Tom Campenni
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IN THIS EDITION OF THE NEWSLETTER
It seems the time span between issues, at least in my mind, becomes more and more compressed. That is not so, but if your job is writing much of what goes into an issue, it does seem that way.
It has been an action packed few weeks because of our local elections. There were some expected results and some that were not. Every time you think you know what will happen, something that you didn’t foresee occurs.
In the next few weeks, you will notice the re-emergence of the “Rural Lifestyle” discussion which comes before the BOCC on September 13th. It is a slimmed-down version that no longer applies to the entire county. There are only about 10 properties (approximately 12,700 acres) all adjacent to the urban services boundary where it could apply. That makes it much more palatable. It may keep thousands of acres in open space free from development.
By the time you read this, 2 workshops that were open to the public will have taken place. There will be 2 more this coming week…on September 6th at the Blake Library in Stuart from 5:30 to 7 and September 8th at the Cummings Library in Palm City at the same time. I urge all to attend to have your questions answered.
It is important that everyone go with an open mind and hear about the revamped Rural Lifestyle. This could save thousands of acres of open space if implemented. If we leave the properties without adequate development rights, they will eventually be developed in ways that are not so environmentally or economically fortuitous. Let’s make sure it is done in the most responsible way.
In this edition we have Nikki on showing up. Darlene asks why did only 1/3rd of voters bothered. David on where to find good advice on gardening. Tiffany tells us about the coastal clean-up.
United Way explains its Students United Program. Helping People Succeed re-institutes Project Search. The BDB refutes the young’s work ethic. Tom Hurley from Discovery leads us to a revamped Rural Lifestyle.
Kyla Shay explains the history of Trailside and why it is important to fight for its way of life. We delve into the FRA and bridge replacement. The election results are explained in more detail. The 10th Grade English Language Arts scores and how we measure up. There are all the government meetings update, government notices, articles, and letters.
Remember to have your friends and neighbors signed up to receive their free copy. If you want to comment on an issue or concern, drop me a line. Finally, we are still looking for people to write columns on interesting subjects from the environment to education to cooking to land planning. The more we can educate and present points of view the better.
Have a good week.
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FEDERAL & STATE ELECTION
In the special election edition, we gave you immediate information about who won and lost.
This edition will give you a more in-depth explanation of the whys of the August 23rd election. We will do that under each government’s heading. For those of you who did not read our election edition, you can find it here
In this section we will provide our take on the national and state races as they affect Martin County. The two predominant races were the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and the Republican primary for the U.S. House. The outcomes are important but probably already determined.
Val Demings, a congresswoman from the Orlando area, ran against 3 opponents and garnered 84% of the vote statewide. In Martin County she had 86% of the 10,516 votes cast. Since Florida is a closed primary state, only Democrats could vote. There are 28,000 registered Democrats in Martin County. A little less than a third voted.
She will now go on to meet Marco Rubio in the general election. Senator Rubio, 51, is a veteran politician who spent only a year or two of his adult professional life in the private sector. His life has been running campaigns and being elected. I would be very surprised if he doesn’t win a third term to the Senate especially with Governor DeSantis at the top of the Republican ticket.
In the Republican primary for Congress, incumbent Brian Mast received 78% of the vote against three challengers. Mast’s opponents tried to portray him as too liberal especially on gun rights. This same tactic of being “not Republican enough” was used in his last primary. In St. Lucie County, which is now his home county after having moved from Martin, he received 82% of the vote.
In Martin County, Republicans outnumber Democrats more than 2 to 1. Mast received 77.5% of the 23,375 votes cast. He will go on to face Democrat Corinna Balderramos Robinson in the November election. Mast should beat her without a problem.
Charlie Crist won the Democratic primary for governor with 59.8% of the votes in the state to Nikki Fried’s 35.3%. There were nearly 1.5 million votes cast in the race. In Martin County Crist, had 60.6% of the vote cast. Throughout the state, Crist did a bit better than expected against Fried.
He will go on to face Governor DeSantis in the general election. Probably DeSantis will beat Crist. Charlie Crist was a one-term Republican governor before becoming an Independent and finally a Democrat. He is currently a congressman. There is little hope that he will come close to toppling DeSantis in Martin County or Florida.
As a thoroughly red county in a red state, Republicans have a distinct advantage moving forward. In Martin County even the candidate category of “Other” has more voters than the Democrats. Until the Democrats become serious about grass roots politics, Florida will continue to elect overwhelmingly Republicans. Districts have become more and more favorable to Republicans and will remain that way for at least a decade. Florida is a one-party state and so is Martin County.
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THE AFTERMATH
Another primary day and local elections have come to Martin County and Florida.
The local races were especially mean-spirited this go round. Most of the challengers came out of nowhere. They may have lived in their communities for years, but they sure did not have much involvement in those communities.
Only a few were involved in charities, non-profits, and local government. In my opinion, their involvement is an invisible filing fee for the privilege of running for office. Local involvement is a great way to judge how they will behave in office.
Agreement on the issues is important to receive my vote but so are other things such as the factors cited above. Many people run and then fade into the sunset when defeated. A lost election should not mean that the candidates disappear into obscurity. Their participation in the future discussions surrounding issues is important.
There was also way too much PAC money involved for such insignificant races. And what is with the governor endorsing in non-partisan races such as school board? These races are local matters and Tallahassee should stay out of the fray.
For some time, the fire union has endorsed, provided volunteers, and sent loads of money to favorite candidates. Does anyone believe it is all for the civic good? This is something that I wish could be stopped.
Social media has contributed to the coarseness of the debate. People hide in their silos spewing out their propaganda to those that already are in their web. Facebook and Twitter and all the other sites are as uninformative for local news as are MSNBC and Fox for our national politics.
It isn’t whether the best man or woman wins in a fair contest but rather how far a false narrative can be pushed. We have poisoned the political well and I do not believe we ever will get it back. That is too bad.
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10TH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS SCORE
Of the 1441 Martin County students that took the mandatory ELA test, 54% passed with a Level 3,4, or 5.
That is nothing to write home about, but our students did better than the state average by 5%. The average score in our district was 349. If you turn around the numbers, then that meant 46% of our 10th graders failed. And like the 3rd grade reading test, the bar for failure is not exceptionally high.
To compound the problem, a Level 3 score means that the student may not be able to compete in the next grade without help. 22% of our students are in that category. Level 4 has 21% of our students and the highest, Level 5 (the ones going to the Ivy League if they want), has 10%.
St. John’s County, the highest scoring district in the state, has 71% of its students in Levels 3,4,5 with 3765 students as compared to Martin County’s 1441. 49% of St John’s 10th graders are reading at Level 4 and 5 compared to 31% of ours. If you take Florida Virtual as a comparison, then 69% of their students are passing (those kids are attending school at home on a computer.)
Even within our district, the school you go to matters. Clarke Advanced Learning has 86% who passed. The more traditional school rates are as follows: Jensen Beach 65%, MCHS 52% and South Fork 47%.
Who takes the blame for such mediocre scores? Is it the teachers, district, parents, or all of us? Everyone is to blame because we give much lip service to better education but for the most part won’t do what is necessary to have that happen.
Basic education needs to begin long before the school bell rings in a child’s life. Being surrounded by books of all sorts and being read to is key to a successful academic experience. We hear much about parent involvement in curriculum, and I think that is a good thing. However, that involvement needs to begin at birth not when they are in the 10th grade.
Most of us remember a teacher or two who changed our lives. If we are lucky, there were even more than two. We also had some who were horrendous and made the year or period or semester seem endless. Every teacher that made us want to be in class and, in some cases, made us want to learn even more was a wonder. Too often, teachers are just there doing the job. They neither inspire students nor make a student dread sitting through the class. That is not a key for educational success either.
Administration and bureaucracy can affect how the classroom works. Tallahassee, in the name of parental rights, or protection of student thought, or a million other political reasons masquerading as pedological theory does nothing to help the education of children. The best thing to be done is to make schools more independent of both Tallahassee and central districts. Let parents, principals, and teachers guide education.
With the edicts coming down from Tallahassee, new methods of learning or operating a school are out the window. Choice should be the goal not blind obedience to a political objective. How math or reading or civics are taught should be up to the school to decide not a centralized authority.
Lastly, it is true that teachers are not as well respected here as they are in other places. They are paid less than comparable educated professionals are. But they also work many fewer hours than lawyers, doctors, or MBAs in a year. Teachers are entrusted with our children for much of their formative years. That is something that requires just compensation.
As a state and county, if we want better scores, then there is much more work to be done by all.
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OTHER OPINIONS
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NON-PROFIT PERSPECTIVE
By Carol Houwaart-Diez
United Way of Martin County President-CEO
If you know a high school student looking to learn more about our community, we have a program for them. United Way of Martin County is looking for high school students to join Students United.
Students United is a program of United Way of Martin County designed to empower students to mobilize community resources and make a positive impact through the spirit of service. The program is for students in grades 9-11 who are Martin County residents and are interested in developing leadership skills while learning about community needs and volunteer opportunities. Students visit local non-profit agencies where they learn about the services they provide and the clients they serve.
The program takes place over 10 sessions culminating with the opportunity for students to take what they’ve learned, collaborate with one another, and participate in United Way of Martin County’s grant allocation process to decide which non-profit programs in Martin County will receive funding.
The program objective includes teaching students how to:
- Give students a better understanding of health, financial stability, and education needs in our community.
- Educate students on how non-profits apply for and receive investment dollars from the United Way.
- Students will learn how to evaluate the impact of programs that target community issues.
- Students will understand how non-profit agencies operate and their challenges when working with limited resources.
- Students will be given opportunities to volunteer at local organizations.
- Students will develop leadership skills in a safe environment.
Time commitment includes:
- 10 monthly meetings/volunteer experiences providing up to 25 – 30 volunteer hours
- Meetings will be held in person after the school day, typically on the second Wednesday of the month from 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Expectations of students:
- Students are encouraged to participate in all meetings.
- The program will run from October – May . Each month students will explore a different facet of non-profits in Martin County while engaging in volunteer opportunities.
- Students will need to provide their own transportation to and from meetings.
- Students must keep track of their volunteer hours and submit them for approval upon program completion.
- Students should advocate for United Way of Martin County within their school and community.
- There are currently 14 students that are a part of this program.
Applications to be considered for this year’s program are due by September 23 and can be found on our website: https://www.unitedwaymartin.org/StudentsUnited.
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
THE GLASS IS ONLY A THIRD FULL
You, who are reading this, probably fall into the 33.32% of Martin County’s 117,831 registered voters who voted in the primary.
So, my commentary might not accomplish much. I’ll give it a shot anyway. ONLY 33.32% of us voted in the primary! Some would look at the glass one third of the way full and be satisfied. I just cannot be happy with it.
A lot of people think that the primary simply doesn’t matter. They could not be more wrong. Afterall, the primary is where WE get to choose who will run in the general election. If you don’t vote in the primary, you are allowing someone else to choose who you will vote for eventually.
Another issue is voter ignorance. Voters aren’t stupid, just uninformed. Many of us choose not to purchase what is perceived to be a biased newspaper any longer. So, many voters rely on social media or the candidate flyers they receive in the mail or on their doorknob. Many simply ask their friends or call which ever party they are registered with to ask for whom they should vote. Few of these sources are complete or educational.
What to do? I suggest first, when you go vote, start taking your kids. I started taking my son with me to vote when he was about 5 years old. For years I would wait until he was out of school on election day to vote. He knew something very special was going on that day. I wanted him to feel comfortable and not the least bit intimidated when his time came. Now he’s busy with a family and work, but he would not miss voting… even in the primary.
I would also recommend that you reach out to your county party headquarters and ask what events they are having to introduce you to the candidates. They will often have BBQs or other “meets and greets” so you can personally speak with the candidates. You can also simply google the candidate. Candidates are always having “meets and greets”. All are welcome. They want to meet you! You can find out when and where on their Facebook page or website.
If the candidate is an incumbent, I suggest you go to their official page and not just their campaign page. If you don’t want to or don’t have time to check out their voting record, check them out on YouTube. See them in action and hear what they have said in the past. Congressman Brian Mast, for example has 62 pages of blogs where you can hear what he has said from his own lips. They are all labeled so you don’t have to listen to each one to find out his stance on a particular subject that may interest you.
Ask yourself some questions, if the candidate is running for a local position, have they been involved in the community at some level? Are they running just because one thing upset them? If so, was that one thing something that would benefit them or everyone in the community? In other words, are they being selfish or selfless?
Do they have any depth? They should be able to talk about at least 3 -5 things that they would change and how they would change them in some degree of detail. How long have they been living here? I remember one candidate some time ago whom I nicknamed “Raindrop” because as I told him, he fell into town like a raindrop. How can they love this place the way we do if they just came to town?
You can also go on the Supervisor of Elections website and check out a candidate’s financial reports. Who are they getting their donations from? Is it a lot of out-of-town donations? If so, how do they explain that? Maybe they just have a lot of family out of town who want to support them. Maybe there are donations from those we would rather not be involved in the running of our county/city/township.
All in all, these efforts really aren’t very time consuming. And, in a county with an impressive level of educated professionals and people who care so deeply about the condition of our water, growth, and development, I wish we could squeeze out a higher percentage.
Darlene VanRiper’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.
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Nicki’s Place
By Nicki van Vonno
SHOWING UP
It’s election season!
Campaign signs sprout like wildflowers along the roads. Campaign supporters stand beyond the 150 feet zone around the polling places or wave flags on busy corners. I love waving to them as I drive by. Last week we had a primary. Some people won; some people lost. Some people had recounts. In Palm Beach County a recount was decided by 130 votes. You probably have more contacts in your phone.
Thanks everybody!
Thank you to the Supervisors of Elections. Thank you, Election Office workers and volunteers at the various voting sites.
Thank you, campaign volunteers and door knockers, who braved the August humidity and heat, to support your candidates.
Thank you, political party staff and volunteers for herding cats.
Thank you, donors to candidates.
Thank you, candidates. Thank you for your courage and commitment to government and community service. It is not an easy time to run for office in this country. People are scared, and broke and grieving for a world that seems irretrievably broken by disease and destruction.
Wars rage in many places around the world. People are dying of hunger everywhere. Plagues and floods and fires add the perfect setting for this horror show. People pick up guns and fire them at other people like every day was desolation row.
Thank you, family and friends of candidates. You are willing to subject yourself to the ordeal of running for office. You believe in our system of government, flawed though it may be. You work phone lines, and stuff envelopes.
THANK YOU!
Thank you, staff at all the local governments awaiting the voters’ choices. Like all workers when the boss changes, it is scary.
Thank you, voters! You showed up and chose candidates.
Thank you to everybody I forgot!
But it’s not over. Let’s keep it going.
It’s time to exercise our constitutional duty. Notice I said duty, not right. We have a right to vote, but more importantly, we have a duty to participate in the running of our democracy. That’s how it works.
An 18th century theologian believed you should “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”
VOTE. It’s good for our country.
Thank you for reading.
Nicki van Vonno’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.
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HAFNER’S CORNER
By David Hafner
We are just under a month away from the 1st Day of Autumn, and yet there is a buzz with people getting excited for the arrival of fall- or is that the cicadas I hear?
Maybe it’s because Dunkin has already released their pumpkin flavored drinks or maybe it’s because we are just ready for some change, but either way fall is in the air and on the way.
Spring is often given the designation of bringing in new beginnings as that is when most of the country is coming out of their frozen state and the world starts to come alive with color as blooms begin to open. However, in South Florida our time to shine is just beginning in the Autumn. As summer starts to come to an end Florida farmers begin preparing their rows to plant crops that will feed much of the rest of the country through the winter.
Fall isn’t just for the farmers. You can get in on the planting season, too. Now is a great time to start preparing your garden as our growing season is almost upon us. I will admit I am not good with plants; livestock is more in my lane. However, this year my family is going to try gardening for the first time. Since I am no green thumb, I am using information available from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF IFAS) Extension.
UF IFAS Extension is a great resource that is often overlooked or even completely unknown by many. Programs like Sea Grant, 4-H, and Master Gardeners are all part of the Extension office, and they have free resources backed by University of Florida research that are available to you. One such resource is this gardening calendar for you to use to plan what and when to grow in accordance with where you live: https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn-and-garden/florida-gardening-calendar/
If it’s in person tips on how to start your own garden that you want, the UF IFAS Extension Master Gardener Volunteers in coordination with the Martin County Library System will be providing information on how to be successful growing vegetables in South Florida on September 8th at 6pm at the Blake Library in Stuart.
I plan to be there ready to learn! You can get more information about this event and all things UF IFAS Extension by calling the Martin County office: 772-288-5654 or by stopping in: 2614 SE Dixie Highway, Stuart, FL 34996.
Whether it’s herbs on the windowsill, a backyard garden, or a farm growing food to feed our country, this is a great time to be involved with your food’s story and learn where it is grown.
David Hafner’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.
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RE-INTRODUCTION OF RURAL LIFESTYLE
By Tom Hurley C.E.O. of Becker Holding Corp.
& Owner of Hobe Sound Polo Club
We’re encouraging members of the community to attend one of our two informational workshops that we’re hosting this week at public libraries in Martin County.
The topics—Atlantic Fields, a proposed luxury community by Discovery Land Company of 317 homes on our 1,500-acre property at Hobe Sound Polo Club, as well as the proposed Rural Lifestyle land-use designation that enables it—are no doubt familiar to loyal readers of Friends & Neighbors.
Over the last nearly two years at nearly 40 meetings—including at public workshops as recently as last week in Indiantown and Hobe Sound—my team and I have had the great privilege of speaking with and hearing from hundreds of Martin County residents. That includes supporters, skeptics, and undecideds. The input—including, if not especially, the criticisms—has been comprehensive, compelling, insightful, and frankly, helpful.
We’ve listened closely and taken everything under very careful consideration. The feedback has heavily informed our amended proposal, which builds upon and strengthens the safeguards we initially included. More importantly, the community input has directly produced a proposal that we believe far better reflects and addresses our shared priority of preserving the character of the western lands.
In short, our amended proposal reduces the footprint of proprieties that might qualify for the amendment by 90 percent. While we plan to bring this topic back before the county commission Sept. 13, we hope you’ll join our informational sessions.
The presentations will be moderated by Nicki van Vonno of Vonno Consulting, LLC. The dates are as follows:
5:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 6 at the Blake Library, 2351 S.E. Monterey Road, Stuart
5:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Cummings Library, 2551 S.W. Matheson Ave., Palm City
We do hope you’ll join us. If able, please RSVP at info@beckerlegacy.com.
Thank you.
Tom Hurley’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint
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KEEP MARTIN BEAUTIFUL
By Tiffany Kincaid
Executive Director
As summer ends, Keep Martin Beautiful, looks ahead to one of our largest and most impactful events of the year: the International Coastal Cleanup.
With Keep Martin Beautiful serving as the local coordinator, Martin County residents have participated in this unique, global event for more than 25 years. Volunteers from around the world unite on a single day to remove litter and marine debris from shorelines and waterways. This year’s cleanup will take place at beaches and waterways throughout Martin County on Saturday, September 17 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Spearheaded globally by the Ocean Conservancy, the International Coastal Cleanup has had a significant impact in the 35+ years since its inception. Since 1986, the event has inspired over 17 million volunteers to act and collect more than 348 million pounds of trash from around the world. Just last year, hundreds of thousands of volunteers from over 150 countries participated. This is an incredible opportunity for those in our local area to be a part of this global movement.
Our waterways are the lifeblood of our community, and our volunteers are the heart of our organization. It’s their energy and commitment to the International Coastal Cleanup that makes such a tangible difference in our community. We are so thankful for the hard work put forward by our residents to create a more beautiful environment and extend our gratitude to the 900+ volunteers who have already signed up to participate for this year’s cleanup!
We hope you will join us and register online so we can prepare supplies prior to the event and ensure volunteers go the places most in need of attention. After registering, we encourage volunteers to download and use the CleanSwell™ app. It’s a user-friendly app that makes it easy to track litter as its collected and uploads to a global database. The data is used by scientists and professionals from Ocean Conservancy to analyze patterns across the world.
To register for the cleanup, go to keepmartinbeautiful.org/international-coastal-cleanup.
What Volunteers Need to Know
- The International Coastal Cleanup targets beaches, waterways, and parks throughout Martin County.
- Pre-registration is required to ensure volunteers are assigned to areas most in need.
- The Clean Swell™ app is available to track the litter from the cleanup. The unique data-gathering feature of this cleanup records every piece of litter collected.
- Volunteers should wear closed toe shoes.
- Participants will be provided with cleanup supplies and a T-shirt (while supplies last).
Tiffany Kinkaid’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.
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HELPING HAND
By Suzy Hutcheson
CEO Helping People Succeed
Project Search is Back!
Most of us continue to have issues with finding competent employees who are willing to work hard!
Imagine as an employer, you receive a resume indicating the applicant has received his/her high school diploma and, in addition, completed an internship through Cleveland Clinic Martin. I’m sure you would give this applicant a second look and probably hire them!
This employee might have completed Project Search, an internship program with the purpose of preparing young people with significant disabilities for success, that offers this opportunity! In partnership with Cleveland Clinic Martin as host and the School Board of Martin County, the ARC of Martin and Helping People Succeed, 9 – 12 student interns who happen to have a disability move through rotations at the hospital to gain the aptitudes and attitudes to become stellar employees.
Following the onboarding process through Cleveland Clinic Martin, each student intern applies for an assignment—departments include, Patient Services, Nutrition, Transport, Emergency, Materials, Wound Care, Environmental Services, ICU, Mother/Baby, Surgical Services Medical Surgical and others. After the completion of three rotations, the interns are ready to move into regular employment.
As you can see, the interns receive a wealth of training in many different areas—just right for your business.
Cleveland Clinic hosts the program, Martin County School Board provides a certified teacher and paraprofessional as well as the student interns. Helping People Succeed and the ARC of Martin County each provide an employment specialist to provide the necessary training.
Prior to the pandemic, Project Search operated through Martin Health Services with approximately 125 student interns completing the program. Of the 125, 85% found employment either at the hospital or other businesses and the remaining 15% either went onto to higher education or left the area.
Beginning September 1st, a new cadre of student interns—all who have a disability—will start their journey to becoming a healthy, productive member of our community—working, living, and participating as a taxpaying citizen.
Be sure to call me at 772.320.0777 or email shutcheson@hpsfl.org if you have questions or need further information.
Suzy Hutheson’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.
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BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BOARD BENT
By Joan Goodrich
CEO BDBMC
You’ve heard it before. You may have thought it yourself. “Today’s generation has no work ethic.” It’s certainly something our parents said about us. And probably something their parents said about them.
While we can all easily conjure images of a teenager consumed with video games or selfies and social posts to bother learning even the basics of employable skills, many more remain eager for opportunities and willing to put in the work to achieve them. Thankfully, several innovative non-profit entities in Martin County are leading the way (with others) to cultivating the market potential of our future workforce.
Here’s three exciting examples . . .
1) A big congratulations goes out to Project LIFT for recently receiving a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Building America program to support its trade programs. Now with three locations but originating in Palm City, Project LIFT serves young people contending with various addiction, behavioral, mental health issues.
Shunning the conventional office or clinical environments associated with therapy, Bob Zaccheo and his team at Project LIFT instead empowers young people through the introduction of trades and vocational skills. While working on construction projects or under the hood of a car, the young person grows more comfortable, confident, and inclined to open up and share insights about the struggles they’ve suffered—often in shorter spans of time than traditional therapy.
The grant fuels Project LIFT’s pre-apprenticeship program—conducted in conjunction with Associated Builders and Contractors—which could lead to fulltime apprenticeship opportunities. And if this new collaboration is anything like the inspiring partnership they have in place with the Treasure Coast Builders Association, we will witness transformational impacts on our economy and community.
2) Already operating four clubs around the county, Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County (BGCMC), whose incoming flagship Stuart club plans workforce labs often facilitated by local business leaders, will offer instructions and certifications in skilled trades ranging from such bedrock services as HVAC and welding to drone operation, coding and virtual/augmented reality learning.
In fact, many BGCMC kids are gaining marketable skills even before finishing middle school thanks to its Teen Culinary Training Program. Led by a 25-year veteran of the culinary and hotel industry, the kids learn sanitization practices, knife skills, food-handling techniques and more while managing BGCMC’s Fork in the Road food truck. They plan the menu—incorporating vegetables they grow in their gardens at BGCMC club—budget the costs, order supplies, handle inventory, cook, serve their meals at community events. They even handle marketing for food truck events.
The only thing they don’t do is drive the truck.
3) Thanks to participating local businesses and a partnership with the Education Foundation of Martin County and the Career Technical Education program at the Martin County School District, high school students can now more easily secure local internship opportunities.
So, if you’re a business owner looking for internship prospects, mark your calendar: At 7:30 a.m. Sept. 20 at Martin County High School will host a kickoff breakfast on how local businesses can partner with the program and likely gain a great intern. Visit the Education Foundation’s website to reserve your spot.
With so many great organizations working with our young people to offer training, avail opportunities and demonstrate the virtues of thinking big, working hard, and pursuing success, who knows? Today’s youth may soon look back on us and be the first in—possibly forever—to say, “This older generation has no work ethic.”
So, let’s keep working hard, creating jobs, and supporting local – onward and upward!
Joan Goodrich’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint
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IF YOU ARE NOT A SUBSCRIBER DO SO FOR FREE HERE
The first letter is from Michael Syrkus:
Good morning Tom,
I wanted to reach out today about one of the articles posted in today’s Friends and Neighbors.
In relation to the statements made about smoking preemption by the state and the exemption of cigars, I was disappointed to hear the allegation that cigars were exempted due to a legislators possible financial interest in a cigar company and their affinity to consume cigars. I would suggest that that statement is unequivocally false. I was blessed to work both in Tallahassee and locally on a small team of individuals who pushed hard for the cigar exemption. After speaking with the bills authors (in both the house and senate), and having worked on previous attempts to make this change in 2021 and 2020, I can say with utmost certainty that the exemption was made to reflect the legislative intent of the bill. Mr. Gruters and Mr. Fine (and Altman), lobbied their fellow electorates heavily on the premise that this bill’s intent was to address cigarette butt litter that is frequently found on the beach. More to the point, it was to allow local municipalities the opportunity to address this litter issue at the locations in which it is a problem. Discussion was had in the multiple committee stops in regards to secondhand smoke, but the legislators also found that discriminating against smoke from tobacco, but not grills or fire pits on public lands would creating an issue of discrimination policy that would be difficult to legally defend. Though I support home rule, I recognize that there are times when local government institutes ordinance that is in conflict with individual liberty, and thus the challenges of preemption by the state arise.
For this matter, I tip my hat to Mr. Gruters for recognizing that non-tipped/non-filtered cigars are not a point of litter in our public spaces, therefore their exemption from a bill crafted to address litter is a wise move to make.
Next is from Clem McGrath:
Tom,
Ask her why when Dagwood is in front of TV, Blondie sits with her back to him.
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And last from Peggy Stover-Nott:
FYIO I watched the school board votes very carefully. I am hoping the new kids on the block will hold to American Standards. We still have people on that board that need to be voted out. In particular the one that weaseled the $500.000.00 out of the property tax last time. We need to weed out all the rats from the School Board and the Commissions. Not the four-legged rats but the two-legged rats. With that said I will once again request a copy of the check sent to the school board for the property tax. They receive the money in increments as the taxes are collected. That is how I found out they took the $500,000.00 off the top before they divided the pie to the teachers and the other recipients. Mark Twain said, “There are honest men, and then there are school boards.” I have found that to be true in the past. It would be nice change to have a politician, just for once, to Say what they mean and Mean what they say. The overgrowth and lack of planning in Martin County as a whole has taken a turn for the worse. Hopefully, people will sit up and take notice and hold the greedy commissioners and school board members feet to the fire.
The sad thing is that I feel the general public was caught in a “catch 22 position” regarding the property tax. They hate the school board but love the teachers and the kids. Years ago, we had a real Teachers Union leader Judy Burgis. She was amazing. But even with her, and I sat through most of the meetings for things that were really important to the teacher and the children, I watch and learned as the School Board steamed over the union and moved to “impasse” which left us nowhere to turn. if you saw that paperwork I have on what has been done over the years your jaw would drop. Such as, How can there be an invoice and a payment to a company that has been red flagged and out of business for years. How can you withhold grant money for safe schools and so much more. The amount of money spent on consultants that did nothing but do the job the school board was supposed to do. Thousands and Thousands of $$ on consultants. It is a shell game, and the School Board is a pro at “quick of hand ” when it comes to shuffling the funds. the General Fund is a catchall.
For the sake of Martin County and its residents I pray that these newly seated people can hold back the tide and bring some honesty and backbone to the steam rolling commission and the back door policies of the school board.
God Bless America, God Bless you for all you do. You are the voice of reason this community truly needs.
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MARTIN COUNTY ELECTION:
Stacey Hetherington is completing her freshman term as a county commissioner.
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She has learned much in that time. Her constituent services have been excellent. But what she really excels at is political campaigning.
Though her opponent T.J. McGowan was a novice, Hetherington approached the campaign as if she were the underdog. I don’t really know what Mr. McGowan’s reason for running was. Neither did most of the voters.
McGowan did not respond to our repeated attempts to have him submit a statement for the newsletter about his reasons for running and why he deserved to be elected.
Stacey has grown into the job of commissioner, and I believe will only be better in her 2nd term. She deserved re-election. The voters agreed. She received nearly 65% of the vote.
A more interesting race was the Heard/Mustapick race. Sarah Heard has been a commissioner for the past 20 years. She is very conservative fiscally, pro-environment, and fervently anti-development. She brings a different point of view to the dais that no other current commissioner expresses.
Doug Mustapick is a Marine veteran who served in Afghanistan. According to his statement, he was born in Tequesta and works for a veteran’s aid group. In his online biography, it doesn’t appear he was a member of any local nonprofit groups or civic organization until he wanted to run for office. He was in last year’s class of Martin County leadership which is run by the Stuart Chamber of Commerce.
According to his financial filings, several Stuart Chamber members and fellow leadership classmate Zach Gazza (of “Be A Man Buy Land” fame) contributed to his campaign.
His campaign was exceptionally well run for a political novice. However, his reasons for running were a bit obscure. He said he was non-growth, citing his opposition to the proposed Rural Lifestyle use. Mustapick also claimed to be pro-environment but did not have any specific proposals differentiating himself from Heard.
If that is what a voter wanted in a commissioner, why wouldn’t that voter just cast a ballot for Heard whose actions prove she stands for the environment and no growth. Besides the clouded message, his campaign supporters are just the opposite of both those attributes.
While Heard pulled it out by about 5%, is Martin County tiring of her. In my opinion it is time for Sarah to take a bow in four years and retire. At some point the voters, even those that agree with her, will want to see a fresh face on the dais.
TRAILSIDE A SPECIAL REPORT
By Kyla Shay
Trailside HOA President
THE HISTORY OF TRAILSIDE HOA
Trailside Homeowners Association is a development in Martin County located off Pratt Whitney Road.
It is an easy drive to Indiantown, Hobe Sound or Stuart for any of our needs. There is easy access to the Turnpike, I-95, or Beeline Highway for transiting to and from work or shopping.
Trailside Homeowners Association was developed by Clifford Burg Sr. in 1999. He proposed the development to Martin County Growth Management, Martin County Commissioners and South Florida Water Management. The development of 41 individual lots was approved by the Martin County Commissioners in late 1999.
The approximate 950 acres had been part of Box Ranch and had been used for cattle grazing pastures. Existing canals for drainage had been added at approximately 1947 or so. The drainage was put in to service the orange groves.
Westberry Farms had previously owned the property and were responsible for the canal systems under permits from the State of Florida. We are the only 20 -acre community in Martin County that has survived and thrived. Currently, I receive many telephone calls and email communication inquiring if any of the lots are for sale, or if I know of any owner’s that may sell. We are different from the average community and proud of it.
For our residents, the community has drawn all of us here for the peace, quiet, bucolic lifestyle we all enjoy. White three rail fences surround our properties giving us a feeling of tranquility that we call ours. The 20-acre lot minimum up to 38-acre lot sizes allow for privacy from our neighbors. Our lots cannot be subdivided. The privacy and tranquility allow our children and grandchildren to be surrounded by animals and learn a country living lifestyle instead of being packed in a zero-lot line community.
Trailside HOA was set up as an agricultural community primarily for equestrian use. Bridle paths surround all our lots. Quite a few of us have horses here and enjoy the freedom of being able to ride within our community. The bridle paths are for lot owner and guest usage for horses only. The equestrian rides are peaceful in the surrounding natural setting of South Florida.
We enjoy riding our horses, riding our bikes, and walking on our private roads. Can you imagine country living with the amenities of paved roads, underground utilities, wooded lots, and fantastic sunsets over wide-open spaces. We can. We live here. We raise our children here. Our grandchildren visit us here. We raise our horses and cattle here. This is home.
That is why we are fighting so hard to protect our Martin County way of life from those that clearly have no idea about our rural lifestyle and want to destroy it.
Kyla Shay’s opinions are her own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.
PAL MAR MEETING AUG 23, 2022:
This was the conclusion of the meeting that began on June 27, 2022, when the meeting was adjourned to allow for the challenges of all the objections to counting proxies to determine if Zack Gazza would remain on the board or be replaced by county employee, George Stokus.
The crux of the matter is whether Martin County and South Florida Water Management District paid their fees and assessments. That payment would entitle them to vote.
According to the property appraiser, they did pay the current year but there were back years plus late penalties still due according to Gazza. As of June 27th, there was a court case on whether Martin County and SFWMD had to pay those back charges or not. That was resolved on July 27th when the Florida Supreme Court let a ruling stand that they did. However, as of June 27th when proxies and other objections were made, it was still outstanding and therefore the payment was not yet due because of the litigation.
Legal counsel for the Pal Mar District gave their opinion that dismissed two objections from Martin and Palm Beach Counties and seven from Gazza’s group. In essence the decision was that the proxies and votes as of June 27th were accepted. That gave the disputed board seat to George Stokus. With that control of the board went from the Gazza group back to Martin County and the other governments.
A motion was made to seat Stokus, and it passed 4-1 with Gazza voting no.
At the board meeting that followed, they then elected Commissioner Marino from Palm Beach County as chair on a 3-2 vote followed by Stokus being elected vice-chair 3-2. Another piece of the puzzle toward bringing law and order back to Pal Mar has been solved.
There were many angry small landowners in the audience. Why were they angry? It doesn’t appear that any of their rights will be violated regardless of who sits on the board. The matter of general easements across properties was dropped by the board. Every property owner must now give individual permission for another to cross their land That will cramp some of the cowboy style in the sensitive habitat.
If these landowners can’t do what they believed they should be able to do or were promised they could do, it is not the government’s fault. Whoever they purchased the property from may have not been honest with what was and wasn’t allowed out there. That is who they should be angry with…and at themselves for not adequately performing their due diligence regarding permissible uses.
The board needs to stop anyone who is not a landowner from using Pal Mar as their unsupervised playground. That would include personnel from the sheriff’s office. Pal Mar is not a target range or a hunting preserve.
In the meantime, another skirmish has been won in bringing a little sanity to the wilds of Pal Mar.
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STUART ELECTION RESULTS
And just like that, the Stuart Commission has changed.
Elections are funny because they immediately not only tell us who will sit on the commission but also the state of the city for the residents, taxpayers, and businesses. Voters decided that a no-growth commission is what they wanted.
Since the “Great Recession,” Stuart has been climbing out of the recession hole. It is only in the last two years that Stuart has been collecting the same amount of ad valorem taxes as it did in 2008. That does not include an adjustment for inflation. Until about 2014, Stuart suffered deep cuts to the budget including to police and fire.
There has been a lot of hubbub suggesting that Stuart’s population has grown, but in fact it has grown very little over the last decade. Most of the projects that have been approved have not even been opened yet. It is true that if everything that is slated does get built, Stuart will see an increase in population, but it will still be below the Florida norm since 2000.
Mike Meier was an advocate for more housing. If population was going to grow, it should be within an urban area where the services can be provided in a relatively compact geographical district. With Mike leaving, his successor, Campbell Rich, has called for a moratorium on new building. And that in and of itself is fine depending on the timeline and what that means.
Rich beat Mark Brechbill for the simple reason that he knocked on hundreds of Stuart voters’ doors. In forums, Brechbill was more polished than Rich. However, Rich had much more government experience having served on the LPA and had a better understanding of Stuart’s needs. And as TC Palm noted, Brechbill owes massive debt and had filed bankruptcy.
Mark Brechbill had an opportunity to state his case for his financial difficulties and anything else he wanted in the newsletter. Several emails were sent, and he never responded.
Merritt Matheson had become synonymous with water issues as the river advocate for the city. He had relationships with not only the Army Corps of Engineers, but other environmental groups, governments, and influential people who respected his knowledge and opinion. Going forward, Stuart is not likely to play such a prominent role in broad conversations related to water issues.
Chris Collins ran a sharp-elbowed social media campaign that was exceptional. He had quiet help from Republicans in this non-partisan race. Chris is firmly no-growth. It appeared in the campaign that he doesn’t want any new multifamily housing in the city.
How his ideals now must deal with the realities of codes, land uses, and the comp plan is yet to be seen. Collins appears to be a fast learner. He will need to be. Only about 15% of a commissioner’s time is taken up by development matters. The rest is ceremonial and advocating for people with the different city departments. I hope Collins factored in the time it will take away from his family and business to successfully fulfill the role.
“Old Faithful” Eula Clarke has once again been returned to office. She did so with a little less than 7% of the votes cast against a virtually unknown opponent, William Laughlin. Clarke has been in office for a decade and the city has changed in that time. I don’t consider Clarke either pro or anti anything. She has a degree in planning beside being a practicing attorney.
Eula Clarke
For the city it was a change election.
COMMISSION MEETING AUGUST 22, 2022
There was nothing of any substance on this agenda.
Yet it was still a bittersweet meeting because this was Mike Meier’s last on the dais. There were nice things said by the commissioners, staff, and public. Because people realize he will be missed. He is stepping down after a brief short 4 years. That is a rarity for politicians.
Meier was a calming influence and consensus builder on the commission. That is not seen with any regularity at Stuart or any other place. The commission that adjourned at the end f the meeting was the most cohesive and non-contentious elected body that I have witnessed. I only hope the next commission will act in the same spirit.
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SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION & REFERENDUM:
Liz Bernstein seemed to have a great resume for being a school board member.
Unfortunately for her, the timing was far from right. Bernstein, a Martin County native who attended public schools here until going off to college where she earned an advanced degree in economics, could have been an excellent addition. Before returning to Martin in 2019, she was a senior economist at the Commerce Department in Washington.
Liz had a couple of problems. She was a Democrat in very red Martin County and a very liberal one at that. Even a more serious problem, she was too close to Victoria Defenthaler who had chosen not to run. Lastly, she was perceived as someone who was a teacher union’s representative.
Her opponent, the eventual winner, was Jennifer Russell who dropped in from Virginia last year. While her roots in Martin County are shallow, she had the might of the Republican Party behind her in this non-partisan race. Russell also had the endorsement of Governor DeSantis which brought a boatload of money from Tallahassee.
Russell beat Bernstein by almost 13% in this county-wide race. How will Jen do as a new school board member? I would imagine she will not have the opinions of Defenthaler for sure. She may surprise us with a quiet determination to bring schools firmly in the hands of parents and the community. Only time will tell.
The real surprise, however, was Amy Pritchett who eked out a victory over Tony Anderson with less than 1% of the vote. Though active in Moms for Liberty, Amy had no help from anyone but a few supporters. She was probably helped by the lack of a campaign by Anderson. If Amy had the same support as Jen, then she too could have had a much larger victory.
Anderson, a retired teacher, would often spout that he was on the teachers’ side. His vocal support for educators over parents contributed to his loss. Anderson was given an opportunity to submit a statement to us about why he wanted to be re-elected. He did not respond even after repeated emails.
It is without doubt that the referendum to continue the ½ mill ad valorem tax passed overwhelmingly 2 to 1. It makes one wonder why given what appeared to be a parental return to school board control, this would pass. Perhaps voters, while annoyed with bureaucracy, believe that teachers deserve to be adequately paid.
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SEWALL’S POINT MEETING AUG 24, 2022:
The commission approved a revised formula for retention of onsite storm water.
It reads as follows: “General provisions. Each new or substantial improvement project and/or site shall maintain onsite storm water runoff for water quality treatment and storage volume based on the percentage of impervious surface on the property.
“The calculation for determining this amount is as follows:
0.125-feet times ____ total area of lot in square feet = _____-cubic feet.
Formula: [0.125-ft x ____ (total lot area in ft2) = volume ____-ft3]”
“This amount is the volume in cubic feet required to be built as retention ponds, swales, or with berms to achieve retaining the quantity of water as outlined above prior to discharging to the road rights-of-way, or waterways or adjoining properties.”
The commission also discussed the definition of what is meant by substantial improved major work. Doing improvements that meet that definition, which is in the town and state code, would necessitate bringing retention standards up to the above. The vote was 5-0.
Dan Hudson explained what the 5-year summary of a CIP list is. I don’t know if every commissioner understands that a CIP list is done for 5 years at a time, but the only money being approved in the budget is the current year. It seemed they kept saying there was a deficit for subsequent years. And indeed, there would be given that it hasn’t been funded yet.
That is quite common. If no funding materializes then projects on the list are pushed back or removed. Campo wanted to see more project detail. From his years working in Fort Pierce government, Tompeck has a simple fill-in-the-blank format to accomplish that. Mr. Daniels and Town Engineer Joe Capra will look at the form.
A very smooth meeting for Town Manager Daniels.
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INDIANTOWN ELECTION:
Perhaps the biggest election surprises came in Florida’s newest municipality.
For some time, Anthony Dowling and, to a lesser extent, Jackie Clarke had acted as charter members of the Howard Brown fan club. Along with Janet Hernandez, it seemed that the council was becoming more and more separated from their constituents regarding the operations of the village. This election was the constituents’ revenge.
At the time of incorporation, Indiantown seemed to me to be a village made up of Black, Hispanic, and white folks who got along well. As a small town out in the middle of the country, the place had to be more self-reliant than the rest of Martin County. People needed their neighbors. Since incorporation, things had changed.
Nothing is a better example of the racial nature of the village’s politics than Janet Hernandez’s remark at a meeting of the League of Treasure Coast Cities. Because she was not given a position she desired on the board, she claimed it was because of racism. She must have been unable to see that the president was another Hispanic. Jolene Carballo is now the president of the Florida League.
Even now some residents are intimating that they just couldn’t lose their seat because the people didn’t like what they did but rather that it had to be because of their race. I don’t believe that was true.
The council’s biggest sin may have been the way they embraced big government. They didn’t seem to believe that any expense was too much for the council. As an example, the City of Okeechobee is a similar rural community which after 100 years has far fewer full-time (22) employees, excluding police. Indiantown will have 34 if the budget passes after five years of existence.
While I kept hearing that the people wanted this growth, apparently enough were tired of the millions that have been borrowed. Indiantown has few voters and not many turned out with only about 760 votes cast votes.
Carmine Dipaolo, a retired deputy, and business owner ran against Anthony Dowling. Dipaolo had 455 votes to Dowling’s 308. That is a margin of nearly 20%. Dowling, who thought he could be governor someday, was soundly defeated. Dowling refused to send a statement outlining why he should be re-elected to this newsletter even after repeated emails to him.
Jackie Clarke lost her race to Angelina Perez by a little more than 5% of the vote. Jackie, compared to Hernandez and Dowling, was a more moderate voice. I think her loss was one that happened because of incumbency.
Susan Gibbs Thomas, who had been ostracized by the rest on the council since the last election, easily won her race 2 to 1. Though I don’t know whether she was so much a small government person or one who repeatedly bucked Brown, the patron saint of the group. I hope it was the former more than the latter.
If I were Howard, I would have my resume circulating. He may not have long to call Indiantown his own.
BUDGET MEETING AUGUST 18, 2022
The good news is that the tax rate of 1.6304% remains the same. The bad news is that this year the village will collect less ad valorem than last by 2.6%.
The overall total budget including the enterprise fund is $9.9 million. There will be 34 full time employees (FTE) an increase of 3.5 FTEs. There are payroll increases of 5% for most employees. The Council will enjoy trips and junkets put on by a variety of organizations paid for by the village. Senior employees and their dependents will have health insurance paid 100% by the village while the rest of the employees will be at 90% with dependents at 75%.
Another little tweaker is that the manager is authorized to approve administrative transfers between departments within the same fund without going back to the council for approval. This is different than in the past.
The manager and council must be hoping that things get built fast to bring in the additional revenue needed to fuel the government needs. The money isn’t coming from the existing residents and businesses. Like so much in Florida, the only way to have this big a budget is to have new residents and businesses to tax.
The presentation with the numbers can be found here
COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 25, 2022:
It was both funny and bittersweet that this meeting was held with two lame duck members in the positions of mayor and vice-mayor.
Vice-Mayor Anthony Dowling was scrolling on his phone constantly including during the prayer. Mayor Jackie Clarke carried on with dignity. She gave her “State of The Village” address that emphasized what this council had accomplished. It may have been written initially before the outcome of the election.
As a noticed meeting, it had to occur. In the future, perhaps a meeting after an election and before the swearing in of council members, in the dead of summer may not be necessary. You could always call an emergency meeting if need be. The only two items on the agenda were the reclassification of the village clerk to administrative services director and discussion of applications for boards and committees.
Both had to be deferred until the new council was seated. For some odd reason, Stone asked several times about the purpose of this meeting since these items were not going to move forward. With the change on the board, they should be deferred.
The swearing in of the new council will be held at the September 7th meeting which starts at 6 pm.
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The next meeting will be June 13, 2022.
CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE
Unlike Stuart and Indiantown, Ocean Breeze holds their election in November.
The following are running after qualifying by the deadline of Aug 23rd for town council; Sandra L. Keblbeck, Dustin E Lerew, Elizabeth Reese, Gina Kent, and Terry Locatis (incumbent). Current members Richard Gerold and David Wagner have chosen not to seek re-election. Ted Massinello filed but withdrew. Karen M. Ostrand the current mayor will be re-elected since she had no opposition.
There are three seats available. Locatis lives in Ocean Breeze Resort and the rest of the candidates are from Sea Wind. At a minimum there will be two council members from the new home development perhaps three. The three candidates with the highest vote total will be elected.
Town Council President Ken De Angeles, William Arnold, and Kevin Docherty will remain on the council until their terms expire. Docherty, Arnold, and De Angeles are both eligible to seek re-election. They live in the resort.
Will things begin to change? Perhaps the town could be more than just a homeowners’ association. More than just a place to discuss bocci or pickleball courts that belong to the resort and not the town.
If I were new coming into office, I would see if we could lower taxes substantially (I think you could) and try to entice downtown Jensen Beach to annex into Ocean Breeze. That would allow the business section of Jensen to plot their own course and be free of the county’s development rules. If structured correctly it could be a win-win for both.
Just a thought.
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In The Spotlight
by Jackie Holfelder
Jackie took this edition off.
Jackie is always looking for a good story…you may reach her at: jackieacolumn@gmail.com
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HOW TO REPLACE THE STUART RAIL BRIDGE
I recently went on the Federal Railroad Administration’s website. It can be a fascinating read for those looking for money to do rail transportation projects.
And what I found was a $7.2 billion a year program that is slated to continue for the next 5 years at the same funding levels. This program is “to advance projects that expand and establish new intercity passenger rail service…” I don’t know about you, but that seems exciting to me.
The first grant I came across in the program was one to replace the 100-year-old San Luis Rey River Bridge with a double track concrete bridge and eliminate a .6-mile single track bottleneck in the city of Oceanside. The tracks are also used by BNSF freight lines. Sounds like a place I know in South Florida where I live.
There is also a grant for a new bridge across the Connecticut River in Connecticut. Maryland has a replacement slated for a 115-year-old bridge crossing the Susquehanna River. There are more rail bridges being replaced than I can list. But you get my point.
What I don’t understand is why isn’t the St. Lucie River Bridge in Stuart, Florida on the list? It is a partnership between the states and the federal government so is that the reason? Tallahassee doesn’t want to take any Democrat Washington money. The projects I saw that were funded were not for private companies. Yet there was the San Luis Rey Bridge that has the BNSF component. There is nothing that said only government owned rail roads need apply.
It appears that elected officials need to be engaged to bring home the money. This is more than doable. It requires that all our governments work together to accomplish something. That is a hard ask in our complex fractious political world.
In the meantime, our federal and state representatives will speak with the Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard to have a more equitable open and close bridge time and other such well-meaning but less effective problem-solving ideas. What we won’t do is ensure the funding for a new bridge. Isn’t that what our federal and state officials should be trying to do?
As Published In Martin County Moment
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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)
