Interior designer H. Allen Holmes, a native Floridian, features the workof another native, Gary Borse, in his Hobe Sound gallery. Pg 20

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management may be closer than everto eliminating public access to Cato’s Bridge Beach. Pg 5

Volume 3 Issue 1 The little newspaper with big impact April 2013

News Lifestyle

For better, or worse?

The revitalization of MartinCounty’s seven historic districts,addressed during neighborhoodworkshops, may be taking a newdirection, but will they be betteroff in the long run, or worse? Pg 6

CCraig Kingston of Taste Restaurant in HobeSound served authentic cuisine at theCaribbean Night fundraiser for Caring FieldsAnimal Sanctuary on April 7. Pg 9

Dr. Edie WidderaddressesChamber.

COMPLIMENTARY

Hap Harrington breathes lifeinto an ambitious plan tosave many lives of seniors.

Pg 18

County Commission falls short of expectations Pg 16

Pg 11

Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 20132

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Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013 News Stream 3

Commissioner Scott plans District 3town hall meetings

District 3 Commissioner Anne Scott,former Jupiter Island Town Com-

missioner newly elected to the MartinCounty Commission, is inviting the

public—includingChamber of Com-merce members—to attend a townhall meeting todiscuss issues ofpublic interest.

These meet-ings will provideresidents andbusiness ownersthe opportunity tohave an open dis-

cussion with Commissioner Scott, ac-cording to a county newsletter.

Three meetings have been scheduled: – Monday, April 29, 6 pmIndiantown Civic Center. 15675 SW

Osceola St in Indiantown.– Monday, May 6, 6 pmCounty Line Civic Center. 18530 SE

County Line Road in Tequesta.– Monday, May 20, 6 pmHobe Sound Civic Center. 8980

Olympus Street in Hobe Sound.“I look forward to meeting you at

one of our District 3 Town Meetings,”said Commissioner Scott. “Thank youfor the opportunity to serve as yourCommissioner.”

No reservations are required. ■

Utility announcesrate reductionIke CrumplerSpecial to Hobe Sound Currents

South Martin Regional Utility recentlymade a move surely to be welcomed

by the residents and business owners insouth Martin County. The utility an-nounced in March an across-the-board,12.4% percent water-use rate reduction.

Reasons for the cost savings that per-mitted the reduction were cited inSMRU correspondence to customers,crediting “careful strategic planning andfiscally conservative decision-making.”

SMRU, the sole source of municipaldrinking water for the Hobe Sound area,has earned industry awards for waterquality, operations, facilities and envi-ronmental practices, as well as buildinga reputation as one of Hobe Sound’smost respected local businesses.

“They’re the utility here,” said An-gela Hoffman, executive director of theHobe Sound Chamber of Commerce.“If you want water, you’re paying yourbill to SMRU, and yet they’ve alwaysbeen great to the Chamber and the localcommunity.”

The water company, a long-standingChamber member, always provides freebottled water to volunteers at Cham-ber events, as well as making theirproperty available as a staging ground

for the Christmas parade and openingtheir doors for the ‘”Inside HobeSound” tour.

“They’re involved in a big way in 90percent of Chamber activities,” Hoffmanadded, acting more like a start-up thanan established business. “That’s howyou can tell that supporting local busi-ness is one of their intrinsic principles.”

SMRU has its roots in the HobeSound Water Company (established inthe 1920s), serving neighborhoods inGomez, Banner Lake, Zeus Park andparts of Jupiter Island. Hydratech,formed in 1976, served the northernHobe Sound communities. Both werepurchased and merged into South Mar-tin Regional Utility in 1998.

Over the past three years, employeesof SMRU have received many stateawards for their dedication, knowledgeand service, and the utility took honorsas Medium Wastewater System of theYear in 2010 from the Florida RuralWater Association and received thePlant Operations Excellence Award in2012 from the regional Department ofEnvironmental Protection for its newNanofiltration system.

“Having access to water is vital tolife itself, so you can say we do take ourjobs pretty seriously,” said ShannonDunne, executive director of SMRU.“We’re continually pursuing ways toprotect our water supply, preserve theenvironment that provides it, and en-sure our customers’ expectations aremet and, hopefully, exceeded.”

Many times, that includes servingcustomers unable to pay. The utilityfunds a emergency relief program ad-ministered by the Salvation Army thathelps customers enduring difficult cir-cumstances—the elderly, disabled orthose suffering extreme financial hard-ship—get some assistance to pay theirwater bills.

“We see a lot of need in Hobe Soundand we’ve seen an increase,” saidSylvia Cerda, social services caseworker with Salvation Army in Stuart.“Definitely the economy has had a bigimpact. That’s one of the essentialthings that people are in need of—water, to be able to cook and take baths.So people who’ve needed the relief pro-gram are very grateful. SMRU is a greatcompany, because they’ll do whateverthey can to meet the needs of HobeSound customers.”

One goal of SMRU leadership—in-cluding Jupiter Island town commis-sioners, Executive Director Dunne,Engineer Stuart Trent, Jupiter IslandTown Manager Gene Rauth andDeputy Town Manager Michael Ven-tura—has been to explore and invest inmultiple ways to access alternativewater supplies.

In 2001, SMRU constructed the SouthWater Plant’s reverse osmosis watertreatment facility, which draws from thedeep Floridan aquifer for blending withthe shallow aquifer water, to supply upto 6.2 million gallons of water per day.

Another recent upgrade in service,the award-winning nanofiltrationplant, draws more than one milliongallons a day from the shallow aquiferand thoroughly treats it—at levels thatexceed quality standards of the Florida

continued on page 4

Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 20134 News Stream

Department of Environmental Protec-tion and the federal Environmental Pro-tection Agency—to ensure consistentlyhigh-quality water throughout the serv-ice area. ■

All the old rules regarding eligibility to serve on the Neighborhood AdvisoryCommittee, including requirements thatpersons live or work within the Neigh-borhood Planning Areas to qualify forappointment, have been suspended.Maybe permanently.

“What I want everyone to under-stand is that anyone living in MartinCounty can apply,” said Kevin Freeman,the county’s director of community de-velopment, at a recent workshop in PalmCity organized to explain the CRA’s newdirection. “The Community Redevelop-ment Agency (now comprising thecounty commissioners instead of a sepa-rate appointed, volunteer board) wantsto see who in the community is most in-terested in serving. Whether or not theylive within the planning area boundariesis something that the commissionersmay or may not consider when it comestime to make their appointments, so themessage here is, if you’re interested incommunity revitalization, then apply.”

The deadline for applications—orreapplication if a former NAC mem-ber—has been pushed to Friday, April12, to allow sufficient time for citizens tosubmit the form, which is downloadableat www.martincountycra.com, or pickone up in the lobby of the MartinCounty Administrative Center.

After the form is completed andsigned, it may be faxed to 772-419-6942,emailed to Donna Gordon at dgor-don@martin.fl.us, or dropped off at theAdministrative Center on MontereyRoad in Stuart by Friday. ■

The proposedchanges to Chapters 1, 2 and 4 of Martin County’s ComprehensiveGrowth Management Plan, being au-thored by former county commissionerMaggy Hurchalla in collaboration withthe Martin County Growth Manage-ment staff, got a green light from theLocal Planning Agency at its March 21meeting. The rewritten plan will pro-ceed to a public hearing April 18 beforethe Board of County Commissioners.

Among those who raised objectionsto the plan changes at the LPA meetigwere Morris Crady, a planner with Lu-cido & Associates in Stuart, who urgedthe planning agency to slow the process.“We’re doing this at warp speed,” Cradysaid, which could result in “unintendedconsequences” due to the lack of carefulconsideration of the proposed changes.

He urged the formation of a citizenadvisory committee, appointed by thecommission, to review the proposedchanges prior to adoption.

Hurchalla disagreed with Crady’s

observations recounting the number ofpublic workshops and public meetingsheld in December, February and March,as well as the input she’d received onthe comp plan’s website, which she feltindicated that the public had indeedtaken advantage of the opportunitiesavailed to them to comment.

At one of the public meetings inCommission chambers prior to the LPAhearing, another land planner, Ken Na-toli with Cuozzo Design Group, com-plained that the county and the compplan had “no vision,” and thereforewould wind up looking like U.S. 1. “Isthat really what we want,” he added.

Hurchalla invited Natoli to tell herhow to incorporate a long-range, plan-ning vision for more livable communi-ties and she would be glad to include it,she said. “But every time I hear thosewords,” she added, “it’s usually a devel-oper just wanting higher density.”

The major changes to the comp planbeing proposed include the requirementfor a “super majority” of at least fourvotes, instead of three, of the five com-missioners to approve any plans re-questing more than the four-story heightlimit, allowing more than 15 units peracre in any land use, expanding theurban services district, impacting the St.Lucie estuary, adversely affecting resi-dents’ water supply or flood protec-tions, changing wetlands protectionrequirements or waiving the require-ment that growth pay for itself.

The plan also revised its goals. Allother parts of the plan must be in align-ment with those goals, which placesconservation of natural resources andnatural communities as the highest pri-ority, as well as “prudent fiscal manage-ment.” Also, should any provisions ofthe plan conflict, then the more restric-tive would be applied.

Among those at the LPA hearingwith strong objections to passing thecomp plan changes were Ed and Julie

Preast of Rio, both long-time communityactivists, who reminded commissionersthat the revitalization plans developedby the Rio NAC in conjunction with theCommunity Development Departmentincludes a 20-acre parcel along the wa-terfront, which now has been cleared ofderelict buildings. New waterfrontshops and restaurants had been plannedto replace the buildings that had stoodon the property, but if the comp planchanges are approved with no excep-tions, she said, the 75’ setbacks would“gut” their plan and make redevelop-ment of that parcel impossible.

The next public hearing for Chapters1, 2 and 4 will be before the county com-mission Tuesday, April 18. To read therevisions in their entirety, go to:www.martincompplan.com, a websitecreated by Hurchalla as both public out-reach and to receive public comment. ■

The Witham Field airport tower is heading for closure. The latest date announced is June 15,giving Martin County a little more timeto decide its course: to go “towerless,”to charge landing fees of pilots using theairport, or to find another method offunding—but ad valorem taxes are notan option, according to the Board ofCounty Commissioners.

The closure is the result of the federalsequester, an agreement reached lastyear between the President and Con-gress to cut the federal deficit. TheWitham Field airport is among about140 small airports whose towersmanned by the Federal Aviation Author-ity are set to close. Commissionersdemonstrated no inclination to join alawsuit that has been filed by other air-ports at a cost of an estimated $100,000,

or to join a lawsuit as an intervenor,with legal fees of approximately $10,000.

“I have no desire to tussle with thegovernment,” said Commissioner EdFielding. Commissioner Doug Smith,short of joining a lawsuit, said he felt thatthe commission “should at least hold ourCongressional delegation account-able....make them explain this action.”

Some local pilots, including DocBuchanan of Stuart, a retired commer-cial pilot who owns his own smallplane, told the commissioners duringpublic comments that Witham Fielddoes not need a tower, which accordingto his calculations, averages one take-offor landing only once every 26 minutes,especially since all pilots are trainedhow to land without a tower and how tofly on instrumentation when visibility ispoor. Other pilots disagreed.

George Stokus, airport manager, saidthat other considerations are the flight pat-terns and choice of runways, which a localtower can control, since noise mitigationover residential areas is a Martin Countypriority. He said that not having a towerwill impact noise levels, as well as safety.

Stokus intends to organize a publicworkshop for local input April 111, andhe will contact FAA to confirm that itwill leave its equipment, if MartinCounty indicates that it will continuetower operations with its own funding.

“I certainly don’t want to buy radarequipment,” said Commission ChairSarah Heard.

Following the public workshop,Stokus will return to the commission witha report and his recommendations. ■

Sheriff William Snyder may havea difficult time getting residents to focuson the area’s pillowcase burglaries at thetown hall meetings he recently scheduledin April. Instead, the identity of an appar-ent sexual predator is taking priority, al-though the sheriff will continue to hostthe neighborhood meetings about theburglaries each week this month.

Residents are clamoring for a com-posite sketch of the suspect who al-legedly lured on Sunday a 10-year-oldgirl into the woods behind ManateeCreek Park of the Port Salerno area,where she’d been playing with her twoyounger siblings, ages 3 and 5. After thegirl followed the man, who told her heneeded help finding his lost dog, shewas sexually assaulted.

The suspect is described as a whiteman in his 20s, about 5 feet, 9 inches tallweighing about 150 pounds, with sandyblond hair styled in a buzz cut, wearinga blue- and white-striped shirt and abrace or cast on one hand. Detectiveshave been working with the girl and anadult who may have seen a man leavingthe woods to complete a sketch.

Sheriff Snyder will update the publicregarding the assault case, as well asdiscuss the county’s rash of pillowcaseburglaries, at public workshops from 6-8p.m. on April 11 at the Cummings Li-brary in Palm City; on April 16 at theHoke Library in Jensen Beach; and onApril 30 at the Pine School on FederalHighway in Hobe Sound. ■

continued from PAGE 3 How does a long-established, well-recognized 55+ retirement community lose its powerto enforce the minimum age requirementof its residents? When a judge studies theoriginal documents that created a manda-tory association of property owners anddetermines they were faulty.

In a ruling March 27 in favor of MarvaEvans of the Ridgeway community, CircuitJudge Lawrence M. Mirman said that theassociation had been incorporated in 1978by three lot owners, not the developers.

“It (the Ridgeway Property Owners As-sociation) lacks the power to require all lotowners to be members,” he wrote in thesummary judgment, “to fine non-mem-bers, to levy assessment on nonmembers,or to lien or foreclose on any lot owner.”

The judge also ruled that the accept-ance letters signed by new property own-ers when they purchased a lot in theRidgeway development recognizing andagreeing to abide by the 55+ requirementwere invalid, thus paving the way forEvans’ daughter, who is younger than 55, tolive in the community, which was the basis

of Evans’ lawsuit against the association.Following an emergency meeting of the

board members and many Ridgeway resi-dents the first week of April, the boardagreed that they would not file an appeal,and that they will “start from scratch” tocreate a new association, perhaps withmembership “tiers” that will regulate use oftheir clubhouse and small swimming pool.

“Ridgeway still is a great community,”says George Kleine, a Ridgeway residentand editor of The Ridgeway Reporter. “It’s thepeople who live here who make it so spe-cial. All we need to do is to reach out to ourneighbors and get to know them, and toshare our love of Ridgeway.”

Some residents also plan to demon-strate their intention to stay in Ridgewayby creating yard signs that proclaim “Thislot is NOT for sale.” ■

Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013 News Stream 5

Snorkelers, kayakers and boaters inthe Intracoastal Waterway atJupiter Sound will be notified

when the rocks start getting laid offshorethat their idyllic, natural spot is gone for-ever. The U.S. Bureau of Land Manage-ment apparently has won its battle toban all public access to the shorelineknown locally as Cato’s Bridge Beach.

Snorkeling in the clear turquoise wa-ters, which for generations has attractedlocals and visitors to the spot, will bepermitted, but there’s nowhere to an-chor a boat or beach a kayak.

After more than two years of publicprotest, the BLM, which recently ac-quired the former Coast Guard propertynear the Jupiter Inlet lighthouse—nowpart of the federally designated JupiterInlet Lighthouse Outstanding NaturalArea (JILONA)—and after filing a thirdpermit application in November 2012has been apparently successful in out-lasting public complaints. All indicatorsare that the permit will be granted, ac-cording to sources close to the project.

BLM’s field office manager for thesoutheastern states, Bruce Dawson,adopted what many considered to be“less than honorable” tactics, includingmaking public promises about therecreational component of the permitthat he later ignored, barring publiccomment at some meetings, namingunauthorized persons to the JILONAworking group (charged with oversightof the property) who were more sympa-thetic to his personal agenda than theoriginal named members, and, most re-cently, taking actions independent ofthe JILONA working group withouttheir knowledge or input.

Dawson filed BLM’s latest applica-tion after having withdrawn theagency’s application on two other occa-sions since June 2012. Most unsettling tomany Martin County residents wasDawson’s abrupt withdrawal of the per-mit application after the Florida Depart-ment of Environmental Protection hadreached a compromise design with thePalm Beach County Department of En-vironmental Resources Management(ERM), which had prepared and submit-ted the permit on BLM’s behalf.

The design would allow access to thebeach behind the rock breakwater andwould have included an additional lowwall to be constructed on state sub-merged land that would add stabiliza-tion and, because of an 8” cap on thewall, could be used as a resting benchfor paddlers.

The compromise design was in re-sponse to the volume of public protest atthe time that threatened to label the per-mit as one of Heightened Public Con-cern, requiring it to go before Florida’sgovernor and his cabinet officials to de-termine its outcome. The compromisewas reached June 26.

On July 18, Dawson withdrew thepermit, prior to presenting it to themembers of the JILONA working groupfor their consideration or input. He ob-jected then to both public access to theshore and to the low wall, which he saidwould draw more people to use the site.

Dawson said that the compromise vi-olated the tenets of the National Land-scape Conservation System, of whichJILONA is a part, to “protect, conserveand restore” the cultural and natural re-sources of the country’s exceptional nat-ural landscapes.

The low wall would have been con-structed below the mean high-waterline,which is the boundary of Florida’s sub-merged lands, but because of the mean-dering coastline, some of the wall wouldhave been constructed on federal prop-erty, giving Dawson authority to reject it.

A biologist in the Mississippi officeof BLM, Faye Winters, said that 645 feetof coastline nearest the bridge will re-main open and the rock breakwater willbe placed on 2,500 cubic yards of landfillfrom a future ICW maintenance projectto elevate the now-submerged shoreline,blocking all public access, and whichwill be planted with mangroves.

BLM also will construct a 3-tiered,vinyl sheet pile system for 705 feet of thehigh banks, where erosion is most evi-dent, as well as adding 560 feet of a sub-merged steel sheet pile in 13’ feet ofwater to support the back-fill and isolateit from the Intracoastal Waterway. ■

—Barbara Clowdus

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No qualifications for appoint-ment to the all-volunteerNeighborhood Advisory

Committees for each of MartinCounty’s seven historic areas were de-termined in advance of the countycalling for applications, and reapplica-tions to the NACs.

Those who had already been ap-pointed—some serving more than adecade, others not even meeting oncewith their committee—were notifiedby email in February that the NACs,as they currently existed, had been

disbanded and would be reorganized.Kevin Freeman, director of Martin

County’s Community DevelopmentDepartment, conducted workshopsthroughout March in each of the sevenhistoric areas to explain that the NACshad done nothing wrong.

“The Board of County Commis-sioners is re-evaluating, re-setting thewhole NAC/CRA structure,” Freemantold the Indiantown gathering. “Rightnow, nothing has been determined,even the number of members on thecommittees, is not set in stone. I can

only tell you that if you are interestedin your community, then apply.”

The shake-up, ordered by thecounty commissioners, began in No-vember 2012, following the election ofcommissioners John Haddox, District5 that includes Palm City and In-diantown, and Anne Scott, District 3that includes Hobe Sound and In-diantown, when the commission dis-banded the separate, all-volunteer,previously appointed Community Re-development Agency and appointedthemselves to serve in a dual role, as

both county commission and CRA, areturn to its historic structure.

The action was taken during itsfirst meeting as a new board.

The previous commission hadchanged the CRA about three yearsago to an independent agency ac-countable to the commission, its mem-bers appointed and with its ownbudget, but when the independentCRA was abolished, CommissionChair Sarah Heard said that the localNeighborhood Advisory Committeeswould not be affected.

Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 20136 Cover Story

For better, or worse?The revitalization of Martin County’s seven historic districts are definitely taking a new direction under the new Board of County Commissioners, but residents are asking: Will the results be better?

Residents dominate NAC membership

Senior managers of businesses who were not resi-dents, or did not own businesses or property withinthe Neighborhood Planning Areas were targeted by

County Commission Chair Sarah Heard as largely re-sponsible for what she said was the NACs’ emphasis onprojects that benefit businesses, rather than those pre-ferred by residents.

A check of county records, however, revealed that onlythree of the 53 members of the Neighborhood AdvisoryCommittees were senior managers of businesses, ratherthan residents, business or property owners.

The overwhelming majority, 42 members, were resi-dents living within the Neighborhood Planning Areaboundaries. Of those residents, nine owned additionalproperty (not their residences) within the boundaries,four owned businesses, and five residents also owned abusiness and additional property within the CRA.

Five were not residents within the planning areas, butowned their own businesses within the boundary limits,two of whom were members of the Port Salerno NAC,one in Hobe Sound and one was in Jensen Beach.

One member of the Golden Gate NAC owned property,but was not a resident and did not own a business there.

The three senior managers served on the NACS forPalm City, Jensen Beach or Golden Gate, and the revital-ization projects in all three neighborhoods have been re-cent targets of criticism. ■

—Barbara Clowdus

Neighborhood Planning Areas targeted for Community Revitalization

Less than two months later, allNAC meetings also were suspendedwithout explanation, and the formermembers were told that they mustreapply for membership on their re-spective planning committees—evenif they had just been appointed, ashad Bruce Dawson, a business ownerwithin the Hobe Sound planningarea, and Angela Hoffman, executivedirector of the Hobe Sound Chamberof Commerce and a resident withinthe neighborhood planning area.Hoffman reapplied; Dawson said thathe will not.

The commission had alreadypassed an ordinance earlier in the yearlimiting NAC membership to onlyfive members, a fewer number thanany of the current committees. Rio,Palm City and Indiantown NACs allhad nine members; Port Salerno hadeight; Jensen Beach and Hobe Soundhad seven, and Golden Gate had six.

The number of volunteers servingon each committee turned out to beless an issue than who should be ap-pointed. In some of the workshops,particularly Hobe Sound, Palm Cityand Jensen Beach, criticism surfacedthat the projects had been too heavilyinfluenced by business interests.

“I know you don’t want to hearthis, but the word on the street,” saidCommissioner John Haddox to thePalm City workshop of about 30 resi-dents, “is that the projects are notwhat residents want—they are whatthe Mapp Road businesses want.”

The same perception was echoed atthe Hobe Sound meeting by residentSally Schwartz, even though six of theseven Hobe Sound NAC memberswere residents within the CRA bound-aries as the plans for the Bridge Roadrevitalization project were developed.

Previously applicants needed to beeither residents of or own a businessor property within or contiguous tothe Neighborhood Planning Areas inorder to be considered for appoint-ment. Now, no such rules exist.

Freeman told the Hobe Soundgathering of about 35 residents, whichwas also attended by CommissionerAnne Scott for about an hour, that thecommissioners will be evaluating theapplications they receive, includingthe number that come in very eacharea, and that they have instructed

Freeman to report also the feedbackfrom each community.

It appears, Freeman added, that theNACs are favoring five members withtwo alternates, with perhaps an equaldivision between residents and busi-ness owners. Commissioners seemalso to be ooking for a wider represen-tation of interests within each commu-nity, not limiting membership to onlythose within the CRA.

Kathy Spurgeon, a community ac-tivist and resident of Hobe Sound, ob-jected to the idea.

“If we’re going to be taking onprojects that increase the value of ourproperties.” she said, “so then we payhigher taxes, which is what we wantbecause then there’s more moneycoming back to us to improve ourcommunity even more, then the stake-holders, the ones paying those highertaxes, should be the only ones on thecommittee.”

Residents have asked for monthlymeetings with staff, rather than quar-terly, and that the commissioners con-sider meeting as the CRA in theevenings on a set day each month inorder to facilitate public participation.Most of the NACs complained aboutpoor communication, and that manyof them are unaware of when NACmeetings are held.

Many of the NAC members ex-pressed surprise and disappointmentat the proposed changes. One PortSalerno resident said, “If it’s notbroke, leave it alone.”

Following the close of the Hobe

Sound workshop, Gretchen Reich, aHobe Sound resident who had been amember of the NAC for more than 10years, participating in the NOW Vi-sioning process and all the localcharettes, said, “I’m totally confused. Ireally thought this was working betterthan it ever had.” ■

—Barbara Clowdus

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Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013 Cover Story 7

Kevin Freeman, director of Martin County's Community Development Department, traveled to allseven of Martin County's historic districts in March to conduct NAC workshops, as he is here inHobe Sound at the Hobe Sound Community Center.

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990 Old Dixie Highway, Suite 2Lake Park, FL 33403

www.sosfl.net

The Hunters GrillGreat food, drinks, and service in an

elegant, friendly atmosphere!

The Hunters Grill, in the Seabranch Shopping Plaza on U.S. Route One in Hobe Sound, offers the ideal setting for any occasion, from birthdays to

business. Their menu boasts hand-cut steaks, fresh seafood and salads and

much more. You will always find something new at The Hunters Grill with specials that change regularly,

ensuring you the finest and the freshest in dining selections.

Monday - Friday 11am to 9pmSaturday & Sunday 3pm to 9pm

We accept reservations, but walk-ins are always welcome.

772-210-2350

Vijay Mehra5687 SE Crooked Oak Avenue

Hobe Sound

The endearing faces of dogs, catsand kittens, as well as magnifi-cent Florida landscapes on an

array of auction items at CaribbeanNight at Taste restaurant served as sub-tle reminders that the fundraiser was tobenefit the Caring Fields Animal Sanctu-ary in Palm City.

As if anyone could forget with Bar-bara Birdsey in the room, founder ofThe Pegasus Foundation, an interna-tional non-profit organization commit-ted to animal protection, environmentalpreservation and public education in theU.S., the Caribbean and Kenya. Pegasusowns and manages Caring Fields.

“Caring Fields is such an incredibleplace,” said Kathleen Radway of EliteSalon & Gallery in Hobe Sound, whoagain helped to organize the fundraiserfor the fourth, consecutive year. “It’ssuch a special place for animals, unlikeprobably anywhere else you could find.I always feel privileged to help.”

Radway reiterated what many gath-ered in the popular Hobe Sound restau-rant were saying. Caring Fields is unique.

Housed on the 23-acre farm are fournon-profit organizations united with thesingle goal of protecting both domestic

and wild creatures and their habitats, in-cluding the Hobe Sound Animal Protec-tion League, the Equine Rescue andAdoption Foundation, the Charles andBarbara Birdsey Education Center andthe Treasured Lands Foundation.

The site of a large barn and severalcat “condominiums,” Caring Fields pro-vides a safe place for the rescue, rehabil-itation and re-homing of equines andcats—even if they are feral cats and oldhorses with no chance of adoption—sothey can live out their lives in peace andsafety. Currently about 150 cats live atCaring Fields, and dozens of horseshave gone through the facility, but Car-ing Fields does not end its efforts withanimal rescue alone.

The Charles and Barbara Birdsey Ed-ucation Center, dedicated to promotinga more compassionate world througheducation, has developed educationalprograms for children, as well as aspeakers bureau for adult groups, andTreasured Lands, Martin County’s pre-miere land trust, stages environmentaland educational programs on the prem-ises as it works with landowners to pre-serve conservation lands.

Local artists and artisans contributed

their artwork, as well as local businessesand residents who contributed a varietyof items valued at thousands of dollarsto the silent auction, which broughtsome lively, last-minute bidding.

“Each year this gets bigger and bet-ter,” said Suzanne Briley, who contributedtwo of her paintings to the auction. “Isn’tit just like Hobe Sound to open its heartsand wallets like this for such a goodcause? And having good food like thishelps bring people in, too.” ■

Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013 Lifestyle 9

T H E A R E A ' S B E S T C O M M U N I T Y T H E A T R E

TWO SHOWS REMAIN IN THE 2013 SEASON

TICKETS ONLY $20

Shows are 8pm Wed-Sat nights

and 2pm Sundays.

Purchase online at www.barn-theatre.com

or call 772-287-4884(Tickets may also be purchased at the box office Mon-Thurs noon-4pm and

1 hour prior to performances.)

2400 SE OCEAN BLVD, STUART

A special night for a special place

Karen and Craig Kingston, owners of Taste,hosted Caribbean Night for the fourth consecutive year.

The buffet line was long as diners sampled a little baked ham, some jerk chicken, Caribbean porkand/or coconut shrimp, along with fried plantains and fresh green beans. Scrumptious!

More than 30 auction items enticed diners away from their tables to contemplate their bids.

A member of the board of the directors of the Treasured LandsFoundation, Jeff Wittman, with Barbara Birdsey, center, of the Pegasus Foundation, and Rikki Klaus, of Upstairs Communications.

Hobe Sound's reggae king, DJ Lenkey Paul,kept the Caribbean flavor true....until heswitched to a little Frank Sinatra.

Many HobeSound Cham-ber of Com-

merce members left theirMarch breakfast meetingat the Hobe Sound BibleCollege slightly shell-shocked. Guest speakerDr. Edith Widder, leadscientist and chief execu-tive officer of the OceanResearch and Conserva-tion Alliance in Ft.Pierce, had just painteda graphic picture withphotos and maps of thedire condition of the156-mile Indian RiverLagoon, revealing that the northern por-tion of the lagoon that lies in IndianRiver County had lost 32,000 acres ofseagrass beds.

“That’s like losing a rain forest,” shesaid, “and the seagrass died all the wayto the rhizomes, the roots, and we’re noteven sure exactly why.”

Long recognized for its biological di-versity, the Indian River also contributes$3.7 billion a year to the state’s economy,Widder said. “So there’s more than onereason to be concerned about the poten-tial loss of this lagoon.”

In spite of the gloomy picture the

world-renowned scien-tist painted in her Pow-erPoint presentation,she also told the groupof local business menand women that thekey to changing theriver’s decline lies inthe next generation,“the optimists.”

Toward that end,she is working withhigh school teens tosample and test the la-goon’s sediment,which retains toxins.Widder and her teamhave developed equip-

ment and methods that utilize her re-search in bioluminescence to detectpollution and its sources by creating atoxicity map, similar to weather maps,and Kilroys, which provide the neces-sary data, such as water depth, direc-tion and flow speed, to pinpoint thesource of pollution.

The only element lacking are thefunds to complete the toxicity map ofthe Indian River Lagoon, essential tosaving it. And a large dose of optimism.

For more information about Wid-der’s research and her work, or make adonation, go to www.teamorca.org. ■

Scientist sounds the alarm

ORCA's Dr. Edith Widder from Ft. Pierce

Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013 Lifestyle 11

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12 Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013Business Spotlight

The Hunter’s Grill, a new restaurant in the Seabranch Square shopping plaza on Federal Highway in Hobe Sound.

Vijay Mehra, proprietor of the elegant new Hobe Sound restaurant, The Hunter’s Grill. Vijay Mehra, proprietor of the elegant new Hobe Sound restaurant, The Hunter’s Grill.

Eatery opens in Seabranch

No business has been more wel-come than has The Hunter’s Grill in the Seabranch Shopping

Center at the intersection of Seabranch Blvd. and Federal Highway in north Hobe Sound.

“Every shopping center needs to have an anchor, something to draw people in, and a restaurant does just that,” says Tony Sementelli, owner of the Seabranch ShipCenter, who also chose the Seabranch location just a few months ago to open the second of his pack-and-ship centers.

He thinks the new restaurant will boost everyone’s business in the shop-ping plaza, “because the restaurant’s parking lot is always full, which is a good sign.”

Another cheerleader for the new res-taurant is Dan Hulen, president of the Hobe Sound Chamber of Commerce. “The food, I think, is just exceptional.

“You can tell all the food is really fresh, and the prices are reasonable, I think.”

-taurants,” he says, with a grin and a shake of his head, “but that was 30 years ago. When you’re young, you have lots of energy for those things.”

When he retired to Florida, he became bored.

“I just like this business,” he says. “I like having a restaurant, pleasing my customers, and always thinking of new additions to the menu.”

menu is determined by what is easily ob-tainable and freshest, and it will change four times a year, just as the seasons change, providing variety and new sur-prises. The servings are generous. The shrimp dishes are luscious. The steaks and chops are tender. The fried group-er is the crispiest ever, and diners may choose from a sophisticated wine list.

“Soon, we’ll also have our liquor li-

the opportunity to have your favorite mixed drink with dinner, as well.”

Diners also may choose to dine inside -

pleted renovation of an adjoining space

which will be equipped with all the equipment required for PowerPoint presentations.

“It’s the perfect place for large groups, including the Chamber of Commerce,” he tells Hulen, punctuated by a grin.

The deep greens and reds of its elegant décor with fox hunting paintings on the walls, crisp white tablecloths and fresh

background for a meeting of two minds or a gathering of dozens.

Reservations are not required, but are suggested for weekend evenings.

to 9 p.m, and 3-9 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

13Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013 Business Buzz

A booming “Hi there. How’re ya doin’?” greets all customers at Tri-County Mobile Home Supplies as they walk through the door of the shop in the Palm Square Shopping Plaza on US 1 in south Stuart. When they leave, regardless of the reason that brought them to the specialty store, owner Tony DeLorenzo

And he means it.A charter member of the Hobe Sound/

Port Salerno Rotary Club, DeLorenzo has long lived his life in service to others, and

his family second, and his work third, but running the store, as it turns out, is more than just work, too.

store here in this same location in De-

strip mall south of Wal-Mart, near nu-merous mobile home communities, but during the economic bust of 2007, it be-came evident that the store would not support two families.

business and go do something else,

cancer struck his partner’s family, and in-creasingly his partner was unable to take care of the store.

Thursday, and on Fridays, he opens and closes an hour later, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., to accommodate his early-morning Rotary

he reserves for family and for worship. He recognizes, though, that since his store is the only mobile home parts supply in the county, that having regular hours and be-ing open every weekday is important.

home, so in order to replace or repair anything, you’ve got to come to a store like this—you can’t get your supplies by running down to the big box store. We stock a lot of parts here, but if there’s something you need we don’t have, we

He also has developed relationships with tradesmen such as plumbers, roofers, and carpenters about whom he feels con-

that’s just as important as selling some-

Tri-County Mobile Home Supplies is

You also can reach DeLorenzo by email: tricountymhs44@gmail.com.

More than 60 Hobe Sound businesses were visited over three days’ time in March by the Martin County Business De-

-

-

Beach, Stuart, Palm City and Port Salerno.

these small businesses information that will help them either stay in the county,

The BDB contract with the county,

the Martin County Commission for its apparent lack of performance standards,

businesses and providing them resourc-

their retail sales outside of Martin Coun-ty. The purpose is to build a broader tax base, provide additional jobs for local residents, and to bring additional rev-enue into Martin County.

-

bit out of the realm of our services, but we do have the resources to assist them

been doing this for years...if a restaurant or business has called, we’d help them,

Now, they intend to do just that—with-out abandoning their core mission—as they spend the next few weeks gathering pertinent information regarding the coun-ty’s small businesses, which have been

-tion survey and return it to the BDB.

at more festivals and other public events,

Krumbcakes Bakery & Café in the Winn-Dixie Shopping Plaza on

in March, but the Catrini family who owns the popular eatery says they will reopen...probably in about a month.

Half a dozen Martin County Fire Res-cue units responded to a phone call from the business next door, Mr. Mailbox Pack

and Ship, that she could smell smoke, and since the business was closed, the units had to break into the bakery. The ceiling sprinklers had activated by the

A Martin County ladder truck was put

-lookers to the plaza—and the smoke was removed, allowing the family to check the damage. Their life-time collection of cook-

in an electrical outlet, then traveled down

menus and cookbooks. The cause of the

When you walk into the Burger Shack

in Hobe Sound, the only thing missing is Beach Boys music playing in the back-ground. With its upbeat, happy ambi-ance, the new décor matches owner Ray

-

that’s all window dressing. The real test lies in taste, and their burgers and fries do not disappoint.

shakes—almost a meal by itself—and fountain sodas that include birch beer.

-dinary burger into a Shack Burger, has a

hot dog, served on a toasted potato bun

sweet cravings, you can get ice cream

are from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Call for take-out orders: 772-

Hobe Sound Chamber President

Dan Hulen was named to Vantiv’s 2012 President’s Cup, awarded for outstand-ing sales performance. This is the third consecutive year Hulen has taken the company’s top honor.

-

of payment processing and technology -

stitutions of all sizes in the U.S., enabling them to address their payment process-ing needs through a single provider.

Hobe Sound Chamber of Commerce has

Hulen said at a recent Chamber gather-

people, representing an enormous array of business interests, who work really hard to help you network and make the contacts you need to grow your own busi-

Cottage Caché, a home décor and specialty children’s boutique on Dixie Highway in Hobe Sound, is moving to

décor for your home at some really great

Naylor says that a woman who owns a

next to the Courtyard Grill, so watch for the May issue of Currents for more in-formation.

H. Allen Holmes, Inc., of Hobe Sound, and the regional Sub Zero-Wolf 2012 Kitchen Design Competition on March 21 in Ft. Lauderdale. There were 127 entries and the top three regional winners travel next to Madison, Wisc., in May to compete for international recognition.

Tony DeLorenzo, owner of Tri-County Mobile

Wednesday, April 10iTown Business ExpoThe 3rd Annual iTown BusinessExpo, hosted by the IndiantownChamber of Commerce, will be atthe Shaw Recreation Hall at the In-diantown Golf and Country Clubfrom 4-7 p.m. Admission is free, andrefreshments will be served. Guestspeaker is Dr. Christopher Rao,board certified in family medicinefrom Well-Med in south Stuart. Formore info, contact the iTown Cham-ber office at 772-597-2184.

Wednesday, April 10Young Artists Exhibit Opens

The work of young artists from Crys-tal Lakes Elementary and AndersonMiddle schools will be featured atthe Children’s Services Council, 101S.E. Central Parkway in Stuartthrough July; however, the openingreception for artists will be April 10from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., which is freeand open to the public. Enjoy re-freshments and listen to classicalguitar by Taafkab Etalia and JoetteGiorgis. For more information: 772-288-5758, ext. 102.

Saturday, April 13Earth Fest @ The Children’s MuseumCelebrate the Earth with a familyfestival consisting of pony rides,bounce houses, petting zoo, arts &crafts and so much more at the Chil-dren’s Museum of the TreasureCoast at Indian Riverside Park inJensen Beach from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Admission is $3 per person, and nocharge for children under one.For more info, call 772-225-7575.

Saturday, April 13International Wine TastingHelping People Succeed’s an-nual Taste of Success Interna-tional Wine Tasting will take ona new look this year, thanks toRenato’s Italian Ristorante andIan’s Tropical Grill. Thefundraising event will be Satur-day, April 13, from 6 to 9 p.m. atHarbour Bay Plaza in Sewall’sPoint. Admission is $60 per per-son in advance and $75 at thedoor. VIP tickets are $125 in ad-vance and $150 at the door. Theevening will include live enter-tainment, a silent auction, anArt for Autism exhibit and sale.Guests will also have an opportunity to win an exquisite piece of jewelrydonated by Jewelry Design Studio. Tickets are available online. For additional information, contact JenniferAhern at 772-320-0781 or email jahern@hpsfl.org.

Weekend, April 12-14Peter Pan (P)

Fly away to Never-land right here in TheBorland Center for thePerforming Arts, 4885PGA Blvd in PalmBeach Gardens, afterPeter Pan and his mis-chievous fairy side-kick, Tinkerbell, visitthe nursery of Wendy,Michael, & John Dar-ling. With a sprinkleof pixie dust, PeterPan and his newfriends fly out of thenursery, over Londonand on to Never-Never Land. Showtimes are Friday, April12, at 7pm; April 13 at2pm & 7pm, and Sun-day, April 14 at 3 p.m.Tickets are $25, and$20 for students. Toorder tickets, go to

www.showtix4u.com or call 561-339-4687. or visit www.theborlandcen-ter.org for more information.

Tuesday, April 16Teen Blackout Poetry Teens celebrate the art of “Creative Destruction and Blackout Poetry” at 6p.m. on Tuesday, April 16, at the Hobe Sound Public Library on FederalHighway. Using books and paint, Blackout Poetry involves creatingunique poems, sentences or phrases by blacking out the words that arenot needed. The event is part of National Library Week and is free andopen to teens. No registration required. To learn more about National Li-brary Week events or the Martin County Library System, pick up a Li-brary Connection at any Martin County library, visitwww.library.martin.fl.us or call 772-221-1403.

Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013What ’n Where14

April 18Deadline for Pegasusnominations

For the first time in Florida, the internationalPegasus Foundation, with an office in HobeSound, is asking the public for nominationsof individuals on the Treasure Coast whoquietly dedicate time to benefit animals.Committed to wildlife advocacy and animalwelfare, The Pegasus Foundation is direct-ing the public to its Facebook page (Face-book/ThePegasusFoundation.com) to makenominations by April 18. Categories include“Helping Abused Animals,” “Aiding Aban-doned Cats,” “Journalist for Animals,”“Friend of Wildlife,” “Artist for Animals”and “Senior Caregiver.”On April 25, the winners will be recognizedat The Pegasus Foundation awards cere-mony, at 6 p.m. at the Flagler Center indowntown Stuart. Contact Susan Harg-reaves at 561-236-8843 or kind2all@bell-south.net with questions.

Weekend, April 19-21Stuart Sailfish Regatta

The Stuart Sailfish Regatta on the StuartCauseway at the intersection of East OceanBlvd. and Sewalls Point Road, right next tothe Marriott on Hutchinson Island in Stuart,offers spectators an up-close look at theadrenaline-pumping sport of powerboat rac-ing. Like NASCAR on water, the Regattashowcases tricked-out super boats craftedwith the latest technological expertise andhelmed by drivers who must make split-sec-ond decisions as they navigate a challengingcourse winding throughout the Indian RiverLagoon. Spectators enjoy live music, kids’activities, vendors and more throughout thethree-day event, which also celebrates an-tique and classic watercraft. In addition, thehigh-performance racing vessels will be ondisplay in the dry pit area all weekend long.Tickets range from $10 to $50. For more in-formation visit www.sailfishregatta.org.

Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013 What ’n Where 15

Saturday, April 20Relay for LifeThe American Cancer Society Relay for Lifein Hobe Sound reports that already 17teams with 160 participants have signed upfor the walk that will begin at noon Satur-day, April 20, in front of the Hobe SoundChamber of Commerce building at 11954SE Dixie Highway. It’s not too late to takepart in the battle for life against this dis-ease. If you are interested in sponsorship orteam development for the Relay for Life inHobe Sound, call Charlene Oakowsky at772-932-7056.

Saturday, April 20Fish Earth Day

Celebrate theEarth at the HobeSound NatureCenter with the“Hook Kids onFishing Clinic,”co-sponsored byAnglers for Con-servation, from 9-11 a.m. Thisprogram is open

to all kids ages 5-14 (with a parent) andreservations are REQUIRED. Students willlearn fishing basics from local experts oncasting, knot tying, fishing safety, and ma-rine conservation techniques. The mini-lessons will be followed by participantsheading down to the Indian River to puttheir new-found skills to the test. Afterlunch (bring your own), at 1 p.m., partici-pants can explore the sea grass communitywith hand nets and seine in the IndianRiver Lagoon. Participants will catch smallmarine animals such as shrimp, crabs, andfish, and learn about creatures that dependon the lagoon for their survival. Reserva-tions for this popular get-wet activity alsoare REQUIRED. It is fun for adults, as wellas kids age 4 and up.

Weekend, April 27-28Downtown Stuart Craft FairThe 16th Annual Downtown Stuart Craft Fair will be set up along Osce-ola Street in Stuart’s historic downtown area from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. bothdays. This event brings together some of the best crafters in the nationwith paintings, wooden sculptures, ceramics, one-of-a-kind jewelry,handmade baskets and much, much more. An expansive Green Marketcomplements the weekend with plants, orchids, tangy BBQ sauces, andhomemade soaps. Free admission.

Tuesday, April 23Stories of Florida’s 500 Years

The public is invited to celebrate 500 years of Florida history and the an-niversary of Ponce de Leon’s expedition to Florida with a special presen-tation by the members of the Hobe Sound Toastmasters Club on Tuesday,April 23, from 7-9 p.m. at the Schmul Dining Hall of the Hobe SoundBible College on Gomez Ave. Guest speaker will be Kathy Spurgeon ofHobe Sound. Refreshments will be served, and attendees are encouragedto wear a costume depicting any era of Florida history. (Word is out thata Fountain of Youth also will be sighted.) No charge for admission, butreservations are requested and may be made by emailing jotten@hobe-sound.org, or calling 772.546.4724.

Wed-Thurs, April 24-2550 Shades! The Musical!

The hilarious parodyof the Fifty Shades ofGrey best-selling novelhas played to sold-outaudiences in Chicagoand New York, andwill be at The Lyric inStuart on Wednesday,April 24, for perform-ances at 4 p.m. and at7 p.m., and on Thurs-day, April 25, at 7 p.m.50 Shades! The Musicalopens with a ladiesbook club deciding toread Fifty Shades of

Grey. Through their interpretation of the novel, the audience is led on anuproarious roller coaster ride of this unlikely bestseller. The show is fullof dance numbers, and original songs delivered by an outrageous castwith a live, on-stage band. This production contains adult language andadult content. For tickets, go to www.lyrictheatre.com.

Saturday, May 18Murder at the ApolloThe Apollo School Foundation

brings Las Vegas’ number-one

dinner show, Marriage can be

Murder, to Hobe Sound for a one-

time LIVE performance of “Mur-

der at the Apollo” at St.

Christopher Parish Hall on Satur-

day, May 18, at 7:30 pm. “You

will not want to miss this,” says

ApolloSchool Foundation Presi-

dent Kathy Spurgeon. “Our home-

town is hosting Las Vegas!”

Marriage can be Murder, the

longest running dinner show on

the Las Vegas strip, is a multi-

award winning show, the Las

Vegas Review Journal’s 2013

pick for BEST DINNER SHOW.

The two-hour comedy/murder

mystery performance will include

interactiveaudience participa-

tion, unsuspecting guests, a live

Facebook party, and a three-

course catered meal paired with

Kendall Jackson wines. A raffle

with exciting prizes, including a

trip to Las Vegas, will be held.

Tickets include the meal, show,

dessert and wine and pricing be-

gins at $100. A $250 Vegas-VIP

ticket will get you backstage with

the cast, a special autographed

souvenir, and entry into the raf-

fle. Feeling like you want to im-

press your friends or have a claim

to fame that you’ve been a star in

a Vegas show? For a tax-de-

ductible donation of $1,000 or

more, and sworn secrecy, you

could be written into the cast!

Group pricing, special occasion

packages, sponsorships, and

round-table purchase prices are

available. Doors will open at 7pm

with the show starting at 7:30,

but arrive early. The mystery

starts upon your arrival. For more

information and to reserve a lim-

ited ticket, contact Suellen Mill-

roy at 772-485-6070 or e-mail:

apolloschoolfoundation@aol.com

Voices16

Disappointed at commission directionEDITORIAL:

Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013

GUEST OPINIONIndividual needs of each NAC should be considered

Dear Commissioners,

I participated actively and produc-tively in the Hobe Sound Community Redevelopment planning process as a member of the public, and as a mem-ber and then Chair of the Hobe Sound

ten years. I served on the NAC under two or three successive members of the County Commission, who then acted as the Board of the Community Redevel-opment Agency, and worked with a re-

County Commission meeting, at which you discussed potential changes to the eligibility standards for serving on an NAC, and I am writing today to share some of my opinions on that topic.

Martin County’s Community Rede-

others, because the program encom-

planning areas, whereas most CRAs are formed to address one area within a local municipality. Thus, comparisons to how other CRAs structure their NACs are not necessarily relevant. Please consider the needs of each of the Martin County Com-munity Redevelopment planning areas in discussing this topic. The NACs provide local community input to the CRA Board.

-

ing stated they thought that some NAC members should not be allowed

interest as the owners of property or businesses within the planning area,

owns property or a business in the plan-ning area is a stakeholder, and anyone who acts to implement a portion of the plan by improving or redeveloping a property is a contributor. Main Street coalitions or Neighborhood Associa-tions that succeed do so because they are comprised of stakeholders and contribu-tors. Encouraging active participation by stakeholders and contributors makes sense. I am a property owner in the Hobe Sound planning area, and I have reaped the rewards of service on the Hobe Sound NAC from improvements and continuing long range planning that

enjoyment of our community. Many of the NAC members who serve are moti-vated by those same non-monetary goals.

said that the NACs were created to for-mulate the Community Redevelopment Plans, but now those plans are complete. Please realize that was a misleading statement. The Community Redevelop-ment Agency formed Neighborhood

and aid in implementation of the Commu-nity Redevelopment Plans. Aiding in implementation is a continuing process that includes soliciting input from area residents and businesses and coordina-tion with public and private entities to

suggested that the NACs should include people who don’t live or work inside a particular NAC’s planning area, be-cause the commenter felt they had no say in what was decided by the NAC. I completely disagree with the sugges-

to the public, and public participation is encouraged. Anybody can speak on any relevant topic at any NAC meeting. Sec-ond, the NACs are only advisory com-

who disagrees with an NAC’s advice is free to voice their opinion to the CRA

-gibility to include people who don’t live or work inside a particular NAC’s plan-ning area would be cumbersome at least, because a line would need to be drawn somewhere, and more importantly, do-ing so would be counter to the intent of the NAC’s localized representation.

The topic of whether Martin Count residency should be a require-ment of NAC eligibility was raised. I agree - that should be a requirement.

that could comprise an NAC was dis-

nine, and some NACs have a hard time

NAC members are intended to be “Vi-sion Keepers” of the Plan, and to serve a conduit to help build consensus within the community, so broad, rather than limited, participation should be a goal.

If an NAC is allowed to have nine

members, but only seven volunteer to serve, there is no harm done, be-cause a quorum will still consist of one-half. Please let the NACs so-licit as many members as they like.

I understand the current NAC mem-bers, many of whom have served dili-gently as volunteers for years, have been told that they will need to re-apply if they wish to continue serving their communities. NAC members volun-teer to serve for a set number of years.

Arbitrarily commuting their term so that the current Commission can decide whether they like them or not, in the

for eligibility to serve is, in my opinion, an insult to the NAC members. The cur-rent NAC members should be allowed to serve, and thanked for their service, until the end of their current terms, with future applications or re-applications re-viewed under then-current standards.

Last but not least, as an additional note, if you really want to prevent con-fusing the public even more about this valuable process, please stop referring to the Community Redevelopment plan-ning areas as “CRA”s, and stop referring to the NAC as “the Board.” The CRA is the Community Redevelopment Agency. The members of the CRA are the Board

and the Community Redevelopment planning areas are Planning Areas.

Thank you for this opportunity to provide input,

Hobe Sound

Perhaps because we associate envi-ronmental protection with nobil-

“new” Martin County commission to fol-

not. We’re disappointed, and here’s why:-

vious commission for not following the Comprehensive Growth Management

this commission chose conveniently not to do so. It was all too easy for them to justify ignoring it, because to follow the Comp

the developer, St. Lucie Partners. Ah, so THAT’s the criterion? It should not be so.

We also were surprised...and disap-pointed...that a project, which had been in the making and in the public eye for a decade, funded by grants already awarded, suddenly was removed from the county’s Capital Improvements Plan with no notice and no public hearing.

--

while project is not the point. The course of action the commission chose counters the claim that this commission will treat

issue only in an honorable, above-

board manner. Obviously, it depends on the issue.

We also were disappointed by the com-mission chair, Sarah Heard, when she add-ed her own agenda item at the last minute,

-

Club had entered its development contract -

pecting to be able to vote on the issue with-out recusing herself.

-cated her, but her zealousness lacked com-mon sense, fair play and due process.

-cades ago, could still be considered a natu-rally occurring creek as it ran by the spoil

-cal education, particularly of lawn mainte-nance crews and homeowners.

Promoting “best practices” for lawn-care would have a far greater impact on the health of the St. Lucie estuary than pre-

two additional houses on their island.We also feel that it’s unnecessary and

counter-productive to treat every devel-

oper, every builder -- even citizens who disagree with you -- as enemies. We had

-ters communication and cooperation, by disagreeing with dignity and respect.

diligently as the Community Redevelop-ment Agency to members of their own

particularly from Commissioner Heard. It just is unnecessary and embarrassing.

We also were disappointed at the most recent decision not to follow through with the purchase -- below appraised value through CRA funds collected only from Rio residents -- of the Rio Village Mobile Home Park, at the entrance to the historic commu-nity’s much-anticipated Town Center.

We were forewarned by Commissioner -

that plan to purchase what had been once a derelict piece of property, because he said--speaking just generally--that the county will not purchase property--that it should fund only infrastructure, sewer and roads.

His tenure thus far had been marked by a willingness to listen to residents--so

refreshing to see. This time, however, he turned a deaf ear to the citizens of Rio.

ear recently, particularly with the disman-tling of the Neighborhood Advisory Com-

-proportionately to residents, not business owners or senior managers, as Commis-sioner Heard repeatedly charges.

She has demonstrated that if you repeat -

ers will begin to see it as fact. She even has convinced herself, we think.

This kind of “leadership,” shrouded in hypocrisy, has been embarrassingly put on display prominently on the front pages of

with her front-and-center presence at two highly publicized ribbon-cut-tings: last month with -

Technology, and last year, for the highly

of which she fought against, both of which she called “colossal” wastes of money.

Maybe she does not know that citizens can see right through that hypocrisy shrug draped over her smartly tailored clothes.

Perhaps someone should tell her.

17Voices

Aiding and abetting adultery?

For those who don’t believe it’s true

Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013

Barbara Clowdus

Unfi ltered

Gordon Barlow

Outside,Looking InPublisher and Editor Barbara Clowdus Printer Southeast Off set Inc Delivery & Distribution WKC Deliveries LLCHobe Sound Currents, published month-

editor@hscurrents.com

772.245.6564

The New Hebrides (now the in-dependent nation of Vanuatu, where we lived 1972-75) was an

Anglo-French condominium in the Pa-

one called Nouvelles Hebrides, to the French. It had a bizarre constitutional

in its history as a European protectorate.

control of the European empires of the day, plus the USA. The native peoples of Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia had no weapons to match those of the Western powers, who simply divvied up the territories among themselves.

France claimed New Caledonia,

region; they also didn’t want the Islands themselves. The logical thing to do would have been to split the entire archipelago down the middle; but logic has never featured strongly in Anglo-French intercourse over the centuries. What they did was agree to run the Islands jointly, as a “condominium”. Everybody called it a pandemonium.

The

two legal Codes, one for each set in its own language. Expats of other nationalities were obliged to choose which Code they would be bound by. Additionally, there was a Condominium Code, applicable to

foreigners, and all natives.

A fourth collection of rules comprised a Native Code that applied to all natives and all native-white

Condominium code) in both English and French, by a printer in Montreal. The translations did not always

c’est la vie, of course.

that the natives had to cope with, and that was their own “Custom Law”, analogous to England’s Common Law.

among expats. It didn’t vary much

seventy Melanesian and four Polynesian languages spoken in the archipelago

some scope for disagreement.

Islands’ constitutional laws, Custom Law excluded. I was intrigued by one odd law in the Native Code that prescribed six months in prison for

adultery”. The mind boggled. Surely

that the European powers were trying to

me, amused by my indignation. Marriage was taken very seriously

by the Melanesians, newly converted to

of the young bachelors did not always resist the temptation to seduce married women, when the opportunity arose.

An unfaithful wife would be beaten by her husband; Custom Law allowed

killed by the husband; Custom Law

forbade murder, and it took precedence over Custom Law. Hmmm. How could

The chiefs came in a delegation to the European administrators. If the white rulers really wanted to be helpful and stop the killings, would they please amend their Native Code and outlaw

penalty of six months in jail, to allow tempers to cool. Well, what a good idea! We’ll do it right away! However...

would catch an erring wife, but not her unmarried paramour.

not the most elegant of terms, but it did the trick.

Yep, Hobe Sound Currents is back in production. Yes, it’s here to stay a while longer. And, yes, I

thought seriously about just rolling up the carpet, packing up the camper, and

An unforeseen, unpredictable vortex

beginning to cave in throughout the Murphy house I was renting, and I’d need to get completely out of the way to do it, she said. I had to move.

are daunting, but I planned to move into my deceased brother’s trailer, uh, mobile home that’s not mobile anymore, which I knew would cause abject trauma to all my systems and senses.

He had been a hoarder, not like those exploited on TV reality shows--he did not keep organic material that could decompose in the corners of his bedroom--he kept only those things/items/junk that he thought at some time, somehow, somewhere might be useful--like the teeth his dentist pulled when he got his new dentures and the old commode seat when got a new one.

He also had kept all his clothes, even

living room, or the kitchen, or even the bathroom to move around. I needed a month to clean his property, and that was just the inside. I’d need another month for the outside. Then I’d pack my junk....precious valuables only....and move. Meeting newspaper production deadlines would be impossible, and frankly, I didn’t want to try.

Stopping the newspaper altogether seemed suddenly, deliciously tempting to do.

Then Providence stepped in. Word began to spread, and readers started emailing me, calling and even stopping me in stores and on the street. You cannot stop, they told me, but another most important audience, new advertisers, also started calling. Hmm, perhaps this is not

heavily on my conscience to continue. A promise I’d made my brother the week

He wanted me to tell the story of his illness, of the unwillingness of the medical establishment as it now exists to treat him because he was one of the uninsured, to tell people how he had

medication to alleviate the pain from his four broken vertebrae in his spine and half a dozen broken ribs due to the

multiple myeloma, cancer of the bone marrow, that essentially was dissolving his bones.

He had been ill a long time, several months, perhaps even more than a year before the pain drove him to see his doctor, demanding that he be given an MRI that he was paying for in cash. The MRI showed that two vertebrae already were broken.

The progression from that point to his death is impossible for me to relate,

to that time and to those places. Just know that we were given hope by an oncologist that a bone marrow transplant would rebuild his bones, if the cancer was stopped with chemotherapy by a promising new drug.

before I can treat you,” he was told. “Can” was the wrong word. “Will

treat you” would have been accurate.

living on his savings for a year, unable to climb into his boat anymore....that and

with him.Selling his boat was a psychological

accepted the notion he probably would

not get consistent treatment. When the calcium built up in his brain to the point he ceased functioning, I would take him to the emergency room, and he would be

home, but without pain medications. “Your regular doctor will prescribe those,” we were told, but no, his regular doctor refused. The crackdown on pill mills struck fear in his doctor’s heart.

So I would sit in the oncologist’s lobby demanding a prescription for my brother before I’d leave, desperation making me formidable.

Without insurance, he did have check-ups and the simple tests that would have revealed the terror within. So he, like thousands of others every day in this country, got his health care from the emergency room of a hospital.

Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013Making a Difference18

The statistics are sobering, if notdownright scary. A simple fallamong those over 65 is the leading

cause of injury-related deaths, hospitaliza-tions, and admissions to extended-care fa-cilities in the U.S., according to theCenters for Disease Control in Atlanta,and one in three seniors over 65 will fallduring this year.

Florida is not an exception. Consider-ing that 18% of Florida’s population is 65or older, the numbers become especiallysignificant.

“The most amazing part of these statis-tics,” says Hap Harrington, an over-65 res-ident of the Ridgeway community of HobeSound, “is that...first of all, rememberthese are real people, not just numbers....isthat most of these falls, if not all of them,are preventable.”

He pauses, then looks you straight in theeye as he says it again: “Pre-VENT-able.”

If all falls among seniors in Floridawere prevented, according to the FloridaDepartment of Health, then the number ofinjury deaths among seniors would de-crease by more than 40%, injury hospitaladmissions would decrease by nearly 75%,and injury emergency department visitswould decrease by more than 50%.

Harrington’s near-evangelical zeal forspreading the word about abating thecosts in terms of human suffering, as wellas to the bottom lines of institutions andgovernment agencies struggling finan-cially to provide emergency and health-care services, is the seed that has growninto a non-profit organization, FloridiansFighting Falls, with an office staffed byvolunteers in Hobe Sound.

Harrington does not intend to stopwith just a statewide organization, though.He’s already registered the name, Ameri-cans Fighting Falls, for the moment thatthe Florida fall-prevention program ex-tends beyond state boundaries, an in-evitable progression, he says, because fewstates have bona fide fall-prevention andawareness programs currently in place.

“I’ve spent a lot of time researching onthe internet,” he says, “and what I foundis that most states, just like Florida, haveno organized fall prevention organizationsdedicated exclusively to fall preventioneducation and awareness.”

Many government agencies, organiza-tions and hospitals have fall-preventioncomponents of other established pro-

grams, Harrington explains, or they havecreated coalitions among several disparateorganizations in an attempt to educate thepublic regarding fall prevention, but notusually a program with the single focus ofpreventing falls.

“And you know what that means,” headds, “Preventing falls kind of slipsthrough the cracks.” He waits for the in-tended pun to register with his listener, ac-companied by a broad grin, then he adds:“But that’s the very reason why we haveso many falls and so many injuries. Peoplejust don’t realize it’s serious...I call it the‘major disease, that isn’t’....and it’s timenow we take it seriously. We’re talkingabout quality of life here. We’re talkingabout preventing death.”

If the cost in human suffering stirs noresponse, Harrington says, then the im-pact to a taxpayer’s wallet should registerwhen those trips by fire-rescue teams tohomes, then to hospitals, then to nursinghomes could be cut significantly simply byinstituting some easy steps, including vi-sion checks, simple exercises, assessingmedications, and having a home safety in-spection conducted by those same fire res-cue personnel who respond to calls in themiddle of the night.

“I was absolutely stunned when Ilearned that two-thirds of the calls by ourlocal fire department at Ridgeway Terraceand U.S. Route One, which covers all the

way to the turnpike,”he says with emphasis,“are the result of fallsby residents in theRidgeway and Cam-bridge communities.Two-thirds!” That fact be-came Harrington’s call toaction two years ago.

Long an activist in the Ridge-way and Hobe Sound communities,Harrington is known to push his agenda,whatever that may be, because he growsimpatient with talk alone. Already theFloridians Fighting Falls organization iswell on its way to becoming a 501(c)3 or-ganization, has established an office onBridge Road in Hobe Sound, has a state-certified “Tai Chi for Better Balance” in-structor, Audrey Burzinski, and hasconducted numerous educational outreachactivities, most of which have been spon-sored by Well-Med, a medical organiza-tion committed to preventative care.

Terri Watling, of Well-Med, is co-founder of Floridians Fighting Falls, andshe became committed to fall preventionas she, too, learned the statistics, the factsabout fall prevention, and recognized thatFFF’s mission aligns perfectly with Well-Med’s mission of preventative care.

“We have modeled our program afterthe Satellite Beach fall-prevention programinstituted there by Fire Chief Don Hughes,”Watling said, “who is nationally recognizedfor the success of his work, and because ofthat affiliation, we’ve been able to buildconnections to other fire departments, aswell as with other organizations.”

FFF now has partnerships in each ofthe four distinct components of fall pre-vention—with Indian River, St. Lucie andMartin County Fire Rescue Departmentsto address home fall hazards and safety,the Area Agency on Aging to sponsor “Tai

Chi for Better Balance” training, EyeCareAmerica to arrange vision checks, andWell-Med for medication assessments.

Harrington also has assembled an im-pressive board of directors, chaired byphysician Dr. James Harrell.

“That’s the beauty of me,” he says withhis characteristic smile and long, emphaticpause. “I know how to bring the right peo-ple together...to ‘use’ their strengths tobuild the whole.”

This retired national brand-candysalesman also knows how to set goals andachieve them. A New Englander, he ranfor Congress twice after he settled inMichigan, then at age 50, decided to quitcandy sales and take his wife to theFlorida Keys, where they established asailboat and snorkeling tour business.

“After four years, I lost every-thing,” he says, “but I would not

trade those four years for any-thing in the world.” Harring-ton, who adopted thenickname “Hap” simplybecause he felt the nameprojected a more positivetone than William or Bill,

went back to sellingcandy for school

fundraisers inMiami-DadeCounty.

After nine years,he and his wife bought

property in the new development ofRidgeway, but when his wife died sud-denly, Harrington moved to Ridgewayalone. Within a year, he had met his cur-rent wife, Barbara, whom he still calls “mybride” after 17 years of marriage.

“She doesn’t really understand allthis,” Harrington says, as he sweeps hisarm through the air in the FFF office, onthe second floor of a Bridge Road build-ing, “and why, at 86, I want to come towork every day. Each morning, I look upinto the sky and thank God for giving meone more day to do this.”

Harrington and his volunteers havemade significant strides in the past twoyears, but there’s still much to be done be-fore FFF can affect the number of falls lo-cally, statewide, then nationally. Time isnot on Harrington’s side. The octogenar-ian, legally blind and slightly diabetic, alsocarries a malignant, inoperable tumoraround with him that he knows one daywill snuff his light, maybe abruptly.

“I know that this organization is onfirm ground right now and in capablehands,” he says, “so I’m superfluous re-ally, but I know my health is failing....thewheels are beginning to fall off thisbus...which is why I push so hard. If Icould just see a five percent reduction infalls, I’d die a happy man.” ■

—Barbara Clowdus

Floridians Fighting Falls8965 SE Bridge Road, Suite 206Hobe Sound, FL 33455

www.FloridiansFightingFalls.comHap@FightingFalls.comAudrey@FighingFalls.comAudrey Burzinski, a certified instructor, conducts a Tai Chi for Better Balance at the St. Lucie

County Health Fair.

One man’s drive to stop falls, save lives, cut costs

Hap Harrington, co-founder of Floridians Fighting Falls,

at his desk in the FFF Hobe Sound office.

For presentations, more information, to volunteer, or to make a donation, send an email or call: 772.932.7264

Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013 Lifestyle 19

The Hobe Sound CommunityChest, which usually works qui-etly in the background raising

and disbursing funds in support ofnonprofit service agencies of the Treas-ure Coast that work to improve thelives of needy people in the HobeSound community, took the spotlight it-self during March.

The Chest conducted a tour for thepublic of some of the more than 40 agen-cies to which they make significant con-tributions, particularly the Boys & GirlsClub, the House of Hope, Banner LakeCivic Center, the Dunbar Center, The Ban-ner Lake Club, Habitat for Humanity, andthe Hobe Sound Early Learning Center.

They also announced that it had re-ceived a multi-million dollar pledgefrom Marshall Field V and his wife,Jamee. Field, a descendant of the leg-endary Marshall Field family ofChicago, who lives on Jupiter Island,consists of an initial cash donation of$100,000 and a multi-million dollar be-

quest upon their deaths, which will es-tablish an endowment fund.

The funds will advance HSCC’s mis-sion of supporting critical health andhuman service programs throughout theTreasure Coast that directly benefitthose in need in Hobe Sound, accordingto a press release.

“The Hobe Sound Community Chestwants to ensure that critical social serv-ices are available in our community formany decades to come,” said HSCC Pres-ident Peter S. Pauley, “and generous giftslike this one from the Marshall Field fam-ily help us to establish the framework toaccomplish that goal and move us closerto realizing our full potential.”

One of about a dozen tour partici-pants, Audrey Burzinski of Hobe Sound,said that although she had known theCommunity Chest was active in HobeSound, she had gained “a new apprecia-tion of the breadth and depth of theircommitment to Hobe Sound families”from taking part in the tour. ■

The Community Chest tour group visited classrooms at the Dunbar Center in Hobe Sound.

Sonya Snyder, from Habitat for Humanity, gave an overview to tour participants of Habitat's mission as they gathered in front of a Habitat home in the Banner Lake community of Hobe Sound.

Tables turn on Community Chest

Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013Lifestyle

Landscapes extending beyond the horizon

Interior designer H. Allen Holmes of Hobe Sound cherishes diversity, re-

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Art Kaleidoscope

MayaEllenson

Florida artist Gary Borse, left, brings another of his popular paintings to the H. Allen Holmes Design Gallery on Bridge Road in Hobe Sound. On the right is interior designer Allen Holmes.

Boys & Girls Club creates garden for kidsDavid VainaSpecial to Hobe Sound Currents

Positive Sprouts, a program for chil-dren ages eight to 12 years old at theBoys and Girls Club's Cole-Clark

branch in Hobe Sound, was created in thesummer of 2012 to teach young people theimportance of eating nutrient-rich fruitsand vegetables and living healthylifestyles by building and maintaining acommunity garden on site. To date, 50Hobe Sound children have participated inthe program.

The program’s curriculum is builtaround age-appropriate activities thatfocus on nutrition education and scienceexploration in the Club's organic garden.Every Thursday, BGCMC’s Hobe Soundstaff instructs children on how to plan,build, plant, maintain, and sustain the gar-den--which includes plenty of vegetablesand herbs.

Children also spend time learningabout the local garden system, for instanceparticipating in “Creepy Crawly” sessionswhere they learn about the beneficial andharmful bugs and insects in the garden. Inaddition to getting their hands dirty everyweek, the children keep journals that

record the growth of the different plants inthe garden.

As eating healthy is a major compo-nent of the program, participants alsodocument in their journals what they eatat school and at home—and then discussthese entries in a group setting so thatchildren can evaluate and refine theireating habits. To reinforce eating healthy,the Positive Sprouts coordinator alsoholds regular cooking classes in theCulub’s kitchen.

Once a month, participants from Posi-tive Sprouts travel to the nearby HobeSound campus of the Pine School. There,they tour the extensive organic garden, lis-tening to the school’s garden coordinator(known as the Plant Wizard by the chil-dren). They also take cooking classes withthe Pine School's Culinary Club, receivinginstruction from the school’s chef on howto incorporate vegetables and herbs fromone’s own home garden. The Plant Wizardalso comes to the Hobe Sound Club toteach the children about healthy plants andsoil composition.

“At the Pine School, we use our or-ganic gardens as educational tools to teachyoung people about gardening, eating lo-cally grown foods, and cultivating ahealthy lifestyle, so it’s a perfect partner-ship with Positive Sprouts,” says ShawnaGallagher Vega, the Pine School’s director

of communication and public relations.“We look forward to more visits in thespring, when we can use the crops we’vegrown to cook healthy dishes.”

Over time, BGCMC hopes to make animpact on what’s emerged as a major pub-lic health issue in the United States: obe-sity. Local data underscores that thenational obesity epidemic is also a prob-lem here at home. At Hobe Sound Elemen-tary School, 30% of third graders were

found to be obese or overweight accordingto 2011-2012 data compiled by the MartinCounty Health Department.

“Positive Sprouts is in perfect align-ment with our Club’s overall philosophy,”says Alex Soares, Branch Director at theCole-Clark branch in Hobe Sound. “Ourpurpose has been—and always will be—tonurture Club Members into becomingyoung people who fully embrace positivelifestyle choices.” ■

Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013 Lifestyle 21

Happy ‘oldsters’ enrich Hobe Sound

When I first moved to Hobe Soundyears ago, it was a quieter com-munity filled with many elderly

people working on Jupiter Island. Theyhad lived here most of their lives, more orless stress free. Most of them had familyalso living in Hobe Sound.

Vee Chambers was in her 90s; JesseArnold, house painter, in his 90s; and oth-ers, including Mary Wetherington (work-ing today) who is in her 90s. It seemed tome as if they were never in a hurry, tooklife easy, and enjoyed living here. Ithought perhaps that living close to thesea, good fresh air and being surroundedby the green space of Johnathon DickinsonState Park, the open land west of us andthe green space on Jupiter island werecontributing factors.

Today the “trend” continues, and Ishall name a few unique elderly HobeSound “oldsters” who add value and in-spiration to our community. (Some ofthem are special characters, too!)

Ron Peck, age 85, walks between 12 and14 miles each day starting at 5 a.m. Leavinghis house near the north fire station, hespends the first part of his lively stroll plac-ing newspapers on the door steps of 12handicapped people, making it easier for

them not to have to walk so far to collectthem. Then as he picks up speed, he contin-ues walking, finishing at about 10 or 11 a.m.

Ron has always lived a life of service toothers, perhaps a secret of a happy old age?

Long ago he was in the restaurant man-agement business in New York and hasworked in nursing homes as a dietician infood management. He is a eucharistic min-ister at St. Christopher's church, and con-tinues to enjoy his life on a day-to-daybasis as he meets others on his daily walks.Keep an eye out for Ron, whizzing by,wearing his small hat and fast-stepping onhis daily routes. He will inspire you!

Another inspiration is Lenny Michaud,89, well known for his devotion to the careof homeless cats, caring and feeding themdaily. and for his tireless work at hischurch. He came to the USA from Canadain 1960 with his family of six children.Knowing Lenny is to be inspired!

Dorothy Elderidge, 103, has no ideawhy she has lived so long. Many longyears ago she broke five bones, has neverexercised and takes no medications. Hermind is bright and clear, her spirit is calm,and she is a joy to be around. Dorothylives at Pine Grove Manor. She has fourchildren, 64 grandchildren, 25 great grand-children, nine great great grandchildrenand two “in the oven.”

Her husband, past commander of apower squadron, died many years ago.After his passing Dorothy continued to bea major fund raiser for the powersquadron, giving it her time and efforts.She moved to Florida from New Jersey be-fore WWII and has lived in Lake Worthand Palm Beach Gardens as well.

She loves na-ture, and saysthat her happi-ness comes froma deep love forwild woods, ani-mals and thebeauty surround-ing Hobe Sound.In her honor, forher 103rd birth-day, 103 butter-flies werereleased at PineGrove Manor.

JimmySchrewsbury istruly “one of akind” and a fa-

miliar sight around Hobe Sound! You willsee him at Winn Dixie on Bridge Road,where he has worked as a bag boy for 23years, earning minimum wage as he hap-pily carries customers' grocery bags to theircars. Jimmy always has a smile, is full ofgood cheer. He is in his 80s, yet he worksfive days a week, is on his feet all day, butyou would never guess his age. He says he"gets a lot of exercise and likes his job be-cause of all the good-looking women andnice people he encounters."

Jimmy has always looked on the goodside of life in spite of his time spent inKorea and a bit of arthritis now in hisknee. He always drinks ONE beer a day,he says, and has never been sick. He hasan amazing amount of energy for his age!

Pauline MacArthur, well known inHobe Sound as the driving force behindthe Harry and the Natives restaurant at

the corner of Bridge Road and U.S. 1, maybe seen there six days a week. The restau-rant is Pauline's family's business, andover the years it has been a joy for Pauline,no doubt adding to her long life and giv-ing inspiration to the many people whohave met her through the years.

She walks to church on Sundays, anduntil age 96, Pauline volunteered as an en-tertainer at the Manors in Hobe Sound,playing the piano and singing for the eld-erly. At age 98, she might sing a song foryou when you stop into Harry's.

Lexi is 84 years old in DOG YEARS.One may see her around Hobe Sound, run-ning alongside Bill Britton, her owner, onhis recumbent 3-wheeler bicycle. Togetherthey travel a mile or more each day. Lexi isan Australian Shepherd living with Billand Bobbi, his main squeeze's sweetheart.His two other dogs, Ranger (a border collieage 70) and Bella (another Aussie age 15)take turns bicycling a mile each around theneighborhood, smartly trotting at a clip-ping pace. Ranger is the fastest, and Bellakeeps a nice pace. Lexi likes to stop andsniff. Bobbi was pleased to have Lexi, giv-ing her the name because she doesn't owna Lexus. Owning the dog is lots more fun!

Many years ago, Bill worked as an en-gineer for Aerospace, located in Denver.He came to Hobe Sound in 1992, after re-tirement, because of the spirit in our com-munity, relating to the local area. Heshares his zest for life with others as hewaves and stops to talk with residentsalong the way with dogs and bicycle. Billis a happy, healthy oldster at 76. Lexi,Ranger and Bella agree!

Hats off to Hobe Sound Oldsters! ■

Jimmy Schrewsbury, a favorite Hobe Sound "oldster," works daily atWinn-Dixie.

NO JOB TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL!

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Hopscotch

The Pinewood Elementary Schooltrack team may be slightlyswifter this season thanks to the

Hobe Sound/Port Salerno Rotary Club.“At least now they don’t have to

slow down for holes or for the grassgrowing in the track,” says Tony Se-mentelli, who along with fellow Rotar-ian Tony DeLorenzo, organized theclub’s project to restore the school’strack to its nearly new status.

Several Rotarians, joined by theschool’s track coach, parents and somestudents, as well as two commerciallandscaping firms donated their time,effort, and equipment recently to clearovergrown brush and grass, and to re-pair the holes in the asphalt, in time fortrack season.

The work was long and hard, begin-ning at 7 a.m. and ending in late after-noon under a blazing sun, but theresults, all agreed, were worth it.

“This is just awesome,” said BillCraft, Pinewood track coach. “Youknow, with the cutbacks in funding, thecounty just does not have the means tomaintain this track, but it’s really beauti-ful now. The kids are going to be so sur-prised when they see it.”

The idea for the project came fromthe school principal, Larry Green, for-mer SeaWind Elementary School princi-pal, who had contacted Sementelliregarding the Rotary Club’s teacherrecognition program.

“He appreciated the Rotary Club’seffort to recognize our outstandingteachers,” Sementelli says, “and hewanted Pinewood to take part. Whilewe were talking, I asked him if heneeded anything else done. He said, ‘Letme talk to the staff and our teachers, andI’ll let you know.’ When he got back tome, he said the overwhelming requestwas to fix the track. And so that’s whatwe decided to do.”

DeLorenzo sought the additionalservices of two lawn maintenance firms,Outdoor Property Management andPrecious Savannah Outdoor Mainte-

nance of Stuart, who trimmed andchipped the heavy overgrowth of ex-otics, particularly Brazilian pepper trees.

“We would never have been able toaccomplish what we did today withoutthese guys,” DeLorenzo added.“They’ve been great.”

In addition to DeLorenzo and Se-mentelli, other Rotarians wielding shov-els, weed-eaters and pushingwheelbarrows included Hap Mills, BillWhippen, John Young, Roger Smeds,Brent Miller and Michael Dale.

The club tackles at least one localservice project each calendar quarter, aswell as contributing to a host of nationaland international projects. Its meetingsare open to the public, and new mem-bers are being sought. The meetings areat 7:15 a.m. each Friday at the MilesGrant Country Club. ■

Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013Rotary22

Rotary tackles overgrown school track

Recognizing the county’s finestteachers has been a priority of theHobe Sound/Port Salerno Rotary

Club since its inception nearly two

decades ago. “Not once have we missed aquarter for teacher recognition,” said BillWhippen, one of the club founders. “It’simportant, and it’s important to us.” ■

Rotary recognizes‘Teachers of the Quarter’

Port Salerno Elementary School Vice Principal Allysa Eberst with teacher Tammy Sexton.

SeaWind Elementary School Principal BirgitAger with teacher Lauren Epsenhart.

Coach Dan Warner with Hobe Sound Elementary School Principal Joan Gibbons.

Pinewood Elementary School Teacher Ashley Glatthorn with Principal Larry Green.

The action is unstoppable. TheSpring Run has sprung—the bestMarch/April bite Hobe Sound

has seen in years. Both the Public Beachand the Northern Federal Preserve aredelivering fish daily. Right after thesharks migrated through the area, thepomps slipped in behind them. The fish-ing is so good that everyone is catchingpompano, mackerel and blues.

For those of you awaiting a bait run,it’s just around the corner. Last week amilitia of pelicans were skydiving intohuge masses of menhaden. This wasgoing on at the Stuart Beaches in lateMarch. My friend, Meir, a new under-study, easily caught five big pompanoand numerous whiting. His son put outa juvenile whiting and baited up a 31-inch surf snook.

The cross-over bite of game fish andthe northern drive of the migratories areabout to collide. It doesn’t matter whereyou go. April will be a fantastic surffishing month.

All the obstacles of winter fishing areover. No need for long casting rods, livesand fleas, clams and special coloredrigs. Just throw some blanched fleas ona chartreuse attractor and cast 50 to 150feet out, and boom—the rod is bending.They’re filling up for the long cruisehome somewhere between North Car-olina and New Jersey. The water is ex-traordinarily cold, and the pomps havebeen holding local for most of March, soApril looks like a monster month. Some things to remember for certainfishing conditions to increase yourcatch. First and foremost, when theocean is crystal clear, fish early and onehour before dark. If our ocean is green-white dusty, fish all day on any tide.

Parking has become a premium,however. Always respect your neigh-bors. Give the next angler at least 50 feetof space before spiking in. The fish runnorth or south depending on the cur-rent, so you’ll need to understand somegeography to land them.

I’ve seen some jealous rages on thebeach recently, which is totally unneces-sary. Sure, we all want to catch fish, andin a pure world we would like to observea happy fishing society. Another thing, ifthere are bathers in the water go well pastthem instead of running them off to fish.A little extra walking never hurt anybody.

Observe the guarded beach areasand be careful casting your bait out.Many locals are walking their dogs, andthere have been occurrences in which

their pets have gotten hooked. If thishappens to you, quickly cut the line, andmake sure you bring your pup to a vet-erinarian ASAP. Some of these hooks arenot stainless.

Sometimes, the tourists are curious,and at times call out the word “floun-der,” and we retort with “pompano.”The tourists may be standing too closewhile we are reeling in a fish. Just be po-lite and ask them to stand back. We loveand need our visitors, so show a smileyFloridian face. We are the lucky oneswho get to see and explore the beachevery day, unlike our northern friends.Every year we pray for a great bite likethis one. Just remember, there are plentymore schools of fish on the way. Daniaand Anglin’s Pier are nailing them daily.Really good pompano bites in the UpperKeys are a by-catch of the cero mackerel.

Marine biologists are suggesting a lotof west Florida pomps may come up theEast coast this year due to the lengthyred tide this winter. Pompano are funnyabout where they go, and nobodyknows why.

Check out my friend’s “supersized”pompano. Makes the photo of my catchlook sick If you guessed its weight at 5.4pounds, you’re right.

Tight lines. ■

Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013 Outdoors 23

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A world-record pompano or just trickyphotography? Jeff Daugherty of Jupitercaught this huge pomp on ablanched sandflea last week.Guess the weight correctly,and you’ll win two DocGoofy Jigs. (Weight is revealed at the end ofthe column.)

(BELOW)Two, nice 3-poundpomps caught inthe Jupiter surfby the Pompano Reporter.

Hobe Sound CurrentsApril 2013A Port Salerno Moment24

Early morning at the Manatee Pocket in Port Salerno overlooking the newest addition to the Community Redevelopment Area's Manatee Pocketwalk--the recently completed addition, constructed at private expense, adjacent to the Manatee Grill Restaurant on A1A in Port Salerno.