FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS MAY 22, 2022

Tom Campenni

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IN THIS EDITION OF THE NEWSLETTER

As we head into the doldrums of summer, one can feel the change in the air. When you go out first thing in the morning the humidity is higher than it was a week ago, and the temperature didn’t quite drop during the night as much as it did the week before.

More mass killings in racist acts of violence in Buffalo and California while at Hidden Oaks Middle School six students hate of “others” was on full display.

Primary season has begun here with kick off campaigns and fund raisers. There have already been primaries in other states.

Many of us will begin planning for our getaways. Those with children in school will have to have vacations done by early August while the rest of us can wait until the oppressive heat of September has driven us to distraction. We should be preparing for hurricanes…remember that season begins on June 1^st.

We should all take a deep breath because once 2023 rolls around, the incessant talk will be of the 2024 election and all the baggage, hatred, and fear that entails. Our politics are governed by the outrageous not any desire to solve problems. In a 50-50 nation, without compromise nothing will change except the decibel level.

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In this edition there is my take on the school board races and how in two of the races, voters will have a real choice. I write on the “Four Hundred in Martin County” and their impact on how things transpire here. In “Final Thoughts,” I opine about why internet shopping is thoroughly enjoyable.

This week we have Dr. Libman on preventive medicine. VanRiper remembers her friends Dick and Jane. Pine and Hafner give us their opinions. John Gonzalez explains why he doesn’t see real estate prices dropping. Tiffany Kinkaid shares the winners for Keep Martin Beautiful and Missi Campbell writes about a local author and their relationship.

Rob Ranieri is here with his latest column for House of Hope. The Martin County Taxpayers Association give a thumbs down to the latest real estate tax exemption scheme. Fishing tips by Captain Sperco and Joan Goodrich tells us about a program at the BDB.

Jackie Holfelder introduces a new feature which highlights a Martin County resident helping our community. As usual, we have all the government news plus extensive coverage of the continuing official neglect of the residents in Trailside. Letters and articles are in their usual spots.

As I was putting this edition to bed as they say in the trade, I received two releases that I thought important enough to include here instead of waiting for the next edition. The first one was from County Administrator Taryn Kryzda on what the settlement with Brightline included and what it meant. It seems enough time has gone by where we have new residents and some may have forgotten what the county and the railroad negotiated. The second piece was a press release from the school district that tells us that the Hidden Oaks Middle School students that decided to have their very own junior KKK were identified and punished. Both the identification and punishment will be kept secret because of federal and state statute. Is that explanation good enough for Martin County residents especially are Black residents? You can always let me know and I will print it here. 

Don’t forget that if you have an idea for a column, I would be glad to hear it. If you have an opinion, share it with us in an email. As I say in almost every edition, we do not have to agree for it to be featured. Lastly, tell your friends and neighbors to sign up for the newsletter if they have not already done so.

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ALL DIFFERENCES INCLUDING POLITICAL ONES NEED A HEARING

In the letter section, you will see an email from a reader disagreeing with me.

I wrote that Governor DeSantis was punishing Disney for no reason other than the company disagrees with his stance on a law. The reader states that it was more than that because the company wants to work to repeal the law and implied, in his opinion, that was reason enough to limit Disney’s rights.

Following that logic, then anyone who works to repeal a law or speaks out against a government action should be punished. I guess some people would like to see Gulags for dissenters, outlaw the opposing political party, and put out of business anyone who is not in line with current orthodoxy. That is authoritarianism and a 100% contrary belief to what people like the Founders stood for.

One could argue that Reedy Creek and other special districts should never have been allowed. I would agree with that statement. Yet once a deal is made, it should stand unless there is proof that Disney did not abide by the agreement.

If businesses are not allowed to know that the terms of their agreements will be honored, then it doesn’t matter how low taxes are or how little regulation is on the books.  It would mean that the philosophy of small government can be changed in an instant. L’état, c’est moi (I am the state) may have suited Louis XIV, but it is not what we should strive for in Florida or America.

This is exactly what happens when governments choose expediency over sound policy. The Reedy Creek District is pure and simple crony capitalism. It should have never been allowed…but it was.

The district currently has over a billion dollars in bond debt. The district taxes itself more to maintain its infrastructure than it could if it were a county. One of the very reasons that millions flock to Disney each year is because it is so well run. Much of that is due to the inordinate amount of money it spends on infrastructure which no government can afford to spend.

The state of Florida made a deal. It needs to be honored. It doesn’t matter how much they speak out about individual laws or politicians. Unless we are ready to have an American Putin determine which rights and laws are going to be honored.

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A REAL CHOICE

The school board elections have three seats up for election….one open race with two new candidates, an incumbent without a challenger, and one with an incumbent and a challenger. There is still time for others to jump into the races if they are so inclined.

Tony Anderson is the incumbent, and he is being challenged by Amy Pritchett, a relatively newcomer to Martin County politics. Anderson is a teacher’s teacher. He has been a professional educator for decades. Anderson retired from teaching in Martin County when he was elected to the school board four years ago. He subsequently went to work as a teacher in Palm Beach County and has taken a leave of absence because of the disrespect he received from some of his students.

Amy Pritchett moved to Martin County six or seven years ago from Rockland County, NY, a suburb of New York City. Her husband worked for the local district there before retiring. Amy feels that Martin County parents are being shortchanged by the school district because they are not being included and consulted about the decisions affecting their children’s education.

Pritchett joined “Moms for Liberty” and began advocating for more parent involvement. Before she declared her candidacy, she wrote a column for this newsletter. This race is about how much education should be controlled by parents and non-educators and how much authority should remain with teachers and administrators.

Governor DeSantis and his administration are in favor of curtailing the power of the professional educator and giving a greater voice to parents and regular citizens. I have been a proponent of devolving educational authority. We spend too much time and money on bureaucrats when those resources should be going into the classroom. What I do not like is book banning, trying to find CRT in any mention of race, and the silliness of believing that no child should feel any discomfort with the mention of sex, race, or ability.

Perhaps Amy is closer to my point of view than Anderson, but he makes a few good points. As the professionals, teachers understand the science of education and their expertise does have a place. The vast majority of teachers chose the profession because they are dedicated to the children. Yet no one is more dedicated to a child than a parent.

Tony Anderson wears his heart on his sleeve. And I would not disagree with him that kids today do not show the same respect they once did. That is unfortunately the world we live in and something that won’t go away by just bemoaning the fact.

Amy Pritchett may not be a professional educator, and at times, she does get too caught up in the movement. Too bad Tony sometimes forgets he is not a union rep and that not every administrator has the answers. But the voters of Martin County have a real choice in this election, and they cannot ask for anything more.

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THE FOUR HUNDRED OF MARTIN COUNTY

TC Palm had a column recently that stated the BOCC had received email from celebrities writing about Atlantic Ridge/Discovery. Those emails were in favor of the project. No surprise there since they would be the ones buying multi-million-dollar homes in the proposed development.

The entire controversy was never about that project but rather introducing an entire new land use category. Martin County residents care about these things. And most of what I heard was not that people were against the land use as much as they didn’t understand it.

It appears that the county commissioners and the administration thought that a public meeting or two would suffice. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Kiplinger took years of explaining to groups of residents what was special about his project. Why that project deserved its own classification. I guess, in this instance, no one wanted to do the work necessary.

Another “community group” wrote a series of emails outlining why the “rural lifestyle” should be adopted. Some of the reasoning made sense. What didn’t was writing how those who are not in favor are just wrong. That is just the opposite of the Kiplinger approach.

I was at the annual Martin County/Stuart Chamber of Commerce Leadership dinner this past week. I am a graduate of the program and I volunteer to help put it on throughout the year. Many of the graduates and students are government employees. Most others are those that are very involved in Martin County non-profits and the life of the county.

In 1892 The New York Times published a list purported to be based on Mrs. Caroline Astor’s “The Four Hundred.” She was the doyenne of High Society. Anyone who was anyone in New York Society was listed. Martin County also has a group of people who similarly are very influential. It has been my experience that there are locally influential people in every place I have ever lived.

Sometimes just normal work-a-day individuals become involved in what their government is proposing. This is what happened with the rural lifestyle amendment. A few of the “no growthers,” who believe in nothing being done, instigated, and made people aware of the amendment and described it negatively. Though the majority of those that came out were just looking for information.

Unfortunately, the longer that the rural lifestyle classification remains clouded in suspicion, the greater the likelihood that the support of some individuals will be lost who would have seen the benefit. And yes, there will be some that no matter how much outreach is done will take the facts and bend them to their own pre-conceptions. That should not stop this issue being thoroughly and publicly vetted.

Like Kiplinger, Atlantic Ridge/Discovery wanted to introduce a new land use. Unlike Kiplinger they didn’t want to spend years getting Martin County residents to buy-in. The entire concept was staff and consultant driven. When and if that project comes back for approval, if it is done as an exception then it would pass 4-1 or perhaps 5-0.

Should the rural lifestyle amendment be ditched? No, it has some great benefits. What needs to happen is the county needs to hire an organization like the Planning Council to take further public comment and to run community meetings. This is not complicated, but it takes time. But, without investing the time, this will be one more debacle for the Martin County Four Hundred.

(This appeared in Martin County Moment)

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OTHER OPINIONS

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MICHELE’S MEDICAL MOMENT

By Michele Libman M.D.

Provided Dr. Michele Libman

Preventative Care

My motto has always been proactive about your health instead of being reactive. Sadly, most of the health care in this country is sick care instead of well care.

Most people only go see the doctor when they are acutely ill or have an injury.  Only about 1/5th of the US population goes for a yearly exam.  This is a time when your health care provider can do screening blood tests to check for elevated cholesterol or blood sugar as well as make sure your liver and kidneys are functioning normally.

Your vital signs will be checked to make sure you don’t have high blood pressure and your BMI (body mass index) will also be calculated.  The provider will also discuss what age-appropriate preventative screening exams you should have.  Due to Covid many people missed getting preventative screenings performed and the National Cancer Institute predicts an excess of 10,000 deaths from breast and colon cancer over the next 10 years due to missed screenings, delays in diagnosis and reduction of regular care due to the Covid pandemic.

The US Preventative Task force recently made several changes to the screening guidelines.  The age to begin screening colonoscopies has been lowered to 45 from 50 due to an increase in colon cancers being diagnosed in younger people. This is unfortunately a side effect of most Americans eating what is called the Standard American Diet (SAD) which included many processed foods and a high quantity of red meat.

Obesity is also a risk factor for colon cancer. In addition to a colonoscopy there is also a new test called Cologuard which is done at home, is noninvasive and doesn’t require any prep.  However, since it is a little less reliable than colonoscopy it needs to be performed every 3 years instead of every 10 years!

Insurance now covers a CT scan of the lungs for people aged 50 to 80 years old who have a 20-pack year history (this means the equivalent of one pack per day for 20 years) and currently smoke or quit within the last 15 years. It is also recommended that all men who have ever smoked get screened for an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm between age 65-75.

Due to advances in medicine, we now have a treatment that can cure Hepatitis C.  Because of this fact it is recommended that every adult aged 18 and up get screened for Hepatitis C at least once and obviously if they are at high risk (IV drug abuse, having unprotected sex, unregulated tattooing, or a needle stick injury) they should be screened more often.  Untreated Hepatitis C can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer, but as I said we now have a cure.

Men over the age of 50 should have their PSA checked for prostate cancer screening. African American men should start at age 45 as well as anyone with a family history of prostate cancer.

Women should get mammograms and Pap smears to screen for breast cancer and cervical cancer, respectively.  Now that we know cervical cancer is caused by the HPV virus if you test negative for this virus you can space out your Pap smears to every 3-5 years.  The US preventative task force recommends starting mammograms at age 50 but the American Cancer Society recommends starting at age 40.

In terms of other cancers, the Mayo Clinic just developed a blood test that screens for over 50 types of cancer with a single blood draw.  This is possible because we now know that different cancers secrete different chemicals that can be detected in your blood.  This test, called the Galleri test is a way to detect cancer early before symptoms begin. If a cancer signal is found the results can point to where in the body the cancer is coming from with 94% accuracy.  Unfortunately, at this time because this test is so new, it is not covered by insurance and is a bit pricey ($950) however I think as the technology advances and the cost comes down insurance will start to pick it up… after all $950 is way cheaper than what they will have to pay to care for a patient who is diagnosed with late stage cancer.

As the saying goes…an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  If you think wellness is expensive…try sickness.

Michele Libman’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

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VANRIPER’S VIEWS

By Darlene VanRiper

What Ever Happened to Dick and Jane?

I was appalled recently when I learned that 48% of Martin County school children do not read proficiently in the 3^rd grade.  Maybe your kid or grandkid is in that category.

I spoke with some school officials regarding that abysmal statistic.  WHAT in the world is being done about this?  WHY is it so?  HERE in Martin County?  I must say I learned a lot.  First, total English Language Learners (ELL), meaning students who speak little, or no English is now 9% of K-12 students.  K-3 students not speaking English is 11%.  That figure has grown every year for many years now and there is no end in sight.  This is a big problem.

It quickly became apparent that another big problem is a kind of instability within the system.  It seems like every time we have a new Florida Commissioner of Education, we institute a new statewide program.  That means new curriculum, new books, new workbooks, new enhanced professional education courses for teachers to take, new certifications.

As I listened to the school officials, I was struck by the real gobbledygook that teachers and administrators must wade through. I nearly drowned in acronyms.  An administrator would need a professional enhancement course just to explain it all.

I shuddered to think of the money, time and effort put into creating and re-creating the wheel. The whiplash the education system and the students (oh, yeah, the students…mustn’t forget about them) must suffer every couple of years has to make the job tougher and the learning unnecessarily confusing.

I wanted to shout out to the school officials…” What ever happened to Dick and Jane?”  I don’t know how I managed to learn to read with Dick, Jane, and Spot.  But it happened.

And I know that the Dick and Jane books were used for years and years.  We used to print our names in the front of the book and mine was under a long list of others.

I have just begun to investigate this system from the outside. At first glance, common sense tells me that regardless of the political party in charge, we need to stabilize our education system.  How on earth will we be able to meet the needs of a growing non-English speaking sector.

Right or wrong, no matter how you feel about immigration, unless we want a huge crime wave in the future, we must address the need to educate children.  They can become the taxpayers of the future or the burden on those taxpayers.  It all hinges on education.

Darlene VanRiper’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

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PINE’S PONDERING

By Tom Pine

I spoke at the May 3, 2022 Martin County Commission Meeting to once again show that our Martin County Government cannot be trusted as they continue to use the consent agenda as their own private little slush fund.

According to the Martin County, consent agenda – These items are considered “routine “ an are enacted in one motion.”

This time it was to hide the outrageous cost escalation of the “County Golf Course Master Design Plan. It started out at $104,650.00 after this increase, the sixth so far, it will be an astonishing $759,748.44 that’s a 625% increase.

So, it should be quite interesting when this project is completed. As I recall the early estimates for construction were about ten million dollars. Can we the taxpayers expect the same miscalculations on the construction side as we saw on the planning side, who is in-charge of this project, is it the parks and recreation department’s director???

In the real world if the person in charge had messed up this bad, they would be terminated immediately, no questions asked, but senior staff working in Martin County Government will probably be praised by the two big spenders on the commission as they drone on and on about how it’s the best public golf course in all of Florida.

Since our local government hid all increases in the consent agenda so far for our local Golf Course will the final total be hidden in there too, because it should be quite a whopper.

This is just one more example of why the majority of our county commissioners voted to approve a special raise in September of 2021 for two senior staff, the county administrator and the county attorney because they find ways to hide from the taxpayers of Martin County how our tax dollars are being spent.  This is not open government!!!

At the Martin County Commission Meeting of May 17, 2022, in the consent agenda, expenditures totaled $24,304,075.04 without identifying the payees or the amount paid. Who is getting the free ride in the County Slush Fund this time???

Another community redevelopment project is nearly complete, this time on Dixie Highway in Port Salerno, I believe it’s the worst one so far. This project could end up being the most dangerous half mile of road in Martin County but on the other hand it sure is much prettier and that seems to be much more important to the people in charge than the safety of the general public.

Prior to the redevelopment in this area, this road had two lanes in each direction with a center turn lane and sidewalks on both sides of the road. The center turn lane made for easy access to all roads and businesses, not anymore, turn lanes are becoming old fashioned and we have to keep with the Joneses.

Now the Center turn lane has been replaced with a narrow median with no turn lanes just a break in the median at intersections, so when making a left turn you are in danger of being rear ended, add to that they also added bike lanes to both sides of the roadway so the driving lanes are as narrow as possible.

The crosswalks are rather interesting too, of course they have all the bells and whistles but at the median the crosswalks are designed in a zig zag manner, it must be the latest and greatest in crosswalk design in 2022.

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

A recent survey shows that 78% of Americans say it is important to purchase U.S. grown food.

That number is up 8% since December of 2020. The survey also shows 83% of consumers rank U.S. farmers #1 for food safety. The survey was conducted by the United Soybean Board. I love this! But I wonder, do people know how to tell which products are U.S. grown?

I think the easiest place in the grocery store to see a product’s country of origin is the produce section, but even still it can be tricky to decipher. On the packaging of produce you will usually see where the packing company is located and in what country the food was grown. Be careful, sometimes the food is grown in another country, like Mexico or Honduras, then it is shipped to America to be packaged and sold.

You may also see shelf labels, or bins for larger fruits like watermelons, that tell you where the food was grown, but do not blindly trust those labels. As foods are rotated in and out it would be easy for a stocker to put an item that is grown in another country in a bin labeled “Product of the USA”; I have seen it happen. That is why it is important to always check the label.

Meats are a little different. Beef and pork may say Product of the USA even if the animal was born and raised in another country but was processed in the United States. That’s why cattlemen started direct marketing their beef to people who want a truly American cut of beef. Other beef is still safe to eat, but when you want to support local ranchers there is a difference.

Farmers’ markets are a great place to shop for local foods, but even they can be tricky. When shopping at a farmers’ market talk with the person selling the products and ask questions like where is the food from, how was it grown or raised, and how long have you been doing this. These questions will help you sort through the vendors selling imported produce and understand your food’s story so you can better appreciate the work it took to get your food on your plate.

Buzzword: Shop Local- Some would say this means buy from the closest store to you. I say it means buy foods grown as close to where you live as possible.

David Hafner’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

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MARTIN COUNTY REAL ESTATE

By John Gonzalez

This past week I bought a new house in the city of Stuart. Some might wonder why I would buy a house now when prices seem to be rising and there is speculation that there will be a time very soon that prices will fall. I don’t believe that is true.

I was recently at the National Association Realtors National Legislative Conference, in Washington DC.  Our keynote speaker, on Wednesday, was NAR economist, Lawrence Yun, who spoke about the US real estate market. I know most people think an economist will put them to sleep but he is not only a good speaker, with a PhD from Stanford, he also presents his data in an understandable and pleasant manner.

A quote from him that I took away was “if you have clients thinking that they should wait — tell them don’t.”  The future of real estate, especially in markets like Florida, is still going to continue to climb despite rising interest rates, inflation pressures, or recession. It is simple supply and demand. Clearly, Yun did not say that the next year or so will be without challenges. The buying power of a home will decline proportionate to the rise of interest rates. Overseas issues may affect our economy and push rates even higher. So, therefore I bought a house.

Locally the market seems to have softened a little bit in the last month. I personally believe that it mostly has to do with our part-time residents heading back to their respective homes up north, in the Midwest or even west. Further, everyone I know that has children and teenagers are all going to a variety of plays, sports events, graduations, proms and college tours. I think the idea of buying a home last month was just a little bit overwhelming. We’ll see if my prediction for the next several months is correct – there will be an increase in buyers and sellers coming to the market.

I have attached a chart of where we are in Martin County for the past year and the past month (through March 2022). As you can see there is very little inventory, prices are rising, the average price of a home is rising, and median price of a home is increasing. As I said earlier — we don’t expect that to change. I am bullish on Martin County real estate and Florida real estate, in general.

On an interesting side note, I recently met with several Realtors from the Palm Beach (Island) Board of Realtors. Many of our local Realtors refer to selling land as selling “dirt”. On Palm Beach Island they refer to it as selling “sand”. Currently, the price of “sand” in Palm Beach averages, for an inland lot, around $680 per square foot. That’s a big number! To put it in perspective, a quarter acre lot (average size) would sell for over $7.4 million.

John Gonzalez’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint

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KEEP MARTIN BEAUTIFUL

By Tiffany Kincaid

Executive Director

Environmental Stewardship in Action

The driving force behind Keep Martin Beautiful lies in the thousands of volunteers who each year participate in hands-on community improvement activities.

Last year alone, more than 1,500 volunteers contributed more than 3,500 hours to efforts like community cleanups, neighborhood beautification and revitalization, recycling and upcycling, litter and marine debris removal, and other environmental initiatives.

They picked up and properly disposed of more than 7,000 pounds of trash! Their efforts are priceless, but if we put a dollar amount on them, their volunteer hours are valued at more than $100,000.

To celebrate their achievements, 44 nominees including youth groups, individuals, businesses, government agencies and nonprofit organizations were honored at our Keep Martin Beautiful Environmental Stewardship Awards ceremony on April 28 at the beautiful oceanfront clubhouse at Sailfish Point Country Club.

Fifteen awards were presented during the event. Highlights included the Youth Group Champion award, which was presented to the River Kidz. Created in 2011 by two 10-year-olds, today this group is made up of more than 500 students in Martin County. They participate in numerous environmental activities from creating a workbook that’s now in its fifth edition as part of Martin County School District’s curriculum to lobbying at the local and state level against potentially harmful issues affecting our waterways. The Community Enrichment Award was presented to the Jensen Beach Garden Club for the gardens they create and care for throughout Jensen Beach and Rio.

We’re proud to congratulate all the 2022 winners and thank them for their efforts to be good stewards of the environment and improve the quality of life in Martin County.  The winners are listed below but we hope you will read more about all of the nominees here.

2022 Environmental Stewardship Award Winners

City of Stuart, Shepard Park – Community Improvement Award

Florida Oceanographic Society, Ocean EcoCenter – Environmental Education Award

House of Hope, Traveling Nutrition Garden – Innovation Award

Jackie Brownie – Youth Engagement Award

Jensen Beach Garden Club – Community Enrichment Award

Kathy Fitzpatrick – Riley Jackson Award

Live. Love. Local. Hobe Sound Cleanup -Community Cleanup Award

Loxa-Lucie Initiative – Conservation Steward Award

Maggy Hurchalla – Trailblazer Award

Martin County Board of County Commissioners, Hobe Sound Scrub Preserve – Community Revitalization Award

Paula Smith, Indiantown Garden – Community Impact Award

Project LIFT – Remarkable Recycler Award

The Pine School – Youth Impact Award

River Kidz – Youth Group Champion Award

Students4H2O & Martin County School District – President’s Award

To learn more about Keep Martin Beautiful and ways you too can take part in projects and initiatives to improve the environment, visit our Keep Martin Beautiful website or follow Keep Martin Beautiful on Facebook.

Tiffany Kincaid’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

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PALM CITY HIGHLIGHTS

By Missi Campbell

Executive Director of the Palm City Chamber

Palm City is very fortunate to have art and literature all around and it will be increasing soon.

The electrical boxes at our Palm City traffic lights have covers with lovely bird photographs taken by local veterinarian, Dr. Rex Sentell.  Our newest mural on the east wall of the Palm City Post Office highlights our Salute to Service theme.  We will be adding more murals to the area in the near future.

The Palm City Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the Early Learning Coalition, Martin Reads! and the Children’s Services Council to create Little Libraries throughout the county.  These free-standing libraries are being constructed by our friends at Project Lift.

The libraries will contain books that young people and their families can enjoy at their local parks and even take home.  Sponsorships are available to help keep the libraries full of books.

While we continue to promote all literature, we are currently featuring a local author, who happens to be my daughter.  LeighAnne Dees has written a beautiful love story about her journey to becoming a mother.  Her daughter, my granddaughter, Myla, is an in vitro fertilization baby.  LeighAnne says, “We were blessed with our miracle after two rounds of IVF and on my second pregnancy.

Although my journey involved IVF, this book is for all families who had a different path to parenthood.”

My Path to You follows a mother on her journey toward parenthood after conceiving through IVF. Despite setbacks, and with immense dedication and hope, a partnership becomes a family of three. This book reminds us that the path to parenthood isn’t always paved. It opens an honest and vulnerable dialogue about the struggles of trying to have a baby—but above all, it emphasizes the utter joy and anticipation of growing a family.

If you would like to send this amazing book to family members, it is also available on Amazon.

Missi Campbell’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

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No To Ballot Amendment 3

The Martin County Taxpayers Association will continue to keep you updated on how different issues will affect you as a citizen and in your pocketbook.

This year the legislature has placed an additional $25,000 real estate tax exemption for certain government employees on the November ballot. The employees who would benefit are teachers, law enforcement officers, emergency medical personnel, firefighters, paramedics, active-duty members of the military and Florida National Guard, and state child welfare service employees. While this may seem like a good idea, it may hurt those intended to receive the exemption.

The bill’s sponsor claims about 4% of Florida’s work force would be covered by this amendment. The additional exemption will not apply to school taxes. In the first year, local governments would lose more than $80 million and by the 2026/27 fiscal year, the amount would be $93.6 million according to Florida government state economists.

While we have not seen how the exemption would affect Martin County and our municipalities, it would contribute to the growing strain on government resources. That loss of tax revenue would have to be compensated for somewhere or it could involve lay-offs of the very employees it is meant to help.

The other question that MCTA has for our legislators is whether or not it is fair to have a classification of government workers who are entitled to pay fewer dollars in taxes than their neighbors who are not working in those occupations. The real estate tax system is supposed to be collecting taxes based on the value of the property.

The state of Florida has turned the concept around and has decided to reward certain citizens over others. This approach more and more mirrors the federal income tax with its many deductions and credits for favored groups and individuals. The income tax is used to encourage favored social outcomes which in our opinion this amendment is meant to do for those who pay property taxes.

If Tallahassee feels this is such a good idea, why doesn’t the governor and legislature pay a yearly stipend to this group of employees directly using state funds. Only a small percentage of private employees in the state are represented by labor unions. The overwhelming majority of government employees are. If anything, increased compensation should be collectively bargained by both sides.

And make no mistake since through an act of government 4% of the work force will receive additional compensation through a tax credit it is the same as the state mandating these employees receive a raise without providing the necessary funding.

At some point, our tax system will not be sustainable to support the very employees this exemption purports to help. Since it is a constitutional amendment, it will need 60% of the voters to vote yes.

For that reason and for fairness to all taxpayers, we cannot support the amendment.

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HOPE IN OUR COMMUNITY

Rob Ranieri

CEO for House of Hope

In your travels across Martin County, you probably noticed that many non-profits operate thrift stores. House of Hope is one of those agencies.

We are proud and fortunate to have the Hope Shop, located at 2525 SE Federal Highway in Stuart. We also have two smaller thrift stores located inside of our service centers in Hobe Sound and Indiantown.  The most obvious reason that non-profits enter this arena is for revenue generation.

The community at large can support the work of various organizations by donating items or volunteering their time. The non-profit raises much needed dollars to invest back into their programs and services and move their mission forward. House of Hope’s thrift program is a key reason for our success.

But for House of Hope, our stores are about so much more than raising money. For instance, did you know that last year over 143,000 items from our stores (clothing, furniture, appliances, housewares and more) were donated back to people or agencies in need? Every House of Hope service center offers our Clothes Closet program to all registered clients. This means that they can voucher shop several times each year for items that benefit their household.

This assistance allows clients to re-direct dollars in their budget to other important needs such as prescriptions, utility bills, or rent. Many clients use this service to access back to school clothing for their children, or to replace a key appliance that stops working. We also offer our Dress for Success program for our lower income neighbors that may be searching for employment. This provides them five outfits to help their confidence and appearance as they interview for that new career opportunity.

Also, many local non-profits and churches access House of Hope for office furniture. Teachers and after school programs come for donated books. These services, like all of House of Hope’s programs and services, are offered at no cost to the individuals and organizations that need our support. At our Hope Shop on Federal Highway, we also offer a no cost medical supply program where anyone that needs assistance may get items such as crutches, canes, shower seats and even wheelchairs as available.

There are also many benefits to thrifting for people and the planet. It is gentler on the environment and reduces waste and pollution. For example, the average person throws away over 80 pounds of clothing each year. That totals nearly 26 billion pounds of clothing clogging up landfills. Thrift donating is recycling.

It reduces water and energy consumption and chemical use by manufacturing. Thrift shopping is fun. You might find that unique gift, or designer items at bargain prices. You may find your next do it yourself project, and then use your talents to create an extraordinary conversation piece for your home. But above all else, especially in Martin County, thrifting makes our community stronger. So, before you throw those clothes, dishes, or furniture away, think about the impact they may have on another household and of course, on the mission of the non-profit that you may choose to support.

Rob Ranieri’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

10

FISHING TIPS

BY Capt. Paul Sperco

It is the middle of May and the air and water temperatures are rising in our local waters.

With the rising temperatures expect more and more schools of bait to begin the summer migration along our local beaches. Tarpon, snook, big jacks, whiting, croaker, and palometa will be available for anyone who wants to fish the surf.

The one factor that ruined the April and early May pompano bite was slime weed and I am hoping this condition moves away from our area. If you have never hooked a tarpon from the beach, I can assure you it’s an experience you will not forget. Live lining a greenie or mullet, casting a swimbait or top water plug, setting up a fish finder rig with a ladyfish head or chunk will all attract the attention of this great gamefish.

Early morning or late in the afternoon will be the prime time to hook a silver king so target your trips around those hours. Snook will become a catch and release fishery on June 1 and will reopen on Sept 1. Even though you cannot take one home during that period, they will be cruising the first trough looking for the live croakers and other baitfish that will be swimming north and south from 5 to 15 yards from shore. This is the time of year that the snook head to the inlets to spawn at night and then head out to the beach to feed during the day. They will certainly provide a great battle in the shallow water but please release them as quickly as possible after the fight.

This is the time of year to have some fun and catch a fish fry with the amount of whiting and croaker that should be available. A light spinning set up baited with some Bloodworm Fishbites and a small piece of shrimp will be all you will need to put some of the beast tasting fish Florida has to offer in your cooler. The hours around high tide will be the targeted fishing times for these tasty fish. A cooler with an inch or two of saltwater and a good amount of ice will be key to keeping them during your time on the beach.

This is a great fishery to break the kids and grandkids in on as the bites should be pretty steady. If you pitch your bait more than 15 yards from the edge of the beach you will probably be out too far as these guys stay right along the inside edge of the first trough. There is a lot of variety this time of year and being able to catch most of our early summer species on light tackle is a ball.

The beach accesses in northern Martin County like Bryn Mawr, Virginia Forrest, Beachwalk Pasley, Tiger Shores, and Stuart beach should all be holding some fish. Good luck and catch em up.

Paul Sperco’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

11

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BOARD BENT

By Joan Goodrich

CEO BDBMC

When doing some research recently, I came across some content where the words jumped off the page, but not nearly as much as the date did.

Joan Goodrich from BDB

“Tool and die makers, maintenance technicians, operators capable of working with highly sophisticated computer-controlled environments, skilled welders and even production engineers are in short supply,” business professors wrote in Harvard Business Review.

Circa March 2012. Ten years ago. Can’t say we weren’t warned.

For decades, experts across the spectrum have sounded varying degrees of alarm about the detriments of declining manufacturing and skilled trades in America. The fact that the phrase “supply-chain issues” is common parlance today makes them look all the more prophetic.

There’s no going backwards, so now’s the time to cultivate the next generation of makers.

The Business Development Board of Martin County is honored to represent our community in a multicounty collaborative committed to showcasing and celebrating the people who make the things we all depend on and enjoy.

We’re teamed with Indian River State College, CareerSource Research Coast, Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County, Okeechobee County Economic Development Corporation, and Indian River County Chamber of Commerce on an awareness campaign called “Makers of the Treasure Coast.”

The objective is to inspire graduating high school seniors—plus their parents, teachers, and guidance counselors—to pursue skilled trades and fulfilling careers in manufacturing.

Fortunately, many of our partners in Martin County are engaged on multiple levels. Martin County School District updated its Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses.

Project LIFT incorporates skilled trades training and employment as a means of opportunity and therapy for the young people in its program. Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County will also offer skilled trades training in its incoming club and is hosting classes for the incoming IRSC Indiantown school specializing in trades and vocations. Economic Council of Martin County is touting careers in aviation-aerospace and Stuart/Martin County’s new Career Connect program is preparing adults for a variety of careers, including with participating businesses that rely on skilled trades.

We’re in the enviable position of helping marshal ready forces. But it’s still a big lift. It takes a unified message and many voices to inform young people about what modern-day skilled trades and manufacturing really look like. Surveys show they’re often thinking repetitive labor in loud, dirty, dangerous factories when today’s reality is high-tech, high-wage, highly skilled activity in clean, safe environments.

The www.TCMakers.com website, associated YouTube channel and social media campaigns share the message, but we ask you to help spread the word, too. If you’re a parent, grandparent, educator, or anyone in a position to positively influence young people about their career choice, please talk to them about the possibilities and opportunities to build their careers here in Martin County and along the Treasure Coast. Appeal to this generation’s admirable conscientious nature. Let them know if they really want to make a difference—for their community, their country, and their future—learn to make things and do so here.

Joan Goodrich’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

12

MARTIN COUNTY EXPLAINS BRIGHTLINE DEAL

By Taryn Kryzda

County Administrator

In March 2012, Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) announced a proposal for high-speed rail service between Miami and Orlando called All Aboard Florida / Brightline, with train stops in downtown Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. The plan was to allow the high-speed train to lay an additional track of rail along the right-of-way owned by FEC.

As Brightline continues in pursuit of completion of its intercity rail system, we wanted to provide a recap of how we got here – a mindful, strategic and committed approach to protect our residents, visitors and natural resources.

Martin County endeavored to ensure that if the rail project was going to come through our community, achieving safety and environmental considerations was paramount. In 2018, after several years of litigation, Brightline and the county sought to end the dispute. Negotiations ensued with the county’s goals of achieving traffic and pedestrian safety, maritime navigability, enhancements, cost savings and environmental protections.

Some of the protections and/or Brightline obligations obtained by the County to end the litigation are as follows:

• Brightline agreed to install vehicle presence detection (VPD) and/or exit gates at 17 crossings

• Brightline agreed to install sidewalks at six crossings

• Brightline agreed to pavement markings and signage at 19 crossings

• Brightline agreed to pay up to $1 million toward fencing

• Brightline agreed to a 50/50 cost share on an aerial pedestrian bridge

• Brightline agreed to build one train station in Martin or St. Lucie County within five years of the commencement of passenger train operations between West Palm Beach and Orlando, and to pay 50% of the costs of the station.

• Brightline agreed to ensure consistent bridge openings and to bridge modifications, if warranted

• Brightline agreed to a bridge monitor for the St. Lucie River Bridge at no cost to the county

• Brightline agreed to share Martin County’s responsibility to pay FEC road surface, signal, and other crossing costs for 14 years from the beginning of passenger service. The County’s maximum responsibility is $251,000 per year. Anything above that will be reimbursed by Brightline. There are additional cost share provisions for three years following the 14-year period.

Martin County remained steadfast in our resolve to challenge Brightline while minimizing the financial burden on taxpayers. Our strategic and comprehensive approach in challenging the rail project at the state and federal levels positioned Martin County to negotiate critical safety measures and significant financial savings for the county and our residents. Without the settlement agreement, Martin County taxpayers would be solely responsible for those expenses.

For more information on Brightline railroad construction, visit www.gobrightline.com/railroad-construction. Martin County also shares Brightline’s construction updates at www.martin.fl.us/martin-county-services/brightline-railroad-construction.

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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

Our first letter is from John Donovan that took exception to my thoughts on DeSantis and Disney:

The most pervasive from of lying is omission.
The author not only omitted; but directly lied to your readers. That’s called disinformation. Today’s propaganda.

I’ll enjoy your answer and take.

Then an hour later:

Tom,

Those are LIES, clear misleading fabrications printed in your news letter. I guess Putin does reside in his/hers viewpoints; and they stated otherwise. A pathetic display of writing on many levels.

Next Letter from Audrey Taggart

Wow, personally, I always thought of Disney as the “World of Decadence” since a middle class family almost needs a loan to pay for a day or two there.  Do they have rates for those living in affordable housing?

And what is it they learn there?

Now, however, it is the known as the “World of Genders” which, may or may not even exist. Seems like science deniers are in charge. Discarding common sense and pushing for children under 18 to have life changing surgery prior to reaching their majority – when one once needed parental permission to have ears pierced – is an attack on the family structure, organized religion, American values and traditions, etc.

This decade, by the way, is commonly considered the “Decade of the Parent.” I suppose Disney is unaware of this cultural evolution. Government schools are being closely observed with an eye for “grooming,” presenting information to children in kindergarten way beyond their level of understanding and, oftentimes, what their parents have not granted permission or support for or are, in fact, and strongly opposed to.

We know CCP is heavily involved in slavery, the barbaric practice of harvesting vital organs to supply a demand in the medical market.  Be side Disney, the USA ought to cease and desist our business with the CCP and bring our manufacturing (including drug production) back home.

I hope Disney will review their current position and restore it to the child safe company it once was – else parents will be taking their children to museums and cultural centers of knowledge or family oriented theme parks and ignoring Disney movies, theme parks, etc.

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And Alice L. Luckhardt’s letter to Stuart Commissioners that she asked to be printed:

Dear Commissioners,

As you review and consider approval of the Atlantic Point Yacht Club and Marina, there is one major ‘elephant’ in the room that must be totally reviewed and then rejected – that of the 85- foot art Lighthouse structure.  True, it is not a functioning lighthouse but neither is it a one-dimensional artwork.  It is three-dimensional and it is way too tall for Stuart and Martin County.

One of the greatest achievements for the city and county over the years is keeping structures of any form to four stories or less.  As I always say when I’m giving historical tours, if you see a structure taller than four stories – you are in the wrong county. 

To say that the four-story height limit applies only to residential structures, may I remind you of the observation tower at the Oceanographic Center on Hutchinson Island.  Their original plans called for a five-story tower – an observation tower – not a residence. True, it would provide a wonderful view of the ocean, island and river but it also would be what developers could point to and say, that was allowed, so should our plans.  The Oceanographic Center  saw the wisdom in what was said by many locals and changed the observation tower to four stories and it looks wonderful.

Reviewing the plans of the other structures for the Yacht Club and Marina along the St. Lucie River are fine and would be a nice addition for boaters and the general public but NOT the fake lighthouse, especially at such a tall size.

Please think long and hard on this concept, Stuart and Martin County do not need such a large piece of artwork as this proposed lighthouse.  Our local city and county are well known for many wonderful and lovely locations, please keep it that way.

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SHOPPING BY INTERNET

I enjoy ordering products on Amazon. It is easy, fast, and beats tootling off to a store and then not finding the item anyway.

People have told me that I am hurting local and small businesses by shopping there. I wonder if they are counting Walmart, Target, and Publix as local or small? Sure, if I want to buy a tchotchke, I can go to Downtown Stuart to do so. Occasionally, I shop there around the holidays. I reserve Amazon for those things generally bought at a mall or hard-to-find specialty grocery items.

I have been experimenting with Korean, Chinese, and Japanese cooking recently. There are a few shops specializing in the needed ingredients in our area. If I come across an ingredient I do not have in my pantry when reading a recipe, I can go out and try to find it or go to Amazon and just order it.

I have been cooking my entire life especially Italian food. In childhood and until middle age I could always find ingredients in the neighborhoods I lived. There was the Italian meat market and butcher, pasta maker, cheese shop, baker and even an Italian supermarket on the corner from the house where my kids grew up.

Publix is not exactly ethnic-friendly. I now seek many ingredients online at a few Italian food websites. I even procure some Italian pantry items from Amazon.

Many Americans are of Italian nationality. Yet when it comes to food, it means different things. As a kid I ate more “minestra” sandwiches than meatball heros. Minestra in our family meant escarole, chicory, broccoli rabe, or any other bitter green sauteed in oil, garlic and red pepper flakes.  Italian food in America is varied and depends on how many generations removed from the old country and what section of Italy the parents, grandparents or great grandparents came from.

Amazon and other internet sites are a way to connect with my roots and the ability to cook new and different cuisine. There are no “Little Italy,” “Chinatown,” or “Koreatown” in Martin County, or for that matter South Florida. The internet including Amazon is the next best thing.

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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.