fatal crashes involved alcohol. Five fatal crashes occurred on a high-speed rural road, 13 fatal crashes involved motorcycles. 1100 reported crash’s involved alcohol, drugs, and distraction (cell phones, texting, etc.)
Now that you have had a chance to review these county wide statistics, there is ACTION being taken by Martin County in alleviating some of the safety issues we face on SE Bridge Rd, which is rapidly becoming a convenient stop light free county road conduit to US 1/ S Federal Highway for motorists.
On February 14th, the Bridge Rd restoration project began! The project starts at the intersection of Bridge Rd and Federal Highway (US 1) and extends west to the four way stop at the intersection of Bridge Rd and Pratt Whitney Rd. The scope of the project includes milling and repaving, adding shoulders to each side of the road, and milling a rumble strip in the middle of the road to alert drivers if they drift into the opposing lane. No passing zone signs will be added to clearly identify no passing zone areas.
This major project is scheduled to be completed by the end of this summer. In addition, Commissioner Jenkins and the county are working independently with Florida Power & Light (FPL) to include additional lighting in various spots along Bridge Road which will be a significant improvement. Commissioner Jenkins is also requesting that turn lanes be added at 138th street and Powerline with completion of these turn lanes next year.
These road improvements will certainly make the Bridge Road corridor a safer transit for motorists in the near future!
John Sedwitz’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.
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MOMS FOR LIBERTY
Amy Pritchett
Moms for Liberty came together at the Capitol on February 23 and 24, during Legislative Days in Tallahassee.
The group was invited to sit in chambers during debate and voting, and twenty counties were represented. Our purpose was to meet with our representatives with a unified message that supported the bills that we had studied and prioritized.
Each counties’ Chapter Chair met weekly via Zoom, to watch the bills being proposed and see the changes taking place for each bill. After seeing the bills that had moved forward, we narrowed our focus to the 3 bills below.
The Parental Rights in Education bill (HB 1557/SB 1834) supports a parent’s right to direct the upbringing, education, and medical care of their children. This bill reinforces the fundamental rights of parents within the education system in the State of Florida.
Provide that important information relating to a minor child will not be withheld from his/her parent while the minor child is in the custody of the school district.
Parents have the fundamental right to make decisions regarding the care and upbringing of his or her child, even in the classroom.
Prohibits districts from withholding information related to mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being from parents.
Creates the ability for parents to endorse their rights through declaratory and injunctive relief
The Individual Freedom bill (HB 7/SB 148) asserts that all men are created equal and supports legislation to end discrimination based on race, color, sex, or national origin. We support the DOE reviewing professional development to make sure it is free from discrimination.
Community and parent involvement improves education. These key stakeholders should be involved in school board processes, where possible, especially in the selection of instructional materials.
No individual is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously, solely by virtue of his/her race or sex.
No race is inherently superior to another race.
The Hope Scholarship Program (HB 1437/SB 0506) supports legislation that increases opportunity, ensures tax dollars follow students, and expands school choice scholarships such as the Hope Scholarship.
Provides the parent an opportunity to transfer the student to another public school or to request a scholarship for the student to enroll in and attend an eligible private school.
Ensures tax dollars follow students and expands school choice.
This was a wonderful experience for our group, and we were honored to be part of this complex and challenging process.
Amy Pritchett’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.
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COUNTY ½ CENT SALES TAX
Our tax system provides few options for our local elected boards to levy taxes.
The Martin County School District will be asking for renewal of the ½ cent sales tax to be used primarily for teacher bonuses this year. MCTA will address that in a subsequent article.
At the last BOCC meeting the board voted 4-1 to have staff come back with an ordinance and ballot language for another ½ cent sales tax to buy preserve lands in Pal Mar, IRL South, and the Loxa-Lucie. Because most of these properties are wetlands, development is not likely. It is important to preserve most of these lands because they constitute a natural flow way from the north to the south which provides storm water with a place to go.
The sales tax was brought up at the meeting because staff had been instructed to come back with how to proceed with one. It appeared that not every commissioner was onboard with how to move ahead. This was the same meeting where the board voted 3-2 to transmit the “rural lifestyle” comp plan amendment to the state for approval. There were many residents upset about that. The question is would that affect this?
Commissioner Heard believes that the commission is now not credible in the eyes of residents because of how this morning’s vote went. Commissioner Ciampi was flat out against a sales tax increase because of the increased cost of living his constituents bare. Both Commissioners Smith and Jenkins were very much in favor. Commissioner Hetherington seemed not yet ready to take a stand.
The sales tax in Martin County is currently 7% including the ½ cent that the school district wants to be renewed this year. If the county is successful in implementing the ½ cent, residents will then pay 7.5% sales tax.
What exactly is the sales tax for? The tax would be to purchase the lands I cited above. The question is will it be broadened to include other things?
In 2017, a sales tax was proposed to buy conservation land. It became more and more encompassing and would be used not only for conservation land but also for things like new buildings. The language on the ballot was as follows:
In order to protect the environment and safeguard Martin County’s quality of life, shall Martin County levy an additional one cent sales surtax for 10 years to provide funding for: Water quality projects that reduce pollutants to our estuaries; Projects to construct and reconstruct county facilities including Sheriff, Fire Rescue, and Public Works facilities; and for reconstruction of road infrastructure? Projects subject to annual review and approval at a public hearing?
It failed by almost 2-1. An earlier sales tax had been used to build things like Sailfish Splash Park which was not what some voters intended when it was approved. Since then, there has been distrust between the county government and voters on this issue.
We are not taking a position on whether to vote in favor of or against this ½ cent sales tax. We do believe that if one is placed on the ballot, it should be narrowly defined to be used for the buying of specific property for conservation only. The enabling language within the ordinance should have legal descriptions of where the land is located.
If passed, there can be no room for government using the funds for any other purpose but to buy lands that are specifically for conservation. The 2017 initiative became a grab bag for commissioners’ desires and not what the original intent was. The voters did the right thing in not passing that initiative.
MCTA will examine the ballot language and that of the ordinance and render an opinion on whether it will meet the intentions of buying only conservation land.
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CONSTITUTIONAL CORNER AND OTHER GOVERNMENT NOTICES
And from our Supervisor of Elections:
From The Clerk of The Court:
From the Property Appraiser
Tax Collector
From The City of Stuart:
From Martin County School District:
From Martin County:
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Walt Deemer and his report on the Rivers Coalition:
Gil Smart, Policy Director for Friends of the Everglades, reviewed the current legislative session in Tallahassee. There were some positives: the Clean Waters Act and the Blue-Green Algae Bill, both considered bad for the environment, went nowhere. And cLoser to home, the Seagrass Mitigation Bill, the despised-by-environmentalists bill which our very own Rep. Overdorf introduced, ended up virtually DOA (although he’s likely to re-introduce it next year, in case you bump into him between now and then.)
But the main topic of discussion was SB 2508, the Environmental Resources bill suddenly introduced by the state senate president in mid-session which would thwart best practices of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) to control toxic Lake Okeechobee discharges – which would greatly benefit (surprise) Big Sugar. As politically-savvy SFWMD board member Jacqui-Thurlow Lippisch noted, the entire legislative process was “beyond normal” for many reasons: A bill with sweeping policy changes was introduced as a budget item, which offers only one limited opportunity for public comments; the legislature is trying to exert policy control over the executive branch (which perhaps helps explain why the governor issued a harsh statement in opposition), and it is part of the entire state budget, which means the governor has to veto the whole budget if he doesn’t want this bill to become law. In addition, the bill means the state would be telling the Army Corps of Engineers what to do, “and states can’t tell the Federal government (which the ACE very much is a part of) what to do”. The bottom line is that the bill is an attempt by the legislature to do a last-minute end run around the entire LOSOM process that has been underway for more than three years.
The bill has already been passed by both the house and senate. The next and final step: A financial reconciliation process by the house, senate, and governor. It is unclear at this point what exactly will emerge from this process, but if nothing much changes those opposed to the bill may be reduced to one final option: pleading with the governor to veto the entire budget bill. We will let you know if it comes to that.
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JOINT MEETING OF SCHOOL BOARD, COUNTY, STUART, INDIANTOWN
MARCH 1, 2022:
I have never thought much of these meetings. And I still do not. Though a couple of things were illuminating in this one.
The first was that in answer to a public comment about understanding the rural lifestyle comp plan amendment, County Administrator Taryn Kryzda stated that the county will not be having informational meetings for the public. The Guardians of Martin County will conduct those meetings. Think about that statement for a second. It is a complete abrogation of Martin County government’s taking responsibility for a comp plan amendment that will completely change how our county may develop.
That means our county government is saying we do not have a responsibility to the citizens to explain our actions. Because it was not the Guardians who drafted and sent that amendment to Tallahassee for approval. Nor was it the Guardians that will ultimately vote on the amendment for inclusion into the comp plan.
When did the Guardians become our defacto government? They are an advocacy and lobbying group. They have been an environmentalist group in the past but why are they so anxious to take up this mantle now? Have they suddenly switched and have gone over to the development side? I doubt that, but they are still not the county government.
We have five commissioners…where do they stand with this acquiescence of their role. They cannot be bothered to make sure that any citizen who has a question can have it answered? Amy Pritchett, the citizen who made the public comment, was not opposed to the rural lifestyle amendment. She was just asking to be informed.
I am sure the Guardians can capably answer some questions about environmental factors. However, there are more than just environmental factors to this amendment. Who will be at the meetings to explain the other facets like the USB and package plants?
It seems that the commission is trying not to be seen as too close to the rural lifestyle amendment. It is almost as if they are hiding. They have made sure that staff has nothing to do with the education process. And commissioners being in the audience as ordinary citizens being educated along with the common folk…please!
What are commissioners and staff trying to do to make sure that broad support is forthcoming? Or is there something in the amendment that they don’t want the public to understand and know about? Most members of the public just want information that is truthful and doesn’t seem to be gobbily gook.
Commissioners should stand up in many public forums and answer the questions citizens have. They can have staff help on technical matters. What this would do is alleviate the public’s suspicions. It would also show that commissioners understand what they are voting on. If they can’t explain the amendment and what it means, they shouldn’t be voting on it.
SCHOOL CAPACITY
I think the way education is delivered needs to change. The school district is not moving fast enough in introducing innovations that some parents would like to see. But one thing they are good at is trying to use excess seats as constructively as possible.
School Board Chair Roberts stated that there are 18,544 students, in the public schools including charters, in the district. The board keeps 25% of seats for growth in every district school. Even with this reserve, there currently is excess capacity. The only two schools that are operating above capacity are Martin County High School and South Fork High School.
At a recent school board meeting, the board opened several schools for anyone to attend because of the excess capacity. One speaker at this meeting authoritatively stated that Martin County is going to be overrun by kids from other districts because of our “A” rated schools. The obvious place for the invasion to occur is from St Lucie County.
Roberts also had a few other figures on student enrollment. There are currently 120 out-of-county students. 119 go to Treasure Coast Classical Academy, a public charter. Even counting the charter, that is less than 1%. Hordes are not likely to descend.
Another remark made was that while students bring their per student financial allocation to the school they attend, out-of-district parents don’t pay any taxes for the other costs. The buildings and infrastructure costs on district schools are already spent and they must be maintained. While there are on-going costs that are not in the per student allocation, it is still money that would not be there if registration was not more broadly opened. The number of programs and teachers would still be the same.
The real question is why aren’t our schools more used by parents in the district for the education of their children?
COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING FEB 22, 2022:
The chamber was packed. There were many who had signed up to speak. Most were there because they did not think that they had the entire story about what was being euphemistically being called “Rural Lifestyle.” That is a name that has very little to do with what was being proposed.
And the classification that was being proposed was because of the Discovery Project on Bridge Road in Hobe Sound. When it was first proposed there really was no opposition. It would have to go through a comp plan amendment to be able to do the project but the amenities being proposed, and the public benefit seemed to justify it.
Then a golf club was going to come before the commission that had no homes. Another good project with all open space, 95% permeable, all storm water kept on the property, and irrigation using water from the St. Lucie Canal instead of wells. With all that green space I liked that one too. Staff and private consultants in their eagerness to not want to go through the comp plan amendment process for each project decided to create the land use designation of “Rural Lifestyle.”
They neglected to do one thing get the buy in of residents. Instead, the BOCC and staff created their own crisis. They thought no need to reach out to anyone but the elitist Guardians and Jupiter Island. The people living in Jensen, Rio, or Palm City Farms do not need to be consulted. And then came this meeting.
Of the many, many people that spoke only two were in favor…one was a developer, and the other was the head of the Economic Council. Those that spoke in opposition were of two minds. There was the usual no-growth contingent that would be against anything ever being built anywhere.
Former Commissioner Anne Scott spoke against, and she was on the commission at the time that they turned down the growing of Eucalyptus trees for commercial use out west. That was the final straw that made Indiantown incorporate.
Maggy Hurchalla had passed away a few days before. She was against this comp plan amendment. She may have had a point with the way it was written. The Urban Services Boundary seems to be ignored. Package plants, water lines and other questions abound.
Questions and uncertainty were where the majority of people were that spoke. “Where was the public outreach?” People didn’t know what the changes meant. It just seemed that three commissioners were tone deaf to the concerns of Martin County residents.
The growth management department was exceptionally blind to answering what it all meant. Most of what they said makes perfect sense to those who are immersed in this sort of thing every day. Unfortunately, most people are not.
Commissioners gave their reasons why they were going to vote for or against. Ciampi was finding the proper balance. He was preserving open space by clustering homes from 20-acre ranchettes to closer together.
The developers would have to provide at least 70% green space. The development would have to be at least a thousand acres to qualify. If more homes were asked for then another large track of land would have to be given in conservation controlled by a government or nonprofit.
Ciampi, Jenkins, and Smith kept saying it was a transmittal hearing to Tallahassee. They would still have to vote to approve it. The time between transmittal to the state and the amendment coming back is about fifty days. Perhaps the ownership of conservation land can be adjusted commissioners said.
Smith was voting for it because of long range planning. He understands the growth process. He and Ciampi said 25 to 50% of the ad valorem taxes for Discovery should go to pay for conservation land. Smith who represents part of Stuart couldn’t wait to knock the city for approving new housing. Ironic since housing should be in the urban core and not outside the USB even for rich folk.
Ciampi had the Guardians agree to do a community meeting to answer the public’s questions. Perhaps one or two meetings for public outreach would suffice, he thought. One of the most significant changes to land use and this is what the citizens should expect?
Heard was a no and she was always a no. Nothing was going to make her a yes. To her the comp plan is not a changeable document. Any variation is like rewriting the bible. The Ciampi/Smith/Jenkins idea of transmitting and fixing anything later made no sense to her and for that matter me.
Hetherington was the only one with an open mind. She liked Discovery. Thought it was a good project. Would vote for it as a standalone. Unfortunately, it was not. Discovery was its own victim.
She had questions that still had not been answered. Hetherington thought the public’s questions should be answered also. She is very much in favor of smart growth and a property rights advocate. Hetherington realizes that she represents the people…all the people.
It passed 3-2 with Hetherington and Heard voting no. You can explore more about the initiative here
And here
SALES TAX INITIATIVE
At the September 4th meeting the commission wanted staff to look at a sales tax for acquiring environmentally sensitive lands. These properties would be in Pal Mar, IRL South, and the Loxa-Lucie.
Heard thought that the commission’s credibility after the “Rural Lifestyle” vote would prohibit voters from supporting this. Ciampi is against because of inflation’s effects on the taxpayers. Smith was all for it. One of the reasons that the last sales tax initiative failed was because of Smith promising goodies to everyone.
Voter education and communication would be key. (Ironic after the earlier discussion.) Therefore, it should be on the general ballot. Jenkins made a motion to bring back an ordinance and ballot language for the general election. Smith passed the gavel and seconded.
Heard would vote yes because there was plenty of time to vote no later, she claimed. It passed 4-1 with Ciampi dissenting.
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COMMISSION MEETING FEBRUARY 28, 2022:
It is not often that both the LPA (in a unanimous vote) and staff recommend outright denial of a project. Silverthorne has that distinction.
The parcel is 9 ½ acres bordered by US 1 and Commerce Avenue. The developer, Meritage Homes, wants to change the land use from commercial to residential. They propose 86 townhouses which will be for sale. A good project? Perhaps, but the commission has no desire to add any more housing units outside the CRA.
With commercial zoning, the commercial parcel can have a variety of users. If this rezoning is denied (and it probably will be), I have heard there is another self-storage place ready to go.
If this project had come in a year ago, I believe it would have been approved. Perhaps if they waited another 12 to 18 months, it would be approved. Who knows? Until already-approved projects are built, and their impacts can be examined, no new projects should be approved. The commission has said they are not interested in any other residential development unless it is as of right outside the CRA.
It is not clear why the applicant wants a month’s extension. I would be very surprised if there are three votes to support this project and it could be a unanimous no.
Clarke made a motion to postpone this item until the March 22nd meeting. It was seconded by Bruner and passed 5-0.
The commission also approved a “tree ordinance” that if trees are removed by a developer without a permit or the removal was not in the approved plan, there is a three to one ratio penalty. The fine will be paid into the tree fund with preference given to restoration of the property. The penalty is calculated by the circumference of the tree removed.
There needs to be more than just this, however. What about destruction of preserve areas. That is what happened which precipitated the tree ordinance. In a preserve, there are other plants beside trees that would need to be replaced.
The vote was 5-0 to adopt.
You can view the ordinance here here
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DEFENTHALER WILL NOT SEEK REELECTION:
Victoria Defenthaler has served one term on the school board. She has decided not to run for a second term.
I did not always agree with Defenthaler’s policies, but I do believe she had the students of Martin County’s best interest at heart. As a retired teacher and principal of the Martin County district she was in line with the professional educators’ viewpoints. That is not what many in our community are looking for in a school board member today.
That should not take away from her years of dedication to the county as an employee and elected official. In her last election she beat incumbent Rebecca Negron which was no easy feat. But in today’s environment perhaps we should be looking for candidates that have kids in the system and are not educational professionals.
You can see her statement below:
SCHOOL BOARD BUDGET MEETING FEB 22, 2022:
The budget numbers for next year are still being developed. They are waiting for the state budget to pass. You can see the presentation here
The interesting part of the meeting had to do with enrollment. School enrollment is down about 200 students. This trend may change as all the new housing units being built come online in the next few years, but it probably will not.
District parents are abandoning traditional public education. Choice is key, and in every facet of Americans’ lives, they have never had so many options. Their children’s education is no exception.
At the meeting, it was noted that Treasure Coast Classical Academy (TCCA) had 1000 kids on the waiting list. The district is now opening most of their elementary, middle, and even a high school to open enrollment. This means not only can district children have a choice about what school to attend so, too, can kids from outside the district.
It will be interesting if children from St. Lucie County take advantage of Martin’s “A” rated system. St. Lucie district schools have been improving steadily over the years. If it proves that Martin schools are not the draw for moving to Martin County as espoused, then that will be very worrisome.
Chair Roberts wants to know what the increase in both money and personnel for district administration has been by department over the past five- and ten-year periods. Obviously, the more money that goes into classrooms the better. Top heavy costs will be the next thing that Tallahassee will be looking at.
Marsha Powers said the world of competition is here. We need to give the customer (parents and students) what they want. She went on to say that the district can’t provide everything but should provide what is wanted. Roberts wants the district to market what they do well. DiTerlizzi agrees.
Defenthaler and Anderson are more in line with the existing model. That probably has to do with their pedagogical Martin School District origins. There are some parents in favor of keeping the current education model.
What I do not understand is why the district does not open its own charter school modeled after TCCA since it is a model that has proven to be successful enough to have a significant waiting list. Perhaps the 1000 students on their waiting list could then remain in the district system. Doing so would take innovation and change…something that seems improbable. But, given changing parent and student preferences, there may be at least three school board votes to give something like that a try.
SCHOOL BOARD WORKSHOP MARCH 1, 2022:
For some time, there has been a quandary about how to calculate GPAs for our students.
When many of us went to school, we received our grades either as A through F or as a percentage. Our parents knew what it all meant and if you came home with an A or a 95%, you were doing o.k. We didn’t see a GPA (grade point average) until we were college students. And I still don’t quite understand what a weighted GPA is or how it is calculated.
My college scores were calculated 0 through 4, and 4 was the highest that you could have. It was the equivalent of an A for the course. Today, different Florida districts are using a scale of 5, 6, or 7 and weighting the averages. Confused yet?
Apparently, it is so confusing that Florida universities and colleges do not bother to even look at those scores and rebuild the average some other way when considering candidates for admittance. I guess if you take a course of advanced physics and receive a top grade then it should be worth more than a course on basket weaving.
Parents don’t want to see their kids’ scores go down. For instance, if a kid has a 6 on a scale of 0 through 7, that probably translates to a 4 on a scale of 0 through 5. In the latter example, the student and parents may feel the score has been diminished when he/she is competing to get into college. Of course, it hasn’t but the perception could be different.
After much discussion and parent consternation, the board has developed a revised model. For existing students in 9th to 12th grades, the 7-point scale will continue. For those in middle school, who have taken high school classes, the grade will be converted to a 5-point scale. As middle school students begin their high school careers, they will be graded on a 5-point scale.
You can see the option here
ARTS FOUNDATION LEASE
Where will you be in 2125?
That is the year that the lease between the Arts Foundation (Arts Council) and the Martin County School District will be over for the old high school building. The old high school building which is celebrating its centennial in 2023 will be having its 202-year birthday.
This is where we find ourselves in the saga of the old (and apparently becoming older) high school building. The board and Foundation are trying to draft an Intent to Lease for the building in the next few weeks.
Nancy Turrell, the director, estimates the cost of renovation with furnishings, etc. will be anywhere between $10 and $20 million. That means they will have to raise that money before they open their doors.
I have not been in favor of this plan and have constantly written about why. Now that we are getting closer to puling the pin, I am just astonished by how far we are out of synch with the needs of the people, Stuart, the school district, and Martin County.
Should there be a place for Art in Martin County? We already have numerous institutions like the Elliott that, in some ways, is a hidden gem. The Arts Council is not going away. They still have the cultural courthouse, and I am sure they could find other places to rent or buy to further their mission. I just imagine what could we accomplish by putting that $10 to $20 million to a better use.
There is a shortage of work force housing for teachers. What if the school board went into a joint venture on that property and built apartments exclusively for their staff? There would be no land costs. I am sure that the county and city would waive any money due them to accomplish that purpose. That would bring brand new housing within the urban core at affordable rates.
A vanity project or needed housing…what do you think?
The agreement, time line and site plan can be found here here
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SEWALL’S POINT WORKSHOP FEBRUARY 22, 2022:
Carr Riggs presented the first audit report to the town for the fiscal year 2020/21. They were hired last year. The audit showed no irregularities. You can see it here
The process for finding a new town manager is proceeding. The three top contenders were Colin Baezinger, The Mercer Group, and ICMA. ICMA does not charge but thought that miscellaneous expenses would be between $5,000 and $10,000. Baezinger came in at $34,500 for their services, and The Mercer Group would charge $18,000 plus up to $3000 for expenses.
Campo wants to have the Mercer Group make a formal presentation in person at the next meeting. The commission agreed and Interim Manager Dan Hudson will set it up. From the timelines given, it appears the earliest that a new manager could start would be mid- to late-July.
Joe Capra, the town engineer, gave an update on Phase 3 of South Sewall’s Point Road. The key is buying property for an outfall which is where storm water will eventually go into the river. They have been discussing this for some time. Unfortunately, according to Capra, you could not buy the land until certain conditions were met. They now have been met.
The commission wants the sale to proceed at 78 South Sewall’s Point Road for the land for the STA where the outfall will be built. They want it to happen as quickly as possible. You can find Capra’s report here
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INDIANTOWN COUNCIL MEETING FEBRUARY 24, 2022:
This was the Joe Capra meeting.
Joe founded Captec Engineering and does extensive work for governments up and down the Treasure Coast. He started off the evening with an explanation of traffic calming to the council. He was clear in his warning that if the council is going to do calming, they must be prepared for the fallout.
Traffic calming is expensive. Once a municipality is committed to a plan, it can cost thousands to have it implemented…and thousands more to remove and repair those restrictions if minds are changed. He reminded the council that they can only implement traffic calming on the roads that the village owns. Capra went on to say that the county and state could be lobbied to do so on roads that they own within the jurisdiction.
You can see his interesting presentation here
Capra next spoke about studies for the water plant and the village’s master plans. The village needs approved plans for water and wastewater to be eligible for grants and loans. The only way to pay for the upgrades and new lines would be with both.
An interesting fact is that there are currently 2196 equivalent residential connections (ERC). Each ERC represents a single-family home. Five years from now, there will be 3656 ERCs. It is estimated that the utility will have 21,000 ERCs when everything in their district is built out.
The council approved Capra’s contracts to go ahead with the studies. You can find the presentation here
There was a discussion about instituting different hiring tools for the village (e.g., a sign-on bonus) to help to attract workers. Presently Mr. Brown states that there is a shortage of qualified applicants. The examples given were from the City of Stuart and Martin County. A second agenda item was to have the three part-time staff members become full time employees. Both will be fleshed out at the strategic plan meeting on April 2nd.
For the second time, Hernandez wanted to develop a policy about what council members and other board members must do when they recuse themselves. Hernandez thought they should step off the dais and leave the room and not participate in the discussion. State statute has no prohibition about remaining and being part of the discussion.
I think Hernandez is partially right. When a person has a conflict under the law, it can be counter-productive for him/her to argue in favor for his/her own benefit or the family member’s benefit. I don’t think the member needs to leave the room, but they should not be able to influence the decision.
Vose, the village attorney, said the only conflicts that a board member can have under statute are financial ones. That is financial gain or loss to themselves, or a family member as outlined in the law. This too will be on the April 2nd Strategic Planning Meeting.
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In The Spotlight
by Jackie Holfelder
Honoring Jane Blatt
Everything about Jane “Ejan” Blatt was bright and beautiful: her clothes, her smile, her spirit – and certainly her art.
When she passed away on February 3, 2015, a feeling of grief swept throughout Martin County. Jane had been generous, benefitting countless nonprofits by sharing her art with them so they could use it for fundraising purposes.
She was a recognized community leader in addition to being a talented artist and won the mARTies (now MartinArts Award) for Outstanding Visual Artist in 2014.
Jane’s husband, Galen Guberman, decided that one of the best ways to honor her memory was to present an annual scholarship to a high school student who has been selected from applicants from each of the four Martin C
A White Shirt Event
ounty high schools.
Inscription on Jane Blatt Memorial Award
Galen works with – and awards the scholarship under the auspices of – Palm City Art Associates (PCAA), which is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. PCAA awards two scholarships of its own to students who have applied.
Committee members with whom he works are Betty Mulholland, Joyce Gioli, Sue Winocur and Kendra Deltano.
The students who are selected each win a $1,500 scholarship, which goes directly to the college of their choice. They learn the good news at their annual high school awards night.
Galen says he can’t think of a better way to honor his beloved Jane than by supporting talented young people filled with goals, dreams, and aspirations.
Al Fresco at the MCLS
Although part of the beauty of living in Florida has always been the joy of doing things in the great outdoors, Covid-19 has seemed to make us appreciate it even more – for a variety of reasons.
New courtyard area at the Blake Library Photo provided by MCLS
Coincidentally, our gem of a library system had been heading in that direction well before the pandemic hit and a little over a year ago the outdoor service area at the Cummings Library in Palm City was expanded, offering the public fresh-air alternatives for meeting, reading, accessing free Wi-Fi and taking part in library activities for all ages.
It proved to be such a hit that the new and improved main branch of the Martin County Library System – the Blake – was ready for its closeup at a ribbon cutting on February 26.
Plan an outdoor visit soon to enjoy the comfy new patio furniture, shaded spaces to relax beneath pergolas and life-size versions of games like Jenga, checkers, and chess and chalkboard easels for kids to use to show off their art skills.
Innovative electronic devices are available for reservation and checkout from the library.
Soak up some sun in our tropical paradise and take advantage of the latest and greatest from the Martin County Library System.
The Cummings branch is located at 2551 SW Matheson Avenue in Palm City and the Blake branch is located at 2351 SE Monterey Road, Stuart.
Martin County Moms with a Mission
When Tom asked me to write this column and I began to think about what format I was going to use, I felt badly that it would be impossible to talk about specific events unless there was a really unique and different twist or angle to the story.
But then, just a couple of months ago, my friend Jill Burton, Marketing Director at Sandhill Cove Retirement Living, came up with the idea for a Facebook group called Martin County Moms with a Mission and invited me to be a founding member.
You may have heard of Moms, because it hasn’t taken long for 790 people to join. It’s a positive place to share news about your event, your organization or anything else that merits free P.R. and sharing.
MC Moms With A Mission Logo Provided by Organization
You don’t have to be a mom and you don’t have to live in Martin County to join. Check it out on Facebook and you’re likely to decide it’s a perfect group for you.
Thanks to Jill for coming up with this great idea!
Photo provided
MC Moms with a mission logo
MC Nonprofits that got ARPA Funding
I was interested to read Carol Houwaart-Diez’s column last month about how Martin County awarded grants through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and how mindful the Martin County Board of County Commissioners was in setting aside dollars for nonprofits – one of the few counties in Florida that did.
Ultimately, 16 different nonprofit organizations received funding for 21 different local programs or projects.
I won’t rehash the logistics, responsibilities, etc. since Carol’s column was crystal clear. But – since the world of nonprofits is my gig – I was curious about who got funding for what and she was kind enough to share the info.
Here are the worthy recipients that kept Martin County up and running during the pandemic and received ARPA funds to help them do so:
- ARC of MC – three grants for Project Search Adult, Project Search Children and Caring Café job training
- Banner Lake Club – Upgrade building for continuing adult ed to eradicate disparities exacerbated by Covid
- Boys & Girls Clubs of MC – two grants for Workforce readiness program and Academic Success
- Dunbar Learning Center – Dunbar Difference
- Helping People Succeed – two grants for Workforce and Family Wraparound mental health
- Hobe Sound Community Chest – Hobe Sound Strong Start
- Hobe Sound Early Learning Center – Bridge the Gap of intergenerational cycle of economic inequality for families of Hobe Sound
- House of Hope – career development and job training
- Light of the World Charities – Little Lights Dentistry
- LAHIA – men’s transitional housing
- MC Healthy Start Coalition – Maternity on the Move mobile unit
- Project LIFT – two grants for SERVE Program and LEAP Program
- Stuart Martin Chamber of Commerce – Career Connect Program
- Salvation Army of MC – two grants for expansion and improvements to building and administration of services and Generator Project
- Treasure Coast ABA Community Services – Early Intervention Program
- YMCA of the TC – childcare employment collaborative with IRSC
Jackie is always looking for a good story…you may reach her at: jackieacolumn@gmail.com
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FINAL THOUGHTS
THE DUSTBIN OF HISTORY
By the time you read this, Ukraine may have already lost their battle against Putin. Or will continue with strong resistance to their want to be occupier. It was a war that never should have happened.
This war is not like anything we have seen since World War II which took place in the last century. This is not a war that began to throw off the yoke of a repressive regime as has been claimed by Putin. It wasn’t because of religious or ethnic concerns. Ethnic Ukrainians and Russians are the same people, and most are Orthodox Christians. Putin did not invade because the current Kyiv government is a Neo-Nazi regime. President Zelensky is a Jew and a native Russian speaker as are millions of other Ukrainians.
Putin wanted to annex his neighbor to recreate the old Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was an amalgamation of many nations and peoples mostly inherited from Imperial Russia. When the Soviet Union fell, most of the republics that were within the empire became independent. Ukraine was one of those nations.
Putin has been chipping away at the Ukrainian borders for almost 20 years. Each time the west allowed these incursions to happen without any real consequence. He now has tried to swallow the entire country. It may prove to be too big a bite.
There is no one suggesting that the U.S. or its NATO allies should go to war against Russia. Biden and the rest of Europe need to ratchet up sanctions and any other options to make it painful for Russia to continue following this course. Military aid including planes, drones, and missiles to Ukraine should be paramount at this moment.
There are probably worse atrocities that will happen because it will be the only way to pacify Ukrainians. While it may work in the short term, it will never work in the long run. The Russian people will suffer and most of them won’t see any benefit from the long Ukrainian occupation to come. Their economy will be wrecked, and their young will come home in body bags.
Contrary to what the former American president has said recently, Putin is no genius. He is a megalomaniac that grew up in a heartless system that fell apart because it did not have the support of the people. Trying to recreate it without even having the guise of socialism will not work.
Rulers are not supposed to pillage their countries. The government and its resources belong to the people. Political office should not be a way to become richer. Even many in the United States have forgotten that.
Putin may be the wealthiest person in the world. None of his gain whether $100 billion, $200 billion, or $300 billion will make any difference. When his time comes to “retire,” where will he go?
Though he did not originate the phrase, in the 1917 Congress of Soviets, Leon Trotsky said to the Mensheviks (another communist faction): ”Go to the place where you belong from now on – the dustbin of history!” Putin, like all corrupt rulers, will have that same fate.
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GET THE WORD OUT
Friends and Neighbors of Martin County is your eyes and ears so that you know what is going on in Martin County’s municipal and county governments. I attempt to be informative and timely so that you may understand how your tax money is being spent. Though I go to the meetings and report back, I am no substitute for your attending meetings. Your elected officials should know what is on your mind.
Tom Campenni 772-341-7455 (c) Email: thomasfcampenni@gmail.com
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
Articles Tom wrote:
From Martin County Moment:
“A Deal In The Works”
“The Emperor Has No Clothes”
From Medium
“School Vouchers Can Prevent School Censorship”
“Christian Nationalism For America Is A Fallacy”
Other Articles:
The Capitolist: “Jeff Brandes’ think tank: Live Local Bill will help, but bigger changes needed to fix affordable housing crisis”
The New York Times: “How To Clear 500,000 Ferel Cats From New York Streets”
Trump’s Indictment
Florida Phoenix: “Statehouses debate who should build EV charging networks”
The Washington Post: “Tracing the power of Casey DeSantis”
GLOSSARY
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
Annual Medium Income (AMI)
Basin Action Management Plan (BMAP)
Best Management Practices (BMP)
Board of County Commissioners (BOCC)
Business Development Board (BDB)
Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)
Career & Technical Education (CTE)
Center For Disease Control (CDC)
Centum Cubic Feet (CCF)
Children’s Services Council (CSS)
Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)
Community Development District (CDD)
Community Redevelopment Board (CRB)
Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)
Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR)
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
Emergency Operation Center (EOC)
Equivalent Residential Connection (ERC)
Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU)
Evaluation & Appraisal Report (EAR)
Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA)
Fixed Asset Replacement Budget (FARB)
Federal Rail Administration (FRA)
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)
Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND)
Full Time Equivalents (FTE)
Future Land Use Maps (FLUM)
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)
High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)
Hobe Sound Local (HSL)
Indian River Lagoon (IRL)
Land Development Code (LDR)
Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule (LORS)
Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSUM)
Local Agency Program Certification (LAP)
Local Planning Agency (LPA)
Martin County Fire/Rescue (MCFR)
Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO)
Martin County Taxpayers Association (MCTA)
Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU)
Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU)
Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY)
Organization For Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD)
Parks & Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB)
Planned Unit Development (PUD)
Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)
Preserve Action Management Plan (PAMP)
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Residential Planned Unit Development (RPUD)
Right of Way (ROW)
Secondary Urban Services District (SUSD)
South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD)
South Martin Regional Utility (SMRU)
State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP)
Storm Water Treatment Areas (STA)
Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
Urban Planned Unit Development (UPUD)
Urban Services Boundary (USB)
World Health Organization (WHO)
Zoning-In-Progress (ZIP)
